Eight Bison football players charged

[molden]

The email concentrates on the disciplinary process for students. People on this board have not really talked about that portion at all. There is a process in place and it looks like that will happen. He mentions the criminal process, no one on this board has questioned that part. The court system will handle that. He barely mentions that students in co-curricular activities can also have a disciplinary process. This is where the disconnect has occurred on this issue with the general public. Football is a co-curricular activity. Football players are public figures and get benefits that the average student does not get. That is why the average person on the street has more interest in how the football players will be handled in this case.

Bohl had developed a pattern of suspending players for a certain level of criminal activity and for repeat offenders. In this case he deviated from the pattern. It appears suspicious. On top of that, the athletic department starting right at the top with Gene Taylor, have tried to tell North Dakota citizens that this is not a big deal. He tried to frame the players as victims. The crimes the 10 players and 3 former players are charged with are class A misdemeanors, just a step below a felony. Class A misdemeanors are a step or more above the average crimes that most NDSU players have committed during the Bohl years, yet Bohl deviated from his normal suspension pattern. The crime itself is interfering with an election, a process that North Dakotans hold very dear. According to the evidence, the players admitted to investigators that they committed the crimes. But Bohl announced that he was going to wait until the criminal process had been completed, even though he seems to have plenty of information at his disposal.

Yet the people at NDSU and many NDSU fans seem to have a real problem seeing why there is a huge PR problem right now. The issue has been fodder for national press. And the issue isn't going away. This email may calm people at NDSU, but it will probably have very little effect on the PR hit that NDSU is taking and will continue to take for a while.

Let me be frank. I'm more upset than anyone here. I'm trying to give these guys the benefit of the doubt. I hope that they come to an agreement soon. But, is it possible that the number of players and the severity of the crime have complicated matters? Grasping at straws perhaps, but I'm working hard to figure out what's really going on. I would think that they'd be motivated to get the suspensions rolling, considering we're just over two weeks away from the conference season. A loss at Colorado State wouldn't have affected potential playoffs. But I doubt that it would have mattered. Robert Morris was in way over their heads. It appears that the game against Prairie View should be an easy win. Then we go to Northern Iowa on the 29th and host Youngstown State the next game. It's a puzzler.

[molden]

Whoever said that Bison fans don't see this as a big PR problem doesn't live in my world. The fan base is extremely concerned. What you might be hearing are the voices of those who resent involvement from UND fans. They're bound to strike back. There's very little trust.

[Siouxman]

Whoever said that Bison fans don't see this as a big PR problem doesn't live in my world. The fan base is extremely concerned. What you might be hearing are the voices of those who resent involvement from UND fans. They're bound to strike back. There's very little trust.

I can imagine that there is very little trust at all levels of NDSU right now.

[82SiouxGuy]

Let me be frank. I'm more upset than anyone here. I'm trying to give these guys the benefit of the doubt. I hope that they come to an agreement soon. But, is it possible that the number of players and the severity of the crime have complicated matters? Grasping at straws perhaps, but I'm working hard to figure out what's really going on. I would think that they'd be motivated to get the suspensions rolling, considering we're just over two weeks away from the conference season. A loss at Colorado State wouldn't have affected potential playoffs. But I doubt that it would have mattered. Robert Morris was in way over their heads. It appears that the game against Prairie View should be an easy win. Then we go to Northern Iowa on the 29th and host Youngstown State the next game. It's a puzzler.

I am sure that both the number of players and the severity of the crime have made this very difficult to deal with. NDSU would have been much better off if they would have admitted that rather than trying to make it look like the players were victims and that this wasn't a big deal. It is always better to get out in front of the problem. Reacting later usually makes it worse, and there is often an even bigger mess to clean up.

[GeauxSioux]

“I apologize for any confusion caused by our athletics department comments about the student disciplinary process,” he wrote. “Contrary to what has been suggested or implied, no decisions have been made.”

Maybe we were all confused by Taylor suggested or implied.... Maybe we all took it out of context...

Nah... Gene is on the hot seat for his no suspensions comment. I can hear the little voice in Bresciani's head when Taylor said it. It sounded just like Napoleon Dynamite saying "Idiot".

[molden]

Looks like the president is the one who didn't get out in front of this in terms of the public perception. Somehow, Craig Bohl and Gene Taylor got into the camp of protecting the players. It's almost as if the pressure has gotten to these two. Winning a national title and being one of the favorites to win this year is a sharp double-edged sword. Ones perspective can become warped.

