Weather ?????

[MNSpaniel]

I know some of you will say that if a kid doesn't like the cold then he is not tough enough for us and we don't want him. A lot of these kids we are after are from the south. When given what could be perceived as an equal choice they may tend to go toward the warmer climate.

When you get recruiters telling kids "Why do you want to go there ... heck it was -50 with the wind chill the other day." Many of those kids are going to listen and not want to come here. I know the week-end some of these recent recruits came it was -20s without the wind chill.

Compound that with the free-fall at the end of the year, change in coordinators, supposed tougher entrance requirements many have been talking about and you get some negative vibs you have to try to undo as a Minnesota recruiter before you can get to the positive things we have to offer.

I think we've done a good job keeping the locals and I agree with many of the others that we solid class. Only time will tell ?????????????????

 

[Goldy74s]

Yep. I think if you were to name 20 different variables that would influence a recruit, we would be in the lower half of many of those variables. We have not won the BT in forty two years and that is not because we have had one horrible coach after another.

I am 100% certain building TCF will substantially reduce one or more of those twenty variables where we lagged the most. However, we still have both things we could really improve and things, like the weather we can do nothing about. If I were recruiting against the U this year I would point out that the temp has not gone above freezing yet this year.

 

[TheDinkytowner]

It hurts some, but Baylor is warm and look how awesome they are.

 

[Goldy74s]

It is twenty different variables taken as a whole. Weather is one. Baylor is very, very white and Baptist in the ugliest part of Texas I have seen, etc. Their weather is as bad as ours in the other direction.

 

[GopherGod]

It hurts some, but Baylor is warm and look how awesome they are.

You can always find outliers genius but as a general rule most people that are used to and more comfortable in warm weather will probably want to stay in warmer weather assuming they have equivalent options in schools there. In regards to Baylor, have you ever even been to Waco? The reason they are not good(but improving) is they have had terrible after terrible coach and there is absolutely nothing to do in Waco and Baylor is one of the most conservative christian schools that you will find, not exactly appealing to all types of students and players. They are improving however now that they have a very well respected and connected coach in Texas, Art Briles. They had a freshman QB this year that was very good(rated # 3 out of HS and originally committed to Miami) and even broke the NCAA record for attempts without a INT.

 

[btowngopher]

Yep. I think if you were to name 20 different variables that would influence a recruit, we would be in the lower half of many of those variables. We have not won the BT in forty two years and that is not because we have had one horrible coach after another.

I am 100% certain building TCF will substantially reduce one or more of those twenty variables where we lagged the most. However, we still have both things we could really improve and things, like the weather we can do nothing about. If I were recruiting against the U this year I would point out that the temp has not gone above freezing yet this year.

Weird how Madison has seen a few recent rose bowls with basically the same weather.

 

[GopherGod]

Weird how Madison has seen a few recent rose bowls with basically the same weather.

He didn't say weather was the only factor, is it possible that Madison's success might have anything to do with better coaching, fan support, facilities, etc...

 

[Goldy74s]

Yes, they have. But, they have us beat in many other of those variables.

Additionally, they no more have the same weather as the Twin Cities (180 miles north), than the Twin Cities have compared to Grand Rapids (180 miles north). Similar is not the same and the national perception is that Minnesota is the ice box of the lower 48.

I repeat, if it is just as easy to recruit here as anywhere else, why have we not been to the Rose Bowl in 49 years? All bad coaches? All bad luck? Nope, twenty different things.

 

[TheDinkytowner]

I still think our biggest advantage is the "downtown vibe" from Minneapolis.

How many other BCS schools are within walking distance of a major downtown area?

GA Tech or USC are close, but both their campuses suck.
Maybe Pitt, but their stadium is miles off campus.
NW, WA, AZ State, BC, Miami are miles away from the city center.

 

[Goldy74s]

We do have some variables that are sort of good. For example, we are a BCS school. Big advantage.

The Bigness of the U turns some off, some on. We all know people both ways.

 

[GopherGod]

We do have some variables that are sort of good. For example, we are a BCS school. Big advantage.

The Bigness of the U turns some off, some on. We all know people both ways.

I would agree, some players will like being in a major city some want the college town atmosphere. A good advantage we have is that we have a major airport here and so players families can fly directly in here to watch their son play. Hopefully this can be a advantage as well once Southwest Airlines starts adding flights directly from here to DFW, Houston, San Antonio that don't cost a ton.

 

[KD6-3.7]

yep

 

[btowngopher]

The average temp between minneapolis and madison is no more then 5 degrees different for any month of the year. Weather is not a factor in my opinion when you are talking about big10 success.

 

[GopherGod]

The average temp between minneapolis and madison is no more then 5 degrees different for any month of the year. Weather is not a factor in my opinion when you are talking about big10 success.

For kids that are dead set on going to a big 10 school it probably isn't much of a factor but for kids from the south considering the SEC and Big 12 as well it is a factor.

