fightingsioux4life

Have to disagree with you on this one. Kellen "Five Hole" Briggs was one of the big reasons why the Gophers didn't three-peat in 2004, lost to UND in the 2005 National Semifinals and got beat by the #15 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament in Grand Forks in 2006. His performance in the 2006 Final Five Semifinal game against St. Cloud State was one of the worst I have ever seen by a goaltender at any level; it looked like he was in warm-ups. As a senior, he sat on the bench during the West Regional Final in 2007. He might have put up some decent numbers during the regular season, but once the playoffs started he was unreliable. I just don't see him making it at the next level.

And when we did have something to play for (D-II titles), we still didn't market football. We have an exciting transition to DI FCS football that we can market to our fans. Once we are off probation, we will have a solid and loyal fan base to fill up the Alerus Center and travel with our team on the road. We also have to start marketing our DI basketball teams better. This hockey-only attitude that has dominated our athletic department for years has to stop. Now. Hockey has reached a level where all that is necessary is to send out the season ticket renewal notices on time, release the schedule in July so people can start booking their road trips in advance and organize Alumni gatherings at the WCHA Final Five and NCAA tournaments. The program is self-perpetuating; it sells itself. That is not the case for our other programs. If we don't start giving our other programs more marketing exposure and better overall support, this DI move will be a disaster. Building FSSN into a comprehensive, multi-sport network is a good place to start. I say we do it starting next year.

If you can sell tickets to Montana Tech (how bout them Orediggers!), then we should be able to sell tickets to UW-La Crosse. Your athletic department hyped your football team as the greatest thing since sliced bread in your first couple of years even if the schedule strength didn't match the rhetoric. That is what our athletic department should be doing right now. I am sick of our athletic department focusing on hockey and nothing else. Now that we are moving up to D-I, we can't do that anymore. We will have to promote the health of all of our athletic programs or else this move won't work.

Priceless, absolutely priceless! Thanks for the laugh!

This is the problem that I have with the pro-smoking rights lobby. They think that smokers should have more rights than non-smokers. And that is not what this country was founded on. A person's rights and liberties are guaranteed so long as they don't infringe on other's rights and liberties and/or the activity in question does not cause harm to other people. Smoking in an enclosed area exposes non-smokers to toxins that are worse than what the smoker is inhaling. That is why it is being regulated. Asbestos was discovered to be a cause of cancer, so we don't use it in building construction anymore. And if someone wants to renovate a building that has Asbestos in it, they have to remove the offending substance so that people aren't harmed by it. Based on pure private property rights however, we should just let businesses decide if they want to use Asbestos in their buildings and if people don't want to be exposed to it, they should just not patronize the place or "choose not to work there". Some people think fast food is next, but I think that is different. If you go to McDonalds and gorge yourself on Big Macs and Quarter Pounders, you are only hurting yourself; the guy in the next booth isn't going to be harmed by it. Smoking harms not only the person lighting up, but everyone in that building who breathes in the second-hand smoke. And the next business owner who tells me (through the media) to get out if I don't like second-hand smoke will never get my business again. Ever. I am not in favor of outdoor smoking bans, as I think that goes too far in punishing smokers. As long as they pick up after themselves, they can huff and puff all they want. But indoor smoking bans are no different than health regulations for bars and restaurants, fire safety regulations and building codes. Free enterprise must be tempered by reasonable concern for public health and safety. End Rant.

This must be a first in the history of sports in Fargo. All previous attempts to establish hockey in Fargo have failed in part because the Football-Wrestling-Basketball Sports Axis exerted a tremendous amount of influence in the community as a whole. Support for hockey was always painted as taking away from football, wrestling and basketball. In other words, it was treated as a zero-sum game. This is a sign that the construction of the Urban Plains Center (even with all it's warts) and the hiring of a credible hockey man like Dean Blais has given the idea of hockey in Fargo some real traction for the first time. I personally am all for it, as it will strengthen the sport in the region.

I'm not too sure about that. The momentum for public smoking bans is growing, not shrinking. If a conservative community like Fargo can get public support for a smoking ban, the rest of the state won't be far behind.

If Bjerke had had one challenger instead of two, he wouldn't have won. Pearson and Hilliard split the anti-Bjerke vote. Maybe council meetings will be more entertaining with Bjerke's ranting and raving. I suspect we'll have a lot of 6-1 votes with Bjerke being the 1. The link below has all the Grand Forks County Election Results: Grand Forks County Primary Election Results The Riverside Pool also won big.

