GF Herald Employee Says Wearing Sioux Logo Like Being in Blackface

Goon invited me to post here now and then. Usually I blog politics at SayAnythingblog.com. While that's a strong political blog, it doesn't necessarily get to many UND athletics or hockey fans.

Thanks for the invite. Here's my first post on Goon's excellent hockey blog.



I wish the opposition, like Grand Forks Herald employee Tu Uyen Tran, would realize they lost the racism angle when they lost yesterday's vote.

There were tons of people [tribe members] wearing Fighting Sioux gear, too, which impressed me. I tried to envision what nickname opponents must think seeing that and it would be like a black man in blackface.

Give up the whole you know better than us meme. You don't. You ignored the UND commissioned survey that showed strong support for the name. You ignored the Sports Illustrated poll that showed the same thing.

Now, after smearing someone who's been so generous to the community who's no longer around to defend themselves this guy is smearing everyone (and it's a lot of people) who proudly wear the Fighting Sioux logo.

To address the issue, no it's nothing like blackface. We wear the Sioux logo with pride. The blackface was meant to belittle and demean black people. It's not that hard to understand.

Time will tell if the majority on the reservation and in the community get their way. However it's time the Herald and the other self appointed elites drop the whole racist meme.

Video of Ryan Bayda's goal.

Former Sioux and current Carolina Hurrican Ryan Bayda doesn't score a lot of goals playing for the Huricanes on the fourth line but this is a pretty goal. Make that Bayda's second goal of the series against the Devils.

Strong support for Fighting Sioux name at Spirit Lake .

Well that is kind of how I expected the vote to go today. It also kind of reaffirms the Sports Illustrated poll that came out a few years back that the anti-logo people tried to shoot holes in. I am now hoping that the Standing Rock Tribal council will let their members be allowed to have a vote on Fighting Sioux name. Of course the anti-Fighting Sioux logo people will continue to fight but they were handed an pretty resounding defeat tonight. It will be interesting to see how the anti-logo people spin this. This also doesn't mean anything if the Standing Rock Tribe is not allowed to vote by Ron His Horse Thunder. Then in essence we are still back at at square one with the NCAA and Myles Brand breathing down UND's neck.

Spirit Lake voters overwhelmingly support UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname
By: Tu-Uyen Tran ---- Grand Forks Herald

The Herald is still trying to verify the results with election judges. But nickname supporter Eunice Davidson said her source at the ballot counting site said the unofficial results are 774 “yes” and 378 “no,” giving the nickname 67 percent of the vote.

Nickname opponents had portrayed the issue as a battle against racism, but voters simply did not see it that way. Some said they had heard what opponents had to say and it did not sway them.

UND needs the blessings of the Spirit Lake and Standing Rock Sioux tribes to keep the nickname as part of its settlement with the NCAA, which opposes Indian mascots.

Nickname supporters in Standing Rock are working to get that tribe to support the nickname, too, but the Tribal Council has resisted a referendum.

A Spirit Lake nickname opponent, Terry Morgan, said his group will continue to fight the nickname, but he’s not sure how yet

Jeremy Morin to the OHL.

From the World of Junior Hockey Blog. This is what most were saying in the first place so now we can get back to our regularly scheduled programing. It had been mentioed that Morin was looking at going the NCAA route (UND and BU) but he had OHL written all over him.

Press Release

Fresh off of winning a Gold Medal at the 2009 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Fargo, North Dakota, Jeremy Morin has signed an Ontario Hockey League contract with the Kitchener Rangers.

Morin led team U.S.A. with six goals in seven games, placing him tied for fourth in over-all tournament scoring.

At six-foot-one and 192 pounds, Jeremy is a right-shot left winger who has played the last two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Burish, "I hope to have a beer with him after the season."

I suppose if Burish breaks anymore sticks over his buddies upper body their friendship might be in jeopardy. LOL. This next game is going to get rough and this is what makes the playoffs exciting and fun to watch. I also want to know why Burish doesn't get suspended but Lucic does? Seems to be a little inconsistency here. To break a stick Burish had to hit him pretty damn hard.

The status of Bourque, whose name just kept popping up Tuesday, may be gamesmanship on the part of Keenan, who said the winger from Lac La Biche, Alta., was "day to day to day as a result of the incident last night."

