I have a tendency to get a bit wordy on these posts, so I will keep this one short and sweet. Yesterday the best chance that I will probably ever have in my life to see a team I root for win anything went up in smoke.
Kind of felt it comin with all the praise being heaped on the Sioux the past couple of weeks, definitely felt it once the game started and the team in green didn't resemble anything I'd watched over the past couple months. Michigan's goaltender and defense needs to be given credit, but at the end of the day, the Sioux just played lousy and couldn't cash in on any of their many opportunites. It was apparent watching two power plays in the first that the team simply didn't have it, and although the shots made it look lopsided, it was actually a fairly flat performance.
The best thing to do would be to move on and think about next season, but I believe I'll stew on this one a bit. Perhaps a dimly lit bar and a few glasses of whiskey are in order. Easier to shake these things off when they are unexpected. Setting your sights on a title all season long and going into the final two games as the favorite will lead to heartbreak when you fall short. Frankly I haven't been this depressed since the Vikings last NFC Championship loss. Don't want to think about next year, or even sports in general right now, just want to forget what just happened.
At least one thing got clears up, the universe is not sh*tting on the state of Minnesota, but on me personally.
Wish I could take back whatever it was I did to cause this.
I'll never root for a winner.
Showing posts with label Sioux. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sioux. Show all posts
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The 2011 Frozen Four: More than just a game
I am a mess.
Since waking up Monday morning, my fear and loathing has grown to the point where it has become almost debilitating. I've lacked focus, lost sleep and spent long hours pondering the 'ifs' of what might unfold Thursday. In short, I've spent far too much time and energy thinking about something I have absolutely no impact on, short of perhaps being one voice in a crowd of thousands spurring my team on. This is the stuff that causes people I know to wonder why I follow sports in the first place. To most, my idiotic gyrations must seem either comical or sad. But this is the way I'm wired, and have never known another way to operate.
Sports is supposed to be entertainment. No doubt you've heard the cliches of "It's not life or death" and "It's just a game", repeated a hundred times over. The problem is, for millions of people throughout the world, the outcomes of these games means so much more than that. Maybe we overplay their significance because we just don't have enough important things going on in our lives. I will certainly cop to that, it's doubtful the teams I follow would take on the same importance if I had a child to look after (At least I hope so, for the kid's sake). But the whole thing is really much deeper than that.
Every college hockey season I renew acquaintances with old friends, many of which I haven't seen in some time. They are people who may not be the closest of friends, but are always a welcome sight wherever they happen to pop up. Sometimes it's an expected meeting, other times a random run-in at some far-flung arena or college town bar. Whatever the circumstances, it never gets old, be it in the form of an entire evening shooting the breeze, a quick drink, or a 2-minute chat in an arena concourse. Some will scoff at the notion, but these people are my college hockey family, and there's a similar set out there for every other team in every other sport.
Because there's a kinship among fans, even those of the worst teams. When the going gets tough, we lean on the collective, and the presence of like-minded individuals who know what we're feeling offers the strength to get back on that horse. Those who don't understand wonder why we cling to the same bad teams one heartbreaking year after another, asking why not just jump ship to another that offers better prospects for success? We don't do this because it would make us frauds in the eyes of those who we've struggled alongside. The past is prelude, and winning is meaningless if you sell out who you are to achieve it.
Am I doing a sufficient job of making this situation much grander and more complex than it ever should be? I certainly hope so. Lord knows how my sleeping might suffer should I stopped to think of just how much of my life revolves around grown men throwing a ball. But what people who don't follow sports will never understand are the connections between fans of the same team. Even if they are strangers thousands of miles from home, the sight of a familiar logo and simple question "You a ______ fan?" can be the only two steps needed to kick off a budding friendship. Or, should it be a rival, at least an evening of good-natured trash talk.
Our stuff beats your stuff, it's true. There will never be an Oscar debate that's as interesting as an MVP debate. Too subjective. No stats. There will never be a conversation about music or art that draws in so many people as equals. Too much accounting for tastes. No broader appeal. Sports are one of the few places you'll see two strangers with nothing in common but the color of their jerseys high-five and hug. One of the only environments where the opinions of Joe Sixpack carry the same weight as a six-figure executive. While admittedly imperfect for a host of reasons (bad calls, PEDs, disparate salaries) sports remain superior because they allow for debate on the minor points, yet require none for the major. Those are settled on the field, or ice, or diamond, decisively and with no equivocation.
Like many things in life, winning a title is as much about the journey as the destination, falling short a few times just adds to the sweetness once you finally break through. Only problem is, sometimes you start to wonder if the breakthrough will ever come. The last decade has been hard on my fellow Sioux fans and I. Sure there has been plenty of success, but also a ton of heartbreak in big games to accompany it. This will be the 11th season since the last Fighting Sioux national title, and 6th Frozen Four appearance in that span. I've gone into these games confident, nervous, just happy to be there, emotions have run the gamut. The only consistency has been in the results, no hardware.
This year's team has the feel of one that should get the job done, and everyone offering an opinion seems to think they're the team to beat. That's cold comfort to anyone who's watched enough hockey to realize how fickle the game can be, one bad bounce or hot goaltender is all it takes to derail even the best squad. Now with a week off to cool down from a dominant regional performance, who knows how it's all going to go? I guess all that I can say is that I'm happy to not see Boston College as the opposition, then I remember the other bench will be occupied by the winningest program in NCAA history, so careful what you wish for.
On paper, the Sioux should beat Michigan, and whichever team comes out of the Duluth-Notre Dame matchup. On paper they have the nation's best scorer, goaltender and deepest lineup. On paper, I should be fearless. But they don't play games on paper.
