Some Inconvenient Truths
Ah, so here I am, forced to break radio silence because tUMD’s student section has gone viral.
I planned to make a blog post last night but I ended up going to an astrophysics lecture yesterday evening and got home late. In the mean time, I’ve been called or accused of all manner of things, and so the ocean of the Internet is aboil with RWD-hate. This is just how I like it.
If you don’t know, when tUMD played North Dakota the weekend before last, some students (but apparently not all) participated in some chants that were considered offensive. And of course they were offensive. “We stole your land” and “smallpox blankets” have a real, historical basis that is ten thousand times more embarrassing and atrocious than the chants themselves.
But these chants didn’t happen in a vacuum. They didn’t spontaneously occur. They weren’t created to taunt a player on UND who is of Dakota descent. These chants occurred because the University of North Dakota uses the name and image of a native people. The University of North Dakota created an environment where this can happen. My simple message yesterday read: no nickname, no chants.
And then I was immediately compared to a rapist.
Many people accused me of using the same logic a rapist uses to blame their victim by pointing out she was dressing or acting in a way that stated she wanted or deserved to be raped. That’s not the situation at all. That involves two parties: the one being harmed, and the one doing the harming. This situation involves three parties: the one doing the harm (tUMD students who participated in the chants), the one harmed (lots of people, native or not), and… UND. So blaming the nickname as the impetus for the chant isn’t blaming the victim. And tUMD students are still responsible for their own actions. But why would they even do that?
A couple years ago, when tUMD played Tech, I made a sign that said “Every time a cowbell rings, God kills a Husky.” Then I took a paintbrush and splattered red paint on the sign. Do I really want dogs to die? No, I love dogs, they’re cute. The sign actually got taken away because this annoying Michigan Tech fan whined to the arena staff, not because he was offended but because he wanted to make trouble. But it was just a sign making light of their fans and their incessant noisemakers and the imagined death of their mascot. This is just one of the things student sections do. They use the mascot as a symbol for the opponents. People. Reduced to symbols.
That’s precisely the reason why these chants were done the other weekend. Not out of some deep-seated racism against the Dakota that has been passed down since their ancestors’ farm was burned in the Dakota War (which occurred 150 years ago this August, just to remind you, and if you haven’t read much about this sad chapter in Minnesota history, you really need to), but because they were trying to think of chants that were based on UND’s mascot (yes, UND fans, you have a mascot, pick up a dictionary once in awhile) and nickname. Their human mascot and nickname. Dehumanized.
Imagine I make that same sign I made for Michigan Tech, but I make it for UND. It just skyrocketed in its level of offensiveness. That’s the problem with the human mascot. When one says “Gophers suck,” one isn’t at risk for gophers overhearing. But I think it would be unpleasant for a Dakota fan of UND to hear “Sioux Suck” over and over again. Especially considering the myriad ways the US government, the cavalry, the settlers and their descendants have expressed that sentiment throughout history.
UND’s mascot and nickname are dehumanizing and desensitizing. tUMD students demonstrated that a week and a half ago. How can someone stand behind a nickname that leads to chants like the ones the students did? Or shirts like this? Or this one, done by UND students? Or the attitudes spelled out here? Or the people who “honor” the nickname by swearing, vomiting in their seats, fighting, making lewd gestures, etc while wearing the Sioux jersey? (Every fan base has people who do this. But not every fan base is appropriating the image and name of Native Americans and claiming to honor them while behaving in this fashion.)
The nickname and mascot are an embarrassment. The chants are an embarrassment. The history behind the chants is an embarrassment. It’s time for the nickname to go. Getting rid of the nickname won’t change the mind of any student, fan, athlete or administrator who might have been motivated to chant or support the nickname or make one of those t-shirts by actual, active racism, but it will at least stop the people who simply aren’t thinking, who aren’t looking beyond the nickname and mascot to the humans they are based on. (Because it shouldn’t be necessary, humans [Seminole, Dakota, Illini, Irish, Dutch, etc] should not be mascots!)
So there we go. That’s what I mean by “No Nickname, No Chants.” As if it really was that hard to figure out.
Good Night and Good Riddance
I’m not finishing this game. At present it’s 3-1, and that’s all I can take.
