Ducking Donny or Ducking Jerry?

[MafiaMan]

There is no begging going on, just anger on both sides. If you're too stupid to realize that then I guess you're not worth my time trying to convince.

Yea, I'm just a dumba** Sioux fan with 25 years of going to games under my belt. Stupid is as stupid does...

[MafiaMan]

........or maybe how Nebraska gives up almost 700 yards to UCLA and loses.....or how Illinois gets crushed by Arizona State and Louisiana Tech, Iowa loses to Iowa State, Central Michigan and barely beats Northern Illinois, .....or how Wisconsin loses to Oregon State....should I go on? Oh and I see now how they are really going to strengthen the conference now by adding Maryland and Rutgers!!! What a joke! The only good thing about that is that hopefully they will add more hockey teams to the conference.

LOL...so you're basing the Big 10 on how Illinois and Iowa have done this season? I'll call that bluff and raise you Tennessee and Auburn in the SEC and Washington State, Cal and Colorado in the Pac 12.

Last time I checked, UCLA just beat the pre-season #1 team USC...and handily at that. Oregon State has been in the top 12-15 all season long. And you're considering those embarrassing losses for the Big 10?

[sioux7]

LOL...so you're basing the Big 10 on how Illinois and Iowa have done this season? I'll call that bluff and raise you Tennessee and Auburn in the SEC and Washington State, Cal and Colorado in the Pac 12.

Last time I checked, UCLA just beat the pre-season #1 team USC...and handily at that. Oregon State has been in the top 12-15 all season long. And you're considering those embarrassing losses for the Big 10?

My point exactly. Thank you. Let's just put it this way, the Bison would finish in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten (as much as I hate to say). My point is the Big Ten is as arrogant as it gets. I could care less about the Gerbil hockey team.....but why would you give up your biggest rival to play the likes of Mankato State, Bemidji and St. Cloud. For years, Bemidji State tried to schedule the Gerbils and they would not play them when Bemidji State was moving from Div. II to Div.1 when The Sioux WOULD schedule BSU......and now they are going to give up playing The Fighting Sioux to play these chumps. What else other than arrogance on their part could it be?

[MafiaMan]

My point exactly. Thank you. Let's just put it this way, the Bison would finish in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten (as much as I hate to say). My point is the Big Ten is as arrogant as it gets. I could care less about the Gerbil hockey team.....but why would you give up your biggest rival to play the likes of Mankato State, Bemidji and St. Cloud. For years, Bemidji State tried to schedule the Gerbils and they would not play them when Bemidji State was moving from Div. II to Div.1 when The Sioux WOULD schedule BSU......and now they are going to give up playing The Fighting Sioux to play these chumps. What else other than arrogance on their part could it be?

LOL...you're probably the same type of fan who thinks Alabama would be a .500 team if they played in the NFL. How is UMass enjoying the bump-up from FCS to FBS?

[tnt]

At some point if you don't have the huge rivalry games on your schedule on a regular basis, the casual fan that has season tickets will say to themselves, "why get season tickets when I can get tickets to every game relatively easy." The tickets that are impossible to come by are those huge rivalry games like Minnesota, and that goes both ways.

[fightingsioux4life]

Rodentia only wants rivals they can beat 75% of the time. We are beating them too much, so Lucia wants to move on as quickly as possible. We will just switch to Denver as the main outlet for our venom and do just fine.

[sioux7]

LOL...you're probably the same type of fan who thinks Alabama would be a .500 team if they played in the NFL. How is UMass enjoying the bump-up from FCS to FBS?

No I am not one of those. That being said, there is a HUGE difference between the SEC and Big 14. Believe me the Bison would do just fine in the Big 14.....that is how bad the the Big 14 is. The Big 14 sucks in football. You know it and I know. I hope the hockey goes the same way.

[mksioux]

Lucia ending one of the longest lasting and most intense rivalries in college hockey is far worse than Coach Kill cancelling a couple UNC non-conference games. Maybe neither school "needs" the other school, but rivalries are what college athletics are all about. It would be more enjoyable for fans and players of both schools if the rivalry were to continue. It's very unfortunate that Lucia does not see it that way. While he has not publicly closed the door on scheduling UND in the future, I think the writing is on the wall that the UND-Minnesota hockey rivalry is, for all intents and purposes, dead.

