fightingsioux4life

KFGO reported this morning that Rep. Al Carlson (R-Fargo) is offering an amendment to the nickname law that would require UND to keep the name and logo until all legal action has been exhausted. The Spirit Lake lawsuit could take years to resolve in the Federal Courts. That would mean no Big Sky Conference, no home playoff games and an almost impossible scheduling situation for most of our teams. This amendment MUST BE DEFEATED or else it's NAIA here we come!

The move to Division I and the corresponding decrease in the quality of home games (Sioux Falls, Black Hills State) has lead to a decrease in interest in the program. The move to the Big Sky Conference (assuming the ND Legislature does what it needs to do next week) will breathe life into this program.

The questions you have to ask yourselves are: Is it worth destroying a car to save the hood ornament? Is it worth destroying a house to save the flamingos decorating the front lawn? The nickname armageddon crowd would say yes to those questions. The pragmatists like myself would say no. And for the sake of our entire institution, I hope the ND Legislature says no to jumping off the cliff for no real benefit.

Just keep telling yourself this nonsense if it makes you feel better, but it ain't gonna happen. I don't think an AHL team would want to come here; I don't know if we have enough people to support a minor league team full of players people know nothing about. I am also not sure if people would buy tickets for that many games year after year. This issue was decided the day the State of North Dakota signed that horrible legal agreement. I never would have signed it, but it's done and we can't go back in time to change it. Control what you can control. This is completely out of our control.

Please tell me you are kidding. Do you really think we could sue our way into the Big Sky Conference? Do you really think we could sue teams and force them to schedule us? What law is any of this nonsense based on? The Big Sky Conference has every right to decide which teams to include or not. Unless those reasons somehow violate Civil Rights laws (laws that protect people from racial or gender discrimination), there is no way you could force them to admit us as a member. And why would we want to join a conference under those circumstances anyway? Just keep telling yourself all this nonsense if it makes you feel better, but I think you are the one that has lost touch with reality.

North Dakota 45 Sioux Falls 10 Otherwise, it will get ugly on this forum and the coaching seat will get hot for Mussman.

I knew the Nickname-At-All-Costs crowd would use this as an example of how the sanctions wouldn't hurt us at all if we keep the name. But this is pure apples and oranges. Alcorn State should in no way be considered a peer institution with the University of North Dakota. And deep down Fetch, you know that. The NCAA sanctions are targeted at the post-season. Alcorn State isn't impacted by the sanctions simply because their teams are almost never good enough to qualify for the post-season. They are best known as the home of Steve McNair, who finished third in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1993 and went on to a good career in the NFL with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. When is the last time their football team did anything in the post-season? Or their basketball teams? Or anything else? If you aren't good enough to qualify for NCAA post-season games, the sanctions won't matter. Such is the case with Alcorn State. But at UND, our teams qualify for the post-season all the time. The sanctions WILL be used by our rivals against us in recruiting (especially by that glorified Ag College 75 miles down the road on I-29) once they are in place and permanent. Minnesota, Wisconsin and whoever else WILL stop scheduling us for regular season games. The reason the sanctions haven't hurt recruiting or scheduling yet is that they haven't been in place long enough (two and a half months). Also, Alcorn State hasn't made themselves a target of the NCAA by taking up legal arms and fighting these monopolists in court. It was the right thing to do, but the bad part is that it does lead to retaliation. And one of the consequences is that the NCAA will "encourage" other schools to not schedule us. And who can blame them for trying to protect themselves by not scheduling us? I certainly don't. Alcorn State doesn't have to worry about conference affiliation because they are in an established conference and have been for some time. Their conference doesn't seem to be bothered by it, but our potential conference (the Big Sky) is bothered by it and has been consistent about that for some time. Alcorn State also is not prominent enough for anyone else to care if they are being sanctioned or not because they never win anything. It would be like Morningside getting sanctioned by the NCAA back when they were known as the Maroon Chiefs. Morningside was so insignificant at most sports that it really didn't matter to the rest of the NCC if they were being sanctioned. The reason the Big Sky hasn't kicked us out yet is because they are waiting to see what happens on November 7th in Bismarck when the legislature meets for the special redistricting session and will take up this issue once again. But if "Clueless Al" Carlson and his cronies get their way, the following will happen, in this order: -The Big Sky will revoke their offer of membership in their league (remember, our membership isn't official until July 1st, 2012). -Minnesota and Wisconsin will announce they will no longer schedule us in any sport in which we don't share conference affiliation(including hockey). Other schools, pressured by the autocrats at the NCAA, will follow suit. -Recruiting will become increasingly difficult for football and basketball because of the lack of conference affiliation. Coaches like Chris Mussman and Brian Jones will leave for better jobs elsewhere. Gene Roebuck will retire and get out while the getting is good. -The athletic department will bleed red ink from the travel costs of being a Division I independent and the scheduling difficulties until it is determined that a move to NAIA will be required (both to escape the sanctions and to cut costs). -The hockey teams will then be forced to leave the NCAA and petition the CCAA for membership. With our fan base, facilities, tradition and media exposure, they will welcome us with open arms. But it will represent a clear downgrade from what we enjoy today. -While all this is happening, the Ag College will become a national power in FCS football, winning national title after national title and their basetball programs will become well-known in March in the NCAA tournament. They will gladly (and gleefully) fill the vaccum created by our implosion and destruction created by "Clueless Al" Carlson and the myopic viewpoint of the nickname-at-all-costs crowd. That is our future as an athletic department and as an institution under NCAA sanctions Fetch. Maybe you can live with it. But most of us who love the University of North Dakota cannot. End Rant.

