I dare say we're back...

[swanee]

I have been a Bison fan since the late sixties and got my wife to come around in the early eighties where we became fixtures up against the press box at Dakotah field. Traveling from Jamestown, I could probably count on one hand the number of games we missed between 1981 and 1991.

We have since moved away but I have never lost my love of NDSU football. Thank goodness for Bison Access as it keeps me in touch with the team every fall. Like many of you, we were the lucky ones, we got to actually see and absorb the glory days. So many wonderful stories, games, coaches and young men acted out their lives and achieved their goals before our eyes.

While we had always been fans, my deep respect for the NDSU Football program began with Don Morton and followed through with Earle and Rocky. We had fabulous young men playing and coaches who really loved what they were doing. Hearing them talk, it seems they loved the players they were coaching even more.

It was the days of Eddie Schultz (when his mind was right – a conservative AND a Bison fan). Eddie loved Bison football and no matter what we think of him now, he actually brought the excitement of Bison Football through our radios and on the coach’s shows. The best part of Ed was his wife Maureen who produced some of the finest videos to share the excitement of the Bison as well as the human interest of the young men that took the field.

One of Maureen’s finest moments came when she produced a video for Parents Day with “Did You Ever Know You’re My Hero” as the background music. I was relatively young but it brought tears to my eyes. Here were big strapping young men that were just happy that mom and dad were able to be there to watch them play. You could see the pride that their parents felt for them. They were beaming over the kids they had sent just out of high school to a strange city and were watching them become men…

I can’t remember if it was Don, Earle or Rocky but one of them said, “We aren’t just making football players, we’re building young men.”

The last coach’s show of the season always had the goodbyes to the seniors. It was tough to watch without crying. This was beautiful stuff. People who cared deeply about each other. Young men who had formed bonds that would not be broken. No army could destroy it, a thousand miles could not disrupt it, no amount of time could subdue it. They all knew that no one man could do it alone; They had gone to war together, they had depended on each other, their successes could only be achieved as one. They were Bison, and they stood tall and strong, together.

I feel like I am seeing some of the romance and mystique of the Bison of old on the rise once again. It’s not just the game… I see so many little things, inviting their Bison brothers to their homes when they cannot see their families easily, seeing young men that pray together, respect each other and acknowledge the people who love them, whether they be fans or family. I see young men that study hard, work hard and play hard. I see the sheer joy of a play well made, the sense of accomplishment for a strategy that plays out as planned. I am seeing young men that are looking to each other to become complete. They are men with purpose.

When these building blocks are all assembled and we wrap these young men in green and gold, we see what it means to be a Bison. For me? The Bison of old were men of renown. They have made their place in history. The young men we watch today will write their own pages in history. There is just one chapter to complete.

Someday, I hope to stand at that trophy case, see the awards and pictures of this team and speak in hushed tones of the fine young men who came through these halls.

For this occasion, I think it’s appropriate to bring up an old Rocky quote. Rocky was being interviewed on the plane on the way to the National Championship when he said, “I don’t know if we’re going to win, but it’s going to take one hell of a team to beat us.”

All Hail the Bison!

[Ferd]

Inspiring!!!

[BisoninNWMN]

Great post!

Charter leaves tomorrow at 9.....man, I cannot wait!!!!!!


GO BISON

[North Side]

Now that's an English paper!

[EmbdenBison]

That is a great post!

[HerdBot]

I have been a Bison fan since the late sixties and got my wife to come around in the early eighties where we became fixtures up against the press box at Dakotah field. Traveling from Jamestown, I could probably count on one hand the number of games we missed between 1981 and 1991.

We have since moved away but I have never lost my love of NDSU football. Thank goodness for Bison Access as it keeps me in touch with the team every fall. Like many of you, we were the lucky ones, we got to actually see and absorb the glory days. So many wonderful stories, games, coaches and young men acted out their lives and achieved their goals before our eyes.

