North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

[WestCoastSioux]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

I'll own up to those folks and apologize on their behalf, it bums me out to hear it when that happens. But you'll say that this doesn't happen at the Ralph? And that may be true for your section, but there were plenty of UND fans yelling threats, swears, and obscene gestures in my section that led to several being removed. Own up to them if you're *****ing about us.

Oh yes, I will definitely admit their are some drunk UND fans at each game that are extremely inappropriate. I've seen it and I'm not proud of it. What bothers me is that the DU fans always seem to complain about how nasty Sioux fans are, and then I witness DU fans being as crass as any fans I have ever seen..and worse yet it front of small children. There is simply no place for that. Those guys should have been sitting in the student section..but its quite possible that the DU students wouldn't even want them.

Lets face it, every team has their 1% of fans that are rude, drunk, and inappropriate at the games. With simple math, UND will have many more in this category becuase our fan base is 100 times what DU has. As far as the woman who was throwing popcorn at the drunk DU rubes..it was not right, especially given that she took the popcorn from her 5-year old! Great parenting skills shown there..her hubby and kids must be proud of mom.

[brianvf]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

Thanks for at least recognizing the stupid penalties. I'll give you probably 2 or 3 calls that either weren't called or shouldn't have been called, but UND did nothing with 5 on 3's all weekend, or a 6 on 3, or two 2 on 0's. The best teams (including UND over the past few years) overcome refs and win games no matter what.

UND did score a 5x3 goal.
They had a whopping 40sec of 6x3, so I'm not entirely surprised they couldn't cash in there. And that was just because of the disallowed goal.

The best teams can overcome refs, but not every time it happens, and it makes it hard when it is so one-sided.

[lord k]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

The most important position in college hockey is a slick puck moving defenseman. If you get a great one they can play 35-40 minutes a game.

The trick on the power play isn't scoring the goal, its delivering a flat puck to the weak side player who has an good look at the net. They also open up the ice for everyone else.

Great defensemen are so rare in college hockey because most kids with excdeptional talent & skating ability play forward in youth hockey.

I have a buddy that coaches youth hockey in East Grand Forks and he has been trying for years to get some of the better kids to consider playing defense so that they can play more minutes, and help their teams be a lot better. He says it is just really hard because they all want to play forward and score the goals.
It would also increase their chances of playing college hockey because there are just not that many high quality D-men to recruit from.

[duper]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

Speaking only for myself, I want DU to win, especially when they play the Sioux. But if the Pioneers are unsuccessful, I'm no less a wonderful, remarkable human being. We'll get 'em next time or next year. Being a lifelong Cubs fan has sorta made that my default position.

So let's just agree that stupid, boorish, alcohol fueled behavior is just that, regardless of what color sweater you're wearing. And let's resolve to try to control ourselves and remember it's only a game, and that whether a bunch of young dudes win or lose, it's no reflection on us.

You're speaking for me here, too. Very well said.

And it's too bad that there is a perception of unfairness. And when I say perception, I am not implying either that it was fair or that it was unfair. I didn't see the game, I have only the commentary on this board to go on. But DU/UND games are among the most fun during the season, and it's too bad that instead of giving each other crap about the teams, the story is officiating.

[redwing77]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

From what I saw, the refs missed plenty of calls on DU during that 6 DU PP in a row string. I'm fine with the refs calling it tight...just do it both ways.
Did UND take some undisciplined penalties? For sure.
Was DU committing penalties during that same time? Absolutely.

That about sums it up from my angle too.

What? Me not whining about the penalties called on UND?

Nope. Because UND wouldn't have gotten called 6 straight if they played smart. Hextall's pair were stupid. Kristo's penalty was beyond ridiculous. The officials had no choice but to throw them into the box.

That's three right there.

But I agree with brian. The issue isn't the calls on UND. Far from it. The issue is that it was one sided. Even the DU commentators remarked at times how DU was going to go on the PK only to find out that it was UND that was going on the PK.

That's one sided. And that's what's wrong with the WCHA officials.

[Dirty]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

And I hope you are wrong about my pending visit to No Dak. I have been treated very well by opposing fans in my travels to the various WCHA rinks and have always left a city with the feeling that I'd like to come back someday. It would be a shame to leave GF with any different kind of feeling. Of course, I won't be flipping people off or giving the jack off motion.

Unfortunate. If you pulled a "Ralph Wilson" I just might have considered buying you the beer.

[co14ers]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

I hope you and your family are treated with the same "respect" the UND families in section 6 were treated with last night.

Look, bub, I don't condone that kind of behavior from any fans, especially DU fans. If I would have seen it, I would have mentioned something to the drunkards. Once again, as has been said on this board so many times, that each and every fan base has it's bad apples. Alcohol certainly exacerbates the situation.

And I hope you are wrong about my pending visit to No Dak. I have been treated very well by opposing fans in my travels to the various WCHA rinks and have always left a city with the feeling that I'd like to come back someday. It would be a shame to leave GF with any different kind of feeling. Of course, I won't be flipping people off or giving the jack off motion.

[HoosierPioneer]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

UND scored a goal on a 5-on-3 and scored a goal on a 6-on-4. Because the refs were afraid Gwoz would get his mafia buddies to murder them, they disallowed the 6-on-4 goal though. Can't have a tie! Unless we're talking about one of George's colorful ones.

Mr. Hextall doesn't seem to appreciate George's fashion sense

[Dirty]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

UND scored a goal on a 5-on-3 and scored a goal on a 6-on-4. Because the refs were afraid Gwoz would get his mafia buddies to murder them, they disallowed the 6-on-4 goal though. Can't have a tie! Unless we're talking about one of George's colorful ones.

