2008-2009 State Tournament

[soohockey15]

By no means does that justify it, but it goes to show that this particular incident in no way shape or form represents what Fargo hockey is all about (which some people with an anti-Fargo agenda want so desperately to believe that it does). Hockey players (and athletes in general) tend to take their frustrations out on inanimate objects when they're disappointed in their performance, this is nothing new. Yes, it is immature to trash a locker room. I would tend to speculate that this isn't the first time a hockey team has trashed a locker room. I'm sure there have been other trashed locker rooms that we never heard about. It is very likely that some of them involved Fargo teams as well as (GASP) Grand Forks teams. Kids are kids and they're all capable of stupidity regardless what town they reside in. Anybody who thinks that this one particular incident makes Fargo hockey classless and refuses to believe that a team from their own town would ever be capable of pulling something similar is ignorant and naive. Now, again, if the kids made a mess of the locker room and the coach made them clean it up... good for the coach and I don't see why this is an issue. If there's more to it than that, then maybe it should be an issue. But, unless you were there and have some inside information, please refrain from assuming there is more to it for the sole purpose of pushing your anti-Fargo agenda.

Ok, so you're justifying it. It wasn't just peanut butter, they broke numerous chairs and hand dryers. Sounds like the Herald could've pumped more of an 'anti-Fargo' agenda if they wanted to, but instead kept it under wraps.

Sure was a nice stand-up job of their coach to completely dismiss the incident. Stay classy, coach.

[Tsiouxnami]

Got to love the "everyone does it" argument

My husband coached high school hockey for many years, and in all those years he NEVER had a team trash a locker room - win or lose. From the very beginning, he instilled that they must respect someone else's property and that you leave the locker room as clean or cleaner than when you got there. As the coach, and one responsible for those players, he was always the last one to leave the locker room and made sure that it was clean. If it had not been, it certainly would not have had to wait until the next day to be cleaned up, as he would have discovered it on his final locker room walk through and made the kids clean it up that day.

My understanding of this incident is that the REA employees were waiting for the South kids the next day when they had to come collect their things for their trip to Purpur and THEY made the kids clean it up. (Again, I was not there, so not sure where the truth lies. . . usually somewhere in the middle.)

[sprig]

I open my post with "by no means does that justify it", and then you have the audacity to come back and tell me "okay, so you're justifying it"?

Except, the "but" that follows cancels the first 7 words, followed by the dissertation that "everybody does it".

[HockeyHigh]

Ok, so you're justifying it. It wasn't just peanut butter, they broke numerous chairs and hand dryers. Sounds like the Herald could've pumped more of an 'anti-Fargo' agenda if they wanted to, but instead kept it under wraps.

Please tell me where you got this information. As far as I know (From a parent of the team no less), there was no property damage and the only thing that took place was peanut butter being thrown onto the walls of the shower in the locker room. This completely coincides with the story. There is no mention of property damage (Broken chairs and hand dryers would have DEFINITELY been put into this category, as well as mentioned, which they weren't), and I see nothing wrong with the comment by the coach. How do you respond to a question about something that was cleaned up upon arrival? "Mountain out of a Mole Hill" sounds like a good description to me.

The only stupid thing that happened was that it wasn't stopped during the occasion or before they left. This occurrence is hardly newspaper worthy, and really didn't need to involve the public. Or maybe it's just because I'm from Fargo that I see it this way.

To DaveK, you're on a Grand Forks forum, filled with Grand Forks natives, and Grand Forks parents, players and fans. You won't receive any help here, and anything you say will be shot down if it regards anything positive towards Fargo or negative towards Grand Forks. It's basically like a NDSU/UND argument, there's no way to debate, just make sure the facts are straight and let it go.

[Higgins]

Hey Dave,

Would you agree there has been a history of your Bruins doing stupid stuff dating back to the 70

[BringDeanBack]

I still don't believe it was peanut butter. I mean come on, skates...check, stick....check, pads....check, peanut butter?

[HockeyHigh]

I still don't believe it was peanut butter. I mean come on, skates...check, stick....check, pads....check, peanut butter?