Let me know when the team starts playing with heart, pride and effort. Maybe then I’ll be motivated to post again.
Slummin’
tUMD 2, Vagabonds 1
tUMD 4, Vagabonds 3
You know I’m a dreamer
But my heart’s of gold
I had to run away high
So I wouldn’t come home low
(I’m infinitely cooler than Bruce Ciskie, who chose to mark the occasion with John Denver instead of the Crue. Fail. Although I guess we should all be pleased he didn’t turn to wrestling.)
So the Bulldogs did come home low. I mean, a couple of one goal wins against a team with only 2 wins isn’t that impressive.
But why get upset about it? Why act like this team sucks because of it? They’re still two wins, no matter if they feel like losses to some of us. I bet if you asked UNO or Denver players, they’d love to have a one-goal win against UAH instead of their loss. Previous Bulldog teams would have lost one of these games, or tied.
If the players don’t let the slide continue (and it is a slide, there was probably about 20 total minutes of good hockey all weekend, and a couple of those minutes belong to the Little Chippers and also to the Yeti/Bear/Tiki/Owl game), then we will barely remember this. The only people who will remember this will be the people trying to discredit the Bulldogs, of whom there are far fewer than there were last year.
You’ll notice there’s no jersey drama this time around, because I didn’t bid. The jerseys were nice, but I had to resist this time around. If you DID get a jersey, let me know! I might possibly know where you could get a nametape. *Wink wink* According to the website, tUMD raised $14725! According to the event’s name, Bulldogs for Breast Cancer, this must mean that they raised $14725 to give people more breast cancer. Seems like kind of a poor charitable move.
tUMD plays a much-improved Michigan Tech team, but still a Michigan Tech team they swept back in December. And Michigan Tech didn’t have two weeks to spend solely preparing for tUMD, the way UAH did (and they had free scouting in the form of two nationally televised games.) UAH is also not nearly as bad as I expected them to be. Saunders was good, although I’m not blown away by him the way some others are, since he had lots of nice fatty boom batty rebounds just begging to be buried that were not. UAH is also much more disciplined than I expected them to be; they did not play with the frustration that others with their record might play.
There’s no reason for me to think that last weekend’s play is in any way indicative how of the team will play this weekend. They absolutely, 100%, without a doubt will lose to Tech if they play the way they did for the first five periods of this past weekend, but that was not characteristic of this team. Other than the awful PP, which seems to be very much part of this team’s identity. And that is a serious issue for me, and should be for everyone. Justin Faulk is heading back to Duluth before his all-star appearance… perhaps he can lend our PP a little of his mojo?
tUMD bagged two new recruits: Jared Thomas of Hermantown and Dom Toninato of Duluth East. I’m pretty excited with these two pickups, though I’m not a recruiting guru. tUMD also picked up a Canadian recruit, Brett Boehm, a few weeks ago. Brett is, of course, going to be hounded by the pack of starving dogs that is the CHL, and so there are no guarantees that he ever wears a Bulldog uniform, but we would love to have him and he would love it here.
Okay, guys, enough reading RWD, go back and fix your power play! Let’s see Jack Connolly (vote vote vote!) get the school-record point streak on a POWER PLAY GOAL, aiiight?
At Seventeen
tUMD 6, Rare Cows 2
tUMD 1, Rare Cows 3
So, we learned the truth at seventeen. Now what?
Whoop some Alabama badonkadonk, I suppose.
Friday night we went to a local watering hole for a RWD viewing party. I guess. I called it that, at least. A friend (and the only Gopher fan in the bunch) was making fun of me for being nervous about the game. Ok, yes, it was only one game, but it was a very high profile game. The national spotlight (which, regrettably, is still rather dim for college hockey) was shining on tDogs. Sure, it was shining on UNO, too, but what did they have to lose other than the game? If they lost, it was expected, can’t fault them, if they win, they get to feel like gods or something for winning a regular season game.
tDogs didn’t screw around in the first period. JT Brown scored 93 seconds into the game, and then Dan DeLisle had a breakaway (repeat, DAN DELISLE HAD A BREAKAWAY), a hilarious breakaway in which a player attempted to check him and just bounced off him, and put the puck behind the geriatric (just look at his photo, how freaking old does he look??) John Faulkner to make it 2-0. Josh Archibald (cousin of Evan Schwabe!) brutalized Jack Connolly on a check from behind (while WEARING A FREAKING JABLONSKI STICKER ON HIS HELMET, HOW STUPID CAN YOU GET???) and was shown the door, but tDogs did not score on the PP, because the PP really sucks. tUMD pretty much dominated the first period but didn’t score any more.
