Chewey

Yes, actually. North Dakota alone is not nothing. It's "North Dakota" now whereas before it was "North Dakota Fighting Sioux". Some faculty/administration must transition to a new nickname so as to, in their minds, separate all of us victims from the savagery effected by 80 years' worth of usage of the nickname. Any thinking of "Fighting Sioux" is "racist." Any speaking of "Fighting Sioux" is "racist." Any wearing of Fighting Sioux jerseys is "racist." Any unspoken association or nexus, even if based upon decades of history, between the school, state, teams and the "Fighting Sioux" nickname is "racist." Any remembrances of the "Fighting Sioux" nickname are "racist." Any business or bar with "Fighting Sioux" imagery, signed sweaters, signed hockey sticks is "racist." All of this "abuse" must be expunged, as much as possible, from everywhere and from everyone. Therefore we must choose a new nickname as soon as possible and any delay is "tepid" or "lacking in courage." This line of thinking is the genesis of the hue and cry to get a new, "instantly recognizable" nickname immediately. It's not healthy. It's not transparent. It's a predetermined protocol that's both fascistic and farcical at the same time. Definitely, NOT the way to go.

That's speech policing, as I see it. By not selecting a nickname, they're not using the Fighting Sioux nickname on jerseys, shirts, etc. UND would not be allowing anything. It would be a bit circuitous and disingenuous for the NC$$ to say that by not having a nickname you're violating the policy against having offensive nicknames that are arbitrary and capricious, etc. Not having a nickname at all violates the policy against having offensive nicknames? WTF? Any publicity on that would be very negative and would further indicate to the people that the NC$$ not only is thuggish and exploitative but also has lost its collective mind. How can one be offended by a sports team and school using the name of a state? Even the name of the state is not good enough to the NC$$? The real challenge is for the school to NOT engage in some arbitrary and capricious process ostensibly packaged as "thoughtful, thorough and deliberate" to select a new nickname that "instantly recognizable" just for the sake of quickly selecting a new nickname that is stupid, inane and devoid of any inspiration or creativity whatsoever. This is what the folks at the Hurled are promoting. Quickly appropriating a nickname from a local high school does not fit the bill either regardless of whether Red River agrees with a nod and a wink (as if it would have a choice, ultimately). Notre Dame is marketable because of it's history and because of the famous people and coaches that have been affiliated with its FB program. It's not marketable simply because of its nickname or because of the fighting Leprechaun imagery. When you've had the best nickname and moniker in all of sport and have used it respectfully for over 80 years you don't just pick a new "instantly recognizable" nickname after some years just because some UND faculty and the GF Hurled editorial board says "it's time." Nothing is going to be "instantly recognizable" after 80's years worth of usage of something else. If anything, any new nickname would be juxtaposed as against the "Fighting Sioux" regarding how unrecognizable the new nickname would be. It could be argued that the old official nickname was "The University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux" and that, now, the nickname is "The University of North Dakota" or just "North Dakota." It could be argued that it's still a nickname and that the new nickname is simply a truncated version of the old nickname with the "offensive" and "hostile and abusive" parts now eliminated.

Agreed. But that's a stupid state of being or state of existence. With "Wildmen", at least it's something human. You can imagine wildmen playing hockey. You can't imagine a state of being or an existence playing hockey. Throw Avalanche right in there with the Wild as another stupid nickname.

Some others could be "Wranglers" (ties into the cowboy theme), ranch hands, range riders. I still don't think roughnecks is a bad name. It's unique and I don't think anyone else has it. Who cares if it's not representative of eastern ND. The Fighting Sioux really wasn't representative of eastern ND either. They were forcibly placed there but a lot of the fighting (at least with whites) took place further west. If the proposed nicknames are too plebian or "hick" for the faculty of UND, that's all the more reason to choose one of them. Like it or not, Grand Forks and eastern ND will never be a "cultural destination" unless one is of Scandinavian descent.

