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UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

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Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

It has been a pretty wild couple of months since the end of the hockey season. There have been a lot of other things to be thinking about besides UNH hockey.

As a person, an American and fellow hockey supporter I would like to apologize to Chuck for all of the abuse he received from others a few weeks ago for his political views.

I encourage everybody to try to be an independent voter for a couple of months. Be open minded. Watch an equal amount of the news from both sides of the political spectrum. For example, one hour a day of CNN/MSNBC and one hour of Fox News. I think you would be surprised of the 50% of what is going on in the World you never hear about. Intelligence is not only about what you know, but also about knowing what you don't know.

The two major political parties in America have changed tremendously over the last couple of decades. Just because you supported one political party 30 or 40 years ago does not mean you have to stay with them for the rest of your life. Political parties values have changed just like people's values change over time as we mature and have new life experiences. Changing political parties is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength!
 
Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

Now to UNH hockey.

I hope not shrinking the rink this summer does not hurt the team this upcoming season. Did the coaching staff recruit players this year, to some degree, based on a small sheet of ice?

I would not want to be a college coach at this particular time. With all of these protests, riots, looting, vandalism and arson going on throughout the country it is going to make things very difficult on all of the colleges/universities athletic departments. How are these athletic departments going to handle the student-athletes of their schools that have been a part of all of these criminal activities? Are they going to ignore and maybe try to bury the fact that some of their student-athletes have been committing these crimes against innocent people? Or are they going to strip them of their athletic scholarship, kick them out of their program and expel them from school?

I believe 60 to 80% of the supporters of all of these college athletic programs will not tolerate these colleges/ universities supporting these student-athletes that have committed these felonies against innocent American citizens. Just because they have not been caught and charged for these crimes does not mean the schools can ignore the fact that they participated in these crimes.

I hope no UNH hockey players have been participating in these criminal behaviors! Thoughts?
 
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Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

Ray Dorn said:
Now to UNH hockey.

I hope not shrinking the rink this summer does not hurt the team this upcoming season. Did the coaching staff recruit players this year, to some degree, based on a small sheet of ice?

I would not want to be a college coach at this particular time. With all of these protests, riots, looting, vandalism and arson going on throughout the country it is going to make things very difficult on all of the colleges/universities athletic departments. How are these athletic departments going to handle the student-athletes of their schools that have been a part of all of these criminal activities? Are they going to ignore and maybe try to bury the fact that some of their student-athletes have been committing these crimes against innocent people? Or are they going to strip them of their athletic scholarship, kick them out of their program and expel them from school?

I believe 60 to 80% of the supporters of all of these college athletic programs will not tolerate these colleges/ universities supporting these student-athletes that have committed these felonies against innocent American citizens. Just because they have not been caught and charged for these crimes does not mean the schools can ignore the fact that they participated in these crimes.

I hope no UNH hockey players have been participating in these criminal behaviors! Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Personally, I would be extremely surprised if any UNH hockey player (or any UNH athlete for that matter) is participating in criminal behavior. You can never say never, but it would be a shock to me if any UNH athlete has to be suspended or asked to leave. As for shrink the rink, it's on hold and will not be happening for a couple of years.
 
Ray Dorn said:
I believe 60 to 80% of the supporters of all of these college athletic programs will not tolerate these colleges/ universities supporting these student-athletes that have committed these felonies against innocent American citizens. Just because they have not been caught and charged for these crimes does not mean the schools can ignore the fact that they participated in these crimes.
Click to expand...

I believe 100% of the supporters of all these college athletic programs (other than you) wonder what the heck you’re talking about.
Here’s a different perspective:
"Texas Football Coach Tom Herman Talks About the Double Standard He Says Fans Have for Black Student-athletes"
 
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Chuck Murray said:
"Disastrous" or "different"? If they're most of the way through to herd immunity, and have a growing economy (which they do) which allows them to avoid the uncounted-here-in-the-US spikes in deaths from depression, suicide (through the roof here in the US, but MSM buries that data), and drug/alcohol recidivism, then count me in. That was my preference from the start here.

Only surprised to see you weren't all-in on my mention of our dear beloved Bentley for HEA #12. :D
Click to expand...

