So when did it all start for you?

[Zales04]

When I joined the U of M Marching Band. It got me connected to the team and hooked for life.

It's sad to admit - but prior to going to the U I had never attended a Gopher Football game, despite being a huge sports fan. I followed Gopher Basketball growing up somewhat, but not football. My dad wasn't a college football fan so I wasn't either, and nothing had ever happened in my life to make me pay attention to Gopher Football. I was a die-hard Vikings and NFL guy growing up - so much so I didn't pay an ounce of attention to the college game. That all changed once I got to college and I realized the error of my ways.

Ditto for me. I loved Gopher basketball as long as I can remember, and the earliest I can remember cheering for is the 89-90 team. I know I watched Gopher BB before then, but can't exactly remember when.

I kinda followed football when Wacker was first hired, and then when Mason was hired. But getting into college in the fall of 1998 changed that for good.

Josh, I was a big NFL guy until the '98 NFC championship game that went south. I remember listening to it on headphones at that women's basketball game we had to play at. You had yours on, I think Sprenger may have too. I just remember one guy looking at us with our mouths open when Anderson missed the kick. Poor guy got dragged there by his wife and daughter when U of M Women's BBall stunk.

 

[Maroon]

Two words: Rickey Foggie

 

[SunGopher]

First memory was reading about the Nebraska 84-12 score in the paper and thinking how could we be that bad. Listened to Ray call games off and on through the mid-90's. My dad won a couple tickets to the Syracuse game, student section tickets and I couldn't believe how few people were in attendance. Nevermind that school was still on summer break (quarter system), a ranked team was coming to town and the game was on national tv, little did I know how bad it was. We upset the Orangeman and TC had those 2 fumble recoveries in one of his first games. A follower was born until I attended the U ('03 grad) and now the term fanatic doesn't do me justice.

 

[Gopher028]

I started watching slightly during the last season of Jim Wacker, but started to watch the full season during the TuTu Atwell and Ryan Thelwell years... I would say I was around 13-14 at the time. I have always been a Minnesota supporter of everything, but of course started to really get into the team when Tyrone Carter was making great returns and jaw jacking hits. Some of my fondest memories are beating Ohio State with Cockerham at the Horse shoe, Playing Oregon in the Sun Bowl for the first bowl game since '85? Same year my Brother and I took the first of 3 road trips to Iowa City, watched the Gophers come back to beat the squawks. Beating #2 PSU in Happy Valley, beating Michigan at the big house for the first since '86? and then most recently the back to back wins over the UI's with Horton, especially beating the squawk-eyes for FLOYD!!!!
WHO HATES IOWA?.. WE HATE IOWA!!!!

 

[Formo]

Awesome stories.. And I know I 'published' mine at least one other time before, but I shall still indulge... lol

First started with the Final Four that never happened.. I remember semi-following the Gophs BB team a few years prior to that.. Then during that tournament, I was unable to watch the games for whatever reason, but followed it on SportsCenter. I remember after the UCLA game, my dad and I were watching the highlights of that game (we didn't know who had won yet), and the highlight guy wasn't leading on to who won.. So throughout the minute and a half highlight reel of that game my dad and I were on our toes, yelling at the guy to just tell us who won. When we found out the Gophs pulled the huge upset over UCLA, we ROARED in joy. I'll never forget that moment. That's when I think my love for the Gophers started to set it's roots.

Rewind to the '91 baseball season.. My dad, sister and I were living in the basement of someone's home because of our economic status, my dad was doing what he could to keep a roof over our heads and our tummies full, so obviously going to ANY sporting events wasn't even fathomable. But my dad was lucky enough to occasionally get tickets to the Dome for the Twinkies (my first sporting team love). My first sporting event was the Twins at the Dome and was something that I cherished. I was always amazed at how cool the Dome looked.. and seeing the field that first time as we were walking towards the isle from the concourse.. it was like bigger than life to me. So from that point on, I've ALWAYS jumped at the opportunity to go to the Dome. Flash forward past the non-Final Four, my junior and senior years in high school, our coach took the football team to Gopher games.. One year was against Michigan State and the other was against OSU. I think the Gophs beat MSU but I know for sure they lost to OSU. I distinctly remember watching Goldy pulling his antics with Brutus and Sparty. And loving it. Specifically, I remember Goldy and the Gopher guy cheeleaders picking up Sparty and ramming his family jewels against the goal post. My love for Gopher football started there.

