Osama bin Laden is Dead, and WE DID IT!

You don't root for or cheer death very often, but this is one of those rare exceptions for most people.

Terrorist mastermind and long-time most-wanted fugitive Osama bin Laden was killed by United States forces Sunday (U.S. time) in a raid in Pakistan.

Instead of spitting out all the details myself, because you've probably seen them already, here are some smart people presenting the information they've gathered.

First, here is Jake Tapper on ABC.



Now, another report I found interesting on this Monday morning. This one comes from NBC News' Jim Miklaszewski.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

It's a fascinating day in American history, no doubt about it.

USA Hockey Has a Ways to Go

While UMD was busy taking care of business at Clarkson Monday night, we were getting texts and Twitter updates on a game that wasn't going terribly well.

Unless you're Cody Danberg or one of the other six Canadians on the UMD roster.

None of us had a chance to watch Canada thrash the United States 4-1 at the World Juniors. We had the texts and tweets to tell us what was going on. From the sounds of it, we didn't miss much, and we didn't have to see the game. This dance has been danced before.

Pure Canadian domination. An American team that wasn't ready to play, even if they were talented enough to compete.

There's a reality that comes with a whipping like this. For the United States, it's another sign of both the progress that's been made, and the work that remains.

There is undeniable progress for USA Hockey. After all, they entered this tournament as no worse than a co-favorite, and many thought they could pick off Canada and win a second straight gold. The fact that sober, sane people could say this is a sign that USA Hockey has come a long way.

But getting beat 4-1 by a Canadian team missing at least six age-eligible players who could have made a difference is an unmistakable sign that much more progress is needed.

While Cam Fowler is patrolling the Anaheim Ducks' blue line, Canada is missing, yes, six players who were eligible by birthdate to compete in this tournament. Among them are Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, the top two picks in the 2010 draft. Evander Kane and Matt Duchene are also playing in the NHL and weren't released to play in the World Juniors.

More than any other country, Canada is stuck playing more of a "B" squad in this tournament. Sweden has guys like Magnus Paajarvi and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but they're not missing the bodies Canada is.

This happens every year, and it's not meant as an insult to any other country who misses players in this tournament because of pro commitments. Instead, it should be taken as a sign of Canada's superiority at this level.

Get to the national team level, and the Olympics proved that Canada doesn't have some sort of ridiculous advantage. As players get older, the gap narrows. When you pick teams of adults and have no restrictions on the players you can select, the United States can totally compete. They beat Canada in the Olympics last year before losing to them in overtime for the gold medal. As great as Ryan Miller was in the gold-medal game, final shots were only 39-36 in favor of Canada, hardly a dominant performance where they were simply thwarted by a hot goalie.

But at the U-20 level, Canada has a ridiculous edge in talent. Is it better youth development, or is there just an age where Canada has the talent and numbers to dominate the world?

If the U.S. is that capable of competing at the Olympic level, is it simply a matter of their players getting better at older ages? What's closing that gap?

There are a lot of questions, but again, we're back to the basic. When you look at this U-20 tournament, there's no question the United States has a way to go to become competitive on an annual basis.

A medal Wednesday would be huge for the Americans. Yes, the bronze sucks. It's not as pretty as the gold, and third place isn't nearly as sexy as first place. But it means you ended the tournament with a win, and it's a win that will mean something for an American squad that has never medaled in back-to-back World Juniors.

Canada will play for their 16th gold in this event later Wednesday, but you aren't going to magically start competing with the big dog on an annual basis. You have to build to that, and consecutive medals are a significant step in that build.

Just don't mistake last year's gold as a sign that the build has been completed.

Struggling Alabama-Huntsville Loses Coach to USA Hockey

For Alabama-Huntsville, it's been a really rocky year.

Last summer, they were denied entry into the CCHA. Their league -- College Hockey America -- was about to enter its final season. UAH wanted to find a home to avoid playing as an independent. Doing so would greatly hamper their efforts to recruit, as it would be nearly impossible for them to make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large because of the inherent difficulties that come along with trying to fill a schedule without any conference affiliation.

