Rapid City makes rapid WRONG decision

Rapid City today anounced that they will begin contract negotitations with the CHL citing local ownership as the reason. My opinion is that if they would of waited for the USHL ownership group to be formed that the wait would be worth it. R.C. needs to learn that even good ownership can be bad when a bad league comes to town. When the CBA Thrillers left town the IBL came to town and had mulipal franchises in town those franchises and how bad they performed is what is keeping the DLeague from coming to town in my opinion. The Civic Center in my opinion needs to justify the addition of a new arena by more then AA hockey team though. They should talk to the Dleague and the UIF... I challenge anybody that wants to own a franchise in either sport. I wll buy season tickets to either one. Pat Hall who was the majority owner of the CBA Thrillers and the Majority owner of the disfunct Flying Aces should be talked to also George Jenter who owns franchise rights to the UIF should also be talked to. Rapid City has an arena that is 10 times better the SF and can't support crap for minor league sports. There is nothing to do in Rapid like there is in Sioux Falls. I will continue to research what it will take but I challenge any body with a little money and the will and determination to own either a dleague or uif team to bring one to Rapid City. Also if the CHL deal falls through the USHL should come to town imidiatly. SF, SC, Omaha, Kearny, Lincoln, 3 other IA teams all prety close compared to Coloardo and Texas.

SDSU vs. USD whats to make of it?

Coming home from work I was listening to In the Zone on 1570 and they had Terry V. on there and Jeff asked him whats SDSU's take on renewing the rivalry and Terry made a commit and it prety much said SDSU doesn't want to play USD any time soon. Jeff said that if they played the game in Sioux Falls slapped on a corperted sponser that it would make money and Terry responded and I believe he is right when he said SDSU averaged 9,000 at home and over 15,000 on hobo days if SDSU goes to USD they would in sence be loosing money and its a loose loose situation.

My take on the situation is if USD wants to make the trip up to SDSU for football or basketball I am game but if they expect SDSU to play USD on a nuetral floor they are nuts. SDSU has done all the right steps in transition and if they play USD its a loose loose situation.

MIsc. Sports

I would like to first congratulate the Stampede on winning the USHL, I would also like to say that I am supporting the USHL in Rapid City. Second of all I would like to say that I am upset with hearing that Keloland will not be able to broadcast the SDSU games next year like previously thought, I am hoping that Mid-Con communications will add the American Channel and that the Summit League will allow for free web-cast of all the conference games. Third I would like to challenge Sioux Falls to build a new arena, I was at the Convention center the other day and you can hardly tell that its an arena from outside, when you go to rapid you can tell where the arena is. I am publically supporting an arena, theater, offices and a large meeting room. Sanford and Poet Energy would be two Sioux Falls based companies that would be interested in putting up big bucks for naming rights. The offices could house the Storm and Stampede. I would then ask the Skyforce if they would like to have the Arena to themselves, keep the lease agreement the same and allow the Skyforce to make it more of there own. If the Skyforce accepts it you keep the arena if they would like to be moved the the new arena at a higher rate you can renovate the arena to better suite the convention center.

The arena I would like would sit 10-12,000 would have plenty of floor space for hockey and arena football, would also have skybox suites. The reason for that is with the success that Sioux Falls is having with the Storm I would not be surprised if the AFL showed interest in Sioux Falls if an Arena was built that suited an AFL team.

2 local summer club teams participate in Howard Pulley Basketball Tournament

First of all I would like to say that I passed my drug test and will start work tommaro and will be coaching the local legion baseball team so post may be a little bit slower. If you have any questions emal me at josephjvoigt@st.bhsu.edu

The Dakota Schoolers Gold and South Dakota Heat performed in Bloomington Minnesota this past weekend at the Sabes Howard Pulley tournament. The tournament is non sanctioned meaning that college affilitated coaches can not recruit durring the tournament.

Both teams made the final 8 I don't have any stats or numbers on the schoolers yet but will update when the are posted on their website.

The heat were led by Louie Krogman who was named to the all tournament team averaging 17.4 ppg. He joined a Wisconsin recruit and another kid who has recieved offers from Kansas and Missouri.
From what I have heard they beat a Chicago based team that was a favored and Schilling, Iverson and Vlastuin all did well in the tournament also.