Then a few years later, my uncle dropped his Viking season tickets but picked up Gopher football tickets instead. I'd get to go with him at least one game a year, sometimes more. I was at the Blocked Punt Turned TD against Wisky.. I was at the OT Pass Interference Call That Shouldn't Have Ever Happened against Penn State (which was the game I first heard of Decker, I believe he was a Freshman that year.. But had THE catch of the year in OT that game). After seeing how the season ticket prices were going to be raised for The Bank's inaugural season, my uncle wasn't going to renew his season tickets. But I promised to pay half of his tickets if I got to keep the other seat. He agreed. The more games I went to, the more I loved the Gophers football program. The '09 season sealed it for me, I think. It was the first year I became 'apart' of the program. As a season ticket holder AND as a booster. I think I started to take a tiny bit of 'ownership'.

I absolutely LOVE the fact that I was apart of the inaugural home opener for The Bank against Air Force. And what's even better? The wide-angle picture that the U sells of that game, you can clearly point me out in the front row.. Wearing my white/maroon 3/4 tee and white/maroon hat. Standing up in arm pumping fashion.

 

[hendo59]

Not being from MN, my first memory of a Gopher football game was running out of the tunnel on Sept 10, 1988 to lose 41-9 to Wash St. The first of 7 losses that year under Gute. ah memories...

Thankfully we won a few more than that the next couple of years.

 

[Sean Lumpkin]

Now that's a good story.

My first experience was while Looking out the front window of my house. I was watching the pep rally across the street, in what was then the University parking lots. It was homecoming and the student's had a large bonfire in the parking lot. I can still picture the dummy dressed in a uniform of the visiting team being burned in effigy over the fire. That was 1964 or 1965, and my family lived in a house right where the Bierman football complex is located, right on the corner of what would be 14th and 5th. We had a vacant lot next to the house, so we sold parking spots for the games.

The story gets better... Now I'm watching my son play at the Bank for the Maroon and Gold on Saturdays.

 

[Formo]

My first experience was while Looking out the front window of my house. I was watching the pep rally across the street, in what was then the University parking lots. It was homecoming and the student's had a large bonfire in the parking lot. I can still picture the dummy dressed in a uniform of the visiting team being burned in effigy over the fire. That was 1964 or 1965, and my family lived in a house right where the Bierman football complex is located, right on the corner of what would be 14th and 5th. We had a vacant lot next to the house, so we sold parking spots for the games.

The story gets better... Now I'm watching my son play at the Bank for the Maroon and Gold on Saturdays.

Awesome!!

 

[Sean Lumpkin]

Now that's a good story.

I was also a beer vendor at the Dome when it opened. I was a student at the U at the time and I was trying to sell beer while the Cornhuskers were beating down my Gophers by around 70 points. I didn't sell much beer that day and went back to campus after the third quarter, stunned by what I had seen.
As I stood on the field after the Iowa game a few months ago, I just looked up in the sky and said WOW, who would of thought! Go Gophers!!

 

[DarrenTheGreek]

In 1983 I was 6 years old and remember listening to the Gophers on the radio with my dad and grandpa. I remember it was such an awful year and it seemed like the Gophers were always losing by 30 points by time the coin flipped. In 1987 my dad and grandpa brought me to my first game against Michigan and Darrell Thompson had a 98 yard TD run right towards our seats in the endzone. The next week I put a big 6 foot Thompson poster up on my bedroom. I made my dad promise to take me to at least 1 game every year after that. In 1996 I was 19 and attending a MIAC school but bought season tickets anyway because I wanted to watch the Gophers every week. I've been to every home game except for 2 ever since.

