Bismarck Tribune - Drop the 'Fighting Sioux'

Image via WikipediaThe Bismarck Tribune editorial board came out with this stance on the Fighting Sioux logo. Can't say that I was shocked by their response, seems to be popular to pile on now.

I want to address one point in this editorial; you don't just pick "a new nickname and logo," the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo has been part of UND's history for 80+ years you can't just go Willy Nilly and pick a new nickname and logo without putting some serious thought into the process.  This is how you end up with a really stupid replacement nickname and logo.

Bismarck Tribune - Robert Kelley, University of North Dakota president, said Monday it's time for the school to drop the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

He is right.

But here's the big question. Does he have the wherewithal to get the job done? We think he does, we support his efforts and we wish him success.

Personal preference to keep or drop those two words and image - Fighting Sioux - pales in comparison with what is best for UND students. The protracted controversy from polarized camps has gone on far too long. Damage has been done. More will follow. But it shouldn't be hard to weigh the options.

Pick a new nickname and logo, deal with some angst for an undetermined period of time and create an atmosphere ultimately conducive to university and student athletic success.

Continue use of the nickname and logo, deal with everlasting angst from the NCAA, and create an atmosphere that severely impacts the university and student athletic success.

Forget about "who" makes the decision. It's time to put egos aside and do the right thing - and UND President Kelley should be the point man.

It's time for Native Americans in support of the name and logo to defer to their brothers and sisters who have been, and are, offended by what they believe to be a hostile environment. Indians can lead by continuing a long tradition of love, understanding and service to one another, by focusing on the greater good.

It's time for arrogant legislators to stop controlling and micro-managing. They are not leading by continuing to ask for meetings with the NCAA to defend their silly and defiant actions, pomp-and-circumstance votes commanding continued use of the nickname and logo.

It's time for those legislators to show leadership by admitting their mistake and committing to lightening the heavy burden they wrongfully placed on UND and its students - and November's special redistricting session isn't soon enough.

It's time for the Board of Higher Education to lead by backing President Kelley, at whatever cost, at restarting the transition process that had begun, making it possible to move past the nickname and logo conflict.

And, it's time for the NCAA, and Big Sky Conference, to acknowledge those efforts by then showing leadership by welcoming and helping UND move forward to university and student athletic success.

Consider what is best for students and it isn't an ongoing controversy over a nickname.

Now is the time for leadership - not showmanship.

NHL realignment for the 2012-13 season

Image via WikipediaWith the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg Manitoba, it appears that the Detroit Redwings will be moving to the Eastern Conference like many of the hockey pundits had suggested. I also like the idea of having a home-and-home against teams outside their division.

Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun - The NHL could be ready to make drastic changes with a major realignment for the 2012-13 season.

Two league executives told QMI Agency Wednesday that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented a proposal during Tuesday’s board of governors meetings in New York to scrap the current format used by the league.

Sources say under Bettman’s proposal, the league will have four divisions: Pacific, Midwest, East and South. It’s believed the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets would both get their wish to move to the East conference.

Changes need to be made with the Atlanta Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg now official. The two conferences and six divisions will be kept this year, but Bettman is pushing for a major change.

The realignment is by no means final. It’s still in the discussion stages.

Teams would play a balanced 82-game schedule with home-and-home against teams outside their division.

The top four teams in each division would make the playoffs. The first round would be divisonal play, the teams would then re-seed for conference play. Bettman’s idea would not affect a East-West Stanley Cup final matchup.

Winnipeg NHL team to play Les Habitants to open 2011- 2012 season

Image by Jordon via FlickrThe Winnipeg NHL team _________ ( the what-evers) are going to open with Les Habitants on Sunday, October 9th at 4 p.m. at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Go ________...

ST. PAUL, MINN. - Break out the tuxedos folks, the Montreal Canadiens will serve as the first regular-season opponent for Winnipeg’s new NHL franchise.

Although the full NHL schedule will be released on Thursday afternoon, True North confirmed Wednesday evening that they’ll host the fabled Habs on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. at the MTS Centre in a game that will serve as the season and home opener for Winnipeg.

“To be honest, I could care less about who we’re playing,” Winnipeg captain Andrew Ladd said in a text message. “It’s going to be more about the first game back in Winnipeg and how crazy the fans will be!”

Manitobans will get a double dose of scheduling pleasure on Thursday.

In the morning, the preseason schedule for Winnipeg’s NHL team will be unveiled.

Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff revealed on Wednesday that Winnipeg has simply picked up the preseason schedule the Atlanta Thrashers planned to play.

Winnipeg will play seven preseason tilts, three at home, three on the road and one neutral site game against the Ottawa Senators on Sept. 26 in Conception Bay South in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Having a game in the same province as their American Hockey League affiliate is a bonus.

“It was very fortuitous that the exhibition schedule for Atlanta already had a game already scheduled out there,” said Cheveldayoff. “For us, it’s great. It’s an exciting time for the fans of Newfoundland to really get to see a lot of players that could be there way, but certainly a lot of players who will be in Winnipeg as well.”

