Poll: Sundogs vs. Greenhawks

Would you support the nickname Greenhawks over Sundogs

yes

no

Poll Maker

First, I want to be clear. I am not endorsing the Greenhawks nickname, I am just throwing it out there. Also, if I have a choice, I would rather have UND or North Dakota as a nickname.

What about Greenhawks?

One of my facebook friends Traci Wald sent me this picture in a tweet yesterday.

Looking at all of the remaining options for a new nickname/logo, I actually think that Greenhawks could work. If you could design a logo similar to the one on the right, I could get on board with this. Imagine an all green logo that looks sort of like this.

Obviously, UND couldn't use this exact one because it's the logo of the Chicago Blackhawks, but something similar to this could work and would be acceptable. I have no idea how other UND fans would react to this, just throwing it out there.

People have asked me which option that I like the most. First, I can accept six-of-seven the remaining nickname options. In no way will I ever be able to get behind the Sundogs nickname, I think it's a bad idea. It's utterly unacceptable to me. Like I have said before, go back and look who is pushing the Sundogs logo.

@goon48 Not sure who made this one, but I could get behind this logo....Thunder Hawks?? pic.twitter.com/iM7JT38qfT

— Traci Wald (@WaldTraci) June 22, 2015

Gwoz to leave Lightning to pursue other opportunities

Per the Tampa Bay Lightning team page, former Denver head coach George Gwozdecky is moving on after spending two season with the Lightning.

Tampa Bay Lightning team release - Assistant Coach George Gwozdecky is leaving the Tampa Bay Lightning to pursue other opportunities, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced today. Gwozdecky has been with the Lightning on head coach Jon Cooper's staff for two seasons, most recently helping the franchise to the 2015 Eastern Conference Championship and a berth in the Stanley Cup Final.

"Jon Cooper and I, along with the entire Lightning organization, would like to thank George and his family for giving us the past two years," said Yzerman upon making the announcement. "He helped turn a young, unproven team into the Eastern Conference Champions and we appreciate his professionalism and dedication."

Gwozdecky joined the Lightning on August 9, 2013 after serving as the head coach at the University of Denver for 19 seasons. At Denver, Gwozdecky won back-to-back national championships (2004, 2005) and was named National Coach of the Year twice (1993, 2005). He also served as head coach at Miami (OH) University for five seasons and his 593 collegiate wins as a head coach rank 11th all-time in the NCAA.

"I have fulfilled my obligation with the Tampa Bay Lightning and I am going to take some time away to consider my next career step," said Gwozdecky. "I would like to thank owner Jeff Vinik, GM Steve Yzerman, coach Jon Cooper and the entire Lightning staff for two very memorable years."

In two seasons with Gwozdecky as an assistant, the Lightning won 96 of 164 regular season games, making back-to-back playoff appearances. The team begins the 2015 offseason after losing the Stanley Cup Final in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks. En route to the Stanley Cup Final, the Lightning defeated the Detroit Red Wings, the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers

It will be interesting to see where Gwoz ends up next.

HERALD LETTER: No greatness lost as Kelley leaves (Nickname Related)

I will let this one speak for itself. 

FORT TOTTEN, N.D. — I disagree with Mike Jacobs’ assertion that UND President Robert Kelley was cheated out of greatness. You can’t “cheat” anyone out of greatness. Greatness may be ignored and/or not acknowledged, as may be the case with Kelley.

And anyone who manages to get rid of 80-year-old racist college nickname is great in most people’s books. If anyone was cheated out of greatness it was the university by the people who opposed Kelley by attempting to obstruct him from doing his job. Furthermore, UND can be great if many people there shed their 19th-century way of thinking and follow leaders like Kelley.

Erich Longie

Herald Letter: Sundogs is the best nickname for UND

Yippy,Skippy! Another one for the Sundogs nickname.  Again, for those that are unfamiliar with what a Sundog is look to your right. 

In the November 17, 2007, edition of the Grand Forks Herald, I submitted my suggestion of Sundogs as the UND nickname.  Later, I officially submitted the name and I see that nickname is high on the list of remaining considered nicknames. Some folks may not know what a sundog  is and may not understand some ‘lore’ surrounding sundogs. So, I thought I’d clarify why I submitted the name.

