Pat Reusse Blog: Moral victories must end for Gophers

[BleedGopher]

per Pat:

The Gophers showed up with little enthusiasm at Texas Christian. From the start, Kill seemed more focused on trying to hold down the score than take the required risks to stay in the game.

And yet, when TCU turned out to be an offensive powerhouse and a top-rated team, this became the unusual moral victory awarded in retrospect by the hometown media and Gophers fans.

Political maneuvering by Jim Delany, the Big Ten commissioner, has landed the Gophers in the Citrus Bowl vs. Missouri on New Year’s Day in Orlando. It’s a fine reward for the Gophers’ eight victories (particularly at Nebraska and the Iowa blowout), but I fear the MVC will again rear itself due to Mizzou’s status as winners of the SEC East.

The East is the second tier of the SEC, as is the West in the Big Ten, but the Gophers are underdogs, so a victory is likely to be labeled as a fantastic upset, and a hard-fought loss … oh, we’ll be told to be so darn proud, and so forth.

Listen: Mizzou lost to Indiana. It lost at home 34-0 to Georgia. It had narrow victories over the bottom feeders of the SEC East.

The Gophers should win this game. And if they lose, they are losers.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/285932461.html

Go Gophers!!

 

[GopherHomer]

Classic Reusse. I would love for Gophers to win this game, but this season should be celebrated regardless of the outcome of the Citrus Bowl. To say the Gophers "should" win the game is just incorrect, and it will be a fairly large upset if we pull it off. The mere fact that this blog was released makes me think that Pat is fairly certain the Gophers will lose...he's probably already got the follow up article written.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Thanks Pat. Riveting stuff. I had no idea they were just trying not to get blown out by TCU. Limegrover was very astute calling plays he knew would result in turnovers.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Classic Reusse. I would love for Gophers to win this game, but this season should be celebrated regardless of the outcome of the Citrus Bowl. To say the Gophers "should" win the game is just incorrect, and it will be a fairly large upset if we pull it off. The mere fact that this blog was released makes me think that Pat is fairly certain the Gophers will lose...he's probably already got the follow up article written.

Not to defend Reusse but the posted part of the blog does not accurately reflect the full tone of what he was writing. The piece was targeted at the Vikings and the Gophers and some key parts were left out of the quoted part that makes it seem far harsher then it was.

He wasn't saying the season shouldn't be celebrated regardless of what happens against Missouri he was saying that if we play tough against Missouri and lose we shouldn't celebrate the effort like it was a victory. I don't believe winning this game would be a huge upset, this is a team we should be able to compete with as our strengths play well against their weaknesses.

 

[station19]

Not to defend Reusse but the posted part of the blog does not accurately reflect the full tone of what he was writing. The piece was targeted at the Vikings and the Gophers and some key parts were left out of the quoted part that makes it seem far harsher then it was.

He wasn't saying the season shouldn't be celebrated regardless of what happens against Missouri he was saying that if we play tough against Missouri and lose we shouldn't celebrate the effort like it was a victory. I don't believe winning this game would be a huge upset, this is a team we should be able to compete with as our strengths play well against their weaknesses.

Reusse just hates the term/thought of 'moral victories', regardless of what team it is.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Reusse just hates the term/thought of 'moral victories', regardless of what team it is.

Honestly, I don't like the concept of moral victories either.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Reusse just hates the term/thought of 'moral victories', regardless of what team it is.

I agree with him on that point. We were contenders this year, we finished one game short of the division. If we win this game, great. If we lose, it doesn't change the fact that we had a good year. However, I'm not going to celebrate a loss just because we "hung with them" or "refused to quit." I think we have turned a page this year. If we think we can contend for conference titles, then going forward, losses are a negative, period. That doesn't mean I expect us to win every game next year, but it does mean that I am not going to console myself but pointing out that our opponent was a good team, it was a tough road environment, or we kept it close. Going forward, I measure this team by whether or not we get the W.

Gene Hackman: You know what separates the winners from the losers?
Keanu Reeves: Yeah, the score.

 

[maxwellsmart]

Of course loss is nothing to celebrate. But we used to have negative terms for people unable or unwilling to appreciate honest effort, especially from amateur competitors.

 

[cemba99]

"Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser"
Vince Lombardi

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Of course loss is nothing to celebrate. But we used to have negative terms for people unable or unwilling to appreciate honest effort, especially from amateur competitors.