That game against the Senators will be part of the Kraft Hockeyville promotion

Related articles

• True North and MTS Allstream agree on 10-year naming rights deal for MTS Centre in Winnipeg (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• NHL To Vote On Winnipeg Relocation Of Atlanta Thrashers Tuesday (sbnation.com)
• Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff prepares staff for first NHL draft (thehockeynews.com)
• NHL approves Atlanta sale to Winnipeg (cbc.ca)

Former Sioux Toews on Vancouver riots: 'I kind of expected that'

Web Pro News

This was just too good to not pass on. Former Fighting Sioux star and current Blackhawk forward Jonathan Toews wasn't surprised by the Rioting in Vancouver. Seriously, I can't say that I am all that shocked either; especially after there was a riot in the city of Vancouver after the Vancouver Canucks lost in 1994 Stanley Cup Finals to the New York Rangers. What a bunch of morons, they tore up their city after the lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Chris Kuc; Tribune reporter --- After getting up close and personal with Canucks fans the past three seasons, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews wasn't surprised at the rioting in Vancouver after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Shortly after the Canucks fell to the Bruins last week to give Boston its first Stanley Cup since 1972, the British Columbia city erupted in violence, causing multiple injuries and extensive damage.

"I kind of expected that," said Toews, who was scheduled to leave Chicago on Tuesday to head to Las Vegas for the NHL Awards. "Those fans are crazy. When we beat them the last couple of years they were throwing stuff on the ice. They're crazy fans and obviously passionate about their team. I kind of expected a reaction one way or another."

NHL Awards 2011

The 2010-2011 NHL hockey season is officially over after the NHL awards were handed out in Las Vegas. Two Boston Bruins won awards, no surprise to anyone that Tim Thomas won his second Vezina Trophy in three seasons. Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara won the Messier Award. Former Fighting Sioux forward Jonathan Toews finished second in the voting for the Selke Trophy. I do have a question; how's Peter Chiarelli General Manager of the Boston Bruins not a Candidate for the GM award?

Norris (Outstanding Defenseman): Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings

Art Ross (Regular-Season Scoring Leader): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Mark Messier Leadership Award: Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Selke (Outstanding Defensive Forward): Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks

Jack Adams (Coach of the Year): Dan Bylsma, Pittsburgh Penguins

Calder (Top Rookie): Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes

Jennings (Fewest Goals Allowed): Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider, Vancouver Canucks

General Manager: Mike Gillis, Vancouver Canucks

Rocket Richard (Most Regular-Season Goals): Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Ted Lindsay (MVP as Voted by Players): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Masterton (Perseverance and Dedication to Hockey): Ian Laperriere, Philadelphia Flyers

King Clancy (Leadership and Humanitarian Contributions): Doug Weight, New York Islanders

Lady Byng (Skillful and Gentlemanly Play): Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

Vezina (Top Goaltender): Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

Hart (MVP): Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

HOCKEY: ‘A real, living Paul Bunyan’

Image via WikipediaFighting Sioux beat writer Brad Schlossman has an awesome article on former Bemidji Lumber Jack star George Pelawa. I had the pleasure of meeting George when I moved to Bemidji, Minnesota in 1984.

I transferred my senior year of high school from International Falls, Minnesota to Bemidji, Minnesota, where I met George Pelawa who was also playing football for the Bemidji Lumber Jacks. I can tell you everything that they said about George Pelawa was true, George was an amazing athlete, and an awesome person, I don't think that you could meet a nicer guy and I can't ever remember anyone ever saying anything negative about him.

Brad Elliott Schlossman, Grand Forks Herald --- George Pelawa was 6 feet, 4 inches and about 240 pounds.

“The biggest hockey player I ever saw,” UND associate coach Cary Eades said. “He was a real, living Paul Bunyan.”

He could skate, puck-handle, shoot and hit, too.

The rare skill set made the Bemidji native one of the most coveted players that northern Minnesota has ever seen.

Eades recalls rejoicing in the Sioux hockey office 25 years ago when Pelawa committed to UND, then watching the power forward dominate at the 1986 state hockey tournament.

Three months later, the Calgary Flames selected Pelawa in the first round with the No. 16 overall pick. At the time, no Minnesota-born forward had ever been drafted higher.

“He had the total package,” said Eades, an assistant coach who helped recruit Pelawa. “The sky was the limit for him. There was an unbelievable amount of potential for him. . . just never realized.”

A week after moving into the dorms at UND, Pelawa was killed in a car accident just north of Bemidji.

An estimated 2,000 people attended the funeral at the high school auditorium.

Among those in attendance: UND head coach Gino Gasparini, U.S. Olympic head coach Dave Peterson, Miracle on Ice coach Herb Brooks and Calgary Flames general manager Cliff Fletcher, whose son Chuck will make the home state team’s draft pick Friday night in Xcel Energy Center as the general manager of the Minnesota Wild.

Pelawa’s parents, Frank and Winnie, are considering making the trip to St. Paul for the event. It will certainly conjure up many memories of the guy who was affectionately known as “Big George.”

Board of Governors approves changes to two rules

Associated Press

There were two changes to the NHL  rule book;  Rule 48 which covers hits to the head and Rule 41 which covers the penalty for boarding. Some in the past have complained that Rule 48 is too vague and confusing. Now the rule has been changed, to take away the confusion and vagueness, now it doesn't matter hat direction a player comes from to hit an opposition player in the head. On the boarding rule tweak; it now doesn't matter if you check or push a defenseless player into the boards.

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer   ---- The NHL's Board of Governors on Tuesday approved changes to the wording of Rule 48 that were initially passed by the League's general managers and then the Competition Committee at meetings in Boston during the Stanley Cup Final.

Rule 48 previously provided the on-ice officials with the ability to call a major penalty for any targeted head hit from the lateral or blind side, but the re-written rule no longer includes the words lateral or blind side, and the major penalty provision has been replaced by the minor penalty provision.

"Now, the confusion some of the players have expressed in the past as to what direction they're approaching a player, what direction a player is facing, east, west, north, south, that has all been taken out," said Brendan Shanahan, NHL Senior V.P. of Player Safety and Hockey Operations. "Anywhere on the ice, coming from any direction, you target the head and make it a principle point of contact, you'll be subject to a two-minute penalty on the ice for Rule 48. You'll also be -- as with all two-minute penalties or non-calls -- subject to supplementary discipline."