The second period was crap on a cracker. The less said about that, the better.
In the third period, JT Brown scored twice to complete the hat trick (did ANY hats make it on the ice?), Blais sent Faulkner to the glue farm with 6 1/2 minutes remaining, Mike Seidel scored from the neutral zone on the empty net, and then Joe Basaraba rounded out the scoring once the old man was back in the net.
So, tDogs were an unanimous #1 in all polls and rankings, on national television, defending the longest unbeaten streak in college hockey, and they put on a show.
Saturday night didn’t go so well. UNO scored late in the first period, and they have a stupid ritual where they throw a fish on the ice and then Bruce Vilanch comes out in a stupid tiny soapbox derby zamboni thing and picks it up. Why this is not delay of game, I do not know. It is idiotic. Jack Connolly (have you voted for Jack today? On every browser you have on every computer you use, and on your smartphone?) felt the same way and hit the fish with his stick or something and the Mavs fans got all offended. Hey, he’s not the one throwing fish on the ice when there are people homeless and hungry all over the world! Let’s not judge here, mmmkay? In the second period, the perspective-lacking Maverick fans started booing Jack when he touched the puck, and he scored almost immediately after, thus extending his point streak to 20 games. But, sadly, that was it.
Blais declared JT Brown Public Enemy #1 (though he claims he didn’t, he does imply JT got what he deserved, and also claims JT did something worse, because trying to physically injure someone is not nearly as bad as, like, a bad word or gesture. STICKS AND STONES, DEANO. Again! Lacking perspective!), and someone named Zombo attempted to take out his knee, and then when that didn’t work, someone else tried to take out Kenny Reiter while he was headed to the bench on the delayed penalty. So, after that person (an Alex Simonson) was ejected and Zombo was somehow allowed to stay in the game, and then tUMD didn’t get to have a two-man advantage because they invented an extra penalty for Wade Bergman, and then tUMD sucked really badly on the PP, as they are wont to do, and then tUMD lost the game and the streak was over and we all lived.
And now, in just a few days, after TWO LONG MONTHS without a home game, we will welcome our team back to AMSoil Arena and start a new streak. 22 unbeaten should work.
Oh yeah, and
Sixteen Candles
tUMD 4, Geldings 1
tUMD 5, Geldings 2
Well then, what did we learn this past weekend?
As a Minnesota sports fan, I have been conditioned by years and years of epic failure to expect the worst from my teams. Dirty and I typically refer to the overarching effect of Minnesota sports teams’ performances as “maximum sadness.” Maximum sadness means the team will not only lose, but will rip out your heart and stomp on it. The best recent example of “maximum sadness” in action doesn’t involve MN teams, but rather the WJC. In the semi-final game between Russia and Canada, Canada went down 6-0, which of course demoralized the Canadian fanbase. Then Canada scored 5 goals, which re-energized the fans, making them believe that perhaps the greatest comeback in WJC history was possible and would erase their demons from the prior year, only to come up short and discover they would, once again, fail to get a gold medal. That’s pretty much the definition of maximum sadness.
A few seasons ago, Boston University won the national championship, and the following season, they had a dismal season, failing to make the NCAAs and barely reaching a .500 winning percentage. A friend of mine who rather closely follows BU noted that most of the players were checked out. The team was loaded with draft picks, and most of those players were looking for their payday rather than concentrating on their season. Two players were dismissed from the team that spring, and overall four players from the national championship team have been kicked off of BU’s squad.
So you can imagine that, going into this season, Bulldog fans were unsure of what to expect, and were quite pessimistic. Of course, we’ve never seen our team win the whole thing, so it makes sense that we wouldn’t know what to think of the following season, but we wondered if the national championship hangover coupled with the graduation or departure of many of our top players and a coach would leave us with a less-than-stellar season.
