Yahoo: The 10 Most Beloved Football Traditions at the University of Minnesota

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Was this written by someone who performed a cursory look at the Gopher Football webpage and wrote a story about it?? "Goldie Gopher?" I love Ski-U-Mah but it has never been (in the past 10-15 years) a major chant or cheer anyone knows or says. The Tribal Nations Plaza Concert?? That's just another example of something the website says happens but isn't exactly the hottest gameday activity. The picture of the U they chose was Middlebrook Hall.. a dorm on the West Bank.

I appreciate any good press the U is getting but this article seems really poorly researched and clearly done by someone who hasn't really been on campus much.. Either way Sept 8th can't come fast enough (nor can UNLV).
 

10) Danceline
9) Block M
8) Ski-U-Mah
7) Paul Bunyan's Axe
6) Hail! Minnesota
5) Marching Band
4) Floyd of Rosedale
3) Little Brown Jug
1t) Rouser
1t) Goldy Gopher
 

Updates: The band pregame show starts 1hr 15 minutes prior to KO and not two hours. They moved it to two hours a couple years ago and that was a flop.
 

Bayfieldgopher said:
Updates: The band pregame show starts 1hr 15 minutes prior to KO and not two hours. They moved it to two hours a couple years ago and that was a flop.
Click to expand...
Also, Block M rotation happens during pregame, not halftime.
 


They probably just go to wiki sites and jot down 10 things for each team.

Oh, and don't forget a sure Top 10: Go Gophers!
 


They got about 6 out of 10 correct. That's a better than Shaver or Barreiro could get.
 

The only thing I agree with in this article is the trophies...Axe, Floyd, Jug.
 




No mention of the Swinging Gates marching formation? That's one of the first things that comes to my mind when you talk about Gopher tradition.
 

Things that are truly unique to Gopher Football:

- Ski-U-Mah
- Swinging Gates
- Rotating Block M
- The most college football trophies (if you include the bell...)
- The BEST combination of college football trophies (Axe, Pig, Jug - the stories for the Pig and Jug are timeless and the Axe is the most-played D1-A rivalry)
- Minn March + Rouser. Not a combo of school songs like them in the country (I'm obviously biased when I say they're the best so I won't)
- 6 (7? 8? 9?) national titles. Something not many schools can claim. And no, I won't be claiming the 7th.
- Bruce Smith, Heisman winner. Only so many schools (37) can claim this
- Bronko Nagurski - yearly football award named after him

Am I missing anything?

Not much else is super unique, and even fewer have been long-running. Great thing is.. the media is fickle and if we get back to national prominence, our history (titles), rivalries, trophies, etc will be played up like crazy by ESPN before games or when they do things like interview players.
 

lars1429 said:
The only thing I agree with in this article is the trophies...Axe, Floyd, Jug.
Click to expand...

I'm curious: with so many trophy games for the Gophers, what is the order of importance to fans of the trophies? Obviously, I think the Axe is most important, but we have only the atrocious Iowa trophy (some bovine with huge balls), and maybe some new made up PSU trophy that already looks better than the Iowa trophy.

It is a long held hope that UW could get a trophy game that would require the loser to take the ugly "art object" outside Camp Randall home with them.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/UW-Madison_Field_House.jpg
 



TAW said:
I'm curious: with so many trophy games for the Gophers, what is the order of importance to fans of the trophies? Obviously, I think the Axe is most important, but we have only the atrocious Iowa trophy (some bovine with huge balls), and maybe some new made up PSU trophy that already looks better than the Iowa trophy.

It is a long held hope that UW could get a trophy game that would require the loser to take the ugly "art object" outside Camp Randall home with them.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/UW-Madison_Field_House.jpg
Click to expand...

I think it depends on where the Gopher fan grew up.. but personally I say the Axe is number one with Floyd being immediately next. The Jug is important to me (more so than the average Gopher fan). Hell, I'd take the Bell every year, too, if I had a choice.
 

I love the Block M. I'm always impressed by seeing that M rotate and march down the field. I also love the Swinging Gates formation. I don't think there's a better rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic than the one done my the Pride of Minnesota. The whole lineup of songs for the pregame show are great.

I'm one of those who like "And that's another Golden Gopher... first down!" Not everyone likes it, of course, but it's something that the fans actually participate in.

I'd like to see Ski-U-Mah become a bigger part of the tradition.
 

TAW said:
I'm curious: with so many trophy games for the Gophers, what is the order of importance to fans of the trophies? Obviously, I think the Axe is most important, but we have only the atrocious Iowa trophy (some bovine with huge balls), and maybe some new made up PSU trophy that already looks better than the Iowa trophy.

It is a long held hope that UW could get a trophy game that would require the loser to take the ugly "art object" outside Camp Randall home with them.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/UW-Madison_Field_House.jpg
Click to expand...

My order of importance is Axe, Floyd, Jug.

TAW, I enjoy your posts and appreciate the demeanor you take on this board as a Badger fan.

Go Gophers!!
 

TAW said:
I'm curious: with so many trophy games for the Gophers, what is the order of importance to fans of the trophies? Obviously, I think the Axe is most important, but we have only the atrocious Iowa trophy (some bovine with huge balls), and maybe some new made up PSU trophy that already looks better than the Iowa trophy.

It is a long held hope that UW could get a trophy game that would require the loser to take the ugly "art object" outside Camp Randall home with them.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/UW-Madison_Field_House.jpg
Click to expand...

How can you knock the Pig? That Pig, is the most beautiful Pig ever. To answer your question, the Jug is the most important to me. Winning that Jug sends shock waves throughout college football. I love it when we can beat Michigan. I love the Axe and Pig prety much just as much. I love all our trophy games, except that Penn State one...But I would rather we have it then Penn State.
 

