44 Comments

• Eric says:

  January 30, 2011 at 1:50 pm

  I’m not crazy about Chicago’s (Blackhawks and Bears) tradition of cheering throughout the entire anthem either. But, I guess cheering is better than turning your back on the flag. At least it gets people standing. As a sports fan in general I would say let the UND fans have their moment. Due to the world of political correctness, the University of North Dakota will no longer be called the “Fighting Sioux” after Aug 15 of this %%(())>>%$#@__)
• Donald Dunlop says:

  January 30, 2011 at 2:26 pm

  David,
  What I think is that you’re about to see a plethora of comments from the range of moronic right through to criminally threatening. My best advice is to make sure your IT people have enabled whatever logging capabilities the internet server they run on will allow. It’s likely to get ugly.

  As to what I think of the anthem singing … they’re fully stupid for doing it.
• LibertarianMike says:

  January 30, 2011 at 3:29 pm

  Well, the Sioux were here first, right? That would make this their home. We celebrate the genocide of their people with a turkey; does that bother you, or your dad before he passed? Or did both of you have seconds?

  In the Naked Gun, Leslie Nielsen destroyed the song; did you laugh at that? It was hysterical!

  This doesn’t matter. It’s just fans of one college ream having some fun. They aren’t asking to change the song for everyone; they aren’t doing anything wrong at all. 1st Amendment allows it. Maybe you don’t like it, but you do not have the right to not be offended.
• AB22 says:

  January 30, 2011 at 3:56 pm

  Here’s some advice….GET OVER IT! north dakota fans aren’t the only ppl in the sporting world who say this. It’s too bad people waste their time writing an article on it. and the sioux may be forced to change their name & logo, however, that will NEVER change how they cheer or what kinds of cheers they do. that being said, i think this article is making a bigger deal out of what happened last night.
• Mike says:

  January 30, 2011 at 5:02 pm

  A. – Sioux fans love the U.S.A. and the freedom it allows us… like the freedom to yell SIOUX at the end of the National Anthem.

  B. – You are feeling the sting of losing 6-0 and need to whine and cry about something… how bout how terrible CC is?

  C. – Donald Dunlop is the least respectable college hockey blogger on the planet. Kind of like the UAA hockey team. Wow are they horrible.
• Who? says:

  January 30, 2011 at 5:12 pm

  Who is David Ramsey?
• david ramsey says:

  January 30, 2011 at 6:15 pm

  Mike – I’m not feeling any sting. You’re a North Dakota fan. I’m not a CC fan. I’m a journalist.

  Here’s my celebration of CC’s fab effort against North Dakota:

  http://www.gazette.com/sports/college-112043-wakeup-colorado.html
• Ranger says:

  January 30, 2011 at 7:35 pm

  I think it’s great, so did my father. I’m a 23 year veteran of the US Army and a 20+year member of the US Intelligence Community. Doesn’t bother me at all. Go Sioux! Go WCHA!
• Old Time Hockey says:

  January 30, 2011 at 9:32 pm

  Hey Dave…… You are not a CC fan, but you were at the game? Oh yeah, you’re an unbiased journalist. That is FUNNY!
• T says:

  January 30, 2011 at 10:52 pm

  To be fair, a lot of other teams do the same thing. CC’s rival to the north, Denver, does the same thing and have done so for the past few years. At the WCHA Final Five, the end of the anthem sounds more like the “home of the [unintelligible]” due to all the different fans yelling out their respective mascot.

  If you’re not okay with Sioux (and other fans) changing the end of the anthem, what do you think of certain fan bases – Cornell, for example, with “red” and Dallas with “stars” – emphasizing and yelling out certain words in the anthem? Or Avs fans yelling out the “still there?” Is that okay because it’s not changing the words? Just curious on whether you think that’s disrespect as well.

