Big Ten owes Gopher players an apology

[Five Toes]

I think Dino Babers is just a good guy and doesn't want to sound like he's making excuses.

I don't think it had an impact on the outcome but it was ridiculous.

Do you feel after watching all the required PR stops between PJ and DB that they seemed to actually enjoy being with each other? The pregame hand shake struck me as too Coaches who respected each other.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Just move the game to Giants/Jets Stadium and figure the rest of it out.

They’d have to agree to it and have it fit their schedules

 

[Schnauzer]

2021 Guaranteed rate Bowl = horrible field conditions

2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl = horrible field conditions

2022 Holiday Bowl = horrible field conditions

2022 Pinstripe Bowl = horrible field conditions

There certainly was something in common among all these examples. If you are not sure what it is I will give you a hint: it is NOT New York City or even a northern climate.

 

[MNfootballfan]

I know this isn't a popular opinion, but don't think the turf had much, if anything, to do with the injuries. A few weeks ago everyone in the NFL was complaining about turf and how that was causing injuries. The only way to avoid injuries in football is not to play.

I actually found it refreshing to see players have to adjust to not perfect conditions. There was a run by Potts where he cut off his inside foot and slipped. There is a reason why coaches run drills to have players cut off their outside foot - you avoid slipping.

 

[schw0509]

WTF, dang.... should be good there.

It's also a baseball stadium in SD, Petco Field. The football stadium was demolished in 2020 after the Chargers left for LA.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I know this isn't a popular opinion, but don't think the turf had much, if anything, to do with the injuries. A few weeks ago everyone in the NFL was complaining about turf and how that was causing injuries. The only way to avoid injuries in football is not to play.

I actually found it refreshing to see players have to adjust to not perfect conditions. There was a run by Potts where he cut off his inside foot and slipped. There is a reason why coaches run drills to have players cut off their outside foot - you avoid slipping.

I agree about injuries.

Field was still garbage.

 

[Buck_Buchanan]

For scheduling a bowl game on a completely unsafe field jeopardizing their health and future careers. You can’t play a game on grass 8 weeks after it has gone dormant. Its not firm enough to have these kinds of athletes play on it.

I don’t blame a single kid for deciding not to play.

This has been going on for years for those who have watched. They need to drop the agreement. Great Bowl Experience for kids but I’ve seen that surface unsafe - too many times (regardless of the team playing in it). I was optimistic today given the temps but I was wrong. The field surface has been a joke for years. Not fair for any team from any conference IMO.
2017 was the worst I’ve seen - skating on butter!

 

[Cedar Rapids Gopher]

Why not have the bowl game at US Bank Stadium?

Most of the same reasons people didn't want to travel to NY. Indoor stadium but still a cold weather climate.

 

[GophersInIowa]

WTF, dang.... should be good there.

The turf is not made for football. And the stuff they lay over the dirt just doesn’t have time to get established. There’s not much the groundskeepers can do about it.

 

[Buck_Buchanan]

The field in SD looked like crap last night too.

Another Bowl that historically has shitty field conditions- baseball park or not.
I’ve seen Holiday Bowls in rain and dry and the grass is terrible more often than not.

 

[Ope3]

It's also a baseball stadium in SD, Petco Field. The football stadium was demolished in 2020 after the Chargers left for LA.

San Diego St has already built a new football stadium on the same site where Jack Murphy/Qualcomm used to be, capacity 35,000.

 

[UST82Gopher]

Dino Babers in his post-game presser said he didn't think the field was that bad, and "both teams had to play on it." he did acknowledge that it was "a little slippery" in spots.

He added that, from his perspective, the field conditions did not decide the game. the team that made fewer mistakes won the game.

The field was not safe. It did not impact the game per se - because yes both teams had to deal with it. So yes, it did not decide the game. But that does not change the fact that it was not safe

It would be the equivalent of running a chemistry lab if the fume hoods were only working at half power. Could you still perform the experiment? Sure. Is it safe for the students to do so? No way.

 

[LesBolstad]

The field was not safe. It did not impact the game per se - because yes both teams had to deal with it. So yes, it did not decide the game. But that does not change the fact that it was not safe

It would be the equivalent of running a chemistry lab if the fume hoods were only working at half power. Could you still perform the experiment? Sure. Is it safe for the students to do so? No way.

Certainly did not see this word combo coming today

 

[gopherphil]

First line in PJ’s press should have been is: I will never put these young mens health in jeopardy again on field conditions like this.

 

[hello-world]

I wasn't very happy about the location, but my perception of this bowl has changed pretty significantly.

The team got to go to the Rockettes and a Rangers game, Mariano put together a whole series of Instagram stories about all of the places he ate, the Flecks went to the Music Man. Fleck and Mariano rang the bell at the NYSE. They beat an ACC team and finished the season with 9 wins.

Might not be the fan favorite destination for Minnesotans but Minnesota really made the most of it and it looked like a lot of fun for the team.

Also, they gave the half time show to Minnesota's band, and they did the "do the gopher" thing at the end of the third quarter. Seemed like great hosts.

 

[MNfootballfan]

I wasn't very happy about the location, but my perception of this bowl has changed pretty significantly.

The team got to go to the Rockettes and a Rangers game, Mariano put together a whole series of Instagram stories about all of the places he ate, the Flecks went to the Music Man. They beat an ACC team and finished the season with 9 wins.

Might not be the fan favorite destination for Minnesotans but Minnesota really made the most of it and it looked like a lot of fun for the team.

For what it’s worth, I bumped into a Gopher staffer on conference championship weekend and before bowl locations were decided. He was hoping for the Pinstripe Bowl because of all the bowl activities and everything he heard about the bowl was that it would be a great experience for the team.

