ScottM

Regardless if UND wins in court, it may still face a "100 Minnesotas" in the future. A favorable ruling would not require every school in the land to schedule UND, and very desireable schools are very likely to take Minnesota's tack, hypocritical as it is, like Michigan or BC in hockey, or Wisconsin or Iowa in football, or whatever. Regardless of the legal merits of this case, I find myself growing very irritated with those who want to make keeping the name a cause celeb among the right-wing bloggers, the same way the bed-wetters have done on the left. Maybe I'm too much of a pragmatist to really think the name is bigger than the school itself. If the use of the name/logo puts the school and/or its athletes in a less than desirable situation, at D1, D2, or wherever, it's time for it to go. At the end of the day, "moral" victories are usually Pyrrhic victories in drag.

I would love to see Winnipeg get another NHL team, but I think the economics of the NHL will force any team to move to some Sunbelt state in the US. Vegas has been trying to land a number of different big league teams for years, so I would not be surprised to see a team land there next, gambling issues notwithstanding. Team owners are really whores, so if money's on the table they'll dispense with their "morals".

And I think UND can probably use its hockey rivalries with D1 hockey schools to leverage into football scheduling at some point, not Michigan or Ohio State, yet, but Maine, Miami-OH, perhaps BC, etc.

And what better way to show the NC$$ at its hypocritical "best"? Get a bunch of people with Irish-surnames to file a protest online or do one of those on-line petitions. Hell, Brand & Co. have already said nobody's complained about Notre Dame's name/logo. Get it into the blogosphere, and it will show up in the mainstream media shortly. So, we complain, make a stink and force their hand. Even if the NC$$ creates another "exception" because a bunch of drunk Micks in South Boston or St. Paul signed a cocktail napkin, other Irish-Americans, including me, can go on the record opposing it. UND may have to give up its own name/logo at some point, but I see no reason to go about it without a good deal of noise, blood and animosity toward our detractors.

Nostalgic for the "good ol' days"?

You sure that's not the Communion set from their chapel?

It would be "nice" to play Minnesota, and given Maturi's earlier comments probably even possible if the NC$$ pulled its head out of its ass. However, I think the larger, looming issue as mksioux notes, is that the people who drive these decisions aren't always in the AD, so much as buried in academia and detached from reality. So what we're seeing from Minnesota may be a harbinger of things to come from other quarters, and UND may not be the only school "blackballed" by these clowns either, including the NC$$'s golden goose, FSU. And since "If it's offensive to one person in a group, it's offensive," seems to be their mantra, where do I complain in the NC$$ appartus about the "Fighting Irish" of Notre Dame and their mascot/logo? Can we start a petition among Irish and non-Irish folks?

If that's the case, why doesn't Maturi tell them to "f*** themselves"? Then again, these pencil necks can certainly lobby to gain greater control over the AD, and that's probably what he's trying to avoid by caving. That still leaves the larger issue of whether other schools and conferences will follow suit on an ad hoc basis. If the name/logo becomes an impediment to a successful move to D1, guess which one's going to give way. Regardless of any success in the courts of law and public opinion, the clock may be ticking ...

I don't see any reason to dispute that reasoning. Even if the NC$$ lost in court, the schools and conferences are still free to pick their own opponents, regardless of their own hypocrisy read: "money". Moreover, the move to D1 probably has enough appeal to the monied alums and boosters, they may very well push to end the name to make it as spectacular as possible. As to your last point, there will be enough bad blood over this issue to last generations.

Oooohhh ... yeah, that's much better than "Red Hawks" or "Crimson Tide" ... if the name/logo go, I'd just as soon not engage in the idiocy required to find another one that won't cause some people to lose control of their bladders.

No, that's usually a bottle of cheap gin ...

Maybe somebody should post *that* in the locker room.

I don't think you can ever be "too fast", if your guys are clicking. Right now, it seems youth, inexperience and perhaps some intangibles are gumming up this team on both ends of the ice. Hopefully, they'll work it off and play like they really can before the season gets too far along.

I hate Illinois nazis ...

Somehow, I don't see Hakstol going into the locker room and "doing a Vince Lombardi"; "Gentlemen, this is a [puck]." I also agree that waiting for breaks is not going to win games most of the time. These guys should be making their own breaks and taking advantage of them rather than waiting for somebody else, probably on the other side, to screw up.

Which is precisely the point I was trying, inartfully, to make. I also agree with the second point. For whatever reasons, this team is not clicking and playing up to its potential. Hopefully, they get it turned around for a run into the spring.

Based on your logic, it's never realistic or achievable for this team to win every game or contend for a Title every season, or for its fanbase to expect this team to perform accordingly. I don't know about you, nor do I really care, but I tend to expect a great deal out of people I support, and myself. I/they may not reach that goal, and neither may this team, but I don't buy into the pablum you spew that worthwhile goals even if potentially impossible are not worth setting. But it sure as hell doesn't mean they shouldn't set those goals.

Agreed. It never ceases to amaze me how some people love to blow sunshine up the a$$es of others and have it blown up their own, while engaging in some strokefest questioning the loyalty of others who rightfully critique this team's "play". Getting swept by any team in your own barn is appalling. Getting swept by MT in your own barn is disgusting. Getting swept in your own barn on consecutive weekends is disgraceful. If anybody finds any "silver lining" in this team's recent performance, I suggest they put down their bong. Bitter? Yeah, but then again, I go into every season expecting the Sioux to win every game, and contend for another title, unlike some people around here.

I would trade some of our "stars" and their draft status for some players who actually give a s&!t about winning.

What's a "class"?

You will visit this site and learn many divine truths, you and your dog, 'SU lovin' friends. Linky "They think we are retarded - they are retarded." "After we finish defeating all of those animals we will disclose that with facts and figures." "They are not in Najaf. They are nowhere. They are on the moon. They are snakes in the desert..." As an aside, I think many of those comments could be used to reflect the NC$$ too ...

It was actually this guy. We shall build the finest D1 football program in the country and destroy those NCAA lapdogs Florida State and Notre Dame in glorious battle.

I was stationed at Bamberg, about 45 minutes from E Germany and about 30 minutes from "scenic" Czechslavokia with the 1st AD, which was our primary zone in case of war. When I first arrived in Germany they had already cut my orders and I was originally assigned to some nuke weapons (Pershing?) unit. I asked to be sent to a "front line" unit, since I "opposed nuclear weapons on principle" ... but I didn't really want to deal with stupid-ass peaceniks and protesters I knew hung around those places. We didn't have protesters ... although it was pretty funny when villagers would have their "volksmarches" right through our AOs during field problems. I was sent on some problem with some tank guys, and we were pretty much left on our own. We "held up" a beer truck making a run into some no-name village with an M1 Abrams tank to get him to stop on the road so we could buy a few racks of beer. I was the NCOIC ... and I was short. Good times.