No Ryder Cup for Red River Valley Residents

PGA golf fans living in the Red River Valley, will not be able to watch the second round of the Ryder Cup today. Instead, you have to watch the Thundering Herd play against Illinois State. Checking out social media, a few of the people I follow are less than thrilled.

KVLY announced on its Facebook page Friday afternoon that it will not air Saturday's coverage of the Ryder Cup.

Instead, KVLY will broadcast the Bison football game against Illinois State.

KVLY said it offered to carry the Ryder Cup on one of its alternate channels, but NBC refused. (Grand Forks Herald)

This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Recently, KVLY usurped a Blackhawks Stanley Cup Playoff game with the NDSU Spring Football game.

So, Telling the Truth is a Witch Hunt

You have to love North Dakota State University football fans. I think some of our brothers and sisters in Bison Nation oare living in the land of denial. Telling the truth doesn't make one shady. This isn't the first time that I've seen this mentality from our friends to the south. Maybe the state department can hire them for the PR staff.

Who am I talking about? I was reading a letter to the Inforum editor by Bob Johnson of Fargo, ND. I have no idea who this guy is. But apparently, Bob is unhappy with Rob Port's reporting. Truth be told, if you don't tell the truth, and work for a state entity like NDSU, Ports going to file an FOIA records request and report it. It's pretty simple, state schools are subject to FOIA and if you don't want to get into trouble, don't write questionable emails and texts.

In this case, Port has laid out the evidence and the NDSU President look poorly. He lied. It's on black and white. Maybe NDSU Fans should refocus their anger to the NDSU administration. This is comedy gold.

I was very disappointed to read The Forum's editorial calling for North Dakota State University President Dean Bresciani's resignation. After all of the great things that he has done for NDSU and the state of North Dakota, you ask for his resignation over a few text messages between he and the athletic director? That's shameful.

Maybe people should be asking for the resignation of some of the people at Forum Communications. Namely, whoever is in charge of their shady reporter hiring and media deal bidding. To say Rob Port is a "news journalist" is stretching the truth even for Forum Communications' loose standards. The guy is a hack with an agenda and The Forum is giving him a platform to spread it.

It's about time someone dug up the real dirty secrets behind the anti-NDSU agenda from the mostly UND alumni legislatures and their lapdogs like Port and The Forum's ownership.

The Forum Communications bid for the NDSU media rights was a complete and utter joke and you should be more embarrassed by that than anything NDSU has done. To basically ask for the same restrictions as NDSU tried and taking it even further by trying to force NDSU to get them access to ESPN's feed at no charge (which is impossible) and making NDSU pay them back if they didn't win at least 8 games a year is disgusting if not illegal. Wonder what the courts would think of those stipulations? Basically, a media company threatening a public institution of higher learning to win or pay up?

NDSU Recinds New Media Policy

Before North Dakota State University's new media access rule could take effect, the schools president nixed it. It looks like cooler heads have prevailed.

MOO-U, Fargo  — North Dakota State University athletics' controversial rules that would have limited access for media outlets that didn't have a deal with the university will be rescinded, the university said Tuesday Aug. 2.

President Dean Bresciani directed the athletics department to ditch the guidelines it issued Friday, July 29. He wasn't informed in advance of the guidelines, the university said.

"I was profoundly disappointed when I learned the facts about this issue," Bresciani said in a news release. "This is not the way NDSU treats local journalists and our many loyal fans who value the breadth of news coverage NDSU enjoys. As the state's land grant university, our commitment is to access and inclusion in all endeavors."

My first question is, was this new rule even vetted with the University and with the President of NDSU? It doesn't appear so. The NDSU AD Matt Larson also apologized for the now defunct media rule.

“I erred in not bringing these ideas forward for the president’s review, and I regret the damage this has caused to the administration, institution and university community.”

INFORUM: NDSU limits some media access to Bison athletics

This was in today's Inforum, I think it's a dumb rule. Let's grow the brand by limiting the media that doesn't have broadcast rights. Marvelous.

"We're just trying to protect our rights holders and protect ourselves," said Jeremy Jorgenson, NDSU's director of sales and broadcasting. "We've grown so much that we need to protect our brand." With the new guidelines, media outlets without NDSU broadcast rights agreements:

• Won't be allowed to show extended game highlights on special TV programs.

• Won't be allowed to broadcast or stream online live, regularly scheduled press conferences.

• Won't be allowed to host radio shows, pregame or postgame coverage from NDSU facilities or grounds, including the Fargodome and its parking lot, on game days.

• Won't be allowed to do live play-by-play blogging of games.

• Won't be allowed to do one-on-one interviews with the head football or basketball coaches on radio, TV or internet in season without the written consent of NDSU. Media outlets must request all interviews with these coaches and all players 24 hours in advance.