In addition, Rule 41, which covers boarding, was also changed to read, "A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any player who checks or pushes a defenseless opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to hit or impact the boards violently or dangerously."

The words "pushes" and "defenseless" were previously not included in the definition of the boarding rule. Defenseless replaced the word vulnerable.

"What we did is we took the onus off the violence of the hit itself and added the word 'push' in there," Shanahan said. "It really has more to do with the violence in the collision with the boards. We don't necessarily think it has to be a violent hit to cause a violent crash, so we broadened the rule by putting in the word 'push.' "

Related articles

• NHL Competition Committee Approves Expansion Of Rule 48 (sbnation.com)
• NHL's competition committee to recommend changes to Rule 48 (theglobeandmail.com)
• NHL's competition committee to recommend changes to head hitting rule (thehockeynews.com)
• Winnipeg NHL approval vote on tap in New York (cbc.ca)

It's official Thrashers to Winnipeg

Illegal Curve

The NHL will officially will now only be about 150 miles from Grand Forks, ND. I believe one reader told me I was out of touch and delusional if I thought that the NHL would make it's return to Winnipeg, Manitoba. I guess I wasn't delusional after all. The vote to move the Thrashers to Winnipeg was unanimous as well. For all of you're Jets news visit the Illegal Curve blog.

NEW YORK (AP) —Don Waddell has been through it all with the Atlanta Thrashers since they entered the NHL in 1999.

From general manager to coach to team president, Waddell endured the ups and downs—mostly downs—as the franchise struggled on and off the ice.

After 13 years and only one playoff appearance that produced no wins, Tuesday was the day for Waddell and Atlanta to finally say goodbye to its second hockey team.

The NHL board of governors unanimously approved the sale and relocation of the Thrashers to Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Tuesday, clearing the final big hurdle in the process.

“We’ve been through the emotions and the frustrations the last few weeks, but when I look back and being there 13 years, it’s been a great run,” said Waddell, who served as general manager from the start until the 2009-10 season. “Since ’98 when I got hired, there are only four general managers that are currently with their teams.

“You’ve got to look at the positives. To be able to stay in one place for so long, it’s been tremendous for me.”

The same can’t be said of the team that once featured star players such as Dany Heatley(notes) and Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) and Marian Hossa(notes), but couldn’t keep them for one reason or another.

True North Sports and Entertainment bought the team last month and announced it was bringing the Thrashers to Winnipeg, which lost the Jets to Phoenix after the 1995-96 season.

“Obviously, everybody is sorry and distressed and unhappy that we found ourselves in the circumstance where our franchise was leaving Atlanta,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We’re particularly sorry for the fans that are there, but obviously based on the reception that we’ve gotten, everybody is extremely excited about the opportunities in Winnipeg for our return.”

NCAA Ice hockey panel clarifies rules

Image via WikipediaThis was tweeted over on twitter. The NCAA Ice Hockey Committee looked to clarify the rule regarding head shots. It’s good that the NCAA is going to look at this rule more closely. I do see one problem with this clarification though; it’s going to take more legal hitting out of the college hockey game. This could in essence take a lot of the open ice hits out of the game of college hockey, I would be willing to bet we will see shoulder to shoulder contact penalized.

Ty Halpin; NCAA.org ---- The committee did approve several items of guidance for officials to build on the successful implementation of its rules for contact to the head.

“Progress was certainly made this season,” said Ed McLaughlin, athletics director at Niagara University and chair of the committee. “We are adding some additional guidance to support what is already in our rules in the hope that players, coaches and officials can better understand expectations with this rule.”

In some cases, officials were hesitant to enforce the contact to the head because they were unsure if a player had clearly “targeted” an opponent. The committee reinforced that targeting is not a prerequisite for this rule to be used.

Added to the examples of the type of play the committee hopes to remove are players who are reckless, players who are about to receive a pass and direct contact to the head or neck area from any direction. This additional guidance joins several other bullet points already printed in the rules book.

The committee also points the hockey community to language that already appears in the rules book: “A player delivering a check to an unsuspecting and vulnerable player puts themselves in jeopardy of being penalized under this rule.”

“We believe our rule is the most robust and aggressive in ice hockey,” McLaughlin said. “What we saw this year was a good start. We’re trying to take any doubt out of this call and help officials who have only one game-speed view of a play to determine how to officiate this play. We realize this is a big penalty and a serious one, but this approach has worked with hitting from behind and we believe it will work here to adjust player behavior.”

Also from the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Comittee, elbellishmet is also going to be another area of emphasis, I applaud that decision, “Diving and embellishment erode the integrity of our game and must be eliminated.” I say right on! Hockey in North America is starting to look like European Soccer with all of the diving, if you think I am off the mark, go back and re-watch the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs again, there was so much diving in the games that the refs got to a point where they couldn’t tell if a player was diving or not and many times failed to call a penalty. Also, not to points fingers but the players of Garrett Roe and Jacob Cepis' ilk, you're on notice, the refs are going to be watching you… Diving is ruining hockey of all levels. Seriously, real hockey players aren't frauds and they don't dive.

Embellishment/diving

In addition to the contact to the head and general emphasis on player safety, the committee received feedback from the coaching community that embellishment/diving seems to be a growing issue. The committee voted to make this a point of emphasis for the upcoming season and plans to include several video examples during preseason clinics.

