green_sioux

Nice that you didn't respond to the lie part. You didn't imply anything, you stated he said something he did not. You lied to show how witty you are. In this reply you conveniently and innocently are saying it from your point of view. In the original, you changed what he said and attributed it to him. Very different. Honest? Ethical. See how I did that? you didn't say YOU thought Jones was no Tom Izzo. That would have been fine if you said that. That would have been your opinion. But, you did demean and insult Hoopster when you lied about what he said. You said Hoopster stated that Jones was the Tom Izzo of the Big Sky, which he did not. .... Big difference. Opinions are fine, not saying you shouldn't have one. That had nothing to do with my post. You re-stated his argument\opinion in a way that was a lie. Which, in my opininion was to insult and demean his opinion and pump yourself up. I don't think I insulted anyone. I just pointed out a fact. Never said a moderator should give up HIS opinion. My opinion is even moderators should be called on attributing a quote to someone that they didn't state.

How about outright dishonesty that a certain member of the moderating team made in post 1143 in this thread, quoted in bold. "And I am sorry, but IMO there is something other than the weather and temperature that is keeping this program from excelling to a higher level. That and saying Jones is the Tom Izzo of the Big Sky, those were two statements that really had me rolling today!" Where did Hoopster make the statement that Jones is the Tom Izzo of the Big Sky? You said he stated that and that is not true. You know what he meant, and how it was meant and you chose to go into your know-it-all self appointed pseudo sportswriter mode and mock him. But, only while lying to try and make your snarky point. Pretty cheap, even for this board. I understand that you and so many others think you know everything about coaching, playing, and administrating college basketball from all those long hours you've all spent coaching, playing and administrating basketball programs. Right? It would make as much sense for Brian Jones to get on this forum and expound about farming, explaining in great deal to you farmers on here about what you are doing wrong while farming. He could have lots of keen insight and misperceptions and explain how farmers don't know what they're doing and how their attitude isn't right for farming. He could carefully tell you, step by step, how bad you are at your job in an intelligent, thoughtful way, all without ever having actually worked on a farm. He maybe has seen a farm, maybe knows a farmer, but he isn't a farmer. That would be acceptable, right? Thats where the bar is set on SSports.com.

First - no one knows if its true. Second - no one here knows the situation; health, grades, what coaches have told them, family situations, etc. I'm just saying its pathetic for people your age to instantly jump to the lack of character, failure in life stance for these KIDS. And no, switching does equal quitting. You don't leave a school or job and go to a new one without without switching\quitting the previous one. Kids leave school all the time during the semester for a variety of reasons. People leave jobs to take better jobs or better fits for them all the time too. Many of them don't end up in their parents basements but go ahead and believe that if it makes you feel superior. Tell us, have you ever left one school for another?? have you ever quit one job to take another at some point in your life? quitter???

Some fans of UND just amaze me. So eager to throw kids under the bus. Even before we know anything has even happened for sure. If they decide to leave a program and or UND completely they instantly are lacking in character and of course will be failures in life. Wow. Great character kids when they stuck around through the staff upheaval, but now just rotten losers. Again, wow. For those of you who never, ever switched schools or jobs in your life, it must be a great view from up on your high horse.

Look at your posts. You didn't just dare "to mention that Muss might not be the one to lead the Sioux to football success", you repeatedly explained things you knew that he didn't understand. I don't know if that is more arrogrance or ignorance. maybe 50/50. You say to reply to you with a factual statement..... I did. You have no way to know what players and coaches are thinking, or what they understand or don't understand. That is a factual argument....... So, you know Huff's state of mind? How? Did you talk to people on the team? Or did you figure this out from message board rumor based on innuendo, eventually called fact? Have you actually seen any games in person the last 4 years? Not a ducky or bunny. Just curious how you got your expertise on everything. Educate us by explaining your personal experience as a college athlete, and your training and experience as a coach, at the college or any level for that matter. If you have some of that experience, maybe I'd respect your opinion. But, I'm guessing you have none. So, if it's a personal attack asking you how your "know" things about what's going on in players and coaches minds and "understanding" things coaches don't get, I guess I am attacking you. (some might even say YOUR posts are almost entirely attacking UND coaches and athletes)

Well, we've often seen you're the expert when it comes to reading the minds of coaches and players. Coupled with an amazing talent to understand things that our athletes and coaches just don't get. Quite a gift. I have watched Huff for his entire career and he works as hard or harder than anyone on the team in the areas of rebounding and playing defense. Because of our lack of production from our bigs, he is always in banging the other teams big bodies on the boards. Almost always while giving up 60 or 80 pounds. I don't see it as checking out, I see it as him being gassed and trying to catch some air occasionally. But, I don't have the gift of knowing and understanding things about sports that so many of our athletes and coaches just don't understand.

