School's Back

Apparently there's a new club on the U of M campus, Kinky U. Katherine Kersten wrote an interesting take on the club in today's Star Tribune. And by interesting I mean, she really has no opinion at all. It's written as an opinion piece without any real opinion behind it, which reads more like an infomercial than a piece of journalism.

School started this week and of all weeks did it really have to be this cold? The hustle and bustle of first days jitters along with the serious bite of Minnesota Winter. I lucked into rides to campus this semester, meaning no early morning waits for the bus. I am thrilled about this. I can't say it enough. THRILLED.

Yesterday in class I overheard three girls debating the upcoming Super Bowl. Only the debate wasn't over who was going to win and why, the debate was over who had the cutest butt and how one of the debaters wished Randy Moss wasn't so ugly. I've always enjoyed the fact that Minnesotan women have such a high sports IQ. I know that the appearance of the athletes isn't the #1 concern of all of these fans, but I'm sure a sigh of relief was heard across Minnesota when Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer signed to long term contracts this week.

Is The Barn All Its Cracked Up To Be?

Because I've never experienced a basketball game at the University of Minnesota's basketball arena, "The Barn," my opinion isn't completely formed on Tubby Smith's recent comments in the NYTimes that "he wanted a new facility to replace Williams Arena, the venerable field house known as the Barn and the Gophers’ home since 1928, but was willing to wait while the university completes football and baseball stadiums" and again today in the Pioneer Press,""It's something I'm sure that everybody wants to see at some point in time," Smith said. "We know that (if) we're going to do the things we have to do, that they're going to want a bigger and better place.""

I've been reading the raucous responses and Benjamin Polk from City Pages scolding Smith for even considering a move, and yet I still haven't formed an educated opinion. I see a lot of dedicated fans holding onto the past, and at the same time refusing to look around the country. Top notch athletics programs need new arenas to recruit the best athletes and attract the most fans.

Simply being a top notch institute of higher learning isn't enough anymore. U.C Berkeley built Walter A. Haas, Jr. Pavilion in 1999 replacing the once beloved Harmon Gymnasium, showing it's possible to keep the intimacy and grow in capacity and technologically.

Tomorrow I'll contact the U's athletic department to get press passes to cover and upcoming game. With classes starting in only a two weeks from now, Gopher energy should be in high gear as Tubby Smith continues to impress everyone within shouting distance from The Barn. I look forward to seeing the turn around in U of M basketball firsthand. With the impending departure of Johan Santana from the Twins and the sad performance of the Timberwolves, Twin Cities fans can use something to root for.