What Needs to Happen

[ScottM]

But I

[Fetch]

If the NCAA does not meet with our Governor & the name is lost - Kelly will never be respected, for not even trying to understand or help - He is not a Fighting Sioux Fan or will never get respect from so many of us that are - This will fester for longer than many want to admit - UND admin. has used the whole D1 scare tactics to the fulliest

Sure the NCAA has a bad agreement - a united effort I believe could have changed that - They never even tried & that is sad

[johnsowe]

The only "failure" is your failure to grasp the obvious consequences of your cynical, belated legislative action. Where were you 3-4 years ago, Clueless Al, if the Sioux name/logo was such a pressing issue?

So its ok that our president is stabbing us in the back? At least Al is trying to save the name.

[GeauxSioux]

The only "failure" is your failure to grasp the obvious consequences of your cynical, belated legislative action. Where were you 3-4 years ago, Clueless Al, if the Sioux name/logo was such a pressing issue?

So its ok that our president is stabbing us in the back? At least Al is trying to save the name.

What leverage or negotiating tactic is Al Carlson going to employ in the meeting with the NCAA, that they will suddenly say, "oh, yes, we get it now, we were wrong and you were right. You can keep the name and we'll take you off the list"? The NCAA has a settlement signed by former SBoHE Board President Paulsen and AG Stenehjem that required the state to get Standing Rock and Spirit Lake approval by November 30, 2010. That didn't happen. August 15th UND gets placed back on the H&A list.

The NCAA doesn't have to negotiate anything. They won. Al Carlson's "I think they can be moved" statement is BS.

And now Carlson goes for the FOIA to acquire documents, so they can be aired publicly. I don't think Al can do much more to screw UND in their attempt to join the Big Sky.

Kelley is not an adept politician, but I believe that he is trying to do the best thing for the University as a whole.

[GeauxSioux]

From the Jamestown Sun...Drop the ‘Fighting Sioux’ name, logo

Back to the topic of "What need to Happen"...

It’s time for arrogant legislators to stop controlling and micromanaging. They are not leading by continuing to ask for meetings with the NCAA to defend their silly and defiant actions, pomp-and-circumstance votes commanding continued use of the nickname and logo.

It’s time for those legislators to show leadership by admitting their mistake and committing to lightening the heavy burden they wrongfully placed on UND and its students — and November’s special redistricting session isn’t soon enough.

It’s time for the Board of Higher Education to lead by backing Kelley, at whatever cost, at restarting the transition process that had begun, making it possible to move past the nickname and logo conflict.

And, it’s time for the NCAA, and Big Sky Conference, to acknowledge those efforts by then showing leadership by welcoming and helping UND move forward to university and student athletic success.

Consider what is best for students and it isn’t an ongoing controversy over a nickname.

Now is the time for leadership — not showmanship.

[The Sicatoka]

At least Al is trying to save the name.

At what other costs? As Carlson himself put it, the well has been poisoned. This issue will now be on the minds of all of the Big Sky presidents. It's an issue for the NCAA so they'll make whomever they need to aware of their "concerns".

Unless the NCAA comes out and says, "OK, we were wrong. We'll treat UND just like FSU, Utah, and CMU, one tribe/closest namesake tribe approval is good enough. We're fine with UND as long as they stay in good standing with Spirit Lake" ... great. But that still doesn't solve the local moniker policies at Minnesota and Wisconsin. Once they are out of the WCHA those policies kick in and we won't be playing them in hockey. That bears repeating.

Even if the NCAA backs off, that still doesn't solve the local moniker policies at Minnesota and Wisconsin. Once they are out of the WCHA those policies kick in and we won't be playing them in hockey.

[ScottM]

So its ok that our president is stabbing us in the back? At least Al is trying to save the name.

So working for the best interests of the entire university as opposed to a name/logo is "stabbing us in the back"? Really.

