Gophers announcer slips in 'morons' movie line to describe Iowa fans

There's always time for some friendly banter between rivals.

Oct 25, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes fans react after the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

There weren't many positives for longtime Gophers play-by-play radio announcer Mike Grimm to break down on Saturday, but he found time to sneak in a subtle jab at the Iowa fans.

i couldn't wait until Monday for this one to be shared...@MikeGrimm3 got the line in and he nailed it. @KFAN1003 #iHeartRadio pic.twitter.com/m4sCTjj2bt

— Zach Halverson (@ZachHalverson) October 25, 2025

"Lotta fans still sticking around, a little chilly, but they're braving it to watch their team here, and they're excited," he said in the fourth quarter. "You gotta remember that these are just simple farmers, people of the land, the common clay of the new west, you know, morons."

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Grimm was quoting the 1974 film Blazing Saddles when Sheriff Bart (Cleavon Little) was insulted by an elderly woman, and Jim - 'The Waco Kid' (Gene Wilder) tries to console him.

Rivalries are what make college football unique, and Minnesota's ongoing feud with Iowa is one of the fiercest. The Hawkeyes retain Floyd of Rosedale for the ninth time in the last 10 years on Saturday in a dominant 41-3 win. Grimm's comments were funny, but deciding to pull it out of the bag when Minnesota is trailing 34-3 is certainly an interesting choice.

It's interesting to wonder how many fans listening to Grimm's broadcast even understand the reference from a movie that is more than 50 years old. P.J. Fleck called Iowa's Kinnick Stadium the hardest place to play in college football earlier this week, and it sounds like Grimm agrees that Hawkeye fans bring a certain kind of energy.

Minnesota has struggled in front of the "morons" in Iowa City with only one win at Kinnick Stadium since 1999. Grimm's comments give Gophers fans something to laugh at in an embarrassing performance against one of their biggest rivals.