WCCO Football Story

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The Four Horsemen are Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley, and Elmer Layden.

the Notre Dame backfield led to possibly the greatest lead in Sports writing history - Grantland Rice, October 18, 1924:

Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore their names are Death, Destruction, Pestilence, and Famine. But those are aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.[4]

(and FWIW - that was after Notre Dame upset Army 13-7.)

and check out the sizes of the players:

Stuhldreher, a 5-7, 151-pounder from Massillon, Ohio.
Crowley from Green Bay, Wisconsin, stood 5-11 and weighed 162 pounds.
Miller of Defiance, Ohio, At 5-11, 160 pounds.
Layden, 6-foot, 162-pounder from Davenport, Iowa.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
The Four Horsemen are Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley, and Elmer Layden.

the Notre Dame backfield led to possibly the greatest lead in Sports writing history - Grantland Rice, October 18, 1924:

Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore their names are Death, Destruction, Pestilence, and Famine. But those are aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.[4]

(and FWIW - that was after Notre Dame upset Army 13-7.)

and check out the sizes of the players:

Stuhldreher, a 5-7, 151-pounder from Massillon, Ohio.
Crowley from Green Bay, Wisconsin, stood 5-11 and weighed 162 pounds.
Miller of Defiance, Ohio, At 5-11, 160 pounds.
Layden, 6-foot, 162-pounder from Davenport, Iowa.
Click to expand...
If you don't know that line you have never read a sports story in your life. 5-7 heck I could have started for them.
 

Search Grant Norton. Story about big time athletics and mental health.
 

Finally saw the teaser. Has to do with neck injuries. Doesn't say which players, coaches etc. Apparently poor treatment.
 


Cervical spine injuries is serious business. We've seen or heard of athletes that were paralyzed. With certainty, there is a point of no return to playing sports. For some, lingering debilitating pain and other related issues. I think one of the former gopher players had a neck injury. I can't remember who.
 
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hungan1 said:
Cervical spine injuries is serious business. we've seen or heard of athletes that were paralyzed. With certain, there is a point of no return to playing sports. For some, lingering debilitating pain and other related issues. I think one of the former gopher players had a neck injury. I can't remember who.
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Reigespielger (sp?) in 2017 and Owens back in 2007 are two I can think of....
 

GoldGoldGold said:
Reigespielger (sp?) in 2017 and Owens back in 2007 are two I can think of....
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Didn't Reiges... have shoulder issues/surgery?

'CCO better be ready for some blowback if this is the typical local media "U" hit job...which I'm pretty sure it will be.
 

LesBolstad said:
Didn't Reiges... have shoulder issues/surgery?

'CCO better be ready for some blowback if this is the typical local media "U" hit job...which I'm pretty sure it will be.
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Okay I looked it up and the article states "serious neck injury and concussion" No idea if it is what this wcco story will be about....
 



I feel like there were several fairly well known Gophers OL that retired due to injuries in the last 5 years or so but they all had good things to say about the program.

I don’t know what exactly will be said in this piece but there’s always going to be players that aren’t happy with the situation, the program, etc. Everyone comes in thinking they’ll be a starter one day. It just doesn’t work out for everyone.
 

Let' face it. Some players including stars may sustain injuries that's life changing. We may not these player for a year. But, the public's perception may be that player will produce where he left off.

This may by true like with the case of Rodney Smith.
 

If this piece boils down to something that isn't specific to the U, but uses the U and players as an example, I think the coaching staff just comes out with what they've done to minimize those injuries since they have occured. If this piece is a "the staff was negligent compared to other programs, leading to injury" it might be worse. Again, no idea until we hear the story, but it's been known that football can cause serious injury and practice drills have changed over time as evidence of which drills have the highest injury rate have been found. If the coaching staff was following current guidelines about what is safe and not, I don't see how this is anything more than just a "football is unsafe" story.

Grant Norton specifically was horrible, but we never did get to hear the coaching staff directly respond to the piece written by Jason Stahl. It'll be interesting to see whether or not it gets brought up and if we hear the coaching staffs side.
 

WCCO Facebook just put the teaser up as a video, they appear to have interviewed Alex Reigelsperger. It seems like he was listing the types of injuries he saw (or maybe that he's had) and then they cut to Jason Stahl. The article I found of Alex's injury though says the doctors thought he had actually cracked his C4 before in highschool, so not sure he actually blames the I and that football is just a dangerous sport in general?
 



Riegelsperger seems to have relatively good things to say about the coaching staff here:
mndaily.com

Alex Reigelsperger talks injury and life after football at UMN

While playing football, Gophers redshirt freshman defensive end Alex Reigelsperger always knew there was a possibility that athletes can be seriously injured. He just never thought it could happen to...
mndaily.com mndaily.com
It would be quite a 180 if he trashed them now. Will be interesting to see how Wcco spins it.
 

