Some thoughts on the Gopher and Viking fans from last weekend.

QUOTE: 'It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.'


As a former Minnesotan and a former Gopher fan and still a Viking fan I could feel the anguish Minnesotans went through laat weekend. I watched the Gopher-North Dakota football game Saturday night and could see right away the Gophers were going to be in a tough game. As it turned out the Gophers got beat 37 to 24.

Then on Sunday the Vikings were ahead of the Detroit Lions by a score of
20-0 at halftime. I knew the Vikings had blown a 17-7 lead in their first game and had blown a 17-0 lead in their second game. I was cheering for the Vikings but I knew what had happened in the first two games. In the back of my mind was 'Is this going to happen again?' Well, it happened again and the Vikings lost by a score of 34-31 in overtime.

I'm writing this because I remember how I felt growing up when the Gophers would lose. At that time I was a died-in-the-wool Gopher fan. I would feel terrible for several days when they lost. And then when the Vikings lost their third game in a row on Sunday I had flashbacks to my childhood. I was also thinking of brothers Chuck (Marlys), brother Don, brother Jim (Verleen), nephews Tim and Brett, and numerous other nieces, nephews, in-laws and high school friends. I could feel the anguish they were going through.

So I just want to offer some historical perspective on the situation and say there is hope. When Hayden Fry came to Iowa in 1979 he won five games. In 1980 he won three games. The third year, 1981, we tied for the Big Ten Championship and went to the Rose Bowl. When Kirk Ferentz replaced Fry in 1999 he won one game the first year, three games in 2000, seven games in 2001, (including a trip to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio), and in 2002 we were undefeated (8-0 record)and Big Ten Champs and played in the Orange Bowl. So my message for the Minnesota Gopher fans is have faith and hope - you now have a good coach in Jerry Kill and he has been successful wherever he's been. I predict that in 2-4 years he will have the Gophers turned around and playing in some good bowl games.

As far as the Vikings there are 13 games NFL games left in this season. But they better get their second half collapses figured out. I don't think they will be division champs but they will win over half their games.

The reason I like to study history is that I can always find something to offer persoective on the situation and make me feel better. So I offer the above words to my Gopher and Viking relatives and friends - things will get better.


HUMOR for today:

My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't.