fightingsioux4life

Ah yes, the all-purpose jdub27 solution to every problem, write e-mails. But in all seriousness, I plan on doing just that. I want us to get out in front of the situation and force our competitors to play catch-up with us for once. I think a special fundraising campaign along the lines of the Champions Club is in order. If Faison and Kelley were to announce their intentions to fund FCOA for our bedrock programs (MH, FB, WBB, MBB) and ask that boosters and alumni chip in whatever they can afford, I think there would be no shortage of boosters and alumni that would step up and deliver. Our track record of raising financial support for stuff like this is very good and I don't see it changing for FCOA. And it doesn't have to depend entirely on big money donors. Remember, 1,000 people giving $100 each is the same as one person giving $100,000. If you look at the Champions Club membership rolls, the Coaches Club is the largest and it's not even close (I am in the Coaches Club). If we could establish an endowment for athletics to fund stuff like this, it will provide a steady stream of revenues that will help us cover the cost of all this. I am looking at the long-term consequences, not the short-term. Right now, it isn't a big problem. In the future, it might become one when our coaches are trying to recruit top-notch athletes to come to Grand Forks.

This is the hard truth that Kelley and Faison (and some people on here) need to come to terms with. If we wanted to run our programs on a shoestring budget, then we should have stayed D-II and joined the NSIC.

Exactly what I am thinking. This is proactive thinking, not reactive thinking. And this is what we need to do.

I am not against cutting certain programs (baseball and softball don't do much for our athletic department, IMHO). And I fully realize they cannot bankrupt the department. But I hope there is some medium to long-range planning taking place behind the scenes with regard to raising the money to pay for all this if it becomes necessary to do so.

Why does an intelligent individual like yourself believe the media narrative that because AP is now 30 years old, he is washed up? Cripes, three years ago, he rushed for over 2,000 yards. And last season he sat out the final 15 games, thus sparing his body all that punishment from NFL defenses. AP works out as hard as anyone in the NFL and is always working to get better. I don't think he has stopped his workouts because of all these legal problems, so he should feel better than he has in years. A lot of teams that are looking to win now and are one or two players away from the Super Bowl will be interested in AP. And the Cowboys (the original team of interest), don't have Murray anymore, so their RB situation has changed. Bottom line: AP will either play with the Vikings this season or be traded for whatever they can get for him. Cutting him is not going to happen, Denny Green isn't in charge anymore, remember?

This my friends is the phrase that pays!!!

I never said it would happen instantaneously and it doesn't have to because it hasn't been implemented yet. But when Faison says we only going to fund 36 FCOAs (18 each for men and women) and that's it because the Big Sky isn't doing more than that, that worries me and others. It makes it sound like they are just going to "stand pat" and not do any more in the future. I just hope they have a game plan for the next 5 to 10 years to deal with all this because the health and vitality of our programs is at stake.

The Women's Hockey team is getting really close to breaking out and winning us a "natty". And the sooner we can shut up the Gophers, the better.

Whatever happens, I don't want us to be permanent doormats and/or also-rans. You think Brewster and Bubba are going to stick around under those conditions? Like I said before, if the UND Alumni Association can raise $300+ million for an endowment, then there has to be a way to fund the FCOA requirements. I would be willing to pay more in season tickets, Champions Club, merchandise, concessions, whatever. I think everyone is going to have to step up and deliver to make this happen.

That's what I am thinking. Of course, Kelley and Faison don't exactly have a track record of being out in front of issues like this.

The problem with this stance is that FB is the main reason we moved all our sports up in the first place. If we throw FB overboard along with MBB and WBB, then what was the point of moving up in the first place? So we can have the "Division I" label after our name? FB, MBB and WBB will become permanent also-rans if this policy is implemented and maintained. And don't think the Montana schools are going to stick with their no stipends policy forever, as FB is their bread and butter and they can't afford not to fund stipends for that program. We pay our President and Athletic Director to solve problems like these, not to "stand pat" on everything. Which is what we have done for seemingly years and years. There has to be a way to raise the money for this. UND alumni and boosters have always come through for us in the past and I don't see that ever changing. Cripes, the Alumni Association raised $300+ million for an endowment, surely there are proud alumni with deep pockets who would step up to the plate and deliver for us on this.

