The Sicatoka

If Matthew Stafford starts as many or more games as Donovan McNabb, Detroit finishes ahead of Minnesota in football's Norris Division.

My head is telling me a UND ITF was approved in a past budget, but I'm too lazy to go and look for it.

Never a truer post.

This is the last image I'd seen of a potential indoor training facility. It was saved ... somewhere ... I do not know who owns this image nor do I, or SiouxSports.com, claim any ownership rights to the image. EDIT: And as soon as I link to it, it disappears.

Control what's yours to control or someone will do it for you. How long, with no nickname, until someone tags something that plays with the media? There are "friends" out there trying already. Some are half serious/half snide (meaning they just might stick). All it takes is one that's semi-flattering to stick. http://www.bisonville.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24275 Control what's yours to control and have it ready for the Big Sky and NCHC.

I had to deal with media in the not so distant past. They didn't do any legwork. (Heck, I had to explain to them what the "North Dakota Century Code" was. Seriously.) They fully bought and believed whatever pablum the last person that talked to them told them. And once I realized that I fully used that to my advantage. Now, is it a staffing issue? Maybe. I don't know. But you are measured by results and I'm not seeing results that say "dug into tough story". I guess I'd rather have one in-depth story than 10 stories about "Mrs. Fuddernutter's third grade class working on a going away project for the retiring principal" and similar fluff that all too often shows up as local (print, radio, or TV) "news".

To most of today's reporters "digging for a story" means going through the pile of papers by the fax machine (and then transcribing someone's press release into a "news story").

John Gotti says there is no Mafia: No Mafia, no one to offend, no protesters. And you may have just pissed off Yakuza and some Russians assuming a southern European context. See --> the name is "diverse"!

The patient is dead. Only machines are keeping it alive. No one has the scrotal nuggets to kick the plug out of the wall.* *And before some of you jump all over me for the "insensitivity" of that, I've made that call for an immediate family member in the last 12 months.

I suspect FBS will come to UND and NDSU, not that UND and NDSU will go to it. With all the posturing by the BCS conferences (going to 12 or more teams), and the recent "issues" at USC, tOSU, and Miami, I wonder how much longer until the BCS superconferences don't come up with their own "sandbox" for football (or maybe more). Take the BCS/superconferences out of the picture and what is left: - the remnants of FBS plus the scholarship FCS teams making up the new "DI" - non-scholarship FCS and full scholarship DIIs making up the new "DII" - non and low scholarship DIIs and DIII making up the last tier

I still like Mafia. North Dakota: Come join our Family.

These statements are precisely why UND will need a new moniker. The NCAA (and all their proxies and minions) won't stand for a "we don't have a nickname" claim as (defunct) Sioux jerseys and jackets stroll by. A small "cooling off period" and then a new moniker to open up play in the Big Sky and National Collegiate Hockey Conference would be the approach most logical to me.

Fixed that for you.

They're going to allow peanut butter, but they aren't saying marshmellow creme is acceptable. How the heck can you make a fluffer-nutter (PB and marshmellow creme) without it. Damn you NCAA for teasing us with half a fluffer-nutter!

Control what is yours to control. No moniker opens the door for someone who may not be looking out for UND's best interests (Dave Kolpack, Mike McFeely, etc.) to tag UND with something that at best is a left-handed compliment. Moniker. Upon entry to the Big Sky and the NCHC. No better time to establish it. Control what is yours to control.

This or the current equities markets ... lemme think ... I'm in.

As I pointed out when the law passed, I don't see a penalty for violation (other than political).

Let's look back at the insight of Dr. Charles E. Kupchella:

Luke Johnson http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/212950/

Seems some, specifically Spirit Lake themselves, have noticed they've been disrespected (and possibly discriminated against) ... and it seems they may be planning to do something about it. http://plainsdaily.com/entry/the-next-little-big-horn-black-cloud-says-ncaas-actions-discriminatory-against-spirit-lake-sioux/

Sundogs are a weather phenomena that means it's cold and going to get colder. That's stereotyping North Dakota ... and stereotyping is wrong. PS - They think it's cute because it's sUNDogs. If you want UND in the name go with scoUNDrels.

We've long heard from folks like Leigh Jeanotte (Director of Native American Programs at UND) how the "Fighting Sioux" moniker is detrimental to UND's programs for Native Americans (NAs). Well, Leigh's gotten his wish. The moniker is gone. Now it's time for Leigh to prove to all of us that he was really right all along. Here's a way for Leigh to do that: It's my expectation that UND's Native American population will come into alignment with the general population of the state. Last time I checked the state is roughly 9% NAs yet UND is only about 4% NAs*. To get UND into alignment, which should be far easier now that the moniker is gone (according to Leigh et al), will only take five years at 15% (year over year) NA enrollment growth. Secondly, I'd expect NAs graduation rates to look as good as the general student population and probably as good as the athletes. The NA students have lost this distraction so they should be able to focus on studies and graduation. I think NA programs should measure themselves like the NCAA measures teams and post their APR going forward. Those are performance criteria I'll be looking for. Feel free to add yours here. The barriers and hurdles are gone. Let's see UND's Native American programs perform on their claim that the moniker was holding them back. *UND has more enrolled NAs than U of Minnesota and U of Wisconsin combined at last check.

That's true for MENS hockey. Womens hockey could be affected by the loss of a home NCAA tournament series (assuming they earn such right).

How can folk blame Kelley or Faison. The power was taken up to the ND SBoHE and then the top levels of state government. (The AG negotiated the settlement; the Legislature tried to step in; the Governor went to the NCAA.) The settlement was signed October 25, 2007. Brian Faison became UND AD on April 17, 2008. Robert Kelley became UND's 11th president on July 1, 2008. The settlement was in place before either Kelley or Faison were in their current jobs. The only way blaming them makes sense if is you think either Kelley or Faison could force Standing Rock to vote, and if you believe that you're delerious.

The roster shows: 1 senior (Lamoureux) 3 juniors (Rowney, Kristo, Knight) 3 sophomores (Rodwell, Nelson, Dickin) 7 freshmen (Parks, O'Donnell, MacMillan, St. Clair, Grimaldi, Pattyn, Gaarder) Pipeline: Matteau, Koules, DiPuma?, Rowe I'm not greatly concerned about forwards at this time.