Let's drop the puck on this already! Gophers vs Badgers -- huge weekend!!

[nolte]

Hey buzz

Post all the pics of big hits, good goals, teams celebrating that you want. I just have a strong distaste for any sort of added (outside the lines) celebrations, especially without your team. In fact every time I see something added that gets the highlights on sportscenter I want to throw something at the TV. I just wonder what will push the envelope and get airtime in 20 years.

I'll give credit to the Gophs, their team effort pulled it off this weekend. This sure wasn't an easy series for them.

On another note, does anyone know if Gorowsky is hurt for the Badgers. Didn't hear his name called/ or see him at all this weekend. Course it could have been the massive amounts of Old Swill that blurred my vision.

[buzzsaw]

Thats cool Nolte, I'm jealous I wasn't drinkin' the Ol swill myself!

Not to change the subject but it sounds like Favre is leaning towards retirement?? Lot's going on in 'sconi these days.

[nolte]

Buzz

Yeah it was a rough weekend on Sconni. What's next they'll say our BBall team lost to NDSU, or that we are the number 2 dairy state behind Kalifornia. Next thing you know they'll take away the Leinenkugels brewery or tell us Max Magee was sober in the Super Bowl.

How does it go "The suns going to rise on a better day"

[buzzsaw]

Yeah, we'd get along. But tell the truth.... your only really still happy because your womens hockey team is still ranked #1 !!!!

C'mon now, tell us the truth.

[nolte]

Buzz

I wasn't even aware we had a womens hockey team or that they were #1. just kidding all you lady hockey followers so don't beat me up too bad.

Actually a girl a couple years younger than me and who is my buddy's sister played for the Badgers the last couple of years. And this year she is on the Olympic team. pretty cool.

[Hockey Guy]

Nolte,

I knew there was going to be a weak response to my comments. The FACT is… you can’t argue with me on this. Wisconsin produced a good player and he went somewhere else to play! Boo Hoo. We deal with it all the time. You asked how many Minnesota players recruited by the Gophers have gone somewhere else to play? How about we look at just the last couple of years: Zack Parise, Brian Lee, TJ Oshie, Marty Sertich, Joe Finley, John Brunkhorst, Taylor Chorney, Drew Stafford, Matt Smaby, Erik Fabian… Do I really have to go on here? Don’t forget Peter Mueller either. Even though he is not playing college hockey he is still a recruit that we lost and many scouts have him rated higher than Kessle! So don’t tell me it’s a different situation. Fact is; it’s just the first time it’s happened in Wisconsin. You can’t tell me that Kessle was recruited any stronger that Zack Parise and we lost him without shedding a tear because we are used to it!

As for your Potulny and Irmin comment, the same argument applies. The Sioux had 11 players from Minnesota on there team when we took two players sort of from ND. They played most of their hockey across the river in Minnesota but they had a ND address for the tax breaks! You say Kessle spit on your program… give me a break. The kid went to a team where he had the best chance to play HIS game and advance his career. Why is it that every program thinks they can take kids from Minnesota but we shouldn’t be able to recruit theirs?

[30 inch eyes]

WOW I though I opened the hockey site, not the boxing site!

[Rolly22]

Each kid has an idea of where they want to go to college from the time they are young hockey players. Most of the time it's who they grew up cheering for. After that, it's how the schools recruit and what state their program is in at the time. How nice is their rink, winning team, locker rooms, housing?? Maybe the showboat met a girl on his recruiting trip, who knows. Before the goofers started recruiting outside of MN, I'm sure some programs were pretty happy. Now that they take a few kids from other states, you hear whining. The final choice lies with the kid and his family, the way it should be. Blame Kessel and his Mom and Dad.

[redlake]

OH HELP ME RHONDA!

If this was the North Dakota fishing forum I would raise some serious heck right now! You bunch of sniveling poops!

Under the circumstances, I am forced to hang my head and cry! Win or lose, we have the best darn sport on the planet!! Why can't everyone gust get along?

Everyone with me say, "Buck Teeth Rodents!"

We can all still eat cheeze and enjoy it.

Let's enjoy the season!

[Dotch]

I agree. Just please let me know if they close the Leinie's brewery tho...that would be tragic.

[buzzsaw]

I'm with (Contact US Regarding This Word) and the Dotchmeister.... lets all just hug. Okay no hugging allowed.

Peace

[nolte]

Hockey Guy

You are missing my point. Name the last highly touted national recruit from WI besides a Suter. Not a good D1 prospect, but one that is top tier. The only real solid player I could even scratch together was Craig Ludwig, Who played for the Sioux. And even with his Pro success as a good D-man it's a stretch. I don't know what the reaction was then, cause I wasn't even born.

The Fabian, Oshie, Lee players aren't the same deal cause most of the kids in the NW bleed green, not maroon and gold.

The other kids are very good players but most played some junior hockey first. Name the last metro/or close player that had enough talent to step in and contribute at the D1 level at 18, that was heavily recruited by MN, verbally said he was going to attend, and then went to the Sioux, Den, Sconni, CC, Dogs, Kato, Cloud, or Tech. And no doubt the metro has a much bigger D1 talent pool in a year than Sconni does in a decade.

Mueller is not a similiar situation going pro.

