This guide is the ultimate resource for true fans of the Golden Gophers. Whether you’re a die-hard from the days of Herb Brooks or a more recent supporter, these are the 100 things every fan needs to know and do in their lifetime. Experienced sportswriter Brian Murphy has collected every essential piece of Minnesota knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom. Brian Murphy is an award-winning sports columnist for the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was the Minnesota Wild/NHL beat writer from 2002 to 2007 and has covered the Vikings and Twins as a reporter and columnist for the past 10 years. Before joining the Pioneer Press , the Detroit native wrote about criminal justice and sports for the Detroit Free Press . He lives in St. Paul with his wife, Megan, and their children, Claire and Ethan.This is his first book. 100 Things Minnesota Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die By Brian Murphy Triumph Books LLC Copyright © 2017 Brian Murphy All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-62937-331-7 Contents Foreword by Lou Nanne, Acknowledgments, 1. Herbie, 2. Murray Warmath, 3. Bronko Nagurski, 4. Bruce Smith, 5. On to Pittsburgh, 6. "We Want the Pig!", 7. From the Cellar to the Penthouse, 8. Spitting Mad, 9. End of an Era, 10. Mychal Thompson, 11. "Defeat Is Worse Than Death, Because You Have to Live with Defeat", 12. The Brawl, 13. Take In "The Barn", 14. Mr. Everything, 15. The Grey Eagle, 16. Jerry Kill, 17. Paul Molitor, 18. Dave Winfield, 19. The Chief, 20. John Anderson, 21. Ponder the Wizard of ... Dinkytown?, 22. Lou Holtz, 23. Sandy Stephens, 24. Bobby Bell, 25. The Godfather, 26. John Mayasich, 27. Fire in the Hole ... er, Hall!, 28. Home Cooking, 29. Shock(ed) the World, 30. Bob McNamara, 31. Charlie Sanders, 32. Bud Grant, 33. The Sun Also Rises, 34. Maize and Blues, 35. Déjà Blue, 36. Baggage Unloaded, 37. The Little Brown Jug, 38. Tony Dungy, 39. Carl Eller, 40. Darrell Thompson, 41. Bob Stein, 42. Juice on the Loose, 43. Bert Baston, 44. Glen Mason, 45. Thunder and Lightning, 46. Dan Nystrom, 47. Rhys Lloyd, 48. Eric Decker, 49. Adam Weber, 50. Bud Wilkinson, 51. P.J. Fleck, 52. Pug Lund, 53. Mr. Patriot, 54. Yell "Yay ... Gophers!", 55. Paul Bunyan's Axe, 56. Floyd of Rosedale, 57. Trent Tucker, 58. Randy Breuer, 59. Jim Brewer, 60. Kevin McHale, 61. John Kundla, 62. Flip Saunders, 63. Dick Garmaker, 64. Jim McIntyre, 65. Neal Broten, 66. Thomas Vanek, 67. Pat Micheletti, 68. Glen Sonmor, 69. Lou Nanne, 70. Reed Larson, 71. Jordan Leopold, 72. Mike Crowley, 73. Jack McCartan, 74. Robb Stauber, 75. Brian Bonin, 76. Salute Lindsay Whalen, 77. Janel McCarville, 78. Rachel Banham, 79. Jerry Kindall, 80. Jim Rantz, 81. Terry Steinbach, 82. Glen Perkins, 83. Greg Olson, 84. Dan Wilson, 85. Bobby Marshall, 86. Hannah Brandt, 87. Amanda Kessel, 88. Natalie Darwitz, 89. Krissy Wendell-Pohl, 90. Noora Räty, 91. Laura Halldorson, 92. Brad Frost, 93. "From the Graveyard to the Champion's Circle", 94. John Harris, 95. Tom Lehman, 96. P.J. Bogart, 97. Ray Christensen, 98. The Man with the Golden Voice, 99. Cheer "Ski-U-Mah!", 100. Governor's Victory Bell, Sources, CHAPTER 1 Herbie They flocked by the thousands to the old church on the hill on a sweltering summer day to say goodbye to the man who turned the Gophers into a championship destination and a team of shaggy-haired college kids into heroes during that bygone winter when America badly needed them. A lone bagpiper played while a soloist sang the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" as 33 honorary pall bearers raised their hockey sticks in unison. Vintage World War II aircraft flew over Saint Paul Cathedral and the capital city skyline, their whirring propellers piercing the somberness before disappearing over the Mississippi River. The aging men who wore the Maroon and Gold or Red, White, and Blue in their youth choked back tears as the casket bearing their coach, their mentor, their friend was carried down the sun-scorched steps and into a hearse for a private burial. Herbert Paul Brooks earned fame as the hard-nosed head coach who defeated the mighty Soviets to win Olympic gold in the 1980 "Miracle on Ice." He was feted at the White House, glorified by Hollywood, and stalked by corporate titans for inspiration on the lecture circuit. But Brooks always considered himself a lunch-pail guy from St. Paul's hardscrabble East Side, an Episcopalian who called himself a "back-door Catholic." He would rather drink light beer from a can than sip Cabernet out of stemware. The iconoclast undoubtedly would have been tickled to see casually dressed laborers and clock punchers rubbing shoulders with politicians and hockey glitterati in designer shades and suits celebrating his life inside such a res