Grab a Brew - don't cost nothin'.

Or perhaps something stronger (as our friend Bluto here has), if you're not a fan of Coach Brewster.  Of course, you all know that Gopher Bandanna Guy IS a fan of Coach Tremendous Brew.  So it comes as no surprise that I am pleased to see that the Pioneer Press has announced that the 'U' and Brew have come to terms on a 2-year contract extension.

This is the right move, in my opinion, since continuity is in order to make any hay at all out of this experiment with Mr. Tim Brewster.  I want to see it through now, for better or worse.  And if Joel Maturi agrees (and he seems to), then extending Brew two more years is the exact right length to do it.  Long enough to keep the recruitment train rolling for another year or two, but not so long as to completely hamstring the athletic department (a la Charlie Weiss at Notre Dame - ok, so maybe it didn't quite hamstring the Golden Domers financially- they just had another alum crack open a money bin like Uncle Scrooge to pay that slob). 

In 2009, Coach Brewster cleared a cool million in compensation, ranking 66th in a list of college football coach salaries.  That puts him 9th in the Big Ten, ahead of Pat Fitzgerald and Bill Lynch, which seems about right (Brew's ranking in salary that is).  MSU's Dantonio at $1.8 million is clearly the highway robber of the Big Ten.  So we're getting Brew relatively cheap on the pay scale of BCS conference coaches (and we should be).  The terms of this extension have not yet been released, but I'd anticipate a modest raise over the duration of the new deal.

So there we have it, the stage is set for 2010. Brew, Horton, Cosgrove and Lee will lead our favorite gridiron Gophs with the promise of stability for a few more years.  Let's hope that is enough to get this team on the upward track.  Now Brew could just find a way to keep Seantrel at home...

Welcome Golden Gopher Football's latest O-Coordinator.

Wow. That was quick. Maturi and Brew weren't kidding. Rivals.com has broken the news that Jeff Horton, Detroit Lions QB Coach, will be the new Minnesota Golden Gopher Football Offensive Coordinator. Continuity (for both the offensive system and recruiting) was obviously a concern here, as evidenced by the quick turn-around-time in filling the position.

Alright - first off, get your "the Lions suck - why would we hire anybody from them" comments out of the way. Those of you who know Gopher Bandanna Guy personally know that I am likely the ONLY Gopher alum/fan who is also a die-hard Detroit Lions fan from the early 80s on. That said, I may be slightly more attuned to Horton's more recent work - namely the handling of #1 overall NFL Draft Pick, Matthew Stafford. Stafford was progressing along nicely this season, until he got dinged up (knee and shoulder). He showed flashes of absolute brilliance (game vs. Cleveland), and decent game management skills (@ Vikings). He was also developing an excellent on-field relationship with fellow rookie, TE Brandon Pettigrew (until he went down for the year with an injury of his own). OK - before this post devolves into a lengthy discussion of Detroit Lion football woes, I'll just say that overall Horton seemed to have done a good job in handling the high profile Stafford.

However, Horton (like our DC Cosgrove) does have the Badger stink on him. That comes from being the Wisconsin QB Coach from 1999 to 2005. That also includes his handling of ex-Badger NFL QB Jim Sorgi, who has actually carved out a nice NFL career as a backup to Peyton Manning. So there's good (Sorgi, Stocco, and Bollinger were all pretty decent B-10 QBs) and bad (Badger stink). I got over it with Cosgrove, and I can get over it with Horton. Another plus, he also has head coaching experience (U of Nevada and UNLV). I feel better already about this hire, given his experiences in college and the NFL.

Presuming he sticks around for more than a season - Horton will play no small part in shaping the future of this team, particularly through the development of MarQueis Gray and our young group of skill position players. His success or failure as our OC is also going to make or break Brewster's career as a head football coach. Whether you are a Coach Brew supporter as I am, or just want improvement in the win column for 2010, lets hope the 3rd time is indeed the charm for hires at this position.

Seahawks go Fisch-ing, Al Nolen ineligible

The rumors are finally confirmed, Jedd Fisch is now officially no longer a member of the Minnesota Golden Gopher Football coaching staff. The 'whiz kid' offensive coordinator is headed back to the NFL to be Pete Carroll's QB coach, where he can mess with the throwing motion of high priced multi-million dollar athletes, instead of kids with scholarships. Jedd we hardly knew ye.

