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Friday Nugz - Golden Gopher Road Trip

2013-05-17T14:17:37Z

The Gopher athletic department is making their annual rounds to outstate locations as part of the Gopher Road Trip Chalk Talk. Yesterday started in Redwood Falls then went to Jackson. This morning the crew is in Mankato and New Ulm before heading home. There have been a number of media outlets reporting on these stops getting some choice quotes from Teague, Kill, Pitino, etc.

From Chip Scoggins, Richard Pitino on a few different things...

-- On juco point guard Dre Mathieu: "He's about as quick of a guard as you're going to see in the Big Ten. He's lightning fast. He's probably only 5-10 but he can windmill dunk and do some things that are unbelievable. He'll be fun to watch."

-- On center Elliott Eliason: "He won't be able to play until he beats me in a pushup competition. We've got to get him in shape, but I actually do think that he's going to have a great year. I believe it and he needs to believe it. Once he gets in great shape, he's going to be a difference-maker for us."

-- On center Mo Walker: "He's lost 20 pounds, which is great. The old expression, that's a deck chair off the Titanic as they say. He's got to lose about 40 more and he will. He's been awesome. He's been committed. He's staying here [this summer] instead of going home, which shows a lot about him. He wants to do it. He's changed his diet."

I love how this staff is really pushing guys in focused areas. I'm imagining a fit Walker and a cut Eliason by next October to go along with a backcourt that can shoot the ball.

More Tweets and specific info about the caravan can be found here.

Gopher baseball dropped the series opener to Illinois. This is sad and they need to win the next two, along with some help, to get a share of the Big Ten title.
Gopher ace Tom Windle is about to be drafted rather high after having an outstanding season.
BTN's Tom Dienhart looks at the winners and losers of the 2014 Big Ten schedule. Hmmm, I wonder if a mid-level team who gets crossover games with Michigan and Ohio State is a winner or a loser? Thanks Big Jim.
Rittenberg interviews Norwood Teague in video format.
This Louisville outlet thinks Rakeem Buckles is expected to make the move to Minnesota.
Boston Herald with a quick look at Malik Smith.
Amelia has a nice little Q&A with Smith.
Marcus Fuller recognizes that there is not one Minnesota born player on the current Gopher basketball roster.
Video of Trevor Mbakwe at the NBA workouts.
Finally, check out Corn Nation who watched the Gophers/Huskers baseball series last weekend and posted a really nice photo gallery.
I'll leave you with this from BHGP...

Snap Analysis: Gopher Football 2014 Schedule

2013-05-16T16:38:45Z

Were you like me? Were you pretty excited when word started hitting the twitters that the 2014 B1G schedule had been released?

Were you also like me in that when you looked over it you felt like you'd been kicked in the seeds?

Here is the full 2014 schedule.

Eastern Illinois
Middle Tennessee
@ TCU
San Jose State
@ Michigan
Bye
Northwestern
Purdue
@ Illinois
Bye
Iowa
Ohio State
@ Nebraska
@ Wisconsin

/deep cleansing breath //takes a drink of water

The Good:

The B1G finally took care of that pesky issue where we were hosting or travelling to Iowa & Wisconsin in the same year.

We get back to finishing the season with a TRUE rivalry game.

A bye week a bit later in the season will hopefully mean the Gophs can head into the final 1/3 of the schedule a bit fresher than previous years.

We get Iowa after a bye week and after Northwestern will have crushed their will to live the previous week.

The B1G home schedule, at this point, looks manageable.

The Bad:

Let's just skip to...

The Ugly:

The Gophers will travel to play three teams that could have CFB Playoff aspirations in 2014: @TCU, @Michigan and @Nebraska. (I contemplated bringing the number to 4 and adding the BADgers to this list, but SCREW 'EM!)

The final 3 games of the season are an absolute meat-grinder: home against OSU, then @Nebraska and @Wisconsin.

Like everyone else, we play just two teams that are not from our own division. Somehow the Gophers drew "The Big Two," in Ohio State & Michigan.

Conclusion:

We know a lot can happen between now and the fall of 2014. Heck, we're still months away from the 2013 season even kicking off. But if that's not one of the top 5 toughest schedules in the entire country heading into 2014, I will be shocked.

