Monday, August 17, 2015

Move On Crowd Missing Point

First, I find the nickname issue to be interesting and frustrating at the same time. So, you're going to get coverage of that issue. Thanks in advance for reading.

Second, one thing that I have noticed through the nickname transition; is a group of people I like to refer to as the "move on crowd". That fine, they're entitled to their opinion. This is a very diverse group, made up of many fans that aren't interested in remaining North Dakota or UND. This group would even accept the Sundogs moniker/nickname as opposed to remaining simply UND. This group wants a nickname, any nickname. And they want it now.

Some in the move on crowd have been less than friendly to the fans that want to remain UND or North Dakota. I am just making an observation. They accuse the UND/North Dakota crowd as having a hissy fit or acting like five-year-old children. One could make the argument that the move on crowd is acting like five-year-old children as well. Just my observation.

Per the Grand Forks Herald:
Meanwhile, almost no one in the photo is wearing an item of clothing that bears the actual name being considered: UND/North Dakota.

The same goes for the hockey and football games I've seen on TV. The seats are full of "Sioux" jerseys, shirts, hats and so on.

What that says to me is that the UND/North Dakota nickname supporters want no nickname in an attempt to preserve the "Sioux" nickname. Otherwise, if they are so happy with UND/North Dakota as their new nickname, why aren't they wearing UND/North Dakota clothing and holding UND/North Dakota signs?

This obviously bitter attitude of "fine, no Fighting Sioux, then we'll show you; we'll have nothing!" needs to be put to rest. It's the position that some 5-year-old kids would take.
One thing that the move on crowd fails to recognize is that no matter what UND's nickname ends up being, people are still going to wear the Fighting Sioux logo. Most people that I know have many Fighting Sioux jerseys, hats, and t-shirts. I am not sure what they expect? I know no one that's going to just throw their Fighting Sioux jersey's away.

Finally, even after UND has finally selected a nickname and logo, fans are still going to wear the Fighting Sioux jerseys and probably yell and the home of the Sioux at the end of the anthem. Players are still going to refer to the school as the Sioux, too.

Lastly, some will say that the no new nickname crowd doesn't get it. Like I said, everyone is entitled to their opinion. That one of the benefits of living in the USA. I also think we should be respectful of others with differing opinions. I see nothing wrong with disagreeing, but be nice. That being said when the #newnickname issue is finally solved. There's going to be some that's unhappy. That's just life.

Edited: Just for the record, I am in the camp of anything but Sundogs. I prefer the North Dakota option, but would gladly accept Rough Riders and Fighting Hawks. I don't support UND using the North Star nickname, I could see a copy right lawsuit coming in that one. I think that Nodaks would be redundant.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Grand Forks Herald Letter: 'UND Sundogs' shines as nickname choice

I can't believe that there are five people that like this moronic nickname. It's absolutely horrible. If for some stupid reason UND became the Sundogs, we would be the laughing stock of college hockey and college sports for that matter. All you have to do is search the Urban Dictionary to see what I am talking about.

Per Grand Forks Herald Letter to the editor:
Who has determined that a "majority" want the UND athletic teams to be called UND No Name?

Personally, I like Sundogs. We in North Dakota know that we see sundogs in our wide open sky. And for a mascot, we could have a strong, intelligent dog named "Sunny."

We are surrounded by bison, timberwolves, gophers, grizzlies, bobcats and so on. Sundogs would be a dignified mascot, not an ugly, sneering animal baring its teeth.

JoClaire Paulson
Grand Forks
A Sundog. Wow! That's intimidating. 

Grand Forks Herald: Sioux chants could mean consequences at UND

Good luck enforcing that. What a joke. Can we say back to the courts again.

Whether UND picks a new nickname or goes with simply "North Dakota", fans are still going to yell Sioux at the end of the national anthem. The handwringers aren't going to be able to stop it.

Funny, I already reported this last week.

Per the Grand Forks Herald:
But it's common knowledge in the Grand Forks area that the end of the national anthem at UND hockey games always ends with the crowd singing "the home of the Sioux!" and fans displaying the old logo are commonplace. If this continued and other schools complain, the NCAA told UND President Robert Kelley they could impose sanctions.

"(H)e was told—just as a friendly word—that if fans resumed using Sioux or Fighting Sioux, the NCAA believes it is possible that other schools might—might—complain and that, in turn, could result in sanctions," UND spokesman Peter Johnson said in the email.