Word said:
Riegelsperger seems to have relatively good things to say about the coaching staff here:
mndaily.com

Alex Reigelsperger talks injury and life after football at UMN

While playing football, Gophers redshirt freshman defensive end Alex Reigelsperger always knew there was a possibility that athletes can be seriously injured. He just never thought it could happen to...
mndaily.com mndaily.com
It would be quite a 180 if he trashed them now. Will be interesting to see how Wcco spins it.
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At least in this article, nothing but good things to see here save the unfortunate injury itself.

I guess a case can be made whether 17 to 22 year-olds can do the appropriate risk analysis...

But that pretty much happens every day once you decide to get out of bed...

I wear a seatbelt whether it's the law or not in any given state.

I wore a helmet while riding a motorcycle in my youth...although it was legal not to.

Love the beach...and it bites to arrive at 12:30 PM on a glorious day and then see lightning 5 miles away...and leave until the threat passes. Same while fishing on a Minnesota lake...

Currently whether to take the shots or not?

And so on...
 

swelna said:
If this piece boils down to something that isn't specific to the U, but uses the U and players as an example, I think the coaching staff just comes out with what they've done to minimize those injuries since they have occured. If this piece is a "the staff was negligent compared to other programs, leading to injury" it might be worse. Again, no idea until we hear the story, but it's been known that football can cause serious injury and practice drills have changed over time as evidence of which drills have the highest injury rate have been found. If the coaching staff was following current guidelines about what is safe and not, I don't see how this is anything more than just a "football is unsafe" story.

Grant Norton specifically was horrible, but we never did get to hear the coaching staff directly respond to the piece written by Jason Stahl. It'll be interesting to see whether or not it gets brought up and if we hear the coaching staffs side.
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Pretty sure this staff isn’t negligent compared to the average program considering we aren’t seeing massive numbers of players missing games due to injuries sustained in practices.
 






Not sure I like the term "Whistle blowing professor" being used. Find a U of M professor who doesn't like football and finds it violent is like finding a Republican who doesn't like taxes. Both might have good reasons for why they think like they do, but neither is news breaking if they find people are part of the activity that agree with them. Sees like news creation vs. new reporting. Especially if this is even close to what was posted here on Gopherhole a year or so ago.
 

swelna said:
If this piece boils down to something that isn't specific to the U, but uses the U and players as an example, I think the coaching staff just comes out with what they've done to minimize those injuries since they have occured. If this piece is a "the staff was negligent compared to other programs, leading to injury" it might be worse. Again, no idea until we hear the story, but it's been known that football can cause serious injury and practice drills have changed over time as evidence of which drills have the highest injury rate have been found. If the coaching staff was following current guidelines about what is safe and not, I don't see how this is anything more than just a "football is unsafe" story.

Grant Norton specifically was horrible, but we never did get to hear the coaching staff directly respond to the piece written by Jason Stahl. It'll be interesting to see whether or not it gets brought up and if we hear the coaching staffs side.
Click to expand...
Based on the promo it feels like this piece is going to be very one sided towards the former professor with an axe to grind with the University and whatever players are going to speak up.

Will be interesting to see if they try to make it about the U specifically or football in general.
 

He doesn’t seem to have any issues with the U or the program.

044CCD28-127C-43AD-9316-3E938A9B0021.jpeg
 


Just looks like some soy boy professor who's butthurt because he got fired and doesn't seem to understand that people unfortunately get injured during sports sometimes.
 

In one season of small town high school varsity football, I managed to put out two players with career ending injuries in practice (remember that career ending in Sr year of HS happens fast) I broke a guy's collarbone while trotting slowly and passively so we could practice form tackling, and sprained a guy's neck while standing there holding a blue blocking bag.

Football's rough. I'm sure that guys get hurt playing it at every single college football program in America. The only question is if it happens uniquely often at the U, or if the U is uniquely responsible or cruel with that inherent risk.
 

maybe they should do a story the Iowa coach that put half the team in the hospital for improper weight training.
 

Boy oh boy, what is Mike Max cooking?

Injuries happen all the time in football at all levels. It doesn't have to be from contact. Look at Teddy Bridgewater's career changing injury while with the Vikings. He planted his foot wrong while in practice. It was painful to hear what happened.

Attitude, coachability, and emotional/psychological fragility of each player is critical. When life changing injuries happen, every player handle their situation differently. We don't hear from players like Reigelsperger or the injured Offensive Linemen airing out complaints about any maltreatment. It is unfortunate what happened to the young man. We don't know with certainty what the circumstances that let this young man down this path. Did the professor with an axe to grind against football lead him to this end? The U has over 100 players whose well-being they worry about in addition to the race to a title. It takes two to tango. There are two sides to any story.

This is certainly not what is going to endear me to WCCO Sports. Mike Max is going down the wrong rabbit hole.
 
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In the other big ten cities with successful programs Max would lose his credentials. Not here tho.
 

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