Sunday, November 11, 2007

Sunday Potpourri: Surviving

If you're a viewer of either the Discovery or Science Channel then you probably have some passing familiarity with one or both of the "survival" programs they show. The first of the genre is called Survivorman and is hosted by Les Stroud; a Canadian "expert" on the outdoors and survival. The ripoff version is called Man vs. Wild and is hosted by this cat called Bear Grylls; an Englishman and former British special services soldier. Les goes out completely on his own with loads of camera gear and covers a lot of ground twice in order to get the necessary shots. Bear (if that is his real name) has a film crew following him. It's clear that some number of the shots they use on Man vs. Wild are "setup" in order to illustrate some survival point. Everything that Les shoots is as it occurs; no "setups" per se. It's too bad these two guys couldn't get together and have a "survivor-off" of some sort. I'd really like to see an emaciated Mr. Gryll's wanker-carcass laying in some forlorn wilderness while Les proudly steps over it.

Sunday's are my favorite time to write. I get to prattle on about whatever suits my fancy. I don't restrain myself and whatever comes to mind ends up on my fingertips. Since it's a bye week there's really been little to cover about the Seawolves and as a consequence I haven't exactly been in any danger of finger cramps. I did hear a rumor. I won't share it. I'll write the early season player-by-player evals I've promised sometime tomorrow.

In an interesting move this past week, that I don't recall many (if any) other instances, WCHA Supervisor of Officials Greg Shepherd gave an additional one-game suspension to CC's Derek Patrosso for a CFB he committed against UMD last weekend. It gives me a small measure of hope with regard to an incident this weekend. I watched 3 hockey games this weekend. I watched the first Mankato/UMTC game. I've got no commentary other than to say that it went pretty much as I expected until I decided to run up to the little store near the end when I figured it was all but over. Mankato manufactured a nice little comeback but fell short. A split in that series would have been nice but the Gophers played well enough to secure all 4 points. I watched a fair amount of the UAF/Michigan game and thought UAF just looked overwhelmed. I'm pulling for UAF in their games this season (sans emotion) just for the sake of UAA's future RPI. The third game though is the reason I mention the WCHA disciplining Patrosso. With less than three minutes remaining in a game they'd absolutely dominated and holding a 3-0 lead UND captain Rylan (someone named their kid that? ... what's a Rylan? clap clap ... clap clap clap) Kaip blew into a vulnerable Brendan Smith of Wisconsin with vicious charge. Smith was doubled over and in the middle of a scrum in the corner with a teammate and a UND player when Kaip blasted right into his head with his shoulder. Here's the video.

He was only given a 2 minute minor for charging. It was a brutal check against a player in a vulnerable position and easily could have resulted in serious injury. It's definitely worthy of review by WCHA officials (no doubt they've seen it) and in my book the nature of the hit warrants further action. If Dave Hakstol doesn't discipline Kaip by removing his captaincy then I say Haks is a woman. It was a cheap shot by a guy that has no business playing college hockey. Kaip is an talentless enforcer in a league where enforcers are entirely unecessary. He'll fit in well next year on the 4th line of some bullshit ECHL team and I've few doubts that Brendan Smith will survive up in the NHL after his career at UW. The two teams split the series which is a good thing from the perspective of the rest of the WCHA. Unfortunately, it was the only split in the league this weekend. SCSU took it's angel act on the road and earned 4 points vs. MTU and UMD was unable to manage any points in their trip to CC. Denver (like UAA) had a bye week.

I was a little surprised how many UND fans on the big series of tubes defended the hit and/or said it wasn't even a penalty after the ruckus they created about the Paukovich cheap-shot on Bina a couple of years ago. Don't think I didn't express that surprise in other venues; not doing so would be unlike me. So I did. The result? More Sioux fans than ever don't dig me. They called me Donald Duck and quacked at me. OMG. I'm so quitting the big series of tubes now! One interesting sideshow to the whole affair was a confrontation between Mike Eaves and Haks after the game. I saw someone say they figured Haks would have put a beatin on Eaves had it come to that. But I guess that person doesn't recall that Eaves son Patrick missed 20 games due to neck injury during a D1 game vs. Maine. So they probably underestimated the vested interest (i.e... supressed anger) that Eaves has regarding such incidents. Hell, I'd have taken Eaves and given odds if they'd come to blows.

