The Wake

Whether you think drinking games are considered sports is debatable. However, some students make a living and fill their Monday-Saturday nights “practicing their craft.” Thus, Wake Athletics decided to give you a look at some of our favorite drinking games that can be played in a parking lot, basement or dungeon. Here are the some of the Wake’s favorites. Editor’s Note: two students were harmed doing research for this story. Beer Pong
Also known as Beirut on the East Coast, this game play is played using 20 16 ounce cups, 10 per team. The cups are placed in a triangular setup, and there are two players per team. Objective: sink the ball in the cups by throwing or bouncing.
Some 16-year-old kid outside of Des Moines, Iowa was sitting around in his …

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The only thing interrupting the placid water is the swift and rapid rowing of the University of Minnesota men’s crew team. The ripples that spread across the Mississippi River showcase 50 years of dedication. Crew, a club team that was started in 1957, has left a lasting impression on these waters and this campus.The crew team at the U was founded by Oliver Bogen, Lloyd Ohme and Dr. Charles Good. The team began practicing on the Mississippi River with equipment donated by the University of Wisconsin. Bogen lead the team as head coach for the first eight years.Fifty years later, men’s crew has proven to be a competitive racing team representing the University of Minnesota at regattas throughout the country. With head coach Thomas Altenhofen, freshman coach Ed Podnieks and two assistant coaches, Fred Orsted …

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It seems that Brad Radke’s right arm could shatter as he was warming up before the first inning, and the gritty veteran could refuse to leave the game, begin to pitch a knuckle curve with his left arm and throw a perfect game with 26 strikeouts. Anyone on the streets would hear from the sports media that this is the latest overblown nail in Barry Bonds’ coffin.Or T.O.’s workout routine. Or how disgraceful USA basketball is to all things American: McDonalds, Dick Cheney, Oprah, the Mexican flag, Bobbleheads and people who bought the Paris Hilton album.What do the Minnesota Twins have to do to get some fuckin’ national coverage?Not from you, you’ve given the Twins all the gratitude you can offer and then you give more. You’ve shaved your back hair into that little “TC” …

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Another autumn. The time of year when Rush Limbaugh skips down Fourth Street wearing fishnet stockings and thigh-high black boots with eight-inch stiletto heels as he tries to lure unsuspecting freshmen into his lair of conservative love. The lair supposedly contains stripper poles, a 71-inch TV on a continuous Fox News loop, George W. blowup dolls with kung-fu grip, and Ann Coulter in chains. But autumn is not the sweetest time of year because of that. What could be good about Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh in a sex dungeon?Autumn is great because of football. Fans have been itchin’ and scratchin’ for the beloved pigskin to come back. They have been going down to the corner and “accidentally” bumping into the dealer just to strike up a conversation which then “accidentally” steers toward: “Hey, football …

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Everyone knows the old phrase “practice makes perfect.” It was pounded into our heads by parents, coaches and teachers when we were young. But today, it seems like practice just isn’t enough. Some athletes are turning to a much more dangerous and risky method to help them obtain their goals — steroids. Drug enforcement officials have been at war with steroids for ages. But surprisingly, some sports are under fire more than others. If you enjoy a round of golf or like to play tennis every now and then, have no fear. You will probably be skimmed over when it comes to drug testing.During the 2004-05 championship season, 109 football students from Division One colleges across the country were tested for steroid use, according to the NCAA drug reports. Compare that number to the measly …

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Now that school is finally over, most students have begun to steer their minds away from campus life and into the relaxing days of summer. Some may return home to visit old high school friends. Others will pick up a fun summer job that will help them earn a little spending money. But for the Minnesota women’s swim team, relaxation is the last thing on their minds. With a 2nd place finish at the Big Ten Championship this year, along with a handful of new school records, the Gopher swimmers are on a roll. And what most students fail to realize is that for the swim team, the excitement is just beginning. Why? Because this summer, nine of the women will travel to Irvine, CA to compete in one of the nation’s fastest …

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In a somewhat expected move, the University of Minnesota has announced that libraries across campus will be shut down and their contents sold to help fund the proposed $248 million football stadium pending congress’ approval.Rep. Ron Abrams (R-43B) introduced the bill informally known as “Books for Balls.” Rep. Adams is also the chief sponsor of the football stadium bill. Political analysts expect the bill to easily pass through the House and Senate in the coming weeks. If passed, Gov. Pawlenty, who has openly expressed his support for the bill, is expected to sign off and give university officials the go-ahead to begin the clearance of all libraries on campus.“It just makes sense,” Pawlenty said at a Monday press conference. “The common student no longer needs the libraries or the books within them. Have you ever …

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Dear Bob Bruininks and Joel Maturi,This is the University of Minnesota, okay? We invented basketball. I believe it was in the autumn of 1876. And in a barn, no less! Basketball is hard enough, but those pioneers had goats, chickens and cows setting up shop at the top of the key. Dung everywhere you stepped. Have you ever bounced a basketball in dung? It doesn’t work, doesn’t work at all. And yet, basketball was invented here, at the U.The three-point line? Our idea. Michael Jordan? Our idea. Duke? Our idea. Point shaving? Our idea. Do these names mean anything to you: Rick Rickert, Kris Humphries … wait, who are they?For our drunkenly studious enrollment, this current crop of “basketball teams” is utterly unacceptable. Let’s not bother talking about the rats deserting the sinking ship named …