Yeah, Al tossed UND one helluva life saver with half-assed, self-serving legislation that put UND's ability to be a legitimate D1 school well in doubt. Perhaps you can email your local bartender/councilman and demand the name be 'saved".

[WYOBISONMAN]

After the crap that had been pulled on Dr. Kelley, I doubt he will stick around for very long. He has done a good job under intollerable conditions. Good luck finding another President after all this political garbage. The bad thing is the legislature, Carlson and now Grant Shaft have all acted so stupid that it will likely harm all schools in ND when they try and recruit a President or other administration that comes from a national search. This nick name garbage is getting to the point it is having impacts on all schools.

[Risky]

Will Carlson get one vote when he comes up for reelection? Both Carlson and Shaft are some real characters. It is hard to have any respect for either of them. Carlson has no integrity whatsoever. He is going to come out of this fiasco looking like a real buffoon. I guess he already looks like that.

[GeauxSioux]

After the crap that had been pulled on Dr. Kelley, I doubt he will stick around for very long. He has done a good job under intollerable conditions. Good luck finding another President after all this political garbage. The bad thing is the legislature, Carlson and now Grant Shaft have all acted so stupid that it will likely harm all schools in ND when they try and recruit a President or other administration that comes from a national search. This nick name garbage is getting to the point it is having impacts on all schools.

Not that I'm trying to push Dr. Kelley out the door, but I'll bet this guy is watching what is going on.

[jedi]

Will Carlson get one vote when he comes up for reelection? Both Carlson and Shaft are some real characters. It is hard to have any respect for either of them. Carlson has no integrity whatsoever. He is going to come out of this fiasco looking like a real buffoon. I guess he already looks like that.

Grant Shaft's comments in today's Herald story show that he is a coward. He lacks any leadership and is clearly a pawn of the Legislature right now.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/208163

[rochsioux]

Even if the NCAA backs off, that still doesn't solve the local moniker policies at Minnesota and Wisconsin. Once they are out of the WCHA those policies kick in and we won't be playing them in hockey.

If UND is not on the NC$$ sanctions list then Wisconsin will play them regardless of the nickname. That's why they played in basketball this past year.

Not sure about MN.

[PhillySioux]

Grant Shaft's comments in today's Herald story show that he is a coward. He lacks any leadership and is clearly a pawn of the Legislature right now.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/208163

I wouldn't get too fired up about Shaft just yet. The time to watch him and the board will be after the NCAA meeting and it's obvious result.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

What needs to happen?

UND has to have one question answered by the Big Sky and Fullerton. That question: "Will UND be admitted to the league, with no problems whatsoever, if the NCAA deems UND 'okay' as they have with Florida State, Utah, etc. ?"

If their answer is "no", UND must retire the name.

Some people will say: "Screw the Big Sky", as they have said "Screw the Summit League" in the past, that is fine, but what are our options?

If the Big Sky doesn't allow UND in, even with NCAA approval, there are no other leagues that will take UND in. Life as an independent will be worse than the last few years of Great West conference hell. If UND could find another conference with a move up to the BCS level in football (watered down WAC?), maybe that is the answer, but as we all know, that move up is likely a pipedream at this point.

I should also say, the odds that the NCAA will budge are slim to none. President Kelley has done us no favors, as we have seen with his email to the NCAA. I am trusting him less and less as the information keeps coming out, but as I have said before, people like Kelley are a dime a dozen in the academic world. If he goes, a similar person will be imported into ND, and take over his role.

[Dagger]

President Kelly is the only one with some common sense. He knows it is time for the University to move on. The nickname issue is killing UND. He also knows that waiting for the NCAA to change their mind is ridiculous. The NCAA just got done telling us again that they are not going too change their position. The potential meeetings with the NCAA will be a joke. Stand tall President Kelly.

[star2city]

What needs to happen?

UND has to have one question answered by the Big Sky and Fullerton. That question: "Will UND be admitted to the league, with no problems whatsoever, if the NCAA deems UND 'okay' as they have with Florida State, Utah, etc. ?"