Most people in this town, including most of my friends, won't be rooting for North Dakota to win, which is understandable. If the shoe were on the other foot, I'd be cheering for just about anybody before I would their Gophers. But as much as a Sioux title might annoy them, I'd hope even the biggest UND hater could be happy for people like me, who put their heart and soul into this stuff, without a whole lot to show for it.
A friend of mine told me the other day that North Dakota winning the title is destiny. After all, it's been the worst year in recent Minnesota sports history, the hated Packers won the Super Bowl, a Sioux title would fit perfectly with the theme. Man I hope he's right, and my personal jinx isn't strong enough to trump the collective struggles of a state. Guess we'll find out soon enough.
Go Sioux.
Since waking up Monday morning, my fear and loathing has grown to the point where it has become almost debilitating. I've lacked focus, lost sleep and spent long hours pondering the 'ifs' of what might unfold Thursday. In short, I've spent far too much time and energy thinking about something I have absolutely no impact on, short of perhaps being one voice in a crowd of thousands spurring my team on. This is the stuff that causes people I know to wonder why I follow sports in the first place. To most, my idiotic gyrations must seem either comical or sad. But this is the way I'm wired, and have never known another way to operate.
Sports is supposed to be entertainment. No doubt you've heard the cliches of "It's not life or death" and "It's just a game", repeated a hundred times over. The problem is, for millions of people throughout the world, the outcomes of these games means so much more than that. Maybe we overplay their significance because we just don't have enough important things going on in our lives. I will certainly cop to that, it's doubtful the teams I follow would take on the same importance if I had a child to look after (At least I hope so, for the kid's sake). But the whole thing is really much deeper than that.
Every college hockey season I renew acquaintances with old friends, many of which I haven't seen in some time. They are people who may not be the closest of friends, but are always a welcome sight wherever they happen to pop up. Sometimes it's an expected meeting, other times a random run-in at some far-flung arena or college town bar. Whatever the circumstances, it never gets old, be it in the form of an entire evening shooting the breeze, a quick drink, or a 2-minute chat in an arena concourse. Some will scoff at the notion, but these people are my college hockey family, and there's a similar set out there for every other team in every other sport.
Because there's a kinship among fans, even those of the worst teams. When the going gets tough, we lean on the collective, and the presence of like-minded individuals who know what we're feeling offers the strength to get back on that horse. Those who don't understand wonder why we cling to the same bad teams one heartbreaking year after another, asking why not just jump ship to another that offers better prospects for success? We don't do this because it would make us frauds in the eyes of those who we've struggled alongside. The past is prelude, and winning is meaningless if you sell out who you are to achieve it.
Am I doing a sufficient job of making this situation much grander and more complex than it ever should be? I certainly hope so. Lord knows how my sleeping might suffer should I stopped to think of just how much of my life revolves around grown men throwing a ball. But what people who don't follow sports will never understand are the connections between fans of the same team. Even if they are strangers thousands of miles from home, the sight of a familiar logo and simple question "You a ______ fan?" can be the only two steps needed to kick off a budding friendship. Or, should it be a rival, at least an evening of good-natured trash talk.
Our stuff beats your stuff, it's true. There will never be an Oscar debate that's as interesting as an MVP debate. Too subjective. No stats. There will never be a conversation about music or art that draws in so many people as equals. Too much accounting for tastes. No broader appeal. Sports are one of the few places you'll see two strangers with nothing in common but the color of their jerseys high-five and hug. One of the only environments where the opinions of Joe Sixpack carry the same weight as a six-figure executive. While admittedly imperfect for a host of reasons (bad calls, PEDs, disparate salaries) sports remain superior because they allow for debate on the minor points, yet require none for the major. Those are settled on the field, or ice, or diamond, decisively and with no equivocation.
Like many things in life, winning a title is as much about the journey as the destination, falling short a few times just adds to the sweetness once you finally break through. Only problem is, sometimes you start to wonder if the breakthrough will ever come. The last decade has been hard on my fellow Sioux fans and I. Sure there has been plenty of success, but also a ton of heartbreak in big games to accompany it. This will be the 11th season since the last Fighting Sioux national title, and 6th Frozen Four appearance in that span. I've gone into these games confident, nervous, just happy to be there, emotions have run the gamut. The only consistency has been in the results, no hardware.
This year's team has the feel of one that should get the job done, and everyone offering an opinion seems to think they're the team to beat. That's cold comfort to anyone who's watched enough hockey to realize how fickle the game can be, one bad bounce or hot goaltender is all it takes to derail even the best squad. Now with a week off to cool down from a dominant regional performance, who knows how it's all going to go? I guess all that I can say is that I'm happy to not see Boston College as the opposition, then I remember the other bench will be occupied by the winningest program in NCAA history, so careful what you wish for.
On paper, the Sioux should beat Michigan, and whichever team comes out of the Duluth-Notre Dame matchup. On paper they have the nation's best scorer, goaltender and deepest lineup. On paper, I should be fearless. But they don't play games on paper.
Most people in this town, including most of my friends, won't be rooting for North Dakota to win, which is understandable. If the shoe were on the other foot, I'd be cheering for just about anybody before I would their Gophers. But as much as a Sioux title might annoy them, I'd hope even the biggest UND hater could be happy for people like me, who put their heart and soul into this stuff, without a whole lot to show for it.
A friend of mine told me the other day that North Dakota winning the title is destiny. After all, it's been the worst year in recent Minnesota sports history, the hated Packers won the Super Bowl, a Sioux title would fit perfectly with the theme. Man I hope he's right, and my personal jinx isn't strong enough to trump the collective struggles of a state. Guess we'll find out soon enough.