I think that Bentley has a much better arena than Holy Cross, and the Cats have been a much more formidable OOC opponent than HC against UNH and NU. But, neither Bentley nor Holy Cross are geographically located to support your "fabulous/stupid plan" (your words, I think) for HEA presence in the NYC area. Hence, I thought that you were eyeing LIU as HEA team #12.
 
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Ray Dorn said:
Now to UNH hockey.

I hope not shrinking the rink this summer does not hurt the team this upcoming season. Did the coaching staff recruit players this year, to some degree, based on a small sheet of ice?

I would not want to be a college coach at this particular time. With all of these protests, riots, looting, vandalism and arson going on throughout the country it is going to make things very difficult on all of the colleges/universities athletic departments. How are these athletic departments going to handle the student-athletes of their schools that have been a part of all of these criminal activities? Are they going to ignore and maybe try to bury the fact that some of their student-athletes have been committing these crimes against innocent people? Or are they going to strip them of their athletic scholarship, kick them out of their program and expel them from school?

I believe 60 to 80% of the supporters of all of these college athletic programs will not tolerate these colleges/ universities supporting these student-athletes that have committed these felonies against innocent American citizens. Just because they have not been caught and charged for these crimes does not mean the schools can ignore the fact that they participated in these crimes.

I hope no UNH hockey players have been participating in these criminal behaviors! Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Do you have any evidence that college student athletes have been involved in recent criminal activity? Or, are you simply parroting your master?
 
Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

Snively65 said:
I think that Bentley has a much better arena than Holy Cross, and the <s>Cats</s> Falcons have been a much more formidable OOC opponent than HC against UNH and NU. But, neither Bentley nor Holy Cross are geographically located to support your "fabulous/stupid plan" (your words, I think) for HEA presence in the NYC area. Hence, I thought that you were eyeing LIU as HEA team #12.
Click to expand...

First of all, fixed your post. I promise not to report your faux pas to the folks at Beaver and Forest. :D ;)

As to Bentley/Holy Cross vs. LIU or whomever … I guess I viewed the choice between the former two more local schools being the safer, more predictable choice for a #12 program … and the NYC program as being the "swing for the fences" option which could someday pay off big-time for HEA and its member schools. Honestly, I haven't paid any attention to the LIU story, and frankly, I think having a program with that appellation is hardly going to "sell" them to folks in the bigger City. My guess is that, if all went as well as possible for a LIU HEA D-1 hockey program, *maybe* they become a UConn, which is a competitive, semi-proficient, yet still disconnected program from the rest of its league. And while NYC and its environs are still pretty much virgin territory for D-1 hockey, I don't see the City folks taking an Island team to their hearts. See Rangers vs. Islanders fan dynamics, even in the '80's.

If college hockey is ever going to have a chance to sell in the Big Apple, I'm afraid it's going to have to be through probably at least two of the City's schools - and none of them have really ever shown the slightest interest that I'm aware of. I want to say that "hey, look at what happened when Dave Gavitt came up with Big East Basketball", which quite frankly was probably a huge precedent for what shortly thereafter became Hockey East. But with the Big East, the league already had a program in the City (St. John's) AND probably most importantly, NYC was still revered as a mecca for college hoops going back many decades. We don't have any of that history with hockey. So an NYC presence in HEA realistically still remains naught but a pipe dream. :(

However, from the perspective of the New England schools who came to national prominence by way of the Big East - and the one most notable example was/is UConn, which until the Big East came to be was just a Storrs by the Oyster River (UNH) - catching lightning in a bottle by hitting the big time at the right time (and note how UConn emerged at the same time CT-based ESPN was emerging as well, with a heavy emphasis on BE college hoops) has to still be somewhat alluring.

Hockey East swung for the fences and missed with NICC. If they're ever going to take another rip at the big-time, it's going to be with hockey in or around NYC. Is it going to work? Probably not (accounting for the "stupid" part of "fabulous/stupid plan". But as long as HEA continues to exist, at some point, if they're around long enough, someone's going to take a shot at it. Is Metcalf going to be that guy? Doubtful. He's probably focused on doing what he can to keep Merrimack in the league to maintain some harmony on the home front … ;)
 
Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

He lost me when he lumped protest in with criminal actions. I assume the inability to distinguish between laudable behavior and illegal behavior led to the rest of his post.

