At 01:59 AM 3/17/97 -0500, Chad Doughty wrote:
> Now, because of an flukey deflection which
>gave North Dakota the game winner, they are given the fourth
>seed in the West and are forced to play a tough Michigan State
>team on Saturday to battle for the privilege of facing the #1 team
>in the country on Sunday.
 
Flukey deflection or not, when we get down to the end of the season,
the only thing that matters is who won and who lost, and in this particular
case, UND won and Minnesota lost.
 
>I believe the Gopher's finished fourth in
>the final PWR ratings yet they still have to face the #1 team in the PWR
>ratings just to get to the Final Four.
>
 
I understand and agree that Minnesota is in the "toughest" bracket.
But it doesn't matter from the team's point of view. No-one remembers
you for finishing 2nd or lower, only for winning the title. And in this
tournament, the only way to win is to beat EVERYBODY you face. If
UMinn wins it all, they will have earned it every step of the way, but
on paper, the road to the title goes through UMich and
Minnesota just gets to face them earlier than others.
 
This is coming from an RPI fan whose team finished #14 when all the other
eligible teams above them are moving on. You shouldn't complain, your
season is still going on. I have to live vicariously through someone
else's team.
 
Maybe your complaint is that, as a fan, you feel that your chances
of following your team to Milwaukee have been diminished because
of the matchup. You may be right, but if you believe that the Gophers
have a shot at the national title, they (and you) have to be prepared to beat
anyone and everyone they face from now on.
 
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