Comparing this year to the 70's

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brucekaupa

brucekaupa

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You can't.

Why?

- In the 70's, far fewer teams made it into the NCAA tournament (25 in '72)
- The barn had a few thousand more seats, and the people were packed in like sardines.
- The team's season records:
- 71-72: 18-7 (Big Ten champs)
- 72-73: 21-5 (2nd)
- 73-74: 12-12 (6th)
- 74-75: 18-8 (3rd)
- 75-76: 16-10 (6th)
- 76-77: 24-3 (2nd, but DQ)
- 77-78: 17-10 (3rd)
- The quality of the buttered popcorn
- The quality of the floor announcer
- Lack of TV coverage meant you had to go to game to see it
- The giant Gopher
- The Globetrotter-esque warmup routine during the Muss era
- Some of the best players in the country:
- #2 NBA pick in 1973 - Jim Brewer
- #7 NBA pick in 1973 - Behagen
- #10 NBA pick in 1977 - Ray Williams
- #1 NBA pick in 1977 - Thompson
- #3 NBA pick in 1980 - McHale
- Fewer and more important non-conference games:
- 1972 - 9 non-conference games
- Fans didn't have to pay for exhibition games
 

brucekaupa said:
You can't.

Why?

- In the 70's, far fewer teams made it into the NCAA tournament (25 in '72)
- The barn had a few thousand more seats, and the people were packed in like sardines.
- The team's season records:
- 71-72: 18-7 (Big Ten champs)
- 72-73: 21-5 (2nd)
- 73-74: 12-12 (6th)
- 74-75: 18-8 (3rd)
- 75-76: 16-10 (6th)
- 76-77: 24-3 (2nd, but DQ)
- 77-78: 17-10 (3rd)
- The quality of the buttered popcorn
- The quality of the floor announcer
- Lack of TV coverage meant you had to go to game to see it
- The giant Gopher
- The Globetrotter-esque warmup routine during the Muss era
- Some of the best players in the country:
- #2 NBA pick in 1973 - Jim Brewer
- #7 NBA pick in 1973 - Behagen
- #10 NBA pick in 1977 - Ray Williams
- #1 NBA pick in 1977 - Thompson
- #3 NBA pick in 1980 - McHale
- Fewer and more important non-conference games:
- 1972 - 9 non-conference games
- Fans didn't have to pay for exhibition games
Click to expand...

Great post. That right there tells us in a nutshell- it's more the product on the floor than the fans in the seats that changes the atmosphere in the Barn.

The problem now - after years of issues is how to get back there. That's a tough one.

The factors that bear on having a better program (ie. getting better players in here consistently):
Coaching- I'd rank that a B with note of concern on the assistant staff

Facilities- practice facility, arena- We get a solid D - I love the Barn but really I doubt recruits and casual fans do.

University commitment - focus on winnning the right way, marketing, running a big time professional operation
Solid F. Never seems like there is a big picture plan for greatness. Always patching holes and looking for the next small thing to fix. More focused on making small money than building a big time program. Witness the premium seating program that comes out unattached to any arena improvement plan or new arena or any other fan perk. We want more of your money- period- with no tangible plan attached. Tons of sideways energy and an egalitarian approach to rowing, volleyball and other minor sports. Look at Wisky-(hate to say it) but they focus on the main sports. An example of small picture thinking is to go out and build a beautiful football stadium and then attempt to save a few million by hiring a coach with no college experience. In basketball we have a 2 million coach and 2 bit facility plans.

We are going to have to get all three of those issues alligned to get back to the 70's quality on the floor.

Bruce - you are probably a few years senior of me- but I too was addicted to Gopher buckets by Musselman teams.
 

Not that old. Born in '69, but been going to games since then. I have vague memories of the Muss era. Definitely remember "Sweet Georgia Brown" playing before games :) Remember getting Winfield to sign the program with his shot on the cover. Was at the brawl.

But memories are much more clear going into the Thompson/McHale era.

Oh, one big area where Williams has improved since then: Putting doors on the stools in the men's room.
 

brucekaupa said:
Not that old. Born in '69, but been going to games since then. I have vague memories of the Muss era. Definitely remember "Sweet Georgia Brown" playing before games :) Remember getting Winfield to sign the program with his shot on the cover. Was at the brawl.

But memories are much more clear going into the Thompson/McHale era.

Oh, one big area where Williams has improved since then: Putting doors on the stools in the men's room.
Click to expand...

Oh wow- I was way off! I was born in 1955 and started listening on the radio and also watch the few televised games when I was about 10. Hearing Ray Christiansen get frustrated with Gopher players was priceless. By high school the golden age of Gopher buckets was in full swing and I would be an off and on attender until I got to the U - then making every game with student tickets. After that I couldn't afford anything for a while so I made it when I could get my hands on tickets and finally got my permanent season passes in the 1986 year. Best ticket in town IMO and it's not close. I would love to see another great period in Gopher buckets history soon.

Today we are stuck with rap music instead of sweet Georgia Brown. Yikes.
 

Ooo. Forgot:
- Mark Olberding - #5 pick in 1975 ABA Draft
 


George Schauer was the focal point in the warmups ( didn't even have a scholarship) One of the other songs was "Keep the ball Rollin" The fans were in their seats an hour before tipoff. The night games were usually at 8:00. Stub and Herb's was packed by 5:30. Oh for those thrilling days of yesteryear.
 