[HoosierPioneer]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

You were a ringer on our team?



From what I saw, the refs missed plenty of calls on DU during that 6 DU PP in a row string. I'm fine with the refs calling it tight...just do it both ways.
Did UND take some undisciplined penalties? For sure.
Was DU committing penalties during that same time? Absolutely.

Thanks for at least recognizing the stupid penalties. I'll give you probably 2 or 3 calls that either weren't called or shouldn't have been called, but UND did nothing with 5 on 3's all weekend, or a 6 on 3, or two 2 on 0's. The best teams (including UND over the past few years) overcome refs and win games no matter what.

[HoosierPioneer]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

Exactly! DU fans on this board have been saying that Sioux fans are "classless", etc. Last night in the visiting team section there were 3 DU fans sitting down near the front of the upper level. Every goal that DU scored they would stand-up and turn around and flip us all off..and there were a ton of families in this section. 1 guy was making the "jack-off" motion as well and although I could care less I'm sure he must have seen the several small children just 2-3 rows behind him. As Sioux fans who were ****ed by the officiating, we were all BOOING the refs and upset by the bad calls but the DRUNK DU fans were adding fuel to the fire with their antics. The last straw was when the goal was disallowed. 2 of those DU fans stood-up again and started flipping all of us off..and then the popcorn started flying! Those guys crossed the line and a few families started throwing popcorn down at the DRUNK DU fans. The DU security came up the stairs and then the DU guys who started the entire thing fled the scene..as I'm sure they realized that they were surely going to pay for their actions after the game ended. What a mess! This is the type of bs that starts fights..and it was all started by the DU fans, not UND's as some Pioneer fans like to suggest.

I'll own up to those folks and apologize on their behalf, it bums me out to hear it when that happens. But you'll say that this doesn't happen at the Ralph? And that may be true for your section, but there were plenty of UND fans yelling threats, swears, and obscene gestures in my section that led to several being removed. Own up to them if you're *****ing about us.

[Dirty]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

They have one more than a few fans, which gives them a grand total of four.

A CC fan making fun of another team's lack of fans is funny. Almost as funny as me defending DU.

[CCtig]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

Exactly! DU fans on this board have been saying that Sioux fans are "classless", etc. Last night in the visiting team section there were 3 DU fans sitting down near the front of the upper level. Every goal that DU scored they would stand-up and turn around and flip us all off..and there were a ton of families in this section. 1 guy was making the "jack-off" motion as well and although I could care less I'm sure he must have seen the several small children just 2-3 rows behind him. As Sioux fans who were ****ed by the officiating, we were all BOOING the refs and upset by the bad calls but the DRUNK DU fans were adding fuel to the fire with their antics. The last straw was when the goal was disallowed. 2 of those DU fans stood-up again and started flipping all of us off..and then the popcorn started flying! Those guys crossed the line and a few families started throwing popcorn down at the DRUNK DU fans. The DU security came up the stairs and then the DU guys who started the entire thing fled the scene..as I'm sure they realized that they were surely going to pay for their actions after the game ended. What a mess! This is the type of bs that starts fights..and it was all started by the DU fans, not UND's as some Pioneer fans like to suggest.

The refs made a joke of what could have been a great game. UND came out buzzing and controlled the action for the entire 1st period. Then, the refs were sending UND players to the box for the rest of the game giving DU a power-play for what seemed the rest of the game. Some of the calls were waranted, but many were not..and there were a ton of missed calls on DU throughout the 2nd and 3rd periods. I have to give it to Gwoz, he has the refs in his pocket. He has a "chat" with the refs after the 1st period and suddenly his team is on the power-play for darn near the rest of the game. I hope the NCAA looks at this game and see's how poorly it was officiated!

I have always disliked Minnesota, but DU has become my most hated team and definitely my most hated fans...well, the few fans they have.

They have one more than a few fans, which gives them a grand total of four.

[brianvf]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

I personally hand selected him for our team one year. I believe we reached the semi-finals of the intramural championship...losing to a team that had a ton of ringers on it. We had one. Me.

You were a ringer on our team?

Bingo.

From what I saw, the refs missed plenty of calls on DU during that 6 DU PP in a row string. I'm fine with the refs calling it tight...just do it both ways.
Did UND take some undisciplined penalties? For sure.
Was DU committing penalties during that same time? Absolutely.

[Old Pio]

Re: North Dakota @ Denver - The "Bird" vs The "March" 11/20-21

I hope you and your family are treated with the same "respect" the UND families in section 6 were treated with last night.

In the context of a bitter athletic rivalry "respect" is probably the first thing to go. The behavior you described by some DU fans was unacceptable and nobody defends it. However, instead of going to security, you say your guys started throwing popcorn (better that than skate keys), how is that better behavior?

Look, we have a problem in America (well, not just one) too many spectators think they're part of the action. And too many spectators think their value as human beings is wrapped up in how well their favorite team does. It's stupid. It's childish. But there you have it. And in this instance, there are plenty of knuckleheads to go around.

Speaking only for myself, I want DU to win, especially when they play the Sioux. But if the Pioneers are unsuccessful, I'm no less a wonderful, remarkable human being. We'll get 'em next time or next year. Being a lifelong Cubs fan has sorta made that my default position.

So let's just agree that stupid, boorish, alcohol fueled behavior is just that, regardless of what color sweater you're wearing. And let's resolve to try to control ourselves and remember it's only a game, and that whether a bunch of young dudes win or lose, it's no reflection on us.