Jimbo99 wrote:There is more "tradition" and "culture" in the proverbial "little fingers" of a Roseau, a St. Paul Johnson, or even a Burnsville, than there is in a Hill Murray and a Benilde combined.
BS. Tradition and culture cannot be measured. You are expressing your opinion. You are also wrong. That's like saying Notre Dame has no tradition or culture because it is a Catholic, private school with students from all over the country. Hill-Murray and Benilde-St.Margaret's have thousands of alumni and families that make up great traditions and cultures. That's my first hand opinion.
HM, for example, has had several 50 year anniversary events this past year. Thousands of alumni have returned to the place to attend these events and remember their years at HM. Those alumni, family and friends continue year after year to follow the hockey team. HM rooters outnumbered Roseville's 2-1 last night. My first hand experience these past nights at the Coliseum is that HM has "tradition" and "culture" larger than those huge public schools Stillwater, Johnson and Roseville "combined".
Privates vs publics is a stupid argument for any number of reasons.
However, if you have won two state 1A tournaments, you are forced to go to 2A, no ifs-ands-or-buts. That includes H-town, Warroad, .....
The two tiered system has helped smaller and southern schools develop hockey programs....but the super successful programs should move up. The best should be competing at higher levels.
And don't tell me programs will dump games to stay down!
SPUDNUT wrote:If our school system isn't good enough for 'em - they can organize their own league & go play with each other.
thats pretty tough words coming from megaconglomerate one highschool town moorhead (who cant win a state championship game to save their life)
Megaconglomerate?? For your information, according to the MSHSL website, Moorhead's enrollment is 1356, about half of Minnetonka's enrollment. Brainerd's enrollment is 1685. So explain how Moorhead is a "megaconglomerate".
Bet he can't explain it - just checked with Webster & there is no such word. Guess it might be spelled rright if the word existed !
The hated team in section 4 has always been Hill. Parents and players are always saying how bad they want to beat 'em. And when they squeek by those rare wins it makes the whole season. Like a mini state tourney.
Puck76 wrote:So the thought process goes that if you have a program that is consistently successful they should play AA. All privates fit the bill due to perception that they must be recruiting to be successful. Why are we stopping there? Why not throw Hermantown or Warroad for example up to AA? They seem to be pretty successful, it is not fair that they can get so much out door ice just because they are up north. There will always be something that is not "fair". Every sport has teams that are consistently good because of the culture or tradition of the community.
You already have the sentiment that the "A" tourney is meaningless since no one with any skill plays there (must have all been recruited to AA schools). Seems that what we want is for this to be an even more true sentiment.
Speaking of Hermantown. I was a fan. I thought, "another great small town up north showing how to get it done". That was until I went to a game during a visit up north. I took a wrong turn coming out of the arena, drove a couple of minutes and see a welcome to duluth sign. Caused me to do a little research on the program. Seems that kids flow between those 4 teams in Duluth like crazy. Not such a big fan of POOR little Hermantown anymore.
If you did your homework you would have seen all these kids played together in hermantown youth hockey. And good for you, you found a border.
All of them? Maybe you should do a little homework
whos_it wrote:
Speaking of Hermantown. I was a fan. I thought, "another great small town up north showing how to get it done". That was until I went to a game during a visit up north. I took a wrong turn coming out of the arena, drove a couple of minutes and see a welcome to duluth sign. Caused me to do a little research on the program. Seems that kids flow between those 4 teams in Duluth like crazy. Not such a big fan of POOR little Hermantown anymore.
If you did your homework you would have seen all these kids played together in hermantown youth hockey. And good for you, you found a border.
All of them? Maybe you should do a little homework
Ok you put it out there...name a Hermantown player that didn't play youth hockey there.
The HS had not had open enrollment for years.
Cmon name the kids that have "flown between" Duluth and Hermantown this year or any year.
Post your so called "research"
Northern Defender wrote:If you did your homework you would have seen all these kids played together in hermantown youth hockey. And good for you, you found a border.
All of them? Maybe you should do a little homework
Ok you put it out there...name a Hermantown player that didn't play youth hockey there.
The HS had not had open enrollment for years.
Cmon name the kids that have "flown between" Duluth and Hermantown this year or any year.
Post your so called "research"
SPUDNUT wrote:If our school system isn't good enough for 'em - they can organize their own league & go play with each other.
thats pretty tough words coming from megaconglomerate one highschool town moorhead (who cant win a state championship game to save their life)
Megaconglomerate?? For your information, according to the MSHSL website, Moorhead's enrollment is 1356, about half of Minnetonka's enrollment. Brainerd's enrollment is 1685. So explain how Moorhead is a "megaconglomerate".
explain to me how they choke in the state final all the time haha. they are a big one school city...thats all i am saying. i cant wait to watch them get killed at the x this year.
