NoiseInsideMyHead

Because somehow sports are (or should be) completely immune from geopolitical and economic realities, right? How selective are people being with their armchair forensic accounting as a fandom qualifier? Shall we open the books on PGA title sponsors next? Apparel and equipment managers? Golf course ownership? Maybe the Olympics are your gold standard for economic purity free of political or unsavory influence. For many of us, sports are entertainment, not a personal moral barometer.

LIV is much ado about nothing. During most PGA tour events, there are only a handful of the world's top players in attendance. Often as few as 3 in the top 10 in that week's FedEx standings. In recent years, the sport's biggest stars have NEVER come out en masse for regular tournaments. Simple fact of life. Hell, Tiger is far and away the biggest star in the game and the all-time money leader, and during his peak he would play 12-15 events per year. No-name journeymen were playing 25-35 (or more). The fields of 125-150 were full of regular Joes, week-in and week-out. And what are there, some 200-300 guys with cards/exemptions? All of this whining makes the PGA look petty...and afraid of competition. If their product is superior (which I believe it is), they will prevail. And it's not like visibility will hurt golf. I'm old enough to remember the CART/IRL split, and despite some hurt feelings and bruised egos, reunification eventually happened there, too, and much has been forgiven/forgotten. But there were also more races, new personalities rose to fame, and from a fan's perspective, the leagues complemented one another with respect to ovals and road courses. The PGA should just shut up and watch.

I know it's easy to complain about change, but I'll play devil's advocate and float a potentially unpopular take: Having boys and girls tourneys at the same site and on the same days actually gets MORE eyeballs on the girls' games than would otherwise be possible. Parents, students and fans will hardly complain about having more hockey to watch between boys' games, especially given the cost of daily/weekend passes. Combining the events creates a better value proposition for ticketholders. And the girls' teams might make a few new fans in the process, especially if the product is good.

So...Rydell is growing, huh? Mainstream brands still not in ND: - Lexus - Acura - Infiniti - Genesis - BMW - Mini - Volvo - Jaguar - Land Rover Give Fargoans a reason to come up here for a change!

I bet that'll cost an ear and a leg.

I love the smell of methanol in the evening, https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/finally-the-green-flag-will-drop-at-river-cities-speedway Sad to see the impacts of quickly rising costs and inflation on an already expensive activity. Maybe the oil companies will kick in some extra sponsor dollars. Perhaps Fufeng could bankroll some teams and get some positive community PR. I hear Pfizer is having a pretty decent year, too. Now that spring is finally here, and gas is too expensive to leave town, let’s get out and support these guys and gals!

Left it up to the coaches, who in turn waited for photos? Planned to tie in story with Champions Club activities/press during the upcoming summer months? Not wanting to showcase current spending that might lessen perceived urgency of future projects? Tried to time announcement to stand out from REA weight room news? Focused on HPC fundraising? Busy with NIL or the systematic dismantling of the NCAA? A moose wandered onto campus and ate the press release? Hard to say.

Wow! The last show at the Base seems like a lifetime ago.

Unless you’re a tax collector or a commercial leasing agent, “development” is not alone going to move the needle, and certainly not in terms of quality of living. Regular citizens need things to be excited about (more than future property tax revenue). More services. More places to shop, and eat. Better parking, and road access. Variety. Quantity. Complaints here are mostly well-intentioned, and reflect people who are looking for meaningful QOL improvements. Empty storefronts (whether dilapidated or brand new strips) do matter. And no matter what, GF feels stagnant to many of us who take note of what ordinary commerce has to offer.

Hoge on the first page of the leaderboard, end of day 1 at the PGA.

I meant GF in the community sense, not the municipal one. The thread is pretty clear that we're talking about local parking lots and private property. Had I wanted to rag on the City of Grand Forks, I would have been more explicit.

Strip malls are fine - and obviously serve a purpose - but I submit that primary retail corridors need a balance between thoughtfully planned strips and open footprints for free-standing casual dining restaurants and other businesses. There was a stretch in GF when it seemed that every inch of frontage along various roads was being hastily filled with cookie-cutter strips that subsequently sat vacant. In some cases, those vacancies lasted YEARS. (Looking at you, former Golden Corral site.)

Amen. There are lunar craters jealous of the size of some of the potholes in front of PetSmart. Come to think of it, the lot near Petco is utter dog s#!t, too. That solves it! GF hates your pets. And your vehicle's suspension.

I thought I heard that was to be an EV charging station, although my first thoughts were either strip mall or a reconfigured drive-thru for perma-closed McDs. Either way, there really isn’t going to be much parking left for the original building.

Why is any corporate or organizational HQ located where it is? Guessing $$$ had a lot to do with it. Local tax incentives, perhaps. Maybe someone had an inside track on real estate/office leases. Maybe there was a critical mass of qualified or uniquely experienced workers nearby (think multiple D1 schools, USA Hockey, WCHA). Anywhere with an airline hub and a desirable place for staff to live would check most of the boxes. Colorado has long had a dynamic and thriving economy. Legal weed. Take your pick.

Saw on Twitter that Equipment Manager Dallas Kopp has passed away. Got used to seeing him on the sidelines at the AC. RIP.

Wendy's has resumed in-person dining. You know, if you're craving spicy nugs or something.

Sounds like you just did, Mr. CEO. What's your Venmo? Thanks for the link...hellish but interesting read.

More ads on the ice...no room for "PLAYOFFS"?

Traffic officers can achieve the same result but the problem is bigger. Some 80-90% of the AC’s parking is to the south, and a lot of people exit to southbound 42nd St, only to encounter a long, double-curve stretch of two-lane road before reaching 32nd Ave., I-29, and points beyond. And the last block is the worst, with a gas station and retail meeting 42nd at an uncontrolled intersection. Exiting to the north isn’t much better because the Demers interchange with I-29 is narrow, antiquated, and I’ll-equipped for a large volume of traffic. Unavoidable truth is, despite the proximity of the arena to the freeway, it’s accessibility is terrible.

Dave's is a welcome addition, IMHO. Agree on spendy...$69 for three entrees + soft drinks (before tip). But reliable, and familiar, quality. The place is deceptively large on the inside...most of it is tucked behind the newer, all-ages dining room at Vinyl Taco, and shares Taco's southern set of restrooms. You'd never guess from the outside how much space there is. GF needs to support these places. The franchisee is investing some serious capital here, and I hope it succeeds. EDIT: Closed Sundays and Mondays, per the sign.

Good morning, Grand Forks! April 19. As in, 11 short days until MAY.

On the third day, He rose from the dead, hocked something up, and ascended into Heaven.