Chewey

Sad, sad story. Such a tragedy. So sorry to hear this.

Good question. As asinine as it sounds, I bet it will be this: "We're the NCAA, a "private" organization, and we can essentially make whatever requirements we want for any one or all of our membership." How the hell this outfit is not broken up is beyond me. Though it's not a telephone company or a utility It's clearly a monopoly given its economic influence. If "Ma Bell" could be broken up in 1984 for competition reasons (and it, too, was a "private" entity), why can't the NCAA? Certainly, the schools and fans and cable companies, etc would be benefited from more competition. Probably just need a few politicians with some spine and who are not well-greased by the money gun -- good luck.

So the NCAA possibly gets sued by one of the tribes that its asinine policy was intended to protect and that's not a good thing? It is possible, I suppose, that the NCAA could even look more silly than it does now should this sort of thing transpire.

Ahh. That's the favorite from BRIDGES. I was wondering how long it would take for someone to suggest that idiotic name. Looks like someone from BRIDGES must have commented in the Herald. Can you imagine being named after some stupid weather phenomenon?

Yes, but you're still you. Is the victory really a victory for you with so many other obvious problems facing you in the mirror every morning? The Fighting Sioux nickname isn't going anywhere. Oh sure, it may be off of the team uniforms but what will people be cheering in the games and what will they be wearing? That's right: "Fighting Sioux."

All the more reason to fight against this sort of hypersensitive, quasi-psychological chicanery so that the tide starts turning away from this business. All of this "I'm offended because the sky is gray today" is completely insane.

Exactly. Bitchy is probably the most benign adjective for them.

Yes, but does anyone want to be friends with St. Clown? It's like being friends with the drunken trailer trash a block away.

A complete idiot must have done that. What a racist cartoon! Actually, the opposite is true and such would be proved if a vote were allowed.

I'd sure hate to see UAH go the way of the dodo. They need to join the CCHA or even the WCHA - why not? That program has a fairly decent hockey history. I suppose some sort of travel subsidy would be in order for a time. I am thrilled that UAF will likely be part of the WCHA. I look forward to seeing them in Mankato. It only makes sense for them to be in the WCHA.

Journalism itself is fodder for comic relief in this day and age, in my opinion. When people stop reporting raw factual information and start interjecting agendas and obfuscate facts or hedge them to service such agendas or when one side is reported 10 to 1 over another opposing viewpoint (see GF Herald on the nickname/logo issue), there is no journalism; there is only propaganda. Sadly, that's what journalism has devolved into - New York Times, Wall Street Journal (although these guys are a lot more objective and true to the facts than the NYT), etc. Egos and agendas have superseded facts. It's not too hard, really. Just interview people and/or observe them and report what they say or do. When egos are held in check, how hard can it be?

My intent is not to scum Goon but my experience with Sociology professors, both at St. John's University where I did my undergrad and elsewhere (ahem - UND) was that they were more devoted to foisting agendas upon society rather than the study of it.

What else would one expect from a sociologist? Talk about a worthless area where the members are all paranoid (with good reason) about being laughed at behind their backs in the elevator over the fact that sociology is not a "real science."

They don't want to play teams they can't beat. Upstaged by UMD, the little sister up north? Unthinkable. I love to see the Gophers lose. They like to criticize Sioux fans but the jealousy is ultra-apparent. I have to say that the Gopher fans in my section at the Mariucci are the most toxic and annoying fans I have ever seen. Hell with their whining when someone from the opposing team even gets within 5 feet of one of their players makes even SCSU fans seem reasonable.

But I thought the nickname and logo were the things that brought all of the negative publicity to UND and makes it a "laughing stock" among the academic pointy-heads.

That's just terrible! So sorry for him and his family. It puts into perspective everything and the nickname , the Big Sky Conference, the NCHC, the NCAA all are secondary concerns to something like this. It does not seem like much because no one can see it or engage in a two-way conversation (at least verbally) but the Holy Spirit is never closer to someone than in circumstances like this, although it certainly does not feel that way I am sure.

Yes, yes, $6,000.00 is a terrible amount of money to spend sending people to the NCAA; just terrible. However, the hundreds of thousands that will need to be invested implementing this are of no consequence. Don't forget the lost revenue from sales. Yes, $6,000.00 is simply atrocious when viewed in light of those other, more modest costs......

