Coach Brew - Boosting My Confidence Through Tremendous Surliness

I'm not sure if any of you have managed to make your way on over to the excellent Gopher Football blog 'Fringe Bowl Team', but if not, you're really missing out.  It's really the blog I wish this one could become, if I lived near campus and didn't have 2 little kids, a 50 hour a week job, and too many other sports interests to divert my attention.  But I digress - MV does a phenomenal job there and has daily updates on recruiting, training camp, and recently he's been catching video of post practice interviews with players and coaches. In particular, an interview with Coach Brew posted earlier this week (8/23) was a real gem.  And while I realize this was a topic batted about on Gopherhole the other day, I can't help but further reflect here.

First off, take the 10 minutes and watch it.  You'll be entertained by a Coach Brewster that maybe you haven't seen much of in the past.  This Brew is downright curmudgeonly with the media, and I like it.  I kinda wish he was like this all the time.

Or if you don't have the 10 minutes, zip ahead to 5:05 and listen to the question Brew receives about linebacker, Keenan Cooper.  His initial response is to incredulously repeat back the 8th grade level question, and then mid-way thru, shrug his shoulders and just go with it.  Then he looks at the camera and states that he wonders how much the interviewers think about the questions their asking, only to have the dolt (presumably Marcus Fuller) try and make the excuse that he 'just came from basketball practice and is, spaced out'.  Love it.

Shortly after, Brew gets snappy with Phil Miller (who's been more of a friend to the program than most writers in town).  Again, this exchange just brings a smile to my face.  And more importantly, it makes me feel more confident about this team's direction.

Why?  To me, Coach Brewster appears to be a guy on a mission, and he just wants to start playing football (he states as much later in the interview).  He's taken some lumps in the media for a good while, and he's no doubt fed up, and ready to lash out a bit.  And there's almost a hint of confidence (or even arrogance) in his demeanor that makes me think he knows something the rest of the Big Ten doesn't, and he can't wait to unleash it on them.  Maybe I'm just being my usual overly optimistic self, but I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that might be the case.

What or who might be unleashed, I'm not sure - Is it MarQueis at WR (who Dave Mona proclaimed would be 1st Team All-Big Ten - talk about bold)?  Is it Donnell Kirkwood at RB, who's turned a lot of heads in this preseason?  Or is it scheme, in the form of Horton's simplified offense?

Maybe all - maybe none. Either way, go get 'em Coach Brew, and GO GOPHERS!