Minnesota football traditions

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swingman said:
They used to have a guy sing "Hail Minnesota" at half time. It was so good...with the lyrics and a good voice, it is a powerful song....without, it can a be slow dirge.
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Also who was the guy who sang The Star Spangled Banner all those years at the Dome? He was in the music department I believe? He could really belt it out.
 

PMWinSTP said:
Also who was the guy who sang The Star Spangled Banner all those years at the Dome? He was in the music department I believe? He could really belt it out.
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I believe you are thinking of Jim Mitchell. He was a former drum major and had a fantastic voice. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2004 at age 59. Way too young.
 

Lot of them are great
  • The Battle Hymn
  • The gold Ski-U-Mah banner in the student section
  • Do the Gopher
  • Hail Minnesota at the end of the game, love hearing that at the end to wrap things up.
  • The trophies. Axe, Floyd, Jug, Chair. Even the bell.
  • The Dramatic Gopher during field goals
My favorite has to be doing the chant post Rouser, though. There's nothing like screaming the Minnesota chant alongside thousands of fans after a Gopher score when the crowd is electrified.
 



corcorangopher said:
Chanting our opinion of our neighbors to the south every game.

Who hates Iowa?
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A little factoid. I posted "Who hates Iowa? We hate Iowa!" after Saturdays victory by ISU on Facebook. I was told to not be so mean. I told the person "It's tradition and it breaks out anywhere and anytime." The person thinks I was just kicking them when they are down.
Folks, ignorance is the bane of this modern society! 😅
 

Boy, I hear "traditions" and I tend to think of things that go way back - as in time-honored traditions.

the band is great, but most schools have bands. so I'm trying to think of something that is specific to MN football, and I'm coming up a little blank. I used to go to games at Memorial Stadium, and outside of the band, I'm having trouble coming up with a distinct MN football tradition.

I don't know how long they've done the "Goldy does pushups after a score," but that is what I'm talking about. back in the day, Jules Perlt would always announce the scores of the other games backwards - that is something I associate with going to Gopher games.

so how long do you have to do something before it becomes a "tradition." like Iowa fans waiving to the kid's hospital - that's been going on a few years, so is it a 'tradition' yet? I don't know.
 

HopHead said:
I believe you are thinking of Jim Mitchell. He was a former drum major and had a fantastic voice. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2004 at age 59. Way too young.
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Yes thanks, it was Jim. Great voice.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
Boy, I hear "traditions" and I tend to think of things that go way back - as in time-honored traditions.

the band is great, but most schools have bands. so I'm trying to think of something that is specific to MN football, and I'm coming up a little blank. I used to go to games at Memorial Stadium, and outside of the band, I'm having trouble coming up with a distinct MN football tradition.

I don't know how long they've done the "Goldy does pushups after a score," but that is what I'm talking about. back in the day, Jules Perlt would always announce the scores of the other games backwards - that is something I associate with going to Gopher games.

so how long do you have to do something before it becomes a "tradition." like Iowa fans waiving to the kid's hospital - that's been going on a few years, so is it a 'tradition' yet? I don't know.
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I think you are short selling the band by quite a bit by throwing out a blanket statement that most schools have bands. Using your logic, Ohio State dotting the "i" isn't a tradition because everyone has a band. I haven't seen another band rotate the "M", do the cascade sequence, etc. - and I love those traditions.

Ironically, you mentioned Goldy doing pushups and that IS something I have seen a lot of other schools do with their mascots (although I do like Goldy doing pushups, just the same). A mascot doing pushups certainly certainly isn't something specific to MN.

The "Iowa Wave" is almost universally described as the best, or one of the best college football traditions, and it isn't even 10 years old yet. "Jump Around" at Wisconsin, isn't exactly "time honored" either.
 
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I could do without the losing to Michigan tradition.

What is the Gopher entrance song? Need something awesome like Enter Sandman at Virginia Tech.

Need a song that builds slowly and then ramps up dramatically. Like Rainbow in the Dark or something.
 

As a grown man seeing Goldy spin his head still makes me smile every time. I think we have the best Mascot in the Big 10, if not the country.

