Lucia speaks for Broten, Woog and Parise and saves the world

[yababy8]

True but if you think the coach has that much power over scheduling you might want to rethink that. Input? yes. Final say? No. I'm starting to think Lucia said that just to drive you all crazy. Who knows, he could be in his office reading all these whiny posts about ducking UND and laughing.

It doesn't drive me crazy. It is greatly disappointing to me that the such a central figure within the two programs direction is having such a negative impact on this storied rivalry. It shows a lack of respect for it as well as all of those who have been a part of it over decades of time. That's all.

To put it another way; I love the Sioux vs Gopher games. Like many others I get excited for it many days before I actually watch the games. I would equate the level of anticipation and excitement on the order of going on a cool golf vacation or maybe a big family get together like at Thanksgiving. Perhaps some analogies relating Gopher week with women would be apropos but this is a family site. hehe.. Anyway I digress, My point is that this rivalry is a big deal to many and Lucia clearly did not respect that as he made statements which explicitly demonstrated such.

This will be my last post on the matter. Like being captured by the deathstar tractor beam, my focus moves away from sideline issues and grows stronger and more intense toward the games. I am more worried about how, When I have never met the young man, I can convince Rowney to not be so fancy with the play-making attempts as he is neither Knight, Kristo nor Grimaldi and that he should stick to what he is good at, skating, being physical and shooting. Keep it simple Rowney, no fumbling.. Or how bout this one for the entire team? Stop with the high risk passing in the defensive zone. Especially passes that are toward the middle. Do what you have to do to get it out and make sure you don't lose possession. Be fancy in the offensive zone cause your good at it, (NOT you Rowney )

...ahhh it feels so good to refocus...

[watchmaker49]

Mommy, mommy, uncle don won't play with me!! Waaahh....

More like hey Lucia quite being such a pussy.

[tnt]

The question now is who is behind not allowing Minnesota players to be interviewed by North Dakota media. Seems odd that you wouldn't be allowed to help promote the series.

[Frontroguy]

Have not posted here for quite a while. That being said now is a good time to break the silence. (not that anyone really cared )

I will miss the rivalry as far as the talent level of the team to be named later goes. They have always been competitive, even more so late in the season when it counts most. It will be tough to find the intensity anywhere else.

I can do without the post whistle sillyness that always seems to occur when MN plays the team from 94 West. I am sure it happens when the Gophers play other teams as well, but definitely not with the frequency I have seen historicly, and I expect to see this weekend.

Regarding the fan base... Welll, if I never see another Whioux fan, I am good with that. I am sure that there are decent, grounded fans of your team out there, but I have not met them. When your fan base started hurling F-Bombs at my 5 year olds in Grand Forks a few years back, you lost me. If they wanted to rip me because I was wearing Maroon and Gold, that is fine. (dumb, but fine) I am a big boy and I can dela with it. But when groups of people start yelling and swearing at kids, (adults were doing this, not teenagers) it is pretty disgusting. Not sure how that made them feel tough, dropping the FBomb on kids til they cried and laughing. Pretty pathetic.

So, if I never come across a ND fan again, fine with me. You will not be missed.

Meanwhile, it should be a good series this weekend. Hopefully the games are close, and no one gets hurt.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Have not posted here for quite a while. That being said now is a good time to break the silence. (not that anyone really cared )

I will miss the rivalry as far as the talent level of the team to be named later goes. They have always been competitive, even more so late in the season when it counts most. It will be tough to find the intensity anywhere else.

I can do without the post whistle sillyness that always seems to occur when MN plays the team from 94 West. I am sure it happens when the Gophers play other teams as well, but definitely not with the frequency I have seen historicly, and I expect to see this weekend.

Regarding the fan base... Welll, if I never see another Whioux fan, I am good with that. I am sure that there are decent, grounded fans of your team out there, but I have not met them. When your fan base started hurling F-Bombs at my 5 year olds in Grand Forks a few years back, you lost me. If they wanted to rip me because I was wearing Maroon and Gold, that is fine. (dumb, but fine) I am a big boy and I can dela with it. But when groups of people start yelling and swearing at kids, (adults were doing this, not teenagers) it is pretty disgusting. Not sure how that made them feel tough, dropping the FBomb on kids til they cried and laughing. Pretty pathetic.

