Teeder11

I thought he was pretty decent as "Jeff Spicoli" in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jeff Spicoli: This is U.S. History, I see the globe right there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jeff Spicoli: What Jefferson was saying was, Hey! You know, we left this England place 'cause it was bogus; so if we don't get some cool rules ourselves - pronto - we'll just be bogus too! Get it?

But yet you read her anyway knowing full well what you're going to get. Who's the dope? Go Fighting Sioux forever!

You're probably right on that. Serves the AG right. Nice settlement,Wayne!

The Herald got it right. And they got it right without anonymous sources, unlike the Fargo Fraud.

Jim: Great post. Most news stories begin with a tip from a public source or from a "common Joe" from the public calling in a tip. Blogs (all blogs) and message boards have simply made it easier for journalists to monitor what is going on in certain sectors of the public. Local media would be foolish not to monitor this message board, what with all of the insiders and others on here who spread information that a journalist would have to pull teeth to get otherwise. The media simply has the power to take those nuggets of information and spread it to a much wider audience, and many in that audience learn it for the first time from the media. This forum is basically a mass news tip. Someone always knows juicy information before someone else; rarely, is it news media who is the first to know, not even the New York Times is that good. They have sources and, in many cases, tipsters. The posters on this board basically are tipsters for the local media, whether we like that kind of title or not.

Or whatever gets you too watch your certain local NBC affiliated newscast, right? You're station isn't the paragon of broadcast excellence in the region either, so spare us the holier than thou, incredulous tone.

Thanks Bud. You do know that I am on your side on this issue, though? As a UND alumnus who wore and still wears the colors and name proudly, I say, Go Fighting Sioux! Fred W. Canmore, Alberta.

God knows you'd suck it up like everything else and be the first to post it on here. Face it, you love the papers and can't live without them.

They're a lot better than KVLY.

It's neither here nor there, but thought I would set the record straight as to what happened. It didn't break in the Forum. It was broke by the Associated Press (Dave Kolpak) in Fargo. It was reprinted in the Fargo Forum moments before it was online in the Herald. I saw it first in the Herald. My guess is that the Herald had the news too (since it was a simple one-source statement from Peter Johnson, the school spokesman) and was waiting until after DAZ's 5 and 6 p.m. show to put it on its Web site, knowing that DAZ monitors the Herald Web site all day long. But once AP reported it, there was no need to save it any longer. The news was out.

Chewey: Touche, Good points. Thank you, bud. But, one thing, I know all of the "rag" writers you allude to personally, from Virg Foss on up, and they are as big a of Fighting Sioux fans as you and me and would never want the name changed -- go figure. I think sometimes too much is read into things... and we see what we want to see or we start believing the myth rather than the truth... who knows. But again, great points. I will try to wise up. You got to admit, though, great and interesting stuff in the paper today... ie. Northwood angels and photos galore, dead city councilman, Pauslen vs. Kupchella, EGF taxes debate, Devils Lake outlet rebuttal, Danny Mattson, etc. etc. etc. We may hate it, but we sure like to read it....it gets our hearts pumping and our blood boiling. What would anyone of us do if we didn't hate our hometown rags?.... I mean it's the American way, er, in my case, the Canadian way. Can't wait to get back down there to enjoy a Sioux football or hockey game this fall. Sincerely, Fred Canmore, Alberta UND Class or '96

Strange, no snide comments about how the GF Herald is so against the nickname and how their UND beat writers have to sign in blood to write only stories that are against the nickname. Oh jeez, what was I thinking, of course, the story is actually a positive for the pro-nickname army. Duh.

