Gopher The Roses

TCF Bank Stadium Tour Pictures

Back on July 31st, 2009 I was invited to be part of a tour group of the new TCF Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team (marching band too).

Maybe I was included because of my involvement on the Tailgate Committee (a subcommittee of Gopher Game Day), my volunteer activities on and near campus, my 27 years years as a season ticket holder or maybe because the squeaky wheel made enough noise.

I was not shy about my wanting to get in on a tour and I want to thank my friends at the university and athletic department for including me.

Phil Esten, Associate Athletic Director, gave the tour and to be honest I remember very little of what he said. I was too jacked up, taking pictures and trying to take it all in. Someone said (and I agree) that I was the little kid in the group.

What follows are many of the 100+ photos I took that day:

Minnesota Golden Gopher Football And Head Coach Tim Brewster Using Social Media Site Like Twitter and Facebook

Over the past year the University of Minnesota Athletic Department has done a wonderful job using social media and social networking sites to promote Gopher football and Head Coach Tim Brewster.

The main site or home for all things Gopher sports related is GopherSports.com

For Gopher football and Head Coach Tim Brewster the following sites have been created using social networking sites allowing for more access, news, photos and video:

Web Sites

• Play4Brew.com (official web site)
• Brew Crew Report (official blog)

Twitter:

• Head Coach Tim Brewster
• Gopher Football
• Gopher Athletics

YouTube

• Play4Brew

Facebook

• Play4Brew

TCF Bank Stadium: New Home For The University Of Minnesota Golden Gophers Football Team

Originally posted at MN Headhunter

M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A

Minnesota

Minnesota

yyyyeeeeaaAAAAHHHH!!!!! Gophers

Rah!!!

OK, it has been a really long time since I posted anything about Minnesota Golden Gopher Football here. When I started this blog 4+ years ago Gopher football was a part of it but for some it was annoying. Especially after then Head Coach Glen Mason was fired and through the hiring of current Head Coach Tim Brewster.

I blogged more about the head coach job search than my day job.

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Bowling Green State Falcons On TV And Internet

This evenings football game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Bowling Green can be seen on ESPNU. For those who do not have access you may be in luck with an Internet site.

Check out ChannelSurfing.Net, they carry some premium channel events online and they show that they will be carrying the feed for the game.

I hear the site and feed can bog down with many users but worth giving it a shot.

The official Minnesota viewing party including the Goal Line Club starts at 5:30 PM (CDT) at Major's Sports Café:

14889 Florence Trail

Apple Valley, MN  55124

Phone: 952.432.4787

I also hear that all Major’s and Joe Senser’s will be showing the game. Click the previous links for locations and telephone numbers to confirm this is accurate.

Gopher Fans, Are You REEAADDDYYYY!!!

I know I am a little late with the title of this post and getting this blog fired up. Not for lack of interest but of time.

The day job of being an IT Recruiter, the MN Headhunter blog, and a few other business interests have kept me working many long days these past months.

I was asked and have been sitting on a TCF Bank Stadium Subcommittee, Tailgating. I joke that I am waiting for our first practice to start! Not much yet to report other than I think all the topics are being covered well with some news to come out in the next month or so.

I have some pics and video from last weeks win over Northern Illinois and will be watching the game tonight at a local establishment.

There are a couple of new things I will be announcing for the blog this coming week including a Web 2.0 way to get Gopher football news and articles from different sites.

More to come...

Go Gophers!!!

Gopher Football Blogs On Tim Brewster Show | October 2007

Last season Jeremy Miller who writes Golden Gopher Football and I were interviewed about our Gopher football blogs. I still have not had a chance to meet Jeremy but have swapped some email over the months.

Below is the video of the replay on a TV. The quality is a little off but the audio is good and you will get the idea of the interview.

Jeremy is featured first. I get in at the 1:45 minute mark.

The funny looking dude at the end is my fraternity and pledge brother Jason who I travel with once or twice a year. The 2008 season is looking like we are on a plane to Ohio State (Columbus) and by car to Wisconsin (Madison).

