Deron, you are picking your words to misconstrue what I said.   I did
not say "...that the players and
coaches easily accept that they lost..."

And about "accepting defeat".  I think that they have done that.  They
were defeated.  It's good to accept what is clearly a fact.  And I'm
sure that it wasn't easy especially for the players.   Although it is
important for the coaching staff to think about how they could have
played better, but only in the light of moving on and preparing for the
future.

No one will want to hear the questions that you suggest.  They have
moved past that now.  They wouldn't want to entertain those thoughts
now.  Have you never been on a team and lost an important game?  Would
you want to be asked those questions?

Are you trying somehow to prove that you're right and I'm wrong?  We
have different opinions.  You say Maine choked, I say that MSU picked up
their game.  I shared my opinion mostly so that the people on this list
might see that there are other ways of looking at things and they need
not think that their team choked in their biggest game of the year.  I
have a great feeling of pride for this team even though they didn't win
the gold and I wanted to share it.  I did not want to have an argument.

I know that to take a great championship away from MSU shows a lack of
class by saying that they only won because the other team choked.  Even
if I thought it I wouldn't say it.

I know that Maine didn't choke and I hate trying to prove it.  Those
guys played their hearts out.  This is not fun or interesting anymore.
I am done with this discussion.

-----Original Message-----
From: The Maine Hockey Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Deron Treadwell
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 11:07 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Maine did not choke!

Who am I to argue with the analysis of a college hockey expert like
Barry Melrose?  ;-)

(It should be also noted that I am also not any of the following
college hockey experts:  Bob Norton, Cap Rader, Kathryn Tappen, Jen
Menedez, Kevin Paul Dupont [though he did post a correction in the
Globe recently due to an e-mail I sent him - everyone gets lucky I
guess], and a host of others)

I think you draw out the difference in your post.  You, Barry and
perhaps the rest of the world think MSU was unquestionably superior.  I
don't.  They proved they were very clutch against Maine and BC, but
they were actually dominated for parts of both games too (second period
vs. BC specifically if I am not mistaken).  They "got it done" when it
counted.  I think that just as easily could have (should have?) been
Maine.

For example, Maine was NOT the best team in 1999.  UNH actually had a
superior team to Maine.  But Maine "got it done" where UNH did not. If
the superior team wins all the time, there is a banner hanging in the
Whittemore Center right now.  Maine had hot goaltending, hustle, and
they won the tournament.  Doesn't make them the best team, just the one
with the title. (No small deal.)  This is one of the things that makes
this game great.

Let's try something here.  Clair seems to think that the players and
coaches easily accept that they lost to the best team in the country.
But those of you who know players, why don't you ask them these
questions in an anonymous fashion and post the results:

1.  Do you feel like you could have beaten Michigan State?
2.  Do you feel like you should have beaten Michigan State?
3.  When you saw Michigan State win the national title, did you think,
"hey that really should have been us"?

(Can we please exclude Teddy Purcell from the survey since I'm not sure
he was actually "in the game" so he'd skew my survey).  Thanks.

I'm not a UMaine player, and I also don't know anything about hockey
either since I am not Barry Melrose et al.  However, while the players
and coaches may call it different things, I am willing to bet they are
not as willing to accept defeat as you suggest.

In other words, THEY will feel like they should have gotten it done
too.

But, if they truly believe that they could not, nor should not have
been able to win that game vs. MSU, then I will back off my comments
because you can't choke if you lost to a superior team that had you
beat before you hit the ice.

-Deron

--- The Chesleys <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> So if Merrimack was up 2-0 on Maine and Maine came back to win would
> you
> say that Merrimack choked?  (Merrimack who was 3-22-2 this year.)
> Are
> you defining "choke" as getting ahead and then loosing regardless of
> the
> relative strengths of the two teams?
>
> Barry Melrose and I both saw Maine get up on Michigan State because
> they
> caught them with their pants down.  Once MS picked up their game they
> dominated.  They were better.  Barry agrees.  They didn't win because
> Maine played poorly.  They won because they played great.  Barry
> agrees
> with that too.   I don't get why there is so much energy to blame
> Maine
> coaching and players when they loose and when they play a clearly
> superior team.  Michigan played their same game against BC and
> dominated.  Did anyone watch that game?  BC was a great team this
> year.
> They played a great game.  But they played a better team and they
> know
> it.  The Maine players and coaches also know that they played a
> better
> team.  No one on the Maine or BC teams is ashamed of their
> tournament.
> They are disappointed but they are not ashamed.  And I'm not ashamed
> either.  Choking IS something to be ashamed of and to feel bad about.
> Neither Maine nor BC choked.  I feel great about my team and their
> season.  I'm proud of them that they played so well.  I'm
> disappointed
> too but I'm a lot more proud than disappointed.
>
> This isn't the Mighty Ducks you know.  There isn't usually a way to
> beat
> a superior team.  Don't take a great tournament and championship away
> from Michigan State that they clearly deserve by saying that Maine
> and/or BC choked.
>
> Clair '71