WE'D BELIEVE YOU IF YOU DIDN'T SHOUT SO MUCH. A gutter brawl erupts at Phi Beta Cons over Harvard's attempt to become a nonconference cupcake for Marquette or Wisconsin. A particularly angry collegiate sports fan (who might not even be a collegian) sends Travis Kavulla an e-mail of the sort that depressingly frequently appears in debates over college sports.

You're nothing but an elitist twerp. Harvard deemphasized football because they couldn't compete, not because of some high-minded educational purpose. And yes, graduates of schools with big-time programs do affiliate themselves with their teams. That's certainly better than the affilations that Harvard students have, e.g Gay Feminists, Anti-Fur Activists, Leftist Anarchists etc. It's on the fields of play at college that are sown the seeds of victory. But effete present-day Harvard pussies aren't aware of that as they prepare themselves for their productive careers in hedge fund management (perhaps they'd be better off learning how to use a pair of hedge clippers) and progressive journalism (i.e. giving away national secrets). Lose your rose-colored glasses as I'm sure you learned a lot less in your college days than anyone enrolled at UNC Charlotte.

Whew. Sophomoric Democratic cliches at least have some structure to them. Mr Kavulla's response has a bit more structure, but it's incomplete.

As to the imputation that I had somehow defended Harvard, let me apologize: It would also be to my great amusement to see Yalies, Harvardians, whoever, try to “sow the seeds of victory” on any sort of field against, say, the University of Florida. That is a game I would surely turn out for, if only to appease a morbid sense of sadism vis-à-vis the ninnies in crimson.

Um, Florida can't skate. On occasion, however, the preppies can beat the miners.

Harvard at last (April 2, 1989) gained the pinnacle of the college hockey world by defeating Minnesota, 4-3, in overtime to win the national championship tonight at the St. Paul Civic Center.

Ed Krayer scored the winning goal at 4 minutes 15 seconds of the sudden-death overtime period. Krayer lured Robb Stauber, college hockey's best goalie, out of the cage and then flipped a backhand shot into the net.

It was the first National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I championship for a Crimson hockey team in 14 tournament appearances. Four previous teams had made the Final [now Frozen -- SHK] Four and two had played for the title, in 1983 and 1986.

That 1983 appearance was against Wisconsin. Hey, Harvard, this is a hockey game, not the quiz bowl! But to take the Goophs to overtime in the Twin Cities and to withstand a Gooph flurry early in the overtime ... M I N N E S I E V E!