The Sicatoka

Mitch MacWilliam? Has some strange gene-splicing been going on?

Like I asked before: Can Tate Maris skate a wing? Forbort, Grimaldi, O'Donnell, Parks, and Rodwell ... that'd be a heck of a powerplay unit, D-4 and Roc on the points, Rodwell in the tip-bin in front and O'D and Parks on the sides.

That's a nice little late season add for a USHL team.

Nothing. Nada. Nyet. Nil. Nein. Nolo. Like I've said before, I don't want to be dangling in the wind on the end of anyone's string, be it the NCAA's, SL's, or SR's. Cut 'em loose. Firebrand! Torch 'em!

Isn't UND also adding mens tennis with the move to the Big Sky? How's that progressing? Adding lacrosse? What an awesome idea.

How old is Voltin? Has he completed high school? We're not past the "last day to add" at UND yet.

I'd venture the guess that Big Sky teams are more on the minds of the average western fan than MVFC teams are on the minds of the average eastern fan. Big Sky teams are competing for "brain time" in their footprint with the Pac-12, MWC, and WAC. MVFC teams are competing for "brain time" in their footprint with the SEC, Big Ten, Big XII, ACC, Big East, Conf USA ...

Good luck. Lock up the sharp objects and doors to the roof.

Only one problem with your tongue-in-cheek here Rick: Roebuck and his WBB team were in Bahstan, Mass, last night defeating Hahvaad by a score of 60-57.

I'll argue there is one other (highly, highly unlikely*) way, namely, that Standing Rock softens their position and aligns with Spirit Lake. Yes, all the settlement agreement magic dates have passed, but would the NCAA really dare to now ignore the two groups they (per the settlement) said they'd listen to. *How likely you ask? About as likely as NDSU winning a DI hockey title in the next decade.

I believe what he's saying, but to say it publicly ... Ouch.

I wonder how many people signing that petition about "a constitutional amendment" realize they mean the state constitution (how many realize there is a state constitution?) and that the state constitution has no power outside the borders of the state of North Dakota and as such the NCAA does not have to acknowledge it.

"Oh my God! You killed Kenny!"

Same issue here. (Sorry basketball fans.)

So we use what we have. Example? How the hockey team was called to the ice last weekend was cumbersome and it just didn't flow. I respectfully submit the following ... "Ladies and gentlemen, Stand Up and Cheer, here comes North Dakota!" <band starts playing "Stand Up and Cheer"> (That's a freebee for you Looker and Hajdu, and I know you're listening. )

We lost control when we didn't demand an immediate transition from Sioux to something new. Instead, the "Sioux moniker or die" crowd got control with the "we'll run without a moniker" non-sense and now we're in limbo and subject to the whims of whatever media outlet prints today. I warned of this. I told you so. And now were stuck. Honestly, ask your legislator to dump the "cooling off" period law. Nothing will cool in that time.

The reason the stakeholders have lost control of their ability to select a new nickname is because they willingly gave up the opportunity to take control. They didn't take my advice: Control what is yours to control! And they should have demanded control because they were the ones who were losing the most to appease the NCAA. Rather than insisting that Kelley move ahead with the transition to a new nickname (as some wisely advised), they sat in a corner and pouted, insisting that no nickname was just fine with them. And when the SBoHE should have challenged the legislature's authority to control UND's choice of a nickname, they punted. The true believers among the "Fighting Sioux moniker or die!" faithful thought they won something when the legislature mandated a three-year no-nickname "cooling off" (i.e. pray for a miracle) period. Epic. Fail. The longer we keep punting on this the more likely it is that UND will end up with some pap and claptrap, inoffensive-to-all nickname. By the time whomever decides who decides that it's time for a new nickname, the "Fighting Sioux moniker or die" stakeholders will be an even smaller, more marginalized, easy-to-forget and easier-to-ignore group. It's time to control what is our to control.

You're running an apocalypse scenario. It won't come to that. It could get ugly, but not there.

And now we find O'Donnell has a "significant" injury: http://undhockey.areavoices.com/ And Parks may have been hurt by a CFB by Alt. (Same source.) Did that say Alt injuried Parks with a CFB? Gee, is that the same choir boy Alt that took a 5 and misconduct on a CFB hit to Lamoureux? http://www.undsports...DB_OEM_ID=13500 Too bad college hockey doesn't allow Mr. MacWilliam to give Mr. Alt a little "face time". Apparently he's earned it.

Which boils down to "which UND team shows up"?

I do. DI basketball is all about North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Indiana, and UCLA, not mid-major* schools in fly-over country. *Polite media code for "they have no freakin' chance to ever win a DI MBB title.

Can Tate Maris play forward? We may need him.

{WARNING -- my four favorite words to follow} I. Told. You. So. Now read my signature.

Minnesota and DU (and BC) pile onto the ice after periods to "meet and great" their goalie, and set up a potential powder keg. Either: (a) the "leaving the bench" penalty needs to be called, or (b) UND should change to jerseys of the colors of "dehydrated urine" and "bloody stool" like the teams that get away with it.

They could've before the law was rescinded but they didn't. That says to me who knows what the ND SBoHE will do.