The Sicatoka

I choose to be a disinterested third party in this one. I don't have a dog (or rodent or ugly wooly drool cow) in the fight.

(I posted this in another thread also.) Any Gopher who questioned UND for taking gambling money with strings (think: design and naming rights) to build a stadium is now firmly in hypocrit mode. And I wonder why one Dakota tribe isn't helping out other members of the Oceti Sakowin (like Standing Rock). Seems the "Mystic Lakers" are more interested in pleasing the wasicu (white man) than helping fellow Nations. Curious.

Nickname (no mascot here) related? Eh, maybe, maybe not. But any Gopher who questioned UND for taking gambling money with strings (think: design and naming rights) to build a stadium is now firmly in hypocrit mode. And I wonder why one Dakota tribe isn't helping out other members of the Oceti Sakowin (like Standing Rock). Seems the "Mystic Lakers" are more interested in pleasing the wasicu (white man) than helping fellow Nations. Curious.

Careful or he'll go "Singapore" all over you.

Given all of the vampire references, should that be ... bites?

I try not to, but sometimes it's forced upon me, like now.

I wish young Stoa a sound recovery. The young man needs two knees for the rest of his life.

The only guy (Buning) who can talk right now .... isn't. Why not? I'd guess that he thinks he's better off with speculation, wonder, and finger-pointing at people who are just doing their jobs (and prevented from talking by state and federal law) than he'd be if he sat down with the media and told the story. He has to know that not saying anything is jamming up all of UND. He must mean to do it (because that's not smart to do to your boss, any boss). So whatever this is must be worse for him than jamming up the people who pay him. That's the only explanation that makes any sense. That works well for the short-term, but what's that going to do for him long-term?

(good grief I can't believe I'm about to say this) That guy at the school formerly known as NDAC had no knowledge of ND before then and is doing OK. National universities do national searches: Look everywhere; find the one best suited for the job. That person may be across the country, across the campus, or across the hall. You start by looking everywhere.

Dear Sioux fans, If everything is so wonderful for Fargo and NDSU, if they've gone so far so fast, and don't need or care (think: worry) about UND or Grand Forks any more: Why. Are. They. Still. .... Here.

Maine State.

Talk about negativity. You have a city that survived the worst American inland flooding this century and that a decade later has the premiere hockey facility on earth as home to the #1 college team in the country. Down the street sits the domed football stadium that the 2001 national champions play in attached to a new 200+ room hotel/convention center. Toss in that the hockey facility has a pretty decent basketball practice facility attached and that's not so bad. The guys down the highway? They've got the local media center and some great PR folks working for them. It's dizzying what you get from them. And yes, they've got a couple nice wins in certain sports. But so do the guys in Grand Forks (three straight Frozen Fours anyone? an Elite Eight? some playoff runs?). They just don't need to hear their name on the TV and radio as much as some do to know they're doing well. Could it be better? Sure, always can. Is it that bad? No.

It should stay until it is a proven net negative for UND. We are not there.

Yes, it was an organizational change, and if not announced the "black helicopters and tin hats" crowd would have started in with theories. What was unnecessary was dragging this into a public posting forum. It could've been quietly, professionally, handled. The emails show it was being handled. Allow people to do their jobs.

A layer of management yes, but with a law degree who will come in and make sure that UND deals with the matter in the proper and procedural (and least exposure to UND to litigation) way is a bad thing? I think not. As an extra benefit, that "extra layer" was the UND NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative until recently, so he understands some things about Athletics. A couple things I've said to people publicly and privately: - Let professionals do their jobs professionally (behind closed doors as the situation may call for). - Don't make Phil Harmeson "run a mop" behind you (and Harmeson had to in the Hak signing).

OH. MY. GOD. You'd really consider withholding both dollars!

NDSU's new band uniforms will make them a perennial powerhouse. (Some of you are laughing hysterically right now; the rest of you don't read the USCHO board.)

No, that'd "offend" the leftist (communist) crowd on campus.

They'll be at "GoCavalry.com" won't they.

Miller's offensive skills are line-up worthy. Are Miller's defensive skills (including and namely physical play along the boards)? That, friends, is the question. I figure Marto and LaPoint will "back and forth" the 6th defensive spot all season (unless the unspeakable happens and both are in the line-up). I picked Marto to play in GF vs. a more physical MSU and then LaPoint to play against a smaller BC on the road (with Marto then playing a more physical Northeastern the next night). Why do I figure all of that? Next year we'll most likely not have Bina (senior), Finley, and Chorney and both (Marto, LaPoint) need to be ready to be a top 4 defense skater. That's my guess.

Will they be replacing "M-i-n-n-e-s-o-t-a, ... Go Gophers!" with "H-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-s ... Play Sem'noles"?

A president of an academic and research institution putting academics, research, and long-term funding for those (endowments) ahead of athletics on his priority list? What is the man thinking?

Yup, and they all report to VPs or Deans, not the president (as the NCAA would have).

This is not aimed at you "mksioux" but to the general audience (you just happened to bring it up): This "president should run athletics" mindset (perpetuated by the NCAA no less) is hokum in my opinion. Yes, athletics is very public, but it's one aspect of a major university. Why should the president "more run" directly athletics moreso than medicine, law, art & sciences, engineering, research, or any other division? Good leaders delegate. If athletics at a university, any university, requires a "full-time president" maybe we should shut down the rest of the university and call college athletics what it is in that model: professional, with a CEO.

What's better than a goalie fight? Band fight!