Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Gophers R.I.P.

It was a couple of years ago now that I drove down to LaCrescent, Minnesota to attend a fall birding expedition along the Mississippi. It was free, led by a famous birder, and on a Sunday morning. Seemed perfect. Arriving to the meeting place in a Kwik Trip parking lot, I saw about a dozen people standing around. "Morning folks" was my opening remark. "Morning. Beautiful day for birding" was the friendly reply.
A little chit chat soon revealed they were ALL from LaCrosse, Wisconsin, across the river from where we stood. I was already feeling a little outnumbered when one gentlemen wearing Wisconsin Badger outfitting and looking at my Gopher hat and jacket asked "so how did the Gophers do yesterday." Surely they all knew that the Badgers had crushed the Gophers once again in the final game of the Big Ten season. This question, of course, was a set up so I just sadly shook my head. Another "birder" then asked "when was the last time your team was in the Rose Bowl". Taking my hat off to reveal a seriously graying head, placing it over my heart, I owned up to the fact that I had been a freshmen at the University when it last happened. They began to shake their heads in faux amazement until I boldly added it was time to go birding.
Thus it was, last Sunday, after the Michigan Wolverines had handed my Gophers a 58 to 0 shellacking (their worst Big Ten loss ever), that I found myself shovel in hand, calling for Mrs. T to join me in the garden. "Will you sing a Church Song," I asked her while handing over my Gopher hat and jacket. This line harkens back to the time, when during a burial ceremony for our first pet dog, our four year old had made a similar request of his mother. Smirking broadly, she headed off in another direction my hat and jacket still in hand.
Patience is a virtue they say. I’m not feeling very virtuous these days, although my empathy for the long suffering Chicago Cubs fans has grown immeasurably over the years.
The "Little Brown Jug" symbolic of one of college football oldest rivalries going back to the late 1800's. The Gophers have lost 27 of the last 30 games against Michigan. Ouch!

8 comments:

  1. Those Badger fans are wicked indeed. When we lived in WI my husband prayed every week that Wisconsin would lose. The only fans that may rival the Badger fans for ugly would be those Tigers at Clemson University.

    Now dig up that jacket, brush off the dirt and put it back on. A few more Church Songs wouldn't hurt a bit.

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  2. damn wisconsinites! always rubbing it in!

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  3. Ouch is right! I don't follow football, so am unaffected by wins and losses.

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  4. I laughed to your Cub reference. At a eulogy for a friend I wrote ,"He always wanted a blue ribbon for his dahlias at the fair and the Cubs to win a series.Neither ever happened." A smile encircled the church and the organist finished with Take me Out To the Ballgame.Save that hat, we buried him with hs.

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  5. Iowa State defeated the rivals Iowa a few weeks ago but Saturday, Texas destroyed the team. I don't think they will bounce back from that one. Hang in there and maybe you should get a birder hat.

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  6. Oh never give up..besides that your jacket and cap are real comfy by now. Maybe you should follow Hockey instead of Football:)

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  7. Oh, well. Perhaps you have now turned the tide?? ;-)

    (I did feel a bit sorry for you in that grossly outnumbered situation - where they baited you... I thought birders were nicer than that!!!) lol

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  8. Don't give up hope. If anyone can rebuild the Gophs, it will be Coach Kill. Give him a couple years as he is essentially starting with nothing.

    We were at Northern Illinois' game with Kent State Saturday and will be at homecoming this weekend.

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