Tom Dennis: Let the Sundogs shine as new UND nickname

I almost fell out of my chair at work when I read this, thank God my mouth wasn't full of coffee when I read this. First, I think Tom Dennis, for the most part, is spot on in a lot of his editorial writings. Even if he's a bit liberal for me. But this, ugh. This is even worthy of a woof. If UND picks the nickname Sundogs, which is highly doubtful, they will become the laughing stock of college sports. This line of thinking must be rejected.

Tom Dennis, Grand Forks Herald:

For there shine the sundogs, the sun's twin siblings that on cold and clear North Dakota mornings never fail to take your breath away.

Why not clue in the rest of America to this unique phenomenon?

Sundogs sparkle; sundogs dance. Sundogs inspire, blending the North Country's core elements of ice crystals and blue sky into a vision that impressed Shakespeare himself: "Dazzle mine eyes, or do I see three suns?" the Bard wrote in "Henry VI, Part 3."

Sounds like the kind of rapture UND could use right now.

And that's why we hope supporters of the university will choose Sundogs as UND's next nickname.

For decades, the Herald has tracked UND's nickname debate as closely as has any institution in town. We've seen the harm that the long and bitter battle has done to the school's spirit. We've watched as a mood of sullenness has settled like a fog on the university community.

And we think Sundogs might just be the symbol to chase those blues away.

I don't know about other folks, but the nickname Sundogs is a nonstarter for me. During the late 1990's to early 2000's, the student organization B.R.I.D.G.E.S pushed the nickname Sundogs, hard. This is the same organization that was very instrumental in getting rid of the Fighting Sioux nickname.