Reconsider

[ncgo4]

Maturi admits we spend about 60% less on football than Iowa and Wisconsin. What's it all mean? It means ya gets whatcha pays for. We have a well meaning totally inexperienced head coach and a retread D coordinator.

I like Brewster. I like him a lot. He's positive, aggressive and personable. He's done inside Minnesota what prior coaches refused to do. He seems like a genuine good guy. But let's not kid ourselves, his main attraction when hired ways that he had no experience and so he would work cheap. His assistants...they also work cheap.

Bottom line we were embarrassed by a Jr. College team from South Dakota. Until we can raise the ticket prices and fill the stadium with Gopher maniacs who will spend as much as the farmers from Iowa, we will remain a second tier football program. Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Penn State, (shall I go on?) do not have a pro team against whom they must compete. Want the Gopher football team to return to glory? Then pray that the Vikings follow the Lakers to Los Angeles!

 

[EG#9]

The Gophers have paid very competitive salaries for their coordinators.
Part of the reason the Gophers spend less on football than Iowa and Wisconsin is that they pump significantly more money in to other sports (rowing, gymnastics, etc), Maturi likes to tout his broad based sports program.

Please go back and compare football budgets when Iowa and Wisconsin started winning and also compare ticket sales. I think you will find that both of those programs won games BEFORE they started selling a lot more tickets.

The Gopher program is not going to find a bunch of people willing to buy tickets to an inferior product. The hard part (winning) has to be done first.

The Vikings play on Sunday's and have been a good team more often than not for most of my lifetime. Losing an NFL team says your state/city is not "major league" (with the exception of Los Angeles). Why anyone would wish for that is beyond me.

 

[FireCosgroveGuy]

I didn't realize they had the lowest budget in the Big Ten. With this stadium, being below programs like Indiana is 100% inexcusable. Sounds like another great reason to fire Maturi.

 

[GopherGod]

Maturi admits we spend about 60% less on football than Iowa and Wisconsin. What's it all mean? It means ya gets whatcha pays for. We have a well meaning totally inexperienced head coach and a retread D coordinator.

I like Brewster. I like him a lot. He's positive, aggressive and personable. He's done inside Minnesota what prior coaches refused to do. He seems like a genuine good guy. But let's not kid ourselves, his main attraction when hired ways that he had no experience and so he would work cheap. His assistants...they also work cheap.

Bottom line we were embarrassed by a Jr. College team from South Dakota. Until we can raise the ticket prices and fill the stadium with Gopher maniacs who will spend as much as the farmers from Iowa, we will remain a second tier football program. Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Penn State, (shall I go on?) do not have a pro team against whom they must compete. Want the Gopher football team to return to glory? Then pray that the Vikings follow the Lakers to Los Angeles!

The only problem with your argument is that Nebraska and Iowa have a lot lower population base to pull fans from and can still fill the seats. Iowa also has two Division 1 teams competing for fans with a much smaller population base.

 

[BarnBoy]

The hard part (winning) has to be done first

+1 Bingo!

 

[MBAGuy]

I disagree on the winning first part, since I'm not sure it's possible to build something good on a bare-bones budget. I think the whole university needs to take a look a their revenues and expenses relative to other BT teams (particularly Wisconsin and Iowa) and understand whether we're on par. If not, what can we do do change it to achieve parity over the short term and advantage over the long term?

I just can't accept the fact that we're doomed to run things on the cheap and be a brutally bad program for the remainder of my life.

 

[washgopher]

Maturi admits we spend about 60% less on football than Iowa and Wisconsin. What's it all mean? It means ya gets whatcha pays for. We have a well meaning totally inexperienced head coach and a retread D coordinator.

I like Brewster. I like him a lot. He's positive, aggressive and personable. He's done inside Minnesota what prior coaches refused to do. He seems like a genuine good guy. But let's not kid ourselves, his main attraction when hired ways that he had no experience and so he would work cheap. His assistants...they also work cheap.

