The Sicatoka

Juridiction. The Feds have it; the Tribal Court doesn't. Nothing, but if they didn't boot "The U" (Miami Hurricanes) for their recently discovered misdeeds booting a team for a moniker would raise some eyebrows.

At this point (namely, having sent the ND AG, ND Governor, and ND Legislature packing) on this issue the NCAA won't listen to anything short of an order from US Federal Court. Let me know when Spirit Lake Tribe is either: a) suing in US Federal Court, or b) working with Standing Rock to get them on-board Before that, none of it matters. None. Zilch.

The NCHC would be wise to become a link in USA Hockey's Officials Development Program. The USHL is part of this program. The program is designed to develop officials for international and professional competition. Just like players, the officials are taught, graded, and promoted based on who has the skill and performance to keep moving up through the ranks. I'd like to see the NCHC get involved with it as the next step after juniors but before the pro ranks. I'd like the officials to be on a tenure-track (pressing to get better, knowing they are being evaluated and graded nightly, and looking to move to bigger things) rather than just be tenured, be "fat, dumb, and happy" where they are, and knowing no matter how they ignore the rule book they won't be moved out.

Too bad it's not 2006 however.

I have to wonder who makes these decisions about so many multiple uniform combinations (ala Oregon). It's pretty sad when you can't recognize a team by uniform at first glance. And nearly as bad to me is not using an obvious option when you have it. Case in point: Minnesota has pee-yellow helmets. Why didn't they wear them at USC to help out their first-ever start at QB guy? Instead, every hat on the field (UM and USC) was that bloody stool brown color.* *Yes, I just called the colors used by UM and USC "pee-yellow" and "bloody stool brown".

They'll be wearing their standard uniforms, eh?

I'm going to give NDSU's new home yellow jersey an honorable mention here. The first time I saw it I thought it was a practice jersey. Very, very plain. An outlined number might have kept them out of honorable mention status. UND's green jersey gets a mention here too. You shouldn't see how much the guys are sweating on a football jersey. There were some guys with three shades of green: dry jersey, wet jersey, helmet.

I'd rank them differently if the logo was on both sides of the helmet. Only Penn State can get away with a blank white side and only the Steelers can get away with a single logo (one side only).

Images of all four of my so-far-top-four can be found at: http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/lists/college-football-strange-2011-uniforms-090511?GT1=39002'%20rel='nofollow#photo-title=Twice%20as%20.%20.%20.%20nice?&photo=30142449

There've been some ugly college football uniforms in recent years. (We're looking at you Oregon.) Given this track record and some of the messes witnessed during opening weekend I think we need to compile a Top (Bottom?) Ten list for this season. The Top Ten so far, by my estimation: 1. Maryland, Sep 5, versus Miami* 2. Boise State, Sep 3, versus Georgia** 3. Georgia, Sep 3, versus Boise State** 4. Oregon, Sep 3, versus LSU - the base uniform was reasonable, but the lettering/numbering was a font that seemed distorted *this state flag inspired disaster makes Batman's for "Two Face" seem one-dimensional *front-runner for Fashion Flop Bowl of 2011.

It'd only be good in US Federal court. As far as the rest, under the highly unlikely scenario of SL Tribe getting an injunction and ultimately win versus the NCAA, any school that's played Florida State, Utah, or Central Michigan (and probably Illinois as well) after Aug 5, 2005, really shouldn't be saying too much on subject.

Bunch of dirty old men ... How about a score update: tied at 1 set apiece.

Sitting Bull was killed while being taken into custody on the Standing Rock Reservation by a BIA officer named Marcellus Red Tomahawk. If you've lived in ND you know Red Tomahawk: He's on the state highway signs and the doors of the ND Highway Patrol cars. Red Tomahawk was Yanktonai (paternal) and Hunkpapa (maternal). Sitting Bull was Hunkpapa. Standing Rock has to this observer been disagreeable (crabby? obstinant? firm-minded to a fault? I'm trying to be nice) from the days of Sitting Bull and before right through more recent times. Call it Sitting Bull's legacy.

Q: And the NCAA cares exactly how much about a tribal court at the Spirit Lake Nation? A: About the same, maybe less, than they care about laws passed in the ND Legislature. If Spirit Lake is serious they'd be in US Federal District Court seeking injunction.

This. Mean? Nasty? Spiteful? Hell yes. Actions have consequences, and payback can be a real ... live with them, Clowns. And remember: SCSU still has money issues. They were considering cutting sports (football) not that long ago. I'd say that's not an organization in a position to make a serious commitment to hockey that the NCHC claims to be part of their desired demographic.

Not to point fingers (meaning "stand by, here it comes"), but ... Catlin Solum needs to stop taking penalties on the opponent's side of mid-field: Two different drive stoppers when I thought the offense was on the way to sticking the dagger in.

Let's do a little theorhetical work here first: Assume a 90 man FB roster. Assumably seniors have earned three letters, juniors two, sophomores one, and freshmen and RFR haven't earned one yet. Assuming a balanced roster each class (Sr, Jr, So, Fr, RFr) would be 18 per class. 18 Sr * 3 letters per = 54 18 Jr * 2 letters per = 36 18 So *1 letter per = 18 18 Fr * 0 per = 0 18 RFr * 0 per = 0 Total letters = 108 letter on a hypothetical 90 man roster (1.2 letters per roster spot). That would be an "average" experience team under those assumptions. I counted 92 on the UND roster and only found 58 letters earned (0.63 letters per roster spot). This is still a very young team.

Anyone else wondering if Notre Dame is holding out as long as possible to see how this next round of FBS shuffle works out?

You pretend to recall what you will. You know who saw the handwriting on the wall a decade ago.

Why not just pick it as eleventy-billion to two.* *charity safety ala UND v. UCD in DII playoffs

About a decade ago there was a guy around here that kept saying the superconferences are going to end up doing their own thing for their own reasons sooner or later. He figured it would be because Division I (primarily FBS) was getting watered down in their eyes and they didn't want to keep sharing the revenues (with the wannabees) that they feel they are the ones generating and should be keeping all of. Now we see superconferences with their own television networks. And we are starting to hear rumblings of them wanting new rules that only they could afford (full-cost scholarships and such). Seems to me they are playing their own game for their own reasons. Back then people said that guy was nuts and nothing would ever change. Tell that to Nebraska in the same conference as Minnesota. Tell that to Colorado and Utah in the PAC-10 ... er, 12, uh, whatever. Who was that guy again ... oh, ... wait ...

If Notre Dame plays the "we're Notre Dame" card, I'd rather see the NCHC pick up the remaining MAC schools (WMU and BGSU).

Al Carlson, NDSU graduate. No further comment.

The law says the name is "Fighting Sioux". Planning for a transition to a different moniker isn't illegal. Actions to implement the plan are, specifically, actually changing the moniker probably. Then again, what's the punishment for breaking that law?

{ding} Winner.