Goldy Gopher Is Sorry for Mocking Praying Penn St. Player

Goldy Gopher, the University of Minnesota mascot, has had time to reflect on his decision to mock Penn State defensive end Jerome Hayes as he prayed in the end zone prior to last week's game. And Goldy is very sorry for his behavior.

Okay, he didn't really say that -- Goldy isn't real, like, say, Steely McBeam, just some dude dressed up as a oversized gopher.

But University spokesman Dan Wolter issued the following statement.

"On behalf of Goldy and the University of Minnesota, I want to apologize to the Penn State player involved and anyone else who may have taken offense from this incident. We have reiterated to Goldy the importance of exercising appropriate religious sensitivity in the future."

I wonder if Goldy was scolded in full get-up, or if they made him remove his head first. Whatever, Hayes told the Morning Call of Allentown that "When I got up, I couldn't hear what he said, and he tried to shake my hand ... I wasn't trying to have any part of that." Before adding that his teammates told him that "the Gopher got the best of me."

Which would seem to embolden future mascots into clowning players as they prayed. Like most things, though, this will work itself out. All it will take is for somebody to administer a mascot beatdown in the name of the Lord. Problem solved.