Reusse column: P.T. Barnum would love U football fans

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GoAUpher said:
I do agree with your general point but your examples also make the mistake of generalizing based off of too small a sample. Vikings selling out only refutes the fairweather claim when it comes to the Vikings. Doesn't speak to MN fans as a whole across all sports.
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The Vikings have become kind of a different team since 1998 or so.
They used to have a much similar fanbase to the Gophers - older people who had tickets since the 1960s'.

Reusse alludes to it in the column, but around the time of Moss coming here, there was a huge shift. The Vikings games more or less became a massive party and remain so today. An excuse to get drunk early and stay drunk all day on a Sunday - even more-so for night games. People buy the shirts and jerseys etc., but I'd suspect that the number of people in the stadium who really, truly CARE about how the team does, is smaller than you'd think. Much like going to a Cubs game only in a much less charming setting.

My observation of Gopher fans, is that we really do care more about the team.
 

jmag21 said:
I love copying and pasting the entire article. No clicks for Reusse from me, thanks.
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And now i wish we could evolve to the point where we don't even comment. Cripes, he's gotten over 60 comments already from a crap column he's done time and time before and that probably took him all of a half an hour to write. Way too easy for him. I know, I just added to the comment total, but it would really be nice to have him mail in the next one of these and get absolutely no reaction.
 

Caught FAT-PAT ripping Coach Kill's teeth the other day, to look like him and poke-fun of anybody's appearance is astonishing.
 

Fat alcoholics usually don't have many positives views on anything in life.
 

Guys I hear Pat is overweight. Has anyone uncorked this atomic ice burn yet?
 


First off - didn't read the column - just the summary here. Don't want to click to generate hits.

I also acknowledge what many are saying here - Pat probably doesn't even believe half the stuff he writes- he's just writing it to get a rise out of fans and get his column read.

I have season tickets to Gopher football and the Twins. (Probably would do Gopher hockey if I could afford it.)

I can tell I treat the teams differently. The Twins are pro, Gophers college. The University of Minnesota is where I went for 6 years while completing 2 degrees. It's my school and the flagship university of the state. Maybe I feel more ownership in that sense. I will ALWAYS be a Gopher fan. I want them to succeed. So if that makes me crazy in Pat's eyes, so be it. Does it mean I can't see flaws? No! Of course there are flaws with Gopher teams - but for me it isn't any fun to focus on that.

The Twins - I'll always be a Twins fan - but as they are pros, I'm a little more vocal in my criticism (especially when it comes to certain players that make tons of money sitting on the bench for the better part of two seasons, but I digress).

I guess what I'm saying is that there is a fundamental difference for many of us between a college team (which the state in a sense "owns") and a pro team.
 

Word said:
The Twins - I'll always be a Twins fan - but as they are pros, I'm a little more vocal in my criticism (especially when it comes to certain players that make tons of money sitting on the bench for the better part of two seasons, but I digress).
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You're not one of those dudes who bags on Mauer are you?
 





A quote from a favorite book, "For 2000 years, it has been unkind to kill the messenger. If you react poorly to bad news, pretty soon bad news will be withheld from you. Your news will end up like Russian roulette: It will not be really "bad" news until it's "really bad news."

Another. "Do not condemn the judgement of another just because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong."

Well chumps, it looks like we got fooled again.
 

supadupafly said:
+1. and i will put money on it that 98% of the rubes here on gopherhole who stand up for/support the absolute CRAPTASTIC stuff that reusse writes and says are age 50+. you know the senior discount/early bird special crowd likes to stick together. AARP now....AARP forever! :p
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Everyone over 50 should be put out of their misery.:p

Take that Dr Don.

Alexandria
Association of
Runestone
People
 

How are we "killing the messenger?" If he had a message at all, it was to call Gophers fans suckers for supporting the Gophers. That's not a message. He claims that Gopher fans had amnesia about Brewster. That's false, and he knows it. Those who were optimistic about Brewster reassessed their opinions. Using the Gophers as a portapotty is not a message.
 

