The Mike McFeely Mess

Reporter Ryan Collingwood, who covers the Missouri State football team for the Springfield Daily Citizen, joins host Mike McFeely to talk about the big game this week between the Bears and North Dakota State at the Fargodome. Ryan and Mike go back a long way in covering the FCS, so Ryan offers a pragmatic and reasoned perspective on the ballgame. The Bears, like the Bison, are 6-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which is somewhat surprising considering Missouri State's long and not-very-successful history in FCS. But Ryan says quarterback Jacob Clark, a transfer from Minnesota, is the real deal and he and the Bears' offense is potent. It should be a good test for the No. 1-ranked Bison.

Forum reporter Melissa Van Der Stad and photo editor Anna Paige join host Mike McFeely to discuss in-depth their recent story chronicling a night of homelessness in downtown Fargo. They followed 72-year-old Lowrie Hogenson for 16 hours to give readers an idea of what it's like to be homeless in our city. The story humanized those living on the streets and along the banks of the Red River. It was a great bit of journalism that was educational, eye-opening and heartbreaking. You should read it. Here is the link: What's it like to be homeless in Fargo? Woman who sleeps downtown shares a day in her life. Melissa and Anna walk us through how they did the story and what they learned. 

InForum writer Jeff Kolpack and WDAY-TV Sports director Stacey Anderson join host Mike McFeely on the flight back to Fargo from Murray, Kentucky, following the Bison's 59-6 romp in the modern team's first trip to the Bluegrass State. The guys talk horses, the city of Murray, the Racers' football program and the Bison. They look ahead to NDSU's upcoming game against Northern Iowa. 

Forum sportswriter Jeff Kolpack and WDAY-TV director Stacey Anderson join host Mike McFeely high above middle America as they fly back from Carbondale, Illinois, to Fargo after North Dakota State defeated Southern Illinois 24-3 on Saturday, Oct. 12. The guys review the Bison's ho-hum victory and all the story lines involved in it, including quarterback Cam Miller's ankle and other NDSU injuries, before turning the page and looking ahead to the next game against rival South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits come to Fargo ranked No. 1 in FCS while the Bison will be No. 2 with the Dakota Marker trophy on the line.

Forum reporter Tasha Carvell joins host Mike McFeely to touch on a number of topics including the vice presidential debate between Tim Walz and JD Vance, the flurry of North Dakota political polls and the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Kevin Cramer and Democratic challenger Katrina Christiansen.

Forum sports writer Jeff Kolpack and WDAY-TV producer Mike Kapel join host Mike McFeely on the plane flight back to Fargo from Normal, Ill., where North Dakota State's football team walloped Illinois State on Saturday, Sept. 29. The Bison defense looked inspired and improved while the offense just kept humming along behind quarterback Cam Miller.

Former Forum editorial page editor Jack Zaleski joins host Mike McFeely to discuss a number of topics, including the absence of Trump yard signs in very red areas, the new makeup of Fargo's city commission and the issue of homelessness in downtown Fargo.

Forum sportswriter Jeff Kolpack and WDAY-TV director Stacey Anderson join host Mike McFeely on the plane flight from Johnson City, Tennessee, to Fargo to recap North Dakota State's wild 38-35 victory Saturday over East Tennessee State. The game will go down as one of the most remarkable comebacks in the Bison's history in Division I, yet it left a bad taste because NDSU was a 27-point favorite and struggled much of the game against the Buccaneers. That's the challenge with this game: Do you celebrate a remarkable victory or lament the performance in a game the Bison probably should've lost?

North Dakota historian and scholar Clay Jenkinson joins host Mike McFeely to talk about the presidential debate between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump that occurred September 10, 2024.  Clay and Mike don't agree on whether Harris was right or wrong to mostly shy away from the questions asked her in order to bait Trump into looking like a crazed old man. Clay also says Mike is having a "hissy fit" at one point of their discussion, to which Mike responds well.

Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack and WDAY-TV's Sam Goetzinger join host Mike McFeely on the flight back to Fargo from Boulder, Colo., to break down North Dakota State's 31-26 loss to Colorado in college football Thursday night.  Humming along at 25,000 feet or so, the guys look at the positives, the negatives and the atmosphere about the game.  And what's ahead for the Bison as they begin their FCS schedule?

