I miss the barn.

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goldenboy

goldenboy

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I was at the game today with my dad and brothers. Great time for four Gopher fans - except for the ending. Having been to many games (though never a season ticket holder - I live too far away) and usually at least a couple each year, I can say the barn is losing its magic. There is no home court advantage. The energy of the crowd is lacking, but it isn't the fans. It's the stupid promotions during every dead ball and time out. It's too bad there was a live pep band there... they got to play about six times the entire game. The ref blows the whistle, they go to TV timeout and..."let's thank Taco Bell for exciting toddler race at mid-court. If little Billy wins, everyone in odd numbered sections will win a free plate of nachos." My God, is this a St. Paul Saints game or what? Let's kill all crowd energy with free giveaways, needless announcements and idiotic contests. Izzo only had to call one time out to quiet the crowd and prevent the momentum from letting things get away from him. The rest of the time the public address announcer did a fine job of killing any Gopher momentum. Ugh. This is worse than going to a Saints game, because that's all you expect when you go to one of those. I can remember the Barn as a madhouse where the crowd never sat during timeouts and the band kept things rolling, and don't even bring up the kind of energy and the flashy pregame show that Musselman brought to Williams Arena. The barn just ain't like it used to be... and it's all fixable. I suppose the athletic department gets paid by all of the companies they mention, but this isn't a radio program, it's a basketball game. Make all of he announcements before the game or at halftime, let the band keep people riled up during dead balls and time outs. Let's bring back the energy by cutting out all of the intentional interruptions.
Ok... I feel better now. But we still lost and that leaves me angry and frustrated.
 

I'm a former season ticket holder but I haven't been to the barn for 8 or 9 years.

If it is now like you say I would be totally furious. The barn has always been my favorite place to be for any sporting event and for a long time it was no where as commercial as pro sports.

Now I feel better.
 

Goldenboy: Agree with you completely. Against OSU, they didn't even have time (or didn't choose to) play the Rouser a single time during the first half. The advertisements that muck up the timeouts are way out of hand. The U would say that they have to have those revenue streams--why can't they come up with something different than the typical crappy contest/promotion? Think outside the box or find someone new to head the marketing group. Is the only way to promote something by having a crappy word scrabble contest? I split season tickets, but it is getting harder and harder each year to justify the price when considering these problems and the more obvious problem of non conference scheduling.
 

Very ironic to read this post.....I was at the Barn today and made the same "St. Paul Saints" reference.
One thing I HATE (and I couldn't be more emphatic) about the NBA is the moronic piped-in music and all the other shenanigans that have nothing to do with the actual game. Today had the feel of a Timberwolves game, and it's disappointing.
 

Fantastic post, goldenboy. I remember the days of the rockin' barn, and it was THE BEST sporting event in the sports-crazy state of Minnesota! This piped-in plasticity has got to stop. I don't care how they fix it, this stuff threatens the very program the stupid ads are designed to bolster. U of M administration, you had better be listening because your customers are saying some important things to you.
 


Maturi obviously doesn't care about any of our concerns. Witness the embarrassing CUB ads plastered on the floor, the lame timeout giveaways/contests, and the constant blathering of the PA man pimping needless sponsors. I've been to plenty of other Big Ten arenas. This crap isn't nearly as bad anywhere else.

Yet another reason to gas Maturi immediately.
 

One thing that I think is weird about the U nowadays is the type of student at the U. Not ur typical college kid.. just a little different type of person at the U
 

I actually thought the crowd was decent in terms of energy, but I totally agree with you on those ridiculous games and advertisements during timeouts. Do that crap at halftime if they really need to and let the band play during timeouts or even silence would be better than that garbage. Trowing shirts and balls in the crowd is fine but not the other stuff. I was at least happy that they didn't do the ridiculous MINN-E-SO-TA chant. So embarrassing.
 

Uh, crowd was awful today. not sure if everyone was just aware we'd lost a couple in a row and wasn't feeling it today or what, but having the number 7 team in the nation in town seems like something getting the barnyard pumped about, and the barnyard was pretty pathetic beyond the first few rows of the student section today.

I also hate promotions. Hate them. Hate them hate them hate them.
 



Re: crowd never sat during timeouts

Uh, never has happened. Agree with the piped in ad garbage on timeouts. Let the band play.
 

The Barn has never been the same after they put in those "upgrades" in the 1990's, especially all of the plastic seats replacing the benches between the baselines.