Go Sioux.
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Final Five
Today was supposed to be a day of great anticipation. This Monday marks the beginning of the week that culminates in the greatest sports weekend of the year. Unfortunately, a lot of that enthusiasm is gone, following the unceremonious exit of the Golden Gophers in two games at the hands of Alaska-Anchorage.
Last July, when the news of another early departure shook the Gopher hockey program, I opined on how far things had fallen the past few years. Since then, as another disappointing season unfolded, my feelings haven't changed. While I definitely don't want to see Minnesota back on top of the college hockey heap, the lack of their presence at the league tourney takes some of the wind out of it's sails. Never is that felt more keenly than a day like today, instead of eager anticipation, many of my compatriots and stuck lamenting what went wrong. I'm not going to let it affect my mood, as my team is still scheduled for Friday night at the X, and I'm extremely fired up. It's just that events are always more fun when people are fired up and attendance is solid, the more buzz the merrier.
So instead of a Thursday night game and potential showdown with the Sioux looming, Gopher fans get to spend today wondering how they've managed to sink lower still. As I wrote last week, Anchorage is not a good team. They may have played well this past weekend, and gotten some phenomenal goaltending, but they're still an 8th place team with a losing record. Minnesota can, has and should've blown them off the ice. Or at least pushed it to a third game. Or at a minimum looked interested in participating on Saturday! Instead, they followed up a poor effort on Friday with one that was even worse on Saturday. The issues facing the team have been re-hashed ad nauseum over the past few years, and it's happening enough places right now that I don't need to belabor it here. Let me just say that although we don't see eye to eye, I feel your pain Gopher fans, and hope this thing gets back to respectability soon.
But enough of that negativity, because as I've mentioned several times, the best sports weekend of the year starts this Thursday!!!
My personal Top 5:
1) Final Five/March Madness - In a class by itself, due to the nonstop action it offers. Do-or-die hoops action starts at 11 AM and runs until midnight, with a constant stream of clutch moments throughout. 48 games hammered out in 96 hours, whittling the 64 tourney teams down to 16 by Sunday evening. But March Madness is only the backdrop for things, and although it's the greatest backdrop one could wish for, it's secondary to the live action on the ice. Toss in 5 hockey games over the course of 3 days and, at least in a typical year, one of America's best St. Patrick's Day celebrations...well you had me at hello.
2) NFL opening weekend/college football/MLB pennant races - I probably rate this higher than some, due to my love of football. But when you have the most popular league in America kicking off the day after you get your first dose of big time college matchups (following the first weekend's slate of cupcakes in tune-up games, and have important baseball games happening to boot? Well that's one heck of a weekend!
3) The Masters/MLB return/NHL crunch time/Frozen Four - If you're not a golf fan, that's unfortunate, because the Master's is a great event that serves as the signal spring has finally arrived each year. It typically coincides with one of the first weekends of baseball season, either the last regular season/first playoff weekend in the NHL and college hockey's Frozen Four. Pretty darn good slate there when it all comes together, and kind of the bridge between the seasons in this part of the world. Sure NHL season won't technically be over for another 8 weeks, but psychologically you're moving on down the road.
4) Final weekend in October - Tipoff of the NBA intersecting with baseball playoffs makes this the only time all year that the 4 major sports are happening at the same time.
5) Thanksgiving - Okay, so sports aren't the first thing that spring to mind when you think Thanksgiving, but with the staggered NFL schedule, the college basketball and hockey tourneys, NBA and NHL throwing out their best matchups and a full slate of crucial college football games, it definitely makes the cut. Used to be neck-and-neck in this slot with NFL Draft weekend (playoff hockey, early-season baseball, etc.), but then they moved the draft to Thursday night and screwed everything up.
So there it is, the best of them all starts in only a few short days, and I couldn't be more excited. Started attending this tourney a few years ago, and if it's up to me, will never miss it.
Some personal memories:
2003
The Final Five: Colorado College, Duluth, Mankato, Minnesota, North Dakota
Highlight: Not much for me, as the only game I attended was the unceremonious 2-1 bouncing of the Sioux by the Duluth Bulldogs. About the only thing I remember about it was thinking it was the emptiest I'd ever seen the Xcel Center. I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to note that I regret missing Mankato's only appearance in the tourney since I've been attending. I'm not losing too much sleep.
2004
The Final Five: Anchorage(!), Colorado College, Duluth, Mankato, Minnesota, North Dakota
Highlight: Also only made it to one game this time out, but it was an amazing one that made me a fan of this tourney for life. Won't rehash that all again, just repeat it was one of the best games I've ever seen. I'll always remember getting the call that there was an extra ticket and catching a ride down with a buddy. His girlfriend (now wife) gave us a ride, and when we hopped out of the car, I manage to kick a toy that was in the backseat onto West 7th. I picked up what I thought was all of said toy, but apparently lost some piece of it.
This would seem a trivial and forgettable episode, but for the fact it caused me to get branded for the rest of my days as "the guy who kicked my son's toy into the street". Not a good moniker to carry, as bad as being "that drunk guy who pissed on the floor", which I've also been on a couple of occasions. Not proud of that. Of course I am not "that drunk guy who took a header down the stairs at McGovern's and opened up a bloody gash on his forehead", that was my aforementioned pal Jud, about two hours after his Gophers won the title, good times.
