Showing posts with label #newnickname. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #newnickname. Show all posts

Friday, September 25, 2015

Sifting Through the Herald Letters to the Editor

Wow! Seriously. We're picking a nickname for a sports team. Sundogs screams weakness and isn't something we can all rally around. Based on the history of this nickname choice it would further divide the UND fan base. Thank God she only has one vote.
Per the Herald Editorial Page:
To UND promoters and fans: "Sundogs" is a nickname with enormous potential.

Forget the dorky image of a shaggy dog with green eyes that was printed in the Herald previously. Our "Sundog" is a mythic—or should I say "Legendary"—creature made of light and ice!

Whether a head-only image or full-figure pack running, the Sundogs should have clean lines, pointed ears and—most especially—penetrating and diamond-shaped eyes made only of brightness (no pupils).

Forget "rainbows." Instead, think of strobe-light eyes for arena fixtures whenever possible and a special iridescent fabric for them on uniforms of any color (e.g. Kelly green included).

Sportscasters could talk about the Sundogs 'blinding/hypnotizing" opponents with their exceptional play—or "fading away" if they lose.

Besides being unique to UND, "Sundogs" can be an extremely powerful brand if we use our imaginations.

Lynn Lindholm
Grand Forks
Lindholm is a retired UND faculty member.
Here's another fan that's not a fan of the nickname selection process.
Per the Grand Forks Herald:
Over time, this process has reminded me of medieval Europe, when the aristocracy of the feudal system ruled the countrysides.

All the peasants had to live outside of the castle walls, where they were subjected to whatever whims those inside the walls decided was best for all people of the kingdom.

As I have followed the stories on the nickname selection in the Herald, one thing was completely clear from all the polls conducted. Remaining "UND/North Dakota" was the overwhelmingly dominant choice in all of the polls.

Steve Molvig
Lovelock, Nev.
Speaking of voting. Don't forget to make sure the your email is updated so you can participate in the voting process.

Alumni and donors, we need your email address in order for you to be a part of the voting process. Please visit UNDalumni.org/update to provide your email address and identifying information that will allow us to match you with your database record.

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Snap Shot: StarTribune's online poll, UND Nickname (Updated)


Updated numbers: While not very scientific at all. It does show that Fighting Hawks and Roughriders (Rough Riders) are the most popular. (Link to Poll)  Thoughts? None of the above isn't a choice.

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

UND Nickname: Who Should Vote?

We're finally seeing the light at the end the of the tunnel. This fall, the current UND students, current UND faculty, current UND staff, UND Retirees, UND Alumni, UND donors (including Champions Club members) (one vote per account) will vote for the new UND nickname. Finally, current season ticket holders to UND athletic events (one vote per account) will get to vote.

Mike Connor from Starkweather, N.D. thinks that tax payers should be able to vote.

Per the Grand Forks Herald:
Because I did not attend UND, have never worked for UND and do not own a season ticket, I really have no business fretting about the university's choice of a new nickname. Or at least, that appears to be the opinion of UND President Kelley.

It is clear that Kelley has disenfranchised me and many other North Dakotans by barring our vote on the nickname, even though we are taxpaying residents of the state.
On the Flip side of the argument Rodney Iverson from Chandler, Ariz thinks that non-alumni shouldn't be able to vote.

Per the Grand Forks Herald:
The issue I have is with allowing season ticket holders and donors who are not alumni to vote.

And the reason I have an issue with it is the fact that there are many people who can't afford to donate or to buy season tickets but still are huge UND fans.

They certainly would fall under the "stakeholders" group, but because they can't afford to buy their way into voting, they're being left out.

By the way, I am not in that category; I am an alumni and will get the chance to vote. Just call it the "bleeding heart liberal" in me that is finding an issue with this system.

The only fair solution would be to insist that non-alumni cannot vote, even if they hold season tickets or have given money to the university. I know this suggestion will anger some non-alumni, while others will cheer it.
I think UND President Robert O'Kelley is right on who can vote in the nickname process is correct. If UND let every one that wants to vote, vote, especially those with no skin in the game; imagine that results.

