The Wake

Nintendo Wii, a video game console, was released in mid-November 2006 to compete with Sony Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Gamers have been eagerly waiting for Nintendo to announce the release date the new Super Mario Brothers for the new system. Wednesday, a source close to Nintendo said that Super Mario is expected to be released in February, 2007, and that Mario’s new, higher tech appearance will be based on Minnesota Viking’s owner Ziggy Wilf. Wilf refused to comment on the situation and would not return phone calls.

Remember a couple weeks ago when we were all embarrassed to be attending the U of M and contemplated dropping out to become a prostitute? Before a bid to the Insight Bowl and trumped-up wins against an inexperienced Indiana team, a shoddy Michigan State team and an underachieving Iowa team which the Minnesota players deserve credit for. It was when North Dakota State’s small, slow and bad Division-II football runts came into the Metrodome and should have beat us. Heads were held low, Minnesota t-shirts were covered up, and everyone sat alone at the dark, far end of the bar taking tequila shots ’til 2 in the morning. It was sickening to be a Golden Gopher fan that day. The players were humiliated and hibernated for days. Students were throwing their lives away left …

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The surfing culture of the West Coast is slowly creeping into the Midwest, but there is one main difference—surfers have 10,000 lakes to choose from.The northwest winds are perfect and the waves are glassy. As 42-year-old surfer Bob Tema looks out onto the smooth blue water, he couldn’t be happier. He pulls his black wetsuit over his thin body and he can’t seem to wipe the smile off his face. For most surfers, nothing is better than a day at the beach. After he rubs a quick coat of wax over the top of his board, a freezing gust of wind stings his face and reminds him he isn’t in Hawaii anymore. It definitely isn’t summertime; it is the dead of winter in one of America’s coldest states. With the crunching snow beneath his feet, …

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“Our mission is to encourage, facilitate and support the involvement of University of Minnesota students and staff with disabilities in active recreation, exercise and sport,” says John Lukanen, president of the adaptive sports club. The University already offers a disabled student cultural center where students can go to socialize or study, providing learning opportunities for all students, ensuring an accessible environment and ultimately serving as a social area for disabled and non-disabled students. The new adaptive sports program takes that idea a step further and looks at a broad range of athletic activities. Lukanen’s mission is to bring an athletic presence to the University for disabled students.Lukanen has worked hard on its website, logo and recruitment since Sept. and he says he is looking for anyone who can help with planning, fundraising and managing. “Anything …

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After an hour of judo practice, the mat room in the St. Paul rec center smells strongly of sweat. It’s no wonder. The U’s judo club has been hard at work practicing the Japanese sport. Eric Shellum, sensei and club coach, demonstrates a “seoinage,” a shoulder throw, in which Shellum flips his partner across his shoulder with a surprising amount of skill and ease. In attendance are nine club members, whose belts signify skill level ranging from beginner (white) to advanced (black), each member watches carefully. After several demonstrations, the club breaks into couples and practices the move they’ve just watched. This practice continues until the sensei gathers the group together again to attempt some new moves, which could be a kick, a throw or a move where you sweep your opponent’s feet out from …

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Have you ever heard of a game that is played like soccer, positioned like basketball and the intensity of rugby? That is exactly how Water Polo President Chris Redman explained the game as we sat in the lobby at the Rec Center, overlooking the pool. “I still think this campus is my favorite place to compete,” Redman says.The game is played with seven players in the pool at one time, one goalie and six field players. The goalie is not allowed on the other half on the pool. The position of the six field players is dependent on the play — similar to basketball.The ball is similar to the size of a volleyball but has rubber grips so it is easier for team members to hold on to. A major …

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For nearly every college in the United States, football and basketball are the highest revenue-producing sports. So it isn’t surprising that football and basketball athletes are drug tested more often than others. After all, they are the college superstars of the athletic world. With recent efforts to stop all student athletes from using drugs, the University of Minnesota has come up with a new plan to combat the never-ending battle. Not only will U of M athletes be randomly selected from every sport for drug testing, the U’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is honing in on another deterrent for drug use—education. Under the new plan, athletes will be required to attend a drug and alcohol education program twice each year. The programs will review NCAA policies on drug use and talk about dietary supplements …

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Athletics Events November 1 – November 7Nov. 1, 7:00 pm Women’s Basketball vs. Winona State Williams Arena
Nov. 3, 7:00 pm Men’s B-ball vs. Bemidji State Williams Arena
Nov. 3, 7:07 pm Women’s Hockey vs. Minnesota Duluth Ridder Arena
Nov. 4, 11:00 am Football vs. Indiana Metrodome
Nov. 4, 7:07 pm Women’s Hockey vs. Minnesota Duluth Ridder Arena
Nov. 5, 2:00 pm Women’s Basketball vs. Minnesota-Crookston Williams Arena

