NCAA tourament proposals

[Steve Foss]

When we were sitting in the bar grousing about the delay, Dad said if Gino had been along, no way would the airline have held us up for 4 hours.

He remembered the time Gino and the Sioux (Dad was traveling with the team), were scheduled to return to UND on a flight that had been massively overbooked. They told Gino he could only take 12 players, and the rest would have to catch a flight the next day. I believe Gino was also serving as UND athletic director at the time as well as hockey coach.

Well, I don't know how many of you know Gino Garsparini, but NOBODY dicked around with him or his players. He stared down that flight staffer, told him how many thousands and thousands of dollars UND sports teams spent with Northwest Airlines each year, and barked that the fella better start bumping some other passengers right the Sam hell now if he knew what was good for him.

The fella bumped enough passengers to get the whole team, plus Dad, on the plane. A couple of the bumpees were prominent surgeons.

It was a good story told at just the right time.

[cbrooks]

That would be fun to witness. Gino can't be munch more than five feet. What did he have short man syndrome. I never meet Gino but I knew his kids pretty well. They were a laid back bunch. Great story Steve.

[Steve Foss]

Gino's not that short. He's average height or just a bit under. I'd not call it short man syndrome. He doesn't get in your face unless there's a good reason for it. I've known him since I was a teen, but not really all that well. I knew his wife, Tootsie, better. My folks and the Gasparinis were good friends.

That being said, you only have to hang around him for a little while to see he has character and balls in mega quantities, but without pushing it out there at you.

As just plain fellas, he and Blais have been my favorite UND coaches.

[cbrooks]

i never meet him face to face. He seem like he was short judging from the pictures and seeing him on the bench. I suppose it could be from the players being on skates. Lets hear another Gino story.

[cbrooks]

I would love the opportunity to meet some of the WCHA coaches over a few beers one night. It would be a blast to hear the stories and lessons they've learned over the years.

I've seen and met a lot of coaches during booster lunches, but over a few beers with their guard down, say up at a lodge in Ontario, would be a blast.

My pick would be George Gwozdecky

[fishing tech]

Mine would be Brooks, Mariucci and Sonmor. Granted I am a Gopher fan but you would also get some nhl stories and Canadian Jr stories.

[cbrooks]

John Mariucci would be cool to have met. I'm trying to find a big blown up black and white picture of John Mariucci and Fido Pupur(UND alum) when they both played for the blackhawks.

[Steve Foss]

That would be a great pic, brooksy. Fido was also an excellent carpenter, and as an older man he finished Dad's den in our basement when we lived in GF. He let me help him, and he was the first one to teach me quite a lot about carpentry, which I've been doing as a side living for the last 20someyears.

It was pretty classy of him to take the time to school a 12-13 year old boy.

[cbrooks]

Thats interesting he taught you carpentry. You probably know this that fido's son Gary is/was the shop teacher at valley Jr highschool. Gary has a son who has been playing in USHL. i think he's a Senior so hopefully in a couple of years he will be a fighting Sioux. I can't remember his sons first name.

Steve you probably have enough stories of former UND players/coaches to fill the Ralph.

[Steve Foss]

Ya know, I don't really have all that many stories. Just that once in awhile a post twigs my memory. Maybe there are more stories in my old foggy brain than I realize.