SiouxSports Blog - Latest Comments

Re: My top five April Fool’s columns on SiouxSports.com

Mhjfgh — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:18:52 -0000

I loved last years. I really wished it would have been true and that we could have gone all the way. I love the Sioux, but it is also time we start acting as one school.

Re: My top five April Fool’s columns on SiouxSports.com

believe everything I read — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:58:23 -0000

I got into a semi-heated argument with another sioux fan during the 1st overtime of the Denver vs Western Michigan Green Bay regional game last year. It wasn't until the 2nd overtime started that I started to think something may be amiss. That was of course was confirmed when I got back to the hotel that night and your column was the only place on the entire world wide web that I could find anything regarding the rule. If you notice the timeline, I had that bogus rule ingrained in my subconscious for two years!

Re: Audio from “The Timeout” available for the first time

Gkramasz — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:36:45 -0000

Yeah, whatever!

Re: My top five April Fool’s columns on SiouxSports.com

Rick — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:32:11 -0000

You are not cool, my kids bedroom has to be repainted now.

Re: Audio from “The Timeout” available for the first time

Dave Berger — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:07:28 -0000

Yes. this was an April Fool's column. In all fairness, however, I feel like the comment about wearing the Sioux jersey for the last time is not too far off from what was actually said.

Re: Audio from “The Timeout” available for the first time

Spectator — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:57:39 -0000

Was this an April Foods joke?

Re: Audio from “The Timeout” available for the first time

CMSioux — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:56:56 -0000

I never realized that the "fans in the stands" could be such a motivator for the team. That makes me feel valued, going to the Final Five is a time and financial committment - always worth it - but even more so now.

Re: Audio from “The Timeout” available for the first time

Georgecostanza — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 21:52:05 -0000

You got me. Nice one.

Re: Audio from “The Timeout” available for the first time

Mike — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 21:20:44 -0000

April Fools.

Re: NCAA West Regional Preview: UND vs. Minnesota

Llcoolnel — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:10:02 -0000

not a prettier sight than watching the SUE fans filing to the exits early...

Re: NCAA West Regional Preview: UND vs. Minnesota

CA GO SIOUX — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:54:08 -0000

GO SIOUX

Re: NCAA West Regional Preview: UND vs. Minnesota

Dana — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:06:53 -0000

Great work David. Here's to you being completely wrong!

Re: KRACH predicts the NCAA hockey touranment

jimdahl — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:34:29 -0000

One more observation -- the West really is the region of death. The odds of coming out for each team are, in order of seeding: 28%, 23%, 24%, 24%.

Re: A detailed look at NMU’s chances

Matt Wellens — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 17:41:03 -0000

Jim, I think I figured out the RIT over Air Force connection. It has little to do with NMU, but a lot to do with Michigan State.

Three teams seem to hold the Spartans fate: North Dakota, Maine and RIT.

If RIT beats Air Force, North Dakota can beat Minnesota and Maine wins Hockey East, then the Spartans drop to No. 17 and make room for NMU, which edges Merrimack ever so slightly in the RPI.

Re: Thursday night PWR possibilties update, Sioux seem a lock for NCAAs

Sioux1 — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:01:28 -0000

"i was told there would be no math." ---i'm glad you do it, though. thanks Jim.

Re: Thursday night PWR possibilties update, Sioux seem a lock for NCAAs

jimdahl — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:24:17 -0000

Though I sometimes lazily refer to these as probabilities, they're actually the percent of remaining possible outcomes in which an event occurs. Also, the 2nd and 3rd columns (apparently poorly labeled) are the shares of outcomes in which the team has a particular ranking IF they fulfill the condition in the column title.

So, the way to read the UMD win all column is...

UMD ends the season with a #1 ranking in 93.6% of all remaining possible scenarios in which UMD wins the Broadmoor.

If you think each team has an equal chance of winning each game (clearly not true, but not a horrible assumption around tournament time) you can simplify that to...

