The Southern Minnesota Alliance has turned into a now-you-see-it, soon-you-won’t proposition.During a meeting of Alliance officials in St. James on May 4, member schools voted 13-0 to dissolve the SMA, ending a partnership that lasted nearly two years.On Dec. 1 of this year, the SMA will be officially disbanded.My reaction to the stunning news coming out of St. James was mixed.On one hand, I was surprised how quickly an agreement that was supposed to benefit the Southwest and South Central Conferences so much was scrapped so quickly.Then, when I found out the reason why the decision was made to end the alliance, my feelings of surprise turned into anger.You may not have known this (I sure didn’t), but it appears that some members of the SSC are far superior to SWC teams in hockey. To that end, two of the schools threatened to drop out of the SSC altogether if SMA officials voted to pass a measure to form a merger in hockey.According to my sources, it was the egos of two schools (New Ulm and Waseca) that led to the SMA’s demise.I was told it was New Ulm (where some parents and other residents of the district believe they play a far better brand of hockey than we do in the southwest corner of the state) which made the most noise at the May 3 meeting.Waseca wasn’t far behind New Ulm in that respect, and both schools indicated they would cut their ties with the SSC if a motion passed to form the SMA in hockey.I’ve long believed that an inflated self-worth can be a healthy thing in some cases. In this situation, I think New Ulm and Waseca have proven to be a little too self-absorbed. In fact, their perceptions of themselves are downright insulting in my book.It’s not like we’re talking about Roseau and Warroad, two schools with storied hockey pasts that should serve as model programs for every smaller school in the state.Instead, we’re talking about New Ulm and Waseca, which have combined efforts to make zero (and I mean not a single one) appearances at the state hockey tournament in the history of their programs.Although they don’t have the credentials to be deemed hockey heavyweights, it appears New Ulm and Waseca carry some clout when it comes to the rest of the schools in the SSC.When the time came to vote on a hockey merger, the six SSC schools voted against it. The seven SWC schools voted for it. In order for the measure to be passed, 10 of the 13 schools would have needed to vote for the merger.The 13-0 vote to dissolve the SMA followed the hockey vote.I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been more proud to be affiliated with the SWC based on the second vote that day.SWC officials signed off on joining the SMW to make it easier for them to fill their football schedules, and knowing the aligning of conferences could include more sports (hockey was at the top of the list) in the future.Considering the action taken in St. James, it doesn’t look like the SSC schools are interested in any more league-sharing agreements. The only thing they appeared to be interested in was the convenience the SMA offered them in scheduling football games.Luverne will compete in the SMA during the 2006 football season before the partnership dissolves in December.It’s my hope, as it always is, that coach Todd Oye and the Cardinals go undefeated in the regular season.If they can’t go unbeaten, I hope the Cardinals can throw this old dog one large bone.Show the three SSC teams on your schedule the respect every team you face deserves before, during and after the game.By following those instructions alone, you’ll display more character and class than the New Ulm and Waseca officials did at last week’s meeting in St. James.