DamStrait

No worries - I assure you, I am quite relaxed. Yes, if it were always held in Milwaukee, Denver, or Omaha I would say that UW, DU, or UNO, respectively, would have an unfair advantage. There is a lot of discussion about a secondary site for the tourney - where outside the twin cities do you think it would have the highest attendance? Could it just possibly be the site that holds the NCAA regional attendance record?

If that is the case, then the league must pay all teams hotel (and probably travel too) out of the tourney proceeds, which makes some sense. That does nothing for the fans, bands, or cheer teams, however, and the travel to St. Paul still involves considerably more effort from all the other teams. The john is what, two miles from St. Paul city limits? Give me a break. I have also heard Donnie hairpile say that the golden ones always stay in a hotel for the tourney. Makes it easy to continue in the pretense that it is not a de facto home game for his team if he doesn't have to draw funds from his department in order to do it. Scott Hennen (former Sioux rink announcer), has been the secondary announcer at least a couple of times. The john rink announcer has generally been the primary one for the tourney and he hasn't earned it based on merit - he is horribly monotone and just plain excrutiating to have to listen to - he isn't fit to speak into Hennen's microphone. I admit that having the tourney at the Excel favors the entire league membership, it just favors UMN above all others. I don't expect every UMN fan to admit to this, but I think it reasonable to have 90-95% admit to it - instead it is closer to 5-10%. Just another manifestation of the rampant sense of unearned entitlement nearly all UMN fans seem to have - and is the real reason they are almost universally held in disdain. Nice try skippy, but it don't wash.

He does not have a valid point - he is disingenuous because as a UMN fan he can say that and support what are de facto home games for his team at the Xcel Energy Center - his team, their fans, band, and cheer team do not have to pay for or put any effort into any travel - they even have the UMN rink announcer there for that tourney, for Pete's sake (wouldn't want the golden ones to feel too out of place now, would we?). He also would not admit as much because he lacks integrity. He is nothing but an UND hating troll on this site. I wouldn't expect you to pick up on any of this as it has already been repeatedly established that you know nothing about WCHA hockey.

Wow - thanks for that pearl of wisdom there, skippy - if you come up with any more, feel free to keep them to yourself.

Morbid curiosity makes watching your contorted and tortured rationalizations, which are twisting you into what must result in a fatal, flesh-rendering, bone-splintering position, irresistable. It's been fairly conclusively shown that one of us is confused and unfamiliar with the current membership of the WCHA and CCHA - and it ain't me. Seriously - do you ever admit to reality? Everything points to UNO going to the WCHA. Is it a sure thing? No, but the smart money ain't bettin' agin it.

The advantages UNO gains by moving to the WCHA are: 1. More money (bigger pot in the Final Five Tournament). 2. Shorter travel. 3. Typically, if history is any guide, they will have a higher strength of schedule, which should lead to more at-large NCAA tournament berths. 4. Likely more home attendance as many WCHA fans travel well. 5. It will piss off MplsBison and once again demonstrate his tenuous grasp upon reality.

It may not be right, but it feels right, and isn't that what is really important?

There are some people that are so stupid it is amazing that they manage not to "off" themselves before achieving adulthood. Pat Duncan is one such person. I'm offended by his sophomoric attempt to justify opposition to the "Fighting Sioux" moniker. I insist he be summarily dismissed from his paper and never put anything into writing again. Wow - exercising the tyranny of the minority is fun!!! I should have started doing this years ago.

Golden Eagle

I question "found" as well, as I have yet to hear one that fits. I remain opitmistic, but guarded.

Chief, touch 'em all, 'cause you just hit that one out of the park.

Not sure who the other announcer (besides Paul Braun) is, but it's too bad Archie didn't find his way from the beer garden to the press box to pound those sanctimonious clowns into silence.

I agree, they inherited it, and was as good as UND was going to get as the NCAA membership foolishly voted to give Brand carte blanche shortly thereafter. The agreement did afford some opportunity to work to retain the name and I think most of that opportunity has been squandered. I agree Ron McNeil was a substantial obstacle, but it seems that instead of trying, they just threw their hands in the air and gave up. I realize a victorious conclusion was not probable but it's all very disappointing just the same. If you don't at least try, you are sure to fail.

I would prefer any option that gets UND into an autobid conference for football. If that is the Big Sky, so be it. If the composition of the Big Sky changes so that it is no longer attractive enough, UND can look for a different autobid football conference at that time. Conferences and their membership composition has been very fluid, so this would not be unusual.

I expected and would have very much appreciated an honest, thoughtful and creative effort to try to retain the name. Instead (I can't prove it of course), I have the distinct impression that both of them wanted the name to go away as quickly as possible in order to make their lives and jobs easier.