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Sorriest Super Bowl Ever Award: Super Bowl XLThe spectacle of bad officiating, horrible football and a disturbing halftime show featuring 94 year-old Mick Jagger shake like a crack addict does not make for good entertainment. The Super Bowl is supposed to be the climax of the NFL season. Instead we watched Detroit-darling Jerome Bettis fail to run in a one-yard touchdown, Jerramy Stevens drop three balls and Troy Polamalu screw up multiple coverages. Even Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward dropped two passes, including one in the end zone. Despite the bad football, the officiating may have been worse. A phantom holding call on Matt Hasselbeck at a critical point in the game was downright mysterious. The only good story from the Super Bowl was Hines Ward getting the chance to judge this year’s Miss America …

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The Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships are near (April 27 to April 30), and both teams are aiming to win their respected conferences. But this will be a difficult task considering both the men and women will probably have to overcome division goliaths to win. The women’s conference goliath manifests herself as a wildcat. The Northwestern Wildcats have won seven consecutive Big Ten Championships and they are once again dominating the division with an undefeated conference record. The women’s conference championship will be held in Champaign, Ill. Meanwhile, the men’s division has been dominated by Illinois, with the Illini winning four consecutive division championships. But this season Ohio State gave the rest of the Big Ten hope when it ended Illinois’ 86 game conference winning streak with a victory on April 2. With …

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The Vikings 2005 season was filled with accusations and key injuries that led to some of the personnel moves made this spring. Mike Tice is gone and Brad Childress is in at Head Coach. Daunte cleared his name of any boat scandal charges and then was asked to clear his locker. The Vikings had an enormous amount of cap room to spend on free agents and they seized the opportunity accordingly. The Wake will break down the implications of key player acquisitions and give a preview of what the Vikings will be looking for in the NFL draft to be held April 29 and 30. Chester Taylor (Running Back): The former Raven was brought in to take over for Michael Bennett. Taylor, a four-year veteran out of Toledo, had success rushing last year when Jamal …

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After a convincing three-game sweep to begin its 2006 home schedule, Minnesota looks like a baseball team that’s finally found some power in its bats…By Minnesota, I mean the Twins. The Gophers? Not so much.Coming off a sub-par 2005 season, the Twins began its new season with 13 homeruns in its first nine games. The Gophers baseball team, on the other hand, knocked out five homeruns through its first 27 games. This had the beloved campus club ranking second to last in homers among its Big Ten competitors.Then came the 28th game, an April 12 non-conference game at South Dakota State. Four homers and 16 runs highlighted a Gophers victory that kept the team above the .500 mark. Could this be the start of a Big Ten surge? Or, might this just have been a …

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With the annual spring football game approaching for the current Gopher football team, a few former Gophers are looking to continue their football careers in the professional ranks. In preparation for the draft, The Wake takes a look at three Gopher alumni with a good chance to find themselves in a NFL uniform next year and talks with their former coaches, Guards and Centers Coach Gordon Shaw and Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Mitch Browning, to learn more about the former players and what their futures may hold.Greg EslingerA four-year starter from 2002-2005 who started 49 straight games, Eslinger is predicted to go in the third or fourth round. This Bismarck, N.D. native racked up awards throughout his collegiate career. He was a two-time All-American (2003, 2005) and a three-time, first-team All-Big Ten performer in 2003, …

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The Men’s TeamThe 2006 U of M men’s track and field team, coached for the eleventh year by Phil Lundin, looks to recapture its Big Ten outdoor championship form of three years ago. Leading this year’s Gopher men’s unit has been senior thrower, Karl Erickson.A 23-year-old from Zumbro Falls, Minn., Erickson has accomplished a lot during his four-plus years with the Gophers. Recently, the four-time All-American earned himself Big Ten Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors in both of the team’s first two weeks outdoor competitions.The Gopher men begin outdoors after an indoor season in which they finished second (behind Wisconsin) in the Big Ten and featured three runners at nationals., senior runner Trent Riter and All-American high jumper Kevin Netzer will set the pace through the remainder of the Gophers’ spring schedule.While …

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As I walked into the St. Paul Gymnasium, I was second-guessing my choice to do this story. The only experiences I’ve had with heights is with ladders, bungee jumping and a ropes course. I had never really climbed anything of significant height before. But I decided to give it a whirl. Here is what to expect the first time taking on the St. Paul climbing wall. After checking in at the front desk and paying $4 for the climbing wall, day pass, I started my walk to the course. Upon arrival, I introduced myself to the college-aged girl whom would eventually be my wall climbing assistant. I asked her what seemed like logical questions: “Has there been any kind of equipment failure in the past?” She laughed a little and replied no. Then she had …

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