Herbie irreplaceable as dreamer, schemer, and friend
ItÂ’s been a couple of days now, but it still hasnÂ’t sunk in. Herb Brooks canÂ’t really be gone.
Ever since that moment on Monday afternoon, when my cell phone rang during an auto-writing trip to California, and I was informed that Brooks had been killed in a one-vehicle rollover accident on Interstate 35 just south of Forest Lake, there has been a haunting, unrealistic feeling about accepting the fact that Herbie is dead.
If he hadnÂ’t become one of my best friends over the last 40 years, in a relationship where we felt mutually comfortable sharing confidences about any subject, I would still feel the emptiness of his loss. As a Minnesotan interested in hockey, there is a grief that wonÂ’t go away, because Herbie was the single icon who has taken the game to heights others canÂ’t imagine. There is not going to be another like him, who can take a player, a team, a state, a country, and a world, and lift them to a special plateau.
But he was my friend, and that makes it harder to accept. He was a unique, special person who made distinct impacts on my entire family almost as if we were part of his family. Most people wonÂ’t be able to comprehend what his loss will mean to his wife, Patti, or to his son, Danny, and daughter, Kelly, and their young families. But my family can, because the loss is almost as gripping to us, and to people everywhere who understand the sport of hockey and its impact on the emotions of Minnesota.
HerbieÂ’s funeral will be Saturday morning, at the St. Paul Cathedral. Maybe by then, IÂ’ll be able to accept it, to rise from the grief and celebrate the fantastic things this man achieved, while trying to overcome the emptiness of knowing only a few of his objectives that will now be forever undone.
I first met Herbie just after he had finished his college hockey career at the University of Minnesota, in the days when he was an assistant coach to Glen Sonmor at Minnesota and played for U.S. National teams and the Olympic teams of 1964 and Â’68. He was a fluid, smooth skater who understood the game from his proud days as an East-sider at St. Paul Johnson. But his scope of the game was different, even then.
He didn’t believe that hockey had to be played in the traditional Canadian manner which became the standard NHL style – up and down lanes, dumping the puck and chasing after it so feverishly it made you wonder why you gave it away in the first place. The European style of puck-control, played particularly by the Soviets, seemed so much more logical.
And yet, he appreciated the effect of hard-socking bodychecks and fiery spirit in place from the best elements of the North American game, which replaced the EuropeansÂ’ total devotion to skating and emotionless discipline. He dreamed of combining the two into a hybrid system that, at that time, existed only in his fertile mind.
When Brooks became head coach of the Gophers in 1972, the team was in shambles. He reassembled it, and, over seven years, raised it to heights that will remain incomprehensible to younger fans, who justifiably celebrate the current two straight NCAA championships won by the Gophers. The game was more ferocious then, played at a higher caliber in the WCHA with ageless Tier I Canadian junior hockey graduates allowed to participate freely. Against players of a caliber that college hockey wonÂ’t see again representing Denver, North Dakota, Michigan Tech, Michigan, and a dozen Eastern colleges, Brooks built homegrown teams mostly right from high school and inspired them to win the first three NCAA titles in Gopher history, in 1974, Â’76 and Â’79.
A year later, the whole country adopted Herbie when he hand-picked a gang of college players and took on the world – literally. Everyone knows he achieved the impossible with Team USA in 1980, beating a Soviet Union team that absolutely was the best ever to play the game – a team potent enough to have humiliated the best National Hockey League all-stars just one year earlier, and which had demolished Team USA 10-3 in Madison Square Garden as a stopover exhibition on their way to Lake Placid.
How could wide-eyed young men named Pavelich, Harrington, Verchota, Broten, Baker, Schneider, Christoff, Christian, McClanahan, Ramsey and the rest beat men named Tretiak, Kharlamov, Petrov, Mikhailov, Maltsev and other Soviet legends who ranked among the best men to ever play the game? Simple. It was the magic of Herb Brooks. U.S. captain Mike Eruzione has said that Brooks always believed Team USA could beat the Russians and win the gold. IÂ’m not sure of that, but he didnÂ’t have to believe it, as long as he could convince his players that he believed it, so they should.
Think about it: In a seven-year span, from 1974 through 1980, Brooks coached three NCAA hockey championship teams, one NCAA runner-up, and completed the run by directing an Olympic team to the greatest sports upset and sports accomplishment in competitive athletic history.
