Minnesota lawmaker wants $800k to keep Gopher-UND hockey rivalry

[BleedGopher]

per the PiPress:

A Minnesota lawmaker wants to spend $800,000 to keep the Gophers-North Dakota hockey rivalry alive.

Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, introduced a bill on Thursday that would give the University of Minnesota the money if at least one game is scheduled against the University of North Dakota that year.

“We have to maintain that hockey tradition,” said Winkler, who grew up in a hockey family in Bemidji. “I think it’s enough to get the athletics department attention.”

Winkler said he was trying to make a statement with the bill; nothing will happen with it. The two teams faced off in their final conference game on Jan. 19. North Dakota will depart for the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference, while Minnesota will join five other Big Ten teams with hockey programs.

The Gophers will retain their rivalry with Wisconsin, but many Gophers fans would rank games with the Badgers a close second to the grudge matches with North Dakota.

North Dakota and the Gophers will likely face off in non-conference games — the matchup is a big moneymaker for both programs — but that won’t be for at least two more years.

That’s because the schedules have already been set. And the University of Minnesota rule has a rule that its teams can not play non-conference teams with an Indian nickname, said Brian Deutsch, assistant director of athletic communications. North Dakota’s flagship university just dropped its contentious Fighting Sioux nickname last summer.

“We like playing UND. It’s my understanding that we plan to have them back on schedule,” Deutsch said.

http://blogs.twincities.com/politic...wants-800k-to-keep-gopher-und-hockey-rivalry/

Go Gophers!!

 

[maroonfive]

NO. They need us, we do not need them.

 

[Omega015]

NO. They need us, we do not need them.

This.

 

[#1nHkyCfbBsbDncSolarDebat]

Do you know how quickly a rivalry will develop between Minnesota and Michigan? Like 2 seconds.

The rivalry is already there, lying under the surface, just waiting for one big game between the two programs to give it a kick start.

 

[supadupafly]

Do you know how quickly a rivalry will develop between Minnesota and Michigan? Like 2 seconds.

The rivalry is already there, lying under the surface, just waiting for one big game between the two programs to give it a kick start.

you kidding? there already is a rivalry between minnesota and michigan in hockey. minnesota has played michigan in hockey more times than any other opponent......including wisconsin and north dakota.

 

[Gopher Placenta]

Good grief. No wonder our state is in decline.

This clown is wasting his time grandstanding on a bill of which he admits, "nothing will happen," because he thinks it's essential to continue playing a program whose players are cheapshot artists, whose fans are the biggest jerks in college hockey and whose chief benefactor was a Nazi sympathizer.

 

[kellyleeks]

UNDchose not to play us tonight by losing to CC last evening. As far as I'm concerned, if they really respected the rivalry then they would've won and advanced.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

UNDchose not to play us tonight by losing to CC last evening. As far as I'm concerned, if they really respected the rivalry then they would've won and advanced.

+1

I had mixed feelings last night. On the one hand, I love seeing ND lose. On the other, I wish we could have been the ones to beat them. Oh well, we'll take down CC instead.

 

[Schnauzer]

I was enjoying seeing them lose last night too much... just living in the moment... to consider the fun that might have been had it been the Gophers beating them. Yes, in hind-sight it would be nice to have the Gophers beat them but it is just too much fun to see them go down, especially like they did last night. They were totally outplaying CC, had all their crappy fans there to create a "home" environment, and STILL lost. Fun.

 

[#1nHkyCfbBsbDncSolarDebat]

you kidding? there already is a rivalry between minnesota and michigan in hockey. minnesota has played michigan in hockey more times than any other opponent......including wisconsin and north dakota.

Well, actually supadupafly, that was basically what I was getting at. But it has kind of died down lately, so its not so much starting a rivalry with Michigan, but reviving an old rivalry.

 

[maxwellsmart]

Well, actually supadupafly, that was basically what I was getting at. But it has kind of died down lately, so its not so much starting a rivalry with Michigan, but reviving an old rivalry.

Yup. And with MSU as well. I well remember our student section dangling a rubber chicken in front of their bench while chanting "Amo...Amo...Amo," poking fun at the long time MSU coach Amo Bessonne (spl).