The Cynic's Top 10 Guide to Gopher Football
1. Calling for the coach to be fired
2. calling for the starting QB to be benched
3. Complaining about parking at the stadium
4. Complaining about the game-day experience
5. Complaining about the concessions
6. Making fun of Sid
7. Making fun of Reusse
8. Watching Iowa fans have sex in the bathrooms
9. Complaining about the Athletic Director
10. Complaining that the administration doesn't support the FB program
 

Formo said:
I think it depends on where the Gopher fan grew up.. but personally I say the Axe is number one with Floyd being immediately next. The Jug is important to me (more so than the average Gopher fan). Hell, I'd take the Bell every year, too, if I had a choice.
Click to expand...

God, this is tough.

I guess I'll say: (1) Axe (by the tiniest margains and that margain might be my dislike for Bielema); (2) Floyd; (3) Jug

However, it could depend on the year. If winning the axe really hurts the Badgers, like, they have a really good team and could be playing for the Big 10, i'll get more joy in that. Same thing for Floyd.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
The Cynic's Top 10 Guide to Gopher Football
1. Calling for the coach to be fired
2. calling for the starting QB to be benched
3. Complaining about parking at the stadium
4. Complaining about the game-day experience
5. Complaining about the concessions
6. Making fun of Sid
7. Making fun of Reusse
8. Watching Iowa fans have sex in the bathrooms
9. Complaining about the Athletic Director
10. Complaining that the administration doesn't support the FB program
Click to expand...

I like having lots of extra room in the student section.
 

GopherFanatic19 said:
How can you knock the Pig? That Pig, is the most beautiful Pig ever. To answer your question, the Jug is the most important to me. Winning that Jug sends shock waves throughout college football. I love it when we can beat Michigan. I love the Axe and Pig prety much just as much. I love all our trophy games, except that Penn State one...But I would rather we have it then Penn State.
Click to expand...

Don't think TAW was referring to "our" beloved Floyd of Rosedale. I think TAW was referring to the heartland Trophy.

BTW Axe(bragging rights etc.), very close second Pig, Jug. But I think I celebrate winning the jug the most. After all, the jug is the trophy that started them all for college football.
http://qctimes.com/sports/football/college/big-10/iowa/heartland-trophy/article_6ec58226-161b-11e1-bf41-001cc4c03286.html?comment_form=true
 

I think the only reason people are saying "Axe" is because we haven't won it in so long. The JUG is the oldest trophy and the most revered. Michigan is also a way more prestigious program than Wisconsin or Iowa. Getting the JUG makes you the lead story on the national shows and sends shockwaves throughout the country. "Whoa...did you see that Minnesota took down Michigan?" Getting the Axe and Floyd is great and gives you a ton of bragging rights for one year but IMHO it doesn't have the lasting impact of the JUG.
 

1b)Drinking after a win
1a)Drinking after a loss
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
I think the only reason people are saying "Axe" is because we haven't won it in so long. The JUG is the oldest trophy and the most revered. Michigan is also a way more prestigious program than Wisconsin or Iowa. Getting the JUG makes you the lead story on the national shows and sends shockwaves throughout the country. "Whoa...did you see that Minnesota took down Michigan?" Getting the Axe and Floyd is great and gives you a ton of bragging rights for one year but IMHO it doesn't have the lasting impact of the JUG.
Click to expand...

Yup. This is why I love the Jug so much.
 

Regarding item 3. in the main article. Since when does a marching band walk back to a location? From the way she describes it the band forms the Block M, rotates, and then just kind fo strolls back to where they came to start the show.

Really?
 

TAW said:
I'm curious: with so many trophy games for the Gophers, what is the order of importance to fans of the trophies? Obviously, I think the Axe is most important, but we have only the atrocious Iowa trophy (some bovine with huge balls), and maybe some new made up PSU trophy that already looks better than the Iowa trophy.

It is a long held hope that UW could get a trophy game that would require the loser to take the ugly "art object" outside Camp Randall home with them.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/UW-Madison_Field_House.jpg
Click to expand...

The one everyone can agree on I think is the Bell is dead last. A lot of pretty avid fans don't even realize we have a trophy with Penn State.

Then it gets more difficult and more of a matter of personal taste. I dislike Iowa more than Wisconsin or Michigan, but we've only beaten MI 3 times since 1967, so when we win that, it's huge. And since we haven't won the Axe since 2005, winning that again right now would be sweet. If I could pick a trophy to take home this year, I really don't know which one I would say other than all of the above... :)
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
I think the only reason people are saying "Axe" is because we haven't won it in so long. The JUG is the oldest trophy and the most revered. Michigan is also a way more prestigious program than Wisconsin or Iowa. Getting the JUG makes you the lead story on the national shows and sends shockwaves throughout the country. "Whoa...did you see that Minnesota took down Michigan?" Getting the Axe and Floyd is great and gives you a ton of bragging rights for one year but IMHO it doesn't have the lasting impact of the JUG.
Click to expand...

Maybe, but I would say that the rivalry with Wisconsin and Iowa are greater so that will influence people as well.
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
I think the only reason people are saying "Axe" is because we haven't won it in so long. The JUG is the oldest trophy and the most revered. Michigan is also a way more prestigious program than Wisconsin or Iowa. Getting the JUG makes you the lead story on the national shows and sends shockwaves throughout the country. "Whoa...did you see that Minnesota took down Michigan?" Getting the Axe and Floyd is great and gives you a ton of bragging rights for one year but IMHO it doesn't have the lasting impact of the JUG.
Click to expand...

Yep. I HATE Wisconsin. And both Wisconsin and Iowa are bigger rivals than Michigan. But the Jug is the most important trophy for all these reasons.
 



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