OT Question for GopherLady

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94Gopher

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I know you are a big fan of both the basketball program and the football program. Do you have any idea why the scoreboards at TCF always seem to be on? In the snow it was giving off a creepy glow you could see several blocks away. But you can only see the actual scoreboards from the open end of the stadium (obviously). Just curious if you had any insight. And please turn off the lights when you leave GL!
 

94Gopher said:
I know you are a big fan of both the basketball program and the football program. Do you have any idea why the scoreboards at TCF always seem to be on? In the snow it was giving off a creepy glow you could see several blocks away. But you can only see the actual scoreboards from the open end of the stadium (obviously). Just curious if you had any insight. And please turn off the lights when you leave GL!
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Oh shoot, I forgot to turn them off across the street when I left The Barn...and we were one of the 5 people left, that made it there AND stayed for the Rouser (I'm pretty sure Snowman and Co made up 2 more people). I have no idea - but my guess would be, to keep the Stadium up as an attraction - the lights (I'm pretty sure the lights are on a lot of the time) are on so you can still see it and get excited about it, and I know they use the scoreboards for some announcements/ads, and they are probably pretty proud of it, so they're showing it off. I'm sure it costs a lot of $ to keep all that stuff on, but it keeps the excitement up, and people still ooooooooing and ahhhhhing over it.
 

I see the stadium everyday and I was still ooooooing and ahhhhing over it tonight. Seeing the big M on the smaller scoreboard through the snow was a great sight walking out of the basketball game. Now Im just hoping we can have a game there during a blizzard in the years to come.
 

I noticed this during the Brown game. After we parked, I was surprised to see the large football scoreboard running.
 



I asked the question because it seems kinda odd.... still sure GL didn't turn off the lights! Mostly it is creepy because no one is in there. And the lights go on...
 

Maybe there is some strange reason.....but the article seems right on. It makes no sense to be running the board all the time with no one in the stadium.
 

That editorial was funny.. "You can’t just look outside now and appreciate the wonders of nature".. This guy serious? You want nature, you are living in the wrong place then. Move 20-25 minutes north to Columbus or Forest Lake and you can have that. Its just a sorry professor upset about budget cuts and wants the scoreboard turned off. The whole scoreboard isn't even on is it? It's just the sides of the big scoreboard that are on right?
 

I had wondered the same thing when we saw it on Hwy 280 on the way to the Morgan State game. I asked a staff member in Gopher Fan Relations. The scoreboard is on during all Gopher athletic events in the Stadium Village area. The point is to create festivity when people are heading to games.

The glow is a little crazy when it's hazy and snowy out but I think their aim is on track. It's nice to have that outside display when walking from parking lot to arena during a blizzard. As for creating light pollution as the letter to the Daily talks about, it's a bunch of hogwash. You willingly chose to live in the middle of the city, within a mile of the campus. Get over yourself. As for budgets, while there should be some oversight, the athletics department brings in a lot of revenue (a lot of it from private donors who want their money to go specifically to athletics) and should be allowed to use it to promote the program. As long as it's not a safety hazard. Let it be.

Also according to said staff member, the scoreboard is on any time they have events at the stadium, which is pretty much daily. Part of the agreement was that the stadium would be used for private parties. They hold them in the indoor suites as well as the DQ room.
 



That letter by the professor is hilarious. What does he expect living in Prospect Park right next to one of the largest universities in the country and near the center of a large metro area. What a moron. And I am pretty sure the money to run that comes out of the athletics budget which I thought was separate from the budget that he is under.
 

Everything isn't on ALL the time. But yeah, when there's games on campus or something going on, it's on. Usually the board is on cause it has sports info on the side too. I think the lights might be a bit much, but it's not like it's completely random.

Honestly, complaining about not seeing the night sky like you want when you are on a busy city campus is just silly.
 

Is it possible, just possible, that being it is a LARGE electronic piece of art, that by keeping it somewhat on all the time will result in no future problems? By keeping such a huge electronic item in an "ON" mode ultimately results in less damage to it, and all electronic parts are warm and ready to go at any time?

Have you ever noticed an electronic billboard along the highway? during the day there may be a few lights on, and then comes on at night? I don't know, just thinking.
 

Gopherholefan said:
That editorial was funny.. "You can’t just look outside now and appreciate the wonders of nature".. This guy serious? You want nature, you are living in the wrong place then. Move 20-25 minutes north to Columbus or Forest Lake and you can have that. Its just a sorry professor upset about budget cuts and wants the scoreboard turned off. The whole scoreboard isn't even on is it? It's just the sides of the big scoreboard that are on right?
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I LOL'ed at that park too. Prior to the TCF lights being on the wonders of nature were right there in the middle of Minneapolis. Who knew? Reminds me of the DAs who voluntarily live in an urban area and are appalled when they hear noises appropriate to urban areas.
 



I heard that the reason they keep all the lights on is too prevent vandalism. Many HS fields are lit up 24 hours for the same reason as well.
 

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