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Q&A: Justin Gaard Talks Upcoming Season, KFAN's Gopher Coverage & More
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/279883?referrer_id=388419
Heading into the 2011 football season, the Gophers welcomed a new coaching staff, philosophy and style of play. They also welcomed a new flagship home of Gopher football on the radio, with the surprise move from WCCO AM to KFAN on the FM dial. With the move brought a new play-by-play voice to the team, a much broader and younger sports audience and a new sideline reporter in Justin Gaard.
Gaard, Mike Grimm and Gopher legend Darrell Thompson are entering their third year as the broadcast crew for Gopher football. The move to KFAN has also brought with it expanded Gopher football coverage on 100.3 FM which was evident this year as Gaard broadcast live from a Gopher practice and scrimmage, in addition to increased pre- and post-game analysis and features. (Note: The Gophers/UNLV game will be broadcast on KOOL 108 FM this Thursday due to a conflict with the Vikings game at the same time).
GopherHole caught up with Gaard in the days leading up to the 2013 season opener to learn some behind the scene details about game preparation for the radio crew, what Gopher fans can expect from KFAN this season and Gaard’s impressions from watching the team so far this Fall.
GopherHole: Now that you've been on the sidelines for a couple of years, do you feel like you have the hang of it or is it a continuous learning process?
Justin Gaard: Can I say both? I have gotten used to the rhythm of the game down there, what each coach is doing at particular times and where I need to look if something is happening. But we try to learn something every game that might help us in the future; Mike Grimm and I spend a lot of time talking about how things flow with the game and the broadcast, we hope they keep getting better.
GopherHole: For the average listeners insight, take us through game prep for you specifically. How much time in advance of a game do you prepare? What do you look for in preparation? How do you coordinate story lines with Mike/Darrell/Production crew in advance of a game? How much post-game analysis of your work do you do?
Justin Gaard: I try to spend at least an hour each day during the week leading up to the game getting ready. I'm not able to make practices very often once the season starts, so I really lean on conversations with coaches and others able to be there on a daily basis. We can get a lot organized during the media availability on Tuesday. Like I said, Mike and I talk a lot about the broadcast, I try to give him a list of 6-8 topics that he can throw to me at any time during the game. These are your typical sideline nuggets: an opposing coach with Minnesota ties, what the pregame speech was about, stuff about the opposing team that the audience might not know, etc. We usually never get to most of the preset topics because once the game starts a lot of stuff can happen.
GopherHole: Are there any new wrinkles to the broadcast that the KFAN team has in store for listeners this season?
Justin Gaard: The biggest wrinkle we keep trying to add is a social media component where listeners can interact with us a bit more during the game. We are adding more halftime analysis with our post game crew where the guys can take questions via Twitter about the first half.
GopherHole: In your time with the team at practice, on the sidelines, on the plane, etc. - what have been the major observations on how the program has evolved under Coach Kill over the past few years?
Justin Gaard: They are really starting to look like a Big 10 team should look physically. I was kind of alarmed my first year on the sidelines with how much bigger the other teams were, particularly on both lines. I'm looking forward to see how much the gap has closed physically this year.
GopherHole: Who has impressed you most in fall practice this year?
Justin Gaard: The secondary in general is impressive to me. Everybody kind of knows about Vereen and Wells, but guys like Eric Murray and Brien Boddy-Calhoun have really had a great competition going for the other corner spot. I know the coaches are pleased with the developments at that position as well.
GopherHole: Give us a guy on offense and defense that may be off the radar, but that will have a bigger contribution than some may think?
Justin Gaard: He's not exactly off the radar anymore but I'm really intrigued to see how they try to get the ball in Donovahn Jones hands. He's an athlete that we haven't seen for a long time, I think they will try to invent ways to get him touches.
On defense, a lot has been said about De'vondre Campbell, but don't sleep on the other junior college linebacker Damien Wilson. There will be some growing pains but he has really impressed lately, was not a surprise to me that Tracy Claeys announced Sunday he was the likely game one starter at middle linebacker.
GopherHole: What is the Gophers best chance at securing the much coveted "signature win" this season?