We were clearly way off base. After a disastrous sweep by an inferior Gophers team, tUMD has not lost. That was back in October. I was going to say back when it was warm, but that was two days ago. While tUMD lost some individual talents and great leaders, the remaining players plus the freshmen have more than made up for those losses. And they have made believers out of us.
I’m fairly superstitious. Last year, for example, during the NCAA playoffs, I had rituals. I watched Miracle the night before the game. I wore only my game-worn Seidel bee jersey. (I told him that and I think he thought I was weird and creepy. I’m trying to decide if that was weirder and creepier than when I met Mike Curry while wearing his jersey. I think no.) I felt an overwhelming sense of panic that didn’t relent until the end of each game.
I don’t feel that way this year. I wear whatever jersey I feel like wearing. Sometimes a t-shirt. Last weekend, I taped the game and had dinner at a friend’s place, and didn’t check the final score until after midnight. (Ok, so maybe I had a little moment of panic and was afraid to find the score. But, baby steps.)
I don’t feel that way because when I watch this team, they’re working hard. They’re taking the unbeaten streak very seriously. They are motivated to win. They’re a unanimous #1 in the country (INCH power rankings, USCHO poll, USA today poll, PWR), and have been #1 in the polls for 5 weeks in a row without letting it become a distraction. They had 27 days off and their head coach out of the country for part of that time, and went into the home rink of a quality opponent and pounded them.
What else is there to say? Sure, they’ll lose sometime. Maybe. They don’t have to. And if they do, they’re just going to start a new unbeaten streak.
Don’t forget that tomorrow the game will be on the NBC Sports Network! More Bulldogs on TV
Suffragette City
The voting for the Hobey Baker Award is now open. Clickety click.
Bruce Ciskie has come up with the campaign slogan: “If you’re not voting for Jack Connolly, don’t bother.”
Making the Heart Grow Fonder
I was getting laundry together when I came across some of my tUMD gear and thought I really needed to get back in the saddle on the blog. I am sorry for the long absence, as it wasn’t planned and I don’t have any other reason besides writer’s block and a lack of inertia. The alternative to taking the breaks occasionally (because this isn’t the first and won’t be the last) would be shuttering the blog entirely, and I’m not prepared to do that when I really don’t have any real reason to do so.
It is too late for any sort of 2011 retrospective. I mean, not really, but I feel things like that should be posted on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Instead let’s talk about 2012, the year the world is supposed to end, and talk about how we’re going to go out in style.
I wrote at the beginning of the season (not on here, on that blog from which I was fired) that tUMD should try to win the MacNaughton Cup, and they are in control of their own destiny in that regard. They are also in great position, PWR-wise, to make the NCAA tournament again. I am very superstitious and won’t be buying a plane ticket to Florida tomorrow, but I can’t stop myself from dreaming about the possibility of a nice sunny vacation for my Bulldogs and myself at the beginning of April.
But on the other side, I am nervous. tUMD begins play tomorrow against Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. Friday’s game will be televised on CBS College Sports or something. I’m taping it (well, recording it on my DVR, but it’s one of those anachronistic sayings I can’t get rid of) because I’m having dinner with friends. I know that’s kind of lame, considering that tUMD hasn’t played since December 10th, and 27 days without Bulldog hockey has really sucked, but things occur.
The longer the winning streak goes on, the more I worry about a losing streak coming. I know that’s stupid. I know that, at times, I am pessimistic to almost comical degrees, but I can’t help it. We did see a stretch of very poor hockey last year. Of course, we also saw a national championship, so it’s not the end of the world.
Western Michigan is going to be part of our new conference, so we should get used to seeing them. The last time tUMD played them was when the current seniors were freshmen. They were not good then. Western did make the NCAAs last year and lost to Denver in the second overtime. They were recently swept at the National Hockey Center, which means tUMD had better extend their streak. 2 wins against WMU would be great for tUMD’s common opponent comparisons with the rest of the CCHA.
I’m going to finish this off as the 3rd period of the WJC gold medal game will commence momentarily, and I — ok it just started, gotta fly. Go Sverige!
Of Mel and Men
Well well, Mr. Pearson. We meet again.
As you all certainly know, Michigan Tech fired the sexy Jamie Russell (who is now a coach with the Providence Friars) and hired the unsexy Mel Pearson, who we last saw weeping quietly on the bench at the Xcel Center on 9 April, 2011, as tUMD claimed their first national championship over the Ugly Helmets, where Mel was an assistant coach.
