MSU - Mankato

[Northcountry]

I was at the Sioux/Maverick game on Saturday and was astounded by the lack of class and displayed by MSUM players. It was senior parent's day and one of the seniors, Soloni Taumalolo, sang the National Anthem. At the end he turned, pointed to the Sioux sideline and ran his finger across his throat in a cutting motion. He then pointed again and trotted off the field. At the same time MSUM's numbers 4, 8, and 9 erupted into the "Apes with bones scene" from 2001: A Space Odyssey. All of this occurring while the color guard was in the process of marching off the field. Prior to the Anthem, the announcer had asked that we honor those serving and those that had sacrificed to defend our freedom, and followed with the disclaimer about "anyone threatening or attempting to intimidate players, fans, officials would be subject to disciplinary action". What hypocrites. I suppose they can feel good about themselves, though, because in their game program where they list data about MSUM opponents the first heading is "nickname" for every team but one. UND got listed by color instead. I wonder at what point what you DO becomes more important than what you SAY?

[Diggler]

I was told last year at the UND-Mansuko game in the Al, security had to be brought to the student section to keep the players out of the stands. The coach was challenging students to fight after the games, etc.

[UND92,96]

Not that all junior college guys are bad, but when you look at the Mankato roster and see the sheer number of transfers, the odds are that several of them are probably questionable characters. If you're playing juco ball in California or Texas and you end up in Mankato, it's probably because not that many other programs wanted you--and it's not necessarily due to lack of talent. I guess they felt like they needed to roll the dice to find talent, since they don't get a lot of top high school players from Minnesota. I recall the game at the Alerus last year, and they had some very chippy players who seemed to like to trash talk a lot more than actually play. You don't see that stuff at most other NCC schools.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

They are a horrible program with nothing to play for...I wish I had been at that game last year, would have been fun to see the coach challenging the fans. It seems to be quite common for Mankato coaches to challenge fans. Last year I got into it with their head hockey coach, he was focusing more on me than his team! All in all, it is a horrible program that lacks leadership from the top down. They are one of the weak stepsisters in that state...heck, they might not even be good enough to be called stepsisters, maybe they are a pet.

[BigGame]

It's funny how seems to come up every year with the Mankato Indians. Jamrog better learn to recruit more high school kids or he is never going to get the program turned around. It just isn't likely that they can become a consistant success with a lot of the scholarship money going to JUCO players.

[JESUS,family,rutgers]

I'm pretty sure that a team can get an unsportsmanlike penalty before the game actually begins. The cutting the throat gesture is one of the reasons the "celebrating" in the endzone penalty was started. A few weeks ago, we beat Pittsburgh for the second time in about a thousand years and when we scored a touchdown Rutgers was penalized because three Rutgers players were jumping on top of each other. They weren't even looking at the Pitt DB.

[BigGame]

I'm pretty sure that a team can get an unsportsmanlike penalty before the game actually begins. The cutting the throat gesture is one of the reasons the "celebrating" in the endzone penalty was started. A few weeks ago, we beat Pittsburgh for the second time in about a thousand years and when we scored a touchdown Rutgers was penalized because three Rutgers players were jumping on top of each other. They weren't even looking at the Pitt DB.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I didn't see it but it sounds like Rutgers shouldn't have been penalized. Last I heard, spontanious team celebrations were OK.

[dakotadan]

Well, considering that Mankato State College has such a "hostile and abusive" name like the Indians, what can you expect from their players.

[redwing77]

With the NCAA, the actions of your players speak less than the writing on the jersey. So don't expect the NCAA to look to Mankato as "hostile and abusive." In fact, since they did drop the nickname entirely, I'd see the NCAA making an example of progress away from it.

[Northcountry]

I contacted Dr. Davenport, MSU president and he emailed me today with a promise to have "senior staff" investigate the incident. He promised to get back to me when the investigators were finished. Stay tuned.

[SiouxMeNow]

I was there too...and actually kind of impressed one of the players would sing the National Anthem. (Can you see Digger with a pitchpipe?)

Yeah..he needed a little tuning and he obviously got into it more at the song went along...(which was okay) I missed his "cutting" his throat at the Sioux sideline...I was just thinking...how the *uck does MANKATO get a guy from HAWAII to come to Mankato??? *

well..I guess Crookston had a guy playing basketball last year from TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO so anything goes.....

*Playing ANY team on SENIOR DAY just sucks!

[SiouxMeNow]

I contacted Dr. Davenport, MSU president and he emailed me today with a promise to have "senior staff" investigate the incident.  He promised to get back to me when the investigators were finished.  Stay tuned.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm just guessing it was a "tuning your adams apple" incident...nothing to get too wigged out about

[Diggler]

I had a TA for a class that was from the US Virgin Islands. He arrived in December. The UND brochure lied. There was no snow in the pictures, it looked beautiful. Hillarious.

[HopHead]

I made the trip down to Mankato from the Twin Cities for the game on Saturday with my eight year old son. I think the throat slash gesture was in response to the fan's traditional replacement of the word "brave" with "Sioux" at the end of the anthem. At least that is how I interpreted it.

I have to admit, as I get older and supposedly wiser, I do find things like saying "Sioux" at the end of the anthem less cool than I used to.

Another thing that I think might have started things off on the wrong foot was that when the seniors from Mankato were being introduced for senior day the UND football team came out from the locker room. Of course the UND band, which made the trip, started playing the school song (as they should). However, I felt kind of bad for the Mankato players that might have felt like their moment of recognition was being drowned out by the visiting team's band and fans.

Both of those incidents were pretty minor, IMO. But when you are on top, you quickly become the team everybody loves to hate. I think we are seeing that with UND football. I guess it beats the alternative of being the lovable losers.

[bigmrg74]

Yep, it does kinda suck being the top dog around. Because it only inspires idiots like this. Spike of Northwood.

What a tool.

[huskies679]

But when you are on top, you quickly become the team everybody loves to hate.  I think we are seeing that with UND football.  I guess it beats the alternative of being the lovable losers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In St Cloud there is nothing but respect for UND football. We don't love to hate you we just love to beat you. (but that dosen't happen too often)