Fundamental Changes in Gopher Football

[EcgopherFan]

Last Saturday was my first gopher game since the dome days. Too long. I did also go to the Badger-Northwestern game two weeks prior. No comparison how much more fun the atmosphere was at Huntington Bank Stadium. Later game helped, but so did alcohol sales. I think the University made $10,000 just from the people around me. There was just a fun vibe the whole game. The Badgers blew out Northwestern, but I felt like I spent most the time moving for people getting concessions. Which I don't know what they were always getting because they couldn't get beer!! We sat the whole game. Clapped sometimes. Gopher game people dancing singing, etc. FUN!
Also when the announcement came and Jump Around started to play I thought it was awesome, but my lovely Badger fan wife was no amused. (But I still watched that video, just in private)

Row the Boat, Ski-U-Mah, Go Gophers!!

 

[Word]

The turn around in filling the student section is nothing short of astounding. For several years, it was looking far worse than student attendance in the dome, despite having a new stadium on campus. Students are what make college games more fun than pro, in my opinion. And it was really concerning for a while.

As was previously said, the Penn State game was a turning point. This Wisconsin game will solidify the gains. Going to a Gopher game is fun again, and now regularly on the radar for students. If this keeps building for another year or two, filling the student section and caring about Gopher football will be the norm for the youngsters. It will be all they know.

And we need these young fans who in the next 10 years might have their own kids...and a new generation of Gopher fans.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Well, if the fan base didn't start getting younger at some point, there wouldn't have been any fans left.......

I've been watching this team long enough that I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. over the years (at least since the mid-60's) I've seen individual seasons that made you think something was changing, but there would always be a downturn.

if Fleck is really going to bring about a fundamental change in Gopher FB, then the key is sustaining it. Can't be "good year/off year." it needs to be at least 3 good years out of four, or even four out of five.

where Mason really lost me was when - 10 years into his tenure - he was talking about having "rebuilding" years. which is the same as saying, "hey, we're MN - you can't expect us to be good every year." And that is the attitude that a lot of people have had about Gopher FB.

 

[GoForGold]

Well, if the fan base didn't start getting younger at some point, there wouldn't have been any fans left.......

I've been watching this team long enough that I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop. over the years (at least since the mid-60's) I've seen individual seasons that made you think something was changing, but there would always be a downturn.

if Fleck is really going to bring about a fundamental change in Gopher FB, then the key is sustaining it. Can't be "good year/off year." it needs to be at least 3 good years out of four, or even four out of five.

where Mason really lost me was when - 10 years into his tenure - he was talking about having "rebuilding" years. which is the same as saying, "hey, we're MN - you can't expect us to be good every year." And that is the attitude that a lot of people have had about Gopher FB.

The key I believe is coaching continuity and commitment. We have seen neither in my lifetime. It's both the fault administration and the coaches we have hired in the past. Hopefully, we got it right this time.

 

[nitramnaed]

Love the OP comment about reestablishing tailgating on-campus/near the stadium.

Would love to see them expand this, however reasonable and possible.

- move the Thompson Center for Environmental Management to a new building, and make that whole thing a single Victory lot
- why not pave that whole thing of the Ski-U-Mah lot? I know nature and shit, and it looks like there is a bit on the lower right that is a dumping/loading/turn-around(?) gravel lot ... get that outta there

- all that whole area to the East of that, looks like a perpetual construction yard (says "AG Commodities Transload" on Google maps), and then further East of that was converted into a, I think meant to be temporary, area for the track throwers ..... convert all that into more parking!

I'm guessing the throwers would much rather throw at the actual new track site

Have you been to an OSU game? we need to do the same.

 

[BTChamp]

I think this video from a fan aligns perfectly with the OP's post. The PA announcer says "Ladies and Gentlemen, can I have your attention, please?" and you hear a nearby fan say "Nope! No one on the field." And then.....HAHAHA. Pure bedlam!

But that fan's comment kinda shows that it's been burned into Gopher fans brains for decades not too have too much fun or get too excited. Don't stand all game. Don't expect the team to close out big games in the 4th quarter. Etc.

I think this "Jump Around" moment was definitely a signal that the energy in not only our fan base, but the program and administration has changed. I honestly would never imagine our game ops doing something that awesome and on point 10-20 years ago. I'll never EVER forget this moment.

That was such an amazing video, coming from a guy 2000 miles away. Thank you for that. Great to see it from that level. See some players having fun too. You deserve it boys.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

To the beer issue: Does anyone think an enterprising 21-year-old student could potentially make a profit buying and selling beers to other students in the stands? My 21-year-old self would be pondering that notion.

Absolutely.

You sound like the candy kid in HS, every HS had one.

 

[MplsGopher]

Have you been to an OSU game? we need to do the same.

I have not, but looking just at Google maps, they appear to have quite a crap-load (scientific term) of surface lots within a mile of the stadium.

 

[Gophs24]

I think this video from a fan aligns perfectly with the OP's post. The PA announcer says "Ladies and Gentlemen, can I have your attention, please?" and you hear a nearby fan say "Nope! No one on the field." And then.....HAHAHA. Pure bedlam!

But that fan's comment kinda shows that it's been burned into Gopher fans brains for decades not too have too much fun or get too excited. Don't stand all game. Don't expect the team to close out big games in the 4th quarter. Etc.

I think this "Jump Around" moment was definitely a signal that the energy in not only our fan base, but the program and administration has changed. I honestly would never imagine our game ops doing something that awesome and on point 10-20 years ago. I'll never EVER forget this moment.

fricken awesome

 

[hungan1]

“Rip van Winkle Paul Bunyan” has awaken!

 

[jonnyganas]

This after we were entertained with Freddie Mercury Gopher, 0 Allen, situational music never heard before in the worn-out official NCAA list and less screeching co-ed announcements - it made for a much classier feel. The team did it on the field and the media and PS people kept the vibe going.

The "All of the lights" cellphone camera lights during the second half was also cool, I can't remember that happening before. I was part of the tunnel team and they turned out the lights and had different colored spotlights which was also a first.

Things are changing.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Well, if the fan base didn't start getting younger at some point, there wouldn't have been any fans left.......

Early on when PJ ruffled some feathers just by being himself with slogans I kept thinking:

You know maybe it's ok if some of these fans weren't around.

I remember when the NHL decided it wasn't going to be an old beer swilling man entertainment product anymore. They wanted to expand, attract a wider audience. There was a lot of worry a bout turning off their core fans with fewer face pounding fights and etc. And yet pissing off their core audience to some extent worked just fine.

 

[GraniteCityGopher]

The "All of the lights" cellphone camera lights during the second half was also cool, I can't remember that happening before. I was part of the tunnel team and they turned out the lights and had different colored spotlights which was also a first.

Things are changing.

Yeah, I missed that one - very effective eye candy.

I have to admit, after the IL game, I was seriously wavering on my commitment to this team I've followed for 50+ years. I'll join many of you and continue to hope for a Rose Bowl in my lifetime, but I was almost ready to give in to the its-just-entertainment-enjoy-the-social-event crowd (Lot 37 might have something to do with that), but the product and the production of the game Saturday pulled me off the precipice. That was one memorable football game!