Sometimes it's nice to get those really difficult games at home. Maybe the home crowd is riled up that day, you catch lightning in a bottle, and you steal a game from someone you maybe shouldn't. But in 2014, with the exception of OSU, we play those games on the road.

The only road game on the slate, at this moment, that looks like a win, is @Illinois (insert Beckman/Zook jokes here).

So have at it TDG Community and Gopher faithful... what are your thoughts on the 2014 schedule? And is Jim Delany out to get us?

Minnesota Gopher Football - Athletic Dept Renegotiates Booze Deal, No Longer Lost Money in 2012

2013-05-16T15:00:38Z

I remember exactly where I was when I found out that the University of Minnesota managed to lose money selling alcohol at TCF Bank Stadium last season despite grossing over $900,000 in sales. I was at a computer. And I, like all of you, was SHOCKED that such a thing was possible.

"How could this be?" I wondered. Did it happen because the U wanted to lose money, thereby giving them an excuse to stop selling alcohol? Was it due to an inept and poorly written contract? Was someone skimming off the top? I mean, who loses money selling beer at a sports event???

Well thanks to the STrib, we have our answer...a contract with ridiculous terms that were somehow approved by the previous AD administration and the Board of Regents:

A review of the university’s recent agreements with Aramark, a Philadelphia-based company that has had contracts with the school since 1998, suggested that school officials initially might not have aggressively pushed for higher percentages of alcohol sales at the 50,720-seat TCF Bank Stadium.

Within months after the stadium opened in 2009, school officials agreed to get 22.5 percent of potential alcohol sales even though the university had previously agreed with Aramark on a much higher rate of non-alcohol concession sales at the stadium: 33.24 percent of non-alcohol concession sales up to $1 million, and 37.93 percent of concession sales above $2 million.

For the love of...REALLY? You had a tentative deal where Aramark was agreeing to give you 33.24% base with bumps to 37.93% and you somehow walk away with a final deal that gives you 22.5%. Words do not exist to describe that stupidity.

Ok, so who do we get to blame for this? We're a blame happy finger pointing society and I want to know who I can tar and feather with an angry diatribe.

It was not clear, however, how the deal that led to the school’s revenue loss at TCF Bank Stadium came about or who ultimately approved it. Benedict said he was hired by the school only last July and did not immediately tumble to the possibility the school would lose money.

So that's how you're going to play it? K, I don't believe you but the important thing is that you're going to fix this. Right? RIGHT!

The school and Aramark, one of the country’s largest concessionaires, have since been renegotiating the contract at the urging of university President Eric Kaler and athletic department officials, and a new agreement would raise the university’s percentage from 22.5 percent of net sales to 35 percent of net sales up to $475,000 and 40 percent of sales above $475,000 in the stadium’s general seating area. Using the new percentages, school officials said the university would make $110,000 this coming football season based on last year’s sales.

...

Benedict said Aramark, as part of the new agreement, also pledged to give the school $37,000 to help erase its first-year loss, but he said the move was not an attempt by the company to make sure its university contract was not jeopardized.

Anyone else buy that part at the end that I bolded? Me neither. It looks like the current athletics administration continues to recognize that the department is an $80 million dollar business and should be run that way. This makes me happy. Also making me happy?

School administrators said the new percentages at TCF Bank Stadium would be in place for one year — the school said it hopes to further raise the percentage — and that the 22.5 percent figure would still apply to alcohol sales in the stadium’s premium seating.

Bolding is once again mine. So after playing a little hardball the U plans to do it again in a year? YAIS! The monies...we wants more!

The story does have a few interesting and confusing elements that I'd like to call out:

In addition, the school said it would push to make sure the Vikings — who will temporarily play at TCF Bank Stadium in 2014 and 2015 while their new stadium is under construction — do not negotiate a more lucrative deal with Aramark while using the campus stadium.

1) Why does the U care? PR reasons?

2) What leverage does the U have to prevent such a thing?

The decision to sell alcohol at TCF Bank Stadium came after school officials had pushed the Legislature for something else: to sell alcohol only in the football stadium’s premium seating areas. School administrators indicated they had little time to assess the possibility of losing money because they had to quickly prepare an alternative plan when legislators last year insisted that alcohol also be made available in the stadium’s general seating areas.

