Rhoda's our guy!

Dutchy,

You and I are usually pretty close in our outlook on teams/sports, but I couldn’t disagree with your posts above more. Especially the one where you asked us to choose between convicts and .500 football. There’s plenty of convicts playing at schools to allow them to be .500 teams.

And why can’t MN be WI in football? When we were kids, WI was nothing in FB and wanted to be MN. Why can’t it flipflop or at least be where MN rises to that level? Alvarez has gone through 3 coaches since he stepped down, that is going to catch up with him pretty soon. And at some point, MN will get it right. Way too early on Fleck to know if he’s the guy, but we’ve never had anyone like him before. We’ve had gum flappers before, but nothing with what appears to be real substance.

pool2fool wrote:

Now if the UMN brass could accept that and budget accordingly.

The problem is that the U of M brass believe they have A) an unlimited bank account and B) the belief that the U is entitled to spend “whatever it takes” because, after all, they are THE U and C) I think they are under the impression that past (wayyyyyy, way past) success is some indication of future results that can be expected if you just have points A and B covered. In ohter words, if you spend the coin, the championships will automatically come.

The sheer NUMBERS of schools putting D1 teams on the fields, courts, ice, etc these days argues against anything really big changing as far as the U’s success, especially in football and basketball. And the U has most likely unwittingly been the architect of their own destruction in hockey as well, by helping to fund the teams that will now unseat them as a former hockey power.

And now the question that nobody in the U Brass wants to answer: Do athletics really even matter to anymore? The justification used to be pride and image, basically the good PR of a winning team. Is that really worth tens of millions of dollars per year in this day and age???

I’d say the U would be WAY better off spending the cash on academics and research rather than stadiums and “athlete’s villages”.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Is that really worth tens of millions of dollars per year in this day and age???

I’d say the U would be WAY better off spending the cash on academics and research rather than stadiums and “athlete’s villages”.

Grouse

Grouse, perhaps you can help me out on this because I truly don’t know. How much tax payer money or University “cash” is spent on athletics?
My understanding is that most Division 1 schools including the U of M, athletic departments are self supporting. If you consider the millions of $$ from TV contracts (Big Ten network, ESPN, CBS, ABC networks, etc.) received by the schools plus ticket revenues and other donations I think the athletic departments are mostly self funded. And mostly football and basketball revenue also funds all the NCAA sports programs for those schools (women’s sports, golf, gymnastics, baseball, track and field, etc.)
And as far as facilities, my understanding was that a large portion was from private donors for “athletes village” and stadiums and other athletic facilities. Corporate donations, alumni, and season ticket fees. If you could provide the percentage of tax dollars and University cash earmarked for academics being spent on athletics compared to the dollars spent from all other sources that may help me visualize if in fact the U is “wasting” public funds.

Yes, I suppose it is just another business trying to make more money. But that should answer your question “Do athletics really even matter?”

This is kinda off base but let me ask this question. And please don’t read in a attack into the question. I think everybody should ask this question to themselves.

How many wins or championships would be required to wash away the stench of the scandals in the sports programs over the last 3 or so years?

As Minnesotans we might be aware that some players were exonerated. We maybe are aware the ex-ad slithered out of town to never be heard from again. The wrestling coach was quietly let go. But what is the national perception? Did those follow up stories get the same press as the original scandal stories? So just how many wins are required for us to look in the mirror and pound our chests and say we are great! Uff Da.

Well, I guess we can always choose to ignore the transgressions of the few in pursuit of the warm & fuzzy game day wins.

So, where this is leading is……….is the millions spent to polish the image money well spent or are we covering the warts of sports?

Dutchboy wrote:

This is kinda off base but let me ask this question. And please don’t read in a attack into the question. I think everybody should ask this question to themselves.

How many wins or championships would be required to wash away the stench of the scandals in the sports programs over the last 3 or so years?

