jdub27

Because Terry Ryan could have done it much sooner and didn't, instead of leaving it to a brand new GM to handle, he punted on taking the action while he was in charge. Even then he stay was still on as an advisor, so he had input. As for the it being the fourth best option, that is all speculation on what exactly the other offers were. I'm not saying Smith isn't culpable in all of it, he is. But Terry Ryan has his fingerprints all over it as well. While it ended up not working out, it could have been worse, Smith could have actually resigned him instead of trading him. As for Ramos/Capps. It wasn't a great deal but it was a "win now" move instead of long-term outlooks. The 8th and 9th innings would have been on lock-down, but that doesn't matter when the offense can't score against the Yankees. Sometimes those gambles pay off, sometimes they don't. It also shows GM's (not Twins specific) weird obsession with the need for a "proven closer". The dig on Mauer is pretty weak as well. 2011 was complications and issues from offseason knee surgery. It is what it is. If you're taking digs at him now for playing first instead of catching because he has had multiple brain injuries, than I'm not sure how to even argue how wrong that is. Your last point we can fully agree on. Smith probably shouldn't have been hired (again, partially on TR for mentoring and recommending) and TR shouldn't have had a second stint, the game has passed him by as a GM. They need new blood in the front office.

Very true. Unfortunately they keep hoping those guys will turn into 2nd or 3rd starters and aren't having a high success rate on that theory. You can win that way but you can't miss as often as they have. I can't ever see the Twins giving out a true #1 starter contract to a free agent. The last two true #1 starters they Twins had were Santana (Rule 5 draft) and briefly Liriano (trade). So its either trades or drafts were they will likely have to find their next one.

Tough to fully blame Smith on the Santana trade considering that Ryan had basically punted on making an inevitable decisions while he was in control. The Twins weren't going to give him the contract that was coming (nor should they have). While he made some bad moves, I'd also argue Smith made some pretty good moves as well: Pavano, Thome, Orlando Hudson. This article is a pretty good breakdown of his tenure and it should probably be noted that he learned under Terry Ryan and was pretty much handpicked. In the end, you can look at a ton of decisions made any GM and it will be a mixed bag and with a lot of it coming down to luck. That being said, Smith wasn't the answer nor was Terry Ryan the second go around and it was time for him to go. The Twins need completely new blood in their front office.

He tried contacting DB for a comment and his office referred them to the original statement he released last week. That's not on Port, he tried to get the verification you wanted. What more do you think he should have done?

Some of the texts weren't appropriate regardless of context, which is DB admitted and said they were in bad taste. As to the rest of it, that was my point: why was he supposedly led to believe the conditions were known to all those who bid and they were common around the country when neither is true and who led him to believe that? Seems like that person would have some explaining to do for their actions since that bad information is a portion of what is causing DB's issues.

So, if DB's newest e-mail is to be taken at face value (), then he was led to believe some very incorrect things about the new guidelines which was the basis for his support. The leads to a pretty interesting question on who is responsible for this supposed incorrect information, why they misinformed him and what kind of consequences that has. This is a complete aside for the inappropriate texts/e-mails, which are a whole separate issue that reflects poorly.

You are correct, blaming others for the issues caused by their leadership has been a calling card of the Fargo faithful for for quite a while now. My mistake. JJ and ML put in a bunch of restrictions after the fact to spite FCC. They only corrected it after they underestimated the backlash their pettiness caused. FCC requested all the bids to publish them and NDSU still hasn't released them. Also interesting that JJ would have benefitted from those restrictions he put in place as a host a radio show on the 1660...

This is clearly the new talking point out of Fargo. It's all a witch hunt never mind the strange coincidence how there is always something to be found. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes, they aren't exactly shooting in the dark to find these things like some seem to think. A lot easier to blame the messenger than admit the are problems in your own house. Knowing all of this, especially when you've already put a target on your back, and then handling the situation like it was is quite mind-boggling.

I think that's some serious extrapolating on your part when he only specifically mentions locker room access. Now he spins that as them wanting exclusive access to something when they complained about the same thing, but again, locker room access is a far cry from the original policy. Again, if it would have been exactly the same, he would have not missed a chance to drive that point home. Since he didn't, I have a pretty good feeling the exclusivity stopped at the locker room stuff.

