2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: North Dakota

The preseason countdown begins with a look at a Big Sky Conference newcomer in the University of North Dakota.  

The team will begin the season without a nickname, the only school in the conference with that distinction (for now).  During the offseason, the controversial  Fighting Sioux nickname was retired by way of a statewide vote.  The school's athletics programs otherwise would have been deemed ineligible to participate in postseason competition per NCAA regulations, in regards to Native American-related nicknames.

  

Controversy aside, the football program has historically been strong, winning the Division II national championship in 2001, and finishing as runner-up in 2003.  In 2008, North Dakota began to make the transition from Division II to Division I, and the transition has boded well for them with a total record of 23-20 under the tutelage of head coach Chris Mussman.

North Dakota's best season since moving to Division I happened just last year, when the team finished 2011 with an 8-3 record and won a share of the final Great West Conference championship.  The team brings back their leading rusher from last season in junior Jake Miller (991 yards on 195 carries), but their most experienced quarterback is senior Marcus Hendrickson (career stats 13/47, 137 yds, 2 interceptions) who last took a snap in 2010 and did not take any last season.

Much of North Dakota's receiving corps is back, led by juniors Greg Hardin (43 catches, 549 yards, 3 TD) and R.J. McGill (34 catches, 433 yards, TD).  Their top tight ends are seniors Seth Nichols (13 catches, 109 yards, TD) and Seth Wisthoff (7 catches for 76 yards).  The rest of their tight ends are all underclassmen (sophomore long-snapper Taylor Grant, redshirt freshman Zach Alder, and true freshmen Luke Mathewson, Tucker Nordby, and Tanner Vesladahl).

Defensively, the team recorded 31 sacks and 8 interceptions.  They return their leaders in quarterback sacks (senior lineman Ross Brenneman) and one of their co-leaders in interceptions (sophomore defensive back Daryl Brown), but they also return as their top two returning tacklers, as leading tackler in 2011 Dan Hendrickson graduated.

MY THOUGHTS: With a bigger Big Sky, this will be an interesting season for the North Dakota football team, now that they're playing in a tougher and more competitive conference.  It's going to be interesting to know that they won't have a nickname for now, so that's something fans of other schools will have to get used to with the now-retired Fighting Sioux nickname on the shelf.  But they're a very good team and could easily turn some heads this season if they can play everybody tough.

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2012 Big Sky Conference Football Countdown

Ah, yes...football season is just around the corner.

It's one of my favorite times of the year, and I'll be writing about the Big Sky Conference's football teams' outlooks heading into the coming season.  The league is bigger and better than it was in the past, with four new teams joining the conference on July 1st (two of them are football-only members).

The countdown will begin with the league's four newcomers: North Dakota and Southern Utah (all sports), as well as football-only members Cal Poly and UC Davis.  The outlooks on the conference's returning members continues with Northern Colorado and end with 2012 preseason favorite Montana State and defending conference champion Montana.

It should be an interesting season for one of the most powerful conferences in all of FCS football, with the addition of four new teams, as well as a new TV contract with Root Sports, which will bring the conference greater TV exposure than ever before.

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The 2012 British Open: 1999 all over again

A true golf fan will always remember the 1999 British Open for how Jean van de Velde had a huge lead heading into the final round, leading Justin Leonard and Craig Parry by five strokes. He only needed a double-bogey at the 18th and final hole to wrap up an upset win at Carnoustie, until everything unraveled:



As a result, it forced a three-way playoff between Leonard and local competitor Paul Lawrie.  The four-hole playoff was won by Lawrie, who won it by three strokes over van de Velde and Leonard, capping off one of the biggest collapses in one of golf's majors.

Turn the clock ahead to today, and Adam Scott at St. Anne's.  Coming into the final round, Scott led the British Open by four strokes over Graeme McDowell and Brandt Snedeker.  2002 British Open champion Ernie Els was six strokes behind Scott.  As the final round unfolded, Scott was 11-under par after 68 holes, and then just like in 1999 with van de Velde, everything began to fall apart during the final four holes.

Els on the other hand, was having a great day as he was making a huge run to the lead, trying to capture his second Open championship.  At the end, Els went 2-under on the final round, while Scott went 5-over, which included four straight bogeys to end the round and complete the comeback for Els, as he captured his second career Open championship.

