Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tuesday Is Trash Day



I hate taking out the trash. At my house, they come on Tuesday. I'd be lying if I told you that I'm conscientious about dragging my minimal heaps down to the curb every Tuesday. I've conveniently forgotten to do it more often than I care to admit. I'm a flawed human. My saving grace (er .. I mean rationalization) is that I honestly don't create a lot of trash. So if I get it done every other Tuesday I still don't exceed the bag limit and don't get charged extra.

A fan-related sports blog ought to adhere to and propagate a certain level of trash-talking. I feel pretty good about how much I've done that over the years. The team I've written about here during that time hasn't exactly torn it up. No championships of any kind. Some goals reached but others not. No worries for me. I've established a bit of a reputation for being able to hold up my end even when the team hasn't succeeded to the level we'd all like to see. Some fans would probably like to see me tone it down; be more laid-back versus in-your-face. Even casually regular readers though recognize that such a thing is unlikely to happen here.

I never "know" that the Seawolves hockey team will defeat it's opponent on any given weekend. But I sure think they will; I believe they will. Yes. Every weekend that UAA plays I think they're going to win. This coming weekend is no exception. Many of us witnessed a spectacularly good performance last Friday night by UND versus the Gophers. UND players skated circles around the Gophers. As I said yesterday the Gophers got PWND; totally and utterly outclassed. And now it seems, even UAA fans think that's going to happen to the Seawolves this weekend. Not me. The Gophers put together a helluva good effort on Saturday and if you watched the last five minutes of the game you could easily conclude that Rodentia could have (or even should have) won that game versus limping home with only 1 point on the weekend.

Now ... finally ... the reason I'm writing this. I realize it's only Tuesday evening (5:17pm here now) but I've yet to detect any positive indication from the Seawolves fanbase on the internet that UAA could/would or will open the WCHA season with some W's. Let me show you what's been said ... (names witheld to protect the guilty); it kinda sickens me. Remember ... these are UAA fans.
I'll be happy with a split with the amount of D-men UAA will be missing.

I don't expect the games to be close at all this weekend. NoDak could be like sharks in a feeding frenzy if we aren't careful.

...Sioux sweep, UAA Freshmen get a look at WCHA team play...it's fast take everyone's word for it...

Yeah we've taken far too many penalties this year and it's killing us. Between that and missing our top 3 d-men I don't think we got a chance.
Here's what one (non-psychotic UND fan said):
UAA hasn't played all that well so far, but they will be amped up to begin WCHA play, and seem to always play us tough, especially up in AK.
What pucking flanet am I on? I find more positive indications for the Seawolves chances this weekend from UND fans than from UAA fans?

And finally ... out of 40 (or so) picks by college hockey fans all over (including at least 4 Seawolves fans) the number of folks picking UAA to win just one game this weekend? Two. And one of them is a Minnesota-Duluth fan. Pick 'em ... is a little weekly prognostication contest. People want to get those all important bragging rights that they guessed the outcome of games more accurately than others. Woohooo ... what? So you're psychic? Is that what people are hoping to claim by winning some pick em? I've participated in Pick 'ems. I've NEVER been so concerned about my psychic standing in such a contest that I'd pick against my team.

I always believe my team is going to win. Always. In 1994, in 1999, in 2000, in 2005 etc I've believed (see .. I'm not saying hoped here); I believed they would win. I wouldn't have plunked down good money to go see a team I believed would lose. Even when Talafous was here running the team into the dirt I believed they'd win ... when I stopped believing that I didn't go to the rink until they fired Talafous.

I wouldn't have started a blog, written 645 posts and been some sort of cheerleader if I thought the team would lose. BE A FAN. Nobody cares if you win or lose the Pick 'Em except you.

Big news here. The Seawolves are going to win this weekend. My message to those Seawolves fans that think otherwise? Get your head screwed on straight damnit. I mean it. Don't come up to me this weekend and say hi and expect me to engage with you in any way shape or form if you've picked against them or expressed no hope for victory. I'll shun you just as sure as an Amish parent shuns their child making the wrong choice after Rumspringer. Get your head screwed on straight. That's right. I'm not here to make friends. If you don't like me calling you out ... tough titties. I'm not the one picking against the team I support.

What harm is there for you in expressing something positive and/or believing the team is going to win? Are you afraid your credibility will suffer? Credibility? Be serious ... you're posting about a college hockey team on internet forums and blogs etc and you want credibility? What's that worth? Not a pucking flug nickle. BE A FAN. Talk some trash. Show some unreasonable confidence in the team you support. What does it cost you? Nothing. If they play the games and it doesn't go well, you move onto the next week and start again. Who cucking fares if some bucking flowhard from Fumbucked, Minnesota says ... "Ha Ha ... you're dumb; you picked your team to beat blah blah blah last week." So wucking fhat?

14 comments:

Suze said...

The negativity bothers me as well, but I guess you didn't see my comment at 5:12.

puckdangler said...

I'm excited for the weekend. I believe that UAA has a great chance to steal a game against a hot team. My prediction is that the team will play good defense and Clark will get hot and pump in two goals for a Seawolf victory on Friday. Go Seawolves!