So, if I never come across a ND fan again, fine with me. You will not be missed.

Meanwhile, it should be a good series this weekend. Hopefully the games are close, and no one gets hurt.

Nice post. Do we really want to talk about examples of fans being d-bags? I will tell you one of my old standbys. The Final Five, probably 4 years ago, walking towards Tom Reids bar, a gopher fan yells "The Sioux can suck my...." well, you get what i'm saying. As he yells this, he is grabbing an area of his anatomy. This happened as a game was getting out, with hundreds of fans walking on the narrow sidewalks of St Paul, children included. There are many of these stories, across all fanbases, I have met some really nice gopher fans in the past, and shared beers with them. I will miss that.

[Frontroguy]

Nice post. Do we really want to talk about examples of fans being d-bags? I will tell you one of my old standbys. The Final Five, probably 4 years ago, walking towards Tom Reids bar, a gopher fan yells "The Sioux can suck my...." well, you get what i'm saying. As he yells this, he is grabbing an area of his anatomy. This happened as a game was getting out, with hundreds of fans walking on the narrow sidewalks of St Paul, children included. There are many of these stories, across all fanbases, I have met some really nice gopher fans in the past, and shared beers with them. I will miss that.

Bummer, did they yell that at you, or your 5 year old children? Just one A-hole, or several groups? Indefensible either way, but If someone had said that to me, I would not have cared any more than I suspect you did.

[fargosioux]

Have not posted here for quite a while. That being said now is a good time to break the silence. (not that anyone really cared )

I will miss the rivalry as far as the talent level of the team to be named later goes. They have always been competitive, even more so late in the season when it counts most. It will be tough to find the intensity anywhere else.

I can do without the post whistle sillyness that always seems to occur when MN plays the team from 94 West. I am sure it happens when the Gophers play other teams as well, but definitely not with the frequency I have seen historicly, and I expect to see this weekend.

Regarding the fan base... Welll, if I never see another Whioux fan, I am good with that. I am sure that there are decent, grounded fans of your team out there, but I have not met them. When your fan base started hurling F-Bombs at my 5 year olds in Grand Forks a few years back, you lost me. If they wanted to rip me because I was wearing Maroon and Gold, that is fine. (dumb, but fine) I am a big boy and I can dela with it. But when groups of people start yelling and swearing at kids, (adults were doing this, not teenagers) it is pretty disgusting. Not sure how that made them feel tough, dropping the FBomb on kids til they cried and laughing. Pretty pathetic.

So, if I never come across a ND fan again, fine with me. You will not be missed.

Meanwhile, it should be a good series this weekend. Hopefully the games are close, and no one gets hurt.

Same exact thing happened to my daughter, age 10, a few years ago at Marriucci.

[Five-HoleFrenzy]

It is pretty clear Lucia senses that he is in over his head and his actions seem to confirm this. He is very insecure and I really believe this played into the level of opposition shown by umtc towards the sioux moniker. I think um was more interested in hurting ND recruiting than protecting native american feelings. Add in the sioux tendency to, at times, embarrass the ground squirrels in high profile games as well as the superior facilities in nodak and you start to see what motivates Donald Lucia. And lets not forget the painful and public call-out of his ability as a coach:

"New York Islanders General Manager Garth Snow on Thursday criticized Don Lucia's coaching, saying that was the reason sophomore Kyle Okposo is leaving the Gophers hockey program and negotiating a contract with the Islanders."Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program there," Snow said in a telephone interview. "They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."

Nice bit you got going here...Especially pulling the Garth Snow card.

[tnt]

Nice bit you got going here...Especially pulling the Garth Snow card.

Who needs the Garth Snow card, if you look at the polls on GPL over a year ago, a great number of gopher fans thought Lucia wasn't that great either. Nice he could hire back the guy that he threw under the bus though and save his career in the process.

[Mariucci]

Same exact thing happened to my daughter, age 10, a few years ago at Marriucci.

And every time I go to the Ralph I will inevitably take a shoulder from a Sioux fan while walking the concourse. We all have stories like this over the years. The fanbases are more simliar than we like to think.