Without the carrot of an NCAA berth to offer, UAH is stuck with recruits that simply want to play hockey. It will probably be tougher for them to put a winner on the ice, and it would be even harder to get any reasonable number of home games.

Of course, the Chargers didn't let this stop them. They beat highly-rated Notre Dame in their season opener, and despite a poor finish in the CHA standings, they pulled off two upsets to take the conference tournament and automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. UAH then played competitively, but fell short in a loss to a clearly superior Miami team during the regional round.

That proved to be the high point. Charger junior goalie Cameron Talbot chose to give up his final year of eligibility to sign with the New York Rangers. Then assistant coach John McCabe took the job as head coach of Division III Finlandia University (Houghton, Mich.).

Now, head coach Danton Cole is moving on. He has decided to become head coach of the U.S. Under 17 National Team.

“Danton has a wealth of experience at the professional, collegiate and international levels,” said Scott Monaghan, director of operations for the NTDP. “He’ll be a great asset in preparing our players to compete on all stages.”

It's a homecoming of sorts for Cole, who is from near Detroit. The NTDP is based in Ann Arbor, Mich.

As for UAH, while it's hard to deny this was a great opportunity for Cole, and they said all the right things about appreciating the work Cole did to keep the program together, they have to know the hard times are only going to get harder.

They're the lone wolf in the wilderness, the only independent in Division I. If they thought it was hard to fill the schedule for this coming season, wait a few years until they've had a few years of no NCAA bids and few wins. Crowds might still be decent in Huntsville, but the potential damage to recruiting is immeasurable.

And if the program isn't competitive, they're not going to get anyone who wants to play them, especially in Huntsville.

More than any other point in the last year, UAH needs to find a conference soon. Cole's departure only adds more uncertainty to the program's future, and the stability of a conference is what they need to move forward, both in hiring a coach and finding recruits.

USA Hockey Announces World Junior Evaluation Camp Invites

Trying to build off last year's dramatic World Junior Championships gold medal, USA Hockey has started the process of selecting the 2011 U.S. team. That group will compete in the IIHF World Junior Championships, which begin Dec. 26 in Buffalo.

Nine players can bring their shiny gold medals to the camp, as they are invited back from last year's team. The other 31 players on the 40-player list are a mix of players who have been passed over before (five guys were invited to the 2009 evaluation camp) and new faces (26).

The roster of invites is below:

