Gopher FB talk on KFAN

[GopherGod]

Thankfully not every one is like you, dpodoll68. I, for one, am not an alumni and live 240 miles from the stadium and have been a life long Gopher fan. I've loved everything Gophers since I was in 5th grade, 3 yeare before I ever stepped on campus and 10 years before I ever attended a Gopher sporting event. I have no immediate relatives that have ever gone to the U.

I've always loved the Gophers because they are our state's D1 team. I love Minnesota and I love college sports so I love the Gophers. That's how it works in most states, such as Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Nebraska. You don't need to be an alumni to be a fan of those teams. They don't win 8 or more games every year. They are their state's college teams so those that love college sports generally are fans of those teams.

It seems that only in Minnesota has there been this rediculous belief that you have to have either paid tuition to the U or be currently on the payroll to be a fan. Otherwise you're not supposed to like them. Just ask KFAN, the Star Tribune, dpodoll68, and many of his kind.

Well, I for one think things are changing. I've had no less than a dozen people ask me specifically how the game was on Saturday and all have said "it sounds like it was great" or "that must have been so much fun" or "the stadium looks amazing", etc. And I live 4 hours away from the Cities and most people don't get Minneapolis TV. You see, the stadium will slowly change this assinine idea that no one cares about the Gophers except "the diehards". People ARE interested in the Gophers and the experience that is Gopher football.

On Saturday I saw things changing. I saw a h*ll of a lot more than just diehard alumni brimming with pride and smiling from ear to ear. I see support much more broad than diehards.

Yes, there will still be people that worry more about cash registers than wins when it comes to Minnesota's college football team. But I believe the day will come when THEY will be the small minority dpodoll68 claims that we are and the rest of MN will join the rest of the nation when it comes to big time college football.

I applaud your optimism but to insinuate that the tide of fan support has changed after one game is premature. We can say it has changed in 3-5 years when the novelty of the new stadium wears off and people are showing up to games in December and sitting in the cold regardless of our record. We didn't even sell out the first game of the new stadium so I am not ready to say the tide has turned.

 

[GopherVotary]

We can say it has changed in 3-5 years when the novelty of the new stadium wears off and people are showing up to games in December and sitting in the cold regardless of our record.

When did the Big Ten start playing games in December?

 

[swmngo4]

to insinuate that the tide of fan support has changed after one game is premature. We can say it has changed in 3-5 years when the novelty of the new stadium wears off and people are sitting in the cold regardless of our record.


We didn't even sell out the first game of the new stadium so I am not ready to say the tide has turned.

I agree. I didn't intend to say that it had turned. I think I said it was starting to turn or that I could see it turning (in the future). No doubt one game and one season will not do it.

I was not aware that the game was not sold out. Do you mean the luxery boxes and indoor club seats? Were there still those individual seats not sold outdoors? I was under the impression everything else was sold out all year...including this game.

 

[GopherGod]

When did the Big Ten start playing games in December?

You are correct, I should have said November, just trying to express that the turn in fan support will be evident when we sell out regardless of our record when it is cold outside.

 

[GopherGod]

I agree. I didn't intend to say that it had turned. I think I said it was starting to turn or that I could see it turning (in the future). No doubt one game and one season will not do it.

I was not aware that the game was not sold out. Do you mean the luxery boxes and indoor club seats? Were there still those individual seats not sold outdoors? I was under the impression everything else was sold out all year...including this game.

When I was referencing the lack of a sell out I was talking about the luxury boxes as well as the individual seats which are still unsold including one in my row which was advertised at the scrimmage and still has not sold.

 

[swmngo4]

When I was referencing the lack of a sell out I was talking about the luxury boxes as well as the individual seats which are still unsold including one in my row which was advertised at the scrimmage and still has not sold.

OK. That makes sense. I think there are reasons why some of the luxery seats and scattered individuals were still unsold and hope that fewer remain unsold as the season goes on.

 

[sonnygarcia]

I applaud your optimism but to insinuate that the tide of fan support has changed after one game is premature. We can say it has changed in 3-5 years when the novelty of the new stadium wears off and people are showing up to games in December and sitting in the cold regardless of our record. We didn't even sell out the first game of the new stadium so I am not ready to say the tide has turned.

God you are a fuc&ing troll, why do you continue to come on this board and act like you are a U of M alum, you snide little pin dic&.

We did even sell out our first home game? jesus christ you are an idiot. Tell that to the guy who paid $200 a piece on this board for tiks the day before the game. If you went to the U you would be smart enough to know that someone would be paying that kind of $$$ for a non-sold out game , simple supply and demand troll. O wait, I forgot, GG is an important alum

 

[sonnygarcia]

OK. That makes sense. I think there are reasons why some of the luxery seats and scattered individuals were still unsold and hope that fewer remain unsold as the season goes on.