But that's just fine. I said after the Iowa game that Fisch should be gone, and I got my wish (although he wasn't fired). I don't want to sit here and bag on the guy now that he's gone. We all saw what his system produced this year, and the de-evolution of Adam Weber that went with it. A 3rd OC in as many years is, of course, a huge concern. Coach Brew wants his next hire to run the same style offense, based on the infrastructure Fisch had laid down. I don't like this at all, from the perspective of limiting our potential hires. But if it means continuity in recruiting by keeping kids who want to play in a pro-style system. Though winning and stability seem like they'd be far more attractive to the average recruit. Who ever Brewster brings in for this postion, he's GOT to get it right. This hire could conceivably be his cliched 3rd strike if the Gopher offense languishes again in 2010. Early rumor has it that Tim Davis (current O-Line coach and Running Game Coordinator) is one likely candidate. This would certainly help with the continuity issues, and presuming the terminology and hand signaling are kept relatively similar, the transition could be easier on the players.

I give Brewster credit for hiring Ted Roof and his successor Kevin Cosgrove to handle the defensive side of the ball. Roof substantially improved the defense, but then bolted for Auburn (no fault of Brewster), and Cosgrove/Lee continued the progression of the defense. Clearly, Brewster is capable of making good hires. Let's hope he can find the right guy this time around too. If he can't, the development of MarQueis et al is at stake.

And some quick hoops news - starting PG, Al Nolen has been ruled academically ineligible as of last Tuesday (he has appealed his status). Things just keep getting better for the Gopher cagers. Perhaps this will force the team to develop freshman Justin Cobbs a little quicker, and Devoe Joseph will pick up more minutes. What really hurts though, is the loss of Nolen's defense. With a critical game vs. Michigan State coming to The Barn this Saturday, the Gophs need all hands on deck.

Fun times for Gopher Nation.

What is it with you Hoosiers - Don’t you have any pride?

Storming the court after a win in which you blew a 15 point lead in the second half to an unranked Minnesota? Wow. I thought IU was a ‘classy basketball school’, but apparently taking down the Gophers was enough to prompt the students to drop their oversized headshot signs, and gleefully prance onto the hardwood. And speaking of those headshot signs, I thought there were rules about the dimensions of signs that can be displayed at games. But I digress. Most amusing to me, during the BTN broadcast was the juxtaposition of the camera panning the National Championship banners in the rafters near the end of regulation, followed by the jubilant students skipping onto the court like they were going to the Final Four. Come on, IU – don’t you have any pride? You’re a school rich with hoops tradition. I know its been awhile since you’ve done much in the Big Ten, but come on. Show some dignity. What's next? A win over rival Purdue or highly ranked MSU might get Assembly Hall burned to the ground. Watch out Hoosier boosters -get your student fan base under control.

This behavior displayed by the IU student body reeks of 21st Century Michigan basketball fans (who also questionably rushed the floor after beating #15 UConn this weekend). Come on students – let’s be a little more selective on what motivates you to push your way past a security guard. Save it for a win over a top 5 team, or clinching a Big Ten championship.

Ok – so its fair to say that I’m pretty angry about this loss, and admittedly I am venting here. Nothing wrong with that – this is the perfect venue for this, right? Alright, now that I’ve justified my bitterness, I can get on to what really irritated me during the game yesterday. Namely – one Verdell Jones the 3rd. Good player with good talent, but his little smirk got to me. He baited Westbrook into an ill-advised technical foul. And then all my irritation was culminated on his foul-drawing flop to the floor in OT on his fade-away shot hit in overtime against the clean defense of Devoe Joseph. The flop followed by a tongue wag. He knew he got away with it, and he had the gall to yuck it up too.

Then it hit me. I knew why I was so irritated with Jones III. He looks like he could be former Badger Devin Harris’ brother. All the more reason for my ire.

Fisch to Seahawks?

Apparently the brilliance that was the Gopher offense this year has led to Jed Fisch joining Pete Carroll's staff in Seattle as his QB Coach.

"Jeremy Bates is expected to be the coordinator, Jedd Fisch of Minnesota likely to coach quarterbacks and Alex Gibbs will coach the offensive line and serve as associate head coach."

from this blog: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/seahawksblog/2010797203_coaching_staff_1.html

Can't say I'll miss him particularly, BUT the coordinator position doors continue to spin for our Beloved Maroon-N-Gold.

Wonder who Brew will chase now to be the OC?

Gophers @ Spartans–Tourney Resume Building 101: Get a tough road win

So the Purdue game last Tuesday didn’t go so well – poor shooting and execution on the offensive end left the Gophers looking like a B-list Big Ten team. Maybe they are. But maybe not. The 2nd half performance against Ohio State restored some of my faith in the season. Evan Turner was back from injury (and extra whiny to boot), but it didn’t matter as the Gophs kept turning the Buckeyes over, and the Hoff wouldn’t stop making shots. Things even got a little chippy there in the end. All in all, the way I like to see a Minnesota Big Ten basketball game to go. Can this performance be repeated in East Lansing this week?

