fightingsioux4life

When the new REA was under construction, we kept hearing the naysayers tell us that Grand Forks in particular and North Dakota in general isn't big enough to fill an 11,500 seat arena. Nine years and a bunch of sellouts later, no one is making that argument anymore. People outside of the immediate Grand Forks area get season hockey tickets and drive in for every home game. This is the model that must be followed for each and every sport UND sponsors. Those triple-header hockey-football weekends we sometimes have in the fall could be marketed to fans outside the immediate GF area. Football will be bringing in better athletes and better opponents and that will give us more marketing tools than ever to elevate that sport to higher levels of interest and success. Basketball could develop a rabid, loyal fan base of it's own by marketing to people that aren't into hockey or can't get tickets because of finances or availability. But all of this will require that the athletic department do a better job of marketing and promotion, two areas that have seriously been lacking at this institution for years. The hockey-only mantra that has driven the athletic department for years must stop now that we are Division 1 in everything. Otherwise, we shouldn't have moved up in the first place. This challenge will determine whether Brian Faison is a success or failure as our AD.

You are right, he was too harsh in his assessment.

I think he was talking about the fact that those players did not bring home an NCAA title to Grand Forks. Which is (like it or not, for better or worse) the gold standard for our program.

Brad Schlossman at the Heraldo would agree with that.

This team will be much better next year with all these players coming back. I don't see us losing a lot of underclassmen and we don't lose a lot to graduation. Next year is the year to make a run at #8! GO SIOUX!!!

I think it's time to establish Pay-Per-View options so that people that want to watch these games can just order them and watch them and not have to worry about all this crap. I would certainly fork over the cash to watch all the games I could in one weekend. As far as I'm concerned, "tape delay" is the same as not showing it at all. This is a live sporting event, not a Brady Bunch rerun.

Nice job calling me out Rick. I guess I should apologize now. Sorry, not happening. Please note that I did NOT call for a coaching change, I simply didn't think this team would be able to make a second half run this year. I really did think they were out of time. I figured that this team would be better next year with a bunch of young guys coming back and possibly Genoway getting a medical redshirt. I am very happy I was wrong and I think we have a decent chance to hang our eighth NCAA banner in a few weeks. If you want "duckies and bunnies", don't look here. You won't find it.

We were sluggish last night and so was UMD; I think it was the impact of playing three games last weekend and then playing just four days later. We'll have to play sharper and better and with more energy to win tonight. I really want some payback on Denver and this is a good place to get it. We have to dig down deep tonight. GO SIOUX!!!

Nice Sioux-cia, but I like this even better! Ed Flanders Final Scene on St. Elsewhere

Section 125, Row 25, Seats 20-21. I've had these seats since 2002.

Everyone knew that Minnesota would come out with more energy and would play harder. The home team did not have that edge that a team needs to have to finish off a sweep and that is why we will have a game on Sunday night instead of packing our bags for St. Paul. The Power Play sucked, the Penalty Kill sucked and we were average 5 x 5 for most of the game. We had a lot of shots from the outside tonight without enough traffic in front and most goaltenders will take that all night long. The Gophers did do a good job of plugging up the slot area and didn't give us too many rebound chances, but again, we should have expected they would tighten things up after last night and we didn't respond like I hoped we would have. And after we gave up two quick goals in the third to lose the lead, we kind of faded away. We must get the lead early on Sunday and then keep pouring it on for 60 minutes or we'll be watching the Final Five on television instead of playing in it. And that will hurt our seeding in the NCAA tournament. I really think that this team's chances to make it to Detroit depend greatly on winning this series. Our season is on the line tomorrow night and we'll have to come out firing on all cylinders. I think we'll get it done, but it won't be easy.

Amen to everything you just said. Some people have tickets and can't make it for a variety of legitimate reasons, but the gold-digging behavior is just plain wrong! We have a huge playoff series against one of our biggest rivals in any sport and we need loyal Fighting Sioux fans there. GO SIOUX!!!

The Gophers have to win the Final Five to get to the NCAA Tournament. If we lose next weekend, we still figure to get an at-large bid. Of course, our seeding will suffer big-time if that happens. And the humiliation of losing in the first round at home to the Rodents would be hard to swallow. We...must...win...next...weekend!

You couldn't hear yourself think! And we had a lot of time to celebrate Jason Blake's game-tying goal because Doug "Woogie" Woog took his timeout one goal too late to make a bit of difference. I miss the Wooger behind the bench, he was fun to torment! I would love to have that type of atmosphere next weekend.

I believe that was the Valentine's Day weekend Saturday-Sunday afternoon series in 1998. That was the Sunday afternoon game where we trailed 3-0 in the third period and scored 5 unanswered goals (including the empty netter) to sweep the Rodents. The live gopher was thrown on the ice after the 2 on 1 goal by the Panzer brothers cut the Gopher lead to 3-2. I still have the game on VHS at home and I will NEVER part with it! I wonder how many students are changing their Spring Break travel plans even as we speak! We need a jam packed Ralph next weekend, I want Rodentia on the golf course while we are winning the Broadmoor Trophy in St. Paul! GO SIOUX!!!