It is winning that will define Herbie historically, including his successful NHL terms with the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Minnesota North Stars, and part of an interim season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But winning is an unfortunate measuring stick. A better one was how those teams played, how they were inspired, pushed, conned, coaxed and driven to personal peaks by Brooks, proving that success is best measured when athletes contribute their individual best to a teamÂ’s collective success.
Some of his best players, even Olympians, didnÂ’t see the Brooks magic. He drove them too hard, to achieve something that ultimately seemed within their grasp all along. “All he did,†some of them said back then, “was let us play.†They didnÂ’t learn until later the value of playing for a coach who selected them for their talent, pushed them to expand their abilities beyond their own perceived limits, then blended it all in a web of improvisational tactics that repeatedly brought spectacular results. He called it, simply, “sophisticated pond hockey.Ââ€
He was at his best building, creating and then demanding more, always more, from the elements he started with toward what only he perceived. If his projections were higher than his observers, or even his players, too bad – Herbie’s teams were always Herbie’s Teams, and they did it his way.
He was just as tough off the ice, sometimes almost blindly pursuing his objectives. Herbie was the most critical voice in American hockey, and he challenged the USA Hockey organization many times. USA Hockey could often just ignore, or blackball, a critic here or there, but they couldnÂ’t do that to Brooks. Most recently, Herbie battled USA Hockey to forget about selecting a few elite players at great expense with two Ann Arbor development teams, and to instead invest that same money to develop a broad base of excellence among hundreds of young prospects.
He had visions of paving the way to make U.S. hockey development rise to the level of the worldÂ’s best, ranging from structure to conditioning to practice regimens to game tactics. While his favorite style is the opposite of the dump-and-chase, chip-it-off-the-plexiglass game that now reigns at the top of North American hockey schemes, he was pragmatic enough to know that dumping the puck into the opposing zone could be excellent as a tactic, even if it was repulsive as a style.
Often at odds with USA Hockey, they joined forces again in 2002, and Brooks returned to coach Team USA. It was fascinating to watch Brett Hull, Jeremy Roenick, Mike Modano and other brilliant NHLers respond willingly, almost gleefully, to Brooks and become the best team all through the Olympic Games at Salt Lake City – undefeated until the Gold Medal game, when an awesome but underachieving Canadian team rose up to beat the U.S.
Most people celebrate that Silver Medal, but Herbie never did. He knew his team fell short. Just barely short, but short, nonetheless.
Herbie was 66, but he never showed signs of slowing down as director of player development for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and as an icon for Minnesota and U.S. hockey excellence.
But to our family, he was just Herbie. His effect on my whole family was indelible. When my wife, Joan, worked at a physical therapy clinic, Herb came to her for treatment of his occasional aches and pains, and he always insisted that she was the only one who could relieve his agony.
His phone and ours were identical except for the last digit, and since we called each other frequently, every few weeks the phone would ring, Joan would answer, and the voice would say, “…Patti?†Then Herb would realize he had dialed our number instead of his own, and they’d talk for a half-hour. When I called, it was usually for a specific purpose, but if Patti answered, we’d invariably end up with a lengthy conversation, whether Herb was there or not.
When my older son, Jack, was a youngster, Herbie asked him to be his teamÂ’s stick boy. He was excited to haul sticks and stand on the bench with a Minnesota jerseyÂ’s sleeves hanging well below his fingertips at old Williams Arena, watching some memorable performances as the first two Gopher championship teams came together.
When my younger son, Jeff, was a 7-year-old Mite, Herb, knowing he had learned something about the game from scrapping with his older brother, let him into his hockey school for 9-10-year-olds. Herb came and sat with me in the Roseville Arena seats to watch for a few minutes, just as a goalie who was at least a foot taller got behind Jeff in line for drills. The goalie pushed the little kid, then pushed again. After being shoved several times, suddenly Jeff whirled around and socked the big kid, right on the goalie mask. Herbie erupted in laughter. He loved to repeat that story over and over in my presence. Even in that instance, you could tell he enjoyed the little guy smacking the big one.
Jeff was out in Bellingham, Wash., Joan and Jack were in the Twin Cities, and I was on a work-related trip to CaliforniaÂ’s Napa Valley on Monday, August 11, when the hockey world stopped spinning. Jeff happened to have the TV in his apartment that afternoon and the Xtreme Sports, or whatever, that was on was underscored by a crawling line that read, tersely: “US Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks killed in car crash.Ââ€
It was only minutes before we all talked to each other by phone. We all choked back tears, some of us better than others.
Everybody, not just hockey zealots, can take inspiration from Herb Brooks and his inner drive to succeed – every day and in any endeavor. But from now on, it’s going to be a lot tougher, because Herbie is gone, incomprehensible as that may be. And there is no one who can ever take his place.