While we had always been fans, my deep respect for the NDSU Football program began with Don Morton and followed through with Earle and Rocky. We had fabulous young men playing and coaches who really loved what they were doing. Hearing them talk, it seems they loved the players they were coaching even more.

It was the days of Eddie Schultz (when his mind was right – a conservative AND a Bison fan). Eddie loved Bison football and no matter what we think of him now, he actually brought the excitement of Bison Football through our radios and on the coach’s shows. The best part of Ed was his wife Maureen who produced some of the finest videos to share the excitement of the Bison as well as the human interest of the young men that took the field.

One of Maureen’s finest moments came when she produced a video for Parents Day with “Did You Ever Know You’re My Hero” as the background music. I was relatively young but it brought tears to my eyes. Here were big strapping young men that were just happy that mom and dad were able to be there to watch them play. You could see the pride that their parents felt for them. They were beaming over the kids they had sent just out of high school to a strange city and were watching them become men…

I can’t remember if it was Don, Earle or Rocky but one of them said, “We aren’t just making football players, we’re building young men.”

The last coach’s show of the season always had the goodbyes to the seniors. It was tough to watch without crying. This was beautiful stuff. People who cared deeply about each other. Young men who had formed bonds that would not be broken. No army could destroy it, a thousand miles could not disrupt it, no amount of time could subdue it. They all knew that no one man could do it alone; They had gone to war together, they had depended on each other, their successes could only be achieved as one. They were Bison, and they stood tall and strong, together.

I feel like I am seeing some of the romance and mystique of the Bison of old on the rise once again. It’s not just the game… I see so many little things, inviting their Bison brothers to their homes when they cannot see their families easily, seeing young men that pray together, respect each other and acknowledge the people who love them, whether they be fans or family. I see young men that study hard, work hard and play hard. I see the sheer joy of a play well made, the sense of accomplishment for a strategy that plays out as planned. I am seeing young men that are looking to each other to become complete. They are men with purpose.

When these building blocks are all assembled and we wrap these young men in green and gold, we see what it means to be a Bison. For me? The Bison of old were men of renown. They have made their place in history. The young men we watch today will write their own pages in history. There is just one chapter to complete.

Someday, I hope to stand at that trophy case, see the awards and pictures of this team and speak in hushed tones of the fine young men who came through these halls.

For this occasion, I think it’s appropriate to bring up an old Rocky quote. Rocky was being interviewed on the plane on the way to the National Championship when he said, “I don’t know if we’re going to win, but it’s going to take one hell of a team to beat us.”

All Hail the Bison!

awesome post although I don't think we ever left. The mid 90s teams were close and 06-07 teams were good enough to win it all but not playoff elegible . Here is an old video http://www.youtube.com/user/NorthDak.../1/_JN4bebDmSg

[swanee]

awesome post although I don't think we ever left. The 06-07 teams were good enough to win it all but not playoff elegible . Here is an old video http://www.youtube.com/user/NorthDak.../1/_JN4bebDmSg

I absolutely agree with 06-07 Gabe but we weren't able to prove it through the playoff system. I also consider Steve Walker one of those extra special people who have played for the Bison as well but once I start naming special players, the list would go on too long and I am afraid to leave anyone out.

For me, I am happy that we are eligible to do something special again on the national scene and that we seem to have all the tangibles and intangibles in order to do so.

BTW: We have quite a few Bison fans in Las Vegas and it appears there is a watch party here but my wife and I will probably watch at home where nothing can distract us from one moment of our anticipated pleasure.

[CaBisonFan]

I have been a Bison fan since the late sixties and got my wife to come around in the early eighties where we became fixtures up against the press box at Dakotah field. Traveling from Jamestown, I could probably count on one hand the number of games we missed between 1981 and 1991.

We have since moved away but I have never lost my love of NDSU football. Thank goodness for Bison Access as it keeps me in touch with the team every fall. Like many of you, we were the lucky ones, we got to actually see and absorb the glory days. So many wonderful stories, games, coaches and young men acted out their lives and achieved their goals before our eyes.

