Can I be a gopherfan AND dislike Brewster? serious.

[lakesbison]

THAT IS COMPLETELY TRUE CALMINN.

. . .

Just got clarification on my 4 season tickets for TCF. see you there!

 

[tikited]

but Ill still probably RIP on brewster just like a lot of you ripped on Mason, but you were still fans.

That is actually a good point. I ripped on Mason the last few years he was here. Thing is: Mason deserved it after a while. Brewster hasn't been in town long enough to deserve petty ripping (he talks too much, he twitters, etc.). Give the guy some time. Things are looking up. Hope is alive. Take this to heart Lake--you are a better fan than Nervous is.

 

[ulfr]

Ripping on the coach right now is gutless. The time to raise criticism would have been when the team was 7-1. I will only take people seriously who were critical in late October. But I don't think we would have seen this post (or others like it) at that time.

Like good tax-returning, nodding Minnesotans we usually just accept the media spin on everything. Invariably, when it comes to Gopher football, this is always going to be that Brew is a great coach (when the team wins), and a "blowhard" (when the team loses). People who adopt their opinions from the sports media in this town are easy to spot and they contribute nothing to the conversation.

I believe I was ripping him in October...

As toward the main thrust of the thread, I firmly believe that we can be fans of Gopher football and not Brewster fans. I am excited enough about the Gophers to visit this site regularly Before this I was re-reading my copy of "Minnesota Football Vault" waiting for the rain-out to be announced for the last couple of hours. I walk around the new stadium regularly, and have two countdowns on my desktop, one until I pick my seat, and the next until I sit in it. I think that one can be passionate about the game and the teams they follow without blindly supporting the one who leads. In fact I think criticism is no marker of not being a fan. Certainly in my own way I am blindly fanatic enough to be called a "fan" of this team. I cheer myself hoarse every game. I stay through thick or thin when tens of thousands trickle in late and stream out early. And since the new emphasis on recruiting I follow the process year round.

In all seriousness I was disappointed when we re-signed Mason, as I thought he was stalled out. I was even more disappointed when we signed a dark horse (in the best terms), and then went out and got Tubby for the Barnyard faithful (always will be more pigskin orientated but Godspeed to ole Tubby). To say I would have liked us to get somebody who wasn't just starting a college coaching career, would be an understatement (though perhaps I could have gotten behind Lane Kiffin).

I wouldn't say that I am as Scandinavian in nature as many Minnesotans who "get so mad, they almost say something", but I do scoff at the extent at which Brewster has agrandized his program. His brash verbiage was sure to gain the ire of the local media and he is probably lucky it is only old Pat who is really out to sink his boat. I tire sometimes of "very, very"'s and "tremendous"s in every statement.

I appreciate that there is often a step backwards accompanying college football regimes changes, but 2007 was an inexcusable embarrassment in its record depths and showed the novice nature of the man at the reins.

Last year was a return to low end bowl team status, and I was grateful for a speedy step back to square one. I was, however, deeply concerned at our struggles in the conference play. I was in Champaign for the great game (which in the final analysis turned a little hollow as Illinois proved that it is hard to be consistently good in this league) and even that day I saw things that made concerned for the rest of the season.

For a coach who was going to hang his head on recruiting prowess I worry about the lack of "tremendous" progress in that department. Many of the highly touted recruits he has brought to fold have a lot of academic issues attached, and there have been several disheartening casualties, further hampering advancing our cause. I also worry about the kids that are still jumping the "walls around the border".

I too hope that there will come a day when I can be confident in a two touchdown lead late in the 4th quarter, but alas that day is still a long time coming. Maybe someday we will get to Pasadena, but I believe that "sooner" will have long since sailed.

 

[MRJ]

oh hush. yes Im gonna be pro-ndsu and smack with ya from time to time.

but I believe there are more late 20's , 30 year olds' in Minnesota that grew up with the gophers with our fathers/grandfathers like me, that are out there.

like I said, I will be at the new stadium cheering for the gophers every game cept 1 in 2011.


but back to this thread.............


Brewster is indeed arrogant, but I wish he would've WAITED to be arrogant after a few years, ya dig?? cool.

have a great day.

Sure. Follow your own advice in regards to the Gophers on this board and people, such as myself, will be a lot more tolerant of you.

I highly doubt that this is your attitude. All you ever do is flame, especially Brewster. It's not like this is an every-once-in-awhile occurence when you appear, which is what you're attempting to make it out to be. Rather, it's every single time you grace us all with your presence.

