A University of St. Thomas professor has been banned from the the University of Minnesota arena for one year after an incident of unsportsmanlike conduct.
TV news station WCCO reports that sixty-year-old math professor and U of M graduate Doug Dokken was in the stands for the men's gymnastics meet at his alma mater last Saturday. So was Goldy Gopher, the energetic and sometimes overzealous Minnesota mascot.
Fans were probably not expecting the most exciting action o fthe day to happen on the sidelines.
In the middle of Goldy's shenanigans, the gopher got a little too friendly with Dokken and touched him once or twice on the shoulder in what Dokken claims was a humiliating gesture.
Not one to take any flak from furry animals, Dokken punched Goldy twice in the face and while the 19-year-old student inside wasn't hurt, his mask was reportedly damaged.
Dokken was cited for disorderly conduct and was back to teaching math at St. Thomas a few days later. He released a statement saying that he regrets punching Goldy and wishes that he could have just walked away.
As far as I know, Goldy is still on the sidelines, goofy as ever. But sometimes if you see its face in a certain light, you might be able to see a single tear rolling down its bubbly cheek. There's some real pain hidden on the inside.
-Chance Welch
How stoopid...
Posted by: tom | March 12, 2011 at 05:47 PM