Chuc, to your point, I do see that there are legitimate theories for reopening. I think shutting down was the proper thing to do to stabilize the situation, buy time, and learn about the enemy. Now that we are a bit further down the road, everyone agrees with reopening. Whether GA/Texas proves to have timed it right will be determined only after a while. How and when is the challenge, and rural/city dynamics are obviously key. The obvious answer is that sports should be last on the list, though for pro sports, the value, both monetary and mental for fans.
The problem for college athletes is that the NCAA pretends the valuable sports are mostly for students, and now have to grapple with wanting the money. For sports like Hockey that are marginal profit centers, or even losses, do you keep them even though the risk outweighs the benefits?
As I said, with colleges reopening in the fall, with some protections but really with few for the students (roomates, dorms, social interaction), and facemasks, as odd as that feels to us, are the largest component of that -- I think we know that droplets in enclosed areas are the largest vector, while transmission through surfaces is minor. The key will be accepting risk, knowing that they are in the lowest risk group, and testing so that even while there will be spread before syptoms, outbreaks can be caught to mimize exponential growth. Ultimately, people will have to accept their risk tolerance, and I think most college kids and athletes are willing to do so. The concern is less for them, and more on the people to whom they may unwittingly pass it -- family and elders.
Its really the older folks at risk, and college professors tend to be pretty old, and some coaches, too.;) Whether coaches/professors want to take a sabbatical or retire will be an issue.
And, because the transmission can occur before symptoms/diagnosis, the leagues have to figure out what happens when one player tests positive, and suddenly 5 kids on the team also get it. Does the team just drop out of the league for the season? Do they try and ride it out with the remaining 20 players?

*** Sweden has admitted that its approach was wrong, so touting them may not support the argument. As with everything, the extremes are not right, and the truth lies in balancing the greys.
Sweden’s top epidemiologist has admitted his strategy to fight Covid-19 resulted in too many deaths, after persuading his country to avoid a strict lockdown.


“If we were to encounter the same illness with the same knowledge that we have today, I think our response would land somewhere in between what Sweden did and what the rest of the world has done,” Anders Tegnell said in an interview with Swedish Radio.


Tegnell is the brains behind Sweden’s controversial approach to fighting the virus, and the government of Stefan Lofven has deferred to the epidemiologist in its official response to the pandemic. Gatherings of more than 50 people continue to be banned, but throughout the crisis Swedes have been able to visit restaurants, go shopping, attend gyms and send children under 16 to school.
Click to expand...
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-virus-strategy-says-he-got-some-things-wrong
 
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Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

If you haven't donated yet to the 603 Challenge:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Anyone who has not donated yet will get an equal portion of the $50,000 in bonus funds added to their gift today! We are in 3rd place for unique donors by 2. If we finish in third we will receive an extra $500. Thank you for your support!<br><br>Donate ➡ <a href="https://t.co/CFLHKYB0Hh">https://t.co/CFLHKYB0Hh</a> <a href="https://t.co/LMCxHHqRfj">pic.twitter.com/LMCxHHqRfj</a></p>— UNH Men's Hockey (@UNHMHOCKEY) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNHMHOCKEY/status/1268163536431321089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

Ray Dorn said:
It has been a pretty wild couple of months since the end of the hockey season. There have been a lot of other things to be thinking about besides UNH hockey.

As a person, an American and fellow hockey supporter I would like to apologize to Chuck for all of the abuse he received from others a few weeks ago for his political views.

I encourage everybody to try to be an independent voter for a couple of months. Be open minded. Watch an equal amount of the news from both sides of the political spectrum. For example, one hour a day of CNN/MSNBC and one hour of Fox News. I think you would be surprised of the 50% of what is going on in the World you never hear about. Intelligence is not only about what you know, but also about knowing what you don't know.

The two major political parties in America have changed tremendously over the last couple of decades. Just because you supported one political party 30 or 40 years ago does not mean you have to stay with them for the rest of your life. Political parties values have changed just like people's values change over time as we mature and have new life experiences. Changing political parties is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength!
Click to expand...