 

[btowngopher]

For kids that are dead set on going to a big 10 school it probably isn't much of a factor but for kids from the south considering the SEC and Big 12 as well it is a factor.

I agree with that. But I think in those cases it is a challenge for most of the other big10 teams also.

 

[GopherGod]

I agree with that. But I think in those cases it is a challenge for most of the other big10 teams also.

I can see that and maybe that is one possible reason that the Big 10 as a whole is lagging behind the SEC and Big 12 right now.

 

[MNSpaniel]

Not losing kids to Big 10 schools

I guess that is the point from the recruits of late. We haven't been losing them to northern schools. We have been getting beat out by schools in warmer climates. I'm sure they all have a lot of other things to offer but warm weather is the one common factor in all of them.

 

[Handsome Pete]

I know some of you will say that if a kid doesn't like the cold then he is not tough enough for us and we don't want him. A lot of these kids we are after are from the south. When given what could be perceived as an equal choice they may tend to go toward the warmer climate.

When you get recruiters telling kids "Why do you want to go there ... heck it was -50 with the wind chill the other day." Many of those kids are going to listen and not want to come here. I know the week-end some of these recent recruits came it was -20s without the wind chill.

Compound that with the free-fall at the end of the year, change in coordinators, supposed tougher entrance requirements many have been talking about and you get some negative vibs you have to try to undo as a Minnesota recruiter before you can get to the positive things we have to offer.

I think we've done a good job keeping the locals and I agree with many of the others that we solid class. Only time will tell ?????????????????

I don't care what people say, weather is a huge issue. Unfortunately, we usually need to use the classically coldest week of the year (2nd week in January) as a final official visit for kids we started recruiting a bit later. We have had some success with recruits visiting on this weekend (e.g. Harold Howell, ugh) but this is going to continue to be murder for us for kids who have other options (e.g. Wingo, ugh).

 

[TheDinkytowner]

I can see that and maybe that is one possible reason that the Big 10 as a whole is lagging behind the SEC and Big 12 right now.

It certainly doesn't help that Notre Dame is in the heart of Big 10 country and steals kids that might otherwise play in the Big 10.

 

[GopherGod]

It certainly doesn't help that Notre Dame is in the heart of Big 10 country and steals kids that might otherwise play in the Big 10.

I agree

 

[Goldy74s]

You are really, really kidding yourself if you think the weather is not a problem. As a person who has been around and is not a native Minnesotan (and who does not mind Mn weather at all) the reputation of the cold is THE number one cliche about this state.

Again there has to be some combination of reasons why we have not done as well as average. One is the perception that the winter is brutal and endless. For me, all the more reason we have to really improve the other factors we can control, like fans should attend the games (?!?!).

 

[btowngopher]

You are really, really kidding yourself if you think the weather is not a problem. As a person who has been around and is not a native Minnesotan (and who does not mind Mn weather at all) the reputation of the cold is THE number one cliche about this state.

Again there has to be some combination of reasons why we have not done as well as average. One is the perception that the winter is brutal and endless. For me, all the more reason we have to really improve the other factors we can control, like fans should attend the games (?!?!).

I dont think it is a problem if you are talking about big10 teams. Every big10 school is going to be cold to a kid from the South. I think it is pretty simple to show kids that the perceptions are not all true. All you have to do is show them a couple simple websites. A far larger problem is that we are quite a ways away from most h.s. prospects.

 

[GopherGod]

I dont think it is a problem if you are talking about big10 teams. Every big10 school is going to be cold to a kid from the South. I think it is pretty simple to show kids that the perceptions are not all true. All you have to do is show them a couple simple websites. A far larger problem is that we are quite a ways away from most h.s. prospects.

To most people from the south, 30 degrees is freezing much less below zero.

 

[EG#9]

Weather is a factor with some of the Southern/Western recruits. The good news is that same exact hurdle exists for the entire Big Ten. Like you pointed out, the kids who are concerned about weather don't end up in the Big Ten. That's a big issue when attempting to win a national title, but a non-issue when attempting to win a Big Ten title...which should be our first goal.

L'Damian Washington the S/WR out of Louisiana that the Gophers are recruiting had a negative reaction to the weather in Minnesota on his visit. Washington then went to Nebraska and had a negative reaction to the weather there. He liked both schools, but mentioned the weather as a negative both places.

There are a number of advantages at Minnesota that most of the Big Ten doesn't have including the pro sports teams, the mall, more clubs, and a more diverse population. There's a reason why we have landed some big time recruits from the South and West under Brewster and it's because he's able to accentuate those positives while minimizing the negatives.

 

[grunkiejr]

I still think our biggest advantage is the "downtown vibe" from Minneapolis.

How many other BCS schools are within walking distance of a major downtown area?

GA Tech or USC are close, but both their campuses suck.
Maybe Pitt, but their stadium is miles off campus.
NW, WA, AZ State, BC, Miami are miles away from the city center.