The peanut butter was part of a tournament supply of food that they buy so that they don't have to worry about them getting fed all day long, or so I'm told, and they've had the food before. Unless I'm being lied to, it was peanut butter. For those saying it was feces, do you really think that they would do what it takes to make that happen? That's absurd, and would have been a far different situation.

As for stupid things, I guarantee you could easily find similar things from any school across the state, including your Grand Forks teams. At least these kids weren't doing things like drinking or chewing in their locker rooms. Not saying it's acceptable, but events like this aren't uncommon.

[star2city]

The peanut butter was part of a tournament supply of food that they buy so that they don't have to worry about them getting fed all day long, or so I'm told, and they've had the food before. Unless I'm being lied to, it was peanut butter. For those saying it was feces, do you really think that they would do what it takes to make that happen? That's absurd, and would have been a far different situation.

As for stupid things, I guarantee you could easily find similar things from any school across the state, including your Grand Forks teams. At least these kids weren't doing things like drinking or chewing in their locker rooms. Not saying it's acceptable, but events like this aren't uncommon.

Deleted an earlier post which was based on hearsay.

Just a comment that income disparities cause different perceptions of Fargo South versus North, Moorhead, or West Fargo, just as Red River has different public perceptions than Central or East Grand Forks. South and Red River tend to be viewed, however unfairly, as the North Dakota spoiled cake-eater equivalents to some of the wealthier Twin Cities suburban high schools. When Davies opens, it will be facing that issue, not South.

[siouxhockeyfan11]

The peanut butter was part of a tournament supply of food that they buy so that they don't have to worry about them getting fed all day long, or so I'm told, and they've had the food before. Unless I'm being lied to, it was peanut butter. For those saying it was feces, do you really think that they would do what it takes to make that happen? That's absurd, and would have been a far different situation.

As for stupid things, I guarantee you could easily find similar things from any school across the state, including your Grand Forks teams. At least these kids weren't doing things like drinking or chewing in their locker rooms. Not saying it's acceptable, but events like this aren't uncommon.

Chewing is not that bad IMO. Most athletes do it high school on up.

[SportsDoc]

Chewing is not that bad IMO. Most athletes do it high school on up.

And you base this opinion on ... what ... some great scientific knowledge you have access to? If so, please enlighten me.

I am a dentist, and I have seen first hand the permanently disfiguring results from chewing tobacco. The oral cancers from chewing are horrific. Worse, when they happen to young men whose bones are still developing (into their early 20's) the metastasis (speed at which the cancer spreads) is extremely fast and aggressive. The surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatments will leave these patients disfigured, unable to speak properly, unable to taste their food or even chew normally ... for the rest of their lives!

Even in cases where these patients don't get cancer, they almost always get leukoplakia ( a whitening and folding of the soft tissue) which, is and of itself, pre-cancerous. This gum "alteration" also progresses to gum disease and loss of bone support around the affected lower teeth. As it advances, it will lead to loss of teeth and affect the overall oral health of the patient, which we continue to find has significant impact on a patient's overall health.

Oh, and tobacco use is extremely addictive. I have so many patients who try and try again to quit chewing (or smoking) and just can't break the habit.

My advice, don't ever chew. If you do chew, quit now, before you reach the point physically and psychologically that you can't!

So, in my opinion ... chewing is that bad, even worse, than many of the things that society asks young people to avoid until they are older. And even when you are older, please, please, don't do it.

[Siouxmama]

SportsDoc,

Great post. I wish everyone that chews would read that and quit. I know a guy that chewed since high school, and got mouth cancer. He eventually died. He was young, married and with 2 teen children. Soon after that, my brother, who had also chewed since high school, asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I asked him to quit chewing, and finally after numerous tries through the years, he did. On my birthday, cold turkey. It's been 2.5 years, and he still hasn't had another chew.

[HockeyHigh]

Wow, nice posts you two. I agree with both of you on that. The fact is that chewing may not alter your ability to play a sport as smoking or excessive alcohol will, but it does have incredibly dangerous side effects as well as addictive properties, and I'm completely against having any high school athlete, or anybody for that fact, chewing. Is it really worth that small buzz you get?