If I was Brewster, I'd look to bolt...

[cncmin]

The guy has been treated by the media in this town as nothing but dirt the minute he got to Minnesota. He had a rough first season, but has done as well as his predecessor ever since, yet still gets grief. He gets grief when it is his fault, and when it isn't his fault. As the head coach, I suppose that comes with the territory.

But that said, the guy is one of the lowest-paid football HCs at a BCS school, has made huge attempts to get the support of the student body and the state's high schools, has made good strides in the recruiting area, and has attempted to fix holes in coaching (whether those holes actually existed or not). He works tirelessly, and aims for the top (with horrible consequences in public opinion because of those goals).

The guy has simply never been given a fair shake here. And it appears that he never will be; though perhaps he will if he gets the program to a big-time bowl (which cannot happen with big recruits turning away because of contract and media-induced issues). A guy comes to the state who has enthusiasm - perhaps too much - and has been roundly criticized from day one because of that enthusiasm. That's pretty sad, if you think about it - the people of the state are so miserable that they gang up against a guy who was trying to get them excited and cheered up.

Brewster cannot succeed here. Minnesota likes downbeat, pathetic, negative ninnies. We dig that right up. (What other explanation is there as to why Reusse, Barriero, or Doogie have jobs? - they wouldn't find jobs in many other areas of the country.) We love being miserable. If there wasn't something to bitch about, would a Minnesotan ever talk?

If I were Brewster, I would get out of here too. If, indeed, he is in cahoots with Kansas, then who could blame him? (Especially compared to his predecessor, who looked for an opportunity to bolt before being roundly beaten down by the press.) And then the football program will be back to square one again; trying to build up to possible conference title runs in another decade or maybe two. Because we really don't want to succeed, to win, to support our home team; no, we really just want to bitch; and we most like to bitch at those whose view of life is glass half-full instead of the glass almost-empty view that Minnesotans think everyone is supposed to have. Bitching is so much more fun.

-cncmin

 

[rudy]

+1000

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Schnoodler]

I'm extremely dissatisfied with the media too. But mostly they are making themselves irrelevent by their actions. What I'm most concerned about is the University's committment to the program. Winning will make the biggest blowhards look like the ignorant dicks they are, and the rest will jump on the band wagon as soon as they lose their audience and the program starts winning.

Brewster can overcome the media with the support of the org he works for.

 

[Bronko Nagurski Gopher]

I'm extremely dissatisfied with the media too. But mostly they are making themselves irrelevent by their actions. What I'm most concerned about is the University's committment to the program. Winning will make the biggest blowhards look like the ignorant dicks they are, and the rest will jump on the band wagon as soon as they lose their audience and the program starts winning.

Brewster can overcome the media with the support of the org he works for.

exactly. and this is why i get so frustrated and just plain upset when i think of the b.s. that maturi and to a lesser extent bruininks (and their predecessors) pull with the top revenue program of football and its coaches (current and former)

focusing on football (which should be agiven the most financial, PR and facilities support at just about any big ten school with the exception of indiana); if the U administration and regents would just give the football program the full support it has deserved since bierman and warmath left it would not be so frickin' hard to return to the former gridiron greatness the U once had in spades.

of all our men's athletics coaches the football coach has been forced to compete for SO long with the rest of the big ten with an arm tied behind his back. that attitude in the U administration and amongst the regents is changing to be sure, but imo it is not changing anywhere near fast enough.

 

[Firejumper]

.. If there wasn't something to bitch about, would a Minnesotan ever talk?

-cncmin

Nope. It really is part of the makeup of people around here, and I wish they were more embarassed by it, because it is embarassing to me. Minnesota fans (as they relate to the Gophers especially) have been shaped to some degree by relentless losing and disappointment. But people need to realize that they can choose their attitudes, and if they choose to have bad attitudes, then it can be pervasive among the people around them. This does nothing to help the programs.

 

[Bisker82]

has made huge attempts to get the support of the student body and the state's high schools, has made good strides in the recruiting area, and has attempted to fix holes in coaching (whether those holes actually existed or not). He works tirelessly, and aims for the top (with horrible consequences in public opinion because of those goals).

