siouxfan512

What happens every year, is Sioux Hockey fans listening to the same old GFHockey babble and name dropping.

Doesn't really matter, Fighting Sioux is gone. I still think No Nickname is the compromise between Getting rid of Fighting Sioux and Replacing the name and logo altogether. As far as marketing and merchandising go, start winning and you will create your own marketing. On the College Hockey scene University of North Dakota does great, because they win (Unfortunately, College Hockey is small in the overall scope of college athletics. Put a winning football team on the field, and a competetive basketball team on the court and the athletic department as a whole will find success.

What will he come up with after next season then? After we don't lose any early departure, bring in Boeser, Wilkie, Gersich and Co, AND Hang #9

Agreed!

I didn't know that about the champions club, I may look into that myself. I haven't been a big donor myself, though with 2 kids under 3 expenses tend to build.

Nope, I watch football and basketball on the Big Sky website. And while other sports certainly matter, there is not denying UND is a hockey first school. If so much of this argument is about money (merchandising and marketing) as was stated earlier, it would be wise to not piss off the largest fan base at the school either. That being said, I think football really is moving in the right direction with Bubba. Start winning some games, and filling some seats. Any they don't get the ESPN attention without winning first. Win and you will get that attention regardless of what you are or are not called.

Vote should be by Alumni, Investors, Season Ticket Holders, maybe a few other select groups. Opening the vote open to a wide populus seems way too controversial.

Honey Badger cuz it takes what it wants and doesn't care ... next question.

To be fair, not all critics have the excess money to poney up; and simply having money shouldn't drive someones right to an opinion. He was correct in his article that Hakstol is never going to let that team forget they are the Sioux; granted that is only one sport.

Do you think anyone who claimed to have sworn of generic North Dakota stuff, is going to go for a new name and logo?

Really? I haven't been able to get up to Grand Forks for a while. That is really disappointing. Sounds loud on TV though.

Right, but "No Nickname" doesn't mean No Marketing or Merchandising. Again, they have had plenty of Merchandising, Marketing, and Apparel sales over the past 2-3 year. How does that change "long term" with a new nickname? You may see a small spike in revenue form apparel sales with a new name and logo, though alot of people won't buy it. For a school like UND big time marketing for the school comes with winning. Start making the NCAA Football Playoff or make the NCAA Basketball Tourney; that gets your Athletic Dept. national attention, not locat or regional marketing. Look at NDSU, they haven't been getting national attention over the past few seasons because they are the Bison, its because they have had winning teams. People who want a new nickname, because they don't want nothing makes sense to me; though its not what I want or hope for. The argument that going by the "University of North Dakota" vs "The Roughriders, Freeze, Spirit or any other stupid name" would hold the school back just doesn't hold any merit. The on-field/ice/court success of our teams is not directly driven by our nickname or logo, its by the coaches and athletes. I hope to see University of North Dakota on their jerseys for years to come, and I will glady continue buying their apparel. That being said, I will continue to watch and support the teams regardless. I just think with all of the money and time that alumni and fans have invested into that school and the programs, we should have some say. I know they are open to suggestions, and their will be a vote, but how much weight does that actually carry. Point being, No Nickname has been a popular option, SO if it is not an option to vote on, then they entire notion of taking suggestions and hosting a vote is nothing more than a gimmick by the University.

Lets see Gaarder with some big goals!

You are lumping too many groups of people together. First, I am obviously a big supporter of the Fighting Sioux, and hate that society has to try to be PC about everything. I will always refer to them as the Fighting Sioux, regardless; But I am a big fan of more than hockey. The question nobody is answering is how does the school referring to themselves as the "University of North Dakota" hold the school back? Keeping the logo would have held them back, and NC$$ sanctions would have prevented us from hosting or competing in events. No nickname, does nothing detrimental to the program. So I don't understand that particular argument.

Not really, I don't ever expect the name to come back. They is beyond improbable, and would be really ignorant; the name is gone. What I don't understand is how going be "University of North Dakota" vs any other nickname is "Holding the University Back"? Keeping Fighting Sioux as the official name and logo would have been holding the University back, as we could not participate in NC$$ events, or host post season events. But how is going by "University of North Dakota" holding the school back? That particular argument just doesn't make sense to me.

I really hate this ... but I do wonder, why does it really matter if they have a nickname or not? I mean, how does not having a nickname harm the school? Apparel Revenue? I don't really see that. I only ask because, they have been operating just fine as UND, what is the issue with leaving it alone?

True, you may get some people that shift, but I think it would be mostly new people coming to the school with no connection to it. Even there, I don't see the majority switching. Big time hockey school in a fairly small town community. I just think the name means too much to too many people. I for one would never refer to going to a game as anything other that watching Sioux Hockey, I just see alot of people being the same way. I certainly wouldn't put on anything other than a Sioux Jersey, and have no intentions of buying my kids apparel that says anything other than Fighting Sioux or North Dakota. Just can bring myself to referring to the team as anything else. I guess only time will tell as to what will happen, but I do think that if a good chunk of people want no nickname, it should at least be included in the voting options.

You do realize that regardless of what the school does, those same fans will still cheer for, refer to the team as, and we apparel of The Fighting Sioux. What do you think the coaching staff call them? They won't start saying play Roughrider Hockey, or Oiler Hockey. They will continue referring to it as Fighting Sioux Hockey. End of the Anthem, everyone will still yell SIOUX. If you think leaving it as University of North Dakota is the only way UND fans unofficially keep Fighting Sioux, your're crazy. That will stay regardless. So why force something upon people that most (not all) do not want? If the consencus is that the current logo and jerseys are lame, UND could spend alot less money and redesign them. I'm not nuts about the Jersey's either, but they are probably better that whatever is going to come out of all of this.

I wasn't being serious on that one, but obviously the tone was lost through my typing. Just not a fan of the guy at all. I know he would not do that, nor do I think he could do it, even if he wanted to.

How long do you think it will be before Kelly tries to publicly discourage the wearing of Sioux Jerseys to games?

True, we are the deeper team, and they are a big third period team. If we can contain their top guys and tire them out, we can eliminate a difficult 3rd period.

Money spent in this process should be about getting it done right, and making the best decision that appeases the most people. Not creating change, just to say you did something. Lets say that 30 or even 40% of the submissions are for UND? you don't think that should be a final option for voting, because its not change? Or lets say it is one of the final options and 60 or 70% vote for it; you think the committee should override it because money was invested and they want something different? The bottom line is when they retired Fighting Sioux, it stung alot of people (Not UNDs fault I know). If this is going to be a voting setup, and they are taking suggestions, the final options should be the names that people suggest the most (providing that they are acceptable and cannot be deemed offensive by the PC crowd). If 90% of the voters pick the UND Howler Monkeys, its the same logic and the majority should rule; but I don't think you will find an overwhelming percentage that will decide on a single name or mascot over the University of North Dakota. And no, I did not submit the UND Howler Monkeys

True! Go Zane!

If University of North Dakota is not one of the three final options, then this entire process is corrupt (which it probably is). That has been far and away the most suggested option I have heard from alumni and fans, and seen on the posting boards. I know it has been submitted, and I'm sure it has been submitted the most. If it is not one of the final options, then we can thank president dip#$&% (the university one, not the country one). University of North Dakota has served well over the past few years; lets just leave it at that. Moved away from Fighting Sioux - Appeases the PC crowd Don't replace Fighting Sioux - Appeases the Fans (the good guys) Boom, Compromise!

I'll take it, I like Murphy, hope he nets one soon.