When Good New Traditions Go Bad // B1G 2018 (Minnesota: Do the Gopher)

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per OffTackleEmpire:

It’s rare, but every once in a while it’s possible to create a new tradition thats fun and somewhat spontaneous (even if it is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota) and creative. Starting all the way back in the halcylon days of 2012, back when we all thought Jerry Kill was great and had no real flaws, we started Doing The Gopher. During a TV timeout we’d suddenly be greeted with questionable tones of R Kelly’s Bump & Grind, followed by some either Gopher Coach or team or some random pro athlete from the Twin Cities telling you to do the Gopher, and then everyone would do their own attempt at a hilariously bad Gopher dance to Avicii’s Levels. It was great fun, the students loved it, and even staid boring assholes like myself would join in. From 2012 through the start of 2017 it was great.

And then they ruined it.

I don’t remember which game it was last fall, and I don’t care. Some idiot with more money than brains complained to the right person in the Athletic Department, and it got changed. Not the R Kelly. Oh no. The marching band isn’t allowed to play Gary Glitter because he’s a horrific monster, but Robert’s still OK for some reason. But after the “I want you to do the Gopher!” we were greeted with...Kenny ****ing Loggins. It killed the mood faster than finding a Baby Ruth in a pool on caddy day. It had to have been noticed, but it didn’t matter. The next week was the same crap, and it for the remainder of the season. A fun tradition that people liked was dead.

https://www.offtackleempire.com/2018/5/2/17310426/when-good-new-traditions-go-bad

Go Original Do the Gopher!!
 

It was different last year.... the song selections were off.... like the crowd couldn't dance to some of it.

It was strange.
 

BleedGopher said:
per OffTackleEmpire:

It’s rare, but every once in a while it’s possible to create a new tradition thats fun and somewhat spontaneous (even if it is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota) and creative. Starting all the way back in the halcylon days of 2012, back when we all thought Jerry Kill was great and had no real flaws, we started Doing The Gopher. During a TV timeout we’d suddenly be greeted with questionable tones of R Kelly’s Bump & Grind, followed by some either Gopher Coach or team or some random pro athlete from the Twin Cities telling you to do the Gopher, and then everyone would do their own attempt at a hilariously bad Gopher dance to Avicii’s Levels. It was great fun, the students loved it, and even staid boring assholes like myself would join in. From 2012 through the start of 2017 it was great.

And then they ruined it.

I don’t remember which game it was last fall, and I don’t care. Some idiot with more money than brains complained to the right person in the Athletic Department, and it got changed. Not the R Kelly. Oh no. The marching band isn’t allowed to play Gary Glitter because he’s a horrific monster, but Robert’s still OK for some reason. But after the “I want you to do the Gopher!” we were greeted with...Kenny ****ing Loggins. It killed the mood faster than finding a Baby Ruth in a pool on caddy day. It had to have been noticed, but it didn’t matter. The next week was the same crap, and it for the remainder of the season. A fun tradition that people liked was dead.

https://www.offtackleempire.com/2018/5/2/17310426/when-good-new-traditions-go-bad

Go Original Do the Gopher!!
Click to expand...

Have you seen Caddyshack?
 


BleedGopher said:
Yes.

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

I love that they went fully Caddyshack with the bit, but have to agree it was probably lost on the millennials and killed the vibe.

Side note: I'm shocked 'Take On Me' has blown up with the student section the way it has.
 


Ski-U-Boat said:
I love that they went fully Caddyshack with the bit, but have to agree it was probably lost on the millennials and killed the vibe.

Side note: I'm shocked 'Take On Me' has blown up with the student section the way it has.
Click to expand...

That is baffling. The song was garbage 30 years ago when it was released.
 

Probably one of the few moves the average white guy can get up and do with a modicum of coordination. I like both songs but Avicii started it and Avicii it should remain. Work Kenny in at another time.
 


The old tradition is about as good as Gopher football energy has been in my lifetime! (I'm 47.) The energy the "old tradition" (Avicii rolling into "Let Me Clear My Throat" (DJ Kool) brought from the stadium as a whole was something special. Last year's deal was.....well, it was so....Gopher football:blah:

C'mon, yell it with me!!!:rockon:
BRING IT BACK!

BRING IT BACK!

BRING IT BACK!
 




OddStack said:
The old tradition is about as good as Gopher football energy has been in my lifetime! (I'm 47.) The energy the "old tradition" (Avicii rolling into "Let Me Clear My Throat" (DJ Kool) brought from the stadium as a whole was something special. Last year's deal was.....well, it was so....Gopher football:blah:

C'mon, yell it with me!!!:rockon:
BRING IT BACK!

BRING IT BACK!

BRING IT BACK!
Click to expand...



Hey, a new slogan: Gopher Footall: where great tradition goes to die (ouch)
 

Always should have been Kenny Loggins. They finally got something right.
 




I agree. Throw Kenny Loggins in during some promotional giveaway......