The guy has simply never been given a fair shake here. A guy comes to the state who has enthusiasm - perhaps too much - and has been roundly criticized from day one because of that enthusiasm. That's pretty sad, if you think about it - the people of the state are so miserable that they gang up against a guy who was trying to get them excited and cheered up.

-cncmin

What you hear is the sound of the hammer hitting the nail on the head.

 

[50PoundHead]

I tend to agree. There are points where I think Brewster has acted a bit childish (the text about Reusse) and that's add fuel to the fire, but it's been hell from day one for this guy with the media. I listen to Eric Nelson--who makes more mistakes per minute than any sportscaster I've ever had the pleasure of listening to--berate him on the Gophers' own post-game show. When you're own flagship gets snarky with you, it pretty much says it all.

I wouldn't blame the guy if he started looking around for a better gig.

 

[KD6-3.7]

nice post cnc.

as a non-native midwesterner i never understood minnesotans' wariness of positivity and enthusiasm. so many minnesotans mocked brewster for talking about the rose bowl. me? that is exactly the kind of talk i wanted to hear. more importantly, that's what the players want to hear.

 

[BigTenGuy]

I'm in the give Brewster 2 mores years camp (unless next year is a complete disaster), and agree that he has done a lot of things good on the very important recruiting front. But his problems with the media and with people who think that words have meaning are significantly self-inflicted. The early comments about Howell (the kid from Florida) come to mind as one example. With a cynical media group, he could have been optimistic without being so concretely ridiculous. I think he may still take the Gophers to a better place, but year 4 will be key.

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

On the day he was hired Reusse publically stated that Brewster was a blowhard and he would run him out of town. KFAN carried his press conference and allowed Dandy Cole to talk over him and mock him on the air. You are correct that he never had a fair shake.

Brew has made mistakes as 50pound alluded to. He should have toned down the Rose Bowl talk in 2007 and the Reusse tweet was unprofessional. But for the most part Brewster's fault has been that he's got an upbeat attitude, he makes no apologies for it and he's refused to kiss the ring of the local media.

 

[50PoundHead]

nice post cnc.

as a non-native midwesterner i never understood minnesotans' wariness of positivity and enthusiasm. so many minnesotans mocked brewster for talking about the rose bowl. me? that is exactly the kind of talk i wanted to hear. more importantly, that's what the players want to hear.

As a native Minnesotan with who has lived more than half a century, I totally agree with this statement. I'll admit to being a bit of a Minnesota chauvinist who has never fully adjusted to the influx of new attitudes that have accompanied the many folks from outside the area who have migrated here as Minneapolis/St. Paul has become a sub-regional center, but I tire of the "we know best" attitude that is still espoused by many native Minnesotans. The attitude of the "tallest blade of grass is the first one cut" rings so true up here.

 

[Doogie]

The guy has been treated by the media in this town as nothing but dirt the minute he got to Minnesota. He had a rough first season, but has done as well as his predecessor ever since, yet still gets grief. He gets grief when it is his fault, and when it isn't his fault. As the head coach, I suppose that comes with the territory.

But that said, the guy is one of the lowest-paid football HCs at a BCS school, has made huge attempts to get the support of the student body and the state's high schools, has made good strides in the recruiting area, and has attempted to fix holes in coaching (whether those holes actually existed or not). He works tirelessly, and aims for the top (with horrible consequences in public opinion because of those goals).

The guy has simply never been given a fair shake here. And it appears that he never will be; though perhaps he will if he gets the program to a big-time bowl (which cannot happen with big recruits turning away because of contract and media-induced issues). A guy comes to the state who has enthusiasm - perhaps too much - and has been roundly criticized from day one because of that enthusiasm. That's pretty sad, if you think about it - the people of the state are so miserable that they gang up against a guy who was trying to get them excited and cheered up.

Brewster cannot succeed here. Minnesota likes downbeat, pathetic, negative ninnies. We dig that right up. (What other explanation is there as to why Reusse, Barriero, or Doogie have jobs? - they wouldn't find jobs in many other areas of the country.) We love being miserable. If there wasn't something to bitch about, would a Minnesotan ever talk?

