Maturi PO'd at the "beat the traffic" fans

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GoAUpher

GoAUpher

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Via Sid:
Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi was upset with many of the fans who left before the game was over, no doubt to try to beat the traffic. He felt that the home-field advantage and the noise were big in this game. He thought it was unfair to the Gophers to leave early. And it was especially a big advantage when Cal was going toward the student section, where the noise made it very difficult for the visiting quarterback to change the play.
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Damn straight. I couldn't believe it (ok, I could but it still pissed me off) when people started leaving when Cal went up 28-21. Because no team has ever scored a TD in that situation.
 

Rightfully so! Seriously, have some frickin' pride Minnesota.......

and don't turn your backs on our boys in maroon & gold before the clock reaches zero for something as pointless and trivial as "trying to beat traffic." why are some of you wired this way and refuse to change?! stubborn s.o.b.'s

good for you maturi & co. on finally calling the public out on this practice.
 

Students

I was also surprised at how many student seats were open. I think that if the vouchers are not turned in by the end of the first quarter than those seats can by bought by other students that do not have season tickets much like hockey does for unclaimed seats
 

The best way to beat the traffic is by sticking around. Stay for the band performance after the game, otherwise you will be sitting in traffic with those who also thought they could "beat the traffic".
 

The beat the traffic crowd was back in full force today and it was embarassing. Couldn't believe people would leave when we're only down 7 points with a good 6 minutes left to play. Unreal.
 


+1 to the posts in this thread. Too many Gopher fans are damned selfish. How can you not put yourselves in the shoes of a football team that busted their balls (and some, their jaws) and realize what the long term psychologial impact could be on these guys for the remainder of the season? 55-0 shouldn't have appalled so many people last year; I'm sure their lack of support for the team was a contributing factor in some way.
 

They even showed the throngs of people walking down 4th Ave. outside the stadium on ESPN with a couple of minutes left in the game. By the time we had our last posession you could read Minnesota in the seats they were so empty.

I was very disappointed with our crowd today. The student section was late and never filled completely (I know they squeeze in closer than most sections, but there were many, many open rows in the corners) and the vast majority of all fans left early.

I was really hoping things were going to change and last week it even seemed like they had. After today, I'm not sure things have gotten better with our fan base at all.
 

I am guessing that many of those fans left early because of the Twins game (in a critical game for the central title) that started at 3:10--probably led to most of the quick exodus

don't read into it too much--we will see what happens at the next game
 

EMBARRASSING!!!! In fact I publicly mocked those leaving our section early and my wife gave me the "shut the fuc& up or you're cut off" look.

But I will continue to do it until she actually would take it to that point.


EDIT: good point wet, Twins could have had something to do with this. hopefully its not a trend though.
 



wetgopherhole said:
I am guessing that many of those fans left early because of the Twins game (in a critical game for the central title) that started at 3:10--probably led to most of the quick exodus

don't read into it too much--we will see what happens at the next game
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are you serious?! please do not make excuses for them. did you see the number of pathetic-ass people (you all know who you are) who left with 4 or 5 minutes to go in the game?! absolutely no pride at all. i highly doubt the tigers vs. twins game was the primary reason. just don't think the number going from the gophers game to the twins game was that high.

sonnygarcia's approach is really the only decent way to deal with this type of person: you literally have to call them out and shame them publicly each and every time as they are leaving early or they will just keep on doing it since they think no one around them cares.
 

swmngo4 said:
They even showed the throngs of people walking down 4th Ave. outside the stadium on ESPN with a couple of minutes left in the game. By the time we had our last posession you could read Minnesota in the seats they were so empty.

I was very disappointed with our crowd today. The student section was late and never filled completely (I know they squeeze in closer than most sections, but there were many, many open rows in the corners) and the vast majority of all fans left early.

I was really hoping things were going to change and last week it even seemed like they had. After today, I'm not sure things have gotten better with our fan base at all.
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Overall, the crowd was fantastic today. The atmosphere was awesome. It was very loud, there was more noise on 3rd down, and the students were into it all game. The early exit was my only complaint.
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
The beat the traffic crowd was back in full force today and it was embarassing. Couldn't believe people would leave when we're only down 7 points with a good 6 minutes left to play. Unreal.
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On TV the crowd didn't appear to leave until down by 2 TDs at the end, esp. after Decker's injury and subsequent turnover, then it was mass exodus.

Minnesota fans are not the only ones who leave early when the game is out of hand...happens everywhere. If there was mass exodus when it was still 28-21 though, then that is indeed alarming.
 




Maybe it's time to resurrect the "Bitter End" Club from two years ago:

Bitter-End-Logort-rs.jpg

We Stay 'til the Bitter End -- stay & sing Hail, Minnesota!​


... fans here pledged to remain at the game until "The Bitter End" -- and that was a year of some pretty bitter endings -- the 1-11 season. There was no legitimate reason for folks to leave early today!
 

Leaving when it doesn't look like you're going to win is one thing, leaving when it's clear you are going to win is worse. Rather than staying an celebrating the victory at the very least until the clock hits 0:00, some people have to be somewhere else in a hurry.


I've been at games where I started in poor seats, but got to enjoy the whole 4th quarter in the best seats in the house, because people were leaving during a victory\, and I could take over their seats.
 

RodentRampage said:
Leaving when it doesn't look like you're going to win is one thing, leaving when it's clear you are going to win is worse. Rather than staying an celebrating the victory at the very least until the clock hits 0:00, some people have to be somewhere else in a hurry.


