This summary focuses on the responses to questions about the GopherHole site and the survey’s fun questions.
GopherHole-related questions:
What do you like about GopherHole?
1) In-depth interviews by GopherLady, Chris Monter, Selection Sunday, et al.
2) Lively discussions.
3) Characters and humor of posting members
4) Recruiting stories.
5) Inside information and rumors.
6) Community and developed friendships.
7) Diverse opinions.
8) BleedGopher’s many links related to Gopher sports.
“I find it a great source of information and Gopher-related humor. Plus, it gives me and MrGopher something to talk about.” MrsGopher
“How much people can simultaneously make me laugh and make me cringe at the ludicrous nature of some comments. I always end up seeing a different perspective than what I could come up with on my own, which makes it interesting. And I love Gopher football, so I love sharing that with other equally insane fans.” gopherfaith
“Gopher basketball talk, of all kinds. I love the fact that the ardent fans can get their opinions out there and let their voice be heard.” Minnesconsinfan
“Fastest place for Gopher-related topics to be discussed/reported. Strong opinions with facts/logic to back them up. Overall everyone here feels strongly about Gopher athletics.” Ole
“So many great posters that bring information and links from many different sources so I can stay on top of Gopher sports without reading 10 papers and blogs.” GopherinPhilly
“Passionate fans, interesting discussions, best source of Gopher-related news, free.” Son of a Badger
“For a Gopher basketball fan like myself it’s the best place to find news and opinions. This site is like discussing the game with my Dad or friends, but it’s always there and the opinions are endless. Nothing beats logging on and reading pre-game thoughts by Gopher Warrior or seeing what Selection Sunday has to say about tourney chances.” Khoffman43
What do you dislike about GopherHole?
The following were the frequently mentioned concerns:
1) Petty bickering.
2) Hijacking of threads.
3) Meltdowns. (Some members enjoy them, however.)
4) Brewster vs. Mason or Mason vs. Brewster threads.
5) Threads with misleading titles.
6) Trolls and trolls disguised as Gopher fans.
7) Predictable “Doom and Gloom” posters.
8) Repetitive threads.
9) Personal attacks especially against new posters.
10) Negativity
“Posters who do not respect the opinions of others and posters who think they can act the same on this message board as facebook, etc.” Rhinegator
“Bickering over nothing. People often come down pretty hard on new posters, harder than is really warranted.” GRGOPHER
“Too often posters can be irresponsible in what they post, being overly negative and irrational in tearing down players/people.” calminnfan
“Trolls and trolls disguised as fans. Ripping on players.” highwayman
“Some posters just ALWAYS have to be right, and need to let you know about it, ad infinitum.” Anderson8284
“When some posters feel the need to ruin a thread by arguing back and forth about something unrelated.” MFauver35
”Arrogant and pompous posters. Posters that keep beating a dead horse. Posters that rip new posters.” station19
What improvements or features would you like to see enacted?
The frequently listed suggestions:
1) Historical stories.
2) Where are the Now features.
3) Pre-game analysis (football)
4) Thoughtful posts.
5) Lurkers becoming active members.
6) More games and contests.
7) iPad/phone/droid apps.
8) Remove audio/video ads.
9) Weekly coaches and players interviews.
10) GopherHole gathering and/or road trip
“I think it would be cool to have writers like GopherLady, Chris Monter and others write more opinion/analysis type articles to be posted on the front page.” Z-stein
“”Would like more coverage about Gopher hockey.” BeerBibleBullets
“A much better recruiting section.” Gopherdroppings
“Having a mobile version of the website for a smart phone or iPad would be a huge improvement. IMHO, this site lags behind many others in interface options, particularly threat view.” Too Long in the Wasteland
“I love Gopher history so we’re always looking for contact information of former Gopher athletes to profile in the Where Are They Now features. BleedGopher
“I would like to see more people sign up and post. I run into so many people that say they love the site and I ask them if they post – and they don’t. The more posters we have the better conversation we’ll have, and the stronger the board will be.” GopherLady
What made you turn from a lurker to poster on GH?
“I always wanted to post but too often I was turned off by rude comments, uniformed comments, or people being lambasted for reasonable comments, not sure why I gave in.” thevintageeffect
“I either had a question about recruiting, or I thought I had a particularly witty remark.” gophergrad
“I was convinced I was right and someone else was wrong.” MNfootballfan
“I wanted to provide my views and contribute to making GH a good discussion board.” Bayfieldgopher (A few other people used Bayfield’s comment.)
“This survey. Six or seven year lurker (recently actually got registered) despite being a fairly well informed and opinionated fan. Mostly due to the non-welcoming of new posters . . . I’ve seen a lot of you can’t have an opinion, this only post number x’ comments over the years.” Go4rx
What other sites/tv/publications do you visit for Gopher-related information?
