Category: Golden Gophers

In April Joe Mauer became the eighth former Twin to have a statue commemorating his career.  The Twins haven’t built a World Series champion in more than 30 years, but the organization is prolific in erecting statues at Target Field.

The eight bronze sculptures have been a nice gig for Minnesota-based artist Bill Mack whose Twins assignments include Rod Carew (April 2010), Harmon Killebrew (April 2010), Kirby Puckett (April 2010), Carl and Eloise Pohlad (October 2010), Tony Oliva (April 2011), Kent Hrbek (April 2012) and Tom Kelly (June 2017).

It seems to this sportswriter and historian that Mr. Mack could assist other local teams whose “statue cupboard” is collectively quite bare.  Those organizations don’t have to adopt an “on steroids” statue building campaign but for starters they could consider the following suggested candidates:

The Vikings.  Ah, yes, let’s start with the franchise that is more important to zealots than family, friends and perhaps their own welfare.  With Adrian Peterson dogged by too many controversies, including a driving incident last month in Minnesota, it’s easier to clear the nominations field for other candidates.

Gracing the cement outside U.S. Bank Stadium should be a statue of Harry Peter Grant. Yes, Bud coached the Vikings to four Super Bowls, and while they all resulted in defeats, he remains atop the “Purple” coaching tree and is among the franchise’s most iconic figures.  Are we forever to be outdone by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who unveiled a bronze statue of Bud years ago near their stadium?

Bud should be joined at U.S. Bank Stadium by a statue of the famed “Purple People Eaters” from his era as coach.  The legendary defensive line scared the deuce out of opposing offenses for about a decade and consisted mostly of Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall and Gary Larsen.

At Target Center the legendary George Mikan, voted Mr. Basketball for the first half of the 20^th century, is remembered with a lobby statue recognizing both him and the five-time world champion Minneapolis Lakers.  The successor to the Lakers franchise in Minneapolis, the Timberwolves, have done little to approach the greatness of Mikan and Company but that wasn’t the fault of Kevin Garnett.

The former Wolves power forward, who late in his career won an NBA title with the Celtics, was a first ballot Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer in the class of 2020.   Fifteen times in his career he was named an NBA all-star.  Playing for the Wolves, he was league MVP for the 2003-2004 season.

The other Target Center basketball team, the Lynx, has won four WNBA championships. Get Mr. Mack on speed-dial and task him with sculpting a five-person statue of the dynastic group of Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles and Lindsay Whalen. Fowles and Whalen are in the Hall of Fame, while Augustus and Moore will be inducted later this year.

Whalen, the Hutchinson native who led the Gophers to their 2004 historic Final Four, is deserving of a statue outside Williams Arena.  Women’s basketball at Minnesota and the Whalen name are synonymous.

On the men’s side, immortality isn’t so clear cut.

The program has a controversial past marked by NCAA violations that have clouded glorious accomplishments and memories.  The most accepted place to start, with buy-in from both fans and compliance-minded U administrators, would be a statue of the first three scholarship Black players at Minnesota.  Lou Hudson, Archie Clark and Don Yates were marvelous recruits who made the 1964-65 Gophers among the best teams in America, finishing the season with a 19-5 and ranked No. 7 in the nation.

With its ageless “pride on ice” program mantra, Gopher men’s hockey has a long list of superb contributors to championships and other honors.  The U Athletic Department should dig deep into its past, though, to honor two Minnesotans with bronze statues.

John Mayasich, who played for Minnesota from 1951-1955, is regarded as one of the greatest amateur players in the history of American hockey.  Labeled the Wayne Gretzky of his time, Mayasich was a four-time All-American, and he remains the Gophers’ all-time leader in career goals (144) and points (298) in 111 games played.

The Gophers have won five NCAA men’s hockey national championships.  The immortal Herb Brooks, the architect of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Miracle on Ice, coached three of those teams in his short tenure as Gopher coach. From 1972-1979 Brooks, a St. Paul native, dedicated his roster to using home grown talent and won national titles in 1974, 1976 and 1979.

The potential workload for Mr. Mack is growing and it only gets heavier with Gopher football.  Huntington Bank Stadium is built on a fairly tight footprint but make way for these five statutes:

Bronko Nagurski is one of the most famous names in college football lore.  In the latter 1920s he played tackle, fullback, defensive and offensive end, linebacker and even quarterback. A beast whose strength was way ahead of his day, he was named a consensus All-American in 1929 at two positions, tackle and fullback.

Bernie Bierman, the “Grey Eagle.”  How can you not memoralize the coach of five national championship teams: 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1940 and 1941.

Bruce Smith.  Can’t leave out the only Heisman Trophy winner in program history who was a great tailback on the 1941 national title team.  And, oh yeah, Hollywood made a move about him: “Smith of Minnesota.”  He was one of the stars, of course.

Bobby Bell, like Nagurski, could have been a great player at multiple positions.  He settled for terrorizing opposing offenses as a defensive tackle on national title and Rose Bowl teams that went 22-6-1 from 1960-1962.  He was the 1962 Outland Trophy recognizing the nation’s best interior lineman.

Greg Eslinger.  Gotta include one person who played recently enough that most Gopher fans who are alive today saw him play.  The most decorated offensive lineman in school history during a career that spanned from 2002-2005, the two-time All-American will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.

A Herb Brooks statue is in place close to Xcel Energy Center, home of the Wild.  Located at 317 Washington street, the statue is adjacent to the RiverCentre and Herbie’s on the Park, the restaurant where you can order a Moscow Mule—a favorite libation of the late Mr. Brooks.  No other hockey statue is in the neighborhood and that’s understandable given the Wild’s fairly brief and modest history.

While Wild fans might dream of Stanley Cups and a storybook career for Kirill Kaprizov that could one day warrant a statue, the suggestion here is for the Wild to play a little politics.  In search of funding to renovate the arena, including monies from the city of St. Paul, the Wild could honor former mayor Norm Coleman.

Without Coleman’s effort to build the arena and romance the NHL to put a team back in Minnesota to replace the North Stars, there would be no Wild.  At least in St. Paul which was in competition with Minneapolis for an NHL team.

I remember a local magazine cover from more than 25 years ago with Coleman sitting at his desk, wearing ice skates on his feet and resting them on top of his desk. I will try to find the photo if Mr. Mack calls.

Build a statue for Norm at his arena.