I don't want to reopen the whole seat license increase argument here, but the U has made it clear that to have a good football team we should expect to pay more. If that's the case, and we are going to run it like a business, then we should expect to get more for what we are paying. With regard to the amateur competitors, my understanding is that the increase is to fund the athletes directly through the scholarship fund. So our increased money is paying the tuition, room, board, and even a paycheck (they are getting a stipend now right? straight cash?). When I want to appreciate honest effort, I pay $5 to watch a high school hockey game (which I have a lot of fun doing); my expectations are more for the hundreds of dollars I pay for my seat at college games.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

"Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser"
Vince Lombardi

"Show me a good loser and I'll show you an idiot"
-Leo Durocher

 

[Schnauzer]

"Show me a good loser and I'll show you an idiot"
-Leo Durocher

"Show me an idiot and I'll show you Souhan."
-Schnauzer

 

[watertown 1987 guy n]

Why, why? Do I occasionally let myself get pulled into reading Paaaaaaaaaaaat 's diatribes? Is he the actoress Pat from SNL?

 

[golden boy]

Honestly, I don't like the concept of moral victories either.

There is a place for them (Moral Victories) IMO, particularly in college athletics where the rules for getting/retaining talent are skewered towards the already powerful.

However, I agree with Pat in this case. The Mizzou game is no place for moral victories. We do not appear to be materially outclassed from the get-go. Winning the game, while potentially providing a nice moment of arrival for the program, would not be the kind of miracle upset they'd make movies about.

 

[DoubleAlum]

per Pat:

The Gophers showed up with little enthusiasm at Texas Christian. From the start, Kill seemed more focused on trying to hold down the score than take the required risks to stay in the game.

And yet, when TCU turned out to be an offensive powerhouse and a top-rated team, this became the unusual moral victory awarded in retrospect by the hometown media and Gophers fans.

Political maneuvering by Jim Delany, the Big Ten commissioner, has landed the Gophers in the Citrus Bowl vs. Missouri on New Year’s Day in Orlando. It’s a fine reward for the Gophers’ eight victories (particularly at Nebraska and the Iowa blowout), but I fear the MVC will again rear itself due to Mizzou’s status as winners of the SEC East.

The East is the second tier of the SEC, as is the West in the Big Ten, but the Gophers are underdogs, so a victory is likely to be labeled as a fantastic upset, and a hard-fought loss … oh, we’ll be told to be so darn proud, and so forth.

Listen: Mizzou lost to Indiana. It lost at home 34-0 to Georgia. It had narrow victories over the bottom feeders of the SEC East.

The Gophers should win this game. And if they lose, they are losers.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/285932461.html

Go Gophers!!

Kill and company are not moral victory guys and either are our players. Who cares what others say, think, believe. It's irrelevant to our program. So, his blog article is irrelevant at best and just more blather and his miserable persona at worst.

The fact of the matter still remains: we have a (average, below-average, mediocre, sub-par, stilted....whatever you want to call it...I'm not sure what to call it) passing game. In light of that, most of our games come down to defense, how the opposition is playing relative to their proven ability, field position/punting, turnovers, penalties (sometimes questionable calls either way) and fortunate/unfortunate breaks. We're still not a well-rounded offensive power because of the lack of a real passing threat. Our upside right this very second seems kinda limited. Given all this, it seems to me anytime we beat a good opponent it's a great victory. And if we lose, mostly it's not a surprise or a huge let down.

Personally, I'm thrilled we're in this game to begin with. Kill has stated that the bowl bid and other media attention is making a difference in recruits' living rooms and we've accomplished some great things this year (not saying Reusse doesn't agree with that). So, regardless of the outcome of the Citrus Bowl, the program is getting better and better, the size of our OL is growing, we have running backs coming out the wazoo and we have some supposedly solid receivers coming up. If Leidner can keep improving or we find a better QB, that will make a big difference.

Finally, and I do usually scold myself for saying this, but Limegrover/Kill/Whomever has to improve the play calling. It's really hard to watch on TV 50-plus other teams (some better, some equal, some worse) run more effective offenses than the Gophers and not wonder whether the play calling is a shortcoming of ours. Most of the strongest supporters of the Gopher football program and the most football saavy guys on GH will have a difficult time admitting/seeing this, but if you're willing to look at it objectively you can't not see that there is a problem with play calling. It's simply too limited. There are not enough different plays to allow this offense to confuse a defense more often. But that's just my opinion and I fully recognize how wrong I may be.

 

[diefirma]

This is a straw man by FatPrick. I have heard no one remotely connected to Gopher football speak of moral victories nor have I read anyone on Gopherhole celebrating moral victories. The only one using that term, that I am aware of, is FatPrick.

Oh, and the Gophers SHOULD win in the Citrus Bowl? I guess FatPrick know more than Vegas. Last I checked the Gophers were underdogs.

 

[Hates Monikers]

This is a straw man by FatPrick. I have heard no one remotely connected to Gopher football speak of moral victories nor have I read anyone on Gopherhole celebrating moral victories. The only one using that term, that I am aware of, is FatPrick.

This is spot on. When the media has complained about moral victories this year, they're usually talking about others in the media. I sure haven't seen much from the Gopher side on that.