While we had always been fans, my deep respect for the NDSU Football program began with Don Morton and followed through with Earle and Rocky. We had fabulous young men playing and coaches who really loved what they were doing. Hearing them talk, it seems they loved the players they were coaching even more.

It was the days of Eddie Schultz (when his mind was right – a conservative AND a Bison fan). Eddie loved Bison football and no matter what we think of him now, he actually brought the excitement of Bison Football through our radios and on the coach’s shows. The best part of Ed was his wife Maureen who produced some of the finest videos to share the excitement of the Bison as well as the human interest of the young men that took the field.

One of Maureen’s finest moments came when she produced a video for Parents Day with “Did You Ever Know You’re My Hero” as the background music. I was relatively young but it brought tears to my eyes. Here were big strapping young men that were just happy that mom and dad were able to be there to watch them play. You could see the pride that their parents felt for them. They were beaming over the kids they had sent just out of high school to a strange city and were watching them become men…

I can’t remember if it was Don, Earle or Rocky but one of them said, “We aren’t just making football players, we’re building young men.”

The last coach’s show of the season always had the goodbyes to the seniors. It was tough to watch without crying. This was beautiful stuff. People who cared deeply about each other. Young men who had formed bonds that would not be broken. No army could destroy it, a thousand miles could not disrupt it, no amount of time could subdue it. They all knew that no one man could do it alone; They had gone to war together, they had depended on each other, their successes could only be achieved as one. They were Bison, and they stood tall and strong, together.

I feel like I am seeing some of the romance and mystique of the Bison of old on the rise once again. It’s not just the game… I see so many little things, inviting their Bison brothers to their homes when they cannot see their families easily, seeing young men that pray together, respect each other and acknowledge the people who love them, whether they be fans or family. I see young men that study hard, work hard and play hard. I see the sheer joy of a play well made, the sense of accomplishment for a strategy that plays out as planned. I am seeing young men that are looking to each other to become complete. They are men with purpose.

When these building blocks are all assembled and we wrap these young men in green and gold, we see what it means to be a Bison. For me? The Bison of old were men of renown. They have made their place in history. The young men we watch today will write their own pages in history. There is just one chapter to complete.

Someday, I hope to stand at that trophy case, see the awards and pictures of this team and speak in hushed tones of the fine young men who came through these halls.

For this occasion, I think it’s appropriate to bring up an old Rocky quote. Rocky was being interviewed on the plane on the way to the National Championship when he said, “I don’t know if we’re going to win, but it’s going to take one hell of a team to beat us.”

All Hail the Bison!

I love this post. Just wanna say...Eddie's problem has nothing to do with his current views...at least, I would hope not. Would hope that we can separate his announcing skills from his views on other topics. He was one helluvanannouncer for the Bison throughout most of his stay. I would agree with most people here that it got a little weird near the end.

Love the last quote...whoa...Rocky got it.

[KSBisonFan]

I have been a Bison fan since the late sixties and got my wife to come around in the early eighties where we became fixtures up against the press box at Dakotah field. Traveling from Jamestown, I could probably count on one hand the number of games we missed between 1981 and 1991.

We have since moved away but I have never lost my love of NDSU football. Thank goodness for Bison Access as it keeps me in touch with the team every fall. Like many of you, we were the lucky ones, we got to actually see and absorb the glory days. So many wonderful stories, games, coaches and young men acted out their lives and achieved their goals before our eyes.

While we had always been fans, my deep respect for the NDSU Football program began with Don Morton and followed through with Earle and Rocky. We had fabulous young men playing and coaches who really loved what they were doing. Hearing them talk, it seems they loved the players they were coaching even more.

It was the days of Eddie Schultz (when his mind was right – a conservative AND a Bison fan). Eddie loved Bison football and no matter what we think of him now, he actually brought the excitement of Bison Football through our radios and on the coach’s shows. The best part of Ed was his wife Maureen who produced some of the finest videos to share the excitement of the Bison as well as the human interest of the young men that took the field.