Donald Dunlop said...

I really should have waited a day or two I guess but it was grinding my gears and you know I'm not one ever likely to hold my water.

The Susies played great last Friday night. Lots of reasons for that. First WCHA home game ... against the one team they really measure themselves against and love to beat ... An emotion filled building etc.

They didn't suddenly go from being a really good team to the greatest thing since sliced bread. They're overall pretty young. They're perfectly capable of being beaten by the Seawolves.

The Seawolves beat them last year on their rink. And up here in the first game UAA was the better team overall losing in OT 2-1.

3 of the 4 games were close. The Seawolves only got one W out of those 4 but the games were all relatively close. Even the 6-2 game ... it was 4-2 until the 17 minute mark of the 3rd.

As I see it ... people on the college hockey internet appear to be more concerned with looking moderate than expressing positivity for the guys. It makes my head spin. I realize I'm some sort of anachronistic neanderthal with regard to fandom but I just can't swallow namby-pamby-ness.

I want folks to get behind the team and support them no matter what.

No. I didn't see your comment at 5:12.

puckdangler:
One win? The Seawolves will beat the purse carrying nancies from GF twice this weekend. Leave it to the UND nutters to say that UAA won't win both games. It won't hurt to say "I believe the Seawolves will sweep!!" ... Try it. I promise. No pain involved at all. Even if it doesn't happen.

Will said...

I believe the Seawolves will sweep. I always think before a weekend starts the guys will get two wins. Why not believe in your team. The guys also need to believe they can win every game and play to win every game. Surpising what a couple of wins could do for the team. We may as well start the season in the WCHA with two wins and just keep on going. There is no pain when the team wins, there is if...nope not going to say it.

Dude said...

Guilty as charged, I predicted UAA to get swept by 5-2 scores. I am ashamed that I felt that way. I am overly optimistic about the season as we get out top D-men back and if Baldwin starts to stay out of the box. I also am very optimistic that the top two lines will start to develop some chemistry and start putting up some goals in crunch time. I was just stating what I felt at the time about UND could jump on us with our weakened blueliners. Next time I will keep my feelings to myself and quit being such a pessimist. I guess, I best to start believing in all of this "hope and change" stuff.

Anonymous said...

Win only one? What the hay? we're gonna kick some souix asses and sweep em.
Dan

akhockeyfanatic said...

Damn right!

We've been talking about this team for months and now is the time to back them up 100% and BELIEVE they are going to beat the crap out of those flatlanders BOTH NIGHTS !!

We should all carry brooms in the Sully on Saturday night cuz we're gonna witness a historical sweep.

This is the team; this is the year.

Good luck Seawolves!!!!!

Anonymous said...

The boys go out every game thinking that they will win and knowing that they can. Whether 2 or 3 d-men are out, there are other top d-men still in the line-up. Good luck to the boys this week-end and to the fans, cheer loud!

GO SEAWOLVES!!!! !

Donald Dunlop said...

Dude:
Good of you to man up and face the music. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Clark and Grant are on pace for 45 pts seasons, lunden, haddad and parkison are scoring also. We have scored 12 goals in four games. All I heard last year was score more goals. The defenece will improve each game, baldwin will be a top defenseman in this league, give the freshman a break. The goalies only need to be sharp friday, and take it to und, all the scoring from und has come from there defence. There forwards are off to a slow start, they only have 3 seniors on there team. No toews, duncan or oshie. They are no where near rated no 2 in the country. Let's play the game on our ice and send them packing. First game prediction 4 to 2. Clark 2 goals, grant 1 goal and baldwing a blast from the point the other.

Go Seawolves

Fan

Donald Dunlop said...

Tell em Fan!!! Dead on right!!!

SiouxFanatic said...

To Fan: UND may not have a Toews, Duncan, or Oshie on the team but I honestly find that as a possibly good thing. This years team is probably the most balanced Sioux team in quite a while which means the opposing team won't be able to focus on any particular lines.

And this would be a good weekend for the Sioux forwards to make a splash. Danny Kristo is exciting to watch plus he's got a lot of speed. I'm hoping he gets a goal or two this weekend :D

As for the poll ranking. Who really knows where any team should actually be ranked at this time? Most teams have only played 2-4 games so far. Some zero.

Unknown said...

DD,

Thanks for calling us all on the carpet. I recall someone from some place that isn't Alaska telling us we had to be realistic when thinking about the season.

I say no way. Be a Fanatic believe. Can we play with anybody? You bet. Can we have a bad night? Of course we can, but I will choose to be disappointed when it happens and not go around like Eeyore expecting gloom and doom.

I think we are going to be UND so bad that they will have to change the nickname out of embarrassment.
(not to say that they should not already be embarrassed by that)

Go Seawolves!

alaskana said...

Ted, I think the Sioux *are* going to have to change their nickname, per the NCAA. They are coming to a decision on the matter this month, I believe.

The majority of people in Grand Forks are NOT going to be happy about that, considering there are several thousand Sioux logos scattered around the $100 Million Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Anyways, go Seawolves!

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