The Sicatoka

Unique, yes. But again you're trying to sell a nothing. I can go to any truck stop and get a hat or t-shirt that says "North Dakota" on it; but, that's not UND. What makes it identifiable is either "University of North Dakota" or "UND" ... or the (wait for it) ... identifying nickname. You can't sell or market a void, a nothing. No they wouldn't. Nobody outside of this tight little circle cares. If they did, Florida State and Notre Dame would be changing names ... or North Dakota would not. There's not a lot of hazy area in the NCAA policy (no race, ethnicity, or national origin based nicknames) yet the Seminoles and Irish are still out there. If people really cared that policy would be applied equally and consistently. But it's not, which tells me nobody cares if North Dakota takes the hit or if they have a nickname or not. And there it is, as many have said all along: no nickname is merely a ruse to keep using the old nickname.

< and the choir says, "Amen!" >

About the hits on Monday by Kronwall and Ovechkin, I still say put the second official up in the press box during the game. Go with the immediate replay review. In Kronwall's case he probably would have gotten 2 and 10 (maybe 5 and 10), but not 60. And Ovechkin would've been called for something. In this Kronwall case, it seems like TBL is getting extra benefit out of that non-call.

So you never get out to the capitol in Bismarck to take a stroll through the North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt Rough Riders Hall of Fame? Some guy named "Thomas J. Clifford" is enshrined in it as is some basketball hack named "Phil Jackson" and some hockey puck named "Clifford 'Fido' Purpur", and Era Bell Thompson, Gen. David C. Jones, Judge Ronald N. Davies*, Carl Ben Eielson*, William C. Marcil, Gerald W. VandeWalle ... *I love that Fargo Public Schools has to pick UND (not NDSU) grads to name buildings after.

That would violate the Settlement Agreement, section 2.j "Intellectual Property". No, wait, I didn't read far enough. UND can transfer it to "any Sioux nation or tribe". The catch is ... there aren't any "Sioux". There are just Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota. "Sioux" is a nickname given to the D/L/Nakota tribes by others.

The most important word in there? "Most". Some will never.

L'etoille du Nord? French for "North Star"? Where have I seen that? Oh yeah ... the Minnesota state seal, in the middle of the Minnesota state flag.

John Crockett.

For the same reason UND is not considering "Buffalos". It's a little too close to something else nearby.

The Road to the Final Compliance. < CBS "Road to Final Four" music here >

My answer is c) On September 24, 2012, yes, in compliance, but solely because ... ... and the NCAA cut UND some slack given the state law prohibiting UND from adopting a new nickname before 1/1/15. So what do we call that? Quasi-compliance? En route to full compliance (along a slow and narrowed by because of legislature actions)?

That's exactly why I say ...

And that goes back to --> Does one party have to enforce terms of a contract immediately? Is there a statute of limitations on when the NCAA may choose to enforce it? It seems perpetual, because if UND were to reinstate "Fighting Sioux" in the year 2102 it's back on the "naughty list". This is where I'll repeat, I believe the NCAA (OK, maybe their legal council) is prudent enough to not force the issue while UND was hamstrung by state law. Again, notice Kelley had all the transition machinery up and running overtly immediately after 1/1/15. The NCAA may well view that as "good faith" and is holding off.

Any takers that Wyoming finds their pen and signs Nevermann's release on Sunday, September 6, 2015?

Yes, because UND was " ... in transition to a new ... " Step one was complete -- dropping old Step two was in process -- wait out state law to 1/1/15 Step three to infinity were in the works or running -- committee after committee after committee I believe the NCAA (OK, maybe their legal council) is prudent enough to not force the issue while UND was hamstrung by state law. Again, notice Kelley had all the transition machinery up and running overtly immediately after 1/1/15.

Correct. It says UND must remain in compliance with the Settlement Agreement and the Addendum to stay off the naughty list. (Key: settlement agreement, and that's where those words are coming from) What I'm saying is the Settlement Agreement says " ... in transition to a new ... " and that is the current state since that Addendum. Sure, the timelines are screwed up by in-state Legislative actions. But does the NCAA want to fight that, or hammer on UND even more for things out of their control*, or did they give UND time and space to ride that out, complete this "transition" phase (as drawn out as it may be), and move to "new". *UND did as much as it could under ND law up to Jan 1, 2015. Notice all the Kleinsasser and Goehring committees got commenced and broadcast starting about that time to give a clear signal regarding "transition" is still underway since the law expired.

Compliance because they were "in transition" is the open question. Again, if the transition stops, do we fall out of compliance?

The dead body one seems more appropriate for this.

As in "continue to be as specified", sure. "Remains" in the status of " ... in transition to a new ... ". The minute there's no "transition" (and no "new"), is UND in violation of the original settlement and the addendum?

I was fighting for it when it was still winnable. So today I don't despise it; what I despise is the sucking chest wound it has become.

" ... provided the University remains in compliance with the terms of the Settlement Agreement and this Amendment." Isn't that circular back to what does "transition to a new" mean and is the University in compliance with it?

It's been done.

As of morning of April 28 (please verify): 43 - UND-RedSox fan 40 - Ray77 37 - fight on sioux 36 - jimdahl 35 - The Sicatoka 34 - andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!! 30 - MafiaMan

Anything to sell a few more ads.

Yup. And before they did it because they thought they could whenever the arbitrary and capricous whim struck. Now? Now they're authorized by the membership to be arbitrary and capricious.