BleedGopher
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per Forbes:
I scanned every article I could find after the University of Minnesota football team’s 17-12 victory over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. I checked the official website for the victorious Gophers. I even checked the student newspaper. Most mention that this is one of the biggest wins in recent history – Minnesota’s first nine-win season since 2003, and culminating the very rare experience of winning two straight bowl games.
But found no articles or journalist posts asking the question: “Was the threatened player boycott of the bowl game a major part of the reason a 10-point underdog won the game?”
The Washington State Cougars were strong favorites for strong reasons. They came into the game ranked second nationally in passing offense, and 14th in scoring offense (over 40 points a game). They were coached by colorfully quirky but much-celebrated ESPN favorite, Mike Leach. Minnesota, conversely, was coached by someone nobody outside of the state knows, Tracy Claeys. Claeys is just getting off his training wheels as a head coach, starting a few years ago upon the resignation of Jerry Kill, who left for health reasons.
The experts were unanimous and probably full of unspoken underlying assumptions. On paper, every significant statistical marker for victory pointed to Washington State. The underlying assumption was that the Gophers were doomed by not only a talent deficit, but also the distraction of internal turmoil, and a coach with an uncertain future.
No journalistic report, and no outpouring from the blogosphere was willing to credit the student protest as a galvanizing factor in the upset win. Why did Minnesota hold a 40-points-per-game team to 6 points for 99 percent of the game? The team did not physically transform itself. The only alternative source is what was within the solidary of spirit and mind of those players.
The companion point is this: the us-against-the-world mentality included Coach Claeys. He voiced his support for the protest. That put him at odds with the administration. And even in victory, he may suffer the most. While players may graduate, Claeys may lose his job. I suspect the players knew that going into the game. They knew that as they prepared for it, during it and after it. The players probably knew that the contract extension talks for Claeys, planned for early December before the controversy, did not occur.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogergr...of-the-minnesota-player-protest/#84f60f078116
Go Gophers!!
I scanned every article I could find after the University of Minnesota football team’s 17-12 victory over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl. I checked the official website for the victorious Gophers. I even checked the student newspaper. Most mention that this is one of the biggest wins in recent history – Minnesota’s first nine-win season since 2003, and culminating the very rare experience of winning two straight bowl games.
But found no articles or journalist posts asking the question: “Was the threatened player boycott of the bowl game a major part of the reason a 10-point underdog won the game?”
The Washington State Cougars were strong favorites for strong reasons. They came into the game ranked second nationally in passing offense, and 14th in scoring offense (over 40 points a game). They were coached by colorfully quirky but much-celebrated ESPN favorite, Mike Leach. Minnesota, conversely, was coached by someone nobody outside of the state knows, Tracy Claeys. Claeys is just getting off his training wheels as a head coach, starting a few years ago upon the resignation of Jerry Kill, who left for health reasons.
The experts were unanimous and probably full of unspoken underlying assumptions. On paper, every significant statistical marker for victory pointed to Washington State. The underlying assumption was that the Gophers were doomed by not only a talent deficit, but also the distraction of internal turmoil, and a coach with an uncertain future.
No journalistic report, and no outpouring from the blogosphere was willing to credit the student protest as a galvanizing factor in the upset win. Why did Minnesota hold a 40-points-per-game team to 6 points for 99 percent of the game? The team did not physically transform itself. The only alternative source is what was within the solidary of spirit and mind of those players.
The companion point is this: the us-against-the-world mentality included Coach Claeys. He voiced his support for the protest. That put him at odds with the administration. And even in victory, he may suffer the most. While players may graduate, Claeys may lose his job. I suspect the players knew that going into the game. They knew that as they prepared for it, during it and after it. The players probably knew that the contract extension talks for Claeys, planned for early December before the controversy, did not occur.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogergr...of-the-minnesota-player-protest/#84f60f078116
Go Gophers!!
