The Sicatoka

Hoe. Lee. Crap. It's really gone off the rails when Johnboy seems the rational one.

Only if you sealed the envelope with "spirit fingers". What are those?

That would work to get us through the first three bullet points of my list. The NCAA surely does not want that dominating the college sports politico-chatter. Instead they'd rather say ... "Don't look at how we wrongly strong-armed Penn State and they're now fighting back. Look over here at how we can strong-arm UND and get away with it!"

I'm hurt deeply. I'm not sure I'll ever get over it. . . . . I'm over it.

Yup. The NCAA Football economic* model (only) works because of donors (specifically, tax deductible donations to the schools earmarked for football) and the subsidies from the school for athletics. An NFL developmental league would have neither of those. *OK, OK, ... the entire NCAA athletics economic model with rare exceptions.

Why would it? It has one now, subsidized with public funds, and without the headaches of direct ownership. It's called "the NCAA".

Sooner or later ... we'll get around to it some day ...

He's back. Not sure if he's looked here yet.

Ask the "man on the street" in the major media markets and they don't know the difference between UND and NDSU any more than they know the difference between NDSU and SNHU. Actually, more may have heard of SNHU than NDSU or UND.

There's no story until UND releases it. Why? Private, contract negotiations (legal under ND open records).

Laudable for you; however, many in the "no nickname" camp really are for it for the specific reason you cite: to be able to continue using the old one (and think or feel like they are "stickin' it to the man!"). One morning the NCAA attorneys will: - wake up, - find that a Power 5 school has a scandal brewing, - need a distraction for the media from that, - realize that they've been played by those hick in fly-over North Dakota, - pull out their copy of the Settlement Agreement, - highlight the word "new", - make a statement about "not selecting a new nickname is fostering a hostile and abusive environment" which is what the Policy and the Settlement were to prevent, - put UND back under the Policy, - and put out a press release about it. The media lackeys will miss the P5 scandal story and instead write about how the NCAA is serious about "diversity and inclusion" and how they are rightly slapping down those contract-breaking rube hicks that are still fostering a hostile and abusive environment by not taking the last step in retiring their terrible nickname. Grandiose? Boisterous? Preposterous? Really? Uh ... the same type of scenario got us ... here.

Then again, he chose to go with a new last name rather than just going with "Zane".

David "Izzy" Marvin (late 1980s).

There's the letter, and the spirit, of the agreement. The letter is open to interpretation (as Chewey and I agree). The spirit of the agreement? We're trying to get around it with "weasel words".

Can we ever go back? Do we have to (legal obligation) move forward? I think the answers are in here: Source (reprint of GF Herald): http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/22000/#sthash.FeE0PujV.dpuf

The main reason: Contract Law. UND (the State) signed an agreement with the wording "If UND does not adopt a new nickname and logo ... ". (Settlement Agreement, section 2.d, page 5) North Dakotans don't "weasel word" and do follow through on agreements, especially contracts. I don't want a judge to rule one day that the NCAA is free and clear to stick us back on the list as subject to the Policy. There's one way to ensure that doesn't happen.

It would not be hard for the NCAA to claim UND is "fostering a hostile and abusive" environment by not selecting a new name and allowing the de facto nickname to perpetuate. They would then enforce the Settlement Agreement, section 2.d (see below). Nailed it.

Duncan's replacement was Trupp. Trupp's replacement was Grimaldi. --> Small, dynamic forward. Does the work along the walls, no nonsense, great shot, not the best player on the ice but never outworked, plays the role put in front of him. Who am I describing? Pattyn? Simonson?

Think one of the Ohio State QBs wants to transfer in ala Braden Hanson? #pipedream

Choose the lesser of two evils and you're still choosing evil.

Who recruited Blais' "playas" when Blais was here. (Hint: His top assistant.)

I'd like to see a unique letter mark, something where the D is shaped like the outline of the state. Calling the creative talent here ...

Fixed your post, and yes, the skunk is my first thought. When I think of Michigan, I think of the fugly helmets first.

Nothing. But Michigan still uses "Wolverines". Even with the M focal point, they still keep and use Wolverines.

Simonson is Pattyn's replacement (long term team role-wise). That's my prediction.