“Diving and embellishment erode the integrity of our game and must be eliminated,” McLaughlin said. “Trying to deceive officials is unethical and unsporting. This has to be a collaborative effort to make progress.”

The committee decided to provide guidance regarding obstruction along the boards, where the defensive tactic of pressing and releasing an opponent should be allowed, but impeding is not. Again, additional video examples will be used to encourage consistent application of these rules.

Finally, the group points attention again to rules that deal with facewashing, which typically occurs after a stoppage in play. Continued and stringent enforcement of these rules is needed to improve the image of the game.

In case you’re one of the ten people that hasn’t seen it, here is the official press release from the NC$$ on the Fighting Sioux nickname. As you can see the NCAA is not budging and they will probably not change their mind.

NCAA statement on North Dakota mascot issueThe NCAA’s Native American mascot policy remains in effect, and we stand ready to assist the University of North Dakota with its implementation of the policy.

The Big Sky Conference’s position related to the university's Fighting Sioux nickname and logo is consistent with the spirit and intent of the settlement agreement the NCAA reached with the university to retire the nickname and logo.

We have made clear to both the conference and the university that the NCAA has no intention of changing its position.

If the University of North Dakota continues to use the nickname and logo past the August 15 deadline due to state law, it will be subject to the parameters of the policy. This means the university could not host any championships or use the nickname and logo at any championship events.

If you have read this blog for any length of time you will know that I am a big time supporter of the Fighting Sioux nickname. In the future, I plan on getting a Fighting Sioux logo permanently tattooed to my body… It’s the opinion of this writer that the University of North Dakota will never be able to replace this great logo with anything remotely cool. I also believe that we are destined to replace the Fighting Sioux logo with some stupid moniker that will be in essence a capitulation to the people that were offended by the Fighting Sioux logo and nickname.

Moving forward, I also don’t have any faith in the current president of the University of North Dakota, President Robert Kelley is part of the problem, he is a hand wringing liberal elite from the University of Berkley in California who wants to shove his political correctness and beliefs down our throat. That being said I do believe this is the end of the Fighting Sioux nickname, I see no way that it stays past this season.

Related articles

• NCAA: No policy change on Indian nicknames (sports.espn.go.com)
• NCAA: No change in policy against Indian nicknames (cbssports.com)

No joke, North Dakota should go with Suhaki

Bloggin with Scroggin

I am going to say no thank you... I have seen this blog post a few times, yeah, I know it's an old article it was written back in January.  I haven't really said much about this subject but I think this is a horrible idea in my opinion. None-the-less, I am sure with the recent revelations this past week this idea will be thrown around again by some to see if it sticks to the wall. It would work for hockey but it's not really user friendly for the rest of UND's programs.

Bloggin with Scroggin --- know this movement started as a humorous nonviolent protest, but seriously, I think North Dakota has something here.

Suhak. It’s a central Asian hoofed mammal (similar to an antelope) whose Wikipedia entry you have to translate from Polish.

And the plural form is Suhaki (pronounced “Sioux Hockey”).

Let me catch you up. The Cal Poly football team has been playing North Dakota since the Fighting Sioux joined the Great West Conference for the past couple of years. The teams will play again in 2011 and will continue to be conference mates when both make the switch to the Big Sky in 2012.

The past two times the Mustangs played North Dakota, the team was known as the Fighting Sioux. The next time, it’ll simply be North Dakota. The lack of a nickname going forward is the result of a years-long battle between the university and the NCAA, which has deemed Fighting Sioux offensive enough to threaten North Dakota with a postseason ban for continued use.

When it couldn’t get enough support from the two local Sioux tribes in the state, North Dakota decided to drop the name and will be going without a mascot for at least one year.

As someone who has annual contact with North Dakota, I’ve had the Sioux nickname conversation with others a few times, and I haven’t heard any good ideas for a substitute mascot — until this week.

Related articles

• NCAA: No policy change on Indian nicknames (sports.espn.go.com)
• Kathryn Rand Named Dean at North Dakota (leiterlawschool.typepad.com)
• Hey North Dakota ! (winewood.wordpress.com)
• NCAA: No change in policy against Indian nicknames (cbssports.com)

Is there a double standard?

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeBruce Dowbiggen from the Globe and Mail has a head scratcher of an article in Sunday's Globe and Mail sports page.

First off  I don't understand why "we need expunge the media images from one of the nastiest Stanley Cup finals in recent memory." I found the Stanley Cup finals to be very entertaining in my opinion an instant classic and the Stanley Cup Finals got pretty decent T.V. rating as well in the USA. What did the media  expect when two teams play each other for 7 games, there are going to be some hurt feelings. It's a shame the two teams don't play more. The Stanley Cup Finals were awesome; the riot in the streets of Vancouver after game 7 not so much.

Second we still have people in Canada more specifically from Montreal, that are still whining about Canadians' punk P.K. Subban being picked on. The problem I see with Subban; while a great NHL talent he is a show boat but he is also a diver as well. In my opinion, Subban would be an awesome Vancouver Canuck the way he embellishes and flails on the ice when he is tapped. It has nothing to do with his ethnic back ground I believe that many people just don't like his antics. Again there are some in hockey that are turning a great sport into European soccer with their embellishment and antics.

NEGATIVE IMAGES

As the NHL hands out its awards in Las Vegas Tuesday, it’ll be looking to expunge the media images from one of the nastiest Stanley Cup finals in recent memory. Most depressing was the image of thousands of young men in Vancouver who seem to have mistaken a riot for a South Park episode. The other was the sight of Boston Bruins rookie Brad Marchand using the head of Hart Trophy finalist Daniel Sedin as a speed bag – to the approval of hockey’s blood culture.