So if the Final Five is not important, then it wouldn't have mattered if we had lost in the first round to Michigan Tech (which we came very close to doing) because we would have qualified for the NCAA tournament anyway? It does matter if you make it to St. Paul or not. I won't elevate it to the same level as the Frozen Four (like fans of the Beanpot do), but it's a great tournament stacked with some of the best talent in the nation year after year. I have reserved seats and I am not giving them up for anything. Everyone likes to point out the Denver example in 2005, but that is an exception to the rule. You can improve your Pairwise ranking by getting to the Final Five and winning at least two games because you are playing nationally-ranked teams who are either going to be in the NCAA's or are in contention for a spot. Tell Coach Hakstol and the players it doesn't matter and they probably would look at you like you've lost your mind. In my opinion, we should hang banners in The Ralph for Final Five championships won, along with the NCAA and WCHA regular season banners. No runner-up or participation banners, though. That honor is reserved for St. Cloud State!

I think people are forgetting how young the Pens are. Most of their best players are in their early 20's. I am surprised that they made it this far this soon. The Red Wings have a nice blend of youth and experience, solid goaltending and forwards that backcheck when necessary. Detriot has one of the best teams they have ever had and it's amazing that the Pens are doing as well as they are in this series. I think the Flyers or Canadiens would have gotten swept by the Red Wings. The Flyers couldn't skate with the Red Wings and the Canadiens don't have the goaltending right now. Whether you love them or hate them, this isn't the last time you will see the Pens in the Stanley Cup finals. The Wild on the other hand.....

Still a little bitter about how the Eastern Conference Finals went down? The Penquins and Red Wings are built to succeed in the new, post-lockout NHL. Talented, playmaking forwards, solid defensemen who chip in on offense (especially with the man advantage) and solid goaltending. Other franchises that are following this formula as they build their teams include the Blackhawks, Blues and Canadiens. If I left anyone out, someone please let me know. Your team also has some good, young talent and they will be tough to beat during the regular season next year. But they had trouble skating with the Pens in the playoffs, just as the Dallas (South) Stars had trouble keeping up with the Red Wings. Teams like the Wild (or Mild as some on here like to call them), the Ducks (last year was a fluke) and the Stars are built for the pre-lockout NHL that no longer exists. The Flyers have enough consistent scoring throughout the line-up to be successful playing like this, but their lack of speed and playmaking still caught up with them in the conference finals. In fact, the Flyers are a lot like a certain college hockey team that most of us on this forum follow with a passion, but I will leave that for another discussion at another time. You are right about the salary cap factor, but there are ways of managing it. The Pens should follow the formula the New England Patriots have used to stay on top; lock up your core players (Crosby, Malkin and Fleury) and surround them with solid complementary players who plug holes and do their jobs well. This model might work even better in hockey since hockey isn't the numbers game that football is and keeping just one or two stars on a hockey team will have a much bigger impact on the starting line-up than on a football team. Since hockey hasn't had a Cap for too long of a time, we'll have to just watch and see what happens. GO PENS GO!!!

Nobody is saying Blais was perfect or that his teams were flawless. But for the most part, his teams were prepared (mentally and physically) to play, whether it was against Michigan Tech or Minnesota. And the games you mentioned were not blowout losses like the one we endured last week. The Denver game was a one goal loss in the 1999 Final Five title game. The two regional losses were by one goal to Michigan in 1998 (at Yost Ice Arena) and a two goal loss in 1999 against Boston College (one goal if you discount the empty-netter). Yes, those losses were disappointing, but I don't think it happened as much back then as it does now. This season, I would go to The Ralph on Saturday night after a Friday night win and often wonder if the same team would show up again so we could sweep at home. When that happens as often as it did this season, there is a definite problem with consistency that I think must be addressed.

I only used the Jason Blake incident as one example of how Blais pushed the right buttons with players to get the most out of them. I am not saying it would have worked with this team. And while our longest losing streak in the first half of the year was two games, we also split a bunch of weekends (home and away). That is a sign of inconsistency and players not being ready to play night in and night out. We developed some consistency in the second half, but that didn't hold up for the playoffs. And that is what ultimately caught up with us in Denver. And if we ran out of gas down the stretch, it means that we don't have enough depth (especially up front) right now to finish a playoff run with a championship. That is something that needs to be addressed by the coaching staff in recruiting strategy and philosophy.