I don't recall you ever saying anything to me that warranted an apology Ray, but I'll graciously accept it. :)

I hesitate to classify my personal beliefs as "political views" though, but I do agree with some of your larger point, which is that what the two main political parties now stand for has gone through some changes over the last few decades. I've spent most of my life as a registered Independent, and for all of the great things GOP presidents like Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Reagan said which I wholeheartedly believe in - then as now - there were also things from Dem presidents like FDR ("The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" - especially pertinent in COVID times) and JFK ("Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country") - statements that do not stand well in the current identity politics-laden Democrat party - that resound to me.

But perhaps the most compelling statement in the current climate is that of MLK Jr. and his quote in the "I Have a Dream" speech where he dreamt that one day, people would "not be judged by the color of their skin, but only by the content of their character".

As to your suggestion about spending some time in the "other camp" … it's a simple fact of life that for folks with my beliefs, we are constantly surrounded by the messaging on the other side. 90+% of broadcast news trumpets the perspectives and beliefs of the "other camp', and pre-set home pages on computers and I-Phones are not taking folks to Fox or the WSJ, but routinely to left leaning sources of content (I leave those pre-sets in place to get some balance). So someone like me can't miss the "other half", and I'm keenly aware of their thoughts and views. Whereas folks from the "other camp" have those 90+% to choose from, and don't have to work too hard to avoid the "other camp". So while it's good advice conceptually … it's easier for some than others.

I have lots of love for liberals. I do have a HUGE issue with leftists - and yes, there is a HUGE difference there. Democrats in the liberal camp, at worst, we can agree to disagree, and sometimes, we can actually agree. But the Democrat Party is now outwardly courting the Left, and that's pure poison. I'll stop here, no need to push any buttons, I just wanted to clarify where I stand. :)
 
Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

NCAA watcher said:
He lost me when he lumped protest in with criminal actions. I assume the inability to distinguish between laudable behavior and illegal behavior led to the rest of his post.

Chuc, to your point, I do see that there are legitimate theories for reopening. I think shutting down was the proper thing to do to stabilize the situation, buy time, and learn about the enemy. Now that we are a bit further down the road, everyone agrees with reopening. Whether GA/Texas proves to have timed it right will be determined only after a while. How and when is the challenge, and rural/city dynamics are obviously key. The obvious answer is that sports should be last on the list, though for pro sports, the value, both monetary and mental for fans.
The problem for college athletes is that the NCAA pretends the valuable sports are mostly for students, and now have to grapple with wanting the money. For sports like Hockey that are marginal profit centers, or even losses, do you keep them even though the risk outweighs the benefits?
As I said, with colleges reopening in the fall, with some protections but really with few for the students (roomates, dorms, social interaction), and facemasks, as odd as that feels to us, are the largest component of that -- I think we know that droplets in enclosed areas are the largest vector, while transmission through surfaces is minor. The key will be accepting risk, knowing that they are in the lowest risk group, and testing so that even while there will be spread before syptoms, outbreaks can be caught to mimize exponential growth. Ultimately, people will have to accept their risk tolerance, and I think most college kids and athletes are willing to do so. The concern is less for them, and more on the people to whom they may unwittingly pass it -- family and elders.
Its really the older folks at risk, and college professors tend to be pretty old, and some coaches, too.;) Whether coaches/professors want to take a sabbatical or retire will be an issue.
And, because the transmission can occur before symptoms/diagnosis, the leagues have to figure out what happens when one player tests positive, and suddenly 5 kids on the team also get it. Does the team just drop out of the league for the season? Do they try and ride it out with the remaining 20 players?

*** Sweden has admitted that its approach was wrong, so touting them may not support the argument. As with everything, the extremes are not right, and the truth lies in balancing the greys.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-virus-strategy-says-he-got-some-things-wrong
Click to expand...

All in all, I probably agree with 90% of what you've got in here, top to bottom.

I do believe the timing of the states' decisions unfortunately has become politically-driven.

I'm rooting hard for Gov. Cuomo (liberal) to dust NYC Mayor DeCommio (leftist) ASAP. :D

I'll be 60 in a year-and-a-half, and I don't want kids altering their lives to accommodate me/my safety.

FWIW … NH has much better COVID-19 numbers than Sweden, so that should allay HR's concerns about Engaras and Eriksen (sp?) returning for next season. :) :)
 
NCAA watcher said:
He lost me when he lumped protest in with criminal actions. I assume the inability to distinguish between laudable behavior and illegal behavior led to the rest of his post.