 

[loki]

UCLA 1977

My first game was at Memorial Stadium against UCLA in 1977. I remember thinking the crowd was huge and the field and colors were beautiful. The Gophers were coached by Cal Stoll and ended up beating UCLA 27-13 in front of about 41,000 fans. That same year I was working in my backyard listening to Ray Christenson on the radio when they upset the #1 rated Wolverines and I was hooked at that moment. I loved the Vikings back then because they played outside, Bud Grant and the purple people eaters mystic and the four superbowls but since then my interest in Gopher Football has risen even though we have been mediocre to poor my whole life, maybe with the the exception of 2000 and 2005, while my interest in the Vikings has waned. I see the Gophers as the Chicago Cubs of College Football and I want to be there when they rise again and I will cheer them on until they do or until I die.

 

[highwayman]

My first game was at Memorial Stadium against UCLA in 1977. I remember thinking the crowd was huge and the field and colors were beautiful. The Gophers were coached by Cal Stoll and ended up beating UCLA 27-13 in front of about 41,000 fans. That same year I was working in my backyard listening to Ray Christenson on the radio when they upset the #1 rated Wolverines and I was hooked at that moment. I loved the Vikings back then because they played outside, Bud Grant and the purple people eaters mystic and the four superbowls but since then my interest in Gopher Football has risen even though we have been mediocre to poor my whole life, maybe with the the exception of 2000 and 2005, while my interest in the Vikings has waned. I see the Gophers as the Chicago Cubs of College Football and I want to be there when they rise again and I will cheer them on until they do or until I die.

That 1977 team was one of the best defensive Gopher teams in the last 40 years. Beat UCLA, Washington, and shut out Michigan. Held 8 opponents under 20 points, five of them to 7 points or zero, led by Bobby Weber and company. Only team in the history of college football to beat both Rose Bowl participants in the same season.

 

[tikited]

1977 - Gophers beating UCLA at home. I was a teenager at the time and I remember sneaking down with my buddy and sitting in the first row at Memorial Stadium right in front of the UCLA cheerleaders This was the same year they went on to beat #1 Michigan at home as well as Washington - I believe that year's 2 Rose Bowl participants. Also throw in defeating Wisconsin at home made for a sweet year!

I was thinking about that year as well. I was about ten at the time. I remember going with my mom to the Washington game for some reason, but it was my dad who got me hooked around the age of six. I haven't looked back since. I've only missed around 15 home games in my lifetime, so I've seen a lot of losses, but I'm hooked like stated earlier. I will seriously worry about my health if we ever win the Rose Bowl.

 

[gopherfreak15]

I remember watching a battle for Floyd in the early 90's of course we lost but ever since that day anytime there was gopher football on I was either listening to it or watching it. Even though I haven't experienced any great seasons yet its still exciting to be a gopher fan because you never know when Kucek is going to lose the axe for you. That game will forever stick out as the time when I realized that being a gopher fan was going to mean a lot of misery.

 

[highwayman]

I remember watching a battle for Floyd in the early 90's of course we lost but ever since that day anytime there was gopher football on I was either listening to it or watching it. Even though I haven't experienced any great seasons yet its still exciting to be a gopher fan because you never know when Kucek is going to lose the axe for you. That game will forever stick out as the time when I realized that being a gopher fan was going to mean a lot of misery.

Let's remember, Mason lost this game. On third and 1 he calls a Maroney run up the middle. Russell hadn't lost a yard on a run all season. After the game, we find out that not only had the Gophers never practiced a "fumbled snap in the endzone" play all season, but the coach did not discuss it with his Freshman punter during the preceding time out. Kucek runs out of the end zone for a safety and the Gophers likely win.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

Two words: Rickey Foggie

Ditto. Beating Michigan.

 

[scfan]

Early 50's by radio and 60 through 98 in person. Since 98 about one game per yer in person as we are 1200 miles south of the stadium, give or take.

 

[Ewert86PC]

For me, it was tales of my parents going to Gopher FB games in college and afterwards. (this would be in the late 1940's and most of the 50's) They go on and on about how much fun it was to take a train to Madison or even Ann Arbor for games. (precursor to road trips??)

Then I got to go to Gopher games on campus in Memorial Stadium. One of my first was a game in 1978 agains Michigan. It was more mystical than going to Vikings games at Metropolitan Stadium. It was forever absorbed in to me during my freshman year, 1981, when I was part of the student body cheering on the Golden Gopher football team. Then came 1982 and it has been a struggle not to be a curmudgeon since.

