Please bear with me, I'm going to try to wrap a lot of stuff
into one long message.
 
RE: MY SOUR ATTITUDE
I certainly had one yesterday, and for that I apologize.  I've
been on Hockey-L for over four years and I've had plenty
of sour attitude days, but yesterday had me throwing in the
towel.  Sincere apologies to everyone that e-mailed me
privately with personal encouragement.  My reply was that
I was done with posting to Hockey-L, that it was time to get
away.  While that idea still has some merit (I could finally
write that book with my new found free time!), I've now
realized that I'd be leaving Hockey-L for the wrong reasons.
What I really need is a little thicker skin and more personal
discipline to realize that I don't need to get my two cents in
on every topic.  And, I need to express myself "better."  At
least in a manner that is less like to be perceived in a manner
which I do not intend.  The only way to improve on that is to stick
with it.  So, I'm hoping to cut back on my number of posts and
improve on their quality, simultaneously.
 
RE: THOUGHTS ON MICHIGAN/MINNESOTA
For the public record, I personally did not originate the now
infamous "7 of 10" quantification.  Yes, those numbers were
tossed around by some Michigan fans after the loss to
Minnesota, but I wasn't one of them.  I thought the comment
a good indication of the "feeling" of the Michigan section
following the loss.  In retrospect, I should have phrased my
post differently.  How about this: Despite the loss on the ice,
the Michigan fans didn't leave with a "defeated" feeling.
Sure, the Gophers got the better of the Wolverines on Saturday,
but Michigan's day in the sun will come.  How's that?  IMO,
sometimes your team loses and you come a way feeling
that the other team was significantly better.  This was not the
case among the Michigan fans following the loss to Minnesota,
or the subsequent loss to Michigan State.  We respect the
Gophers and Spartans and know full well that when playing
quality opponents you're going to sometimes get the short
end of the stick.  Given that, the general feeling among the
Michigan backers is still upbeat.  We feel that our beloved
Wolverines will prove themselves a better team over the
course of the season.  We may not get the chance to play
Minnesota again in 1995-96, but I hope that we do.  It would
be a great game and I (personally) like Michigan's chances.
 
RE: EVIDENCE AND THE LIKE
Prior to this week, I wasn't aware that evidence, support,
whatever was a requirement of posting an opinion to Hockey-L.
Actually, I was posting an observation (fact, if you will).  The
general consensus of the Michigan section WAS that the Blue
would win 7 if they get the Gophers 10 times this season.  From
an observation standpoint, the only folks that can refute my
post are others that were among the Michigan section following
the Minnesota game and feel that my observation regarding
our post-game feelings/reaction was incorrect.  Now, I realize
that most non-Michigan fans won't agree with the 7 of 10
assessment, but it's inclusion in my original post wasn't intended
to generate a reaction to the numbers.  I would hope that Gopher
fans would feel the opposite, hell, the Gophs are already up
1-0-0 if UM-UM were to play 10.  Non-partial observers would
probably pick a split or give the Gophers the nod given the
empirical (one game) evidence favors Minnesota.  Personally,
I don't believe that the best team always wins.  I'm not sure if I
can accurately define "best", but let me use NCAA titles as an
example.  I felt that over the course of the 1994-95 season, BU
and Michigan were the best teams.  I honestly think that Michigan
had more talent than Maine, but history will record the Black
Bears as the "better" team because they prevailed in the
unbelievable semifinal game.  As for the bottom line, I think BU
was the best team in the country last season.  (Maine certainly
could argue that, given the on-ice evidence.  The Terriers
weren't able to give the Black Bears an L until April.)  Go back
to 1993-94.  I think Michigan was the best team in the nation,
bar none.  Lake Superior will forever be the NCAA champs.
UM owned LSSU during the season (4-0-0), but didn't beat
them in the NCAA tourney.  Slip back to 1992-93.  Maine was
the best team in the country.  Michigan and Lake Superior
almost beat them in Milwaukee.  That's one thing I truly LOVE
about college hockey...the championship is decided on the
ice.  It doesn't matter what you've done until that point in the
season...as long as you've positioned yourself to be in the
NCAA tourney you have a chance to win.  One thing that's tough
as a Michigan fan is that, IMO, Michigan has underachieved
in NCAA play in the 1990s.  *I believe* that the Wolverines are
the winningest team in the decade, yet they have no national
titles to show for their success.  Am I making any sense?  I'm
trying to shed some light on why Minnesota can beat Michigan
and I still think that, overall, Michigan is a better team.
 
