Showing posts with label North Dakota State University. Show all posts
Showing posts with label North Dakota State University. Show all posts

Thursday, September 06, 2012

So is NDSU setting a precedent?

First off, I am not real familiar with the Bison Fan blog - this is a blog about the NDSU sports teams and more specially the NDSU Football and Basketball teams – that being said, are they providing cover for the NDSU Bison’s head coach Craig Bohl?

From time-to- time I do peruse the Bison sports fan blog when something big happens -there have been a few incidents lately that shed an unfavorable light on their football program. Here’s the latest from the NDSU Bison Fan Blog

4. My thought on the forging scandal is to have all suspended for the CSU game. I do not think Coach Bohl is handling this wrong, but if he is nervous about losing a bunch of players for that game, he has to remember, he has great depth. Marcus Williams and Sam Ojuri, are great players, but they like every player is replaceable. You have great players around those who screw up. That is what a team is. If you lose the CSU game, you were probably not the favorite going in anyway and it is one loss with or without those players. It would have sent a strong message as well and shut up all the experts.
Also, the athletic department has already provided cover for the 8 student athletes that are involved in this voter fraud scheme.
Fargo, ND (WDAY TV) -- For the third time since the start of Fall Camp, Players on the NDSU Football team are caught up in the Cass County Legal system. But is the University worried about a possible negative reputation?

From traffic violations to indecent exposure, to voter fraud, the allegations against these student-athletes run the gamut. In the eyes of the law some of these charges are more serious than others. But the NDSU athletic department is taking a different course of action.

Gene Taylor/NDSU Athletic Director: "In terms of other things that kids get in trouble for, student athletes across the country, I do not think this rates where they should be suspended for a certain amount of time."
Is Gene Taylor, the NDSU Athletic Director sending a bad message to the fans and another student athlete at NDSU that considers doing something that is unethical, criminal or just wrong? Is Taylor providing cover for his beleaguered head football coach?

Let’s be clear, these are also the same people that will jump on the why didn't you discipline offending player(s) bandwagon the next time a UND student athlete from one of UND high profiles sports screws up. You can almost bet on it...

Also, these will be the same people that will second guess one of the UND head coaches if that said athlete isn’t punished up to their standards – but will provide cover when it’s one of their own.

So let’s post the question is; what is the standard? One of their players gets kicked off of the team, albeit that player had issues and another eight player’s screw up and these players get to keep playing so the Bison have a chance to play their FBS opponent this weekend. What kind of message is being sent – play at all cost because bottom line is more important.

Lastly, I am not going to say that my favorite school UND is squeaky clean because it’s not; I am sure that UND distractors will have a litany of issues that they could bring up. Yep, that’s true and there have been dust ups and moral/legal issues that have come out over the years too – every school has them it’s just a matter of how said schools handle the problems.

I am also sure that many could say that UND didn’t handle this or that particular situation in a very good manner and some have said, “what the ______?” I am not denying that one bit.

Some are going to ask me why it matter… I am going to say this, like it or not NDSU like UND are state funded schools that is owned by the tax payers of the great state of North Dakota and we are entitle to a little transparency and or at least some level of accountability. They owe it to us because we pay their salaries.

Lastly, are there going to be a second set of standards for NCAA Division I athletes then there are for regular students? It’s beginning to seem like we have set that precedent. If you can throw a football or make a tackle you're going to get more ley way than someone that can't.


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Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Bison Football players making national news for voter fraud

The North Dakota State University football team is getting some unwanted scrutiny and press after it was revealed to the media and fans that eight NDSU football players – four of which are starters have been caught in a voter fraud case. That story has now hit the national media and the NCAA site as well.
CBSSports.com --- Eight North Dakota State University football players, including four starters, are among 11 people charged with faking petition signatures in a scheme that will keep two well-funded initiatives off the November ballot.

Bison coach Craig Bohl said the players will be eligible to play this weekend against Colorado State and any team discipline would wait until after the criminal case was resolved.

The players were hired, at $9 an hour, to gather signatures for two citizen initiatives, one to set up a state conservation fund and the other to make marijuana legal for medical treatments. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said Tuesday that many of the petition signatures were copied from phone books or fabricated.

North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger said he was told petition circulators had to get at least 50 signatures each day and those that collected at least 80 names received bonuses. Workers who fell short of those goals would have had an incentive to add names, he said.

Those charged include starting running back Samuel Ojuri, defensive backs Marcus Williams and Brendin Pierre, and offensive lineman Josh Colville. Backup defensive backs Bryan Shepherd and Aireal Boyd, reserve middle linebacker Antonio Rodgers and Demitrius Gray, a freshman wide receiver, also face charges. Gray is a redshirt and does not travel with the team.

