Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

[Bob McKenzie]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

You're proud of your team for failing?

Absolutely. If they left it all out on the ice, if their effort was honorable, why wouldn't you be proud. Not all programs are created equal. If my team had won an ECAC championship, never mind an NCAA championship, I would have considered it a major accomplishment. They didn't do that. Technically, they failed but they played honorably and to the best of their ability just to get to the ECAC semi-final. I was disappointed they lost but no less proud of their effort.

Let's turn this around and attack it from a different perspective.

Are you, personally, a success or a failure?

I am not sure what you do for a living, but are you the best at what you do. The best in your city? Your state? Your country? North America? The world? By your reasoning, if you're not the absolute BEST at what you do, then you must be a failure and no one could possibly proud of you for failing.

Maybe that's an accurate assessment of your lot in life. Or you maybe you are a person who does the best with what they've got and you live an honorable life in your journey to be the best you can be, even if it's woefully inadequate existence by some guy's absurd notion of what constitutes true success.

 

[ScoobyFanClub]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Absolutely. If they left it all out on the ice, if their effort was honorable, why wouldn't you be proud. Not all programs are created equal. If my team had won an ECAC championship, never mind an NCAA championship, I would have considered it a major accomplishment. They didn't do that. Technically, they failed but they played honorably and to the best of their ability just to get to the ECAC semi-final. I was disappointed they lost but no less proud of their effort.

Let's turn this around and attack it from a different perspective.

Are you, personally, a success or a failure?

I am not sure what you do for a living, but are you the best at what you do. The best in your city? Your state? Your country? North America? The world? By your reasoning, if you're not the absolute BEST at what you do, then you must be a failure and no one could possibly proud of you for failing.

Maybe that's an accurate assessment of your lot in life. Or you maybe you are a person who does the best with what they've got and you live an honorable life in your journey to be the best you can be, even if it's woefully inadequate existence by some guy's absurd notion of what constitutes true success.

Well said Bob. By a writer. Go figure ... I've never understood the mentality that winning a NC is the only measure of success. I'm not saying it shouldn't be tried - but there's only 1 NC. Even if you were one of the top 10 programs in the country - and you put 10 names in a hat - and randomly pulled one out .... over the course of 30 years, there are some teams within that 10 that wouldn't win. Just by pure random fluctuation. That's why the nonsense about teams "choking" - or "can't win the big one" - is usually just nonsense. Or, in mathematical terms, random noise. In other words, you could be a great program and never win in 30 years. A team like New Hampshire, for example, has to win a lot of games just to get where they do. If they don't win - I don't believe it's because of their coach, or anything other than just one of those things.

This is also why I like conference tournaments. It gives more teams an opportunity to win something that feels like a good achievement.

 

[GoBucky36]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Didn't Denver think that March 26th?
and UNH on March 27h?

Should be a fun time no matter what as this will be my first DI Frozen Four.

True, but Denver and UNH didnt have the depth that Wisconsin does.

 

[Got 6 Want More]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Absolutely. If they left it all out on the ice, if their effort was honorable, why wouldn't you be proud. Not all programs are created equal. If my team had won an ECAC championship, never mind an NCAA championship, I would have considered it a major accomplishment. They didn't do that. Technically, they failed but they played honorably and to the best of their ability just to get to the ECAC semi-final. I was disappointed they lost but no less proud of their effort.

Let's turn this around and attack it from a different perspective.

Are you, personally, a success or a failure?

I am not sure what you do for a living, but are you the best at what you do. The best in your city? Your state? Your country? North America? The world? By your reasoning, if you're not the absolute BEST at what you do, then you must be a failure and no one could possibly proud of you for failing.

Maybe that's an accurate assessment of your lot in life. Or you maybe you are a person who does the best with what they've got and you live an honorable life in your journey to be the best you can be, even if it's woefully inadequate existence by some guy's absurd notion of what constitutes true success.

Another great post Bob! But it is not really fair because YOU ACTUALLY ARE the greatest hockey journalist in the world!

Still, a great way too look at it. If all your program and life is about is wins versus losses, chances are you are missing out on knowing the value and importance of the process.

 

[STATEdude3]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

You're proud of your team for failing?

There is something to be said for battling adversity and giving every ounce of energy but falling short in the end. No American hockey fan will forget the silver medal from this year's olympics but that is because of the journey that took that team to that point.

When I look at my own school, outside of my post on page 1...Our athletic program is named the Spartans. The Spartans are probably the most famous warriors in the history of the world. But it was ultimately their defeat at the Battle of Thermopylae that made them legend. They were leaders. They fronted a group of about 5,000 Greeks against 30,000 Persians.

It is not that they won that gave them historical fame...they lost. It is that they gave their life in belief of their cause. Now we're not talking about hockey as life or death or liberty, but the same philosophy can be applied to a team making such a journey of sacrifices.

