Cup of Coffee — October 22, 2006
• I went to a football game yesterday and an all-school reunion broke out. That was one of the most fun sporting events I've ever been to, ever. Lucy and I walked over to the NDSU Alumni tent from my office and the place was overflowing with Bison fans. It's clear that this was a big day for Bison Alumni and I was glad I was there.
• I saw faces there of people that I had known way back when. It was a strange scene... who is that, I knew them once was the operative phrase. So, I was introducing myself to people that I knew. Past tense. Amazing stuff. I had a whole lot of fun before the game ever started. Man, it's been almost 20 years since I'd seen some of those guys. I saw a couple of guys there wearing UND shirts. How about that. Both teams playing this game hate UND. Man, were those two guys out of place.
• Ahhh, the game. For the entire game, NDSU absolutely took it to the Gophers. Ultimately, the Bison beat themselves, but there's no blame to assign to the Bison. They came into the Metrodome and completely crushed a Big Ten team. After the game, we were walking out and I starting clapping and pretty soon it spread and the whole place was giving the Bison a rousing ovation. The woman standing next to me said, "You started that ovation. You are the man!" Then, when I got home, I read this at ESPN.COM:
Coach Craig Bohl claimed his team was not interested in any of those classic moral victories, but the way his players were cheered by the NDSU fans as they walked slowly off the field indicated this was indeed just that.
Your best buddy SBG started that ovation.
• After the game, I had this to say about the state of things. Minnesota and NDSU have this in common. Zero wins in the Big Ten.
• I am pretty hoarse today. If the Bison could have come up with one more field goal, they might have cost Glen Mason his job. Ah hell, that's not true. There's no accountability at the University of Minnesota. Such ends my discussion of a totally irrelevant team. Except to say this. The Bison, who aren't eligible for the postseason until 2008 because of their transition to Divison I-AA, were the only developing program on the field. If yesterday was any indication, NDSU will be playing for National Championships at DI-AA in a couple of years. That's a developing program. The team playing at the Metrodome is a stagnant program. And the coach is making a million plus a year.
• Update: Mason actually offered the following excuse on his radio show: his players were distracted by wearing throw back uniforms.
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Rhubarb_Runner
Talked to my dad on the phone last night (Fertile, MN). He was pretty proud of NDSU for the game they played, but in the long run he wasn't too upset they lost. Apparently the fans up there would be insufferable if they had won. His words, not mine!
Good job, Bison.
(Go Fighting Sioux!)
SBG
Fighting Sioux? Never heard of 'em.
bjhess
Did you hear there is a college team in Texas who is being forced to change their "Indians" name, so they are going to go without a name? It's causing quite a problem for the local sportwriters because they don't know what to call the team.
brianS
Yah, and the NCAA is forcing William & Mary to remove the feathers from their sports logo. Offensive to birds?
But Chief Illiniwek can do his break-dance routine and the Free Shoe University injun can throw his flaming spear.
It's all nonsense. Where are Irish-Americans whining about the leprechaun at Notre Dame? That's offensive to real Irishmen and to "little people".
Maybe the NCAA should concentrate more on educating the "scholar-athletes" they are exploiting and less on this crap. Because they clearly have no sense of morally appropriate enforcement.
bjhess
I didn't actually read this column (why would I?), but I thought the headline was apropos:
Shell: 'Players working their tails off'
brianS
someone got a quote from Art Shell? Are you suuuuure it was Art talking?
I bet it was actually a Raiders' spokesperson. Kind of like "The White House announced..."
Moss
How were those throwbacks looking?
SBG
Very distracting!
Moss
Yeah, that's how they were appearing, but how were they looking?