If I were Brewster, I would get out of here too. If, indeed, he is in cahoots with Kansas, then who could blame him? (Especially compared to his predecessor, who looked for an opportunity to bolt before being roundly beaten down by the press.) And then the football program will be back to square one again; trying to build up to possible conference title runs in another decade or maybe two. Because we really don't want to succeed, to win, to support our home team; no, we really just want to bitch; and we most like to bitch at those whose view of life is glass half-full instead of the glass almost-empty view that Minnesotans think everyone is supposed to have. Bitching is so much more fun.

-cncmin

You would never let facts get in the way of this take, would you? All 3 of us at different points have had opportunities for jobs in other markets ... and Barreiro came from the Dallas newspaper, so he was elsewhere before coming here in 1987.
And, as I say all the time, please point out to me where I have been factually wrong? It's possible I have been, so please point out.

 

[Catechol]

I do think Brewster was given a pretty poor welcome after making his "opening speech" when he was hired. I've got to admit, though, that the comments just seemed like they didn't have much substance behind them. Gary Barnett made a similar speech when he was hired at NU, telling a crowd he was going to take the Purple to Pasadena. This was even more of a joke at the time than Brewster's comments. By his fourth year he backed it up by winning a Big Ten championship and going to the Rose Bowl. Of course, the years before that he won no more than 3 games each, but the NU program was in about five hundred orders of magnitude worse position than the Gophers program is now, with 8 bowls in the past 10 years and a brand new stadium. We'll have to see where Brewster is next year.

 

[Bisker82]

You would never let facts get in the way of this take, would you? All 3 of us at different points have had opportunities for jobs in other markets ... and Barreiro came from the Dallas newspaper, so he was elsewhere before coming here in 1987.
And, as I say all the time, please point out to me where I have been factually wrong? It's possible I have been, so please point out.

That really is a shame none of you took them!!!

 

[howeda7]

This whole 'media conspiracy' against Gopher football schtick gets old. On the day he was hired Reusse actually wrote a column saying 'give him a chance'. After the first press conference, he pretty much did a 180, said the guy was a blowhard and hasn't given him a chance. That's one columnest out of the entire media of MSP who you can genuinely say has probably been unfair to him.

Are there other media members who are down on Gopher football? Sure, but who could blame them? No matter what you think of him, you have to acknowledge that Brew is at least a little bit of a blow-hard. That's not a crime, but you can't cry in your beer if people roll thier eyes at some of the ridulous things you say and call you out on it.

Sid is almost always a Gopher homer. Souhan is at least open-minded. Youngblood's never put as much opinion into his pieces as the stiff who covers basketball. Marcus Fuller's never been anything but fair. Doogie's never been anything but fair even though you guys love to rip him just because he has the onions to come on here and debate it with you.

If you want to talk about support from the U, that may be a different topic. Maturi's handling of the last few/days weeks has been very poor. But Brew's been handed a shiny new stadium and rights to hire pretty much any coaches he wants. So even cries about the U's support are pretty hollow.

 

[tikited]

This whole 'media conspiracy' against Gopher football schtick gets old. On the day he was hired Reusse actually wrote a column saying 'give him a chance'. After the first press conference, he pretty much did a 180, said the guy was a blowhard and hasn't given him a chance. That's one columnest out of the entire media of MSP who you can genuinely say has probably been unfair to him.

Are there other media members who are down on Gopher football? Sure, but who could blame them? No matter what you think of him, you have to acknowledge that Brew is at least a little bit of a blow-hard. That's not a crime, but you can't cry in your beer if people roll thier eyes at some of the ridulous things you say and call you out on it.

Sid is almost always a Gopher homer. Souhan is at least open-minded. Youngblood's never put as much opinion into his pieces as the stiff who covers basketball. Marcus Fuller's never been anything but fair. Doogie's never been anything but fair even though you guys love to rip him just because he has the onions to come on here and debate it with you.

If you want to talk about support from the U, that may be a different topic. Maturi's handling of the last few/days weeks has been very poor. But Brew's been handed a shiny new stadium and rights to hire pretty much any coaches he wants. So even cries about the U's support are pretty hollow.

How does it feel being wrong?

 

[howeda7]

How does it feel being wrong?