This is inexcusable. We are struggling against an 0-8 team. I don't care if it's on the road, it just shouldn't happen. If we have this much trouble against the bottom of the Big Sky conference, God help us when we play Montana and Montana State.

You nickname-at-all-costs people are absolutely amazing. You care more about the nickname and logo and REA's cherished status as a "private entity" than the University of North Dakota, the UND Athletic Department and the success of our teams. Someone on another thread questioned my loyalty because I think keeping the name and logo at all costs is a bad idea. I think it's a better idea to question the loyalty of REA, Inc. and the nickname-at-all-costs crowd. It's obvious your first priority isn't the health and success of the University of North Dakota. If REA's management really was stupid enough to kick UND out and bring in some Major Junior team or AHL team, I would not spend one dime of my money to set foot in that place ever again. I think Grand Forks would reject whatever carpetbagger scab team that REA, Inc. would put in there and this "private entity" would find out that being private is a double-edged sword. As for the BESC, I suppose the high schools or the YMCA league could use it. But again, that wouldn't pay the bills, either. And it would serve them right. If this indeed happened, I would love it if UND would renovate and refurbish the Old REA and re-establish the atmosphere we had in that place for so long. And then we could do the same for Hyslop Sports Center. I think we could find some room in that $300 million endowment the Alumni Association is collecting to make it happen. And then REA, Inc. could go pound sand you-know-where. Like I said above, it would serve them right. End Rant.

You nickname-at-all-costs people are absolutely amazing. You care more about the nickname and logo and REA's cherished status as a "private entity" than the University of North Dakota, the UND Athletic Department and the success of our teams. Someone on another thread questioned my loyalty because I think keeping the name and logo at all costs is a bad idea. I think it's a better idea to question the loyalty of REA, Inc. and the nickname-at-all-costs crowd. It's obvious your first priority isn't the health and success of the University of North Dakota. If REA's management really was stupid enough to kick UND out and bring in some Major Junior team or AHL team, I would not spend one dime of my money to set foot in that place ever again. I think Grand Forks would reject whatever carpetbagger scab team that REA, Inc. would put in there and this "private entity" would find out that being private is a double-edged sword. As for the BESC, I suppose the high schools or the YMCA league could use it. But again, that wouldn't pay the bills, either. And it would serve them right. If this indeed happened, I would love it if UND would renovate and refurbish the Old REA and re-establish the atmosphere we had in that place for so long. And then we could do the same for Hyslop Sports Center. I think we could find some room in that $300 million endowment the Alumni Association is collecting to make it happen. And then REA, Inc. could go pound sand you-know-where. Like I said above, it would serve them right. End Rant.