Dizluttheast218 wrote:
All of them? Maybe you should do a little homework
Ok you put it out there...name a Hermantown player that didn't play youth hockey there.
The HS had not had open enrollment for years.
Cmon name the kids that have "flown between" Duluth and Hermantown this year or any year.
Post your so called "research"
Check your PMs.
I did and the player you are talking about yes he played for East in youth hockey. His parents bought a house and moved to Hermantown and he played Bantams for Hermantown. Hardly a questionable transfer like you would like to make ppl think by this post. And he has been mostly a JV player until this year his Sr year, hardly a factor in Hermantowns yearly success. And do you really believe anyone from your "almighty" Duluth East would actually transfer to Hermantown for hockey?
Last edited by Northhcky on Sat Mar 03, 2012 12:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The only class A private that I have a huge problem with right now is St. Thomas. Their enrollment is 1000 boys only.. Meaning they are the equivalent of having 2000 kids for a co-ed school. That is a definite AA school. It should be based on enrollment. If Breck doesn't want to opt up, I don't really care because they can have fun playing JV hockey.
If the privates (including that perennial power St. Cloud Cathedral) move up to AA we can SEND THE HICKS TO THE STICKS. Attendance after 20 years has shown there is little interest in class A hockey and with the talent further watered down there will even less interest. Move the entire tournament to Bemidji or St. Cloud where they can be big fish in a more appropriately sized pond.
northern_guy wrote:
thats pretty tough words coming from megaconglomerate one highschool town moorhead (who cant win a state championship game to save their life)
Megaconglomerate?? For your information, according to the MSHSL website, Moorhead's enrollment is 1356, about half of Minnetonka's enrollment. Brainerd's enrollment is 1685. So explain how Moorhead is a "megaconglomerate".
explain to me how they choke in the state final all the time haha. they are a big one school city...thats all i am saying. i cant wait to watch them get killed at the x this year.
Just like I figured... you couldn't even follow through on what you started, so you take it in a different direction. They aren't the only "big one school city" to not win a title. Open mouth, change feet. Good job, Mr. Megaconglomerate!
First, why punish schools for success? Second, why dilute Class A? There are a lot of very large, public schools out there with good feeder programs and numbers to pick from that will never make it to Excel. Also, there a plenty of private schools that will never make it either. Every team makes it to the State Tournament; it is called Sectionals. Only 16 teams get to make it to the X. It is a reward for a successful season and program. Not all the best teams make it, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, etc. We tried the Tier II thing before. That was a big joke. This is why classes are based upon enrollment; not by the success of the program.
We can't force all private schools to AA because of the success of a handful of schools. There are plenty of private schools who are not "successful" that give a lot of kids the opportunity to play varsity hockey. A chance a lot of them might not have if they stayed at the large public schools because of numbers, politics, they never made the "A" team, or are late-bloomers.
When a kid leaves for a private school it just opens up a spot on the public school team for another kid. Maybe someone who would not have made it in the first place.
The Tournament is for the best teams remaining, not for everyone to get a medal. If anything we should not let any team play up. Go strictly be enrollment then the Class A tournament might have more depth.
If your argument is about private schools recruiting there are plenty of the successful public school taking players away from neighboring towns, near and far.
If your argument is about private schools recruiting there are plenty of the successful public school taking players away from neighboring towns, near and far.
It's clear private schools do far more recruiting since they don't have feeder programs, but what seems to be ignored is what if some public schools are recruiting too? It isn't very objective when this topic comes up every time, and to lay the entire blame on privates isn't fair. This is an especially strong field this year. It may have more to do with the top seeds are just that much better.
Ok, if we removed the private class A schools that qualified for this years tourney and replaced them with the best remaining public team in their section this is what we would have ended up with in this years tourney:
I dont think removing, Lourdes, Breck and St Thomas would dilute the Class A tourney that much, I would still enjoy watching these teams play for Championship personally. I would enjoy seeing the small town spirit of towns like Northfield and Delano. What are your toughts?
Last edited by HappyHockeyFan on Sun Mar 04, 2012 5:27 am, edited 2 times in total.
It's not the Best players, it's the Right players! HB
If your argument is about private schools recruiting there are plenty of the successful public school taking players away from neighboring towns, near and far.[/quote]
More then people know...Edina has a kid from Eagan and a kid from Hopkins moved and played for Minnetonka and that's OK but let's bash the private's for recruiting...please...I'm fine with family's doing what they see is best for them because we don't know all the circumstances surrounding each individual player. And yes I do have a dog in the fight and we are doing what we see is best for our child and what he wants.
I've learned from personal experience that you take care of your own because knowone else will. I could have left to play for another public school but chose to stay out of obligation only to find out my coach sent his son to go play at another public school to give him a better opportunity years later. Was I mad? No, it taught me what I just said about taking care of your own and not to feel distain for others doing what they see best.