Does anyone have the data of how many years in FCS or D1AA it has taken teams to make the playoffs for the first time? Especially the history of the Montanas, Montana States, Portland States, UNC, EWU, etc. How many years of being in FCS or D1AA before they had a playoff appearance? Are expectations of our football team by some people on this forum slightly out of touch? I ask because it seems many on here have turned their back on the team because they hate the coach. I've had numerous conversations with people at UND, plus with others who have a long history with the program, knowledge of the Big Sky and experience in coaching college football since we joined the Big Sky. Since that time, the prevailing view of these people has been it will take at least until year 4 or 5 in the Big Sky for our program to get the point where we are a legitimate playoff team, year in and year out. The consenus of these people, whose opinions I value, feels there is zero chance Coach Mussman is fired. We think the UND Athletic Dept is going to stay the course, because it's the right thing to do and because firing a coach almost always sets a program back. For me, watching UND sports, and especially football is like watching one of my children. I would never turn my back on one of my kids because someone else's kids are better than them at something. I would just continue to support and encourage them to get better and love them no matter what. I try to remember watching our team, is these are 18-22 year old college kids, here to get an education and play a game they love. We asked them to come here. We cheered when they agreed. I can't turn my back on that either. I'll continue to make all the games I can, and I expect us to be a playoff team before I tip over.

Got swept did they? They should fire her coach. Wins and losses are all that matter.

I am always amused at the anonymous experts on here who feel they know so much. Maybe dismayed rather than amused. Fire this coach..... Fire that coach...... This coach doesn't understand this or that......... This coach better deliver right now or he's gone..... etc. etc. etc. All from unknown, anonymous "fans" who feel the need to display their expertise and knowledge like they have some special knowledge or insight. My peer group consists of about 6 of us, mostly in our early to mid 60's in age. It includes former Sioux athletes, long time coaches and Sioux alumni and loyal fans.....most since their teens. Going into the football season, one of these good friends (who played FB for UND) predicted the Sioux football team would go 6-5 or 5-6. There was a good deal of discussion, but general agreement from the group. For all the reasons everyone on here knows about....nickname woes, conference woes, Lennon's exit, etc and how those factors hurt recruiting. He also had a history with BSC football. My friend said that record is unfortunately to be expected in the short term, as part of the growth process for the university, the coaches, the players, and even us fans. This group of old timers feel the long term strength of UND, it's commitment to athletics and loyalty of people like us who give to UND athletics will allow UND sports to not only prevail but flourish. Building D1 athletics is a process. UND has always tried to do it the right way. A school or two in our region may take more chances on certain types of kids and that can help in the short term. We are building, it's a process. Just watch the recruiting over the coming years. It will improve each year. We saw that in last year’s group. We will start to see that in all sports, not just football. In our first year, we haven’t had the depth of true D1 caliber athletes we need..........but it will get better every year. Another old friend in the group has a D1 caliber grandson playing in the Twin Cities. The kid has been to at least one UND football game every year of his life. He's been telliing his grandpa and his dad (both UND Alum) for years his dream is to play for the Sioux. He has been looked at and contacted by nearly every regional FCS team. The young man told my friend before Thanksgiving he is leaning towards UNI right now instead of his lifelong dream of UND. Grandpa was floored. The boy said there is just so much negativity on the Sioux Forum and so much talk of needing to fire coaches at UND that he doesn't think it will be a good fit for him anymore. He likes the staff, the facilities, the school......plus it has been his dream. But, he didn’t want to come if the staff was in jeopardy. My old friend was almost in tears telling me that. He has dreamed of watching his grandson play in Grand Forks. 18 year old recruits are very internet and social media savvy. They use those tools every day....continually. I wonder over the recent years how many athletes have checked out this forum and thought it must be the consensus of most UND fans. What we post here is "out there" forever. I never dreamed it could have that effect, but it makes sense after hearing about this case. It also makes me worry about other kids we may have lost.....or will lose. Everyone on here has the right to express their opinions. My "old guy" group just asks you consider that probably every blue chip recruit we're after in this day and age is likely scouring social media and forums to see what the word on the street is for the programs that are recruiting them. I just want to point out what is said here by self appointed experts can actually hurt the programs at UND, I’m sure unintentionally. Merry Christmas to all UND fans! I'm confident and hopeful most of my peer group is going to be around to see big things from UND Athletics across the board in the relatively near future.