 

[Jacques "Rabbit" Poriveau]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Mon Dieu, dis da mos middlebrow tred I tink I evure readed. Ohhh iz eet da journay ou da destinacion? Ow deep!!!! Bunch of alf wits putting down dey TV clickeurs jus long enuff to sound like blowards.

If it not about winning why dey ang a beeg towsends of dolleur scorebord in middle of evury rink, eh?

Why dey ire coches et nots guidance councilors to run teams?

Maybe winning is part of da journay, non?

Maybe life about day journey et not da destinacion. But maybe ockey not life. Maybe it zee surrogate dat allow us to satisfy our need to win widouts punching da guy at works ou slamming de udder car off da road, eh.


Ok, start wiff da brilliances again genious crew...

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Maybe life about day journey et not da destinacion. But maybe ockey not life. Maybe it zee surrogate dat allow us to satisfy our need to win widouts punching da guy at works ou slamming de udder car off da road, eh.

Perfection.

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Bravo Jacques.

Let's just give everyone a trophy. That is what they do with the kids sports nowadays.

 

[thecomicbookguy]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Or you maybe you are a person who does the best with what they've got and you live an honorable life in your journey to be the best you can be, even if it's woefully inadequate existence by some guy's absurd notion of what constitutes true success.

I think we're arguing the same point. By "failure" I mean utter and complete, something to be ashamed of, to hide your jersey/team affiliation as you leave the rink. Yes, of course every team wants to win the championship, but the fact is that 57 teams don't each year. Should we not be proud of our teams, even in defeat? Is winning truly the only thing that matters? And if they

When I go to the Garden for the HE semis/finals and UNH isn't playing, or to the Frozen Four after UNH has been eliminated, I still wear my UNH jersey. I'm proud of the team, especially this year.

Let's just give everyone a trophy. That is what they do with the kids sports nowadays.

Wow, not sure if JF's declared troll was serious or not, but it's echoed by a honest-to-goodness troll. I'm shocked.

Not sure how being proud of my team = wanting them to get a trophy they didn't win on the ice...

 

[walrus]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

I think we're arguing the same point. By "failure" I mean utter and complete, something to be ashamed of, to hide your jersey/team affiliation as you leave the rink.

I'm ashamed when I screw up but when Maine screws up?, hardly and you might be taking hockey too seriously if you are ashamed when UNH loses.I can see being disappointed, most of us on here follow our teams pretty closely and invest alot of time and energy doing so.

I want a title but one has to be realistic, Maine wasn't going to win one this season. So I wanted to see improvement and most of all I wanted to be entertained and forget about the world for a few hours

 

[STATEdude3]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

I'm ashamed when I screw up but when Maine screws up?, hardly and you might be taking hockey too seriously if you are ashamed when UNH loses.I can see being disappointed, most of us on here follow our teams pretty closely and invest alot of time and energy doing so.

I want a title but one has to be realistic, Maine wasn't going to win one this season. So I wanted to see improvement and most of all I wanted to be entertained and forget about the world for a few hours

I agree with this 100%. I think some people are confusing a journey that ends without a title with a journey that embarrasses the program. You will be hard pressed to find a coach that puts the entire stake of the season on whether or not they win a title. I believe the best programs are the ones that compete year in and year out because they have the strongest foundation of character players and sustainability.

 

[Jacques "Rabbit" Poriveau]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

I think we're arguing the same point. By "failure" I mean utter and complete, something to be ashamed of, to hide your jersey/team affiliation as you leave the rink. Yes, of course every team wants to win the championship, but the fact is that 57 teams don't each year. Should we not be proud of our teams, even in defeat? Is winning truly the only thing that matters? And if they

When I go to the Garden for the HE semis/finals and UNH isn't playing, or to the Frozen Four after UNH has been eliminated, I still wear my UNH jersey. I'm proud of the team, especially this year.

Wow, not sure if JF's declared troll was serious or not, but it's echoed by a honest-to-goodness troll. I'm shocked.

I juste gets done telling you about de middlebrow afwits who has beened enlitening on dis tread et viola as if by magique one appear. Bonjour afwit, ow you doing?

 

[thecomicbookguy]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

I'm ashamed when I screw up but when Maine screws up?, hardly and you might be taking hockey too seriously if you are ashamed when UNH loses.I can see being disappointed, most of us on here follow our teams pretty closely and invest alot of time and energy doing so.

I want a title but one has to be realistic, Maine wasn't going to win one this season. So I wanted to see improvement and most of all I wanted to be entertained and forget about the world for a few hours

So, you'd say this past Maine season wasn't an utter failure? Would you say that you're proud of how they played this season, even though they didn't win the National Championship? Would you feel the same if they'd beat BC, and then lost in the NCAAs?

I think this thread is in response to people who try to make it seem like a team like UNH losing in the Regionals negates anything good they did this season, that we can't be proud of winning the Regular Season title, because they didn't win anything else.