Justin Gaard: Wisconsin or Penn State at home. Obvious that beating Wisconsin would be HUGE, and I think it's possible with the Badgers transitioning into a new era. During media day in Chicago I asked Vereen, Kirkwood and Hageman which win they wanted the most...all 3 said Wisconsin without hesitation.
GopherHole: What does the program need to do to engage the casual Minnesota sports fan in getting on board with the Gopher program?
Justin Gaard: Not rocket science really, they just need to win. Ten years ago this fall was the only time in my life I saw a Metrodome full of Gopher fans (the Friday night Michigan game, the Gophers were undefeated at that point), it was a great week of buildup and a great atmosphere. They have a guy in Jerry Kill that is extremely easy to root for, if they pick up a few big wins in the next few years the casual fans will follow.
GopherHole: A lot has been made over the years by various Gopher coaches and fans in numerous sports about the positive and negatives of the Twin Cities media market being a pro sports town. Do you think this makes Gopher athletics more difficult or is it a positive being in a major media market?
Justin Gaard: I think you'll find that media is pretty much the same no matter what town you're in. Where I think Gopher sports get hurt is there are so many different sports options here. In Columbus, they have the Buckeyes. In Happy Valley, it's all Penn State. Here we've got the Vikings trying to sell tickets, the Twins (when they're good) taking some entertainment dollars. The Wolves and the Wild are options if there isn't winning at the Barn. There are so many ways to find sports and entertainment here, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle, especially if a team isn't winning. I don't think it's a media thing as much as we are kind of a bandwagon state. I've lived my whole life here and seen fan bases for all of our teams ebb and flow.
GopherHole: The Gophers record at the end of the season will be? And what will be biggest storyline emerging out of the season?
Justin Gaard: I think they can get to 7-5. They need to beat Iowa here, Indiana on the road and get that signature win at home against a team they aren't expected to beat. The biggest thing I'm looking for as a storyline is closing the competitive gap between the top of the Legends division. Having been up close last 3 years, I really have a lot of faith at Kill and his great staff are building it the right way.
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/279883?referrer_id=388419
Heading into the 2011 football season, the Gophers welcomed a new coaching staff, philosophy and style of play. They also welcomed a new flagship home of Gopher football on the radio, with the surprise move from WCCO AM to KFAN on the FM dial. With the move brought a new play-by-play voice to the team, a much broader and younger sports audience and a new sideline reporter in Justin Gaard.
Gaard, Mike Grimm and Gopher legend Darrell Thompson are entering their third year as the broadcast crew for Gopher football. The move to KFAN has also brought with it expanded Gopher football coverage on 100.3 FM which was evident this year as Gaard broadcast live from a Gopher practice and scrimmage, in addition to increased pre- and post-game analysis and features. (Note: The Gophers/UNLV game will be broadcast on KOOL 108 FM this Thursday due to a conflict with the Vikings game at the same time).
GopherHole caught up with Gaard in the days leading up to the 2013 season opener to learn some behind the scene details about game preparation for the radio crew, what Gopher fans can expect from KFAN this season and Gaard’s impressions from watching the team so far this Fall.
GopherHole: Now that you've been on the sidelines for a couple of years, do you feel like you have the hang of it or is it a continuous learning process?
Justin Gaard: Can I say both? I have gotten used to the rhythm of the game down there, what each coach is doing at particular times and where I need to look if something is happening. But we try to learn something every game that might help us in the future; Mike Grimm and I spend a lot of time talking about how things flow with the game and the broadcast, we hope they keep getting better.
GopherHole: For the average listeners insight, take us through game prep for you specifically. How much time in advance of a game do you prepare? What do you look for in preparation? How do you coordinate story lines with Mike/Darrell/Production crew in advance of a game? How much post-game analysis of your work do you do?
