I don't know where my fandom goes from here...

Mr. 131

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Guys, I just need a space for my grief. Please don't roll your eyes. There is absolutely years of pain behind this post.

1991...

1991 is the last time I saw a MN sports team taste glory - I was six.

No, I don't give a shit about the Lynx.

Something about this loss feels final. Something about this loss feels like a line in the sand.

It feels like a Eulogy waiting to be written for the death of my fandom.

In terms of my sports fandom, I was down to the Gophers alone. I had given up on all pro sports teams, and I was down to the Gophers.

But something about this loss is absolutely....just, final.
I see no reason to continue to donate to NIL, I see no reason to renew my season tickets, I see no reason to tune in.

Were it not for promising a friend I'd take him to Wisconsin, I'd be done. I just am done, as a sports fan I think.

This loss is just different.

I am 14% embarassed to post this. I am still 32% inebriated. But my guys, I see no reason to TRY to find joy in this empty bottomless pit that is MN sports.

None of this matters, I realize that - and that's the peace I draw. Sports are fucking dumb, and MN just isnt't fated to ever be a contender in jack shit. It's a great place to live, just don't fall prey to cheering for sports here, it's a fallacy predicated on false hope. There are no closers here.

Posting with full knowledge I will cringe at my emotions later...and yet, I'm that kid who is stubborn and means what he says. I think...
 

I’m there with you. My emotions watching Minnesota teams are about 50% pain, 5% joy/fun, and 45% relief that I’m not feeling pain when they eek out a win. I’m just not going to watch any more games this season. Two embarrassing, inexplicable choke-jobs to conference opponents, one of which just cost us our last chance of making a B1G championship game (probably ever). It’s so predictable and yet still so disappointing. With the way college sports are heading, being a fan of a mediocre P5 team feels entirely hopeless.

I thank God every Gopher/Viking/Twins collapse that I became a Spurs fan in ~2000 when my parents were stationed in San Antonio.
 

Guys, I just need a space for my grief. Please don't roll your eyes. There is absolutely years of pain behind this post.

1991...

1991 is the last time I saw a MN sports team taste glory - I was six.

No, I don't give a shit about the Lynx.

Something about this loss feels final. Something about this loss feels like a line in the sand.

It feels like a Eulogy waiting to be written for the death of my fandom.

In terms of my sports fandom, I was down to the Gophers alone. I had given up on all pro sports teams, and I was down to the Gophers.

But something about this loss is absolutely....just, final.
I see no reason to continue to donate to NIL, I see no reason to renew my season tickets, I see no reason to tune in.

Were it not for promising a friend I'd take him to Wisconsin, I'd be done. I just am done, as a sports fan I think.

This loss is just different.

I am 14% embarassed to post this. I am still 32% inebriated.
You’re 54% 🌰 🥜.
But my guys, I see no reason to TRY to find joy in this empty bottomless pit that is MN sports.

None of this matters, I realize that - and that's the peace I draw. Sports are fucking dumb, and MN just isnt't fated to ever be a contender in jack shit. It's a great place to live, just don't fall prey to cheering for sports here, it's a fallacy predicated on false hope. There are no closers here.

Posting with full knowledge I will cringe at my emotions later...and yet, I'm that kid who is stubborn and means what he says. I think...
 

Neat post.

cheese-smile.gif


Having extraordinarily low expectations every season helps me.
 

I don't see myself giving up sports, but I do see myself giving up sports where we have absolutely no future. I'm impressed (and slightly confused) that you gave up on all the sports where we actually have a chance before you gave up on Gopher athletics.

If college athletics are doing everything they can to suffocate the middle tier programs, why should I continue to support? The transfer portal, NIL, conference expansion. It's all set up to squash programs like ours.

Really conflicted the last year or so, and yet I'm headed to Purdue next weekend and want to go to UCLA next season.

But I do see a future where college sports are no longer on my radar, and that future may be nearing faster than I had hoped unless some semblance of parity can return to college football/basketball.
 
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I don't see myself giving up sports, but I do see myself giving up sports where we have absolutely no future. I'm impressed (and slightly confused) that you gave up on all the sports where we actually have a chance before you gave up on Gopher athletics.

