Sunday brunch. A tradition unlike any other.
The Gophers put on their Sunday best – a lot of Gophers athleisure apparel, obviously – and got their grub on as a way to kick off spring practices, which begin Tuesday. But just like football, the element of competition seemed to pervade this weekend winddown.
It appears (from social media, again, obviously) that the coaches' of each unit took their players out to different restaurants. And I'm curious, which group is brunch #goals? And what could this one arbitrary meal decision foretell of the unit's 2019 success? I'll break down what I know below, and you can share your own thoughts in the comments (or @ me on Twitter).
The DBs/safeties: Truly, there's never a bad time for fried chicken. That's why chicken and waffles exists, so you can eat it at breakfast. So a trip to Revival is a great idea, but mostly how long did they wait because that place doesn't take reservations?? Anyway, the DB/s and safeties will be something everyone can agree on, just like how everyone knows fried food is delicious.
The QBs: Offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca tweeted a photo of the group at what looked suspiciously like a Benihana. Teppanyaki is an outside-the-box idea for Sunday brunch, but I respect the bold choices. Does this mean the Gophers offense this year will be bold an unexpected?
O-line: An all-you-can-eat BBQ and breakfast food spread accompanied by LIVE blues music at Famous Dave's. Seems to me like mixing a bit of the tried-and-true with a bit of the unconventional. This highly anticipated O-line is going to have rhythm and soul.
D-line: Dim sum is an under-utilized brunch option here in Minnesota, so major props to the D-line for going to Great Mandarin. The beauty of Chinese food is that there are so many options, and you can rarely go wrong with any. So maybe this D-line will prove the same.
WRs: This is entirely based on Tyler Johnson's Instagram (sorry for creeping, Tyler), where he shared a photo of the all-you-can-eat lunch at Kyoto Sushi. Sushi is one of those things, if done right, it's sublime. And this receiving corps has a strong leader in Johnson to make sure nothing goes wrong.
I haven't seen anything yet on the other groups. But I would be SHOCKED if none of them went to Fogo de Chao. Because, like, all elite athletes inherently love that place, I swear.
Anyway, subscribe to the Star Tribune for more hard-hitting brunch reporting. I promise there will actually be football stories, too (one on Tuesday, actually).