The league can’t do much for the street rioting but it could do something about the latter. Imagine an NBA rookie speed-bagging Dirk Nowitzki’s head going into a timeout or a first-year NFL player hitting Tom Brady in the head repeatedly after the play. What do you think the response would be from those leagues? They’d hammer the kid.

But the NHL stands by as useless as a Vancouver city cop watching his cruiser burn. Better yet, media types – some of whom piously decry fighting – blame Sedin for bruising Marchand’s knuckles and tell Vancouver to wise up and get some tough guys. Hope all the parents with kids in hockey are following this.

DOUBLE STANDARD

One final thought on rookie Marchand: How come when he abuses a superstar he’s applauded by Hockey Night in Canada and the media as a savvy kid who gets under the skin to win. But when Montreal Canadiens rookie P.K. Subban did the same, we were told by the same voices that he was a punk with no respect who needed to be taken down a notch? Is it because Marchand is a Bruin, a sacred squad on Hockey Night, because Sedin is a European or because Marchand is white while Subban is black, or all of the above. Take all the time you need to answer.

Is there a double standard when it comes to P.K. Subban? I don't believe so. What do you think?

Related articles

• VIDEO: Brad Marchand Punches Daniel Sedin, Avoids Retaliation In Canucks-Bruins Game 6 (sbnation.com)
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UND's Kelley: Time to change nickname, logo, 'move beyond' issue

Image via WikipediaI have two questions for University of Fighting Sioux sports fans; is UND president Dr. Robert Kelley a puppet of the NCAA? In looking at the events surrounding the Big Sky's announcement that the Fighting Sioux nickname could be a problem, it's just seems a little fishy to me... My next question is did Dr. Kelley pressure the Big Sky Conference to  come out against UND's use of the Fighting Sioux nickname? 

Herald Staff; Grand Forks Herald --- Kelley, speaking via telephone on KFGO Radio's "News and Views" program, says he believes the North Dakota Legislature should use a planned November special session for legislative redistricting to also reconsider its new law mandating the Sioux nickname and logo, KFGO's website reported. The law is set to take effect in mid-August.

"You know, I think the events of the last few days clearly show that, as we move out more and more onto a national stage, both through the NCAA Division I (and) as we work with other universities out-of-state in Big Sky conferencing, very clearly we have to listen to their concerns," Kelley said on the air. He was responding to program host Joel Heitkamp's question about whether the president believes the nickname has to change.

"So, yes," Kelley continued, "I'm going to come right out and say that it's time now for us to move beyond the name and logo issue for the success of the university and for the success of our student athletes."

UND and state leaders are going ahead with plans to meet with the NCAA this summer, possibly in late July, even though the NCAA last week restated it has "no intention of changing its position" about ending the UND's Sioux nickname and logo. Sanctions will apply if the name and logo are in use after Aug. 15," as required in a settlement

Kelley said then he was "not surprised" by the NCAA's statement because that organization has been consistent on its position.

Related articles

• NCAA: No change in policy against Indian nicknames (cbssports.com)
• NCAA: No policy change on Indian nicknames (sports.espn.go.com)
• N.C.A.A. Says No Go on Fighting Sioux Law (nytimes.com)
• APNewsBreak: NCAA says no go on Fighting Sioux law (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• NCAA: Despite state law, Fighting Sioux nickname will cost school (cbssports.com)

An illustration of what is wrong with Canucks fans... Tin Foil Hats...

Image via WikipediaI found this comment by a Canucks' fan on Puck Daddy and it's too good to not share... I have seen comments like this all over "the Internet" on all kinds of sites both on hockey blogs and on line newspapers; there are actually people out there that really think that the NHL refs were against the Vancouver Canucks and wanted the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup... I mean seriously this is tin foil hat stuff.

Everyone thinks of the Burrows biting incident but there were much more after the whistle incident committed by Boston.....eg sucker punching Burrows, Marchand hitting face punching Sedin several times in front of the ref..no call? it is usually called.

It was clear that the refs and NHL was routing for Boston to win the cup...no doubt in my mind. Why? I don't know but may have been due to Burrows-Auje incident a long time ago. But also, Rome hits a guy down who can't play for the rest of the playoffs and he is suspended while Mason Raymond can't play until next November and Boychuk getting a pat on the shoulder? Not to mention.....everyone condemns Rome because he put someone out of the playoffs but what about Chara's hit on Pacrioetty that ends regular season, playoffs and some of next season and he gets nothing.. Give me a break!!!

The NHL clearly favors American teams. No doubt in my mind....for a simple reason. The Canadian economy can only sustain 4-5 teams whereas the American can sustain a league of 30-40 teams. So in order to generate interest, you need that American excitement.....helps Bettman to keep his job too. If No NHL, No job for Bettman. Do you know his salary is 6-7 million per year? Yeah, if I were in his shoes, I would find ways to promote the NHL to make money....that's my job..

Related articles

• Stanley Cup Finals 2011: Eulogy for the Vancouver Canucks from a Bruins Fan (bleacherreport.com)
• Slap Shot: Canucks General Manager Opens a Can of Worms Over Raymond Injury (slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Heartbreak for Canucks fans (theglobeandmail.com)
• NHL Stanley Cup Finals: Boston Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks, Game 2 Live Blog (bleacherreport.com)

Can you imagine if the Bruins had traded Tim Thomas?

Imagine if the Boston Bruins had traded Tim Thomas to the Philadelphia Flyers or the Washington Capitals? I don't think they would have made it out of the first series against the Montreal Canadians. Going back to last season I can remember a lot of fans wanting to get rid of Tim Thomas who ended up getting hip surgery in the off-season and returned to his Vezina Trophy winning form of 2008-2009.

