Gopher and Viking legend Bud Grant dies at age 95

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I'll be turning 70 later this year, so people can take what I say with a grain of salt and I really don't care. I remember coaches like Grant and Lombardi and Stram etc. and they weren't exactly warm and fuzzy and while today, you rarely ever see a coach even arch an eyebrow when a player makes a mistake much less make even the mildest criticism.

That leads me to one of my favorite Bud Grant post-game interviews. A Viking player--I think it was Bobby Bryant--blew a coverage that cost the Vikings the game. Bryant admitted he'd made a mistake and one of the reporters asked Bud if he was being a little hard on Bryant. Bud never missed a beat. His reply was something to the effect that "if every guy on the field gets to make a mistake, we're not going to win any games." True original. Tough on his players, but every one of them would have run through a brick wall for him.
 

Tommyboy said:
Your right every football fan in Minnesota loves this coach, your right. He coached like 50 years ago, and when I look back on his record, despite using the weather as an advantage, he never won a super bowl. At least he got us to a few, I will give him credit for that.
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You lack tact, subtlety, and general situational awareness, and you're a prime example of what is wrong with society today as it comes to the impact of social media and the internet. I bet you're an absolute disaster of a human to talk to in person.
 

50PoundHead said:
I'll be turning 70 later this year, so people can take what I say with a grain of salt and I really don't care. I remember coaches like Grant and Lombardi and Stram etc. and they weren't exactly warm and fuzzy and while today, you rarely ever see a coach even arch an eyebrow when a player makes a mistake much less make even the mildest criticism.

That leads me to one of my favorite Bud Grant post-game interviews. A Viking player--I think it was Bobby Bryant--blew a coverage that cost the Vikings the game. Bryant admitted he'd made a mistake and one of the reporters asked Bud if he was being a little hard on Bryant. Bud never missed a beat. His reply was something to the effect that "if every guy on the field gets to make a mistake, we're not going to win any games." True original. Tough on his players, but every one of them would have run through a brick wall for him.
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I think there's a huge difference in generally being an asshole and holding people to a high standard to the point where if you screw up you're getting dogged, publicly, privately, or both. It's pretty blurred today, not sure for better or for worse because media pushes that narrative. I do know people like to hear that kind of stuff, it really is refreshing at times. It's all psychology nowadays.
 





Tommyboy said:
and no super bowl wins.
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Someone needs to put this guy out of our misery. This is bannable.

FYI everyone. Click on his name and select “ignore”. You’ll never have to read a thing he writes ever again.
 

Tommyboy said:
You’re right every football fan in Minnesota loves this coach, you’re right. He coached like 50 years ago, and when I look back on his record, despite using the weather as an advantage, he never won a super bowl. At least he got us to a few, I will give him credit for that.
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I hope you suffer someday. Horribly, like your intelligence and personality. Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life.
 



My most vivid memory of Bud Grant was from Opening Night at the New Brickhouse, September 12, 2009. I think a lot of people there that night didn't know that Bud was a Gopher legend before the pros.

Bud was one of the honorary captains that was introduced prior to the coin toss. Jamie read his accomplishments with more and more gusto as he went along, and the crowd slowly started to realize he was talking about Bud. I know most people in the stadium were pretty emotional that night, but when Jamie belted out "BUD GRANT!!!!" the crowd went absolutely ballistic and the camera cut to Bud who was unabashedly weeping with joy.

RIP Bud.
 


I have fond memories of Bud Grant's Minnesota Vikings. He is a true Minnesota legend.
 

Unregistered User said:
I was there. Great moment to witness.

Never thought Bud would get emotional.
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Was also there - if I recall correctly, part of Bud's emotion that day was also for his longtime friend and fellow teammate/Gopher legend Billy Bye, who had died just three months prior. Bye not only played with Bud at the U from 1946-1949, but also with Bud's Winnipeg Blue Bombers team.
 



For those of us growing up in the 70s in MN, Bud Grant WAS Minnesota and WAS Football. That face, that stoicism, no sideline heaters, no gloves, no nonsense... beating the Rams in freezing cold playoff games... Would I have fallen in love with Football without Bud? I suppose so, but not near as deeply.
 

mngg11 said:
I think there's a huge difference in generally being an asshole and holding people to a high standard to the point where if you screw up you're getting dogged, publicly, privately, or both. It's pretty blurred today, not sure for better or for worse because media pushes that narrative. I do know people like to hear that kind of stuff, it really is refreshing at times. It's all psychology nowadays.
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Very true. I don't cotton to coaches who just ladle out blame to escape responsibility and just be a jerk for jerk's sake, but I'm reminded of a major league baseball play last season when Ronald Acuna made an absolutely stupid base-running move that killed a rally and (although one can never tell) probably cost the Braves a chance to win the game. In his post-game interview, Brian Snitker said something to the effect that Acuna's mistake hurt the team and stuff like that shouldn't happen at the major league level. The whole internet erupts with "Snitker is throwing his best player under the bus for simply being aggressive!"

