Just a few comments.  Since there is no evidence that the UW coaches
ordered or even encouraged the postgame skate/captain's practice, all
that can be done is to speculate as to whether or not that happened.
Some people will choose to believe that Sauer et al were behind it,
and that's their right.  I choose to give them the benefit of the
doubt and believe that no rule breaking was done or intended.  There
would have been too much at stake.
 
In many ways, both sides are right in this argument.  After all,
captains have a dual role on whatever athletic team they're a part of.
They serve as the team's connection to the coaches and are responsible
for carrying out certain assignments handed down by the coaches.  They
are also responsible for being the leaders of the players as a group,
setting standards for the other players to follow and stepping up at
important times to provide leadership and motivation.  Captains'
meetings and/or special practices can be one way of getting this done.
Coaches can only do so much in the way of motivation, and in many ways
a team is only as strong as its captains (or other non-appointed leaders).
 
The intent of the rule (IMO) is to prevent the *administration* from
overworking and/or punishing the players.  Unless you believe that the
UW coaches were responsible for the postgame skate, and again, there
is no evidence to prove that, then this did not happen.
 
Basically, I just hope we can remain civil when discussing these
issues.  It helps to consider it from the other guys' viewpoint - for
UW people, that on the surface something did seem to be awry, and for
non-UW people, that what appears to be might not be what actually is
(as well as how you might see it if it were your team that was in
question).  In the end, the facts should speak for themselves.
---                                                                 ---
Mike Machnik                                          [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                  *HMM* 11/13/93
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