I did sports play-by-play for 28 years. I ALWAYS built up the "other" 
team. Then when you beat them, it sounded like you had really 
accomplished something.

Eric J. Burton wrote:

>First off I think people are being a little hyper sensitive, and looking
>into things too deeply, then inventing things to be there when they are not.
>It usually happens when your team gets bounced from the tourney. I also
>listened to on the pond and couldn't believe some of the crap that came out
>of the Gopher fans mouth as they made excuses for their teams demise. I
>heard excuses about the Ice, the officials and the coach as well as goal
>tending. How about your team just didn't arise to the task. Its part of
>sports. I didn't hear many compliments to how the Holy Cross team out worked
>the Gophers.
>
>It goes both ways and a lot of this stuff comes back from the Gopher fan's
>own arrogance and attitude towards Sioux fans so basically they are getting
>back what they sowed and maybe some of these fans should stop looking
>through their maroon and gold goggles.
>
>First off, Sioux fans were lectured all season about how Minnesota was the
>pride of the league that they would be playing the Badgers in the
>Championship game of the Final Five. First change of plans. Sioux and the
>Huskies go to the title game of the Final Five. Minnesota goes to the third
>place game and gets spanked by their first so called rivals. Second we have
>to listen the Media/propaganda machine in the Twin Cities after the final
>five talk about the insignificance of the Final Five and the third place
>game and how it didn't matter that the Gophers already knew where they were
>going. Also its funny to hear the media try to convince us that Kellen
>Briggs is a really good goalie. So fast forward to this past week, we were
>told that UND doesn't want to play Minnesota in the championship game. We
>also heard how UMN was going to cruise to the Frozen Four in Milwaukee. Thud
>Cinderella from the East coast took out the golden boys from Minnesota. I
>guess there won't be Minnesota fans talking about how REA is Marriuci West.
>So pardon a few of us as we enjoy the golden boys from Minnesota getting
>dropped from the tourney.
>
>
>
>Now on to the email.
>  
>
>Thanks for writing these comments Mark!
>
>Another friend had the same experience.  I guess MN is the Sioux's
>biggest rival (not ours) and they love to put us Gophers in our place.
>But you are right, the announcers should try to be as professional as
>the rest of the hockey world.  But they don't.  I know that the Gopher
>announcers are partisan, but they would be FIRED if they ever said
>anything derogatory about the other team, it just isn't done.
>
>  
>
>>>>>>>>>No one from Minnesota should complain about our announcers until
>>>>>>>>>                  
>>>>>>>>>
>the WCCO boys are put in their place and shown some humility.
>Wally and Company make The Sioux announcers look objective. I was listening
>to the the WCCO boys last weekend talk about how the officiating was poor
>and
>one sided. So it goes both ways.
>
>Mark Lewin wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Finally, I have to comment on a broadcast I listened to last night.  Anyone
>>who knows me knows that I am a longtime fan of RPI hockey. However, I truly
>>enjoy college hockey in general. I haven't missed an ECAC tournament in
>>Albany nor an NCAA event in Albany ever, even though RPI hasn't been there
>>in years.  Yesterday, after watching both northeast semifinal games on my
>>cable network, I decided to catch up on some work on my PC.  While sitting
>>there, I decided to link to the North Dakota link to listen to the
>>UND-Michigan game. I was struck by the totally unprofessional effort on the
>>part of the UND announcers.  This was not a school radio station and these
>>were not student announcers. These were supposed professionals. I'm not
>>naive enough to believe that local sports announcers should act impartial.
>>These announcers were pro UND and that's fine. Where I thought they stepped
>>over the line was when they started belittling anything that wasn't UND.
>>
>>    
>>
>What did you expect? I am not sure what you want from Tim and Greg, they are
>doing their job, they are paid by
>clear channel to be the voice of the Sioux hockey team not the pinnacle of
>pump up the east coast and the rest of college hockey.
>These broad cast are intended to be broad cast to people that are pro-UND we
>have to listen to the same crap when we watch UND and UMN on Minnesota
>sports channel or better known as FSN North.
>
>
>
>  
>
>>They made a point of questioning the competance of the eastern referees by
>>belittling eastern referees in general. They went on to promote a UND
>>freshman as the legitimate WCHA rookie of the year by stating that the
>>actual WCHA rookie of the year wasn't nearly as good as the UND candidate.
>>They stated that the Grand Forks regional was sold out but there would
>>probably be plenty of tickets available for the regional finals the next
>>    
>>
>day
>  
>
>>and to just look for the people with the big M on their jerse.
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>My wife who is not a hockey expert by any shade of the imagination said the
>officiating in the Regional first two games sucked, she was talking about
>both games. Point blank the officiating was horrible, sub par, call it what
>it was it was an aberration. It was kind of funny watching the Gopher
>players looking confused as they got put down 5-3 against HC. They are not
>used to being called for a lot of penalties because they usually get the
>majority of the breaks from the WCHA officials, everyone knows if blow a
>call against Minnesota you may lose your job as an official, I know one AR
>how basically was pushed out of the league for calling a penatly against
>Minnesota and it ended up costing Minnesota the game, this guy has never
>basically reffed another game in this league. The East coast officials call
>the games much more tight than the western refs and they take the focus off
>of the players and on to the officials, people don't come to the game to
>watch the officials give us a exhibition on officiating. They come to watch
>the players play hockey.
>
>
>
>
>  
>
>>They went on to refer to Minnesota several times as the Golden boys or the
>>    
>>
>Golden
>  
>
>>Goofs and topped things off by stating that Minnesota should be ashamed of
>>embarrassing the rest of the WCHA by losing to an Atlantic Hockey team.
>>    
>>
>I'm
>  
>
>>sorry. You can root for your team all you want, but if you have a
>>    
>>
>microphone
>  
>
>>in front of you, you are representing your team and your community and you
>>should make some effort to be dignified and professional.
>>
>>    
>>
>Again, Minnesota fans have brought this stuff on your self and your paying
>for it. With their Arrogant fans and Pompus attitudes. Also your players fed
>into ti too with the Jersey thug by Irman at the REA this past winter.
>
>Its all fun until it comes back to bight you in the back. It was almost like
>your fans were surprised UND fans would
>cheer for the HC team. Where I was sitting I had a Gopher fan getting into
>it with an older lady because she was cheering for HC.
>Grow. I was accosted last week for cheering for SCSU against the Gophers,
>the guy came up to me and was obviously upset because I was cheering for the
>Huskies. Also, he reminded me that he cheer for the Sioux against Bucky. I
>mean, where do these people get off.
>
>  
>
>>Tonight, I'll listen to the final.  I'll be listening to the Holy Cross
>>broadcast.
>>
>>Maybe I'm just getting ornery in my old age!!!
>>
>>    
>>
>Hyper sensative and making issues out of nothing.
>
>Eric J. Burton
>(701)-610-9466
>http://ndgoon.blogspot.com/
>The Tree of Liberty Must be Refreshed From Time to Time with the Blood of
>Patriots and Tyrants.
>
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