Sundogs are a weather condition or phenomenon that can be noticed anywhere in the world.  They look  like rainbows or halos on either side of the sun and can be very, very bright.  When you see them, you can be astonished how their power, beauty and unique strength capture your attention.  There is nothing quite like them, and what a great set of images to be reflected in UND’s new nickname!

The scientific name of a sundog is a solar parhelia, which is really Greek (yup) meaning “beside the sun.” You can often see them on sunny afternoons about an  hour before sunset, and at sunrise around here. They appear when ice crystals form in the upper atmosphere (another reference to UND being in the upper atmospheres of education and athletics). The ice crystals bend the sunlight causing a reflected image of the sun to appear on one or both sides of the sun.  They can occur anywhere in the world (just like UND grads), but mostly appear in the western skies (again just like UND grads).

Some folklore has Native Americans interpreting the glowing light beside the sun to look like a dog, ready to leap through a ring of fire.  Other folklore says that they are a good indication that the observer will have good luck and many rewards with any travels.  More folklore has proven true in that sundogs still are a good indicator that weather conditions will change in the next day to day and a half  (meaning that when the Sundogs arrive for any competitions, things are going to change!)  

I still support the Sundogs nickname very much!  That idea — my idea — has a certain “bite” to it and it would give UND an identity that is entirely unique and powerful, with no strings attached.

Ralph Sollom

Bemidji

8 Millon Reasons why Kessel won't be Traded Soon

After all of these years, Eklund is still putting out false rumors that lead nowhere at all. Eklund was right when Jonathan Toews signed, but I think it was the last time.

Update 225pm:
I'm hearing a very strong rumor right now that the Phil Kessel trade could go down as early as tonight. According to my source a few teams were close and while the price is very high, The leafs may move on that a bit to get this done so they can plan for the many other moves they have coming. The source went on to say the leafs will get multiple pieces and those pieces will help in some other deals. Also, don't rule out the New York Rangers. I wouldn't put them as a favorite, or even on the chart as of yet, but at least one source told me it's very possible

In all seriousness folks, in today's salary cap world, it's going to be very tough to move a player with an 8 million dollar a year salary. Second, it's Phil Kessel, who only plays offense. That's a lot of money for a one-dimensional player.

Of the eight teams that Kessel has said he will play for, six of them have serious salary cap issues. Minnesota just cut loose Matt Cooke.

AP: Wisconsin school district bans American Indian team logos

And some have said it will never happen here, right? Here my prediction, come the lawsuits. This school is a perfect example of how our country is being ruined by political correctness run amuck. I really hope that these people are really happy with themselves.

MADISON, Wis. — Sports fans may have to leave their Blackhawks, Indians or Redskins gear at home if they plan on entering a Madison public school next year.

Starting this fall, public school students in Wisconsin's capital city cannot wear shirts, hats or other items that display the name, logo or mascot of any team that portrays a "negative stereotype" of American Indians. Those who do must change or face suspension or expulsion.

"The existence of these mascots destroys our self-esteem. The existence of these mascots shows us how people really think of us," Gabriel Saiz, a junior at Madison West High, told the city school board in May shortly before it voted unanimously to adopt the policy.

The district's dress code says a list of prohibited logos and mascots would be made available before the beginning of the school year.

The move comes some two years after Gov. Scott Walker signed a law that made it harder for the state's public schools to drop tribal nicknames. The measure was prompted by officials in a handful of Wisconsin cities who refused to part with mascots such as the Chieftains and the Indians after the state Department of Public instruction ordered them to drop the monikers. Previous state law allowed the state agency to launch a hearing into each race-based nickname with a single complaint. Current law requires a petition to trigger the hearing.

Shall we review the first amendment of the American Constitution again?

Amendment I  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Finally, in case anyone forgets, the Blackhawks nickname was meant to be an honor to the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I. This Division was nicknamed the "Blackhawk Division" after a Native American of the Sauk nation, Black Hawk, who was a prominent figure in the history of Illinois.

