Teeder11

Below is the story from the Herald that someone referenced earlier about K Dawg and Gretz Grand Forks Herald (ND) November 15, 1998 Section: A Edition: FINAL Page: 01 ONE OF `THE BOYS' MARK KAUK IS GREATER GRAND FORKS' NO. 1 SPORTS FAN Ryan Bakken, Herald Staff Writer At age 6, Mark Kauk was still playing with toddler toys when his mother brought home baseball cards one day. His life changed forever. He'd set those cards out on his bed, put all the players in their real positions and make his own game, Betty Kauk said. It was his own little world. He'd do the same with hockey, basketball and football cards, too. Sometimes, he'd use a scissors to cut out their body silhouettes to make them look more lifelike. He'd get drink stir sticks shaped like hockey sticks and tape them to the NHL playing cards. THIS POST EDITED BY GDM: Please do not copy and paste entire articles onto this site. The reason is left below. Thank you. Copyright

What?

Your opinion does hold some merit. But we need to get something straight. We in the public and on this message board tend to laud all the positive things that Sioux hockey players do and seldom turn a critical eye to the way the media inflates the run-of-the-mill ordinary stuff they do on and off the ice. I think we need to understand -- whether right or wrong -- that the media pendulum swings both ways. Why do we tend to be OK with the Herald inflating the fluffy feel-good stuff about the hockey players? And then, why all of a sudden do we come down on the them for delivering a perceived negative message? I know, 'cause we're fans and this our right. But, I'm seeking a deeper understanding into our demands of the media. I think whether the mugshot is necessary is debatable. I don't think it really matters. I think the paper has a responsibility to do things the way it wants (within the law) independent of what fans on a Fighting Sioux message board think. We've got to face it, the Sioux hockey players are big celebs in this town, we made them that way. Donning the UND sweater comes with new responsibilities that their nonhockey playing classmates don't have to deal with. Fair or not, those are the facts. We can't put them on a pedestal one minute when the press is good, and then, turn around the next minute and say the hockey players are just like any other Joe Smoe student (and should be treated as such), when the chips are down. I don't think the paper should coddle the players by running more flattering mugshots. I also don't think the press should pump up their exploits when it's not merited (and I think we all can find examples of cheerleader journalism in the Herald about the UND hockey team). Note to Herald editors and reporters: Leave that kind of behavior to fans like us. As for whether other prominent officials get their mugs in the paper or not when they get in trouble with the law. I would be willing to bet they would (even for DUI) if the press found out about it. UND's public relations machine sent out a statement about the TJ Oshie incident. Kudos to UND for being forthright and honest. When most of us get in trouble, or get DUIs, I don't think our employers send out press releases on our mishaps, alerting the press. If the Herald found out, or was tipped off, to a public official or a prominent person, UND athletes included (again, because, WE have made them stars), you can guarantee it would be on Page 1A with a jailbird mug staring right back at you. Public interest is what dictates this, and whether you like it or not, many people who don't frequent this message board but who love or hate Sioux hockey as much, want to see TJ's mug. The media feeds this interest. Food for though.

I can agree with that. Thanks for the clarification. I think DAZ especially reflects the characteristics you ascribe to local media. The Herald less so. TV tends to go off half cocked on stories that aren't stories, making more of a situation than is actually there. The paper is not guiltless, but it tends to be more measured.

What's your point about the Heraldo? What the hell did they do? How do they enter into this all of a sudden? It's a good local paper, a lot better than others that I've had the misfortune of being stuck with.

Coward. Fred Wynne UND alum '96 Canmore, ALT.

Herald is reporing that Dale is gone.

Jim: Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. I had to go up north on business and was out of computer range. No problem at all about your first post that launched my rant. LOL. And no offense taken at all. I appreciate your comments, though, and keep up the great work on this site. I love it. Regards, Fred