2005
The Final Five: Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin
Highlight: You know in soccer, when a guy scores a goal, then goes running full speed and slides along the ground while celebrating? I've determined that it also works quite well on the carpeting at the X. North Dakota was battling for it's tourney life during the Thursday night play-in game against Wisconsin. As luck would have it, this particular Thursday also coincided with St. Paddy's, and I'd been celebrating since the AM hours. The Sioux scored a huge third period goal to take the lead and the Mexican Soccer Slide was born. I came to rest at the feet of two St. Paul cops, who were more than a bit amused with my celebration. Not wanting to get into any line of questioning about how much I'd had to drink that day, I simply hopped up, said "Huge goal" and went back to the business of spectating. The tourney ended with a dull 1-0 Denver victory over Colorado College in the championship game, but will always be remembered as my first year attending every game.
2006
The Final Five: Duluth, Minnesota, North Dakota, St. Cloud, Wisconsin
Highlight: This was the first time I got to see the Sioux win this tourney, an impressive feat for a team that had finished 5th in the conference and having something of a down season. That championship was somewhat overshadowed by another game that, while I wouldn't call it one of the best I've seen played, would certainly rank among the most entertaining. St. Cloud was a .500 team during the 2005-06 season, that found itself up against league champion Minnesota in the Friday night semifinal. What ensued was a wild and crazy affair that included 15 goals, a 3-goal comeback by the Gophers, which included tallies with under a second left in the 2nd period and 15 seconds remaining to force OT in the 3rd. Just when you thought St. Cloud was done, they popped the OT winner past my all-time favorite Gopher, Jeff Frazee, and moved on to meet Nodak in the Finals. Hilarious because it led directly to our buddy Andy f-bombing Frazee in front of his dad at next year's tourney.
2007
The Final Five: Michigan Tech, Minnesota, North Dakota, St. Cloud, Wisconsin
Highlight: Tech sighting! Typically, the only representation Tech has at the Final Five is it's excellent band, they're the ones dressed in yellow-and-black striped overall. (Quick sidenote, while sitting in a suite during 2006, our group pioneered the "invite the entire band into the suite to play a tune" craze that has become common at this tourney. The idea came from a wily Xcel employee who thought it would be funny to sneak the band in as a surprise to an extremely hungover member of the entourage during Saturday's third-place game. Turns out it was hilarious and a tradition was born that got brought back every year. But like anything else, people saw it and it spawned a gang of imitators. Just know it was not your idea.) If memory serves, this was also the year when my buddy Scott saw a man get struck by vehicle, another championship classic.
Scott was minding his own business, talking on the phone out in front of the Liffey, when a guy stepped out into the street and got SMOKED, losing his shoes and cell phone in the process. Scott and others rushed over to see if the gent was still breathing, but after a couple of unconscious minutes, he popped up, retrieved his phone and picked up the conversation right where he'd left off. This is the kind of thing you absolutely kill yourself for missing when you hear the story, could've crossed something off the bucket list and I was 30 yards away! Missed opportunities.
Oh yeah, there was also a g championship game that year, some guy named Wheeler scored
2008
The Final Five: Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota, North Dakota, St. Cloud
Highlight: This year's tourney was all about Minnesota. The Gophers entered the playoffs as a bubble team, played an epic three-game series on the road at Mankato (total of 5 OT periods in 3 games, and the classic "everyone in this building is standing, except for the folks in wheelchairs" quote from Doug Woog), beat St. Cloud in a 3-2 play-in thriller (for which I was seated on the glass) and beat CC in OT, before giving Denver all they could handle in a 2-1 championship loss. The Sioux fell to Denver in the semifinals, which I believe was their 581st consecutive Final Five loss to the Pioneers. Or perhaps it just seemed that way.
2009
The Final Five: Denver, Duluth, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin
Highlight: Duluth becomes the first team to win the title from the play-in game, ousting Minnesota, North Dakota and Denver along the way. Uber-hot goaltender Alex Stalock allows one goal in three games, pitching shutouts in the last two. My brother came to the tourney this year, and we scared him so bad that he hasn't been back since. At least that's what I think.
2010
The Final Five: Denver, Duluth, North Dakota, St. Cloud, Wisconsin
Highlight: The first non-Gopher year I ever experienced, and sadly not the last, the atmosphere wasn't quite on par with past seasons. But things were great on the ice, as the Sioux finally hand Denver it's first ever loss in a Final Five at the Xcel, with a 4-3 victory in the Friday night semifinal. I believe the streak got to 10 games, meaning the Pioneers had won five tourney titles in the last decade without a single blemish on their record. Of course they missed the tourney entirely a few times, as noted previously, but still a huge monkey to get rid of. Other highlight of the weekend was touring Target Field that Saturday. Watching UND win the championship again was nice, but after the breaking the Denver hex and seeing the inside of the new stadium, beating St. Cloud again just gets to be kind of blah.
2011
The Final Five: Anchorage, Bemidji, Colorado College, Denver, Duluth, North Dakota
Highlight: The darkest days in Gopher hockey are upon us, as Minnesota is swept out of the playoffs on home ice by lowly Anchorage. Two seasons in a row of something that used to be a given has fans looking for answers, and generally lamenting the horror of the whole situation. Bemidji fans make a nice effort to pick up the slack caused by Minnesota and St. Cloud missing the tourney, and are rewarded with a fun OT victory. North Dakota plays two thrillers on it's way to back-to-back titles, beating CC with a late 3rd period goal in the semis and Denver in double-OT on Saturday.
2012
The Final Five: Denver, Duluth, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, North Dakota, St. Cloud
Highlight: Gophers back at full strength, if they tell you they always were, that's not true, it's not even debateable. Also unique for the first Michigan Tech sighting in 4 years, but this year's tourney will forever be known to North Dakota fans as the "Timeout Game". After getting worked like a part-time job for 30 minutes and trailing 3-0 in the Friday night semifinal, UND called a timeout...then promptly ran off 6 straight goals to complete the scoring. I've never in my life seen a game in any sport turn so completely. The next night they thumped Denver 4-0 to win an almost passe 3rd Broadmoor trophy in a row. Unfortunately, after continuing that tradition, they also continued the tradition of the Final Five victor between these two teams losing in the national tourney, as Minnesota ended their season a week later.