Stupid is as Stupid Does

This past weekend, the North Dakota State University won an impressive fifth FCS NCAA Football championship in a row. No other team has been able to make this claim. This is a historic event. As a sports fan, you have to give credit where credit is due. This will be a hard accomplishment to ever beat. Shall we say, the bar has been set very high by the NDSU Bison. I would be surprised if this record is ever beaten in our lifetime.

As the final seconds are ticking off of the game clock, NDSU fans took time out to chant “Sioux suck.” No seriously. Your team just won another FCS title and some clown starts a Sioux sucks chant. It would be safe to say that this person wasn't an honor student at NDSU. Nor would they make the cut at UND.

This wasn’t the only time that our buddies to the south did something silly this past weekend. Froggy 99.9 took it upon themselves to take a shot at UND. Seriously, if you're going to take a shot or get in a good dig at UND, at least, be original. If I had to make a guess, this employee in question must have been a fan of a school we no longer play in hockey that's approximately 300 miles south of us.  Is it all in good fun right?

Per the Grand Forks Herald: Froggy 99.9, a Fargo-Moorhead country radio station owned by Midwest Communications, had staff in Frisco covering the festivities and handing out awards to tailgaters.

One award-winner for best sign had UND's interlocking "ND" crossed out and said "Fighting Whioux" and then "suck," Kuntz said.

Froggy 99.9 posted a picture of the award-winners holding a certificate with the anti-UND flag and quickly got some negative feedback.

But I digress. Congrats to the Bison for beating Jacksonville State. You earned. I hope next season your team falls flat on their face next season and fails miserably. That being said, your quarterback Carson Wentz was fun to watch. I hope the Vikings make a run at signing him. You can’t help it that some in your fan base act like eight-year-olds.

Finally, when UND wins its next national championship in hockey or whatever sport, I doubt our fans are going to chant “Bison Suck.” They probably won’t even think of your university.












This is an attempt at humor

Bison Football players making national news for voter fraud

The North Dakota State University football team is getting some unwanted scrutiny and press after it was revealed to the media and fans that eight NDSU football players – four of which are starters have been caught in a voter fraud case. That story has now hit the national media and the NCAA site as well.

CBSSports.com --- Eight North Dakota State University football players, including four starters, are among 11 people charged with faking petition signatures in a scheme that will keep two well-funded initiatives off the November ballot.

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

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

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

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

School officials said Tuesday that players would be available only to talk about football matters and not the court case. Bohl said he did not expect the charges to be a distraction to the defending Football Championship Subdivision champions.

Yesterday NDSU football coach Craig Bohl said he had known about the ongoing investigation for some time now and none of the players that are involved in the voter fraud scandal will be suspended until after they get their day in court – if ever – honestly, I wouldn't count on any disciplinary action coming from this coaching staff. Of course most of us know, this will probably never hit the court room while the Thundering Herd is playing during the 2012 season, so basically this will be brushed under the table.

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

Links to the Story

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

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

Eight NDSU football players facing fraud charges - StarTribune

Eight NDSU football players face petition fraud charges - Argus Leader

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

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

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

8 NDSU players charged with petition fraud - Yahoo Sports

Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

EDIT: NDSU Football players back in trouble with the law

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

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

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

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

Here is the link to the North Dakota Attorney General’s page... [ND AG]

Forum staff reports, INFORUM --- Eight current North Dakota State University football players and one former player are among 11 people facing charges in connection with voter fraud tied to general election ballot measures.

Four of the accused are starters on the football team.

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

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

The charges are Class A misdemeanors.

Criminal complaints claim that all circulators of a petition are required to sign an affidavit stating they witnessed all the signatures and that all signatures are genuine.

Some over on Bisonville the Bison fans are taking a wait and see look at the new revelations about their beloved football team –  some seem to think that it’s a minor issue or are already looking for a way to deflect blame and claim that it’s political. Let's blame UND for our problems.

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

Break out the tin foil hats

EDIT:One NDSU fan even suggested that this is a conspiracy; I am not making this up. Just for the record – I would highly doubt that the A.G. of North Dakota would simply go on a witch hunt against the other school for something like this.

Wayne Stenehjem was born in Mohall, North Dakota, and he graduated from Bismarck High School in 1971 and Bismarck State College in 1972. He attended the University of North Dakota and the UND School of Law, graduating in 1977.

Jaeger was born in Beulah, ND in 1943. Raised in Beulah, he graduated from its high school in 1961. He attended Bismarck State College and in 1963 earned an Associate of Arts degree. In 1966, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Dickinson State University majoring in Business Education with a minor in Speech. He also completed post-graduate work at the University of North Dakota

Get out those tin foil hats folks, the North Dakota A.G. is out to get NDSU because he is a graduate of North Dakota.

