PCM

Don't worry about it. A few people think there's something wrong with me posting links to my USCHO stories. Apparently the idea of an online writer who covers Sioux hockey and posts links to his stories in an online forum devoted to Sioux hockey is so strange and foreign to them that they get freaked out.

Yes, really. Believe it or not, I've written more than one article for USCHO. Unless you can find posts linking every story I've ever written for USCHO to this Web site (and I know for a fact that you can't), then you're wrong.

I don't do that, either. You're batting .1000 so far.

No, I don't. But thanks for letting me know.

You and me both. And we don't even agree on all the issues. I suppose it's the price I pay for occasionally pointing out that there's more to running UND than keeping hockey fans happy.

I noticed this at the end of the news release posted on fightingsioux.com:

What words would you use?

All I can say is that having written more than a few news releases in my time, when you want to send the message that other possibilities still exist, you use the type of wording that UND used.

I don't know why people think what they think. I don't know why Buning was added at the last minute. But I can read and decide for myself what words mean.

People are always free to misinterpret words any way they desire.

Thomas Buning Named UND Director Of Athletics University of North Dakota President Charles Kupchella announced today [Monday, May 9] that Thomas Buning, associate athletic director at West Point, has been named UND Director of Athletics. A Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, Buning will succeed Roger Thomas, who was named commissioner of the North Central Conference. Buning starts July 1. "Tom Buning's rich array of leadership, management, budget, and resource acquisition experiences make him an outstanding prospect for success at UND," said Kupchella. "Tom understands that he will preside over a rich tradition of excellence in intercollegiate athletics and that he will have an exceptional group of coaches, athletic program personnel, student-athletes and fans with whom to work. He is well acquainted with the challenges of modern intercollegiate athletics and with the benefits of intercollegiate athletics done well. I'm asking all to join me in giving full support to Tom as he begins his duties in July." "I was very pleased to have had an exceptional pool of candidates from which to choose our next Athletic Director, and I commend the Search Committee for their great work," said Kupchella. "This is an absolutely exciting day for the Buning family. We're thrilled to have this outstanding opportunity to serve the University of North Dakota and its exceptional student-athletes. And we're delighted about the opportunity to visit the campus during Spring Commencement this weekend during what probably is the most exciting day of the year," said Buning. He and his wife, Debi, have three children (boy-girl-boy): Chase, 14; Chandler, 12; and Chance (9). Thomas Buning Bio Thomas Buning, 45, is in his fourth year as an associate athletic director at the West Point U.S. Military Academy. During his tenure he has served as the director of operations for 25 teams, supervised 50 full time and 250 part-time employees, and has overseen 18 buildings and eight athletic fields. He has served as the director of a number of athletic support services, including event management and staffing, team support and athletic equipment operations. Buning led the development of a 20-year master plan for $240 million in new and upgraded athletic facilities. He also integrated the department's needs into the Academy's first-ever $220 million fund-raising campaign, resulting in more than $100 million to support athletics. An Orlando, Fla., native, Buning is a 1981 West Point graduate and earned his master's degree in engineering management from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1994. He holds an executive management diploma from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and a Senior Executive Management Diploma from the Armed Forces Staff College. Buning has served overseas and is a decorated combat veteran. He has been awarded the Bronze Star and three Meritorious Service Medals, as well as the Bronze Order of the deFleury Medal from the U.S. Army Engineer Association. Buning is a member of the NCAA Sports Management Committee (for rifle), and also belongs to the National Association of College Directors of Athletics. He is a graduate of the D1A Athletic Directors Institute. He is also a member of the U.S. Modern Pentathlon Board of Director's as the athlete's representative. Buning is a former world class athlete in the pentathlon, having twice qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials and competed in 16 World Cup competitions. He also competed as a swimmer during four years of college. Phil Harmeson, UND's faculty athletic representative and senior associate to the president, has served as UND's interim athletic director since Feb. 18, when former athletics director Roger Thomas left the position to become commissioner of the North Central Conference. UND's All-Time Athletic Directors (Source: UND athletics records and "A Century of U.N.D. Sports, An Athletic History of the University of North Dakota") * Walter Hempel, Jan. 1-June 30, 1903 * Dr. George J. Sweetland Jr., 1904-08 * Dr. David L. Dunlap, 1908-12 * Charles E. Armstrong, 1912-13 * Fred L. Thompson, 1913-18 * Paul Jones Davis, 1919-28 * Charles A. "Jack" West, 1928-46 * Glenn L. "Red" Jarrett, 1946-58 * Leonary R. "Len" Marti, 1958-76 * Dr. Carl R. Miller, 1976-85 * John F. "Gino" Gasparini, Oct. 4, 1985-June 30, 1990 * Dr. Terry Wanless, Nov. 1, 1990-June 30, 1999 * Roger Thomas, July 1, 1999-Feb. 18-2005 Note: UND has had three interim athletic directors: Dr. M. Helen Smiley (May 15, 1988-Oct. 4, 1988), David C. Gunther (June 30, 1990-Oct. 31, 1990) and Phil Harmeson (Feb. 18, 2005-July 2005). Also, Lt. Charles S. Farnsworth, 1894-1897, and Dr. Melvin A. Brannon, 1896-1903, both carried out administrative duties of an athletic director, but neither carried that title. --30--