You don't need to be apologetic to this tool, he is a complete tool who trolls the board making snide comments about the program. Just bitch him out the next time he runs his mouth.

Luxury boxes aren't sold out for EVERY game, but they sure as hell were for the inagural, and who the hell says they won't be come game time each week. Troll fuc&.

 

[GopherGod]

God you are a fuc&ing troll, why do you continue to come on this board and act like you are a U of M alum, you snide little pin dic&.

We did even sell out our first home game? jesus christ you are an idiot. Tell that to the guy who paid $200 a piece on this board for tiks the day before the game. If you went to the U you would be smart enough to know that someone would be paying that kind of $$$ for a non-sold out game , simple supply and demand troll. O wait, I forgot, GG is an important alum

I was there and I can tell you that there was atleast one unsold seat in my section, but keep being that message board tough guy, you are doing a fine job of representing gopher fans. Congrats though on being able to resort to childish name calling. You are truly a master of debate and conflict resolution. As to why someone payed $200/ticket, I don't know ask him or her. Maybe they wanted multiple tickets together and not singles. I am sorry if pointing out realities and areas of improvement bothers you but that is your issue to deal with and not mine. Aren't you the long time gopher fan who said his first ever gopher game was this past week in another post?

 

[GoldMedalCounty]

I agree with the sentiments of swmngo4. Similiar to the Twins, the love for the U as Minnesota's institution is particularly strong amongst the non-metro population. Here's a link to a story in the Fargo Forum on the opener. I played town ball with most of the group and can't think of one guy that attended the U.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/252808/

 

[GoAUpher]

GG, the luxury boxes WERE sold out for AFA. That was announced last week. If your big point is that some "obstructed view" singles were available as were a few indoor club seats, then all you've managed to prove is A) we're in a recession and that expensive seats are tougher to sell when the booze is banned thanks to the legislature and B) people don't like buying a single ticket for the whole season. Congrats on responding to an extremely positive, upbeat, and (dare I say) heartwarming post from a younger fan with your sour grapes. Jeebus.

 

[sonnygarcia]

I was there and I can tell you that there was atleast one unsold seat in my section, but keep being that message board tough guy, you are doing a fine job of representing gopher fans. Congrats though on being able to resort to childish name calling. You are truly a master of debate and conflict resolution. As to why someone payed $200/ticket, I don't know ask him or her. Maybe they wanted multiple tickets together and not singles. I am sorry if pointing out realities and areas of improvement bothers you but that is your issue to deal with and not mine. Aren't you the long time gopher fan who said his first ever gopher game was this past week in another post?

I'm a message board tough guy???? Just to you tool.

Pointing out realities of the program??? So let me get this straight, since 99% of your posts are snide remarks about anything related to the program, I'm assuming we're 0-2 and one of the worst programs in the country??? Oh wait, thats not the case, so explain to me how all the sh!t you say is in some form remotely unbias and any of us should care what you say??

Yea, I am a long-time Gopher fan who attended my first game last Saturday. Lived in northern MN growing up, dad wasn't a big football fan, guess we never made the 10 hr round trip for a football game. Went to college 5 hours away in the other direction, and always had fall baseball during football weekends, never got a chance to make a game. Moved to cities few years ago for work, hate the metrodome, decided to watch all their games on TV (like I have my whole life). Got the new stadium, thought it was awesome, decided to start watching them in person. ----- Explain to me again my me having never attended a Gopher game until this one is one of your go-to comebacks on me??? And I love how you remember my posts, pathetic, but is makes me feel good

 

[sonnygarcia]

I was there and I can tell you that there was atleast one unsold seat in my section

You took the time to find one unsold seat in your section!! hahahahaha!!! How do you know the person just didn't get too drunk to make it in?? (please make up some story to make yourself sound like less sorry of an individual). You depressed little man, you need some friends. Actually, you should have watched the game instead of noticing 1 unsold seat in your sections of hundreds of seats!!!! Poor guy.

 

[Schnoodler]

He has never taken a positive spin on Gopher football since he first appeared. One of the most worthless posters on this board. I would put him on ignore but he's so far out there that his ruesse is a little entertaining.

 

[GopherGod]

I'm a message board tough guy???? Just to you tool.

Pointing out realities of the program??? So let me get this straight, since 99% of your posts are snide remarks about anything related to the program, I'm assuming we're 0-2 and one of the worst programs in the country??? Oh wait, thats not the case, so explain to me how all the sh!t you say is in some form remotely unbias and any of us should care what you say??

