Wisconsin Coach Changing Axe Policy, Hasn't Talked To Coach Kill About it...

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My take away from this is that Anderson doesn't feel like he could control his team in the event of a Gophers victory. Problems brewing in Madison perhaps?
 

Weak sauce by a scared opponent. 50/50 he's embarassed into changing his mind.
 

If Wisconsin doesn't let the Axe go onto the field this game, IMO if Wisconsin wins it from Minnesota in the future it should be sent to them UPS...during christmas break.
 

Markous15 said:
My take away from this is that Anderson doesn't feel like he could control his team in the event of a Gophers victory. Problems brewing in Madison perhaps?
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Gary Anderson is a turd and is sh1tt1ng over 50 years of tradition. Traditions like this are what make college football great. If this is how it's going to be from here on out I'd rather just have the gophers throw it in the trash if they win. Wisconsin can lock it up like they did the Bacon for all I care. Messing with the tradition for dubious reasons makes the trophy mean lititle to me.
 

If the Gophers wanted a say in this decision they should have controlled their players and staff last year. You can point to 2011 all you want it doesn't justify the Gophers actions last year. In 2011 the Gophers 'tradition' of singing in front of the student section had been in effect for all of…0 years. The Badgers and Gophers have been chopping down BOTH goalposts since at least the mid 80's (Its been awhile so it is understandable if many Gopher fans are foggy on this detail but it is a fact beyond dispute). If anyone had the obligation to bend to tradition it was the Gophers. Even if the Badgers were 100% responsible for that incident it was minor and was a clear miscommunication over a new policy that the Badgers had never faced before. That is not justification for acting like a bunch of sore losers two years later and disrupting a real tradition (meaning it has history and weight) because you are sick of getting beat. Without that display of post game 'toughness' this policy is never discussed.

I hate it. Every Badger fan I know or have seen comment on it hates it. That being said blaming this on the Badgers is laughable. Also, you might want to win the game before you go on a rant about how this was done because the Badgers are scared of losing and was done simply to stick it to the Gophers in their moment of triumph. Could the Gophers win on Sat? Sure. But I know there isn't a single Badger player or fan who is scared of this game or worried about the Gopher celebration. 17-2 makes us pretty confident.
 


The more I think about this, the more it seems to me this is Wisconsin's (e.g. Alvarez) way of playing mind games. We all know what's at stake on Saturday, and it's clear who has been more successful for the past decade, both in the series and also from a Big Ten / National standpoint. So, in the efforts to try and throw Minnesota's focus off, they throw something like this out there to try and distract the Gophers from their preparation and practice, and since we don't have to go all that far outside the box to know how badly the Gopher players want to win the game, and as part of which, sprint across the field to get the axe, Wisconsin throws a complete wrench into the thought mindset.

Hopefully the Gopher coaching staff can focus the players on to what is at stake, rather than the Badgers' little mind games.
 

Let's look at the bright side of Andersen doing this and being a #$%^&. I was having trouble hating him as much as his predecessor. He seems so vanilla by comparison. Problem solved.
 

bigdsrip said:
If the Gophers wanted a say in this decision they should have controlled their players and staff last year. You can point to 2011 all you want it doesn't justify the Gophers actions last year. In 2011 the Gophers 'tradition' of singing in front of the student section had been in effect for all of…0 years. The Badgers and Gophers have been chopping down BOTH goalposts since at least the mid 80's (Its been awhile so it is understandable if many Gopher fans are foggy on this detail but it is a fact beyond dispute). If anyone had the obligation to bend to tradition it was the Gophers. Even if the Badgers were 100% responsible for that incident it was minor and was a clear miscommunication over a new policy that the Badgers had never faced before. That is not justification for acting like a bunch of sore losers two years later and disrupting a real tradition (meaning it has history and weight) because you are sick of getting beat. Without that display of post game 'toughness' this policy is never discussed.

I hate it. Every Badger fan I know or have seen comment on it hates it. That being said blaming this on the Badgers is laughable. Also, you might want to win the game before you go on a rant about how this was done because the Badgers are scared of losing and was done simply to stick it to the Gophers in their moment of triumph. Could the Gophers win on Sat? Sure. But I know there isn't a single Badger player or fan who is scared of this game or worried about the Gopher celebration. 17-2 makes us pretty confident.
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Gary Anderson=Badgers so yes we are blaming the Badgers. If he would have had a discussion with the Gophers about this, before just resorting to banishing it from the sidelines, none of this would be a big deal. Instead he took the low/disrespectful route.
 

howeda7 said:
Let's look at the bright side of Andersen doing this and being a #$%^&. I was having trouble hating him as much as his predecessor. He seems so vanilla by comparison. Problem solved.
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Then you'd better not watch the press conference in question here because the very next topic was him being asked about the epilepsy awareness stickers.
 