Football writer Brian Howell of the Boulder Daily Camera joins host Mike McFeely to break down Thursday's game between North Dakota State and Colorado. Brian has covered Colorado for many years and says this might be the team's most talented roster since 2016, when the Buffaloes won 10 games. He says if everything goes right, he could see head coach Deion Sanders' team challenging for the Big 12 title. 

Radio host Joel Heitkamp of KFGO and the "News and Views" radio network is attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He joins podcast host Mike McFeely for an update after a raucous night when Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz hit a home run with his acceptance speech as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate. Joel has been in the United Center for three nights, so he has the pulse on what's happening.  He, like many Americans, was moved when Walz's son Gus showed so much emotion during the governor's speech.

Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler joins host Mike McFeely of The Forum to discuss what it's like to be the target of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders' ire and what to expect from the Buffaloes next week when North Dakota State visits Boulder for their college football season opener. Keeler became part of a national story when he tried to ask Sanders a question at a press conference and the coach shut him down because Keeler has been one of the few critics of Sanders and the Buffaloes. Keeler expects Colorado to be much like it was a year ago, with lots of speed, skill and flash but lacking in other areas.  The Bison and the Buffs play Thursday, Aug. 29, in a game that can be seen nationally on ESPN.

Forum columnist Jim Shaw joins podcast host Mike McFeely to talk about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz being chosen as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket. Shaw wrote a column supporting the move, so he comments on that and other political talk.  

Former U.S. Senator and current Pritzker Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago Heidi Heitkamp joins host Mike McFeely to discuss the big news that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was selected to be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate on the Democratic ticket. Heitkamp knows Harris and Walz well and offers insight into what Walz adds to the ticket and how he might handle challenges thrown at him by Republicans.

Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Ken Martin joins host Mike McFeely to discuss Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz being in the discussion to be the vice presidential candidate with presumptive presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Martin also discusses the Harris campaign's momentum, what Martin looks for in polling, Donald Trump and some of the down-ballot races in the state.

Forum reporter Tasha Carvell joined podcast host Mike McFeely to discuss the monumental news from the weekend about President Joe Biden dropping out of the race and opening the door for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee against Donald Trump. Also, Tasha and Mike break down Republican VP candidate J.D. Vance's ability to tell jokes and offend women.

KFGO and statewide radio talk-show host Joel Heitkamp again joins host Mike McFeely to riff on North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum's failed attempt at becoming Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's running mate, Burgum's future in a potential Trump administration and Joel's insistence that incumbent Joe Biden drop out of the race to allow a more popular Democrat to take on Trump.

Forum sportswriter Eric Peterson joins host Mike McFeely to, in a break from grim reality for Mike, talk about North Dakota State football. The Bison appear to be putting the wraps on the 2025 recruiting class and, on paper, it looks pretty good.  The guys also get into how the Bison are sitting midsummer with the fall rapidly approaching. That includes, of course, some thoughts on NDSU's season opener at Colorado and head coach Deion Sanders.

Former Forum editorial page editor Jack Zaleski joins host Mike McFeely to preview this week's crucial presidential debate between Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican challenger Donald Trump. They talk about what to expect and how North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a running mate hopeful for Trump, fits into the picture. Also, some chatter about Devils Lake, North Dakota, and the great walleye fishing up there.

Forum reporter Patrick Springer joins host Mike McFeely to talk about the controversy over wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota. The National Park Service for years has wanted to remove the horses, saying they aren't native, while horse advocates and park visitors overwhelmingly want the creatures to stay.  The issue came to a head the last couple of years when it became apparent current park administration was intent on removing the entire herd. U.S. Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota finally announced in April the horses would stay, after he used some powerful levers to pressure the Park Service. Springer has covered the story intently for years. He says the issue might not be completely resolved even yet. 