Pos. Name Ht Wt Birthdate S/C Hometown 2009-10 Team
G Jack Campbell^* 6-2 185 1/9/92 L Port Huron, Mich. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
G Zane Gothberg 6-1 177 8/20/92 L Grand Forks, N.D. Thief River Falls (Minn.) H.S.
G Michael Houser 6-1 180 9/13/92 L Wexford, Pa. London Knights (OHL)
G Andy Iles 5-8 179 1/30/92 L Ithaca, N.Y. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
D Mark Alt 6-4 205 10/18/91 R St. Paul, Minn. Cretin-Derham Hall (Minn.)
D Brandon Archibald 6-3 200 3/31/92 R Port Huron, Mich. Sault St. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
D Adam Clendening 5-11 190 10/26/92 R Niagara Falls, N.Y. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
D Brian Dumoulin 6-4 203 9/6/91 L Biddeford, Maine Boston College (HEA)
D Justin Faulk* 5-11 195 3/20/92 R South St. Paul, Minn. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
D Derek Forbort 6-4 195 3/4/92 L Duluth, Minn. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
D Cam Fowler^*& 6-2 190 12/6/91 L Farmington Hills, Mich. Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
D Stephen Johns 6-3 215 4/18/92 R Wampum, Pa. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
D Nick Leddy 5-11 180 3/20/91 L Eden Prairie, Minn. Univ. of Minnesota (WCHA)
D Jon Merrill* 6-3 200 2/3/92 L Brighton, Mich. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
D John Ramage^ 6-0 195 2/7/91 R St. Louis, Mo. Univ. of Wisconsin (WCHA)
D Philip Samuelsson* 6-3 198 7/26/91 L Scottsdale, Ariz. Boston College (HEA)
D Jarred Tinordi 6-5 202 2/20/92 L Millersville, Md. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
D Patrick Wey* 6-2 200 3/21/91 R Pittsburgh, Pa. Boston College (HEA)
F Beau Bennett 6-1 180 11/27/91 R Gardena, Calif. Penticton Vees (BCHL)
F Nick Bjugstad 6-4 188 7/17/92 R Blaine, Minn. Blaine (Minn.) H.S.
F Ryan Bourque^*& 5-9 166 1/3/91 L Boxford, Mass. Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
F Connor Brickley 6-2 193 2/25/92 L Everett, Mass. Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
F Chris Brown 6-2 194 2/3/91 R Flower Mound, Texas Univ. of Michigan (CCHA)
F Zach Budish 6-3 220 5/9/91 R Edina, Minn. Univ. of Minnesota (WCHA)
F Charlie Coyle 6-2 207 3/2/92 R East Weymouth, Mass. South Shore Kings (EJHL)
F Jerry D'Amigo^* 5-11 190 2/19/91 L Binghamton, N.Y. Rensselaer (ECACHL)
F Emerson Etem 6-0 198 6/16/92 R Long Beach, Calif. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
F Kevin Hayes 6-2 201 5/8/92 L Boston, Mass. Noble & Greenough School (Mass.)
F Chris Kreider^* 6-2 205 4/30/91 L Boxford, Mass. Boston College (HEA)
F Phil Lane 6-2 194 5/29/92 R Rochester, N.Y. Brampton Battalion (OHL)
F Kevin Lynch 6-1 198 4/23/91 R Grosse Pointe, Mich. Univ. of Michigan (CCHA)
F Tyler Maxwell 5-9 179 4/13/91 L Manhattan Beach, Calif. Everett Silvertips (WHL)
F Jeremy Morin^*& 6-1 196 4/16/91 R Auburn, N.Y. Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
F Brock Nelson 6-3 205 10/15/91 L Minneapolis, Minn. Warroad (Minn.) H.S.
F Matt Nieto 5-11 182 11/5/92 L Long Beach, Calif. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
F Kyle Palmieri^*& 5-11 195 2/1/91 R Montvale, N.J. Univ. of Notre Dame (CCHA)
F Tyler Pitlick 6-1 190 11/1/91 R Centerville, Minn. Minnesota State Univ. (WCHA)
F Bryan Rust 5-11 191 5/11/92 R Bloomfield Hills, Mich. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
F Brandon Saad 6-1 196 10/27/92 L Gibsonia, Pa. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
F Drew Shore* 6-2 190 1/29/91 R Denver, Colo. Univ. of Denver (WCHA)
F Nick Shore 6-0 186 9/26/92 R Denver, Colo. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)
F Austin Watson 6-3 187 1/13/92 R Ann Arbor, Mich. Peterborough Petes (OHL)
F Steve Whitney 5-7 168 2/18/91 R Reading, Mass. Boston College (HEA)
F Jason Zucker^* 5-10 168 1/16/92 L Las Vegas, Nev. U.S. Nat'l U18 Team (USHL)

This is just the start of this long road. The final roster isn't due until mid-December, and will be selected after the final candidates meet in Buffalo for a training camp in advance of the tournament.

Faulk is an incoming UMD freshman. He would have to miss the opening of Amsoil Arena Dec. 30 -- as well as a two-game series at Clarkson Jan. 3-4 -- if he makes the team. Forbort will be a freshman this fall at North Dakota.

All in all, 32 of the 40 players are currently playing for NCAA programs, or they are committed to play for one. That number does not count Minnesota State freshman Tyler Pitlick, who is leaving school to play for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL next season.

2010 FIFA World Cup: United States

We preview the 2010 FIFA World Cup, set for June 11-July 11 in South Africa.

UNITED STATES
Appearance: Ninth overall, sixth consecutive
Last time there: 2006, exited in first round
Best performance: Semifinals (1930)

There are not many more storylines in this event as volatile.

The United States has been feast or famine in recent World Cups. In 1994, as the hosts, the Americans staged a nice run, beating Colombia and falling dramatically to eventual champion Brazil in the second round.

With higher expectations in 1998, the Americans flopped badly, finishing last among the 32 qualifiers and costing coach Steve Sampson his job.