 

[Gopher028]

For scheduling a bowl game on a completely unsafe field jeopardizing their health and future careers. You can’t play a game on grass 8 weeks after it has gone dormant. Its not firm enough to have these kinds of athletes play on it.

I don’t blame a single kid for deciding not to play.

Part of the reason why I hate this venue, and the one they played at last year. Same crappy slipping and sliding conditions.
Trash baseball field not catered to football.

Bowl games should be played at football stadiums, not playing cutesy having them at MLB parks.

Bowl game in New York in December? Fine
Play it at Met Life Stadium. Where they held a super bowl.

 

[Bobek]

For scheduling a bowl game on a completely unsafe field jeopardizing their health and future careers. You can’t play a game on grass 8 weeks after it has gone dormant. Its not firm enough to have these kinds of athletes play on it.

I don’t blame a single kid for deciding not to play.

Totally agree! The field was unplayable and put player safety at risk. Time to eliminate the Pinstripe Bowl.

 

[GophersInIowa]

The injury part is a big deal of course. But it’s also just not as entertaining. Players can’t run at full speed. In many cases, players can’t stay upright.

 

[rgv2]

I think you're 100% correct. It was ridiculous to expect college football to be played on that surface....especially when the whole story wrapped around this bowl is how much $$ is thrown around... But I don't know what you can do to make a baseball field a serviceable football field between October and December. I think it was JG on the radio that compared the field to a painted brick. When contract time comes around I think the B1G needs to let this one go.

 

[rgv2]

The injury part is a big deal of course. But it’s also just not as entertaining. Players can’t run at full speed. In many cases, players can’t stay upright.

Grimmer compared watching the game to the road runner. Legs are moving but they aren't going anywhere.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

Totally agree! The field was unplayable and put player safety at risk. Time to eliminate the Pinstripe Bowl.

The Big Ten’s 2020-25 bowl lineup will also feature the same selection process that has been used since 2014 to ensure outstanding bowl matchups and fresh postseason destinations. Each bowl partner will work with the Big Ten to create the best possible matchup based upon an agreed set of parameters, with final approval by the conference office for all team selections. The Citrus, Outback, Music City, New Era Pinstripe, Cheez-It, Redbox and Quick Lane Bowls will feature a Big Ten team in each year of the agreement, while the Las Vegas and Belk Bowls will rotate annually and each feature three teams over the six-year .

Totally agree! The field was unplayable and put player safety at risk. Time to eliminate the Pinstripe Bowl.

 

[Ope3]

Part of the reason why I hate this venue, and the one they played at last year. Same crappy slipping and sliding conditions.
Trash baseball field not catered to football.

Bowl games should be played at football stadiums, not playing cutesy having them at MLB parks.

Bowl game in New York in December? Fine
Play it at Met Life Stadium. Where they held a super bowl.

Except the Yankees pony up the majority of the $4.4 million paid out to the Teams/Conferences to stage the Bowl. They are not going to ship it off to the Meadowlands from the Bronx.

If the Giants/Jets-NJ want to pay up, then there would be one at Met Life.

 

[cncmin]

There were two significant injuries, neither caused by field conditions. If you want a perfect playing surface play in a dome on artificial turf. The game was interesting, in part because of how the slippery conditions affected the strategy. The B1G is a weather conference, where weather decides games often. Almost all B1G games are played outdoors rain snow or shine. Today was so very different because…? The day was a beautiful one for NYC in late December.

The belly aching around these parts about the field is nauseating. Again, no big injuries were caused by the field. You same jokers will bitch when a big injury happens on artificial turf in perfect weather. It’s fricking FOOTBALL. If anything, the field conditions slowed things down to lessen injuries that would have happened or been worse on grippier turf. Did any of you never play snow football? And why was that so fun? Well for one it hurt a lot less since the snow made the game slower.

Most knee injuries are due to excessive grip or high-force contact injuries. Did anyone tear up a knee today? You want injuries to lessen in football, reduce the speed of the contact. From that standpoint, the conditions today were great.

Enough whining already.

 

[Pompous Elitist]

I’d also argue artificial turf is more “dangerous” in terms of lower leg injuries. Slipping and sliding is annoying and messy but probably less likely to result in blown knees. It looked like it affected Syracuse less than MN. Probably unpopular opinion. So be it.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

Just move the game to Giants/Jets Stadium and figure the rest of it out.

All that needs to happen is to have the stadium owner pony up! The Yankees aren't going to be doing it!

 

[roadrunner]

That bowl trophy with a Norway rat gnawing on a football is certainly unique!

 

[hello-world]

I’d also argue artificial turf is more “dangerous” in terms of lower leg injuries. Slipping and sliding is annoying and messy but probably less likely to result in blown knees. It looked like it affected Syracuse less than MN. Probably unpopular opinion. So be it.

Not an unpopular opinion. The increase in artificial turf led to a huge increase in knee injuries. If the ground doesn't give under you then all that pressure from the cut goes straight through your knee. Might be ugly, but it's safer.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Even if there were no injuries, all you had to do was watch the receivers tip-toeing around and gingerly coming out of breaks, to avoid slipping, to realize that the horses__t surface degraded the quality of the game.

End of story.

 

[Gophers_4life]

Technology exists quite easily to truck in a portable artificial turf field, that could be laid down on top of the grass/dirt baseball surface on top of a tarp.

US Bank Stadium I believe the turf field is not permanent, and they bring it in/out in pieces? Not sure if they roll it up or if it sits in pallets.


Something could be done.