Frozen Four Teams, Anti-Sioux Bias, Thiesmann Axed From MNF

I've been pretty busy the past several days and my family has been ill so my posting was a bit light here recently...but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things...although a rather uninteresting few days...

It was announced that the Chargers will open the 2007-08 regular season against the NFC Champion Chicago Bears. I felt the Chargers could have beaten any NFC team last season and will have their chance to prove they are still an elite team if they can win against what will likely be a tough Bears team.

My NCAA bracket is all but shot... I had North Carolina winning it all and they are obviously done.

I did enjoy the west regional games in the NCAA Division 1 hockey championships. UND ended up beating - avenging an overtime loss the week prior - Minnesota in overtime. A very good game. UND beat Michigan on Saturday 8-5 with 12 of the goals being scored in the first period and a 1/2. Michigan scored 2 goals at the beginning of the first and second periods, both times taking the lead which forced UND to rally back. I haven't heard for sure, but I am fairly confident 12 goals being scored in the first 30 minutes of a playoff game has got to be a record. UND will play Boston College in the semifinals and Maine takes on Michigan State in the other semifinal.

I also wanted to comment on what I think continues to be a blatent anti-UND bias. It seems like every year there is something that seems just a little 'off' with the coverage of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey team. UND is a 7 time national champion but it you would never know it because they are often barely even mentioned in any coverage. Their first regional game against Michigan wasn't even carried live for most people but was taped delayed, similar to last year. Yet, on DirecTV I had 4 stations carrying the east regional games live. As many know UND and the NCAA are in a legal battle over the Fighting Sioux nickname used by UND. I think the NCAA has become very obtuse in it's blatant anti-UND scheduling and exposure because whether they win or lose this lawsuit they feel their decision is fair. But to any sane person it is tough to distinguish the logic the NCAA displays in allowing some Native American monikers and not allowing others. I am fairly confident that the NCAA and ESPN2 - which will actually cover and mention college hockey for the only time this year and won't again until their coverage again next year - cringe at the thought of seeing UND in the championship game.

And is ESPN actually getting a clue? Joe Thiesmann, quite possibly the most annoying color guy in football...although Dan Dierdorf and Randy Cross are right up there too... is out and Ron Jaworski is in. I thought Joe came off as if he felt he was 'superior' to anyone else in the booth and regardless if he was right or wrong would rant endlessly about meaningless items throughout the game almost begging to be differed with. Get rid of Kolber and maybe the production becomes tolerable again...