A View From The Bench
October 27th, 2004
By Archived Story
As I drove with my friend in the 1989 Chevy Cavalier we painstakingly transformed into a spray-painted maroon and gold Gopher-mobile, I asked myself: what more can a Golden Gopher football fan ask for than tickets to the sold-out Michigan-Minnesota football game in Ann Arbor?
As we sped across the St. Croix River into Wisconsin on I-94, I heard the answer in the form of a blown spark plug. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the beginning of a typical Minnesota-Michigan football game-weekend.
Alarmed by the strange noises and inability to accelerate up hills, I was cautious, but had no choice but to trek on. However, the trip took a staggering blow with a second blown spark plug. Apparently, it wasn’t good for the car to drive 70 mph on three cylinders.
Things were now looking grim. It was 10:30 Friday night in Lyndon Station, Wisconsin, a blossoming town of thirteen or so people, as I sat in my car that could now go no faster than 20 mph. We spent the night in historic Wisconsin Dells at the tropically festive Aloha Hotel.
It seemed fitting, as I sat in a smoke-filled bar the next day, surrounded by 40 and 50-year-old Badger fans, that Michigan again came from behind in the last minutes to beat the mighty Gophers.
I almost didn’t mind, since Minnesota hasn’t beaten Michigan since 1986. As historic as that eventual win will be, I want to be in attendance. However, it appears that might take awhile, so I think I’ll invest in a better car.
With all this talk of busted spark plugs and 50-year-old, small-town Wisconsinites, I almost forgot about Halloween. In honor of this holiday, I present a little bit I call trick or treat. You’ll catch on:
Bryan Cupito’s future as Minnesota’s starting quarterback: Treat
It was pretty pitiful to see him complete only 11 of 33 passes against Michigan State, but this young guy can throw. I blame his recent struggles on Glen Mason’s inability to create a balanced offensive game plan. There is no short-passing game in this offense; it is run and pass deep. Of those 11 completions, he threw for over 200 yards, which is about 20 yards a completion. With this in mind, it is pretty impressive that he has thrown few interceptions. And let’s not forget, he is only a sophomore.
The Vikings winning the Super Bowl: Trick
I know it’s early, but I couldn’t resist. There is no way this defense can be trusted to make a big stop against any legitimate offense, and until a team’s defense can be counted on for at least that, it won’t win the Super Bowl, no matter how staggering Daunte Culpepper’s numbers may be. Sorry Vikes, you still don’t quite have it.
The second ranked Volleyball team: Treat
When the women’s Volleyball team played Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 16 at Williams Arena, the upper deck was opened for the overflowing crowd of 10,927. Not only was that a school record, it was the highest attendance of any volleyball match in the nation this year. Love those Gophers!