Biggest difference for me from the 1970's was the irreplaceable golden voice of Julius Pearlt.
LAAAAAAAAAAANDSBERGERRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OHHHHHHHHLBERDINGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Final score from Ann Arbor..........Michigan 92............MICHIGAN STATE 96!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Found this in my program from Gopher vs. Corpus Christi, December 21, 1972...

Meet the Guy With All the Tricks
By Tom Greenhoe

Last year he was the team mascot. This year he's a full-time squad member. But George Schauer continues to delight fans with his trick ball handling wizardry before each Gopher home game.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, George even knows the actual date he first decided to become one of the nation's best trick ball handlers. "It was December 15th, 1969, the day I read the Sports Illustrated story about Bill Musselman's pregame show at Ashland College," George says. "Right then I decided I wanted to be a part of that show."

So George went to Musselman's summer camp in Ashland, Ohio. An Ashland player, now Minnesota assistant coach Kevin Wilson, taught George most of the tricks used during the pregame warmup.

So George enrolled at Ashland College on his own in the fall of 1970 and became part of the varsity team.

<more later>
 



Still thinking that one of the biggest differences is the music...on and off the court.
 

Tully55 said:
Biggest difference for me from the 1970's was the irreplaceable golden voice of Julius Pearlt.
LAAAAAAAAAAANDSBERGERRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OHHHHHHHHLBERDINGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Final score from Ann Arbor..........Michigan 92............MICHIGAN STATE 96!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

More like: "Michigan 92.....................Michigan State........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................96"
 

Tully55 said:
Biggest difference for me from the 1970's was the irreplaceable golden voice of Julius Pearlt.
LAAAAAAAAAAANDSBERGERRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OHHHHHHHHLBERDINGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Final score from Ann Arbor..........Michigan 92............MICHIGAN STATE 96!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Another great thing about him was when he would tell people to stay off the floor after the game. When he was ignored, he'd keep repeating, "Stay off the floor!!", only he'd keep getting louder and madder each time he said it.
 

Mulligan said:
Another great thing about him was when he would tell people to stay off the floor after the game. When he was ignored, he'd keep repeating, "Stay off the floor!!", only he'd keep getting louder and madder each time he said it.
Click to expand...

Kind of like Bob Casey at the Dome(Twins games) would always say, "Please don't throw anything or anyone onto the field".
 



<more on George>

"I'll never forget the first home game at Ashland," George relates. "When we first went out on the court in our warm-up uniforms and I heard the crowd go wild, I got so excited I almost fainted. But then I became more used to it, until last year the first time I went on the court at Williams Arena. The same thing almost happened to me. It's hard to explain but I really get charged up when the fans start to yell. I'm sure every player does to some degree."

George cam to Minnesota on his own, just like at Ashland, to be with Coach Musselman. "Just to be a part of this man's organization and a part of our championship team gives me goose pimples every time I think of it," George continued. "There is no better coach or just plain man anywhere than Mr. Musselman, and there can't be any better teammates anywhere than on our Gopher varsity. I consider myself a very lucky man.

Summer months are full for George as he averages better than three hours a day practicing, perfecting and inventing more routines using up to four basketballs. Asked which trick is his most difficult to perform, George says simply "The one I haven't thought of yet."

<more later>
 

Ooo. This program has autographs. I forgot:
- Winfield
- Greg Tesland
- Thomas Barker
- Jim Brewer
- Bob Nix
- Ron Behagan
- Corky Taylor
- Keith Young
 

Great stuff, guys! Born in '56, began going to games as a kid with my folks right around Ollie Shannon time. The electricity in the Barn was like nothing else, except for sitting in the third deck at the Met when the Chiefs opened the season here after beating the Vikes in the Super Bowl about 8 months earlier. Magic... our fans were known as among the most knowledgeable, rabid-yet-sportsmanlike in all of sports in those days. This was way before society got crass, and mass media showed everyone how to do it. Minnesota was a very special place to grow up.
 

ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT....,Here are your starting lineups! Man I feel bad for the youngster's on this board that they couldn't be a part of that era. Nothing will ever replace it. NOTHING!
 

ruppertflywheel said:
ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT....,Here are your starting lineups! Man I feel bad for the youngster's on this board that they couldn't be a part of that era. Nothing will ever replace it. NOTHING!
Click to expand...

You are right. I still remember like yesterday when the Gophers played Louisville in the mid 70's in a Sunday non conference game on national TV. Right before the game went on TV and Jules announced over the PA to get loud for the TV intro. 18000 made the barn shake, the loudest sporting event I can ever remember.
 

Mulligan said:
Another great thing about him was when he would tell people to stay off the floor after the game. When he was ignored, he'd keep repeating, "Stay off the floor!!", only he'd keep getting louder and madder each time he said it.
Click to expand...
Best Julius Pearlt name pronunciation............Shikenjaaaaaaaaaaaanskiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Carlson 79 said:
Great stuff, guys! Born in '56, began going to games as a kid with my folks right around Ollie Shannon time. The electricity in the Barn was like nothing else, except for sitting in the third deck at the Met when the Chiefs opened the season here after beating the Vikes in the Super Bowl about 8 months earlier. Magic... our fans were known as among the most knowledgeable, rabid-yet-sportsmanlike in all of sports in those days. This was way before society got crass, and mass media showed everyone how to do it. Minnesota was a very special place to grow up.
Click to expand...
I was so fortunate to have met Ollie Shannon once. Not only was he one of the best men to have ever put on a Gopher uniform with the smoothest of moves, but a truly wonderful human being. I was sorry to hear of his passing and he is truly missed.
 


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