This week's nominees included:
- SCSU fans on message boards. The Jan Brady theory is so accurate here, it's not even funny anymore. They are constantly defensive because they think "everyone is out to get them". Here's some advice: Head to that concrete thing you call an arena, take off the Arctic Cat jacket, and actually watch hockey instead of just whining about it.
- CCHA and HEA fans that feel it is necessary to debunk the PWR system now that 8 WCHA schools have a realistic chance at making the tourney. Some good examples: here, here, and here. That's weird, since I don't remember them complaining that it was broken last year when only 3 WCHA schools made it.
- A look at the Future's Market: CC and DU play this week with a lot on the line for both teams. Commence whining! I can hear the "1957" chants starting already. :)
You can't help but feel somewhat sorry for a team when they get legitimately screwed over by the officials twice in just a few short months. Especially when that team is on the bubble for making the NCAA tourney...if those calls would have been made correctly, they could be in for sure. We, of course, all remember the DU/UW incident. Now, this past weekend, UW got screwed again, this time for the tying goal against SCSU in the 3rd period. A very nice premature whistle in that one. Another blown call = tons of whining spewing from Badgerland. I understand the frustration, but at some point you have to stop complaining and realize that the hockey gods are mad at you and it just isn't your season. Plus, I've never seen such whining about a single player...Roe from SCSU. Yeah, he's an arrogant, feisty player, but he's also damn talented. Every team would want that type of player suiting up for them.
Congratulations to the Whiner of the Week:
University of Wisconsin Badgers
7 comments:
I'm just glad I'm out of the running this week. However, if PC gets gonged by BU this weekend, I might be joining the Skating Mother Theresas in whininess. ;)
Rats! Foiled again. And I whined so much about that Bulldyke Kathryn Martin. :(
Everything you said about her was true though, so it wasn't really whining.
You were just stating the facts.
It's not so much about 8 WCHA teams getting in. I'd say the same thing if there were some crappy Hockey East teams getting in.
Like I said on another blog, once Michigan is safely in the tournament I don't really care all that much who gets in and who doesn't. It'd be nice to see Sparty and Minnesota out but it's not going to change my life if it doesn't happen.
The problem is that I think the PWR this year has proven to be a flawed system. You don't have to look any further than the Gophers being a 3 seed at the moment to see that. I don't even think WCHA fans would have the gall to suggest that they're one of the top 12 teams in the country. A team that's 8th place in their conference and lost to fricken RIT has no business being in the tournament.
With teams playing 8-10 non conference games, a team that can't go .500 overall probably has no business being in the tournament. Definitely not over a 22 win hockey club, even if it's their own fault they're not in right now.
NoDak, CC, Denver, are all legit teams. Wisconsin hasn't been great this year but I don't have a huge problem with them being in the tournament because they've probably lost 3-5 points due to horrendous calls. St. Cloud again, not great, but I respect they way they've rebounded, they've got some quality wins. I can see them as one of the top 16 teams. Even Mankato...good record overall, above .500 against the top half of the WCHA. Fair enough.
But a team that's 5 games below .500 in conference, below .500 overall, went 2-8 against the big boys in the conference, has a long winning streak of 3, and lost to Bemidji State? They don't belong in the NCAAs. And the Gophers shouldn't even be close.
I can see getting 6 teams in. I still think that's a bit high, but to be fair, a lot of the bubble teams aren't impressive. It would be an absolute travesty if Notre Dame doesn't get in the tournament, though (assuming they win their second round series...otherwise, eff em). But 8 teams? There's no way it's deserved.
Hit "Publish" too soon.
If there were 8 legit WCHA teams, then I'd have no problem with them all getting in. If you're the best conference and you've really got that many teams in the top 14 in the country, so be it.
But I don't think anyone could honestly say that that's the case. Minnesota and Duluth just don't have the credentials.
Nice point on Roe, I think Bridge Troll would be a correct label for this kid.
Actually, tUMD only played 6 non-conference games, and went 4-1-1.
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