I was going to only send this to my fellow members of the "Gopher Woof Team",
but they encouraged me to send it on to the list:
 
Erik Biever writes:
> In response to the Gopher woof, Mike writes:
>
> >I'm glad that the Gophers finished well to show up the naysayers who
> >suggested that they needed to recruit out of state to do well, but
> >there is another attitude that comes out of Minnesota that upsets a
> >great many people.  I read at least 2 articles I can recall from the
> >Twin Cities newspapers (got them at home somewhere) which almost
> >elevated Woog to sainthood for only sticking with in-state players,
> >and in so doing, directly attacked other schools for not having a
> >similar recruitment strategy.  For example, BU was ridiculed for
> >having taken several players from out of state and a couple from out
> >of the US (never mind that most of their players are still from
> >Massachusetts).
>
> >These articles angered me beyond what you can probably believe.  I
> >certainly think it is wrong for people to attack Minnesota for
> >sticking with in-state players, but when people from Minnesota attack
> >others who have a different strategy, they are no better.  Minnesota
> >is not better than anyone else because they recruit in-state, and they
> >are not worse.  It is simply the policy they choose to have.  It does
> >not deserve praise nor ridicule.
>
> Please don't accept the ravings of newspaper columnists as representative of
> the Gopher hockey program or its fans.  We, as fans, are not responsible for
> what they write.  I doubt that the Twin Cities media has a monopoly on
> moronic sports columnists.  In fact, given some of the stuff I've seen
> quoted from other newspapers this season, I KNOW it hasn't. :-)
>
I want to say that I don't think Mike was responding to anything included in the
Woof (except the included quotes criticizing Minn for the policy).  Here Mike
was writing about articles he'd seen in the local papers.  The articles I saw
were from a couple of the Twin Cities' biggest Weenie sports columnists.  (Bob
Sans-a-brain - er - Sansavere wrote one, I know.  He's a New Jersey guy they
brought in to write Vikings stuff.  I think the other was Dan Barrero (sp??) who
was brought in from Dallas, so neither really speaks from the Minnesotan's
viewpoint.)  These are the kind of guys who make you say "Get off my side!"  and
neither of 'em knows much about Gopher hockey, except that a unique thing about
the program is that it uses all Minnesota kids, so that, therefore, must be
their angle if they are to write a Gopher hockey column.  These are the same
guys who write the columns blasting Woog for the policy when they lose.
 
This flow chart shows how they write their annual Gopher hockey columns:
 
Is it the first week in April?
    |        \
   No        Yes
    |          \
Ignore        Ask Gopher
Gopher        Hockey Writer
Hockey;       if Gophers made
try to        final four            <---  These guys probably wouldn't know
stir up        /     \                    it's supposed to be spelled "Phinal
Vikings QB   Yes      No                  Phour" or that the phrase "final four"
controversy  /         \                  is off limits to non-pituitary-ball
       Did they win?    \                 championships.
           /   \         \
         Yes   No         \
          |      \         \
          |    Ask Gopher   \
          |    Hockey writer \
          |    if they were   \
          |    expected to make\
          |    final four       \
          |     /     \          \
          |    No     Yes         \
          |   /         \          \
   Write column           Write column
   praising Woog          blasting Woog
   for winning with       for not recruiting
   all Minnesota kids.    Canadians.
 
 
 
Pam Sweeney                            Go Gophers!!!
[log in to unmask]      1993 & 1994 WCHA Playoff Champions!!!
                                  1994 NC$$ PHinal PHour!!!
                                        Ski-U-Mah!!!