Question of the Day: Is This Excitement, or Fear?

With the announcement that an announcement is coming, the sleeping dog that is the Minnesota wild has opened a lazy eye, and reawakened a little hockey fervor in me. As I sit here, I cannot wait for the announcement to happen, so we can move on to speculating who the next coach will be. *cough* Todd Richards *cough*

The question I am dealing with right now is a typical Minnesota sports fan psychosis. I am terribly excited about a change in leadership, since we called for it all season long, and it seems like Craig Leipold realized he needed to listen. At the same time, I know for a fact that every time something changes in Minnesota sports, it generally runs face first into the wall that is Murphy's Law.

You see, Chuck Fletcher comes with a pedigree. A background of hockey, hockey, hockey, Harvard, and then some hockey as a garnish. He is being touted as "the next big thing," and even Brian Burke, oh he of the devil horns and sharp tail, has said how good Fletcher is going to be at this job. He is the son of a Hall of Fame Team Builder (or Hall fo Game as an ESPN text about Patrick Roy said the other day... idiots). He has hockey in his veins, and winning comes as naturally as breathing.

He drafted Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan, Ed Jovonovski, and a host of other players that are super studs. Yes, I am giving him full, 100% credit for those picks, not Brian Burke or anyone else. Sue me. Fletcher has a history of scouting *GASP,* researching players, knowing who is available in the draft even if they grew up south of the 49th parallel or perhaps went to college, and he even negotiated a contract or two in his day.

Chuck, or "Fletch" as some call him, has so many things going for him, that Wild fans knew he was the right choice for the job within minutes of hearing that Risebrough was gone. Leipold is being given all kinds of credit for making the right choice, and from the sources involved, it seems to be deserved.

There in lies the rub. He is too good, too perfect, to obvious a choice. The announcement of the announcement has spurred unadulterated hockey passion is the "Team of 18,000" and has initiated the facial tick that so many of us get here in Minnesota when we think about how good things could be.

For all of the readers outside Minnesota, bear with us as we swing back and forth from excitement to paranoia. We will eventually settle down and begin to attack and belittle our new GM, and his choice for coach.

After all, if the Wild can't win the Cup next season, then Fletch has to go, right?

-Buddha

*Author's note* Before anyone posting with the name Gaborik comes after me for not having realistic expectations, the last line of this post was sarcastic.