So what will happen this year? Will North Dakota make it 4 in a row? Will St. Cloud win their first title in 10 years? Will Mankato make a run at their first ever? Will the Gophers finally get back to the championship game for the first time in 6 years?
ALl I know is, I can't wait to find out, drop the puck!
Last July, when the news of another early departure shook the Gopher hockey program, I opined on how far things had fallen the past few years. Since then, as another disappointing season unfolded, my feelings haven't changed. While I definitely don't want to see Minnesota back on top of the college hockey heap, the lack of their presence at the league tourney takes some of the wind out of it's sails. Never is that felt more keenly than a day like today, instead of eager anticipation, many of my compatriots and stuck lamenting what went wrong. I'm not going to let it affect my mood, as my team is still scheduled for Friday night at the X, and I'm extremely fired up. It's just that events are always more fun when people are fired up and attendance is solid, the more buzz the merrier.
So instead of a Thursday night game and potential showdown with the Sioux looming, Gopher fans get to spend today wondering how they've managed to sink lower still. As I wrote last week, Anchorage is not a good team. They may have played well this past weekend, and gotten some phenomenal goaltending, but they're still an 8th place team with a losing record. Minnesota can, has and should've blown them off the ice. Or at least pushed it to a third game. Or at a minimum looked interested in participating on Saturday! Instead, they followed up a poor effort on Friday with one that was even worse on Saturday. The issues facing the team have been re-hashed ad nauseum over the past few years, and it's happening enough places right now that I don't need to belabor it here. Let me just say that although we don't see eye to eye, I feel your pain Gopher fans, and hope this thing gets back to respectability soon.
But enough of that negativity, because as I've mentioned several times, the best sports weekend of the year starts this Thursday!!!
My personal Top 5:
1) Final Five/March Madness - In a class by itself, due to the nonstop action it offers. Do-or-die hoops action starts at 11 AM and runs until midnight, with a constant stream of clutch moments throughout. 48 games hammered out in 96 hours, whittling the 64 tourney teams down to 16 by Sunday evening. But March Madness is only the backdrop for things, and although it's the greatest backdrop one could wish for, it's secondary to the live action on the ice. Toss in 5 hockey games over the course of 3 days and, at least in a typical year, one of America's best St. Patrick's Day celebrations...well you had me at hello.
2) NFL opening weekend/college football/MLB pennant races - I probably rate this higher than some, due to my love of football. But when you have the most popular league in America kicking off the day after you get your first dose of big time college matchups (following the first weekend's slate of cupcakes in tune-up games, and have important baseball games happening to boot? Well that's one heck of a weekend!
3) The Masters/MLB return/NHL crunch time/Frozen Four - If you're not a golf fan, that's unfortunate, because the Master's is a great event that serves as the signal spring has finally arrived each year. It typically coincides with one of the first weekends of baseball season, either the last regular season/first playoff weekend in the NHL and college hockey's Frozen Four. Pretty darn good slate there when it all comes together, and kind of the bridge between the seasons in this part of the world. Sure NHL season won't technically be over for another 8 weeks, but psychologically you're moving on down the road.
4) Final weekend in October - Tipoff of the NBA intersecting with baseball playoffs makes this the only time all year that the 4 major sports are happening at the same time.
5) Thanksgiving - Okay, so sports aren't the first thing that spring to mind when you think Thanksgiving, but with the staggered NFL schedule, the college basketball and hockey tourneys, NBA and NHL throwing out their best matchups and a full slate of crucial college football games, it definitely makes the cut. Used to be neck-and-neck in this slot with NFL Draft weekend (playoff hockey, early-season baseball, etc.), but then they moved the draft to Thursday night and screwed everything up.
So there it is, the best of them all starts in only a few short days, and I couldn't be more excited. Started attending this tourney a few years ago, and if it's up to me, will never miss it.
Some personal memories:
2003
The Final Five: Colorado College, Duluth, Mankato, Minnesota, North Dakota
Highlight: Not much for me, as the only game I attended was the unceremonious 2-1 bouncing of the Sioux by the Duluth Bulldogs. About the only thing I remember about it was thinking it was the emptiest I'd ever seen the Xcel Center. I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to note that I regret missing Mankato's only appearance in the tourney since I've been attending. I'm not losing too much sleep.
2004
The Final Five: Anchorage(!), Colorado College, Duluth, Mankato, Minnesota, North Dakota
Highlight: Also only made it to one game this time out, but it was an amazing one that made me a fan of this tourney for life. Won't rehash that all again, just repeat it was one of the best games I've ever seen. I'll always remember getting the call that there was an extra ticket and catching a ride down with a buddy. His girlfriend (now wife) gave us a ride, and when we hopped out of the car, I manage to kick a toy that was in the backseat onto West 7th. I picked up what I thought was all of said toy, but apparently lost some piece of it.
This would seem a trivial and forgettable episode, but for the fact it caused me to get branded for the rest of my days as "the guy who kicked my son's toy into the street". Not a good moniker to carry, as bad as being "that drunk guy who pissed on the floor", which I've also been on a couple of occasions. Not proud of that. Of course I am not "that drunk guy who took a header down the stairs at McGovern's and opened up a bloody gash on his forehead", that was my aforementioned pal Jud, about two hours after his Gophers won the title, good times.
