GOLD OUT

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I'll wear gold just so I don't get hassled by a multitude of dullards asking, "Hey, where's your gold shirt?" The concept of urging everyone to dress alike is lost on me. I could care less if it "looks cool". This whole thing reminds me of a bunch of junior high girls passing notes in study hall. "Everyone put your hair in a ponytail to the side and wear your Ocean Pacific shirt and Guess jeans on Friday. That'll be so totally awesome."
 

There is something very "Minnesotan" about this thread. For some reason, Minnesotans don't like to play "follow the leader." We like to be different, and we are very protective of our individuality. It's like the old Groucho Marx line: "I would never join any club that would accept me as a member."

It makes us an interesting state, but it also makes us crappy fans in a lot of ways. We don't embrace the herd mentality that other fan bases are willing to do - I can remember seeing a "white-out" game at Penn State with 100,000 fans all wearing white - it does make an impressive visual. Is that worth the price of abandoning some of our individuality in the sake of promoting a shared experience? That is up to each fan to decide.

(and if you can't tell from the tone of this post, I minored in Sociology in college.........)
 

This is something I've never understood about Minnesota, we are the "Golden" Gophers, why do people have a problem with wearing gold? It would be cool if people wore gold EVERY game, and I think it could make the stadium look pretty badass. I figured there would be contrarians all over this thread (wasn't disappointed) but I don't understand the mindset of wanting to be "that" guy. What's the point of making some meta-philosophical stand on "manufactured" atmosphere from a universities' marketing department? Can the pseudo psychological crap and wear the damn namesake color of the athletics department.

One color crowds do make an impressive visual, and show great unity and support. Let's do something cool with the crowd for once, instead of having the crusty "I paid for my tickets I'll do whatever I damn please" mentality that makes you look like a tool sitting in the stands at TCF. Look at places like West Virginia:
http://goldandbluezone.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/gold_rush_mps.jpg
sure they got some dpodoll's there wearing blue, but it gets the team excited. You can't admit that seeing a TCF golded out wouldn't look cool.
 


dpodoll68 said:
So gold is better than maroon, then?
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On a day when the powers that be are trying to get the fans to do something in unison and they have called for gold, yes. Fans get excited when they do things together, be it dressing together, chanting together, singing together. Jennifer is a fine name, but Caroline is the appropriate name to shout out when we sing Sweet Caroline together. The Macarena is a fine dance, but the YMCA is the appropriate dance to do when we are doing the YMCA together. Maroon is a fine color, but gold is the appropriate color to wear when we are doing a gold out.
 


bleedsmaroonandgold said:
On a day when the powers that be are trying to get the fans to do something in unison and they have called for gold, yes. Fans get excited when they do things together, be it dressing together, chanting together, singing together. Jennifer is a fine name, but Caroline is the appropriate name to shout out when we sing Sweet Caroline together. The Macarena is a fine dance, but the YMCA is the appropriate dance to do when we are doing the YMCA together. Maroon is a fine color, but gold is the appropriate color to wear when we are doing a gold out.
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Maroon and gold are the two equivalent school colors. "Jennifer" is not an equal and alternative option for the lyrics in the Sweet Caroline song, and the Macarena is not an equal and alternative dance option when the song "YMCA" is being played.
 



Breakin' The Plane said:
I'll wear gold just so I don't get hassled by a multitude of dullards asking, "Hey, where's your gold shirt?" The concept of urging everyone to dress alike is lost on me. I could care less if it "looks cool". This whole thing reminds me of a bunch of junior high girls passing notes in study hall. "Everyone put your hair in a ponytail to the side and wear your Ocean Pacific shirt and Guess jeans on Friday. That'll be so totally awesome."
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Ocean Pacific was totally awesome!
 



westcoastgopher11 said:
This is something I've never understood about Minnesota, we are the "Golden" Gophers, why do people have a problem with wearing gold?
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I don't think the problem is with wearing gold, it is with BUYING it. It is a common gripe around here that gold Gopher gear can be a tough item to find, especially in the big retailers like Target and Kohls.

I'll be dressed in gold this weekend but I have three kids, all of whom are growing like weeds. I'm not 100% sure I will find enough gold gear at home to cover them all and the thought of going out to buy more is tough, as I remember several other fruitless gold searches from my past.

I will say that for the first time I am seeing somewhat of a unified 'U' effort to get the word out. That should help. Unfortuntely I'm expecting this extra effort to only result in 60% gold-clad fans for this game instead of the usual 45% for other "gold outs."
 

Schnauzer said:
I don't think the problem is with wearing gold, it is with BUYING it. It is a common gripe around here that gold Gopher gear can be a tough item to find, especially in the big retailers like Target and Kohls.

I'll be dressed in gold this weekend but I have three kids, all of whom are growing like weeds. I'm not 100% sure I will find enough gold gear at home to cover them all and the thought of going out to buy more is tough, as I remember several other fruitless gold searches from my past.