[Mariucci]

Who needs the Garth Snow card, if you look at the polls on GPL over a year ago, a great number of gopher fans thought Lucia wasn't that great either. Nice he could hire back the guy that he threw under the bus though and save his career in the process.

If Lucia was getting ripped while the team was down then he deserves the credit now that they're back. Yes Guentzel has made a difference but Lucia is the one who decided to hire him back right?

[watchmaker49]

If Lucia was getting ripped while the team was down then he deserves the credit now that they're back. Yes Guentzel has made a difference but Lucia is the one who decided to hire him back right?

Only after he realized he was not so great without him. More like he admitted he was a putz without Guentzel.

[bale31]

Just what is that much bigger relationship? Other than having MN in your name?

Umm....being funded by the exact same public government is a pretty good place to start, especially in the case of UMD. It's like saying that UND/MN have a closer relationship than UND/NDSU. It's just not true. Opposed to the common belief, MN has much more to think about with their University than the hockey program. There is everything from other sports (that are more popular) to acedemic issues to funding for research. Losing a rivalry with UND is no where near as important as any one of those facets of the university. And don't kid yourself, MN politicians are that petty that if they perceive a slight of their local university in favor of taking that money to ND they will raise a stink and hurt those other parts of the university. The U has enough of a PR problem right now with money matters after the WSJ story that they don't need anymore reasons for politicians to cut their funding.

[fightingsioux4life]

Haha....you're right. Playing the rest of us in-state schools that MN has a much bigger relationship with than UND, is just an elaborate story so that MN can dodge UND. Just read that a few times and tell me that doesn't sound delusional.

EDIT: I'm not disputing that the rest of the schools have been ignored. They have, but this is taking it about 20 steps further.

They aren't doing their about-face with the sole intention of not playing UND, but it does provide them with a convenient alibi to avoid continuing the rivalry and look generous towards the in-state schools at the same time. I just couldn't let people come on here and insist that the U of M cared so much about other D-I programs in the state when they never have in the past.

Also, to have "a much bigger relationship" with schools, you have to show an interest in playing them (and not just when you have to, but when you want to). And the U of M never bent over backwards to schedule these schools before they joined the WCHA. So, please explain these "big relationships" because I just don't see them.

[yzerman19]

Have not posted here for quite a while. That being said now is a good time to break the silence. (not that anyone really cared )

I will miss the rivalry as far as the talent level of the team to be named later goes. They have always been competitive, even more so late in the season when it counts most. It will be tough to find the intensity anywhere else.

I can do without the post whistle sillyness that always seems to occur when MN plays the team from 94 West. I am sure it happens when the Gophers play other teams as well, but definitely not with the frequency I have seen historicly, and I expect to see this weekend.

Regarding the fan base... Welll, if I never see another Whioux fan, I am good with that. I am sure that there are decent, grounded fans of your team out there, but I have not met them. When your fan base started hurling F-Bombs at my 5 year olds in Grand Forks a few years back, you lost me. If they wanted to rip me because I was wearing Maroon and Gold, that is fine. (dumb, but fine) I am a big boy and I can dela with it. But when groups of people start yelling and swearing at kids, (adults were doing this, not teenagers) it is pretty disgusting. Not sure how that made them feel tough, dropping the FBomb on kids til they cried and laughing. Pretty pathetic.

So, if I never come across a ND fan again, fine with me. You will not be missed.

Meanwhile, it should be a good series this weekend. Hopefully the games are close, and no one gets hurt.

As a somewhat grounded member of the Sioux fanbase, I apologize for that behavior. It is unacceptable in any setting, and it is unfortunate that I share the same team allegiance as animals like that. Neither program has a monopoly on classless fans, but I sincerely apologize that your children were subjected to that. I would wish every fan visiting our arena (especially children) an awesome experience in all ways (except for on the scoreboard at the end of the game).

[Frozen4sioux]

The taunting and intimidating of younger fans is just gross and it does happen both ways but really gets me...and this also happens both ways is;

If some guy around me was givin the business to some kid, I think that it would be my, and all other decent humans around, responsibility would be to either shut the guy up or have the ushers help him to another seat....I.e. parking lot.

Taunting kids is just unacceptable.