I'm sorry, but that doesn't fly. Legislators had only been insisting on GA alcohol sales since 2009. It was not a new request. The whole point of the deal the U signed on to was to offer the school flexibility in how to administer GA sales, not to accommodate a last minute GA sales demand from the Legislature. I've been VERY critical of the grandstanding and (in my mind) unconstitutional demands made by the Legislature during this whole saga. I was content with this being the U's decision and would have been fine with the plan to sell only to the premium seat-holders. But anyone who has spent any time following this mess knows that the GA requirement is not new and that the U had ample time to consider how much money would be required to at least break even. Someone signed the U into a bad deal for last season and now they're just throwing out weak CYA excuses.

I really wish that was the end of the silliness. But a story like this wouldn't be complete without a "won't someone please think of the children" moment from someone at the U.

Board of Regents member Clyde Allen, however, defended the arrangement, and said prohibiting underage alcohol sales — and not making money — was the school’s top priority at the football stadium. "Making money on it is not really the main purpose of it," Allen said. "We’re more interested in being sure that we can control the sale of it."

There is a lot wrong with this response that I need to unpack:

1) Of course it's about making money. If it wasn't about making money, the U would have stuck to it's "principles" and let all of the arenas be dry. From the get-go, the problem with the situation was that not being able to sell booze in the premium areas meant you got less money for their contracts and it was more difficult to get companies/individuals to sign deals when there are plenty of other premium seat options in the marketplace that do offer alcohol.

2) I'm completely ok with the U being gung ho about stopping underage sales. But lets not pretend that by prempting underage sales that the U is doing much to actually prevent underage drinking. They're simply preventing the impression that the U is contributing to it.

3) It is entirely possible to both control the sale of the alcohol to prevent underage consumption and to make money. These are not mutually exclusive outcomes. You know how I know this Clay? Because earlier in the article the U reveals that under the renegotiated contract they'll make money. And they won't have to change the access controls that are already in place preventing underage consumption.

Moving On...

Ok, I've vented my annoyance over some of the silliness displayed by the U. Now it's time to talk positives.

- Teague and Kaler get it. They understand that this is a revenue stream, that they have leverage, and that there is no reason Aramark shouldn't be giving the U a higher percentage of the profits.

- The revenue estimates for the upcoming season are probably low due to the Badger and Hawkeye fans who will be visiting. One downside? Expect WAY more alcohol related bootings and arrests this season.

- The U is clearly past the concerns over whether to continue selling alcohol in the GA sections at TCF. The losing money thing would have been a great time to cut bait and drop the idea entirely. Instead they are doubling down and working out how to make more money. This is a good thing, not because we can drink at the stadium but because the department needs revenue.

But that's enough of what I think...

What are your thoughts on this whole saga?

The Daily Gopher Hangout! Watch Us Drink Bourbon and Talk Gopher Sports

2013-05-16T04:02:07Z

For the first time we got all five of the current TDG staff together to talk through all of the relevant Golden Gopher topics.

We begin with our bourbon drink of choice and move on to talk through hoops, football and the state of the athletic department under Norwood Teague. Enjoy...

It is kind of long so you may get a prize if you watch the entire 52 minutes, but you might enjoy. As stated, we begin with bourbon, then talk hoops, followed by football, then a few token minutes for hockey and finally the athletic department under Teague. If you need to try to skip around you can adjust accordingly.

Minnesota Gopher Baseball - The New Vikings Stadium Designers Are Oracles Into The Program's Future

2013-05-15T23:30:18Z

By now all the hoopla surrounding the Minnesota Vikings new stadium announcement has settled down. Lots of folks have written about why they love it, why they hate it, or why they don't care. Media outlets across Minnesota and the country have breathlessly reported all the details and added to the hype. And through all of this I have not heard a single media outlet talk about the single biggest storyline to come out of this whole stadium reveal...HKS Sports is staffed by individuals who can see into the future. I repeat, HKS SPORTS CAN FORSEE THE FATE OF GOPHER BASEBALL BEFORE IT EVEN HAPPENS!

My sources (who are way better than the ones who told me that Rex Burkhead's mom was dancing on a table) are reporting that HKS has assembled a team of fortune tellers and wizards to see into the beyond. And what they've found is that in the year 2019, Gopher baseball will be regularly selling out the new Vikings Stadium as they come off their 5th straight national title.

