Ski U Mah!

The Minnesota Golden Gophers adopted the saying “Ski U Mah!” over 100 years ago. Legend has it that a Minnesota rugby team lost a canoe race to a group of American Indians. The Indians won the race and shouted out “Ski U Mah” in celebration. The ruggers inquired as to what it meant, and they said “victory”. So, the Minnesota rugby team adopted the slogan and it was not for another 20 years that the football squad started using it. Therefore, much like Alabama’s “Roll Tide Roll”, Penn State’s “We Are,” and Oklahoma’s “Boomer Sooner”, the Gophers have a saying of their own that most of the country outside of the Big Ten Conference probably weren’t aware of. So now  you know the rest of the story!

The # 4 ranked and undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions came to Minneapolis to take on the #17 ranked and undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers. I was quite perturbed last week that ESPN College Gameday did not pick this setting to attend. Minnesota is coached by PJ Fleck, now in his third year and recently signed to a seven-year contract extension. Fleck came from Western Michigan University where he took that program to a New Years’ Six bowl game before migrating to Minneapolis. He brought his own slogan of “row the boat” with him from Kalamazoo. Simply meaning, ”all oars in the water”. Minnesota has had several years of being decent but never great since 1941. Their greatest player was one Bronko Nagurski who was a warrior for them almost 100 years ago. The atmosphere in town, campus and stadium would be electric for this matchup.

I was joined by two of my close college friends and teammates, Jim Tubby Devine and Chip Shrek Hayden. The three of us have had many colorful memories together over the past 40 years. We did the customary familiarizing ourselves with local establishments Friday night and ensured that proper Benjamins were distributed to multiple houses of worship. The only knock I had was an Irish bar errrr church that ran out of Guinness at 7 PM on a Friday night. The Bieber committee is giving this one serious consideration.

With a kickoff of 11 AM local time, the Bronkos Boathouse Tailgate commenced libation pouring and chow line at 8 AM. For some reason though, we arrived a bit later than 8.  Dan Lusk and Geno, their wives and Dan’s daughter, Maria all made us feel very welcome and regaled us with stories of their tailgate and Minnesota football. Bronkos Boathouse is a Tailgate Connect® affiliate and their own slogan is “We have never lost a tailgate”. I would agree, as we most certainly left there feeling like winners. The bar they use was constructed to look like the front of a boat. There were many decorations around the 4 -tent spread with Bronko Nagurski pictures, boat oars and of course the Bronko Boathouse crest. Breakfast for us consisted mainly of spicy tomato juice with vegetables in a cup and some other light -colored liquid. We did a customary Viking toast “SKOL” of something resembling a blue dart that is their spirit of choice. Our tailgate hosts were instrumental in bringing back tailgating to the University of Minnesota as there was a time when it was outlawed. They were part of a group that petitioned the university and persuaded them to allow tailgating again. Not all heroes wear capes! We were treated to Army parachuters jumping into the stadium from the vantage point of the tailgate lot. After being re-awoken and fed, we made our way into the beautiful TCF Bank stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota. TCF was built 10 years ago giving the Gophers their own facility for the first time in decades after sharing the old Metrodome with the NFL Minnesota Vikings. Capacity is about 55,000 but the seating is plenty spacious, and it could easily hold 15,000 more if they wanted to squeeze people in like some other stadiums who boast of having so many seats.

Bronkos Boathouse Tailgate

Rowing the boat!

From the onset of the game, the atmosphere was off the charts. Most of the fans were decked out in their Minnesota maroon with a smattering of Penn State white. There had not been this much anticipation for a football game in the state of Minnesota since the days of Fran Tarkenton when he played for the Vikings. Even with an early start, the fans had plenty of time to get primed for this marquee matchup. The Gophers scored on a 65-yard pass play just two and a half minutes into the game on a toss from QB Tanner Morgan to Rashod Batemen who would hook up repeatedly throughout the day. Penn State responded with a score of their own on a 45-yard run. Minnesota would score again, and hold serve for the next three quarters. Oh, and don’t worry, the Minnesotans are a hearty people and as such, ample beer was served in the stadium. On the final drive, PSU QB Sean Clifford was picked off for the third and final time of the game as the Nittany Lions were attempting a game winning touchdown. That interception secured a huge upset win for the Gophers and puts them in contention for the college football playoffs now. 

