"Gopher Nation"

[Gopherthewin]

Most of "Gopher Nation" that wanted to fire Mason because we were just a mediocre team who was content with appearing in mediocre bowl games are questioning Brew's optimism and a few are even stating that scheduling USC is a bad move for the program. I can only speak for myself, but I want a BCS team here at the U. I'm sick of being an average Big Ten team (which is a weak conference now compared to the past), who chokes away the Wisconsin game every year, gets killed by Iowa, and appears in a joke of a bowl. Why wouldn't you want a coach with the fire, desire, and vision to take this team to where we want to go? He never said this would happen in a few years. Just give Brew, the players, and the staff a few more years and then measure where we are at.

...Wisconsin was the bottom-feeder of the Big Ten for years before Barry Alvarez came in with aspirations to turn them around and win a Rose Bowl. It took him years but that seemed to work well for the Badgers. Why not us with Brew? and Thank god it's Bielema there now, who will cause that program to decline.

 

[Goldy74s]

The question is, will playing USC help to improve the program? Some think "yes", some think "no". To the best of my knowledge, not one person wants us not to go to the Rose Bowl.

 

[metrolax]

Its great to want a Cadillac, but you cannot buy a Cadillac with Chevrolet dollars.

I think most knowledgeable Gopher fans knew that for years we were at a great
disadvantage revenue-wise. When your football budget was 10th or 11th in the
Big 10 over a period of years, I think a lot of fans took that into consideration.
I don't think it was "settling for mediocrity", but more for understanding the big
picture and cutting the guy some slack.

Another post recited the players the Gophers have currently in the NFL. My
guess is that compared to other Big 10 schools, that number correlates almost
directly to football budgets.

Iowa & Wisconsin, our two peer schools on the western fringe of the Big 10, both
have large outdoor, on-campus stadiums which generate revenue that was not
possible at the Dome. When your budget is limited, you have to make hard choices
on what you can do.

Nobody is perfect- not Mason, not Brewster, not even Bierman. However, Mason did
about as well, overall, as a football coach could have done over the same period given the
money and resources he had to work with. We could nit-pick about this or that, this
shortcoming vs that one, but overall he did fine.

With the stadium, we will be able to generate revenues that will gradually help us climb
the ladder in terms of budget. Any coach presiding over the program during that span
will be judged by a higher standard.

As for the USC game, that wasn't my call to make, obviously. Only time will tell if
that was smart or not. I can say this, however: It makes more sense when we have
a better revenue stream, with which we can have a better program. We found out the
hard way many years ago what it was like to play a traditional outside power (Nebraska)
when we had a low yearly budget. "Murder She Wrote".

Brewster is gonna have advantages that Mason did not have. It will be interesting to watch.

The battle for returning the Gophers to the top is really being played outside the lines
rather than between them.

 

[Schnoodler]

the college environment change during Mason's time here. When he started, everything he said was true. When he finished it was not.

What was improbable 10 years ago is possible for any program that wants to put forth the effort. Mason never adjusted. In fact, I would argue that the new environment was about to kick his ass. He's lucky he left when he did.

 

[EG#9]

"Nobody is perfect- not Mason, not Brewster, not even Bierman. However, Mason did
about as well, overall, as a football coach could have done over the same period given the
money and resources he had to work with. We could nit-pick about this or that, this
shortcoming vs that one, but overall he did fine."

I just can't believe winning 38% of your Big Ten games and performing horribly against rival schools is "about as well" as a football coach could have done.

 

[metrolax]

Well...

logic states that if you're 10th or 11th in revenue/budget, you should only win
10-20% of your games.

 

[Gopho Sapiens]

Well...

logic states that if you're 10th or 11th in revenue/budget, you should only win
10-20% of your games.

Are you saying the playing positions are better paid in Iowa?? Other than facilities or staff the correlation isn't there.

What HAS been missing for many years is the sincere desire from the administrations to support and nurture a solid athletic program. I know that the U is an institution of higher learning and sports should be irrelevant, but having a banner athletic program adds more to the prestige of a school than can be put into a hard number.

I believe the current administration does understand this and is making every effort to correct it.

 

[denguegopher]

Well...

logic states that if you're 10th or 11th in revenue/budget, you should only win
10-20% of your games.

I largely agree with your post. It was those horrible losses that I had trouble with. He never did get the team to the point where when they were ahead they knew they would win. They always had doubts and those doubts haunted his teams. And as a fan I was always waiting for the wheels to fall off, and they often did.

 

[metrolax]

You're absolutely correct

Many place their frustrations and blame on the wrong sources.

I have a lot of regard for the coaches and players that tried
their best at the U for the past 30-40 years with support that
far lagged behind our peers.

Again, its all about admin support. If we have it, we win more.
If we don't, we win less. Its a simple formula, no matter who
is coaching.