That rickety old place used to be one of the biggest home court advantages in sports.
 

awag777 said:
Uh, crowd was awful today. not sure if everyone was just aware we'd lost a couple in a row and wasn't feeling it today or what, but having the number 7 team in the nation in town seems like something getting the barnyard pumped about, and the barnyard was pretty pathetic beyond the first few rows of the student section today.

I also hate promotions. Hate them. Hate them hate them hate them.
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I thought the barnyard was actually very good yesterday despite the advertising breaks. I was up in the nose bleeds across the court from the Barnyard and it felt like good loud energy every defensive set. The last 5 minutes had that hold your breath feel to it though, people were anticipating the collapse.
 

I also haven't been there in many years. It is really sad to hear. I look forward to the day when I can take my boys to a game at Williams but will be crushed if the atmosphere has changed.

When I was pregnant with my first son, I was told to visualize my favorite place during the breathing techniques - I chose the Barn as my place! It probably wasn't the most peaceful place, but still the best place to be!
 



The people in charge think that this is what people want. These people are clueless, but they obviously think otherwise.
 

I remember being at the MSU game back in '99. I think it was on Valentine's Day against Cleaves and his crew.

That was a loss as well but the atmosphere was so different in '99 than it was yesterday. I wish I knew exactly what has happened but changes need to be made. It is not the same homecourt advantage it once was.
 

Money talks, keeps the fans quiet. Joel Maturi is responsible for this.
 


Marketing has neutered the student section so severely. They put the barnyard board, who are essentially puppets of Marketing to make sure no meanies make it into the front row. They're nice kids, but they never are the ones with the most energy "leading" the student section. Most energy always comes from next few rows. Fact of the matter is that sportsmanship is an effing facade in college sports. Any university that claims to have classy students is full of it. We are by far (save Northwestern and Iowa as of late) the tamest of the student sections (having watched SEVERAL games of all the other Big 10 schools). We may be loud, we may have our moments, but marketing uses its puppets (the barnyard board and the band) to essentially censor the crowd. This is especially rampant at the hockey games where any "bulls***" or "a**hole" chants are quickly censored by the band who immediately launches into a cadence. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that Maturi sits on the sportsmanship committee, and therefore must make an effort to make it look like we're the best sports in the Big 10. I think it hurts us a lot. Band can no longer play the Hey Song, cause LORD FORBID the students say "Hey, you suck". Band can't play Mortal Combat for hockey, cause students swear after it (which I love, because students do it anyways, regardless of what the band plays now). Hey song has been played at EVERY OTHER Big 10 school over the past 2 years. EVERY SINGLE ONE. I haven't been to any other Big 10 Arenas but I'd venture to guess there's considerably fewer promotions during the game, allowing students to get creative and start some chants. The Gophers have to endure it at other arenas (chants about Colton Iverson's acne issues last year come to mind) why not let us go. It's college. We're not a bunch of elementary school kids. You start yelling at the refs or at Izzo or whoever in the front few rows you immediately get a look from someone either a security guard or a marketing tool. So sick of it.

/rant over.
 

same thing with football, it doesnt seem like a sporting event anymore, thought the student section was fine todaay
 

Reconfiguration of seating in 3 years.......

Dr.Don said:
Money talks, keeps the fans quiet. Joel Maturi is responsible for this.
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Well, folks, if you actually want a say in how the seats are assigned in The Barn, you better get organized and start speaking up. There will be 2 more years of the current configuration. Following that, they are going to the system that has been implemented for the football stadium. It will be a point system. You will have points for number of years, whether you have other season tickets, whether you are an alumni, etc.

I'm sure they don't have all the details worked out. I don't know anything more than what I have told you, but I assure you this is reliable information. If you think the students should be seated behind the benches or any other comment, now is the time to get that voiced, before they make all the decisions.

The students being in one area and not around the perimeter in some manner is the largest contributing factor to the lack of life in the other sections. Perhaps they are looking at the entire marketing of the team and you could comment and possibly affect these things you are complaining about.

Oh, and if they get one of those wraparound scoreboards that never quit moving like they have at Target and Xcel, I am dropping my season tickets. I've told them this........
 

