Bill to keep Sioux nickname

[bisonmike2]

Whoever wrote into the Dan Barrerio show last night as "Stupid Ass Listener" sure made some great points. I know I'd be proud if he represented my university like that.

[mebisonII]

One of the reasons why this issue has continued for 5,000 posts is the insincerity, cowardice or fecklessness of people on the right side of this issue.

On the one hand you have people that are near insane in their devotion to this ridiculous embroidery and on the other hand you have what? Milquetoasts, sinecures, stuffed shirts and people who hold down chairs for a living.

Someone mentioned Jim Crow. You know what turned the tide? Civil disobedience. What changed popular opinion regarding SOPA? Having Wikipedia and other sites go dark.

No one at UND or the SBoHE is willing to take a stand for what is clearly right here, and that's why this issue has continued.

What would have happened if the SBoHE told Al Carlson, "this law is unconstitutional and will not be observed by the University of North Dakota"? Could the legislature have stripped all funding for the SBoHE? No. Stripped UND? No. Could they have made noise, saber-rattled, and been windy? Yes. Did they do that anyway? Yes.

Tell me, what have this succession of Neville Chamberlains accomplished besides prolonging this debate past the point of reason, past the point of resolution, and essentially turned the nickname into a holy crusade for a group of disconnected and irrational loonies?

Had anyone of importance at UND or at the SBoHE had the courage of their convictions, the worst that could have possibly happened to them is that they would have been fired and thus freed from this Sisyphusian nightmare. The best thing is that they would've presented a clear voice of conscience on the right side of this issue.

Good post. You know what Kelley is thinking everytime you see a quote on the topic ("we will abide the law and do what we have to..."), but I wish he would just say it. I know he has to be wary of the big-money hockey/nickname boosters, but I wonder what would happen if he made it his repeated message that, "It is in the best interest of the University, its althletic department, supporters, and alumni to move on. The University unequivocally wishes to select a new mascot and opposes efforts to prevent that from happening."

I know that's what I'd want to do. I also know that I'll never be a university administrator.

[bisonsupporter]

Watching Fox News at work (not by choice) and they had a segment on this issue. However, they are reporting the university is behind this. You almost have to have sympathy for the university. They want the name/logo gone, but their alumni and ND legislature want to keep it. I wrote earlier that the SBoHE could contest the law fairly soon. What if they let it go? They just sit back and let the vote play out. Would that open more issues?

[THEsocalledfan]

Watching Fox News at work (not by choice) and they had a segment on this issue. However, they are reporting the university is behind this. You almost have to have sympathy for the university. They want the name/logo gone, but their alumni and ND legislature want to keep it. I wrote earlier that the SBoHE could contest the law fairly soon. What if they let it go? They just sit back and let the vote play out. Would that open more issues?

My favorite part of the Fox News story we when the commentator called them the University of South Dakota twice! By the way, I am a big Fox fan. Nice to have a news channel that actually airs all the news even if you have to take much of the commentary with a grain or two of salt.

[zooropa]

I know he has to be wary of the big-money hockey/nickname boosters

There are worse things in life than losing money. And his equivocal stance hasn't earned him the respect of any of these boosters/donors in any case.

Kelley could simply say, "We will not use the Sioux logo, we are removing the logo and the word "Sioux" from all of our facilities, from all of our publications and from all of our websites. We will no longer have the university held hostage by this issue."

I note that the nickname law and the nickname amendment do not obligate UND to USE the nickname, they simply establish the nickname by fiat.

What would the legislature/nickname supporters do if UND flat refused, as a matter of policy, to use its legally designated nickname?

[BisonTeacher]

I was afraid that my content would be insufficiently erudite if I stuck with words like "loonies".

My favorite is fecklessness.

[TransAmBison]

There are worse things in life than losing money. And his equivocal stance hasn't earned him the respect of any of these boosters/donors in any case.

Kelley could simply say, "We will not use the Sioux logo, we are removing the logo and the word "Sioux" from all of our facilities, from all of our publications and from all of our websites. We will no longer have the university held hostage by this issue."

I note that the nickname law and the nickname amendment do not obligate UND to USE the nickname, they simply establish the nickname by fiat.

What would the legislature/nickname supporters do if UND flat refused, as a matter of policy, to use its legally designated nickname?

butthockey

[EndZoneQB]

There are worse things in life than losing money. And his equivocal stance hasn't earned him the respect of any of these boosters/donors in any case.

Kelley could simply say, "We will not use the Sioux logo, we are removing the logo and the word "Sioux" from all of our facilities, from all of our publications and from all of our websites. We will no longer have the university held hostage by this issue."

I note that the nickname law and the nickname amendment do not obligate UND to USE the nickname, they simply establish the nickname by fiat.

What would the legislature/nickname supporters do if UND flat refused, as a matter of policy, to use its legally designated nickname?

I'm glad you brought this up as I have wondered to myself about this very option. Couldn't the University just put an end to it all and cease to use the name? The SBoHE is obviously on board with that idea, so who is going to punish them for it?

[bisonaudit]

My favorite is fecklessness.

+1 for 'Sisyphusian.'

[Civil06]

I'm glad you brought this up as I have wondered to myself about this very option. Couldn't the University just put an end to it all and cease to use the name? The SBoHE is obviously on board with that idea, so who is going to punish them for it?

That's what I've said all along. Defy the law, change the nickname, and become the "Outlaws". What are they going to do, throw Kelley and the student body president in jail? Instantly one of the most unique nicknames around and a heck of a backstory.