Jim: I tend to agree with you a lot, as you are very reasoned in your approach to things, and may I say, very fair. But, as someone who is very close to the majority of Herald staff writers and editors, I can honestly say there is no vast conspiracy about the nickname, which is what it would take to have someone actually making a conscious intentional effort to turn off certain comment lines and leave others on. I have seen examples where it may have appeared that way, especially to someone who is outside of the newsroom and who can only judge from the outside looking in. And may I say I understand this. I have complained to the newsroom Web guy during these instances, and in many cases the Webmaster on duty at the time, says "Oh sh*t, thanks I forgot. I'll get one up." Other times, I am sure I have missed, and it probably went on with out a comment line. The Web guy a lot of times is a college kid who could care less about the nickname or not as he's not an alum or from here. And he's not getting orders from higher to skew information or not print stuff because it will be damaging to the anti nickname cause. So, basically, I am just saying that it's Webmaster error and not the diabolical conspirings of the Dr. Evil empire that is the Herald/Forum Comm upper management. I know some of you now will post the usual, "I'm not buying it." All I have to offer you is my word, and since you don't know who I am, at least online, I guess we know what that is worth. I will say that I know many of the more frequent posters on here personally. And you know who I am, and we get a long quite well, though I've never brought up my id. I know a lot of your ids from others who have told me. Sorry. I am one of those who have close friends on both sides of the media's boundary lines. So I tend to stick up when misuderstandings may come up. I will criticize the Herald with the rest when I think it is merited. And some of what Jim and Pat, I mean, PCM, said, I agree with very much. One example, I have differed with Tom Dennis about is the letters to the editor that he deems not printable and the ones that he things are ok. I would have allowed Sudie's letter. I don't think you can libel an entire group. That is a stretch. But PCM is correct in much of his defense. I, like him, am often the first to get after people who go overboard with attacks that can appear racist. Cheers to all, and go Fighting Sioux forever.

Good point, Goon. Sometimes I wonder if the lefties and the righties actually believe the stuff they spew, or if they are in it for the shock value. But it does get me tuning in, that is for sure.

Settle down. First off, this is an opinion board. And you got mine. And I got yours. I respect yours. You disagree with mine (which is deep down in your heart, in areas that you don't talk about with other Sioux fan club members, you actually love to read Yellowbird's stuff, 'cause it gets your blood boiling -- I'm the same way). And that is fine. Don't ruin your Thanksgiving weekend over it. But, a clarification is in order, I wasn't pointing out your "ploys," I was simply conveying a media industry ploy of using controversials viewpoints to generate more responses from the masses. Is that clearer now. Take a blood pressure pill, grab a blanket, put on some soothing music, and maybe next time you can read more clearly past your ire. Fred Canmore, Alb. Go Sioux!

Yup.

Sioux-cia: Your post drips of eagerness. Like you can't wait to be outraged. It's a little ploy editorialists and talk radio hosts call "stimulating the audience" to get more responses. But, I see she hasn't done it yet to your liking. Maybe she doesn't think Archie's view points merit comment, similar to what a lot of of us on here think of her views. PCM: Agreed. I checked it out. In fairness, it was a nice column.

Why do you seem so eager to read such "countless, pathetic, pieces of drivel"? Fair question, I think.

The Herald never dug into Jahke's history. They didn't run the story. Jacobs is on record saying the Herald never would have pursued a story like that. That was totally the Foolum's doing.... Just a clarification.

I don't disagree with you totally. It is human nature. But, the fact that some of us would have programs revoked in retaliation, also means we hold dearer our love for the nickname and logo over the virtues and challenges of a community of people who we purport to hold in the highest esteem. Some of us on here are little disingenuous when we claim how much we honor the Sioux people through the use of their name.

PCM: You post a lot of insightful things on there all the time. But, I must say, that last post is one of your best. Thanks for injecting some civility into this debate. Fred

Spellcheck or no. The sentiment of your post rings very true. There is a reason she is in one of the smallest radio markets in the country, and it ain't cause she's content where she's at. She is routinely outperformed and outclassed by MacNamara, who has no formal radio schooling what-so-ever. Hell, they even gave him a national Marconi award, and she still brags about her one sports reporting award she got five or so years ago for the new Ralph's grand opening. Sad. Thank goodness she has the Herald to read from each day or else she would have no topics to discuss and no show. Mac does it too, but he makes no bones about it. I guess that's what you get when you can't even graduate from Moo U in Fargo, right Dakota?

I don't think you quite grasped what I was saying. But, hey, no biggie. Have a great day! Fred Wynne UND alumnus Canmore, Alta. Go Fighting Sioux!

Agreed. But, who am I to say what anyone should feel more worried about and what they should ignore. And who is to say that those other concerns aren't on top of their priority list. We here on this message board, for the most part, proponents of the nickname and logo, probably have no clue what American Indians are doing to combat those other social problems within their communities. Because - newsflash - we simply don't care. But, we do care about the nickname and logo issue, so it resonates more with us, and thusly, it seems to us to be all the opponents care about. Because it is the one things we truly care about that affects them. And for what it's worth, to be a Devil's advocate for the sake of strengthening the debate, the majority community in America has the same social problems going on within it ( teen pregnancies, single family homes, high school drop-outs, alcoholism) so it could be argued that, maybe we could worry about those more important things rather than a sports moniker. Why do we just stereotypically continue to bring up these issues and assign them only to the American Indian community when we debate this issue. It only increases the divide. I think this is the reason why Jeanotte and the nickname opponents have such a hard time with this debate -- the fact that we are more familiar with the drunken, jobless, hand-out searching, government-cheese eating Indians that our parents complained about.

Darn it! We're doomed.