I got my copy at the UND Bookstore.

I think I just did.

I hate getting sieved when I pick out an ensemble that doesn't match.

I'm sure he's talking about a different one.

How many WCHA arenas have you been in? I've been told by someone who's been in all of them numerous times that the atmosphere at the REA is among the best in the league.

No

What if not everyone in the student section wants to stand throughout the entire game? Do we know that all students want to stand? How many do and how many don't? Is allowing standing fair to those students who don't want to?

Here are the quotes from the Herald's April 29 article that bothered me: Does this not indicate that one of the main reasons for moving the student section is to allow students to stand throughout the game? Or am I somehow misinterpreting the intent? In my view, as long as students insist on having lower bowl seating and insist on standing, there are going to be complaints from people whose view is blocked. Sure, you can put the students somewhere else to minmize the complaints, but as long as the students stand, there will be legitimate complaints. I understand and support the reasoning of putting the band closer to the students. That, in and of itself, is a good idea. But using the band to drown out profane cheers will never work. As I see it, Haskins is telling that students that if they move their seats to another section, then standing is okay because it's not blocking anybody. And if the band is moved nearby, then swearing is okay because that band is there to cover it up. He's presenting his proposal as a compromise, which leads students to believe that they are giving something up in order to get something they want. But they're not giving anything up and they're not doing anything to change the behavior that's causing the problems. So how does this solve anything?

No, not "everybody." In case you haven't noticed, the students get a lot of support around here. No, not everybody. In my opinion, the latest proposal from UND's student government is counterproductive because it does nothing to address the behavior that's generating the complaints. In my view, it puts a Band Aid on the problem and encourages the behavior. Obviously, not everyone agrees with me. But nobody has posted anything here that changes my opinion. I know that the students have advanced some excellent ideas and that they have taken action to improve the atmosphere at the games. I commend them for that. Until this past season, I felt that real progress was being made. But now we seem to be going backward, not forward. I'm not going to be hypocritical and praise student government for advancing a proposal that I consider unrealistic and counterproductive.

I've posted a lot of my thoughts on this in the past, as have others. When I get time, I'll try to pull some of my ideas together in what I hope is a single, coherent post. In the meantime, some of the ideas I posted above from the 2003 NCAA Report On the Sportsmanship and Fan Behavior Summit provide some good food for thought on what might be done.

Which reinforces my point about the image fan behavior reflects on UND outside of the state. Assuming your figures are correct, there's 73 percent of the budget that students don't pay for. Some of that is federal money that the state's congressional delegation works in concert with UND's administration to bring in. Some of it is private money that comes from alumni donations, business partnersships and research contracts. And as BringDeanBack pointed out, a large part of the student money is from subsidized loans that exist because North Dakota's federal and state elected officials work to get them funded at the behest of voters. And then there are the alumni scholarships that, again, someone has to work to bring in. None of this happens by itself. While there is student involvement in bringing money to the university, the lion's share of the work at keeping the dollars flowing is done by university staff, alumni and elected officials. Without their efforts and public support, UND would cease to exist as a state institution.

Which would explain why you're not being represented. If students started throwing trash on the ice during hockey games, would your response be, "At least students are doing something to improve the atmosphere"? What the student government proposed is counterproductive because the focus remains on allowing students to stand and swear. It encourages the people causing the problems to continue to cause the problems. That's not helpful. That's not useful. It solves nothing.

This item was in today's Grand Forks Herald UND Notebook.