NCAA Associate Director of Public and Media Relations Gail Dent said via email if the Fighting Sioux chant were to continue at UND sporting events, the NCAA could investigate.

"Schools can be held accountable for their fans' actions/behavior at school events," she said. "Schools have also found ways to proactively deliver public address announcements and other forms of written and verbal messaging to their fan/alumni/student base to deter various types of behavior."

Thursday, August 13, 2015

North Dakota Wins.... Developing

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So, were told by some folks that simply being "North Dakota" isn't a popular option, and should be squashed.

Apparently, that's not the truth, at least with current UND students. Based on the results, I think that President Robert O. Kelley has no choice but to include the option North Dakota as a choice for UND's new nickname.

Per the Grand Forks Herald and Say Anything Blog:
Results released by Student Body President Matt Kopp show when asked if they wanted UND/North Dakota included in the vote, 68 percent said yes, 24 percent said no and 7 percent said they were “not sure.”

The survey was sent out Tuesday and drew 3,262 responses over the two days it was open which, using enrollment data from the 2014-2015 school year, is 22 percent of the student body.

Since the NCAA threatened sanctions and the old Fighting Sioux nickname was retired at UND in late 2012, the school has played simply using an interlocking “UND” logo, going by either UND or North Dakota.
It will be interesting to see how this turns out. Thoughts?

Bruins Rebuild?

In an article posted on NBCSports.com today, it seems as if the Boston Bruins are going through a transition period in the upcoming season. Now this doesn't mean that they will be a cellar team, however, because of the recent roster movement, and ages of some remaining top players, the big bad Bruins may not be so big and bad this coming up season.

After missing the playoffs last season, the Bruins faithful will start to get restless if their team misses the playoffs yet again. Being in a town known for championship titles in its four major sports, even though some may or may not have cheated to win them (cough Patriots cough), these fans expect nothing but to win and win now.

Two seasons since their last Stanley Cup Final run, lets take a look at who remains on this Bruins roster from that team of two seasons ago. Just six players remain from that team. Of those six, Torey Krug, Brad Marchand, and Tuukka Rask will be the only players under the age of 30 by the end of the upcoming season. Tenured Captain, Zdeno Chara, is now 38 this year and his time in the league is running out.

That being said, this is still a talented core group of veteran players who can still get the job done and should not be taken lightly. Time will tell if the aging Bruins still can compete with the youth movement in the NHL, but for now, we will see if they can squeak back into the playoff picture once again this season.

A Couple of Housecleaning Items

Frist, as we get closer to the UND and NHL hockey season there will be more of a frequency of items being posted. Years past, I posted more during the summer, but I decided to take a different approach this season. There're roughly eight weeks till the college hockey season begins.

So, enjoy your summer and get ready.

As you have probably noticed, I've taken most of the summer off and just relaxed. Personally, I needed to take a break and step away for a few months.

My wife is happy that I took this approach. This summer, she's not threatening to throw my laptop into the street or drive over it with her car. Actually, she has threatened to do this in the past.

But I digress.

For the most part, there's nothing going on this summer. This has been, without a doubt, one hell of the boring summer.

Moreover, this summer, the Minnesota Wild didn't make any big moves. They have no actual cap space to sign any big name free agent players. Former UND hockey players Zach Parise says the Wild will be fine.

Outside of Dave Hakstol moving to the Flyers, and Brad Berry becoming UND's new head coach, the UND hockey team has been out of the news. That's probably a good thing. I am sure that things will pick up as schools starts in a couple of weeks. In fact, it was the worst summer ever for college hockey news.

One of the highlights of my summer: I did manage to take a trip to Detroit, Michigan for training. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. In my humble opinion, I think Detroit gets an unfair bad rap. If you get outside of the city and roam around the suburbs, you will find that there's a lot to do.

I recommend you take a trip there and see for yourself. I also found a pizza place that blows Deeks out of the water. Hello, Green Lantern Pizza. They make an amazing pizza. Sorry, Schloss.

Finally, I want to be clear, I stand by writers. All of them. Do I agree with everything that they write, nope? Not at all. We're human beings. From time-to-time, someone is going to post a blog post that rubs you the wrong way. That's life. That being said, I usually never delete posts for differing positions on various topics. There's no reason to.

