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It's all down hill from here.

It was a good run.

The game has just overrun what it was meant to be. Too expensive. Lack of community identity. Not enough interest from casual sports fans. No more coliseum. I hope the mercantilists and progressives are happy. I hope you enjoy your lakeville north, Eden praire, edina, Eagan semis. I sure as hell won't be watching. Richass south and west suburbia will be the only competitive areas from here on out.

Sorry if this was incomprehensible. I'm just depressed we've pissed away a golden treasure that our state once had. The downhill slide started with the move to two classes and its reached its zenith today.

I'm going to drink my last grain belt. Pass out. And enjoy all the memories this sweet sport and tournament has given me in my short life. Wish it would have lasted longer.

Not unlike most other sports, Lake, SSC dominate.

Northsider wrote:It's all down hill from here.

It was a good run.

The game has just overrun what it was meant to be. Too expensive. Lack of community identity. Not enough interest from casual sports fans. No more coliseum. I hope the mercantilists and progressives are happy. I hope you enjoy your lakeville north, Eden praire, edina, Eagan semis. I sure as hell won't be watching. Richass south and west suburbia will be the only competitive areas from here on out.

Sorry if this was incomprehensible. I'm just depressed we've pissed away a golden treasure that our state once had. The downhill slide started with the move to two classes and its reached its zenith today.

I'm going to drink my last grain belt. Pass out. And enjoy all the memories this sweet sport and tournament has given me in my short life. Wish it would have lasted longer.

Go cry somewhere else. It's life. Get over it.

Northsider - put the gun down and tell us how we can help.

Northsider wrote:It's all down hill from here.

It was a good run.

The game has just overrun what it was meant to be. Too expensive. Lack of community identity. Not enough interest from casual sports fans. No more coliseum. I hope the mercantilists and progressives are happy. I hope you enjoy your lakeville north, Eden praire, edina, Eagan semis. I sure as hell won't be watching. Richass south and west suburbia will be the only competitive areas from here on out.

Sorry if this was incomprehensible. I'm just depressed we've pissed away a golden treasure that our state once had. The downhill slide started with the move to two classes and its reached its zenith today.

I'm going to drink my last grain belt. Pass out. And enjoy all the memories this sweet sport and tournament has given me in my short life. Wish it would have lasted longer.

I'd be depressed too, with that signature line.

Lee

Northsider wrote:It's all down hill from here.

It was a good run.

The game has just overrun what it was meant to be. Too expensive. Lack of community identity. Not enough interest from casual sports fans. No more coliseum. I hope the mercantilists and progressives are happy. I hope you enjoy your lakeville north, Eden praire, edina, Eagan semis. I sure as hell won't be watching. Richass south and west suburbia will be the only competitive areas from here on out.

Sorry if this was incomprehensible. I'm just depressed we've pissed away a golden treasure that our state once had. The downhill slide started with the move to two classes and its reached its zenith today.

I'm going to drink my last grain belt. Pass out. And enjoy all the memories this sweet sport and tournament has given me in my short life. Wish it would have lasted longer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK2FqPNIT_U&feature=kp

Things are cyclical. I truly believe the recession hurt hockey in places like Blaine and Anoka. There is no question IBM's downsizing hurt Rochester that plant closures hurt Grand Rapids and the decline in mining hurt many communities on the range. Places that were "recession" proof like the 4 you mentioned should be better than the afore mentioned communities. It probably didn't take much forethought to see a tournament or 2 or 3 like this coming in 2009 and I wouldn't be surprised to see the same type of field and results next year.

Looking at the youth state tournaments and there are some new communities represented; Farmington...Tartan...along with some old ones like Grand Rapids...White Bear Lake...Sibley....and the traditional ones like Edina. Of course some of those youth players will go to private schools but many won't.

I had given up on the A tournament 5 or so years ago but I went yesterday for the first time just to see Luverne. I was pleasantly surprised as I figured the game to be running time but it wasn't and it wasn't a fluke either. New Prague made it and won in their first year. If you can filter through all the Lakeville nonsense or STA story lines there are good stories and good games to watch every year.

The small town Roseau loses in overtime and the north side school Centennial loses by one and now the whole tournament is in shambles

Jesus go piss and moan somewhere else, what a sally.