This is the second time in my life that a celebration of a victory to get to a championship game will be ruined by a Gary Anderson.
 

bigdsrip said:
If the Gophers wanted a say in this decision they should have controlled their players and staff last year. You can point to 2011 all you want it doesn't justify the Gophers actions last year. In 2011 the Gophers 'tradition' of singing in front of the student section had been in effect for all of…0 years. The Badgers and Gophers have been chopping down BOTH goalposts since at least the mid 80's (Its been awhile so it is understandable if many Gopher fans are foggy on this detail but it is a fact beyond dispute). If anyone had the obligation to bend to tradition it was the Gophers. Even if the Badgers were 100% responsible for that incident it was minor and was a clear miscommunication over a new policy that the Badgers had never faced before. That is not justification for acting like a bunch of sore losers two years later and disrupting a real tradition (meaning it has history and weight) because you are sick of getting beat. Without that display of post game 'toughness' this policy is never discussed.

I hate it. Every Badger fan I know or have seen comment on it hates it. That being said blaming this on the Badgers is laughable. Also, you might want to win the game before you go on a rant about how this was done because the Badgers are scared of losing and was done simply to stick it to the Gophers in their moment of triumph. Could the Gophers win on Sat? Sure. But I know there isn't a single Badger player or fan who is scared of this game or worried about the Gopher celebration. 17-2 makes us pretty confident.
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I wouldn't want you to feel any other way.
 

bigdsrip said:
If the Gophers wanted a say in this decision they should have controlled their players and staff last year. You can point to 2011 all you want it doesn't justify the Gophers actions last year. In 2011 the Gophers 'tradition' of singing in front of the student section had been in effect for all of…0 years. The Badgers and Gophers have been chopping down BOTH goalposts since at least the mid 80's (Its been awhile so it is understandable if many Gopher fans are foggy on this detail but it is a fact beyond dispute). If anyone had the obligation to bend to tradition it was the Gophers. Even if the Badgers were 100% responsible for that incident it was minor and was a clear miscommunication over a new policy that the Badgers had never faced before. That is not justification for acting like a bunch of sore losers two years later and disrupting a real tradition (meaning it has history and weight) because you are sick of getting beat. Without that display of post game 'toughness' this policy is never discussed.

I hate it. Every Badger fan I know or have seen comment on it hates it. That being said blaming this on the Badgers is laughable. Also, you might want to win the game before you go on a rant about how this was done because the Badgers are scared of losing and was done simply to stick it to the Gophers in their moment of triumph. Could the Gophers win on Sat? Sure. But I know there isn't a single Badger player or fan who is scared of this game or worried about the Gopher celebration. 17-2 makes us pretty confident.
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I think after the gophers win the axe and get it delivered to the locker room we never bring it out again. WE just say we lost in in one of the buildings. here is a coupon for some bacon!
or better

why not just send pictures of it to the locker room

or have a treasure hunt for it somewhere on campus. we could make it a week long hunt!

Gary and Barry should be ashamed. Maybe Barry is letting Gary put his neck out so he can get rid of him once the Gophers win?
 

Per Badger Football - the Axe will be on the field, but in the endzone close to the winner's locker room.

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Clarification on Paul Bunyan Axe post-game presentation

Head Coach Gary Andersen: “I would like to clarify our policy in regards to the post-game presentation of Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The only change is that the Axe will not be staged in the bench area. Instead, it will be presented in the end zone, closest to the winning team’s locker room. I support this policy that has been put in place by our administration and was put into action during our game with Nebraska. It is important for us to maintain the traditions of our trophy games while also doing what we feel is in the best interests of the student-athletes.”



This policy mirrors what was done during the Nebraska game with the Freedom Trophy. The Axe will be brought to the field late in the fourth quarter and staged near the goalpost of the winning team. The winning team will then be allowed to celebrate on the field with the Axe as has been the tradition.
 



I think Anderson erred in unilaterally changing tradition, but to be fair, he was very respectful of our team and Coach Kill in the segments of the press conference that I saw. I was especially pleased by his support of Alzheimer's awareness as a gesture of respect for coach Kill.
 

GopherLady said:
Per Badger Football - the Axe will be on the field, but in the endzone close to the winner's locker room.
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Passioned reason wins out in the end. Well done, everyone. Someone, not sure from which side of the St. Croix... but someone yelled at him and told him to fix it.
 

I am glad Badger fans are supremely confident about Saturday, will make those Indianapolis tickets and hotel rooms that much cheaper for us Gopher fans when it is all said and done. Pride comes before the fall, and the fall will be that much harder for the Red Hourde after Saturday.
17-2 and 10 in a row means nothing this week it is all about Saturday. I for one am going to Essen Hause with a broken chair leg from China Gopher that or one copied from the $5 Borken wood trophy, looking for the Growler that Detleft that cranky old granny witch guy stole, from Town Hall Brewery, that hoser stiffed me with the deposit for said Growler and owes me $40.00. That and I don;t think Studwell will be returning his Stein any time soon.
Detlef pay back the $40 and stop having your Granny witch stalk me, I think I am going to have to file a restraining order as she will not stop texting me pictures of her saggy boobs. Curse be dammned.
 