I really enjoy going to road games and when you get the chance to watch hockey with other passionate yet knowledgable, respectfull, fans its just amazing....a little chiding amongst ...great ...deriding kids with fbombs....gone.

[Mariucci]

They aren't doing their about-face with the sole intention of not playing UND, but it does provide them with a convenient alibi to avoid continuing the rivalry and look generous towards the in-state schools at the same time. I just couldn't let people come on here and insist that the U of M cared so much about other D-I programs in the state when they never have in the past.

Also, to have "a much bigger relationship" with schools, you have to show an interest in playing them (and not just when you have to, but when you want to). And the U of M never bent over backwards to schedule these schools before they joined the WCHA. So, please explain these "big relationships" because I just don't see them.

When SCSU, then Mankato, and then Bemidji decided to go Div 1 the U was very vocal and adamant about their support for those schools. You think playing someone is the only way to support them? There are so many things you dont think about. The gophers all these years have had 4 non-conference games a year locked in with the Mariucci Classic and the College Hockey Showcase. They simply didn't have as much space to schedule these schools like UND did. Sioux fans on this board think this situation is black and white when in reality there is so much more to it than they even realize.

[watchmaker49]

When SCSU, then Mankato, and then Bemidji decided to go Div 1 the U was very vocal and adamant about their support for those schools. You think playing someone is the only way to support them? There are so many things you dont think about. The gophers all these years have had 4 non-conference games a year locked in with the Mariucci Classic and the College Hockey Showcase. They simply didn't have as much space to schedule these schools like UND did. Sioux fans on this board think this situation is black and white when in reality there is so much more to it than they even realize.

No they were not in support of this. You re-write history like the state of Texas.

[Mariucci]

No they were not in support of this. You re-write history like the state of Texas.

You're saying the U was opposed to those schools going D-1 and joining the WCHA?

[jodcon]

Have not posted here for quite a while. That being said now is a good time to break the silence. (not that anyone really cared )

I will miss the rivalry as far as the talent level of the team to be named later goes. They have always been competitive, even more so late in the season when it counts most. It will be tough to find the intensity anywhere else.

I can do without the post whistle sillyness that always seems to occur when MN plays the team from 94 West. I am sure it happens when the Gophers play other teams as well, but definitely not with the frequency I have seen historicly, and I expect to see this weekend.

Regarding the fan base... Welll, if I never see another Whioux fan, I am good with that. I am sure that there are decent, grounded fans of your team out there, but I have not met them. When your fan base started hurling F-Bombs at my 5 year olds in Grand Forks a few years back, you lost me. If they wanted to rip me because I was wearing Maroon and Gold, that is fine. (dumb, but fine) I am a big boy and I can dela with it. But when groups of people start yelling and swearing at kids, (adults were doing this, not teenagers) it is pretty disgusting. Not sure how that made them feel tough, dropping the FBomb on kids til they cried and laughing. Pretty pathetic.

So, if I never come across a ND fan again, fine with me. You will not be missed.

Meanwhile, it should be a good series this weekend. Hopefully the games are close, and no one gets hurt.

That's ridiculous and security should have thrown them out, some people seem to think that buying a ticket gives them the right to do things that would get them arrested in the real world.

That said, I don't think I would ever have taken my kids when they were little to Minnesota wearing Sioux gear, I know the harrassment you get and even though I can deal with it I wouldn't subject my kids to it...there's idiots in every fanbase but big rivalries bring out the worst in people. Sad but true.

[bale31]

They aren't doing their about-face with the sole intention of not playing UND, but it does provide them with a convenient alibi to avoid continuing the rivalry and look generous towards the in-state schools at the same time. I just couldn't let people come on here and insist that the U of M cared so much about other D-I programs in the state when they never have in the past.

Also, to have "a much bigger relationship" with schools, you have to show an interest in playing them (and not just when you have to, but when you want to). And the U of M never bent over backwards to schedule these schools before they joined the WCHA. So, please explain these "big relationships" because I just don't see them.