It's hard to believe that two putrid programs like Men's Basketball and Football are the most popular sport at Minnesota while Men's Hockey is third. I guess fans down there don't mind losing.

4 goals on 42 shots is a solid offensive effort, especially in a league game on the road. Giving up 5 goals on 15 shots, on the other hand, is a poor defensive effort. Looks like the D-Zone coverage still needs some work; four goals should be enough to win most games.

Bring on the Schlossman Rule for the Sunday Grand Forks Heraldo!!! Seriously, this was one bad weekend for Sioux sports (except for the Women's Hockey Team).

We've been saying that for 11+ years. Still waiting for it.

Next week's series at home vs. St. Cloud State will be HUGE in terms of not falling too far behind in the league standings. We have to at least keep our heads above water until the freshmen get comfortable with this level of hockey.

I agree with you, but that will be our fate if we keep the name at all costs. The Spirit Lake website should be called destroyundathleticsforever.com, because that is what it would do. How many alumni would keep supporting our athletic teams if we were forced to join the NAIA? Those Homecoming games vs. Mayville State and Minot State wouldn't even half fill the Alerus Center and I think you know it. And since all you care about is hockey, how would you feel if our hockey team had to switch to the CCAA (the Canadian college system) and compete against inferior competition? We could win all the CCAA titles we wanted and it wouldn't fill the void of not competing against the best of the best of the NCAA. You are clinging to a sinking ship and I for one don't plan on getting caught in the undertow. While we screw around with this, NDSU is turning the State of North Dakota into their own personal playground. We have to resolve this thing so we can focus on the Big Sky and the NCHC.

According to the zealots in the Rodentia fan base, that honor belongs to the "Border Battle" between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The student section was good during the 2001-2006 time period as a national D-II power. The transition and the continuous scheduling of NAIA schools at home has hurt student support for the team. Once we get into the Big Sky and start contending for conference and national titles, I think you'll see a big turn around.

If Rep. Al Carlson (NDSU-Fargo) contributes to the nickname law being upheld, I will hold him 100% responsible for the total and complete destruction of UND athletics forever and ever. It will be like SMU football's death penalty in the 1980's, except it will affect every sport at the same time. No conference home (sorry star2city, but I don't think the BSC is bluffing), a long list of schools that won't play us, ect. Life as a Division I Independent with a long list of school that won't play us will leave the athletic department swimming in an ocean of red ink. You won't be able to sell enough beer at REA to cover that tab. Even if you care about Men's Hockey and nothing else, you must recognize that this scenario will drag down that program along with all the others. And dumping all our other sports except hockey isn't an option under NCAA rules. If this law isn't repealed and the name not retired, we might as well not have an athletic department at all. And that would harm UND as an institution for years and years. If you care about UND, you'll e-mail everyone in the State Legislature (especially Clueless Al) and tell them that they can do the right think and repeal the name or watch as we contribute to their political opponents in the next election. The stakes in this are very high. We had better make the right choices or we'll be talking about the good old days of UND athletics in the past tense. Forever.

This is why so many people in the United States and around the world love it when Canada loses in hockey; whether in international competition or when one of their 6 (soon to be 7) NHL teams fails. They are sore winners (this is OUR game and no one else should be allowed success in it) and losers (what we saw last night). I for one was not surprised at what happened and I am very happy that the Cup will remain in the United States for another 12 months.