Congrats to Louie the Heat and the Schoolers on a well played tournament.

I will update the personal stats from both teams when they are updated to there respected websites.

Major League Baseball

Again I know this is not SD sports but right now SD sports are a little quiet and MLB is starting to heat up. You may or maynot know that I am a Minnesota Twins fan, and that Left Fielder Jason Kubel was born in Belle Fourche SD and has family in the Bon Homme area. Minnesota of course has the AL MVP who got out of a slump last night blasting 2 bombs, also Torii Hunter has a 22 game hitting streak. Joe Mauer is on the DL but not to worry because Michael Redmond is a great backup. The Cubs a team I also like looks like they have gotton out of there slow start and start to hit the ball hard. The Cubs have a lefty in Hill that has a curveball that resembles Zito's also have one hell of an offensive lineup. If there defense and pitching can stay with them they will become a contener. Josh Hamilton has shown up as the feel good story of 07, drafted #1 by the Devil Rays out of high school Hamilton was kicked out of baseball for continuous drug use. I watched the Outside the Lines and HBO sports episode about Hamliton it said that he is now married and his family makes shure he doesn't screw up, he was re-enstated last year but had season ending knee surgury and both thought he may become a 5th outfielder late in his career, best case sonario. Hamilton was a rule 5 draft pick by the cubs and traded to the Reds, he is starting and has hit 8 HR this season while playing good defense. This is a guy that took 5 years off of baseball and played A ball for alil more then a month last year and now is hitting major league pitching like a seasonal veteran.

Gorilla Project??

I know this is a sports blog but when something this secret and big is brought into south dakota I have to write about it. What is known about the Gorilla project? From the Argus Leader, RC Journal and SC Pioneer I have found out not much is known, it could create 2,000 jobs and could use 5,000 acres which is roughly 8 sq miles. It would also use 12 million gallons a day for cooling purposes. The main 3 I have heard is a
Toyota or Hyundi automotive plant, this would make some sence the fact that both companies are expanding in the United States and have expressed interest in plants in the midwest. Sioux City and Sioux Falls are not too far away for higher positions to live and there are many small towns in the area where blue collar employees could live. The parts that don't get me is 12 million gallons of water I have heard different reasons that it would use that much but the CR building in Springfield had a device where is reused there own water and I would expect that a company like Toyota or Hyundi would also utilize that kind of technology.

Nuclear Plant, I have heard the possibility of a Nuke plant being put up in Union County for years when I went to a Wind Energy seminar in December the speaker from one of the companies said that they support Nuclear Energy and are proposing it in numerous places in the midwest. Also the Argus had an article about a feasibility study being done in south dakota though it was believed to be seperate. Again the water issue, the water used to cool a Nuke plant becomes really hott and generally 2 hot to put right back into the river.

Oil Refinory, This makes alot of sence with the pipeline already going through there and another one being proposed you begin to wonder also with the fact that in the 4 state area billions of gallons of ethanol are produced and a refinery could blend it very cheap.

I have also heard Hog Farm... 8 sq miles of Hogs in South Dakota will never fly if you smell it or not.

My opinion on this is mixed. I have been to Elk Point and know many people from Elk Point and know that it is alot like Tyndall a small town that you have grown to like and though you would like to see it grow you don't want it to loose its small town image. A 2,000 job employer could be great for South Dakotas economy and would affect Sioux Falls and Sioux City more then they can imangine. So again I have to say I'm not exacually for it nor am I against it I hope it happens but am optomistic and am not going to be upset if it doesn't happen.

SDSU Track and Field

As you may or may not know Freshman Michelle Schuch has qualified for USA Junior Outdoor Track and Field in the Discuss. Michelle graduated high school with me, I also had another friend whos sister ran track at SDSU a few years ago. When I talked to Schuch she says SDSU needs to build an outdoor track I am on the record for being against this but have thought this over and now believe that a Track and Field complex should be built on campus. I am not familier with campus because I don't attend SDSU but Schuch and another one of my friends said that there is room behind the football field for a nice Track and Field complex to be built. The main reason I have changed my mind is because Track and Field is a sport that South Dakota produces there fair share of athletes and is a sport where other then a few TOP schools everybody is on an equal plain when it comes to recruiting and a complex would only help State. Also Track and Field is for both Men and Woman.