Gophers Vs. Badgers: Breathe in the Hate

Nov 23, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback

(2) throws the ball as he gets hit by Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive lineman

(98) in the second half at TCF Bank Stadium. The Badgers won 20-7. Mandatory Credit:

-USA TODAY Sports

Nick is presumably going to write a preview of the huge Gophers-Badgers game later this week, but I wanted to talk a little bit about why I couldn’t ask for anything more from a match up standpoint.

I hate Wisconsin. Really, truly do. The main reason is that I was born and raised in Duluth, and live there to this day. For those who don’t know the geography of the state, Wisconsin is right across the St. Louis Bay, five minutes away. That means I am five minutes away from rabid Badgers – and Packers, for that matter – fans. Growing up, I would always have to deal with them in school. As an adult, I have to deal with them at work.

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Betsided

This has proven to be problematic, because the Badgers have dominated the rivalry during my lifetime. Season after season, I have had to go to class or work and hear about how we got beat again. As a 28-year-old, I am capable of handling it. As a child though, it was miserable. I dreaded going into school the day after the Badgers beat the Gophers. Everyone knew I was a huge Gopher football fan, so I might as well have been wearing a target on my back for the Badgers fans I went to school with. Middle schoolers are terrible people; There were some tough days for me back then.

One of the worst moments of my sports fandom came when I was a student at the University of Minnesota. As a bright eyed, bushy tailed Sophomore, I was at the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe at the Metrodome in 2005. The Gophers led by 10 with 3:27 left. The Badgers drove down for a quick touchdown, then the onside kick took an insane kick and Laurence Maroney recovered it, but way down on the Gophers 11 yard line. After not moving the ball, the Gophers lined up to punt. Somehow, punter Justin Kucek dropped the ball, and the punt was blocked. Even with all of that, had the ball gone out the back of the end zone, the safety would have still had the Gophers up one with little time left. Nope. Wisconsin recovered in the end zone for the go-ahead and ultimately, game-winning touchdown. It was, far and away, the stupidest way I’ve seen yet to lose a game. There I sat in the stands, stunned and a little drunk, not sure what to do with myself. I don’t want that day to always be the one which is the most memorable for me when it comes to the Gophers battling the Badgers.

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I suppose the other element that always bothered me about both Wisconsin as well Iowa was that I couldn’t understand why we could not build the same type of program. They’ve always been predicated by toughness and running the ball. It is a simple formula, but one we could never seem to master. Sure, we had Marion Barber III and Maroney, but never the defenses to back them up. Finally, we are playing “Big Ten” football, and winning while doing so.

I want the Gophers to be the Golden standard. I want to root for the team that others are trying to emulate. I want eight, nine and ten win seasons to be the rule instead of the exception. I want the Gophers to play for the Big Ten Championship, which they last won when I was -19 years old. Most of all though?

I just want the Gophers to beat Wisconsin.