Thanks for the clarification Nadine. Seems all my b!tching worked. Only problem now is if its a close game...
 

Anderson fears the Gophers or this would have never came up. I do not think the Gophers will be denied a sweep of the trophies. Anderson has just added to the motivation. Coach needs to prepare and coach. Norwood needs to stomp out this fire. Gophers... do not be denied. We need all four trophies to travel to Indianapolis. The Buckeyes don't want any more of us either.

Focus men, focus. The AXE!!!
 

How this issue could have been solved:
Kill and Anderson get together and make a pact to eliminate after game posturing all together. They go back to their respective teams and tell them that absolutely no post game altercations will be tolerated and that any player who engages in a post game altercation will be suspended for the remainder of the season by the team. The losing team must leave the field and not engage in any sort of interference towards the winners' celebration. In turn, the winning team must respect any post game traditions of the other school, and not let their celebration interfere with said tradition. By doing this they could teach their players that when they put on that uniform they represent their university and everything that their university stands for. And that this game, this rivalry, is bigger than any one player's emotional immaturity. They could teach them that being gracious in defeat is just as, if not more important than being humble in victory. This solution puts an emphasis on the importance of personal character, sportsmanship, and respect between programs.

How Anderson wants to solve the issue:
Hide the trophy in the locker room and simply not address the problem. I'm not sure what lesson that teaches the players.
 

vagopher said:
I think Anderson erred in unilaterally changing tradition, but to be fair, he was very respectful of our team and Coach Kill in the segments of the press conference that I saw. I was especially pleased by his support of Alzheimer's awareness as a gesture of respect for coach Kill.
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If Anderson made a reference to Alzheimer's and JK that's just wrong and I think insulting.
 

Markous15 said:
How this issue could have been solved: Kill and Anderson get together and make a pact to eliminate after game posturing all together. They go back to their respective teams and tell them that absolutely no post game altercations will be tolerated and that any player who engages in a post game altercation will be suspended for the remainder of the season by the team. The losing team must leave the field and not engage in any sort of interference towards the winners' celebration. In turn, the winning team must respect any post game traditions of the other school, and not let their celebration interfere with said tradition. By doing this they could teach their players that when they put on that uniform they represent their university and everything that their university stands for. And that this game, this rivalry, is bigger than any one player's emotional immaturity. They could teach them that being gracious in defeat is just as, if not more important than being humble in victory. This solution puts an emphasis on the importance of personal character, sportsmanship, and respect between programs. How Anderson wants to solve the issue: Hide the trophy in the locker room and simply not address the problem. I'm not sure what lesson that teaches the players.
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Holy hell, this guy says it perfectly.
 


Per Brian Bennett Tweets, GA was mispoken and the axe will be on the field in the end zone closest to winning teams locker room. Instant backlash made him change his mind? Or did the clueless media just immediately run with the wrong report?
 

This is a classic Barreiro "Serwanga" by Andersen. He had some similar moments earlier this year where he didn't handle things well with the press.
 

killme said:
If Anderson made a reference to Alzheimer's and JK that's just wrong and I think insulting.
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Not to mention the part when he said that Kill is ugly, smells bad, sniffs glue, and plays with Barbies
 

Anderson couldn't have talked to Kill about this prior to making the executive decision? Rushing the opposing sidelines to reclaim the trophy is what makes these games so awesome. What a freaking dink. There was a minor altercation last year. There wasn't a brawl. In fact......I bet that Kill gave those players an earful afterwards and something like that wouldn't happen again.

There was a very easy solution. Talk to one another about how the post game festivities should be handled for both the losing and winning teams. Using last year's incident as an excuse is just lazy. Especially considering that the winning team is STILL going to rush the axe and parade around. So what's the point......other than attempting to degrade one of college football's greatest rivalries?
 

If they are that worried about chopping down the goal posts, either start with the other goal post and get the other one after Hail Minnesota is played or delay Hail Minnesota until after the goal post is chopped down. Not complicated.
 


This is not what Gary Andersen said during the press conference. This is a back peddle, but I'm okay with this.
 

IAGopherfan said:
Per Brian Bennett Tweets, GA was mispoken and the axe will be on the field in the end zone closest to winning teams locker room. Instant backlash made him change his mind? Or did the clueless media just immediately run with the wrong report?
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From the quotes I saw, it sounded like the media heard him correctly. This is a back peddle, plain and simple.
 


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