Tim Thomas of old 

Tim Thomas came back like gang busters during the 2010-2011 regular season posting a record breaking 2.00 GAA and .938 Save percentage and a 35-11-9 record. Tim Thomas was even more impressive in the post season racking up an impressive 1.98 GAA  and a .940 save percentage with a 16-9 record in 25 playoff games. Thomas retook the starting job away from the younger Tuukka Rask 2.67 GAA and .918 save percentage and a regular season record 11-14-2. I think Thomas proved the Nay Sayers wrong by proving that he could still play at a high level. I can't even phantom what would have happened to the Boston Bruins had Thomas been traded.

Joe Haggerty; CSNNE.COM ---- The B’s goalie was great from his first appearance of the regular season, and broke through with an epic postseason performance after never finding the secret sauce during his previous Game 7 experiences.

A .940 save percentage, a 1.98 goals against average, four shutouts, and a 16-9 overall record following a Vezina Trophy-winning season mean that years from now people will refer to 2010-11 as “The Year of Tim Thomas.”

But it almost didn’t happen that way for Boston, or for the goalie that went into training camp with a snow white set of goalie pads and a white mask free of all Bruins logos that revealed a few hard feelings headed into the season.

That can happen when a player is dangled on the trade market as a necessary evil due to salary cap issues, and it pushed Thomas into “prove people wrong” mode headed into this year. That’s always a good place for Thomas to be once he’d gotten over the initial vexation at being involved in trade whispers.

Chiarelli admitted on Friday morning he’d taken phone calls about Tim Thomas, and sources indicated then to CSNNE.com that the most seriously interested parties were Washington and Philadelphia. The Bruins and Flyers had casually discussed a deal involving Thomas to the Flyers while the goalie was recovering from hip surgery after losing his playoff starting role to a younger goaltending model in Tuukka Rask.

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Break down of the Canucks injuries

Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis went through the litany of injuries that the Vancouver Canucks suffered through during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Dan Hamhuis abdominal injury, Mason Raymond broken back, Alex Edler two broken fingers, Kevin Bieksa bruised MCL, Ryan Kesler hip injury, Chris Higgins foot injury, Christian Ehrhoff shoulder injury, Henrik Sedin back injury, Mikael Samuelsson operation on an abdominal tear and Manny Malhotra eye injury and hadn't skated in a 6-7 weeks after his surgery because of treatment.

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The Sedin twins; No cup for Vancouver

Man Certified

This one doesn't require a lot of discussion; in my opinion the Vancouver Canucks were the most unlikable team in Stanley Cup history, next to the Montreal Canadians. People thought I was crazy when I told told people that the Vancouver Canucks were not going to run away with the Stanley Cup, we had people saying that the Canucks were going to win in four or five games. Yeah how did that work out for you?

Also, I thought it was funny that while the hockey pundits,  self congratulatory bloggers and self described experts were all but handing the Canucks the Stanley Cup to them before they had even played a game in the series... The chatter became even louder after the Bruins went down two games to zero in the series these same people said the series is was all but over. Moving forward, I wonder how these experts feel today after once anointing the Vancouver Canucks the Champions and scheduling their victory parade... Instead the city of Vancouver is cleaning up after the riots and Roberto Luongo is consulting with a sports psychologist.

It rankles when U.S. teams take Canada's Cup

Image via WikipediaI figured this article was coming after another Canadian based NHL team failed to break an 18 year streak dating back to 1993 when the Montreal Canadians won the Stanley Cup. That was the last time a team from Canada had won the Stanley Cup and a lot of Canadians are unhappy with this fact.

Roy MacGregor; Globe and Mail--- For the past few weeks, a debate has raged in the country about whether the Vancouver Canucks were going to become Canada’s team. No U.S.-based team, however, could possibly have such an effect on this debate as did the Boston Bruins, an Original Six team that has always enjoyed strong support in Canada’s Atlantic region, where the long-standing sports links grew out of the historical shipping links.

If a Canada’s team were truly possible in hockey, it would likely happen to the Vancouver Canucks more easily than any other current Canadian NHL team. Toronto and Montreal would be reluctant to cheer for each other; Edmonton and Calgary would find it impossible. Few who pay taxes could root for a team with Ottawa in its name.

Vancouver simply does not have the natural enemies those other cities have. Nor is it part of any long-time provincial or regional rivalry. Though millions of Canadians might be disgusted today with the boorish display of the hockey rioters, fans of convenience at best, many more millions of Canadians warmly embraced this lovely city barely a year ago when the greatest Olympics in Canadian history were held in Vancouver and Whistler.

Far more significantly than whether or not Canadian fans wore blue (Canucks) or yellow (Bruins) was the thought that this series was actually far more about Canada’s Cup than Canada’s team.

Canadians take such enormous pride in their national game – novelist Morley Callaghan called hockey “our own national drama” – that it has grated seeing the Stanley Cup won where it rarely, if ever, snows (Dallas, Tampa Bay, Carolina).

The notion of one day bringing the Cup home to Canada has, in its own way, become a cause, perhaps not quite in the realm of Egypt getting the Rosetta Stone back from Britain, or Australian and Canadian aboriginals demanding their treasured artifacts be returned by the museums that hold them, but a cause all the same.

The difference is that this one will not be won in the courts, or even in the court of public opinion, but will have to be won where all Stanley Cups have been taken: on the ice, best of seven, last team still standing.