UMD has a 93.6% chance of finishing #1 in PWR if they win the Broadmoor.

Re: Thursday night PWR possibilties update, Sioux seem a lock for NCAAs

Quest — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:09:30 -0000

I get it that there are "possibilities" that regarding Michigan being #1, but what are the "probabilities? Even though its possible for Michigan to attain the #1 spot, BC still has at least a 76.3% chance to be #1 verses MI's 49%(no wins - 79% (two wins), and evidently somewhere in between if only winning one of the final two games.....mathematically lower than BC's probability of 76.3%. Correct? Then UMD has a 93.6% chance for #1 if UMD wins the Broadmoor. On 3/12, UMD probability to win the Broadmoor and get a #1 PWR was 78%. Now 96.5% That's quite a jump from before the Thursday night's two WCHA games to after. What caused that jump?

Re: Thursday night PWR possibilties update, Sioux seem a lock for NCAAs

jimdahl — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:10:32 -0000

Ok, here's one scenario in that family:
Minnesota-Duluth > Denver
North Dakota > Minnesota
Maine > Boston University
Boston College > Providence
Harvard > Cornell
Colgate > Union
Miami > Western Michigan
Michigan > Bowling Green
RIT > Niagara
Mercyhurst > Air Force

North Dakota > Minnesota-Duluth
Maine > Boston College
Union > Cornell
Harvard > Colgate
Bowling Green > Western Michigan
Mercyhurst > RIT

The only game left undecided is the CCHA championship game between Miami and Michigan. If Michigan loses, the Wolverines get #1 overall. If Michigan wins, they fall to #2.

In the Michigan loses scenario, Michigan and Miami are actually tied at 29 comparisons won, with Michigan having the lead on RPI. However, BC is breathing down their necks at 28 comparisons won (losing the comparisons to Duluth and Miami) and a stronger RPI than either.

If Michigan wins, that harms Miami enough that BC takes the comparison, rises to 29 comparisons won to tie with Michigan, but has the RPI tie breaker.

Re: Thursday night PWR possibilties update, Sioux seem a lock for NCAAs

jimdahl — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:30:58 -0000

Good catch. This is what I love about being able to make the raw data accessible -- you all catch a lot of stuff I don't, making it much more valuable than my personal interpretation.

The situation you described seems to be in about .3% of the remaining outcomes (860 of 294912). It does require Michigan to win 1 game but no more. I'll try to pin it down tomorrow morning and let you know what I find out.

Re: Thursday night PWR possibilties update, Sioux seem a lock for NCAAs

Rob Johnson — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:22:50 -0000

In looking at Michigan's chances, it appears that there is a scenario where if they lose a game (unsure which) they could make the #1 overall, however, if they win 2 games, they have no chance of getting the #1 overall. Very weird.

Re: WCHA Final Five Preview: UND vs. St. Cloud State

MPLS Sioux — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:27:25 -0000

haha they are the least loyal fans in college hockey

Re: WCHA Final Five Preview: UND vs. St. Cloud State

Thedogg — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:41:30 -0000

4 denver fans. You are correct. They bring under 100 every year, and most are DU player's family members. Pathetic.

Re: A detailed look at NMU’s chances

UNHfan — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:31:50 -0000

Of all the teams on the bubble, NMU is the least deserving of getting in. They finished sixth in their conference and lost in the opening round to the last place team, BG. For NMU to get and not Cornell means six for CCHA and only one for ECAC. This demonstrates the weakness of the RPI dominated pairwise comparisons. I hope the committee looks at the game records to determine what bubble teams get in. Cornell deserves to, NMU does not.

Re: A detailed look at NMU’s chances

Farley — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:34:56 -0000

Wow Jim, nice work. It's hard to believe you were a History major in college ;-)

Re: A detailed look at NMU’s chances

RamboWildcat — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:48:08 -0000

Great work. With odds like that though, I'd rather play the Michigan Lottery this weekend!