If their answer is "no", UND must retire the name.

Some people will say: "Screw the Big Sky", as they have said "Screw the Summit League" in the past, that is fine, but what are our options?

If the Big Sky doesn't allow UND in, even with NCAA approval, there are no other leagues that will take UND in. Life as an independent will be worse than the last few years of Great West conference hell. If UND could find another conference with a move up to the BCS level in football (watered down WAC?), maybe that is the answer, but as we all know, that move up is likely a pipedream at this point.

I should also say, the odds that the NCAA will budge are slim to none. President Kelley has done us no favors, as we have seen with his email to the NCAA. I am trusting him less and less as the information keeps coming out, but as I have said before, people like Kelley are a dime a dozen in the academic world. If he goes, a similar person will be imported into ND, and take over his role.

The whole Big Sky situation is a bluff, intended to scare the last remaining nickname supporters into abandoning the nickname. The Big Sky Presidents absolutely do want to get rid of the Sioux name, but they want UND to stay so they can have dual FBS/FCS leagues if the WAC falls apart. Kicking UND out would be a major blow to that goal.

If the nickname was such a big deal, the WCHA would be threatening UND with an eviction notice right now. If the nickname was such a big deal, the WAC would never have taken in UND as an associate member. If the nickname was such a big deal, even the Great West wouldn't have associated with us.

The media has never ever asked an opinion of another conference commissioner about the Sioux nickname, other than a commissioner that would work for Robert Kelley.

The media, if it would pull it's head out of its ass on this issue, could ask real commissioners like the WAC why it accepted UND as an affiliate. Ask the WCHA why it is not threatening eviction. Ask the Sunbelt Commissioner, Wright Waters, about the issue. Ask the Southland, or ask the MVC. The media simply accepts the word of the Summit Commissioner and the Big Sky Commissioner. When the Summit Commissioner later states that the whole Sioux nickname issue was just a charade to get UND to change the nickname, the media accuses Douple of lying and sides with Kelley.

The NCAA does not threaten a school's membership, even if that school still has an Indian nickname that has not been officially blessed. The Big Sky would be consistent with NCAA policy if it didn't allow UND to host during conference tournaments, which is what Fullerton has stated the likely result would be if the nickname is retained. Anything beyond that goes well beyond NCAA policy.

The NCAA's emails between Kelley and Emmert show a pattern of tampering, which is politically embarrassing to the NCAA when there are huge other scandals that the NCAA should be concerned with.

[dmksioux]

The whole Big Sky situation is a bluff, intended to scare the last remaining nickname supporters into abandoning the nickname. The Big Sky Presidents absolutely do want to get rid of the Sioux name, but they want UND to stay so they can have dual FBS/FCS leagues if the WAC falls apart. Kicking UND out would be a major blow to that goal.

If the nickname was such a big deal, the WCHA would be threatening UND with an eviction notice right now. If the nickname was such a big deal, the WAC would never have taken in UND as an associate member. If the nickname was such a big deal, even the Great West wouldn't have associated with us.

The media has never ever asked an opinion of another conference commissioner about the Sioux nickname, other than a commissioner that would work for Robert Kelley.

The media, if it would pull it's head out of its ass on this issue, could ask real commissioners like the WAC why it accepted UND as an affiliate. Ask the WCHA why it is not threatening eviction. Ask the Sunbelt Commissioner, Wright Waters, about the issue. Ask the Southland, or ask the MVC. The media simply accepts the word of the Summit Commissioner and the Big Sky Commissioner. When the Summit Commissioner later states that the whole Sioux nickname issue was just a charade to get UND to change the nickname, the media accuses Douple of lying and sides with Kelley.

The NCAA does not threaten a school's membership, even if that school still has an Indian nickname that has not been officially blessed. The Big Sky would be consistent with NCAA policy if it didn't allow UND to host during conference tournaments, which is what Fullerton has stated the likely result would be if the nickname is retained. Anything beyond that goes well beyond NCAA policy.