I frankly don't know how coaches handle it anymore.
 
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Some interesting quotes from former players:


The Alan Page quote sums up how I viewed the Grant coaching philosophy from the outside. Also interesting, when Page's playing days with the Vikings came to a contentious end, he and Grant were at loggerheads. I presume once his career was over with the Bears they were cordial, or at least shared mutual respect.

Alan Page​

Before Bud got to Minnesota the team was more interested in the fight than winning the game. Bud brought order and discipline to where there had been chaos. What you saw was what you got with him. He also brought a process and system to the chaos, and it worked. He didn't do anything with magic, but instead with common sense.
 

just a few of the many things that illustrate what a great all-around athlete he was -
1st year with the Philadelphia Eagles, Grant played DE and led the team in sacks.
2nd year with the Eagles, moved to Receiver - finished 2nd in the NFL in receiving yardage.

when he moved to the CFL, he set a defensive record that still stands with 5 INT's in a playoff game.
 

GopherRock said:
My most vivid memory of Bud Grant was from Opening Night at the New Brickhouse, September 12, 2009. I think a lot of people there that night didn't know that Bud was a Gopher legend before the pros.

Bud was one of the honorary captains that was introduced prior to the coin toss. Jamie read his accomplishments with more and more gusto as he went along, and the crowd slowly started to realize he was talking about Bud. I know most people in the stadium were pretty emotional that night, but when Jamie belted out "BUD GRANT!!!!" the crowd went absolutely ballistic and the camera cut to Bud who was unabashedly weeping with joy.

RIP Bud.
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Does anyone know if the U has that on video, would love to see that posted here
 

I caught a great interview with him a few months back. He was so sharp still at his age. He had a few near misses at mortality early in life including the armistice day blizzard and changing planes for a flight between Vancouver and Winnipeg (the flight that he and 4 teammates were supposed to be on crashed into a mountain).
Also fascinating to hear him talk about Mikan and Kundla. Sounds like he learned a lot while being a role player for the Lakers.
www.youtube.com

Former Vikings Head Coach Bud Grant joins Barreiro to talk Minnesota Football | #KFANVikes

Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Bud Grant joins Dan Barreiro on KFAN!
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
 




GopherRock said:
My most vivid memory of Bud Grant was from Opening Night at the New Brickhouse, September 12, 2009. I think a lot of people there that night didn't know that Bud was a Gopher legend before the pros.

Bud was one of the honorary captains that was introduced prior to the coin toss. Jamie read his accomplishments with more and more gusto as he went along, and the crowd slowly started to realize he was talking about Bud. I know most people in the stadium were pretty emotional that night, but when Jamie belted out "BUD GRANT!!!!" the crowd went absolutely ballistic and the camera cut to Bud who was unabashedly weeping with joy.

RIP Bud.
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I cried too. I’m crying again.
 

I remember seeing Mr. Grant at Mancini's one evening. I looked up at him while he was leaving with a group of men. I gave him a subtle head nod and he did the same with a smile and a quick wink. Almost as if to say thanks for not making a scene. My wife asked who was that? I whispered Bud Grant.

Obviously a memorable moment for me.

He may not have been perfect to many (who is), but he is very special to many Minnesotans and NFL fans everywhere.
 


50PoundHead said:
I'll be turning 70 later this year, so people can take what I say with a grain of salt and I really don't care. I remember coaches like Grant and Lombardi and Stram etc. and they weren't exactly warm and fuzzy and while today, you rarely ever see a coach even arch an eyebrow when a player makes a mistake much less make even the mildest criticism.

That leads me to one of my favorite Bud Grant post-game interviews. A Viking player--I think it was Bobby Bryant--blew a coverage that cost the Vikings the game. Bryant admitted he'd made a mistake and one of the reporters asked Bud if he was being a little hard on Bryant. Bud never missed a beat. His reply was something to the effect that "if every guy on the field gets to make a mistake, we're not going to win any games." True original. Tough on his players, but every one of them would have run through a brick wall for him.
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And yet I have read that his training camps were mild by NFL standards.
 




that supposedly goes back to his Gopher days. I think the story is in Sid's book. The Gophers had a big game coming up and Bierman apparently put the players through a long, grueling series of practices. By the time the game rolled around, the players were all beat up and tired, and they lost. Grant never forgot that and when he became a coach, he made it a point to not overwork his players in practice - as long as he got their best effort on game day.
 

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