Favorite Piece of Gophers Football Memorabilia

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gophergrad

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Thought I'd share mine, as it just came in the mail today.
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What's your favorite Gophers football souvenir, novelty, knicknack, or piece of history?

Edit: Just got into work and I can't see my own pic... If anyone was wondering, it's a white gophers helmet. It's not old, and it doesn't bring back the greatest memories, but it looks f'ing sweet. Too bad the pic isn't working... Link to twit pic
 

I'd say my memories, but I'm usually too Dr. Don'ed to recall my favorites.
 

Mine is a picture. Kinnick, 1999. After the game me and three buddies made our way onto the field. I remember slapping Tyrone Carter on the shoulderpads and telling him nice game. We wandered around down there and some random Gopher fan with a Polaroid offered to take a picture of us. Weird thing is the film has a Miller Lite logo engrained in it.
 


I'm a big collector of Gopher sports memorabilia. I have a signed football of the 1958 Gopher football team, about 30 signed Gopher mini helmets of Gopher greats ranging from Warmath to Sanders to Pug Lund to Foggie to the Barber family on the same helmet, etc. I also wanted to start a collection of Gopher greats of all sports on a similar item so I started a collection of Gopher logo golf balls signed by Gopher legends of every sport on their own Gopher logo golf ball. I have about 110 of these signed ranging in Gopher legends from Patty Berg to Verne Gagne to McHale to the Broten's to Dungy to Kundla to Molitor to Bill Daley etc.

Go Gophers!!
 


1960 Minnesota National Champions pennant along with the following buttons from 1960 and 1961:

Boil-Illin-Oil - (1960 - Homecoming)

We're No. 1 - University of Minnesota - (1960)

Gophers National Champions - (1960)

We're Rose Bowl Bound - (1960)

Squash Wash - (1960)

Den the Wolverines - (1961 - Homecoming)

Beat Iowa (Again) - (1961)
 

Not long ago I purchased three newspapers relating to Gopher football, and they are without question my prized possessions.

#1: Minneapolis Morning Tribune from November 23, 1960 with the headline that reads "Gophers to play in Rose Bowl."

#2: Minnesota Daily from October 31, 1903...a Saturday Edition dedicated to the Minnesota-Michigan football game that day (The Little Brown Jug game)

#3: The Minneapolis Journal from November 2, 1903...the Monday night edition of the Minneapolis Journal that tells the tale of the Minnesota-Michigan 6-6 "Win" for the Gophers. It is complete with photos and a diagram of the game. (Again, the Little Brown Jug game)

As someone who loves to embrace history, to have these newspapers framed to see the greatness of the past is something that is truly exciting to me.
 

A piece of the temporary goal post from the January, 1962 Rose Bowl game.
 

Good question and thread. I almost included your topic as a question in this year's survey, but I was afraid the survey was getting too long.

I have gameday programs of every Gopher game that I've attended since 1959. I also have the1918 Minnesota Yearbook "The Gopher" Volume XXXI (leatherbound), which recaps the 1916 football season in detail. Additionally, I have consecutive college football magazines since 1957, and several Gopher football-related and college football-related books.

Go Gophers!!
 



I collect Gophers college and pro game used football helmets and jerseys. My favorite's are Maroney's freshman away jersey, Rickey Foggie's British Columbia Lion's rookie jersey, Marion Barber's 2008 Cowboy's jersey. For helmets, Antione Carter's Gophers helmet full of award decals (impossible to find), and Arland Bruce's Toronto Argo's helmet from a few years back. For basketball, Daryyl Mitchell's 1982 Big Ten Champions ring. I've got some amazing items on the way that may make my favorite list. Will let you know.
 

My favorite goes with this...

alltimetwinsfan said:
Not long ago I purchased three newspapers relating to Gopher football, and they are without question my prized possessions.

#1: Minneapolis Morning Tribune from November 23, 1960 with the headline that reads "Gophers to play in Rose Bowl."


Alltime, my favorite piece of memorabilia goes with your newspaper...it is also the picture on my avatar. It is the Minneapolis Star's New Years Day Rose Bowl insert for the Gophers. I got it for $5 in a Mankato antique store about 10 years ago.

It has recaps of the season plus the famous team photo where we possess all three important trophies...The Pig...The Jug...The Axe.

I've got some other miscellaneous items, but this is by far my favorite.

Great thread.

Go Gophers! Get Conditioned!
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Gopherdroppings said:
I collect Gophers college and pro game used football helmets and jerseys. My favorite's are Maroney's freshman away jersey, Rickey Foggie's British Columbia Lion's rookie jersey, Marion Barber's 2008 Cowboy's jersey. For helmets, Antione Carter's Gophers helmet full of award decals (impossible to find), and Arland Bruce's Toronto Argo's helmet from a few years back. For basketball, Daryyl Mitchell's 1982 Big Ten Champions ring. I've got some amazing items on the way that may make my favorite list. Will let you know.
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Gopherdroppings, I remember a few years back you posted a number of pictures of your collection and it was quite impressive!! I know you took some time off to attend to a matter, but it's great to see you on GH again. I hope all is well with you.

Go Gophers!!
 

I have lots of game newspapers from the '50s and '60s, but my favorite single piece is the 1960 season Rose Bowl program.
 