I have very few rules for the boggers: Do not use profanity or personally attack anyone and try to be nice. You can, disagree with someone and be respectful. Of course, the Minnesota Gophers are fair game. :) Do I send them an editorial note, you betcha? They can say that the Montreal Canadiens are great if they want to.

Also, personal attacks against any of the Goon's World writers or the fellow commenters is not tolerated. Racist, sexist, homophobic, or vile filthy, profanity-laced comments will be deleted without hesitation and without apology.

One item of clarification, everytime a blog post from any writer goes live on Goon's World, that post is also tweeted out to two Twitter accounts (X2). At the same time, those posts also go live on my facebook accounts (X2). Last night, while I was eating at Buffalo Wild Wings, Zach put up a post that lit up Twitter.

Finally, thanks for reading and I am ready for the upcoming season.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Four Year Athlete Obsolete

At the end of every Men's Division 1 NCAA Hockey season, most of the 59 teams fan bases hold their breaths and wonder one thing. Who are we going to lose early this year? It has become a common thing for athletes not staying all four years in order to be sure to sign that entry level pro contract into the NHL.

According to USCHO.com, 30 players chose to leave their schools early, a majority of which were juniors with just one year left to play. However, there were five freshman who decided to leave after one year, including second overall pick in this year's entry draft, Jack Eichel. Now I do understand that these top NHL draft picks want to be sure that a serious injury doesn't ruin their professional dreams, but seriously. You go to college to play the sport and the university you are playing at is investing time and money in you. Now I'm not saying athletes should stay all four years, but they should spend at least three years with their school of choice.

Another interesting number found off of USCHO.com, 20 of the 59 schools were effected by early departures. Of those 20 schools, 10 of them saw more then one player leave for the NHL. Now I know that doesn't seem like a lot of players considering each of the 59 teams is allowed to roster up to 25 athletes, however top programs like North Dakota, Minnesota, and Boston University have rarely seen an entire class stick together all four seasons since the turn of the century, if at all.

For example, look at a team like North Dakota. This season saw the departures of juniors Zane McIntyre and Jordan Schmaltz to their respective pro teams. The year before, they lost Rocco Grimaldi to Florida, who was a red shirt sophomore at the time, and three seasons ago, would lose junior Derek Forbort to a pro contract. The list just goes on from there.

Maybe someday more athletes will once again decide to play all four seasons of NCAA hockey, but for now, senior classes keep getting smaller and smaller, and the sizes of the incoming freshman classes just keep growing in size.

Interesting Read on Patrick Kane Situation

Criminal investigations take time, the wheels of justice move slowly. Almost at a snail's pace. If I had to guess, I would say that this investigation probably won't be over when training camp starts in 36 days. As an NHL fan, you hope that the allegations against Patrick Kane aren't true. Obviously, you're innocent until proven guilty.
David Haugh, Chicago Tribune -- They also realize — with training camp only 37 days away — the time could come soon when they will have to make an uncomfortable decision about Kane's status that puts them in a no-win situation. Buffalo-area legal experts told the Tribune it could be weeks before forensic test results come back. It could be even longer before the Erie County District Attorney decides whether to file criminal charges.

What do the Hawks do if Kane remains in legal limbo as the Sept. 18 reporting date nears? The only way they avoid that Catch-22 is if the DA announces in the next month that no charges will be filed. But if Kane faces charges or the investigation remains open, the Hawks face a dilemma in which both sides of the debate can be defended.

Here's my side: In the post-Ray Rice era of professional sports, a first-class franchise such as the Hawks cannot allow a player facing serious allegations to represent it until more clarity about the case exists. That clarity could come sooner rather than later in Kane's case, but it is missing now.

The thing about setting a standard of excellence as high as the Hawks have is living up to it; no single player, not even a living legend, can compromise that commitment to integrity.

WSJ: Name Game in Search of a New North Dakota Mascot

Nothing new here. The title is a bit off as well, UND is looking for a new nickname, the mascot will come later.

Per the Wall Street Journal:
But a committee assigned to identify a new nickname for the school, which first met in March, voted recently by a margin of 7-4 to eliminate North Dakota as an option. Some argued that the state name didn’t actually count as a nickname.