Titan loaded and ready to invade full-size pickup turf
YOUNTVILLE, CALIF. — Nissan executives insisted that it was a complete oversight when they selected the Silverado Winery for a Napa Valley dinner meeting earlier this week, during the automotive media introduction of the new Titan pickup truck. The dinner was at the Silverado Winery. I asked if they were unable to find an “F150 Winery.Ââ€
The irony, of course, is that the Titan is the first truly full-size pickup truck ever built by a Japanese company, and it is invading the hallowed territory dominated by the Ford F150, the Chevrolet Silverado and the Dodge Ram. At the same time, Nissan unveiled the Pathfinder Armada sport-utility vehicle, a full-sized SUV built on the Titan platform and aimed directly at the Chevy Tahoe/Suburban and Ford Expedition market.
Both vehicles appear to have the potential to make serious inroads in both segments. For Japanese companies to do well in the SUV field is not surprising, given their history, but the full-size pickup segment is another story, because even ToyotaÂ’s success with the Tundra has created the impression that Japanese companies arenÂ’t interested in building true full-size pickups. The Titan shatters that illusion.
The Titan pickup will be built entirely in the U.S., assembled at the new $1.43-billion Canton, Miss., plant where the just-introduced Quest minivan shares the building, and with its powerful new 5.6-liter V8 engines built at another entirely new facility in Decherd, Tenn. Production will start in October, with the first Titans finding their way to dealerships in December. Pricing will be announced later, but it will probably range from $20,000 to just over $30,000, like the competition.
Bristling with innovations – such as a stylishly-sculptured exterior, 168-degree opening rear door on the King Cab and luxury-car rear seat features on the full Crew Cab, and factory sprayed bedliner – the Titan rolls up its sleeves for the challenge of heavy duty. The 5.6-liter V8 has 305 horsepower and 379 foot-pounds of torque and a standard five-speed automatic transmission, and has a towing capacity of 9,500 pounds. The 379 foot-pounds is class-leading torque, and 90 percent of it is attained before the free-revving engine gets to 2,500 RPMs.
The Titan is swift and smooth with the chain-driven dual-overhead-camshaft V8 and exceptional suspension. It handled both curvy highways and rugged gravel roads in the mountainous area flanking Napa Valley with equal poise. Styling is subjective, but the bulging fenders and aggressive front end are impressively blended.
The main challenge, Nissan executives concede, is one of perception. Nothing is more traditionally American in the automotive world than full-size pickup trucks. They have been called the truly unique American vehicle, because other countries simply havenÂ’t seen the need for trucks that haul the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers all across the United States. Japanese manufacturers have built very good mini and compact pickups, but their crowded streets and regulations prohibit any demand for full-size half-ton pickups.
In the U.S., full-size pickup trucks went from being workers to commuter vehicles, following the SUV trend by adding extended-cab rear jump seats, then full “crew cab†rear seats. Their vastly increased popularity was accompanied by enormously increased profitability for Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge.
For the 2002 model year, Ford sold 813,701 F150s, continuing its headlock on the position of being the largest-selling vehicle. Chevrolet sold 651,846 Silverados to rank No. 2, and Dodge sold 396,934 Rams to continue its surge among the top four vehicles sold in the country. General Motors also sold 202,045 full-size pickups under the GMC brand name.
Chevrolet, it must be added, sold 89,372 Avalanche specialty trucks as well, boosting total Chevy sales to 742,218, and, of course, the GMC is basically a resurfaced Chevy pickup with a few different features, and combining them all would reach 944,263 – eclipsing Ford’s pride without even dipping into the Cadillac Escalade version of the Avalanche. Toyota invaded the segment somewhat carefully with its Tundra, which is best described as “near-full-size,†a few years ago and found immediate success with a well-crafted and high-tech pickup. Toyota sold 99,333 Tundras in 2002, a solid number, to be sure, in what clearly is the major league of profit.
“WeÂ’re going up to the big leagues,†said Jed Connelly, vice president of sales and marketing. “But if youÂ’re going to the big leagues with a big-league fastball, you can be successful.Ââ€
For spring training, Nissan made perhaps the biggest hit of the North American Auto Show in Detroit in January with the unveiling of the Titan, and now itÂ’s ready to dig in at home plate. Obviously, NissanÂ’s intent is to continue its hot streak by hitting another home run with the Titan. To hear the executives talk, however, youÂ’d think theyÂ’re willing to settle for a double or triple.