Gopher The Roses, A Gopher Football Blog, Wakes Up Slowly

No I have not forgotten about this corner of the Internet and my love of Gopher football. When I started this site shortly after Coach Brewster was hired it was for the most part because my recruiter/HR and tech friends were tired of reading about it on my business blog, MN Headhunter.

Then last spring I was working on an idea that now has become an informal group of 730+ Recruiter and HR professionals, Minnesota Recruiters.

As the New Year came around it was aggregating all of the blogs I have been reading and putting them in one place, Twin Cities Blogs. This will be completed this week.

So now my attention comes back to Gopher Football.

There has been a lot of news since the end of the season like the outstanding incoming freshmen class and the speed in which TCF Bank Stadium is being built.

I have mentioned this before, my intention is for this to not necessarily be a “news site” but a “fan site” where you can come and find information from other sources you may not have known about.

This process starts later this week and through the month when I will be adding pictures from last years games and linking to news stories as they come out.

I do have one bit of news that I will be sharing later this month as I have been invited to participate in one of the committees working on the game day experience. This will be a lot of fun but until I know what the scope of our work will be and how much/little I should be sharing until things become official (as in announced) I will keep it a little quiet.

More on the way...

Technorati Tags: Gopher Football, TCF Bank Stadium

Welcome New Visitors To Gopher The Roses, A Gopher Football Blog

My name is Paul DeBettignies and yes I am that guy you saw on "Gopher Football with Tim Brewster" this evening.

I want to thank the production folks for doing a segment on blogs.

I have been working feverishly the past day to get this site updated with this season’s information. I had a little (OK not so little) tech issue late last week and while doing a major update lost some content.

To be clear, I am a big fan of Coach Tim Brewster, his staff, and this team.

They need some time to make this transition and I hope that Gopher Nation will continue to support this new era in Gopher football. It may be a bumpy ride but fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride.

Some things about the site:

• By the end of the evening I will be updated through today. At the moment I am up to the Florida Atlantic game.
• On the left side of the screen you will see a photo album that currently has pictures from Gopher Nation Fan Fest. I will be adding a few pictures from the Bowling Green, Purdue, and Ohio State games.
• If you are into reading blogs and use a RSS reader you will see a link in the upper right corner to subscribe.

Feel free to leave any comments on the posts (appropriate language please) or send me an email paul@mnheadhunter.com.

Technorati Tags: Gopher Football Blog

2008 Gopher Recruiting Class

I have not posted any information yet on those that have verbally committed, those who have visited, and those that will.

For the most part, I stay out of that all together and leave that the guys who know best. And in my opinion that is the guys who run GopherIllustrated.com, the Minnesota Rivals.com site. Well worth the monthly or yearly subscription.

Matt O’Connoll and Zach Johnson do a fantastic job reporting the news of the day. There will be many recruits at the Florida Atlantic game this weekend from the region.

Also, our home games against Purdue and Ohio State will be our primary fall weekends for recruiting. Many guys are lined up.

Dear Mother Nature, please cooperate.

After the Ohio State game I will put a list together.

Technorati Tags: 2008 Gopher Recruiting Class

Adam Weber Big Ten Co-Offensive Player Of The Week

Congratulations Adam Weber. He had a great weekend including 368 yards of total offense.

Articles:

• Adam Weber Named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week
• Weber honored by Big Ten
• Gophers' Weber shares Big Ten honor

Likely the first of many more to come.

Technorati Tags: Adam Weber

Gopher Nation In Near Chaos

Tick...Tick...Tick...

There is a growing surge of people saying, “We told you so. Hiring Tim Brewster was a dumb idea. He has never been a head coach. He has never been a coordinator. He is Jim Wacker without the drawl and the geezo beezo. He said we were going to Pasadena this year!!!”

And then they pause to take a breath and continue.

For the most part I let them go on until they get tired and need water.

Tick...Tick...Tick...

The unfortunate thing is we needed a few wins to keep the momentum going. A loss and a 3 OT victory over MAC teams does not sit well.