I think that President Kelley is also right to not let the trolls from other campuses and fan bases, with bad intentions vote in the process. Bravo President Kelley.

So, no. I don't think the "Tax Payers" in North Dakota should have a vote.

Tuesday, September 01, 2015

The Forum is at it Again

Today, the Fargo Forum is up to it's old tricks. Again, the Forum can't help itself, they have to write yet another OP, Ed, slamming UND fans. Ugh, we really don't need them inserting themselves in the nickname argument. Maybe they're trying to stoke the fires before the NDSU vs. UND football game. I think the Forum should spend more time talking about last Saturday's football game against the Griz.

First, we all know the University of North Dakota will never, ever be the Fighting Sioux again. There was a statewide vote and it failed.

This is a true statement.

Honestly, I don't know anyone that is actively advocating promoting that UND remain the Fighting Sioux. I do know there were a fair number of people that wanted UND to simply remain UND/North Dakota. With the Fighting Sioux nickname, UND would've never hosted the West Regional last March. Right?

Of course, I do know a lot of people that are upset with the NCAA and the way they handled the situation. That's why thousands of people liked the Facebook group the Sioux were Silenced.

Second, I understand why a lot of people are upset with President Dr. Robert O'Kelley taking the UND/North Dakota option out of the voting process. I can live with that, as long as the voting goes the way President Kelley says it will. Any usurping of the process from here will be unacceptable. As a measure of good faith, President Kelley should kill the Sundogs choice right now. This would help avoid a potentially very bad situation.

President Kelley made a decision and is sticking by it. I have to give him credit for having a backbone and a pair of stones. I am also not an advocate calling for his immediate resignation, he's gone in 2016, any way.

Per the Forum:
Those who cling desperately and foolishly to the University of North Dakota’s retired Fighting Sioux name and logo have taken to blaming the NCAA for bullying the university and the state of North Dakota into scrapping their precious moniker. It’s a strawman argument.

The NCAA is a membership organization. Moreover, its governance structure relies on college and university presidents, chancellors or their designees to make policy and otherwise oversee the organization.

Member schools agree to membership requirements, most of which are promulgated by representatives of the schools. Each of the several athletic divisions is represented on a separate board by member campus officials from appropriate divisions and conferences.

It’s a representative association, not an ivory tower dictatorship.

Here’s the kicker: Member schools agree to adhere to NCAA rules and regulations regarding standards for athletic teams. It is essentially a contract. If a school does not like what the NCAA requires, there is nothing forcing the school to remain a member. There are consequences, of course, because the NCAA’s influence over college sports is ubiquitous. That’s the way it is.
As I have said in the past, I believe that the replacement nickname selections aren't very good. There're a lot of problems with the five (5) remaining selections. North Stars is a bad choice and should be removed from consideration along with Sundogs.

Naming UND's sports teams, the Sundogs will not bring anyone together, or give us something to rally around. Sundogs will further divide the UND community. In the last decade, Sundogs was promoted by the anti-Fighting Sioux nickname crowd. If you don't believe me, look it up.

There are two replacement nicknames that are semi-decent and there are problems with one of them. The best choice is Rough Riders and in today's politically correct world, there's bound to be someone that will be offended with that nickname. So, if UND picks that nickname, UND might have to revisit the issue once again. Next to UND, I like that choice the best. Fighting Hawks is also acceptable. But again, you have to tread lightly selecting the logo. The handwringing do-gooders are going to be on guard.

Finally, while the nickname story has given me something to blog about; during what ended up being a very boring summer, news wise. Think about this, nothing happened this summer. However, I am growing tired of listening to people bicker with each other about the nickname. This has become a very toxic issue and I am ready to vote. Is the new nickname going to be as cool as Fighting Sioux? Not even close. I would compare this to going from staying in a five-star hotel to getting the last room in a Red Roof Inn. You can come up with your own analogies.

I know I am tired of hearing this and so are you.  It's time we move on together as a collective group, and heal together. Being at each others throats isn't healthy. Moreover, we need to do this together as a fan base and we don't need others from outside influencing our decision.

