CMSioux

You can't tell much from spring scrimmage - just gotta hope the team was able to improve on fundamentals, implement some of next year's game plan and grow together as a team - there were 21 players held out of the scrimmage plus we know there will be some freshmen that make an impact and still a few drop-downs and/r juco's on the way. Studsrud had a better day - was it because he was playing with #1 offense? Seibel will get a lot of balls thrown his way this year, Georges is a nice addition. Neverman was the best RB Saturday - but thanks to Bohl won't see the field next year. Blackmon and Cieslak looked good - there were others that had good days - line play seem to be coming around. Still some issues with exchange in the shotgun it appeared. About 6 tailgating groups - next year the event will be in the IPF that gives UND a year to put a little more energy into this and make it more of an event - if that is even their intention. Lots of player's families and perspective recruits - a nice showing of fans but impossible to bring any kind of energy to the event from the stands. Weather cooperated nicely. Was told that Midco had looked at broadcasing scrimmage but logistics with Memorial Stadium and the scrimmage format didn't allow for it. I really don't think a spring football game at any school makes for interesting sports programming except for the real zealots - recruits are on site anyway.

I don't recall anyone asking for the scrimmage to be broadcast - but a press release 3 days before the event doesn't reflect much excitement or energy. Again - that might be by design since the Memorial Stadium hasn't been used for a public event in more than decade. There are going to be potential recruits attending this scrimmage so why wouldn't we want them to see a little fan support? There is a happy medium between what they did and what others are doing.

I think the biggest beef is the total lack of effort put forth in trying to rebuild the football fan base - now perhaps the football staff has reasons for not wanting to promote the spring game - but getting the on the fence fans back starts with appealing to the hard-core fans - that would include those that are following spring football. They could have turned the issue of having the game at Memorial Stadium into something special - perhaps a "retro" event with old time jersey's, etc. But instead they just sat on their hands and basically did everything they could to discourage attendance. Yet there will still be hard-core fans that show up despite their efforts to discourage it - last year you would have never known there was a spring football event - the absence of UND staff outside with the few tailgaters that showed up and the lack of energy inside the building just made you shake your head - as much as they try there are still hard-core fans hanging on by our fingernails.

My theory is that it is Bubba that is making the call on how the spring game is handled - last year there were 3 tailgating groups - one was a group of graduating senior football players, Bubba stopped over and chatted and really didn't say much about the lack of promotion other than "We going to build it back up". I suppose there are some health and safety issues related to using the stadium along with alcohol on campus issues for tailgating which explains why they aren't encouraging it. To me it speaks volumes as to a lack of interest in making the spring game something bigger in that the Alerus wasn't available - that means no one was even tracking the date until it was too late.

More like the Ermine vs the Vermin...

I can just picture some limp-wristed liberal in the room saying "We can't have any name with the word "War" in it. I like either War Hammers or Thunder Hammers - with a Scandinavian/Thor hammer icon and the name Mjölnir would make a great secondary theme perhaps for shirts, the name for an award (do they have to replace the name for the Sioux award or even a Champions Club level etc.

The challenge facing the really unique nicknames is they won't get past the "committee" think process. When there are too many opinions in a room the tendency is to stay mainstream. For example: Here come The Mighty Mjölnir - pronounced Myol-N(ee)r The Mjolnir is the name given to the hammer of Thor, one of the most fearsome weapons of Norse mythology. It is capable of leveling mountains. It depicts power, it has very powerful logo/icon possibilities, it's related to the Scandinavian culture in the region and it is 100% unique - it doesn't stand a chance. .

Who didn't?

No one who picks with their head can pick the Sioux this year - but we're comin. There have been big upsets in this rivalry over the years though and there is a reason they play the game. Oh and as far as SU not being a rival it must be to some students - especially the homecoming royalty.

I call BS: UND dominated the last decade the two teams played UND owns overall won/lost record (which I think goes back your 50 years) Enjoy your time in revisionist land.

I expect that if we don't win the national championship next year Pitchfork Nation will rise up and rehash all the same arguments that have been shared over the past 5 years questioning the intelligence, knowledge and dedication of everyone associated with the hockey program.

Yah it's pretty tough to adhere to this and still hang onto the claim of having the most players in the NHL which appears to be a bragging right that gets thrown out quite often.

Quote from BJ Rainbow in a story about this week's pow wow - "The majority of us are happy we're moving away from (the Fighting Sioux), however, it's just that—it's words," he said, referencing the recent Frozen Four hockey game where many wore Sioux gear. "The sentiment and the thoughts—they're still there." Appears their next step will be to try and scrub all Fighting Sioux clothing from the universe.

It's been that but is has also been in the 60s. Even on a bad weather days there were true fans there tailgating - not asking for Alabama spring game effort but a little effort wouldn't hurt.

I hope they put a little more effort into promoting the spring game and at least put a little thought into pre-game activities - last year was less than pitiful as far as publicity and support (I realize it was a transition year, lots of things changing, but the promotion is done by the athletic department and where they choose to put their energy.)

Quotes you will never hear from a NCHC coach "This was far from a neutral site". Oh yah - this loss is on the coach's back right?

Aren't we also in an epic run of making the NCAA playoffs, making the Final Four? It's a free country so focus on what you want but damn - talk about looking on the dark side.

There were a lot of people who voted no that in reality would have wanted to keep the name but they felt they had to vote no because it was being presented that UND would be voted out of the Big Sky, that every school in the country wouldn't schedule us (in part because the NCAA sent them a letter telling them not to). If it would have been a simple matter of do you want to keep the nickname (and there were no threats on the table) I think the vote would have gone differently.

Geez step back from the ledge. There are many competent people involved in this process that are giving it a lot more thought than chat room fodder. I don't see any situation regarding voting where a group that doesn't have UND's best interest could have any impact on the choice of a quality nickname - we all know that no matter what gets chosen there is going to be vocal outcry's, gnashing of teeth and threats of pulled support but to think that having a "public vote" however that ends up being defined, could end up with bison/gopher fans helping us choose a nickname is ridiculous.

He has already publicly stated that will never happen - of course if you have issues with Kelly you don't believe that anyway.

Just hope these potential UND student athletes aren't thinking that many of the comments on this board reflect a majority of UND basketball fans.

Wait no minute - what about the travel costs...the loss of a presence within the upper midwest recruiting area.. oh the humanity.

So let's say the committee suggests a name that has never been suggested and is totally unique and fits their criteria- I'm thinking the traditional Midwest thinkers would totally trash it - most are right out of Lake Wobegon - they aren't into being ground breaking or "above average". Frankly I really can't think of any scenario - either a name that has been out there forever or a name that is totally unique - that won't have some very vocal negativism. UND obviously knows this and just has to prepare everyone involved for a very difficult transition.

See Solen, ND and UND

I think we need to ask the expert on "broken knee caps" which would of course be The Mafia Man! Hey MM is it realistic to expect a hockey player to come back from a broken knee cap in six weeks?