I have been thinking the same things since the train wreck last Thursday. Blais and his coaching staff were very good at pushing the right buttons at the right times, which is one of the most important parts of being a coach in any sport at any level. If the team had an off-night on Friday (which didn't happen very often), the team usually came out on Saturday clicking on all cylinders. Blais even sat Jason Blake in 1997 in Colorado Springs for the Saturday game because he didn't like Blake's defensive game (or lack thereof). That was also Karl Goehring's coming out party as a freshman, in case anyone's memory needs some help. Also, this pre-lockout NHL style of hockey has to go. This team looks more like the Minnesota Wild every year that Hakstol is in charge. It might work in the regular season, but once you get into the playoffs, you are not going to shut down every team you play. You have to score goals and you have to have forward depth that can put pressure on the opposing team's defensemen and goaltender. That also increases puck possession time and takes pressure off of your own defensemen and goaltender. Boston College right now looks like the North Dakota teams of 1997-2001. As I recall, those teams hung a lot of banners in the old REA. As Tom Dennis said in the Saturday, April 12th editorial in the Heraldo, 95% of what it takes to win a national title is there. But if the other 5% doesn't fall into place, we will continue to come up short in March or April.

I bet he's too busy trying to find dead people to vote in November!

"Unacceptable" is not cashing in on your opportunities when you get them. Your team hasn't won an NCAA title in five years (2003) and hasn't been to the Frozen Four in three (2005). But Minnesota cashed in on it's opportunities in 2002 and 2003 after years of squandering them (the Woog era) and lost in the semis (I won't say to whom! ) in 2005. Two out of three is a very good percentage considering the quality of teams at the Frozen Four. But one out of six with the kind of talent we've had in Grand Forks during that time is just very disappointing. There is just no other way to describe it. Players choose programs like North Dakota and Minnesota because they want to win National Championships and they want to set high standards for themselves. If you ask the players on these teams, they will probably tell you that "just getting there" isn't good enough. I guess that is my definition of "acceptable" and "unacceptable".

You are right about Boston College; they have finished runner-up many, many times. And I think getting to the title game and losing is much worse than losing in the semis. It's just that getting there four consecutive years and coming up empty handed is very disheartening. With the talent we bring in year after year, it's only a matter of time before we pull it off again. It's just frustrating to get close and be denied. And how it happened this year was really hard to swallow. I don't think we hang banners for winning the Final Five and I think we should. That is a hard tournament to get to and win and I love winning it right in the middle of Rodentland!

While I don't think a coaching change is in order, I do think that Hakstol focuses on defense too much. Dean Blais also believed in playing responsible defense (he once benched Jason Blake for not playing defense), but he also allowed his players to be creative and create offense and scoring opportunities. That put pressure on the opposing team and also kept the puck out of the defensive zone, which also helps out your goaltender. The Dave Hakstol version of this program I think sometimes plays too conservatively and almost looks like a pre-NHL lockout style of a team. We could use some more playmaking depth up front throughout the lineup. While this year's team was solid throughout, it helps to have some homerun hitters in the lineup. I do understand the frustration people are having. Because I share it. We used to have a reputation of hanging banners when we had the teams to do it. We always used to rip Minnesota for getting to the Frozen Four and losing in the semis every year (during the 1990's) because our program took advantage of our Frozen Four trips. Boy, have times changed. And not for the better. I hate to say this, but our fan base has changed over the years. It used to be about hanging banners in REA (first the old one, now the new one). Now it's about having a bunch of former players in the NHL and "just getting there". We have been to six of the last nine Frozen Fours and have one championship (2000) to show for it. That used to be unacceptable in our fan base. Now it's just par for the course and no one seems to notice anymore. I'll still support this team no matter what; it's just maddening to have to experience this year after year. The law of averages dictates that you get only X number of chances to win a championship and that's it. We could get back in 2009, but with all the pro defections we will have in the coming weeks, I wouldn't bet the farm on it. No one remembers who loses in the semis or who loses in the title game. And that is the most disappointing aspect of all of this.

But when committees make questionable decisions that look political and biased even if they might not be, it makes people wonder what is really going on. Sorry, but when you are in the public eye like the Hobey Baker committee is, you will have to contend with public perceptions (both good and bad). If there was more consistency in how the criteria was applied, people wouldn't get as worked up as they do.

