I didn't see the game due to a VCR malfunction, but I am one of those
Gopher fans who has previously stated "The officiating was terrible, but
it didn't cost us the game."  Sometimes when we say this, it's exactly
what we mean.  Let's face it, we lost 5-2 and the various reports say we
got our butts kicked.  The officiating didn't cost us the game.
 
That stated, I have no trouble believing the refs were lousy.  My
complaint earlier this season, and what I read from the posts in the
last few days, is not that the calls arejust uneven, but that they are
dangerous.  We hear out of league offices over and over again that
checking from behind will not be tolerated, yet it happens over and over
again, right in front of the officials.  As a die-hard Gopher fan, it's
seemed to me that it's happening to us more than the other way around,
but even I know that it isn't exclusively that way.  Remember Ryan
Kraft's hit that sent Dan Peters to the hospital, but only drew two
minutes?
 
Granted, I've been less harsh to WCHA refs since I saw three straight
thug-fests in CCHA country.  Those were ridiculous.  Nevertheless, refs
have to start calling the things that they say they're going to
emphasize, or I'll keep saying they suck.
 
J. Michael Neal
 
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