I've been at games where I started in poor seats, but got to enjoy the whole 4th quarter in the best seats in the house, because people were leaving during a victory\, and I could take over their seats.
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no, actually they are both equally lame moves for supposed "fans" to make. staying until the true end of the game (clocks reaches "0") is about showing you fully support our guys in maroon & gold who just worked their tails off trying to beat the other team's brains in for 60 minutes in 85-degree weather for our enjoyment as well as the betterment of the program.
 

Bronko Nagurski Gopher said:
are you serious?! please do not make excuses for them. did you see the number of pathetic-ass people (you all know who you are) who left with 4 or 5 minutes to go in the game?! absolutely no pride at all. i highly doubt the tigers vs. twins game was the primary reason. just don't think the number going from the gophers game to the twins game was that high.

sonnygarcia's approach is really the only decent way to deal with this type of person: you literally have to call them out and shame them publicly each and every time as they are leaving early or they will just keep on doing it since they think no one around them cares.
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what are you 7? shame them publicly? ya, i am sure they will want to come back to the gopher game after being "shamed publicly" by fellow gopher fans--step one was to create atmosphere and tradition--which has taken a giant leap forward with the bank---and step two is winning consistently--Sorry but as much pride as you and i have in the gophers--many minnesotans simply don't care that much about gopher football...................yet

hopefully that will change--also i disagree that a lot of fans didn't go to the Twins game--Twins had over 43000 at the dome--the most since opening day--i have to think there were alot of people going to both games
 

Most of the students that left early were either girls who could have cared less about the game, or douchebags who equally could have cared less about the game. The guys that tried to "humiliate" them were mostly looked at as clueless douchebags, and for some reason were oddly way too old to be in the student section.

Likewise, nobody really has the right to criticize the student section. For the vast majority of the game it was the only section standing up (most of the crowd was still seated when it was 21-21) and making noise.
 

I remember back in 1980 at a Vikings game when the Vikings came back to win after many of the fans had left the stadium. Bud Grant mocked them for missing out. If we would have been able to come from behind in the 4th, there would have been a lot of people kicking themselves for leaving.
 

Crowd was great today, 212 was up as was not most all the stadium on third downs. Only issues today... people need to get in earlier and stay till the end.
 

I'll take the bullet

I'll take the bullet and admit I was one who left early yesterday. I left after Weber's interception. Part of the problem with fans leaving early likely has to do with the fact that the media has pointed out countless times that traffic around campus after the games is going to be a nightmare. I'm not sure it's that bad in reality, but many people claimed being stuck in ramps (Oak Street) for an hour after they arrived at their vehicles after week one. If that continues, many will opt to leave early. An hour of pure frustration just to get out of the ramp would cause me to consider leaving early as well. Those of us with young kids can't afford to sit in our cars for hours after the game. Getting home at 3:30 p.m. allows us to do other things with the family the rest of the afternoon. 5:30 p.m. wouldn't allow that. After Weber's interception, it would have taken a miracle to come back for the win. And the risk reward of waiting for the miracle wasn't worth an hour in our ramp and the other potential traffic troubles. I was there three hours before the game started, enjoying the atmosphere. Others arrive 10 minutes before the game, and does that make them bad fans? Overall, I was there much longer than they were, and showed plenty of support Go ahead, take your shots!
 

Like everyone else here, I was upset to see so many leaving with 3-7 minutes left versus a #8 team that, with a couple of odd/fortunate circumstances we could have stunned late in the gae. I just don't get it. Why even come.

I've been attending games since 1999 and in 60+ games have only left early once due to an issue involving my infant son.

How can the U, the Alumni Assn or the "true" fans help correct this situation?
 

its the win first people

those people did not leave because the twins were playing, they did not leave to beat the traffic, they left because they are "the show me a win" gang. Remember their apologists at the dome always saying "it was such a beautiful day outside so we left to enjoy the fall"? These people have ZERO clue.
 

I am not sure about this excessive traffic that people speak of??? did I have to wait a bit coming out of the ramp? --> Yes. How long?--> not more than an extra 20 mns to go from ramp to 35W. Come on people, we can't be talking about much more time out of your life.
 

I didn't leave until the clock read 0:00, even though I then headed over to the Twins game. However, I was very disappointed at the people leaving early. Further, I was also very disappointed with the student section. The ones who were there did a very good job of staying loud, but there were some huge gaps of open seats in the corners, the only ones in the stadium.
 

This subject has been beaten like a dead horse, but just to make everyone aware, there will always be gaps in the corners of the student section, the seats are very spacious and the kids pack into the lower deck. Estimates have been that there are probably 200 extras packed into the bottom deck, thus the empty parts up top. Throw in the typical 100 that just had something come up or got too drunk the day of or night before.
 

I've heard the explanations, i just don't like them. Whatever the reality (and I could understand that students who stand will pack in more than tickets sold downstairs), the appearance is bad. There were swathes of empties. If the U has to sell more tickets, they should do so, in my opinion. My brother was visiting for his first game at TCF. He's currently going to Michigan Law, and has gone to a couple games at the Big House. He made a comment about how bad the student section looked. It couldn't have looked good on tv, either. Again, the students who were there sounded good, but you can't have that much open ground.
 

I would recommend to Mr. Maturi that the U not open the mass exit doors until after the game is over. Make it miserable for those leaving the game early.
 

stevedave23 said:
I would recommend to Mr. Maturi that the U not open the mass exit doors until after the game is over. Make it miserable for those leaving the game early.
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You beat me to it!! I'll up it... Strap fans into their seats with leashes. You can still stand-up to cheer, but you can not leave...:eek:
 

After we didn't convert the 4th down play that resulted in the Weber INT down 35-21, I don't have any problem with people leaving. There was well under 2:00 on the clock, down 14 with the other team having the ball. I'd imagine that memories of long waits for shuttles factored into the decision of many people to leave early.
 

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