Wisconsin State Journal Axes Andy Baggot

This is really bad news for the college hockey world. It's the nature of the business, I don't like very much. I can predict that with the retirement of Andy Johnson and the axing of Andy Baggot, the coverage of Wisconsin Badgers hockey will take a hit next season. I had the pleasure to run into Baggot during a couple of UND hockey games and they guy was interesting and always had some good work.

The Wisconsin State Journal has launched a new round of staff cuts that look more like slashes, laying off four staffers and announcing that three key departures will go unfilled.

Among the layoff victims are columnist Doug Moe, a veteran Madison journalist whom the paper hired away from the jointly owned Capital Times in 2008; sports columnist Andy Baggot, who has written for the paper since 1978; and sports columnist Dennis Semrau, who has covered local prep sports and the Milwaukee Brewers for decades. Brandon Storlie, who joined the paper in 2009 and has worked as a reporter and sports copy editor, has also been laid off.

Sources says these layoffs, announced to staff late Thursday afternoon by State Journal editor John Smalley, were not voluntary. (Read the rest of the story)

Argus Leader: UND nickname options ranked and analyzed

Mick Garry from the Argus Leader had a few things to say about UND's nickname selection process and ranks the final seven nicknames left standing. Of course, he has Sun Dogs number one. Meh.

Mick Garry, Argus Leader -- At an unbelievably high level I don't care. But the choosing of a new nickname for a college is a unique situation because it doesn't happen every day. So I'm here to grade the efforts of those who are going to re-brand the UND athletic department for what I expect will be all eternity.

They released the final seven options and they are these: Roughriders, Sundogs, North Stars, Nodaks, Fighting Hawks, Green Hawks and no nickname at all.

In descending order of preference:

7. ROUGHRIDERS

6. NODAKS

5. NORTH STARS

4. NO NAME AT ALL
Mark my words: The absence of a nickname will give sportswriters in that area the latitude needed to come up with something else. That's how it all started in the first place, you know. Sportswriters wanted better flow to their sentences. UND will casually become known as the "Nodaks" and 50 years from now, they'll officially adopt that nickname.

3. FIGHTING HAWKS

2. GREEN HAWKS

1.SUNDOGS

STRENGTHS: This isn't a dog, which might be news to some out there who have never experienced a clear blue 20-below January afternoon. And it's not taking the word dog and hammering it up against some other word that makes it sound a little cuter. Sundogs are the visual fruit of sunlight interacting with ice crystals and they are impressive sights. They are symbols of the under-appreciated beauty of winter and life in the north and all the requisite qualities demanded of those who choose to live in places where you get to see an occasional Sundog. Logo-wise we're dealing with what looks like a sun and the marketing and design wizards who will be charging UND Ralph Engelstad-level mountains of cash will be able to come up with things that are genuinely impressive. No reason to dummy-down or angry-up a Sundog.

WEAKNESSES: Nobody knows what a Sundog is and there will be a temptation to put ears and a snout on a mascot to make sure your whining four-year-old sugar-buzzed brat wants to hug it during a time out.

Firs, UND has played without a nickname for three years already. For the most part, it's worked so far. To some, UND was kind of bland.

Sure, at first, it was hard to write, UND, UND, UND and North Dakota, North Dakota and North Dakota. But after a while, you kind of figured it out. Moreover, the Green and White (UND's colors) might suffice if you were stuck. I know this upset some of the UND fans.

Seriously, I don't want to write a gammer using the nickname "Sundogs" in it. Not going to do it.

Finally, UND Alumni, fans, and current students we need to push back before the University of North Dakota is stuck with a very bad nickname. We all know what's driving the nickname "Sundogs" and where it's coming from. Again, we need to take a stand and push back against this horrible, moronic nickname choice unless you want your favorite school to become a mockery. I can live with the other six nickname choices listed above, but "Sundogs" is a nonstarter for me.  It's too egregious to accept.

Herald Letter: LETTER: Keep UND’s identity by choosing North Dakota

Here's a letter from a read of the Grand Forks Herald. Thoughts? 

