The Sicatoka

To repeat what I said before, what of this: To make the claim that "public policy" in ND has changed and the tribes will be allowed to "weigh in on the issue" and then make deadlines where it's impossible for that to happen is disingenuous at best. If the folks on the reservations didn't think they could trust the rest of us before, what'll they think if that comes to pass.

Sure Spirit Lake spoke, and Standing Rock may still get their say, but is anyone listening or are they just putting together informal committees? http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/133466

Seems the Fargo Forum believes it's a "done deal" ...

Enjoy the read, and see if you can understand what it all means. http://www.areavoices.com/gfhcitybeat/?blog=59523 My favorite line: "It sounds like the university is a little terrified of this nickname beast: ... "

I have the solution: - The state board messed up and picked the wrong date. They didn't allow time for Standing Rock elections to occur. So, admitting that, move the October 1 date back a month. - Let Standing Rock know about the change and that the ball is completely in their court: It's all up to them. - Live with the Standing Rock decision and be done. I think the Attorney General is the only one in this who's seeing this clearly, with no agendas (pro- or anti-, conference affiliation pressures or whatever).

I'm hoping you're correct in that assessment. The other way to read it would be that some of the "enlightened" expect those terrible <slanderous word here> redneck "Sioux fans" to descend upon the campus with torches and pitchforks.

What the heck does this mean? Am I a "cow" that won't "sing" because I don't and won't believe "Go Sioux" is offensive? What about the 2/3 of Spirit Lake that won't "sing" that song either?

So, what did the provost tell the faculty?

I'm surprised more hasn't been made of this: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/133197/

Now, let's talk special teams. I like the approach the team takes on the PK. Rather than setting up the traditional box outside the zone and rolling it back in they've gone to a more 1-1-2 where outside the zone the furthest out man is designated to chase and skate and "influence" the puck carrier to a particular side. It's more of a defensive open-ice forecheck designed to force teams to make good plays and passes and to force the action. (I think it makes some teams show weakness in talent.) However, at other times it seems they almost go into a 1-3 and stack the blueline. I believe I can sum up those times pretty easily: That system seems to be employed when obstruction isn't being called by the officials. That makes sense because a blue line "fence" works best to force a dump and you'd use it when you know you (on defense) can win a race to the puck (because the attacker has been "slowed up"). Where I'd like to see improvement is on the power play. They seem to play too much "shooting gallery" (stand there, take pass, look, fake, fake, stand there, pass, next guy takes pass, fake, shoot wide, and puck rings and get out of the zone) and not enough motion and diagonal, intentional puck movement at times. That makes for "flat feet" and far too many miscues. And that "shooting gallery" approach lets the goalie get stacked up before the shot. Movement, especially quick planned moves or "diagonal" passes, doesn't allow the goalie to get over much less get set. (SCSU and Minnesota are masters of the diagonal pass for the easy tap-in backdoor goal.) If you are going to play shooting gallery (umbrella) you have to get the shot through the traffic and on net, the "on net" part being critical.

What I notice more than anything: Hak changes style based on situation; Blais played wide open all the time and when his teams tried to take a more defensive posture they tended to give up goals. They weren't used to playing a defensive style and it showed and they broke down. The Blais teams' best defense was their aggressive offense and puck possession. That Blais aggressive offense made life tough on goalies, the other and his, however. You expected to see the Sioux goalie face at least a couple clean breakaways and a couple +2 odd-man rushes (3-1 or 4-2) per game. Hak's teams don't seem to give up as many bad odd-man rushes and fewer clean breakaways. I attribute that to Hak's penchant to keep a forward at the dots or above in the offensive zone when it's even, or he's up a goal, late. He seems to go for a full forecheck (three men below the goal line) when it's even early and they are looking to establish the lead (or are down late and need one). He also seems more willing to go full forecheck when you can see a clear mismatch in team speed and they know they can get back. Alternatively, I've seen "Hak Trap" too, with one chaser and four men in the traditional "trap box" back outside the blue line (say they're up two with five to play and just dumped for a change). But that's a smart strategy if you're able to run it and are just looking to run out the clock. And Hak's teams with a lead in the third are predictable in going to three step hockey*. All this is the long way of saying what I said before: Hak changes style based on situation far more than Blais ever did. * Three step hockey (that's how it was described to me): Step One: get it out of your own zone by any means available. Step Two: get it across the red line by any means available. Step Three: get it down deep by any means available (skate or dump).

I said back when one committed to NDSU and the other committed to UND that I thought UND got the better of the deal. Data to date says I may be right, but all the data isn't in yet.

Tu-Uyen Tran has taken this past blog and onto the news pages.

Anyone can join the FSC for as little as $110 annually. It gets you the ability to buy season tickets, and it gets you passwords, and it gets you into pre-game festivities, and it gets you higher on the list for road game tickets or Frozen Four charters. And it supports University of North Dakota Athletics. Yes, I want to help out a fellow Sioux fan, but I also want to support Chris VandeVelde, Jake Landry, and all the other student-athletes. So, I won't give "the sugar" (password) out as a way to encourage folks who want it to join the FSC and help support Fighting Sioux Athletics. <This unpaid announcement I'm sure would be supported by Josh Morton and the FSC.>

The AG worked hard to hammer out any settlement. Why would the ND SBoHE undermine that work?

Listen to the Coaches Show available on FightingSioux.com. Even there Mussman is obscure and obtuse about the nature of it. Basically he said it was internal and may have required an invasive surgery. But nothing more specific. And that's fine by me. I'm more interested in full recovery than nature of injury.

Dirty is blind and squirrelly?

FYP.

Why would Fighting Sioux Club members give that out? Just so they have more competion for seats?

You forgot "humble" too.

Ding. RBK wants their own style so they can sell it.

You can't be that smart, so, who told you. New Uniforms at Sioux Fan Fest PS - I haven't seen the new mens jerseys. The womens' green and black jerseys are fine. Please, please, please keep the mens' white jersey traditional, and not like that abomination that is the womens'.

Technically, TT didn't do that. They'd farmed that product out to a supplier.

Dude, this whole section of this posting board is dedicated to the subject, hence the "Sioux Name" forum name. Summary: About five years ago the NCAA created a list of monikers it found "hostile and abusive". Those schools had to either i) change the name, ii) get tribal approval to use the name, or iii) face sanctions like no home playoff games and having to have special uniforms w/o words like "Sioux". FSU and Utah have tribal approval. Illinois got special dispensation because in "NCAA logic" (yes, an oxymoron) Illini derives from the state name (even though the state was named for the Illini tribal confederations). UND is trying to get approval from the ND tribes (two). Central Michigan got approval from one of five Michigan Chippewa tribes and that was enough, yet UND needs both. Yes, more "NCAA logic".

Archie Fool Bear keeps trying. You have to respect the man because he seems sincere even facing great (tribal council) adversity. This, however, seems like a play the early 1970s Oakland Raiders ran: Stabler to Cliff Branch on a 'go', throw deep, big risk, potential big reward. If Mr. Fool Bear connects on that even Stabler and Branch would be impressed. So, why the focus on the pipe ceremony by Mr. Fool Bear. What is a pipe ceremony? The Standing Rock Constitution does say the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and its tribal government is to " ... exercise our inherent ... unwritten Tribal laws, customs, and practices ... " Seems Mr. Fool Bear is not looking out just for UND's moniker but is looking to see that a pipe ceremony is not trampled by modern politics.