Bottom line we were embarrassed by a Jr. College team from South Dakota. Until we can raise the ticket prices and fill the stadium with Gopher maniacs who will spend as much as the farmers from Iowa, we will remain a second tier football program. Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Penn State, (shall I go on?) do not have a pro team against whom they must compete. Want the Gopher football team to return to glory? Then pray that the Vikings follow the Lakers to Los Angeles!

+1 million......look at history....enter Vikes exit Gophs...just history

 

[UpnorthGo4]

I just can't accept the fact that we're doomed to run things on the cheap and be a brutally bad program for the remainder of my life.

Neither could I back in 1970's. But as season after season has passed since then I have come to this realization. Every member of my family (including my son who is a U student), every one of my friends, and every guy I have every worked with, could not care less about the Gophers football team. For years I have been offering people free tickets to Gopher football games when I couldn't go and nobody has ever taken them. The last think they want to do with their Saturdays is spend it watching the Gophers. If I didn't take my U student son (who is a huge Vikings fan) to the Gopher games it wouldn't even occur to him to go himself because none of his friends (who are all Vikings fans, of course) are interested in the Gophers.

I was one of the biggest Vikings fans ever back in the 1960's and 1970's. My best friend's uncle was one of the original owners of the Vikings, and my friend worked as a ball boy and in the equipment room for 10 years. But even then I would have taken a Gopher's Big 10 Championship and a Rose Bowl appearance before a Vikings Super Bowl victory. Why? Because to me the Gophers will always be Minnesota's team in a way that the Vikings can never be. I still believe that, but as the years go by there are fewer and fewer of us who do. And if Minnesotan's just don't care enough about the Gophers football team then it is a much easier decision for the Governor, State Legislature, Board of Regents, and U President to run the program on the cheap. Which is exactly what they have been doing for more years than I care to remember.

Those of us who are regular visitors to GopherHole get a warped view of the importance of Gopher football to the rest of the state. The large majority of Minnesotans did not spend more than 5 seconds thinking about the Gophers loss to South Dakota last Saturday. If they did it was only to laugh and joke about it and then they started wondering about who the Vikings are going to play next Sunday, and how Favre is going to do.

 

[ulfr]

Neither could I back in 1970's. But as season after season has passed since then I have come to this realization. Every member of my family (including my son who is a U student), every one of my friends, and every guy I have every worked with, could not care less about the Gophers football team. For years I have been offering people free tickets to Gopher football games when I couldn't go and nobody has ever taken them. The last think they want to do with their Saturdays is spend it watching the Gophers. If I didn't take my U student son (who is a huge Vikings fan) to the Gopher games it wouldn't even occur to him to go himself because none of his friends (who are all Vikings fans, of course) are interested in the Gophers.

I was one of the biggest Vikings fans ever back in the 1960's and 1970's. My best friend's uncle was one of the original owners of the Vikings and my friend worked as a ball boy and in the equipment room for 10 years. But even then I would have taken a Gopher's Big 10 Championship and a Rose Bowl appearance before a Vikings Super Bowl victory. Why? Because to me the Gophers will always be Minnesota's team in a way that the Vikings can never be. I still believe that but as the years go by there are fewer and fewer of us who do. And if Minnesotan's just don't care enough about the Gophers football team then it is a much easier decision for the Governor, legislature, Board of Regents, and U President to run the program on the cheap. Which is exactly what they have been doing for more years than I care to remember.

Those of us who are regular visitors to GopherHole get a warped view of the importance of Gopher football to the rest of the state. The large majority of Minnesotans did not spend more than 5 seconds thinking about the Gophers loss to South Dakota last Saturday. If they did it was only to laugh and joke about and then go back to wondering about who the Vikings are going to play next Sunday and how Favre is going to do.

So painfully true.

But hey, a new coach and a lockout looming... so there is like maybe 300 extra football-aholics who might show right?

 

[60 Cent]

Want the Gopher football team to return to glory? Then pray that the Vikings follow the Lakers to Los Angeles!

(1) Cal has been relatively successful for the last decade with not one but two NFL teams in its metropolitan area. They also draw more fans per game than the U does...

