Are you wallowing in the sports abyss now that the drafts are over and MLB is entering the dog days? (Sorry to tennis and cycling fans, but this really is the sports abyss). Are you a Minnesota sports fan who will watch anything with a happy ending? Maybe you're just tired of all this beautiful weather depriving you of a daily complaint, and you'd rather just stay inside.

Whatever the reason, Big Ten Network has found you. It's early July and you should be soaking up every ray of sun possible, but if you are determined to sit on your couch and watch sports, Tuesday is not a bad day for it if you're a Gophers fan.

BTN is taking you from 6 a.m. to midnight Tuesday with nothing but Gophers programming. The majority of the time will be dominated by eight classic Minnesota basketball or football games (spoiler alert: they are all victories) spanning four different decades:

1980s: Gophers at Ohio State in men's hoops from Feb. 2, 1983 (10 p.m.). Center Randy Breuer was in his heyday. He averaged 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game that season. Just remember the shorts in this era were much shorter.

1990s: You have a men's basketball and a football option. First, Gophers vs. Illinois hoops from March 9, 1996 (12:30 p.m.). And don't forget Purdue at Minnesota football from Oct. 7, 1995 (8 p.m.). Yeah, the basketball is the year before the Final Four run, but you still get some old favorites. Football? Well, it was the Jim Wacker Era, which was always fun.

2000s: Four games! Badgers at Gophers in football from 2003 (6 a.m.) and men's hoops from 2009 (8 a.m.). Then Purdue/Gophers football from 2005 (4 p.m.) and Gophers/Michigan football (6 p.m.) from 2005. Yes, there were two games against Wisconsin and two football games from 2005 to include in a day of highlights. Remember, these are all thrilling victories. We are as surprised as you are.

2010s: Turn back the clock four … months. Sure, it didn't happen that long ago, but the Gophers' upset of then-No. 1 Indiana on Feb. 26 was one of the most memorable in recent program memory (10 a.m.). Those Hoosiers had two of the top four picks in the NBA draft: Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller.

MICHAEL RAND