RE: (...DAMN LIES AND STATISTICS)
Now, I have to say something about quantitative, empirical
evidence.  The Michigan-Minnesota fiasco that I originated
(for which I apologize to all other Hockey-Lers who are dead
bored with the MI-MN thread this week) is a good example.
If I'm a Minnesota fan, I point to the 3-2 win...nuff said.  I also
point out that Minnesota has back-to-back 3-2 wins over the
past two seasons.  As a Michigan fan, I can simply re-define
the analysis period and say that since the rivalry was renewed
with a weekend set at Yost in the early 1990s, Michigan is
3-2-0 and has outscored the Gophers 24-15 over that period.
So, recent history favors both teams, depending on how you
define "recent history."  (He uses statistics as a drunken man
uses lamp posts...for support rather than illumination. :-)  If I'm
a Minnesota fan, I don't point out that Michigan has been
missing from the "Not the NCAA Final Four" in recent years
because that would be shooting myself in the foot with a
bullet of pure ignorance.
 
RE: OVERLOOKED SHOWCASE FACT
What has been overlooked since the takeoff of the MI-MN
thread is something that Erik B, Paula B and I were discussing
in Milwaukee.  Let the record show that the Gophers have
clinched at least a tie for best College Hockey Showcase
record over the original four year contract which concludes
next season.  Minnesota is 5-1-0, Michigan and Michigan State
are each 3-3-0 and Wisconsin is 1-5-0.  The CCHA and WCHA
have split, 2-2-0, each of the first three years.
 
RE: MUNN
Also let the record show that, for the most part, I think Munn is
a fantastic arena.  It reminds me of a scaled down larger
venue (none in particular).  Munn really should seat 10,000
instead of 6000+.  I love the fact that you walk down to your
seats, because (unlike Yost) you don't have to deal with
people walking in front of you all night.  (At Yost, the aisles
are between Row 1 and the ice and you walk up to your
seat.)  My only beef with the arena is that it is impossible to
see a game from standing room only.  I've suffered through
this before.  My beef with actually going to games at Munn
is that there are too many Spartans there. :-)
 
RE: YOST
Neal Joffee writes:
>I don't recall Michigan being in the NCAA Final Four in the past few
>years?  Why?  Wasn't Minnesota there?  Oh yeah, they were.  I hope not all
>Michigan fans think as John Haeussler does.
 
Glenn Auerbach responds:
>          Maybe I'm missing the point here, but if you're saying
>          Michigan hasn't been in the Final Four lately, you're off
>          the mark.  1992.  1993.  1995.  If all Michigan fans thought
>          as John Haeussler does, Yost would not be a very friendly
>          place for visiting teams, but it would be filled with very
>          knowledgeable fans.
 
Jeez, with friends like Glenn... :-)  Seriously, I *hope* Glenn was
100% accurate.  Now, let me explain.  I do take personal pride
in heckling the visiting team, with the intent of getting them off of
there game.  I figure that I'm worth a couple of goals a season
at Yost.  (Usually during blowouts, though.  I'd really like to rattle
someone into making a mistake in a close game.)  Some may
think this is poor sportsmanship, but I file it under home-ice
advantage.  And, unlike the Michigan student section, I keep
it clean.  Hopefully biting and witty, but clean.  (I've sworn once
in the past three seasons...about 125-140 NCAA games...and
it was directed at the visiting coach.)
 
RE: BEHIND THE SCENES
For those that think I got too hot under the collar given the
responses to my post: (A) you're right, but (B) there was
plenty going on privately that wasn't seen on Hockey-L.
 
RE: A FINAL APOLOGY
A final apology, for aiding in the escalation of a fairly unfriendly
week on Hockey-L.  For everyone that was involved in the
MI-MN thread, let's try to get back to where we were last week,
eh.  Thanks.
 
 
John Haeussler
[log in to unmask]
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.