Maybe I'm too old school, but I don't understand this "unhealthy rivalry" talk I've been hearing from Lucia. To me, true rivalries are not supposed to be altogether "healthy." The best rivalries have a bit of derangement and irrationality to them. I suspect there are other reasons at play for why Lucia does not want to schedule North Dakota.

Unfortunately for UND fans, the reality is that our biggest football rivalry is dead and our biggest hockey rivalry will be dead after this season. And, oh yea, our nickname is dead too.

[Boy Named Sioux]

I believe we don't have all the information about how the decision was made... or maybe we do and I am really dense (good possibility). I just flat out refuse to believe Minnesota is dodging anyone. Hate them all you want (i know I do) - but the notion they are "scared" is laughable to me. And, I find it hard to believe there are people who actually believe they are trying to hide. While it may be true, they may have chosen to play others instead of us, there could be motivations that are more believable than "I guess they must be scared". This does not, by the way, mean that their other reasons are completely justified... I can't say because I don't know what they are.

I can understand if a person is having an "exchange" with a Gopher fan, and you bring it up to them, just to get under the skin.

"UND sucks!"

"Well at least we aren't scared to play tough teams."

But that, to me, is different than actually believing it is true.

I know what Lucia said, (at least what others have said that he said). But I just believe there is more to the decision than "UND is too rough and tough so we are going to avoid them". DOES NOT COMPUTE.

[Mariucci]

My point exactly. Thank you. Let's just put it this way, the Bison would finish in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten (as much as I hate to say). My point is the Big Ten is as arrogant as it gets. I could care less about the Gerbil hockey team.....but why would you give up your biggest rival to play the likes of Mankato State, Bemidji and St. Cloud. For years, Bemidji State tried to schedule the Gerbils and they would not play them when Bemidji State was moving from Div. II to Div.1 when The Sioux WOULD schedule BSU......and now they are going to give up playing The Fighting Sioux to play these chumps. What else other than arrogance on their part could it be?

Dude you're nuts......and just flat out wrong.

[tnt]

I believe we don't have all the information about how the decision was made... or maybe we do and I am really dense (good possibility). I just flat out refuse to believe Minnesota is dodging anyone. Hate them all you want (i know I do) - but the notion they are "scared" is laughable to me. And, I find it hard to believe there are people who actually believe they are trying to hide. While it may be true, they may have chosen to play others instead of us, there could be motivations that are more believable than "I guess they must be scared". This does not, by the way, mean that their other reasons are completely justified... I can't say because I don't know what they are.

I can understand if a person is having an "exchange" with a Gopher fan, and you bring it up to them, just to get under the skin.

"UND sucks!"

"Well at least we aren't scared to play tough teams."

But that, to me, is different than actually believing it is true.

I know what Lucia said, (at least what others have said that he said). But I just believe there is more to the decision than "UND is too rough and tough so we are going to avoid them". DOES NOT COMPUTE.

I agree that Minnesota being "scared" is laughable, however I do think that Lucia has a stong influence in no scheduling agreement being made. For years Lucia has shown his contempt for UND by jabbing that "why is it that things like this happen when UND is involved", when in fact we see nasty situations every week in one venue or another. And like I said about a year ago, the proof will be in the pudding as to whether they really wanted to get it done or not. Well, here we are a year later and now they are not only talking no scheduling agreement, but an every other year situation if one does come about because the rivalry is unhealthy. I said then, that Lucia's hate for UND is rooted back when Notre Dame played UND back when Lucia was a Senior and his team was throttled out of the NCAA tournament by UND and their goons who included Dean Dachyshyn and who else, Cary Eades. So you can see that the rivalry being "Over the Top" kind of remarks are not just off the cuff remarks, but a deeply rooted hatred of UND.

[MafiaMan]

Rodentia only wants rivals they can beat 75% of the time. We are beating them too much, so Lucia wants to move on as quickly as possible. We will just switch to Denver as the main outlet for our venom and do just fine.