But why would HKS go to all that trouble just to let Gopher baseball fans know how awesome the program will be in the future? And why would such earth shattering news go unremarked upon in the media? I've puzzled it out, and the only reason (that makes any sense) is that there is a giant conspiracy between the founders of HKS, the fortune tellers/wizards, the heads of all the media conglomerates (perhaps even SB Nation?), and the crab people to keep all this quiet. I've diagrammed it all with this handy chart:

The only thing I'm missing is who the overall leader is and why they'd try to stop us all from knowing about what's about to happen. All I know is that this is the only thing that makes sense. I mean, it couldn't just be that HKS overestimated the attendance of an indoor Gopher baseball game by like 55,000 people. No, that's far too easy of an explanation. Wake up sheeple! That's what the mystery person wants you to think!

IN OTHER NEWS...

Don't the renderings of Gophers playing in the new stadium look sweet? That doesn't look like a terrible bad weather home at all. In retrospect, I'm beginning to wonder if I should have led with that thought instead of my completely sane theory about the images...

Oh, and if you're still reading, consider this an open thread. I had better stories in the pipeline but I was worried that the Gremlins in the SB Nation system might eat it before it could post. So you got this instead. Enjoy!

Big Ten Bowl Update - San Diego. Drink It In, It Always Goes Down Smooth.

2013-05-15T15:10:22Z

It's looking more and more like the Holiday Bowl will be among the new bowl destinations that Big Ten fans will have the opportunity to visit.

An industry source said the Holiday Bowl and Big Ten are close to finishing a six-year agreement. The bowl will pick second in the Pac-12 and third in the Big Ten after the playoff and access bowls make their selections starting with the 2014 season. Officials cautioned that no deals are final, but they are optimistic.

"I think when the dust settles, you can speculate that the Big Ten is coming (to the Holiday Bowl), and you’ll be OK," said the source with direct knowledge of discussions.

I know we like to rag on Jim Delany a bit here at TDG, but I've got nothing but love for this move. You stay classy Jim, you stay classy.

Holiday Bowl Thoughts

Yes, there are other new bowls that appear to be in the cards for the B1G but I don't want to talk about them yet. I want to talk about San Diego for a minute. Here are some key things to know about the city and it's history:

- It discovered by the Germans (something that makes the 50% of me that is of German ancestry very proud) and was named for the private lady parts of a whale.

- It is sunny a whole lot of the time! How much is a whole lot? Well according to this source I've never seen before it's 266 days of the year.

- ALL OF THE BEERS! San Diego is known for being a beer loving town. Seriously, there are TONS of places in the city/region to find brews:

- Visiting San Diego is an excuse to quote Anchorman and Top Gun (Miramar Naval Air Station is just north of the city) pretty much all the time. That's right friends, you can break out "A La Jolla man clings to life at a university hospital after being viciously attacked by a pack of wild dogs in an abandoned pool." while you are in La Jolla. And you can turn to your fellow travelers and say "good morning gentleman, the temperature is 110 degrees" as you pass Miramar on the way to Stone Brewing Company in Escondido. HOW AWESOME IS THAT? Awesome enough that you might find yourself overwhelmed and in a glass case of emotion.

- One of the best burgers I've ever had can be found at Karl Straus Brewing in La Jolla.

- Coronado Beach is lovely.

via www.middletonteam.com

- If you're a golfer you can finally get a chance to play Torrey Pines South.

- The San Diego Zoo has pandas. Nothing more needs to be said.

The Rest Of The New Bowls

Here's how the rest of the bowl changes seem to break down:

- The Music City Bowl is back on the calendar every other season. In the years the B1G isn't in the bowl that the Gophers own, the spot will be filled by the Gator Bowl. I've heard good things about Nashville and am supportive of this move.

- The Pinstripe Bowl will be added. As I've noted previously, this is cool with me. We're a cold weather conference, why not play a cold weather game in a market we want TV carriage in that also happens to be a sweet city to visit.

- The MCCBoT will be dropped in favor of the Heart of Dallas Bowl. I dislike this move but honestly, does it really matter that much? Neither city is an extremely desirable visit.