You know, this post is so funny I can't even get worked up about it. You really should think about doing some comedy writing for Jimmy Kimmel (he could use the help to get into the big time). Or Jay Leno, now that he's back on late night television. Or you can just stick around here and keep slamming the Bison trolls that pollute the forum. The choice is yours. Anyway, back on topic. I hate to break this to you, but the silver medal finish by the men's team did NOT bother me all that much. They were not expected to even get close to a medal and they proved everybody wrong, especially those smug Canadian fans who think we shouldn't even have a team. So finishing second when most of the "experts" picked them to finish fourth or fifth or even lower is a tremendous accomplishment. And I also hate to break this to you, but in today's Heraldo article about the game, Parise expressed his disappointment in not winning the gold (which is what I have been TRYING to tell you). I suppose you think Parise should just be thankful for "being there" and that a silver medal ought to be "good enough". Opps, it looks like you are wrong after all. The best athletes in the world are not satisfied with being second best. They want the gold. And they are not happy with not getting it. In other words, they don't buy into the "duckies and bunnies" doctrine that you have embraced. And now, if you will excuse me, this "fanboy" has other business to attend to. Goodnight and good luck.

I hope we don't take this team lightly; they have clinched a last place finish and have nothing to lose. They'll try to clog up the neutral zone and get some chances off of turnovers. Take care of the puck, do all the little things right and we'll finish up the regular season strong. Friday night: UND 4, MTU 1 Saturday night: UND 2, MTU 0 GO SIOUX!!!

You are really good at putting words in my mouth. I AM NOT trying to set any "rules" for anybody. I also am NOT implying that the USA Women's Hockey Team has anything to be ashamed of. All I said is that finishing "Runner-Up" in team sports sucks, whatever tournament we are talking about. Obviously, you don't feel the same way about it. That is fine, but if you want to convince me that I am wrong and you are right, calling me a "loser" and a "fanboy" isn't going to get it done. Got it? And like I said before, if playing competitive sports (not pick-up games with friends or neighborhood kids) is a requirement for posting on here or anyplace else, then I think we should shut this forum down and do background checks on everyone that has an account here so we can weed out the "Fanboys" like myself. What I am saying is no different from what other people on here say after our Fighting Sioux hockey team loses badly in the Frozen Four. But in your myopic, "duckies and bunnies" world, any expression of frustration by any fan about any loss at any time is unacceptable and inappropriate. If anything, YOU are being judgemental here, not me. And you are just as much of a "fanboy" as I am.

Well, if having to have played organized sports at a high level is a prerequisite to posting on this forum, then that disqualifies a large percentage of the people registered on here. So I will leave that particular can of worms where you left it. My opinion (and that is ALL it is) is that finishing Runner-Up in team sports sucks. And I believe that to be true. And most of the people on here that bleed Green and White also believe that. We have high standards for our Fighting Sioux teams (hockey and football in particular). And when those standards are not met, we are disappointed. Not ashamed of our team, but disappointed. The only time I am ever ashamed of any of my teams is when they don't put forth the necessary effort to win and don't give themselves a chance to win. I don't think that was the case with the USA Women's Hockey Team on Thursday and it usually isn't the case with our Fighting Sioux teams. And I understand the inherent unpredictability and cruelty of sports; sometimes it just doesn't happen. But when you get that close to sports immortality and fall short, it is a very bitter pill to swallow. Of course, if you take the Duckies and Bunnies approach (as you are right now), it is unacceptable to be disappointed in losing because "they got there and that is all that matters". If you REALLY think that the USA Women's Team is not disappointed in Thursday's outcome, then you are the one that doesn't get it. And I REALLY hope that none of the teams that I support will start taking that approach to their respective crafts. And I REALLY don't think they will, because unlike most of us, they are world-class athletes who expect the absolute best of themselves. And please don't EVER call me a bandwagon jumper. I have endured plenty of bad seasons from my teams (Vikings, Sioux, Twins, etc). I stick with my teams whether they win or lose. I am still a Minnesota Vikings fan after all these years and I always will be. I will always cheer for the Fighting Sioux in all sports. I will always cheer for Team USA in all tournaments in all sports. But that doesn't mean I won't express my frustration over tough losses. That is part of being a fan. And if you can't understand that, then you just don't get it. My 2 cents.

Good point!

Is there an echo in here?

Come on boys, finish up strong!!!

Final Score: GF Central 3, Bismarck 0. Knights are State Champions for the first time since 2004.

Brian Bonin was the king of excessive goal celebrations. Man, I could not stand him when he was wearing Maroon and Gold!

I figured someone would get riled up about what I wrote. That's fine. And no, I wouldn't toss it in the garbage OR pawn it off for cash. That would be disrespectful of the Olympics and of the team I played on. But I certainly wouldn't celebrate and be happy about it. I suppose in five or ten years, I would feel differently than the day after, but I still would regret not winning what I set out to win and that was Gold. I am sure the girls on that team are not in a happy or celebratory mood right now and I do not blame them. I guess all I want is for USA Hockey (USA anything, really) to not settle for anything less than Gold and not be satisfied with Silver or Bronze. Just as I have high standards for our Fighting Sioux teams. And I think the Women's Hockey program will continue to win international tournaments and will be back in the hunt in 2014 in Russia. But that doesn't make the losses suck any less. Again, just my opinion. Feel free to flame away if you wish.