The announcement would not be demeaning or confrontational, just factual. If Myles and his band of foaming-at-the-mouth pc stormtroopers don't want to have it known that they are responsible, then they should have thought that through before embarking upon their "catalyst for social change" campaign. That most definitely would have been my preference.

I'm not advocating marketing "nothing" I'm advocating marketing the University of North Dakota. Those insisting that UND needs a new moniker should "Fighting Sioux" be retired can be more accurately described as advocating "nothing" as they are doing so without knowledge of what that new moniker will be. It's like saying that one really needs to be married, but to whom one is married is of secondary if not trivial importance. A lot of the problem I have with a new moniker is that it will be largely the same people (SBoHE, Kelly, Faison, Alumni Association) responsible for screwing the pooch on the effort to retain "Fighting Sioux" making the selection. If "just the University of North Dakota" were to be one of the options for a popular poll for selecting a new moniker - with the various other names that have been bandied about comprising the rest of the possible selections - it is not at all unreasonable to expect that the "no moniker" option would garner the most votes.

Ask Marquette how their new moniker affected their merchandise marketing. That's what happens when you force the issue. You self-proclaimed marketing geniuses need to quit trying to convince those of us that think going without a moniker is wrong-headed and come up with a new moniker that fits - and I got news for you - all the ones mentioned up to now do not fit. I'd also suggest you get out of smack dab in the middle of that box you're in. UND can't market like Michigan? Think small - be small. Going without a new moniker could set UND apart and exploit the difference to its marketing advantage. I'd have every home game start with a PA announcement similiar to the one currently employed explaining "Fighting Sioux", only it would explain why UND has no moniker. Lets' just say the NCAA, and "Catalyst for Social Change" Myles Brand would be prominently featured. And as for the interlocking "ND", each and every time UND plays before a national audience, I'd make sure the AD's publicity department unambiguously informs the broadcasters that UND had it first - turn a negative into a positive. Sure it would take some effort, but anything worth doing does. Let's not shrink from the challenge, but show a little "can do" North Dakota spirit. I suspect I am thought of as being intransigent, but I can assure that I have given considerable thought to a new moniker, something unique, but fitting. I've thought of Corps of Discovery (Lewis & Clark), Badlanders, Plainsmen (doesn't work well with the women's teams), Prairie or Western Rattlers (which would be somewhat ironic, given the load of bull propigated by pc morons equating Sioux to snake), Roughnecks (oil industry), Bankers (Bank of North Dakota, the only state owned bank in the US), Frontier Scouts, Territorials (Dakota Territory), Ligniters, Northerners (UND is the northernmost state flagship university in the continental US), Eighty Niners (ND was admitted to the Union in 1889), Minutemen (missles), Miners, Equalizers (ND was the only legislature to pass the ERA), Trappers...none seem to fit.

I admit I'm not the marketing genius you apparently are, but I am not contending that Sicatoka's avatar would be the only new logo, but merely an example of one (of several) that could be successful without a moniker. If the current moniker is retired, it's likely merchandise sales will take a dip, regardless whether there is a new moniker or no moniker. I can easily envision a ill-fitting, forced, and too soon new moniker resulting in much worse merchandise sales than if no moniker is adopted. And no one seems interested in commenting on my Michigan example - again, if they can do it with in effect no moniker presence on their merchandise, why can't UND? This is being made harder than it has to be - try it with no moniker and see how it goes - if it catches on, great - if a new moniker naturally evolves, great - if hell freezes over and it becomes evident that a lame-ass contest to find a new moniker among a list of lame-ass options is needed, then gr... - TO HELL WITH THAT. The point is, going with no moniker does not preclude the possibility of choosing a new one at a later date - in other words, stupidity delayed is at least preferable to immediate stupidity.

I'm assuming by "moniker/logo" you mean "moniker and logo", but I would suggest that it should mean "moniker or logo". I think your avatar is a very good example of a new and very marketable logo that is independent of a moniker. What fraction of University of Michigan merchandise makes reference to "Wolverines"? Whatever it is, it is a very small one and if "Wolverines" was to be banned from all their merchandise, I have to believe it would have almost no, if any, effect on their sales. And Michigan is what - certainly in the top ten of all the NCAA for merchandising - probably in the top three. In addition, as someone else mentioned previously, having no moinker would set us apart from virtually all other programs - a difference that could be exploited to UND's (marketing) advantage.

Agreed.

Again, perfectly expressed.

First two games of the WCHA tournament.

I am in no way defending that completely moronic post, but how do you know the mods changed the post (and not the poster)? I think most feel that Jim is more tolerant than a lot of other board organizers, but I suspect he just hasn't yet had that particular post come to his attention. If it were up to me, I would choose differently than Jim does on occasion, but it's his site. Most of us Sioux fans have things other than the 'SU softball team on our minds right now. By the way, tony is hardly a paragon of virtue. You may prefer his board to Jim's, but certainly no one is forcing you to visit Jim's.

Not "they" - "he".