We go to The Bank

There are only two locker rooms in the world that are shaped like a football. One is in Green Bay where the Packers suit up. Last night we stood in the other one.

Mood lighting creates a mystical glow for the boys

Many more fun facts were revealed during our evening at the TCF Bank stadium on the University of Minnesota campus that the Gophers, and presently the Vikings, call home.

Our neighbors' financial advisor, Don Rosen, played guard for the Gophers in the 60s for Coach Murray Warmath. He celebrated his 40th year with Waddell and Reed last night by inviting his clients for a buffet and party at The Bank. John and Mary Gerken invited us to tag along. We were delighted. Unlike John and Mary, we don't have tickets to the Gopher games so we've never seen this massive monument to Minnesota football.

It was 9-11 so flags were at
half staff. That's the barn and
Minneapolis in the background.

It did not disappoint. The stadium is gorgeous, with a few touches added by the Minnesota Vikings, who injected some cash into the site while they await completion of their billion dollar glass palace a couple miles away.
There's now real grass on the field, heated, extra seating and the end zone simply says "Minnesota" in a purplish burgundy tint.
The locker room was eerily stripped and vacant, awaiting the weekend arrival of the Viking equipment trucks with their purple paraphernalia. Meanwhile the Gophers will be in Texas at TCU. There's a Minnesota logo embedded in the floor at the center of the locker room. Gophers treat this area with the utmost of respect, never walking on that hallowed space. Interestingly, with a Vikings invasion imminent, before leaving, student managers had prudently covered up the logo with carpets and cautiously roped it off. Is the worry that the Viking oafs could be disrespectful . . . or just plain clumsy?

We walked through the training room and through the "M" club, which is an exclusive bistro for lettered alums. We noted the old leather football helmets in the big museum, wondering if they prevented concussions any worse than the current version.
Goldy the Gopher dropped in for a photo op and so did injured Quarterback Mitch Leidner, who assured John that he'd be taking snaps on Saturday.

Stan and John both attended the University back in the 60s. Last night John drove us in the family limousine so we all got a chance to see the many changes on the campus. As we wheeled through Dinkytown, Kathleen suggested we come back sometime for Al's Breakfast. John pointed to the coffee shop where he once stumbled onto a young man picking a guitar and singing by the name of Bobby Zimmerman.
John said he wasn't much impressed by his performance, and moved on.