Attendance for Saturday

[Teeder11]

Well, I don't think I'd do too well in college these days then.  You will never eradicate college kids 18-20 from drinking.  You'll just give them criminal records without accomplishing anything.  It's too bad Kelley is apparently making underage drinking a priority.

 

I was certainly no saint in college and my record can prove it, but, I think many people who Kelley answers to and influential stakeholders in the community and the state would disagree with you on that last line. They would say, given UND/Grand Forks' reputation in the nation for underage drinking and binge drinking, in general, that his "priority," whether it is perception or reality, is spot on.

[Oxbow6]

Sounds good in theory, but our AD is literally incapable of doing most of this. You know this as well as I do, Ira.

I lost all confidence in him with how aloof and clueless he came across in the hiring process. The timing, the lack of knowledge on how college athletics and specifically football works nowadays, the lack of expedience, the lack of networking and headhunting skills - everything. His ultimate choice is/was a great one, but how he got there was an embarrassment to his profession and the UND Athletic Department.

I personally am counting down the days until we have a new AD. It's the next step in rebuilding the overall character of our Athletic Department and University as a whole. Someone who loves UND and believes it's an honor to be there, someone who actually buys a home in Grand Forks. I get the whole "it starts at the top with the President" mantra, and I agree to a certain extent. However, I think President Kelley, at this point, is down the list of concerns when compared to our AD right now. I'm also concerned about our AD and his staff "wearing out" Bubba and his staff with the constant jumping through hoops BS in order to run a successful FCS program. It's ridiculous.

Having said all of this. I'm super excited with the direction Bubba and his staff have this program heading and I can't wait to see what they can achieve with their own recruits and system over the years.

Ummmm...dare I say Vince and I agree on something.

Extremely well said.

[UNDBIZ]

I was certainly no saint in college and my record can prove it, but, I think many people who Kelley answers to and influential stakeholders in the community and the state would disagree with you on that last line. They would say, given UND/Grand Forks' reputation in the nation for underage drinking and binge drinking, in general, that his "priority," whether it is perception or reality, is spot on.

 

Perhaps, but there should be better methods of addressing it than handing out $300 fines and chasing the students off campus (after which someone is likely going to drive back to campus).

[Siouxperfan7]

Was again dissapointed with the crowd on Saturday.  Not so much the numbers, but the lack of fan interest by people at the game!!  It is beyond frustrating when we score a TD and people won't even stand up to cheer.  When we had the pick 6 and converted the 2 point, there were countless fans just golf clapping sitting on their butts.  On that last drive where we needed a stop to put it into overtime, it was more of the same.  Tie game against the #6 team in the country that beat us by 42 points last year and we have a chance to win, and there were hundreds of fans that I could see that simply were not inengaged in the game and seemed they coulod care less.

 

I am not asking for fans to be jumping up and down for every play on defense and screaming at the top of their lungs.  But if you are going to drive out to the Alerus and attend the game, at least show that you want to be their and support the team.  There are spectators and there are fans.  Which one do you want to be?

[mksioux]

I was certainly no saint in college and my record can prove it, but, I think many people who Kelley answers to and influential stakeholders in the community and the state would disagree with you on that last line. They would say, given UND/Grand Forks' reputation in the nation for underage drinking and binge drinking, in general, that his "priority," whether it is perception or reality, is spot on.

Agree to disagree.  I think the only reason that underage drinking is a such a big "problem" is because we define underage drinking as anyone under 21, which is preposterous.  Prioritizing enforcement of this law just drives drinking further underground, which arguably leads to more binge drinking.  Rather than trying to bust 18-20 year old students, the President would do the community a bigger favor by prioritizing easy and cheap sober ride options.

 

Moreover, I never bought into the hype about Grand Forks having a reputation for underage and binge drinking. The difference is most likely marginal when you're comparing it to the other non-commuter universities in the upper midwest.  Kelley could appease the teetotaler stakeholders in much more meaningfully ways than by busting 18-20 year old students at athletic events.

[fightingsioux4life]

Was again dissapointed with the crowd on Saturday.  Not so much the numbers, but the lack of fan interest by people at the game!!  It is beyond frustrating when we score a TD and people won't even stand up to cheer.  When we had the pick 6 and converted the 2 point, there were countless fans just golf clapping sitting on their butts.  On that last drive where we needed a stop to put it into overtime, it was more of the same.  Tie game against the #6 team in the country that beat us by 42 points last year and we have a chance to win, and there were hundreds of fans that I could see that simply were not inengaged in the game and seemed they coulod care less.

 

I am not asking for fans to be jumping up and down for every play on defense and screaming at the top of their lungs.  But if you are going to drive out to the Alerus and attend the game, at least show that you want to be their and support the team.  There are spectators and there are fans.  Which one do you want to be?