As soon as Betty McCollum, the U of M and the PC crybabies pay the MN taxpayers back for all of the $$$ that went into the stadium and as soon as they refund the Vikings their money ($300,000 per game), they can do whatever they want. Obviously, they're unfamiliar with the NFL - or at least they were when the contract between the Vikings and the U was signed. Gosh, I think there might be a team called the "Redskins" there somewhere and the "Chiefs" too. Contracts between NFL teams and contracts/leases don't mean a whole lot to the PC academics. I'll be sure to schedule that game on my calendar and where a Redskins jersey or other attire. Really, this is just nonsense. If they wanted to have the "you can't where that, sell that, or publish that" baloney, they could have grown a pair and required those terms to be inserted into the lease. Take the money from the Vikings but then make some hollow point about a nickname for political reasons. They know that there's nothing that the Vikings can or will do other than give them some song and dance in writing about not being really able to do anything.

The surrender agreement specifies against using "Fighting Sioux" and does not contain language such as "any derivations thereof", etc., so "Sioux" is not technically prohibited as per the language, if my memory serves me correctly. There would be some who would, of course, argue that such a nickname would violate "the spirit of the agreement".

I, like was said by many before, prefer the "Cavalry". Not disparaging anyone with it. Can't say anyone is using native American imagery in a negative way. I don't know anyone with that nickname, other than the Cleveland Cavaliers. A Cavalier is really more of a swordsman who does not ride a horse, if I have it correctly. But, as Astro would say, "rots of ruck" with the politically correct radicals. The solution to the PC thought police: People with back bone to tell them to STFU.

I found this to be ironic, something that's obviously unrecognized by Tom Dennis: And that means UND’s lack of a powerful, inspiring and immediately recognizable nickname for fans to rally around hurts the university That was the "Fighting Sioux". Any substitute nickname will not be "powerful, inspiring and immediately recognizable". What planet is he on, especially considering the shrill fanaticism of the various "stakeholders" (i.e. politically correct professors and administrators right at UND)? "sUNDogs" would be powerful and intimidating to be sure. Any nickname chosen is guaranteed to be utterly insipid and thoroughly uninspiring.

Translation of this Democrat tomfoolery: "We think we're going to get our asses kicked and lose the senate this November. We need to do something to show we're actually relevant and to 'energize our base' because our we are impotent on foreign policy and incompetent on domestic policy." Syria = embarrassment. Russia/Ukraine = embarrassment. Nigeria = embarrassment. Chinese economic/cyber warfare = embarrassment. I could go on, and on, and on, and on, and on.........

Yes. And the race fascists and so-called "progressives" hate it. That's why they're trying to punch holes in it with the "incendiary hate speech" tactic.

This is simply a logical extension of their anti-nickname whining. Their whining previously has paid dividends and now these perennial pouters are still not satisfied. They imagine that everything and anything that could possibly offend their own narcissistic, capricious emotional dyspepsia constitutes "racism" that must be stamped out; there must be "sensitivity training" and courses on "cultural awareness". The use of self-serving subjectivism and one's own whimsical racist caprice to absolutize that which is relative (i.e. how others feel or even the intentions of those who had the party) is racism and it is a much more insidious form of racism than whatever they think they're condemning. There is no room for dialogue or dialectics with these race fascists and how they feel is how it is. If you disagree with them, then you're part of the "problem" and they retreat to their normal and natural imbecilic "he's just another white guy who doesn't understand" meme. This sort of fallacious anti-racist pretense must be called out for what it is - racism. The true victims of this pathology would be the ones who'd have to undergo "cultural awareness" programs or "sensitivity training" to address a paranoia that would be simply projected upon them by these cry-babies who really are in need of some serious, in-depth psycho-therapy.

Estupido

His doucheness Harry Reid calling on the NFL to copycat Sterling vis-à-vis Redskins nickname.......

Anchorage should make a charge for Gwoz although I don't think he'd much like coaching in the "left behind league". Gwoz would be a good fit at Maine too, as would Eaves. I bet Eaves would be a solid candidate. Anchorage does not need someone who's been at the dIII level or an assistant at Tech. They have money - lots of it. Someone like Gwoz or Eaves would have a better chance at keeping some of that Alaskan talent home than the previous coaches. Retaining Alaskan talent is the only way, I think, that Anchorage every becomes playoff relevant.