Anything is better than those clowns they had doing the 2000 NCAA title game. Man, I half expected them to fight over who gets to take Doug Flutie out to dinner!

Okay, I smell political thread drift here. Let's keep it local and within the borders of the State of North Dakota.

Kelley and his team of surrogates put out a very deceptive tuition plan and they were trying to keep it covered up. Tanner Franklin got wind of it and leaked it to the Heraldo. Then Kelley had the unmitigated gall to stop by the student government offices and casually suggest that they not do that in the future. If that isn't a threat, I don't know what is. The students are also concerned about how the post Bruce Smith transition at Aerospace will be handled, in light of what happened with EERC several months ago. Aerospace is one of the more successful schools on campus, but I think Kelley wants to hire a fair-haired boy that he can control and, through him, micromanage the school. I think that would be a grave mistake and so do a lot of people on campus, especially students. I for one am sick and tired of Kelley's "non-leadership" leadership style. He never wants to get his fingernails dirty on anything. He runs and hides behind his surrogates (many of whom are listed on the petition) whenever something controversial goes down and then he comes in afterwards and says "Yep, the buck stops with me!". Yeah and pigs started flying in Iowa this morning. I urge everyone to sign the petition in support of the Student Senate. It is quite amazing that a bunch of 18-23 year olds have to do this instead of the so-called mature adults at the SBHE.

I also signed it.

And here is a change.org online petition: "UND Administration: Support a vote of NO CONFIDENCE in President Kelley and other members of UND leadership." http://www.change.org/p/und-administration-support-a-vote-of-no-confidence-in-president-kelley-and-other-members-of-und-leadership It is good to see our students standing up to power instead of being compliant little sheep and/or pandering simps.

And without NDSU, how would we order a pizza for supper on those nights we don't feel like cooking and expect that pizza to get to our door quickly and safely? Your alumni are a pillar of America, congratulations!!!

Enjoy it? I don't know, I guess I just enjoy a good, robust debate on topics important to the SS.com community.

It's the offseason, what do you suggest we talk about? You can only talk about next year so much before you run out of material. And if this topic offends you so much, just ignore it.

This is the main point of the Hakstol Critics Club (HCC), not to be confused with the Fire Hakstol Club (FHC).

Or how about regional title banners?

No wonder he works the oil fields; he needs all that money for beer!

Okay, so over the past 11 years, it was all on the players and/or bad "puck luck"? Think of all the different players that have come through this program in 11 years, it has to be a large number. And you are saying that during these 7 trips to the Frozen Four, we have a 1-6 record solely because of the players not performing and/or some bad "puck luck"? What are the odds of all those different teams with all those different guys being that delinquent for all 7 Frozen Fours in an 11 year time frame? Especially with all the world-class talent we have had during this time: Toews, Oshie, Parise, Stafford, etc. And if the team is good enough and competent enough to get to 7 Frozen Fours, why are they suddenly unable to win once they get there? And this is after beating good teams on a regular basis during the regular season, the conference tournament (in most cases, anyway) and the regional, which was often held a long way from Grand Forks. These are the questions that are vexing people on here. And my main point is that the common thread through all of these teams is Hakstol. Now that doesn't mean he won't get us over the hump; it may even happen next year. But it does raise questions from our fan base and it is frustrating to watch over and over again. So for some people on here to get all angry that everyone isn't chanting "In Hak We Trust" in unison all the time no matter what is a sign that they are blinded by their loyalty to the team and are not able to ask critical questions. I hope I am proven wrong next year and I hope I will have to eat my words (and I will). But if the past is a predictor of the future, I am not betting much money on that outcome. I think Shawn-O had it right earlier: Retain him through the rest of his current contract, but don't extend him yet. And I am fine with agreeing to disagree, that is what America is all about, right?

NHL 94 is even better, you can create your own players.