Bill to keep Sioux nickname

[THEsocalledfan]

I believe you folks may be onto the reality here when you speculate this is another attempt by the Legislature to short-circuit the Higher Education Roundtable and ultimately weaken the ND State Board of Higher Education to their own benefit. (This might be the brightest insight I've ever seen on Bisonville. {applause} )

I agree it is probably good, but reality rains over here more than you realize. Like, when we talk about how screwed UND is being in Big Sky, even though we fully realize you had no choice, either.....

[Facts]

Pfft. It's grandstanding. I suppose there is about a 1% chance that UND will "win" this fight and thus ensure another 50 years of controversy but it will cost millions of dollars.

Here's the problem I have:

Tom Clifford said that if the Tribal Councils formally objected to the nickname, then UND would have no ethical alternative but to drop the nickname. Over the next decade, every Sioux tribal council in the west asked UND to drop the nickname, but the new administration's position was that the tribes had no say and that dropping the nickname was entirely UND's decision. So UND put together a committee and put the decision in their hands. The committee recommended that UND drop the nickname so Kupchella went to the SBoHE to tell them but somebody told Ralph and Ralph browbeat the SBoHE into cutting Kupchella off and telling him that the decision was no longer UND's; instead it was the SBoHE's. The SBoHE said that "We say the nickname should stay." At NO POINT during any of this was putting the decision into the tribes' hands even considered. That only happened AFTER the NCAA stepped in. So, actually, the NCAA got nickname supporters to agree that the tribes had a say. To me, that's a good thing, and it would NEVER have happened without the NCAA stepping in.

Of course, the settlement didn't specify what would constitute tribal approval. The nickname people knew they'd never get approval from the tribal councils so they went with the popular vote. At Spirit Lake, "only" 35% wanted the nickname gone. At Standing Rock, the Tribal Council just repeated that their position hadn't changed.

BTW, a simple majority vote without and terms of agreement spelled out is not a permanent solution. That should be clear to anybody with adequate blood flow to their brain. Maybe a simple majority could instruct the tribal councils to negotiate a settlement but in no way is it a permanent solution.

FACT: UND could have solved this by spending the first 35 years negotiating a settlement with the tribes. However, their position was:



Now these guys want to renege on the settlement with the NCAA?

But does Skarphol really want the State of North Dakota to renege on a settlement? Or is he using this as part of his ongoing campaign to get rid of the SBoHE and have Higher Ed put in direct control of a committee that he just happens to run?

Don't kid yourselves: This is politics at its very worst.

Tony, since I can't rep the same post more than once, tell the elf to give you a gazillion more rep points... POTY.

[NDSU1980]

Douple was proven right. UND is going to continue to wear this albatross around their neck, whether they want to or not.

Reneging on an agreement might result in things that almost nobody wants to see happen, most of them bad for UND.

Anyway, I sure wasn't really impressed by Carlson's "Let's just pass the bill and worry about the consequences afterwards" attitude.

Where was the Legislature in 1970? Where were they in 1980? 1990? 2000? October, 2007? 2010? Most of the guys there have been around since the glacier receded... of course, that caught them by surprise too.

Maybe UND wants to get kicked out of the BSC. Sounds like a plan.

[heckler]

For those that missed it and it's probably posted somewhere so here it is again...

http://www.740thefan.com/uploads/Al%20Carlson%20.mp3

[Buthockey]

Hell yeah! This is a step in a subversive plot established long ago by the man with two first names and his croney, the man who was not available. And even though Mr. Carlson (Lakes just refers to him as b****) is a jonny come lately, his third cousin twice removed did spend a semester at UND and did pass out at numerous hockey games thus forever tieing Carlson to the GFCCC.

Eh? I think I know that hoser!

[MAKBison]

Glad to see you have an open mind. I would be a co-sponsor on this bill. Does that eliminate me from being a Bison?

Nope, but it sure would prevent me from voting for you again. I for one am more concerned about roads, taxes levels, and other real issue verses messing with the NCAA.

[MAKBison]

From Carlson's perspective, this is WAY over thougtht. I agree this is grandstanding, but while many criticize, grandstanding is not always bad for politicians. You do it, get your name in the paper, and eventually walk away from the bill when reality hits......

By the way, I touched on it, but wouldn't the same constitutional issue prevent the legislature from meddling into Bison/Sioux football games?

Political grandstanding on this issue is just stupid….just another politician wasting our time and resources. I think most will see it this way...I hope anyways.

[ndsubison1]

Carlson is doing the right thing, although his Bill will likely need amending. Many of us, including Bison like myself, want the nickname to stay. The faculty elite of the NCAA are pissing on the voters of Spirit Lake. They, who think are stopping hate, are making it worse by caving to the vocal minority as proved at Spirit Lake. Personally, I liked the other draft bill better, which states:

"A second bill draft circulating Monday, prepared for Rep. David Monson, R-Osnabrock, a former speaker of the House, would prohibit UND from retiring the nickname and logo unless the State Board receives written notice from leaders of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Spirit Lake Tribe “indicating the members of each tribe have voted in a tribal referendum to revoke the permission granted to the university to use the nickname and logo.”"

That would seem to make a lot of sense. If Standing Rock votes against it, I will fully support retiring the name.

The only question, I have, is if the bill passes, and Standing Rock refuses to have a referendum, what would be the cost to the state and UND? That may sway my mind a bit, but I love anyone who gives the NCAA the bird.

However, that may be unlikely as those who want the nickname to end, would be forced to gamble on the referendum. Otherwise, they have to live with it.

doing the right thing? since when is it politicians jobs to be involved in stuff like this?

[ndsubison1]

I think it is great that Carlson stepped up to the plate. This is not a Sioux vs. Bison issue, it's a "Don't screw with North Dakota" issue. As Carlson said, people want to keep the logo. I did get a chuckle out of the quote in the paper...

Carlson said he wouldn’t be acting as a UND booster.
“I’m a Bison,” the NDSU graduate said, laughing.

Gotta give the guy credit, he is doing what he thinks is best for the state, and that is giving the NCAA the finger.

[ndsubison1]

It was my understanding that UND, the SBOHE, and the State of North Dakota settled the lawsuit by agreeing to specific conditions. Agreement from all of the tribes was not received in the allocated time so we must change the nickname... something that is happening now.

While I could care less about the name, and I agree the NCAA executive board is ramrodding this thing, I would hope that our Legislators would spend their limited session time dealing with some of the real, critical problems affecting our state.

But that's just my opinion.

YMMV

+1

(ten char)