ESPN's Brian Bennett suggests Minn and Wisc should end their rivalry

[BleedGopher]

Chris from Williamston, Mich., writes: Brian, does it bother you that there is no MSU-Wisconsin game scheduled past the 2012 season? Any chance of a protected rivalry happening in the future? These past couple years have had some fun games in this budding rivalry.

Brian Bennett: If those two teams can stage games anywhere near as entertaining as the two we got last year, then they should play every year. However, it's not a protected cross-division game. Wisconsin has Minnesota and Michigan State has Indiana. Until the Gophers and Hoosiers get back on their feet, doesn't it make sense to switch those? I know Minnesota-Wisconsin is a rivalry, but it's been pretty one-sided of late.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/46501/big-ten-friday-mailbag-29

Go Gophers!!

 

[zambam]

I don't know who Brian Bennett is but the exact argument for why some teams shouldn't be switching conferences is to preserve historic rivalries but this guy just wants to end it because MSU and WI have played a couple good games? Whoopty-f*cking-do.

 

[positively4thstreet]

Yes, let's end the longest running rivalry in the FBS because MSU and Wisconsin have played two exciting games.

 

[RoyalGopher]

I wouldn't read that much into it. It didn't seem 100% serious.

 

[GoAUpher]

I wouldn't read that much into it. It didn't seem 100% serious.

I dunno. Bennett is the new guy and has issues with not understanding the history and traditions of the B1G. I wouldn't be surprised if he was serious. That also makes him an even bigger idiot than before, but whatcha gonna do?

EDIT: He was serious. Here's his response to getting called out for it in today's mailbag:

Michael from Minneapolis writes: How you get to write about the Big Ten or college football with nonsense like suggesting the end of the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry is beyond me. The battle for the Axe is the longest running rivalry in football, and you don't just stop that because of a period of imbalance. The Gophers and Badgers have played 120 times since 1890. Notice that's 120 times in 121 years. I must have missed when you said they should stop playing Army/Navy (10 straight Navy wins 13 of 15) or Ohio State/Michigan (OSU 7 straight and 9 of 11 before this year) or Harvard/Yale (Harvard 10 of last 11). Worst. Answer. Ever. And there have been contenders over the several years I've been reading the blog.

Brian Bennett: OK, OK, I get it. Readers weren't happy with that thought. I was asked about Michigan State and Wisconsin not playing, and I didn't mean to suggest the end of the Axe rivalry. But if you ask me who I'd rather see play in 2013, Michigan State vs. Wisconsin or Minnesota vs. Wisconsin, it's not even close.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Didn't that sunken-eyed dry drunk who writes for the Strib suggest this a few weeks ago?

 

[Gopher Bandanna Guy]

No way around it, he's an idiot for even suggesting that the Axe game get dropped as a protected game. How do you get to write for ESPN on the Big Ten, and not realize the sensitivity and importance of some of these historic and long-term rivalries? Apparently Jim Delany and the Big Ten ADs saw fit to protect this game. But I suppose Brian knows best. His suggestion is spoken like a TV exec just looking to maximize ratings.

Wish I would have seen this sooner, I would have loved to bust out the poison pen and savage this guy. Michael from Minneapolis did a more than adequate job though (among others, presumably).

 

[RailBaronYarr]

And his statement of "Until the Gophers and Hoosiers get back on their feet"... at what point does he or anyone deem that they should switch back? When we go to a bowl game? beat Wisconsin once? twice? three times? Should Michigan-OSU have been canceled as a protected game since OSU went 9-1 between 2001 and 2010? For reference Wisconsin went 8-2 in that span against us. Just frustrating that he clearly doesn't really understand the college football landscape of rivalries as well as the Big Ten history. Typical.

 

[dpodoll68]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I do not understand why ESPN thought they needed a 2nd writer for the Big Ten blog. Rittenberg was doing fine and producing quality work all on his own. Bennett is beyond terrible. To give you an indication, I'd rather read Fulda the Hutt or Soupcan any day of the week than this pathetic hack.

 

[oleboy41]

I'll be the one to give him some credit for publishing that question and owning up to his stupid statement (even though he still tried to defend himself)

 

[GoAUpher]

I'll be the one to give him some credit for publishing that question and owning up to his stupid statement (even though he still tried to defend himself)

What's hilarious is that his defense was just as idiotic. "What you'd rather see" in a given season is not a good reason to stop playing the longest running rivalry in college football. He'd have been better off just saying "my bad" and moving on.

 

[Flatfoot]

What's hilarious is that his defense was just as idiotic. "What you'd rather see" in a given season is not a good reason to stop playing the longest running rivalry in college football. He'd have been better off just saying "my bad" and moving on.

Agreed... and odd, I thought the Minnesota/Michigan State game was rather entertaining too.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I do not understand why ESPN thought they needed a 2nd writer for the Big Ten blog. Rittenberg was doing fine and producing quality work all on his own. Bennett is beyond terrible. To give you an indication, I'd rather read Fulda the Hutt or Soupcan any day of the week than this pathetic hack.

That's the exact same thing that I think. Rittenberg does a nice job, you can't expect him to know a ton about the third stringers for the U, but as far as the big things, he does a nice job.

ESPN should just have a carrousel of independent bloggers like MV (or the Ohio St/Mich/Wi equivelents) take a segment every now and then.

 

[Gopher Bandanna Guy]

Bennett is beyond terrible. To give you an indication, I'd rather read Fulda the Hutt or Soupcan any day of the week than this pathetic hack.

