Enter the Meat Grinder

// July 28th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Minnesota, scheduling, wob

Minnesota is jacking up the level of competition in the years to come. According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg they are looking to add Texas to a post-2009 slate that includes USC, Colorado and Oregon State after an already challenging 2009 schedule. Coach Tim Brewster ain’t scurred:

The schedule is extremely challenging, but that’s to my liking. I love the fact that we’re playing Air Force, we’re playing Cal, we’re playing Syracuse. We’re playing some really good football teams. Somebody said that we had the fifth most challenging schedule in America, and I like that. I think it’s a good thing.

Missing Indiana and Michigan during the conference schedule in 2009 helps the strength of schedule but eliminates two very winnable games. And going big seems to be helping recruiting:

But from a recruit’s perspective, I think that’s what they want. When I talk to recruits on the phone, they say, Hey, coach, who are you playing in the nonconference schedule? They want to know. When I say, We’re playing USC, you can sense an excitement in a young man’s voice. Kids want to play in marquee nationally televised games.

To be honest with you, I want the University of Minnesota to be on that stage. I want to play nationally televised games where tremendous exposure is put on our program. And when you play USC, that happens.

We’re going to play some other teams also that are going to give us exposure. I don’t think there’s a downside. I really don’t. We’re an ascending program the way I look at our program. We’re going to keep getting better. We’ll be up to the challenge of playing the type of schedules that we’re going to play at Minnesota through the next couple of years.

The added hypothetical exposure will be beneficial, but only with wins and bowl games. The big name teams seem to be offset by the standard BCS cupcake menu. Other schools currently on the docket from 2010-2015 are South Dakota, North Dakota State, Syracuse {Also the opening game of the ‘09 season.}, San Jose State, UNLV, Western Illinois, Miami of Ohio, South Dakota State and Ohio {www.gophersports.com}. Naturally this is incredibly premature and open to an abundance of change. They could conceivably play none of these teams if a school with a bigger checkbook comes calling. A lot of scheduling comes down to the strength of a school and the luck of hitting big name teams on a down swing and avoiding mid-majors on an uptick.

The final result will be interesting to see, but it will be difficult to ignore Minnesota scheduling big name teams from out of the conference. Although it will be a meat grinder, we’ll borrow words of wisdom from Wedding Crashers: Rule #76. No excuses. Play like a champion.

Linkage: Memorial to the Brickhouse

// July 27th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Minnesota, retro, wob

Walk On Boy back trying to get back in the blogging groove with some gratuitous Gopher retrophilia {HT: Brian Cook of The Sporting Blog and Smart Football.} celebrating the return to campus. Can we return to media guide photos like this please? I tried while I was in school, but the uptight photographers wouldn’t allow it. The fact that I wasn’t very good probably had something to do with it. Whatever.

Explore, enjoy and either be excited for the Gopher’s returning to campus and the great outdoors or thankful that your team is already outside. {Unless you’re a fan of Syracuse, Idaho or another team that plays in a dome.} However, I can already foresee people pining for the Metrodome during the first bad weather game at the Stadium-That Must-Not-Be-Named {And of course they didn’t allow liquor sales.}. Any suggestions for a nickname on par with The Brickhouse?

Liquor sales at new Gopher stadium

// June 23rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

The Regents are scheduled to vote tomorrow on whether or not they are going to allow alcohol sales for the inaugural season of Not The Metrodome*. I don’t see what the big issue is with allowing liquor sales in the entire stadium. Arbitrarily placing restrictions on something that is legal is absurd straight away, but the enormous amount of revenue that is lost also seems a bit shortsighted. Underage students will imbibe and people will overindulge, but there is security and police present - wouldn’t it be easier to curtail unruly behavior inside the stadium confines rather than the pre- and post-game tailgate and house party expanse? And it’s a college freaking football game, not a kindergarten dance recital. There’s nothing more American than sitting on your ass eating and drinking body damaging substances while watching other people exert themselves.