The Flames head coach insisted Monday that Burish injured Bourque with a "blatant" cross-check to the face, although replays showed the stick broke over Bourque's chest and shoulder. Bourque was not made available to the media Tuesday to clarify his status.

"I don't think I crossed the line," Burish said. "I did what needed to be done. It's playoff hockey. It's the same reason they're hitting our guys and they come at me and the same reason I'm going at them.

"Mike Keenan called it a cross-check to the head. It wasn't too close to the head. I think he was wrong."

Burish and Bourque were Blackhawks teammates last year before Bourque's trade to Calgary. They also played together at Wisconsin.

"I'm still going to hopefully have a beer with him after the season is done, but he's not my friend on the ice," Burish said.
(Read the whole article here)

Gainey to Habs fans to stop booing the US anthem.

I am not sure why the Hab's fans feel the need to boo the American Anthem, I don't see a logical reason to do this. If anything it lacks class and is uncalled for. The same crap happened last year during the Flyers and Habs series. Hey Habs fans have some class stop booing the United States National Anthem.

BROSSARD, Quebec (AP)—Bob Gainey is asking Montreal Canadiens fans to stop booing the United States national anthem.

Just because the hometown team is on the verge of being swept out of the Eastern Conference playoffs by the Boston Bruins, fans shouldn’t take out their frustration on their neighbor to the south.

Gainey, the coach and general manager of the struggling Canadiens, urged those who booed Monday during “The Star Spangled Banner” before Game 3 to find other ways to voice their support for Montreal.

“I feel like there’s a confusion there with our fans,” Gainey said Tuesday. “They feel like booing the anthem is supporting our team, in that the anthem represents the Boston team.

“And I think if they could separate those two things, then we could respect the anthem of the United States of America and they could still participate loudly in whatever way they want to disrupt the Bruins.”

Many fans booed the U.S. anthem at the Bell Centre on Monday night, even though others tried to drown them out with chants of “Go Habs Go.”

Similar booing has been heard during the playoffs in recent years. In the past, the Canadiens responded with a taped appeal on the scoreboard from Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau, asking fans to respect the anthems of the U.S. and Canada. That curtailed the booing somewhat at subsequent games.

Burish cross check on Bourque

Props to Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy for the video. I watched this transpire at the end of last night's game. It was interesting to see two former Wisconsin Badgers getting after it as they had dropped proverbial gloves and were ready to go. The only thing stopping the fight was the ref stepped in and broke up the fight. If I was the Chicago coach I would have sent Burish out as well. That's hockey.

Adam Burish and Rene Bourque were actually team mates at Wisconsin as well at Chicago last season.

The league will probably look at this to determine if there should be a suspension or not. In my opinion I don't believe one is warranted, come on hockey is a physical sport.

Sean Avery punches Simeon Varlamov

I am so glad that Sean Avery is back in the NHL it gives us something to talk about and he is quite entertaining to watch. I guess you could also say that Sean "sloppy seconds" Avery is up to his old tricks again taking an impressive 4 minors and a ten minute misconduct.

The more entertaining fact is Avery is talking smack to a person that speak no english at all.

Bruins put Habs on the brink.

Nothing would be more pleasing to me than to see the Boston Bruins beat/eliminate the Montreal Canadiens in their 100th year of existence. For the Boston Bruins Phil Kessel remains hot against the Habs as he got his third goal of the series and his seventh goal in 5 games against the Hab's. Actually make that ten point in his last five games against Les Habs.

Now it's a matter of how many games it takes the Bruins to close out the Habs. This season the Bruins have owned the Hab's going 8-0-1 losing one game in a shootout.

Pictures from U-18 Medal Games

I went to the medal games in yesterday's U-18 IIHF championship and I have to say that that I watched two very good hockey games. The first game with Canada was very interesting as the Canadans squandered a 4-1 lead then lost the game in a shootout.

UMD's recruit Dylan Olson was on team Canada and I was impressed with him, he is going to be a very good player in the WCHA for the short time he will be with the Dogs. Dylan Olson is big and skates well and some NHL team will call his name during the entry draft (either this year or next).