Forum columnist and former TV reporter and news director Jim Shaw joins host Mike McFeely to discuss the results of this week's North Dakota primary election. Voters chose Julie Fedorchak to be the Republican candidate for U.S. House, Kelly Armstrong to be the GOP candidate for governor and locally former TV anchor Michelle Turnberg was the surprising top vote-getter in the Fargo City Commission race.  Shaw and McFeely break down what the results mean and how the winners will affect the political process in the state.

KFGO and "News and Views" radio network host Joel Heitkamp joins host Mike McFeely to talk about North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum's indefensible defense of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and what spurred Burgum to go from a seemingly independent thinker politically to a MAGA mouthpiece. Also, Joel handicaps the North Dakota primary races coming up June 11 and explains what he believes were the keys to those expected winners coming out on top. And Joel and Mike (briefly) discuss tattoos.

Sam Herder, Football Championship Subdivision national analyst for HERO Sports, joins podcast host Mike McFeely for a wide-ranging interview about the state of FCS. What does it mean that four teams are likely to dominate the subdivision for the foreseeable future? Who are the next programs that could rise up? Was Missouri State right to leave FCS for FBS? And, of course, how does Sam view the aspirations of some at North Dakota State to move up a level if possible, and the apparent comfort South Dakota State feels in FCS. Also, Mike can't resist a couple of hot takes.

Ben Portnoy, reporter for the Sports Business Journal, joins host Mike McFeely to give a 101 level class on the massive House vs. NCAA lawsuit settlement that will be announced this week. It has the potential to be one of the most ground-shaking outcomes in college sports history. At issue is a settlement the NCAA and Power Five conferences reached with former college athletes who sought "back pay" for missed opportunities to get paid for their name, image and likeness. Critics say the NCAA and Power Five leagues are looking out for their best interests while dumping on the other Division I conferences and schools.  Portnoy says a counter-proposal by those "lower" leagues is being discussed right now.

Apologies from the start: This podcast recording is rough because Clay Jenkinson was in the woods of Vermont when we reached him and his Internet connection cuts out for long stretches, which means there are long stretches of silence when he is supposed to be talking.  Also, host Mike McFeely recorded it from home and his dogs chose to bark wildly at a couple of different junctures during the discussion with Clay. So there's that.  Instead of re-recording or heavy editing or deleting the podcast altogether, the McFeely Mess staff (Mike) made the decision to run with it. Listen at your own risk.  That said, the North Dakota scholar wanted to weigh in on Gov. Doug Burgum kissing up to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.  If you can make it through, good stuff.

Forum business reporter and columnist Tammy Swift joins podcast host Mike McFeely to chat about a story Tammy wrote about world-famous Dot's Pretzels leaving little Velva, North Dakota, after the company was purchased by food giant Hershey's Company. The two dozen or so jobs the move eliminated is bad, but the small town near Minot in north central North Dakota also lost a big part of its identity when Hershey's closed the Dot's production plant and moved operations to Pennsylvania. Tammy wrote about it all in a story that appeared on the InForum.com website recently. 

Aaron Rupar, publisher of the Public Notice newsletter and longtime political commentator and Trump follower on social media, joins host Mike McFeely to chat about how Aaron can keep his sanity having to watch and dissect so many rallies and press conferences of former president Donald Trump. They talk about this fall's election and its potential consequences. Trump and President Joe Biden are, of course, the gist of the conversation, but former U.S. congresswoman Michele Bachmann's name makes a cameo, too. And Mike couldn't resist talking a little Minnesota Timberwolves with Aaron, who is a super-fan of the rising NBA team.

Forum columnist Jim Shaw joins host Mike McFeely to break down the debate between North Dakota Republican gubernatorial candidates Kelly Armstrong and Tammy Miller. Spoiler alert: Both Jim and Mike found it to be a snoozer. Jim also gives his thoughts on how Cara Mund will do in the June primary for the state's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

WDAY-TV sports host and North Dakota State play-by-play broadcaster Dom Izzo joins host Mike McFeely of The Forum to talk about the spring football transfer portal opening and the NDSU spring game coming up this weekend (it's actually a "showcase," not a game). So far — and we emphasize so far — no Bison players have entered the portal in the first couple of days it's been open in the spring window. Other schools have not been so lucky. We'll have to keep watching to see if any NDSU players leave the program, and how important they are to the Bison. Also, Dom lays out a few positions and players he'll keep an eye on during Saturday's Bison football showcase at the Fargodome. Which young players will pop? Who needs to step up? What position groups have the most questions? 