NissanÂ’s caution might be wise, in a flat market that has been affected by the depressed economy, indending to build 100,000 Titans, staying at the half-ton level, and leaving the larger truck market to Ford, Chevy and Dodge.
“There are two categories of [full-size] pickup customers, traditional and modern buyers,†said Larry Dominique, chief product specialist for Titan. “The traditional buyers are the classic, rural buyers that were highly brand-loyal and bought millions of trucks. The modern buyers are those suburban families who wanted pickups for driving to work, towing boats, and for modern suburban lifestyles. WeÂ’re primarily aiming at the modern buyers, because we know, going in, that a large segment of traditional buyers wonÂ’t consider us, initially.Ââ€
The key, operative word there is “initially.†While it’s true that hard-core truck buyers are extremely brand loyal, especially to the polarized Ford and Chevy camps, Dodge proved a breakthrough was possible. Toyota chipped away, and while the Tundra isn’t full-size, its amenities prove that even traditional buyers can appreciate high-tech advances in a pickup world that has remained mostly conventional. Ford, which has been most progressive among the “Big Three,†just introduced an all-new F150, with many high-tech engine advances.
Nissan, however, has made large advances throughout the industry in the last two years, ranging from the 350Z sports car, Altima and Maxima sedans, Murano SUV, accompanying Infiniti upscale models, and the just-introduced Quest minivan. TitanÂ’s style and appearance might lure modern buyers, but a solid chunk of those 100,000 trucks might be claimed by traditional truck-buyers who see Titans powering right past their brand-loyalty tradition.
In their market research, Nissan noted dwindling interest in short-box pickups and strictly two-seat regular-cabs, so it isnÂ’t building them. Marketing criticism of existing trucks included lack of cargo room, mundane styling, rear-opening doors that didnÂ’t open far enough to allow easy access to rear areas on extended-cab models, and roominess in the second-row seats, so Titan stresses advances on those counts.
The Titan has class-leading headroom both front and rear in the Crew Cab, plus best (40.4-inch) rear legroom, largest interior volume (126 cubic feet). Its class-leading torque and towing capacity are complemented by the greatest ground clearance among large-truck 4x4s at 10.3 inches for the rear axle, and the best approach angle of 32 degrees in front because of the snub-nosed, short overhang.
The full-length boxed ladder frame has three skidplates with double-wishbone front suspension. The floor shifter is gated for side-to-side selection between 1-2 and 4-5, which is handy to manually avoid automatic up and down shifts in various street and work duties. The box a consistent, factory-applied textured bedliner to avoid scratches and the tendency for cargo to slide around, and also has a unique Utili-track channel all the way around the upper inside, with forged aluminum cleats for tie-down versatility anywhere inside the box. A sliding and foldaway box extender, and a lockable bedside storage bin for tools are other neat features.
The King Cab, which has a 6-foot, 7-inch bed, is projected to be 60 percent of Titan sales, with 40 percent full four-door Crew Cab, with a 5-foot, 7-inch box. The base XE worker and off-road model is aimed at 20 percent of sales, with the mid-range SE, which also comes with an off-road package, at 60 percent and the upscale LE the other 20 percent.
The Titan will be beaten to market by the Armada, which insists on the Pathfinder prefix for brand identity reasons, even though the Pathfinder will continue as a popular midsize SUV.
The Armada gives Nissan a complete array of SUVs, as a flagship covering the large-SUV segment. It uses Titan power and handles well on all manner of roads with its independent rear suspension added to the Titan platform. The Armada, shown first at the New York Auto Show in April, is starting production right now, and will be hitting showrooms in just over a month.
(John Gilbert can be reached by e-mail at jgilbert@duluth.com. His website is www.jwgilbert.com.)
Gophers ride early blitz to shock Ferris State 7-4
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. — MinnesotaÂ’s hockey players insisted after Friday nightÂ’s 9-2 romp over Mercyhurst that they had to refocus for a much stiffer test from CCHA champ Ferris State, which had eliminated North Dakota 5-2 in the semifinals. They said they knew they couldnÂ’t expect to gain a 3-0 lead in the first 15 minutes, the way they had against Mercyhurst.
No, the Gophers needed only 6 minutes and 9 seconds to score three goals, and the quick start left Ferris State reeling and a crowd of 9,622 at the first regional held at Mariucci Arena in a frenzy as
Minnesota’s five-goal first-period barrage Saturday afternoon led to a 7-4 victory in the West Region championship game.