One wonders if this is the first step in purging people from the office so they can be replaced by fair haired boys and girls who will be "Yes Men" and Yes Women" for Ms. Ressor. Once top administrators start thinking that the whole world revolves around their egotistical heads and they make important decisions based on that delusional world viewpoint, morale and other problems will soon follow. And it doesn't help that President Kelley wants to keep his fingernails clean at all times instead of nipping problems in the bud, which is a big part of his job. This is a situation that bears watching.

Sorry, I don't think it was a silly statement at all. I am a Fighting Sioux Coaches Club member and a season ticket holder to both hockey and football and I think I should be able to express my opinion on how these programs are run. That is all I was doing. What I was really ticked off about is the notion that if fans buy tickets to watch us play (and hopefully beat) lower-level D-II teams, that will somehow encourage Faison to shell out more cash to get some FCS teams to travel to Grand Forks. I just don't see it working; the fans are not that stupid. I also don't see recruits being impressed with it, either. The biggest problem is the neglect and lack of marketing for football over the years that will take some serious time and money to fix. And that will include raising the bar for this program across the board, including scheduling. If we schedule good, solid FCS programs (both home and away), we will attract the best recruits and become an annual playoff contender. That will in turn draw more fans and make football something people look forward to all summer. This is how we should build the program at the FCS level. And there is no way to build it on the cheap with a bargain basement schedule. I think if we are successful in the Big Sky, we will put ourselves in position to accomplish these goals.

If this is going to be all about economics and balancing the budget, let's just switch to an all NAIA home schedule. Bring on Mayville State, Dickinson State, Jamestown College, ect. Then we can keep more of the gate to ourselves and balance the budget, because that is all that really matters, right? This nonsense has to stop and it has to stop now. The idea that the fans have to swallow whatever lousy schedule the AD dishes up so that he'll fork over more cash to get better teams is so stupid I don't know where to start. What makes all of you apologists for the Athletic Department think selling out the Alerus Center for D-II schools is going to encourage the scheduling of better teams? They'll probably just take advantage of the situation and keep scheduling the same lower level teams because they will have no incentive to change their behavior. In a market economy, the consumers are king and this is no exception. The onus is on the Athletic Department to put a more attractive home schedule in place to attract more fans and interest, NOT on the fans to swallow whatever is dished out to them. I am a season ticket holder and will continue to support the team at every home game, but to continue hosting lower level D-II programs AFTER we have joined the Big Sky Conference will dampen my enthusiasm for the future of the program at the FCS level. Bottom line: If we can't afford to run this program like an FCS program, we should have stayed in D-II. Or we can switch to non-scholarship FCS and really run this on the cheap. After all, that is all that matters, right?

You must have read the Heraldo today and saw Schlossman's piece about Denver's "hot goalie" and how unbeatable he is and suggested we might lose because of that. Schlossman also went back six years to the 2005 NCAA title game to back up his "point". He is already writing the script for his Monday column if we don't win today. Never mind that the WCHA goaltending champion wears kelly green and white. Just when I start to think I should change my sig on here, I get further evidence that it's needed. WMU's goalie stopped 35 out of 38 shots, which proves that every team left has solid goaltending. I don't care if Patrick Roy is in net for Denver, I say if we keep out of the box and roll four lines for 60 minutes, we will win with our superior depth and experienced leadership. I don't think Denver will have a chance to play their tough, physical puck possession game like they did for most of regulation time last Saturday. Prediction: UND 5, Denver 2 (with a late ENG by Hobey Frattin!). LET's GO SIOUX!!!

So you're still living and reliving the 2002 and 2003 teams, huh? If that makes you feel better, then go right on ahead. Pull on one of your back-to-back sweaters (if it hasn't shrunk from being worn so much), put in the VHS tapes of one (or both) of those title games, sit back in your recliner and go back in time. But it doesn't change the fact that your program is sinking in the abyss of mediocrity and perpetual failure. You should hope that the administration does something about it soon.