Seriously?

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

NDSU won’t play UND until nickname situation is resolved

NDSU won’t play UND until the Nickname issue is resolved… Small price to pay right, just like the NCAA sanctions being “manageable.” Wait, what? Someone must have gotten to NDSU, this can't be.

Really it’s a small price for keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname – screw them right! Who needs NDSU, they can go play someone else. Right! It’s really just a marginal and minor cost for keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname.

I am sure that some will say that Gene Taylor is lying – he can’t be telling the truth. I suppose others will accuse Taylor of folding and changing his view to appease Robert O. Kelley and Brian Faison. I suppose we will also have someone file a FOIA request to see what Gene Taylor knows and when he knew it… I can’t wait to read through all of Taylor’s email when they are posted on a blog somewhere in North Dakota. I can only imagine what else will be said.

Jeff Kolpack,Fargo Forum --- Not so fast, says the NDSU athletic director.

“No details have been worked out,” Gene Taylor said.

Taylor said the schools have dates that would work in both years and that he and Faison talked by phone earlier this week about resuming the game. Taylor said both sides talked a few months ago on a few occasions, but communication stopped until UND could get its nickname situation resolved, he said.

“We don’t have a solid contract,” Taylor said.

I want to address a couple of issue that has come up on line a few times.

First off, no one from the University of North Dakota has ever asked me to write against the Fighting Sioux nickname. No one! It has never happened; not once. No one has ever asked me to change my stance on the Fighting Sioux nickname issue. Seriously! If the President of the United States of America is allowed to evolve on an issue, what can’t others?

No one from the University of North Dakota has ever dangled my press pass in front of me and said if you don’t parrot the University Line against the Fighting Sioux nickname, I would have that press pass pulled. UND has been great and nothing but professional with me.

I have also developed relationships with some at the University of North Dakota and they have been nothing but accommodating and personable, they go out of their way to help people from the press, media and writers. UND is a first class organization that I am proud to be an alumnus of (1996, 1999). I find it mind numbing that some people that don’t have all the information calling reputable alumni, coaches and great people liars and toadies.

Lastly, I love the Fighting Sioux nickname and I think it’s the best logo in all of college sports or professional sports – nothing that they replace the Fighting Sioux nickname with will ever be good enough in my opinion. I have never wavered from that opinion, but like other Alumni that have actually attended class at the University of North Dakota, I know that UND can’t go on forever with the Fighting Sioux nickname and I don’t want to see the University hurt by the sanctions.

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One Super University

If you haven't seen this, there is the new fringe element/movement to get the other school Moo U and UND to merge into one super university. When I first read about it I thought it was a joke. I guess they aren't kidding. This idea seems like it was dreamed up in the back room of a bar somewhere between Fargo and Grand Forks. [Click to read the article]

The D-1 hockey at UND compares impressively with any collegiate hockey program in North America.

1. We (the Great State of North Dakota) can’t afford or need another one.
2. We don’t need duplication of other sports on a D-1 level either.
3. The Great State of North Dakota has ample resources to do this D-1 thing right once.
4. An athletic arms race will not be accepted by rank and file, hard working, common sense approach North Dakotans.
5. The University of North Dakota State Fighting Bison or the State University of North Dakota Fighting Bison, take-your-pick.
6. Two world class campuses, one super university.
7. Being a shark patrolling the National Beach or two walleye swimming in Devils Lake that is really our choice here.
8. This ultimately becomes a merger of two athletic departments and the consolidation of two offices of the presidency, cost savings immediately.
9. For openers; Hockey remains in Grand Forks, Football in Fargo, their historical championships would warrant that. Exhibition games or certain specialty games could be played in Grand Forks or Fargo. Any expansion or remodeling of the FargoDome would allow games to be played in Grand Forks during the transmission. State High School Football Finals could be scheduled annually in Grand Forks.
10. The next given would be wrestling in Fargo, swimming and diving in Grand Forks, both no-brainers as the other school doesn’t have the respective sport.
11. Men’s and Women’s Basketball could ultimately play in multiple home locations, precedent for that would be UCONN they play in both Hartford and their home campus facilities.
12. Baseball and softball play most of their games elsewhere because of the weather, but Fargo has baseball’s answer to the Ralph.
13. Track & Field and soccer could play in both, volleyball in both, tennis could play in both and golf could play in both, I hope you get the point.
14. Add an Equestrian team to deal with issues of Title IX when we go to 85 scholarship football. The equestrian approach would open vast new fundraising opportunities currently not being tapped.
15. The Fighting Bison solves the logo flap.