Every blog you read is probably counting down the days until the first college football kickoff. The first real hit. The first touchdown.
So, this morning, let's celebrate the fact that we are just two weeks away from the first game-week Monday. A morning in which we won't be able to focus on work, in which visions of touchdown catches and scampers will dance in our collective head, and in which we should all be drinking Gatorade in pre-hydration of what we may potentially do to our livers in the ensuing three months.
*Dienhart takes some mailbag questions about the Gophers. This link also features video of the BTN crew's interview with Coach Kill. Dinardo claims our facilities as being behind everyone else (thanks Ger!) and then asks Coach what is being done to address that... any chance that was a planted question?
In any case, I love Kill's response in referring to the football program as the "front porch" of the university. I've always said that this is the attitude that should be taken toward the football program. The football program isn't the end, it's the means to an end, and that's important for everyone at the university to realize. The program can put a spotlight on research and educational efforts that the university is making, while also helping to fund said efforts.
It's good to see that Norwood intends to spruce up the U's curb appeal.
One other highlight... Dienhart thinks the Gophs ceiling is 7 wins.
*Big Philly Style talks with Jimmy Gjere and gets a local perspective on the story that is the elephant in the room for all of football: concussions. Gjere has size and talent, will compete for a starting job, and at the very least add important depth to a young o-line.
*MACturi is getting a stadium named after him. It's not at the U. Because I'm sure you thought it might be. If they were to ever name anything at the U after Maturi, what would you guess it might be? I'll keep it civil and say, maybe, a non-rev sports trophy case.
*It's always fun to claim that a coach is high on something. In this case that coach is Kill, the something is Marcus Jones, and the claimer is SIDmark.
*A big weekend for USA Basketball as both men and women took gold, in case you didn't hear about it. One of our own, Lindsay Whalen, is a gold medalist.
*Gopher #Sprots has a nice little write-up on John Rabe.
*And lastly, as high school football teams take the practice field for 2-a-days this morning all across the state of Minnesota, a song and music video that (as cheesy as it sounds) give me chills. Damn you Sean Peyton and your pep talks (and cheating)... DAMNYOU!!! (Also, nice to see Joe Namath make a sober appearance. That's what you get from Broadway Joe when you keep him away from Suzy Kolber.)