We will always be the University of North Dakota, personally, I have two degrees that say this much. I just hope when the voting is done and the dust has settled, UND isn't hamstrung with some stupid nickname that will continue to divide us long after my generation has left this earth. Go UND....

Friday, August 28, 2015

Robert O. Kelley, " No UND/North Dakota option"

The University of North Dakota President Robert O. Kelley has spoken, UND/North Dakota won't be a nickname option when voting for a new nickname begins.

This could get ugly.

Honestly, I am not surprised by this decision. I wish that the UND/North Dakota option was one of the choices, but I am one person. Whether you like him or not, I think that President Kelley is in a tough spot. I am sure he had all sides lobbying him. The slight threat of NCAA sanctions probably also played a hand in this.

Here's the letter from President Kelley. I do like the fact that members of other schools or people that have poor intentions can't vote for the UND nickname. I applaud President Kelley for that. In other words, you have to have some skin in the game.

The voting process, which will be conducted completely online, will take place in mid-October and will extend for approximately one week. Precise dates will be announced later. Voting will be open to the following groups:
• Current UND Students
• Current UND Faculty
• Current UND Staff
• UND Retirees
• UND Alumni
• UND Donors (including Champions Club members) (one vote per account)
• Current season ticket holders to UND athletic events (one vote per account)
In order to be eligible to vote, individuals must be a UND retiree; a current faculty or staff member; a currently-enrolled student as of Sept. 30, 2015; or a donor or season ticket holder as of Aug. 31, 2015.

Shortly before the voting period begins, eligible voters will receive an email with voting instructions. Current UND students, faculty and staff will receive the emails at their UND (UND.edu) email address. Alumni, donors, retirees and all current season ticket holders must confirm their emails through a process that will be communicated soon. Eligible voters who fall into more than one of the above categories—such as a staff member who is also an alumnus—may only vote once, and any identified multiple votes will be voided.

The online voting process will be conducted by Qualtrics, a third-party survey technology provider with more than 7,000 customers in 75 countries. In 2014, Qualtrics customers sent over one billion surveys worldwide.

During the voting process, eligible voters will cast one vote for a single option on the ballot. Eligible voters will choose one of five nickname options:

Fighting Hawks
Nodaks
North Stars
Roughriders
Sundogs

If any of the proposed nicknames receives a majority of more than 50 percent of the votes, that name will be determined to be the new nickname for the University of North Dakota.

In the event that no single nickname receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff vote will be held between the two top vote-getters shortly after the initial vote.

Said UND President Robert Kelley: “In deciding the final list of names to include in the final vote, I have reviewed the recommendations of the Nickname Committee, the additional input received from a recent student poll, and input from many other individual students (including student athletes), faculty, staff, alumni and community members who have contacted me. I have considered all this input carefully and, in determining the final voting list, have concluded that it is in the best long-term interest of the University not to use ‘North Dakota’ as the University’s official nickname.” President Kelley added, “As I have noted many times, North Dakota is not a nickname—it is a reflection of our pride in who we are. We have been North Dakota—UND—for more than 130 years, and we always will be. The Nickname Committee has delivered a list of five prospective nicknames with the potential to add value to our already-existing North Dakota identity and evoke the pride and spirit that we all feel for our University and our State. I respect and support the process the Committee used, and the extensive public input they gathered. In making this decision, I also respect their final recommendations.”

President Kelley also received extensive input concerning the people who should be involved in the voting process. One important consideration in the decision is the importance of verifying voter identity to prevent fraud. Each eligible voter’s identity and connection to UND will be confirmed.

Even more importantly, noted President Kelley, “We have appreciated the opportunity this past year to gather feedback and ensure representation from all interested parties across the state and across the country. This was accomplished through broad stakeholder representation on the two teams that worked on this process. It was also accomplished by gathering feedback from last fall's town hall meetings, an online survey, and the month-long nickname comment process conducted by the Nickname Committee this past April. It is now time to allow the final step of this process to be undertaken by those individuals with the most direct ties to UND—students, alumni, faculty, staff, retirees, donors, and season ticket holders.”