2005
The Final Five: Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin
Highlight: You know in soccer, when a guy scores a goal, then goes running full speed and slides along the ground while celebrating? I've determined that it also works quite well on the carpeting at the X. North Dakota was battling for it's tourney life during the Thursday night play-in game against Wisconsin. As luck would have it, this particular Thursday also coincided with St. Paddy's, and I'd been celebrating since the AM hours. The Sioux scored a huge third period goal to take the lead and the Mexican Soccer Slide was born. I came to rest at the feet of two St. Paul cops, who were more than a bit amused with my celebration. Not wanting to get into any line of questioning about how much I'd had to drink that day, I simply hopped up, said "Huge goal" and went back to the business of spectating. The tourney ended with a dull 1-0 Denver victory over Colorado College in the championship game, but will always be remembered as my first year attending every game.
2006
The Final Five: Duluth, Minnesota, North Dakota, St. Cloud, Wisconsin
Highlight: This was the first time I got to see the Sioux win this tourney, an impressive feat for a team that had finished 5th in the conference and having something of a down season. That championship was somewhat overshadowed by another game that, while I wouldn't call it one of the best I've seen played, would certainly rank among the most entertaining. St. Cloud was a .500 team during the 2005-06 season, that found itself up against league champion Minnesota in the Friday night semifinal. What ensued was a wild and crazy affair that included 15 goals, a 3-goal comeback by the Gophers, which included tallies with under a second left in the 2nd period and 15 seconds remaining to force OT in the 3rd. Just when you thought St. Cloud was done, they popped the OT winner past my all-time favorite Gopher, Jeff Frazee, and moved on to meet Nodak in the Finals. Hilarious because it led directly to our buddy Andy f-bombing Frazee in front of his dad at next year's tourney.
2007
The Final Five: Michigan Tech, Minnesota, North Dakota, St. Cloud, Wisconsin
Highlight: Tech sighting! Typically, the only representation Tech has at the Final Five is it's excellent band, they're the ones dressed in yellow-and-black striped overall. (Quick sidenote, while sitting in a suite during 2006, our group pioneered the "invite the entire band into the suite to play a tune" craze that has become common at this tourney. The idea came from a wily Xcel employee who thought it would be funny to sneak the band in as a surprise to an extremely hungover member of the entourage during Saturday's third-place game. Turns out it was hilarious and a tradition was born that got brought back every year. But like anything else, people saw it and it spawned a gang of imitators. Just know it was not your idea.) If memory serves, this was also the year when my buddy Scott saw a man get struck by vehicle, another championship classic.
Scott was minding his own business, talking on the phone out in front of the Liffey, when a guy stepped out into the street and got SMOKED, losing his shoes and cell phone in the process. Scott and others rushed over to see if the gent was still breathing, but after a couple of unconscious minutes, he popped up, retrieved his phone and picked up the conversation right where he'd left off. This is the kind of thing you absolutely kill yourself for missing when you hear the story, could've crossed something off the bucket list and I was 30 yards away! Missed opportunities.
Oh yeah, there was also a g championship game that year, some guy named Wheeler scored
2008
The Final Five: Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota, North Dakota, St. Cloud
Highlight: This year's tourney was all about Minnesota. The Gophers entered the playoffs as a bubble team, played an epic three-game series on the road at Mankato (total of 5 OT periods in 3 games, and the classic "everyone in this building is standing, except for the folks in wheelchairs" quote from Doug Woog), beat St. Cloud in a 3-2 play-in thriller (for which I was seated on the glass) and beat CC in OT, before giving Denver all they could handle in a 2-1 championship loss. The Sioux fell to Denver in the semifinals, which I believe was their 581st consecutive Final Five loss to the Pioneers. Or perhaps it just seemed that way.
2009
The Final Five: Denver, Duluth, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin
Highlight: Duluth becomes the first team to win the title from the play-in game, ousting Minnesota, North Dakota and Denver along the way. Uber-hot goaltender Alex Stalock allows one goal in three games, pitching shutouts in the last two. My brother came to the tourney this year, and we scared him so bad that he hasn't been back since. At least that's what I think.
2010
The Final Five: Denver, Duluth, North Dakota, St. Cloud, Wisconsin
Highlight: The first non-Gopher year I ever experienced, and sadly not the last, the atmosphere wasn't quite on par with past seasons. But things were great on the ice, as the Sioux finally hand Denver it's first ever loss in a Final Five at the Xcel, with a 4-3 victory in the Friday night semifinal. I believe the streak got to 10 games, meaning the Pioneers had won five tourney titles in the last decade without a single blemish on their record. Of course they missed the tourney entirely a few times, as noted previously, but still a huge monkey to get rid of. Other highlight of the weekend was touring Target Field that Saturday. Watching UND win the championship again was nice, but after the breaking the Denver hex and seeing the inside of the new stadium, beating St. Cloud again just gets to be kind of blah.
2011
The Final Five: Anchorage, Bemidji, Colorado College, Denver, Duluth, North Dakota
Highlight: The darkest days in Gopher hockey are upon us, as Minnesota is swept out of the playoffs on home ice by lowly Anchorage. Two seasons in a row of something that used to be a given has fans looking for answers, and generally lamenting the horror of the whole situation. Bemidji fans make a nice effort to pick up the slack caused by Minnesota and St. Cloud missing the tourney, and are rewarded with a fun OT victory. North Dakota plays two thrillers on it's way to back-to-back titles, beating CC with a late 3rd period goal in the semis and Denver in double-OT on Saturday.
