The Trials of a Down Season

The Trials of a Down Season

As I write this opinion piece, my team, the Sioux, have lost another game in heartbreaking fashion, giving up four straight after scoring two and seemingly emerging from the cocoon of inability to cracking DU goaltender Marc Cheverie.

This team has had so many ups and downs it’s like a really bad rollercoaster ride at a top tier amusement superplex. When they are up, fans (such as myself) are almost in a euphoric state talking about how good we’ve played and aspiring towards greater things such as postseason awards and even, God willing, a National Championship. When we’re down we’re agonizing and pulling our hair out trying to diagnose what is wrong and how to change it.

This brings out the worst in some fans. Some fans are grounded in their beliefs, realist, mature, practical whatever. However, some fans get so caught up in the history of the team and past players and coaches that it paralyses their rationality and forces them to go back and make ludicrous claims and wistful wishes. For example, if former UND and current UNO head coach Dean Blais were still coaching UND, we would have won the games this past weekend. How do we know that? Having watched plenty of games live under the coaching of Dean Blais, I’ve watched UND teams practically give up. I’ve seen them blow leads. I’ve watched them slump like we’re doing now.

It’s hard to take. It’s unimaginable that this team… MY team… OUR team… could falter like they are right now. There are no stats or records that can be put forth to change the reality that this part of our game isn’t working, that part of our game isn’t doing well, and so on.

Brad Schlossman’s blog covers the fact that I’m portraying here. We pine for Blais. We think he’s the savior and Hakstol is the mule. One commenter on his blog states that “before our very eyes, UND is turning into St. Cloud State.” Well, let me tell ya folks, unless the NCAA is going to take away 7 National Championships and all of our NCAA tourney victories, that’s patently untrue. Also, they talk about Hakstol as a recruiter being a problem. Funny how he recruited such guys as Matt Greene, Matt Smaby, had a hand in snatching Johnny Toews, Zach Parise, and all those players we covet so much. Blais didn’t recruit everyone on his teams. Hakstol got the job based upon his ability to recruit, not just coaching ability. If you want to know how important that ability is, ask Scott Sandelin. It’s arguably why he’s still in Duluth after a few down seasons. We talk about how Hakstol should at least show some emotion on the bench yet, when other coaches do so, we berate that coach for being such a fool (see Gwozdecky, George).

UND has a passionate fan base, but we are whiny. I’ve surfed my share of hockey message boards and I have yet to find a fan base that is more over the top critical of their players than UND. Fans talk about how the team “should be better than this.” Or cite historical context and our National Championships as a way of explaining such harsh, unfair, and unbelievably ridiculous criticism of kids no older than 21 years of age. Sometimes it fades, but other times, it festers and becomes an embarrassment upon those who root for the team.

The point to be made is that, whether we think we are entitled to greatness year after year or not, there will be down years. EVERY team in EVERY sport has experienced them. Examples of the Yankees had a Title drought of 18 years between 1978 and 1996. The Canadians may lead the NHL in Stanley Cup victories, but they haven’t even been to the Finals since they last won it all in 1993. The Michigan Wolverines have 9 National Championships to their name, but none since 1998. I’d cite basketball if I gave a darn about that sport. It is true we’re going on 10 years since our last title and what… 3 years since our last NC game appearance? It doesn’t make things easier to take. No one likes down years. No one.

So what can we take out of this season? Well, we can take the highs for what they’re worth. No one likes seeking out silver linings, but those silver linings could be a key to what the next few years bring out in UND’s future. Or fans can take nothing out of this year; start up attempts to run players and coaches out of town. Or fans can simply abandon the team altogether. I see a lot of good from our team. I don’t know if this is the year. It isn’t over yet and we’re not eliminated. It is going to be a huge uphill battle and it will be hard on the players, coaches and especially the fans. However, it is possible. And this fan isn’t going to give up until the fat lady sings. And even then, I’ll eagerly look forward to next year. We’ve hit a bump in the road. It’s gut check time for us fans. Are we on board? Or are we stowaways? Just remember, the power button on the electronic device of choice can be used as a safety device in the event that you don’t wish to stay on board any longer. There’s no shame in pushing the button. The Chicago Cubs probably would thank me for it if they knew who I was.