For millions of Canadians, hockey is itself a religion. To watch the Stanley Cup – bequeathed to Canadians, intended for amateur teams – become largely the property of U.S. teams is annoying, and it is nothing short of insulting to have to watch these long playoffs as the most revered trophy in the national game becomes an advertising prop for an American beer, Budweiser.

In a way I take exception to this line of thinking because hockey just isn't Canada's game, many Americans also are also hockey players and hockey fans as well. Sure the NHL is dominated by Canadians but there are also many good American hockey players playing in the NHL. The Vancouver Canucks had more Americans on their roster this past season than the Boston Bruins. In my humble opinion the Stanley Cup belongs to NHL hockey fans and their players and there is no birth right or is it an entitlement for the Stanley Cup to be won by a Canadian team.

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NCAA reaffirms: Policy on nicknames unchanged

Image via WikipediaHere is the latest on the Fighting Sioux nickname, the NCAA is unwavering and re-affirmed their opposition to the Fighting Sioux nickname.

I love the Fighting Sioux nickname and I bleed green and white but I am also fed up with political correctness run a muck, none-the-less,  I don't see any way that the University of North Dakota can keep the Fighting Sioux nickname without jeopardizing their Big Sky Conference affiliation and short of the Team North Dakota (Berg, Conrad, Hoeven) getting involved, they have shown no interest what so ever getting involved in the fight, I think the transition away from the Fighting Sioux nickname is a done deal.

Chuck Haga; Grand Forks Herald --- UND and state leaders will go ahead with plans to meet with the NCAA this summer despite the NCAA’s rather forceful restating of its position Friday concerning UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname.

The NCAA declared that it has “no intention of changing its position” and sanctions will apply if the name and logo are still in use after Aug. 15. But the association also has indicated to UND that NCAA leaders would receive a North Dakota delegation to discuss the impasse and provided two possible dates for a meeting in Indianapolis in late July.

UND President Robert Kelley, who confirmed that the NCAA had provided his office with the possible meeting dates, said he was “not surprised by the statement, as the NCAA is consistent in their position.”

“I think the issue now is to get our legislative and executive leaders to talk with the NCAA and see if there’s any final opportunity to turn the NCAA in another direction,” Kelley said.

“They’re trying to be as helpful as they can,” he said, “and they understand the difficulty” of UND’s position, caught between a legal settlement requiring that the nickname be dropped and a state law directing that it be retained.

Citing concerns expressed last week by leaders of the Big Sky Conference, which UND hopes to enter next year, the NCAA statement noted that the conference presidents’ position “is consistent with the spirit and intent of the settlement agreement the NCAA reached with the university (in 2007) to retire the nickname and logo.”

If UND follows the new state law and continues to use the Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian-head logo after Aug. 15, sanctions will be imposed, according to the statement.

Grant Shaft, the newly installed president of the State Board of Higher Education, said the language of the statement “is pretty black and white,” but he also said efforts to arrange a face-to-face meeting with the NCAA will continue.

“This really isn’t a change in what we’ve perceived the NCAA position to be all along,” Shaft said. “Shortly after the legislation (on keeping the name) was passed, their comment was they didn’t think the legislation changed their policy. They now make a more formal statement.

“I still think a meeting will take place between the NCAA officials and the North Dakota contingent because the North Dakota legislative leadership believes very strongly that a face-to-face meeting with the NCAA could change their position.

“However, this statement indicates that possibility is pretty narrow.”

Breaking down the stats from the Bruins magical season.

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeThe Boston Bruins made NHL history last night with their first Stanley Cup Championship in 39 years. The Boston Bruins needed three (3X) game sevens to win the 2011 Stanley Cup, with that accomplishment the Bruins were the first team in history to do this.

The Boston Bruins' All World goalie and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas had shutouts in those two of three game sevens (Eastern Conference and the Stanley Cup Finals).

Boston Bruins faced adversity in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

It would not be an understatement to say that the Boston Bruins faced a bit of adversity during the Stanley Cup Playoffs; first Patrice Bergeron missed two games with a concussion after he was knocked out by a hit from Flyers forward Claude Giroux in game four of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers and missed the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals against Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Boston Bruins also suffered a major blow when they lost one of their top six forward after Vancouver Defenseman Aaron Rome knocked out Nathan Horton at the blue line in the first period of game 3 with a questionable and unneeded hit. That bush league hit seemed to wake the Slumbering Bear as the Boston Bruins won 4 out of 5 games from that moment on.

Cutting it close with no margin for error

How close did the Bruins make it; breaking it down further, the Boston Bruins went down two games to none (2-0) in two for their four series they played during the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Before you dismiss that fact, that is no small feat, the Boston Bruins had to win two games on the road in a hostile building in Montreal just to get back into the Eastern conference quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs. But it didn't stop there; the Boston Bruins also went 3-0 in overtime in their series with the Montreal Canadians, winning one of the games in overtime in Montreal. Overall, the Boston Bruins were 4-1 in overtime during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they lone loss came in game two of the Stanley Cup Finals. I think one could say that the Boston Bruins were battle tested and faced many tests along the way.

In Tim Thomas we trust

[1], [2]While the Bruins sprinted across the ice to mob him at the buzzer, Tim Thomas tapped both goalposts, sank to his knees and rubbed the ice in front of his empty goal.

I think it’s safe to say that if it wasn’t for Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas the Bruins could have been eliminated a long time ago. Thomas became the 15th goaltender to win the Conn Smythe, Tim Thomas posted an impressive 1.98 GAA and .940 save percentage and 16-9-0 record during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tim Thomas’ final crescendo was even more impressive as he stopped 37 of 37 shots securing his place in history as being one of the best goalies in NHL history.

