Twin Cities Bowl Game

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mplsbadger

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Could it happen?

With light rail connecting downtown, Mall of America, and the airport could we host a bowl game like the little ceasar's bowl? If the Vikings built a new stadium where the dome is and it was domed with skyway access to downtown and the train could we make it work?

Discuss amongst yourselves.
 

Could it happen? Anything can happen. Should it happen? Hell no. Will it happen? I certainly hope not. It would rank right up there with the Pizza Bowl as the one nobody wants to go to. I suppose with the Big 10 going to 12 teams they can add a 9th Bowl tie-in. Big Ten #9 vs Mac #3. Can you feel the excitement?
 

Yes, it could happen. If people with deep pockets wanted there to be a bowl here, there could be one. The Metrobowl at the Metrodome has a ring to it. If the Holidazzle parade could be moved back a couple weeks, the bowl game might make a nice tie-in. If Minnesota, Iowa or Wisconsin wound up 6-6 and had no other bowl offers, the people running this bowl would be eager to invite them. Not the most appealing destination for a bowl game.

But if you can line up enough people who want to put up the money to start a bowl game, good luck. It's not just going to happen, and none of us could start it even if we wanted to.
 

Maybe if the Wilf's get a new retractable roof stadium, with all of the amenities, it could happen. The 3M Bowl, the Target Bowl, the Pillsbury Dough Bowl? :)
 



Minneapolis has the infrastructure to support it -- they've had Super Bowls, NCAA Final Fours, NBA and MLB all-star games here -- but the Metrodome would be the biggest detractor. They could do it here as far as capacity, but the Metrodome is absolutely awful. It would be the worst stadium hosting any bowl.
 

Not really any worse than Detroit. The benefit to Detroit is that with the MAC tie-in, it is very convenient for fans of the MAC team. We could have a Sun Belt tie-in, I suppose, but I doubt that many Sun Belt fans would care to come up here in December. Could do it as a MWC tie-in, but it wouldn't be a lot more appealing for MWC fans. Maybe the WAC would be eager to have it to stay relevant. The Big Ten and Big 12 already has enough tie-ins. So, I guess it would either be MAC vs. At large or At large vs. At large.

If you have the deep pockets to get this together or can get together a bowl committee of people with deep pockets, go for it. The world is crying out for the Metrobowl.
 

Make it a January bowl at TCF. We could call it the INHUMANITARIAN BOWL.
 




It would have been a brilliant idea a few years ago when FBS schedules moved from 11 to 12 games. But no one in Minnesota jumped on the opportunity. And since then, others have.

The fact is that there are not enough Northern bowl games. Not enough people are going to travel to the South to see their 7-5 team play. They might do it once or twice. But it's getting old to people, and that's why attendance is suffering.

The bowls keep city-shuffling and changing their tie-ins to keep it fresh. But these fringe bowl games have been around for 10-15 years. I suspect that the novelty is wearing-off as nearly every FBS team has now played in multiple bowl games.

The problem, of course, is that there's the "Motor City Bowl" stigma with northern bowl games. I think Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin fans would rather travel to Minneapolis in December than Texas in the years where their team is only 7-5 or 6-6. But bowl games have become a television product, so they don't care about attendance as much as they care about creating an "event".
 

Domed stadiums and all games played in domed stadiums inherently suck. That is the first law of football.

I could get behind the Inhumanitarian Bowl idea, though. Make it an SEC vs. ACC affair. I want to see Florida take on Miami in 20 below.
 

It could happen but it's a bad idea. It wouldn't be the least desirable bowl game (see Detroit), but it would be darn close.

Wow, we all need to start talking about actual football again. Between this and rotating sites for the Rose Bowl...
 

The DQ Blizzard Bowl at TCF. Dates somewhere between December 28-January 1. Come up with whatever fantasy conference tie-in you want. I would love to force a low SEC team to travel up here. Some of those players are going to have to play in the cold eventually in the NFL, might as well force them in college.
 



Gopherdrummer said:
The DQ Blizzard Bowl at TCF.
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You win the contest for the name.

The bowl game will be part of creating a statewide football culture that Coach Kill describes.

Some ideas
- All high school football players get in free.
- When purchasing tickets those living east of the river buy east side seats, those west of the river buy west side seats. Each side adopts and roots for the team on their side (unless, heaven forbid, the Gophers are in the game).
- Conference tie ins are the lousiest bowl eligible team from the Big Ten West or a MAC team vs. the lousiest bowl eligible team from the Big 12 (old north teams) or WAC & Mountain West teams
- Bowl week activities include Holidazzle, Mall of America Events, a concert in the stadium, the opportunity to buy tickets to Vikings, T-Wolves, Wild, Gopher Hoops, or Gopher Hockey, & outdoor activities for the brave
- The tickets need to be priced to fill the place, not to make money.

I'd rather have an annual PGA tournament but I think this might be fun too.
 

badgergopher said:
You win the contest for the name.

The bowl game will be part of creating a statewide football culture that Coach Kill describes.

Some ideas
- All high school football players get in free.
- When purchasing tickets those living east of the river buy east side seats, those west of the river buy west side seats. Each side adopts and roots for the team on their side (unless, heaven forbid, the Gophers are in the game).
- Conference tie ins are the lousiest bowl eligible team from the Big Ten West or a MAC team vs. the lousiest bowl eligible team from the Big 12 (old north teams) or WAC & Mountain West teams
- Bowl week activities include Holidazzle, Mall of America Events, a concert in the stadium, the opportunity to buy tickets to Vikings, T-Wolves, Wild, Gopher Hoops, or Gopher Hockey, & outdoor activities for the brave
- The tickets need to be priced to fill the place, not to make money.

