Gopher Football Gameday: Am I in the Minority?

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I really don't think we are really losing any fans with the ticket renewals. The only people in my group that have given up tickets were people that bought extra seats and can't afford them this year and older couples that froze during the cold October games.
Otherwise everyone else had a blast.

I love my tailgating spot on the West Bank. A view of campus and a nice walk through the Mall on gameday is unbelievable. I might be weird but I would rather have my walk to the game over tailgatimg next to the stadium.

I wish the U would have opened up some green lawn areas on campus for tailgating like the Mall or the Knoll, similar to The Grove and places like Stanford.
 

In addition, as diehard fans we need to educate others that a successful season doesn't necessarily mean Rose Bowl. I think most of the passive fans are so hung up on getting to the Rose Bowl they lose any sort of perspective.
Making a bowl game should never be frowned upon. Never. Yet it is to some.
My biggest pet peev is when the gophers lose an early Big 10 game and the first thing a passive fans says is that the Gophers suck...without even watching the game. I heard it several times after the Cal game. I went off on them.
 

Many of them aren't even passive fans, they are just smack talkers. Maybe if more people went off on them, they might think twice about being asses.
 

GoGophers2005 said:
I might be weird but I would rather have my walk to the game over tailgatimg next to the stadium.
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If you're wierd, then I am too. The walk is like a pilgrimage where we gather people as we go. The real bonus is after the game. By the time we get back to our car, we could drive right out onto 35W with absolutely no traffic (but we usually hang out for a little while anyway).

What lot are you in? We are in C88.
 

Firejumper said:
I wish people that don't go to games, don't engage in the experience would stop calling themselves 'FANS'. Fan being short for fanatical, there is nothing fanatical about sitting at home on your Hawkeye, scratching your Badger. OK to say you 'follow' the Gophers, but not ok to say you are a fan.

Hophead, you have earned the right to call yourself a fan.
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Dumbest post ever
 


When somebody who has never been to a game hits you with a "Gophers suck" comment, maybe it would be a better strategy to bite your lip and say something like, "They may not be ready to contend for a Big Ten title, but the games are a blast." Then invite them to go to a game and show them what college gameday tailgating and atmosphere are all about.
 

HopHead said:
When somebody who has never been to a game hits you with a "Gophers suck" comment, maybe it would be a better strategy to bite your lip and say something like, "They may not be ready to contend for a Big Ten title, but the games are a blast." Then invite them to go to a game and show them what college gameday tailgating and atmosphere are all about.
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I have found it's better to bite their lip, and when they cover their faces with their hands, I punch them in the face. But I'm punk like that.
 


HopHead said:
If you're wierd, then I am too. The walk is like a pilgrimage where we gather people as we go. The real bonus is after the game. By the time we get back to our car, we could drive right out onto 35W with absolutely no traffic (but we usually hang out for a little while anyway).

What lot are you in? We are in C88.
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We are in C88 as well. We are always on the lawn or river side of the lot pretty much in the middle. Which group are you?
 





GoGophers2005 said:
We are in C88 as well. We are always on the lawn or river side of the lot pretty much in the middle. Which group are you?
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We are a smaller group averaging six people that varies from week to week. We usually park and set up on the river side pretty close to the middle also but a little closer to the buildings. Is your group the one with the duck for doing shots?

I share tickets with a friend so I only get to go to four games a year. I tried to add two more seats so I could go to every game this year, but the ones I wanted near our current seats did not become available.

We will have to introduce ourselves to each other this fall. I would like to get to know the regulars in our lot a little better.
 

HopHead said:
We will have to introduce ourselves to each other this fall. I would like to get to know the regulars in our lot a little better.
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A little Gopher Tailgating magic just happened right there.

Brings a happy tear to my eye. :)
 



MrGopher said:
It is the tiny lot next to the larger Law School Parking lot.

Right by Seven Corners on the west bank.
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Thanks...found it on a map while nosing around. I parked on the east bank last year - not "official" tailgating territory and got a rash of sh*t from the police, which I did not understand. It was private land, etc. A few other people had the ordinances in hand knowing it would not end nicely. Long story short, a few people are looking for a new spot this fall, and I love the idea of the stroll through campus.

Do you know the rates off hand?

Thanks for all the info guys.
 


Unregistered User said:
Thanks...found it on a map while nosing around. I parked on the east bank last year - not "official" tailgating territory and got a rash of sh*t from the police, which I did not understand. It was private land, etc. A few other people had the ordinances in hand knowing it would not end nicely. Long story short, a few people are looking for a new spot this fall, and I love the idea of the stroll through campus.

Do you know the rates off hand?

