iramurphy

How about patience? Having said that there is no excuse to get kicked by any FCS school and no excuse to give up over 40 points per game. Kids need to look to themselves and start stepping up their level of play. Not sure why we couldn't score against Montana State even though I get the part that they are better than we are right now. Our receivers right now could play for many FBS teams. Our QB's are very good and we will get a good idea of how recruiting has progressed with Mollberg next year if he wins the starting job. Our linebackers need to be bigger and faster but it won't do any good if that just means you get to the ball carrier and miss tackles. We need RB's with the size of Sutton and speed and quickness of Miller. O-line needs to keep imporving and we need quicker feet with similar size. Not sure how we can have line that big that can't run block. D-line hasn't kept blockers off our LB's very well and secondary needs to get a lot stronger and smarter. Not time to crap on our coaching staff yet. We will know after this years group of redshirts are eligible if we are making the necessary strides We aren't there but we are closer. . We need to make sure we dont' lose anyone for academics or stupid decisions. More than anything every year coaching staffs across the country need to assess whether or not they are recruiting the right kids. The Wisconsin RB who was coming as a preferred walk-on is an example. Seems he would be here had we offered at least 1/2 Scholarship. If we had he would have had to sit out to go to Wisconsin. (NDSU missed that one too). The Brainerd kid who starts in O-line as RFR for the AC, played for former UND player Chet Stevenson and he was offered preferred walk on here and there. Obviously both schools underestimated him. We need to speed up our facility upgrades. That will make a big difference for recruiting. Faison needs to continue to upgrade the non-conf schedule. I am anxious to see if he can get either the Gophers or Tar Heels. We aren't there yet and everyone can see that. The kids we have need to be more disciplined and can't miss tackles or pick up dumb penalties or turn the ball over. We aren't good enough. Eliminate the things like that and we have two more wins. There is more a sense of urgency but for now don't forget this is our first year eligible. If we improve steadily we will be there soon. Biggest key of course is we need better players to compete at this level. We are getting there at some positions but we need to pick it up a bit.

How about patience? Having said that there is no excuse to get kicked by any FCS school and no excuse to give up over 40 points per game. Kids need to look to themselves and start stepping up their level of play. Not sure why we couldn't score against Montana State even though I get the part that they are better than we are right now. Our receivers right now could play for many FBS teams. Our QB's are very good and we will get a good idea of how recruiting has progressed with Mollberg next year if he wins the starting job. Our linebackers need to be bigger and faster but it won't do any good if that just means you get to the ball carrier and miss tackles. We need RB's with the size of Sutton and speed and quickness of Miller. O-line needs to keep imporving and we need quicker feet with similar size. Not sure how we can have line that big that can't run block. D-line hasn't kept blockers off our LB's very well and secondary needs to get a lot stronger and smarter. Not time to crap on our coaching staff yet. We will know after this years group of redshirts are eligible if we are making the necessary strides We aren't there but we are closer. . We need to make sure we dont' lose anyone for academics or stupid decisions. More than anything every year coaching staffs across the country need to assess whether or not they are recruiting the right kids. The Wisconsin RB who was coming as a preferred walk-on is an example. Seems he would be here had we offered at least 1/2 Scholarship. If we had he would have had to sit out to go to Wisconsin. (NDSU missed that one too). The Brainerd kid who starts in O-line as RFR for the AC, played for former UND player Chet Stevenson and he was offered preferred walk on here and there. Obviously both schools underestimated him. We need to speed up our facility upgrades. That will make a big difference for recruiting. Faison needs to continue to upgrade the non-conf schedule. I am anxious to see if he can get either the Gophers or Tar Heels. We aren't there yet and everyone can see that. The kids we have need to be more disciplined and can't miss tackles or pick up dumb penalties or turn the ball over. We aren't good enough. Eliminate the things like that and we have two more wins. There is more a sense of urgency but for now don't forget this is our first year eligible. If we improve steadily we will be there soon. Biggest key of course is we need better players to compete at this level. We are getting there at some positions but we need to pick it up a bit.