After Bruce Arena came aboard, things started looking up again. At the 2002 World Cup, Team USA upset Portugal, managed to make the second round, then shocked the world with a 2-0 win over Mexico. Only a controversial uncalled handball in a 1-0 loss to Germany kept the United States from a potential semifinal spot.

In 2002, Arena's job went the same way of Sampson's. The Americans were not nearly good enough, falling out after going 0-2-1 in the group stage.

A great run through the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup instilled hope that the United States was on the road back under coach Bob Bradley. But recent matches have shown a vulnerable defense and questionable depth.

That defense's key is Oguchi Onyewu, a big man who is coming off a major knee injury and looked shaky in a pre-tournament friendly loss to the Czech Republic. Jonathan Spector and Jay DeMerit are quality defenders, and Carlos Bocanegra has value on the wings as both a defender and attacker.

Two players make the offense go as much as anyone on the team. Midfielder Landon Donovan has played well as of late, and is looking to shake off a pretty dreadful performance in 2006. Forward Jozy Altidore can score as good as anyone, with six in qualifiers, and he's a dangerous offensive player.

Midfielders Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey will contribute offensively if they're in good form during the tournament. If they're not in good form, the Americans are in trouble, because they won't generate enough possession or creativity in the midfield to get by anyone of significance.

One thing to like about this team is their ability to have offensive balance. They're not all about Altidore, Donovan, Dempsey, or Bradley. The negative is that even one of these guys not playing well can throw the whole team for a loop. Coach Bradley needs them all to help keep the heat off his relatively shaky backline. That defense will sink this team at some point, but Bradley hopes it's later rather than sooner.

Schedule
June 12 vs. England (Rustenburg)
June 18 vs. Slovenia (Johannesburg -- Ellis Park)
June 23 vs. Algeria (Pretoria)

Remember ...

I understand this is a holiday, and I try not to ask too much of people. I also try hard not to preach, especially when it comes to things not related to the goofy world of sports.

But Memorial Day is supposed to be about more than a day off work, barbecues, and time outside. This is a chance to salute those who have given their lives in defense of our freedoms.

Please remember that on this day.

U.S. Men's National Team World Cup Roster Announced

After a Tuesday night friendly loss to Czech Republic in Hartford, Conn., the United States moved to set their 23-man roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which begins June 11.

The Americans are placed in Group B for the tournament, and their first match is June 12 against group favorite England.

We'll have a preview of Team USA coming up before the tournament, but here is the roster, announced Wednesday on ESPN by head coach Bob Bradley.

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan.

Defenders: Carlos Boncanegra, Jonathan Bornstein, Charles Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Oguchi Oneywu, Jonathan Spector.

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Stuart Holden, Jose Torres.

Forwards: Jozy Altidore, Edson Buddle, Robbie Findley, Herculez Gomez.

At first glance, it appears the inclusion of Findley over Brian Ching is the only major surprise. The front-line players are all there, including Oneywu, who was injured a few months ago and is obviously still recovering. He looked a tad rusty against the Czechs, and I would expect we'll see him in the friendly Sunday against Turkey that will mark the Americans' final match before leaving for South Africa.

Donovan didn't play Tuesday, but I'd expect we'll see him Sunday. While the Czech result was disappointing, we played a lot of the fringe roster candidates, and it's clear Bradley (Bob, that is, not son Michael, a midfielder on the team) wanted to get one last look at some guys before making a final decision.

Talented Charlie Davies was already ruled out for the team, still recovering from injuries suffered in a car accident last year.

The Americans will play Australia in a tune-up match June 5 in South Africa before the tournament opens the following weekend.

30 Years

For a hockey fan, this is the most significant anniversary on the calendar.

30 years ago Monday, a group of college-aged kids pulled off the biggest upset in the history of sports.

And that's not hyperbole or some sort of gimmick attached to a comparatively insignificant moment.

If this doesn't give you goosebumps, nothing will.



Actually, if that didn't work, here's Kurt Russell's awesome reenactment of Herb Brooks' pregame speech. Enjoy.

Canada's Defense Shallow at Best

As they did in the World Juniors, Team Canada's entry in the Olympic women's hockey tournament seems to enjoy rubbing their superiority in their opponents' faces.