The victory sends the Gophers (26-8-9) on a return trip to the NCAA Frozen Four, where they will get a chance to defend their NCAA title in a semifinal matchup against Michigan, April 10 in Buffalo, N.Y.
The Bulldogs did respond for two goals by Chris Kunitz to trail only 5-2 at the first intermission, but after Kunitz went out with an injury, the Gophers offset two later Bulldog goals with goals of their own in the second and third periods.
So deep is MinnesotaÂ’s talent that Gino Guyer, who set an NCAA Regional record with five assists against Mercyhurst, didnÂ’t even register a point and his wingers, Grant Potulny — who had a hat trick against Mercyhurst — and Barry Tallackson also failed to score a goal.
The other three lines eagerly jumped into the spotlight, led by freshman Thomas Vanek’s two goals. Minnesota was never threatened, outshooting the Bulldogs 49-20, and along with Vanek’s two sensational goals, Matt Koalska, Keith Ballard, Jake Fleming, Matt DeMarchi and Jon Waibel added one each.
“The growth of this team is as good as any team IÂ’ve ever had,†said Minnesota coach Don Lucia. “Losing the players we did from last season, and having such a young team, with only one senior, and then having all the injuries we did, I think we developed some mental toughness. We never lost two in a row all season.Ââ€
Quick starts have not been a weapon in the Gopher arsenal this season, as more often they have had to rally after getting off to sluggish starts. LuciaÂ’s message must have gotten through. They scored three goals in the first 5:25 to beat Colorado College last weekend in the WCHA playoff final, and Friday they scored at 1:15 and 4:33 of the first period in blowing out Mercyhurst.
But Saturday they outdid those accomplishments, scoring in an NCAA regional record 13 seconds after the opening faceoff. Ferris State star forward Kunitz – who left the game in the second period after a knee-to-thigh collision with Ballard – threw an errant clearing pass up the middle shortly after the opening faceoff. DeMarchi held the puck in at the blue line and flipped the puck back in. It passed the goal on the right and hit the end boards, where Vanek backhanded a pass right back out front, and Koalska slammed it past goalie Mike Brown at 0:13.
On the next shift, Potulny got the puck to Ballard, who cut to the slot and scored at 1:38 for a 2-0 jump. Fleming curled to the slot out of the right corner while exchanging passes with Garrett Smaagaard, and snapped in another at 6:09.
Kunitz got the first of his two goals for the Bulldogs when he flipped a 55-foot wrist shot that eluded Justin Johnson at 12:02. Vanek came back at 12:41, intercepting a bad cross-ice breakout try and waltzing in alone on the left side to pick the upper right corner of the net.
At 4-1, the Gopher crowd rose in a standing ovation at a television time-out with 3:58 to go in the first period – possibly another NCAA regional record, for earliest standing ovation – but Kunitz scored another shorthanded goal at 17:48 when he flung one from deep in the left corner that glanced in off Johnson.
Even then, the Gophers wouldnÂ’t allow the Bulldogs any life. DeMarchi came right back at 18:54 to cap the period with a power-play blast from center-point for the 5-2 lead at the first intermission.
“My hatÂ’s off to Minnesota,†said Ferris defenseman Troy Milam. “There was nothing they could do wrong in that first period, and everything they touched was either on net or in.Ââ€
The Gophers outshot Ferris State 25-5 in that opening period, but Ferris State didnÂ’t fold. Travis Weber replaced Johnson in goal for Minnesota, and was solid until the Bulldogs closed the gap when Derek Nesbitt scored his teamÂ’s second shorthanded goal midway through the second period. Vanek followed that with a last-minute tally, slipping the puck through defenseman Matt YorkÂ’s skates, picking it up on the other side in the left circle, and shooting past BrownÂ’s glove to the upper right corner.
It was the 29th goal of the season for the Gopher freshman from Austria, who was later voted tournament most valuable player for his flashy moves.
At 6-3, the third period saw Ferris close in again, when Phil Lewandowski scored on a rebound at 2:04, but the Gophers, in cruise control, finished when Jon Waibel converted FlemingÂ’s pass from behind the net at 10:31.
“I had to collect myself after the first period,†said Ferris State coach Bob Daniels, still shaken by the sudden end for a team that went 31-10-1. “Minnesota scored so quickly, it put us back on our heels. And as the goals mounted, we started losing our composure.