Forum reporter Tasha Carvell joins host Mike McFeely to discuss some of her recent stories, including one that involves a North Dakota judge throwing out a lawsuit a Native American group with tenuous ties to the state filed against the NFL's Washington Commanders. Tasha also gives an update on former North Dakotan Rockne Earles, who had his charges amped up for his role in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. She also touches on the latest news involving the federal search warrant granted in the Ray Holmberg case. It's a very newsy podcast.

Talk-show host Joel Heitkamp of KFGO and the "News and Views" radio network joins host Mike McFeely to talk some politics, specifically Donald Trump and his hawking of Bibles to help pay his bills. Unsurprisingly, Joel and Mike find hypocrisy and humor in Trump selling the Bible.  They also touch on other political topics like Joe Biden, immigration and the North Dakota Republican gubernatorial primary between Kelly Armstrong and Tammy Miller.

Former editorial page editor of The Forum Jack Zaleski joins host Mike McFeely to talk about North Dakota's Republican primary for governor between U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong and Tammy Miller. The TV ads are unavoidable and they are getting nastier. Also, how much sway will Gov. Doug Burgum have in the race and the latest on North Dakota's anti-abortion extremists getting even more extreme.

North Dakota humanities scholar and commentator Clay Jenkinson joins host Mike McFeely to cover a variety of topics. Mike invited Clay onto the podcast to get his reaction about a survey that showed Christian nationalism gets more support in North Dakota than in any other state, but as always the pair delved into several subjects.

Forum columnist Mike McFeely guest-hosted "News and Views" on KFGO radio and its statewide network on Thursday, March 14. Guests included Ken Martin, chairman of the Minnesota DFL, who visited about Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to the state and the Minnesota GOP's continued descent into radicalism; and Will Stancil, a University of Minnesota researcher and X influencer who chatted about America's ongoing attempt to harness social media app TikTok. Mike also riffed about South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and her dental surgery infomercial, conservative misinformation and immigration.  

Forum sportswriter Eric Peterson joins host Mike McFeely in a last-second, emergency podcast (Mike just got back from Sioux Falls, S.D., covering the Summit League tournament and had nothing prepared) to chat about the North Dakota State women's basketball team, potential Summit League transfers, the Minnesota Vikings' free-agent moves and the now-relevant Minnesota Timberwolves. It's a smorgasbord of sports talk!

Forum columnist and former local TV news reporter and director Jim Shaw joins host Mike McFeely to talk about North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum refusing to say whether he would've certified the 2020 presidential election in which Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump. Burgum is angling for something from Trump, possibly a Cabinet position. Also, Shaw offers a couple of thoughts on the Republican gubernatorial race between Tammy Miller and Kelly Armstrong.

Forum columnist and reporter Tammy Swift joins host Mike McFeely and turns the tables. Tammy asked if she could be the one asking the questions to learn more about Mike. He agreed. So Tammy fires away. Does Mike think he has a large ego? What's one thing about him that would surprise people? What does he fear? It's like a therapy session, in podcast form.

WDAY-TV sportscaster Dom Izzo joins podcast host Mike McFeely to talk about the pair's "Drive For Five (Thousand)" campaign to attract 5,000 fans to the North Dakota State vs. North Dakota basketball games Feb. 24 in Fargo. There likely won't be anywhere near 5,000 fans for either game, but the guys ask the question: Why is basketball attendance for the men's team dwindling and what can be done to boost the number of fans at women's games?  

Denver Post sports columnist Sean Keeler joins podcast host Mike McFeely to chat about one of North Dakota State's opponents this fall, the University of Colorado. Keeler recently wrote a column calling Colorado head coach Deion Sanders — you might have heard of him — "a false prophet, the Bruce Lee of B.S., Harold Hill in designer shades." Keeler and McFeely talk about the column, the reaction to it, and the upcoming matchup between the historically powerful FCS team in NDSU and the upstart and very popular FBS team in Colorado. It is sure to be a game watched intently both nationally because of Prime Time and regionally because the Bison get another chance to play an FBS Power Five team.  

