Staff & Contributors

John Gilbert

Content By This Contributor:

Montana Comes Home

John Gilbert

Butkiewicz scores 7 TDs to Bury Hilltoppers

Peterson, Rodriguez, and Brady – Who Do You Like?

John Gilbert

Remember the good ol’ days, when athletes devoted almost full attention to performing their best in competition, and the media could write about what happened in the game, and the fans enjoyed it all within their hero-worshipping world?

Dozier Makes Most of His Brief All-Star Bid

John Gilbert

As fans, we’re all provincial when it comes to All-Star games. The new young studs who fill up both rosters are pretty generally unknown to fans of the other league, and even within the league

Grandma’s Marathon Becomes ‘Eldoret West’ 

John Gilbert

It happened again this year, at the 39th running of the North Shore classic, a 26.2-mile jaunt down what is normally a very scenic Hwy. 61 to revisit as it curves around the shoreline terrain of Lake Superior. Only this time, it was more specific.

Grandma’s Marathon Signals Summer, at Last

John Gilbert

Oh, they can tell us that the first day of summer is on a certain specified date in Duluth. But we know better. We know that summer doesn’t officially start until Grandma’s Marathon runs its annual shot sometime in mid-June.

Surprises Dominate Baseball, Tennis, Even Horses

John Gilbert

Sports television dynasty ESPN puts out things called power ratings, which apparently go beyond simpler things like standings to try to convince the public that their vast ability to accumulate statistics and speculation means more than mere results.

Kurvers, Maciver Make Cup Final Special

John Gilbert

There are those, myself included, who think the Stanley Cup Playoff final series between the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning is as close as we can get to a match made in heaven.

Montoya Wins Scintillating 99th Indy 500

John Gilbert

The race restored some of the old-style tradition and drama to the Speedway – something that had been mostly missing ever since the Indy Racing League locked out the higher-profile CART teams in the mid-1990s, forcing CART to form a rival league

NHL Division Finals Make for Classic Hockey

John Gilbert

There are a lot of hockey fans who get so wound up cheering for their own team, such as the Minnesota Wild, that they quit paying attention to the Stanley Cup Playoffs once their team is knocked out. I feel nothing but sympathy for them.

Wild Deserve Appreciation, Not Insults

John Gilbert

Enough, already. After listening and reading for most of a week about the terrible insult perpetrated by the Minnesota Wild, who had the audacity to NOT win the Stanley Cup this spring, it is time to analyze all the analyses.

Wild Playoff Run Can Even Rewrite History

John Gilbert

It isn’t even necessary for the Twins to get off to a faltering start, or the Timberwolves to stumble to a place far removed from NBA playoff consideration. No, the Wild captured the state’s sport fancy completely on their own

Wild Sticks to Hockey to Gain Edge on Blues

John Gilbert

School is still in session, which is a good thing, because school is still out – as they say – on the Minnesota Twins. They seem intent on playing as poorly as any team above sandlot ball can possibly play for several games

Hockey Back in Spotlight for Final Weekend

John Gilbert

Those things aren’t completely resolved, of course, except for Duke securing the NCAA basketball title with an impressive triumph over Wisconsin. 

After Further Review, April 1 Brings Big News

John Gilbert

Maybe you missed it, but after further review, the NCAA Ice Hockey Committee has determined that any questionable calls that are questionable enough to be reviewed by video, but still are questionable, can be reviewed one more time after a cooling-of

Best of Times, Worst of Times for UMD 

John Gilbert

When a few weeks have passed, and the sting of losing 3-2 to Boston University subsides, the UMD Bulldogs players will appreciate their strong effort in the Northeastern Regional of the NCAA hockey tournament.

NCAA Puck Tournament Leans to the West

John Gilbert

Enjoy the NCAA hockey tournament, which starts this weekend with four regionals, because it seems quite likely the ruling body will look over something approaching Western domination and make some major changes to the structure.

Playoffs Rage, Bulldogs Stay Home

John Gilbert

College hockey used to be so easy to follow. Races roared to a conclusion in the WCHA, CCHA, Hockey East and ECAC, and then those four leagues went into their own specific tournaments.

Hawks Repeat as Class A Runner-Up

John Gilbert

Northern Minnesota had no chance but to succeed in the state high school hockey tournament’s Class A state tournament, because for the second straight year, Hermantown from 7A made it to the championship game against East Grand Forks from 8A.

AMSOIL Arena Filled With Puck Drama

John Gilbert

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat played out on the ice at AMSOIL Arena last week, where enough drama filled the place to satisfy even the most zealous hockey fan. You could pick your favorite, and make the case for high school hockey

Hardly a Normal Weekend for UMD Hockey

John Gilbert

Under normal circumstances, this would be a fabulous weekend for UMD’s hockey teams, both men’s and women’s, at AMSOIL Arena. 

The True ‘Hockey Day‘ in Minnesota

John Gilbert

Marketing whizzes can promote what they want with outdoor stadium hockey games and all. But for sheer significance to Northern Minnesotans, nothing can match this weekend.

Western College Hockey Leagues Hit Homestretch

John Gilbert

Without a doubt, the NCHC was the most potent league in the nation, with the most competitive teams from top to bottom. But they were pretty much disregarded in post-season selections.

UMD Teams Struggle

John Gilbert

The top four, of course, get home ice for the first round of WCHA playoffs. But the jarring end of the Shannon Miller coaching era at UMD has only that one home series remaining, for certain.

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