I keep hoping that being back on campus will breed a magical joy in a whole new batch of students. Students who will never know the antiseptic, soul crushing despair of the Metrodome's confines and the abdication of your school's traditions to appeal to a bunch of snobs who want to compare revenue generated by a collegiate team to that of a professional football team.

 

[EVEN8184]

My first Gopher football memory was riding in the pick-up with my dad and listening to Dan Nystrom end Penn States' unbeaten season.

 

[washgopher]

my first game was fal of 69 but the one I remember most was againsy OSU that year, they were ranked no 1. Late in the fourth, Gophers score at my end of the field (my seat was dead on the goal line in about the tenth row. That made the score 14-13 and Murray went for 2. I saw our back push into the end zone and was pushed back. Refs gave the game to OSU. Game not on TV and obviously no instant replay. Most memorable game of my undergrad years.

 

[washgopher]

other than the game on the field, always remember having to wade through literally hundreds of empty Ripple bottles on the way out. Also a number of passed out bodies, some of whom we would drag outside the stadium for someone to take home.

 

[station19]

other than the game on the field, always remember having to wade through literally hundreds of empty Ripple bottles on the way out. Also a number of passed out bodies, some of whom we would drag outside the stadium for someone to take home.

You did pronounce that as......ra pell' ..didn't you.

 

[Gopher Broke]

I grew up watching Gopher hockey and have vague memories of Old Mariucci and over time I started getting into other Gopher sports. Started really watching Gopher football around the middle of the Mason era. Looking to become a first time season ticket holder next year and will continue to cheer for the maroon and gold into the future.

 

[GopherOnWheels]

Born in Nashville and moved to Milwaukee, I never really followed or felt part of a college team. My dad went to Marquette and my mom to Florida State, so I guess one was my football team and the other my basketball team. (All I knew was that I hated Madison, because since the day I moved to Milwaukee the Holier-Than-Thou attitude about Madison turned me away. I was actually looked down upon in my HS because I could've gone to Madison and openly chose not to.) Still never really felt the 'connection' that every describes cheering for their Alma Mater. Then, through random circumstance, I ended up here at the U (freshman in '08, my junior year now) and the U was actually my third choice behind Purdue and Illinois (thank God I didn't end up at either of those two). The night of my freshman orientation we were walking in our small group to Coffman from the dorms and something just came over me and I knew I was where I was supposed to be. Big supporter ever since, as I finally was part of something and finally found my connection. But I was just a fan at that point... I went to my first hockey game freshman year against St. Cloud witha buddy of mine from back home and hearing the Rouser after scoring first just left me in a state of complete and utter shock. Ever since then I've been the die hard I am now. Haven't missed a football game, go to every hockey game since that St. Cloud game. The only thing that has come close so far was the Souix series last year and the Air Force and MSU games. I swear the best Rouser I've ever heard was when that fumble was returned to win the game against USAFA. Unbelievable. Still get chills thinking about it and when I look at my panorama of that game.

Go Gophers!!!

 

[WHB Brewer]

Growing up in Southeastern MN, I followed Iowa mostly. My parents were from Iowa, along with most of my extended family so it was a natural fit at for a youngster. Then reality set in, as I couldn't afford the out of state tuition at Iowa, so I went to Minnesota in the Fall of '91 and became a fan of the Gophers. Watched some really bad football my first 2 years at the U. Though I was a fan, I wasn't hooked until we spoiled Bucky's run to the Rose Bowl in '93. It's been a roller coast of hope and lots of dispair over the years, but we all remain eternal optimists that the Glory Years of Gopher football will return!

My "Golden Gopher Moment" is that the last time we actually beat Bucky was on my wedding day.

 

[RockyMtnGopher]

My Dad was a Gopher in the early 50's, so I was raised a Gopher fan. The first game I remember was the 1967 game vs. Indiana (I was 7) and some Hoosier fans were sitting nearby and got mad at all the Gopher fans surrounding them, so they up and moved. I have two fondest memories: 1) when my Grandpa would drive down from Moorhead and we would all eat at the Minneapolis Athletic Club, head over to watch the band march down the street (University?) and then go into Memorial Stadium and watch the Gopher football game; 2) the last two years my boys (ages 18 and 15) have driven from Denver to Iowa City and TCF to watch the Gopher-Iowa games and to watch the two of them them storm the field at TCF after the win this year truly got me chocked up. They have since told me that they want to do take their son's, when ever they have them, to watch the Gophers vs. Iowa. Go Gophers!!!

