jodcon

Apparently Brown doesn't like getting flattened while he stickhandles, slashed Blood pretty good on the knees and got away with it. Blood has delivered quite a few shots in the first period. Not a good goal for Duluth, defense fell asleep on the wraparound.

Hopefully enough of the people who could educate and influence this vote will get off their rears and start making headlines to try to salvage this situation, the Alumni Association has stepped up...who's next?

Feel comfortable about that as a last option?

Have you ever gone to the voting booth without previously looking at the initiatives and try to cast an intelligent vote? It's almost impossible not only because the wording is always something to the effect of 'against not allowing negative....' which screws people up, but mostly because you can't really understand what the repercussions of the vote going one way or the other will be because you haven't done your homework. And that is what is probably going to happen if this comes to a vote, the average person on the street is going to have a 'Screw the NCAA they can't tell us what to do in our own state' type of attitude and the issue will probably pass. I honestly don't know if the Alumni Association and others will be able to educate enough people to keep this thing from getting railroaded through, and the sad thing is it will be done by people with good intentions who don't see the iceberg about to hit the Titanic.

We have to face the facts from the Big Sky Conference point of view, when they offered us an invite two big factors were going for us when they made their decision: 1) USD was also expected to join the conference, giving UND a travel partner and making an even number for scheduling. When USD bailed at the last second it hung UND out in the wind, giving visiting teams no second game within driving distance, and made UND a sore toe on the footprint that the Big Sky is. Along with that it screwed up any plans they had of a balanced schedule, 13 is still a prime number and prime numbers are not schedule friendly. Strike 1. 2) When the BSC offer was made the nickname issue was set to be a done deal, it was brought up many times by all parties involved that the deadline was well before UND joined the BSC, and the deadline for gaining the required support or relinquishing the nickname was set in stone. Fullerton had said it would not be an issue because it would be settled and both the NCAA and UND would abide by the result. And so it seemed. Then Carlson happened, then the repeal, then the petitions, and now....? The BSC does not want this issue in any way associated with their league, and I don't blame them. Strike 2. What we have to offer the BSC as a quality institution of learning is being overshadowed by the perception that the people of North Dakota are more concerned with hanging on to a nickname and crippling not only their schools current and future athletes but also any league foolish enough to accept them as a member. Do people really think this is going to stop with Minnesota and Wisconsin not scheduling us for hockey? This is just the beginning. It's going to be every sport, and more schools...maybe many more. What do you think the BSC thinks of that statement? Do they want their teams playing non-conference games against teams like UM, Wisconsin, Iowa, etc... or Mayville, Minot, Dickinson? This is not what they're looking for in a member. Don't kid yourself, UNDs membership in the BSC is not a done deal, the shine has come off the apple and if the school is forced to go under sanctions I would say our chances of gaining membership will be under 50%. I have been a Fighting Sioux fan for 50 years (yeah I'm that old) and the thought of losing the name makes me sick, but it is not bigger than the University itself or the people who have and will attend it, and we cannot allow it to damage the current and future athletes or derail what is the biggest single event in the history of UND athletics...being admitted into the Big Sky Conference.

He said the same things he said in the Herald article earlier today, when we discussed it 7 hours ago. We know what the situation is, thanks for the concern though.

Why would we care?

Actually Fullerton has said that there are 4 presidents who don't have a strong feeling either way but they will follow whatever path the ones who do care choose, which I wouldn't take as a positive sign.

Well said.

I don't even know if it would have to be a unanimous vote of the presidents being UND is probationary, I think he was talking about removing an existing member when he mentioned the unanimous vote. Either way, we would be at risk, that is clear.

...and the hits keep on coming...

I give Fullerton credit for laying their cards on the table, at least we know what the BSC thinking is on the issue.

Maybe they should expand the field to 32 or 48 then they could include all the .500 teams like the FBS does.

If they get to the tournament after losing 7 of their top 8 scorers and trying to put together 4 forward lines around a rash of injuries with a bunch of freshman he should get some votes because the coaching staff has done a fantastic job getting this patchwork team momentum down the stretch. If they would somehow reach the Frozen 4, it would be the best coaching job of his career, bar none. That said, I think Pearson has done a great job too and probably has the inside track, I keep expecting them to fade but they haven't.

FIFY

I assume any changes back will be in name only, meaning the term 'Fighting Sioux' will be restored in all communications possible, but any physical changes already made will be left as is until the upcoming roller coaster ride is settled. What it means as far as uniforms for the hockey teams will be interesting.

He actually said that? When?

Too late, the strippers in Williston already have this locked up, although their uniform and logo locations are...um...a little different.

I did see one thing this morning that I hadn't thought of, if the Giants win today Eli will have more Super Bowl rings than Peyton. Funny because he's always considered the 'other' Manning, but in reality he's had a better supporting cast around him most years, especially on the defensive side.

I can't cheer for Belicheat under any circumstances, so by default Giants 31-27.

Since it's Super Bowl Sunday I'll steal a line from the late Al Davis..."Just Win Baby".

I'm sure they'll be jacked up for us, but they have cooled off a little the last few weeks.

I'm so telling on you.

I guess I didn't recall correctly, no wonder I wasn't that excited. Still a nice shot in the arm for the budget though. And being Oklahoma has more FB money than Tennessee and NDSU is the reigning FCS champion, $800k is still a possible number I would think.

I don't doubt the $800k figure at all, IIRC Montana was paid around $1 million plus expenses for traveling to Tennessee this year, so that seems to the approximate payoff for being served up to a killer in the first couple games of the year. I don't think there is a right or wrong way of looking at this: On one hand it's a great boost for your budget and gives your kids a chance to play against an elite squad and hopefully learn some things (and hopefully not get banged up too bad). On the other hand you know going in you have zero chance of winning that game and it could hurt you at the end of the year by not having that win. In the situations as they stand now, I think NDSU would be better suited to schedule a game like Oklahoma than UND, NDSU is going to get enough wins next year regardless of whether they take a payday game or not, UND is going to be hard-pressed to win the needed 7 games and couldn't afford the loss (unless it would replace the Mines game which has no bearing). But either way I can't fault NDSU for turning down a game like that, when I heard the Griz were going to play Tennessee I wasn't really too thrilled.