  Personally, I don’t care, as a simple “SIOUX” at the end of the anthem is less disrespectful to me than the way some people completely mangle the anthem when they sing it – “American Idol wannabes,” if you will.
• yababy8 says:

  January 31, 2011 at 12:45 am

  I was at a DU get a few years back and right after we yelled SIOUX at the end of the national anthem some typical DU better than everybody else guy sitting behind me that’s very loudly how disrespectful that was to which I immediately turned to face him and replied, “it’s true isn’t it? this is the home of the Sioux and it’s always will be”
  Sioux forever!
• Sharon says:

  January 31, 2011 at 1:10 am

  Well, this is one CC fan who has no problem with the Sioux fans’ saying home of the SIOUX. It’s not saying anything against our military or those who have fought for this country.

  It is also a fact that all of the Indian tribes were residents of this great land long before the rest of us [imports]. You might also want to consider that once-upon-a-long-time-ago, indians were called ‘braves.’

  Now, I also realize the slight change upsets some people. In fact, some are in my own family. However, it’s my personal opinion is that people need to get over it. If for no other reason that despite the upcoming UND changes, their fans are simply NOT going to change their cheers or chants for anyone. And the NCAA won’t be able to do a thing about it. That alone kind of gives me a bit of a chuckle.

  Like it or lump it. This is still a county with Freedom of Speech.
  Or… is it?
• Guy says:

  January 31, 2011 at 8:52 am

  I think your a complete moron for even wasting the time to write a blog about this! Get a life and write about something that really matters.
• Sioux forever says:

  January 31, 2011 at 1:12 pm

  Get over it. First, the Native Americans were here first and is what the University of North Dakota honors. Second, have you heard of the first amendment? Third, UND started this tradition and now many colleges duplicate the cheer. If you are “offended” by it, why don’t you shout BRAVE when it comes up???

  By the way our national anthem sucks. God Bless America is a much more patriotic song.

  My guess is you have never visited UND but are against our nickname? I challenge you to visit campus, and see how honored the Sioux tribe is there and how dedicated we are to native American studies. Instead you sit in Colorado judging something that you have no education about.
• david ramsey says:

  January 31, 2011 at 1:26 pm

  You guessed wrong. Have been on UND campus. Spent a weekend there two years ago. Saw two games.

  As to your – and anyone else’s – reference to the First Amendment:

  I wrote in the blog that this is the Land of the Free, which means a person has the right to pollute the National Anthem by singing Sioux instead of brave.

  So quit bringing up the First Amendment. No one is trying to take away your right to be rude and defiant during the National Anthem.

  I’m criticizing the behavior of those who pollute the Anthem. Criticizing is completely different than trying to silence anyone. And that should be obvious. Come to think of it, it flat-out is obvious.
• Stack says:

  January 31, 2011 at 2:21 pm

  Your question was how I felt about this behavior. I feel it is completely acceptable. It doesn’t bother me at all. At The Final Five you will here ” Home of the Gophers, the Huskies, the Badgers etc. at the end of the national anthem. It doesn’t bother me when it’s shouted there either.

  I do feel that Sioux fans seem to shout it louder and that may be simply because their fanbase travels very well and is usually noticed at away games.

  So I don’t consider it disrepsectful or derogatory towards the national anthem.

  I’m also guessing this is not the first time you have been there when this was shouted. Please let us all know why this time brought on the need to write about it and to write this: “even if this behavior offends and saddens those who care about our great country and its great anthem.”

  I care greatly about our country and it’s national anthem but I do not feel shouting the Home of the Sioux is “polluting” the national anthem.
• not_a_sioux_fan says:

  January 31, 2011 at 2:37 pm

  wow, slow news times down there in Colorado, eh?
• Steve Lindquist says:

  January 31, 2011 at 3:09 pm

  Hello David, I am a veteran and a Fighting Sioux sports rube. I respect your opinion regarding our national anthem and what it means to you. I would however remind you that writing a column that offends current, retired, and inactive service members for cheering and loving two things(Fighting Sioux and the National Anthem) at once is always a bad idea.
  In the second to the last paragraph of your last post you blatantly call current and former members of the military rude and defiant. I ask you what right do you have to call me and my brethren rude and defiant?
  I don’t usually like to assume but this situation seems to warrant it, you never served this country did you? You luckily fell out of your mother’s backside on American soil and decided that gave you the right to belittle this nation’s heroes for enjoying a sporting event, for shame.
• Lest We Forget says:

  January 31, 2011 at 3:28 pm

  It is utterly disgraceful to go on arrogantly waving the flag when so many injustices of the past and present continue to be neglected. Do you not understand that our anthem not only represents pride and honor, but also fervent racism and bigotry? Under the stars and stripes we have done much good in the world, but we have also perpetrated evil.