Sioux recruit Nick Mattson will be a nice addition to the Fighting Sioux blue line in 2010. I like his game he doesn't try to do to much and is smart with the puck.

The Urban Plains Center is nice but it isn't even in the same league as the REA. I told Sioux7 we are spoiled as Sioux fans to have the facility that we have. When they finish the landscaping of the UPC it will be a nice place. While the UPC isn't the REA it is better building than most college hockey buildings. It is going to be interesting to see if MSU-M will try to make a go of it.

Lucic sentence one game.

Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic has been suspended for one game by the NHL for his cross check on Hab's hack/punk Maxim Lapierre.

NHL: Lucic suspended for 1 game
Posted by Gary Dzen ---- Boston.com
Milan Lucic has been suspended for one game for the match penalty he received in a 5-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night. Lucic will miss Game 3 against the Canadiens Monday at the Bell Centre.

Lucic received the penalty in Game 2 after he checked Maxim Lapierre in the head with his stick in front of Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak with 4:32 remaining in Game 2.

"While it is unclear whether Lucic's glove or stick makes contact with Lapierre, what is clear is that he delivered a reckless and forceful blow to the head of his opponent," said NHL senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell in a statement.

Byron Bitz, a healthy scratch in Games 1 and 2, will be in the lineup for Game 3. Bitz will most likely skate with Shawn Thornton and Stephane Yelle on the fourth line. Blake Wheeler, who was on the fourth line for the first two games, should take Lucic's spot on the third line.

Herald practices gutter journalism.

Our friend the Whistler from sayanythingblog.com has an interesting article on the city beats Tu-Uyen Tran and his shameful example of gutter journalism.

The Herald “reporter” says that the person who brought this up has an affidavit that this happened, but can’t find it right now. I realize that they are claiming that they are only reporting on the accusation, not the underlying baseless charge. But the fact is that this is a smear put on by the Editor and reporter of the Grand Forks Herald.

The Herald’s also been reporting unfounded accusations that the Ralph Engelstad Arena people have been flooding the reservation with money to pass this referendum. Of course the Herald’s reporter hasn’t been able to come up with any examples so once again he’s stuck reporting what the opponents say. It seems to me that the reporter could at least bother to find out how that money is supposedly being spent.

I guess trying to confirm a news story isn’t important when you’re on a moral crusade.

Not only is Ralph Engelstad the largest benefactor ever for a North Dakota college, his gift was one of the top gifts at the time of his death and is probably still in the top ten for the country.

I wish I was paying for a subscription to the Herald because if I was I’d be canceling it Monday morning.

Update: I’ve never done this before but I want to ask the Grand Forks Readers to send this story around. To do so you can click on the share button right under the title of the post. We need to show the Herald were outraged by the smear.
(Read the whole article right here)

Here is a hint to the second rate city beat writer Tu-Uyen Tran if you don't have a signed affidavit that someone claims they have it doesn't exist and until you have this alleged affidavit it in your hot little hand it doesn't exist and it's nothing more than tabloid conjecture. I would think ethically you shouldn't have wrote this story. This is nothing more than a dirty rumor or an urban legend that isn't going to be confirmed or never will be, but don't worry you got that story out.

Let's not let facts get into the way of a good story right. I would be willing to bet that you have no intentions of getting the signed affidavit that doesn't exist it either. Another point is your just trying to cloud the waters and muck up the story so eventually UND will be forced to change the name, but hey you had the story that got everyone riled up.

I also find it funny that that when the anti-name change crowd begins to lose the debate of ideas they resorts to dirty tricks and tactis the Herald city beat reporter plays right into their hands. If it wasn't for the coverage of the Sioux hockey beat writer I would cancel this rag and never pay another dime for this leftist rag. Mike Jacobs is a second rate editor at a back water newspaper and is by far one of the worst editors in the state of North Dakota that never lets facts get in the way of a good story. Maybe the people of Grand Forks should boycott the Grand Forks Herald?

The origins

It’s difficult to convey the impact of the alleged Engelstad quote containing the racial epithet, but the Herald is choosing not to repeat it because the newspaper cannot verify its origin.

Terry Morgan, another anti-nickname organizer, said Friday that opponents had a “signed affidavit” from a witness who allegedly heard the damning quote but that he’d have to find it.