We had 3 great games in the 1/4's. Can't complain. The tourney has not disappointed so far.

I disagree completely. Just two years ago we had four unranked teams advance in the 1st round. I think there's more parity now than ever. Some of that has to do with more kids leaving early to play juniors, but I still think high school hockey is in a good place.

Also, we're still getting teams in the tournament each year that don't go to state consistently, or haven't been in a while. Stillwater, Eastview, Centennial, etc. I'm sure next year will bring another surprise team to the tournament.

I know I enjoyed today, and I'm hoping for a great Friday and Saturday to come!

The big schools have good hockey teams. What a travesty!

May be off topic, but I felt yesterday's games really lacked emotion. I think a part of the reason my be the lack of band participation. I can understand Roseau not having a band, but EP & Stillwater?...really? Were there reasons why they were not there? Just curious.

Thank god for Class A hockey, still fairly pure

Pioneerprideguy wrote:May be off topic, but I felt yesterday's games really lacked emotion. I think a part of the reason my be the lack of band participation. I can understand Roseau not having a band, but EP & Stillwater?...really? Were there reasons why they were not there? Just curious.

I heard the EP band was at a big band competition somewhere. If it was in-state, that is a travesty that they would schedule a band competition in conflict with the State tourneys. I know EP had their band at the Section final.

Pioneerprideguy wrote:May be off topic, but I felt yesterday's games really lacked emotion. I think a part of the reason my be the lack of band participation. I can understand Roseau not having a band, but EP & Stillwater?...really? Were there reasons why they were not there? Just curious.

The afternoon session had absolutely no buzz at all. The announced attendance was 15,500 and that sounded generous. I'm sure there were several factors. one may have been that it was not a great Roseau team. They were unseeded and that surprised no one. Lakevl. N and (previous incarnations of Lakeville) had been there before, but this was the first time they are expected to do some serious damage but that didn't add anything.

The even session did have more buzz, which was odd considering the first game was over before the first period ended.

C-dad wrote:

Pioneerprideguy wrote:May be off topic, but I felt yesterday's games really lacked emotion. I think a part of the reason my be the lack of band participation. I can understand Roseau not having a band, but EP & Stillwater?...really? Were there reasons why they were not there? Just curious.

I heard the EP band was at a big band competition somewhere. If it was in-state, that is a travesty that they would schedule a band competition in conflict with the State tourneys. I know EP had their band at the Section final.

Heard the same about Stillwater.

Miss the Video's they used to show about the school/students/community between the 1st and 2nd periods.

The last time an "end of the world" topic like this was posted, it was Groundhog Day and the same teams year in & year out at the tourney....then Friday night at the Fairgrounds happened.

After this one, I suppose we can bank on the hockey gods giving us a 3 OT thriller and the other game on the edge of our seats just to once again settle some of the doom & gloomsayers all down...

Don't know if it's over, but the tourney is definitely not what it used to be. This places it in the category of many things that are not what they used to be: the institution of marriage, farming, college basketball, newspapers, higher education funding, etc. Yet life moves on. For me, my interest in the hockey tournament ends when the last Northern team loses in the AA bracket - which means it's over for me this year. But it's obvious many others on this forum and in the State of Hockey remain thrilled with the matchups that remain, and I say more power to them.

Can't pine for yesteryear, it ain't coming back.

Life's such a drag when you live on the past.

Northsider wrote:It's all down hill from here.

It was a good run.

The game has just overrun what it was meant to be. Too expensive. Lack of community identity. Not enough interest from casual sports fans. No more coliseum. I hope the mercantilists and progressives are happy. I hope you enjoy your lakeville north, Eden praire, edina, Eagan semis. I sure as hell won't be watching. Richass south and west suburbia will be the only competitive areas from here on out.

Sorry if this was incomprehensible. I'm just depressed we've pissed away a golden treasure that our state once had. The downhill slide started with the move to two classes and its reached its zenith today.


I'm going to drink my last grain belt. Pass out. And enjoy all the memories this sweet sport and tournament has given me in my short life. Wish it would have lasted longer.

I have heard of Richfield but never Richass. Where is that?

Semi Final Friday!!! Nothing better!

Personally I like the remaining 4 and would think attendance should be high as ever with 4 large schools.