  It may be a small measure, perhaps inconsequential with regard to the perpetual tragedy suffered by this continent’s Native Peoples, but when I stand with my hand to my heart and shout out “the home of the SIOUX” I feel as though I am dignifying the true Americans. Forced by coercion, lies and murder they gave us the land that we love and defend. Giving them the recognition they deserve in this small way is the least we can do to honor the greatest of sacrifices.

  To think that honoring them is somehow a pollution of our anthem is utterly disgusting. Remember your history before you blindly criticize.
• Sioux forever says:

  January 31, 2011 at 3:44 pm

  “Criticizing the behavior” meaning you wish it would be silenced because you think it is rude. There is no law that says you need to put your hand over your heart and shut up during the anthem. Nor is there any law that states you have to sing it a certain way. As Americans we are free to show our patriotism however we want to.

  Yelling Sioux, or Tigers or Huskies is not rude. This is a hockey game not a military funeral or the Olympics. Why we waste 3 minutes singing the anthem before every sporting event is beyond me. We aren’t playing for our country. This is college sport put on for the college kids and community. The crowd should be able to chant what they want when they want as long as it isn’t profane language. For us Sioux fans we take pride in that chant much like you take pride in the whole anthem. The chant is out of respect for the Sioux nation, not out of disrespect to the Anthem. And it also hypes up the crowd and team. People need to lighten up if this is something that offends them. To me, protesting military funerals is far more offensive than changing one word of a song. And that word isn’t even derogatory. I come from a military family and most before me went to UND and have NO problem yelling Sioux instead of brave during the anthem at hockey games. But outside of the games, like the rest of us, we sing it using brave. Again, it’s hockey. Let it go.
• Bill Fish says:

  January 31, 2011 at 3:47 pm

  Hey Dave you wanna see disrespectful go into the vending and beer areas during the athem, people are busy buying food and showing up late (which i hate) that is more disrepectful then continuing a tradition, also hakstol and many former players have said that they loved it and made them play better when they heard home of the sioux, its not going to change, and even if and when the logo BS is over, we will still say home of the sioux!, home or away, DEAL
• RhoEps says:

  January 31, 2011 at 4:31 pm

  If you honor the Sioux nation the same way you ‘honor’ the U.S. during the playing of the anthem I can see why the tribe refused to let you use their name (and please don’t bore me with the details of a ‘split’ vote, I’m aware of it).

  And before you start, I’m not trying to stifle anything, I am over it, they were here first (so why don’t you sing something different entirely at your home games to honor them exclusively), I actually like your nickname, I have a life, and you do have the freedom to act boorish (and of all the visitors that come to our arena, including Denver, you far and away take more advantage of that freedom than anyone else).
• Goon says:

  January 31, 2011 at 5:56 pm

  Get over it toolbag. Oh, and Fire Dave Hakstol!!
• BrettB says:

  January 31, 2011 at 5:58 pm

  So far 17 comments have touched on most of it. But I’ll put in my opinion since you asked.

  I come from Native descent, and my brother spent 16 months in the sand box in Iraq in 2002-2003. He and I both graduated from UND. He and I both yell Sioux at the end of the anthem at every sporting event we attend.

  We both live in different states now, and are far away from our home state of North Dakota. We lived in Colorado Springs at one point where we played golf for Sandcreek High School for 2 years. (any Scorpion’s out there?)

  Anyway, we’ve been able to travel to numerous NHL games at different venues, due to our friends who play in the NHL. Dave have you ever been to a St Louis Blues game? Where 19,500 Blues fans scream “BLUUUESSS” at the end of the anthem? Have you ever been to a New Jersey Devils game? They scream too at the end. Everyone knows the crazy/memorable Blackhawks opera singer, man can that guy belt it out. Heck we were at a Phoenix Coyotes game where there was literally 5,000 fans, and people still yelled a combo of “Yotes/SUNS” at the end of the anthem.

