How do you cope with Gopher disappointment? I broaden my view to the wider B1G. You?

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SeaBee_Gopher

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1) I avoided reading this message board until today.
2) I listened to college football podcasts, not Gopher podcasts.

Podcasts I like:
- Eyes on B1G
- Yahoo Sports: College Football Enquirer
- Until Saturday
- Cover 3
- Buckeye Talk (let's face it, they win a lot so I'm seldom disappointed:))

Gopher podcasts:
- Gopher Gridiron
- Pair and a Spare

Any other ideas for good listens while I'm doing work around my house & yard? I really enjoy college football. It's my favorite sport to follow above all our local pro sports teams here in the TC. The Gophers are my #1, but I'm a fan of the B1G second and the league overall. I'm happy to see us absorb the four west coast teams mostly because I think they'll win a lot and winning is fun! I like that I can now cheer for Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA. It's more fun to have a dog in the fight of more games. I realize this means the Gophers will likely lose more. Oh well, I'm used to cheering for losing teams. I'm from Minnesota!:) I just make sure I don't get too sucked in!!!

What do you all think? Good podcasts and coping mechanisms?
 


I'm just giving up my passion for college football in general. 10 or 20 years ago I would have been glued to the TV for Texas/Alabama or tOSU/Notre Dame. Now I just have whatever game is on broadcast tv on while I do other stuff.

I watched into the 3rd quarter of the Nebraska game and then just gave up and went to bed, realizing this team isn't worth staying up late for on a work night. I haven't seen any of the other games because they aren't on broadcast tv. And with it appearing harder and harder for teams to punch above their weight and challenge the better teams, I think I'll be done with major college football in a few years at the most.

Like another poster said in another thread, let's just drop down and compete with the Dakota schools and the like. I'd actually be interested again since we might actually win something at that level.
 

I’m with you OP, in that while I’m a diehard Gopher fan, I’m also a B1G and CFB fan more broadly. I happen to live in Lincoln so I loosely follow the Huskers and will cheer for them against anyone but the Gophers. I also like following the Jacks at the FCS level.

These kind of maddening losses are the only ones that get me worked up. Losing to UNC or Penn State doesn’t really bother me. I sat in the stands through two seasons of Brewster as a student so having a low bar for Gopher success helps.
 

Ski U Master said:
The way I deal with a Gopher loss is to remember that sports are just entertainment and are not a serious part of life. If my favorite team wins, that's great! If they lose, that's part of sports and life goes on.
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Yes…but NOT the way we lost! Aaarrrggg!!😫
 


As an early thirties MN sports fan I know nothing but heartache. You get numb to the failure and all I can do is laugh (when I'm done cursing.) The only team outside MN that I actively root for is the Bills which probably isn't the best idea if I'm trying to avoid disappointment.
 

I know its cliche and it triggers some people, but...this is Minnesota sports. If you're letting the pain from getting kicked in the balls over and over linger, then that's on you.
 

MonikerSchmoniker45 said:
As an early thirties MN sports fan I know nothing but heartache. You get numb to the failure and all I can do is laugh (when I'm done cursing.) The only team outside MN that I actively root for is the Bills which probably isn't the best idea if I'm trying to avoid disappointment.
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Honestly age isn't even relevant. All any of us have ever known are pain and shame as fans of this program.

I cope by expecting us to always lose and finding humor in our cartoonish, clever ways to show incompetence decade after decade. Queue up BBall season amid a Benny Hill yakkety-sax soundtrack.
 

Ski U Master said:
The way I deal with a Gopher loss is to remember that sports are just entertainment and are not a serious part of life. If my favorite team wins, that's great! If they lose, that's part of sports and life goes on.
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As a 62 year old lifetime Gopher football fan I have to tell myself more and more often to just accept it as entertainment and go on. Saturdays, friends, a few beers, a visit to the campus area all good! My days of punching television sets, letting losses ruin my weekend are over.

I'm not sure we can ever make it to the top again. It does not appear that this town will ever be able to offer big NIL money and compete at the highest level. We won't get the top end talent on the front end, and developed skill may move on for a bigger cut.... ala Bucky Irving, etc. I am now worried about Darius Taylor becoming a poaching target.

Get out there any enjoy the experience. It's the best sports value in town.
 



Ski U Master said:
The way I deal with a Gopher loss is to remember that sports are just entertainment and are not a serious part of life. If my favorite team wins, that's great! If they lose, that's part of sports and life goes on.
Click to expand...
some fans struggle with this kind of viewpoint of sports because they view it as accepting mediocrity or being ok with failure. But it really is the way to go when dealing with something that is 100% out of your control.

As a fan you can choose to let a loss stick with you or you can choose to move on because the bottom line is that as much as I want the Gophers to succeed, my life is going to be the same if the team wins 3 games or if it wins 10 games.
 