The bandwagon has lightened the past few days and the negative folks are shouting from the mountain tops. “I told you so.”

Not me and not most of the people we know. We are in this for the long haul. This team and these coaches do not owe us anything.

OK, so maybe Coach Brewster should have contained a little of his enthusiasm. That may be fair. Maybe the Kool Aid mix could have had less sugar in it. Sure.

But how else do you sell a program to players, fans and state? We were lulled into a nap by Glen Mason. We needed to be woken up.

Give him time my friends. He needs a recruiting class or two before we see what is going to happen. It will be OK.

Tick...Tick...Tick...

Technorati Tags: Minnesota Golden Gopher Football

Minnesota Versus Miami (OH), The Day After

Again, people are upset. Come on, we did win. We did show improvement on the offense side of the ball and Adam Weber looked much more comfortable. Yeah, I get we played a MAC team but ease up a little.

Let the coaches do their job.

Below are links to newspaper articles and this one to the Sports Huddle With Sid and Dave and their interview with Coach Tim Brewster this morning.

From Gophersports.com: Stats, Quotes, Notes

• Gophers Victorious in Emotional Triple-Overtime Thriller Over Miami (Ohio)
• Gophers win in triple OT
• After squandering lead, Minnesota beats Miami Ohio, 41-35, in 3OT
• Jim Souhan: Two games in and already a season's worth of stomach knots
• Special teams have wrong kind of impact
• Weber reminiscent of a young Tarkenton
• Gopher Nation is looking like Weber State
• Defense gets a passing grade
• Giant-sighs victory
• U goes long; it's good

(Articles from the Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press may require a free subscription and may be archived by the source after 2 weeks)

Technorati Tags: Minnesota Golden Gopher Football, Miami (OH) Redhawks

Minnesota Golden Gophers And Miami (OH) Redhawks

Preview
I have done fairly well over the years picking Gopher football wins and losses. After last week and with everything being so new I am feeling a little lost.

First, we need to run the ball. I know we did it a lot last week but we need more this week. We need to take advantage of their smaller than average defensive line and we need to give our defense some rest.

This sucks, I am basically asking for Glen Mason era football. Moving on...

Our secondary will get even younger this week. It interesting to see how much of a cushion or young defensive backs are giving at the line of scrimmage. I know it’s confidence but find some. Quickly. Please and thank you.

Prediction
A shootout. No score predicted. 85 points scored. Coach Brewster and the 2007 Gophers get their first victory.

Miami (OH) Falcon Blogs
None that I could find.

Review
Final Score: Minnesota 41, Miami (OH) 35 (3 OT)

Holy Giannini. OK, I have a lot of respect for the young man and he has never been one to hide from the mistakes he has had. And I hate to say this but we need to use someone else. Joel Monroe might do as well and we had a walk on who has not been with the team since this summer. Sorry, I do not remember his name.

On defense, wow, we need some help. Maybe the coverages and blitz packages are more than we can handle at the moment. Could be, we are young. More zone defense with 5 and 6 defensive backs? Looks like we are no further along than last year.

On offense, see the “spread coast offense” does work. Lots of people have been saying it is not. Look at the statistics. Sure it is. We ran the ball more as hoped for 306 yards.

Coaching, there was some questionable play calling during the 4^th quarter. Please do not go into the conservative shell we have seen for that past 8+ years. We have had enough of that.

I was close on the points scored call but the 3 OT’s helped with that.

Congratulations Coach Brewster, staff and players on the first victory of the 2007 season.

Go Gophers.

Statistics
Rushing - Amir Pinnix 126 yards and 1 TD
Rushing - Adam Weber 97 yards and 1 TD
Receiving – Eric Decker 128 yards and 2 TD’s
Passing - Adam Weber 26 of 40 4 TD’s 1 Sack

Technorati Tags: Minnesota Golden Gopher Football, Miami (OH) Redhawks

Gopher Football News

Articles from September 7 – 8, 2007

Gophers: Speed option was too good to pass up on Harold Howell. All 5 feet 7 inches of him but he was the fastest high school kid in Florida last year.

