fightingsioux4life

Yeah, but they will NEVER leave their beloved MVFC. They talk like it's the SEC of FCS conferences.

If this happens, it would really tick off the Bison faithful. Their precious Summit League/MVFC arrangement would not look so great anymore.

It didn't, I generally take things with a grain of salt. It just would have helped if you had put a smiley face after it.

I call them as I see them.

Everyone that is left without a viable conference home should just go and join the squeaky-clean, academics first-second-and-third Pioneer League.

Somebody is moving into those apartment buildings and townhomes. Otherwise, they wouldn't be building them. Me and my wife just purchased a townhome on the south side and we were fortunate to snatch it up before someone else did. Houses are being sold almost as soon as they get listed. Bottom line: Grand Forks has recovered from the 1997 flood and is moving forward. Not as fast as The Center of the Known Universe (Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo-Dilworth and whichever other towns they want to add to it), but it is moving forward.

Yeah, I didn't agree with him on that. But I liked a lot of the things he said in the campaign about growing and moving Grand Forks forward. That, and the snotty editorial Mike Jacobs wrote in the Heraldo bashing Grandstrand and endorsing Brown.

This is why I voted for Tyrone Grandstrand in the mayoral race in June. He seemed to grasp the concern that while Grand Forks is doing well, there are things that could be improved. Nothing against Michael Brown, but I hope his eventual successor is a younger, more energetic mayor that takes tnt's approach toward economic and infrastructure development.

But I don't think this is an example of that. Grand Forks is primarily growing on the SOUTH END and that doesn't figure to change much. They are not going to give up a prime location on 32nd Avenue South and leave that area to Super Target, Super One Foods and Columbia Mall. I suppose they could close the southend Wal-Mart and use that space to expand Sam's Club (which is also very, very busy). That would also be a big plus for Grand Forks.

The current Wal-Mart in Grand Forks is NOT a "smaller, older" store. It's a Wal-Mart Supercenter that was extensively renovated and expanded about five or six years ago. It also is located on the biggest, busiest corridor in Grand Forks. I really don't think they are going to close it down anytime soon. You are probably thinking about Target building a Super Target and then vacating the space and leaving it alone for several years. That was an upgrade from a regular Target to a Super Target (with a grocery store and a Starbucks). This is Wal-Mart building another SuperCenter in Grand Forks because of increased demand. I have said it before; Grand Forks IS growing.

The last weekend of August (when UND students come back), I do not set foot in any store in town. It's just too crazy.

The development you are talking about is huge (involving both commercial and residential projects) and will take a long time and a lot of work by both public and private sectors. The proposed Interstate Interchange at 47th Avenue South involves getting Federal approval, so you really can't totally blame the city for that. Any city would have a tough time getting all those pieces in place. Having said that, I agree with you that Grand Forks foot-drags way too much on stuff like this. I remember back in 2000 when I was finishing up my Graduate Degree, there was an article in the Dakota Student about the intersection of 42nd Street and University Avenue, which at the time was a four-way stop. Post-flood, it had become increasingly busy and there was talk as to why they didn't put in stoplights. Someone was quoted in the article as saying something to the effect of "We can't do it because it's not part of the original traffic plan". But a couple of years later, they put in the stoplights. I imagine they got criticized big-time for that response and so they changed their tune. You can bet that the 47th Avenue South interchange will get a bunch of backlash from people that live in the area, complaining about increased traffic and the dangers of crossing the street. That is why we don't have a bridge over the Red River south of downtown. The NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) principal is the "Prime Directive" of Grand Forks. All it takes is one person showing up at a Council Meeting, screaming and (literally) crying that a south-end bridge will result in one of their kids getting run over to permanently kill the idea. Our local government officials (the City Council and the Mayor) for years have not had the backbone to stand up to special interests and the NIMBY crowd that comes up in any planning and zoning issue in any community. If the NIMBY crowd torpedoes the Wal-Mart project, I will be very, very upset.

If you take a drive into south Grand Forks, there are townhomes, apartments and single-family homes going up all the time. They are constantly building and extending streets and putting in infrastructure for new residential areas. Whether "the experts" choose to believe it or not, Grand Forks is growing. That is amazing considering the devestation of the 1997 flood just 15 years ago. Scheels is building a bigger store in the former Target space in Columbia Mall within the next two years. And a Winnipeg-based manufacturing company, ODRA, which makes street sweepers, is expanding to Grand Forks. Add in the increased Canadian traffic and you have a bright outlook for the future of Grand Forks.

It looks like Wal-Mart is planning to build another Supercenter on the north end of Grand Forks at the corner of Gateway Drive and N 58th Street: http://www.wdaz.com/event/article/id/14700/ This is a great location to draw in Canadian shoppers and should give the north end a much-needed econcomic boost. I am surprised that Wal-Mart would invest in a "dying" community like Grand Forks (if you believe those bogus census estimates, that is).

I wonder if the ND Legislature will scream and howl bloody murder because UND is "growing state government beyond sustainable levels".

I think the playoff game against UC-Davis might have been louder.

That was one of the worst Sioux-Bison games in my lifetime. Both teams had terrible seasons.

I was in Brookings for that game. He was hurt when he ran in the game-winning touchdown in the 4th quarter. I remember driving home afterwards in the autumn rain thinking that all hope of salvaging that season was gone. And I was right.

Good addition to my list. After the Potato Bowl beatdown at the hands of Central Washington, it was obvious that it was going to be a long season.

A few years are close to this one. 1994...coming off of our first deep playoff run into the NCAA Semifinals, did it again. 1995...lots of returning talent, struggled more than they should have 1996...a total bust and waste of talented seniors 2001...first year in the Alerus Center. Some big home wins early on and it just got better and better 2004...Weston Dressler and a rock-solid defense, made an awesome run in the playoffs 2005...One of our most talented teams ever done in by the meltdown at home vs. Omaha and Pat Behrns Another chapter will be written in six short weeks!!!

We need you to leave this forum and go find a team you care about. Because it's obvious you don't care about UND sports anymore.

I want to state this right now: If we are going to use the standard that says "If someone else is already using it, we can't", then we might as well shut this thread down now. We need to brainstorm all the best ideas and not worry if someone else is using it or not. That means..... North Stars or Stars is fair game. Roughriders is fair game. Tornadoes is fair game. Oilers is fair game. Miners is fair game. If that upsets some high school parents and/or fans, then so be it. I just want us to pick a name and logo that is marketable, gives us a solid identity and that doesn't "offend" the wrong people. I am so glad we have until 2015 to figure this one out. Deep Breath. End of Rant.

I will always hold the Fighting Sioux name and logo close to my heart, so my username isn't changing anytime soon..............mmmm'kay?