Wrong about what?

 

[tikited]

Wrong about what?

The majority of the local media being overly negative towards this program and you not seeing it.

 

[howeda7]

The majority of the local media being overly negative towards this program and you not seeing it.

That's your opinion. I have a different one. Niether are 'wrong.' But I refuse to try and blame the problems of a football progam that's struggled for 40 years on a faceless entity known as 'the media.' When they give them something to be positive about, they are positive. What has there been to be positive about since basically the Northwestern game?

Sure, as I said there are one or two out there with an axe to grind, and there are people like Sid who are nothing but cheer leaders. On a whole, the coverage may be more negative then positive right now, but that's because that's what's warranted.

 

[GophersInIowa]

nice post cnc.

as a non-native midwesterner i never understood minnesotans' wariness of positivity and enthusiasm. so many minnesotans mocked brewster for talking about the rose bowl. me? that is exactly the kind of talk i wanted to hear. more importantly, that's what the players want to hear.

It's because so many have a pro sports mindset where things can and should be turned around right away. People were calling for Childress' head after one season, but he's quickly been able to turn it around with trades, free agents, and drafting. So when Brewster talks about winning a Big Ten Championship, they think it's going to happen fairly quickly like it does in the NFL.

His enthusiasm seems to impress recruits and that's all that matters to me. The people who mock Brewster for the Rose Bowl talk are also probably the people who tell their kids that having a dream to play for the Twins one day is stupid and will never happen. What's wrong with having high goals and dreams?

 

[MRJ]

The guy has been treated by the media in this town as nothing but dirt the minute he got to Minnesota. He had a rough first season, but has done as well as his predecessor ever since, yet still gets grief. He gets grief when it is his fault, and when it isn't his fault. As the head coach, I suppose that comes with the territory.

But that said, the guy is one of the lowest-paid football HCs at a BCS school, has made huge attempts to get the support of the student body and the state's high schools, has made good strides in the recruiting area, and has attempted to fix holes in coaching (whether those holes actually existed or not). He works tirelessly, and aims for the top (with horrible consequences in public opinion because of those goals).

The guy has simply never been given a fair shake here. And it appears that he never will be; though perhaps he will if he gets the program to a big-time bowl (which cannot happen with big recruits turning away because of contract and media-induced issues). A guy comes to the state who has enthusiasm - perhaps too much - and has been roundly criticized from day one because of that enthusiasm. That's pretty sad, if you think about it - the people of the state are so miserable that they gang up against a guy who was trying to get them excited and cheered up.

Brewster cannot succeed here. Minnesota likes downbeat, pathetic, negative ninnies. We dig that right up. (What other explanation is there as to why Reusse, Barriero, or Doogie have jobs? - they wouldn't find jobs in many other areas of the country.) We love being miserable. If there wasn't something to bitch about, would a Minnesotan ever talk?

If I were Brewster, I would get out of here too. If, indeed, he is in cahoots with Kansas, then who could blame him? (Especially compared to his predecessor, who looked for an opportunity to bolt before being roundly beaten down by the press.) And then the football program will be back to square one again; trying to build up to possible conference title runs in another decade or maybe two. Because we really don't want to succeed, to win, to support our home team; no, we really just want to bitch; and we most like to bitch at those whose view of life is glass half-full instead of the glass almost-empty view that Minnesotans think everyone is supposed to have. Bitching is so much more fun.

-cncmin

I agree with many of the sentiments expressed here, although I'm less dire. Are there media members who are looking to take Brewster down? Possibly (ex...Reusse). Are there media members that are heavily scrutinizing Brewster? Absolutely. And at certain times, he has given them plenty of reason to do so. I for one am not a big fan of telling us how great things are going when the evidence on the field is to the contrary. But that's just my style. Brewster's style is to be upbeat regardless. Again, just a difference of interpretation and approach I guess.

