Thursday, January 10, 2008

Notta Preview

I had honorable blogger intentions. There's been plenty of time to compile a preview and come up with something here. But I really didn't and don't feel like it. Maybe it's all the bye weeks? I don't know ... there's no break between this weekend and the end of the season so maybe I'm just making the most of whatever free time and skipping out on my responsibilities here. Maybe it's just that I realize that I'm viewing this as a responsibility and instead of the distraction and fun I usually assign to my feelings about writing here. Maybe I'm just lazy this week?

It isn't like there hasn't been some interesting developments here and there. Colorado College just recently suspended two players and "everybody" wants to know what they did to warrant being virtually kicked off the team. I could care less. It's a tough break for their teammates but perhaps it's an opportunity for another team to take advantage of them. I doubt they're seriously "reeling" from it and that it'll affect this weekend's outcome. Who knows though? I notice a bit of a buzz with everyone droning on and on about Lucia being a crappy recruiter (as an excuse as to why they aren't winning every game 8-1) since Motzko left ... funny thing is that most of the kids on the Gophers team are Motzko recruits. The reality is that Lucia has an easy job recruiting but St. Cloud fans have to have something to TRY to hang their hats on.

UND fans are pointing out how difficult their schedule has been as some sort of excuse for their underperforming against expectations (um note here Susies ... your schedule isn't that much more difficult than anyone elses in the league). Perhaps they're actually playing up to their potential and all the genius "pundits" were just wrong (excepting me of course). Enough Gopher fans are still preoccupied with the whole Snow/Okposo debacle to be mildly entertaining. I'm especially enamored with the ones that continue to throw the kid under the bus. UAA continues to be the most closed-mouthed school with regard to leaks of information about new and/or incoming players. Thanks guys for that ... makes it sooooo easy to write stuff here. Sigh .... you can tell I'm rolling my eyes right? What's happening in Mankato lately? Nuffin. They're exceptionally boring lately. Duluth? Boring. Wisconsin? Boring ... Turris was supposed to be the next Crosztky right? Not yet. He'll be gone after this year anyway.

NHL GM's are probably sick of talented offensive players being stuck in a league where EVERYONE is trapping constantly. See the Gophers vs. Wayne St. on FSN last week? The Gophers were trapping them! LOL. What the hell? See Wisconsin versus CC last week? Trap-Fest galore by both squads. Sigh. DU vs. Dartmouth? Trap-o-licious. Game two of the UAA-UAF series? Trap-o-rama! Every friggin night in the WCHA is "playoff-style" hockey no matter who is playing it seems. Did I leave any team off the insult every other team list? Oh yeah ... MTU; thanks Jamie Russell for jumping on the Eaves trapping bandwagon over the last couple of years and setting the trend for every coach to start using it.

None of this really takes anything away from cheering for the Seawolves though as far as I'm concerned. Our boys can high zone trap with the best of em; the effort and the result of that effort is what matters to me. I guess I'm just jonesin for a live hockey game. It's been almost a month since I've sat in the Sully and more than a month will have passed by the time Wisconsin comes to town next weekend. Sigh. I was gonna at least give you a picture of a sexy woman with a hockey stick but it was a little too risque' so you get the Chimp instead. Lastly, Doc DelCastillo/Yoda voting update: 55 votes say "dead ringer" ... 10 votes say "not at all".

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Motzko brought in the best players for the U, won championships and then heads to SCSU, now the U is in shambles. Exactly like Garth has said, Lucia is doing shit with developing these guys, and getting the most out of them, they are the Yankees of the past 5 years, over-hyped babies! that want there hands held, everyone tells them how good they are but can't get'er done

Donald Dunlop said...

First:
There is a tendency in Minnesota to "over-hype" the local kid. So the plateau that some of these guys reach after one or two seasons is partly due to that. Additionally, I'd put just as much (if not more) responsibility for development on the players. If a kid doesn't work hard in practice (hmmm .. .maybe because they've read too much press about how great they are) he can't progress. Division 1 Coaches are responsible for setting the table, the kid has to step up to the table.

I'm the last person you'll likely find to be on tDon's side on this but the "shambles" (overly-hyped reaction to a tough season in a tough league) of the program has little or nothing to do with how Lucia has "developed" the players since that is just as much the individual's responsibility.

Anonymous said...

Anybody got any info on the boys?? there not on tv??

Anonymous said...

The games are on the B2 network, for $6.00.

http://www.b2livetv.com/

Brian Bales name is now added to the UAA roster. Any new news Donald? He wasn't on the roster last week was he?

Donald Dunlop said...

Suze:
Brian has been on the roster since the beginning of the season. I won't hear anything regarding his playing status until the school says something officially.

Shyiak had said more than once in the first half that Bales would be playing in the 2nd half. Other than that I'm in the dark.

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