As Minnesotans we might be aware that some players were exonerated. We maybe are aware the ex-ad slithered out of town to never be heard from again. The wrestling coach was quietly let go. But what is the national perception? Did those follow up stories get the same press as the original scandal stories? So just how many wins are required for us to look in the mirror and pound our chests and say we are great! Uff Da.

Well, I guess we can always choose to ignore the transgressions of the few in pursuit of the warm & fuzzy game day wins.

So, where this is leading is……….is the millions spent to polish the image money well spent or are we covering the warts of sports?

The stench is gone as far as I’m concerned. New AD, new football coach demanding a new culture, and offending players gone…

Go Gophers!!

Try row da boat over dis
???? chomp chomp – Go Gata!

You survived…

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Dutchboy wrote:

G you are correct. Nothing is like a college atmosphere. Thats why I like the college hockey.

And after reading a few of your comments here it sounds like you need to stick to your college hockey

EVERY program has scandal… ever hear of Penn State ? Problem is, we live in MN, so we hear about every little thing to do with MN scandals. Also I think the U is more transparent… to a fault, compared to what some schools do to try to cover it up and quite honestly, most are probably successful at it, so you never hear it. I for one can live without a Championship every year… you can’t win ALL THE TIME, how boring would that be…

tbro16 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Dutchboy wrote:</div>
G you are correct. Nothing is like a college atmosphere. Thats why I like the college hockey.

And after reading a few of your comments here it sounds like you need to stick to your college hockey

The comments about not being a homer? 1960 the last national title i believe. Do some research and discover what major shift in college football happened to render the U as just another football team.

56 years is a pretty good sample size of a program that seldom exceeds .500 in the Big 10. That said they have some fun teams to follow once in a while.

Catching up on some threads after being away for a few days…

I think G’s right on a few things relating to scandals. I’ve got no data whatsoever to prove this but it does seem that the U of M is pretty transparent compared to some other schools. Some schools lately in the Big 12 and SEC (I know Baylor comes to mind) have gotten slammed for covering up or not addressing problems.

Also, in my opinion, college and pro sports are just dirty in general. There’s a reason good people stand out. Athletes are doing things every day that would get any of us fired in a heartbeat for what they’re saying and doing.

Success is getting long overdue though. Remember when the Paterno/Sandusky mess was supposed to “cripple” Penn State. They had a down year or two and now are back in talks of possibly competing for the B1G East title. USC got slammed for Pete Carroll-era scandals and while they haven’t made it to top-level national prominance, they’ve bounced back. I’d like to see the Gophers get over that hump and make a single-digit ranking one of these years.

youngfry wrote:

Gophers will go 3-0 in NC… 1-8 in the BIG. Book it

yeah Iowa looked like a real powerhouse… at home… Just think if we had a QB, we would have slaughtered you ! Don’t book your ticket to anything just yet.

Who said anything about Iowa? Or booking anything anywhere? I might be a San Diego State fan for all you know…. doesn’t mean I can’t troll MN.

It just so happens that I AM an Iowa fan. But I am comfortable where they are this year. Not a powerhouse… a young team that is figuring it out. They go back and forth between flashing talent/potential and shooting themselves in the foot. I compare it to a young teenage boy on his first date. Lots of really stupid, head scratching mistakes and missed opportunities. But at least he’s on the date and will look back and laugh when the braces come off.

I will root for the ground squirrels (gophers don’t have stripes guys) to beat the corn suckers… no other team I despise more than them.

youngfry wrote:

doesn’t mean I can’t troll MN

Good luck, to get a hit trolling you have to have something interested in the bait. We have professional sports in MN, that we hardly care about.

so you are sticking to your 4-8 then ?

Yup. Don’t see any wins left in that schedule.

you missed one swaumi….

give it some time goths will be great again someday

Happy to be wrong. I hate Nebraska more than any other team so watching them get pounded was hilarious and hearing their fans in agony is even more gratifying.