Patrick Reusse: Between the quotes

"It was really david chase’s joke on all of us: nothing happened ... you can imagine [Chase] sitting at home chuckling." -- Carol Joynt, summarizing for the Washington Post the thoughts of many of us on series creator Chase’s final episode of “The Sopranos.’’

Teaching a 'greasy job'

Derek and Aaron Boogaard, the battling brothers from Saskatchewan, performed a tremendous public service last week when they conducted a fighting camp for hockey players ages 12-to-18 at the Puckmasters training center in Regina. More than 30 registered players attended.

"We're out here to show kids how to look after themselves when they're on the ice," Derek told the Regina Leader-Post. "We're showing them the little things that would help them out, rather than them learning the hard way and getting hurt."

Derek is the Wild's enforcer at 6-7, 260 pounds. Younger brother Aaron is 6-3, 245 and recently signed with Pittsburgh. He was among the most prolific fighters in the junior Western Hockey League.

"It's a greasy job, but somebody has to do it," Aaron said.

Derek has a more serious issue that involves fighting: He faces a June 18 trial in Regina on an aggravated assault charge stemming from a fight outside a nightclub last Aug. 12.

Bad review for Jirsa

Ron Jirsa, the No. 1 assistant for new Gophers men's basketball coach Tubby Smith, was the subject of an extra-negative report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in October 2006.

Jirsa was an assistant to Smith at Georgia, then became the head coach in 1997 when Tubby headed for Kentucky. Jirsa lasted two seasons with a 35-30 record.

Last fall, the Atlanta newspaper was expanding on an NCAA report that showed Georgia had a 9 percent graduation rate (the second lowest in Division I) for athletes who enrolled between 1996 and 1999.

Robb Dryden, a former Georgia center, told the Journal-Constitution that Jirsa came to him in December 1998 and advised Dryden to change from an engineering major to the cushier child and family development program.

"He said, literally, verbatim, 'You need to get your priorities right; you need to change your major," Dryden said.

Dryden said when he refused he was dismissed from the team, but then reinstated after a meeting with Dick Bestwick, a now-retired associate athletic director. Bestwick confirmed Dryden's account of the situation to the Journal-Constitution.

Jirsa denied tossing Dryden from the team. He couldn't deny greatly reducing the playing time for the 7-foot Dryden, who had scored 22 points against Texas a week before the run-in over his major.

"I think there's [times] when both sides need to work together to get what each wants," the coach told the newspaper.

New standards for talent

The above scenario would indicate the new basketball regime has no plans to change the Gophers' long history for substandard academic performance. There are signs, though, that Smith will upgrade the standard of talent necessary for a player to be offered a scholarship that existed during the Dan Monson era.

Andrew Brommer, the 6-9 junior center from Rosemount, had been recruited by Monson's staff and encouraged to give a verbal commitment to the Gophers. As last season unfolded, there was a growing sentiment among Minnesota's prep hoops crowd that Brommer did not project as a Big Ten player.

It wasn't a surprise that Brommer had conversations with the new coaching staff and then announced that he was reopening the recruitment process.

There's also doubt about the Gophers' future of Minneapolis Henry senior Al Nolen Jr., a Monson signee. Nolen is waiting for college board scores to see if he's eligible this fall.

Even if he makes it, there's a chance Nolen could be let out of his Minnesota commitment and wind up at a school where his potential for playing time would be greater.

Ripknees find new league

Co-owner Billy Jurewicz and General Manager/coach Larry McKenzie are in Las Vegas securing a place in a new league for the Minnesota Ripknees pro basketball team.

The Ripknees played in the wide-ranging American Basketball Association last season. There was a financial dispute with the ABA at the end of the regular season and the Ripknees did not participate in the playoffs.

"We were 24-8 and we had a chance to win the championship, but there was so much chaos with the league," McKenzie said.

The Ripknees plan to move into the new Premier Basketball League for the 2007-08 season. There are representatives from 12 prospective franchises meeting in Las Vegas.

Jots with dots

Chris Cates, the senior shortstop on the Louisville baseball team, is 5-3, 145 pounds, and the shortest player in Division I baseball. What team would draft a mite like that? You're right -- the Twins in the 38th round. ... Krysten Boogaard, 19, the sister of the hockey tough guys, is a 6-5 basketball player. She will attend Kansas this fall on a scholarship.

The BTQ Bombast

There was an ad in Sunday’s Star Tribune pitching tickets for the 2008 Women’s Open at Interlachen. And there she was — Michelle Wie — swinging the club. How much more embarrassment is required from the Super Snot before people start using an actual player to promote an event?

"It’s about time for me to wake up from this dream, but I’m not ready … quite yet." -- Cal-Irvine coach Dave Serrano, to the Orange County Register, after making it to the College World Series. The Anteaters resumed playing baseball nine years ago after dropping the sport.