Take a look at the earlier post with the rankings for the last three teams we played. Made some plays on defense and we led Cal Poly in the 4th quarter. Hendrickson has a bad game and can't hit a fat pig in the ass with a hand full of gravel or we should win that one. East Wash was an embarassment. That is a score we might expect if we play a FBS top 20 school. No excuse. Hendrickson struggles and the defense never left the airport. Against N. Arizona our d-backs gave a bigger cushions than a hug from Dolly Parton. Not sure why Mackey wasn't replaced. We had to have a number of kids who could have given 15 yd cushions then jumped on the recievers back (if they could) as they went by. Might as well get them some game time. Linbackers didn't show up. Too many missed tackles and missed assignments. That is another game we should have won. I really don't care to compare with our little sister to the south. They are very good and very young. We need to take care of ourselves. Starts with fundamentals. Kids need to be assignment sharp, can miss tackles, Can't drop passes. We have maybe the most talented group of wide receivers we have ever had, but they don't run disciplined routes, they drop passes, tkae dumb-ass penalties and fumble. All of those things are correctable. I really haven't kept up enough paying attention to the details of our schemes and adjustments to think we have a coaching issue. As long as we miss as many takles as we do, missed assignments and play undisciplined FB it is hard to get to Offensive and defensive play calling. I know game preparation and discipline are a coaching responsibility but that is a responibility for team captains and most of all the players. Montana is another game we should win. Defense needs to get better each week. My concern is they haven't. As long as we have kids missing tackles and missing assignments, we will struggle to put games away. Fan support has been only lukewarm. Student support is much better this year but we need to build on that. They finally have done some things with the fraternities and sororities. I would try and expand that to the dorms. We need to improve the video coverage and remember people at games like to see themselves on the screen. With hunting season upon us, it will be interesting to see how that cuts into attendence. UND should be giving away tickets to area schools and giving group discounts to area businesses. There is room for 3,000 more fans at each game. UND band is excellent and has become a bigger part of the game, before, during and after. Also Faison should have been on the phone yesterday to see if we could fill the Gopher games with UNC. Tell Hanson to call his old AD and coach and get it set up. Would be great game on schedule and timing good with them on probation. If we can't get UNC get the Gopher games. Payouts for either schools should be good. Need to be aggressive. Saturday will be agreat day for FB.

I would like to know if there was ever any evidence Kristo's injuries were related to alcohol. I understood he was trying to walk to his girlfriend's apartment and tried a shortcut across Ray Richards Golf Course where his shoes came off in the deep snow and he lost them. Maybe not very smart, but not necessarily drunk. I wasn't there so I don't know for sure. I do know that I read that his frostbite was not a result of being drunk. Anyone know the facts? Always amazes me how the truth gets trampled on blogs. Maybe that was the case, but I was told otherwise.

Doesn't have anything to do with UND sparky. This has to do with NDSU. .Great comeback though. The other common comeback that usually makes its way onto these blogs is something like "everyone does it or in UND's case "what about your hockey party". If at some point in your life there is something occuring at UND that you are envious of, you have a shallow existence. Same goes here. There is nothing going on at NDSU anyone at UND would be envious of. You have a great FB team good for you. I am more concerned about shoring up our defense, improving LB play, and getting consistent play from our QB and running game than anything that occurs in Fargo. Having said that, the quote from the judge: "I don't think they were smart enough, or grown up enough,or sophisticated enough to understand" is a classic. It applies to the arrogant president and AD down there just as well as the FB players. Can't blame Bohl. He is just being a FB coach. The fact that none of those three have an understanding of public ipinion or leadership abilities to have dealt with this quickly and decisively speaks volumes. I had stated previously Bresciani was a smart guy. He isn't has smart as I thought. He is almost as arrogant as Chapman and Taylor though. Had they suspended these kids for a game 1st game of the year, it would not have created the public stir or outcry. How damn dumb are these 3 guys? Wouldn't have hurt them on the field and would have gained a lot of good PR. Would have sent a message to the players and should have been followed up by standing by them as they dealt with the legal issues. The kids would have understood they have to obey the law and that despite making a mistake, the coaches and admin support them. Instead these three stooges have been good enough to provide entertainment and poster material for the rest of the conference and your friends from UND.

