If you're the kind of Gophers fan who thinks University of Minnesota sports teams are unfairly attacked, you should revisit the '70s thriller "When a Stranger Calls," which features one of the most famous lines in movie history.
The calls are coming from inside the house.
Jerry Kill's health might have prevented him from continuing as Gophers football coach under any circumstances. What several prominent boosters I've spoken with believe is that his health woes were exacerbated by the continuing mismanagement of athletics at the university, the core reason Minnesota football and basketball have struggled for decades to succeed.
Kill is a workaholic. Not all head football coaches are. Some delegate, some believe in working livable hours. Steve Spurrier probably spent more time on golf courses than in meeting rooms.
Kill tried to do it all as the head football coach at a program that required a workaholic's attention. Because the Gophers haven't had a powerhouse athletic director for some time and are operating without a permanent AD right now, Kill also took on the duties of fundraising and fighting administrative battles on behalf of his program. He took on tasks that Jim Harbaugh and Urban Meyer might not know exist.
As he said during his heartbreaking news conference Wednesday, Kill felt he couldn't take his medications and do the work required by his multifaceted position. There are key people who believe the University of Minnesota was not good for his health.
Because I wrote with a tone I regret about Kill's seizure on the sideline in 2013, I have been painted as callous. I have apologized to him and his wife in person, as well as apologizing in print and online.
While vocal Gophers fans used my column to bolster their belief that Gophers sports are unfairly under fire from outsiders, the reality is that the calls are coming from inside the house.