Monday, June 25, 2018

The Racing World Mourns the Loss of Bryan Clausen

Prior to the 2013 Knoxville Nationals, World of Outlaws sprint car driver Donny Schatz had concerns about the safety of sprint cars.

Schatz expressed these concerns a month after the dirt track racing world had mourned the loss of former NASCAR/Sprint Car Driver Jason Leffler, who died as a result of an accident during sprint car race at Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey. During the same time period, his car owner, Tony Stewart, had suffered a broken leg as a result of a violent crash during a World of Outlaws show in Iowa.

In retrospect, maybe Schatz was on to something?

"I'm not confident that safety measures are (being) met in this sport. There are a lot of people that are working hard to perfect things, to make things better. But sometimes people don't see things until people get hurt," Schatz told the Associated Press. "There are some areas that safety can be addressed. But it's also a gray area that no one wants to get involved in."

This week, fans will attend the 55th Annual FVP Knoxville Nationals with a heavy heart as they mourn the death of Sprint car driver Bryan Clausen. The Indiana native died on August 7, 2016, a result of injuries he suffered from an accident at Belleville (Kansas) Midget Nationals USAC midget race. Clausen was leading the race when he flipped and t-boned by another driver that was a lap down.

Many fans again will ask the question why?

Something to ponder – sprint car racing – both USAC and winged sprint cars are exciting race cars to watch. They’re also very dangerous. Everything happens in a split second. The race cars seem to get faster by the year, 410 sprints cars weigh roughly 1,500 pounds and are powered by a 900 horsepower engine. You wonder sometimes if the safety measures can keep up with the technology?

The driver is literally sitting in a high-tech rocket ship made out of lightweight metal. On the longer tracks, a sprint car can hit speeds of at least 140 miles an hour. Mistakes at a high rate of speed can be fatal.

The loss of Bryan Clausen is tragic. The racing world has lost another amazing, talented young driver way too early. Clausen was known for his ability to race at a high level on many different circuits and he will be missed. For now, it's hard to make any sense of this tragic loss. Prayers going to the Clausen family.

Friday, October 28, 2016

The Tweet of the Night

Sometimes you just have to say.... wtf. This is one of the best responses to a moronic tweet from a Gopher fan.That being said, the guy has a point, the effort on the ice by UND in all three zones wasn't good. From the grab a  little perspective department, it's one game and UND is 5-1-0.

Did Austin Poganski Take a Dive?

When I saw this play for the first time, I thought holy cow, that looked funny. One might even suggest that Austin Poganski took a dive. Now, even though Poganski is from Minnesota, he isn't known for being a diver or a player that embellishes. So, did Poganski take a dive?

Monday, October 24, 2016

A look at the Stats

I have no idea how this season plays out, but UND has been on a remarkable run. This morning I was reading the Brad Schlossman’s blog and I found a few stats that I wanted to expound on. Over the last 49 games, UND has gone 39-6-4 (.836).

Over the last 19 games, UND has a 17-1-1 (.921) record. The last team to beat the Fighting Hawks was the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in the Frozen Faceoff. The last tie came against the Denver Pioneers 1-1, in the third place game of the Frozen Faceoff.

Over the last 22 home games, UND is 20-1-1 (.931). During that 22-game run, UND has lost one game, in overtime, to the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks 4-3. The tie in question came during a game against the Colorado College Tigers. UND would go on to win the shootout.

Finally, for those keeping track, the last opponent to sweep the Fighting Hawks, the Denver Pioneers Feb. 12-13, 2016 at Denver (6-4, 4-1). That sweep came two and a half seasons after UND was swept by the St. Cloud State Huskies Nov. 1-2, 2013 (3-2, 3-1) at St. Cloud State

Saturday, October 22, 2016

BSU vs. UND, Game 2



Dixon Bowen is in for Cole Smith. The rest of the lineup is the same. No changes. Brock Boeser now has 10 points after four games.


Check out the highlights from last night's game... Both teams put in good efforts and UND used their skill to take the game away from BSU. I also thought UND got a huge break on the penalty shot.

