Big Party's B1G Word of the Day

Posted by Big Party

Welcome to the first "Big Party's B1G Word of the Day." Each week, I'll find some multisyllabic word to describe how the Gophers did that day and give a snap judgment with no benefit of reading game recaps or re-watching key parts of the game.  

For last Saturday's win over Western Illinois, the word is: “Subsequent.”  Not that impressive of a word, but it seems fitting.

Goldy and the author.

SUBSEQUENT

sub - se - quent
[suhb - si - kuwh nt] 
adjective

2. following in order or succession

Gopher fans are always cheering for the backup quarterback.  It’s a tradition only rivaled by Jim Nantz being real proud of himself at The Masters.

When Phil Nelson went down against WIU last Saturday and Mitch “The Lamp Lighter” Leidner came into the game, much of the crowd almost seemed relieved. I understand why this condition exists as the Gophers haven’t had a consistent QB1 since Abdul-Khaliq (and I don’t think most people even liked him at the time), but I still think it’s too early to be calling for a change.  I still remember 2 seasons ago when Marquis Gray was finally getting an extensive run out at QB, and all the crowd seemed to want was for “Red Rocket” Max Shortell to take over since he was a “real quarterback.”  I remember angrily looking over at some outspoken gentlemen at my section saying, “You’ll hate Shortell, too!  In fact, I bet you already hate Phil Nelson!”

Phil Nelson, the prize of the 2012 recruiting class, was only a senior in high school at the time, but verily it came to pass.  

Maybe I’m wrong on this, but I’m not generally known for my optimism.  There’s a reason that Nelson came out of fall camp with the starting job. To say that the passing game has been uninspiring is an understatement, and it definitely won’t get any easier with the Big Ten schedule looming. Maybe Leidner will come out on Saturday, have a fantastic game, and win the job.  I just hope we get past halftime before some of the maroon and gold faithful start licking their chops at the prospect of rooting for Chris Streveler’s backup.

I also want to take a moment to thank Jim Souhan and all of the other hot air balloons in the sports media that wrote such abhorrent drivel about Coach Kill’s seizure. You’ve helped raise even more awareness about Epilepsy and galvanized the fan base behind the Coach Kill and the athletic department that supports him. You can all take solace in the fact that everyone in TCF Bank Stadium will now know how to react the next time this happens, and you won’t have to worry about our fragile psyches being affected by the sight of an inspiring man fighting to follow his dream.

Classy response to unclassy column

Posted by Constable Butler

My letter to Nancy Barnes, the Editor and Senior VP at the Star Tribune, sent around noon Monday (Sept. 16, 2013). She issued a blanket apology to Star Tribune readers in response to the hundreds if not thousands of similar letters they have received. Unfortunately, the subject (Jim Souhan) couldn't muster more than a weak non-apology on his blog.

Dear Ms. Barnes, 

I am a loyal Star Tribune reader and advocate for maintaining a strong,independent 4th branch in our country.  I support freedom of the press and free speech rights.  I believe it's important to have strong local newspapers and other media outlets in order to have an informed public.  I also believe journalists have a responsibility to be thoughtful in how they exercise those rights and to choose their words carefully.

In columnist Jim Souhan's recent column regarding University of Minnesota football coach Jerry Kill's seizure during the September 14 game, he demonstrated a hurtful, insensitive,and unprofessional attitude toward not just Coach Kill but also the many thousands of Minnesotans and millions of Americans who live with epilepsy and other serious medical conditions or disabilities.  

I may disagree with Mr. Souhan over the question of whether a football coach can compete successfully while managing a serious medical condition, but I concede he has the right as a member of the sports media to raise that question.  However, I believe Mr. Souhan went much too far in moving beyond the question of whether someone with a serious health condition could coach a football team into opining that the public should not be subjected to seeing someone have a seizure, an occurrence that happens millions of times per year in public and private settings.  

I am lucky enough to have a family with no major health concerns or disabilities that we are presently aware of and I hope that both you and Mr. Souhan are as fortunate as I am.  But we live in a world where many people don't have that luxury and I hope we can live in a world where we allow people the opportunity to attempt to overcome their challenges without fear of ridicule for having a medical episode occur in public.  

I believe that Mr. Souhan's statement that "No one who buys a ticket to TCF Bank Stadium should be rewarded with the sight of a middle-aged man writhing on the ground" warrants a public apology by Mr. Souhan to Coach Kill, the University of Minnesota, and to the thousands of Minnesotans who struggle with epilepsy.

Sincerely,

Ted Butler

Andover, MN

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!