The group will put five candidates—Fighting Hawks, Nodaks, North Stars, Roughriders and Sundogs—to a public vote, though the process and timeline haven’t been determined. The Wall Street Journal reported in March the committee at that time had hoped to come to a final decision on a new nickname as early as May, but the panel recommended waiting until students and faculty return to campus for the fall semester before any vote takes place.

The committee settled on the five finalists after receiving more than 1,000 “appropriate” suggestions from the public, according to Peter Johnson, executive associate vice president for university relations.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

PFT: Vikings Lead NFL In Arrests Over the Last Five Years

Kind of a dubious honor.  It also doesn't surprise me, not in the least.

Per Pro Football Talk:
According to data compiled by former San Jose Mercury News reporter Mike Rosenberg, the Vikings are leading the way with 18 arrests the last five years.

They’re followed by the Broncos (16), the Colts and Buccaneers (13 each) and the 49ers (12).

At the other end of the spectrum, the Texans come in last with just one, and they cut rookie defensive tackle Brandon Ivory within days of his arrest in Alabama.

The Chargers, Giants and Panthers are tied for next-to-last with three each, and the Dolphins and Saints are next with four. The Patriots are among the teams next with five, even though one of theirs was the double-murder conviction for former tight end Aaron Hernandez.
That being said, this is nothing to be proud of. Not an honor that the Vikings want to have.
There have been 260 NFL player arrests over the last 260 weeks (5 years). New team-by-team arrest breakdown: pic.twitter.com/iNfgyUrzlf — Mike Rosenberg (@RosenbergMerc) August 10, 2015

Sunday, August 09, 2015

Grand Forks Herald Letter: Character of players in nickname debate shows

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This letter lacks a few facts, or just plain omits them. But hey, let's not let facts get in the way of a good argument.

Again, without going over the facts again. Not all of the Tribes were screaming against the Fighting Sioux nickname. The Spirit Lake Tribe approved of UND's use of the Fighting Sioux nickname

Per the Grand Forks Herald:
Character, Aristotle observed, is best revealed through the choices we make.

In a widely circulated letter titled “What if? That’s the question for UND fans,” Tom Anderson reasons that were NDSU, like UND, to have its logo declared offensive to Native Americans “without any input from the North Dakota Sioux Tribes…

Whoa!

Except for Spirit Lake, all North Dakota tribes were screaming against UND’s use of the Fighting Sioux logo.

The NCAA stepped in, a court suit followed and a settlement agreement granted North Dakota three years to secure approval from the state’s two major Sioux Tribes to continue using the logo.

The Standing Rock Tribal Council disapproved. End of story?

Friday, August 07, 2015

Norwood Teague Resigns as AD at UMN

Whoops! The University of Minnesota will be looking for a new athletic director after Northwood Teague resigned today.

Per the Star Tribune:
At a press conference Friday, university president Eric Kaler said there was also harassment of a "verbal and a physical nature" at the event. Kaler said he would not be more specific.

The texts were later released to the media, and they contained graphic content.

In a text message sent to Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins and several other media members, Teague said: "At a recent University event, I had entirely too much to drink. I behaved badly toward nice people, including sending truly inappropriate texts. I am embarrassed and apologize for my offensive behavior. This behavior neither reflects my true character nor the values of the University.

"I am extremely proud of our accomplishments during my tenure here, and I don’t want my personal life to impact the University’s reputation. I have taken immediate steps to obtain help with my alcohol issues, and I take full responsibility for my actions."

Thursday, August 06, 2015

(UPDATED) The Buffalo News: Patrick Kane Possible Subject in Rape Investigation



This story broke earlier this morning. Chicago Blackhawks All-Star forward Patrick Kane is the subject of a rape investigation. It's still very early in the investigation, and there are very few details on this story. Also, keep in mind, in the USA, you're innocent until proven guilty.

From The Buffalo News:
Hamburg police are investigating an incident reportedly involving Patrick Kane, the Chicago Blackhawks star, two sources with knowledge of the probe have told The Buffalo News.

** UPDATE: Sources: Kane is target of rape investigation **

Two sources said Hamburg police officials have forbidden their officers and detectives from publicly discussing the investigation.

“We can neither confirm nor deny the existence or nonexistence of a criminal investigation until such a time as a person is charged with a crime,” said Hamburg Police Chief Gregory G. Wickett.
Per Deadspin:
Update, 10:28 a.m.: WKBW-TV in Buffalo cites sources claiming police are “investigating an alleged incident involving...Kane and a woman that began at a bar in Evans.”


