I have traveled over 15,000 miles, spent more money than I care to calculate (I started to figure this out once…NOT good), and likely taken years off of my life.  I have a feeling this is going to be THE year though.  I have trips to UNLV, Nebraska, and Wisconsin on the docket in an attempt to accomplish this goal before I just become too old and bitter to travel.  I have the vacation time saved up,  hotel/airline points stockpiled, a “Gopher Fund” established, and enough fanatic friends I can drag along to accomplish this THIS year so I don’t have to endure another 15 years like the ones below….

WARNING-This is long and could be tramatic to some Gopher fans to recall some of these painful losses.

1997 Final Four in Indy vs. the Kentucky Wildcats: The Gophers were coming off of a 31-3 season, Big Ten Championship, #1 tourney seed in the Midwest, an emotional instant classic 2 OT win vs. Clemson in the regional semifinals (and then a much less exciting regional final win over UCLA…came back from down ten points ALL in regulation-BORING).  The Gophers were the highest ranked team remaining in the field of four and should have advanced.  My dad and I drove through the night to arrive in Indy 2 hours before the game.  The absolute highlight of my gopher fan tenure to date …to be followed by 14 years of utter disappointment.  Although this “never happened”, I have the ticket and MANY newspaper clippings to prove it did.  I am a sports hoarder-I admit it.

1998 Big Ten Basketball Tournament Semifinals vs. Michigan: This was the Gophers only hope for a NCAA tournament bid (the year after coming off of a final four appearance???  UGH.)….to win the Big Ten Tourney.  The Gophers beat the tourney favorite Michigan State in the quarterfinals (w/ senior guard Eric Harris scoring 29 points…will we ever have strong guard performance again???) to take on Michigan in the semifinals.  Myself and two friends hit the road to Chi-town Friday night post the Michigan State win, drove through the night, slept in a McDonald’s parking lot for 3 hours before scalping tickets outside the United Center.  After all of that-we watched our Gophers get destroyed by Michigan ending their postseason hopes pre a Jan Gangelhoff caused post season ban.

1999 Big Ten Basketball Tournament First Round vs. Illinois:  We were confident our team was NCAA tourney bound after narrowly missing the field the year before and claiming a coveted NIT championship.  Why not make the trip to Chicago?  Gophers lost in the first round, we got stuck in a horrific blizzard, and the Jan Gangelhoff scandal broke just a week later.  Gopher basketball fandom has never been the same.  AND, the bitterness begins to set in.

1999 Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX vs. the Oregon Ducks (20-24 loss):  Please refer to my previous blog entry https://mnsportsgal.com/2010/12/29/ending-the-mn-gophers-bowl-drought-and-ringing-in-y2k-in-el-paso-tx/ on the debacle that was this game but the single most fun trip I have ever taken.  We quickly forgot that the Gophers were just 1 win away (a field goal away!!) from going to the Rose Bowl that year.  Ugh-remember crappy bowl games Gopher fans??

2000 Gopher Football at Wisconsin (20-41 loss):  Us girls were State & Regent Street virgins….and could have honestly cared less if the Gophers actually won after just a few hours in Madtown.  It was our first visit to Madison where we stayed across the street from Camp Randall, slept a total of 6 hours the entire weekend, sat/were harassed to no end in the student section in our Gopher gear, discovered pokey sticks & fishbowls, and mastered extreme walking.  The beginning of my love/hate relationship with Madison…..

2001: Gopher Football at Iowa (21-42 loss): We had had so much fun in Madison, we decided-why not venture to Iowa City?  NOT as much fun.  After non-showers (especially poor John) in our scary hotel next to an all female correctional facility, a near death cab experience, and an embarrassing loss in the freezing rain, we did discover 18+ bars serving 40’s and grilled cheese street carts.  All was good in forgetting another Gopher road loss.