It has been a long time since we have had a team to get really excited about, so it will take some time to "re-educate" fans on how they can help the team.  The pick-6 was as loud as that place has been in literally 9 years (the debacle vs. Omaha in October 2005; the crowd was awesome for that game).  It will get better, just give it some time.

[iramurphy]

A lot of blame is put on Kelley for trying to curtail the student section drinking but you also have to look at the crowd around the student section. Kelley is responding to complaints from old fogeys that incessantly complain that students are being students. 

The lack of class and lack of maturity shown by some students or fans has led to the tactics we see now with the crackdown on drinking by administration and lack of judgement and common sense by campus security.  We didn't used to scream F-bombs every other word and we didn't tend to be so obnoxious people around us (who didn't require a BAL of 3x legal limit to raise hell and have a good time) got a bit annoyed with the lack of class.  We were, and sometimes still are, obnoxious but not to the point young kids or sober people felt uncomfortable.  Simple as that.  Dont' drink and drive and show some consideration for others.  If you can't drink and have a good time without being a !@#!$!, then someone is going to either knock you on your ass or ask the people in authroity to fix it.  That is how government works.  Instead of dealing with the few who cause the trouble, they make rules or laws that lack common sense. I'm defending or criticizing Kelly, but drinking too much doesn't give people the right to be an ass. If you can't drink without being crude, violent or vulgar, then you aren't able to handle booze and should stick to Diet Mountain Dew or something you can handle. Sad thing is, the campus cops don't seem to distinguish between college kids having a few beers and using common sense, and those being jerks. I will step off the pulpit now.

[Teeder11]

Perhaps, but there should be better methods of addressing it than handing out $300 fines and chasing the students off campus (after which someone is likely going to drive back to campus).

 

Agreed. Unintended consequences. 

[UND-FB-FAN]

Sounds good in theory, but our AD is literally incapable of doing most of this. You know this as well as I do, Ira.

I lost all confidence in him with how aloof and clueless he came across in the hiring process. The timing, the lack of knowledge on how college athletics and specifically football works nowadays, the lack of expedience, the lack of networking and headhunting skills - everything. His ultimate choice is/was a great one, but how he got there was an embarrassment to his profession and the UND Athletic Department.

I personally am counting down the days until we have a new AD. It's the next step in rebuilding the overall character of our Athletic Department and University as a whole. Someone who loves UND and believes it's an honor to be there, someone who actually buys a home in Grand Forks. I get the whole "it starts at the top with the President" mantra, and I agree to a certain extent. However, I think President Kelley, at this point, is down the list of concerns when compared to our AD right now. I'm also concerned about our AD and his staff "wearing out" Bubba and his staff with the constant jumping through hoops BS in order to run a successful FCS program. It's ridiculous.

Having said all of this. I'm super excited with the direction Bubba and his staff have this program heading and I can't wait to see what they can achieve with their own recruits and system over the years.

For what it's worth, I have spoke to many fellow long-time UND supporters who have negative things to say about Faison. It's become a majority opinion. He really isn't that friendly with North Dakotans who are of the traditional variety. UND athletics could make huge strides with a more competent athletic director, because by no means is the UND athletics' department yet maxed out.

[UND92,96]

For what it's worth, I have spoke to many fellow long-time UND supporters who have negative things to say about Faison. He really isn't that friendly with North Dakotans who are of the traditional variety. UND athletics could make huge strives with a more competent athletic director, because by no means is the UND athletics department yet maxed out.

 

Based upon the fact that he graduated from college in 1972, I'm guessing Faison is around 63. I would be pretty surprised if he's still UND's a.d. much beyond next school year.

[Irish]

Students apparently aren't very creative these days.  None of the venues sold alcohol at all when I was there.  It didn't stop anyone from drinking if that was their thing.

Have you seen the cops roam and scan the student section for anyone having a good time.  We never got that treatment.  It's like we are trying to keep them away.  The Alerus is the worst - I sit close to the student section and see students hassled all of the time.  The Ralph is a little better, but not great.  If a student is obviously intoxicated or out of line, by all means get them out.  But give the kids a little slack.  

[nodak651]

Have you seen the cops roam and scan the student section for anyone having a good time. We never got that treatment. It's like we are trying to keep them away. The Alerus is the worst - I sit close to the student section and see students hassled all of the time. The Ralph is a little better, but not great. If a student is obviously intoxicated or out of line, by all means get them out. But give the kids a little slack.

My buddy and I are over 21, and we snuck beer into the student section last year... Usher comes down and tells my buddy to dump his beers, because his boss saw him ON VIDEO drinking. It's ridiculous that they waste recources on !@#$ like this trying to catch minors drinking. He wasn't acting boligarant (his second beer). There should be a section for students who are over 21 so they can have a dang beer at the game.

