NoiseInsideMyHead

Our recollections may differ. Keep in mind that in most years, UND was a top seed, drawing low-value opponents (Michigan Tech, for example) to REA for the first round. Sometimes recycling the same conference opponent one or two weeks later. I have almost always had elbow room during the playoffs.

This happens every year over the holidays and spring break. Single-game buyers who would ordinarily fill the upper/corners buy lower bowl student sections instead. What you see is pretty much attributable to the students being gone, with some degree of offset by the fact that casual (i.e., non-STH) fans may simply have diminished interest (or already blew their entertainment budget) at this time of year. Nobody can quarrel with the value of playoff tickets, basically 2-3 games for the price of one. But, hockey fatigue is real...a lot of STH are selling this weekend, too.

Spring break. Student sections sold as reserved to the general public.

I've been reading a handful of news items on this issue lately, and I'm confused. The media angle seems to suggest that it's the NHL's decision whether or not to "go", but it's not the League that "goes," it's the individual players. Why isn't this just as simple as scheduling a regular NHL season and letting individual players negotiate (or not) releases from their respective teams? I am sure that several of the players would be willing -- in the name of pride and country -- not only to take a financial hit vis-a-vis compensation, but also to self-fund the travel and insurance premiums (with obvious assistance from their respective countries' olympic committees/sponsors/slush funds). Do NHLPA standard contracts not allow for temporary, voluntary leave? Is it a matter of the NHLPA being in the best position to negotiate a favorable leave agreement for all of the Olympians? The teams have minor-league affiliates for a reason, so I would not accept the argument that it would create a personnel shortage. (Anybody recall the usual impact on a roster -- 1-3 guys per team, maybe?) Some fans may be tempted to stay home to watch their Olympian superstars on TV rather than go to the local NHL rink, but given the time zones I doubt there would be much of a problem. I get that the arena scheduling could be complicated by not knowing in advance if the NHL will take a break, but I'm still not clear why this is a LEAGUE decision. The NHL comes off sounding arrogant, especially when they are willing to take a dump on 2018 but repeatedly state that 2022 is still on the table. So it cannot be the principle of participation that bothers them. Who here has a good read on this?

People here do like to bare their souls and engage in a little teeth-gnashing, yes. I believe what you are looking for is called Twitter.

Gonna have to sell a $hit-ton of Tots to fix that lot. The moon often looks down just to admire the craters.

That reference is solid, but old...maybe older than you think. Per Wikipedia, he last hosted that show 10 years ago!

http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/4227400-allegiant-puts-grand-forks-orlando-flights-hold You'd think, maybe, they could have done something like, oh, I don't know, advertise? Trips to Disney/Universal are an expensive proposition, to be sure, but all some of us need is a little enticement or inducement. Admittedly, I do not read the Herald in print very often and I do not listen to local radio, but I can't recall ever seeing an Allegiant ad or anything resembling a push to get people to fly (non-stop) to the Orlando area. If the number was right, I'd have pulled the trigger.

Yes, I do believe that Boston's preceded Space Aliens. Fake news!

I nominate this thread as the SiouxSports feel-good story of the decade. Proof that no matter how stale the conversation, or how random the bump, there can be a happy ending. Seven and a half years, people! Also, it shows the value of searching before one initiates a new thread. A lesson we can all use from time to time.

D1 basketball is too big, and there is a huge drop off in talent from top to bottom, even from top to middle. But the 64/68 team tourney format is so engrained in our culture that to scale it back would be difficult, and expensive in terms of lost revenue. So, the only other option would be to keep the field size but fill it with a much larger percentage of the league, thereby watering it down almost to NBA/NHL playoff participation levels. At the very least, a 16-1 upset would become a more realistic possibility. Definitely interesting.

The Title IX plaintiffs will be tied up in court. Quite literally.

Bigger wreck fest than usual. Agree that the repair clock is stupid...it's going to cause a team to rush a repair and lead to unnecessary risk. In addition to bunching up the field, the stages also eat up a lot of the race under caution. If I remember correctly, about 6-7 laps per break. NASCAR has done a lot of tweaking since its glory years but cannot seem to get out of its own way.

What is it about Farmers Union that compares so favorably to Olympic? Seating, viewing, concessions, sound? I ask only because my reaction to the few clips I've seen has been "Meh, could be any newer community rink in the area." In fact, I had to do a double-check the other day when I saw a broadcast from there. I was expecting something a little more "done."

Siouxmpa loompa Hawkety doo I've got a perfect puzzle for you Siouxmpa loompa Hawkety dee If you are wise you'll listen to me What do you get when you win an eighth title? A month, maybe two, of continuous smiles. What are you at, when your stars leave and your new logo falls flat? What do you think will come of that I don't like the look of it Siouxmpa loompa Hawkety dine If you're not greedy, you will be patient for nine You will live in happiness too Like the Siouxmpa Loompa Hawkety do Siouxmpa loompa Hawkety doo I've got another puzzle for you Siouxmpa loompa Hawkeda dee If you are wise you'll listen to me Ranting on SiouxSports is fine when it's once in a while It gives you a chance to openly spill your bile But it's repulsive, revolting and wrong Whining on SiouxSports all day long The way that certain posters do Siouxmpa loompa Hawkety doo I've got another puzzle for you Siouxmpa loompa Hawkety dee If you are wise you'll listen to me Who do you blame when your team plays average like that? You sound pampered and spoiled like a siamese cat Blaming the coaches and players is a lie and a shame You know exactly who's to blame That God-awful bird and dumb nickname Siouxmpa loompa Hawkety da If you're not spoiled then you will go far You will live in happiness too Like the Siouxmpa Loompa Hawkety do

I miss the Chinese threads. Maybe we can get just enough of those to relegate this one to the second page.

Hope the REA only took out an option on food and drinks.

If they play a tribute video and there's no one there to see it...

Interesting...UND requires that students be vaccinated against MMR. http://und.edu/health-wellness/student-health/immunizations.cfm

Since @ Shawn-O was kind enough to drag me into this, and rekindle that whole affair, I have to ask, what on earth does a hockey coach salary have to do with a BB coach salary? You'd be far better off using peer institution BB data to support the claim that a BB coach is underpaid. Or at least peer institution WH data to prove that a WH coach is overpaid. I stand by my earlier statements on the subject that sport-specific market forces drive the numbers, and that sport-to-sport comparisons are useless.

Huh? How did I get roped into this conversation? I'll own it if you can simply point to where I said it. EDIT: I now see and recall our discussion last summer about the merits of comparing coaching salaries across sports in gross, but is it not a tad unfair to pin the "knuckle-dragging Neantherthal" name-calling part of that comment on me?

The "clinging to hope" demographic has money to spend. Interlocking ND is technically still in use, at least until the ice melts.

I think this composite on the wall at ICON is impressive. Grand Forks hockey from termite to high school. On a strictly per capita basis, I wonder if GF doesn't have one of the highest hockey participation rates in the country.

The Internet is your friend. http://www.ndhsaanow.com/tournaments/icehockey-boys

Nice find. Thanks for posting.