Just Embrace It

Donate To GopherHole
GoForGold

GoForGold

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 1, 2009
Messages
1,597
Reaction score
1,091
Points
113
I little Minnesota history lesson here. Many wonder why anyone would come up with a motto like the Gopher State. The whole thing originated from a New York newspaper complaining about the government building a railroad line in Minnesota. The writer when on to say, "There are more pocket gophers in Minnesota than people." The people of Minnesota decided to embrace the insult. Thus, the Minnesota Golden Gophers mascot. The golden part came much later for some reason I don't remember.*

The team needs to just embrace the Bowling Green loss. Kind of like Remember the Alamo. Let's Remember Bowling Green.

*Disclaimer: My version of the Gopher State story has been proven to be an urban legend.)
 
Last edited:


GoForGold said:
I little Minnesota history lesson here. Many wonder why anyone would come up with a motto like the Gopher State. The whole thing originated from a New York newspaper complaining about the government building a railroad line in Minnesota. The writer when on to say, "There are more pocket gophers in Minnesota than people." The people of Minnesota decided to embrace the insult. Thus, the Minnesota Golden Gophers mascot. The golden part came much later for some reason I don't remember.

The team needs to just embrace the Bowling Green loss. Kind of like Remember the Alamo. Let's Remember Bowling Green.
Click to expand...
I'm getting Green Goblin vibes from this.
 

"The team needs to just embrace the Bowling Green loss. Kind of like Remember the Alamo. Let's Remember Bowling Green."

Since every single media comment involving the Gophers leads off with yet another mention of the Bowling Green loss, I doubt we're in any danger of forgetting.

I think the team remembers it, and that seems to be a great motivator for them.
 

RememberMurray said:
"The team needs to just embrace the Bowling Green loss. Kind of like Remember the Alamo. Let's Remember Bowling Green."

Since every single media comment involving the Gophers leads off with yet another mention of the Bowling Green loss, I doubt we're in any danger of forgetting.

I think the team remembers it, and that seems to be a great motivator for them.
Click to expand...
It could be a great story line in the end. Yes OK we lost a game to a terrible team but last time I checked, nobody has forfeited a game because they were terrible and 30 point dogs. It is called competition, it happens to everyone at some point. Let the media go on about it every Saturday and let them talk about it on January 1st. The loss may have been the best thing for this team, this year.
 


gopherjay said:
It could be a great story line in the end. Yes OK we lost a game to a terrible team but last time I checked, nobody has forfeited a game because they were terrible and 30 point dogs. It is called competition, it happens to everyone at some point. Let the media go on about it every Saturday and let them talk about it on January 1st. The loss may have been the best thing for this team, this year.
Click to expand...

Yes. Embrace it, like the OP suggests. Own it.

Someone on another thread pointed out that the '87 Twins lost 77 games. It didn't dampen the victory parade one bit.
 

RememberMurray said:
Yes. Embrace it, like the OP suggests. Own it.

Someone on another thread pointed out that the '87 Twins lost 77 games. It didn't dampen the victory parade one bit.
Click to expand...
Losing in baseball is not equivalent to losing in football.
 

GoForGold said:
The golden part came much later for some reason I don't remember.
Click to expand...

The "Golden" Gophers[edit]​

The University Mascot is derived from a nickname for the state of Minnesota, "The Gopher State." The original design was based on the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. The state nickname derives from a political cartoon by R. O. Sweeny, published as a broadside in 1858. The cartoon depicted state legislators as gophers dragging the state in the wrong direction.[13] The nickname was associated with the university as early as the publication of the first yearbook in 1888, which was titled "The Gopher".[14] Other early yearbooks included depictions of gophers as well, and the University of Minnesota football coach Clarence Spears officially named the football team the Gophers in 1926.[15] After the radio announcer Halsey Hall began referring to the team as the Golden Gophers due to the color of their uniforms, the team was renamed under coach Bernie Bierman.

en.wikipedia.org

Minnesota Golden Gophers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 




Unregistered User said:

The "Golden" Gophers[edit]​

The University Mascot is derived from a nickname for the state of Minnesota, "The Gopher State." The original design was based on the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. The state nickname derives from a political cartoon by R. O. Sweeny, published as a broadside in 1858. The cartoon depicted state legislators as gophers dragging the state in the wrong direction.[13] The nickname was associated with the university as early as the publication of the first yearbook in 1888, which was titled "The Gopher".[14] Other early yearbooks included depictions of gophers as well, and the University of Minnesota football coach Clarence Spears officially named the football team the Gophers in 1926.[15] After the radio announcer Halsey Hall began referring to the team as the Golden Gophers due to the color of their uniforms, the team was renamed under coach Bernie Bierman.

en.wikipedia.org

Minnesota Golden Gophers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...

Halsey Hall.

Everybody knows a great Halsey Hall story. Sid and Halsey. We won't see the like again.
 


Unregistered User said:

The "Golden" Gophers[edit]​

The University Mascot is derived from a nickname for the state of Minnesota, "The Gopher State." The original design was based on the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. The state nickname derives from a political cartoon by R. O. Sweeny, published as a broadside in 1858. The cartoon depicted state legislators as gophers dragging the state in the wrong direction.[13] The nickname was associated with the university as early as the publication of the first yearbook in 1888, which was titled "The Gopher".[14] Other early yearbooks included depictions of gophers as well, and the University of Minnesota football coach Clarence Spears officially named the football team the Gophers in 1926.[15] After the radio announcer Halsey Hall began referring to the team as the Golden Gophers due to the color of their uniforms, the team was renamed under coach Bernie Bierman.

en.wikipedia.org

Minnesota Golden Gophers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...
commons.wikimedia.org

File:Gopher State Cartoon.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org
 

The "remember the Alamo" idea to the Bowling Green loss will be a much better pill to swallow with an IA and WI win. If we lose both of those, the Bowling Green loss will serve as a reminder that this team is OK to good, but not very good or great team. IF we win one or both of those, I believe the Bowling Green loss will serve as a reminder why the "championship week" idea is so important to coaches and players. I do believe this team is a special one and hope that plays out on the field the next 2 and a half months.
 







