Larry surmises:
 
 
> I gather most of my list mates are fans of college hockey and not
> particpants in the game?
>
Well, that's true of me.  I just love the game but do not have and never
have had the physical attributes to play.
 
> The "Miracle on Ice' that we all rejoice is the fruition of Mariucci's
> policies and the development of  American college hockey players.
>
True.  Perhaps he gets a little too much credit here, but he certainly was
part of the process.
 
But, having agreed with this so far, I can't really buy into the rest of the
post.  It should be possible, given the current state of things, to further
develop American youth hockey and support the college game without denying
people from other countries.  "My country, love it or leave it" is passe.
We are living in a world, one destined (IMO) to form some level of
international federation to handle affairs in the near future.  Why?
Because we have to.  Problems are so obviously international in scope and
implication that to revert to an isolationist policy such as Pat Buchanon
promotes is not only dumb, it is slow suicide.  I feel the same way about
athletes from other countries who want to compete on American college teams
as I do about student-scholars from other countries who want an education in
America.  That is, "C'mon in - the water's fine!"
 
As to Princeton playing the Canadian anthem - so what?  Actually, if we are
going to do that policy, we should play the anthems for the countries of all
the athletes participating in that particular event.  However, I would
prefer the opposite solution.  Why play any anthem at all?  This is
silliness left over from the middle of the century.  There is no rational
reason why we should play the national anthem at any sporting event other
than olympic ceremonies.  Go ahead and flame me - I don't care.  There is no
rational argument for continuing this "tradition."  In the meantime, if
Minnesota or North Dakota want to emphasize home-grown talent on their
teams, thats OK by me too, but its not a policy I would support were I in
charge of recruiting somewhere.
 
        <snip>
 
        Tom Rowe
        UW-Stevens Point
 
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