I will say that for the first time I am seeing somewhat of a unified 'U' effort to get the word out. That should help. Unfortuntely I'm expecting this extra effort to only result in 60% gold-clad fans for this game instead of the usual 45% for other "gold outs."
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I've personally never had a problem finding gold gear, but it depends where you look. I've had good luck at Dick's Sporting Goods and some Targets around the area. Honestly the AD should have just put a cheapy gold t-shirt on every seat at TCF to help the goldout, or at least a gold towel or something to wave. This can be executed well, and if it is I think it could look really good.
 

westcoastgopher11 said:
I've personally never had a problem finding gold gear, but it depends where you look. I've had good luck at Dick's Sporting Goods and some Targets around the area. Honestly the AD should have just put a cheapy gold t-shirt on every seat at TCF to help the goldout, or at least a gold towel or something to wave. This can be executed well, and if it is I think it could look really good.
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Be careful. Suggesting such a logical solution of providing cheap shirts so everybody gets involved making the gold out a success makes you a cheap ass.
 

I think for a gold out to actually be successful, it is going to take a solution just like that... cheap tshirts for sale at the point of the gold out, or placed on the seats prior to a game.
 



Schnauzer said:
I don't think the problem is with wearing gold, it is with BUYING it. It is a common gripe around here that gold Gopher gear can be a tough item to find, especially in the big retailers like Target and Kohls.

I'll be dressed in gold this weekend but I have three kids, all of whom are growing like weeds. I'm not 100% sure I will find enough gold gear at home to cover them all and the thought of going out to buy more is tough, as I remember several other fruitless gold searches from my past.

I will say that for the first time I am seeing somewhat of a unified 'U' effort to get the word out. That should help. Unfortuntely I'm expecting this extra effort to only result in 60% gold-clad fans for this game instead of the usual 45% for other "gold outs."
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Theres a GOLDY'S LOCKER ROOM IN THE STADIUM. Gold stuff was/is 25% off. Not a valid excuse. The people wearing maroon despite knowing its a gold out are cheap and arrogant. If I, a college student (not at the U) can afford to buy some Gold stuff so can you.
 

Schnauzer said:
I think for a gold out to actually be successful, it is going to take a solution just like that... cheap tshirts for sale at the point of the gold out, or placed on the seats prior to a game.
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Exactly. Just as they gave away tickets to incoming freshmen for the New Hampshire game, the U is going to have to do some outside of the box solutions that seem like losses of money in order to get these kinds of things done. Give everyone a cheap Gold shirt with a one color "M" and "GOLD OUT" on it; people are going to wear it at the game, they are going to wear it as a workout shirt, they are going to wear it around town when they have to run errands, they are going to wear it when they mow the lawn, etc. (Think about any shirts you've gotten from a 5K or a Relay for Life fundraiser, etc.) People by and large don't throw those things away.

Aside from the game atmosphere playing well on TV -- which could inspire some casual fans to check out a game -- you've essentially just created the possibility of 40,000 mobile billboards. I'd call that a win.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Maroon and gold are the two equivalent school colors. "Jennifer" is not an equal and alternative option for the lyrics in the Sweet Caroline song, and the Macarena is not an equal and alternative dance option when the song "YMCA" is being played.
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Dude, I usually dig what you have to say on here, including much of the harshly honest stuff. But you are just digging yourself into a stubborn-hole. You're acting like a friend of mine who, despite the fact that he was from Minnesota and attended the U, still insisted on being a badger fan. The guy just liked the badgers, no particular reason; always had - a straight up preference.

After all, it's essentially equivalent (ignoring the perpetual drunken arrogance and occasional deer-raping). Right? Why should he be a gopher fan?

Everyone here knows that he should have become a gopher fan because he attended the U. He is just "that guy". Of course he has the right to be a stubborn contrarian. After all, it is an equivalent option, right? He was all proud of the U and to be from Minnesota and to get his degree from there. He just preferred the wisky football team. Good guy, but also a bit of a *&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!#.

I have the same opinion of the deliberate maroon wearers on goldout Saturdays.
 

Frod0 said:
Theres a GOLDY'S LOCKER ROOM IN THE STADIUM. Gold stuff was/is 25% off. Not a valid excuse. The people wearing maroon despite knowing its a gold out are cheap and arrogant. If I, a college student (not at the U) can afford to buy some Gold stuff so can you.
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Yes... it is a valid excuse. I live in the far western suburbs. I'm not going to go on a 70-75 minute round trip through traffic to get 25% off of a gold youth t-shirt. And, I am not going to be fighting my way into the store on game day. You might have noticed from my post that I will be in gold. The point is I am much more willing to go through extra effort to find and wear gold gopher gear. Not everyone is like me. Not many people are willing to go out of their way to make the 2+ stops it requires to find gold Gopher gear if you don't live within easy driving distance of a store that can be guaranteed to have it. It is simply one of the major reasons gold outs always fail.

Really, I just wonder why they don't try just ONE "Maroon Saturday" or something like that to see if the percentages could be raised.
 

We've went from worrying about the "thousands of empty seats" to whether everybody will wear the correct school color.