Report: Patrick Kane subject of Buffalo-area police probe (The Hockey News)

Patrick Kane subject of police investigation; no charges filed (ESPN.COM)

TMZ Reports: Patrick Kane Rape Investigation Launched (TMZ.COM)

Report: Patrick Kane subject of sexual assault investigation in New York (SI.COM)

Blackhawks' Patrick Kane subject of police investigation in New York: report (Chicago Tribune)



FCS Poll





RANKSCHOOL2014 RECORDPOINTS2014 FINAL
1North Dakota State (24)15-16001
2Illinois State13-25512
3Villanova11-35127
4Sam Houston State11-55116
5Coastal Carolina12-25025
6Eastern Washington11-34814
7New Hampshire12-24453
8Chattanooga10-44098
9Jacksonville State10-23969
10Northern Iowa9-538110
11Montana State8-529620
12Montana9-527811
13James Madison9-327219
14Liberty9-525617
15South Dakota State9-521513
16Youngstown State7-520525
17Eastern Kentucky9-417121
18Richmond9-517016
19Southeastern Louisiana9-416412
20Indiana State8-610618
21Fordham11-310314
22Harvard10-09915
23McNeese State6-591NR
24Idaho State8-482NR
25Eastern Illinois5-773NR


There are four Big Sky Football teams in the FCS Coaches Poll. The question that everyone is asking, will the NDSU Bison win their fifth FCS Championship in a row? The chances are very good. UND fans are wondering if their favorite team will finally make the NCAA FCS playoffs.

Monday, August 03, 2015

Big Ten Will No Longer Be Playing FCS Schools

I guess the Big Ten Football Conference is tired of losing to FCS schools. For instance, our brother to the south have won five straight games against FBS opponents and has a 2-1 record against Minnesota of the Big Ten.

Per Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press:
Fellow Big Ten West title competitors have somewhat lighter crossover schedules. Wisconsin will play Rutgers and Maryland; Nebraska gets Rutgers and resurgent Michigan State.

The FCS schools, which now supplement their budgets with high-paying games against FBS schools, now won't have that revenue.

"That is going to put some real burden on schools of that size and how they are going to go forward with their football programs," said Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association. 
So, is it good policy for the FBS schools to not schedule the FCS Schools? I don't think so, unless your team has a good shot of making the playoff game. Right now, only four schools make the FBS playoffs.

I suppose the Kansas schools will think twice about scheduling FCS schools. Especially, after NDSU beat both of them recently (2010, 2013).
 

Being North Dakota Doesn’t Violate Settlement Agreement

This summer, there's been a lot of discussion regarding UND and simply being North Dakota. Obviously, some fans, me included, would rather see UND remain North Dakota then adopt a silly and moronic nickname like Sundogs.

Some have said that would violate the settlement agreement between UND and the NCAA. That's not true at all. I reached out to the UND leadership to get clarification. Here's the response that I received.
Eric, thanks for the email and the support for our university. The NCAA says there would not be a violation of the settlement agreement as far as they are concerned if UND didn't adopt a new nickname. However, the NCAA did say that if fans resumed using Sioux or Fighting Sioux, the NCAA believes other schools will complain and that, in turn, would very likely result in sanctions. The NCAA does seem to believe that UND has done its best to comply with the settlement agreement.

Peter Johnson
Executive Associate Vice President for University Relations
(701) 777-4317

Sunday, August 02, 2015

Fargo Forum: It's getting foolish at UND

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
Our friends to the south just can't help themselves. They fall all over themselves coming up with suggestions for UND and what they should do when it comes to the UND nickname. Don't do it, worry about your back-to-back-to-back-to-back NCAA FCS championships.Seriously, that's an impressive feat, no doubt about it. That being said, I don't recall any of us asking for their help.

Per the Fargo Forum:
A new nickname at UND is a nice idea, but many backers of the school don’t want one. Many feel if they can’t have Fighting Sioux, then go with nothing. There is so much animosity towards Kelley and the NCAA, and so much passion for the Fighting Sioux, that it will be tough for a new nickname to be accepted. Some hope that by going with no nickname now, the Fighting Sioux nickname will eventually come back. That’s not going to happen.