How did that turn out for Canada in the World Juniors again?



Oh, yeah. That's right.

Karma.

Canada's women's team has won their first two games by a combined total of 28-1. They've outshot Slovakia and Switzerland by a combined 129-21.

They beat Slovakia 18-0 in the opener Saturday, outshooting the outclassed opponents 21-3 in the third period, a period that started with Canada already leading 13-0.

21 shots in 20 minutes while leading 13-0? Really?

Canada's players don't have much of a defense for this behavior, and it's obvious given how meekly they've tried so far.

"I think it's just about getting something out of the game, and making sure we're playing together, and we're getting better each game we play," Apps said. "I think we respect our opponents absolutely, but as far as our team is concerned, in our locker room it's all about getting better each day and moving forward."

How much better are you going to get by pistol-whipping a team that doesn't have a prayer against you?

It's a dumb defense for a senseless tactic. Canada spent the third period of a 13-0 game TRYING TO SCORE GOALS. Meanwhile, Team USA pulled back on the throttle in the second period against China, a team that they didn't dominate quite as badly as Canada did Slovakia, preferring to play a puck-possession, cycling game in the offensive zone. Many of their shots were unscreened, with little traffic in front of the net because Team USA's players chose not to go there.

(In Canada's defense, Slovakia had it coming. They beat Bulgaria 82-0 in 2008. Seriously.)

To follow up 18-0, Canada showed it learned nothing by hanging five third-period goals on clearly-overmatched Switzerland Monday.

If there were a way to disqualify a team for crappy sportsmanship, we'd boot the Canadians. Instead, we're just left to hope Team USA gives them what they have coming to them.

Real, Raw, Gripping Emotion

There are two sides to the extremes of emotion.

The first is the jubilation. The raw, seemingly unending happiness that comes with the greatest of accomplishments.

For NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray, the lifelong dream came true Sunday evening at Daytona.

McMurray, a driver who was out of a job for a time last fall, won the Daytona 500 in his first points race for new employer Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. McMurray was a victim of the numbers game at Roush Fenway a year ago. He lost his ride because of a mandated downsizing of the Sprint Cup racing team, combined with numbers that showed him woefully short in the wins department.

With his new ride, the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, McMurray didn't take long to prove himself.

If these plate races are like entering a random drawing, McMurray was the lucky winner Sunday. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone more grateful for his opportunity.



There is a flip side to this emotion, though. It's the feeling of losing someone you're immeasurably close to. For Brian Burke, this feeling became a reality nearly two weeks ago, when he got word that his son, Brendan, had been killed in a car accident while driving on a snowy road in Indiana. Brendan had been visiting Michigan State University, and was on his way back to his home base of Oxford, Ohio, where he attended Miami University and worked as a student manager on the men's hockey team.

For Brian Burke, a normally gruff and unemotional man in front of the camera, Sunday brought a whole new challenge. While he tried to put on a strong face for his U.S. Olympic men's hockey team -- he is the general manager of the team -- it's clear Burke is still hurting.

The hurt is evidenced by a great column from FanHouse colleague Lisa Olson, who spoke to Burke after his press conference in Vancouver.

"Born on December 8, 1988, eight pounds, eight ounces. Eight is a lucky number for people of Chinese descent," Burke said, his face aglow. "They kept rubbing his head, the nurses did. I said to one of the nurses, 'What's the deal?' and she said, 'Oh, he's a very lucky baby.' I said, 'Well, rub his foot because he's going to be bald for Christ's sake.'

"He was born with a lot of lucky signs around him," Burke said. "Just a magnetic personality even as a kid."

At Brendan's wake in Canton, Massachusetts, amongst the hundreds of mourners, Burke ran into one of his son's teachers. Everyone had their favorite story about Brendan; he had impacted so many people in so many different ways, and it warmed Burke's heart to hear them all. This teacher told him about an eighth grade dance, and a girl standing alone in the corner. Brendan walked over and asked her to dance, oblivious to (or maybe in spite of) his classmates' snickers.

"He didn't care what they thought, he just didn't want her to have a bad night," Burke said, beaming like a father boasting about a son who had won several Stanley Cups.