What planet were you on last season? I saw UND play Minnesota six times.

Regular season:

2-0 Minnesota

3-2 Minnesota

2-1 Sioux

6-2 Minnesota

Post-season:

6-3 North Dakota

5-2 Minnesota

I can honestly say that in my opinion, UND outplayed Minnesota in exactly ONE period of hockey last year: the 3rd period of the WCHA Final Five.

[Shawn-O]

Minnesota is not "ducking" anyone, this notion is absurd. There are only so many NC games to go around. As an aside, this whole realignment is sucking the fun out of college hockey...thanks Barry Alvarez!

[MafiaMan]

Maybe neither school "needs" the other school, but rivalries are what college athletics are all about. It would be more enjoyable for fans and players of both schools if the rivalry were to continue.

You're preaching to the choir...but the choir is getting smaller by the day. It's not just college hockey where traditional rivalries are dying...it's college football and basketball. C'mon...Boise State now wants to back OUT of its deal to leave the Mountain West and stay? San Diego State in the Big East? Maryland in the Big 10? Kansas not playing MissourI? Texas not playing Texas A & M? Maryland not playing Duke or North Carolina? College sports is a mess rivalry-wise...and hockey is just a small part of the problem.

[jodcon]

As an aside, this whole realignment is sucking the fun out of college hockey..

...and football...and basketball...and...

Truer words have never been spoken.

[fightingsioux4life]

What planet were you on last season? I saw UND play Minnesota six times.

Regular season:

2-0 Minnesota

3-2 Minnesota

2-1 Sioux

6-2 Minnesota

Post-season:

6-3 North Dakota

5-2 Minnesota

I can honestly say that in my opinion, UND outplayed Minnesota in exactly ONE period of hockey last year: the 3rd period of the WCHA Final Five.

I wasn't talking about only last season; I was talking about the last 10 years or so. We have been a thorn in their side during most of those seasons, with last season an exception to the rule. Just bring up the 2005 Frozen Four, the UND fan reaction to the Holy Cross upset at The Ralph in the 2006 West Regional, the 2007 West Regional Title Game, the 2009 regular-season beatdown at The Ralph and the 2012 Final Five Semifinal at the Xcel Energy Center and you can shut up any Rodent fans that want to bring up all the Big Ten superiority garbage as an answer to everything. If Lucia really wanted this rivalry to continue, he would twist enough arms and call in enough favors to make it happen. But now that they have their precious Big 10 Hockey Conference, they don't "need" us anymore. Like I said, we will survive just fine without them. It just won't be as much fun.

[sioux7]

Dude you're nuts......and just flat out wrong.

About?

[Goon]

Just for the Record Hakstol has a pretty good record against UMN.

Since the 2004-05 season, when Dave Hakstol took over the coaching duties the University of North Dakota has a 18-13-2 record against the University of Minnesota

[MafiaMan]

I wasn't talking about only last season; I was talking about the last 10 years or so. We have been a thorn in their side during most of those seasons, with last season an exception to the rule. Just bring up the 2005 Frozen Four, the UND fan reaction to the Holy Cross upset at The Ralph in the 2006 West Regional, the 2007 West Regional Title Game, the 2009 regular-season beatdown at The Ralph and the 2012 Final Five Semifinal at the Xcel Energy Center and you can shut up any Rodent fans that want to bring up all the Big Ten superiority garbage as an answer to everything. If Lucia really wanted this rivalry to continue, he would twist enough arms and call in enough favors to make it happen. But now that they have their precious Big 10 Hockey Conference, they don't "need" us anymore. Like I said, we will survive just fine without them. It just won't be as much fun.

Where have you heard of any Gopher hockey fans screaming about Big 10 hockey 'superiority' as compared with the WCHA? I don't know a single Gopher hockey fan IN FAVOR of moving to the Big 10 Hockey Conference.

As part of the Sioux 'thorn in the side' of the Gophers for the past ten years, you cite as an example HOLY CROSS beating Minnesota? If you're still using that as proof of Sioux hockey superiority over Minnesota...well...that argument is quite simply beyond being yesterday's news.