2012
The Final Five: Denver, Duluth, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, North Dakota, St. Cloud
Highlight: Gophers back at full strength, if they tell you they always were, that's not true, it's not even debateable. Also unique for the first Michigan Tech sighting in 4 years, but this year's tourney will forever be known to North Dakota fans as the "Timeout Game". After getting worked like a part-time job for 30 minutes and trailing 3-0 in the Friday night semifinal, UND called a timeout...then promptly ran off 6 straight goals to complete the scoring. I've never in my life seen a game in any sport turn so completely. The next night they thumped Denver 4-0 to win an almost passe 3rd Broadmoor trophy in a row. Unfortunately, after continuing that tradition, they also continued the tradition of the Final Five victor between these two teams losing in the national tourney, as Minnesota ended their season a week later.
So what will happen this year? Will North Dakota make it 4 in a row? Will St. Cloud win their first title in 10 years? Will Mankato make a run at their first ever? Will the Gophers finally get back to the championship game for the first time in 6 years?
ALl I know is, I can't wait to find out, drop the puck!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Dr. Positive and Mr. Negative
One big time positive feeling today and one big time negative, we'll start with the bad news and end with the good, just to give everyone a warm fuzzy feeling heading into Friday. Probably not much need for that, as Fridays are pretty warm and fuzzy to begin with, but anyway.
The dark side of the street comes to us from college hockey, more specifically the University of Minnesota, which has been the unrivaled league leader in bad news delivered to it's fans for about 3 years now. Full disclosure, I am a rabid fan of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, it is my sworn duty to hate Golden Gopher hockey and revel in their every misstep. Problem is, a lot of what caused me to hate them in the first place just doesn't exist anymore, and lately the feeling of pity has replaced most of the hatred that once burned so bright.
I was never much of a college hockey fan until I went to college, which wouldn't seem a strange coincidence, unless you're from one of the few places on Earth where college puck is part of the consciousness. Minneapolis is one of those places, as is the state of North Dakota, so most of my friends from both places have had a die-hard passion about one of these teams since birth. Somehow the Gopher hockey bug missed me as a kid, hockey in general kind of faded in the years after the North Stars skipped town. But I got into Sioux and the WCHA with a gusto after arriving in Grand Forks, and now I'd say that there are few things in sports I enjoy more than college hockey. It is an intensely loved, region specific sport, but the lack of big time atmosphere is one of it's greatest benefits. The tickets are cheap and it's road trip friendly, 6 of the 10 WCHA arenas are within 5 hours of where I'm sitting right now. College hockey has maintained a lot of the charm that left more popular sports long ago.
But still, things are changing as the sport gets bigger and attracts better talents. The upside of this has been getting to watch the best young players in the world up close and personal. The downside has been some of the same players viewing their college days as a quick stopover on the way to the final destinations. The latest example occurred a few days ago, when Nick Leddy, an excellent sophomore defenseman and first-round draft pick, jumped ship from the U of M to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks. While this is hardly unprecedented, it strikes me as unfortunate on several levels.
First as a Fighting Sioux fan, who's seen a once-great rivalry crumble over the past few seasons with Minnesota's drop in the standings. As I said, there was a time I would've celebrated this, particularly between 2004-2007, when I had to live in the midst of a million insufferably arrogant Rodent fans. But times have also changed in that regard, with apathy replacing passion for many Gopher supporters. You know you've sunk pretty low when you're being pitied by fans of a rival, but that's the point it's reached.
Early defections and general turmoil have turned the Minnesota hockey program into a shell of it's former self, and as a person who enjoyed the rivalry, it's sad to see. Sure it was fun for a year or two, mocking one of the occasional underperforming squads that we all powerful programs have to deal with, but we're now going into year 4 of mediocre-to-bad hockey, with no end in sight, and the situation seems to be getting worse, not better. It's reached the point where this team isn't even fun to beat anymore, losing is a tragedy, winning is just beating another mediocre team. Sioux-Gophers used to be the stuff of Final Five Championship games and regional final tilts, now it's a first-round playoff matchup with a .500 opponent.
Beyond that, as a college hockey fan, a bad Gopher team just means fewer people caring about one of my favorite sports. Mainstream college hockey coverage often ebbs and flows with the fortunes of U of M teams, particularly in the Twin Cities. I'll gladly take Gopher chatter on the radio over another 30 minutes spent lamenting the sad-sack Timberwolves. The early departure signals bad things for the sport, and makes it that much easier for the next kid to skip town the minute an NHL team comes knocking. That has bad implications for every team, not just this one.
Round out this notion with the fact that Leddy was drafted by the Minnesota Wild last year, then traded for an older player, with the reason cited most often being his long development timeline, and it is indeed a sorry state the average hockey fan around these parts finds himself in. If he's a Blackhawk this season or next, my favorite professional team will once again have egg on it's face, and this time with a hometown kid. Sigh.
So that's the bad news, a state institution which many of my friends and acquaintances love, is spiraling further down the tubes. I'm certainly not as bummed as many I know about this, after all it's not my team. But considering how many Gopher games I attend due to proximity, and how much more enjoyable it is to beat them when they're good, I'm also not happy. (Don't worry too much about me though, I'll get over it, Sioux are loaded this year, got me some title aspirations.)
The good news? IT'S NFL SEASON!!!!!
Well technically not yet, but the Vikes are in Mankato today, training camps are underway across the country and I've got a half-chub just thinking about it. They were breaking down a preseason power poll on the radio during my drive to work this morning, I almost had to pull over because I couldn't see through the tears of joy!
Training camp battles, fantasy football, Brett Favre's triumphant return, it's all going to be here so very soon you can taste it; and it tastes like Coors Light with a side of chicken wings. I can't put it into words how much I love the start of the football season, college included, and you wouldn't want me to because those words would be aaagaagagahhhaggahaagh, as my tongue slid down my throat following a glee-inspired seizure.