Nice!
 

ribbon.jpg

"Hey, Cedric, Bob. This guy won't wear the ribbon."
"Who? Who doesn't want to wear the ribbon?"
 

OK, I get the IDEA of a "Goldout" game and I'm happy to participate but I take issue with a few of the details surrounding this event.

1. The Name. What the hell is a "Goldout" other than a sad attempt to indoctrinate "new traditions" surrounding a football program that we are desperately trying to breathe new life and excitement into? I mean, I know what a "Whiteout" (Penn State) is, it's a snow storm. I know what a "Blackout" (Georgia) is, it's a power outage. But "Goldout" stumps me. I thought they were calling it "Solid Gold Saturday" at one point and I found that name to be acceptable. Even though the concept was completely pagiarized, the name exhibited a hint of originality.

2. The Game. Why would we put so much effort into trying to organize the fans around a mostly meaningless non-conference game against Western Michigan? It just seems like it would make more sense to reserve such an effort for a rivalry game or even homecoming. And I have a hunch that planning the "Goldout" for a more meaningful game that fans are really excited about might encourage better participation.

Just sayin...


GO GOPHERS!
 

One thing that's being overlooked is the need for a passionate fan base. Having an effective GOLD OUT is a way to show a passionate fan base. People always argue, "If Wisconsin and Iowa can succeed in football why can't we?" What they don't understand is those two programs have overly passionate fans; you are a demi-god if you are a Bucky or Hawk player. There is no other competition for sport entertainment dollars; thus, their fans go overboard with their support. In fact, other than Northwestern, the rest of the big ten is in the middle of no where. (I've never been to Ann Arbor, but I know it's not too far from Detroit, so excuse me if that's more of an urban feel.)

When a recruit visits with those schools they can sell them on having awesome support and show things like a panoramic picture of an ENTIRELY red, black, or gold stadium. In fact, Iowa has a panoramic with every other section going Gold or Black. Better yet, they can have them come in for an official visit during these events. Don't forget that high school kids eat things like this up!!! It may be stupid in adults eyes, but teens love it. (See Oregon and their uniforms.)

Everybody on GH wants a better, more consistent product. We must do our part! Like Coach Kill says, "We've got to change the culture." The Minnesota "I'll be different for the sake of being different and proving I can" culture needs to be part of that change.
 

hoialmen said:
OK, I get the IDEA of a "Goldout" game and I'm happy to participate but I take issue with a few of the details surrounding this event.

1. The Name. What the hell is a "Goldout" other than a sad attempt to indoctrinate "new traditions" surrounding a football program that we are desperately trying to breathe new life and excitement into? I mean, I know what a "Whiteout" (Penn State) is, it's a snow storm. I know what a "Blackout" (Georgia) is, it's a power outage. But "Goldout" stumps me. I thought they were calling it "Solid Gold Saturday" at one point and I found that name to be acceptable. Even though the concept was completely pagiarized, the name exhibited a hint of originality.

2. The Game. Why would we put so much effort into trying to organize the fans around a mostly meaningless non-conference game against Western Michigan? It just seems like it would make more sense to reserve such an effort for a rivalry game or even homecoming. And I have a hunch that planning the "Goldout" for a more meaningful game that fans are really excited about might encourage better participation.

Just sayin...


GO GOPHERS!
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/Rant/ I've invested more money in educating myself, my wife, and daughter at the U than I care to think about. My daughter graduated in Marketing/Public Relations and I was very impressed with that department. There are some great minds in there.

Why do we as a university feel we need to copy someone elses idea? If you succeed, people say it was copied and if you fail, it looks lame. In other words, as far as branding is concerned, it is a no win situation. I know if the department made an effort they could come up with something far better.... and if they couldn't, they would hope to tap us fans for ideas. How about a Fan Advisory Board? Any good marketer uses focus groups and market research, so why not use us?

I would be happy to volunteer for a Fan Advisory Board. If they listened to the fans, I think they'd get some great and creative ideas that just might work. Come on Marketing Department, use your resources. //Rant Off//
 

hoialmen said:
2. The Game. Why would we put so much effort into trying to organize the fans around a mostly meaningless non-conference game against Western Michigan? It just seems like it would make more sense to reserve such an effort for a rivalry game or even homecoming. And I have a hunch that planning the "Goldout" for a more meaningful game that fans are really excited about might encourage better participation.
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I agree with this part, the game itself doesn't inspire much drive to participate. This should be a marketing gimmick saved for a big game.
 

Frod0 said:
Theres a GOLDY'S LOCKER ROOM IN THE STADIUM. Gold stuff was/is 25% off. Not a valid excuse. The people wearing maroon despite knowing its a gold out are cheap and arrogant. If I, a college student (not at the U) can afford to buy some Gold stuff so can you.
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I own Gold Stuff. I'm wearing Maroon on principle.
 


I'm wearing gold because I own many gold Minnesota shirts. I own many maroon Minnesota shirts, too. Come to think of it, I just own a LOT of Minnesota shirts.
 





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