Chip Scoggins: Philosophical shift is evident all over with Gophers

[BleedGopher]

per Chip:

The entrance to the Bierman Athletic Building is boarded up. The lobby has become a construction zone filled with scaffolding, caution tape and blue tarps.

Gophers athletics is experiencing a significant makeover, both in appearance and perception. Construction on their future home — the $166 million Athletes Village — serves as a tangible symbol of a shift in philosophy that is altering a narrative about how sports are viewed on campus.

The university’s commitment to athletics should no longer be used as a punch line.

In the past 13 months, the school has started construction on a $190 million sports facilities project, hired a new athletic director and new football coach to the most lucrative contracts for those positions in school history and rewarded volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon with an extension that paid him about $450,000 this year.

Those big-ticket decisions demonstrate an understanding that college sports have become cutthroat competitive and expensive, and that failure to jump into the fray will only widen the gap.

Longtime critics of the school’s commitment to athletics, myself included, can’t deny what is taking place right now.

http://www.startribune.com/philosophical-shift-is-evident-all-over-with-gophers/410184185/

Go Gophers!!

 

[GringaGopher]

Would be nice if some of these many media critics actually decided to support the U. Seems like PJ was saying as much during his press conference. Borton was a bad coach but she was right in her book when she called the local media " vicious "

 

[Go4]

Borton was a bad coach but she was right in her book when she called the local media " vicious "

you read borton's book? why?

 

[joshvanklomp]

Would be nice if some of these many media critics actually decided to support the U.

That's not the media's job.

I'd like more positive stories too, but I think that's part of Fleck's point about getting his players out into the community and giving the media good things to write about. That's the type of thing I don't remember hearing much about from the Gopher football team in a while (though I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong).

 

[MNfootballfan]

That's not the media's job.

I'd like more positive stories too, but I think that's part of Fleck's point about getting his players out into the community and giving the media good things to write about. That's the type of thing I don't remember hearing much about from the Gopher football team in a while (though I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong).

I have a good friend who was lightly recruited by the U but went on to be an All-American at NDSU and in his personal opinion he thought the reason why the Gophers never get over the hump is because they are on a constant joke in the media and no one will go out of their way in the media. He said at NDSU the players and coaches were treated very well and it painted a positive light over the entire program. Now, we all know that being the only show in town helps

 

[Ski U Master]

I have a good friend who was lightly recruited by the U but went on to be an All-American at NDSU and in his personal opinion he thought the reason why the Gophers never get over the hump is because they are on a constant joke in the media and no one will go out of their way in the media. He said at NDSU the players and coaches were treated very well and it painted a positive light over the entire program. Now, we all know that being the only show in town helps

So what? The media has no obligation to treat athletes well. The Gophers have created the media treatment they receive with the last several decades of results.

 

[jmag21]

The media has no obligation to do anything of course. They're trying to sell papers. Unfortunately the sports media club of super best friends in this town has traditionally had a stranglehold on their jobs and hasn't had to worry about whether their consumers enjoyed their product because they had "no other options." So we hear things like souhan and reusse expressing positive disdain for Minnesota sports fans, especially gophers, and saying that nothing in the world gives them more joy than when gopher fans are unhappy. Ok fine. But then forgive us gopher fans for taking a little schadenfreude when your dying profession slips under the water and you begin to notice that you've lost to the "basement bloggers" that you so hate.


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