Bleeding maroon and gold isn't easy.

            For anyone who woke up in Minneapolis this morning, you can relate to the ‘ho-hum’ I initially felt.  It was gross.  Glum, foggy, misty day.  Heading to the Twins game tonight, it was exactly the weather I had not wanted to wake up to.  But—and I can only thank karma or a higher power for this—the sun has come out and it’s actually insanely beautiful out.  Which is why this will be a short-short blog.  I’ve got a baseball game to enjoy.

            So… anyone who knows me knows I love the Gophers.  In fact, last night I threw on some sweats to run some errands only to have the cashier at Holiday question my fashion choices.  “You’re awfully brave to wear Minnesota stuff after their embarrassing loss on Saturday.”

            Yes, it was embarrassing.  So embarrassing that I should have retired my maroon and gold for a while.  But—it’s been an embarrassing last couple of years. Forget losing to South Dakota and USC—those are just the most recent examples of the Gophers’—and Brewster’s—failures.  The program has been slumping since Glen Mason and the 2005 Gophers lost to Wisconsin on a blocked punt in the Metrodome.  Granted, we weren’t an exceptional program even then.  But we were decent.  We had just beat Michigan at the Big House and were ranked in the top 25—something a Gopher fan would remember five years later because it’s not a regular status for the mediocre Minnesota team.

            My point is, Minnesota is my team. Yes, losing sucks.  Being at the bottom of the Big Ten sucks.  But I went to Minnesota for a reason.  And I’d like to consider myself a true Gopher fan.  Am I kinda ‘over’ it?  You bet.  But does that mean I’m going to stop going to games and cheering on the team, even though it’s pretty likely that we are going to lose?  No.  Not a chance.  The Cubs—who are having a very sub-par season—have the highest tickets prices in the MLB because their fans go to games no matter what—a lesson Minnesota fans could take to heart.

            Minnesota is my team.  Even after I graduate and move away, maroon and gold will be two colors that regularly appear in my wardrobe.  Because at some point—and I pray this is true—the Gophers will get it together and I’ll be able to truthfully say I supported them the entire way.  We all have a choice when it comes to cheering on a team.  You don’t like the way Brewster does it?  Buy some red and cheer for the Badgers.  You wouldn’t be the first fair-weather fan to jump ship when things got rough.

Paul DeBettignies (@MNHeadhunter)--the only Gopher fan who loves the team more than me.

Introducing the besties to TCF Stadium.  You know they are true friends when they buy maroon and gold to support your team.  Love you, ladies.  :)

Glen Mason left... and so did winning?!

           In the spring of 2007—shortly after being hired at the University of Minnesota—Tim Brewster made an appearance at the end of a Greek speaker we were forced to sit through each semester.  He was energetic, optimistic, and let’s be frank—he wasn’t Glen Mason.  Three thumbs up for the Brew Crew. 

            Well, we are in the midst of our third season under Mr. Brewster and I’m starting to wonder—what has he accomplished?  Where is that Rose Bowl I was promised as a naïve sophomore? 

            During the 2007 season, we went 1-11 winning against Miami of Ohio after three overtimes in the Metrodome.  A win by definition but really?  Nothing to write home to Mom about.  Of the eleven losses during that season, six of them were by a touchdown or less—two of the games by only a point.  Bowling Green, Florida Atlantic, Purdue, Ohio State, Indiana, Northwestern, North Dakota State (yikes!), Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin.  Ughhh.

            Last year, things started to look up after the Gophers went 4-0 against Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Montana State, and Florida Atlantic.  Unfortunately, the non-conference games ended and our season started to swirl down the toilet bowl.  I mean, we did secure wins against Indiana, Illinois, and Purdue—three teams we embarrassed ourselves against the year before.  But then we lost to Ohio State again.  And Northwestern again.  Michigan.  Wisconsin.  And finally, an excruciating 0-55 loss to Iowa at the Metrodome—the one thing any and every Iowa fan brings up when you talk Big Ten football.  We did make a bowl though.  Our 7-5 record was enough to send us to Tempe to get manhandled by the Kansas Jayhawks. 

            So before we even look at this season, who has Coach Brewster beaten?  Miami of Ohio, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Montana State, Florida Atlantic, Indiana, Illinois, and Purdue—five of those, teams we lost to in 2007.  That’s a record of 8-25 in two seasons.

            With four games left in this season, things could end badly for the Gophers.  So far, we’ve beaten Syracuse, Air Force, Northwestern, and Purdue—we’ve lost to California, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Ohio State, leaving us 4-4.  This Saturday, we have Michigan State at home, followed by Illinois and South Dakota State, our season ending on the road at Iowa.

            So again, I ask—what has Tim Brewster accomplished?  Three years in and we have yet to upset any team.  Don’t get me wrong, I want him to do well.  But I’m starting to feel like he’s a used car salesman, selling me on anything that will keep me on board.  My favorite excuse that I’ve heard is that he was brought in to recruit—okay, that’s great.  But why are we wasting time recruiting if our football team can’t win any big games?  To clutter campus with more maroon clad boys on mopeds?  I just don’t get it.