The Minnesota Golden Gophers have not clutched Paul Bunyan's Axe since November 6, 2004. That is more than a decade. When the Gophers take the field at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, there will be no one on their sideline who knows what it feels like to beat the Wisconsin Badgers. It goes without saying that this ignominious losing streak needs to end. The sooner, the better.
The fact that I'd have to go back to 2003 to find a photo of the Gophers with the Axe for this post is sad. I bring all this up not out of respect for the Badgers, but rather because it is the harsh truth that we have to face come Axe Week.