For what it's worth, Barriero is the king of complaining about moral victories. After a loss, Barriero will cite a Sid Hartman, Jimbo from International Falls or his cat to prove that someone is claiming a moral victory just so he can start a rant against it.

 

[dpodoll68]

it will be a fairly large upset if we pull it off

The line is anywhere from 5 to 6.5 points depending where you look. It's ok to have expectations.

 

[Ski U Mah 55]

especially from amateur competitors.

Unfortunately, it's beyond time to stop thinking of the team in these terms.

 

[DoubleAlum]

And in case Pat didn't know this, these games aren't designed and these match-ups aren't created to make sure one particular team wins. But in Pat's mind we're just "losers" if we lose in overtime or lose by 1 point at the end. The guy doesn't understand sports and yet he's been writing about them for how long?

 

[Iceland12]

"Beat Missouri and it will be a GREAT season. Lose and it still will be a good one." That would have made a very short column though.

 

[MNGoldenGophers1]

Unfortunately, it's beyond time to stop thinking of the team in these terms.

Damn, this is as shocking as when I learned that Soviet hockey players were not true amateurs.

 

[West Fargo Gopher Fan]

I stopped caring about this columnist when he said Jerry Kill should stop coaching because he has epilepsy. My brother has epilepsy. Well he did until treatment. My brother hasn't had a seizure in over 15 years and is now a marine. Epilepsy can be cured in most cases. If Pat ran the Gophers Jerry Kill would have left the program years ago.

 

[Mulligan]

This is spot on. When the media has complained about moral victories this year, they're usually talking about others in the media. I sure haven't seen much from the Gopher side on that.

This +1 The days of people here lauding our plucky Gophers are past. Only have to look at the reaction after the Wisconsin game to see that. Reaction ranged from pissed and critical to, "Damn, we could have won that game but let it get away." Nobody lauded the Gophers for coming close. Media finds one person or even makes it up and it's a column or an a half hour filled on the air for them.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I stopped caring about this columnist when he said Jerry Kill should stop coaching because he has epilepsy. My brother has epilepsy. Well he did until treatment. My brother hasn't had a seizure in over 15 years and is now a marine. Epilepsy can be cured in most cases. If Pat ran the Gophers Jerry Kill would have left the program years ago.

Pat was pretty quiet during that whole ordeal. I think you might be confusing him with someone else.

 

[MGGopher]

per Pat:

Political maneuvering by Jim Delany, the Big Ten commissioner, has landed the Gophers in the Citrus Bowl vs. Missouri on New Year’s Day in Orlando.

Anyone have thoughts on this part? Hasn't been discussed as far as I've seen, but I've been wondering how all the dominos fell for this one. It was definitely odd that Miss St jumped MSU with both teams idle...which in turn allowed the B1G to keep its Citrus bid.

 

[golden boy]

Anyone have thoughts on this part? Hasn't been discussed as far as I've seen, but I've been wondering how all the dominos fell for this one. It was definitely odd that Miss St jumped MSU with both teams idle...which in turn allowed the B1G to keep its Citrus bid.

That helped, and also WI really by all of the most valuable on-field measures (record overall, division, head2head) would have gone to a higher bowl than the Gophs if it were that simple. I don't care. We've been on the wrong end of that before and the media treated it as a negative, hard to see how being on the right side of it could also be a negative.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Anyone have thoughts on this part? Hasn't been discussed as far as I've seen, but I've been wondering how all the dominos fell for this one. It was definitely odd that Miss St jumped MSU with both teams idle...which in turn allowed the B1G to keep its Citrus bid.

I heard Barry Alvarez was the biggest lobbyist for Miss St jumping MSU.

 

[RodentRampage]

That helped, and also WI really by all of the most valuable on-field measures (record overall, division, head2head) would have gone to a higher bowl than the Gophs if it were that simple. I don't care. We've been on the wrong end of that before and the media treated it as a negative, hard to see how being on the right side of it could also be a negative.

We've been passed over again and again, it's about time someone else gets passed over for a change.

 

[Buck_Buchanan]

Anyone have thoughts on this part? Hasn't been discussed as far as I've seen, but I've been wondering how all the dominos fell for this one. It was definitely odd that Miss St jumped MSU with both teams idle...which in turn allowed the B1G to keep its Citrus bid.

Osborne and Alvarez on the committee certainly didn't hurt.

If things were left as they were, 1 bowl eligible team would have been left out.

Not going to want to have to tell a bowl eligible team from the conference they can't go because MSU is ranked above Miss State even though your team has met bowl eligibility.

Wording in the article is not accurate of the entire situation and the Gophers weren't the sole reason for that happening. It was a multi-faceted issue that produced positive results conference-wide (when factoring in desired locations, match-ups, and bowl eligibility).

In the end, the committee made a great decision to allow for all bowl eligible teams in the B1G to play.