I'm gonna have to look over this guy's body of work. I loathe Fat Pat and Dim Jim as much as the next Gopherholer, but I may have to redirect some of my irritation...

 

[CrocShots]

That's the exact same thing that I think. Rittenberg does a nice job, you can't expect him to know a ton about the third stringers for the U, but as far as the big things, he does a nice job.

ESPN should just have a carrousel of independent bloggers like MV (or the Ohio St/Mich/Wi equivelents) take a segment every now and then.

100% yes. Bennett is from Louisville. I'm not always sure of his knowledge of the B1G

 

[MNGoldenGophers1]

Chris from Williamston, Mich., writes: Brian, does it bother you that there is no MSU-Wisconsin game scheduled past the 2012 season? Any chance of a protected rivalry happening in the future? These past couple years have had some fun games in this budding rivalry.

Brian Bennett: If those two teams can stage games anywhere near as entertaining as the two we got last year, then they should play every year. However, it's not a protected cross-division game. Wisconsin has Minnesota and Michigan State has Indiana. Until the Gophers and Hoosiers get back on their feet, doesn't it make sense to switch those? I know Minnesota-Wisconsin is a rivalry, but it's been pretty one-sided of late.

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/46501/big-ten-friday-mailbag-29

Go Gophers!!

Bennett must be the biggest dumb ass on the planet. End college football's longest running (consecutive) rivalry?!? I don't think so. This game is a feather in the B1G's cap.

 

[Parski1]

He had to be joking.

 

[mplsbadger]

FWIW you won't find any Wisconsin fans wanting to end it either. You'll occasionally hear them ruminate on how OSU is a bigger rival now, the game is no longer a challenge, etc but it is usually because they are trying to demean MN in the process. At the root of it all, they hate the Gophers and dread losing to them in all sports and crave bragging rights (why else would they bring the axe to a hockey game and wave it around).

 

[Formo]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I do not understand why ESPN thought they needed a 2nd writer for the Big Ten blog. Rittenberg was doing fine and producing quality work all on his own. Bennett is beyond terrible. To give you an indication, I'd rather read Fulda the Hutt or Soupcan any day of the week than this pathetic hack.

I agree. I didn't have any gripes on Bennet until now. What a tool.

 

[Jdogg0821]

This is obviously a ill-advised comment from Bennett since he's a B10 Blogger. It is sad however, how under appreciated this rivaly is outside of MN and Wisconsin. What made OSU / Mich special over the years was that both teams have been dominant programs over the years. That game has determined the B10 champ many years.

While the MN / WI rivalry is historically relevent, there never has been an extended period of time where both programs were competing for championships at the same time. MN was a top program mid-century and WI is a top program now. I truly hope I can see the day where WI / MN play in the B10 title game... it would be a great and historically important game for the B10.

 

[t-docious]

I truly hope I can see the day where WI / MN play in the B10 title game... it would be a great and historically important game for the B10.

pretty sure I would have a heart attack if this happened and I could die a happy man watching as the team carries kill on their shoulders out of the bank......... ah, a man can dream can't he?

 

[Ole]

What a dumbass.
How a BIG10 blogger can be from Louisville is beyond me. This guy knows nothing about the BIG10 or it's history.
If he said this about Michigan/OSU he'd probably be removed from his position.

The BIG10 version of a "man card" needs to be taken away from him for awhile.

It's sad that now anything he will ever write about the gophers in my mind will be automatically discounted, that blog just got much less readable.

 

[Rescooter]

FWIW you won't find any Wisconsin fans wanting to end it either. You'll occasionally hear them ruminate on how OSU is a bigger rival now, the game is no longer a challenge, etc but it is usually because they are trying to demean MN in the process. At the root of it all, they hate the Gophers and dread losing to them in all sports and crave bragging rights (why else would they bring the axe to a hockey game and wave it around).

Having lived in both states and near both campuses, I couldn't agree with you more. It's one of the most storied rivalries and it energizes both fan bases.

If it's not a big deal, why would the earth have been created with a moat between the two states?

 

[Iceland12]

Having lived in both states and near both campuses, I couldn't agree with you more. It's one of the most storied rivalries and it energizes both fan bases.

If it's not a big deal, why would the earth have been created with a moat between the two states?

 

[Deleted_User]

Having lived in both states and near both campuses, I couldn't agree with you more. It's one of the most storied rivalries and it energizes both fan bases.

If it's not a big deal, why would the earth have been created with a moat between the two states?

LMAO!

 

[4four4]

FWIW you won't find any Wisconsin fans wanting to end it either. You'll occasionally hear them ruminate on how OSU is a bigger rival now, the game is no longer a challenge, etc but it is usually because they are trying to demean MN in the process. At the root of it all, they hate the Gophers and dread losing to them in all sports and crave bragging rights (why else would they bring the axe to a hockey game and wave it around).

Didn't they wave it around at the Badger vs Gopher game?

 

[mplsbadger]

Didn't they wave it around at the Badger vs Gopher game?

Yes and Gopher pucksters credited it with their Saturday night comeback win. It's a great rivalry even if few others are paying attention.

 

[Nate]

 

[Monty519]

Having lived in both states and near both campuses, I couldn't agree with you more. It's one of the most storied rivalries and it energizes both fan bases.

If it's not a big deal, why would the earth have been created with a moat between the two states?

Hilarity right here hahaha

 

[supadupafly]

I don't know who Brian Bennett is but the exact argument for why some teams shouldn't be switching conferences is to preserve historic rivalries but this guy just wants to end it because MSU and WI have played a couple good games? Whoopty-f*cking-do.

+1. that little boy brian bennett at espn.com is an f-ing moron.