Information About Email Delivery of Voting Instructions:

Eligible voters will soon receive voting instructions. While students, faculty and staff will already have a confirmed means of identification through their UND email (UND.edu), retirees, alumni, donors and current season ticket holders will need to ensure that their emails are current in their respective databases in order to be able to vote. The weeks prior to the vote will allow these groups the opportunity to do that.

Current season ticket holders (non-Champions Club): Contact the Ralph Engelstad Arena Box Office at 701.777.0855 between the hours of 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday, or email tickets@theralph.com any time between now and October 1, 2015 to ensure that your correct email is on file.

UND alumni, retirees, and donors: Additional information will soon be sent explaining how to confirm email addresses. For alumni, this information will be sent via the Alumni Review and through a direct mail.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Swamp Rabbits > Sundogs

As we go through the nickname process at the University of North Dakota, why is that other places can come up with better names thane we can? Seriously, according to multiple blogs and Internet sources, ECHL’s Greenville Road Warriors have changed their name — starting next year, they’ll be the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. That nickname is absolutely genius. They haven an awesome logo, too. In my opinion, Swamp Rabbits is > Sundogs.

Grand Forks Herald: Don't saddle next president with UND nickname issue

Today, Tom Dennis of the Grand Forks Herald has posted a pretty interesting article. I think Dennis makes some really good points. Whether we like it or not, this issue eventually needs to be solved. UND President Kelley needs to decide if UND is going to be simply North Dakota or one of the five nickname choices.

That being said, Kelley needs to involve the students, alumni and stakeholders in this decision. If not, this is going to fester long after he is gone. The key word is involved.
Per Tom Dennis of the Herald:
On Saturday, a group of protesters gathered at University Park in Grand Forks, and among their calls was for Kelley to immediately resign. The fact that Kelley is retiring next year isn't good enough, they said. Because the final round of nickname decisions should be made by Kelley's successor—not Kelley himself.

We disagree. Moreover, we think Kelley absolutely is the right person to be making nickname decisions these days—not because he's Robert Kelley, but because he's the longstanding and experienced president of UND.

And that's the executive who should be making nickname calls at this point.

In contrast, the next president will be a beginner in all things UND.

And more than any other issue at UND, the nickname issue is one that a beginner simply should not decide. Because in order to make smart decisions on the nickname—one of the most complicated and divisive issues in the history of the state—you've got to have a full understanding of the decades-long background of the issue.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Moving forward

Good Afternoon! Fall is slowly approaching, and I am actually bummed out. This has been one of the best summers that I can remember. It's been hot, the weather has been perfect. I wish it could go on, at least for three more months. But I digress. I guess I can move to Florida if I don't like the ND winters.

Students are returning to campus. College football kicks off the 2015 season in five days.

Also, I am hoping the vote on the UND nickname is coming soon. To be honest with you, over the last couple of weeks, I have grown tired of it as well. I can live with whatever happens as long as UND isn't named the Sundogs.

Jordan Simon from St. Paul says that No Nickname option shouldn't be allowed. Fine, I am cool with that if we eliminate the Sundogs option. I am good. I can live with that.
Per the Grand Forks Herald:
Congratulations to UND President Robert Kelley on his upcoming retirement. But before the president goes, the community needs one last thing from him, which is that he refuse to allow the No Nickname option to advance to the public vote.

Continuing with that name is just an attempt to be known as the hockey team that had its name taken away by the NCAA.

This is a hockey-only fight, and the groups kicking and screaming for North Dakota don't care about the rest of the university or community. The people who will raise a ruckus already don't like Kelley; why should he care what their reaction is?

It is in the best interest of the community to move on and pull this Band-Aid off.

It's fine to have positive feelings about the old nickname. People see it as a symbol of their favorite team; I still have clothes with the logo on it, and there are pictures of me wearing those clothes.
On Friday night, I was enjoying the World of Outlaws Sprint Car series at River Cities Speedway. When all of a sudden, my twitter feed blew up. Some UNO fans had taken issue with the paragraph below. Some even wanted me to ban Redwing77 from ever posting again.