Michigan a factory for All Star goalies

It would appear that Michigan is home to some of the better American goalies in the NHL. The last three goalies to win the Vezina Trophy (I don’t think that I am going out on a limb and assuming Thomas is a lock to win his second Vezina Trophy in three seasons) are both goalies are from the State of Michigan, Tim Thomas hales from Flint Michigan and fellow Olympic team mate Ryan Miller is from East Lansing, Michigan. Both All Star goalies played their college hockey at American universities; Ryan Miller was an All American at Michigan State University and Tim Thomas was an All American at the University of Vermont.

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Rioting in the streets of Vancouver...

Wow! Someone needs to remind these hooligans that it's only a game. They say a few bad apples ruin the whole barrel. The sad part is that this is one thing that will be remembered from the Stanley Cup Finals how a bunch of the Vancouver Canucks entitlement fans and bad seeds ruined a cities image.

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#believeinboston - The Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup

I honestly don't know what to say, I am experiencing all kinds of emotions, I am sure many Boston Bruins fans are especially the ones that are my age... I have followed the Boston Bruins since the 1988 season when I was stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts as a soldier in the U.S. Army, a woman I was dating at the time introduced me to the Boston Bruins, I have followed them religiously since. As a Boston Bruins fan I have witnessed the lean years and I have seen some very bad Boston Bruins teams come and go. I can remember the cup runs in the late 1980's and early 1990's that ended in bitter defeat at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.

Fast forward to this years Stanley Cup playoffs, the so called "hockey pundits" the "flat bellied experts" never gave the Boston Bruins a chance, they had all but given the Stanley Cup to the Vancouver Canucks before they had even played a game in the Stanley Cup Finals. Yeah! How did that work for you? The Boston Bruins not only won the cup but they out scored the Canucks 23-8, breaking it down further, Tim Thomas stopped 201 of 209.  In the four games that the Bruins won against the Canucks the Boston Bruins made Roberto Luongo look human.

I believe that the turning point in this series was when Aaron Rome knocked Nathan Horton out with this bush league check. The Canucks woke the sleeping bear and ended up losing four out of the last five games.

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CBC's 2011 NHL Playoffs Montage

s/t to our friends at the Hockey Wilderness... This one of the best parts of the Stanley Cup Finals, at the end of the deciding game CBC has a very nice, killer montage. Enjoy... The Boston Bruins are the Stanley Cup Champs.

The hand shake...

The Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks kicked the crap out of each other for 7 games during the Stanley Cup Finals; there is going to be some hurt feelings. I don't think it's an understatement to say that there is probably a lot of animosity between the two teams. This is what I like about the NHL, when the final horn sounds they line up and shake hands and congratulate each other.

Nathan Horton dumps Garden water on the ice...

Must have been something in that water.

Game 7 tonight, winner takes all...

Lets get it on...

Tonight is game seven for all of the marbles. Winner takes all; the prize is Lord Stanley’s Cup… Tonight is the last game of hockey for the summer until next October. Game seven the Boston Bruins against the Whiny Vancouver Canucks. I have been accused of hating the Vancouver Canucks, you got me… I think have been pretty consistent in saying that the Canucks are a bunch of diving frauds but also a bunch of poor sports that are disrespectful to the game of hockey.

Why I hate them...

Don’t get me wrong I will give credit where credit is due; sure the Sedin Twins are very talented, I would be an idiot if I didn’t acknowledge their talents, however, their blatant diving and on the ice antics takes away from their offensive numbers and talents, all I see is a couple of Swedes dragging down NHL hockey to level of European soccer, we don’t need to see the game of hockey cheapened. If you want to watch that type of hockey, go watch the NHL Swedish Ice Hockey Federation where you can watch a bunch of Jofa wearing stick swinging, diving Swedes.

Frick and Frack…

Onto the other two the biggest frauds and hacks in the NHL; Maxim Lapierre and Alex Burrows are also two of the biggest frauds and hacks to ever play the game of hockey… Honestly, I am being serious... If you had any question what-so-ever all you had to do was look at the video from the last 6 games, if you’re still confused go to youtube.com and run both of these two clowns names, there is more than enough material to back up my claims. If I had been playing against these two buffoons I would have had a hard time not punching either of them in the chops.

I also applaud Tim Thomas for his response to Alex Burrows, it should have happened during game one, when Thomas had seen enough he decided to educate Mr. Burrows about the violating his crease… To the clown that suggested that Bruins goalie Tim Thomas deserved a 10-15 game suspension for Tim smacking Burrows with his carbon fiber stick, get a grip… Alex Burrows is very lucky he didn’t hack some one of Ron Hextall’s ilk, we would still be picking pieces of Burrows out of the ice if he had. But I digress.

While I admit that I am a self confessed Canucks hater, so what? I didn’t know that I was required to like the Vancouver Canucks. I have been very consistent in my previous posts leading up to this game I have also seen the main stream sports writers saying the same things. I will stand by the charge that “I believe that the Canucks are one of the most unlikable teams in recent history.” I think on could make the argument that the Vancouver Canucks could be deemed the Habs of the west. You probably know how most Boston Bruins fans feel about the Les Habitants.

Tale of three goaltenders.

Lastly between the pipes it’s Tim Thomas versus the tales of two Roberto Luongos; one version of Roberto Luongo has an impressive 1.70 GAA, .943 save percentage at Rogers arena during the Stanley Cup Finals and the other Roberto Luongo has a woeful .773 save percentage and a GAA of 8.00 + giving up a horrid 15 goals in the three games in Boston. I am wondering which version of Roberto Luongo the Boston Bruins will see tonight in game seven?