Feeling Minnesota - Gophers hockey team in meltdown?

I have been on vacation in Duluth this week but thought I would comment on the implosion going on down in Minneapolis. First off, I hope Gopher fans aren’t contemplating jumping off a bridge in Minneapolis or St Paul; the wheels haven’t fully come off the team bus just yet, things could get worse. For most of the summer the Gophers were cruising through the summer only suffering one early departure (Jordan Schroeder, NHL) when they suffered two early departures in a two day period. Josh Birkholz has left for the WHL and Nick Leddy has signed an entry level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks [click for link]. Oops!

I smell bull s***.

First off; Josh Birkholz expects us to believe that his impending suspension for an unknown team rule violation really didn’t have any affect on his decision to play for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL. Come on! We weren’t born yesterday. I smell bravo sierra on that one.

Former Gophers left wing Josh Birkholz said his suspension had very little to do with him leaving the program on Tuesday. "It is what I feel is best for me and my situation," he said, "what I feel most comfortable with."

But he said he realizes it will be easy for people to think the suspension is the reason because the news on that and his leaving came out at the same time.

"Once our season was over I started evaluated the year," Birkholz said, "so I've been thinking about it. It did not happen right at the time of the whole suspension." [Goal Gophers]

Personally, I think today’s athletes are pampered prima donnas that lack commitment and have a tough time seeing past their own needs. I think as a society we are raising a bunch of spoiled narcissistic brats.

Back in the day when I was in sports if you were unhappy with your playing time and how things were going for you, a discussion with the coach might lead to a conversation about how you need to work harder in practice and maybe you will get more playing time. You didn’t think about changing teams or leaving, you buckled down and got after it. Now days, these pampered prima donnas just switch teams with the approval of their parents. Also, if you made a mistake or violated a team rule(s) you spoke up and faced the music, now days the athlete just switches teams as well when the going gets tough. If that isn't entitlement I don't know what is?

As for the Minnesota Gophers recruits and players, honestly, I think they are recruiting too many of the entitlement cake eater kids with the attitude that I know best, or I don't have to work hard because I have already drafted by an NHL team. It also seems like these players already have one foot out the door for the NHL, when they arrive on campus.

Don't blame Donny Lucia for everything that's happen

This past week it has been interesting watching the Gopher fans in full melt down mode. There are a lot of fans calling for Don Lucia to be fired and that he is ruining the University of Minnesota Gopher Hockey program. I think Lucia is going to be under a lot of pressure to have his team perform this season or he might be out of a job.

I think the obvious problem to most onlookers is assistant coach John Hill, the man is an utter buffoon and the real problem plaguing the Gophers coaching staff. It also appears that former Gopher assistant coach Mike Guentzel was kind of the glue that held the Gopher hockey team together, like Johnny Pohl said during a KFAN interview, ‘Mike Guentzel leaving was a big loss to the Gopher’s hockey program.’ Personally, as a UND Fighting Sioux fan, I think the Gophers coaching staff is working magic right now and doing a hell of a great job.

The departures of the past two players really aren’t really the fault of the coaching staff; maybe Gopher fans should take a deep breath. I can’t blame Minnesota for taking players that are drafted; you have to take the top players when you can get them. It is also no mystery that blue chip athletes leave early for the NHL sometimes.

No matter how many back ground investigations and interviews you do, knuckle heads do and will slip through the cracks, that’s life. Disciplinary problems are going happen sometimes, even at the schools that try to take the moral high ground, not pointing any fingers. Cough, cough, cough… My question would be, how can you blame the coach for a player for making bad decision(s)? Seriously! It is assumed that when a player comes to said program that they are a mature human being. It is also implied that if said player screws up, it is that player that is going to face the consequences. Sure the head coach and their staff looks like a moron for recruiting that player, but the behavior goes back to the athlete. Also, a coach can’t be with his players 24 hours a day standing over their shoulders supervising them and telling them not to do that. Don’t drink that. Don’t smoke that. Don’t drive drunk.