I know you guys lost the recruiting battle to Parise and Bochenski. But you mean to tell me that it didn't jab gopher fans every time those two lit it up against the Maroon and Yellow. Or that they weren't booed every time in Mariucci. Please.

A situation that I would consider similiar would be the one where Spehar went to the Gophs instead of the Dogs. And the Dogs weren't very good. At the DECC the students wore shirts that said "Spehar Sucks", and chanted it continually in the game. This isn't an isolated instance with college hockey fans, and won't ever be. I was at a game when he was a Junior and they were still doing it. I'm pretty sure he had a goal in his first series back and I don't remember him egging on the crowd. In fact here is a quote from Dave regarding the dogs and xtra antics.

"I don't think it's right to come into someone else's barn and pull a dance like that," Spehar said of Nicklin's hopscotch-like skate to the blueline. "It's just unbelievable.

"When you're in your own place, whatever. Do what you've got to do. But show a little respect when you're on the road -- especially if you have trouble backing it up."

And I don't think Kessel is backing it up as much as he could be, cause he is very, very talented. If you've followed the world junior tourneys, he's just ripped it up. I'm sure he also could care less whether he is booed or not, because players know you only boo players that can do damage to your team. It's just to rattle their cage. Nobody boos an average fourth liner, unless he is a major cheapshot.

Point is, He'll won't be a WI Golden Boy till after he's done being a Golden Gopher.

[buzzsaw]

Remember Kessel is the second youngest player in ALL of D-1 Hockey!!

[redlake]

And the youngest player?

Johnathon Toews! University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux!

I think he just turned 17.

[snowman678]

Nolte, I have been to several gopher vs. UND games the past few years (both at Mariucci & Xcell during the final-5) & never did I notice the crowd boo Parise, nor spit at him, nor dump drinks on him, or throw things at him. I'm not saying it didn't happen, but I sure didn't notice it. I also used to attend several UW games a year @ Kohl center while my younger sis was going to UW & have also attended games in Grand Forks, Duluth & St. Cloud (all with various opponents as I'm not only a gohper fan but also a WCHA fan in general)& I have yet to see worse sportsmanship from any group of fans than what I have seen in Madison. I'm not saying all UW fans are that way, not at all. But the games I have attended the UW fans (I sat in the student section as my sister was able to get me tickets) seemed more interested in harassing and abusing the other team than they were in cheering for their own (this includes harassing players families, which is very "bush" as you like to say). This may have just been due to the team not being very good at the time, I don't know, but I do know that at every game I attended I saw people throwing beverages etc. on the opposing teams on their way in & out of the locker rooms. There is no reason for that kind of behavior. I can understand people being upset with Kessel choosing MN because he is a great player and hopefully will only get better (including his maturity), but the fans could stand to show a little more class than what they did.

[Rolly22]

This post is starting to resemble beating a dead horse, but I have to agree with snowman on the UW fans. As a player, I don't know how many times I wanted to climb into the stands. Also, I've never seen so many fights erupt between opposing fans and the home town crowd. It doesn't happen anywhere else as much as it does in Madison. I don't think it's a coincidence. They definately know how to provoke. Kessel kind of reminded me of TO when he went and stood on the star in Dallas. I think I would have gone after that punk. Nothing bugs me more than that crap. However, we never swept UW in Madison when I was playing either, so I guess I don't know how he felt.

Rolly

[PierBridge]

Quote:

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It doesn't happen anywhere else as much as it does in Madison.

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I know their annual Hollowean Party is second to none.

[buzzsaw]

Rolly, did you play for the Gophers?

[PierBridge]

Quote:

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Rolly, did you play for the Gophers?

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Nope!........

Google tells me he played for the team which is currently rated number One in the College Rankings. .. I thought you were the Google master Buzzy.

Anyway If he was a Gopher I think he would have worded this statement a bit differently.

Quote:

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Kessel kind of reminded me of TO when he went and stood on the star in Dallas. I think I would have gone after that punk

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....whistling..whistling..whistling...

[buzzsaw]

If he played for Miami then he probably wishes he played for them now. I see that Miami's schedule has been sooo easy! Look at the SOS (Strength of schedule) on the pairwise rankings and they are like 27th! I hear they have a decent defense and good goaltending... My prediction, they will be a possible loser in the first rd of the NCAA's and most certainly by the second round.... most overrated team out there.

[redlake]

new topic?

[Rolly22]

Miami is having a good season, but the strength of schedule will always be an issue with the CCHA. I actually played for the Bulldogs, who unfortunately, are at the other end of the rankings. I believe you googled my brother, who played at Miami. I visited him once when he was there and you wouldn't believe the campus life at that place.

Rolly

[buzzsaw]

I wonder if he played with Ron Saatzer at Miami, OH? I went to high school with him and he was a phenominal hockey player.

[PierBridge]

Quote:

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I wonder if he played with Ron Saatzer at Miami, OH? I went to high school with him and he was a phenominal hockey player.

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Don't think so Jon's brother was there from 94-98.

Pretty cool, brothers that both played college and Pro hockey looks like you scored more than little bro!

[Rolly22]

I catch more fish than he does too. Neither one of us will ever show up on the all time scoring list, but playing against each other was probably the most fun I ever had playing.

Rolly