School officials said Tuesday that players would be available only to talk about football matters and not the court case. Bohl said he did not expect the charges to be a distraction to the defending Football Championship Subdivision champions.
Yesterday NDSU football coach Craig Bohl said he had known about the ongoing investigation for some time now and none of the players that are involved in the voter fraud scandal will be suspended until after they get their day in court – if ever – honestly, I wouldn't count on any disciplinary action coming from this coaching staff. Of course most of us know, this will probably never hit the court room while the Thundering Herd is playing during the 2012 season, so basically this will be brushed under the table.

If the four are starters – junior running back Samuel Ojuri, junior defensive backs Marcus Williams and Brendin Pierre, and junior offensive lineman Josh Colville are to suffer any consequences they will be minor and come during the offseason when no one is paying attention.

Links to the Story

NDSU football has 8 players under voter fraud investigation - Detroit Lakes on-line

Charges against 8 Bison football players expected in voter fraud case that kills two ballot measures - Fargo Forum

Eight NDSU football players facing fraud charges - StarTribune

Eight NDSU football players face petition fraud charges - Argus Leader

Voter Fraud: Bison players among 11 facing voter fraud charges - Jamestown Sun

Bohl: All eight Bison players charged with voting fraud still on team, will have their day in court - Dickenson Press

8 NDSU football players charged in petition fraud - Minot Daily News

8 NDSU players charged with petition fraud - Yahoo Sports

Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks
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Tuesday, September 04, 2012

EDIT: NDSU Football players back in trouble with the law

As a fan that can remember the NDSU and UND rivalry so many thoughts come to mind – I am sure that others can come up with their own.

Nice to see that nothing has changed at NDSU – also – it will be interesting to see if any of these players are in the lineup next weekend when the Bison play the Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colorado.

"North Dakota State University football coach Craig Bohl says the eight Bison football players charged with petition fraud won't be suspended...at least for now." You can listen to the press conference that was held on AM 740 the fan.

Don't count on any players for NDSU Sitting out this week... Accroding to Jeff Kolpack of the Fargo Forum - NDSU Head Coach Craig Bohl said he's known about situation for quite some time. Players deserve day in court.

Here is the link to the North Dakota Attorney General’s page... [ND AG]
Forum staff reports, INFORUM --- Eight current North Dakota State University football players and one former player are among 11 people facing charges in connection with voter fraud tied to general election ballot measures.

Four of the accused are starters on the football team.

North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and Secretary of State Al Jaeger identified the individuals charged as: Aireal Boyd, Josh Colville, Josh Gatlin, Demetrius Grey, Jennifer Krahn, Lane O’Brien, Samuel Ojuri, Brendin Pierre, Antonio Rodgers, Bryan Shepherd and Marcus Williams.

All have are charged with facilitation of voter fraud or filing a false statement, according to Stenehjem and Jaeger.

The charges are Class A misdemeanors.

Criminal complaints claim that all circulators of a petition are required to sign an affidavit stating they witnessed all the signatures and that all signatures are genuine.
Some over on Bisonville the Bison fans are taking a wait and see look at the new revelations about their beloved football team –  some seem to think that it’s a minor issue or are already looking for a way to deflect blame and claim that it’s political. Let's blame UND for our problems.

While it's funny because it's NDSU, we will see how this plays out in the coming days; this could end up being a distraction that NDSU didn’t want to have any part of. Some will say that it’s a lot to do about nothing - yeah  okay! I don't think that messing around with elections or committing fraud isn’t something I want to be associated with nor is it a minor infraction.

Break out the tin foil hats

EDIT:One NDSU fan even suggested that this is a conspiracy; I am not making this up. Just for the record – I would highly doubt that the A.G. of North Dakota would simply go on a witch hunt against the other school for something like this.
Wayne Stenehjem was born in Mohall, North Dakota, and he graduated from Bismarck High School in 1971 and Bismarck State College in 1972. He attended the University of North Dakota and the UND School of Law, graduating in 1977.

Jaeger was born in Beulah, ND in 1943. Raised in Beulah, he graduated from its high school in 1961. He attended Bismarck State College and in 1963 earned an Associate of Arts degree. In 1966, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Dickinson State University majoring in Business Education with a minor in Speech. He also completed post-graduate work at the University of North Dakota
Get out those tin foil hats folks, the North Dakota A.G. is out to get NDSU because he is a graduate of North Dakota.

Seriously?

Lastly, you would have to be a complete imbecil to think that the Attorney General of the great state of North Dakota Wayne Stenehjem and Secretary of the State of North Dakota Al Jaeger would conspire against NDSU just because they went to UND?
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