However, if the Regents do want to shun ‘logic’ and ‘making money’ and do decide to ban sales, well then go ahead. I don’t necessarily think that because the vast majority of other collegiate on-campus stadiums ban alcohol sales then the U should blindly follow suit. I understand trying to avoid the potential liability and problems that may arise because of in-stadium alcohol sales. But is the message an institution of higher learning wants to send students {Because undeniably that is who the restrictions are primarily aimed at. And of course they won’t succeed in bringing in libations of their own, right? If all the brain power and effort that college students used engineering drinking supplies and games went to benefit humanity, we could wipe out hunger, disease, and be well on our way to living in a veritable utopia in two years. Alas.}: ‘You aren’t mature enough to handle this, so we’re going to take it away from you.’ I mean, the most famous drunken incident at the Metrodome last year had nothing to do with Minnesota students.

Why the State Legislature decided to make a new law because allowing liquor sales in premium seating areas “struck some lawmakers as elitist” is beyond me. Of course it is elitist. Any place of business that inflates prices to exclude a certain demographic is elitist. The elitism doesn’t bother me; people with money have greater access to more places and services. The state government stepping in doesn’t exactly bother me. The politicians are trying to come up with something tangible {beer sales at Gopher games} or the perceived effort of doing something for the greater good; they’re politicians - hell, too many of them are worried about a college football playoff or steroids in baseball than more pressing issues facing the country. What bothers me the most is the University high-ups wringing their collective hands rather than making a decision.

Give the thumbs up or thumbs down and let’s move on, shall we? {But you’d be a lot cooler if you went with the thumbs up.}

* I refuse to call it by its proper name because of a run-in with the omitted entity. I deposited a check, purchased about four/five things after the aforementioned transaction. After taking up issue with the overdraft fees, I was informed that it was company policy for all deposits to be processed the following business day and that there was no way they could reverse the charges incurred {about $150 for roughly $30 worth of purchases}. I know this to be blatantly untrue because a year or two earlier on a legitimate overdraft, I was prepared to pay the fee and was told by the teller that he would just erase the charge. He may have been gay and doing it to hit on me, but that’s not really the point. I hate you unnamed bank.

Notable Alum Name Game

// June 19th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Uncategorized

I love random trivia. Back home I have some buddies that are fantastic at coming up with pointless games such as: One person thinks of a town in your state, gives the first letter, and other people have three guesses. Or attempting to list as many roster members from teams around 10 years ago. It’s a great way to kill lulls in conversation, although it usually just leads to that being the entire discussion.

Over at Joe Posnanski’s Blog he has some excellent useless conversation fodder. The rules:

For each college you have to pick the best (1) Basketball player; (2) Football player; (3) Baseball player and (4) Wildcard, which could be any sport, anything semi-involving sport or if it’s good enough a cool alumni who has nothing at all to do with sports.

I’ll add an additional element for the FWG discussion: The Black Sheep. Basically the alumnus that you’re less than keen on having graduated from your school.

Minnesota

Basketball: Kevin McHale
Football: Bronko Nagurski
Baseball: Paul Molitor
Wildcard I: Herb Brooks (US Olympic team hockey coach)
Wildcard II: Ric Flair (whoo!)
Wildcard III: Bob Dylan (wrote song for Hurricane Carter)
Wildcard IV: Patty Berg (co-founded LPGA)
Wildcard V: Tony Dungy
Wildcard VI: Bud Wilkinson

I would recommend Dave Winfield and Brock Lesnar as rather notable wildcards. Even though Lesnar did go to the dark side of fake wrestling for a bit. Although it is difficult to fault him for getting paid. Garrison Keillor would be one that has little to do with athletics.

Black Sheep: Yanni

And for Rob:

Connecticut

Basketball: Ray Allen
Basketball: Diana Taurasi
Football: Brian Kozlowski
Baseball: Charles Nagy … special mention for the remarkable Walt Dropo
Wildcard: Sam Rutigliano (coach of Kardiac Kids Browns) and Leigh Montville (sportswriting idol), two heroes at one school. Almost impossible to believe the awesomeness.

Suggested Black Sheep: Moby. You have anyone worse than that, Rob?

Go over, check it out and leave some comments to see what colleges readers support and how they fare. I’m thinking that the rankings are based entirely on what they did after they left school - if things were changed to only factor college performance, the lists could look vastly different. Although Bee may have things pretty well locked down either way with UNC.