(2) Washington, despite struggling the last decade, was a very good program in the 80's and 90's despite playing in the shadow of the Seahawks.

Both of these programs spent about double what the U did on football in '08-'09...

http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/20...io-state-could-change-nickname-to-bucks-eyes/

The U is 2nd to last in the BCS in spending on its football program...

The markets where the NFL and BCSFB coexist (Seattle (UW), Bay Area (Cal & Stanford), Phoenix (ASU), Chicago (NW), Pittsburgh (Pitt), Atlanta (GA Tech), Miami, Tampa (USF), Boston (BC), Washington (Maryland), Cincinnati, Nashville (Vandy)...one could even throw in Kansas City/Lawrence and Denver/Boulder) all have college football programs that spend more $$$ than the U.

It's not a matter of pro vs. college...the Gophers are simply run on the cheap.

 

[RodentRampage]

Your own circle of family and friends can also give you a warped perspective on the Gophers, as they aren't necessarily representative of the population as a whole. There's around 50,000 people going to games, and there are 37 stations carrying the Gophers on the radio. Your family and friends are probably more like each other than they are like the population as a whole. Yes, the Gophers aren't as popular as the Vikings, and they probably aren't going to be as popular. But there are more people interested in the Gophers than some think.

 

[josh087]

Neither could I back in 1970's. But as season after season has passed since then I have come to this realization. Every member of my family (including my son who is a U student), every one of my friends, and every guy I have every worked with, could not care less about the Gophers football team. For years I have been offering people free tickets to Gopher football games when I couldn't go and nobody has ever taken them. The last think they want to do with their Saturdays is spend it watching the Gophers. If I didn't take my U student son (who is a huge Vikings fan) to the Gopher games it wouldn't even occur to him to go himself because none of his friends (who are all Vikings fans, of course) are interested in the Gophers.

I was one of the biggest Vikings fans ever back in the 1960's and 1970's. My best friend's uncle was one of the original owners of the Vikings and my friend worked as a ball boy and in the equipment room for 10 years. But even then I would have taken a Gopher's Big 10 Championship and a Rose Bowl appearance before a Vikings Super Bowl victory. Why? Because to me the Gophers will always be Minnesota's team in a way that the Vikings can never be. I still believe that but as the years go by there are fewer and fewer of us who do. And if Minnesotan's just don't care enough about the Gophers football team then it is a much easier decision for the Governor, legislature, Board of Regents, and U President to run the program on the cheap. Which is exactly what they have been doing for more years than I care to remember.

Those of us who are regular visitors to GopherHole get a warped view of the importance of Gopher football to the rest of the state. The large majority of Minnesotans did not spend more than 5 seconds thinking about the Gophers loss to South Dakota last Saturday. If they did it was only to laugh and joke about and then they started wondering about who the Vikings are going to play next Sunday and how Favre is going to do.

UpNorth - You and I seem to be the only rational ones who understand the impact the Vikings have on the Gophers. People say - "Just win, and it won't matter." That's like saying to someone competing in a NASCAR race "Well, all you have to do is win this race, then we can get you the equipment that will put you on par with the rest of the drivers."

Not to mention that even if the Gophers were to win, it would only change things for a second - not the long term. Northwestern has proved that recently, and we all saw what happened to our "fans" on 10/18/2003

 

[Schnauzer]

I think the Gopher's landscape is somewhat unique in that the sports teams exist in the public conscious just like the Vikings, Twins, T-wolves, and Wild. Just because people aren't filling the stadium and traveling with the team to Happy Valley, doesn't mean there isn't interest. There IS interest. As the vultures have begun circling around Tim Brewster, the Gopher football program has been in a lot of news broadcasts and water cooler conversations. Most people that know me know I am a pretty big fan of the team (thick or thin) and I can't tell you how many emails I have received, or conversations where Saturday's football mess has been discussed. In almost every case, the person asking me about it didn't actually watch the game. Due to the long losing/mediocre tradition, people have put the team on the back burner. It has remained there but all along, it is at least still on the stove. There are just too many other options and there is always something else to capture the public's attention (Twins AND Vikings as of late). With all the choices, this is a front running town and the pro teams go through the same thing as the Gopher football team. The difference is they don't have to be on that back burner for 40 years.