Grand Forks Herald -- The recent poll in the Herald said that people would rather stay North Dakota by a 2 to 1 margin.

 I can be included in that group and the following is the reasoning for doing so:

UND’s identity was unique with the Fighting Sioux, it was never  a mascot but an identity.   Now people are in the process of finding a new something for a mascot which UND never had.  The closest was for years the fan group “The Farce”  had Kermit the Frog, which never appeared on UND letterheads.

Why on earth would UND want to become a re-tread of:

   1.  Another member of the animal kingdom (husky, bear, cougar, colt, a rodent, etc.)

   2. A bird of some type (eagle, cardinal, hawk)

   3. A person (cowboy, minutemen, pirate)

The list of things with which UND could identify was once, in the Herald’s April 4 edition, a thousand names long, now it’s not.  Why would we want to be a “just another” something like  every other university  with overlapping identities for their entire existence. UND was unique with its former identity, keep that uniqueness by not becoming a university with a mascot just like everybody else.

UND represents the entire state of North Dakota, which includes all people of your state.  

UND has the best aerospace studies in the U.S., a four-year med school, and other great academic programs. Why not be the leader in the entire U.S. in this regard by not having a mascot like we have not had?  UND never had a guy riding a horse with  spear like Florida State or Illinois with the guy who danced wildly at their athletic contests, so why start now with some cartoon-like representation.  Be who you are, which is a very proud population represented by the University of North Dakota.

Steve Molvig

Lovelock, Nev.

Play of the Day: Touch Them All Kennys Vargas

Walk off home run by Kennys Vargas to win the game for the Minnesota Twins.

Matt Cooke is Waived, Twitter Responds

Today is a very good day. Since my least favorite player in the NHL was finally waived from the Minnesota Wild, I thought I would celebrate by posting some of the Tweets that I found on Twitter.

@sexyreximacrexy I hate Matt Cooke so much and it basically broke my heart when he signed with Minnesota

— CorneliusHardenbergh (@HBAdventure) June 18, 2015

@mnwild I hate Matt Cooke he's a cheap shot artist...he's a disgrace to hockey....

— Richy (@ricnels12) June 18, 2015

Matt Cooke is a fucking joke im glad he on waivers he shouldn't be in the league for what he has done

— Mat Wilson (@matttyboy5150) June 18, 2015

See you never, hopefully! RT @goon48: Breaking News: Matt Cooke put on Waivers in Minnesota http://t.co/IgXEnrPsXR

— JS Landry (@JSLandry20) June 18, 2015

Bye Matt Cooke👋🏽👋🏽 pic.twitter.com/1vk7s2QFQa

— abby☀️ (@ybba2026) June 18, 2015

Wild put Matt Cooke on waivers, will buy him out #nhl http://t.co/NnluPDPJ6o pic.twitter.com/noCHLhWFFm

— WordLink #NHL (@NHLbyWordLink) June 18, 2015

Matt Cooke placed on waivers to be bought out http://t.co/hufP8vUxBf pic.twitter.com/X5eSSJlCC5

— Pominville News (@PominvilleNews) June 18, 2015

Matt Cooke is a LW who is about to be bought out. Matt Cooke plays #classless and #flyera hockey Flyera sign Matt Cooke to a 1 yr 2 way

— #ThankYouKimmo (@FauxGudas) June 18, 2015

See, it's not just me. Many other fans feel the same way. And yes, I agree Cooke is one of the dirtiest players ever to play the game of hockey. He makes Ulf Samuelsson look semi-clean.

Happy to see Matt Cooke being bought out by the Wild. One of the dirtiest players of all time. Doesn't deserve to be in the league. #NHL

— Tom Siino (@rangers_tom72) June 18, 2015

If Cooke being on waivers means he is going to be bought out, I could not be more pleased. I hope no one signs the pile of filth.

— Bryan Reynolds (@BReynoldsMN) June 18, 2015

Breaking News: Matt Cooke put on Waivers in Minnesota

According to Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada fame, the Minnesota Wild have put Matt Cooke on waivers for purpose to buy out his contract.