2002 Gopher Football at Wisconsin (31-49 loss): We were gearing up for a stellar repeat performance although topping 2000 would be next to impossible.  We had scored 50 yard line seats-row 7 as University of MN supporters from the generous University of Wisconsin-sweet!!!  No.  After our lives were threatened by an 80 year old Badger grandma (she was scary….really!!) for standing, we spent the entire game staring at the big screen and Gopher football players toit glutes (which wasn’t that bad actually….it could have been worse-we could have been behind the Badgers bench).  Plus-we were up within gawking distance of the hottest coach in the Big Ten-Glen Mason = MEOW.  It wasn’t a game we wanted to see much of anyway.  This trip took our love of Brothers to a whole new level…they have this fantastic bar in Madison too??  Whhhhatt???

2003 Gopher Football at Iowa (22-40 loss):  These tickets were purchased during halftime of the Michigan/Gopher game as we were all convinced we were Rose Bowl bound, on the verge of cracking the top 10, and this Iowa/Gopher game would feature a visit from ESPN College Game Day.  Turned out the Iowa game was the exact opposite of that and a reminder of what an epic fail our season was.  We did have a hotel w/ functioning showers this time though, which was a win.  Michigan game = my #1 all time Gopher loss (yes…I have them ranked).

2004 Gopher Football at Wisconsin (14-38 loss): Another loss.  Another Madtown debacle of a weekend.  Our Goldie’s Oldies jackets made their debut appearance on this trip.  See previous blog post on how these came to be: https://mnsportsgal.com/2010/12/23/goldies-oldies-why-not/  See me for a recap of inappropriate actions and comments directed our way….not suitable for print.

2005 Gopher Football at Michigan (23-20 WIN):  I was NOT at this game.  My friends and I HAD plans to travel to this game in Ann Arbor and see the legendary Big House.  Our plans fell apart at the last minute and I ended up in Columbus, OH this weekend instead.  My point…Gophers won this game in the final seconds after a Russell 40+ yard run on 3^rd down set up a Giannini field goal.  I think my Gopher voodoo curse would not have witnessed the same results had I actually ended up at this game.  You are welcome fellow Gopher fans.

2006 Gopher Football at Wisconsin (12-48 loss): I remember zero details from this trip.  I must have blocked out the really bad games.  I believe this was the game we were rewarded with the worst possible seats in Camp Randall.  My go to binoculars (which I of course forgot) would not have even helped the cause here.  We took cues from the crowd noise as to what was actually going on in the game.  I think we kicked 4 field goals and never actually saw the end zone.

2008 Gopher Football at Wisconsin (32-35 loss):  I was old on this trip.  We stayed in a hotel with a water park and I drank beers all Friday night with old people (I have an obsession with cute little old people…love them!).  AND-we drove home after the game on Saturday.  Please remind me how much I hated my old self on this trip if I ever get lame in Madison again.

2009 Gopher Football at Northwestern (35-24 WIN): Again, I was NOT at this game.  I had plans to go to Chicago to visit friends and go to the game.  My friend Kelly would say……“something better must have come up” :).  I think they can all thank me though that I was not at the game-they got to see their first Gopher road win.

2011 Gopher Football at USC (17-19 loss):  This was the ultimate MN sports weekend with the ULTIMATE MN sports fan (Twins at Anaheim and Gophers at USC???).  Christa had “voted” for the Gophers to win….so confidence was high that a W was in order.  “Goldie’s Oldies” were starting to become a bit more relevant here 🙂   I would not see my first Gopher road win on this trip though….I was robbed of a moment of Gopher happiness by a Max Shortell interception.  I did get to meet the most adorable little old man who was on the 1960 Gopher National Championship team (ok….he was the equipment manager…details, details).

I DO think this is going to be the year.  I have a feeling that my losing streak is going to end with an epic Vegas trip.  I will then be able to carryover my vacation and hotel/airline points for the 2014 Rose Bowl 🙂  I know my crazy equally fanatic Gopher fans will be right there with me.