You do realize that there is more to schools than just hockey, right? You're looking at it from a very small microscopic view right now. It's not about "showing an interest in playing them". It's also about the academic and research side of things as well. My point in saying that the state of MN funds both institutions is that it's bigger than the hockey programs. It would be irresponsible of UMN to push for these schools to build arenas and push them to get in the WCHA and then when it doesn't benefit the U to just drop them. You underestimate the political ramifications of an act like that when hockey is the biggest sport (and potentially making or breaking a school's athletic department). If I were the U, I would much rather take the heat from UND fans than take it from the legislators that hold the purse strings for my yearly budget. Put in that context, it's a simple decision.

You're saying the U was opposed to those schools going D-1 and joining the WCHA?

I'm confused by this as well. My understanding all of these years is that MN threw it's weight around to get the likes of MSU and BSU into the conference.

I can tell you that in the news and behind the scenes that Lucia was very supportive of MSU and getting us scheduled. I know at the beginning they were working with MSU to get us on their schedule for a series every year. That was before the MN Cup or whatever it will be called. I don't know if that's fallen through or whether that is still potentially going to happen in addition to the MN Cup or not. To say that MN hasn't been supportive of the other MN schools is just false. There are many things that I will rip the Gophers for, but that isn't one of them. They have had a stated goal since Herb Brooks that they want to make the universities in the state of Minnesota as successful as possible. People can doubt their intentions, but I've seen it from the perspective of one of those schools. Take that for what it's worth.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

So I think regarding the Sioux-Gophers series the following have been determined:

1. Hakstol has clearly stated that he has kept slots open for MN and wants to keep playing them

2. Lucia has clearly stated that he doesn't believe the rivalry is healthy and thinks a break would be good

3. Wisconsin has made sure to continue scheduling UND despite the nickname resolution so that excuse is out.

4. The Gophers have a sudden interest in wanting to schedule in state schools for non-conference games that was not present while a WCHA member. A lawsuit has been mentioned as a reason for this, but no agreement on which said lawsuit would be based has been brought up.

5. Neither team will be significantly affected financially if the rivalry is discountinued therefore neither team needs it more than the other.

In my admittedly biased opinion, it appears whoever is responsible for scheduling (Lucia and Friends) does not want to play UND or at least take a break. This doesn't hurt my feelings but (again in my opinion) it hurts the sport of college hockey and the potential it has to draw fans to the game by pushing great rivalries to the side.

If I missed anything or misstated something please let me know.

[shortbusguy]

So I think regarding the Sioux-Gophers series the following have been determined:

1. Hakstol has clearly stated that he has kept slots open for MN and wants to keep playing them

2. Lucia has clearly stated that he doesn't believe the rivalry is healthy and thinks a break would be good

3. Wisconsin has made sure to continue scheduling UND despite the nickname resolution so that excuse is out.

4. The Gophers have a sudden interest in wanting to schedule in state schools for non-conference games that was not present while a WCHA member. A lawsuit has been mentioned as a reason for this, but no agreement on which said lawsuit would be based has been brought up.

5. Neither team will be significantly affected financially if the rivalry is discountinued therefore neither team needs it more than the other.

In my admittedly biased opinion, it appears whoever is responsible for scheduling (Lucia and Friends) does not want to play UND or at least take a break. This doesn't hurt my feelings but (again in my opinion) it hurts the sport of college hockey and the potential it has to draw fans to the game by pushing great rivalries to the side.

If I missed anything or misstated something please let me know.

It clearly hurts your feelings or there wouldn't be a 12 page thread on it. We're breaking up with you please stop calling.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

It clearly hurts your feelings or there wouldn't be a 12 page thread on it. We're breaking up with you please stop calling.

Anything regarding the actual points I made or just your usual witty and well thought out comment? It's weird that a Gopher fan keeps lurking around a Sioux Sports message board.

[tnt]

Anything regarding the actual points I made or just your usual witty and well thought out comment? It's weird that a Gopher fan keeps lurking around a Sioux Sports message board.

Yes, you would think who cares what Sioux fans think. Why the irrational need to come on this website and convince its members of something regarding the gophers. There are definitely some things on GPL that deserve response, but I know that trying to convince them of something is futile, so why respond. I don't need my opinions to be accepted by the GPL crowd, nor would I think the majority of them would feel the need to be accepted here. Not saying differing opinions aren't welcome, but there is a point of "come on".