As Sparty Tom stated in his game preview, Spartan Head Coach Tom Izzo seems to have Tubby’s number, beating Smith’s teams 9 out of 11 times (and 5 out of 5 times with Minnesota). What’s up with this? A closer look at the Minnesota-MSU games over the last 3 years reveals that in the 5 Tubby Era games versus MSU, the Gophs have only managed to muster more than 60 points once in 5 tries. The average team shooting percentages have been a dismal 37.7% for the Gophs in these matchups, while the Spartans have averaged a 46.4% shooting percentage. Tough numbers to overcome. Izzo knows how to ‘D’-up the Gophers, and forces us to take bad shots in our half court sets. Running with them can be disastrous too, given their athleticism (especially at guard).

So can the Gophs buck the trend here and get a win on the road? Every Gopher player knows that a win over the #7 Spartans at the Breslin Center would look damn good on any resume for a team trying to prove they belong in the field of 64, and it tightens the Big Ten conference title race further (especially since Purdue just picked up their second loss in stunning fashion last night). Obviously, the motivation should be there. Defensively, forcing lots of turnovers like the Gophers did against OSU will not be enough. They need to convert on a much higher percentage of their opportunities on the offensive end. And unless Blake or Westbrook are shooting lights out, that seems to be a tall order. Barring the continued white-hot shooting of Hoffarber, the answer might lie with sophomores Ralph the 3rd and Colt 45. Get these guys the ball early, and let them post up and draw fouls against the less experienced Spartan big men. If this happens, the Gophs might be able to hang around long enough to make it a game in the final 2 minutes.
That said, I still don’t have a good feeling about tonight’s game, and our halfcourt offense is has not improved much since the pre-conference schedule. This worries me, since a footrace with MSU won’t work the way it did with Iowa.

Prediction: Michigan State 70, Gophers 58

Sidenote: The hot rumor flying around Gopher message boards right now is that Al Nolen and Rodney Williams will become academically ineligible in the near future (possibly next week), due to incomplete course work. Tubby has responded to questions surrounding this by stating that he is not concerned and expects all his players to complete the work they need to in order to stay eligible. Whether or not ineligibility is a legit issue remains to be seen, but a Gopher team without Al Nolen defending at the point is not the same (as much as I like what I’ve seen from freshman Justin Cobbs so far). Let’s hope these rumors are only that, otherwise being NIT bound seems inevitable.

Minnesota @ Michigan State Game Preview (the Spartan Angle)

As we did with football, this hoops season 'GEHG' occasionally tries to give you a game preview from a fellow blogger or educated fan with allegiance to colors other than the beloved Maroon and Gold. The Gophs have another crack at building their currently rather weak NCAA Tourney resume this Wednesday evening, taking on Michigan State at the Breslin Center.

Enter once again, our friend 'Sparty Tom' - who did a great job previewing the wild Gophs vs. Spartans All Hallow's Eve game. Here's his take on the game:

The Minnesota Gopher program gained instant credibility in the eyes of Spartan fans when they hired Tubby Smith as head coach a few years ago. Teams around the Big Ten knew that all Tubby would need is 3-4 years before they are competitive with the conference’s top teams. Well, that time is now. However, in the world of college basketball some coaches just seem to have other team’s number. If Bo Ryan makes the Spartan faithful hold their collective breath (see Bo’s 11-5 record against Izzo), they usually breathe a little easier when Tubby is standing on the opposing sideline. Going back to his days in Kentucky, Tom Izzo has consistently beaten Tubby Smith in both regular season and NCAA tournament games (also see Tubby’s 2-9 record against MSU in his time at Minnesota). With that being said, this may be Tubby’s most talented team since his arrival to the Big Ten conference, and may have a good chance of leaving East Lansing on Wednesday with a resume-building win.

Now to the game at hand: Michigan State has come out of the gate with a 3-0 conference record, with wins over Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The Spartans boast a talented lineup that returns almost every guard from the 2009 National Title run. Their growing pains have come at the center and power forward position, where they are inexperienced and undersized when playing other elite-level teams. Derrick Nix and Garrick Sherman have shown flashes, but they are freshmen…and freshmen are inconsistent. Sixth man Draymond Green (power forward) has been impressed everyone in his sophomore season with his passing ability and knack for getting the tough points in the paint; however he is undersized at 6’6”. At the guard spot, the Spartans boast as much talent as anyone in the Big Ten, with Kalin Lucas, Korie Luscious, Durrell Summers, and Chris Allen. These guys love to turn the game into a track meet. On the Minnesota side, they are among the nation’s top teams in many defensive categories including turnover margin and scoring margin. These Gophers can score the basketball with anyone in the Big Ten, and Sparty better be prepared for it. Lawrence Westbook and Blake Hoffarber are dangerous and will be key to any Gopher upset, as they are both averaging double digit scoring numbers. As a team, Minnesota is averaging 84.1 points in their last nine games.