Larry, Moe and Curly

The majestic TCF Stadium

The students, along with thousands of other fans and two guys in their fifties hopped over the wall and stormed the field. The Gophers have not been this happy since that time when they escaped Carl from Caddyshack’s attempts to exterminate them from the Bushwood country club golf course. In the midst of it all, l ran into last week’s Ginger awardee, 5- time cancer survivor Casey O’Brien and slapped him on the shoulder pads congratulating him. We made our way off the field, out of the stadium to the Buffalo Wild Wings across the street for the Bama v LSU game.

Let the celebration begin!

Around the country – In what was being billed as the latest “game of the century”, the #2 LSU Tigers traveled to Tuscaloosa to take on the #3 Alabama Crimson Tide. President Trump and our First Lady Melania even attended this monumental battle and were warmly cheered by the fans. Three weeks after having ankle surgery, All American Alabama QB 1 Tua Bangyourdrumslowly was back in action to lead the Tide. He would face current Heisman Front Runner Joe “Nuke Laloosh” Burrow and the explosive Tiger offense. LSU thoroughly dominated the first half of the game all the way through the middle of the third quarter. Then suddenly, Big Mo entered the stadium and its color was crimson. Tua and the Tide battled back valiantly only to fall short at the end. Final score LSU 46, Bama 41 and Epstein didn’t kill himself. 

Nuke Burrow?

The Big 12 had plenty of action as Baylor and OU both squeaked out wins to set the stage for the main event in Waco next Saturday night. Illinois came from 21 down in the fourth quarter to upset Michigan State. The Illini are now bowl eligible. In the Group of Five, Boise scored more points than Wyoming did on the blue smurf turf even without their star QB Hank Bachmeier who missed another game due to injury. Boise is now in the driver’s seat for the GoF New Years’ 6 bowl game. In the ACC, Wake Forest may have been looking ahead to next week’s match with Clemson and dropped their second game of the year to those Hokies up in Blacksburg, VA as they honored their longtime outgoing Defensive Coordinator, Bud Foster. In the PAC 12, USC soared into the Devils den in Tempe and forked them over by beating the hell out of ASU, and thus saving coach Clay HELLton from getting fired for now. Sun Devil coach Herm Edwards was heard screaming in Tillman’s Tunnel after the game “Hello, you play to win the game!!!”  In Service Academy news, Army rolled over UMASS (Please leave D1A, you are a horrible program). Yankee stadium was the scene of the top two undefeated Ivy League teams as Dartmouth came out on top of Princeton. This game was to celebrate Princeton as one of the two teams in the first college football game ever played 150 years ago last week. The winner of this year’s biggest little game in America between Williams and Amherst was Williams by a score of 31- 9.

The Koreivos in Austin

Alabama Al showing off his fashion sense.

Perennial Bieberite, neighbor John at the Colorado game.

Bieber –  A rare occasion, we have no acts egregious enough to be Bieber worthy this week. The Bieber award is taking a week off! Although we have some usual suspects such as PAC 12 refs, Ohio State cheating again, neighbor John just being himself and brother Brian going to another random game all by his lonesome. The Bieber committee thought it best not to cheapen the award with mild infractions or stainworthy behavior.

Ginger – Boston College “Eagle Tailgaters” stalwart, US Navy Veteran and friend Rick Gagne is sailing some stormy seas of life right now. He is battling the awful C word and has been put on the tailgating IR list for the season. Rick as an avid sailor and Navy Vet has certainly navigated many challenging waters in his life which has helped prepare him for this battle he is taking head on now. I have tailgated with Rick in many cities and he is just a one of kind great guy and one of the best tailgate chefs you will meet. He has prepared everything from lobster tails to prime rib at some of the games we have been at together  We have shared numerous stories over his favorite beer, Bud Light. Well Ricky, you are one badass in life and you will set your navigational beacon on beating the damn C word and getting back in action as soon as you can. You are this week’s Ginger recipient buddy!

Rick on the right with Pops Leblanc and myself

Next Week – High School playoffs Friday night. Most likely will not be going to a college game on Saturday but instead doing some couch crunches and remote-control hand exercises while watching all the action on my big screen.

  

Happy Tailgating.