Oneoldgopher said:
A quote from a favorite book, "For 2000 years, it has been unkind to kill the messenger. If you react poorly to bad news, pretty soon bad news will be withheld from you. Your news will end up like Russian roulette: It will not be really "bad" news until it's "really bad news."

Another. "Do not condemn the judgement of another just because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong."

Well chumps, it looks like we got fooled again.
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"I'll check in with the board in 2 months..."

You promised.
 



Reusse must want to feel the love from Gopher Football fan's.

Reusse must miss his likeness adorning bathroom and porta john signs from the first season. Well not really, he just likes to tweak Gopher football fans for liking college football. His assumption that a lot of 20-45 year olds follow the Gophers to be contrairian from Vikings fans or to stand out from the crowd is a little off base. I think a lot of us either went to the U or became Gopher fans as students, then alumnus or were friends of U students.
I was not really a fan growing up as my parents did not follow college football, maybe ocassionally listened to Gopher games on the radio or watched a game or two on ABC.

It was kind of like the Twins and there cheap college ID nights, tickets were cheap, started going to the games as groups, pretty girls and tailgating were fun and then really started to like college football, the band the cheerleaders playing the Big 10 helmet schools, actually getting to believe you could win some of those games as Gophers instead of alway's getting pounded. Road trips to the Big house, C-bus, Iowa, Wisconsin to really find out what college football was like in the rest of the country. Our college experience was, smelly Metrodome and taking the bus, easy to get beer, that is how we grew up on college football. Then the Brewster era happened, and some of the excitement has diminished. We seem about as far away as the Wacker years now, at least the one year I remember the last year.
My fellow season ticket holders are the same way, graduated or attended the U at one time and became fans as U students, liked going to games hanging out, were not passionate fans as kids, but now, have genuine care for and follow the Gophers football program now. Were Gopher fans, rubes, wear the gear to work on Fridays, and hang in there in hopes we can get one of those glorious Rose Bowl seasons before we all die or take the dirt nap in 25-30 years. It has come to all of thinking were a fringe bowl team but maybe we crack through and get one great year and then we can hold on to that.
 

Does anyone here listen to Reusse on the radio? I don't, but I'm curious to know if he says these same kinds of imflammatory statements on the radio where there might be callers to challenge him.
 

Oneoldgopher said:
A quote from a favorite book, "For 2000 years, it has been unkind to kill the messenger. If you react poorly to bad news, pretty soon bad news will be withheld from you. Your news will end up like Russian roulette: It will not be really "bad" news until it's "really bad news."

Another. "Do not condemn the judgement of another just because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong."

Well chumps, it looks like we got fooled again.
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You cannot be serious. Are you trying for lame-post-of-the-year?
 

gopherdudepart2 said:
It was kind of like the Twins and there cheap college ID nights, tickets were cheap, started going to the games as groups, pretty girls and tailgating were fun and then really started to like college football, the band the cheerleaders playing the Big 10 helmet schools, actually getting to believe you could win some of those games as Gophers instead of alway's getting pounded. Road trips to the Big house, C-bus, Iowa, Wisconsin to really find out what college football was like in the rest of the country. Our college experience was, smelly Metrodome and taking the bus, easy to get beer, that is how we grew up on college football.
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Exactly. It's not as much about the games and their results as the experience--the tailgating, the band, the road trips, and more. No other sport gives that experience as college football does. Most Minnesotans don't really get that part.
BTW, I, too, am in that age group. I have met some great friends, some of whom also post here, through going to games both here and on the road.
 

soneillumn said:
Exactly. It's not as much about the games and their results as the experience--the tailgating, the band, the road trips, and more. No other sport gives that experience as college football does. Most Minnesotans don't really get that part.
BTW, I, too, am in that age group. I have met some great friends, some of whom also post here, through going to games both here and on the road.
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Exactly! I love the Gophers and that's why I drive back home 6-7 times every fall. The bonus is that I get to spend time with my friends, brother, parents and fellow Gopher fans. It's what it's all about. Go Gophers and SKI-U-MAH!
 