If Spartan fans are expecting an easy Izzo vs Tubby victory, they may be greatly disappointed. The Gophers are playing tough basketball, and the Spartans are having some attitude issues…aka Kalin Lucas being tossed out of practice last week for lack of effort and leadership. In the end, I believe talent will win out in this one. It may be a close game, but the Spartans are too tough to beat at the Breslin Center, and they may be just starting to hit their stride (or at least Spartan fans hope so).

Prediction: Michigan State – 76 Minnesota - 67

Thanks for that 'Sparty Tom' - well done as always. Check back for Gopher Bandanna Guy's take later today.

Gopher Profiles in Courage - Miles Tarver

As we head into this long cold Midwestern winter, its time for a lighthearted new periodic segment here on 'Give 'Em Hell Goldy'. My creation of the 'Gopher Profiles in Courage' blogpost is meant to remind us of a former Golden Gopher athlete who showed particular courage in the face of adversity, and maybe have a little fun at their expense. C'mon now, if you don't laugh, you cry - and god knows we Gopher fans have done enough of that recently.

Honoring this former Golden Gopher is long overdue. You may know him best from his smooth dance moves shared with Al McGuire after the Gophers took down UCLA earning a berth to the Final Four in 1997. I knew him best for his cringe-inducing mid-range jumper and his ham-fisted rebounds. Still, I loved the guy. He was sort of our version of Brian Cardinal (everyones favorite actress from Purdue). Oakand, California's own Miles Tarver. The man, the myth, the moustache.

A member of the Clem Haskins era Gophers, one might almost think Miles didn't actually exist, since NCAA wiped the books on us. But here's his career numbers, thru to his suspension in the 1st round tourney game versus Dan Monson's Gonzaga Bulldogs. Say what you will about his game, but he improved every year, and was a solid Big Ten rebounder and defender.

Who can forget his role in the notorious Filipino National Exhibition game? Instigating a major brawl, and then pragmatically backing out to watch (so as not to muss his hair, presumably). As I recall, Quincy Lewis somehow got ejected after this fight was broken up, despite being pretty much the only Gopher not involved. And Kevin Clark was NOT ejected, despite his ramming speed take down of the entire pile of Gophers, Fillipinos, and refs. Really, just click the link and see for yourself. And pay special attention to the defense Tarver (#42) is playing in the opening footage. He's guarding the guy using balled up fists. I remember being at this game and noting to friends around me that I though he might be playing with brass knuckles. But I digress.

So where is the courage in all this? Would you walk around campus with hair and a moustache like that? Nope, you wouldn't. That takes courage my friends. Mr. Tarver, you have what the Greeks call 'thrassos' - GUTS.

I actually bumped into Miles on campus a few times, all at theatre productions on the West Bank. Never said anything to him, but I always gave him a respectful nod if eye contact was made. He was always accompanied by a lovely co-ed too, so his look must've been working for him.

At any rate, I always appreciated the effort Miles put forth on the court (always a solid glass eater), his bold & fresh look, and his ability to make fans of the other Big Ten teams say "who the hell IS that guy?'. Miles Tarver - we here at 'Give 'Em Hell Goldy' salute you.

Oh, and a quick Google browse for 'Miles Tarver Pics' will land you a much more recent photo of Miles from his Facebook account. I guess Facebook is good for something (2Mutch, can you friend him or something?). His look may have changed a bit, but he appears to be smooth as ever. Remember Miles, we kid because we love.

Oh, and if anybody can find a link to any on-line video footage of Tarver dancing with McGuire, please share.

WOW... Jedd Fisch Is WANTED....

Not to be strung up by rabid Gopher fans for his inept offense all year-long; rather by a 'professional' football team.

In discussing potential Chicago Bears offensive coordinators, the Chicago Sun Times finishes their article with this delicious tidbit...

"Other offensive coordinator candidates for the Bears include USC offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and University of Minnesota offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch. Both have worked with Cutler."