I thought the pro-bono deal was what Jemison got in trouble for.

UND needs to upgrade a number of things. Those Great West banners should already be up for all sports earned. Not that expensive, no excuse. I was also disappointed with the crowd. Cal Poly is a very good team and UND has a lot of weapons and has been fun to watch. The crowd was still a factor a couple of times. CP had a couple of fals starts and had to call a time out. Students hung around for second half this time. Up to atheltic department to make sure the place is filling up. Give discount tickets to HS students and Air Base personnel. Do some sort of promotion for competition between fraternities/sororities/ dorms. Have Faison and coaches met with Greek council and Dorm council leaders. If not get on it. Have coaches and players do Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions club meetings etc. Need to get the students re-engaged. Students and fans like to see themselves on the big screen. Get it done. Camera angles need to be improved. Need to have score updates from Big Sky, Big Ten, top 25 and area teams on scorebaord periodically. Faison doesn't need to do it all but he needs to take resopsibility and get it done.

It is huge, and that is realistic! Very generous donation. It is a big boost to an Engineering program that has been very good for a long time and has had rapid growth the last couple of years. Todays students look for the bells and whistles and the glitz. This provides money for scholarships, faculty, and bricks and mortar. The answer is thanks very much and foster this realtionship for years to come.

Hakstol made a decision based on an incident that he wasn't happy with. Anyone who thinks his decision is based on what occurs at NDSU hasn't a clue. His decision was supported by the AD. Those who think we have a right to know what happened are mistaken. It is none of our business. IF charges are filed it becomes public and feel free to get your grunies bundled at that point if you have nothing better to do. You trust those who are the decision makers to take care of these issues. If you are at the AC then you trust your President, AD and coach to deal with it. They have. UND did what they think needs to be done. I believe over the years UND has been failrly consistent in how these issues are dealt with. This decision has nothing to do with what happened with the FB players at the AC. Over the years Hakstol has run his program as he sees fit. When he cut Matt Frattin a couple of years ago, then later allowed him back had nothing to do with the AC. Neither does this. Similar punishments have been handed out over the years including the occasional year when the AC doesn't have someone in trouble. The AC won't change their decision based on what UND does with our hockey players any more than UND made this decision based on what goes on there or how the media or fans on blogs react.

Way to early to send him to the NFL. Can't have drops that he has had, but made some big time catches over top defenders already this year that are highlight catches. This has to be the best group of wide receivers in history of school. Hardin, Jackson, Golladay, McGill and Ivery. Size speed and athletic ability. If a QB can put the ball where the receiver is and he comes up with the ball consistently, he can play in the NFL. Needs to limit his drops but he can play at any college level right now. If O-line will cont. to protect our QB we will score points. Need to get running game going and Defense needs to be better than a speed bump. Can't miss tackles, can't miss assignments and we aren't good enough to have that many penalties. We are getting there though. Fun team to watch.

Frankly, what they do at the AC doesn't matter much. They had a bunch of players who thought they could make a few quick bucks and involved others to take advanatage. Unfortunatley they were dumb enough to cheat and they have been caught. It speaks to their integrity and character and that of their school officials. What the school does with them doesn't matter much to us. Chapman did a lot worse and many still lament he is gone. They have a different culture there. (Mussman suspended 2 kids for skipping class). I have no problem letting the legal issues play out then let the AC guys decide how they are going to handle it. The new Chancellor has a great opportunity to call their president on the carpet and let him know how it should be handled. He didn't do so so he is OK with all of this. So am I, cuz until they want to play us again, it doesn't matter. We have more important things to do at home. We have to get the practice facility financed and built. We need to keep improving our FB team. We need to improve attendence for FB, BB VB. We need to reengage our students and community with our athletics and we need to be very diligent in our transition from the WCHA to the new conference. We can't afford to lose our advantage in hockey and we need to reestablish our advantage in other sports. Shouldn't be surprised at what they do at the AC. That is why it is still the AC. Good luck to them they have a hell of a FB team. Looking forward to playing them again.