 

[gopherfaith]

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, didn't pay much attention to college football (went to a Cal State Chico where football was no big deal, EXCEPT that Mike Bellotti was the coach when I was a student--had I only known then what I know now). Vaguely remember the The Big Game in 1982 between Cal and Stanford when Stanford's trombone player got trampled at the end. But I digress...

Moved to Minnesota in 1991, still didn't pay much attention to college football. But then in 1998, when our son was 5 months old, Highwayman took me to my first Gophers game. That did it, I was hooked, and have become more and more obsessed every year since.

Go Gophers!

 

[Carlson 79]

Circa 1960, I can remember my mom and dad coming home from a Gopher game (I was about 4 years old at the time) absolutely pi$$ed that some punk player from either Iowa or Purdue had punched one of the Gopher players in the face during the game. I knew then that this was serious business, and that Minnesota were the good guys.

By the time I got to about 10 or 11, I got a membership in a discount program for kids that allowed you to sit in the open end zone grandstand on the west side of the stadium. One key memory: the Indiana game of '67, IU with their mammoth linemen (Karl Barzilauskis comes to mind), John Isenbarger, and cream/yellow uniforms head to toe. We crushed them that day yet they ended up going to the Rose Bowl over us because we'd been there most recently ('62, I believe). You could make a case that this game was our most recent high water mark, now that I think of it. We tied for the Big Ten title in '67 and have not sniffed it since.

Man, do I miss Ray Christensen on the radio. Jules Perlt on PA. We did not know how incredibly good we had it then.

 

[bkrownd]

I'm curious about the etiology of your Gopher fan loyalty, fellow Holers. What are your earliest Gopher football memories? And with the constant heartbreak involved with being "one of us" how the heck did it stick?

I moved to MSP (for the second time) from Nebraska in 1979 (3rd grade), so I was always an outsider and no Gopher fan during my years in MN. I used to rib the MN kids about the Gophers in the 1980's, and I went to the 84-13 game as a member of the opposition. I didn't give the Gophers any thought for the next 8-9 years unless a Big 8 team was playing them. Eventually I went to the UofM during the dark days of Gutekunst, not paying any attention to Gopher football until the final year when I had student season tickets in 1992. I was interested in UofM campus history while I was at the UofM, so did learn about about the program's history during that time. I didn't really get interested in paying attention to Gophers' fortunes until a few years later in grad school, and remember the PSU win well, but generally paid little attention to college football during the 2000's. Mostly I follow White Bear Lake - go Bears!

I would definitely go to night games if I lived in MSP again, and would love to see a return to the Glory Days.

 

[GopherinPhilly]

My first Gopher sporting event was I believe 1982 when we opened the season winning over Ohio U 57-4. The game was on my birthday at the new metrodome so my step dad took me and my little brother. Up until that point I had spent the previous 8 years living over the boarder in Roberts, WI and didn't really have any connection to any college teams...especially since we only had 3 tv channels and the Gophers were never on national tv.

We moved to Mn the following year and I started to follow the Gopher football team and my step dad was a big time hockey player from Thief River Falls so I started playing and following hockey as well. We were a big hockey family...attended about 5 games per year for the Gophs and Northstars.

My first basketball game was when MI came to town with the fab 5 in Jan 1994 and lost to our beloved and erased Gophers. Webber was out for the game with a sprained ankle and we had seats 8 rows behinid the Michigan bench. I spent the entire game ragging on Webber for pussing out until he finally turned around and flipped me off. It was a blast.

I really started to follow the Gophs in football during the Ricky Foggy era...listened to them on the Radio on Saturdays in the fall when we were up at our cabin hunting and fishing. Loved and then hated Lou Holtz and forever wished we didn't suck. Got fooled into believing by Mason and then watched us collapse again and again at the end. Thankfully...I was away on business when Michigan had thier unimaginable fourth quarter come back...so I didn't see it...just read about it later. Got to watch the Gophers beat Penn St at Penn St in 2003...great game and time.