Full article here:

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/1977506,mike-martz-bears-06.article

Really?! The fact that this guy would be on a HIGH SCHOOL team's list; much less an NFL team's list is beyond astounding. All I can say is I truly hope if the Bears are foolish enough to do this, I hope the Gophers will take a flyer on Gopher Bandana Guy and myself as co-offensive coordinators. After all, it's not like we'd finish 100th in scoring offense, and lose to the 103rd scoring offense in our bowl game. *COUGH* Jedd Fisch *COUGH*

Unbelievable.

Gophs @ Boilers - While the Paint Crew is Away, can the Gophers play?

With the Gophers, headed down to West Lafayette, real Big Ten play starts tonight at Mackey Arena. With all due respect to the Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes, you are marginal Big Ten foes this year. Our beloved Gophers are expected to beat you this year. That's just how it is. Not so with the Boilermakers though. Purdue is clearly the best team Minnesota has faced to date this season.

Purdue is undefeated, and the well-deserved #4 ranked team in the country (and possibly higher after this week given UNC's loss to CoC), and has taken down some top tier competition already this year, taking down Bruce Pearl's Volunteers on the road, and handling Bob Huggin's Mountaineers just recently at home (Purdue's last game). They also have a few common opponents with the Gophers in South Dakota State, St. Joes, and Iowa. Iowa gave the Boilers a bit of a first half scare last week, but the Hawkeyes went back to what they know (sucking) in the 2nd half. Still, despite being a B-10 road game, Purdue didn't utterly dominate the game as expected. Some speculated that the Boilers were looking ahead to their matchup with unbeaten West Virginia. Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, now that Purdue is officially a game into the B-10 schedule, they likely won't overlook the Gophers, even with a road trip to Wisconsin looming on Saturday.

The Gophers, unlike Purdue, haven't faced a hostile crowd all year - the closest thing coming during the B-10/ACC challenge in front of 5,000+ U of Miami fans. And Iowa on the road last Saturday was like a visit to the city morgue. Tonight will be a markedly different environment for the Gophs to play in. Purdue's student body is still on break, and we can only hope the bulk of those 'Paint Crew' kids will opt not to come back to campus for this game. (Note that Gopher Bandanna Guy did not abandon his Gophers over the winter break when he was a student, even driving a total of 10+ hours to illegally park for 2 hours in Minneapolis and watch Clem and friends take down the Sam Okey-led badgers in 1997 - oh wait, that season never happened, I forgot...).

With the potential of a partial Paint Crew tonight, can the Gophs get it done? I don't feel real good about this game, now that it is almost certain that Ralph the 3rd is out tonight. But perhaps going small and up tempo is the key here, as Myron Medcalf suggests. I agree with Myron that we won't beat the likes of Purdue or Michigan State with our halfcourt sets. Hell, we couldn't even beat Portland State that way. So I also say let's roll the dice and go up-tempo. Generate turnovers and push the ball up court.

Colton will have the starting matchup with center JaJuan Johnson, and while I like Colt 45, he's just not quick or skilled enough to slow him down. If that matchup gets exploited early (most likely in the form of 3 early Iverson fouls), then let's swing DJ off Hummel, and put him down on the blocks with JaJuan, and hope that his wingspan can make up for the 3" height differential. Then spread the floor and start running! Utilize our depth and try to wear them down in a running match.

Still, Purdue has such good frontline talent that this strategy could blowup in our faces by giving the Boilers lots of early and easy looks at the hoop. The last thing we want is Robbie Hummel getting warmed up with some uncontested jumpers offered up by an over aggressive trapping defense. No doubt head coach Matt Painter has looked long and hard at the Iowa game tape, and will be ready for us. Given this, I don't feel comfortable calling for the upset, signature win of the season.

Prediction: Purdue 74, Minnesota 67
Gopher Player of the Game - Lawrence Westbrook, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Boiler Player of the Game - JaJuan Johnson, 22 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks

And hey, anybody else think the Purdue Pete pic at the top of this post looks just a bit like Gene Keady with scowl (AKA Keady's normal expression)? And who brandishes a hammer while playing hoops? As if the hardhat, giant black 'P' and the gold uni didn't tell us this was the Boilermakers, he needs a hammer too?

Go Gophs!

Who hates Iowa (basketball)? Apparently their own fans.

If there's anything that can make you feel better after that tough bowl loss to ISU, its handing the hapless Squawk-eyes a serious beatdown on their own home court.

I had heard the Hawkeyes were not drawing well, but this crowd is ridiculous. I've seen more passion at Welsh-Ryan on down years for the 'Cats.

Well done Hawkeye fans, way to show up when your team needs you most - during B-10 play. I suppose the excuse is that all the fans are down in Miami at the Orange Bowl.

Either way Hawkeye basketball sucks. Big time. Enjoy the season.