One of Maureen’s finest moments came when she produced a video for Parents Day with “Did You Ever Know You’re My Hero” as the background music. I was relatively young but it brought tears to my eyes. Here were big strapping young men that were just happy that mom and dad were able to be there to watch them play. You could see the pride that their parents felt for them. They were beaming over the kids they had sent just out of high school to a strange city and were watching them become men…

I can’t remember if it was Don, Earle or Rocky but one of them said, “We aren’t just making football players, we’re building young men.”

The last coach’s show of the season always had the goodbyes to the seniors. It was tough to watch without crying. This was beautiful stuff. People who cared deeply about each other. Young men who had formed bonds that would not be broken. No army could destroy it, a thousand miles could not disrupt it, no amount of time could subdue it. They all knew that no one man could do it alone; They had gone to war together, they had depended on each other, their successes could only be achieved as one. They were Bison, and they stood tall and strong, together.

I feel like I am seeing some of the romance and mystique of the Bison of old on the rise once again. It’s not just the game… I see so many little things, inviting their Bison brothers to their homes when they cannot see their families easily, seeing young men that pray together, respect each other and acknowledge the people who love them, whether they be fans or family. I see young men that study hard, work hard and play hard. I see the sheer joy of a play well made, the sense of accomplishment for a strategy that plays out as planned. I am seeing young men that are looking to each other to become complete. They are men with purpose.

When these building blocks are all assembled and we wrap these young men in green and gold, we see what it means to be a Bison. For me? The Bison of old were men of renown. They have made their place in history. The young men we watch today will write their own pages in history. There is just one chapter to complete.

Someday, I hope to stand at that trophy case, see the awards and pictures of this team and speak in hushed tones of the fine young men who came through these halls.

For this occasion, I think it’s appropriate to bring up an old Rocky quote. Rocky was being interviewed on the plane on the way to the National Championship when he said, “I don’t know if we’re going to win, but it’s going to take one hell of a team to beat us.”

All Hail the Bison!

Great post! I have been thinking along the same lines these last few days. I will be in Frisco by tomorrow evening and fully anticipate watching the Bison win another National Championship. I was at NDSU from 88-92 and recall watching those great teams win National Championships on TV from our dorm room in Reed Hall. We were just a bunch of poor college students who would have done anything to be at the game. Instead, we made the best of it and snuck whatever booze we could into the dorm.
We screamed and hollered and listened to Ed Schultz and Dana Mock, regardless of what we thought of Ed and the "whiskey bottle episode at Dakota Field." (I was at the game where the bottle was thrown at Ed in the press box). We all thought Maureen was an angel and deserved better than Ed.
I was introduced to Bison football in 1986 when I was in high school. I grew up 3 hours from Fargo but knew I would go there because of the atmosphere and pride of NDSU. I received an invitation to walk-on to the football team but didn't. (still the biggest regret of my life).
I am so proud of where this program and university are today. There is so much negativity surrounding college athletics and athletes today, it's refreshing to be an alum and fan of a school for the right reasons.
As a native North Dakotan, I still call ND home and always will. This is a team that represents more than a university.....they represent a work ethic, an underdog mentality, a state and a region of this great country that is too often dismissed. We don't have a professional sports team...we have something better, the Bison.
The excitement this week and coming days is what is meant by Bison Pride. I showed up to work this week physically but not even close to mentally. My head and thoughts are with those kids in the green and yellow and our coaches working so hard to shape them into young men.
When the game is over Saturday the opposing team will know they were in a battle....win or lose. We are ALWAYS a team the opponent will remember for our physicality and no-quit attitude. That's who we've always been. That's just the way we roll. God willing, we'll be rewarded Saturday about 3 pm. GO HERD!!!

[bisonpride4ever]

awesome post although I don't think we ever left. The mid 90s teams were close and 06-07 teams were good enough to win it all but not playoff elegible . Here is an old video http://www.youtube.com/user/NorthDak.../1/_JN4bebDmSg

I would LOVE to see Coach Bohl come running out with the yellow polo, green pants combo like Solomonson