I'd rather have an annual PGA tournament but I think this might be fun too.
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They also play on a sheet of ice and in skates. :clap:
 


This is not a ridiculous idea. Has anyone ever watched the New Orleans Bowl? Now imagine if they played that game in an outdoor venue in a northern city. The game would attract a lot more national interest than it does now. Target Field would be perfect.

The New Orleans Bowl pays-out nothing and is usually one of the most poorly-attended bowl games despite that it features a conference champion. This would be great for the Sun Belt conference and ESPN. If they could switch the tie-in from CUSA to The BigTen it would be even better.

The game would still draw only 20-25,000 fans but would get a much better number on ESPN.
 

badgergopher said:
Could it happen?

With light rail connecting downtown, Mall of America, and the airport could we host a bowl game like the little ceasar's bowl? If the Vikings built a new stadium where the dome is and it was domed with skyway access to downtown and the train could we make it work?

Discuss amongst yourselves.
Click to expand...

Might be too good of an idea for Minneapolis to handle. Maybe a Big Ten championship here?
 

hmmmm

if it is the dq blizzard bowl...

it should be played in tcf and artificial snow makers should be purchased to insure that every year the game is played in a snowstorm. you don't think that would attract a viewership?

at the end of the game ice cream with bits of snickers and m&m would be shot into the stands from a modified snow maker to reward the hardy members of the respective fanbases. could be co-sponsored by jenny craig.
 

There's no reason we couldn't have a Big Ten championship here, there ought to at least be a bid put in. Offer use of the Metrodome for free, it would bring in a lot of business. If the Vikings get their retractable roof stadium, then there really needs to be a bid put in for the Big Ten Championship.
 

I think someone's ahead of you. The art already leaked.

bowllogo.png
 


RodentRampage said:
There's no reason we couldn't have a Big Ten championship here, there ought to at least be a bid put in. Offer use of the Metrodome for free, it would bring in a lot of business. If the Vikings get their retractable roof stadium, then there really needs to be a bid put in for the Big Ten Championship.
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They could put in a bid for the Big Ten Championship with an open air stadium too. Lambeau and Soldier have their hats in the ring.
 


Replacement Gopher said:
"It would be the worst stadium hosting any bowl."

That is simply not true.
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Does Boise still have theirs? Has to be the worst.

I wouldn't mind MPLS throwing their hat in the ring for a bowl once the Vikings get their stadium. Hopefully we make a huge push to get in the rotation for the BT championship game. You figure it would be indoors for sure. I can only think of Detroit and Indy for venues right now.
 

it would be nearly desireable as the Hummer Bowl in Boise, yet maybe more expensive and even less than......well who cares
 


If the Twin Cities would want to do something along these line, I think a much, much better idea would be to do a three-game Holiday College Hoops Tournament (preferably at the Xcel Energy Center) covering four days. Format it like they do all the other ones (Maui, Old Spice, San Juan, etc.).

Get 8 quality teams total (5-6 from big conferences). Get a big sponsor like the Mall of America (Mall of America Holiday Tournament has a nice ring) heading into the holiday shopping season. Big Ten could be host and involve one Big Ten team every year (MN would get to play in it once every three years or so), with some other regional teams always part of it. Big Ten Network can televise and offer up support, promotion, and revenue.

Example:

(1) North Carolina vs. (8) South Dakota
(4) Oregon vs. (5) Nebraska
(3) Minnesota vs. (6) Northern Iowa
(2) Tennessee vs. (7) UW-Green Bay
 

I agree this is not ridiculous. But I also agree we would have to come up with some real money. I mean, just because it would be the last (newest) game, it wouldn't have to be last in the pecking order. I mean, I read somewhere that only 2 bowl-eligible teams didn't get an invite, Temple and somebody, Kent State maybe. If we get in line for Temple vs. Kent, then don't do it. But if there was enough money to be paid out and you could get Big Ten #4 or 5 vs. Big 12 #4 or 5, then by all means, make it so.

If Minnesota, Iowa or Wisconsin wound up 6-6 and had no other bowl offers, the people running this bowl would be eager to invite them.
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But this also is not going to happen. With 37 bowl games now, or whatever, a 6-6 Big Ten team is not going to be without a bowl offer. Which is why we would want to cut into the front of the line, not just queue up at the end.
 

sunnyday2 said:
I agree this is not ridiculous. But I also agree we would have to come up with some real money. I mean, just because it would be the last (newest) game, it wouldn't have to be last in the pecking order. I mean, I read somewhere that only 2 bowl-eligible teams didn't get an invite, Temple and somebody, Kent State maybe. If we get in line for Temple vs. Kent, then don't do it. But if there was enough money to be paid out and you could get Big Ten #4 or 5 vs. Big 12 #4 or 5, then by all means, make it so.



But this also is not going to happen. With 37 bowl games now, or whatever, a 6-6 Big Ten team is not going to be without a bowl offer. Which is why we would want to cut into the front of the line, not just queue up at the end.
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With sx B10 teams playing on or after NYD I don't think we can count on a Big ten team. It would however be nice if we were only pulling teams from within drivin distance
 

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