Norman Borlaug Field?

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Governor Sibley

Governor Sibley

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My crazy idea for the day. In the absolute necessity of applying a non-bank name to TCF, I propose we call it Norman Borlaug Field.

He has a plausible claim to being the greatest graduate in the university's history. His reputation is only going to rise over time as people begin to appreciate his influence on world history.

A journalist writes:

In this writer’s opinion, it is no exaggeration to say that the world has just lost one of the greatest human being who has ever lived, perhaps the greatest. We often judge the nature of evil by the number of human lives that were extinguished. Names that come to mind, of cruel, killers include Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Che, and Castro. In the name of some “greater good” these individuals extinguished the lives of others.

Conversely I would argue that saving lives is a sign of human good. And I can not think of anyone responsible for saving more lives than Norman Borlaug. Borlaug died at the age of 95, still working on saving lives....It is no exaggeration to say that Norman Borlaug saved the lives of hundreds of millions of people, perhaps billions.
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GopherCrazy said:
I like Nagurski field/stadium better. Just my opinion.
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I don't, and here's why: Normal Borlaug Field celebrates his academic and humanitarian achievements, both of which were not possible without the University of Minnesota. Football and Nagurski are nothing by comparison.
 

Call me old fashioned, but I just like The University of Minnesota Field. It is too hard for me to single out a certain guy and say his contributions are better than the next.
 



A tip of the hat to you Mr. Studwell.

The accomplishments of Norman Borlaug are quite simply the greatest works to blossom from the University of Minnesota. Anyone who sees accomplishments on the gridiron as equal or greater is clearly blind. On this day, I will write to President Bruininks, as I have done in the past and ask that the University pay proper tribute to one of it's greatest and name the field after Dr. Borlaug.

Thank you for bringing his passing to the attention of this online community.
 

Borlaug does have a nice big academic building named after him on the St. Paul campus.

I also would prefer to have the stadium not named after a single person.
 

French, you should make sure you spell his name right if youre gonna email him.
 




Gotta have the TCF money and their name is on the building.

So... How about Nagurski Field at TCF BANK STADIUM?
 

It is called TCF Bank Stadium...get over it! Without them we may not have it. It is the new world...move on...get over yourselves and deal with corporate america!
 

I've never liked these "X Field at Y Stadium" names. Besides, there is no way that TCF would agree this, it would water down the value of having their name on it. I'd prefer it to be named after a person, but naming rights are what it took to get the stadium.
 



Would the field be disease free, then?
 

Norman Borlaug Field

I like it!
 

Gopher07 said:
Would the field be disease free, then?
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It would take a lot to keep it disease free, what with sconnie rolling in soon.

Maybe theyre actually not sick at all.... I probably would feel sick all the time if i had their skunk-in-a-popcorn-box mascot walking around all the time.
 

I have always though the U missed the boat by not trying to get the name Pillsbury Stadium or Pillsbury Field. As many of you know, John Sargent Pillsbury is the "Father of the U" and there is already a Pillsbury Hall. The U could have still gotten their money, and had the stadium name actually reflect some of the history of the institution at the same time. Of course, General Mills would have had to pony up the cash, but they've got deep pockets, right? I wonder if General Mills and the U ever discussed it.

Maybe in 35 years!
 

I love the name Norman Borlaug Field. Screw the name of the local bank run by the right wing extremist who rippped off the U during negotiations for the naming rights to The Brickhouse. Legally their name has to be on Gophers Stadium, but that doesn't mean any Gophers football fan has to use it.

Norman Borlaug is one of only five people in history who have won the Nobel Prize and the Congressional Medal of Honor. The other four are 1) Mother Teresa; 2) Nelson Mandela; 3) Martin Luther King; and 4) Elie Wiesel. Pretty good company - wouldn't you say?
 

Norman was a guy who liked to grow things . . . don't think he would be to happy with Field Turf ;)
 

Well, he was born and raised until he was a teenager in Iowa so Iowans have a claim to him.

And he's been a professor at Texas A&M for the last 25 years and they've also named a building after him. His memorial service was held in Dallas. So they have a claim as well.

That might not be enough to qualify him as 100% Minnesotan for the 'Minnesota-centric' crowd.
 

Golden Shower

...you are clearly confused with this thread. The idea is that the field be named something. Not the stadium. We all understand that the stadium name cannot be changed until the contract is over. For example, the basketball court that UCLA plays on is called the Nell and John Wooden Court, but they play in Pauley Pavilion.

I, for one, think it would be honorable for them to memorialize Borlaug, but really I am impartial to whatever they name it (if anything) just as long as it isn't called 'Metrodome Memorial Field.'
 

MNCH said:
Well, he was born and raised until he was a teenager in Iowa so Iowans have a claim to him.

And he's been a professor at Texas A&M for the last 25 years and they've also named a building after him. His memorial service was held in Dallas. So they have a claim as well.

That might not be enough to qualify him as 100% Minnesotan for the 'Minnesota-centric' crowd.
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It has been well documented that Norman Borlaug was pretty much a loser until he left Iowa and came to Minnesota. Nothing more needs to be said about that.
 


MNCH said:
That's a real pleasant post.

Sorry, but Iowans are going to take credit for him, just like Minnesota does with Charles Lindburgh.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090913/NEWS/309130006
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Sorrry, MNCH. I couldn't resist making what I thought would be a slam dunk Iowa joke. But now I regret it. In truth, not only Iowa but everyone in the U.S. should claim and be proud of Norman Borlaug as one of the greatest scientists and humanitarians in the history of the world.
 

MNfootballfan said:
Call me old fashioned, but I just like The University of Minnesota Field. It is too hard for me to single out a certain guy and say his contributions are better than the next.
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If there is any person on this planet I am comfortable singling out and saying his contributions are better than the next it's Norman Borlaug.

I can't think of anyone else who has "saved over a billion lives (with a b)" on their resume.
 

I can't think of anyone else who has "saved over a billion lives (with a b)" on their resume.[/QUOTE]

I think Jesus would be able to put that on his resume without anyone calling him out as another George O'Leary.
 


MNCH said:
I can't think of anyone else who has "saved over a billion lives (with a b)" on their resume.
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I think Jesus would be able to put that on his resume without anyone calling him out as another George O'Leary.[/QUOTE]


He meant real people. Not book characters....
 



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