I juste gets done telling you about de middlebrow afwits who has beened enlitening on dis tread et viola as if by magique one appear. Bonjour afwit, ow you doing?

Oh dear, a jack-*** called me a half-wit. How will I ever go on?

 

[Jon]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Oh dear, a jack-*** called me a half-wit. How will I ever go on?

Now you know how I feel when Hokydad tells me to get a life and UnhCat07 psychologically analyzes me.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

I’m actually more of a fan of the journey, especially the journey that can span several seasons. I love watching kids that we first hear about as 16-18 year old prospects show up on campus and make whatever they can of the opportunity that they have. I enjoy watching these players become pieces of a greater whole and then if everything lines up just right, compete for, and sometimes win a title together.

Sometimes the journey doesn’t bear fruit as years will go by between titles and classes will come and go and great teams will not finish the deal. That doesn’t diminish those classes in my eyes though and it’s okay because when that special season does happen, it’s all the sweeter for the dues that we as fans have paid.

I’m also a Blackhawks fan and a lot(most) of their fans are really struggling with the fact that a championship doesn’t happen in just one season and they’re annoyingly impatient with the ups and downs that the Hawks are going through as the key pieces mature. They’ve been sold a line about how this is the group that’s gonna get it done and they’re expecting it LAST season. They’re failing to acknowledge, you guessed it, the journey.

That journey is why I love college hockey. These 18-20 year old freshman phenoms are rarely, if ever, going to deliver a championship right away. But give those kids a couple of years and just the right mix of team mates and you can witness a special season like we did in ’06. There are no trades and no free agents, so what you’ve got must develop and improve and you can actually watch it happen from year to year.

If the Badgers win a title this season, it won’t have happened in the vacuum of the last twelve months alone. It will be to some degree a result of the foundation that was first put down by Badger Bob and built upon by Jeff Sauer and continued by Mike Eaves. Under their direction, countless players, from the greats like Heatley to the role players such as Likens have built what we know of as Wisconsin Badger Hockey.

It’s upon that foundation that guys like Geoffrion, Smith and Davies placed their skates when they first arrived here on campus. Over their time here they have taken what they learned as youth players and built upon it and added themselves to a team that has gone through a lot of learning and growing over the past 3-4 years.

This growth has brought them to this moment in time, this Frozen Four. It remains to be seen where it all ends, but one thing’s for certain, the journey with this group has been a fun(and frustrating at times) ride. Regardless of where it ends, they are laying foundation for those who will one day follow in their footsteps.

No matter what happens this season, a new journey begins with next year’s freshmen!

I love college hockey.


P.S. For the cynics who think that it's easy for me to enjoy the journey because my team has won titles... I was born in '69 and the Blackhawks, Badger Football and the Brewers have never won titles in my lifetime and I'm still enjoying the ride although the Hawks need to get it done soon. I'll give them 10 more years and then... well then I'll still be a fan.

 

[Jacques "Rabbit" Poriveau]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Oh dear, a jack-*** called me a half-wit. How will I ever go on?

Ow? I dunno my guess you gonna juste continue to masque you total lack a self esteem et adult social lifes by over identfying wif a colleg ockey team et posting on dis bord anudder TURTY 4 TOWSEND time.

 

[thecomicbookguy]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Ow? I dunno my guess you gonna juste continue to masque you total lack a self esteem et adult social lifes by over identfying wif a colleg ockey team et posting on dis bord anudder TURTY 4 TOWSEND time.

As opposed to doing so by making up a fake identity and making fun of people anonymously in a stupid accent. Is that what is considered "having a life" these days?

 

[walrus]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

So, you'd say this past Maine season wasn't an utter failure? Would you say that you're proud of how they played this season, even though they didn't win the National Championship? Would you feel the same if they'd beat BC, and then lost in the NCAAs?:

I hope from the teams point of view it was a failure of some kind, they didn't win it all. From my point of view, I got some of what I wanted, which was entertainment and a break from the real world, so I guess it wasn't an utter failure.

 

[thecomicbookguy]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

Ow? I dunno my guess you gonna juste continue to masque you total lack a self esteem et adult social lifes by over identfying wif a colleg ockey team et posting on dis bord anudder TURTY 4 TOWSEND time.

As opposed to masking my lack of self-esteem by making up a fake identity and making fun of people anonymously in a stupid accent. Is that what is considered "having a life" these days?

 

[amherstblackbear]

Re: Is it the journey or the trophy that counts...

I hope from the teams point of view it was a failure of some kind, they didn't win it all. From my point of view, I got some of what I wanted, which was entertainment and a break from the real world, so I guess it wasn't an utter failure.

I admit, I'm a destination sort of guy. But if you don't want to lead a miserable life, you sort of have to appreciate both.

Maine was kind of fun to watch this season. The kids played with heart. The offense . . . existed(!). Those things didn't fail. I had a good time following that team, ultimate shortcomings notwithstanding.