People wonder why we love our sports so much. A big part of sports should serve as an escape. Even those who can't escape reality sometimes need a temporary release. For Brian Burke, here's hoping the next two weeks are an opportunity for him to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He worked hard to build this U.S. team, and they have a chance to reward him with a medal.

If that happens, it will surely be another in a long line of emotional days for a man once viewed as being without emotions.

Shows what you get for judging a book by its cover.

New Widget

You'll notice a new widget on the upper left.

It's temporary, and it will keep you posted on the latest news surrounding Olympic hockey. The Games start Friday, with the men's hockey tournament set to start Tuesday.

McKenzie's Draft Watch Includes Familiar Names, Duluth Native

Respected TSN hockey analyst Bob McKenzie, one of the most connected people in the business, has put out his latest list of top 30 prospects for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.

While it's a major-junior dominated list, as expected, there are some names on it that college hockey fans will know.

One name in particular will be familiar to local hockey fans.

Duluth native Derek Forbort, who skipped his senior season at Duluth East to play for the U.S. Under 18 National Team (based in Ann Arbor, Mich.), is rated 18th by McKenzie, meaning he's a likely first-round pick this summer.

Forbort is headed to the University of North Dakota next year, and barring something unforeseen, he won't be a four-year guy there.

Other Minnesota-based players on the list include future Gopher Nick Bjugstad, a Blaine High School senior rated No. 14. Minnesota State freshman Tyler Pitlick, an impressive-looking young player who played his prep hockey at Centennial, comes in at No. 20. Warroad center Brock Nelson is 25th. He's a very impressive playmaker who will also play at North Dakota.

Obviously, there is going to be some tweaking done to these ratings. Not only that, but despite McKenzie's impressive pedigree and contacts, it's hardly gospel when it comes time for the draft.

However, it's obvious that plenty of Minnesota kids are impressing NHL scouts, and there is likely to be an increased number of college or college-bound players going in the first round this summer. That's good news for the NCAA as they try to defend their reputation as a developmental tool for young hockey players against the assault by major junior leagues in Canada.

UND's Kristo Led Now-Famous Song

By now, you've probably heard the song done by members of the gold-medal winning United States World Junior team.

You haven't? Well, I'm here to help.



Purely awesome.

It was led by North Dakota freshman Danny Kristo, a veteran of international play (he's an alum of the Ann Arbor NTDP). Kristo talked to Grand Forks Herald writer Brad Elliott Schlossman, who does a great job covering the Sioux hockey team.

That goes back to when I played on the national team (U.S. Under-17 and 18 teams). Our boxing coach there made up that song. Whenever we had big victories, we sang that song in the locker room. We had a lot of guys from the national team on the (World Junior) team. Before the game, I told the guys that if we win, we’re singing for sure. After we won, someone asked if we were singing tonight and I said you bet we are. It was pretty fun to sing that song one last time. I couldn’t be more happy to win that gold.

Yes, this means the song was somewhat premeditated.

Doesn't change anything, though. It's still awesome, as is what this team was able to accomplish in Saskatoon.

Go America

The United States has an opportunity to win a second international hockey gold medal in as many days Tuesday night, as they battle Canada for the World Junior Championships gold in Saskatoon.

The last time Team USA played for World Juniors gold was back in 2004, a game highlighted by a famous gaffe that led to the American victory.



Seven WCHA players are on the Team USA roster. Team Canada has none. If, for some reason, you're having trouble figuring out who to root for, that should help you.

This is a rare chance to cheer for guys like Danny Kristo (North Dakota), Jordan Schroeder (Minnesota), Matt Donovan (Denver), Mike Lee (St. Cloud State), and three guys from Wisconsin (John Ramage, Jake Gardiner, and team captain Derek Stepan). They're all great players who we hope to watch UMD shut down when they meet.

For now, they're part of a great hope for a internationally-recognized hockey upset.

Gary Thorne Back in Hockey

The last time veteran broadcaster Gary Thorne had the chance to call a hockey game, he had a pretty good one unfold in front of him.



That was the 2009 Frozen Four title game, a great comeback win in overtime for Boston University, and Thorne absolutely nailed it.