In case you forgot, UND also played Holy Cross in the NCAA tournament...and looked rather mediocre in defeating them a few years before the now-famous Minnesota game.

Edited November 20, 2012 by MafiaMan

[AZSIOUX]

This rivalry shouldn't ever take a year or two off. It would have became even bigger with the anticipated 1 series per year between both teams and fan bases. There is nothing better to me at least than sitting in mariucci or the Ralph or the X while these 2 teams battle away. That being said the ralph has 11,000 people plus per game attending and it doesn't matter if it's vs the gophs or st cloud st. Just sucks the rivalry is on a hiatus

[Mariucci]

About?

Your rants about the arrogance of Minnesota and the Big Ten is completely irrational.

[mksioux]

You're preaching to the choir...but the choir is getting smaller by the day. It's not just college hockey where traditional rivalries are dying...it's college football and basketball. C'mon...Boise State now wants to back OUT of its deal to leave the Mountain West and stay? San Diego State in the Big East? Maryland in the Big 10? Kansas not playing MissourI? Texas not playing Texas A & M? Maryland not playing Duke or North Carolina? College sports is a mess rivalry-wise...and hockey is just a small part of the problem.

I don't blame coaches for conference realignments. Those decisions are made multiple levels above them. I agree that, for football, that conference realignment can almost guarantee the end of rivalry games. But it's different for hockey, especially with Minnesota entering a 6-team conference. Minnesota has plenty of flexibility for non-conference games. Yet Minnesota has chosen to go in a different direction. They obviously have the right to do that, but it appears from the outside looking in, that ending the rivalry is Lucia's doing.

I agree that to say Minnesota is "scared" to play UND is just message board smack talk and I don't subsribe to that theory. The only public comment we can chew on is Lucia's comment about the rivalry not being "healthy." As others have said, that explanation just doesn't make sense. There must be other reasons why Lucia does not want to schedule UND. I think Minnesota fans would agree that UND is at least their second biggest rival behind Wisconsin and it just doesn't make logical sense to not continue to play despite conference realignment. And I don't think it shows an inferiority complex to lament the loss of a good old-fashioned rivalry game for no apparent reason. It's just too bad, that's all.

[Shawn-O]

I don't blame coaches for conference realignments. Those decisions are made multiple levels above them. I agree that, for football, that conference realignment can almost guarantee the end of rivalry games. But it's different for hockey, especially with Minnesota entering a 6-team conference. Minnesota has plenty of flexibility for non-conference games. Yet Minnesota has chosen to go in a different direction. They obviously have the right to do that, but it appears from the outside looking in, that ending the rivalry is Lucia's doing.

I agree that to say Minnesota is "scared" to play UND is just message board smack talk and I don't subsribe to that theory. The only public comment we can chew on is Lucia's comment about the rivalry not being "healthy." As others have said, that explanation just doesn't make sense. There must be other reasons why Lucia does not want to schedule UND. I think Minnesota fans would agree that UND is at least their second biggest rival behind Wisconsin and it just doesn't make logical sense to not continue to play despite conference realignment. And I don't think it shows an inferiority complex to lament the loss of a good old-fashioned rivalry game for no apparent reason. It's just too bad, that's all.

This is not surprising at all. I've heard multiple interviews where he holds the games with Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State in higher regard where rivalries are concerned.

[jodcon]

I haven't read or heard what led up to Lucia's comment about the series "not being healthy", was he talking about the on-ice incidents such as the Blood handshake fiasco, the Cepis chokeout, the Lucia headhunt on Trupp, the Frattin hit on Wehrs, and stuff like that?

If so, granted those were all sketchy incidents which can be pointed at as bad representation for those involved, but that can't be the only reason they want to end this rivaled series, is it?

[yzerman19]

Football and basketball make all the money in the Big 10. Hockey is an afterthought. Don has to follow his superiors...that is what is going on.

Non hockey guys do not understand North Dakota. We are a small state, with small TV markets, who breathe hockey. We are the elite in a sport most big schools don't have, unless they are from the Northeast or great lakes area. This is business, and the Gophers need to hang with "like" institutions- from the non-hockey point of view.