The Herald could not reach him Saturday to see if he found the document.

Morgan said the witness was a white bartender who served two men in 1997. The men said terrible things about Indians in the course of a conversation about the Fighting Sioux nickname. The bartender thought one of the men was Ralph Engelstad and checked with his manager, who verified it was.

Morgan noted that the bartender said he was proud of the nickname until he heard those words.

Jody Hodgson, the general manager of Ralph Engelstad Arena and a representative of the foundation, questioned the timing of the allegation. This quote was spoken 12 years ago, he said, but it is just now emerging in the middle of a contentious political campaign.

Milan Lucic to the principals office.

TSN is reporting that Milan Lucic is being sent to Colin Campbell's office for a hearing for his cross check to the chops on Lapierre's with 4:00 + minutes left in the game. Maybe while the Bruins are at the league office they should show some of the game film of Hab's hack Mike Komisarek and how he is trying to gouge the Bruins player's eyes out. While the cross check may or may not warrant a suspension (it probably does) Komisarek is going to blind someone or hurt their eyes with his bush league face scrapes. I thought it was only the Gophers players that did these bush league moves. (tongue in cheek)

TSN ---- Sources say Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic will have a disciplinary hearing with NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell today.

The exact time of the hearing hasn't been set.

Lucic received a minor and match penalty for crosschecking Montreal's Maxim Lapierre in the neck and head late in the third period of Boston's 5-1 win over the Canadiens.

Following Game 2, the Bruins, hoping to avoid losing one of their stars to suspension, submitted a video clip to Campbell they believe shows Lucic's gloved hand striking Lapierre's neck and head before his stick.

It will be up to Campbell to decide whether all of the factors, including the time of the game, score and Lucic's reaction to Lapierre, who approached the Boston forward in defense of Montreal's Mathieu Schneider add up to a suspension.

Bruins go up 2-0 on the Habs. (Lucic suspension coming)

Nothing pleases me more than watching the Habs go down to defeat against the Bruins.
It has been a long time since the Big Bad Bruins have played this well or this physical. This years team is big, fast and agressive and when they play their game they are very hard to beat.

Lucic to be suspended? It would appear that a suspension is coming for Milan Lucic.

While the Bruins hold all the momentum now that they are up 2-0 in the series, they likely will be without sparkplug Milan Lucic for Game 3, if not longer, for a third period incident in which Lucic cross-checked Montreal’s Maxim Lapierre in the face. Lucic received a two-minute cross checking minor and match penalty on the play.

“(The match penalty) means he is automatically suspended, pending a review,”league disciplinarian Colin Campbell said in an email to Sun Media after the game.

Lapierre shrugged his shoulders when asked about the incident.

“It’s not my business to say if there will be one or not,” Lapierre said, sporting a gash on the bridge of his nose where the stick of Lucic made contact. “In the playoffs, you give some, you get some ... This time I got mine.

“He tried to cross check (Mathieu Schneider). We needed to show them that we have plenty of team unity.”

Lucic was not made available to the media after the game.

So does Lucic get suspended?

This happened at the end of the game and you have to wonder if Lucic will get suspended for a game by the NHL for his vicious high cross check on Maxim Lapierre. Not that Lapierre didn't deserve it, because he did I am hoping the league doesn't suspend Lucic based on the fact that Lapierre came flying at Lucic.

The Montreal Canadians are getting their asses handed to them by the Bruins and their frustration is starting to show and the lack of class by the Canadians as well. Mike Komisarek is also begging for a beat down and his bush league face washes and it has become tiresome and one of the Bruins need to answer the bell.

Josh Gorges vs Patrice Bergeron

This series has been nasty. Patrice Bergeron is not known for his fighting skills knocks the crap out of Josh Gorges. That is the second time in less than two weeks that Gorges has had the snot knocked out of him by a Boston Bruins. Shane Hnidy also had his way with him as well.

More unflattering things about Risebrough.

Minnesota Wild beat writer Mike Russo has a few more interesting revelations that make you really shake your head and wonder how Risebrough could get away with this stuff for so long. You can not play a player with a concussion and you hope that Brent Burns doesn't have any long term effects because of him playing with a concussion. Sinus infection? Give me a break the team trainer needs to be sent packing as well.

