Is it me or is our team and it's television affiliates holding back the local broadcast schedule?  It is fast approaching time for my group of four's Season ticket draft.  last year at this time I knew which games were planned to be aired and which were not.  Versus has their schedule up, but I am unable to find the local broadcast schedule on the Wild's page FSN or even Forty Five.  I hope they are not holding off an announcement of the TV schedule in order to try to sell more tickets.  Have things gotten that bad?

Okay, going into July, I figured, as many of you, that Saku Koivu would be signing here, but even at before free agency began after looking at the list, I was thinking hey, Mike Comrie wouldn't be  a bad pickup and if we missed Saku, they would go right after Comrie.  Did I miss Comrie signing somewhere else?  Is he a bad fit for some reason?  or am I being too impatient?   Why not get Comrie?

     Friday's game against the Predators, which was not scheduled to be televised, will be on Channel 45, this according to Wild.com.   So to the guy that shares season tickets with us and scooped it up just in front of me because it wasn't on TV, I say "Too bad Tad, I get to watch it anyway."  Thinking about heading down there anyhow to try to get some Gametime Rush Tickets. anyhow.  Go Wild!  Yeah the life of a MN sports fan, can't give up until I see the corpse myself.

Well with the fat lady warming up, I was curious to get everyone's opinion on the coaching change that is hopefully coming.  Do you think they will give Mike Ramsey a shot?  Bring Kevin Constatine up from Houston?  Whichever does not get it will probably start looking elsewhere, or they could both leave if The Wild goes out the org. for a coach.  I like Ramsey and think the Wild will probably give it to him, DR wanting to "stay the course".  I worry that he would try to continue what Lemaire is doing, but who knows.  Whatever they do I hope they make the decision fast, so that the new guy has a chance to get himself set up as much as possible.

Just cast my first ballot for the All-Star game, to my dismay I saw that brent Burns wasn't even making the leader board.  I am not saying that he is the best Dman in the league but he deserves a hell of a lot more recognition than he gets around this league.  hopefully we can put together a get out and vote campaign and get Burnsie up on the leader board where he belongs.

  Don't waste a vote for Gaborik a player will have had to have played in 20 games by mid January and that's just not gonna happen for Mary-Anne,  those menstral cramps will keep her sidelined at least til mid December.

  you can vote at NHL.com

Just to let you know I put up the same thing on Yahoo's Wild Message board, so, no I am not just copying someone elses stuff.

I do believe this will be up here at the end of the year, so we can look back.   Just for shots and goggles.
While we have given up some scoring, which I believe will cost us the Northwest Division  title, who cares we have a banner to raise Oct. 11.  In exchange for that scoring we have added offensive grit. We have enough offense to make the playoffs and the increase in Grit will garner not one, but two playoff series wins, but alas our lack of physical dominance espescially defensively will cost us in the Conf. Finals and prevent the Wild's premier at The Stanley Cup Finals.
All in All:
2nd in NW barely
5th seed in West
Western Conf. Runner Up in the playoffs.

Call me a homer if you want,  But I have been right more often than wrong with this team and do believe that DR and company have a great plan and arwe following it to make us an eventual dynasty along the line of edmonton and the Islanders.

     I do question some things but in the end "In Dougie I trust."

       I Share season tickets.  There are four of us, we draft games ala a fantasy sports league.  the last three games taken are always the preseason games.  This year's fodder is the The Blow Jobs, I mean the Blue Jackets, the Hawks and the Sabres,  all of witch come during the regular season as well.  I am sorry but going to these games seems like a chore.   We do not get every team here in the regular season and I don't think I am alone as Wild fan, that I am also a fan of the NHL in general.   Why woudn't the teams try to add some value and interest to these games by bringing in teams that do not come here during the regular season.  I have more than enough chances to see Columbus and Chicago this year to get excited about the games in the preseason.   Now, if my only chance to see New Jersey, The Flyers, The Rangers, Ottawa, or even the revamped Lightning live was during the preseason,  I would be able to say, "Hey it's the only time they are in town this year.".   It wouldn't be nearly the chore it is and maybe I might take some interest in the preseason game, instead of just giving the tickets to my brother in law, which is what I probably do if I do not get the first pick in the draft, on the other hand if I do get the first pick, I will still end up having to shell out cash to the other drafters to make up for the value of my extra reguar season ticket.  predetermined values for each game before the lottery.

      With a lull in the action right now,  just kind of waitng for the schedule to come out,  I thought I might share an experience and ask Wild fans for a little help in a new experience

                          As well as being a partial season ticket holder, a small group of friends and I have started to attend one Wild road game a year.  This season will be year three.  So far we have done Chicago and St. Louis  First we went to Chi. Obviously a great city to visit, but throw in a Wild win along with it happening to be the weekend tha Bears were hosting the Saints in the NFC Championship game, it was Awesome.  Lots rowdy Cajuns mixed in with a bunch Alcoholic Minnesotans, great time.  Last year we went to St. Louis,  I know, you think...."St. Louis...Blah, but it actually is pretty cool little town as long as you stay west of the river.  We stayed at the Adam''s Mark Hotel.  I would recommend it if you go,  it's right accross the street from the Arch and everything else,other than the Bud Brewery, including Scottrade Center, is within an easy walking distance.

            Scottrade is a cool Arena,  when you walk around the concourse they have life sized pictures of all the "Blues Hall of Fame" players, they call them Blues Heroes including the likes of Al Arbour, Bernie Federko, Brian Sutter and Jacques Plante among many others.  The Fans at the game are great, Just like in Chicago they all wanted to talk about the old days and memories of the old North Star players.

              I was wondering if anyone else has gone to any road games and if they have any recommendations.    The idea from the start was to hit all the old Norris Div. teams first and next up is Detroit,  but I think I might change that plan and visit the Winnepeg Jets Franchise down in sunny Phoenix this year instead,  kind of tired the cold weather teams for now.  Detroit might be a little easier this year to get tickets becouse the Mich. economy is struggling,  but then again what the F---- is there to do in Detoilet other than the game, maybe get shot at Chellie's Chili Bar, but who knows I wasn't all the geefed about St. Louie either.  any recommendations and experiences would be great to hear.    Thanks