  I know you’re a journalist, and you make very little for a salary, and most papers are cutting back expenses due to this crazy thing called the internet, and i-pad’s.. But I think it’s in your best interest if you’re going to cover Hockey, to actually make a Youtube effort of searching and watching what professional teams and their fans act like before you determine fans who like the Fighting Sioux are “polluting” the anthem. Which by the way is your opinion, and your dad’s opinion.

  In my dad’s opinion (who gave his life for our country), in my uncle’s opinion, and my brother’s opinion, as well as myself. We all agree that honoring our heritage can never be looked upon as a bad thing. Many people want to forget about what happened to my Great Great Grandparent’s and my heritage as it presents a black eye so to say on this great nation.

  You have a different opinion, and we have a different opinion, clearly yours will be heard far more then ours as we’re in the minority, and don’t have the published avenues or the media engines to project our voices the loudest.
• Kim says:

  January 31, 2011 at 5:58 pm

  My dad is a Vietnam Veteran. He would not think it disrepectful. He fought for that freedom! To say what we will. And yes, that part of the country is the home of the SIOUX, if they want to yell it, so be it! Get over it, you really have no place even complaining.
• Mike says:

  January 31, 2011 at 6:47 pm

  How do you like them apples?
• HeavyD says:

  January 31, 2011 at 7:28 pm

  The politically correct can formally take or surrender the name on paper, but it will always be…”The Home of The SIOUX!!!” The fans, players, coaches, and alumni will carry the traditions of The Fighting Sioux forever.
• HeavyD says:

  January 31, 2011 at 7:39 pm

  BTW Dave, I respect and appreciate your father’s service sincerely. But questioning my patriotism is exactly what has true patriots fed up. You are the problem.
• david ramsey says:

  January 31, 2011 at 8:37 pm

  A final word:

  Heavy – Not questioning your – or anyone else’s – patriotism.

  I’m sure a true patriot can make a mistake and pollute our National Anthem by altering – loudly altering – the words. We all make mistakes. So, let me say be the first to say that you are a true patriot. One who who makes the mistake of polluting our Anthem, but a true patriot nonetheless.

  One other thing:

  Keep hearing from readers who bring up Minnesota fans and Blackhawks fans and Badgers fans and all sorts of fans who also alter the Anthem. Great. That just means fans all over America are joining North Dakota fans in polluting our National Anthem.

  Finally, thanks to all my friends from North Dakota for stopping by. Appreciate it. You guys are the best, except for maybe my close friends from Brigham Young University. It’s a dead heat between my friends from UND and my friends from BYU. It really is. Don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, so let’s call it a tie.

  Please, everyone enjoy your Monday.

  Best,

  David
• Jeff Harrell says:

  January 31, 2011 at 10:17 pm

  Guess that means they see a difference between “Sioux” and “brave”.
• HeavyD says:

  January 31, 2011 at 11:53 pm

  Dave,

  Thanks for the response and the debate. This is an easy topic to probably get heated due to the fact that we are in the midst of having 7 decades of history and tradition ripped out from under us as Sioux fans.

  I thank god every day for our troops and all who help protect this country.

  Dave, don’t pat me on the back with one hand saying you agree I’m a patriot, and then slap me with the other hand telling me how ‘mistaken’ I am. If you have an opinion then debate it without flip flopping around like John Kerry. I feel you are questioning our patriotism via a blanket statement via your own words in paragraphs 5 & 6.

  Bottom line: It’s a hockey game. It’s a weekend. It’s suppose to be fun. When our team is on the ice (at home or away), we expect them to defend every inch with pride, honor, and courage. That sheet of ice is their home for 60 minutes and therefore is “the Home of the Sioux!”
• K. says:

  February 1, 2011 at 3:11 pm

  I think its obnoxious when any sports fans put their team ahead of their country. Yes the Sioux Indians were here first, but so were the Cherokee, Apache, Pawnee and a whole slew of others. So if a defense is that the Sioux were here first, then you might say people are insulting other tribes by only shouting out Sioux.
  Along with this. Sing the anthem people. And put your hand over your heart.
• Sharon says:

  February 1, 2011 at 5:10 pm

  Etiquite:
  During the National Anthem, a hand over your heart is optional.
  However, a hand should always be over your heart during the Pledge of Allegiance.