First off, I am friggin ecstatic. I couldn't be happier. It's well documented, I have never been much of a Cooke fan, I think he's one of the dirtiest players to have play in the NHL. Second only to Ulfie Samuelsson. What sold it for me was Cooke's career-ending, dirty hit on former Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard.

Also, this means a couple of things, the Wild are going to move forward with some of the talented, younger and less expensive forward prospects.

Second, the Wild need to clear some cap space to make room for Devan Dubnyk. Per Michael Russo.

The Wild, looking to clear cap space this offseason, has placed veteran Matt Cooke on waivers. If he clears, the next route would be a buyout.

Cooke, 36, who had an injury-ravaged season and was limited to only 29 regular-season games and seven playoff games, has one more year left on his contract at a $2.5 million cap hit with a $3 million salary.

Finally, I am sure that the Colorado Avalanche fans will be ecstatic with this move as well. Finally, Goon's World would like to wish Cookie well in his next endeavor. Maybe the Pittsburgh Penguins will pick him up off waivers? Probably not though.

View image | gettyimages.com

Mike Reilly Saga. Snubs Blue Jackets

View image | gettyimages.com

If you're a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets, there's a very good chance that you're not all that thrilled with former draft choice Mike Reilly. The former Golden Gophers told the Blue Jackets that he won't be playing for them. Earlier this month Michael Russo said that the Wild were in the running for Reilly.

Sean Lehehy, Puck Daddy -- Todd Richards, Team USA head coach, had a window of several weeks to try and sell free agent-to be Mike Reilly one final time on the Columbus Blue Jackets while at the World Championships.

It didn’t work.

On Wednesday, the Blue Jackets announced that Reilly, who the team drafted 98th overall in 2011, would not be signing with them. Columbus held the former University of Minnesota defenseman’s rights until June 15, but the CBA allowed him to opt out of signing and pursue a deal elsewhere.

Ryan Johansen, your thoughts?

We didn't want him anyway — Ryan Johansen (@RyanJohansen19) June 17, 2015 “We did everything we could, but we have to make other plans now. He was a good prospect for us, but we have to move forward,” said Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen to the team’s website.

In three years with the Golden Gophers, Reilly posted 89 points in 117 games.

You may remember a similar situation last summer with Kevin Hayes, who opted not to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks and moved onto the New York Rangers. Same thing happened with Justin Schultz and the Anaheim Ducks in 2012 when he chose to sign with the Edmonton Oilers.

ESPN's Eight NHL Dynasties

There’s been a lot of talk about dynasties after the Blackhawks won their third Stanley Cup in six seasons.  I think I would agree with Scott Burnsides’ rankings. During my life time, the Oilers and the Islanders were top dogs. If the L.A. Kings were to win the Stanley Cup next season, I would think that they could be added to the discussion.

1. Montreal Canadiens (1976-1979)

2. Montreal Canadiens (1956-60)

3. New York Islanders (1980-1983)

4. Edmonton Oilers (1984-85, 1987-88, 1990)

5. Chicago Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015)

6. Toronto Maple Leafs (1962-64, 1967)

7. Montreal Canadiens (1965-66, 1968-69, 1971)

8. Detroit Red Wings (1997-98, 2002)

Weston Dressler Wouldn't Mind UND Being Named the Roughriders

Kim Thue from the Global News had some remarks from former Fighting Sioux football player Weston Dressler. Apparently, Drexler wouldn't mind UND being called the Roughriders.

Dressler said today it would be "pretty interesting to see if the 'Roughrider' name went through'.

— Kim Thue (@GlobalThue) June 16, 2015

Weston Dressler - the star of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and former star of the North Dakota Roughriders. #gold

— Kim Thue (@GlobalThue) June 16, 2015

UND is of course Weston Dressler's alma mater.

— Kim Thue (@GlobalThue) June 16, 2015

Get this: the leading candidate for the University's new nickname? Roughriders

— Kim Thue (@GlobalThue) June 16, 2015

The University of North Dakota is still in search of a new nickname after dropping 'Fighting Sioux' a few years ago....