Fundraising for my Final Five trip remains mostly stagnant. My anonymous and untraceable text-message widget continues to be intermittently active. And I've been receiving some positive feedback for the blog; thanks for those messages to those senders. I'm still hoping that a "deep throat" will emerge and enlighten me to anything truly important. This coming weekend the team travels to Minneapolis to face the 8th place Gophers. I'll do what I can throughout the week to preview the Gophers. At least I know more about them than any Gopher fan knows about the Seawolves.

Lastly, (I say that too often when I write methinks) let me know the reasoning behind posting that picture for this entry and you'll win the Question of the Week contest. No prizes though. Just bragging rights.

10 comments:

DC said...

"If Dave Hakstol doesn't discipline Kaip by removing his captaincy then I say Haks is a woman."

How does that make him a WOMAN?

Anonymous said...

airbanks looked more than overwhelmed. They looked worse than any UA_ team I've seen in a long time.

Michigan looked like they had a man advantage on their penalty kill.

Donald Dunlop said...

RWD:
LOL.

I considered that some women could be offended by that remark.

However, I used it "old style" in the manner that our (collective not specific) sexist fathers would be familiar. Or even moreso as in a person without "balls". Which isn't to say that women aren't capable of acting in a demonstrative or forthright way.

But of course you already knew all that. :p

Donald Dunlop said...

I don't think there's much of a question about what sorts of behavior Hakstol condones. When he didn't like the pregame ribbing he was getting up at MTU suddenly there were a couple of Sioux players asking the agitating fan what his problem was.

I know I'll be heading to the rink early next season to heckle Haks when the Sioux come to town. I can only hope a couple of Sioux players come ask me what my problem is.

Anonymous said...

Yeah it was a big check, and i can see the charging penalty, but Kaip was just going for the big hit. The wisconson guy was looking like he was gonna come out of the corner with it (maybe) and had his head been up it was just a big hit. I dont see any extra action needed. It wasnt an illegal check besides the extra steps. Keep your head up when youa re playing, or dont play with the big dogs.

Anonymous said...

Next weekend
Friday
Minnesota 7
Sea Puppies 0
Hatrick for #7 Patrick

Saturday
Minnesota 4 en
Sea Puppies 2

Anonymous said...

"let me know the reasoning behind posting that picture for this entry and you'll win the Question of the Week contest."

Ah c'mon, give us a clue!

;-)

larissa

Donald Dunlop said...

Larissa,

PUHlease ... I thought it was obvious. Perhaps it was an your just "funning" me.

OK. It's a Bristlecone Pine tree which is the longest lived species of life on the planet. There is a tree in California somewhere (its location is a guarded secret) that is estimated to be nearly 5,000 years old. The PBS show Nova several years ago had a program dedicated to the tree called "The Methuselah Tree" which was (in my opinon) one of the finest documentaries EVER made.

So with the "Survivor"man reference and the "Surviving" title I chose a picture of a Bristlecone to symbolically represent that theme.

SIOUX 7 said...

Being a UND alum, I will give my green opinion. Remember last years incident with some UND players at a local bar that involved the local police?? Those players were "disciplined" of the ice, they were never suspeneded for a game. (One of them is now starting for the Chicago BlackHawks this year.)

Yes, Kaip did take a run at that UW guy. But what can I say, are we not suppose to check a guy with his head down... Maybe the men's league should adopt the womens's rule, NO CHECKING. Maybe the league should change everybodies sweaters to the little leagues, have a big red stop sign on the back.

Charging is a penalty, hit someone with there head down, not a penalty. Checking from behind, a big penalty.

How many players in the NHL have been lit-up by getting caught while skating with their head-down...

I remember Scott Stevens with the Devils cleaned a few peoples clocks, legally, and gave them concussions, like: Paul Kariya and Eric Lindros to name a couple.

Kaip served his 2-minutes.

My 2-green-cents worth.

Anonymous said...

Quack.

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