CMSioux Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 We've had some healthy discussion at work regarding the recent discussion on whether or not a state resident has an obligation to root for a team simply because the team is from their home state. Being a UND alumni and staunch Sioux fan I am comfortable with the fact that I will not be rooting for the Bison, nor will I be rooting against them. I really just don't care. Here are some thoughts for you to ponder regarding my philosophy on this. 1. There is a vocal minority of NDSU fans that seems to enjoy turning every NDSU sports success into evidence that NDSU is better than UND. I have never attended another college's sporting event where sections of the crowd start chanting derogatory comments about a school that isn't the one they are playing. I have attended many NDSU sporting events where the team has beaten a different team other than UND, yet a section feels the need to chant "Sioux S*ck". UND isn't even in the building but for some reason they feel the need to bash UND to further elevate their opinion of their own team. 2. If NDSU were to play a good game against Kansas or pull off a miracle win you can bet there will be many NDSU voices that find a way to turn this into a finger-pointing, nose-thumbing opportunity towards UND. For some it can never be about celebrating their success, it has to also be about "further proof that we were right, that we are better, etc." 3. In the same manner that many Bison fans like to point out that the UND Hockey Team "doesn't even have anyone from North Dakota on it" I would also point out that the majority of the Bison Basketball team isn't from North Dakota. 4. Making the tournement is a great accomplishment, but again some will stretch this accomplishment and try to compare it to UND's current basketball team, which is in it's first year of transition rather than comparing the NDSU first-year transition team to UND current team - quite similar as a matter of record. 5. The reason the team made this tournement is that the NCAA had to take them as a conference qualifier. If the NCAA was allowed to simply take the top 64 teams based on record, strength of schedule etc. NDSU would not be in the tournement. There is no way this team is in the top 64 division I basketball teams, unless you also agree that Tennessee Chattanooga is also there with its 16-12 record. This is not intended as a slam, it's expounding the question - does a state resident have an obligation to root for a team simply because the team is from their home state. I come down on the side - no they don't. Game on . . . .
Matt Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 This discussion was going on in other threads as well and I find it silly. No one is obligated to root for anyone, least of all a rival. This idea that it's good for the state to cheer for NDSU in the tourney is provincial nonsense. 5. The reason the team made this tournement is that the NCAA had to take them as a conference qualifier. If the NCAA was allowed to simply take the top 64 teams based on record, strength of schedule etc. NDSU would not be in the tournement. There is no way this team is in the top 64 division I basketball teams, unless you also agree that Tennessee Chattanooga is also there with its 16-12 record. Be careful with this though. I won't denigrate the process at all because the plan that NDSU has set and executed so effectively, I fully expect UND to do as well. Not necessarily on the same time schedule, but through the same means. I'm not gonna diminish NDSU's accomplishment now, when I will be cheering UND doing the same thing in the future.
wyomingsiouxfan Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 Very nicely put CM. I spent my Saturday evening out amongst friends for a little St. Patty's celebrating and was sporting my green Sioux hockey jersey. I received numerous compliments throughout the night and even talked with many people who said that they planned on rooting for NDSU. I told them that I was rooting for NDSU as well, it's just really hard to do as a Sioux fan. No more than an hour later, I'm standing there talking to my brother and a friend when a "gentlemen" wearing an NDSU cap walked by and yelled...."Sioux suck sh**!" He then proceeded to run away like the big man that he is. The this past week I have had real issues with bringing myself to actually be able to support NDSU because I truly feel that they are the most arrogant fan base ever. Thankfully the tournament committee changed that for me yesterday. I'm a die hard Kansas Jayhawks fan, have been for years. ROCK! CHALK!! JAYHAWK!!! KU!!!! NDSU, better pack a lunch.
KSSIOUXFAN Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 Two reasons: I'm a UND grad and I live 20 miles from Lawrence. ROCK CHALK JAY HAWK!
Oxbow6 Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 Ed/Op in today's Fargo Forum sports section said that SU going to the "Dance" is bigger than anything that has happened sports-wise in the history of NDSU or UND sports...i.e. more impressive than any national championships??? I find that fairly bold to print. So when does winning a conference tourney and being (presumed) one and done in a NCAA tourney outweigh a national title(s)? Didn't think as a state and state universities, we were into "participation" like some other school?
homer Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 Ed/Op in today's Fargo Forum sports section said that SU going to the "Dance" is bigger than anything that has happened sports-wise in the history of NDSU or UND sports...i.e. more impressive than any national championships??? I find that fairly bold to print. So when does winning a conference tourney and being (presumed) one and done in a NCAA tourney outweigh a national title(s)? Didn't think as a state and state universities, we were into "participation" like some other school? As much as it pains me to say I think the bison beating the gophers in football is a bigger story. I don't think participating in a tournament is as big as beating a big 10 team in football. I also think that beings this is the first time its a big deal but as the bison continue to be very competitive in the summit and hopefully the Sioux as well this won't be as big of a deal and hopefully become expected. Its like Sioux hockey now. I'm sure when we won our first league title and qualified for our first national tournament it was a big deal. But now we expect it and I'm no longer happy with participating in the tournament but want to win it.
UND92,96 Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 As much as it pains me to say I think the bison beating the gophers in football is a bigger story. I don't think participating in a tournament is as big as beating a big 10 team in football. I also think that beings this is the first time its a big deal but as the bison continue to be very competitive in the summit and hopefully the Sioux as well this won't be as big of a deal and hopefully become expected. Its like Sioux hockey now. I'm sure when we won our first league title and qualified for our first national tournament it was a big deal. But now we expect it and I'm no longer happy with participating in the tournament but want to win it. IMO, NDSU beating Wisconsin in basketball a couple of years ago was bigger than beating the Gophers in football. The 2007 Minnesota football team may have been one of the worst Big Ten teams in recent memory. Wisconsin's basketball team was actually good. Now I realize that football and basketball are very different in terms of the potential for upsets, but UC Davis knocked off Stanford a few years ago, so it's not unprecedented for a non-playoff-eligible FCS program to beat a poor team from a major conference.
rochsioux Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 Ed/Op in today's Fargo Forum sports section said that SU going to the "Dance" is bigger than anything that has happened sports-wise in the history of NDSU or UND sports...i.e. more impressive than any national championships??? A ridiculous statement, not even close. A championship in hockey is a much greater accomplishment than just getting to the "dance" in BB. The Summit conference gets an auto bid to the tourny. In addition to NDSU, the Summit is made up of the following teams: Oral Roberts Oakland IUPUI IPFW Southern Utah South Dakota St. Western Ill. Centenary Mo. Kansas City Not exactly the top of D1 BB. Not even mid-majors. To get a bid to the tourny they needed to win 3 games against these teams which they did. My congrats to the team and coaches, but it is not a monumental task. Had they received an at-large bid that would have been much more impressive. I would compare NDSU's winning the Summit and getting the auto-bid at best to UND making the frozen four. If they make it to the sweet sixteen then I would put it on par with winning an NCAA hockey championship.
bincitysioux Posted March 16, 2009 Posted March 16, 2009 Starting a new thread in order to continue discussions from two other threads of the same nature that have already been closed is not needed. Please refrain from beating this dead horse. I think the theme of this discussion has been set in stone: Bison fans are excited for their team, some Sioux fans are excited a school from their state is representing, some Sioux fans want them to fail. Point taken.
Recommended Posts