But hey, you have a great day (and night) too and keep on telling yourself you're a devoted Gopher fan if you wish. Maybe some folks who have never experienced your shtick will believe you.

 

[4starrecruit]

Mason was smug. Brewster is confident and relentlessly optomistic. There is a big difference. Not everyone feels that way and for some both are equally as negative, but they are not the same thing.

We fired Mason. He did win some big ball games though. So far, Brewster has not won any big ball games. This year will tell us whether there is any reason to keep up with the Brewster isn't as bad as Mason facade. As I stated, Mason won some big ball games and Brewster hasn't won any big ball games. I wonder what Brewster would do if he ever won some big ball games? What would that "...confident and relentlessly optomistic..." turn into? Smug? Maybe being smug has something to do with winning some big ball games. I only wish Brewster would do some of that.

If winning some big ball games equates to smugness, I sure as heck wish Brewster would become a bit smugger. Or should that be a bit more smuggly? At any rate, I certainly do wish he would try smugging at least once or twice before his contract runs out.

 

[GopherGod]

I believe I was ripping him in October...

As toward the main thrust of the thread, I firmly believe that we can be fans of Gopher football and not Brewster fans. I am excited enough about the Gophers to visit this site regularly Before this I was re-reading my copy of "Minnesota Football Vault" waiting for the rain-out to be announced for the last couple of hours. I walk around the new stadium regularly, and have two countdowns on my desktop, one until I pick my seat, and the next until I sit in it. I think that one can be passionate about the game and the teams they follow without blindly supporting the one who leads. In fact I think criticism is no marker of not being a fan. Certainly in my own way I am blindly fanatic enough to be called a "fan" of this team. I cheer myself hoarse every game. I stay through thick or thin when tens of thousands trickle in late and stream out early. And since the new emphasis on recruiting I follow the process year round.

In all seriousness I was disappointed when we re-signed Mason, as I thought he was stalled out. I was even more disappointed when we signed a dark horse (in the best terms), and then went out and got Tubby for the Barnyard faithful (always will be more pigskin orientated but Godspeed to ole Tubby). To say I would have liked us to get somebody who wasn't just starting a college coaching career, would be an understatement (though perhaps I could have gotten behind Lane Kiffin).

I wouldn't say that I am as Scandinavian in nature as many Minnesotans who "get so mad, they almost say something", but I do scoff at the extent at which Brewster has agrandized his program. His brash verbiage was sure to gain the ire of the local media and he is probably lucky it is only old Pat who is really out to sink his boat. I tire sometimes of "very, very"'s and "tremendous"s in every statement.

I appreciate that there is often a step backwards accompanying college football regimes changes, but 2007 was an inexcusable embarrassment in its record depths and showed the novice nature of the man at the reins.

Last year was a return to low end bowl team status, and I was grateful for a speedy step back to square one. I was, however, deeply concerned at our struggles in the conference play. I was in Champaign for the great game (which in the final analysis turned a little hollow as Illinois proved that it is hard to be consistently good in this league) and even that day I saw things that made concerned for the rest of the season.

For a coach who was going to hang his head on recruiting prowess I worry about the lack of "tremendous" progress in that department. Many of the highly touted recruits he has brought to fold have a lot of academic issues attached, and there have been several disheartening casualties, further hampering advancing our cause. I also worry about the kids that are still jumping the "walls around the border".

I too hope that there will come a day when I can be confident in a two touchdown lead late in the 4th quarter, but alas that day is still a long time coming. Maybe someday we will get to Pasadena, but I believe that "sooner" will have long since sailed.

Your post pretty much sums up my opinions and goals for the porgram.

 

[vagopher]

"I am being serious and of course I'm always gonna do NDSU/GOPHER smack. its ok. its entertainment!"


The problem is that most of your "smack" is taunting. It's not ok, it's not entertainment. It's immature and inappropriate.

 

[vagopher]

The only coaches loved by everyone are legends. Everyone talked about how good of a guy Wacker was and his teams sucked.

To answer your original question, of course you can like a team and dislike a coach but if you actually want the coach to fail then you don't really like the team. I love the Vikings and think Chilly is terrible but I'd LOVE it if he got an extention because that means the team is succesful.

I also don't get why people don't like Brewster. He's recruited better than we've seen here, has the interest level in the team at home and nationally at an all time high for my 25 yrs on Earth, and his team plays much harder for him than Mason's teams did. Even when we've lost big this team always fights and plays hard. We all want a succesful team but some of you find joy in seeing Brewster fall short of his goals which is crazy. Every team should aim for a B10 championship every year but Brewster gets roasted for having the nerve to say it. I really think its a Minnesota thing. We hate positive people out here.

