Don't forget - the Spring Game is this Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium. Game time is 1:30pm. Here is tailgating information. I'd also recommend you bring along a pair of football cleats if you've got them - chances are Cosgrove and Lee will throw you in on defense.
Given the repeated arrests that are giving the University a prime position in the Fulmer Cup, I decided to go back to Brewster's introductory press conference and see his boilerplate for running the Gopher program. It really is worth a read - when you do so, 1-11 and the spate of arrests leave you less than impressed with his performance after 4 years:
"Our expectation is to win a Big Ten Championship now. We’re not interested in any rebuilding process. I’m very fortunate that I’m not coming into a situation that is decimated where there are no players. There are players here. Glen Mason did an excellent job at this university and coached these kids well. They’ve won a lot of games. They’re not void of talent, so we’re in a little different situation here than it is at most places that are going through the hiring process. I’m very excited that it’s not a complete rebuilding process.
"My address to the team this morning involved two things: I want guys who are physically tough people and I want players who are passionate. I want players who love the game of football, because make no mistake about it, I love football. It’s been awfully good to me. It’s been my life. I love football and I’m going to surround myself with people who love football. These players have a thirst right now and I’m going to give them what they’re looking for. I promised them one thing, and that is I will never let them down. I’m going to have my football team prepared to play on Saturdays. We’re going to play with pride. We’re going to play with toughness. We’re going to play with passion and we’re going to win. We are going to win. We’re going to win the Big Ten Championship and we’re going to take the Gopher nation to Pasadena. That’s my dream, that’s my goal and that’s my belief. It will happen here sooner rather than later."What type of football team are we going to be and what type of kids are we going to recruit? Our process there, again, involves talking about toughness and passion. We want kids who are smart and who are going to be able to make plays. What do I want out of their experience here? 1) I want them to get a degree, and 2) I want them to represent this University in a fine fashion at all times. I’m going to communicate with these kids every step of the way make sure they understand what’s acceptable and what’s not. Once kids understand what’s acceptable and what’s not I think you have a much better shot chance for success.
"The last thing I’m going to talk to these kids about is making sure they do things right every single day. I’m going to be consistent with what I do. I want them consistent with what they do. I want them training and working every single day towards winning a championship for the Gophers. All I can say is that it is an extremely bright future at the University of Minnesota. I’m extremely lucky to have been chosen as the head football coach at the ‘U’. I take that responsibility very, very seriously. I pledge to you that I’m going to do everything in my power to bring a championship to the Twin Cities and these kids are going to be passionate, they’re going to play hard and they’re going to represent you well.
Whatever, it was a campaign acceptance speech, but now we've got context (a losing record and on-call status with the Campus Police). The context is: win in 2010 Brewster - you set the tough schedule, you need to conquer it or else you'll be working for Shanahan next year. It's time to conquer the program's Achilles heels.
And, uh, this is sad. Anyone who watched Stanford last year knows that Toby Gerhart was a legitimate Heisman candidate and a great player. This is yet another reason to heap disdain on the entire NFL Draft process.