The problem with Thorne is that he works for ESPN. No, this isn't some kind of anti-ESPN diatribe. However, the Frozen Four is really the only hockey ESPN has coverage of. Makes it hard for Thorne to work in the sport he's best at.

Until this year.

Thorne has signed on to broadcast Team USA's games at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championships for NHL Network.

From the press release:

A holiday-season tradition will return to the NHL Network-U.S. for the third-straight season, as once again the network will broadcast all of Team USA's games at the 2010 World Junior Championship.

Gary Thorne, Dave Starman and Fred Pletsch will be the broadcast team for the tournament, which runs Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Saskatoon and Regina, Sask.

Good deal for hockey fans. Matt McConnell did a good job on this last year, but he's now the full-time TV voice of the Atlanta Thrashers. Thorne here is a no-brainer choice. Few can call a hockey game with his acumen or enthusiasm. He's the only one on the planet close to Mike Emrick's league at this point.

Canada, United States Work to Finalize World Junior Rosters

The IIHF World Junior Championships are set for Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Saskatchewan. Last year's tournament was a disappointing one for the United States, as they lost a preliminary-round game to Canada by blowing a 3-0 lead, then bowed out to Slovakia (!?) in the quarterfinals.

To get back on the medal stand, USA Hockey called on an old friend for this year's tournament. Former North Dakota and current Nebraska-Omaha coach Dean Blais has plenty of international experience, and he is very good with young players.

Canada is the defending champion, and they're again playing on home soil (it was in Ottawa last year). No pressure, guys.

Both countries announced preliminary rosters this week, and both have NCAA players at least in position to make the final rosters.

In Canada, UMD freshman defenseman Dylan Olsen is on the preliminary roster. A first-round pick of the Blackhawks this past summer, Olsen has eight assists in 12 games for UMD.

He is joined by Denver sophomore defenseman Patrick Wiercioch. It was inconceivable to me that Wiercioch didn't make the team last year, and he should have a pretty good shot this time around. Wiercioch has 14 goals and 45 points in 49 career games with the Pioneers.

The Canadian World Junior camp is Dec. 13-15 in Regina, Sask. According to sources, both players are expected to miss the Denver-UMD game at the DECC on Dec. 12, as they make their way north for the camp.

Harvard freshman Louis Leblanc is the only other college player on the Canadian roster for that camp.

On the U.S. side, a preliminary roster of 29 will be whittled down during a camp scheduled for Dec. 15-19 in Grand Forks, N.D. UMD recruit Justin Faulk -- now with the U.S. National Team Development Program -- is on the roster, as are a number of current college players. Minnesota's Jordan Schroeder will play in his third World Juniors, and Wisconsin (Derek Stepan, Jake Gardiner, John Ramage), North Dakota (Danny Kristo), and Denver (Matt Donovan) are also represented on the preliminary roster.

Team USA Does It Again

24 times, the United States Men's National Team has entered Estadio Azteca (or other facilities in Mexico) for a match against Mexico.

24 times, the Americans -- or, if you are from south of the border and prefer, "gringos" -- have left Estadio Azteca without a victory.

Every time, fans are left with reason to believe the team can recover and win the next time. Four years later, that next time comes, and the U.S. fails again.

The latest "next time" was Wednesday, as the United States waltzed into Mexico City with some confidence, thanks to a stirring performance in the Confederations Cup. Mexico, meanwhile, had all the pressure. There was talk of another coaching change, which would have been something like the ninth of their World Cup qualifying effort. A loss, and the Tri Colores would have been in serious danger of missing the World Cup next year in South Africa.

A Charlie Davies goal in the tenth minute gave the Americans a 1-0 lead. Bob Bradley's bunch then proceeded to fall into the same trap they fell into against Brazil in that Confederations Cup final.

In the altitude of Mexico City (over 7,000 feet), it was apparently too much to ask the Americans to play well for more than ten minutes, and that won't be enough against a highly-motivated team that absolutely needs to win.

(More on the altitude excuse in a moment, because it's sad how many people are falling for that line of crap.)