The only thing written about what protections FCC wanted was exclusive pre and post game locker room access (taken from Heitkamp's article). That is nowhere near the same stratosphere of the media restrictions originally put in place and then rescinded. This is the exact false assumption I was talking about. Once NDSU releases the bids (as was requested by FCC over a week ago), we'll know for sure, but I feel pretty confident that if they would have wanted the exact same thing they were complaining about, Heitkamp would have said exactly that.

I get a kick out of how fast FargoU fans have turned on the two guys that have been first class in covering NDSU the last 5-10 years, including a lot of kid glove treatments. They also seem to be confused about what was supposedly in Forum Communications bid. If Heitkamp is to be believed (I know, but let's just go with it), Forum Comm had a few stipulations: Exclusive pre and post game access to the locker room. This isn't even close to what RFM and KVLY were originally given. Does anyone even report from the locker room currently? If they do, it's minimal and coverage for other outlets would have been affected minimally. Access to ESPN feeds. No clue why or how that is even possible, but whatever. Likely would have been excluded because I'm not sure NDSU has the ability to grant that. Amount of contract contingent on winning at least 8 games a season. Depending on what the base amount was and how much less the contract would be worth if they didn't win 8 games, I'm not even sure how big of a deal this is. If the base offer was higher than the others, then FCC is just protecting themselves because who knows how quick the bandwagon might empty if there is a poor season. Did NDSU leave money on the table because they were unsure about winning 8 games every year. Again the difference between the amounts is key to how big of a deal this is. At least FCC put those in their proposal (again, per Heitkamp). Did RFM and KVLY even put the items they were granted in their proposal or did JJ and ML get upset and grant them after the fact? Big difference, and if NDSU was able to walk back everything that fast, I'm guessing they were being spiteful and arrogant and decided to grant the new access rules after the fact.

I have to admit, this made me laugh even though I don't think that was your intention.

I was unable to watch live hockey on Midco Anywhere sometime in the last year or two.

Definitely keep. Appearances may change but history is not forgotten.

I mean, who gives a sh!t about the consequences, as long as nothing ever changes! Amirite?

Add in: -New 5 year partnership with KFGO -New video boards installed at the Betty -New on-air talent covering UND from Midco -First indoor home track meet in 30+ years announced -Couple new football games announced for future years I think personal dislike of specific people within the athletic department is clouding someone's judgment on this one.

I'm pretty sure those numbers are from the same font that SME designed for the wordmarks. I can't find the guidelines that showed the numbers but the 9's have the same little cut-in that the letters have. Maybe they look a little off to some because of being on the rounded helmet? Once the new jerseys are ordered, the fonts will match.

Their new court is the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.

Sticking with your guns and going down with a sinking ship that has already been abandoned. Interesting strategy but I don't think it is going to pay off. It really doesn't matter what I believe when Bresciani openly admitted it was a bad policy as he rescinded it and Larsen apologized for it. To me, that says everything that needs to be said about it. Care to share what you got from your update? Very curious on how that this was a "great deal for NDSU".

-But the brand? How will it be protected??? -Big PR win for DB at a time when he needed it. Though still hard to believe something like this would have been signed off without his knowledge. About those FOIA requests... -Apparently it was a much bigger deal than JJ and the FargoU faithful claimed, because why walk back a policy that is common in almost everywhere? -Hey @bison73, any update from your sources? I think they may have been feeding you a little bit of BS when they said how good this was for NDSU. -Kind of looking like the restrictions weren't actually part of the bids and were put in after KVLY and RFM won them. Is it just a coincidence that there is someone who was involved in the media negotiations/contracts that also happens to be on a host for a radio show on a RFM station that the restrictions benefitted? -No seriously, the brand is huuuge. How is it going to be protected now?

Jerseys were likely ordered long before any contracts were awarded, let alone SME completing the new font.

I can't wait to see this contract once it is released. Why the hold up Forum Comm, FOIA that thing. They should probably also request all e-mails from JJ and ML related to the negotiations, I think it would be pretty insightful to see who demanded what...

Very nice. Video was a good touch as well. Good job to the Athletic Department on this one all the way around.