The Sicatoka

I've heard lots of talk about the things the football alumni plan to do. I'd like to see the shovels in the ground. I'd like to hear a couple bold statements from the coaches, and administrators, about their long-term plan and goals for the program.

Can we get Aaron Dell a special "Friday the 13th" goalie mask for this game?

UND playing with only five defensemen (yes, yes, Gleason was playing forward) and Forbort in the stands says it all: He's hurt enough to not let him play this weekend. Let's hope that precautionary and to get him ready for Minnesota's Friday the 13th nightmare.

I thought the moniker comparison to slavery was only used by Jesse Taken Alive.

Thank you Dan. And yes, the move to Division I was primarily about ... football. The NCAA moniker policy jammed up football the worst. Football is the big dog of UND sports outside of mens hockey. UND has done everything to clear the path for the football big dog (DI, conference, eliminated possible sanctions). It's time for the big dog to hunt.

Hope for the best; plan and prepare for the worst. I'd love to see SL win, but UND needs to retire the moniker for the distinct possibility that they don't. Key reference point: Both teams in the FCS championship this year had all games up to the title game. Every home pro team won this weekend (including heavy underdog Denver). If you believe in UND football (and UND womens hockey) you can not allow NCAA sanctions to prevent UND teams from playing home games that they had otherwise earned.

This has never been about those "victims" the NCAA claims to be "helping". This is about college administrators making grandstanding proclamations that make themselves look like heros in their wine and cheese party circuits. And those folks control the NCAA. PS - The ND state constitution is not a "punch" to the NCAA. It's at most an annoyance, just like Al Carlson's state law was.

Ask South Carolina and Mississippi. They've been under NCAA sanction for a decade or more because of laws in those states. I'm ready to move on. If the fight is to be won it'll only be won by Spirit Lake, not UND, not the State, and surely not me. But I'm also ready to trade Sioux County (Standing Rock) to South Dakota for a bucket full of warm spit (and we'd be getting the better end of the deal). Sioux County (Standing Rock) has shown what kind of neighbors and friends they are.

The NCAA moniker policy remains in place to be either complied with or violated. No home post-season games. Special "no name, no logo" uniforms for NCAA post-season. An NCAA recommendation to member schools to not schedule schools on the sanctions list. That's the real sanctions. No home playoff games = Harm.

OK UND Football (including the key forces and benefactors looking to go to DI), everything you've asked for you've gotten: - transition to Division I - removal of the moniker so you can schedule the Big Ten teams with moniker policies - removal of the moniker so you can host in NCAA post season - an autobid conference to play in We witnessed today that a rise to dominance at the FCS level can be done fairly quickly after transition. OK, UND Football, you were dominant in DII before the transition and everything you need for dominance you now have. You've gotten everything you've asked for, and some of it came at great cost. Show us it was worth it and that you're serious.

Let's make this easy: People, we live in a state with a border to a foreign nation. Get a passport.

But without a passport have a nice (long, arduous, at the discretion and whim of US and Canadian customs) time proving you are a US citizen.

Only four US states use Enhanced Drivers Licences: Washington, Michigan, New York, and Vermont. If you are North Dakotan or Minnesotan planning to go to the game you need a passport or a passcard or a NEXUS card. http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_edl.html

I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night either, but I did see the hit happen live (television) during the game and I guess I'd be surprised if the issue was the knee. To me the more likely issue would be a right hamstring as a big part of the hit was a knee directly into the back of Forbort's right hamstring. The rest of the hit was classic concussion material. (Forbort was down on a knee next to the boards when the hit was delivered by a guy on his skates.)

The UCA payment to UND (buyout) probably paid for bringing PSU in. Scheduling a game is much more than writing a school name on a calendar.

Hak can control injuries to Rodwell, Lamoureux, and Knight? Hak can control an injury to Forbort that happen at the WJC in Edmonton? Hak can control that one of Grimaldi's knee caps developed properly but the other didn't? Hak must be god-like.

Knight, Lamoureux, Forbort, Grimaldi, Rodwell, St. Clair. UND Hockey: The best team not on the ice.

The College of William and Mary (moniker: Tribe) had a lettermark logo of "WM" with two feathers on it. The feathers had to go per the NCAA. Does that answer your question?

Teach. Teach. Teach. Teach your players how to approach the boards while protecting themselves. Teach your players that a hit from behind will not be tolerated by you. Teach your players to respect their opponent and their safety. And by "your players" I'm not just talking about coaches. I'm talking about parents, fans, officials, teammates, everyone. I've said this before in other contexts: The mistake concerns me. What you do after the mistake is what interests me and defines you. This is a hockey community problem. What are we going to do about it?

The best year of Mitch MacMillian's hockey career is the year of juniors where he had a centerman named Mark MacMillian. Mitch ran at a better than goal-a-game pace that year. I wouldn't have a problem with Mitch coming in under the understanding that there are no guarantees and that he'd be a walk-on, and having to earn every minute.

However, there's nothing stopping the WCHA from "adopting" the NCAA's policy (other than it would be a questionable fiscal decision to give up the second biggest rink in the current WCHA).

Smith Hall? Put the shovel down. You're only making it worse. Real men live in WALSH: Where All Ladies Seek Happiness.

1993? Rookie.

Reality check: What does the Say Anything Blog normally rant and rail about? Spending by ND government. What is one of their biggest targets in the ND budget normally? Spending on ND University System schools. Folks, the SAB is going after this issue (a possible wedge for them to get into the door) to try to continue their attack on the ND University System. This is little different from Al Carlson's legislative attempt to undermine the NDUS with an (ill-advised) piece of legislation. Once you realize SAB's true history and normal motives (follow the money), it all becomes clear. PS - If you believe a UND student athlete wrote that ... well, as someone once said "anyone cay say (claim) anything". My proof that the "student-athlete" is a poseur? Easy: "I don't give a rip about good tournaments or better recruits." Seriously? What athlete doesn't care about winning against good teams on good teams. That tripe was written by a poseur looking to undermine North Dakota Athletics.

Yes, this thing is making some "strange bedfellows" and some interesting positions, the one that stands out to me being REA Inc. (assumably pro-moniker) battling the "save the moniker" crew in court to prevent them from bringing petitions for signing to REA.