If college athletics are doing everything they can to suffocate the middle tier programs, why should I continue to support?

Really conflicted the last year or so, and yet I'm headed to Purdue next weekend and want to go to UCLA next season.

But I do see a future where college sports are no longer on my radar, and that future may be nearing faster than I had hoped unless some semblance of parity can return to college football/basketball.
I don't see myself giving up sports, but I do see myself giving up sports where we have absolutely no future. I'm impressed (and slightly confused) that you gave up on all the sports where we actually have a chance before you gave up on Gopher athletics.

If college athletics are doing everything they can to suffocate the middle tier programs, why should I continue to support?

Really conflicted the last year or so, and yet I'm headed to Purdue next weekend and want to go to UCLA next season.

But I do see a future where college sports are no longer on my radar, and that future may be nearing faster than I had hoped unless some semblance of parity can return to college football/basketball.
This is where I’m at. The inertia of loving college sports will take time to die, but I can tell already that my interest is waning. The Vikings may be cursed, but there’s no real structural obstacles to them being the next NFL dynasty. In the NBA and (especially) MLB, small market teams are at a disadvantage. But they still regularly win a chip here or there.

The same can’t be said about college sports. It’s built to protect the winners, and it’s only getting worse.

Edit: Oops, quoted twice.
 

Started season tickets in 1985 as a student. My grandfather used to say you do something dumb once, it’s learning. Do something dumb twice, you are being stupid. So what is 30 some years of Gopher season tickets - like stupid to the google power?
 

This is where I’m at. The inertia of loving college sports will take time to die, but I can tell already that my interest is waning. The Vikings may be cursed, but there’s no real structural obstacles to them being the next NFL dynasty. In the NBA and (especially) MLB, small market teams are at a disadvantage. But they still regularly win a chip here or there.

The same can’t be said about college sports. It’s built to protect the winners, and it’s only getting worse.

Edit: Oops, quoted twice.
Yup, there may be an imbalance of resources in some professional American leagues, but it's at least held in check.

College athletics is basically European soccer when it comes to resource imbalance, but instead of 20 team "divisions" we have 120 to 360 teams, so 75% of teams are in eternal purgatory.

I actually hope a college super league happens. Let the top 20-25% leave and do their own thing. Let the rest of us figure out how to continue in the new age.
 
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But you're the most important Gopher fan :rolleyes:
 

I'm not going anywhere. I love all Minnesota sports, Gopher sports the most. Been going to games my entire life with my parents, now with my kids and friends.

I'm planning my night around Monday's basketball game against something called Bethune-Cookman.

Go Gophers!!
 


Guys, I just need a space for my grief. Please don't roll your eyes. There is absolutely years of pain behind this post.

1991...

1991 is the last time I saw a MN sports team taste glory - I was six.

No, I don't give a shit about the Lynx.

Something about this loss feels final. Something about this loss feels like a line in the sand.

It feels like a Eulogy waiting to be written for the death of my fandom.

In terms of my sports fandom, I was down to the Gophers alone. I had given up on all pro sports teams, and I was down to the Gophers.

But something about this loss is absolutely....just, final.
I see no reason to continue to donate to NIL, I see no reason to renew my season tickets, I see no reason to tune in.

Were it not for promising a friend I'd take him to Wisconsin, I'd be done. I just am done, as a sports fan I think.

This loss is just different.

I am 14% embarassed to post this. I am still 32% inebriated. But my guys, I see no reason to TRY to find joy in this empty bottomless pit that is MN sports.

None of this matters, I realize that - and that's the peace I draw. Sports are fucking dumb, and MN just isnt't fated to ever be a contender in jack shit. It's a great place to live, just don't fall prey to cheering for sports here, it's a fallacy predicated on false hope. There are no closers here.

Posting with full knowledge I will cringe at my emotions later...and yet, I'm that kid who is stubborn and means what he says. I think...
I understand everything you wrote -- except Minnesota being a great place to live -- although that was true once. Be well.
 