The NCAA's emails between Kelley and Emmert show a pattern of tampering, which is politically embarrassing to the NCAA when there are huge other scandals that the NCAA should be concerned with.

So you are willing to risk the whole athletic department on the very, very slim chance (I believe it's zero chance) that the Big Sky is bluffing? There is no way the Big Sky wants to deal with what is currently taking place in the media. As for the WCHA, they are not going to kick out their biggest money maker once Minny and Sconnie leave for the BTHC. If pressured, they will state some kind of "grandfathered in" type of clause. And your example of the WAC and swimming/diving. No one follows the sport in the media, plus the WAC is admitting anyone and everyone they can...

[star2city]

So you are willing to risk the whole athletic department on the very, very slim chance (I believe it's zero chance) that the Big Sky is bluffing? There is no way the Big Sky wants to deal with what is currently taking place in the media. As for the WCHA, they are not going to kick out their biggest money maker once Minny and Sconnie leave for the BTHC. If pressured, they will state some kind of "grandfathered in" type of clause. And your example of the WAC and swimming/diving. No one follows the sport in the media, plus the WAC is admitting anyone and everyone they can...

If the WAC is saying in the background that they would accept UND, then there isn't any risk. If the WAC wouldn't accept UND, then it would probably be prudent to give into the Big Sky demands.

[IrishSiouxFan]

If the WAC is saying in the background that they would accept UND, then there isn't any risk. If the WAC wouldn't accept UND, then it would probably be prudent to give into the Big Sky demands.

I would agree, only if the WAC would offer UND membership for all sports. FBS play would alleviate NCAA sanctions.

[star2city]

I would agree, only if the WAC would offer UND membership for all sports. FBS play would alleviate NCAA sanctions.

If UND was offered by the WAC and accepted, the only option for Montana schools for FBS and for a peer academic conference would be the WAC. Eventually, the Montanas would go to the WAC. The Big Sky can't afford to let UND go to the WAC to help stabilize it, so UND moving would spoil the Big Sky's FBS hopes.

A UND conference with Denver, Idaho, Montana, Montana State, Utah State, and Seattle is a type of dream conference, both athletically and academically, that nobody could possibly have envisioned happening even one year ago. The Texas/Louisiana schools wouldn't be ideal, but those schools do emphasize athletics, unlike some of the Big Sky schools. It would be a much better basketball conference than the Sky, so recruiting would be better. UND would likely get drilled in football for a while, and we'd have to have some major facility upgrades and donors would really need to step up. Coaching-wise, Lennon would almost certainly consider coming back as it would be a step up from FCS.

There's a possibility that this whole nickname fiasco could be another wonderful thing that happened to UND: it's not all gloom and doom as most are saying. Bad things often happen for a reason: to create something no one thought possible.

[The Sicatoka]

If the nickname was such a big deal, the WCHA would be threatening UND with an eviction notice right now.

As if with Minnesota and Wisconsin leaving, the WCHA is any position to dump UND. Plus, the Badgers and Gophers showed their true colors about how they really felt about the nickname after they announced their plans to leave the conference. Is there any love for our logo in St. Cloud and Mankato and Duluth? When's the last time you heard McLeod speak strongly in favor of UND keeping its nickname? I'm guessing that he feels the need to keep a low profile on the issue.

[puck]

Spectrum of Hope tour is scheduled. My link

[ScottM]

Spectrum of Hope tour is scheduled. My link

Perhaps the NC$$ will at least offer them a chair as they politely nod, tap a copy of the settlement on the table and discreetly check their watches.

[The Sicatoka]

Spectrum of Hope tour is scheduled. My link

Carlson et al are going to come back calling it "Our Rectum Got Poked" tour.

[The Sicatoka]

Perhaps the NC$$ will at least offer them a chair as they politely nod, tap a copy of the settlement on the table and discreetly check their watches.

I've got 3-to-1 that says they don't even silence the ringers on their phones.