It was working well before last year.
 

How can we connect with the kids if we don't talk about and play Drake?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Kenny is correct for the movie reference, but it was being used for the dancing Gopher and not necessarily to follow the movie. The fans had a natural reaction to the video and music that they have been using. There wasn’t really any need to change it to be consistent with the movie! They should go back to the other music.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 


I wholeheartedly agree with the original poster. I really enjoyed the vibe that was created 2012-2017 during the quarter break between the 3rd and 4th. I found myself telling guests to keep an eye on the student section because the whole scene was so fun and everyone got into it. The whole thing was timed well and really done well. Then they used the old saying "if it aint broke - this is Gopher related so let's fix it." Insert Kenny Loggins. The whole thing died within a game or two. As it died, they of course didn't go back to what made it fun. They got stubborn and went down with the Kenny Loggins ship. Everyone around me quit standing, the kids gave up, and another needless "correction" was added to the history books.

If "Jump Around" had developed at Minnesota instead of Wisconsin, it would have been replaced by Glenn Miller long ago.
 

OddStack said:
The old tradition is about as good as Gopher football energy has been in my lifetime! (I'm 47.) The energy the "old tradition" (Avicii rolling into "Let Me Clear My Throat" (DJ Kool) brought from the stadium as a whole was something special. Last year's deal was.....well, it was so....Gopher football:blah:C'mon, yell it with me!!!:rockon:BRING IT BACK!BRING IT BACK!BRING IT BACK!
Click to expand...
Totally agree!! Really enjoyed the previous tradition and music in the stadium...last year they ruined all of that and any momentum we had with in stadium vibe! Must be the new culture...but if it is...I prefer the old one.
 

Got to come up with something. PSU now does sweet caroline. I am in my late 70's but pick something NWA or maybe east coast rap or what about Buddy Holly rave on ! I do not know but i have been at Camp Randall on many Saturday night games for jump around and it is incredible.
 

alchemy2u said:
Kenny is correct for the movie reference, but it was being used for the dancing Gopher and not necessarily to follow the movie. The fans had a natural reaction to the video and music that they have been using. There wasn’t really any need to change it to be consistent with the movie! They should go back to the other music.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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I agree wholeheartedly. I'm generally someone who prefers the classics and the original versions of things, but whatever song they had us dancing to before last year was a better tempo and beat for the dance we were doing in the stands than Kenny Loggins.
 

I thought it was a lame "tradition" to begin with. I've said it once and I'll say it again. Sabotage needs to find it's way into the game. Maybe as the team takes the field.
 

I hate the notion that we have to have traditions like these. Is it because of Jump Around? To me that is the stupidest thing I have ever witnessed and people act like it is some amazing phenomenon. It’s a bunch of drunk idiots jumping up and down to a crappy song that was a joke 25 years ago.
 

gophmeister said:
I hate the notion that we have to have traditions like these. Is it because of Jump Around? To me that is the stupidest thing I have ever witnessed and people act like it is some amazing phenomenon. It’s a bunch of drunk idiots jumping up and down to a crappy song that was a joke 25 years ago.
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It gets people engaged and makes for a fun atmosphere....which is one of the reasons that watching the game on tv isn't the same as being in the stadium. Jump Around works so well because it injects energy into the stadium and the team. Do the gopher is a really lame attempt at something similar and doesn't even have close to the same effect. Scrap it and try again.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 

I don’t think Kenny Loggins killed it at all. I think people will “Do the Gopher” to most anything. I had wanted that song to be played for years as it is a natural fit.

What changed last year are the songs they played after that. They were terrible. The students didn’t even react. Couple that with small crowds and several awful games and you have the problem.

If we are better this year, Kenny Loggins will work great. Then they need some consistency and good choices after that. “Let Me Clear my Throat” is awesome and should be our “Jump Around.” So either stick to those two or find something actually good to play in between them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

gophmeister said:
I hate the notion that we have to have traditions like these. Is it because of Jump Around? To me that is the stupidest thing I have ever witnessed and people act like it is some amazing phenomenon. It’s a bunch of drunk idiots jumping up and down to a crappy song that was a joke 25 years ago.
Click to expand...

It would be a shame if anyone had some fun...
 

WilliamsArenaGuy said:
I don’t think Kenny Loggins killed it at all. I think people will “Do the Gopher” to most anything. I had wanted that song to be played for years as it is a natural fit.

What changed last year are the songs they played after that. They were terrible. The students didn’t even react. Couple that with small crowds and several awful games and you have the problem.

If we are better this year, Kenny Loggins will work great. Then they need some consistency and good choices after that. “Let Me Clear my Throat” is awesome and should be our “Jump Around.” So either stick to those two or find something actually good to play in between them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Yeah the song choices were weird, especially since they had established songs that everyone knew and were excited about.

There's a lot of talk about atmosphere and fun and the 3rd quarter Do The Gopher was great. I'm not sure what they expected with the song selection.
 

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