A few weeks ago, Brian “Saint Paul” Ward at Fraters – my longtime NARN colleague – vented his Tea-partying rage at U of M mascot Goldy Gopher:
I know I’ll never look upon his leading the “Ni, Ni, Ni” chant at hockey games in the same way again. All this time, he was referring to his putting his knee into the tax payers’ collective groin. Ski-U-Mah, indeed.
Someone has obviously taken Brian’s rant to heart:
An annoyed fan — a University of St. Thomas math professor and a devoted University of Minnesota booster — socked the fuzzy-suited mascot after tiring of his antics during a men’s gymnastics meet Saturday night.
The mascot-mauling left the professor red-faced, regretful and banned from the University of Minnesota’s Sports Pavilion and Williams Arena for a year. Goldy is left shaken, his gopher face damaged. And spectators didn’t know what to think.
“Honestly, we thought it was funny at the time,” said Barry Colthorpe, who watched the bleacher knock-down unfold as he sat with his wife. “I know it shouldn’t be funny that someone got punched, but the fact that it was a mascot, it was an unreal situation. But you can’t go around punching people even if it’s a mascot.”
Most fans know that Goldy tries to entertain crowds with light-hearted shenanigans. “He doesn’t mean any harm,” said Scott Ellison, U of M associate athletic director. “He’s just there to add a little fun.”
There’s a simmering pot of rage among those middle-aged academics. Gotta be careful, Brian.
I never had much regard for Tommies, but this may change my opinion.
Goldie wouldn’t have done well in Mrs. Buckston’s Kindergarden Class, his report card grade for “Keeps Hands To Self” and “Leaves Others Alone” would have been dismal.
I didn’t know it was a crime to bash a rodent.
Scott, obviously Goldy is on the endangered species list, looking at his success on the gridiron last year. Duh.