Even though I know I'm just setting myself up for heartbreak (I'm a Vikings fan for the love of God), the day of football's return is still a great day to be alive. Two weeks ago I sat down and re-watched the NFC Championship game as a reminder of the pain, just so I could temper my enthusiasm about this whole thing. Didn't work, because this is mainly about the Vikes, but it's not all about the Vikes. It's about Monday nights and Saturday afternoons, about Ravens-Steelers and Cowboys-Eagles, about the hundred rivalries, plays and moments that each new football season brings.
Bring it on.
The dark side of the street comes to us from college hockey, more specifically the University of Minnesota, which has been the unrivaled league leader in bad news delivered to it's fans for about 3 years now. Full disclosure, I am a rabid fan of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, it is my sworn duty to hate Golden Gopher hockey and revel in their every misstep. Problem is, a lot of what caused me to hate them in the first place just doesn't exist anymore, and lately the feeling of pity has replaced most of the hatred that once burned so bright.
I was never much of a college hockey fan until I went to college, which wouldn't seem a strange coincidence, unless you're from one of the few places on Earth where college puck is part of the consciousness. Minneapolis is one of those places, as is the state of North Dakota, so most of my friends from both places have had a die-hard passion about one of these teams since birth. Somehow the Gopher hockey bug missed me as a kid, hockey in general kind of faded in the years after the North Stars skipped town. But I got into Sioux and the WCHA with a gusto after arriving in Grand Forks, and now I'd say that there are few things in sports I enjoy more than college hockey. It is an intensely loved, region specific sport, but the lack of big time atmosphere is one of it's greatest benefits. The tickets are cheap and it's road trip friendly, 6 of the 10 WCHA arenas are within 5 hours of where I'm sitting right now. College hockey has maintained a lot of the charm that left more popular sports long ago.
But still, things are changing as the sport gets bigger and attracts better talents. The upside of this has been getting to watch the best young players in the world up close and personal. The downside has been some of the same players viewing their college days as a quick stopover on the way to the final destinations. The latest example occurred a few days ago, when Nick Leddy, an excellent sophomore defenseman and first-round draft pick, jumped ship from the U of M to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks. While this is hardly unprecedented, it strikes me as unfortunate on several levels.
First as a Fighting Sioux fan, who's seen a once-great rivalry crumble over the past few seasons with Minnesota's drop in the standings. As I said, there was a time I would've celebrated this, particularly between 2004-2007, when I had to live in the midst of a million insufferably arrogant Rodent fans. But times have also changed in that regard, with apathy replacing passion for many Gopher supporters. You know you've sunk pretty low when you're being pitied by fans of a rival, but that's the point it's reached.
Early defections and general turmoil have turned the Minnesota hockey program into a shell of it's former self, and as a person who enjoyed the rivalry, it's sad to see. Sure it was fun for a year or two, mocking one of the occasional underperforming squads that we all powerful programs have to deal with, but we're now going into year 4 of mediocre-to-bad hockey, with no end in sight, and the situation seems to be getting worse, not better. It's reached the point where this team isn't even fun to beat anymore, losing is a tragedy, winning is just beating another mediocre team. Sioux-Gophers used to be the stuff of Final Five Championship games and regional final tilts, now it's a first-round playoff matchup with a .500 opponent.
Beyond that, as a college hockey fan, a bad Gopher team just means fewer people caring about one of my favorite sports. Mainstream college hockey coverage often ebbs and flows with the fortunes of U of M teams, particularly in the Twin Cities. I'll gladly take Gopher chatter on the radio over another 30 minutes spent lamenting the sad-sack Timberwolves. The early departure signals bad things for the sport, and makes it that much easier for the next kid to skip town the minute an NHL team comes knocking. That has bad implications for every team, not just this one.
Round out this notion with the fact that Leddy was drafted by the Minnesota Wild last year, then traded for an older player, with the reason cited most often being his long development timeline, and it is indeed a sorry state the average hockey fan around these parts finds himself in. If he's a Blackhawk this season or next, my favorite professional team will once again have egg on it's face, and this time with a hometown kid. Sigh.
So that's the bad news, a state institution which many of my friends and acquaintances love, is spiraling further down the tubes. I'm certainly not as bummed as many I know about this, after all it's not my team. But considering how many Gopher games I attend due to proximity, and how much more enjoyable it is to beat them when they're good, I'm also not happy. (Don't worry too much about me though, I'll get over it, Sioux are loaded this year, got me some title aspirations.)
The good news? IT'S NFL SEASON!!!!!
Well technically not yet, but the Vikes are in Mankato today, training camps are underway across the country and I've got a half-chub just thinking about it. They were breaking down a preseason power poll on the radio during my drive to work this morning, I almost had to pull over because I couldn't see through the tears of joy!
Training camp battles, fantasy football, Brett Favre's triumphant return, it's all going to be here so very soon you can taste it; and it tastes like Coors Light with a side of chicken wings. I can't put it into words how much I love the start of the football season, college included, and you wouldn't want me to because those words would be aaagaagagahhhaggahaagh, as my tongue slid down my throat following a glee-inspired seizure.
Even though I know I'm just setting myself up for heartbreak (I'm a Vikings fan for the love of God), the day of football's return is still a great day to be alive. Two weeks ago I sat down and re-watched the NFC Championship game as a reminder of the pain, just so I could temper my enthusiasm about this whole thing. Didn't work, because this is mainly about the Vikes, but it's not all about the Vikes. It's about Monday nights and Saturday afternoons, about Ravens-Steelers and Cowboys-Eagles, about the hundred rivalries, plays and moments that each new football season brings.
Bring it on.
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