Part of the reinvention process that Tim Brewster has been helping the Minnesota Golden Gophers undertake - and lord knows they need it - is a return to their glory days of several decades ago. That means no more Metrodome; instead, they’ve got a brand-new open-air joint, TCF Bank Stadium, with state of the art facilities. The problem, however, is that Tim Brewster is in charge of this reinvention, so literally anything is possible.

(Hey, that looks pretty nice.)

As EDSBS noted this morning, the most immediately noticeable aspect of the new locker room in the tour that Brewster gives out on YouTube is the giant flashing M on the ceiling for no apparent reason. There’s also a glassed-off locker dedicated to famous Minnesota coach Murray Warmath, whose name is awesome*. Inside the locker is the iconic “crystal football” trophy for Warmath’s 1960 national title with Minnesota, the last in Gophers history. It’s a perfect reminder that expectations in Minnesota are for a title and nothing less.

One little problem, though; the title was in the 1960 season, but the “crystal football” trophy wasn’t first issued until 1986.

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Did University of Minnesota mascot Goldy Gopher go too far when he mimicked Penn State defensive end Jerome Hayes praying in the end zone on Saturday? The guy who shot this video (seen following the jump) obviously thinks so.

“He clearly mocked his prayer. That’s not cool,” says the camera operator, who is apparently a Penn State fan annoyed with the gopher’s antics. What was Hayes’ reaction? Will Goldy have to answer to a higher authority? And by “higher authority,” do I mean Joe Paterno?

Answers, and the video, following the jump. Read more…

It’s not often that injury news takes us completely aback, but that’s absolutely the case over in Pullman tonight. One slightly mentioned aspect of last weekend’s game pitting Washington State against Southern Methodist was WSU’s tailback, James Montgomery, suffering an apparent knee injury. Not that those aren’t serious, but, y’know… they happen.

But one thing that doesn’t usually happen is a potentially fatal injury that nobody recognizes immediately. That’s what apparently befell Montgomery during the game; after the game, he reported increasing discomfort with the knee, and went in for surgery on Sunday morning. It probably saved his life.

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To look through the stories SPORTSbyBROOKS has written about Lou Holtz over the years is to jump down a rabbit hole into an abyss of utter insanity. In the past year alone, the Elmer Fudd of college football has conquered Japan, praised Adolf Hitler’s leadership skills, dressed up as a fake psychiatrist, and stuck up for a race-baiting Dixiecrat politician. Interesting career moves for anyone, let alone one of ESPN’s premier college football experts.

Perhaps sensing that the Worldwide Leader in Sports is not the ideal milieu for the unhinged rantings of an old, rich white man, serial job-hopper Holtz is reportedly considering an all-new career that fits his personality better: Republican Congressman from Florida.

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Former Minnesota Golden Gopher basketball player Shane Schilling has had a rough time of it since he was kicked off the team before his junior year. In 2005, he managed to get hurt when he was hit by a car while trying to cross the freeway. Then in 2007, he was convicted of attempted robbery after punching a Minnesota student in the face on campus while fleeing the law on a car theft charge.

But that pales in comparison to what happened to him on Monday night. The MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE says that Schilling was arrested after keeping police at bay from his apartment for more than three hours during a meth-fueled stand-off. FROM THE BARN points out that Schilling is continuing his basketball legacy of not living up to expectations, although based on his previous history, a drug-crazed freak out really shouldn’t be considered that unexpected.

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It’s been some tough times for the University of North Dakota. The state’s Board of Higher Education had recently ruled that the school must drop its beloved but controversial “Fighting Sioux” nickname by October 1, unless it can get the okay from the state’s two Sioux Indian tribes to let the college keep it. But now things are looking up for the soon-to-be non-Sioux.

The two ladies pictured above are Jocelyne & Monique Lamoureux. So why should a pair of hockey playing sisters cheer up the (still) Sioux nation - especially a pair that plays for UND’s hated rival, the Minnesota Golden Gophers? Because the Lamoureux sisters are coming home to Grand Forks, having announced that they are transferring to North Dakota.

Oh, and they’re pretty cute, too.

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• The Mets are mad at Dwight Gooden for holding an impromptu autograph session on their brand new Citi Field walls.

• Some pretty exciting playoff performances by the Bulls & Sixers so far. Too bad it’s all a formality until the Lakers-LeBron finals.

• It’s one thing for linemen to get the late-night munchies, but stealing $82 worth of hamburgers & Hot Pockets from other people’s fridges?

• Looks like the Cavs have found their new playoff anthem, thanks to Joe Smith … er, Joe Beast.

• Another great use for Twitter: Calling local sportswriters fat.

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To paraphrase Dan Patrick, you can’t stop Twitter’s popularity in the sports world, you can only hope to contain it. Whether it’s Shaq inviting diner customers to say hello, Stephen Jackson showing his sketches of nude ladies packing heat, or the NBA finding a new way to fine Mark Cuban, the social technology seems here to stay.

And with such an explosion of popularity, it would only be a matter of time before some sports figure would use the easy updating tool to type up something he or she might regret. (Mark Cuban doesn’t count because he regrets nothing!) And that figure might turn out to be Minnesota football coach Tim Brewster.

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• Grant Hill reveals that Christian Laettner is a big jerk. In other news, sky is blue, water is wet, Duke is overrated.

• A former U of Minnesota running back can’t leave the state to attend an NFL tryout - just because he’s an “untreated sex offender“.

• There’s nothing like a buzzer-beater to punch your ticket to the Big Dance.

• The Yankees hope to have the healthiest ballpark in the league.

• Delaware seems determined to take a gamble on sports betting.

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There’s a lesson in here for all of you reading; if you’re hoping to try out for the NFL, I’d advise you not to masturbate on a passed-out woman and record it on your cell phone.

Former University of Minnesota star Dominic Jones was barred by a judge’s ruling from leaving the state and traveling to Ohio for one day to participate in open NFL tryouts. Rather than doing it to spare Jones’ feelings from being rejected by 32 teams, the county says that he’s not getting any special treatment; he’s just a regular “untreated sex offender.”

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