Sometimes stories write themselves, and some of the best ones are unexpected.
When the Nagurski family embarks on TCF Bank Stadium today to honor the legendary Bronko, one can wonder how things would’ve been different if former Gophers football coach Clarence “Doc” Spears never got lost on that unmarked dirt road on that scouting trip in northern Minnesota.
Everyone around here knows the story:
“Doc” Spears, completely lost on a dirt road in 1926, spots a man plowing a field without the help of a horse or mule. He asks directions to the nearest town, and this ox of a man with the 19 1/2 ring size picks up the plow and points Spears in the right direction.
Dr. Spears, meet Bronko Nagurski ... and the rest is history.
A different group with different expectations embarked on TCF Bank Stadium a week ago, and what transpired isn’t Hall of Fame worthy, but will go down as one of the more memorable tailgating experiences this sports editor will ever write about.
Many might think we were lost like “Doc” Spears, because who attends a Gopher game a week after a laughable loss to South Dakota? But like one of our tailgaters said shortly after arriving at 10:30 a.m. (game time was 2:30), “Might as well have fun. It’s USC.”
Then they arrived.
Still feeling the hangover from the loss to the Coyotes — my diehard Gopher fan buddy didn’t even wear a Gopher shirt — an Audi pulled up and turned our low-key tailgate kumbaya into a Funfest.
With Gophers fans at the lowest of lows (you could tell with the quiet and dull mood across the parking lot), four guys from New Jersey rolled in and came out of the car on fire. While Gophers fans were waiting for the massacre against USC, these guys were ready to massacre USC, and every Reggie Bush supporter along the way.
They were primarily there to support their college buddy — Gophers offensive quality control assistant Tony Sorrentino — but they were equally as jacked about a potential upset by the U of M. (SIDE NOTE: At no point did any of the original tailgaters believe in a Gophers upset. These New Jersey guys, acting like nothing happened the week prior, just made it much easier to move on).
Everyone has a go-to person that cheers them up. These guys were a combination of Matt Foley (Chris Farley’s motivational speaker character on Saturday Night Live) and Rudy.
Then USC fans started showing up, and one in particular stood out from the rest.
Jersey Shore guys, meet Riki Ellison.
When the four newest Gopher fans with the New Jersey swagger spotted the clean cut USC backer with the slicked-back hair wearing the cardinal blazer with gold cufflinks, a hush came over our parking spot in anticipation of the encounter.
All in good fun, Jersey Shore rushed over and instigated some home-grown heckling before realizing this USC backer was literally a backer. Ellison played linebacker on the 1978 Trojans squad that won the national title (he was wearing the ring to prove it). He moved on to the NFL and won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. He was there to not only support the Trojans, but his son was a starting tight end on the current team.
So what started as a day of mourning — at least it felt that way — turned into an event highlighted by the unexpected. I can even say now that I’ve opened a beer for a Super Bowl champ.
The game itself wasn’t all that terrible (we covered the spread), and the stadium lived up to its billing, but all of that took a giant back seat to Jersey Shore, Super Bowls and toasting everything imaginable on one knee (I guess it’s a East Coast thing).
There will never be a Tim Brewster Day in Minnesota, because “you can’t promise roses when you’re still picking daisies,” as my diehard Gopher buddy would say.
However, today is Bronko Nagurski Day.
Eighty-four years ago Bronko decided to plow a field at the same time “Doc” Spears was driving around searching for the nearest town.
Seven days ago a group of Gophers fans decided to tailgate in a parking lot at the same time with four Jersey boys and a Super Bowl champ.
Both stories turned out pretty good.