I do however agree that certain folks had their minds made up in the very early going. Others have gradually fallen off the bandwagon and some others remain firmly on-board. I count myself as one who is cautiously optimistic. Was it fair to Brewster that people already were poo-pooing everything he said in an opening presser? Absolutely not, which is where I agree with the previous post. In other words, there is blame on both sides for the tension between Brewster and the media. I for one happen to believe neither side is fully at fault. Mostly, it's been the interpretation of several incidents since Brewster was hired that has led to the ongoing tension. And unfortunately, it doesn't appear the relationship will be getting any better unless the team starts winning on the field. Regardless, I will support the program and the team and hope for the best. Go Gophers!!!

 

[dpodoll68]

But Brew's been handed...rights to hire pretty much any coaches he wants.

No.

 

[howeda7]

It's because so many have a pro sports mindset where things can and should be turned around right away. People were calling for Childress' head after one season, but he's quickly been able to turn it around with trades, free agents, and drafting. So when Brewster talks about winning a Big Ten Championship, they think it's going to happen fairly quickly like it does in the NFL.

His enthusiasm seems to impress recruits and that's all that matters to me. The people who mock Brewster for the Rose Bowl talk are also probably the people who tell their kids that having a dream to play for the Twins one day is stupid and will never happen. What's wrong with having high goals and dreams?

I don't care if he sells his big dreams to his recruits, in fact I hope he does, that's his job. And I don't knock him for the initial Rose Bowl comments, though he should at least have known he was opening himself up to future critisism by saying it.

But the constant blathering of positivity in the media even when what has just happened on the field does nothing to support it makes him look like a fool at times. When your team plays terrible, there's nothing wrong with saying so, and refusing to do so doesn't make you some breath of fresh air. He also could have backed off the 'Rose Bowl' type comments after the initial press conference but he has pressed on in bringing it up over and over.

Do you think that Tubby Smith doesn't tell his recruits that he thinks he can win a Big 10 title and make a run at a Final Four? I'm guessing he does. But he doesn't blather on in the media about it. I realize he didn't have to make these kinds of bold statements to announce himself when he arrived. Brewster did. And again I have no problem with the initial bravado. But given a chance to tone it down and shut up and coach he has chosen to continue full steam ahead. To ask the media to ignore some of the things he said and not call him out them is to ask them to be blind homers.

 

[Firejumper]

What I notice is a lot of negative reporting, which certainly is justifiable in the name of objectivity. BUT what seems to be missing is a fair amount of positive reporting on all the good things associated with Gopher football. Where are the human interest stories? Oh, that's right, human interest stories about Gopher athletes don't sell papers, because only Gopher fans care about them. All the non-Gopher fans, which outnumber Gopher fans 5 to 1, really prefer the negative angles. Better reading for them, so they can snicker with a mouth full of Fruit Loops in the morning.

Tim Brewster is despised by the media because he's a salesman as well as a football coach. If you're a columnist, you apparently have motivation to prove to your audience that you are smart. Smart to the point that you see through the salesman schtick and are hell bent on proving it. The thing is, we all can see he's a salesmen, and a lot of us happen to like it. So I wish the media would stop trying to prove their worth to us. Please.

 

[GoldenRose]

Nice thread.

Brew has never been given a fair-shake by the media in this town. And recently, he seems to have waning support from your general, local sports fan, who does not rank the Gopher football program as their favorite (or one of their favorite) game(s) in town. The two go somewhat hand-in-hand as the casual fan is forming his or her opinions based on the media's reporting (if that's what it is called). But, also, many of the sports fans in this town do not understand how a college footbal program works and eventually succeeds. It is not the NFL, whereby via a coaching change and free agency, a team can do a 180 in a year or two. Improving a college program takes much more time. You need a recruiter who can improve the talent base, develop this talent and change the perception of this program. And, you need continuity in order to achieve this.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

What I notice is a lot of negative reporting, which certainly is justifiable in the name of objectivity. BUT what seems to be missing is a fair amount of positive reporting on all the good things associated with Gopher football. Where are the human interest stories? Oh, that's right, human interest stories about Gopher athletes don't sell papers, because only Gopher fans care about them. All the non-Gopher fans, which outnumber Gopher fans 5 to 1, really prefer the negative angles. Better reading for them, so they can snicker with a mouth full of Fruit Loops in the morning.