Have you been to the University of Washington campus? It's definitely in Seattle. Maybe not right downtown but I've kayaked past the stadium on my way from the Puget Sound to Lake Washington. The Sound is on the west side of the city and Lake Washington is on the east side. It would be an easy bus ride to downtown Seattle.

I've done the walk from Nicollet/Hennepin (what I would consider the Center of Downtown Minneapolis) and it's a very long walk. I would definitely prefer a bus ride to downtown in Minneapolis. I don't think it's any further to downtown Seattle from UW than the U is to the heart of downtown Minneapolis.

As far as USC, the campus is actually really nice. It's just the area around the campus that is not so nice. UCLA in Westwood (maybe 2 miles from Rodeo Blvd & Wilshire) is a much nicer neighborhood--Bel Air is just on the north side of the campus on Sunset Blvd. Whenever I travelled to LA for work I would stay at the W on the edge of the UCLA campus. I give it two thumbs up. There is no city center in LA, it's just one big sprawl so there is no real comparison there other than to say they are both urban campuses with lots to do.

 

[GopherGod]

Have you been to the University of Washington campus? It's definitely in Seattle. Maybe not right downtown but I've kayaked past the stadium on my way from the Puget Sound to Lake Washington. The Sound is on the west side of the city and Lake Washington is on the east side. It would be an easy bus ride to downtown Seattle.

I've done the walk from Nicollet/Hennepin (what I would consider the Center of Downtown Minneapolis) and it's a very long walk. I would definitely prefer a bus ride to downtown in Minneapolis. I don't think it's any further to downtown Seattle from UW than the U is to the heart of downtown Minneapolis.

As far as USC, the campus is actually really nice. It's just the area around the campus that is not so nice. UCLA in Westwood (maybe 2 miles from Rodeo Blvd & Wilshire) is a much nicer neighborhood--Bel Air is just on the north side of the campus on Sunset Blvd. Whenever I travelled to LA for work I would stay at the W on the edge of the UCLA campus. I give it two thumbs up. There is no city center in LA, it's just one big sprawl so there is no real comparison there other than to say they are both urban campuses with lots to do.

I would agree with you on all of that and would add that Arizona State may not be close to downtown Phoenix but there is not much going on down there after 5 pm when people get off of work anyways. ASU is a short drive however to Scottsdale and in particular Old Town Scottsdale which is where the majority of clubs and restaurants are in addition to North Scottsdale.

 

[TheDinkytowner]

I don't think it's any further to downtown Seattle from UW than the U is to the heart of downtown Minneapolis. As far as USC, the campus is actually really nice. It's just the area around the campus that is not so nice. UCLA in Westwood (maybe 2 miles from Rodeo Blvd & Wilshire) is a much nicer neighborhood--Bel Air is just on the north side of the campus on Sunset Blvd. Whenever I travelled to LA for work I would stay at the W on the edge of the UCLA campus. I give it two thumbs up. There is no city center in LA, it's just one big sprawl so there is no real comparison there other than to say they are both urban campuses with lots to do.

The Washington campus definitely does not have a "downtown vibe" like the U has. UW is more than 2 miles from downtown Seattle. It's less than 1 mile from the U campus and even less from the West Bank.

You're right about USC, but having a crappy off-campus still sucks. UCLA's campus is better, but it's more suburban. LA still has a huge downtown district with a nice skyline, it's just not the most lively place after dark. Downtown Miami is like that also.

 

[Goldmember]

It matters. But probably not nearly as much as you might think. The problem is mostly one of perception.

The only people who are leaving Minnesota are old or sick. Our young people mostly stay. Few other parts of Big Ten Country can say the same.

If the weather in Minnesota weren't so ideal for living a balanced, active lifestyle, why would so many young people from Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska move here?

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

The best south kids stay away from the northern climate and the converse of that is true as well. I would never consider playing in 90 temps and relative humidity. That kinda stuff could kill a guy! Name me one player that has had a climate related medical issue while playing in November in the Big Ten?

The top MN kids that leave home stay a good distance north of the Mason Dixon Line: Floyd, Carufel, Carlson, Harris, Laws-ND; Lauranitis, Mobley-OSU; Eubanks, Binns-Iowa; Murtha, Swift-Huskers; Royston, Gilreath, Kelly, Schafer, Hoey-Wisky; Arlich-Stanford, Robinson-BC a couple to NWU, ISU. McNeal broke the pattern and choose Clemson. And we all know Ashley chose USC but no one knows why, what he did there and where he is now.

 

[PlayHosea]

The problem isn't the weather as much as it is the perception of the weather. Winter in Minnesota is pretty similar to winter in Happy Valley, Lincoln, Columbus, Ann Arbor, etc. The problem is with the extremes that occur here. When the temp hits -20 here, it shows up on the news everywhere and that's what creates the perception that it's always cold here. Minneapolis is 5 hours away from International Falls, but I'm sure it gets pounded into the heads of recruits that the 2 cities have identical climates.