I wish they'd give the students one entire side of the court (a la Duke, a la West Virginia, and many many others). Looks better on TV, does wonders for have an effect when Gophs are on defense, etc. But I know it's much easier to just throw us at one end and be done with it. Students should be treated like their valued and beloved season ticket holders, seeing as we're the ones paying $20,000 a year to be able to attend these games.
 


underground629 said:
I was at least happy that they didn't do the ridiculous MINN-E-SO-TA chant. So embarrassing.
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That chant is so forced. Its ridiculous. For some schools it works (O-H-I-O). For others, it does not. Minnesota is in the latter. Might be worse than the "Go Sota Go!," cheer by the cheerleaders from a few years ago. Nobody says they're from "Sota." Nobody.
 

MNCH said:
That chant is so forced. Its ridiculous. For some schools it works (O-H-I-O). For others, it does not. Minnesota is in the latter. Might be worse than the "Go Sota Go!," cheer by the cheerleaders from a few years ago. Nobody says they're from "Sota." Nobody.
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Kevin Garnett
 

awag777 said:
I wish they'd give the students one entire side of the court (a la Duke, a la West Virginia, and many many others). Looks better on TV, does wonders for have an effect when Gophs are on defense, etc. But I know it's much easier to just throw us at one end and be done with it. Students should be treated like their valued and beloved season ticket holders, seeing as we're the ones paying $20,000 a year to be able to attend these games.
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Totally agree. I have been pretty impressed with our student section, and I think people might have a bit more respect for us it they could see all the students going crazy on the side of the court the whole game on TV.
 

longtime listener, first time caller....

Been a season ticket holder 8 or 9 years now and been a longtime Gopher fan; went to NDSU so am also a Bison fan. The Barn is a great place to watch a game, and the crowd energy can be awesome at the usual key times. I really don't think the issue is with the student section (well, the placement of the student section is an issue), it's with the rest of us "older" fans. We don't stand for the tip; we only clap or cheer when the scoreboard says to or when its a possible turning point in the game... When players or coaches talk in the post game about how the team really fed off the energy in the crowd, well, it only sounds like lip service to me. Now, maybe it doesn't sound as loud in the 7th row of the upperdeck as it does on the court or the bench, but I can't see how the team can feel any energy from the fans during 95% of a game.

Maybe we need to be the ones jumping up and down at the tip and chanting that catchy rock-and-roll tune that them crazy kids are playing these days on them walkermans :) and boomercase machine things or whatever you call them :) ...

btw, I'll also agree that all the PC and sportsmanship things take some sting out of the crowd energy.
 

I didn't start this thread to gripe about the student section, the rest of the fans (regardless of age) or the pep band. The problem is with the PA announcer and the mandate to insert all kinds of unnecessary advertising, promotion, announcements, contests, etc. It's more like talk radio than a basketball game. I think you would see an incredible boost of energy if you kept all of that extraneous crap for before/after the game or during halftime. From opening tip to buzzer, the PA announcer should focus ON THE GAME. Fouls, substitutions, etc. That would free up the dead balls and timeouts for the band and the cheer squad to keep the momentum going. Minnesota fans are too polite... when the PA announcer starts making an announcement the entire crowd goes "shhhhhh"... we better listen and the energy just drains away. If it's a question of revenue then charge for sponsorships to keep the game free of unnecessary clutter and make a big fuss over the sponsors at halftime. It used to be so much more fun. It only takes minor tinkering with the formula to eff it up, and the athletic department has done it.
 

awag, i couldn't have said it better myself. I got a talking to today about calling Carmody a *&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!# bag.
 


goldenboy said:
I didn't start this thread to gripe about the student section, the rest of the fans (regardless of age) or the pep band. The problem is with the PA announcer
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I completely agree that the inane marketing is as big of a factor as you think it is, but so are the sheer number of timeouts (we had 11 in the second half) and the students being located in one area.

Now, if the students were seated, rather, standing, in the front rows around the perimeter of the court, the older folks could sit down during those timeouts, if they wanted. But during the action, they'd <b>have to</b> stand, or they wouldn't be able to see. Imagine that. Then the older folks would be making noise - either yelling at people to sit down (in vain) or just plain being more active, since they are standing.
<h3>The arena seating is being reconfigured after 2 more seasons......</h3>I'm not the organizing type and frankly I don't care enough to do anything about it. But if you are the organizing type and you do care, it is the time <em>right now</em> to ask some questions and give some opinions. They might listen. I'd sign the petition, or whatever......
 

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