It will look foolish to people outside of North Dakota, but if UND fans don’t want a new nickname, then there’s no point of having one. More of the mess that needs to be sorted out is who gets to vote, and how the ballot is worded. Voters should be asked if they want a new nickname or keep UND/North Dakota. If more than 50 percent say yes to a new nickname, then they should vote on the final five choices.
Everyone has a solution to UND's nickname issue.

UND Nickname: A Couple of Ideas

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This summer, the University of North Dakota has been moving towards selecting a new nickname. There've been various people weighing in on what UND should select for a new nickname. Daniel O’Shea from Grand Forks wrote a letter to the editor and suggested that UND be the Pride of the North.

Per O'Shea's letter to the Grand Forks Herald:
In my view, the nickname to replace the Fighting Sioux already is in use, in that UND has been using it to introduce the Marching Band at football games. It is the Pride of the North.

However, this name didn’t go very far in the nickname committee’s view. But perhaps now it is more worthy of reconsideration.

What better name would support UND and all of its students and alums

Steve Molvig of Lovelock, Nevada suggested that there's no harm with UND simply being North Dakota. There's quite a few people that feel the same way.

Molvig's letter to the editor:

As mentioned earlier, finances and expansion at UND have been OK since the Sioux logo was retired. It seems that not much was lost. What things have not come UND’s way because they had NO logo or a never existing mascot (except the Farce’s Kermit). In every poll conducted and published in the Herald, the North Dakota option has been the overwhelming choice. However, this top vote getting superior results has been passed off as somehow hanging on to the Sioux identity or sour grapes.

Why can’t it be that North Dakota option supporters are just that proud of the state, its residents, and they want UND’s recognition nationwide to be the great qualities of North Dakota?

Friday, July 31, 2015

Grand Forks Herald Letter: Sioux people deserve seat at UND nickname-selection table

I know I am a couple of day late on this. I did find this letter thought provoking. Rich Becker, a Republican, from Grand Forks, ND says the Sioux people should have a seat at the UND nickname selection table. What do you think?
Becker from the Grand Forks Herald:
I have visited with members of both the Spirit Lake and Standing Rock tribes, and they feel their voices now have been ignored twice regarding their gift to UND of permission to use the Sioux name.

First, they were ignored by the NCAA, which some legal experts believe did not have the authority in its bylaws to demand the nickname change in the first place.

Second, they were ignored by former Board of Higher Education and UND leaders, who have neither visited tribal leaders on their reservations nor asked them to come to UND to be involved in the naming discussion.

It may be hard for some to understand the sorrow and hurt that so many American Indians feel toward the university and state for the dropping of the Sioux name. Yes, the tribes have many negative issues that tribal members must overcome -- issues such as a lack of education, job and housing opportunities. But over the years, the members have found a steady and vital source of hope and encouragement in the association of the Sioux name with UND.

Now, for argument sake, Dr. Leander “Russ” McDonald, three-time UND alumnus and President, United Tribes Technical College is an enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Tribe and was the Tribal Chairman.
McDonald is an enrolled citizen of the Spirit Lake Tribe in North Dakota and served as the tribe’s chairman. “We were very deliberate in conducting a national search to get the best qualified candidate,” said Tex G. “Red Tipped Arrow” Hall, United Tribes’ board president. “It came down to five who were qualified with post-doctoral level certification.” (Link to the rest of McDonald's Bio)
One could ask, why weren't more Native Americans on the UND Nickname Selection  Committee?  Hind sight is 20/20, but, should the committee included more Native Americans?

Herald Letter: Nickname not just about athletes

Apparently, UND Alumnus Ralph Sollom didn't appreciate Mike Jacobs op-ed the other day.  Thoughts?
Per the Grand Forks Herald:
The people of North Dakota built the University of North Dakota and alumni from all over the world support it in many ways. Students attending UND and people who work there all have a stake in UND. If they are interested in picking a nickname for UND, they should have an opportunity to vote. Picking a nickname is not something for only “active athletes.” Everyone who has a stake in this should be able to choose to vote. Many huge agencies and corporations conduct extensive voting procedures involving a worldwide constituency … I’m sure UND can do this, too.
When I first read Jacobs letter, I thought it was odd that the former editor of the Herald would suggest that only active athletes be allowed to vote on the new nickname. My first thought was that if you did something like that, you would alienate a whole swath of people.