Most Bison fans expect and hope that the leadership will get ahold of this problem. Again, I don't know of one Bison fan who expects this to just go away. And I will say again that a UND fan who's vocal about this shouldn't expect a favorable response from a Bison fan. You guys were pretty tough on us during the transition. Bison fans in their 20s and 30s only know of those years in terms of the rivalry. Us older guys remember the dynasty years of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s. We remember the problems of the early 90 to mid-90s. We remember the Bob Entzion days. We watched Rocky suffer under his lack of leadership. Let me also add that I remember watching some pretty outstanding Sioux teams in the 70s. The rivalry existed because it went in cycles.

[molden]

Let me add that we have a lot of love and respect for Craig Bohl and Gene Taylor. They brought Bison football back from the depths, and led us through the DI transition beautifully. Tons of excitement along the way. We'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt. It's not too late for them to step up to the plate. The damage does not have to be permanent.

Realizing that a lot of Sioux fans have no love for Gene Taylor because of perceived problems with scheduling some football games, many of us are of the opinion that the original scheduling problems originated in Grand Forks. We have learned to trust Taylor with creating schedules that work for the Bison. After all, didn't the original cancellation occur because of concern for the UND program and potential playoff implications? Correct me if I'm wrong please. It's a perception problem, and a PR problem that many Sioux fans won't admit to, in my experience. Gene Taylor did not cancel the series. He played the cards that he was dealt. His assignment was to bring NDSU through the transition and to build a solid program. Put a big check by that one. So, you know, Taylor & Bohl have earned some loyalty from NDSU fans.

Perception and PR problems can come from both camps. NDSU doesn't have have a monopoly on these.

[molden]

Further, a lot of Bison fans are of the opinion that your flagship program is a glorified minor league hockey program, with education being way down the list of priorities. You've heard the talk, and we've heard rumors of in-house discipline problems over the years. But really, what's the goal of a program that knowingly recruits high NHL draft choices to play hockey for a year or two? One can imagine that Bison football players are recruited for similar reasons. There's no difference. The numbers are just bigger.

In reality, it's a matter of containment with some of the athletes that both universities recruit. And within these programs, perception can often be problematic. When a group of players decides to do something extremely stupid, how it is handled is the thing that will be judged.

It seems that mistakes have been made to this point. We're not out of time yet. I doubt that the president will allow the clock to run out. There's too much at stake.

[Hayduke]

See what happens when Bisonville makes critical talk of the blundering turd football team verboten?

Their freak show comes over here.

[homer]

molden, I can respect some of your opinions and agree with you that the Bison fans I work with are very embarrassed by this and as much as they would like to try and sweep it away, understand its a HUGE blackeye to the program from the general public's perception.

I do however continue to find it comical that you and some of your fanbase always seems to point to our hockey program to justify actions during this situation and bring up things that happened 4-5 years ago as examples. As I mentioned earlier, I don't know if you want to revisit the last 5 years of off the field issues of your football program. Now you are also comparing "rumors" to try and justify your current situation. Somehow dragging UND into this is what got myself and other UND fans on the defensive in the first place. We had nothing to do with it. Our hockey and football programs had nothing to do with this situation and have never been involved in anything like this. The backpedaling being done by your president was caused by the actions of your AD and coach and no one else.

[CMSioux]

Further, a lot of Bison fans are of the opinion that your flagship program is a glorified minor league hockey program, with education being way down the list of priorities. You've heard the talk, and we've heard rumors of in-house discipline problems over the years. But really, what's the goal of a program that knowingly recruits high NHL draft choices to play hockey for a year or two? One can imagine that Bison football players are recruited for similar reasons. There's no difference. The numbers are just bigger.

In reality, it's a matter of containment with some of the athletes that both universities recruit. And within these programs, perception can often be problematic. When a group of players decides to do something extremely stupid, how it is handled is the thing that will be judged.

It seems that mistakes have been made to this point. We're not out of time yet. I doubt that the president will allow the clock to run out. There's too much at stake.

Sorry but the position of constant posting on su issues has been taken by several other perpetual defenders of the herd that can't seem to get enough of UND. Many of us aren't interested in revisiting the revisionist history that is perpetuated by so many su boosters.

[darell1976]

I think more people have problems with Bohl (no suspensions before RMU) and Taylor's "no suspensions, no big deal" comments, that Bison fans are fearing because I think eventually suspensions are coming and the big games are coming up after Prairie View. Losing to CSU or a close game to PV(I still can't see SU losing to PV even with suspended players) is no big deal but you start dropping conference games and that playoff picture gets more and more foggy.

[watchmaker49]

Further, a lot of Bison fans are of the opinion that your flagship program is a glorified minor league hockey program, with education being way down the list of priorities. You've heard the talk, and we've heard rumors of in-house discipline problems over the years. But really, what's the goal of a program that knowingly recruits high NHL draft choices to play hockey for a year or two? One can imagine that Bison football players are recruited for similar reasons. There's no difference. The numbers are just bigger.

