I just report them ... I don't necessarily agree.
 
Last night on the Bob Mancini show, several different options
were discussed concerning choosing teams for the NC$$ tourney.
 
THe NC$$ sets a maximum number of teams that can play in the
NC$$ tournament using a percentage of the total number of Div I teams.
Already, hockey (with 12) is beyond that percentage. Thus, under the
current NC$$ guidelines, a 16 team format is out of the question.
 
Why not just allow the top 5 teams of regular season play to go
to the league tournament tournament? The problem is money. The
NC$$ wants to generate as much interest as possible in the playoffs
to generate money, thus the format.
 
Why not seed the regular season winner? Again money. The NC$$ is
afraid that this would detract from post season play.
 
Why RPI (Rating Precentage Index)? The NC$$ uses this rating in
that tall, awkward kid's game, roundball, and is very happy with its
performance in that sport. Of course, what they ignore is the fact
that hockey is a thinking man's sport, is fundamentally different
in that there are fewer contests, fewer teams, more parity (and parody)
at Div I levels and less opportunity for the different conferences to
play each other. However, if the NC$$ finds something that succeeds,
then it must apply to all sports.
 
Like I said earlier, I report them. I don't agree with them.
 
In other news from the Bob Mancini show, Bob brought along four of
his five seniors. It seems that Bob found these four in Hancock
attempting to hot wire a car. So as to prevent a major incident,
Mancini hid the players in Bob Olson's radio station (WMPL/WZRK). :-)
(The truth: apparently Jamie Ram had an automobile in Hancock which
hadn't started all winter. Hill, Peca and LeBel were assisting in the
recovery.) Later in the show, the fifth senior, Kirby Perrault,
joined in the action by telephone.
 
One of the questions asked was what were the most memorable moments in
the past four years in hockey? And what was the funniest? Almost all
of the players commented on the CC upset in overtime as the most
memorable. After the game, approximately an hour later, Bob Mancini
assemble the group for a final picture. Lane LeBel, noting that Bob
Olson was still in the radio booth, commented that Bob was still
wrapping up the overtime goal.
 
An interesting story was told how Jamie Ram got to play his first game.
As a Freshman, MTU was playing St. Cloud. The score was St. Cloud 5,
MTU 1, when the goalie at that time took a 5 minute major penalty
and was forced to sit in the penalty box. Jamie Ram was called off
the bench and played the remainder of the game with MTU beating
St. Cloud, 6 to 5.
 
Of all of the coach's shows, I think I enjoyed last nights the most. It
was the most informative. Bob Mancini should bring players more often.
 
Walt Olson
MTU