Yeah, a fool is born every minute. . Listen. Time out a minute. I love the Fighting Sioux nickname as much as most on this board... I am a die-hard fan and would never want the name changed -- ever! That said. A little balance is sometimes needed on here where a lot of piling on takes place amid the saftey of anonymity. Case in point -- When I was a student at UND in mid 1990s, I became good friends with a lot of the media in town. I dealt a lot with the Dakota Student on campus, I had an internship with the Herald and did some work with DAZ. My experiences were warm with all and are treasured to this day. I became very good friends with some of these people. Some who get trashed on here a lot for being biased are actually big Sioux fans and would never want the name changed. One of my best friends still writes for the paper and used to actually be a UND beat writer. He's also one of the biggest Sioux fans I know apart from me. He told me once, while we were attending a Sioux hockey game a few years ago (not in the Herald box), that he got criticized from both sides of the nickname issue all the time, and that he thought that meant he was being as balanced as he could and not favoring one side over the other. He said it was hard to report the news, because inevitably one side would not be happy. He just shook his head and wondered if the the nickname proponents could wrap their brains around the fact that, unbeknownst to them, he was rubbing elbows with them and cheering as loud as them, screaming Go Sioux, at the games. I noticed some editorial licenses taken in today's story by Joseph Mark, some of them have already been pointed out on this board. But, frankly, and again, as a pro-nickname guy, I don't think those particular instances were that aggregious when compared to the entire issue that the writer was trying to get across. I think instead of assassinating the messenger, in this case, we should be taking our displeasure out on Myra Pearson and David Gipp for not wanting to address the issue again. In my opinion, that is gutless and a diservice to the people in which they serve. I have seen similar editorial licencing used on Web sites and publications that people on here would regard as nickname friendly, but again, these were not a great concern when tested against the more important points of the nickname issue as a whole. I would exclude the work done on U.S. College Hockey Online by their local writer, Patrick C. Miller. That stuff seems to always be impeccably well done and well sourced. That's a credit to him to churn that stuff out on deadline day in and day out. But, in these cases, I seldom see anyone on here point out minor glossing over of simple facts. However, I would not expect it nor call for it, either. It's all about perspective, I guess. Ok. Have at it. Just remember -- I am one of you. Fred UND alumnus Canmore, Alberta

Of course he did. Just like Kevin Fee did, just like Steve Foss did, just like Ian Swanson did, just like Mike Benedict did, just like Dave Dodds did, etc.... don't you know, it's a prereq to get the prized "UND beat" you have to be against the name. It's that simple.

Chewey: Good points. I stand corrected. Fred

Oh Scott So you're telling us that if you would have wrote the story you would have been soooo much more objective and fair to all sides involved. You secretly love the Hurled becaused it keeps giving you fresh things to blog about without even trying. God Bless the Fighting Sioux Frederick W. Canmore, Alb.

And as "ussual," you can't spell very well. Go Fighting Sioux!

I love the Herald....always have. It's a fine local newspaper. The Forum is good, too. Two great papers owned by the same company on bookends of the Valley, Forum Comm. sure knows a good deal when it sees one and is a shrewd investor.

IMHO, one answer to this whole thread is that the Herald reporter who started covering this issue early on has been deployed with the National Guard to serve in Iraq for the next 15 months. Other reporters or editors must not have the knowledge or interest to pick up where he left off. And their sports dept. is just plain too lazy, too short staffed and too close to UND sources to write anything about it. Sad but true.

You are right. The relationship between the Grand Forks paper and UND is close knit. That happens everywhere beat reporters get intertwined with faculty, coaches and administrators. I must say though, when it comes to sports, the Herald reporters, with combined experience of 90 years (even without Virg Foss), do seem to be able to identify an issue that needs closer scrutiny and a critical eye at UND than ones that are more trivial. That doesn't mean they don't falter from time to time. On balance, the paper has taken UND to task on a number of controversial issues, the nickname and logo (editorial board) being tops on the list. The Herald does lack a McFeely-type columnist, though. Someone who can shake things up locally and not mind the public flack that would come with it. The closest thing the Herald has to that is Kevin Fee, sports editor, who tends to take on more critical stories about UND, so that the beat reporters don't get the silent treatment from their sources.

Um... just a little reality infusion here. The Herald routinely carries a mid 20 percent profit margin (revenue over expenses). The current profit margin is 24 percent, that's pretty good outside of Wall Street, where corporate hunger for more, more, more will stop at nothing to diminish a newspaper's quality for better dividends. I don't blame them; it just doesn't jibe well with journalism traditions. The Herald carried a helluva debt load after the flood, but has since overcome that, and has posted the profits that Knight Ridder demanded of it. They did this by cutting hard at every level. But to say the paper is a money loser is just plain ignorant.

The Herald, I think, no, I mean, the nicknmae, or, maybe, UNDIA.... Oh hell, I don't know.

Good points

No problem, PCM. Thanks for clarifiation. I don't mean to sound like an ass. Just like to quash misconception about are local "rag." I know the people that work there. That is why it's easy for me to get to the bottom of things. Often times, rumor and conspiracy theories about the paper are more fun and exciting then the truth.