Forum sportswriter Eric Peterson joins podcast host Mike McFeely to talk about North Dakota State football's latest quarterback recruit Jacob Kilzer, the addition of three new assistant coaches and this year's great success of Minnesota State University Moorhead's men's basketball team.

Noted Bismarck, N.D., author, historian and humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson joins host Mike McFeely to discuss, mostly, the sorry state of the American republic. The United States is in the hurt bag because of an electorate (mostly on the right) that is stuck in its partisan fantasy land and politicians (mostly on the right) who won't push back on Trump.  Jenkinson is the principal behind Listening to America (formerly The Thomas Jefferson Hour), a weekly podcast/radio program, newsletter, and website LTAmerica.org dedicated to "traveling less visited byways and taking time to see this immense, extraordinary country with fresh eyes while listening to the many voices of America's past, present, and future."

Forum columnist and business reporter Tammy Swift joins host Mike McFeely to talk about several things, but mostly about columns she's written about her elderly mother's illness. Tammy's columns have been deeply personal, opening the door to thinking about her mom's mortality and her own. 

Forum reporter Tracy Briggs joins host Mike McFeely to talk about her stories on King Leo's, a long-ago popular hamburger joint in south Fargo that has readers stirred up with excitement. As is always the case when Tracy and Mike begin to talk, the discussion goes off-course into their careers, their spouses, travel, their aversion to math and other non-related topics. 

Former longtime Forum editorial page editor Jack Zaleski, who covered and wrote about North Dakota politics for decades, joins host Mike McFeely to hash over the internal strife in the state's Republican Party and the scandals that have rocked the party.

"News and Views" host Joel Heitkamp, based at Fargo's KFGO radio, joins host Mike McFeely of The Forum at Vic's Lounge in Moorhead to chat about North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum's presidential campaign. The Republican announced he was seeking his party's nomination in early June and dropped out of the race in early December after gaining little traction. Mike and Joel discuss the campaign, what Burgum could have done differently and what might be next for the North Dakota governor.

San Francisco Chronicle sportswriter Eric Branch joins podcast host Mike McFeely to talk about former North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, who has work to do if he wants to be the San Francisco 49ers long-term starter. Lance was taken with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was given the starting job to start 2022, but suffered a broken leg early in the season. He was replaced first by Jimmy Garoppolo and then Brock Purdy. It's like Purdy would've remained the team's starting QB if not for an injury he sustained. Branch lays out the scenario for Lance's short-term and perhaps long-term prospects with the Niners.

Forum sportswriter Eric Peterson joins podcast host Mike McFeely for an early-week look at the Football Championship Subdivision national title game between North Dakota State and South Dakota State.  At last glance, the Bison were 5-point underdogs to the Jackrabbits for Sunday's game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. This is a rare position in which NDSU finds itself. How can the Bison win the game? Eric gives some examples of what he thinks has to happen.

Forum sportswriter Eric Peterson and podcast host/columnist Mike McFeely take a closer look at North Dakota State's 2022 early signing period recruiting class, which was announced Wednesday, Dec. 21. They look at some recent recruiting classes to give perspective on how many players might pan out to be contributors or stars.

Forum sportswriter Eric Peterson and columnist/podcast host Mike McFeely take an early look at the Football Championship Subdivision national title game between North Dakota State and South Dakota State, to be played Jan. 8 in Frisco, Texas. Who has the early advantage? What are the early keys? What does two teams from the same conference playing for the title mean for FCS? How many drunken fistfights will there be? Eric and Mike take a big-picture early look at the much-anticipated title tilt.

Forum sportswriter Eric Peterson and podcast host and columnist Mike McFeely take a close look at the North Dakota State vs. Incarnate Word FCS playoff semifinal game scheduled for Friday, Dec. 16. Eric sees a strength-on-strength matchup while Mike wonders how UIW's defense will hold up against the Bison run game. As a bonus, the guys spend some time talking about the other FCS semifinal between South Dakota State and Montana State, two programs familiar to NDSU.