While not set in stone, this news is looking pretty solid. What are you thoughts on the changes?

Poll

Which potential new bowl are you most excited about?

Minnesota Gopher Basketball - Joe Coleman to Transfer?

2013-05-15T03:29:13Z

So I'm minding my own business watching The Voice with Mrs. GoAUpher (I will banhammer anyone who questions my decisions in this regard) when my comfortable was interrupted by breaking rumors on Twitter...

Aware of the #Gophers hoops transfer rumors. 1 source said he wouldn't be surprised, but didn't disclose a name. Aware of the name floating.
— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) May 14, 2013

Well then. Cryptic enough but not totally out of the blue (see the comments section of yesterday's Nugz). But who could it be?

@afurry I know :) ... just want on a 2nd connected non-Gophers authority before I run with a name. Need to sift through a bit more.
— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) May 14, 2013

Ok, so Doogie wants to be all journalistic on this. That's cool. But seriously though, these commercials between contestants being saved are killing me. Can't you give me a little more?

As first reported by @collegebbnews, word is Joe Coleman & Pitino will chat tomorrow. Nothing on Joe's future is set in stone yet. #gophers
— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) May 15, 2013

Now we're getting somewhere. But seriously, let's wrap this up Doogie. If this is all a fake out and you tell me that Andre is transferring at the same time America foolishly allows Garrett to get voted off I'm gonna be really pissed.

Update just now on Joe Coleman from someone close to him: "Joe has asked for his release." #gophers
— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) May 15, 2013

So, it's Joe then. If this all proves true, I for one will be very disappointed that he's leaving. First, because that means he's going to be super awesome somewhere else because why not and second, because replacing his production won't be as easy as some people think.

Mostly, I'm interested in trying to find out if this was a Joe initiated move, a RP initiated move, or a mutual thing. Yes, we probably won't know the answer to this and it doesn't really matter at the end of that day. Still, I'd like to know.

Some jerk out there on Twitter is already asking who we should blame for this if it turns out to be accurate...

Are we gonna count this against Tubby's or Rich's transfer counter?
— Matt H. (@MVofDT) May 15, 2013

What a Gopher hating moron this guy is. What kind of fool would bother to engage such idiocy?

Maturi, duh. Thanks a lot Joel! RT @mvofdt: Are we gonna count this against Tubby's or Rich's transfer counter?
— Chris H. (@GoAUpher) May 15, 2013

Oh.

So what do you think of this news (that is still only a rumor, albeit a smoking one)?

Poll

If Joe Coleman transfers I will be...

Golden Nugz - 5.13.13 - Super Fast Links

2013-05-13T15:10:31Z

Busy start to the day in Job A world so I'm going to hit the high points. First, an update on how things went for Baseball and Softball this weekend.

Baseball

- An 8-0 loss on Sunday gave the Huskers the series win over the weekend. This is the first B1G series the Gophers have lost all season.

- The 2 losses dropped the Gophers into a tie for 2nd with OSU and Nebraska as the season enters it's final week.

Team	B1G Record	Pct.	Overall Record	Pct.
Indiana	15-6	.714	38-11	.776
Ohio State	14-7	.667	33-18	.647
Minnesota	12-6	.667	29-18	.617
Nebraska	14-7	.667	23-26	.469
Illinois	12-9	.571	31-15	.674
Michigan	12-9	.571	27-23	.540
Michigan State	10-8	.556	29-16	.644
Northwestern	9-15	.375	22-23	.489
Iowa	7-14	.333	19-27	.413
Purdue	6-15	.286	17-30	.362
Penn State	3-18	.143	12-34	.261

- Here's the breakdown for each of the top 6 teams with regards to their final series (all series are 3 games):

(1) Indiana at (2T) Ohio State

(5T) Illinois at (2T) Minnesota

(5T) Michigan at (2T) Nebraska

No one team has a final series that is significantly easier, and all 6 teams should be scrapping because of the B1G Tourney implications. The Big Ten Tournament is a 6 team double elimination event where the top 2 seeds get first round byes. And as of today, all 6 of the teams listed above are "in" for the B1G Tourney with the top 4 teams having the best shot at one of the byes. It should be an interesting finish to the season.