Someday (hopefully in my lifetime), the football team will catch lightning in a bottle and you'll see plenty of fans. Who knows, it might even find the right coach that will see the Gopher program not just as an opportunity to build a resume for the NFL or the head job at Ohio State, but as an opportunity to build a legacy... ending with a bronze statue next to the Plaza. If that happens, the program itself will be lifted up to the point they can actually dust off the TCF Bank Stadium blueprints for that expansion.

If the public believes the team is building something special - all that passive interest will turn to active interest. I saw it happen as the public felt Lou Holtz was improving the team (don't have to get into how that ended). To measure it, in the mid 80's the fan rebirth had reached stage 2 or 3. Mason got it to stage 1 twice... 1999 and again in 2003 right up until the air went out of it in the fourth quarter of the Michigan game.

There are a LOT of people out there just biding their time, stuck in neutral, telling the program "show me".

 

[josh087]

But there are more people interested in the Gophers than some think.

This doesn't make any sense. Even if there are more people out there than we think - the point is that we need MORE PEOPLE to care.

It would be like a candidate for Governor saying "well, we lost the election, but don't worry - there are tons of people out there that didn't vote that support me, so I guess I don't care that I lost the race."

 

[RodentRampage]

This doesn't make any sense. Even if there are more people out there than we think - the point is that we need MORE PEOPLE to care.

Of course it makes sense, and NO, that is not the point. While the Gophers are not the most popular team in the state, the interest in the Gophers is nowhere near as low as some people keep insisting. THAT IS THE POINT. You cannot address the situation until you know what the situation is.

It would be like a candidate for Governor saying "well, we lost the election, but don't worry - there are tons of people out there that didn't vote that support me, so I guess I don't care that I lost the race."

No, it would be like someone saying "No one I know voted for that candidate, so clearly he can't win". A major problem with using a political campaign as an analogy is that in an election, there is only one winner. The Gophers don't NEED to be the most popular team in the state in order to do well. Finishing second in an election gets you nothing.

 

[Go Gophers Rah]

Where do people think the money comes from???

I'm sure ticket sales are a big part of the equation, but my guess is that fan/alumni giving to the athletic department is a much bigger piece of the pie.

My challenge to all of us (myself included) is to give money to the program that is commensurate with your passion for the Gophers (within your means of course).

If we, the most passionate fans of Gopher football, aren't part of the solution, who is going to be?

 

[howeda7]

The Vikings argument is so tired. Yes most of the successful programs don't compete directly with NFL teams, because most large land-grant universities simply aren't located in big cities. The University of Florida is in Gainesville, not Jacksonville. There, the Jags complain about the Gators bringing them down. The University of Texas is in Austin, not Dallas. So what? Do you think there aren't thousands of Longhorn fans among the Cowboys season ticket-holders? Even in Charlottesville, the Redskins are every bit as popular as UVa. Sure, when talking purely about ticket sales, it's a bit tougher when the competition is so direct. But in terms of competing for fan interest, it's no more difficult then anyplace else. And even in the cities where the competition is direct (UW, Pitt, USF, GT, etc.) all of those programs have had far more success then Minnesota. Why?

And even if it were true that there was some magical benefit to the Vikings moving away, it would take decades for it to make any tangible difference in the W/L column. To wish a team that millions of poeple in your state love to move away so that 15 years from now some recruit who's now 3 years old might choose MN over ND is beyond selfish. The reality is that while the arrival of the Vikings may have accelerated/worsened the fall of Gopher football, it was only by a minor degree. 99% of the Gophers downfall is thier own doing. The only tangible damage was the building of the Dome. But the U still went along with the move. The bottom line is that it is not 1960 anymore, no matter how much some of you wish it was, and the Vikings moving away wont' make it so.

 

[GophersInIowa]

UpNorth - You and I seem to be the only rational ones who understand the impact the Vikings have on the Gophers. People say - "Just win, and it won't matter." That's like saying to someone competing in a NASCAR race "Well, all you have to do is win this race, then we can get you the equipment that will put you on par with the rest of the drivers."