The frequently listed media include: FBT, ESPN, Big 10 Network, Gopher Illustrated, Scout, Mpls Star/Tribune, Pioneer Press, facebook, Twitter, Daily Gopher, Minnesota Daily, Gophersports.com, Gopher Puck Live and GopherHoles’s many links by BleedGopher and et al.
What other Gopher sports have you attended this year?
Many respondents said they attended men’s hockey, others said baseball, wrestling, volleyball, men’s tennis, and women’s basketball/hockey/track.
What other teams (Gopher and non-Gopher) do you have season tickets to?
The Gopher hockey (men’s) and the Twins received the most mentions. Other teams mentioned were the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Wild, Timberwolves, and Gopher volleyball and Gopher basketball (women’s).
How did you discover GopherHole?
Web search was mentioned most often; however, several said friends introduced them to GopherHole, which was followed by information found in publications/radio/websites.
Fun Questions
What do you do before and/or after Gopher sporting events?
Tailgate gatherings had the largest response. Also frequently mentioned were the following venues: Sally’s, Big 10, Stadium Village, Gold Country, Goldy’s Locker, Stub & Herbs, Dinkytown, and Sterbs.
“Tailgate – drink, eat, go to Victory Walk and cheer the boys on, laugh, wax philosophical about Gopher football, drink some more. Stormed the field after the Iowa game – would LOVE to make that a regular habit.” gopherfaith
Who is the most athletic Gopher athlete you witnessed wearing the maroon and gold?
Gopher athletes mentioned most often: Dave Winfield, Laurence Maroney, Eric Decker, Bobby Jackson, Darrell Thompson, Rodney Williams, Tyrone Carter, Greg Eslinger, Mbakwe, & Rickie Foggie.
Who is the most dominant player you witnessed in football and/or basketball?
Football: Laurence Maroney, Darrell Thompson, Marion Barber III, Tyrone Carter, Bobby Bell.
Basketball: Bobby Jackson, Vincent Grier, Willie Burton, Quincy Lewis, Voshon Lenard, Mychal Thomson, Jim Brewer, Kevin McHale.
Best/most fun Gopher football and/or basketball game that you attended.
As you can imagine, there was a wide range of games listed. The two most frequently mentioned games were the Minnesota-Iowa football game last fall and the TCF Bank opening game in 2009 with the Air Force Academy.
Again, I want to thank all that participated in this year’s survey, which was a success because of your contributions.
KUDOS to the GopherHole Staff for the outstanding site that you’ve developed!
Go Gophers!!
GopherHole-related questions:
What do you like about GopherHole?
1) In-depth interviews by GopherLady, Chris Monter, Selection Sunday, et al.
2) Lively discussions.
3) Characters and humor of posting members
4) Recruiting stories.
5) Inside information and rumors.
6) Community and developed friendships.
7) Diverse opinions.
8) BleedGopher’s many links related to Gopher sports.
“I find it a great source of information and Gopher-related humor. Plus, it gives me and MrGopher something to talk about.” MrsGopher
“How much people can simultaneously make me laugh and make me cringe at the ludicrous nature of some comments. I always end up seeing a different perspective than what I could come up with on my own, which makes it interesting. And I love Gopher football, so I love sharing that with other equally insane fans.” gopherfaith
“Gopher basketball talk, of all kinds. I love the fact that the ardent fans can get their opinions out there and let their voice be heard.” Minnesconsinfan
“Fastest place for Gopher-related topics to be discussed/reported. Strong opinions with facts/logic to back them up. Overall everyone here feels strongly about Gopher athletics.” Ole
“So many great posters that bring information and links from many different sources so I can stay on top of Gopher sports without reading 10 papers and blogs.” GopherinPhilly
“Passionate fans, interesting discussions, best source of Gopher-related news, free.” Son of a Badger
“For a Gopher basketball fan like myself it’s the best place to find news and opinions. This site is like discussing the game with my Dad or friends, but it’s always there and the opinions are endless. Nothing beats logging on and reading pre-game thoughts by Gopher Warrior or seeing what Selection Sunday has to say about tourney chances.” Khoffman43
What do you dislike about GopherHole?
The following were the frequently mentioned concerns:
1) Petty bickering.
2) Hijacking of threads.
3) Meltdowns. (Some members enjoy them, however.)
4) Brewster vs. Mason or Mason vs. Brewster threads.
5) Threads with misleading titles.
6) Trolls and trolls disguised as Gopher fans.
7) Predictable “Doom and Gloom” posters.
8) Repetitive threads.
9) Personal attacks especially against new posters.
