it’s time to name Goldy Gopher a Captain
While watching Gopher football it’s hard not to notice that almost everyone has a captain’s badge on their jersey. P.J. Fleck has decided to empower his team by giving them all captains privileges, and that’s cool but there’s one massive omission from the captain’s list: Goldy Gopher. It makes no sense to me at all. Goldy has been on that team longer than anyone else and has to do more pushups than anyone should. I’m a P.J. Fleck fan but he’s made a huge mistake in his coaching and I’m going to call him out for it. It’s time to name Goldy a captain.
Let’s break down a little history on how long Goldy has been a part of this football team.
The world was first introduced to Goldy in 1952, 65 years before P.J. Fleck would take over the team, and 28 years before Fleck was even born. He became a fixture within the University of Minnesota Marching Band and Pep Band. We started to see Goldy show up at football games in the early ’60s, though Goldy looked a little bit different back then.
Also, all of these pictures were taken from the Gopher Athletics Facebook page in an album titled ‘The Evolution of Goldy Gopher’ Full credit for the pictures goes to Gopher athletics and the respective photographers.
Goldy Gopher has been going to football games longer than we’ve had colored pictures. The only black and white pictures of P.J. Fleck are thanks to an Instagram filter.
I love you, Goldy. But this is nightmare worthy.
Around 1972, Goldy’s costume changed and he started to get chubbier cheeks. Still nowhere near the Goldy we know and love now but I don’t notice Fleck running anywhere in this picture. Oh, that’s right–this was taken 8 years before he was born.
In 1986, a young Fleck was too busy playing with his Teddy Ruxpin, GI Joe Action Figures, and Koosh Balls to know that Goldy was working hard at the football games. This is also around the time Goldy started getting his iconic look.
There’s Goldy Gopher rocking at the Metrodome. I bet P.J. Fleck never once got blown out of the doors at the dome. NOT ONCE.
Our beautiful Goldy at the 1999 Sun Bowl. No captain’s patch on his jersey then, either. Terrible.
Plus Goldy is a NATIONAL CHAMPION. 4X National Champion as a matter of fact. Is P.J. Fleck? NOT YET.
Goldy won the UCA Mascot National Championship in 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2018. Although I’d love few things more than watching Fleck row the Gophers all the way to a National Championship, he hasn’t done it yet. That means there’s only one National Champion on the field and their initials are GG.
It’s time to make Goldy Gopher a captain. As a matter of fact, it’s LONG overdue.
Goldy Gopher has been a staple of Gopher football for six decades. and has been to more games than any athlete, fan, student, coach, professor, media member, or ANYONE. I don’t know what else that gopher needs to do to get a captain patch but I’m calling on P.J. Fleck to make it happen. If anyone is worthy of being a captain, it’s Goldy. Do the right thing, Coach Fleck, it’s time to name Goldy Gopher a captain.
I was in at least 3 people’s Myspace Top 8. I have as many NBA Championships as Tom Brady. I’m probably too old to be here. @NickLewis37
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I was in at least 3 people’s Myspace Top 8. I have as many NBA Championships as Tom Brady. I’m probably too old to be here. @NickLewis37