Chuc, to your point, I do see that there are legitimate theories for reopening. I think shutting down was the proper thing to do to stabilize the situation, buy time, and learn about the enemy. Now that we are a bit further down the road, everyone agrees with reopening. Whether GA/Texas proves to have timed it right will be determined only after a while. How and when is the challenge, and rural/city dynamics are obviously key. The obvious answer is that sports should be last on the list, though for pro sports, the value, both monetary and mental for fans.
The problem for college athletes is that the NCAA pretends the valuable sports are mostly for students, and now have to grapple with wanting the money. For sports like Hockey that are marginal profit centers, or even losses, do you keep them even though the risk outweighs the benefits?
As I said, with colleges reopening in the fall, with some protections but really with few for the students (roomates, dorms, social interaction), and facemasks, as odd as that feels to us, are the largest component of that -- I think we know that droplets in enclosed areas are the largest vector, while transmission through surfaces is minor. The key will be accepting risk, knowing that they are in the lowest risk group, and testing so that even while there will be spread before syptoms, outbreaks can be caught to mimize exponential growth. Ultimately, people will have to accept their risk tolerance, and I think most college kids and athletes are willing to do so. The concern is less for them, and more on the people to whom they may unwittingly pass it -- family and elders.
Its really the older folks at risk, and college professors tend to be pretty old, and some coaches, too.;) Whether coaches/professors want to take a sabbatical or retire will be an issue.
And, because the transmission can occur before symptoms/diagnosis, the leagues have to figure out what happens when one player tests positive, and suddenly 5 kids on the team also get it. Does the team just drop out of the league for the season? Do they try and ride it out with the remaining 20 players?

*** Sweden has admitted that its approach was wrong, so touting them may not support the argument. As with everything, the extremes are not right, and the truth lies in balancing the greys.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-virus-strategy-says-he-got-some-things-wrong
Click to expand...
Covid-19 is old news! Try to keep up;)
 
Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

I don't recall you ever saying anything to me that warranted an apology Ray, but I'll graciously accept it. :)


No, I did not say anything to you that warranted an apology, but others on the forum did! They do owe you an apology, but I have not seen it yet.
 
Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

Hockey players have to think hard about going to or transferring to a start-up collegiate program like Long Island University. They will need a full roster the first season of 22 to 24 players, but then they will have to work hard to balance out the four classes (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors) for the future. Does anybody know if they will be using their full allotment of 18 scholarships the first year or 4.5 or something in between? Of the players that are on the team the first year only about 30 to 35 percent likely will be on the team the fourth year.
 
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Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

Speaking of the 2020/21 roster, noticed some potentially troubling news poking around today. On Heisenberg's site that lists incoming projections there were some huge omissions and what appear to be early arrivals. The list was greatly cleaned up of old decommits etc. Luke Reid and Carsen Richels appear to be not coming???? The 11 mentions, had some earlier than previously projected kids coming. On D - Pennet, Gagne and Ardanez. Forwards included - Evans, Cronin, Curran, Sacco, Bakos, Ring, Margel and Devlin.
i know this is not the definitive list but wow sme big loses and changes. Did I read it wrong? CHC or Watcher, tell me I skrewed up somehow.
 
Re: UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

After the Whistle said:
Speaking of the 2020/21 roster, noticed some potentially troubling news poking around today. On Heisenberg's site that lists incoming projections there were some huge omissions and what appear to be early arrivals. The list was greatly cleaned up of old decommits etc. Luke Reid and Carsen Richels appear to be not coming???? The 11 mentions, had some earlier than previously projected kids coming. On D - Pennet, Gagne and Ardanez. Forwards included - Evans, Cronin, Curran, Sacco, Bakos, Ring, Margel and Devlin.
i know this is not the definitive list but wow sme big loses and changes. Did I read it wrong? CHC or Watcher, tell me I skrewed up somehow.
Click to expand...

If you're looking at Heisenberg's 2021 spreadsheet, that's for the 2021-22 season. As in, he's already removed those recruits he believes are matriculating for the 2020-21 season. That's why you wouldn't see names from your 2020 incoming class.
 
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