People have been fairly hard on the Gophers lately and I believe that at this moment the negativity is unwarranted. In a sports town with the Timberwolves and the inevitable crumbling of the Vikings this current Gopher team should offer some reason for optimism.
Obviously being a Minnesota sports fan will lead a person to the absolute brink of insanity, but I have been sent on a mission to teach moderation in expectations when it comes to being a sports fan.
I couldn't agree with Insight News more. I don't want to get too excited, not too low or too high, but this team gives reason for tempered enthusiasm. Are we good enough to win the Big Ten this year? Not a chance, but is this team vastly improved with a foundation for future success.
So as far as the Gophers go, give Happy Brewster a chance. Sure they have had a tough stretch at the end of the season, but they certainly are a lot better than anyone thought they would be. To jump on Brewster and the Boys now, would be like jumping on Barack Obama in 2010 because he had only fixed the economy and housing, but there weren't enough cars on the road that use corn fuel. Hope springs eternal, but common sense and patience spring sanity. Also keep in mind that 'fan' is short for 'fanatical'.
- Kirk Ferentz interview. Some typical coach quotes during game week. Last week we played good and beat another team that played good. This week's opponent good, my team good, should be good game.
- The Hopkins Royals are currently ranked #22 in the USA Today top 25. Hopkins is relevant for a couple reasons. One, it is where I currently reside and two, the Royals are led by future Gopher Royce White (you may have known this).
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This little nugget gleaned from the end of Kent Youngblood's Gridiron Gold blog is absolutely priceless. He first notes that Tim Brewster was here for the Gopher's very first game in the Metrodome as a member of the Illini. That is an interesting tid bit on it's own. Then? The big finish...
It was 1982 the 19th-ranked Gophers were 3-0 entering their home conference opener. The Gophers led 24-20 entering the fourth quarter before losing 42-24 to an Illini team headed to the Rose Bowl. The Gophers didn’t win another home game until 1984.
Who would have guessed it would lead to nearly three decades of similar debacles. - It is basketball season and Rush the Court isn't easing into their favorite season. They are parralleling ESPN's marathon of hoops by live blogging along with them. It began for them 11/17 @ 11:45 pm and Part II ended liks this...
Someone should head over to jstevrt's house to make sure he is OK before he starts up again.7:56pm — I’m ridiculously tired.
There it is. THE WALL.
The energy drinks have worn off — QUICK. It feels like a bear has wrapped itself around my neck and will not let go. The bear doesn’t want to eat me. He wants me to lay down and watch the TV for about 6 nanoseconds until I fall asleep. I must run from him. Syracuse held on 76-71, by the way.
- Finally if you are a proponent of Tim Brewster and want to seem him stick around and establish the Gophers as a destination program, then this is a a bit of good news. The University of Texas has locked up their defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp and more importantly has named him Mack Brown's successor. This is bad news for any school with a coaching vacancy, but is good news for Gopher fans as there is no doubt Brewster would leave Minnesota if he ever had the opportunity to coach the Longhorns.