Actually the reality is this: We have an old old old fanbase. Gopher games probably have a higher percentage of 60 and up fans than anyone else in the B10 if not the country. They grew up on cold weather teams, Bud Grant, hard nosed Norris division football. Old people believe in 'shut up and play'. They don't like a coach who talks a lot and especially don't like a coach who talks a lot who hasn't achieved much yet.

As one of the over 60 Gopher fans, I applaud Brewster's optimism. One has to sell hope for the future to recruit effectively and Brewster seems to do that well. The jury is still out on whether he can coach. My sense is that he is still learning, but that things are moving in the right direction. My continued support, however, will depend on on-field performance.

 

[GoAUpher]

:In all seriousness I was disappointed when we re-signed Mason, as I thought he was stalled out. I was even more disappointed when we signed a dark horse (in the best terms), and then went out and got Tubby for the Barnyard faithful (always will be more pigskin orientated but Godspeed to ole Tubby). To say I would have liked us to get somebody who wasn't just starting a college coaching career, would be an understatement (though perhaps I could have gotten behind Lane Kiffin).

Aha. So Brewster's "bluster" = bad. But Lane Kiffin (who lied in a nationally published Sports Illustrated article and who has already put his foot in his mouth more than Brewster did when he started) = probably ok. Care to help me understand how this computes?

 

[calminnfan]

Sorry, but anyone who is still on the Kiffin bandwagon over Brewster is really coming from a biased position against Brewster, failing to appreciate the good things he has acoomplished and really discrediting their own position, IMO! I think it is time to get past the original arguments against hiring Brewster (ie: no Coordinator or HC experience) and start assessing him on the body of his work (recruiting, coaching changes, game day prep and play calling, ect.)! The man was hired over 2 years ago. what happened then is really a lessor argument that really should fade off the boards.

 

[grunkiejr]

Not to mention that Kiffin has been an embarrasment off the field for Tennessee. He has already been scolded in public by the commissioner of the SEC and committed two minor recruiting violations that had to be reported the NCAA. He has only been on the job for about 3 months. If people think Brewster has a big mouth he is nothing compared to Kiffin that has gone about his business by calling out Urban Meyer amongst other coaches.

 

[GoAUpher]

Not to mention that Kiffin has been an embarrasment off the field for Tennessee. He has already been scolded in public by the commissioner of the SEC and committed two minor recruiting violations that had to be reported the NCAA. He has only been on the job for about 3 months. If people think Brewster has a big mouth he is nothing compared to Kiffin that has gone about his business by calling out Urban Meyer amongst other coaches.

More than 2 violations at this point. He just reported another one last week (although there's an argument over whether it was a secondary violation or a letter of intent violation).

 

[grunkiejr]

More than 2 violations at this point. He just reported another one last week (although there's an argument over whether it was a secondary violation or a letter of intent violation).

I was thinking that I heard there was a third but I played it conservatively and said 2 so that nobody could accuse me of overstating his debacles thereby diminishing my point. Thanks for the confirmation that it is 3.

 

[ulfr]

Aha. So Brewster's "bluster" = bad. But Lane Kiffin (who lied in a nationally published Sports Illustrated article and who has already put his foot in his mouth more than Brewster did when he started) = probably ok. Care to help me understand how this computes?

What I meant is at the time he seemed, amongst a list of relative unknowns, a more intriguing candidate to me and apparently I wasn't the only one given his more lucrative contracts in comparison with Brewster. Hindsight is hindsight. Who knows what lies in store for either of them 5 years hence. Tennessee is probably a easier school to succeed in the area of recruiting given its recent success (in a gopher sense of the word, which perhaps one could say 'after the proliferation of color TV'), but the SEC is an unforgiving arena, so it may well be a wash.

Only the Shadow knows..... [dramatic interlude]

 

[MilesTarver]

Ok. So Im sending in my 2008 MINNESOTA tax returns the other day.

It got me to thinking.

I grew up a gopher fan, I attended games at Memorial and then Metrodome.


I watched Rickey Foggie beat Sconi land. I remember the punt debacle that lost the sconi game a few years back.

I have been a gopher fan growing up.


But the distaste for mediocrity with GLEN MASON and his smugness, combined with Punky Brewster's attitude drove me to devote 85% of my college fball fanaticism to NDSU. (15% staying with the gophers of course)


SOOOO. CAN I BE A GOPHER FAN and DISLIKE BREWSTER??? how many of us are out here??


