Friday, May 22, 2009

Williams Arena Floor is getting a Facelift

Am I the only person that thinks removing an 81 year old Williams Arena floor and replacing it with a new one could be a bad omen? Why now? Tubby? Is this your doing?

If the Gopher basketball season turns sour next year – I am going to blame it on the floor…then again if it turns out well, the floor gets the credit as well.

I love that historic Williams Arena floor…I wonder if they are going to auction off any of the boards ? I would LOVE one!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Gopher Baseball is Good Stuff especially with John Anderson

OK, so I don’t usually follow or comment on Gopher Baseball, but I have to, just a little, today.

I was up late Sunday night and Mark Rosen had Gophers baseball head coach John Anderson on the show. Turns out John Anderson just celebrated his 1,000 win for the Minnesota Gophers as a head coach – 1,000 (yes, three zeros) and he is humble to boot! I actually learned some interesting facts about this guy and the Gopher baseball team – like the fact that Gophers baseball is the oldest intercollegiate sport on campus and that John Anderson got the head coaching job when he was 26!

The Gophers Baseball team has a great shot at winning the Big Ten Tournament and these boys are raring to play – I am starting to wonder why I rarely give the Gopher Baseball team a second thought…maybe because I am so addicted to hockey, football and basketball – one more sport would just make my Gopher head explode.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Gopher Football Season

Is it Gopher Football Season , yet?

I keep seeing all these news stories about TCF Bank Stadium being almost complete - it makes me want the start of Gopher Football to be sooner rather than later.

I wonder if I could start a petition for college football to add two games, take a mid season break and start at the beginning of August? that's crazy talk, I know.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Gophers Bulldogs Hockey Comes Out On Top

Minnesota Top Intrastate Rivalry? Gophers Bulldogs Hockey.

Sporting News named the mens hockey battles between my beloved Minnesota Gophers and those dirty UMD Bulldogs as the top Minnesota intrastate rivalry. Gopher Gal agrees! For whatever reason I get more fired up to pound the crap out of Duluth than I do about Mankato or even St Cloud and the intrastate hockey rivals are much more heated than any other sport. Afterall, this is the state of hockey!

Now, I wonder how I will feel about my Minnesota Gophers playing Bemidji? I don’t think it will top the intense University of Minnesota vs. University of Minnesota feelings.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Grant Potulny Joins Minnesota Gophers Hockey Team...Again

Good new from the land of Gopher hockey:

“Having captained two Minnesota teams to national championships, Grant Potulny will return to the Gopher men’s hockey team this fall as a volunteer assistant coach.”


I loved Grant as a player and I know he will bring a level of coaching to the Gophers that they are missing – the ability to motivate the youngsters in a way they understand! Grant was with the Gophers from 2000-04, not that long ago, so he remembers what it is like to be a college kid playing hockey and he can use that relevant experience to mentor to these guys.

I think his youthful presence will be a welcome sight behind the mens Gophers hockey bench. Besides he knows what it feels like to win a national title (2003) and he can tease (thus motivate) these boys about tasting that sweet victorious nectar.


“This is an unbelievable opportunity and I’m so grateful to be back with the Gopher hockey program,” Grant Potulny said. “It’s an opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up and it’s a great chance to learn from three of the best coaches in college hockey.”

Friday, May 8, 2009

Gopher Hockey WCHA to get Bigger

There has been plenty of talk for YEARS about Bemidji State (mens) joining the WCHA and the issue has once again been brought to the front burner.

I say “Do It” and let Bemidji State mens hockey join up – I love the intrastate rivalries and frankly after they made the NCAA hockey tournament last year and zero WCHA teams made it, I think they have proven they have a strong hockey program. Plus they are building a new hockey facility up there. Hooah! I have a friend that goes to college at Bemidji State (hi Matt!) and he thinks it would rock if the hockey team could face-off against the Gophers, Mavericks, Huskies, Bulldogs, Badgers and Sioux (especially the Sioux, he said).

I think if Bemidji State was part of the WCHA, recruiting would be a little bit tougher for the Minnesota Gophers, but competition is a good thing – the strong will come out on top.

I predict you will see Bemidji State mens hockey in the WCHA (womens hockey already plays in WCHA) by 2011 . . . they will need to add another team to make the conference 12 or subtract a team to keep it at ten . . . I have read posts about people wanting to dump Alaska Anchorage and replace with Bemidji State. I am for that, but I would prefer to add another team and make it twelve. We’ll see.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Gopher Football Team Captains

The Gopher Football team selected the following team captains:

From the Gopher Offense:
Eric Decker
Adam Weber

From the Gopher Defense:
Garrett Brown
Lee Campbell
Simoni Lawrence
Eric Small


Not too many surprises, really. Except that the team traditionally goes with four captains (2 offense, 2 defense) – but according to Tim Brewster, “the vote was so close on the defensive side of the ball that the team elected to go with four.”

We will see how that goes. I don’t really think it will matter. I am more worried about the offense than the defense next year any way. I am not sure we could even pick another offensive guy to be captain – who would it be? We definitely will need Decker and Weber to be strong leaders on that Offense next year – I am already chewing my fingernails and the season hasn’t even started!

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