Where the Schmidt hits the fan
I got to go to the Wild preseason game tonight. Not only were they amazing seats (in the corner, only 3 rows up) but they were free thanks to my brother-in-law’s girlfriend (thanks again, Missy!). And if that weren’t enough, it was against the Chicago Blackhawks which means you can always count on plenty of intensity (read: lots o’ fighting).
Even better, the Wild won 3-0!
I post some pics from my cell phone on Facebook here.
Last night I made use of one of my Christmas presents from my wonderful folks, club-level tickets to the Wild/Stars game. Even better, I took a certain cute little chick by the name of Denise. Despite being a pretty exciting game, the Wild unfortunately ended up losing in the shootout after like 8 rounds.
Afterwards, we met up with some friends in Cottage Grove for a little moonlight bowling where I proceeded to win 2 out of the 3 games. Yeah, wassup? I also won $2 from 2 separate money shots (for those of you who aren’t in the know, that’s getting a strike when the head pin is a colored pin) and another $1 by getting 4 strikes in a row. The best part is, those 4 strikes in a row were to close out a game, sealing my come-from-behind win against Nick which won me the $5 we had riding on it!
…and so much for my underdog pick. Despite playing their 3rd-string goalie, the neighboring Czechs beat the Slovakian team, 3-1. What now makes this medal round very intriguing is that there’s the strong possibility that neither the U.S., Canada or Russia will even medal. That would be the first time that’s ever happened in Winter Olympics history, this being the 20th Winter Olympic games. That’s right, the only thing standing in the way of an all-European podium is Russia and, in my opinion, they have a good chance of losing to Finland in the semis and the loser of the Czech/Sweden game in the bronze-medal game.
With the USA hockey team going home, i’m now left with a quandry: who do i pull for now?
My initial reaction is to support North America and root for Canada, but i’ve never had any particular love for our neighbors to the north when it comes to hockey.
It’s hard to cheer for Finland since they just sent the Americans home although they do have a very strong team that are all playing well at the right time. And while i’ve never minded Teemu Selanne, i hate Jarkko Ruutu. But then, who doesn’t?
Sweden just advanced to the semis, but i absolutely loathe Peter Forsberg.
Facing Canada in the quarters is Russia, but i just could never bring myself to cheer for Russia. I don’t know… it just seems wrong.
In the late game today, we have the Czech Republic v. Slovakia, definitely the two teams i’m most indifferent to. And while Minnesota Wild defenseman Filip Kuba does play for the Czechs, so does Jaromir Jagr. And i still haven’t forgiven him from the 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs
That finally brings me to Slovakia. Despite their impressive 5-0 record, they’re still an underdog in my mind, which i like. And of course, their star center just happens to be Minnesota Wild standout Marian Gaborik.
So obviously in the Canada v. Russia matchup, i’ll be pulling for Canada. I’d most likely even pull for them against Finland in the semis. But in what i’m predicting to be the eventual matchup against Slovakia in the gold medal game, i’d probably have to go with the young underdog Slovakian team.
This past weekend, the Gopher hockey team swept the former #1 Wisconsin Badgers at Madison. Now, first let me say that I make no attempt to hide the fact that I’m a Gopher fan. But all biases aside, I was amazed by the reaction of the Badgers fans towards Madison-born phenom Phil Kessel.
Every time Kessel touched the puck, Bucky-backers let him hear it with a chorus of boos. Keep in mind, this is an 18-year-old kid who was raised a mere 10 minutes from the University of Wisconsin’s Madison campus. I usually hate this kind of fan reaction whether it be Knobluach returning to Minnesota with the Yankees, Bertuzzi and inexplicably bitter Wild fans, the list goes on and on. But what makes this all the more ridiculous is that this is the first year that I can remember where there hasn’t been more Minnesotans than Wisconsinites playing for the cardinal and white!
So is it just the sheer caliber of player? True, some have Kessel going as high as the #1 overall pick in this summer’s NHL entry draft. But i would counter that Zach Parise was a phenomenal player who was born and raised in Minnesota but went to the University of North Dakota. Yet I can’t remember a Gopher home game where Parise was booed.
I guess one possible explanation is simply that Minnesotans are used to producing so much young hockey talent that I would wager that most Division I schools have at least one Minnesotan on their roster. Actually trying to boo every Minnesotan playing for another team would just be impossible. I could sit here for hours thinking of excellent Minnesota players who didn’t play for the maroon and gold.
I suppose another reason could be that there are a total of 5 in-state Division I hockey schools so maybe we’re just used to competing against fellow Minnesotans.
And on the other hand, Fighting Sioux fans certainly had their opportunity to boo native North Dakotan Gophers like Grant Potulny, Ryan Potulny, and Danny Irmen (and my memory could be a little spotty here) but I don’t recall ever hearing it when we played up there. I may have heard a jab here or there when Grant Potulny got the game-winning OT goal in the national championship game in 2002, but that’s about it.
The highlight of the weekend came in the third period of the Saturday night finale when Kessel quieted the crowd with a superb wrist-shot goal.
Awfully tacky, Wisconsin fans!