In reality, it's a matter of containment with some of the athletes that both universities recruit. And within these programs, perception can often be problematic. When a group of players decides to do something extremely stupid, how it is handled is the thing that will be judged.

It seems that mistakes have been made to this point. We're not out of time yet. I doubt that the president will allow the clock to run out. There's too much at stake.

Is that why the goalie last year graduated with a bachelor's and a master's degree in 4 years?

[darell1976]

Is that why the goalie last year graduated with a bachelor's and a master's degree in 4 years?

Buttfootball

[UNDBIZ]

Is that why the goalie last year graduated with a bachelor's and a master's degree in 4 years?

Whoa, a positive comment from Watchmaker and a pig flying outside my office window on the same day!?! The end is near!! Haha

*Sorry watch I couldn't resist, but you gotta admit you can be a bit negative on this board.....

[watchmaker49]

Whoa, a positive comment from Watchmaker and a pig flying outside my office window on the same day!?! The end is near!! Haha

*Sorry watch I couldn't resist, but you gotta admit you can be a bit negative on this board.....

I make a lot of positive comments. How fricking smart is he though to do this? Then get accepted to the best law school in Canada. A couple of other hockey players, not all UND but GF natives though, like Derrick LaPoint who is very smart and then the Markovich brothers. Mike gets a Rhodes Scholarship, studies in Moscow (not Idaho) and great guys on top of it. Though I do think that Hak needs to leave a couple of guys home from the Alaska trip.

[siouxkid12]

Didn't Scott Foyt do this too?

[Oxbow6]

Whoa, a positive comment from Watchmaker and a pig flying outside my office window on the same day!?! The end is near!! Haha

*Sorry watch I couldn't resist, but you gotta admit you can be a bit negative on this board.....

A +1 to both you then!

[watchmaker49]

Didn't Scott Foyt do this too?

More info please.

[GeauxSioux]

http://wiki.siouxsports.com/doku.php/scott_foyt

Personal

• 
  Wore No. 4 his first two seasons, switched to No. 25 for his final 2 seasons.
  
• 
  Graduated in 2007.
  
• 
  Currently attends UND Law School.
  

[watchmaker49]

http://wiki.siouxspo....php/scott_foyt

Personal

• Wore No. 4 his first two seasons, switched to No. 25 for his final 2 seasons.
  
• Graduated in 2007.
  
• Currently attends UND Law School.
  

Thank you.

[SiouxVolley]

Guess there are some reasonable Bison fans, but they just don't post on Bisonville other than a few like Wyobisonman, who's being attacked there for similar views.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/374121/group/Opinion/

As a graduate of NDSU, I feel the image of the school is tarnished by this behavior and even more so by the reaction of NDSU administration.

Voter fraud is an attack on the very foundation of democracy, and these players abused it to line their pockets. They conspired to get others to do the same and have caused harm to our political system. I do not support the petitions they abused, but I feel NDSU has failed in their responsibility to teach ethics to the students. In the past they at least paid lip service to ethics.

If convicted, these players should be banned from playing football. Contrary to NDSU staff opinion, this is a serious offense and should be punished severely.

If Bresciani / Taylor had gotten in front of this before the RMU game, the media uproar would have been quelled. Massive failure by Bresciani and especially Taylor (who doesn't seem to believe his "kids" did anything wrong).

[Goon]

Further, a lot of Bison fans are of the opinion that your flagship program is a glorified minor league hockey program, with education being way down the list of priorities.

That is one of the stupidest comments I have read in a while. It would be interesting to know what the cumative GPA of the Bison Football team compared to the UND Hockey. Also UND has had two students graduate with their undergraduate degrees in three or less years...

[JohnboyND7]

I can imagine that there is very little trust at all levels of NDSU right now.

I haven't heard any "trust issues" at the student level. Once again, you are probably letting the media influence the thought process.

That is one of the stupidest comments I have read in a while. It would be interesting to know what the cumative GPA of the Bison Football team compared to the UND Hockey. Also UND has had two students graduate with their undergraduate degrees in three or less years...

Cool beans. They got a degree in less time than normal. What the heck is a cumative GPA? I'm not sure I know what cumative means. I will assume you aren't one of those two students. UND routinely has guys leave early, whether you think that is good or bad, it gives a reputation that it is a development mill.

[SiouxVolley]

Cool beans. They got a degree in less time than normal. What the heck is a cumative GPA? I'm not sure I know what cumative means. I will assume you aren't one of those two students. UND routinely has guys leave early, whether you think that is good or bad, it gives a reputation that it is a development mill.

If a business or engineering student left for a multimillion dollar contract, no one would say squat. Four olympic medalists in 2012, nearly ten former players making a million or more a year, MVPs in the NHL. Yeah, quite a "mill".

A true "mill" is one where "scholar-athletes" cheat at $9/hr jobs and get indicted for it.