Friday, October 21, 2016

UND vs. BSU, Game 1




I noticed that there're a few changes in the lineup, defenseman Christian Wolanin is out of the lineup tonight. If I get any information on that I will post an update. Also, Rhett Gardner is back after being out of the lineup the last two games. Gardner has a lower-body injury. Finally, Dixon Bowen is a scratch. 



Wednesday, October 19, 2016

The Jet's Laine Scores the Game-Winning Goal Against the Leafs



In my humble opinion, Patrick Laine and Auston Matthews are the two  best rookie forwards in the NHL this season. Another game, another great effort by Auston Matthews. However, the fact remains, they're the same old Toronto Maple Leafs that can't hold a lead. Once again, they score four goals and then blow a four goal lead. Laine scored his first ever career hat trick including this beautiful game-winning goal to sink the Leafs. In three games, Laine has scored (4g-2a—6pts).

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

NDSU President Wants Fans to Discontinue 'Racist' Chant

I've never understood why NDSU fans still chant Sioux Suck? NDSU  fans chanted that after their favorite team won a NCAA FCS title in 2016.

Think about it, UND has played NDSU once in football since 2003. Apparently, the much maligned NDSU president Dean Bresciani is tired of the chant and wants NDSU fans to discontinue this practice. I imagine if UND ends up in the Summit League, Bresciani will hear that cheer a lot more.

Frankly, I think it's a dumb chant, too. I think that chant lacks originality. Same goes for the F#(K the Bison up the @$$, neither chant took a lot of thought. I guess no one told the fans that UND dropped the name Fighting Sioux back in 2012. Of course, Fighting Hawks suck probably doesn't have the same ring to it. Right?

Don't worry NDSU fans, there are many UND fans that think that name sucks, too. Now that being said, I realize this is a college sporting event. There’s going to be bad behavior and coarse language. That’s life.  I also love explaining to my nine-year-old what the fans are saying. Finally, UND fans are disrespecting the Fighting Sioux nickname like the NDSU fans are.
A letter to the editor in the campus newspaper, The Spectrum, calling for an end to the chant has prompted leaders at NDSU, including President Dean Bresciani, to urge students and others to end the tradition.

"We suspect people are continuing this chant out of a misplaced sense of tradition, and we are asking any who do so to re-evaluate their participation," an email sent Friday, Oct. 14 to the campus community said. The joint email was signed by Bresciani, the student body president, the presidents of the faculty and staff senates and several other top administrators.

"We challenge anyone using hateful, thoughtless language to reflect on that language," the email said. "We believe that people continuing to use these chants are not understanding that these chants are hurtful; they do not reflect the aspiration of NDSU to be a welcoming community." ( Patrick Springer, Grand Forks Herald)
Or buddies at the Spectrum are back and Erik Jonasson weighed in on the matter. Take a look at some of the comments at the bottom of the story. In all seriousness, that's the best cheer that you can come up with?
Erik Jonasson II of the NDSU Spectrum writes – Be it the band or football team, NDSU truly dominated the Fargodome this past Saturday.

In between the awful overpriced food, drunk children and chants of “F—k Iowa” it is hard to not hear the other chant:

“Sioux suck shit.”

Look I am not claiming to be a smart person. I am not a Midwesterner either. On a good hot-dish day I might be a Minnesotan.

Be that as it may, I don’t understand why you guys call it pop. I also don’t understand why you insist on reciting this terribly racist chant.

This chant is embedded in the fact that our only true competition for best university in the state comes from our neighbors to the north, the University of North Dakota.
Oh my. Look who chimed on this matter. I wonder if he knows the difference between NDSU and UND? He probably thinks this is UND's fault, but I digress.