Thanks for all the info guys.
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I believe all the West Bank lots are $70 for the season ($10 a game is cheap, IMO for a tailgating lot). That is what I pay for C88.
 

That is a great price.

Who do you contact? I've been looking around a few U sites and can find "some" information, but not who to contact to set it up for the year.
 

Unregistered User said:
That is a great price.

Who do you contact? I've been looking around a few U sites and can find "some" information, but not who to contact to set it up for the year.
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I would call the ticket office. We purchase the lot space as part of our season ticket package.
 


Unregistered User said:
I parked on the east bank last year - not "official" tailgating territory and got a rash of sh*t from the police, which I did not understand. It was private land, etc. A few other people had the ordinances in hand knowing it would not end nicely. Long story short, a few people are looking for a new spot this fall, and I love the idea of the stroll through campus.
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That quote right there pisses me off and to me is a HUGE reason why the atmosphere for Gopher games will never rival other Big Ten schools. Think Iowa or Wisconsin fans have this type of problem? No chance. We have a city that has no interest in allowing a tailgate culture. There should be no reason why private lots and lawns around the stadium can't sell stadium parking and tailgating.
 

I understand there is a phenomenon of people who attend the U, but wear around campus the colors of the school in their home state. I have to imagine at most campuses, you're going to be shunned and ridiculed if you wear the colors of some other college, particularly those of a rival. If you grew up on the Badgers, and being a Badgers fan is important to you, then attend Wisconsin.
 

gopherjay said:
Until the university fixes the tailgating problem, the seats will be harder to fill. This year we will see less tailgating adjacent to the stadium. just too expensive for the non premium seat guy and those in the premium seats will take years to learn that tailgating is an essential part of the deal. The tailgating lots should be packed every game which will never happen with the current thought process.
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Maverick said:
I couldn't agree more. The stadium provided an opportunity for more long term thinking and planning about this stuff and instead they went for the kill when the opponent (fan apathy) was still strong... Long term thinking about developing traditions and great game day experiences would pay off far mor in the future than this short term money grab ever will....
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One thing to keep in mind is that all that surface lot parking will eventually be completely gone and replaced by parking ramps as the U works on the East Gateway research campus. I agree that they are killing the close in tailgate atmosphere in the short term right now. That said, a true "long view" of tailgating at the U needs to keep in mind the fact that there will be no real close in surface parking at some point. I'm not suggesting the U is doing that kind of long term thinking (its about the $$$), but it would be nice if they could strike a balance and help build a tailgate culture that is unique to MN. I'm not terribly optimistic in that regard though. Especially b/c I view the City of Minneapolis as being just as much of a hindrance as the U with their prohibition on private business selling tailgate parking.
 

Unregistered User said:
Thanks...found it on a map while nosing around. I parked on the east bank last year - not "official" tailgating territory and got a rash of sh*t from the police, which I did not understand. It was private land, etc. A few other people had the ordinances in hand knowing it would not end nicely. Long story short, a few people are looking for a new spot this fall, and I love the idea of the stroll through campus.

Do you know the rates off hand?

Thanks for all the info guys.
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I believe the C86, C88, and C89 surface lots on the WB are sold out. Definitely worth a call to the ticket office to find out for sure though.
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
That quote right there pisses me off and to me is a HUGE reason why the atmosphere for Gopher games will never rival other Big Ten schools. Think Iowa or Wisconsin fans have this type of problem? No chance. We have a city that has no interest in allowing a tailgate culture. There should be no reason why private lots and lawns around the stadium can't sell stadium parking and tailgating.
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+Infinity to this.
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
That quote right there pisses me off and to me is a HUGE reason why the atmosphere for Gopher games will never rival other Big Ten schools. Think Iowa or Wisconsin fans have this type of problem? No chance. We have a city that has no interest in allowing a tailgate culture. There should be no reason why private lots and lawns around the stadium can't sell stadium parking and tailgating.
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Yup...it was a bad deal. A lot of people got refunds and never came back. It is right on the transit way southeast of the stadium, at Harris Canvas. One of the issues was that it is a dirt lot and not paved. Not sure how sand, dirt and gravel are going to catch fire, but that was a big stumbling block. Private land, etc. The ordinances are fuzzy at best.

City of Mpls But this refers to "Parking Lot Owners" and does not specify ordinances for business owners.

UoM Policy
My favorite part: "REASON FOR POLICY To provide the framework for responsible tailgating on game days that enhances the football game experience, promotes a safe campus environment, and preserves the beauty of the campus."

The UoM policy again is spelling out rules for "Designated Areas" which I can only assume refers to the locations listed here. These are all University properties and in no way should those ordinances be associated with privately owned land.