- The Gophers will have 2 of their final 3 games available for viewing on Big Ten Network. The series opening on Thursday, 5/16 is scheduled for 3:05pm while the 2nd game on Friday, 5/17 will air at 2:05pm.

- Reusse is typical Reusse and writes nice things about the Gophers in one piece before ragging on the U in the next.

Softball

- The softball team also had a rough go of things on Sunday, losing to Wisconsin 9-3 in the Big Ten Tournament title game. That disappointment didn't last though, as the Gopher women earned their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2003 later in the day.

- The Gophers earned a spot in the Washington Regional in Seattle.

Minnesota (35-17) will face Hawai'i (43-11) on Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT, with host No. 11 Washington (38-15) playing Portland State (25-29) at 8:00 p.m. CT.

On Saturday, game times are 3:00 p.m. CT (winner’s bracket), 5:30 p.m. CT (consolation bracket) and 8:00 p.m. CT (elimination game). Sunday, the championship game will be at 3:00 p.m. CT, and a second game will be played at 5:30 p.m. CT if necessary.

- Here's how the regional looks (full tournament bracket here):

Seattle Regional – May 17-19 at Seattle, Wash.
Friday, May 17
3:30 p.m. - Minnesota (35-17) vs. Hawai`i (43-11)
6:00 p.m. - No. 11 seed Washington (38-15) vs. Portland State (25-29)

Saturday, May 18
1:00 p.m. – Winner's Bracket
3:30 p.m. – Consolation Bracket
6:00 p.m. – Elimination Bracket

Sunday, May 19
1:00 p.m. – Championship Game
3:30 p.m. – Championship Game (if necessary)

- The Gophers overcame a slot start to finish the season strong:

The Gophers started this season 3-6, but they have gone 32-11 since that point in spite of the fact they played just six games this season in Minneapolis. Minnesota went 14-6 in the Big Ten to finish in third place, its best finish in the conference since a second-place finish during 1999. The Gophers also advanced to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 1999.

This season marked Minnesota's third-straight 30-plus win season under Allister. It's the first time the Gophers have accomplished that since 2004.

Track and Field

- Friday was a big day for Gopher seniors Miach Hegerle and Quentin Mege, as they finished 1st and 2nd in the hammer throw at the B1G Track and Field championships.

Hegerle won his second title in the hammer with a toss of 214 feet, 4 inches. He also won the event in 2010. Mege, throwing with a broken hand, threw 205-2 for second place. He was the defending champion.

- Hegerle and Mege weren't the only Gophers to have good weekends at the meet:

Harun Abda won the 800-meter run and Zach Siegmeier won the pole vault, helping the Gophers record a second-place finish in the Big Ten outdoor track and field championships in Columbus, Ohio. The Gophers scored 93 points, runner-up to Nebraska’s 131.5.

Abda posted a winning time of 1:48.64, edging Penn State’s Casimir Loxsom by 0.03 seconds. Gophers teammate Travis Burkstrand finished third in 1:49.74.

Siegmeier cleared 17 feet, 1 inch for his first Big Ten title. Gophers senior Oladipo Fagbemi took second in the triple jump at 50-10¾.

Tennis

- The Gophers defeated Virginia Commenwealth in their first NCAA tournament matchup but fell to Virginia in the second round.

- The STrib profiled two members of the men's tennis squad, Rok Bonin and Leandro Toledo, before the weekend.

Football

- Joe C has more on the great story of OC Matt Limegrover's weight loss journey. It's a great story and worth a read. The quick summary?

January 2012: Gophers offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover weighed 403 pounds. He had a 61-inch waist, a 22-inch neck and a body mass index (BMI) of 50.9. A BMI of more than 40 is considered morbidly obese.

May 2012: Underwent gastric bypass surgery.

May 2013: Limegrover weighs 235 pounds, the same level he’s been for more than four months. He has a 42-inch waist, an 18-inch neck and a BMI of 29.0.

Facilities

- The new Vikings stadium design is unveiled today and the question is "fixed roof or moveable roof?"

- The Golden State Warriors are trying to get a deal in place for a sweet new San Fran arena.

via i.cdn.turner.com

Smorgasbord

- This craft beer map is cool but seems to be missing an important MN brew...

via fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net