I hope he sues them too. There certainly are damages. Julie has always been Julie and, for those of us who attended law school there, people know what that means. I'll leave it at that.

Note to UND: After how the family was treated during the whole nickname issue, expect more of this. The administration has chosen to be joined at the hip with certain dyspeptic PC types. Hope they have deep pocketbooks.

UMD is a great fit for the league. Great program with a solid history - Brett Hull, Tom Kurvers, etc. I can tell you why some of the teams made it, I think: UMD -- rabid fan base in the heart of hockey country up nort AND a brand new arena AND, Scott Sandelin AND one NCAA championship. UNO -- rabid fan base in a moderately large area the LOVES hockey AND a great arena that gets sold out EVERY game (seriously, go to a UNO game; it's tons of fun) AND Dean Blais. UND - rabid fan base AND the best arena bar none that is sold out every night AND Hakstol AND 7 NCAA championships AND solid, decades' old hockey pedigree. Denver - very nice arena AND great coach AND big population area AND 7 NCAA championships and solid, decades' old hockey pedigree AND gateway to ever up and coming west coast recruits (ex. Grimaldi). CC -- rabid fan base, AND very nice arena AND at least One NCAA championship AND decades' old hockey pedigree AND great coach AND gateway to ever up and coming west coast recruits. UNO will win a championship in the next 5 years, I think, with Blais there. ND connections helped UMD and UNO, no doubt about it. Remaining WCHA teams NCAA championships? Michigan Tech with 2 or 3, I believe. Remaining WCHA teams rinks? Nice but second-tier, except for Bemidji probably. Personally, I'd really like to see Tech and Bemidji in the new conference. I hate seeing the MacNaughton go and I think Tech will be good again someday. Bemidji worked its ass off to get into the WCHA and basically gets left out and I feel really badly for them. Rich history for a program and good coach. As some have said on here, the rest of the programs are going to have to step it up if they want to remain relevant. Mankato's practice facility is a nice rink but I bet Mankato loses some recruits because of how things are set up and how old the practice facility is. Mankato is going to have to make major improvements to the Verizon Wireless Center and get a new practice facility. St. Cloud is in a little better position in that it is making - or intends to make - major renovations to NHC. Kato alumni are really going to have to step it up financially because the state is not coming to help - bet on it.

Can't say I disagree with you but it's done. The WCHA would have been just fine, I think, especially with a change in leadership, but I don't know all of the facts. I trust the coaches, AD's, etc made the move they thought, knowing all the facts, was best for the Sioux. It's terribly sad, however.

With the budgetary issues Minnesota has and with higher education begging and pleading the legislature not to cut funding (we can harm "the kids" you know), the very last thing the U of M should be thinking about is cutting games with teams that draw HUGE revenues because of some cockamamie, unjustifiable and idiotic PC sentiment over a nickname. So, U of M Board of Regents, you are going to not schedule the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota - something that would generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue because of the history of the programs and because of the sheer mass of North Dakota born people living in Minnesota - BUT you're asking us to increase your funding, or at least hold it steady, because of budgetary issues? Yeah, that's logical. I've already written Rep. Tony Cornish about this foolishness.

C'mon. I don't agree with sullying reps necessarily but we all get it. They disagreed with what you said and stung you a couple of times. I don't agree with that - in fact, I gave you a + on another post - but it's not that big of a deal and it's nothing to be insulted about.

I do not want the SCSU program to fail, for Pete's sake. Separate the program from the idiot administrators and students (most doing it simply for extra credit -- I know, it's unbelievable academic dishonesty for the professors to even give "extra" credit for that) who protested. You're right, though, the fans and alumni probably should have told Saigo, et al to do their jobs rather than engage in puerile racist whining. But, then again, all fans and alumni of all schools should be telling idiot administrators and educators to - gasp - teach. SCSU has a very good program, in my opinion, and I'd sure hate to see them and other "left behind" schools suffer, even though I'm a Sioux fan. The Big 10 schools are the culprits here, pure and simple. As a fan base, we can not let them get by with the whole "well, we're in the Big 10 in other sports and we had to do it and it only made sense because of those other sports" business. All of what they did was completely volitional and done by design. I still don't think the Big 10 will be a success story for hockey. 2 of its programs are going to suck -- OSU and Penn State -- and three others are weak -- WI, MN and MSU. Only Michigan has been strong the last 2 or 3 years.