North Dakota taking NCAA to court over nickname

AP ^ | October 6, 2006

[ConservativeStatement]

FARGO, N.D. -- State officials filed a lawsuit Friday against the NCAA to challenge its restrictions on the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname.

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said the lawsuit, filed in Northeast Central District Court in Grand Forks, alleges a breach of contract by the NCAA, a breach of good faith and illegal restraint of trade.

Stenehjem said the lawsuit seeks to allow the University of North Dakota to use the nickname throughout the school year without being sanctioned in possible postseason play, along with unspecified money damages.

The NCAA has banned the use of some American Indian nicknames and logo in postseason tournaments, saying they are hostile to Native Americans.

Stenehjem said the NCAA overstepped its bounds with the ban.

The NCAA has 20 days to respond after it is served with the lawsuit, Stenehjem said.

[badgerlandjim]

Must be the wrong tribe. They could change to the Fighting Illini 2, maybe?

[SuperSonic]

Isn't that similar to the people who had issues with the city seal of Los Angeles because it has a cross in it?

It was the Los Angles County Seal:

Before

After

[ConservativeStatement]

City of Angels."

[SuperSonic]

City of Angels.

Since they left the triangle I guess they can call it the "County of Angles".

[SAJ]

Yabbut th NAGs would. I can hear em right now:

See, look at those patriarchists celebrating beating up women...etc.etc.

[MrNationalist]

If they drop the Indian names then they can drop the Historically Black Colleges And Universities (HBCU).

Since we are integrated, we don't need Black Colleges.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Since the white angel, cross, and oil derricks (a liberal's horror trifecta!) are in the second picture, I presume that is actually the "before" shot? ;)

[Prime Choice]

You have those backwards. The seal had the crucifix removed. The one you're indicating as the current seal is the old seal before the ACLU decided to wage yet another battle to have any and all references to Christianity destroyed.

[labette]

Heh, heh. My favorite UND photo:

[half-cajun]

I think the NCAA's only power to make them change the name is to prohibit them from appearing in any post-season games unless they do.

[SuperSonic]

You're both correct. I made a mistake and reversed the logos. Here they are shown correctly:

Before:

After:

[Mr. Jeeves]

Yeah, that makes more sense: indigenous people's represntative with a tray of organic granola, rainbow flag with Muslim stars, and a former church turned into an undocumented workers' hiring hall. That's today's Los Angeles. ;)

[3niner]

You don't see Irish people complaining about Notre Dame, do you?

You don't see the Sioux complaining about UND, either. It's a bunch of jerks, with no direct interest, who got the NCAA to make a stupid rule.

[Gordongekko909]

Yeah, that makes sense. Shoulda figured that a bunch of anointed leftists would jump on this without anyone actually asking them to.

[wbill]

UND is well known for its hockey program. Their rink, Englestad Arena is quite a place, and the guy who financed it, Ralph Englestad, threatened to pull funding if they changed their name.

Money Talks. I like the guy for sticking to his guns.

[Verginius Rufus]

Have any Bengalis complained about the new mascot? West Bengal (capital: Calcutta) is part of India, while East Bengal is now called Bangladesh. Put a turban on the old Indian mascot and claim it was supposed to be an Asian Indian all along.

[Verginius Rufus]

I read an article about this controversy a couple of years ago...the American Indian activists who were complaining were not Sioux.