The events of today for the young Aussie should serve as a reminder that you can't always keep your foot on the gas pedal or put the car on cruise control while you're holding a big lead.  This is merely a learning experience for him, and if he enters the PGA Championship, hopefully the lessons learned from today will carry over once he tees off in Kiewah Island, South Carolina next month.

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Don't throw Tim Thomas under the bus because of a decision

On Monday, the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins paid a visit to the White House--and an opportunity to meet with President Barack Obama. Everyone on the team--players, coaches, and team executives--took advantage of the opportunity to be honored by the leader of the free world. Everyone...except the man who backstopped the Bruins to their first championship in 39 years.

Goaltender Tim Thomas was the most noticeable absence, and he made his reason as to why he didn't join his teammates radically clear: he's not happy about the direction of America, and stated his reason for not attending on his official Facebook page. His decision to pass on a visit to the White House has given him both praise and criticism, regardless of what side of the political spectrum his fans (and to an extent, sports fans and non-sports fans in general) sit on. Those that have praised his decision have thanked him for being a true Patriot, while those who think the opposite have said that he shouldn't be talking about politics at all.

If people have a problem with an important part of a championship-winning team not visiting the White House with his teammates, then they simply shouldn't say anything at all. Thomas made this decision as an individual, as he stated in that Facebook post. This decision shouldn't affect his play on the ice, but in all seriousness, people shouldn't be ragging on the guy over not meeting with the President.

As an individual myself, my respect for Thomas went through the roof for staying true to what he believed in. You may have won the Stanley Cup away from my beloved Vancouver Canucks, but bravo, Mr. Thomas. Bravo. Like everyone in America, you're entitled to your opinion(s) and entitled to stick with it/them.

Photo Credit: AP

Time for the Mariners to get out of their offensive rut...and soon

If there's a few things out there that you can consider positive if you're a Mariners fan like myself, there's two of them: pitching and a far better record at the All-Star break than last year. It shouldn't be considered a bad thing even if you're 7.5 games out of first place in your division. But there's one thing that's remained the same: the offense is still in a major rut.

While they have one of the top pitching staffs in all of baseball, which includes defending Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez and rookie sensation Michael Pineda in the starting rotation, the Mariners are last in the majors in runs scored, batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. It's one thing to have a great pitching staff, but if you're going to contend for the postseason regularly, you have to have both elements in fine working order.

One would think that the free-agent signing of catcher Miguel Olivo would add a spark to the offense. It's certainly helped in the homerun department, but with a .223 batting average entering the second half of the season, it's time for the veteran to pick up the slack at the plate and increase a relatively pedestrian batting average.

Designated hitter Jack Cust has been nothing more than a disappointment. Brought in over the offseason as a big left-handed bat, his numbers have been just that--a disappointment. Three home runs, 23 RBIs, and a dismal .211 batting average. And now Cust isn't in the lineup as much now.

And then there's Ichiro. It's been 10 years since he won both American League MVP and Rookie of the Year honors, and he's been very un-Ichiro-like this season. While he's still fast as ever at 37 years old, his production at the plate could mean it might be the first time in his MLB career that he won't end the season batting .300 or better, unless he can put together a strong second half.

But there are a couple of bright spots offensively. One of them is second baseman Dustin Ackley, called up from Triple-A Tacoma in June. The former North Carolina Tar Heels standout has made a big splash in the Mariners lineup, and certainly has what it takes to positively contribute to their offense. The other bright spot I speak of is Dutch-born outfielder Greg Halman. While he only played sparingly last season and put up less than spectacular numbers, he's shown considerable improvement since coming back to the show. If both Ackley and Halman continue to improve and show their potential the rest of the season, they could both be dangerous in the Mariners' lineup next season and in future years.

But still, the lack of a big bat not named Justin Smoak is part of the Mariners' problem offensively. And that's why general manager Jack Zduriencik needs to pull the trigger on a deal to bring in a bat that can lift up a flat offense without having to sacrifice any top-tier prospects working their way through the minor league system. One player I could think of the Mariners trading for is outfielder Hunter Pence from the lowly Houston Astros. While he does possess some strong offensive upside, I imagine the Astros will be asking for a lot in return as they're bound to enter a rebuilding mode much like the one the Mariners are in right now. And a deal with Houston would not include Jack Wilson or Chone Figgins, whom have both proved to be expensive flops in Seattle.