Monday, October 17, 2016

UND No. 1 in USCHO Poll

USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll

October 17, 2016

Team(First Place Votes)RecordPointsLast Poll
1North Dakota(50)3- 0-010001
2Minnesota-Duluth3- 1-28624
3Notre Dame3- 1-08165
4Quinnipiac2- 1-18143
5Massachusetts-Lowell2- 0-27668
6Denver2- 2-071010
7Minnesota2- 0-07029
8Boston University1- 2-06242
9Minnesota State4- 0-061114
10Boston College2- 2-05736
11Michigan2- 1-044113
12St. Lawrence3- 1-043415
13Harvard0- 0-042812
14St. Cloud State0- 2-02967
15Providence1- 2-025511
16Yale0- 0-020717
17Northeastern1- 1-218516
18Bemidji State4- 0-0170NR
19Ohio State1- 0-215719
20Omaha2- 0-0105NR
Others receiving votes: Western Michigan 82, Maine 75, Miami 38, Air Force 31, Penn State 28, Holy Cross 25, Cornell 17, Wisconsin 16, Connecticut 10, Lake Superior 6, Army 5, Clarkson 5, Dartmouth 3, Bowling Green 2, Rochester Institute of Technology 1.

Like my buddy of mine said, you don't win banners for being number one in the polls during the month of October. I don't even know if I would put UND as the number one team in the nation.  Polls are fun to look at and are basically meaningless when you have teams that haven't played a game yet ranked in the top-20.


Read more: at USCHO.COM 

Grand Forks Herald Letter: Fighting Hawks end UND's logo curse

From today's letter to the editor, Travis Oliver from Crookston, Minnesota says that the old Fighting Sioux logo was cursed. Thoughts?
To sum up, Ben Brien's Sioux head logo never won a NCAA national title. All the great players, all the great teams—and that logo cursed them.

Sure, it's possible that UND wasn't cursed, and they lost those games for other reasons. But the next time you look up at the eight national-title banners hanging in the Ralph, realize that not only were none of them won with that logo, but the two most recent wins bookend the logo's use.

These are the exact elements that make up curses throughout sports history.

UND fans still despise the NCAA for taking the Sioux logo. Seems disrespectful to me, to hate the very organization that supplies you with what you cherish most: national titles.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Jonathan Toews Versus. James Neal



Former Fighting Sioux All-Amerian Jonathan Toews isn't paid to get into fights, but he isn't afraid to defend himself either. Especially, if he's getting cheap shotted. Last night, Toews had enough of James Neal and agreed to fight.   According to Hockey Fights, Toews has been in 6 NHL hockey fights.

HOF Game: UND vs. RPI



There are some changes to the lineup tonight. UND's Rhett Gardner will be out for tonight's game. He's listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Chase Perry starts in net for RPI tonight. He's the son of former UND goalie, Craig Perry. Cole Smith makes his UND debut.


Friday, October 14, 2016

Jordan Kawaguchi Might Be the First

When a University of North Dakota hockey player makes a commitment they usually send out a tweet thanking those that helped them along the way. I believe that Jordan Kawaguchi is one the first ones to make this tweet.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

The Carson Wentz Phenomenon


During week four, the Philadelphia Eagles had a bye week. During his week off, former NDSU quarterback Carson Wentz returned native North Dakota and had a pretty good week. Wentz watched his former team, the NDSUBison beat Illinois State 31-10. He shot a commercial for a truck accessories business. Scheels is smiling, they can't keep his jersey's in stock.
Mike Greger, CSNPhilly.com --- The place has become pretty synonymous with Wentz these days. ESPN and NFL Network have both broadcast from there. And Wentz held a private party in their back room last Saturday night, right after watching his alma mater roll to a 31-10 win over Illinois State. The party was a low-key affair, but waiters and bartenders were still swapping stories days later.

"As I was waiting on him, I had to look up. He is so tall,” said Rachel, a junior at NDSU who works as a server at Herd & Horns. "He was very humble, especially as a guest. He didn’t treat anyone like they were below him or anything.”

(In case you're wondering, Wentz picked up the entire tab, $1,000 and left a $500 tip. He was whisked off by his cousin in a 1996 Chevy pickup truck. No frills.)
For the common everyday people like myself, I was pleased to know that Wentz shot a really nice buck with his bow. Finally, as you can see from above, Wentz left a really big tip at one of the local bars that he visited. The Carson Wentz phenomenon is growing with each day in North Dakota.

Next week, the Vikings and the Eagles will play in Philadelphia, PA. It should be an exciting day, Wentz will take on the quarterback that he replaced in Philly.