Word said:
Does anyone here listen to Reusse on the radio? I don't, but I'm curious to know if he says these same kinds of imflammatory statements on the radio where there might be callers to challenge him.
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I listen to Reusse and his sidekicks quite often on 1500, 12-3.

To answer your question; he sometimes is over the top on all teams. I don't agree with everything he says but all in all a good and entertaining show. Much better than anything I've ever listened to on KFAN.
 

Oneoldgopher said:
I opted to taunt my fellow Gopher fans. I had a change of heart. Too bad for you.

I miss the glory years of Smokin Joe Salem playing football
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Oneoldgopher: You are doing little to dispell the belief that most old people are crabby and suffer from dimentia. I hate to break it to you, Smoky Joe passed a long time ago. You need to live in the present and start taking a positive approach to life. You will be happier as a result!
 

Oneoldgopher said:
I opted to taunt my fellow Gopher fans. I had a change of heart. Too bad for you.
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You're the one making yourself look like a jerk and someone whose word can't be trusted. I don't see how that is bad for any of us.
 

GoAUpher said:
You're the one making yourself look like a jerk and someone whose word can't be trusted. I don't see how that is bad for any of us.
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What is so wrong with calling out Gopher Nation and stating that we have collective guilt in creating a losing team for the last 40 years and stating that Kill has not proven in the last 9 months to have positively affected the team? Why not? Why not call out his choices of recruits and his lack of effectiveness in recruiting players in the top 3rd of their respective pools of talent. Does he not have that capability to sell this program? The last 2 guys we got on board are prime examples of how clueless GH can be on managing talent. One receiver on some rating services ranks not even the top 100 of his position. We celebrate that here. Why? Surely it is acceptable to welcome the new player, no matter how he is rated. But, do we have to be grateful that Kill is under representing the team to better qualified candidates than we got under the Wacker years, and seem not to be able to get now under Jerry Kill. Where are the running backs? Where are the receivers? What have the offensive linemen of both the Brewster and Kill regime done so far? Are the seniors on the O-line really committed to winning this year? They looked awful against the Aggies. Is that how we display commitment by being out of shape? Is 200 combined yards a game out of an option qb really going to win us games? If what it takes to wake up Gopher Nation to demand performance and have higher standards of expectation out of the coaches and the team, then right now is the time to do it. Right now is the time to put the pressure to the coaches to perform for what they are paid to do. If the athletes want to be students first - fine. Let them ride the bench. If they can accomplish both, they better be giving their all to achieve victory. I don't see it on the field. I don't see where the team has improved since last year in any area. In fact, I think they have regressed. You simply do not install a new system to see it regress the organization. In every business and military endeavor I have been a part of, moving backward was never acceptable. It meant that the plan was poor and needed to be fixed and implemented differently. I will say it again, why do we give Coach Kill or any other coach on this team a pass for lousy performance in any game!

At 49 years of age, still in great shape mentally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually, I think I have a right to call the program a shambles this year. I think advocating for more time is an excuse, weak minded, and the same mamby-pamby drivel that has infected most of the culture and people of this country. I want to be the jerk that kicks some butt to wake people up. I think of it as my God-given mission to not accept crap for results season after season in the hope of a brighter next year. People around here speak of building with cement and not sand, but they surely are accepting any type of cement, even when it is a poor quality cement. Frankly, if we are experts of sand, why not make a glass house. I am sure we can do that better than building a crap house of poor quality cement. Not to screw with the analogy or anything, but it sucks. I know of skyscrapers with cement footings and then the buildings float on gigantic bearings. Imagine that. The propaganda that we are all so likely to soak up is how we will someday progress. Keep repeating it boys if that is what drives you to enjoy Gopher Football. Not me. Notnow, Not ever. You folks embarrass me each week by how you support the program by accepting its faults, even when they stare you in the face. I have not seen a championship banner raised at any of our stadiums for 42 years. Why would I want to shut up and not be critical of how we do things around here in Gopher Nation? Why did we call for Brewsters head if we were not to get an upgrade in coaching? We criticized Brew for changing systems year after year (which I am not sure I buy into that theory any longer), and we knew that changing coaches would likely change the "system" of training. How is it so different than the block, run, catch of any other team? It is football after all. Coach Kill preaches and runs at players to get them to pay attention to fundamentals. In the last 2 weeks of play, have we really seen improvement in fundamentals over the MTSU game or the SoDak game compared to the USC and Aggies game this year? No. It could be argued that we have become worse, if that is truly possible.

