The following comes from Pam Sweeney, who is away from her account and
using her dad's so she can get in on this thread. :-)  Per her request, I
am forwarding this...if you wish to respond to Pam, her normal email
address is at the end.
 
>Date: 10 Oct 95 22:14:22 EDT
>From: "Wilbur F. Sweeney" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: mike <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Reusse article
>
>I am a member of a VERY small club:
>I am a fan of BOTH Gopher hockey and Pat Reusse.  Because
>of this rare combination, I find myself compelled to add my
>two cents on his August 13 article.
>
>First of all, Reusse's stock in trade is his irreverent
>approach to sports.  The basic rule to remember is this:
>You're nobody in Twin Cities sports until you've been
>"ripped" by Reusse.
>
>Secondly:  Reusse's main tool is irony.  Reusse was writing
>a column about the Gophers signing the hottest MN HS recruit
>in years and pointing out that they're loaded with talent.
>His irony makes that into a column about how there should
>be an investigation if the Gophers don't win the NC$$ soon.
>
>Thirdly:  Yes, Reusse has said he hates hockey.  He said
>this to counter his hockey-loving radio-show partner in
>the days when the North Stars were in the Stanley Cup
>finals and everyone around here was jumping the bandwagon.
>He IS a hoop-o-phile.  BUT, unlike another columnist for
>the paper on that side of the river, he takes the time to
>learn about whatever he writes about, be it hockey, figure
>skating or dwarf-tossing.  Also, he co-hosts the radio
>sportstalk show where Doug Woog does his show every Saturday
>morning, and at least makes some attempt to follow the team.
>
>Fourthly:  Woog didn't seem too miffed by it all.  Saturday
>on that radio show Woog brought up Reusse's column, and
>Woog's comment was:  "Hockey must have arrived.  We're
>talking about it in the middle of the summer."
>
>I have some more serious disagreements with what Paul
>Thalacker wrote in his preface to Reusse's article:
>
>> This non-biased assessment is very refreshing considering most
>> Twin Cities articles contain much pro-Gopher bias.
>
>Actually, I think that Reusse actually likes Woog a great
>deal.  So I'm not sure how unbiased he is about him.  Again,
>I see Reusse's column as ironic, not critical.
>
>> Attend any Gopher home game and
>> you'll hear the Canadian players being verbally insulted by the
>fans.
>
>Yes, the Canadian players for the other teams are in danger
>of being verbally insulted by the fans.  But no more so than
>the Minnesotan (or other US) players.  And no more so in
>Mariucci than they are in, say, Dane County.  Sure,
>there've been "USA" and "Where's your Green Card?" chants,
>but if it weren't about that, the fans would just be making
>fun of something else.  And you'd have a hard time
>convincing me that the fans from any other arena in the
>country wouldn't do the exact same thing if all the players
>on their team were from their home state.
>
>> It is also interesting that this belief by the Gopher faithful
>is also
>> the first thing that is brought up every time they lose a game.
>
>You must be hanging around different Gopher hockey fans than
>I have been.  I've never heard that mentioned as an excuse
>at Mariucci Arena.  It seems to pop up in the papers every
>year or two, but that's hardly "every time they lose a game."
>(Don't I WISH they only lost a game every year or two!)
>
>
> Matt Wickey wrote:
>
>> Personally, I think it's admirable of the Gophers to recruit
>only in-state.
>> They've been very successful at this and I can understand how
>that makes
>> their fans proud.  But they are able to do it because of their
>unique
>> situation which, I might add, is not shared by any other team
>in Div. I.
>> IMHO, if other teams choose not to follow their lead, Gopher
>fans should
>> accept that without complaint.
>
>I think pretty much all of us do.  We DO have a little fun
>with it.  (See my reference to the "USA!" and "Where's your
>Green Card!" chants above.)  Almost all "complaints" seem
>to be put into our mouths by others.
>
>-Pam
>Normally [log in to unmask]
>currently in computicado on vacation back in Minnesota (soon to be  heading
>for Houghton!!!!) and using her Dad's compu$erve account.
>
 
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