This clown is a jerk. Had harrassment charges against him while in California. Involved in accusing students who challenged some of his financial records of breaking into his office after they removed documents from a dumpster.. Drives a Porche rag top. Firing staff and replacing with attorneys. Egotistical and history of ignoring law. Replace furniture and remodeled office. Has three rows of pictures and documents on his wall. Tries to intimidate. Rude. This may be the tool those legislators use to get control of higher ed. Would be nice to have Chuck Haga or someone expose this jerk before he destoys higher ed in N. Dak. Last Chancellor ineffective but this guy isn't the answer. Disappointed that our SBoHE selected him over better candidates. He presents a danger to higher ed and college students in N. Dak.

Don't forget, the Spirit Lake leaders wouldn't return phone calls to the SBoHE Chancellor nor his staff when they were trying to get them to do what was needed to keep the name back when Spirit Lake could have made a difference. Standing Rock was even more difficult to deal with. You never know from day to day what their stance on this issue is nor was. They have so many problems there with the child abuse and child protection issues and political corruption it isn't funny. Any tribal members who are not devoting all of their time and efforts to protect those kids should be ashamed. The Fighting Sioux name has been retired. Only those who are a bit delusional don't get this.

Not all QB's returned. I was told 2 incoming Freshmen and 2 Sr's were the 4 listed at QB, but HAVE NOT confirmed. Bradley is only a Jr. so I hope that isn't accurate. Coombs the QB from Ca. is a Jr. I was told Coombs didn't come back. Check and see if Bradley is there.

Never said there was nothing they could do. I wanted you to say what it was you wanted them to do and how did other politicians do differently for their schools. It would have been interesting to see how the NCAA would have reacted. Our present poiticians could still address the issues with the NCAA but doubt any will. I am not saying these guys couldn't ahve done anything. I wasn't convinced they would have gotten us anymore than the other schools got. Your point is well taken as far as they had influence and chose not to attempt to pressure the NCAA. They also could ahve pressured the tribes and other Native groups. Not sure they have enough time.

You seem to forget to mention another important factor. There were a number of National Native groups pressuring the NCAA to change the policy before the members voted overwhelmingly to change the policy. The NCAA was responding to lobbying by multiple Native organiizations and individuals rather than dictating to the ANtivNeither Spirit Rock nor Standing Rock spoke up on behalf of UND when it counted. When you do business on the reservation, you adjust to that culture, same as you do when you do business in another country. The cultural differences between tribes is as different as cultural differences between European countries such as French, German, Spanish, Itallian etc. I would expect tribal governments and cultures to adjust to the NCAA timeline when off the reservation and the NCAA to adjust to the individual tribal cultures when they do business with the tribal governments. I believe you have an argument that the polciy to allow other ethnic groups to be represented by names and logos but not Native Americans is discriminatory. I don't agree that makes people involved from either side racist. Maybe ignorant of cultural differences or insensitive at times but I don't believe racist. Your continued references to UND officials as racist or incompetent is not based on facts. Your information about removal of all logos etc. is also not correct. The agreement allows for some to stay, some to be removed over time and most recently consideration for a different timeline. None of this precludes any of us from working with Native American children to improve educational opportunities. That will do more than the name and logo. You would do better to drop the name calling. Playing the race card at every opportunity decreases the effectiveness of using it when appropriate. Lastly, I gave up on trying to get Chewey to point out what he thinks our congressional delegation could have gotten UND that other congressional delegates obtained for their schools.