Break out the spandex and get ready for a team of sweaty men. As autumn picks up, and we reach the midpoint of fall semester, wrestling season is quickly approaching. Nov. 11 marks the first Gopher wrestling meet — The Bison Open. This event may not seem too important to all you fair weather fans out there, but we, at The Wake, recognize that the University of Minnesota wrestling team is “kind of a big deal.” According to preseason polls, the team is ranked No. 1 in the nation right now, after finishing second at the NCAA championships last year. Gopher wrestler Cole Konrad is the NCAA heavyweight champion, Mack Reiter finished fourth and Dustin Schlatter became the first freshman wrestler in school history to win a NCAA individual title. The Wake had …

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The weather is becoming shittier by the day, Indiana Pacers players are facing criminal charges and Spike Lee has his orange and blue on. These are some of the signs that it’s time for NBA basketball. For basketball fans in Minneapolis, this brings weeks of optimism before the eventual collapse of the Timberwolves. Last Year
The ‘05-’06 Timberwolves had a shaky season, marked by a mid-season trade of Wally Szczerbiak for Ricky Davis. The T-Wolves finished last season with a record of 33-49, eight games behind the final seed in the Western Division. The major problem for the Timberwolves is still the lack of consistent help for Kevin Garnett. Ricky Davis averaged 19 points per game last year. No other player, besides Kevin Garnett, averaged more than 12 points per game. The Draft
The T-wolves …

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She took three teams in a row to the Sweet 16, and in 2004 she led the Gophers to their first Final Four in school history. But after last year’s loss of an assistant coach and five non-graduating players including three starters, a shadow was cast over women’s basketball head coach Pam Borton. An internal review of the athletic department blamed poor communication within the women’s basketball department as one reason for the quick exit of the players. Media scrutiny followed, but athletic director Joel Maturi stood by Borton and her record. With a team full of new recruits– last year’s exodus included six graduating seniors too–the season is up in the air. The Wake played a little one-on-one with Coach Borton to find out what we can expect on the court from the fresh …

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I wandered into what was unknown territory for me — I’m not really a hockey fan. As I walked downstairs to the basement of Mariucci Arena I thought to myself, “Damn, you should have worn a short skirt and high heels or have had Craig, my editor, do this part.” I watched as hockey players took turns talking to various media reps. Mariucci is once again buzzing with the anticipation of another record-breaking season.The Maroon and Gold finished last year’s season with a 27-9-5 record, earning a number one seat in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. The Gophers finished last season with its fewest losses since the 2002-03 season, when the Gophers were national champs.This year might be a different story. The Gophers graduated six seniors and lost four players to the …

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Whether you’re addicted to extreme outdoor sports, an occasional nature-enthusiast or only go outside to get to class, the U of M Center for Outdoor Adventure welcomes you. It is a place for all levels of outdoor adventurers to come together and heighten their skills, providing a chance to experience new places and meet new people. The center offers daytime and weekend programs that fit with the academic calendar. It also offers longer programs during most holiday breaks. It is a place dedicated to the non-academic aspect of being a U of M student. The Center for Outdoor Adventure is not an organization or club so you do not have to become a member. It simply serves the University community by providing outdoor trips, indoor rock climbing, clinics and equipment rental. Three years ago, …

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There’s no doubt that both men’s and women’s Gophers basketball are in a rebuilding phase. The men’s team lost Vincent Grier, a third-team All-American and the team’s leading scorer. The men’s team also lost Adam Boone, J’son Stamper, Maurice Hargrow and Zach Puchtel. The women’s team had five players leave the team after the season that weren’t graduating, including Jamie Broback, Natasha Williams and Center Liz Podominick. The Gopher basketball program has seen better days. The best place to start rebuilding is with the head coach. Dan Munson deserves to be replaced – not by an outsider but by someone who knows Gopher basketball, Pam Borton. You’re skeptical and understandably so, but there’s no better way to be a progressive research institution than to start a major sports experiment by having the first …

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The women’s soccer team has two hidden treasures guarding the Minnesota goal—sophomore goalkeeper Lindsey Dare and freshman goalkeeper Chelsey Turner. With the help of these two young superstars, the women’s soccer team started the season with a 6-1-1 record, their best start since 1995.Turner blocked eight saves against Army at the Brown International on Sept. 8 to mark her first career shutout. Dare was recently named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the week on Sept. 11 after tying a 13-year-old school record with 15 saves against Brown on Sept. 10. Dare and Turner rank number one and two in saves per game with 9.0 and 6.25 respectively. Dale and Turner also rank number one and two in the conference for save percentage at .931 and .926 respectively. Turner ranks second in goals-against-average …

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