Off to a classy start

Posted by Higgy

It's classy to shake hands after TDs.

Hello and welcome to the Recession Proof blog, the home of the Section 117 Classy Gentlemen. When TCF Bank Stadium opened in 2009 and we found our new home in Rows 3 and 4 of Section 117, our group wanted to commemorate the special season with t-shirts. As we strive to be the classiest fans in the B1G, we went with maroon-and-gold tuxedo T-shirts that say: "Section 117 Classy Gentlemen" on the back.

Since, we've evolved into more than just the shirts. This episode from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia inspired a tuxes and fake-money-throwing celebration for the Halloween game against Michigan State in the Bank's first season. We've upgraded to Gopher-colored formal wear and have taken our show on the road to the likes of Michigan, Iowa, Northwestern, Illinois and UNLV. We've tailgated with steak and lobster. We've shown up at numerous games in limousines. We have an annual preseason meeting to get all our 13-striped ground squirrels in a row called "Gopher Football Roundtable." We're incredibly serious about all this unseriousness.

As we're passionate enough about Gopher football to spend money on maroon and gold tuxedos, top hats, bow ties and vests, we figured it was high time we had a dedicated spot on the world wide web to share our thoughts, feelings, experiences and joy around the interminable ups and downs of actually being die-hard Minnesota supporters. Hence, the blog you're now visiting.

Mac and Charlie ... our inspiration.

We plan to have thoughts, analysis, videos and other entries from all the members of our group, even those that presently range from ages 1-8. Those of us who weren't alive to remember "The Michigan Game" or "The Blocked Punt" or "The Time-Expired Purdue Field Goal" or "The Northwestern Hail Mary" or "The Bowl Game Collapse" are less cynical. Go figure.

 A year ago when our beloved squad opened at UNLV, we were there in full-force. Including the youngest member of our crew, Brooks, who was 18 weeks old at the time. Brooks was asked to do a guest blog for RandBall of the Star Tribune, with the help of his dad, from Vegas with his thoughts on his first Gopher road trip. That was a tremendous honor, Brooks wrote a great piece, and we feel that re-running it here is the absolute best way to start our new online Gopher fandom.

Enjoy, and stay Golden, Gophers.

Randball Blog Post from Vegas, by Brooks

As an 18-week old, my only exposure to Sin City before Thursday was the Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas audiobook I listened to on my way back and forth from day care (remind me to nominate my dad for Father of the Year, by the way). Naturally, I was a bit wary I wouldn’t have the endurance for such a trek. But I quickly surmised a Raoul Duke Vegas experience wasn’t imminent when the only drugs in my parents’ suitcase were Pepto Bismol, Ibuprofen and Lipitor.

The author and his parents in Sin City.

My parents seemed nervous as our travel commenced, and I wasn’t sure if it was due to this being my first time on an airplane or because they rolled the dice on the cheaper flight that was scheduled to arrive a mere two and a half hours before kickoff of the Gophers/UNLV tilt. They certainly weren’t the only Gophers fans who gambled on Sun Country’s punctuality – there were a couple dozen folks sporting maroon and gold on board. And, of course, a large fellow in a Jordy Nelson Packers jersey. Fortunately, he wasn’t in our row.

Donning my Gophers onesie with a screen-printed necktie, I was the star of the flight thanks to less than a minute of combined crying and being the cutest person on board. The fancy attire was required – I changed into my tuxedo onesie later after multiple spit-ups – because my parents are part of the Section 117 Classy Gentlemen. It’s a bit of a misnomer for my mom, but you get the idea. A couple times a year they whip out the tuxedos, buy copious amounts of fake money to randomly throw around while laughing maniacally, and do their pregaming in a limo. Being that this was Vegas, the hot pink stretch Hummer limo they arrived in to whisk my parents away made perfect sense.

Between my Uncle Jaso’s fake mustache, my Uncle Tony’s smoking jacket and my Uncle Big Party’s form-fitting maroon tux, the group was a sight to behold. I immediately understood why my dad attended a season-planning meeting at Hell’s Kitchen last weekend – you can’t pull off a gathering like this without some serious preparation. In fact, I perused the agenda meticulously crafted by my Uncle Matt from said meeting en route to the airport. Of particular note was the spawning of a book club to discuss 50 Shades of Marqueis Gray.

If I were to pen such a tome, it would largely chronicle overthrown receivers. It sounds like he pulled it together a bit in the second half, but I was fast asleep by then. I probably shouldn’t have been awake for the first half, but decided to live it up a bit. I may be a baby, but I’m still in Vegas!