[UNDColorado]

My buddy and I are over 21, and we snuck beer into the student section last year... Usher comes down and tells my buddy to dump his beers, because his boss saw him ON VIDEO drinking. It's ridiculous that they waste recources on !@#$ like this trying to catch minors drinking. He wasn't acting boligarant (his second beer). There should be a section for students who are over 21 so they can have a dang beer at the game.

Just smile, get up with your beer, and walk to another section. Simple as that.

 

I do get your point though. When I was a student they were bad at the Al to and I an other friends ended up not going to some games because it was not worth the hassle. 

[UND-FB-FAN]

I think it's as simple as decreasing the size of the student section. It creates a huge void at the 50 yd line of open seats. Until it is plump full and students are begging for more seats, leave it that way. It shouldn't be that hard to understand; right now, students only want to attend if they can drink. Until the security lets up or the team is winning consistently, the student section will always be half full at best.

[The Sicatoka]

My buddy and I are over 21, and we snuck beer into the student section last year... Usher comes down and tells my buddy to dump his beers, because his boss saw him ON VIDEO drinking. It's ridiculous that they waste recources on !@#$ like this trying to catch minors drinking. He wasn't acting boligarant (his second beer). There should be a section for students who are over 21 so they can have a dang beer at the game.

 

Walk out to concourse, finish beer, return to seat. Smirk at security. 

[geaux_sioux]

I think it's as simple as decreasing the size of the student section. It creates a huge void at the 50 yd line of open seats. Until it is plump full and students are begging for more seats, leave it that way. It shouldn't be that hard to understand; right now, students only want to attend if they can drink. Until the security lets up or the team is winning consistently, the student section will always be half full at best.

Unless there is demand from the general public why change the size. Demand isn't there yet on both ends.

[UND-FB-FAN]

Unless there is demand from the general public why change the size. Demand isn't there yet on both ends.

 

Rather see the the people wanting to be at the game sitting at midfield on both sides rather than just one. It is disgraceful to see a bunch of empty seats at the 50 yard line. The public and season ticket holders, including myself, would jump at the opportunity to have seats over there. 

[geaux_sioux]

Scoot the students over again then

[southpaw]

Walk out to concourse, finish beer, return to seat. Smirk at security. 

That's what we* did at the ralph when drinking wasn't allowed in the student section.  During each intermission, we'd run to the beer line, get a 36 oz beer (or 32, I don't remember) and down it before we got back to our seats to start the next period.  It guaranteed we would maintain our level of "slight" intoxication and we wouldn't miss any action.

 

*Note to Siouxman, when I say "we" I really mean some other people around me.  I would never do any of that.

[nodak651]

Walk out to concourse, finish beer, return to seat. Smirk at security.

Yeah we were polite and he did that. The usher that came down was young.. he saw a beer right next to my foot, next to my buddies, but ignored it. My buddy got busted because he was caught on video, and the usher had to do what he was told. I told the story, because I thought it was surprising that they watch the students with cameras and I've heard they do it at the Ralph as well.

[Siouxperfan7]

Yeah we were polite and he did that. The usher that came down was young.. he saw a beer right next to my foot, next to my buddies, but ignored it. My buddy got busted because he was caught on video, and the usher had to do what he was told. I told the story, because I thought it was surprising that they watch the students with cameras and I've heard they do it at the Ralph as well.

 

 

Breaking news!!!  18-22 year old kids do stupid immature things.  Even more stupid an immature things while under the influence od alcohol!! 

[nodak651]

Breaking news!!! 18-22 year old kids do stupid immature things. Even more stupid an immature things while under the influence od alcohol!!

So do middle-aged men.

[Siouxperfan7]

The point is are students just going to these games to drink?  If so they can stay home and do that.  I thought students went to games to support their fellow classmates and their college team.  Students being jaded at officials for "busting" them for drinking at games when its pretty well known that alcohol is not allowed in the student section seems pretty dumb. 

[SWSiouxMN]

I said it earlier in this thread

 

PERCEPTION

 

The general perception of the football team to the average student is not very good.  The diehard will come no matter what for the most part but for those average ones it does.

 

Now since the season has started that perception is slowing changing. 

 

I will give credit were credit it due however.  That was the loudest it has been in the Alerus since the epic 8 down goal line stand against USD my freshman year.

[southpaw]

The point is are students just going to these games to drink? If so they can stay home and do that. I thought students went to games to support their fellow classmates and their college team. Students being jaded at officials for "busting" them for drinking at games when its pretty well known that alcohol is not allowed in the student section seems pretty dumb.

To your first point, it's a chance for them to drink with groups of students in a place that's not the bars.