You don't put up 116 points in 48 games because of the system Gino employed. Gino was there for 16 years and no one else wearing a Sioux uniform (not even Greg Johnson) put up numbers like that in a single season. Even Paul Kariya of Maine (as great as he was) couldn't top what Hrkac did that year. Yes, having good players around you helps and is a factor, but some of the moves he put on that year were just unreal. My dad took me to games when we could get tickets and I marveled at what he did on the ice. Take Hrkac off of that team and they wouldn't have been nearly as dominant. While JPL's numbers aren't quite as impressive as Miller's, they are close. And when you consider the schedule we have played this year and all the penalties we have had to kill off (that has to stop next week or we will come up short again), JPL is just as deserving as Miller, if not more so. So again, where is the consistency? I will maintain forever that if Panzer had played at an East Coast school he would have won the award hands down. You can disagree with that if you want, but I believe it 100%. I don't always disagree with the winner that is chosen. Junior Lessard was a deserving choice in 2004 even though most of us would have loved it if Zach Parise had won it. Brendan Morrison was also a deserving choice in 1997 despite his sour grapes acceptance speech. And I also think that those of us in Denver next Friday should show respect for the finalists. If you are so upset that you don't think you can, then just don't attend the ceremony. Don't blame these kids for the bad decision-making of a committee of so-called experts. Here's to back-to-back shutouts for JPL and the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player award! Oh, and our eighth NCAA championship as well.

I am not saying JPL should have won the award, I am saying it's a joke he didn't make it to Denver as a part of the Hobey Hat Trick. Not inviting JPL to Denver is nothing short of an insult after the numbers he has put up and how important he is to our success. However many saves Miller made per game, it must have helped to have a trapping defensive system to limit odd man rushes and scoring chances. I'm sorry, but that is a legitimate factor that should be considered. I know Karl Goehring never had that luxury during his career; Dean Blais favored a more wide-open, agressive attacking style that sometimes left the goaltender in a vulnerable position. But Goehring never got much credit for putting up the numbers he did. And I think that the school he played for had something to do with it. I don't think there is an actual conspiracy against our program, but I DO think there is a definite bias against our program. With all the great players we have had over the past quarter of a century, it is more than curious that there have been only two Hobey Baker winners (Hrkac and Duncan) from the University of North Dakota. Simply put, if Chris Drury can win the award in 1998 with his numbers that year (I think he had better numbers the year before), then Jeff Panzer should have been able to win the award in 2001 with the numbers he put up. If Ryan Miller should be considered a candidate based just on his numbers, then why wasn't Karl Goehring considered a strong candidate based just on his numbers as well? There is no consistency in how the criteria is applied. And that is what makes the Hobey Baker award so subjective and political. It is no better than the Heisman Trophy in college football. The committee has no one to blame but themselves for the conspiracy theories and the public venom they are subjected to because they bring it on themselves most of the time. I think we should get rid of the Hobey Baker and instead have awards for best forward, best defenseman, best goaltender, etc. Name each award after a college hockey legend. Then we can stop trying to compare forwards with goaltenders and trying to determine if a defenseman should be judged on goals and assists or a strong defensive game. But like I said before, winning team championships is way more important than politically-biased individual awards like the Hobey Baker. That is what Gionta and Panzer said in 2001. And I think that is what most players think as well. End Rant.

This ranks right up there with Panzer getting robbed in 2001. That was the year that I stopped caring about the Hobey Baker award. If Panzer had played for an East Coast team or a "big time" program, he would have been handed the award on a silver platter. But since he played for North Dakota, it was given to a goaltender who faced about 15 shots a game with the help of a neutral zone trapping system. To this day, everytime I see Ryan Miller's smiling mug on TV I get mad all over again. Yes, I know Duncan won it last year and I was happy for him. But had there been another credible candidate from a "big time" school, Duncan would have gotten screwed as well. Hrkac won it in 1987 because the numbers he put up just could not be ignored (116 points in 48 games). What were they going to do, say his defense wasn't good enough and then give it to someone else? I don't think so. The bottom line in this sport is winning National Championships and we have seven of those (hopefully eight after next Saturday night). And most players would give up the Hobey Baker award if it meant winning an NCAA title. This snub will only make JPL more lethal, if that is even possible. GO SIOUX, BRING HOME #8!!!

Final Score: Beanpot Spoiled Brats 5 Midwestern Spoiled Brats 2 Hard to pick a team to pull for in this one. I'd like to get another crack at Boston College and it looks like it just might happen.

Still 2-0 Michigan, early third. Clarkson power play sucks.

"Hobey" Porter just scored for Michigan. 2-0 Michigan over Clarkson, very early in the third.