I'd like to add to the comments I made yesterday. I'll try to be brief...please bear with me. First, I'd like to apologize to anyone I offended with my comments. I stand by them, but I could have vented less. I think the recent Notre Dame-Michigan series was the final straw for me in a much bigger issue. THE STATE OF COLLEGE HOCKEY TODAY Others have said it, and I'd like to publicly agree. I've only been following for a decade, but college hockey "ain't what it used to be." That fact has really hit home in the CCHA this season...and it's made me a sad boy. :-( The Skaters: Amonte, Blake, Brind'Amour, Chelios, Emerson, Hull, Janney, Kariya, LeClair, Nieuwendyk, Oates, Smolinski, Suter, Tkachuk and Weight to name a few. Will we someday include Crowley, Morrison, Rasmussen and company with the above? The Goaltenders: Belfour, Carey, Hebert, Joseph, Richter, Terreri, etc. Only Carey is a recent collegian. Names such as Dunham, Muzzatti, Roloson, Shields and Snow are all earning a paycheck primarily as backups but none can truly be said to be one of the bigger names. The Teams: This is where it's REALLY noticeable. Michigan has been dominating the country this season, but I'd still be willing to argue that the 1992-93 Wolverines were better. I think UM's talent level has remained fairly steady throughout the 1990s while most teams have seen a decline and that's why Michigan is now defending rather than simply contending. This is a credit to UM, but it doesn't change my position on college hockey. How about the 1992-93 Maine Black Bears? Who can honestly name a better 1990s team? They took the NCAA by storm. Kariya is an unparalleled talent. I've already mentioned Dunham and Snow. But, I count Chris Imes and Jim Montgomery as two of the best collegians of the decade. Yet, neither can find an NHL home. And, four years ago, who would have thought that the Ferraro twins would be where they are today. (WHERE are they today!) The Officiating: This is the one I've been ranting about all season. Maybe too much, but are the relevant parties paying attention? CCHA officiating has reached a new low. It's gotten to the point that if you don't here the name Shegos or Piotrowski you can count on a terribly called game. Matt Shegos and Pi aren't 100% either, but they're angels compared to the rest. Again, anyone affiliated with the league probably cringes whenever this is mentioned. Why cringe? Do something about it! Until the league administrators recognize the officiating as a problem, they are part of the problem. Notre Dame: I ripped the Irish enough in my last post. I've heard great things about the last two recruiting classes. On paper, this is one of the most talented Irish teams of the modern era. However, I didn't see any of that this season. UND looked like a team more concerned with "covering the spread" than actually winning a game. When the Irish featured the likes of Jamie Ling and Davide Dal Grande in prominent roles, I looked forward to brighter days for the shamrock boys. Now that they've supposedly arrived, I'd rather see Ling and Dal Grande. At least they gave an honest effort. A Positive?: Miami University. Yes, Miami University. This is a solid team that, on paper, should be in the NCAA top five next year. A pleasant surprise. Hey, not *everyone* in the CCHA is experiencing a down cycle. CONCLUSION The bottom line is, I'm still griping. I'll always be a college hockey fan. I'll always be a CCHA fan. I'll always be a Michigan fan. I care enough about all three to genuinely be concerned about the first two. Am I being paranoid? I don't know, you tell me. I'd much rather be wrong. I'd prefer to hear that college hockey is thriving and I'm just being too critical. But, I don't think that's the case. John Haeussler ([log in to unmask]) GO BLUE! 28-2-3 in defense of the NCAA title! CCHA rocks! 1984-1986-1988-1992-1994-1996 NCAA titles! Let's win one in an odd year, eh! HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.