Yea, I am a long-time Gopher fan who attended my first game last Saturday. Lived in northern MN growing up, dad wasn't a big football fan, guess we never made the 10 hr round trip for a football game. Went to college 5 hours away in the other direction, and always had fall baseball during football weekends, never got a chance to make a game. Moved to cities few years ago for work, hate the metrodome, decided to watch all their games on TV (like I have my whole life). Got the new stadium, thought it was awesome, decided to start watching them in person. ----- Explain to me again my me having never attended a Gopher game until this one is one of your go-to comebacks on me??? And I love how you remember my posts, pathetic, but is makes me feel good

So you were such a die-hard fan that you couldn't get your butt off the couch even once over the last few years while living in the cities and support your team in person strictly because of the venue they played in, and yet you want to question my support of gopher athletics, got it. By the way I was merely pointing out that it is far to early to judge if the community has turned the corner in support of the program. I understand that you don't like this and would prefer to bury your head in the sand and pretend that the program has a long history of consecutive sellouts. Feel free to do that and I will continue to share my opinions without resorting to 3rd grade name calling of those that disagree as you choose to do. Also did not have to look hard to find the unsold seat in our section as it was right next to our group.

 

[Khaliq]

I applaud your optimism but to insinuate that the tide of fan support has changed after one game is premature. We can say it has changed in 3-5 years when the novelty of the new stadium wears off and people are showing up to games in December and sitting in the cold regardless of our record. We didn't even sell out the first game of the new stadium so I am not ready to say the tide has turned.

This seems completely reasonable and I am genuinely perplexed that it triggered such an angst avalanche.

 

[Schnoodler]

Only the first sentence is reasonable. The rest? not so much.

 

[Schnauzer]

I have 5 season tickets... 4 together on a bench in 133 and a single (seatback) in 144. That single seat will be open for most of the season because we found that all 5 of us fit together on our 4 bench seats.

I also grew up in outstate mn and was conditioned to be a Gopher fan from little on. I graduated from a MIAC school but the Gophers will always be my team.

 

[sonnygarcia]

This seems completely reasonable and I am genuinely perplexed that it triggered such an angst avalanche.

You'd have to go back and read the guy's other posts, I'm sure you'd be just as annoyed as the rest of us.

 

[GoGophers2005]

Gophers vs. Vikings stats as far as division wins goes is apples to oranges....
Gophers play in a 11 team division
Vikings play in a 4 team division

So that means the gophers have around a 10% chance of winning the division before playing a single game.
The Vikings have a 25% chance of winning the division before playing a single game.

I would more closly compare the Vikings winning the NFC championship to the Gophers winning the conference.

 

[dpodoll68]

Gophers vs. Vikings stats as far as division wins goes is apples to oranges....
Gophers play in a 11 team division
Vikings play in a 4 team division

So that means the gophers have around a 10% chance of winning the division before playing a single game.
The Vikings have a 25% chance of winning the division before playing a single game.

I would more closly compare the Vikings winning the NFC championship to the Gophers winning the conference.

You are correct. So the Vikings have won 4 NFC/NFL championships, and the Gophers have 0 Big Ten championships. I fail to see your point.

(Also, the Vikings played in a five-team division for significant chunks of the last 40 years.)

 

[highwayman]

That's a seriously deluded statement.

Since 1967:

Minnesota Golden Gophers: 0 championships of any sort

Minnesota Vikings: 17 division championships, 4 conference championships, 1 league championship

Yup, they're clearly the same thing.

In your Utopia, winning and losing may be irrelevant, but here in the real world, it matters. Why do you suppose USC, Florida, Texas have more fans than UCLA, South Florida, Texas Tech?

The Gophers will never matter to people outside their fan base until they win consistently. Period. Hell, if I weren't an alumni and infected with the Gopher virus, I wouldn't care a lick about them, and I live 15 miles from the stadium. Probably 90%+ of sports fans in Minnesota couldn't care less about the Gophers, so why should the media cater to a small portion of its listeners?

If you want increased media attention, start winning something besides patsy non-conference schedules and the micronpc.com Toilet Bowl. Hopefully this last Saturday, but more importantly this coming Saturday, begin that changing of the guard.

The Vikings have won 6 division titles in 27 Metrodome years in a 5 team division. That's barely one in five. They a have a 8.44 - 7.29 average record (some strike years in there), a winning percentage of .536, no NFC titles and no Super Bowl apearances. Throw out the 15-1 year in '98 and they are barely .500.

The Vikes have always had better marketing and better enablement (word?) by the fans and press. Minnesota sports fans are usually chumps for this stuff.

Yeah, the Gophs have stunk, but they haven't threatened to move every couple of years.

Since the Vikes last Super Bowl, they have been one of the NFL's biggest failures. Only Minnesota, Detroit, NY Jets, new Cleveland, new Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, and New Orleans haven't been to at least one one in that stretch, but at least the Jets and Chiefs one one in the past.

Only 14 teams haven't won a Super Bowl, and 5 of those are modern-era expansion teams.