Not to mention that even if the Gophers were to win, it would only change things for a second - not the long term. Northwestern has proved that recently, and we all saw what happened to our "fans" on 10/18/2003

That's the point, we never took the next step. We were damn close in 2003 but just didn't get it done. The fans were ready to jump on board but it just didn't happen because we blew our chance.

When people say "Just win and it won't matter" I don't think they mean just win a few games or have a season or two where we win 8-9 games. If we become a good program and compete for the Big Ten championship every few years (similar to Iowa and Wisconsin) the Gophers will become popular in MN again. For things to change for the long-term, the program needs to be good for the long-term.

I am a huge Vikings fan myself, always have been. But I do find it funny when a Vikings fan (who doesn't follow the Gophers) makes fun of the Gophers even though the Vikings have had more disappointments and "choke-jobs" than any other NFL team. How about we win a super bowl before we talk like we're so good? (this is not directed at you josh)

 

[Gopher Bandanna Guy]

My challenge to all of us (myself included) is to give money to the program that is commensurate with your passion for the Gophers (within your means of course).

If we, the most passionate fans of Gopher football, aren't part of the solution, who is going to be?

I agree wholeheartedly. The Gridiron and Goalline clubs are a great way to support the program, and have a voice in what goes on. A Maroon membership in the GI Club is a mere $50 per year, and allows more access to the program for the concerned fan (Weekly luncheons, etc.). You want change? Get some skin in the game, and then use your voice.

 

[josh087]

The University of Florida is in Gainesville, not Jacksonville. There, the Jags complain about the Gators bringing them down

That situation is far different considering the Jags came into the league in 1996. The Gophers missed out on a key timeperiod in college football history starting in the 80s when the sport gained notoriety on TV. For 20 years people could watch Vikings games regularly on TV - but not the Gophers. That was a huge deal. Also, the Jags must know what a competing team can do for their financial well-being if they are complaining. You disproved your point with that statement right there.

Even in Charlottesville, the Redskins are every bit as popular as UVa

Could be a correlation as to why UVa hasn't had as much success as other ACC teams have had. Thanks for providing me that example.

And even in the cities where the competition is direct (UW, Pitt, USF, GT, etc.) all of those programs have had far more success then Minnesota. Why?

Comparing winning in the Big Ten vs. winning in the Big East is laughable. We would be a lot more successful had we been in this conference. GT and UW have had good seasons in the past, sure - but they have not been consistent over a long period of time. UW's run in the 80/early 90s is the exception, not the rule.

it would take decades for it to make any tangible difference in the W/L column. To wish a team that millions of poeple in your state love to move away so that 15 years from now some recruit who's now 3 years old might choose MN over ND is beyond selfish

Count me in for better seasons 15 years from now. When it comes to the Gophers winning I am very selfish, thank you.

 

[ulfr]

Washington, despite struggling the last decade, was a very good program in the 80's and 90's despite playing in the shadow of the Seahawks.

1) Given how empty the stadium is in Seattle on any give Saturday, I wouldn't use UW as an example on how being in a major sports market doesn't affect the support of the local NCAA team. Given the sucess that team had in the not so distant past, it was laughable how quickly their support evaporated.

2)This market, as much as any in the nation, is ridiculously fickle. People are tripping over themselves to get into watch a Twins game. When I showed up in town a decade ago on an average weekday night there might have been all of 5,000 in the stands. On student ID night there would be about twice as many college students in the left outfield stands as the rest of the stadium. (Tossing buttons and batteries at Chuck Knoblauch...magic moments) It took not one but several AL central runs to sway them to show up with any regularity. Certainly there is some evidence that if the Gophers win they will come. However college sports don't have drafts or farm systems to draw upon. Dynasties can stay on top for far longer, and conversely bottom feeders have a lot harder time lifting themselves out of the muck. Can the right coach get us over the top? Well I still buy the tickets, so I guess I hope so (but I'll be damned if its Mike friggin Leach).