Thanks Bleed! It's been about three years. All I kept from my collection was a few game worn jerseys and everything else went. Most of the good stuff to my best friend. I think I sold you a few pieces :) I just started back up with a vengance 5 months ago when I moved down to St. Pete Beach FL. BTW, saw the Gophers in the Big Ten/Big East Tournament last Sun. in St. Pete. 85 degrees and sunny, but the Gophers lost to Louisville.
Go Gophers!
 

Mine is the Super Goldy TShirt that Goldy threw to me after he ripped it off his furry chest. Not super exciting, but I think it's great.
 

I've got a plank from the bleachers from Memorial. My brother hopped the fence and retrieved it prior to the demolition. Strapped it to the top of his Geo Storm and now it sits proudly in my basement below a picture or Memorial era '50's.
 

At Brewster's first meet and greet in Chicago during Big Ten Media Days I went to the UMAA chapter event and entered my name in a raffle. I won a Jack Simmons game-worn jersey from the NDSU game in 2006 when the Gophers wore the retro jerseys with the white helmets. His name and the date are embroidered on the bottom. The jersey is awesome and Brewster signed it for me..."Go Gophers! Tim Brewster." LOL
 

my favorite is a Hall of Fame Classic Bowl pennant with the Minnesota logo/name on it from 1977
 

My younger brother, who hates the Gophers, asked Adam Weber for his sweatband at the 2009 spring game, and he gave it to him. And I think my older brother has some pictures of himself with Marqueis Gray and maybe Moses Alipate. He and I both have programs from the 2008 spring game signed by the whole team, and he also has a poster signed by Tim Brewster. Nothing compared to most of the stuff you guys have, lol.
 

The 2004 "Saturday Gold Rush" schedule poster prominently featuring Laurence Maroney and MB3 signed by about 30 players inlcuding Eslinger, Spaeth, Setterstrom, Montgomery, Dom Barber, Gary Russell, Vandesteeg, Pinnix, Cupito, Giannini (shudder), and a bunch of others. The best part is that Maroney and MB3 both signed over their pictures with a personalized greeting. It was a gift from my ex-gf (we were already split at the time, she knew some players). It's been almost 7 years and I still haven't framed it yet...
 

I have a slab of wooden bleacher from Memorial Stadium sitting over a door. Still has the seat number painted on it. I have the newspaper and program from the opener at TCF sealed away in my basement. Let it sit there for decades, someone might find it interesting.
 

Southoftheriver said:
I've got a plank from the bleachers from Memorial. My brother hopped the fence and retrieved it prior to the demolition. Strapped it to the top of his Geo Storm and now it sits proudly in my basement below a picture or Memorial era '50's.
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I used to hop the fence a lot before it was demolished. We'd play catch, run around the tunnels, sit in every section. I never did grab anything though. I should have at least taken something from my section/row. I always assumed there would be another time for that. Oh to be young again.
 

I love collecting Gopher sports memorabilia as well, and back during the first year of Brewter's tenure, my wife went out of here way and got me a terrific X-mas gift. She was (and still is) a co-worker with Todd Meisel's brother. She got a Gopher mini-helmet and got it to Todd via her brother, and had it signed by nearly the entire Gopher roster from 2007. All the big names signed too - Weber, Decker, Wheelwright, Pinnix, Dom Barber, etc. All in all about 50 sigs, but only about 30 that I can for sure identify. It was really cool and a total surprise. Apparently after such a dismal, 1-win season, a lot of players were really happy to sign it as it got passed around, as it showed them that they still had fans that cared. Despite it being one of the worst (if not THE worst) seasons, I still look fondly on that helmet, as I can imagine a lot of players not wanting anything to do with signing anything.
 

Interesting topic, I have a journal created and maintained by my wife's grandfather during the 1934 and 35 seasons, that includes game writeups/clippings for every game from the Sunday Tribune and in those days the newspaper would would log every play and map every drive by both teams on the field.
 

I have a poster signed by everyone on Brewster's 2007 team from the fall practice/open house thing they did. The players helped kids play some games and such, then all went inside to sit and sign these posters. Im pretty sure i got everyone, except Brewster. I remember his line being really long (It didnt make sense to me at the time, either).

I wish/hope they'd do that again. My kid had a blast.
 

This thread needs photos. Some of this stuff sounds pretty cool.
 

A picture of me, my Dad, and the '93-'94 Gopher BB team taken in September of '93 outside of Brussels, Belgium. Yvette Haskins was kind enough to get the whole team and staff together after the game for the picture. We were the only people in the gym cheering for the Gophers that day.

That whole day (the access I was granted to the team) as a 14 yo Gopher rube meant so much to me.
 

The scar on my right foot. We tore the goalpost down on the last home game of the 1977(I believe) season. 50 or more of us all crowded around the goal post and that sumbitch come down on top of my foot breaking 2 toes and leaving a permanent scar.
 

Tully55 said:
The scar on my right foot. We tore the goalpost down on the last home game of the 1977(I believe) season. 50 or more of us all crowded around the goal post and that sumbitch come down on top of my foot breaking 2 toes and leaving a permanent scar.
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No pictures of this needed
 

Memorabilia

My collection consists of mostly cards. I have most Gophers that have trading cards, basketball, football, and baseball + a few hockey cards (not a big hockey fan). I have photocopies of about 300 of my favorites sealed with about 3 coats of shellac on my basement bar. I also have a signed Dusty Rychart jersey and some other autographed pictures and memorabilia. I try to limit my habit, so my wife doesn't kick me out - she already knows I'm a Gopher geek.
 

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