A photo posted by Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz11) on

Monday, October 10, 2016

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Weighs in on Kaepernick's Anthem Protests



Check this out, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice, United State Supreme Court, checked in with her opinion of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and him not standing for the National Anthem. Justice Ginsburg thinks it's dumb. In case you didn't know, Justice Ginsburg is one of the most liberal members of the Supreme Court, so I found her response surprising.

"I think it's really dumb of them," Justice Ginsburg said. "Would I arrest them for doing it? No. I think it's dumb and disrespectful. I would have the same answer if you asked me about flag burning. I think it's a terrible thing to do, but I wouldn't lock a person up for doing it. I would point out how ridiculous it seems to me to do such an act.... If they want to be stupid, there's no law that should be preventive. If they want to be arrogant, there's no law that prevents them from that. What I would do is strongly take issue with the point of view that they are expressing when they do that."

UND Remains atop of USCHO Poll


USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll

October 10, 2016

Team(First Place Votes)RecordPointsLast Poll
1North Dakota(45)2- 0-09951
2Boston University( 5)1- 0-09124
3Quinnipiac1- 0-18932
4Minnesota-Duluth2- 0-28286
5Notre Dame2- 0-06999
6Boston College1- 1-06575
7St. Cloud State0- 0-06547
8Massachusetts-Lowell0- 0-26528
9Minnesota2- 0-057113
10Denver0- 2-05113
11Providence1- 1-044310
12Harvard0- 0-044212
13Michigan1- 1-041211
14Minnesota State2- 0-035419
15St. Lawrence1- 1-025516
16Northeastern0- 1-124815
17Yale0- 0-020818
18Air Force1- 0-1160NR
19Ohio State1- 0-1151NR
20Bowling Green0- 2-06314
Others receiving votes: Miami 59, Nebraska-Omaha 57, Bemidji State 48, Penn State 47, Cornell 38, Clarkson 32, Maine 30, Western Michigan 21, Connecticut 16, Michigan Tech 11, Rochester Institute of Technology 7, Bentley 5, Union 5, Wisconsin 5, Vermont 4, Dartmouth 3, Ferris State 2, Holy Cross 2.


While no one receives a banner for being in the USCHO poll in early October, UND does remain at the top of the USCHO Poll.



UND 18th IN FCS Coaches Poll

Rankings - FCS Coaches Poll

Last Updated - October 10, 2016
FCS Coaches Poll


RANKTEAMPOINTSPREVIOUSRECORD
1North Dakota State (26)65015-0
2Sam Houston State61725-0
3Chattanooga58836-0
4Jacksonville State57744-1
5Eastern Washington55555-1
6James Madison50665-1
7Richmond49375-1
8Charleston Southern44083-2
9The Citadel43995-0
10Montana413104-1
11Villanova376125-1
12Youngstown State361134-1
13Western Illinois301144-1
14South Dakota State299153-2
15Harvard266164-0
16North Carolina A&T241184-1
17Eastern Illinois207204-2
18North Dakota202214-2
19Albany178174-1
20Cal Poly133223-2
21Northern Iowa128112-3
22Central Arkansas125244-1
23Grambling State67253-1
24Samford64NR4-1
25New Hampshire51NR4-2
Others receiving votes: Stony Brook (45), McNeese State (22), South Dakota (21), Wofford (18), Southern Utah (16), South Carolina State (14), Tennessee State (12), Illinois State (9), Lehigh (8), Kennesaw State (3), Liberty (2), Monmouth (1), North Carolina Central (1), San Diego (1) 

Sunday, October 09, 2016

Philadelphia's Radko Gudas has Hearing for Hit on Austin Czarnik (Video)



Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas has a phone hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety for this dirty, high, dangerous hit on Boston Bruins forward Austin Czarnik. After the hit, Czarnik left the game and didn't return. Gudas was given a two-minute minor for interference.



Saturday, October 08, 2016

UND vs. Canisius Game 2


There are few changes tonight. Mike Gornall is in, and Rhett Gardner is out with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. Will we see a traditional circle of sticks at the end of the game?

Friday, October 07, 2016

Canisius vs. North Dakota Game 1



Nice to see the UND coaching staff come back with the big line of Brock Boeser, Tyson Jost, and Shane Gersich... Heavy Line 2, is very interesting, I like it. Those are some big heavy bodies on that line.