Go back and read some of your posts. You didn't simply say you disagreed with the football coaching, you explained how you knew more than them.....that somehow they didn't understand things that you apparently do. Others didn't like some of the coaching decisions, but you are the only one on here who, more than once, explained how you knew more than Mussman. That is just sadly delusional, and that is all I was pointing out. Vastly different than just expressing your opinion. You are absolutely welcome to have an opinion on anything. I'm just pointing out how little you know about the inner workings of everything that goes into recruiting and preparing a team for a game and for a season. My opinion is you know far, far less than they do. It's childish and quite frankly sad to bash the coaching decsions explaining you know things they don't while having so very little knowledge. Good to know your personal jury is still out. Luckily for the UND football team, the coaches and fans, decisions about coaches and personnel are made by adults with more experience and knowledge than you get from playing video games.

We get it. From your previous posts we understand you know more about football than Mussman and the staff. You understand things that they don't. You know better what the players are capable of than the folks that have recruited and coached them for years. For many on the staff, their entire adult life has been involved in college football. But, you "know" things they don't. You have the guts and know how to "coach to win", unlike them. What I don't understand is why you aren't helping the staff directly instead of couch-coaching. You say "he has improved". I would call it a change in circumstances (Lennon leaving, the transition, the nickname, etc) to the stability of the BSC we are going to see going forward...........rather than the fact of his improving. I don't personally know any of the current UND football coaches, but I've been involved with and a fan of the program for well over 40 years. I guess I'm jealous I don't have your special insight and expertise. I'll have to try and deal with that.

Excellent post Green Team. Bigskybound. What are you basing Jones' attitude of "perfect chemistry" on? (Has he ever said that?, I dont' think so) A 20 second soundbite on TV or a quote in the newspaper? I never heard that. What exactly do you expect him to say when talking to the media? Do you want him to slam his players and their attitudes? It's called "coachspeak". All coaches do it. I don't want him to air any of team issues in the media. I tend to agree with some of the previous statements that Jones has been around big time college ball long enough to know the difference between ego and a cancer. It's a young squad and I'm patient enough to see what happens over the coming years now that we're through the transition. You also say if the truth offends anyone you are sorry. What you anonymously state may or may not be exactly the truth. It's your unreferenced opinion. That's your right on a message board, but a big difference than "the truth." Like you, I've been following Sioux BB for a long time. For me, since the mid 1960's. But, I don't know any of the coaches or players personally, so I don't have any special perspective. I do like the prospects going forward in D1 BB and the BSC schedule.

And the coach that replaced the one Faison didn't renew went 11-38 over the next 4 years and was also let go by NMSU. So, it's not an automatic fix like some people here think. There was sentiment in Fargo a few years ago from a lot of people that Bohl needed to go. How's that looking today?

You can have an opinion, but to use a bincity term, "because this is real football, not playstation........", I think all of us would be interested in hearing about your real football credentials. That's all I asked.. Is it more than video games? You weren't just offering your opinions. You were telling us all how bincity knew more than the staff that is there day in and day out. (Of course, after the fact) That's more than "offering your opinion". You explalined to us of how you knew better than the Sioux staff. Explain to me what this forum is for? is it for experts to explain, after the fact how intelligent they are in comparison to the folks that do this for a living. Certainly you're more than welcome to give your opinion, but when you claim so somehow magically have some special understanding how you know more than a large Sioux football staff that put in a ton of hours preparing for a game, it's beyond silly. It's sad. So, tell us all about your extensive football experience.

Easy to say from the cheap seats. How much film did you study the last 2 weeks? How many hours did you spend at practice? What are your football credentials? Enlighten us. Frankly it's a little sad you're so full of yourself.

I would tend to completely disagree with the statement " I feel the game was lost by the play-calling in the 1st half." The strategy was sound, planned out by a group of coaches that spent numerous hours watching film, running practices, and developing a strategy. It comes down to players having to make plays. If the QB makes a few less terrible reads-throws and hits a few more open passes the strategy opens up the entire playbook. Yes, it's real football, not playstation. Like most closely matched teams it comes down to athletes making more plays than the other teams athletes. I say this as someone who played the game. I think if you talked to any of the Sioux players, they would agree. They were prepared and ready, but the other team made more plays and had fewer mistakes.

