Pete Sauer came to and left the Aberdeen Wings in the same way.
A class act all the way.
He helped establish the North American Hockey League franchise in Aberdeen in 2010 as its general manager and coach. On Monday, he was fired.
When he called me back Monday afternoon, Sauer had nothing but positive things to say about the team owners - the Greg Odde family - his players, the fans, the community and the man who replaced him.
"Naturally, I am heartbroken over this decision, but I understand it," Sauer said (see story on 1A). "There are only 24 coaches in this league, and it is what happens when you coach at this level. You have to have thick skin, perfrom and accept responsibility."
You can tell a lot about a person when he is dealing with adversity. With his comments, Sauer again has proved himself to be a person you would want to be by your side in good and bad times.
Not to mention a person who you would want to coach your child.
Sauer impressed me in being a coach who wanted the best for his players. If they had a chance to move up, he was all for it, even though he knew that meant they would leave the Wings.
Sauer wanted Aberdeen to earn the reputation as a team who would always do the best for its players. It seemed to help make Aberdeen an attractive place, as past talented players have told me that they appreciated knowing the Wings cared for them and their hockey futures.
Sauer also gave me a unique view of his firing.
"Over the last three years, I have had to release numerous players from this team," he said. "I have always told these guys that just because they were not a piece of the puzzle here, it doesn't mean that they are not a piece of the puzzle somewhere else. The same goes for me. But I will always be a Wings fan and a fan of these players and this organization."
I, too, understand the Wings' decision. And I am sure Wings interim head coach Garrett Strot will do a good job.
But I also hope the community thanks and remembers what Coach Sauer has done for hockey in this region.
He is a good guy and his next team will be a fortunate one.
N.D. rivalry
North Dakota high school boys' basketball history continues in Ellendale Friday night.
It will be the 67th annual Cowbell Game, which highlights one of the state's longest and most heated rivalries.
The boys' game will start at about 7:45 p.m. in the new Ellendale gym - its first cowbell game. The game is part of a varsity doubleheader as the girls' teams will clash at 6 p.m.
The annual boys' basketball Cowbell series between North Dakota high school rivals Oakes and Ellendale started in the 1946-47 season.
The series got its start in the 1940s when a couple of Ellendale girls would bring a cowbell that they rang at all Ellendale games. This was said to have irritated several Oakes players and fans, who eventually took the cowbell and painted one side of the bell in its school colors of orange and black.
Ellendale eventually got its cowbell back, but not before the idea sprouted to use the object as the winner's prize in the annual game between the schools.
Ellendale leads the heated series 34-32.
Last season in Oakes, the hosts won 52-51 in overtime. Stephen Quandt made two free throws with 8.6 seconds remaining to lift Oakes to the win.
Ellendale got off an attempt in the closing seconds, but it was off the mark.
This rivalry has featured plenty of close games. Twelve of the games have been decided by one or two points or overtime. In 1983-84, Ellendale won 71-66 in three overtimes. The Cardinals won by the same score (71-66) in two overtimes in 2006-07.
The winner of the annual game gets to keep the coveted travelling cowbell for the upcoming year. The cowbell is decorated for Ellendale on one side and Oakes on the other side.
Here are the results of the Cowbell games:
1946-47 Oakes 35-28
1947-48 Ellendale 30-13
1948-49 Ellendale 30-29
1949-50 Ellendale 41-39
1950-51 Ellendale 57-39
1951-52 Ellendale 57-31
1952-53 Oakes 53-48
1953-54 Ellendale 65-42
1954-55 Oakes 56-47
1955-56 Ellendale 62-50
1956-57 Ellendale 54-48
1957-58 Ellendale 57-36
1958-59 Ellendale 52-41
1959-60 Ellendale 85-52
1960-61 Ellendale 66-35
1961-62 Ellendale 60-54
1962-63 Oakes 60-51
1963-64 Oakes 52-39
1964-65 Oakes 62-60
1965-66 Oakes 56-55
1966-67 Ellendale 78-44
1967-68 Ellendale 69-56
1968-69 Ellendale 67-55
1969-70 Oakes 68-59
1970-71 Oakes 57-51
1971-72 Oakes 71-54
1972-73 Oakes 64-63
1973-74 Ellendale 55-41
1974-75 Ellendale 59-50
1975-76 Oakes 50-44
1976-77 Oakes 53-45
1977-78 Ellendale 48-21
1978-79 Ellendale 51-40
1979-80 Oakes 79-46
1980-81 Oakes 55-43
1981-82 Oakes 57-55
1982-83 Oakes 35-33
1983-84 Ellendale 71-66 (3 OTs)
1984-85 Ellendale 50-35
1985-86 Oakes 57-48
1986-87 Oakes 54-47
1987-88 Oakes 67-54
1988-89 Oakes 58-44
1989-90 Oakes 61-56 (OT)
1990-91 Ellendale 60-57 (OT)
1991-92 Oakes 67-52
1992-93 Oakes 70-31
1993-94 Oakes 73-59
1994-95 Oakes 76-50
1995-96 Ellendale 62-57
1996-97 Oakes 71-54
1997-98 Oakes 70-50
1998-99 Ellendale 67-59
1999-00 Oakes 58-41
2000-01 Ellendale 52-46
2001-02 Oakes 40-51
2002-03 Ellendale 59-54
2003-04 Ellendale 78-45
2004-05 Ellendale 57-43
2005-06 Ellendale 57-46
2006-07 Ellendale 71-66 (2 OTs)
2007-08 Oakes 36-52
2008-09 Ellendale 70-46
2009-10 Ellendale 65-63
2010-11 Ellendale 75-49
2011-12 Oakes 52-51 (OT)
John Papendick is the managing news-sports editor for the American News. Reach him at jpapendick@aberdeennews.com.
Blog: aberdeensports.net/inthehuddle.
Twitter:#jpapendick