— Kim Thue (@GlobalThue) June 16, 2015

“North Dakota” as a Nickname Option

Recently, I have talked to a lot of people that would like the University of North Dakota to remain simply “North Dakota”. Meaning, they don’t want a replacement nickname for Fighting Sioux. I even had a former UND hockey player tell me that he likes that option the best.

I am concerned that when the UND nickname committee cuts the names down to three, they're not going to allow a vote on the North Dakota nickname option. I would caution the committee on doing that. If the committee doesn't allow the fans to have that chance to vote on "North Dakota" as an option, they're going to alienate and upset a lot of people.

Anna Burleson, Forum News Service -- The committee was split on whether to continue to play as "North Dakota," with members Landon Bahl, Chelsea Moser and Lowell Schweigert speaking out against it while Dave St. Peter was in favor of discussing it further.

"Now I think is the time for some courage and the popular choice based on what was submitted during April, obviously to all of us, if you look at numbers, is 'North Dakota,' but popular isn't always the right choice," said Schweigert, a UND alumnus and committee member.

"North Dakota" received 21 points when the committee voted on the name with St. Peter awarding 8, the most, and Bahl awarding -8, the least.

After reading this new article in the Pioneer Press, it would appear that there are some on the UND nickname committee that want to kill and quickly move away from the "North Dakota" option.

Personally, of the seven remaining nicknames, very few are very appealing. Rough Riders, no nickname and _______. I don't know.

WDAZ: What's a Sundog anyway?

Here's another news nugget. I know there are a lot of UND fans that would love to see the Sundogs nickname option go the way of the Dodo bird. Personally, I think the Sundogs nickname is a horrible replacement for the Fighting Sioux nickname.

Also, a word to UND fans, don't be afraid to let the nickname committees know how you feel on the matter.

Other nicknames don't have the uniqueness problem.

Like Sundogs, an atmospheric phenomenon when the sun hits ice crystals creating two colored patches on each side of the sun.

“We certainly think that is something that is unique to our region as well. It's going to be interesting to see how this one plays out. There are a lot of ways to be creative with it as well,” Goehring said of the Sundogs.

And there is discussion about leaving the school without a nickname.

“They had strong feelings about staying North Dakota. Whether or not that was for the old nickname, I had one gentleman comment to me and said, ‘in terms of staying unique being a school without a nickname, but just being North Dakota is way to do that,’” Goehring said. (WDAZ.COM)

Fargo Forum Letters on UND Nickname

As the UND Nickname committee works its way through the process of selecting a new nickname, people are going to chime in with their opinion. Here's just a few that I found from the Fargo Forum.  Feel free to chime in with your thoughts.

Letter: Suggested names not acceptable

By RichardBrecto from Audubon, Minn. Today at 12:47 a.m. Audubon, Minn., 58102

Having been born and raised in North Dakota and being a devoted fan of both University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University sports, I am interested in what UND’s new nickname will be.

In the “Your Opinion” section of The Forum of June 15, there were two letters recommending nicknames. One is favoring “Roughriders” and the other is favoring “Plainsmen.”

My comment regarding these names is as follows:

Grand Forks Red River High School sports teams are known as the Roughriders. I feel that it would be confusing if UND were to adopt the same name.

While “Plainsmen” might be a good name, remember that there are women’s teams, too. I suppose that they could be referred to as the “Lady Plainsmen,” but that just doesn’t sound right.

I don’t believe that either of these names would be suitable.

Here's the letters in question.

Letter: Roughriders for UND nickname and logo

By Bruce Beard from Banning, Calif. on Jun 15, 2015 at 12:23 a.m.

Imagine. A mean winter day in Dakota, heavily mantled in snow. Garbed in severe black, a landlord comes over a hill and sees a house with faint smoke rising from its chimney. In stepping off, he trips, slides down the slope, crashes feet-first through the front door and halts at the feet of a fragile old woman.