“Minnesota deserves a lot of credit. TheyÂ’ve got a terrific team, and theyÂ’re very deep and talented. I thought we did a good job of getting it back together, and we wanted to get within two goals, because if you can be within two in the last few minutes, youÂ’re still in the game.Ââ€
Asked about MinnesotaÂ’s home-ice advantage, something Michigan also enjoys as a regional host, Daniels said: “I donÂ’t know how you can avoid it at this point. It would be ideal to have neutral sites, but I donÂ’t know if IÂ’d want to replace the atmosphere we had in here. It was an awesome environment for college hockey.Ââ€
All-new Acura TL rates car of the year for all weather
Everywhere you look, somebody is naming a car of the year award, and there are a lot of valid candidates. But the list gets a lot smaller if the criteria included driving eas in the snow-belt, where, especially in an industrial-strength winter like this one, the Acura TL might be an easy winner.
Acura is HondaÂ’s upscale line, introduced because Honda didnÂ’t want to see its customers mature from Civics to Accords and then to Mercedes, BMW or Audi as their earnings peaked and led them toward a luxury brand. At first there was the top Acura Legend, the Vigor and the Integra, and they evolved to the alpha-numeric 3.5 RL, and the middle sized 3.2 TL. The Integra went away for a couple of years, reappearing in the past year as the TSX.
The 3.2 TL and the 3.5RL both shared one appearance item. They were classy, but straight, slab-sided, and pretty unexciting to look at. I always thought the mid-size TL was more impressive than the top RL, because it had adequate room, and a much sportier feel. More recently, Acura presented a “Type-S†version of the TL, which jacked up the horsepower and firmed up the handling, although it was still encased in an undramatic body shell.
When Acura came out with the RSX coupe a year ago, and this yearÂ’s TSX four-door, both sharing dramatic and fresh lines, the bigger sedans looked even more dated, and BMWÂ’s 5-Series passed the TL as the leading seller in the segment, with the TL barely holding second, ahead of the Lexus ES300. Acura market research showed that TL owners liked the handling, performance and comfort of the TL, but those who bought something else said stodgy exterior styling and the lack of features were the main TL turnoffs.
For 2004, the TL gets a thorough makeover, and a sensational new outer appearance, more spacious interior, and endless features, should hold its repeat buyers and conquer a lot of those who consider it among the impressive mid-luxury segment. The new TL styling is as bold as its predecessor was boring, and performance is improved to the point that there is no Type-S model, and, frankly, none is required, while the price, at just over $32,000, is reasonable for all you get.
There is a trend among automakers to return to front engine/rear drive, the conventional system that Mercedes and BMW never abandoned during the front-wheel drive trend that swept the industry. Ever-increasing power is the reason some companies are going back to rear-drive, but thankfully, for those of us who drive cars in winters, Honda has remained steadfast with front-wheel drive both for its basic cars and SUVs, and also for its upscale Acura line.
Too much horsepower can overwhelm the front wheels, which are already doing heavy duty to steer and carry the disproportionate weight of the engine. Honda engineers told me at the carÂ’s introduction last October that the TLÂ’s new power increase, which is up to 270 from the 3.2-liter V6, is getting near the practical limit for front-wheel drive. The lingering suspicion is that Honda might consider all-wheel drive for future TLÂ’s, or when the larger RL gets its needed turn to be revised.
In their attempt to make the TL a sophisticated sports sedan, combining its usual sporty handling with more comfort, improved safety and upgraded performance, Acura set the BMW 5 as the benchmark for performance and the Lexus ES300 as the benchmark for comfort, but also looked at the Audi A4, the Volvo S60 and the Mercedes C230 for combinations of those features. Priced at just over $32,000, the Acura TL may now become the benchmark for those cars, coming with more impressive standard equipment than could be expected – or even imagined. It also has EPA estimates of 30 miles per gallon highway and 20 city, while meeting ultra-low-emission LEV-2-ULEV standards.
The TL is plenty sporty, with great handling from the four-wheel independent suspension, with double-wishbone architecture at all four corners – similar to a high-level race car in both design and precision. Front and rear stabilizer bars further enhance the stiffened new body, making the new TL a standout for everyday traffic or emergency handling. According to Acura designers, the new TL now beats the 2003 BMW 530 benchmark sedan in g-forces measuring handling stability. By using aluminum in the subframe, Acura saved significant weight, making the car 30 kilograms lighter than the old TL, while using high-strength steel for 48 percent of the body to improve safety, and structurally stiffening the frame’s torsional rigidity by 24 percent, pushing it past BMW’s impressive levels.