  Just one of those little misunderstandings that people have adopted over the years. Somewhat similarly, many people (under age 65-70) assume “Under God” was always in the Pledge of Allegiance. In fact, there have been 4 revisions to the Pledge. Google it and you’ll even learn that in 1953, Representative Louis Rabaut (a Michigan Democrat) sponsored the resolution to include those 2 words. It happened during the Eisenhower administration and many of us in that generation remember having to re-learn the Pledge in school.
• paul says:

  February 1, 2011 at 7:17 pm

  HeavyD says it great. I’m a Veteran of 1 war and 2 conflicts. I’ve said Home of the Sioux once in my time. Other than the hockey game, many people don’t say Sioux otherwise. @K. Yes the other natives were here first as well, but North Dakota is Home of the Sioux. There were no Apaches in this area.
  I’m more offended that they want to take God out of everything and i’m more atheist than Christian.
• WWPKD says:

  February 1, 2011 at 9:19 pm

  ……wait a minute…..the National Anthem DOESNT end in “Sioux?”……..thats a total mindblower, thats all I’ve ever known. Fight on Sioux
• Shawn says:

  February 1, 2011 at 10:17 pm

  Not really surprised, we live in a country now where relativism is the rule of the day. With a man in the white house for the last 2 decades who has been a complete loser and/or degenrate its hard to be proud anymore
• david ramsey says:

  February 1, 2011 at 11:03 pm

  Shawn –

  Ah, calling our president “a complete loser” is a little off-the-mark. He is, regardless of your politics, a fantastic American success story. He was born poor and used hard work and imagination to fuel an incredible rise. Ronald Reagan lived the same kind of wonderful American success story.

  Obama is the Leader of the Free World, Shawn, but go ahead and call him a “complete loser.” Makes a whole lot of sense, brother.
• Eric B says:

  February 4, 2011 at 3:07 am

  The fact remains that Obama might be a good story is horrible president and a miserable failure.
• david ramsey says:

  February 4, 2011 at 7:09 pm

  Fact? Miserable failure? Oh, geez.
• stoykoj says:

  February 5, 2011 at 6:06 pm

  Is this considered journalism? Is arguing with people over lame topics considered journalism? Particularly topics that shold have never been published in the first place.

  You really should consider a career change if you can’t come up with better ideas for articles.
• Von Trixie says:

  February 6, 2011 at 10:30 am

  Thank you, Stoy. Thank you very much.
• Eric B. says:

  February 7, 2011 at 10:06 am

  Where do you want to start Dave? Obama aka Obumble has failed in many aspects of his job, first the way he handled the disaster in the gulf of New Mexico, that was a disaster from the get go. Then Obumble stopped deep water drilling was told by a court that he couldn’t stop drilling in the Gulf of New Mexico, ignored the courts decision and was held in contempt of court. Thinking of losing in the courts his signature legislation was found to be unconstitutional yet, they are plan on implementing the plan anyways… I could kill many trees laying out how Obama is a destined to be a one term disaster.

  Obama has bungled the situation in Egypt and been basically inept.
• Steve Lindquist says:

  February 7, 2011 at 7:13 pm

  The real joke in this whole situation is Dave Ramsey, a professional blogger. Ladies and gentlemen let me present Dave Ramsey the Perez Hilton of the Colorado Springs Gazette, a man(and I use that term loosely) using the glories of Dave Ramsey the financial genius to perpetrate his lack thereof, and King of the “PC Police” who never played competitive hockey or fought for this country where they would have learned the real meaning of “teammate” or “brother.”

  I think what disgusts me the most is that you use your father, a true American hero, to justify your “blog” even though you don’t know his true feelings on the matter at hand. Your blog article is based on speculation and assumption of your father’s feelings, a shady endeavor indeed.
• david ramsey says:

  September 14, 2011 at 8:59 pm

  Steve – You’re right. I have no idea about my father’ s true feelings. I’m his son, spent several thousand hours talking to him during my lifetime but, hey, I have no idea about what his true feelings were.

  Thanks for your insightful comment, Steve.

  Thanks a lot.