Burns, 24, was injured in practice Jan. 26 but wasn't shut down until March 7. He is still affected with severe postconcussion syndrome.

"I met with Brent in L.A. [March 6]," Salcer said. "We're having lunch with him and [fellow client Derek Boogaard] and he's telling me about when he hit his head six weeks earlier. So I'm listening to him, and I'm incredulous listening to him.

"He's telling me how, 'Ronny, I'm an avid reader and I'm not able to read on the bus anymore. I get headaches that go all around my head. I can't sleep. During the game, I'm not focusing. I feel like everything is happening, but I'm reacting slow. I go, 'Brent, are you kidding me? You've got a concussion. You cannot play. You cannot play anymore!'

He's so loyal to the team, he was afraid. He said, 'I don't want to tell them that. I don't want to burn a bridge.' I said, 'Burn a bridge? They just exploded one on you. You cannot play.'"

Burns was shut down the next day.

There you go Wild fans the General Manager didn't re-open negotiations with Gaborik's agent said that the Wild didn't even open negotiations, how the hell are they going to sign him if you don't at least make an offer to sign him? This doesn't make sense at all. The old school general manager that treats players like piece of meat are over.

Salcer said this all comes back to Risebrough.

"It starts at the top. He's the manager, and he's got that old-school, you've-got-to-play-through-everything [attitude]," Salcer said. "They did the same thing to Marian before he had hip surgery."

With Risebrough and coach Jacques Lemaire gone, Salcer was asked if this would sway Gaborik to returning.

"I called Tom Lynn personally in November, spoke with Tom and said, 'Would you be interested in reopening negotiations with Marian?' I'm still waiting for him to return that phone call. I never heard back ever," Salcer said.

"That's in November. And so, the season went. And now when you look at July 1 on the horizon where we can talk to every team in the league, certainly we have to take that opportunity very seriously and we will. Having said that, should the organization want to call me, we'll listen to and explore anything. But we certainly see July 1 in the landscape here."

Is James Sheppard a bust?

There is this mind set that we have to give James Sheppard a break because he is young and needs to grow. Under Doug Risebrough he was untouchable. I don't see anything in this kids play that leads me to believe that he is going to come to camp next season and light it up. Just think the Wild could have had Olli Jokinen (29g-28a-57pts) but Rishebrough wouldn't trade Sheppard to get him, Sheppard was untouchable.

Now that Doug Risebrough is finished with the Wild lets look at some of the players drafted after Sheppard in the 2006 entry draft.

9. James Sheppard Minnesota 160 games (9g-34a-43pts)
10. Michael Frolik Florida 79 games (21g-24a-45pts)
12. Bryan Little Atlanta 127 games (37g-30a-67pts)
25. Patrik Berglund St. Louis 76 games (21g-26g-47pts)
28. Nick Foligno Ottawa 126 games (23g-18a-41pts)
44. Nikolai Kulemin Toronto 73 games (15g-16a-31pts)
50. Milan Lucic Boston 149 games (25g-44a-69pts)

Yep Mike Komisarek is still a hack.

I am going to say this is one of the dirtier things that I have seen in some time. Check it out; this is at the end of the game time clock at 0:00 and watch where Bruins defenseman Matt Hunwick gets his eye gouged by his a fellow former Wolverine Mike Komisarek. This is why Bruins fans hate Mike Komisarek and he is public enemy number one in Boston. This should make for an exciting game two tomorrow night.

Matt Gilroy signs with Rangers.

Former BU star and Hobey Baker Memorial winner Matt Gilroy has signed a professional contract with the New York Rangers.

TSN ----- Boston University free agent defenceman Matt Gilroy has signed a two-year deal worth $3.5 million with the New York Rangers.

It is a one-way contract however, he is not eligible to play for the Rangers in this year's playoffs. He will be eligible for free agency in three years.

Last week, Gilroy was named the winner of the Hobey Baker Award as the best U.S. college hockey player.

He followed that with a victory over Miami of Ohio in the national championship game at the NCAA's Frozen Four tournament.

One of the most sought-after free agent players, Gilroy scored eight goals and added 29 assists for 37 points in 45 games this past season.