While I do hope for a sweep, of course, I would be wrong in saying I wanted Mel to feel the pain he felt last April with the overtime loss. Let’s try not to let it get to overtime, mkay? Last year, tUMD swept Tech in both meetings, which was the first time tUMD had done so in forever and ever. It would be nice to repeat that.
Plus, there is the matter of the whole NCHC thing. Michigan Tech, as a non-like-minded school, has been left behind with the dregs of the WCHA, and their fans are not happy about it. Unlike some other schools, whose fans have processed this and have moved on, many Michigan Tech fans have been unable to follow suit. I would probably recommend some therapy for them, as they need to find a way over this emotional stumbling block.
This year, Michigan Tech has not lost to any NCHC schools. Never mind that means they are 1-0-1 against NCHC schools as they have only played Denver; the vocal anti-NCHC crowd has gotten a little braggy about it. tUMD should really work on making Tech’s record 1-2-1. Not that it would shut anyone up, but it would take away a talking point.
Moving on, this weekend marks the one-year anniversary of the final game at the DECC. Let’s look back briefly. First, here are my thoughts from the penultimate game and the final game.
The goal lap for the first goal (you can see my fat badonkadonk holding up the second segment of the lap. I am not fast, and also was afraid of stepping on someone):
Mike Connolly’s goal (which I didn’t see because of the stupid jersey auction in which I overpaid for Dylan Olsen’s jersey):
Good god is that guy ever talented. I mean… wow.
The final minute of play:
The speeches and the final stick salute with all the alumni:
Well, that was a nice trip down memory lane.
Don’t forget there’s UMD football Saturday at noon! First 300 students get in free!
Lastly, congratulations to Jim Johnson, former Bulldog and father of Derik, for his new job as assistant coach with the Washington Capitals! And Jim, tell them to STAY AWAY FROM HERBERT.
Merci Beaucoup
It’s officially Thanksgiving, and as I have a job that does not require a petition to try to get a day off, I’m up late and ready to post.
Have we ever had more for which to be thankful, as Bulldogs fans?
We saw our team win its first national championship in April. We have a beautiful new arena. Our football team is on the road to their second national championship in two years. Our men’s hockey team is also on their way to their second national championship in two years, (but they are a little farther up the road.) Our women’s team is elite, as always. The women’s volleyball team had a spectacular season. The cross-country teams have elite players. Bulldog alumni are making names for themselves in the professional hockey ranks. Freshmen are coming in and blowing away all expectations. We have the 2012 Hobey Baker Award winner as our captain.
And, we have each other. We have our little community. And I am lucky to be a part of it.
I am thankful for the two guys who sit on either side of me at home hockey games. The people who make me laugh on Twitter. The folks who comment on this site or send me emails, sometimes almost daily. The people who I see every time I’m at the arena. The people who come over to my seats and say hello and introduce themselves. The family members who act like this site is the greatest thing they’ve ever read. The co-owner of my WCHA fantasy hockey team. The idiot who I talk to on AIM every day. The other bloggers who share their information and support. The photographers that share their captured moments. The opposing fans who love a friendly back-and-forth. The NHL bloggers and fans who love chatting about prospects and UMD alumni. The students who take my suggestions and work to make the student section better. The little kids, some of whom can barely say “Go Bulldogs!,” who wave and give me high-fives and make me smile.
Thanks everyone. You’re amazing.
Dancin’ in November
tUMD 5, Mad Cows 2
tUMD 7, Mad Cows 3
and
tUMD 30, Some Team From Michigan I’ve Never Heard Of 27
Well, here we are again, I’m back to my roots, back where I belong. Just in time for a FANTASTIC weekend for two Bulldogs teams (women’s hockey split and the women’s volleyball team, despite an incredible season, was knocked out of the NCAA tournament by stupid Concordia-St. Paul).
Friday we rushed to get to the game because we got caught in traffic trying to get to the hotel. As we were walking through the final stretch of the Northwest Passage to the arena, I remarked that it was really quiet. And then we looked at our tickets and saw it was a 7:30 start. Good planning on our part.