At least the positive thing about starting the second half of the season is hoping that your team can make a run for a playoff spot if you're within reasonable striking distance. I firmly believe that's where the Mariners are, and if their offense can be as smooth as their pitching staff, they'll have a shot at making their first postseason since their 116-win season in 2001. But it's going to take another bat to get there, and the right deal to get the job done.

Photo credit: AP

What a British Open win would mean for Rory McIlroy

Remember when some fella named Tiger Woods exploded onto the golf scene? Safe to say Rory McIlroy is beginning to make a similar splash coming off a dominant U.S. Open win last month. And with the next major coming this weekend at Royal St. George's Golf Club in Kent, England, this is a great opportunity for McIlroy to establish himself as the next big superstar on the PGA Tour.

The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland has had himself a pretty good haul in 2011. He almost left Augusta National with their famed green jacket at The Masters, but a dismal final round dashed any chance of that (he shot an 80, 8-over-par), and he ended up tied for 15th in the final rundown, ten strokes behind eventual Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa. Then came the U.S. Open at Congressional just outside of Washington, DC. His final 72-hole score was 268, a tournament record, as he finished eight strokes ahead of runner-up Jason Day of Australia (who also finished tied for second at The Masters).

Come Thursday morning across the pond, McIlroy will be entering the British Open as an obvious favorite. He's coming off a three-week break from his U.S. Open triumph, and should he win the tournament at Royal St. George's, it wouldn't just be his second-straight major victory, but it may also be a very popular victory in his home country given Northern Ireland's geographic proximity to England. And with Tiger Woods not on the entry list for the tournament, I say McIlroy's chances of winning his second straight major look very good, despite some other big names on the list like Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, and countless others looking to make history of their own as a champion of the British Open.

Image courtesy: Getty Images

Winnipeg can breathe easy now

Back in 1996, I was merely a casual follower of the NHL. Sure, I had watched some games here and there. But I generally didn't watch very many games until a few years later. That same year, the Winnipeg Jets sadly flew out of the provincial capital of Manitoba to the dry desert of Phoenix, Arizona, and the team was renamed the Phoenix Coyotes.

Turn the clock ahead to 2011. The Coyotes are now in control by the National Hockey League, and there was a strong possibility that True North Sports & Entertainment, an ownership group based out of Winnipeg, was interested in bringing the franchise back to where it belongs. But instead, Chicago-based businessman Matthew Hulsizer expressed interest in buying the team, and the city of Glendale (where the Coyotes play their home games) pitched in $25 million to keep the team there through at least the 2011-12 season. And now the Coyotes are looking for new ownership--again--as Hulsizer pulled himself out of the running to buy the team.

But it doesn't matter for Winnipeg now. Once Glendale was able to get their ducks in a row in keeping the Coyotes in town, TNS&E shifted their focus to Atlanta, as the Thrashers' ownership group was fixing to sell off the team to the highest bidder. The Thrashers had historically been abysmal, only making one playoff appearance in their franchise history, and their fan support was next to nothing in recent years, which may have been one of those factors into why Atlanta Spirit wanted to unload the team.

On May 19, an article from the Toronto Globe & Mail reported that Atlanta Spirit and True North had come to a purchase agreement which opened the door for relocation of the team to Winnipeg. Despite the reports being premature, Jets fans flocked by the thousands to Portage and Main, a popular gathering area in downtown Winnipeg, to celebrate the return of their team on that night. Five days later, True North and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman were in Winnipeg to announce the transaction had officially been completed. The relocation of the Thrashers to Winnipeg was approved by the NHL's Board of Governors on June 21.

Ever since the lockout wiped out the 2004-05 NHL season, I have pulled for Winnipeg to get a team again because of how much fans in the city pushed for having another team and hoping it would work out the second time around. What helped the city of Winnipeg this time is they had a new building, the MTS Centre, which replaced the outdated Winnipeg Arena (which was the original home of the Jets) that has since been demolished.

Exhale, Manitoba. The Jets are flying again. And I firmly believe they will be in Winnipeg to stay this time.

Image credit: CBC.ca