First that's never going to happen, unless Redwing77 attacks someone with what I would consider a malicious attack or uses racist material in one of his posts, I am not firing him.  Besides Redwing77 is a good friend of mine. 
Perhaps it is a ridiculous idea. Perhaps UNO and SCSU will relent closer to the game like DU did. Perhaps UNO's policy is strictly due to the fact that they're desperate to bring new business to a new arena. I don't know. The Mavs, here in Omaha, get a pathetic following even compared to the USHL Lancer team.
The UNO fans were upset because  Redwing77 called UNO's following pathetic. If you look at the numbers, UNO was sixth nationally in attendance last season. Initially, when you look at that, it appears to be an impressive feat. However, Maverick fans only filled 37.4 of their building. So, does he have a point. I don't know.  It's still better than 53 other teams.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Grand Forks Letter: Imagine 'The Donald' taking on the NCAA

Whether you like Donald Trump or not, he has added some entertainment to the primary season. Here's a letter from Scott Olson of Grand Forks. Olson says that the NCAA sanctioning UND because of a fan chanting Go Sioux is the kind of P.C. that Trump is talking about. Thoughts?

Per the Grand Forks Herald:
The story, "NCAA may investigate Sioux chants," said that the NCAA has issued what a UND spokesman called a "friendly warning" to the university. The NCAA apparently spoke of possible sanctions if UND crowds continued cheering for the Fighting Sioux and behaving in certain ways, and other schools complained about it.

The story went on to say the school would be held accountable for the crowd's behavior at games.

If this isn't political correctness run amok, then I have no idea what is. In today's world, apparently, intimidation, veiled threats and bullying are perfectly acceptable when they are done in the name of PC.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Fargo Forum Editorial: UND, don't pander to protesters'

They must be bored in Fargo, ND? They really can't help themselves. Must not have anything to report.

Per Fargo Forum:
First, they want the university’s list of selections for a new UND team name to include “North Dakota.” It’s a transparent ploy to somehow retain some iteration of “Fighting Sioux,” which has been retired.

Second, they want the immediate resignation of UND President Robert Kelley because by their assessment he has presided over a name-change process that has not been responsive to their concerns. What a crock. If ever there was a process that has been painfully long and over-the-top inclusive, it’s been the university’s name-change saga.

But none of that matters to a small, but noisy cabal of unreconstructed “Fighting Sioux” fans. No matter what the eventual choice is, no matter what sort of consensus is achieved, no matter how many voices have been part of the process, they will not accept the inevitable. It makes no sense for Kelley and the university to continue to pander to them. They had their shot, they lost. Whatever they do now is sideshow.

The arrogant contention that “the Sioux have been silenced” is so obviously false as to be cartoonish. First, the “silence” made loud headlines for years, and still is. Second, the history of the moniker debate is replete with pro-Fighting Sioux arguments, some cogent, others offensive. That the case was weak and ultimately failed is the reality that some arguers refuse to accept.

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."

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

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.

Monday, August 03, 2015

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

150
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.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Fargo Forum: Faux Egalitarian Exercise to Select a Nickname Has Become Cartoonish

Wow! Are we entertained yet? I think the fight is only going to get nastier as time goes on. First, UND can't pick a nickname until they define the parameters for selecting one. Second, Kelly has already said he's going to wait to pick a nickname in the fall. That makes sense, wait till the students return to campus.


Per the Fargo Forum and here.
Silly, right? Well, no sillier than attempting (and ultimately failing) to be fair to all when it was crystal clear from the beginning that there was no way “all” could ever come to agreement, or even consensus, about a new nickname. And of course, the mossbacks who cling to the retired nickname will continue to do so no matter what.

Leadership requires leading. It means making unpopular – but right – decisions. The faux egalitarian exercise to select a nickname has become cartoonish. Purpose has been sacrificed to process. A nickname in and of itself isn’t much. But as a vessel, a reflection, an image, it’s very important. The character of athletes, the conduct of fans and the earned reputation of a university will define the nickname, whether it’s Ducks, Gophers, Mud Hens or Cobbers – or whatever at last emerges for UND.
Mud Hens? If you're a duck hunter you will know this one. I kind of like that one. I don't remember that showing up in the initial vote.

Finally, if you're bored with the nickname issue, former All-American forward Zach Parise is celebrating his birthday today.