Hawkster

Yea, so we've heard. It looks like Weertz received a lot more offers since he got the Hawk offer in March. It's being reported he got 17 offers including Kansas State and Air Force. I know it's only one player, but how does anyone at this level compete against a team like NDSU when they can out recruit high level teams like K State? We keep talking about closing the gap with NDSU but really they are pulling away from us and fast. There is no use kidding ourselves about being out recruited. Obviously they are out recruiting a lot of teams and not just us. There are no easy answers though, if there were, everyone would be doing it. The reality is that they are getting monster recruits for 2019 and Bubba is still bringing in players for this year trying to plug some holes. Just take this for what it's worth, 1 man's opinion and nothing more. Carry on.

Looks like the voters are getting us confused with NDSU again.

Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. As painful as it is, we need to remember or it'll happen again...........and again...........and again.

Sure seemed like it, especially against South Dakota.

We had a very easy schedule in 2016 and took full advantage of it. No Montana or Eastern Washington, plus we had Stoney Brook and South Dakota. Regarding injuries, if we can't learn to deal with them then we will never be much of a football team.

Now Darell, if Bubba can't win at least one playoff game this year, then I think we are headed for disaster in our first few years in the Mo Valley FC. Another thing, our first year in the MVFC is in 2020, so if we give him until the end of 2020 that's one season. As to the assistants, I don't think it's fair to fire them and not hold Bubba responsible.

If Bubba doesn't have a good year this year I think he should be gone. The minimum should be 1 playoff victory. In the event that he is gone, you can bet we need to seriously up coaches salaries to attract the right guys, and even if Bubba stays the pay checks need to reflect real world FCS salaries. This is the first place I would start and then build from there. You get what you pay for when it comes to coaches.

Not really. Look at the seasonal numbers hockey vs football and you'll see who brings in the most. I'll grant you, hockey has a built in advantage due to the number of games, but that's just way it is. Hockey pays the bills.

So did Champions Club pay for the rings?

Bubba needs to learn how to recruit in the US and leave Canada to Berry. I just shake my head and wonder about stuff like this, surely we can find enough talented players without going out of the country.

The sad thing is, we didn't even beat Bowling Green when we played them, and we had a playoff caliber team in 2016.

So no locker rooms were put in HPC phase 1 or are we redoing something that was just built?

Looks like even the NDSU guys think they get free rent.

Ahh, OK, thanks.

The thing is, we need other things a lot more than we need new locker rooms. The HPC needs phase 2, and coaches salaries need to be drastically increased, so that doesn't leave much for locker rooms. Obvious solution is renegotiate the deal with KEM but as a major donor she holds the high cards so not much we can do. I think you are wrong on NDSU paying rent too. It seems to me there was a post here earlier that said they get free rent for the Fargodome since NDSU gave the land to build on. That's their cash cow.

Should we offer to gold plate his jock too right away? Come on, yes locker rooms need to be nice but don't need to some exotic looking place to inspire the players. Besides, we aren't USD. We don't trash the locker room when we lose.

If a player can't win because he wants a nicer place to hang his jock, then he's not committed to the sport.

The game against Sammy will be very telling for this team. If we intend to do anything this year, this is a must win. Sammy is the type of team we will be up against all through the playoffs, so need win here and keep winning the majority of games after that.

Ralph also announced in the papers that if the Sioux name was changed while the REA was still under construction he would cut the utilities and just let the place let empty and half finished. That should have been enough of a lesson for anyone at UND to remember not to alienate anyone named Englestad.

So none of this is tied to the original donation agreement 20+ years ago?

The premise was for the benefit of UND but that still doesn't make a legal case to change what UND willing agreed to over 20 years ago. It's a lousy agreement, don't get me wrong, but can't really be changed IMO without full agreement from the Englestad family. Maybe they should have asked for advice from the law school before agreeing to the terms.

Apparently in the rush to get the donation a lot of things were overlooked and I'm sure Kupchella wanted to keep Ralph content. The thing is, the contracts were signed to get the REA and no amount of litigation is going to change this. All Kennedy is doing is alienating our biggest donor. As bad as this deal is, we can't win by trying to change it now. Seriously, if you were the Englestad's, would you let UND out of this deal? I'd say you wouldn't.

Five years ago we said the same thing about Bubba being our savior. It's not just about the people you hire, it's more about the program, but I don't have the answers either. Remember NDSU lost most of their coaches and they still kept on winning.

Equally as bad is the fact that Kenny Golladay was only here one year. I just cringe when I think about what could have been.

It will be if a bunch of them are commits in 6 months. The work is far from over, in fact it's just beginning.