10) Negativity
“Posters who do not respect the opinions of others and posters who think they can act the same on this message board as facebook, etc.” Rhinegator
“Bickering over nothing. People often come down pretty hard on new posters, harder than is really warranted.” GRGOPHER
“Too often posters can be irresponsible in what they post, being overly negative and irrational in tearing down players/people.” calminnfan
“Trolls and trolls disguised as fans. Ripping on players.” highwayman
“Some posters just ALWAYS have to be right, and need to let you know about it, ad infinitum.” Anderson8284
“When some posters feel the need to ruin a thread by arguing back and forth about something unrelated.” MFauver35
”Arrogant and pompous posters. Posters that keep beating a dead horse. Posters that rip new posters.” station19
What improvements or features would you like to see enacted?
The frequently listed suggestions:
1) Historical stories.
2) Where are the Now features.
3) Pre-game analysis (football)
4) Thoughtful posts.
5) Lurkers becoming active members.
6) More games and contests.
7) iPad/phone/droid apps.
8) Remove audio/video ads.
9) Weekly coaches and players interviews.
10) GopherHole gathering and/or road trip
“I think it would be cool to have writers like GopherLady, Chris Monter and others write more opinion/analysis type articles to be posted on the front page.” Z-stein
“”Would like more coverage about Gopher hockey.” BeerBibleBullets
“A much better recruiting section.” Gopherdroppings
“Having a mobile version of the website for a smart phone or iPad would be a huge improvement. IMHO, this site lags behind many others in interface options, particularly threat view.” Too Long in the Wasteland
“I love Gopher history so we’re always looking for contact information of former Gopher athletes to profile in the Where Are They Now features. BleedGopher
“I would like to see more people sign up and post. I run into so many people that say they love the site and I ask them if they post – and they don’t. The more posters we have the better conversation we’ll have, and the stronger the board will be.” GopherLady
What made you turn from a lurker to poster on GH?
“I always wanted to post but too often I was turned off by rude comments, uniformed comments, or people being lambasted for reasonable comments, not sure why I gave in.” thevintageeffect
“I either had a question about recruiting, or I thought I had a particularly witty remark.” gophergrad
“I was convinced I was right and someone else was wrong.” MNfootballfan
“I wanted to provide my views and contribute to making GH a good discussion board.” Bayfieldgopher (A few other people used Bayfield’s comment.)
“This survey. Six or seven year lurker (recently actually got registered) despite being a fairly well informed and opinionated fan. Mostly due to the non-welcoming of new posters . . . I’ve seen a lot of you can’t have an opinion, this only post number x’ comments over the years.” Go4rx
What other sites/tv/publications do you visit for Gopher-related information?
The frequently listed media include: FBT, ESPN, Big 10 Network, Gopher Illustrated, Scout, Mpls Star/Tribune, Pioneer Press, facebook, Twitter, Daily Gopher, Minnesota Daily, Gophersports.com, Gopher Puck Live and GopherHoles’s many links by BleedGopher and et al.
What other Gopher sports have you attended this year?
Many respondents said they attended men’s hockey, others said baseball, wrestling, volleyball, men’s tennis, and women’s basketball/hockey/track.
What other teams (Gopher and non-Gopher) do you have season tickets to?
The Gopher hockey (men’s) and the Twins received the most mentions. Other teams mentioned were the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Wild, Timberwolves, and Gopher volleyball and Gopher basketball (women’s).
How did you discover GopherHole?
Web search was mentioned most often; however, several said friends introduced them to GopherHole, which was followed by information found in publications/radio/websites.
Fun Questions
What do you do before and/or after Gopher sporting events?
Tailgate gatherings had the largest response. Also frequently mentioned were the following venues: Sally’s, Big 10, Stadium Village, Gold Country, Goldy’s Locker, Stub & Herbs, Dinkytown, and Sterbs.
“Tailgate – drink, eat, go to Victory Walk and cheer the boys on, laugh, wax philosophical about Gopher football, drink some more. Stormed the field after the Iowa game – would LOVE to make that a regular habit.” gopherfaith
Who is the most athletic Gopher athlete you witnessed wearing the maroon and gold?
Gopher athletes mentioned most often: Dave Winfield, Laurence Maroney, Eric Decker, Bobby Jackson, Darrell Thompson, Rodney Williams, Tyrone Carter, Greg Eslinger, Mbakwe, & Rickie Foggie.
Who is the most dominant player you witnessed in football and/or basketball?
Football: Laurence Maroney, Darrell Thompson, Marion Barber III, Tyrone Carter, Bobby Bell.
Basketball: Bobby Jackson, Vincent Grier, Willie Burton, Quincy Lewis, Voshon Lenard, Mychal Thomson, Jim Brewer, Kevin McHale.
Best/most fun Gopher football and/or basketball game that you attended.
As you can imagine, there was a wide range of games listed. The two most frequently mentioned games were the Minnesota-Iowa football game last fall and the TCF Bank opening game in 2009 with the Air Force Academy.
Again, I want to thank all that participated in this year’s survey, which was a success because of your contributions.
KUDOS to the GopherHole Staff for the outstanding site that you’ve developed!
Go Gophers!!
