Gopher Basketball
For those gearing for an argument, I’ll give you this-there are several institutions that dwarf the competition in their respective states-LSU, Arkansas, Missouri, UConn, Boston College, and Maryland, for instance. Here’s the difference though-while those institutions may not have significant competition within their state boundaries from the other Division 1 competition, their enrollment numbers cannot compare to the “U”. Among the universities listed above, Maryland comes in closest in undergrad enrollment with 25,000 students. The most recent numbers put the “U” at 32,000 undergrads. While the status of largest university student body can be as difficult to ascertain as the world’s tallest building, we can state that Minnesota’s contemporaries in numbers are several Big Ten institutions (Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State), a couple Texas institutions (Texas A&M and Texas) and a couple vacation destinations in Florida (Gainesville campus) and Arizona State.
What does this tell me? I’m no Steven Levitt, but the numbers tell me that the “U” is a sleeping giant as far as potential fan support goes. Not only does the university graduate a significant alumni base each and every year, but in addition, any Minnesota resident who follows sports will link onto the Golden Gophers. My circle of friends has few “U” grads, but several Gopher fans, and these are alums of Winona State, MSU-Mankato, UMD, or community colleges. While this contingent often can be swayed by the fortunes of the pro teams, there is a spot for the Gophers. Unfortunately, the Golden Gophers sports programs have had difficulty stirring the masses.
When was the last time the Golden Gopher football team was relevant? I don’t mean pulling the occassional upset or producing some electric talent, but competing for the Big Ten title and grasping the nation’s attention? In 1967, they tied Indiana for the Big Ten championship with the Hoosiers getting the trip to Pasadena. I’m in my mid-thirties and it was still five years before I was born that the Gophers finished first in the conference. The last time a Gophers team was to the Rose Bowl was 1962, a full ten years before I was born. If you’ve reached 50 years of age, you may have vague recollections of a Golden Gophers football team playing in the Rose Bowl. That’s a lot of years.
The basketball version of the Golden Gophers has had more recent glory than the gridiron gang, but each taste of success has gotten clouded by scandal. The 1997 trip to the Final Four, where legend exists of Gopher fans conquering Kansas City, San Antonio, and Indianapolis was followed just two years later by the soul-crushing academic disgrace that was Gangelgate. The 1982 Big Ten championship team was fresh in our memories when Mitch Lee shaved a champaign glass in the side of his head after being acquitted of rape charges and followed that by being charged with two other teammates in Madison for similar charges, costing Jim Dutcher his job. The great stretch of play exhibited by the Gophers under Bill Musselman is inevitably linked to a vicious fight with Ohio State and numerous recruiting violations.
One can look at this history and say, ‘Minnesota Gophers athletics are doomed to mediocrity and/or disgrace’. Others may look at this situation, and say, ‘there is an incredible opportunity to make my mark at the University of Minnesota’. It certainly appears that in Tim Brewster and Tubby Smith, Maturi tapped into two head coaches that believe the latter. I do not know if this conversation actually occurred, but one can picture Dr. Robert Bruininks and Maturi linking the national reputation of the university with the athletic success on the field, as one poster (my apologies for not recalling who that was), posited earlier this week. As Bear Bryant once stated, it’s tough to rally around a math class. To forward the “U”‘s national reputation, great advancements on the two major athletic fields of competition will likely aid that cause.
Admittedly, the most optimistic day of a marriage is usually the wedding day. Even those in the pews who may have some reservations can look at the lovely couple and set their misgivings aside for that day. With both Brewster and Tubby, I’d say we’re still on the wedding day, and we’ve moved onto the dance, where an increasing number of revelers are gathering on the dance floor, drawn by the combination of a magic elixir, the energy of the crowd, the good times promised by the propulsive beat. There will come a day where the smiles and good vibes aren’t as prevalent as they are now. The fan base will question the coaching acumen or recruiting savvy or player development or perhaps a combination of it all. There is no guarantee that either Brewster or Smith are the answer, and if either or both fail, the local and national media will take the opportunity to pounce and say that you can’t win at Minnesota. Someone once said (and I’m not sure who), that if you’re going to fail, fail brilliantly. Mr. Maturi would be failing brilliantly if things go awry and if it leads to numerous talking heads and scribes to castigate the folly of trying to win in the barren hinterlands of the North Country, so be it. At least we know an effort was given to step beyond the ordinary.
My thoughts? I’m going to jump on that optimistic train being driven by Bruininks, Maturi, Smith, and Brewster and believe that the culture of athletics is changing at the “U”. For years, sports fans of the two major sports at the “U” have scrambled for significant wins and memories like the caddies going after gumballs in Caddyshack. Expectations have been raised; I’m going to expect contenders in both sports for Big Ten titles, with at least an occasional foray into national championship discussion. And I hope a day arrives where I shake my head at the unrealistic expectations of a spoiled fan base that has become accustomed to lofty standards from their basketball and football teams. If these hopes and dreams fall short? Well, at least I hoped and dreamt brilliantly.