Another favorite of mine is the defense holding up their fist after a third down stop. Always feels exciting.

Last but not least I love the fact that the bank sells beer. Nothing makes Camp Randle more miserable than sitting there thirsty.
 




go4rob said:
Anybody remember this: "Skol Liquors - Dial Raw Beef"

Also, the Swinging Gates Processional - Battle Hymn of the Republic. (the band has been doing this since the early 60's when Dr. Ben wrote that arrangement of the Battle Hymn.)
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I propose that Gopher fans begin the tradition of singing "Glory, Glory, Golden Gophers!" as the chorus of Battle Hymn of the Republic throughout the game, as Manchester United fans sing "Glory, Glory Man United!" Our outstanding alliterative version would be more awesome. I want full credit for this new tradition.
 


MennoSota said:
A little factoid. I posted "Who hates Iowa? We hate Iowa!" after Saturdays victory by ISU on Facebook. I was told to not be so mean. I told the person "It's tradition and it breaks out anywhere and anytime." The person thinks I was just kicking them when they are down.
Folks, ignorance is the bane of this modern society! 😅
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It's tame compared to WI student section's "Eat Sh*t, F*** you!" chant
 

For me I stand up and give thanks for another Gopher first down. Fans around this old man don't
seem to bother
 


Nothing stirs the soul like the rouser.
I remember how loud it was at specific games and after specific goals at Mariucci
I remember the feeling when I brought my nephew to a game for the first time and did the first rouser with him after a goal
I remember being one of not all that many there to do it after Justin Holl scored in Philly
I remember doing it at graduation at Mariucci
I'm pretty sure we did it at orientation at Mariucci, too
 

HopHead said:
Being an ex-band member, I have to go with the cascade sequence during the expanding block M and the "Are You Ready!?" during pregame.

For those that aren't sure what I'm referencing, watch 7:45-9:20 of this pre-game video:
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That was a great pregame performance!!
 

HopHead said:
Being an ex-band member, I have to go with the cascade sequence during the expanding block M and the "Are You Ready!?" during pregame.

For those that aren't sure what I'm referencing, watch 7:45-9:20 of this pre-game video:
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This is always fun to watch
 

The rouser. I prefer the live music from the student band. The field show with the M is great. The wave back and forth by the tunnel as the team enters the stadium is great. I am old so I like ski-u-mah chants over row the boat stuff. :)
 

The Rouser gets me going every time!

Other schools:
Used to get a kick out of UND students yelling, Who’s he, he sucks shit” after every opposing hockey starter was introduced.

Also, the home of the Sioux at the end of the National Anthem.

Jump Around is fun.

But nothing on Gods green earth is better than singing “Hail, Minnesota” after a victory over our rivals! Especially the “Northern Star” line!
 


bonin21 said:
Nothing stirs the soul like the rouser.
I remember how loud it was at specific games and after specific goals at Mariucci
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So loud in the Dome when Tapeh scored to put us up three scores versus Michigan late third quarter.

So loud when Abdul-Khaliq put us up two scores in fourth quarter vs Michigan with a long run.
 

TeeBee said:
And, Goldy vs squirrel tho I don’t know if that’s a thing yet. But it should be.
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I am envisioning something like they do in Boulder with the buffalo...a squirrel roaring out of the tunnel with a crew of guys with reins trying to keep it under control.
 

swingman said:
I am envisioning something like they do in Boulder with the buffalo...a squirrel roaring out of the tunnel with a crew of guys with reins trying to keep it under control.
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I like it. Could also fold in a Mad Max Thunderdome theme during halftime.
 

Jamie, the stadium PA, has a lot of fun "traditions":
I like when he says "And that's another Golden Gopher First Down."
I also like when he says "That's a Golden Gopher Touchdooooooooooooooooooooown"
I like the spoken "Rah" tag he says after the rouser is played.
When the tackle is made by many players, Jamie will use the proper animal group nomenclature:
"He was tackled by a murray of gophers"
 

Nothing like "The Minnesota Rouser"

I'm old so the rubber chicken dangling from the upper deck in old Mariucci. Throwing snowballs at Wisconsin cheerleaders in Memorial Stadium.
 


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