Tim Brewster is despised by the media because he's a salesman as well as a football coach. If you're a columnist, you apparently have motivation to prove to your audience that you are smart. Smart to the point that you see through the salesman schtick and are hell bent on proving it. The thing is, we all can see he's a salesmen, and a lot of us happen to like it. So I wish the media would stop trying to prove their worth to us. Please.

Bingo.

This is the problem I see (granted, from a distance nowadays); the people who write for the STrib and probably Pioneer Press definitely seem to try to prove their self worth and their "superior intelligence". Give me a break. No offense to some others out there who may be in the same boat but let's face it; it doesn't take an intellectual giant to bring home a degree in Mass Communications or Journalism. A large amount of the guys I played football with in college declared those as majors and it's largely because they were widely known as the easiest degrees to obtain.


As a side note, as far as Brewster; Did it ever occur to anybody (particularly the local "journalists") that the way Brewster comes off is just his nature, and not necessarily that he's trying to sell anything? Perhaps he's just plain an overly positive and optimistic guy? Does a person have to have an agenda to project himself as such?

I'm sure some of it is agenda-driven, no doubt. But from what I can gather, the guy is just overly positive, which probably should not be a crime...

 

[Maximus]

What I'm most concerned about is the University's committment to the program.

No kidding...they spent/raised 288.5 million dollars to give the marching band a new home...what about the football team?????

 

[dpodoll68]

No kidding...they spent/raised 288.5 million dollars to give the marching band a new home...what about the football team?????

Building a new stadium and not setting aside an ample budget for coaching salaries is like building a $10 million mansion and parking a Pinto in the garage.

 

[Maximus]

Building a new stadium and not setting aside an ample budget for coaching salaries is like building a $10 million mansion and parking a Pinto in the garage.

Withers and Dunbar were among the highest paid coordinators in the Big Ten in 2007. Something called Jedd Fisch does not deserve that type of money.

Patterson turned down 2 mil a year in 2007 so they hired a tight ends coach who doesn't deserve that type of money.

 

[howeda7]

What I notice is a lot of negative reporting, which certainly is justifiable in the name of objectivity. BUT what seems to be missing is a fair amount of positive reporting on all the good things associated with Gopher football. Where are the human interest stories? Oh, that's right, human interest stories about Gopher athletes don't sell papers, because only Gopher fans care about them. All the non-Gopher fans, which outnumber Gopher fans 5 to 1, really prefer the negative angles. Better reading for them, so they can snicker with a mouth full of Fruit Loops in the morning.

Tim Brewster is despised by the media because he's a salesman as well as a football coach. If you're a columnist, you apparently have motivation to prove to your audience that you are smart. Smart to the point that you see through the salesman schtick and are hell bent on proving it. The thing is, we all can see he's a salesmen, and a lot of us happen to like it. So I wish the media would stop trying to prove their worth to us. Please.

Where are the human interest stories about the latest project taken on the Twins Community Fund or what charitable work the Vikings did this Tuesday? Does 'the media' hate them too? In the 13th media market with diminished staffs at both TV stations and newspapers, you're not going to get those type of 'fluff' stories anymore. In this market you probably never got them. In Iowa City you still will because there is nothing else to cover when it comes to sports. It has nothing to do with the media 'hating' the Gophers.

It's a reality of this market and the time we live in. Give them something positive to write about on the field (there was plenty of good press up and throug the Air Force game) and they will write about it. Give them something bad to write about on the field and they will. Get in trouble off the field, and they'll write about that too, especially if high-profile players are involved. Why? Because it effects what happens on the field. So, in a sense the deck is stacked 2-1 against you. But it's the same way for the Vikings, and they've had thier share of bad press. It's the same way for the Twins too, but I can't even think of the last time I saw a current Twin get in trouble and end up in the paper that way.

It well be Tim Brewster's personality to be the way he is. And this media market may be tougher to handle then Iowa City or Madison. But honestly, tough beans. There are advantages and disadvatages to being in a bigger market. Part of his job is dealing with the media. And if he knows the car-salesman schtick means the media's coming after him harder, he can tone it down and shut up and coach. That doesn't mean he can't turn his charming self back on when he's in a recruits home. The idea that he has to radiate blind optimism 24/7/365 is silly. He needs to be able to compartmentelize a bit.