Justin Gaard: I try to spend at least an hour each day during the week leading up to the game getting ready. I'm not able to make practices very often once the season starts, so I really lean on conversations with coaches and others able to be there on a daily basis. We can get a lot organized during the media availability on Tuesday. Like I said, Mike and I talk a lot about the broadcast, I try to give him a list of 6-8 topics that he can throw to me at any time during the game. These are your typical sideline nuggets: an opposing coach with Minnesota ties, what the pregame speech was about, stuff about the opposing team that the audience might not know, etc. We usually never get to most of the preset topics because once the game starts a lot of stuff can happen.
GopherHole: Are there any new wrinkles to the broadcast that the KFAN team has in store for listeners this season?
Justin Gaard: The biggest wrinkle we keep trying to add is a social media component where listeners can interact with us a bit more during the game. We are adding more halftime analysis with our post game crew where the guys can take questions via Twitter about the first half.
GopherHole: In your time with the team at practice, on the sidelines, on the plane, etc. - what have been the major observations on how the program has evolved under Coach Kill over the past few years?
Justin Gaard: They are really starting to look like a Big 10 team should look physically. I was kind of alarmed my first year on the sidelines with how much bigger the other teams were, particularly on both lines. I'm looking forward to see how much the gap has closed physically this year.
GopherHole: Who has impressed you most in fall practice this year?
Justin Gaard: The secondary in general is impressive to me. Everybody kind of knows about Vereen and Wells, but guys like Eric Murray and Brien Boddy-Calhoun have really had a great competition going for the other corner spot. I know the coaches are pleased with the developments at that position as well.
GopherHole: Give us a guy on offense and defense that may be off the radar, but that will have a bigger contribution than some may think?
Justin Gaard: He's not exactly off the radar anymore but I'm really intrigued to see how they try to get the ball in Donovahn Jones hands. He's an athlete that we haven't seen for a long time, I think they will try to invent ways to get him touches.
On defense, a lot has been said about De'vondre Campbell, but don't sleep on the other junior college linebacker Damien Wilson. There will be some growing pains but he has really impressed lately, was not a surprise to me that Tracy Claeys announced Sunday he was the likely game one starter at middle linebacker.
GopherHole: What is the Gophers best chance at securing the much coveted "signature win" this season?
Justin Gaard: Wisconsin or Penn State at home. Obvious that beating Wisconsin would be HUGE, and I think it's possible with the Badgers transitioning into a new era. During media day in Chicago I asked Vereen, Kirkwood and Hageman which win they wanted the most...all 3 said Wisconsin without hesitation.
GopherHole: What does the program need to do to engage the casual Minnesota sports fan in getting on board with the Gopher program?
Justin Gaard: Not rocket science really, they just need to win. Ten years ago this fall was the only time in my life I saw a Metrodome full of Gopher fans (the Friday night Michigan game, the Gophers were undefeated at that point), it was a great week of buildup and a great atmosphere. They have a guy in Jerry Kill that is extremely easy to root for, if they pick up a few big wins in the next few years the casual fans will follow.
GopherHole: A lot has been made over the years by various Gopher coaches and fans in numerous sports about the positive and negatives of the Twin Cities media market being a pro sports town. Do you think this makes Gopher athletics more difficult or is it a positive being in a major media market?
Justin Gaard: I think you'll find that media is pretty much the same no matter what town you're in. Where I think Gopher sports get hurt is there are so many different sports options here. In Columbus, they have the Buckeyes. In Happy Valley, it's all Penn State. Here we've got the Vikings trying to sell tickets, the Twins (when they're good) taking some entertainment dollars. The Wolves and the Wild are options if there isn't winning at the Barn. There are so many ways to find sports and entertainment here, it's easy to get lost in the shuffle, especially if a team isn't winning. I don't think it's a media thing as much as we are kind of a bandwagon state. I've lived my whole life here and seen fan bases for all of our teams ebb and flow.
GopherHole: The Gophers record at the end of the season will be? And what will be biggest storyline emerging out of the season?
Justin Gaard: I think they can get to 7-5. They need to beat Iowa here, Indiana on the road and get that signature win at home against a team they aren't expected to beat. The biggest thing I'm looking for as a storyline is closing the competitive gap between the top of the Legends division. Having been up close last 3 years, I really have a lot of faith at Kill and his great staff are building it the right way.