DarrenTheGreek said:
In 1999 the Badgers lost 17-12 to a Cincinnati team that finished 3-8 overall and a winless 0-6 in C-USA. Wisconsin ended up winning the Big Ten and Rose Bowl that year. Upsets happen.
Click to expand...
I know right...it is almost like the other team is trying too and sometimes team just play poorly. Posted this in the other thread running about the BG game but think it fits here too. BG = Bob

 

gophernut1 said:
The "remember the Alamo" idea to the Bowling Green loss will be a much better pill to swallow with an IA and WI win. If we lose both of those, the Bowling Green loss will serve as a reminder that this team is OK to good, but not very good or great team. IF we win one or both of those, I believe the Bowling Green loss will serve as a reminder why the "championship week" idea is so important to coaches and players. I do believe this team is a special one and hope that plays out on the field the next 2 and a half months.
Click to expand...
Another ancient history thing. I'm sure many remember when I came here and won a very big game esp. for them. Their fans not only ran on the field. They tore down our goalposts! The team went undefeated in the Big Ten, which explains why it was such a big deal to them. Their one loss during the season was to some lousy non-conference team. Captain Kirk said they used that loss as motivation the whole season. The motivation didn't carry through to their bowl game. Iowa went on to get crushed by USC in the Orange Bowl.
 

Unregistered User said:

The "Golden" Gophers[edit]​

The University Mascot is derived from a nickname for the state of Minnesota, "The Gopher State." The original design was based on the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. The state nickname derives from a political cartoon by R. O. Sweeny, published as a broadside in 1858. The cartoon depicted state legislators as gophers dragging the state in the wrong direction.[13] The nickname was associated with the university as early as the publication of the first yearbook in 1888, which was titled "The Gopher".[14] Other early yearbooks included depictions of gophers as well, and the University of Minnesota football coach Clarence Spears officially named the football team the Gophers in 1926.[15] After the radio announcer Halsey Hall began referring to the team as the Golden Gophers due to the color of their uniforms, the team was renamed under coach Bernie Bierman.

en.wikipedia.org

Minnesota Golden Gophers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...
The gold name was fitting too since the Gophers won five national titles in football and two in hockey between 1929 and 1941.
 


Unregistered User said:

The "Golden" Gophers[edit]​

The University Mascot is derived from a nickname for the state of Minnesota, "The Gopher State." The original design was based on the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. The state nickname derives from a political cartoon by R. O. Sweeny, published as a broadside in 1858. The cartoon depicted state legislators as gophers dragging the state in the wrong direction.[13] The nickname was associated with the university as early as the publication of the first yearbook in 1888, which was titled "The Gopher".[14] Other early yearbooks included depictions of gophers as well, and the University of Minnesota football coach Clarence Spears officially named the football team the Gophers in 1926.[15] After the radio announcer Halsey Hall began referring to the team as the Golden Gophers due to the color of their uniforms, the team was renamed under coach Bernie Bierman.

en.wikipedia.org

Minnesota Golden Gophers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...
One other thing, the B1G has some truly unique and immediately recognizable mascots/team names! Think of it, other than the common Wildcats, and Spartans . . . I present: Cornhuskers, Hawkeyes, Badgers, Illini, Hoosiers, Boilermakers, Wolverines, Buckeyes, Nittany Lions, Scarlet Knights (the color sneaks them in), Terrapins and the all-time great . . . Golden Gophers!!!

The SEC has a few unique ones, but they have 2 Tigers, 2 Bulldogs, and a Wildcats.

You tell me which is the better/cooler conference?!? 😉
 





spermophilus said:
One other thing, the B1G has some truly unique and immediately recognizable mascots/team names! Think of it, other than the common Wildcats, and Spartans . . . I present: Cornhuskers, Hawkeyes, Badgers, Illini, Hoosiers, Boilermakers, Wolverines, Buckeyes, Nittany Lions, Scarlet Knights (the color sneaks them in), Terrapins and the all-time great . . . Golden Gophers!!!

The SEC has a few unique ones, but they have 2 Tigers, 2 Bulldogs, and a Wildcats.

You tell me which is the better/cooler conference?!? 😉
Click to expand...
Here's another for you. Northwestern's nickname was originally the Fighting Methodists. (no joke) I vote for that one as the worst ever for the Big Ten.
 
Last edited:



When I saw this thread title I thought it would be the message that fans should embrace success and let go of the oh-so-Minnesotan, "geez, I don't know...can't look past Team X" or "sure, 4 wins in a row is great, but they'll still lose to Iowa and Wisconsin." I get the sense that if MN was playing NW again this week we'd have plenty of posters saying things like, "Don't overlook the Cats...Fitz will learn from last week's film and have them ready to play!"

Embrace success. Minnesota is a good, talented, well-coached team with a chance to win every week. I personally think they'll beat both Iowa and Wisconsin, and I'm sure the team believes that as well.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom