SIOUX LOGOS Who said the NCAA?can't be flexible? The NCAA has agreed to let the University of North Dakota keep some Fighting Sioux logos in the Ralph Engelstad Arena and the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center after negotiating with state Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. The university will still have to remove Sioux signs on the outside of the arenas, but the concern was over the thousands of Fighting Sioux logos inside the hockey arena. The logo is literally everywhere, with medallions on seats and a massive logo in the granite floor of the arena's entryway. The NCAA said the university can "reduce the nickname and Native American mascot imagery" and still be eligible to hosts NCAA championship events at the arena. It's good news for UND, obviously, because removing many of the logos would have been all but impossible. How does one exactly remove a gigantic logo from a granite floor? The agreement hopefully helps end the years of conflict between supporters and opponents of the divisive nickname.
REFS RETURN After?Monday night's embarrassing debacle between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, most football fans figured it wouldn't take long before the league realized that the replacement officials were simply out of their league. The NFL and referees agreed to a new contract two days later, and the regular officials were back on the field for Thursday night's Baltimore-Cleveland game. Welcome back, indeed. The replacement officials did the best they could, but they simply were not prepared or qualified to officiate NFL games. The regular officials received a standing ovation from the crowd in Baltimore on Thursday night, although there were some calls that made both teams unhappy, and the honeymoon was short-lived. Still, having the regular officials back on the job will help restore some order and continuity to the league after three weeks of chaos.