I am dead serious, this isn't BAIT, this is a sincere and open question that i'd like debated.


Thank you.

Lakesbison Minnesota resident for 30 years.

absolutely, that's actually the definition of being a GOPHER fan. it's not called a mason fan, or a brewster fan, you can support the u, the players, and the program, while not liking the coach. personally, i can't stand brewster, and i don't want him around for a long time. however, i want him to be successful here, get a couple of good seasons under his belt and get lured away to another school. i never got people that wanted mason to lose to get fired, that means we lose as gopher fans. i hope brew doesn't get fired, that means we'll have to endure some horrible seasons...but i wouldn't mind him taking another job.

 

[GoAUpher]

absolutely, that's actually the definition of being a GOPHER fan. it's not called a mason fan, or a brewster fan, you can support the u, the players, and the program, while not liking the coach. personally, i can't stand brewster, and i don't want him around for a long time. however, i want him to be successful here, get a couple of good seasons under his belt and get lured away to another school. i never got people that wanted mason to lose to get fired, that means we lose as gopher fans. i hope brew doesn't get fired, that means we'll have to endure some horrible seasons...but i wouldn't mind him taking another job.

You say you don't get why anyone would want Mason to lose (in order to get him fired) since we all lose. I understand that and I agree. However, how can you then say you want Brewster to succeed so that he can leave? In this scenario you are saying you want the U to lose a successful coach b/c you don't like him. Seems to me you are doing the same thing in this hypothetical scenario by wanting a result that could hurt all Gopher fans.

 

[MilesTarver]

You say you don't get why anyone would want Mason to lose (in order to get him fired) since we all lose. I understand that and I agree. However, how can you then say you want Brewster to succeed so that he can leave? In this scenario you are saying you want the U to lose a successful coach b/c you don't like him. Seems to me you are doing the same thing in this hypothetical scenario by wanting a result that could hurt all Gopher fans.

i'm saying i want him gone, i can't stand the guy - but i'd rather he go because he was successful, rather than having more 1-11 seasons and getting fired. imo, losing brewster will not hurt all gopher fans.

 

[Bo Darville]

CAN I BE A GOPHER FAN and DISLIKE BREWSTER???

As this is America, you can do whatever you want. Including asking stupid questions on message boards.

 

[howeda7]

Of course you can be a Gopher fan and dislike Brewster. I'm not too fond of him myself.

Most Viking fans hate Brad Childress it would seem. I'm not too fond of him either.

However, in both cases, rather then hoping for them to lose and get fired, which hurts everyone, as mentioned above, or 'succeed' thier way out of town, which doesn't really happen in the NFL, I instead begrudgingly hope for them to grow on me. If they win enough, it won't really matter if I think one is a blow-hard and the other is an idiot, I'll over-look it. Or maybe thier wonderful personalities will grow on me and I'll come to appreciate thier high-level coaching ability.

 

[GoAUpher]

i'm saying i want him gone, i can't stand the guy - but i'd rather he go because he was successful, rather than having more 1-11 seasons and getting fired. imo, losing brewster will not hurt all gopher fans.

First, I grant that we're in hypothetical territory here and we're assuming outcomes that are not yet here. Would you still want Brew gone if he gets a Rose Bowl victory? Is there any level of success where you would change your mind on this? I agree that wanting him gone via winning would be more enjoyable for all Gophers in the meantime vs. more 1-11 seasons. But if he's successful enough to leave than he's successful enough to bring us to have a shot at bringing us to that next level that we all want. There is no guarantee that his successor (in this hypothetical) would be able to continue his success. Thus, my contention that your position is not better in that it could hurt all Gopher fans.

 

[calminnfan]

Why on earth would you want a successful coach to leave??? Brew has done more in the past two years to raise the level of appeal for the UofM, especially for recruits, then any coach the Gophers have had since Lou Holtz. That in and of itself should say how successful the Gophers have been in scouting HCs. Amazing!

 

[Khaliq]

There are only about 4 college coaches I would rather have as a coach than Brewster. He is exactly the kind of coach that can turn a program into a national power. We will be vastly more talented than the rest of the Big Ten in 3 more seasons.

Who are the other four?

 

[lakesbison]

howeda.... excellent point.

i bleed purple.... but I dislike Chilly.

I just think for the average minnesotan (*unfortunatly*) is more into the vikings than the gophers and you can thank RANDY MOSS for that!!

*dam i miss him!*