My point is you don't know enough to make those judgements. It's easy to complain, but you aren't there. Or, have never been there. You weren't just giving an opinion, you went past that. Have you coached or played college football? No? You can have your "opinion" that you know better than a person who's been involved in college football for a long time. Doesn't make you right, but sure, you can have an opinion...........Like some of your opinions "Crappy offensive play calling game in and game out" - "Making absolutely no coaching adjustments at any time and getting out-coached almost every game" " We'd rather give up 10 yards anytime our opponents want rather than taking a chance and maybe getting beat long" "Mussman? The fact that we don't have an experienced QB is a reflection on him. " Those are some of the "facts" as you see them. I'm not questioning your football expertise, it's obvious you have plenty of that when seated behind a keyboard.

I still like him. But, more importantly we absolutely have to go into next year with a stable staff. Know - it - alls on message boards who never played or coached the game have all the answers. Fortunately adults will make the decsions about Sioux coaches, not anonymous experts on fan boards. Irish, tell us about your college football experience, coaching, recruiting, playing, etc.................. Like I said, since you have all the answers why don't you volunteer your support to the team? My point isn't that I like Mussman so much. I just don't claim to have all the answers based on reading the sports pages and watching the games.

So he was a great offensive coach before the transition, but lousy afterwards? Lennon left abruptly at a difficult time in the transition. Took some coaches with him. We lost Chappelle and Murray early. Also, I don't think it's easy to recruit to Grand Forks, ND, but we're seeing big leaps there. I think we've seen FCS type of recruiting the last few years that will make us a very good team. He's done a good job keeping things going in the generally right direction during this time. There is a stability that you will see benefits of over the next few years. It's easy to think we all know so much, but who are we kidding? Good things are ahead for UND football.

It's just unfortunate for us that a guy like Coach Mussman, who played big time colege football and who has been coaching at the college level for about 20 years, doesn't have you vast knowledge on mattters of coaching and recruiting. (Some of those Sioux offenses he directed were anything but vanila) You really should get out from behind your computer and share your expertise and carefully explain to Coach Mussman how to correct his shortcomings. I know this is a place to express opinions, but is sad to read how much more knowledgeable some of you actually believe you are than our current staff. I'll take 7 or 8 or more vanilla wins this year.

Agree, but that's not the point. The football part of it should be enough for a grown up person. If you need to be entertained between plays........if the football game isn't enough for you, maybe you're at the wrong venue. I agree they tried too hard, and did a poor job. But, it should be about the football game. (Kind of like not getting to caught up in the live cow auction on the field in Brookings at halftime of the Beef Bowl in years past. An adult football fan could get past that and worry about the game. That's all I"m saying.)

I went to the game and I also tailgate as often as I can. I went to watch a football game. I saw a methodical and careful win. A nice win the program needed to have. We are starting a qb that would have been a redshirt freshmen if he came here for his freshman year. But, not even having that year under his belt in the system, I think the coaches understandably kept things basic and safe. I think it was a great start to the season. Against an FCS team that has been around for a while. He showed flashes of being something at qb that we haven't had for a couple years. He could be the qb that takes us into the first 2 years of the BSC. I also saw a Sioux defense pitch a shutout. But, If you go to a college football game and worrry about "production values" and a "chick interviewing people in the stands" you just might not be the one to judge the "product they put on the field." Possibly you would be more at home at a Monster Truck show.

relax, it's just the time of the year for "coach speak." But, if none of the 4 is going to clearly separate themselves from the others in practice situations, the only way to see who might be the best gamer, is to actually play in a game.

I don't think any program gets better in a hurry. Very easy to say, but programs that do "get better in a hurry" sometimes do it in ways that come back to damage the program. I'm happy with the progress and recruiting and think Mussman will get the job done. The Sioux have always done it the right way. The Chappelle's, the Josh Murray's and now this: - Linebacker Dominique Bennett, who was expected to start at outside linebacker, and cornerback Chavon Mackey, who was expected to start at right cornerback, have been suspended for the first two games of the season for a violation of team rules. http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/212021 make me think we're continuing to build the program in an honest, ethical way. Sioux players and coaches are expected to operate that way, even if bending the rules would help the football results in the short term. There are teams that overlook things like training violations or academics (even in say a 100 mile radius ) but I've always felt that an attitude like that hurts a program in the long run. It's going to be an exciting next few years of North Dakota football.

The late, great Bruce Telleman always said about statistics (roughly)...............Statistics are like bathing suits, what they show can be revealing. But, what they can cover up can be even more important.