A reminder of the Gopher Victory Walk! Two hours before the game.

From the Minnesota Daily (college newspaper), a nice preview Minnesota vs. Miami (Ohio).

Gophers to take a load off Pinnix, thank you. Amir Pinnix (no one guy) can take the beating a whole year. And particularly when we have guys like Jay Thomas and the freshman Duane Bennett who are very capable of helping out.

Three Gophers Awarded Football Scholarships. Congratulations to linebacker Kevin Mannion, place-kicker Joel Monroe and tight end Nick Tow-Arnett.

Get off the field, we have not been a good defense on third downs since I was a kid. The flip side is our offense has been phenomenal on 3^rd down.

Game day articles...

From GopherSports.com, Golden Gophers Look to Rebound vs. Miami

Youngsters are playing catch-up in a fast game, yes are this young:

He will get plenty of opportunities. Thomas and two other freshman defensive backs, Ryan Collado and Kyle Theret, will have to do their learning on the field this season. A lack of depth and of veteran talent in the secondary has opened the door for three freshmen, all of whom will see significant action today against Miami (Ohio) and as the season progresses.

Collado replaced senior Desi Steib as the starter at right cornerback. Theret is the backup strong safety and starter in the nickel package. Thomas is No. 2 at free safety.

Technorati Tags: Minnesota Golden Gopher Football, Miami (OH) Redhawks

Pictures From Minnesota Versus Bowling Green

Dang, I forgot to post these earlier...

Tailgating with the Goal Line Club:

Bumped into my Deke boys on the way in the Dome:

Pre game (yes the student section did fill up):

After the loss, Hail Minnesota:

Bowling Green being celebrating:

Technorati Tags: Minnesota Football Pictures, Gopher Football

Tim Brewster Radio Show

Link to the 9-6-07 Tim Brewster Radio Show

Technorati Tags: Minnesota Golden Gopher Football, Head Coach Tim Brewster

Gopher Football News

Articles from September 3 – 6

Not much commentary on the articles below. Not because they are mostly critical of the coaches and team but work is getting in the way. Damn day job. Nothing I would like better than to fire back some opinions.

Spotlights on two current players, Gopher Inside Look With Dom Barber and Excellence On Every Level: Senior Amir Pinnix.

A fan’s perspective of the tailgating, Gopher Victory Walk, and yes the loss, A View from the Parking Lot.

• Gophers fail another pass test
• Learning familiar lessons
• After a head-spinning start, Weber grows into role as U's starting QB
• True freshman Collado plays his way into U secondary
• Defeat prompts vow to retool

(Articles from the Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press may require a free subscription and may be archived by the source after 2 weeks)

Technorati Tags: Minnesota Golden Gopher Football

Patrick Reusse Is A Jerk

It must be really nice to have a well paying job commenting sports, getting to fly around to games on company expense, writing off meals, being able to talk to professional athletes, etc.

But what on earth qualifies him to have this job?

Yes, I am a Gopher football fan as loyal as they come. Yes I take things personally when guys who hack out a few columns a week take shots at my guys.

Patrick Reusse should be moved to the editorial, commentary, or entertainment sections because the past few years I have seen little or no effort at anything other than, “here is what I think and so should you”.

What has my ire? This article following the Bowling Green loss, Journey starts, and U quickly loses its way.

Now the nay sayers of Coach Tim Brewster have their own champion, their own captain to lead them in the world every morning. Pat Reusse, what a joke.

Here is his email address should you have any opinions of your own, preusse@startribune.com. I sent one, doubt I will get a response. Why would he, he knows everything already.

Must be nice to be able to be negative on everything in the local sports area. To give an opinion every day.

And to not have to worry about your job.

Pat, give us some real news please or get a job on Entertainment Tonight.

Technorati Tags: Commentary

Dude, WAKE UP!!!

A picture, err video, says a thousand words.

I guess the halftime show during the Bowling Green game was not very exciting to this young man.

Technorati Tags: Minnesota Golden Gophers, YouTube