Caleb Herbert, your WCHA rookie of the year if the voters have any brains (sorry, little Gopher boy, but Caleb is the complete package), opened the scoring early on, and then UMD weathered several storms and Mankato whiffed on some grade-A chances and Kenny made some stellar saves and we made it out of the period with the score holding at 1-0 but the shot totals at 8-21. So, good save% for Kenny, but way too much of a shot differential.
JT Brown ended his short goal-scoring hiatus and Caleb Herbert got ANOTHER goal in the second period, which was MUCH better than the first and the Dogs closed the shots gap a bit. Also in the second period, Eriah Hayes took a penalty to put the Dogs on the PP, then 3 seconds later Jack Connolly took a penalty, then 17 seconds after THAT, Mike Dorr took a penalty. I was thinking how a 4×3 PP would give us a lot of space to work some magic, but that it would be pretty funny to see 3×3, and no sooner was I done thinking that than Scott Kishel was in the box and we got to see some crazy 3×3 action. Sandelin used Brown-Oleksuk and Herbert-J. Crandall as his 3×3 pairings, and TO and JT had some very good chances. The last time I saw 3×3 action for tDogs was when UMD played Wisconsin and Garrison (who, BTW, is leading all NHL defencemen in goals with 7) broke his leg.
Mankato scored the only special teams goal of the night in the 3rd period, Jack Connolly put some points on the board for Team Cougar, and then Travis Oleksuk scored. Although I was screaming for Herbert to get a goal so I could toss my hat on the ice, he still managed to get 3 points and will certainly be the WCHA rookie of the week. The Mad Cows got another goal and that was it.
Saturday I went to the football game bundled in several layers of clothing and a blanket, plus hand and foot warmers, with neat fold-out stadium seat things my dad let us borrow so we didn’t have to sit on the freezing cold bleachers. And I was STILL cold by the middle of the 4th quarter, when UMD saw its sizable lead disappear completely, only to take the lead, nearly give it back, get the ball back, go 3 and out, have a short punt, hold the other team to a field goal, and head to overtime. College FB overtime rules are a little odd, but after the other team scored a field goal after some fortuitous penalties, UMD got into the end zone with a TD and I didn’t freeze my toes for nothing!
Saturday night’s game was a little bit different, as zero goals were scored in the first period. And then the team absolutely EXPLODED in the second period. Something called Jean-Paul Lafontaine committed a hooking penalty, and the prolific Justin Crandall scored with the extra attacker on. And then 17 seconds later JT Brown scored. I had to combine both tweets. Then 55 seconds later, Caleb Herbert scored, and then as I was tweeting that Herbert scored, Joe Basaraba scored! IN. FREAKING. SANE. And it wasn’t even a record, as UMD scored 4 goals even more quickly than that en route to a butt-whooping of the Gophers in 1971. Yay! Phil Cook got the hook and then UMD nearly scored again! Mankato did manage to get a goal in the second period, but who even cares? Then they followed that up, Maverick-style, with a major penalty.
Did I mention that UMD played most of the game with 5 defencemen? Fidel Casto left the game early on with a lower-body injury, but from what Pates said, it isn’t serious. Whew. Fidel is muy importante to our re-election campaign.
In the 3rd, Mankato scored quickly on a carry-over power play. Mankato then took a penalty and UMD had an insanely long delayed penalty possession, almost a minute. While they didn’t scored on that possession, it was pretty fun to watch, and then they went out and scored less than 20 seconds into the PP (Jacky again! Go Team Coug!) Jake Hendrickson scored an even-strength goal for a touchdown. Then ANOTHER Maverick decided to take a major penalty by trying to kill Jacky, and then a scrum erupted as the Mavericks got a little tired of sucking, and then Brady Lamb sighted in his lasers and kicked the extra point. Mankato kept trying, for some reason, and scored another goal, and that ended the scoring for the game, even though I wanted a snowman (Bruce Ciskie calls 8 goals “putting up a snowman,” even though everyone knows snowmen are stacked 3 snowballs high, not two).
Oh yeah. As if that wasn’t enough fun…
I am so depressed that there won’t be another home game until mid-January, AND tUMD doesn’t even play this coming weekend, but UMD should close out the 2011 portion of the schedule in style at UW and at Tech. I assume we are all planning on reserving our hotels in Tampa?
Runnin' With the Dogs 
