Not a ton for links today, but we'll start with this story because it involves the U, booze, and liquor. A Senate Panel has given the OK for liquor and beer sales at TCF Bank Stadium. This doesn't mean it's become law, but is a step in the right direction for getting booze sold at Gopher football games again, even if it'll only be in the cake eater seats. The author of the bill had this beauty of a quote:
"Nothing like a little booze and football to wake people up," said Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, the proposal's Senate author, as he spoke at Wednesday morning's meeting of the Senate Commerce Committee. Michel argued that the decision should be left to the school, not the Legislature.
Couldn't agree more Geoff, even though you spell your first name wrong (if I were in politics I'd pass a bill mandating Jeff be spelled like it's supposed to be. I'd also make a law that allows for only ONE spelling of the name Lindsey. Holy crap, there's like 19,000 different ways to spell that name. I email friends with that name and call them Liyndsaey because I can never remember how they spell it, so it covers all the bases for me. Seriously, we cant come to a conclusion for one spelling that everyone can remember? This is also why I'll never be in politics). Even though I think beer should be available to everybody of legal drinking age with a valid ID (after all, it seemed to work just fine at the Metrodome), I do agree with Michel, who goes on to say ultimately this decision should be up to the U, and not the government. Agreed. I might not like it (people are naive if they think that not selling beer to the general public means minors aren't going be able to drink or be drunk before or during the game. I mean really? Have you been to college? If they're under age they have no better chance of obtaining a beer at a college game than they do at a pro game if the vendors are doing their job and carding everybody), but if the U wants to be "elitist" and only sell booze to the cake-eater seats and suites, then that's their business because, you know, it IS their business.
Hopefully the bill passes and the state government can concentrate on more important things, which are mentioned further down in that same link...like passing a bill that would allow Minnesota breweries to sell pints of their own beer on-site! The fine folks at Surly are pushing for this one, as they'd like to open a $20 million "destination brewery" in Minnesota, similar to what Leine's has over in Chippewa Falls. Mmmmmmmmm Surly. This bill, if it passes, would create jobs and spread the Surly goodness to even more people, but I'd also recommend taking advantage of their FREE tours while you still can.
In other Gopher-related news, the Frozen Four is in town this weekend at the X, and the MNDaily says that should bring in a healthy profit for the U. Roman has about a bazillion Frozen Four-related links in his Goal Gopher blog, and if you'd like to chat FF with him, you can do so at noon today.
Also from the MNDaily, Derek Wetmore writes about Gopher baseball's AJ Petterson's impressive hitting streak.
The Gopher sports information department has the latest installment of football webisodes available for your viewing pleasure.