Wow! So far these replies surprise me. I had no idea there were so many emotionally stable, well balanced people on this board! Hahaha!

Hey DelawareGopher, I also am a South Dakota State Jacks fan because several of my friends went to school there. They joke about how the Gophers will never play them again because we might lose. I agree!!! Talk about a no upside, huge downside game. I watched them play Drake live at Target Field a couple weeks ago and it wasn't even a fun game to watch. Drake was just sooo outclassed. Tons of the Drake guys were going down with injuries. It's actually sad how some of these teams will take on programs for a paycheck and just get destroyed. How is that beneficial for the kids? I guess it keeps the program's lights on.
 

SamSquatch said:
Honestly age isn't even relevant. All any of us have ever known are pain and shame as fans of this program.

I cope by expecting us to always lose and finding humor in our cartoonish, clever ways to show incompetence decade after decade. Queue up BBall season amid a Benny Hill yakkety-sax soundtrack.
Click to expand...
You're right when it comes to the Gophers. I was thinking MN sports overall, at least people a few years older than me got to experience a couple world series championships.
 

I do some chores, watch some movies and feel better over time.

Then get back to rowing the boat.
 



Drink heavily.

Nah, woke up Sunday morning and had a fun day with my wife and kids. Quickly remember what really matters.
 


I refrained from watching the Vikings.
 

I've had to move into acceptance that a) this season will prob not be special and b) Coach Fleck might not be able to do what he has said he can do.
 

As I get older the importance of games is diminished. They lost in a terrible fashion Saturday night. Then I took the dogs outside, did some dishes, cleaned up the kitchen and went to bed. Was up at 6am with my son to plays with cars. Life goes on.
 

Ski U Master said:
The way I deal with a Gopher loss is to remember that sports are just entertainment and are not a serious part of life. If my favorite team wins, that's great! If they lose, that's part of sports and life goes on.
Click to expand...
I walk away from Gopher podcasts and do things with family and friends.
 

SeaBee_Gopher said:
Wow! So far these replies surprise me. I had no idea there were so many emotionally stable, well balanced people on this board! Hahaha!

Hey DelawareGopher, I also am a South Dakota State Jacks fan because several of my friends went to school there. They joke about how the Gophers will never play them again because we might lose. I agree!!! Talk about a no upside, huge downside game. I watched them play Drake live at Target Field a couple weeks ago and it wasn't even a fun game to watch. Drake was just sooo outclassed. Tons of the Drake guys were going down with injuries. It's actually sad how some of these teams will take on programs for a paycheck and just get destroyed. How is that beneficial for the kids? I guess it keeps the program's lights on.
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My brother played @ SDSU and his wife was on the gymnastics team. Our family has had season tickets for the Gophers / Vikings since the 60’s. My Dad tried to teach me to enjoy the experience of the event rather than getting worked up about the outcome. Can’t say I’m always successful at that but it sure feels like I’ve had a LOT of practice as a lifelong MN fan, lol.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
As I get older the importance of games is diminished. They lost in a terrible fashion Saturday night. Then I took the dogs outside, did some dishes, cleaned up the kitchen and went to bed. Was up at 6am with my son to plays with cars. Life goes on.
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I'm at that point with all other sports - the Gophers have the distinction of being the only team to still get my emotions.
That said, I was at the Frozen Four and watched the Gophers go down in Overtime, and even thought I was sad...I just felt proud of them too.

Sports really don't matter much, but the Gophers still can punch me in the gut it seems.
 

MonikerSchmoniker45 said:
You're right when it comes to the Gophers. I was thinking MN sports overall, at least people a few years older than me got to experience a couple world series championships.
Click to expand...

Someday, I really hope someone does an exhaustive look at the weird mojo that has hovered over this state's sports since 91. It truly defies logic.

Yea yea, the Lynx.
 

Mr. 131 said:
I'm at that point with all other sports - the Gophers have the distinction of being the only team to still get my emotions.
That said, I was at the Frozen Four and watched the Gophers go down in Overtime, and even thought I was sad...I just felt proud of them too.

Sports really don't matter much, but the Gophers still can punch me in the gut it seems.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah. That happens from time to time. It’s all situational. Being @ a game massively changes my in the moment reaction.
 

I'm more curious about how Gopher fans would cope with non-disappointment, should it ever arise.
 

Start talking to the trees, work on my manifesto, learn how to make toilet wine.......all the classic stuff of football fans.
 

GringaGopher said:
My Dad tried to teach me to enjoy the experience of the event rather than getting worked up about the outcome.
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Those are good lessons but some losing outcomes are worse than others and "the experience of the event" this time was pretty awful too.
 

Listen to 97.1 The Fan - It is based out of Columbus Ohio so there is a heavy Ohio State lean to stuff but they do a good-to-great job discussing Big 10 and college football as a whole.
 




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