Turns out they did not. They wore this jersey that only had "North Dakota" written in cursive script. If they donned the jerseys they once had, the one that North Dakota alums and fans are frighteningly hellbent on keeping, the NCAA said they would be forfeiting the game.
Well, if the result is they wouldn't advance to the Women's Frozen Four, they might as well give in to their fans' racist loyalties, because Minnesota drilled them, 5-1. They thus advance to Duluth, where they face the 3-seed, Cornell, which had to go to triple overtime to dispatch Boston University, Friday.
#-2: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: 0). I like the fact that there are hanging TV's above our line of sight at the X press level. There I was able to glance at the Gopher men's hockey game being played at Mariucci. I saw that the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves scored three goals to take a 3-1 lead on the Goofs and I thought, Well, they'll be playing some more Sunday, and that doesn't do any good for its momentum.
But after looking at the play on the ice for a bit, I looked on my Twitter feed and saw that the team put in three goals in a 90-second span. And what was once a shocking result turned into a 7-3 laugher and thus a series sweep. It's great to see a team score, let alone rip off six goals in a row. Take notes, Mild.
So they advance to the WCHA Final Five, also being played at the X. For being one of the top-two seeds and winning their first-round series, they get a bye into the semifinals Friday.
#-3: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -3). A 2-2 week. They got crushed by Nebraska to end the Dairy Queen Classic, but they "win" the tournament (over the Cornhuskers and West Virginia) based on run difference. They then survive Hamline Wednesday 3-2 in 16 innings. And then they began participating in the Metrodome Tournament by beating Stony Brook 7-1 but losing to Kansas 9-4, a game in which the Goofs scored all their runs in the bottom of the first inning but allowed eight of the Jayhawks' runs in the top of the second.
They play Stony Brook again this (Sunday) morning, then have an unusual midweek two-game series against Kansas St. at the Dome. They then begin a three-game set against Cal Poly.
#-4: Wild (Last Week: -6). I thought the 6-0 thrashing in Detroit was the low point of this hockey organization's year. I was wrong; Tuesday's 7-1 shit-kicking in Colorado was the low point. It was the back end of a home-and-home sweep by The Bastard Quebec Nordiques. They did end their five-game losing streak with a shootout win over The Bastard Winnipeg Jets, but so what?
The Star Tribune's Michael Russo (who has to be so frustrated covering this team that he'll beg to work for ESPN or the NBC Sports Network very soon) said that injuries and turnover have decimated this club since its Dec. 10 high. And in a refrain I swear I've heard about this team before, there are too many fresh faces playing in the top forward lines. At what point do we start criticizing General Manager Chuck Fletcher for rushing rookies too soon?
They start a five-game homestand today (Sunday) against the Bastard Atlanta Flames. The Team That Was Stolen From Us and the Bastard Hartford Whalers (this must be the Relocated Franchises portion of their schedule) also meet the Mild this week.
#-5: Timberwolves (Last Week: -4). Damn you, Kobe!! Damn you straight to hell!!! Damn you for taking out Ricky Rubio, the most dynamic point guard we've had since Stephon Marbury!!! Damn you for fucking our chances of making the playoffs this year (and quite possibly the next) in the ass!!!
Look, I didn't think the Woofie Dogs were going to win a championship this year. But we haven't seen a pro winter sports team make the postseason in so long and they were in position to do just that. So what if it meant yet another sweep for the franchise? A playoff berth this year would be fantastic! And that's now all gone because Rubio has a torn ACL. That takes him away from the Spanish national team for this summer's Olympics (they must be thrilled), and there's a very good chance he'll miss a majority of next season.
It's The Year Two Curse. Most of the team's draft picks (Love, Johnson, Brewer, Flynn -- OK, I'm missing some others and a couple of these four may not have been hurt) have lost significant time their sophomore year, if not the whole season. I thought that stopped happening once Kevin McHale left.
In their first game post-Ricky Ricky, they reached double digits in turnovers and promptly lost to a New Orleans squad (at home) they would've defeated easily. That finished their screening week at 2-2, but signs for the squad now point downward, sadly. The season's over; might as pack it up for next year.
They start a seven-game roadtrip this week, oh, goodie! Phoenix, Utah and the Lakers first up.
#-6: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -5). You know, I got a massage Friday night. I was listening to the game before I went in. The last thing I heard was that the Goofs extended their B1G Tourney Quarterfinal lead over Michigan to nine points. They win this, their berth in the NIT is assured. And who knows? This is a BcS conference; the top dogs might lay down and allow one of their bubble brethren to win the whole thing.
But apparently the Wolverines came back; the U. lost by four. The only good thing the club did was probably prevent Northwestern from getting into the NCAA Tournament in the first time in their history with a 75-68 overtime win. But they finish 19-14, 6-12 in-conference. Will they make the NIT? Seriously, does it matter? Let the Tubby Smith Watch begin.
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