Acura has truly set apart the TL for performance enthusiasts with a masterstroke of design differentiation. To start with, 270 horsepower means an increase of 45 horsepower from the 2003 model, and 10 horsepower better than last yearÂ’s potent Type-S model. The standard automatic transmission is a 5-speed, which you can get with a manual control to shift for yourself, where it is calibrated to hold shifts to the rev-limiter. But the big news, for performance types, is that you also can choose a 6-speed manual transmission, which offers far more than just the stick.
The stick-shift version also has higher-performance tires for more stable cornering, and the difference is immediately noticed if you drive both cars around a performance track one after the other. The automatic was very good, but the stick TL felt ready to race when we drove the cars at Pacific Raceway near Seattle. Acura officials anticipate selling 85 percent with automatic, and 15 percent with the sticks, but the manual availability puts the TL up there with the sportiest BMWs and Audis.
High-flow dual exhausts, and new casting of the manifolds into the cylinder heads, lifts the TL power to 270 horses at 6,200 RPMs, while the torque is an impressive 238 foot-pounds at 5,000 RPMs. As fun as the TL is to drive on a racetrack, it is also thoroughly enjoyable on highways in the real world – even in winter. Acura went with Bridgestone tires for high performance, and gained on foul-weather traction at the same time. With all that power, there were only faint hints of torque-steer, which I found were just enough to reassure you that you’re driving with front-wheel drive. The added security of FWD is unquestioned when you’re about to confront a blizzard.
Using computer crash simulation to select where to use high-strength steel for safety, and a rollover-sled at its Ohio facility, Acura claims unexcelled 5-star ratings for front collisions, and top marks for offset and side impacts as well, with side-curtain airbags to supplement the usual front bags. The TL goes so far as to make the hood hinges and fender brackets collapsible upon impact to cushion pedestrians.
Four-wheel disc brakes are enormous and extremely potent, with electronic assist assuring you of full force braking in emergency situations. The driver controls the power through an electronic drive-by-wire system, with torque-sensing power steering.
A spectacular ELS-5.1 DVD Surround sound system, built by Panasonic under the tutelage of record-mixer Elliot Scheiner, gives the more spacious interior a 225-watt kick through eight speakers and a subwoofer. The system is standard on every TL. Improved bolstering in the sports seats, XM satellite radio, remote controls on the steering wheel, heated front seats with power for both driver and passenger adjustments, keyless entry, Xenon gas-discharge headlights, foglights, and a moonroof all fill a bulging standard-equipment list.
In fact, there is so much standard equipment that the only option on the TL is the navigation system. It is improved, too, with a large screen high on the center dash stack, and it can responds to 293 voice-activated commands in order to identify 7 million points of interest. Those undoubtedly include Acura dealerships, although you wonÂ’t be needing them often, with no scheduled tune-ups for 105,000 miles.
With all the high-tech goodies and real-world performance and safety attributes, and the much-improved interior layout, the styling is eye-catching. I was sitting in the car waiting for some takeout chicken in a fairly dark suburban Twin Cities restaurant parking lot, when a family of four stopped to come back for a closer look at the car. They were embarrassed when they realized I was sitting inside and the young man who had walked around the back hustled to rejoin the others. His mother asked him what kind of car it was, and he relayed that the emblem on the rear said it was an Acura TL, and she said, “ItÂ’s so beautiful.Ââ€
Quite likely, nobody ever had executed that scenario for its predecessor, but the new TL can expect it every day.
(John Gilbert writes weekly auto columns. He can be reached at jgilbert@duluth.com.)
Seawolves already surpass coach’s bold ‘prediction’
When it comes to making predictions, Alaska-Anchorage hockey coach John Hill is pretty careful. “I said before the start of this season that I would go out on a limb and predict we’d double our win total,†said Hill.
That would have required two victories, and the Seawolves already have gone far beyond that, to jump up among the biggest surprises in a surprise-filled WCHA first half. Among the most startling surprises, in no particular order, are WisconsinÂ’s fantastic school-record 14-game unbeaten streak; MinnesotaÂ’s unexpected inability to win consistently; North DakotaÂ’s single defeat and whopping games-in-hand advantage; and St. Cloud StateÂ’s surge to the top of the league in a rebuilding year.
Of those, perhaps the biggest surprises are to see Wisconsin near the top and Minnesota near the bottom of the WCHA, because Minnesota was the consensus preseason pick to win the WCHA, and after all the powerful Badger teams in history, this Wisconsin team was not expected to be a contender.
But there is one other surprise of the first half, which might rank as the biggest, although it is far more subtle: Alaska-Anchorage has won three straight WCHA games, boosting the Seawolves to a 4-6-2 league record, and 7-7-2 overall.