I believe UND is over 3/4 the way tot he $19,000,000. I don't believe there is Sanford money. I believe it includes a substantial donation from Altru. I have no idea if the announcement is related to the facility. I guess we will see.

Put me down as not being as smart as Dave!!!

I have had season tickets for hockey for 37 years and for FB for 38 years. About 75% of the time I forget to send in my renewal on time and every year I get a reminder. Happens every year. Dave, this is another example of how you are taking an issue and trying to mislead people into believing something that isn't true. There is nothing desparate about these notices. UND hockey will have an adjustment to make moving into the new league. If the Gophers and Badgers aren't on the schedule, it will have a bigger effect on attendance than the name and logo. There are very few people who would pay to watch college sports based on the uniforms, logos, or jerseys. You may be one of a kind David. You are angry at the wrong people. Take this up with the other over 400 members of the NCAA who voted the policy into place or our Native American tribes who had the opportunity to allow us to keep the name but neglected to act. That is their choice not yours or mine. I appreciate your entertainment value but weren't you going to go away from this blog as well as UND athletics if the name was voted down. What may be accurate is that beer sales at hockey games may drop drasticaaly if you don't renew your tickets!

Do you realize how stupid that statement is? Ralph would roll over in his grave if he thought UND could be that stupid. Spend $100 million for UND hockey and the athletic program, then close it down because the nickname and logo changed. He didn't get to be a billionaire by being stupid. He would have explained this to you and anyone else suggesting something this crazy but would have used more colorful language.

Dave I thought you said you were leaving. I appreciate your entertainment value so welcome back. You obviously are not familiar with the contract. Ralph Englestad had in mind a facility for UND hockey that would be the best in the world. Many of us think that was accomplished. This arena was also intended to provide a source of funding for UND athletics for years to come and that includes hockey. The contract isn't a secret, you can find ways to obtain a copy.. He did not make it perfectly clear no other team should play in that arena and especially that UND hockey by another name wasn't welcome. Where do you come up with crap like that? That is also the same crap the folks who lobbied to keep the name claimed. The contract with UND has nothing requiring UND to keep the name. Before you come up with your rather radical opinions and ideas at least get the facts straight. I was at UND the day he announced the gift and sat back in the UND reception area after the announcement and listened to his comments. He said nothing of the sort. Having said that I didn't know him personally and maybe he told you in private that was his wish. What his support was clearly for was UND hockey, UND athletics and UND. His frustration during construction was that he was told the logos were OK and then Kuppy started to waffle while the arean was being constructed even after a lot of money had been spent to include the logo. He got frustrated with the adminsitration for the inconsistent message. He did support keeping the name. There is no evidence he wanted to keep it at all costs. Had coach Hakstol explained the growing list of schools that wouldn't play us and the recruiting problems it is starting to create there is no way he would have wanted UND hockey playing elsewhere. He would have thought anyone with such a goofy idea an idiot. He loved UND hockey and the tradition of UND hockey. The name was a very small part of that and almost everyone who has played or coached can tell you that. Ralph was smart enough to understand there is a time to cut your losses and move on. 67% of the people of N. Dak. understood that as well. To claim there was no leadership is simply whining and lack of understanding of the process over the past 40 years. If Earl Strinden, Tim O'Keefe and Dave Hakstol presented the facts to Ralph he would not have turned his back on UND hockey and UND athletics on behalf of this name. UND hockey and UND athletics are far more important than the name. You folks who keep making claims that more whining or legal threats would have made a difference, simply refuse to see the facts. The NCAA members voted 98% to 2% to do away with these names. Neither tribe supported keeping the name as required by the NCAA. Multiple people lobbied the tribes and they wouldn't budge in 2005 and then neither would agree before the deadline. How many other colleges had leaders who were able to get the NCAA to compromise and give us an additional 3 years grace period? The claim that the Natives at Standing Rock weren't allowed to vote is now gone because they voted to drop the name. So did the Spirit Lake folks. The don't need a mediocore attorney, 4th line former hockey palyer and overweight former military paper pusher to speak for them. They have spoken for themselves. Time to move on.