I'm no attorney, so I may just be ranting out of my @ss. I've heard more people bitch and moan about where they can just park their friggin' can, grill some meat and hang out with other Gopher fans in preparation for that day's game. Frustrating...at best.
 

HopHead said:
We are a smaller group averaging six people that varies from week to week. We usually park and set up on the river side pretty close to the middle also but a little closer to the buildings. Is your group the one with the duck for doing shots?

I share tickets with a friend so I only get to go to four games a year. I tried to add two more seats so I could go to every game this year, but the ones I wanted near our current seats did not become available.

We will have to introduce ourselves to each other this fall. I would like to get to know the regulars in our lot a little better.
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Yeah, we are the group with the duck. Hilarious that you remember the duck. It's usually a beer per duck shot, but after big wins or bad losses the Jag does find its way into the duck. Definately have to meet this year.
 

I am in C86, and I agree, walking over to the stadium through campus can't be beat on a beautiful fall day. Brings back a lot of memories each time, even if I've only been out since '04.
 

I really disagree with this idea the Minnesota is full of "bandwagon jumpers". What school in the Big Ten has put a worse product on the field than Minnesota, yet sold more tickets? The only examples of teams I can come up with that are traditionally irrelevant yet sell a lot of football tickets are in the SEC. The Gopher basketball program, with the exception of a few of the Monson years, always seems to be at/near the top 20 in attendance despite not winning anything since 1997. I don't know much about the hockey program, but I believe it still sells a ton of tickets despite not performing well the past few years.

Lets see where Gopher attendance is when/if they start winning a Big Ten title once a decade and are merely competitive before claiming there are more bandwagon fans in Minnesota than other states.
 

EG#9 said:
I really disagree with this idea the Minnesota is full of "bandwagon jumpers". What school in the Big Ten has put a worse product on the field than Minnesota, yet sold more tickets? The only examples of teams I can come up with that are traditionally irrelevant yet sell a lot of football tickets are in the SEC. The Gopher basketball program, with the exception of a few of the Monson years, always seems to be at/near the top 20 in attendance despite not winning anything since 1997. I don't know much about the hockey program, but I believe it still sells a ton of tickets despite not performing well the past few years.

Lets see where Gopher attendance is when/if they start winning a Big Ten title once a decade and are merely competitive before claiming there are more bandwagon fans in Minnesota than other states.
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For real. If any Big Ten team's fans had to put up with almost 30 years in our Metrodome situation, they wouldn't come out on the other side much better.
 

EG#9 said:
I really disagree with this idea the Minnesota is full of "bandwagon jumpers". What school in the Big Ten has put a worse product on the field than Minnesota, yet sold more tickets? The only examples of teams I can come up with that are traditionally irrelevant yet sell a lot of football tickets are in the SEC. The Gopher basketball program, with the exception of a few of the Monson years, always seems to be at/near the top 20 in attendance despite not winning anything since 1997. I don't know much about the hockey program, but I believe it still sells a ton of tickets despite not performing well the past few years.

Lets see where Gopher attendance is when/if they start winning a Big Ten title once a decade and are merely competitive before claiming there are more bandwagon fans in Minnesota than other states.
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Maybe "bandwagon jumpers" is the wrong phrase, but I do think that the average Minnesotan does not have as strong a streak of sports interest as do some other geographic areas, which leads to only following sports when the team is winning. I base this on my own time in the TC and on discussions with relatives who still live there. I think is part is cultural - and I will be generalizing greatly here, so forgive me. Scandinavians seem more inclined to actual participate in sports and don't care if it is solitary participation; they cross country ski, ice skate, play soccer, etc. whereas the German-Irish heritage in Wisconsin looks for any excuse for a social occasion - what is more social than getting together and watching sports? They enjoy the socializing as much as the game, which keeps people coming back when "the game" isn't all that good (we've all had those years/decades).

I lived in the Cities when the "Miracle on Ice" hockey team played a season of warm-ups for the Olympics in Bloomington. We quickly bought tickets, sure that this would be a sell-out. After all, you were talking hockey-mad Minneapolis with Herb Brooks coaching and many ex-Gophers on the team. The arena was half to 3/4 full for games. My BIL is a Bears fan and has never had trouble getting a ticket to see the Bears play the Vikings. I never had trouble getting a ticket to the Twins v. the Brewers or the Gophers v. the Badgers (first game in TCF excepted, but everyone I knew who wanted a ticket got one).

This board represents hard-core Gopher fans and I truly want you to be able to build a culture where Gopher games is what one does in the fall. It is better for the Big 10 to have rabid fans at all schools. I just think you have an uphill battle.
 

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