Mexico dominated possession for the last 80 minutes, tied it just more than ten minutes after Davies' awesome goal, and won it in the final eight minutes as Miguel Sabah stood in the box and lined up a shot while a bunch of Americans stood and watched him.

There are plenty of people to call out for this one, namely Bradley, but we'll start with others.

Carlos Bocanegra. Simply a poor effort on the first Mexico goal, as he allowed Israel Castro to line up a long shot that beat Tim Howard high. Even from a 30-yard distance, an unmarked opponent is very dangerous.

Landon Donovan. Absolutely disappeared after setting up Davies for the first goal. This might have been Donovan's worst national team performance since the 2006 World Cup. High up on the list of American players who need to train a lot more diligently before next summer.

Brian Ching. Did virtually everything but score an own goal for Mexico. Not effective with the ball, worse without. Never should have started the second half, and it can be argued he never should have made the trip.

Bob Bradley. It can't be said any differently: Bradley is just another Bruce Arena. He might be worse. Besides the unconscionable decision to leave Ching in the match as long as he did, dynamic youngster Jozy Altidore played all of 15 minutes. It wouldn't be totally wrong to say that Altidore deserved to start the match, but it was practically a crime to only let him play 15 minutes when no one was generating anything positive up front outside of Davies.

Moreover, Bradley's strange substitution decisions could make you think he started the second half playing for a 1-1 draw. It was bad enough that the Americans didn't play with the same energy after taking the lead, but for them to try to draw out the last 45 minutes of an intense road match against a rival team that absolutely needed to win ...

Words don't even describe the stupidity of this.

U.S. Soccer. Even the well-respected Grant Wahl fell into the trap.

The altitude did affect the U.S.'s strategy. Mexico dominated possession, and the U.S. midfielders stayed farther back than usual, as though they were entirely willing to let the Mexicans come to them. I don't think that would have happened if the U.S. had been able to train at altitude for any period of time before this game.

Why, exactly, did this team not train in the high elevation of Colorado? Denver is known as the Mile High City, and Colorado Springs sits at over 6,000 feet.

Instead, the final training took place in the rolling hills of Miami.

Yes, this team had heat to potentially worry about, but heat comes and goes. Mexico City's elevation will never change. It's absolutely pointless to blow off the possible effects of the high altitude, only to use it as an excuse when you lose.

At the end of the day, Team USA is still going to make the World Cup. They'll still have a reasonable chance for success there. However, a golden opportunity was lost on Wednesday, and it's another backwards step for the national team program in this country.

Bob Bradley: You're an Idiot

Mexico 2:1 United States.

0-23-1.

More later.

U.S. Soccer Earns Worldwide Respect

I know it's hard to swallow.

Those who don't follow soccer religiously are probably conditioned to think that blowing a 2-0 halftime lead is a massive choke.

They aren't going to see it any other way, no matter the facts of the story.

In this case, it's not your normal "2-0 lead to 3-2 loss". The United States experienced this Sunday in the FIFA Confederations Cup final against Brazil.

It would be one thing if the Americans had blown a 2-0 lead against, say, Mexico. It might be the death of soccer in this country, with the sport barely having a pulse in many ways already.

This isn't disrespect toward Mexico, no matter how much they deserve it. Instead, it's a nod to how freaking good Brazil is.

After all, we could have been up 4-0 at halftime and still lost. They're just that good.

It brings to mind a major question: Is it choking when you lose a match to someone who is infinitely better than you are?

My answer is "No". The odds of the Americans slowing down the likes of Fabiano and Kaka for 90 minutes were about the same as the odds of Adam Sandler winning an Oscar for Best Actor after shooting a remake of Citizen Kane.

Brazil was too good for the "play defense and pray" mantra the United States used to hold off Spain in the semifinals. They were too fast to be allowed to attack relentlessly for over an hour of game time.

No matter what Team USA did, they were doomed. Their only shot was to get lucky and net a couple more goals, hoping that would be enough to get Brazil to give up. As long as they smelled blood, we were in trouble.

What does this mean for the World Cup? It means that there is real evidence -- not just conjecture -- that we can play with anyone in the world. A contending team is not too much to ask for next year in South Africa.

In fact, anything less than that will be a(nother) monumental disappointment.

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