I’ve been a fan since 1960, and I’ll be a fan til the day I die.
That said, I have high expectations and I don’t care one bit what you think of my high expectations.
I’m not settling for mediocre, low ceiling, also ran, bottom feeder, any of that.
I understand college sports is changing and we're trying to compete at the level we’re currently at in the midst of these profound changes. Raise the bar to be competetive (money), or compete at a lower level if you’re not going to raise the bar.
 



To OP nothing wrong with feeling despair over lost opportunities…but lashing out at other fans is a thing/therapy around here. You’re gonna need the asbestos undies.
 

Today was really tough. Life goes on, however, and another week starts tomorrow. At the end of the day, we may come and go, but Goldy will never leave us and will take us back with open arms every time.
 

Lifetime MN sports fan and will always cheer for our teams including the Lynx. I am rethinking spending 💵 on season tickets for the Vikings n Gophers. I’m slowly trying to be less intense about W/L’s and waste less emotional energy on our teams. It’s a work in progress, lol.
 

Lifetime MN sports fan and will always cheer for our teams including the Lynx. I am rethinking spending 💵 on season tickets for the Vikings n Gophers. I’m slowly trying to be less intense about W/L’s and waste less emotional energy on our teams. It’s a work in progress, lol.
Coach P!!!
 

Historically bad programs like Kansas and Oregon State have been getting better. Teams with less general talent like TCU and Cincinnati have made the playoff! We won 11 games in 2019 and won 9 the last two despite injury issues. Yes, we could have done better and there are losses we will continue to dwell on, but the improvement in this program overall is undeniable and one down year does nothing to change that. Even in this year, even though he did not perform to the lofty offseason expectations, Athan has still been getting better and his synergy with WRs has improved as well! And we beat Iowa this year, and can still beat Wisconsin! Look at our schedule next year, and is there really any game you can say with certainty we will lose? Our chances of being a contender for not just good bowls but a B1G title is nowhere near over. And with Fleck at head coach, our floor is higher than it’s been in a long time. All we need is for things to fit together just right. It’s only a matter of time.
 

Historically bad programs like Kansas and Oregon State have been getting better. Teams with less general talent like TCU and Cincinnati have made the playoff! We won 11 games in 2019 and won 9 the last two despite injury issues. Yes, we could have done better and there are losses we will continue to dwell on, but the improvement in this program overall is undeniable and one down year does nothing to change that. Even in this year, even though he did not perform to the lofty offseason expectations, Athan has still been getting better and his synergy with WRs has improved as well! And we beat Iowa this year, and can still beat Wisconsin! Look at our schedule next year, and is there really any game you can say with certainty we will lose? Our chances of being a contender for not just good bowls but a B1G title is nowhere near over. And with Fleck at head coach, our floor is higher than it’s been in a long time. All we need is for things to fit together just right. It’s only a matter of time.
There are 5 games on the schedule we will lose and have zero chance in according to some of the board
 

This is how my hedge betting started. I have lived in nine states since 1997. First game I ever went to was with Josh Heupel in 1996 against Wisconsin. I am a die hard Gophers fan.I have been to so many home games its unreal. That said, every major game I will bet large money against them. Happy either way, financially or emotionally. I would rather be emotionally happy, but if that doesn't happen, at least there's finances coming in.
 

This is how my hedge betting started. I have lived in nine states since 1997. First game I ever went to was with Josh Heupel in 1996 against Wisconsin. I am a die hard Gophers fan.I have been to so many home games its unreal. That said, every major game I will bet large money against them. Happy either way, financially or emotionally. I would rather be emotionally happy, but if that doesn't happen, at least there's finances coming in.
Dude you must be rolling in it.
 

Dude you must be rolling in it.
Bro, look in the gambling thread. For the last 10 years I have made bank. 2019 I lost a shit ton. So worth it.

And actually, I only lost marginally because the games we lost were the biggest bets I have ever made...Iowa and the ESPN game day game.agains the badgers.

I went all in on auburn. So glad I lost that $$$$
 

Been going to games since I was 5 years old. I have been beaten down for many, many years. I usually can shrug it off, but I just canceled the Purdue trip. Just don't care enough now.
 





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