What is "appalling" is your complete lack of understanding of this issue and your willingness to blame UND officials, alumni and the SBoHE. The tribes had an opportunity to allow the name to stay and chose not to in 2005 when it would have taken only a statement from one tribal council to allow the name to stay. It was UND officials, SBoHE officials and the attorney general who lobbied to get a grace epriod for UND. The tribes had another opportunity to keep the name and they chose not to. With the counties the tribes are located on voting to retire the name the old arguament about keeping the name for the Native Americans doesn't hold true anymore.. They are all smart enough to see it was time to retire the name for whatever reason. UND officials including O'Keefe did a lot over the years to try and keep the name. The NCAA members voted 98% to 2% to drop Native names and logos. UND officials, coaches athletes and obviously the entire state has made clear the name needed to go. To state the only problem witht he sanctions was the potential loss of the Big Sky shows you have no clue what recruiting involves, Scheduling does indeed play a factor in choices made by athletes and the fact that the list of schools who wouldn't play us was growing should have been a red flag for everyone. Don't forget the NCAA changes playoff policy over time. How many years did we have home playoffs in MBB, WBB, FB and Men's hockey? The loss of home playoffs for VB, FB and womens hockey is another factor you can't overlook. If you think it isn't a big deal then you never competed. I don't see people gloating they are relieved and want to move on and it is time. It is also time for those who didn't want this result to quit blaming people who worked very hard to keep the name but in the end did what needed to be done to move our athletic tieams forward and put us in a better position to succeed. It amazes me that the Johnson guy, or Frank or our old pal Dave simply won't include these facts in their discussions. The so called truth tour could not have been further from the truth on some issues. For those who can't accept this vote and move on then I guess you have to find another team. For the rest, lets accept the change whether we like it or not and do what we need to do to help UND succeed in all sports as well as an academic institution. More importantly than this name, there are so many ways you can get involved and make a difference for our Native Americans that will do much more good than this name. Best to quit looking to blame and look for those opportunities to make a difference.

We didn't have a mascot. That was misinformation used by the name opponents over the years when they were lobbying the NCAA to drop the name.

Make sure you understand UND didn't drop the ball the tribal governments did. One of my old fraternity brothers thinks UND could have changed all of this if only.... When pressed as to what they should have done differently, he had no answers other than they should have done more. He blamed Kelly and could grasp the fact that this all took place before Kelly got here. We got the same requirements others did. Our tribes didn't comply when it would have taken only one and then later when it required two. Simple as that. The NCAA is not doing anything to UND. Over 95% of the NCAA members voted to abolish Native names and logos. UND and less than 10 other schools voted to keep them. Don't punish our UND athletes coaches and fans on the fields, the courts,and the ice.

Professor Dave, The answer to your problem is University of Phoenix. One of greatest college FB stadiums in the country. They don't have a FB team. I don't believe they have any athletic teams, but you may be able to make their fantasy FB team. This will be just like the fantasy world you, Frank and others are trying to drive UND to. We will have the greatest hockey facility in the country but no college hockey team. Fetch will be able to schedule his old timers team anytime he wishes and call them the Fighting Sioux. He can turn the weight room into a sheep pen for his harem. You might wish to inquire as to whether or not the former Fargo mayor would sponsor you to join the "freethinkers" group. You could keep them occupied for years. A lot of them are philosphers like yourself. A number seem to be former college professors like the former mayor so you would love that group. It will give you something to do after the vote. If UND prevails and the yes votes win you have stated you will abandon UND athletics. IF the no votes win, UND athletics will suffer a slow death under these sanctions as more and more teams refuse to play UND and you will have even more time on your hands.