I'll be grouchy the rest of the way until we wake up.
 

Oneoldgopher said:
What is so wrong with calling out Gopher Nation and stating that we have collective guilt in creating a losing team for the last 40 years and stating that Kill has not proven in the last 9 months to have positively affected the team?
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"Collective guilt" for being a fan? You are truly out of your mind. Anyone who thinks fans are guilty of something because they support the team is no fan.

Why not call out his choices of recruits and his lack of effectiveness in recruiting players in the top 3rd of their respective pools of talent. Does he not have that capability to sell this program?
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A sane person would realize that it is very difficult to recruit to a team that only won 3 games the previous season. No one has the capacity to sell that you demand.

You simply do not install a new system to see it regress the organization. In every business and military endeavor I have been a part of, moving backward was never acceptable. It meant that the plan was poor and needed to be fixed and implemented differently.
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First, this isn't the military, and it isn't a business. Second, what you are saying is absolutely false. New systems do have periods of adjustment. When a new accounting system is first introduced, it may well be less efficient than the previous one until people adjust to it. When a new weapons system is introduced, it takes time to adjust to it. We would still be using flintlocks if we thought like you. And in football, when a new coach comes in with a new system most teams take a step backwards at first.
 

Edited: Not worth my time to argue with a lunatic. Pearls before swine.
 

Rescooter said:
Oneoldgopher: You are doing little to dispell the belief that most old people are crabby and suffer from dimentia. I hate to break it to you, Smoky Joe passed a long time ago. You need to live in the present and start taking a positive approach to life. You will be happier as a result!
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Au contraire! It's been almost 30 years since Salem coached, but he has not passed. He is still alive.
 

I have a better idea

Oneoldgopher said:
I'll be grouchy the rest of the way until we wake up.
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Why don't you just hold your breath until we wake up? That way you would actually be doing some worthwhile. I suspect you must be really getting old since you are reverting to your childhood with these temper tantrums of yours.

Besides, you said that you were leaving but you failed at that. Maybe you could show us that you are actually capable of doing what you say if you hold your breath until we wake up.
 

Wow that guy is ridiculous. The lineman of the Kill regime? Did Kill recruit any of the lineman on the team? I doubt it. Jamel Harbison isn't ranked in the top 100 at WR on one site. ESPN actually has him at 28. Rivals doesn't have a rating but on rivals he has a rating of 5.5 meaning a high to mid-major recruit. Exactly the kind of guys the gophers should be expected to land.
 

Born in1938, Smokey Joe will be 74 years of age in May. rescooter is guilty of a...

premeditated misinformation campaign or perhaps just youthful passing of rumors based upon passing assumptions.

In fact, Smokey Joe Salem spent about 4 seasons as the quarterback coach for Augustana College in Sioux Falls through the 2006 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons, based upon a Google search I completed. That's a pretty good gig for a rescootered passed rumor of a passing that just never could pass the mustard and that proved not to be true.

I'm glad to learn that Smokey Joe Salem has been so active...so alive...and so well all these years...aren't you pleased too rescooter? Smokey Joe hasn't passed...He is still passing time in Sioux Falls, rescooter...he was also passing along passing instructions to a bunch of Augustana Quarterbacks about the finer points of passing a football. Go ahead, rescooter, pass it along...when Smokey Joe was passing, he was a qb for the Golden Gopher Football team. Those years have passed, rescooter...and time has kept passing right along. Smokey Joe could teach a lot of people a lot of things, but he has recently been passing along his passing knowlege in passing drills with some of those wild and crazy passing quarterbacks at Augustana.

; 0 )
 

@ Oneoldgopher - 49 is old? Haven't you heard? 49 is the new 29.
 

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