Think you may have Leigh and Lucy Gange crab about using the sacred Sioux imagery to promote sex and dehumanize and objectify women. Thank God for the 1st Amendment (i.e. see "Human Rights Courts" in Canada) but you better not let them know where you live. Frank Black Cloud says people should protest in front of the Indian Center at UND since it's an act of cultural aggression to have members of the Chippewa (those who actually run that place) continually dicate what is and what is not injurious to Sioux people.

Lol. I remember when that thing was on their jersies. Those uniforms were god-awful. Their present color scheme sucks, in my opinion. They should go back to the "old" red color that they used to use around 2000 or so before they devolved to "the disc" uniforms. As bad and as bla as the present Sioux uniforms are, the DU ones are worse - then and now.

My God. Boone not inclusive??? Astounds me how academic pointy-heads fail to grasp history, except for the history that they make up based upon misrepresentations made by "activists." We're talking about pioneers in the west. How many of them were black, latino, gay, etc.? Would dressing Boone up in drag for a series assuage this guy's "outrage"? How about if he were to don a sombrero a couple of weekends per year?

I meant Eades. However, Eaves would be very good too. Even in WI, there's pissedness about how they got smoked come NCAA-time. I guess I was surprised by that too.

Eaves and Steve Johnson will be prime candidates, I would think. Heck, I thought Eaves would get the Sioux job when Blais left. I'm kinda wishing he had......... Gwoz was a good coach and he'll be missed by DU. Gwoz wins 2 NT's and he gets the boot now? Calling Don Lucia..........

The busy-bodies at BRIDGES will be actively lobbying for a new nickname; indeed, they already are. I'd love for them to just stay put though. Perhaps the Fighting Daks or something? In the MIAC, one has the Auggies, Johnnies, Tommies, Gusties, Oles, etc. SJU makes plenty of money from us alums by selling the "Johnnie" nickname. I'm sure the "Fighting Daks" would be parlayed into something like "Fighting Dicks" or something else. Might as well use "Dakotans" in there as that can't really be objected to by anyone even though there's still NA verbiage. "Fighting" Friends may be a bit strange but it would be better than being the 100th university to use "Huskies" or "Tigers" or some stupid weather phenomenon.

Somehwhat dated and my apologies if it's been posted (I did not see that it had been posted). It looks like a recent victory helped this attorney - the attorney who has argued for the NCAA in the litigation involving the Spirit Lake Tribe - get a promotion. http://www.google.co...0,d.aWc&cad=rja AND http://www.google.co...0,d.aWM&cad=rja

Just more expressions of boredom (cries for help?) by hypersensitive jerk offs.

UND and the State Board did hire some very good lawyers, from what I understand, which resulted in the surrender agreement in 2007. The lawyers that they hired maybe could have gotten a better deal but no one knows the politics that were in play and no one was privy to the negotiations and Wayne S. is not now going to say anything that makes him look worse. If the vote had taken place earlier, Myra and the SL Tribal Council would have had to step up and give SL's blessing back when only one tribe's blessing was sufficient. Doing everything possible would have involved getting the ND Congressional delegation (at least one of them) on board to publicly criticize the NCAA for picking on UND but that didn't happen. Obviously, there are "more important" matters for members of the United States Congress to deal with but having a monopolistic, "private", national organization not only pick on your flagship school and treat it differently from similarly situated but much larger schools with more $$$$$ but also make dictates/threats to exert its monopolistic influence as to your state's legislators and Governor regarding this or that are pretty important matters I would think. Having the NCAA discriminate against the NA's in your state would be an important matter. Had one of the state's Congressional delegation stepped up the name and logo would have likely been retained. I do not believe that the UND Alumni Association could never have made in-roads with at least one member of the state's Congressional delegation on this. Public pressure should have been applied, especially with respect to Hoeven and Berg. One could never expect anything out of Conrad. If he could be part of a Congressional delegation that could not prevent the loss of ICBM's at GFAFB during the Clinton years, I don't think he'd do anything material for something like this which of lesser consequence. I wish Reed well but he and SL have a nearly impossible task.

Perhaps God and Tony Clifton and Reed Soderstrom? If the nickname were ok with the NCAA, it would be ok with U of MN, etc. But, as has been said before, nothing short of divine intervention would cause that to happen.