Stephen Bernhardt wrote:
 
> The bottom line is if you try and attack the Gopher recruiting strategy
>  based on winning national titles you have NOTHING!
 
My claim has never been that the Gophers would win more titles by dropping
their recruiting policy.  In fact, I think that, in the long run, it is at
best a break even proposition in terms of wins and losses.  My point is very
simple: the underlying purpose of colleges and universities is to broaden
horizons and promote cosmopolitanism (well, one of the main purposes).  A
philosophy of recruiting from a limited locale flies directly in the face of
this.  Spending several years with a few teammates  from Massachusettes, or
Alaska, or Ontario or (god forbid) Russia can only serve to provide a fuller
educational experience than only dealing with people from no farther away
than Warroad.
 
>  In closing, for those of you that are bothered by the Gophers ALL MINESOTA
>  recruiting policy get over it!  Us fans of the program really, really,
>  really like it!
 
Speak for yourself.  I, and most of those I spend time with outside the list,
are slightly embarrassed to be associated with a program that has such a
narrow-minded, chauvanistic idea of its mission.
 
>I follow all of the boys through youth and high school
>  hockey and LOVE to see their dreams come true when they slip on the Maroon
>  & Gold.
 
Maybe it's time to open up and spend some time rooting for players from
outside your own geographic area.
 
J. Michael Neal
 
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