“Kind sir,” she says, “what is it you want?” “The rent, ma’am, the rent is what I’ve come for!” “Might I pay just a little this month?” she timidly asks. “Lady,” he shouts, “I’ve had rough sledding, and I didn’t come here toboggan!” In a similar vein, Jeff Willert (“Bully! for Roughriders, by far the best name,” June 11, A4) addresses the selection of UND’s new name for its athletic teams. A true loyalist, he mounts the bully pulpit and essentially declares, “It’s been rough riding, and when it comes to TR, why saddle for less?”

It’s Roughriders, by five and a half lengths! As they say in the racing business, no need to horse around.

Beard is a native of Reynolds, N.D., and graduate of UND. He taught school in Mott and Beach.

Letter: Perhaps Plainsmen for UND nickname

By Jake Lillestol from Fergus Falls, Minn. on Jun 15, 2015 at 12:21 a.m.

I see by the June 10 Forum article the University of North Dakota nickname committee has arrived at 15 ho-hum names. Except for Roughriders, none has any imagination or sense of history. As a die-hard Bison fan, I would offer what I believe is the only appropriate name for our sister/brother adversary. It is long but very appropriate to who they are. I am so thankful for the Bison name. It tells of one of the original inhabitants of North Dakota and exhibits strength. The UND nickname I propose also does. What name? – “The Plainsmen.” North Dakota has been one of the plains states since recorded history began. Everyone is aware of that – including people living in other states. Consider this thought as a UND hockey team heads out east to do battle. Who are these people? Where do they come from? They are the “The Plainsmen from North Dakota.” A Bison-Plainsmen sports battle also sounds exciting. An imaginative artist can paint this picture. Three men standing side by side looking over the vast plains. Who are they? The original inhabitant – an American Indian; next to him, a buckskin jacket clad fellow suggesting a trapper or explorer; finally the farmer who settled the land. (Just a joke – peering out of the ground could be the head of a gopher.)

More Nickname News

Now that the Stanley Cup is finally over, we can start looking at things that really matter. What to name the UND sports team. It's kind of funny watching fans of other schools enjoy our plight of picking a new nickname. Thank God that Gopher and Bison fans can't pick UND new nickname.

I have been reading some of the comments over on the Star tribune's website for the UND nickname articles. There's some beauties over there.

Some have talked about this happening over on Sioux Sports.

commonsens4u, Jun. 16, 15 11:30 AM I hope they pick Roughriders. To name themselves after a latex profylactic would make it way to easy for their opponents to have fun at their expense. I can't wait to see the look of shock on the committee's faces when condoms are raining down from the upper deck at their first home hockey game.

This reader has a great point.

King Ulsrud, Jun. 16, 15 11:24 AM What's the rest of the story? Who decides and when? By the way, other than NO nickname (North Dakota), the other six stink for various reasons. What is a green hawk?

What a clown.

hockeybias, Jun. 16, 15 11:30 AM @sibley61 I think the prophylactic product placement possibilities are endless on a college campus... And who couldn't resist staying up a bit later after the game to hear the radio broadcaster bring us "The Contempo Rough Rider prophylactic Climactic Save of the Game!" during the post game show! :)

Yep, UND has a great hockey program.

jbetcher, Jun. 16, 15 11:00 AM I think there's more interest in MN regarding the name issue than there is in ND. Call em what you will; it's one great hockey program and will continue to be a hockey power. A lot of great players have come out of the program. A number of them have their names on the Cup.

Seven is greater than five, right?

commonsens4u, Jun. 16, 15 11:31 AM @jbetcher They do have a good program. Almost as good as Minnesota, BC, Denver and BU.

Another great point, but somewhat flawed. UND needs a nickname for all of it's sports teams, not just hockey.

bisonp, Jun. 16, 15 10:50 AM @oldtimepuck @joemamasw Nah, it's gotta be hockey related. Despite the fact that the team is mostly Minnesotans and Canadians, and that North Stars is not only the name of our old team it's also our state motto and on our flag, they really don't have anything else in Grand Forks. Force was also in the mix prior to this last cut because it's the name of Fargo's USHL team. Fliers was as well. Oh, but it was spelled different so I guess it was OK. As a Gopher and Bison fan this entire process has been quite amusing.