True, that achievement doesnÂ’t have the panache of a record unbeaten streak or a drive for contention, but it does put the Seawolves in the heady atmosphere of being ahead of preseason favorite Minnesota, which is one point behind, at 4-7-1, with a 7-8-1 overall slate. But consider where the Seawolves were coming from.
The significance of this season in Alaska requires going back to last season, when Alaska-Anchorage opened the season by beating arch-rival Alaska-Fairbanks, indicating some promise for coach Hill. But that, as they say, was it for victories by the Seawolves. Anchorage doesnÂ’t see much sun in the long winter months, but things became considerably bleaker when A-A finished 0-22-6 in the WCHA, and 1-28-7 overall.
Back at the start of the season, when Hill facetiously predicted doubling their one-victory record, the Seawolves were struggling, but Hill saw a silver lining. “We have a young team, but we’ve enjoyed going to the rink this year,†he said. The fans in Anchorage also seem to be enjoying it, nearing 4,000 the last couple of weekends, as the program redefines itself.
This season started out with an eerie sameness – another victory over Alaska-Fairbanks, followed by a loss. After losing twice at Minnesota-Duluth, and dropping the first game at Minnesota State-Mankato, the Seawolves captured their first WCHA triumph in two seasons, 2-1 in the rematch at Mankato. There followed a loss and tie against Denver, and a loss and a tie against St. Cloud, then the Seawolves returned home and lost the first game 4-0 to Minnesota.
The turnaround officially happened in a 6-4 victory in the second Gopher game. That led directly to last weekend, when defending WCHA season champion Colorado College came to Anchorage. That made it a big couple of weeks for Hill, who was initiated into the WCHA coaching realm as Don LuciaÂ’s assistant, both at Colorado College and Minnesota, before taking the Anchorage job two seasons ago.
Colorado College was ranked fourth in the country, but Anchorage rose from a 2-0 deficit to sting the Tigers 5-2, thanks to a productive night for the first line. Sophomore Curtis Glencross scored a pure hat trick, while sophomore Chris Fournier had a goal and two assists, and junior John Hopson added three assists. Outshot 33-24, the Seawolves got stout goaltending from Chris King, whose 31 saves anchored the triumph. The next night, Kevin Reiter stepped into the nets and kicked out 40 saves, and Anchorage beat Colorado College again, 3-1.
It is a credit to Hill’s consistency that before victories stopped being impossible to achieve, he never tried to rationalize away losses, and he said – and maybe demanded – that the players weren’t looking at this season as a continuation of a seemingly endless winless streak, overlapping since the end of the 2001-02 season.
After playing hard, but faltering both nights in Duluth, Hill said: “We make some mental mistakes, and when we turn the puck over against good teams, they score. But we had seven guys who played their first WCHA games [at Duluth]. Our defensive corps is especially young.
“This year, we were coming close to clicking on some 2-on-1s. Last year, we werenÂ’t close.Ââ€
Amazingly, the Seawolves are suddenly winning, mostly with younger players. Glencross leads the team in scoring with 9-9—18, while Fournier, an Alaska native who transferred home from North Dakota, is second (6-9—15). Third is freshman defenseman Mark Smith (3-8—11).
Still, the Seawolves are the best evidence that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.
Consider that Anchorage goal-scoring is second-lowest among WCHA teams, with 39 goals representing a feeble average of 2.44 goals per game. And their special teams have hardly been special, ranking the worst in the league. Anchorage has scored 10 power-play goals, which ranks eighth at a 16.4 percent clip, while allowing 18 to opposing power plays, for a 76.9 percent rate. But the Seawolves have yet to score a short-handed goal, while allowing four of them. On top of that, the Seawolves are taking the second-most penalties in the league – not a good idea, when you’re giving up a lot of power-play goals.
But all the bad numbers have been flushed from the Anchorage system like the tide rushing out of Cook Inlet. During the last three games, when the Seawolves have outscored opponents 7-1 during the third periods of the three victories.
The Seawolves arenÂ’t all freshmen and sophomores, either. In fact, one of the most predictable moves Hill might be expected to make is the next time an opponent pulls its goaltender, look for Hill to dispatch senior Dallas Steward. Against Colorado College, Steward scored an empty-net goal both nights.
Despite the turnaround, Hill isnÂ’t ready to predict that the Seawolves will gain home-ice for a first-round playoff slot, but obviously, heÂ’s pretty conservative when it comes to predictions.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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