What Was the Loudest You've Ever Heard the Barn?

Donate To GopherHole
BarnBoy said:
Old-timers, remember that your hearing is starting to degrade, so if you thought the 1954 game was actually the loudest, it might be because you can't really hear the more recent games very well.
Click to expand...

You whippersnappers don't have a clue. You think God created the world the year before you were born. The Barn was never louder than when Jim Brewer would block a shot and Ron Behagen would take a fast break pass and go in for a slam dunk during the second half of any game during their Big 10 Championship year. There were more fans in the stands and they were more into the game. NOBODY was sitting on their hands during those games.
 

Just listening to Souch and Reusse on 1500. Reusse mentioned the days when 18-19,000 were packed into the Barn. Patrick said you remember(mentioned the name) who was the Fire Marshall.....would tell a certain official from the U "I don't care if you put in that many people, just don't put it in the paper."

Ah the old days.
 

The 1989 Illini game is my loudest memory, when the crowd was loud 10 minutes before tip-off. The '94 games against Indiana and Wisconsin were close, as was the '97 championship clincher against Illinois.

I've had season tickets since 1993. The 90s were a blast, despite having bubble teams for much of that time. I've been waiting 10 years for the Barn's return. What's still missing are those sustained roars that threaten to lift the roof off that last for an entire defensive possession. The students try, but most everybody else stops when the ball crosses half court.

I'll also add that the students deserve credit for being louder now than they were even during the 90s, in my opinion.
 

Hates Monikers said:
The 1989 Illini game is my loudest memory, when the crowd was loud 10 minutes before tip-off. The '94 games against Indiana and Wisconsin were close, as was the '97 championship clincher against Illinois.

I've had season tickets since 1993. The 90s were a blast, despite having bubble teams for much of that time. I've been waiting 10 years for the Barn's return. What's still missing are those sustained roars that threaten to lift the roof off that last for an entire defensive possession. The students try, but most everybody else stops when the ball crosses half court.

I'll also add that the students deserve credit for being louder now than they were even during the 90s, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I have to admit to not being as young as I used to be. When I try to yell as long and loud as I did then, I seriously get dizzy and have to quit for a few seconds.
 

Originally Posted by BarnBoy

Old-timers, remember that your hearing is starting to degrade, so if you thought the 1954 game was actually the loudest, it might be because you can't really hear the more recent games very well.

UpnorthGo4
You whippersnappers don't have a clue. You think God created the world the year before you were born. The Barn was never louder than when Jim Brewer would block a shot and Ron Behagen would take a fast break pass and go in for a slam dunk during the second half of any game during their Big 10 Championship year. There were more fans in the stands and they were more into the game. NOBODY was sitting on their hands during those games.
Last edited by UpnorthGo4; Today at 03:20 PM.
Click to expand...

"Ahh But we were so much younger then. We're older than that now'
 


Gotta be before the benches were converted to seats.
 

sconniegopher said:
The 1989 Illinois game. I was there, too. I remember my dad got tickets and we watched the polls hopeful they'd be number one. Gophers played a great game and the barn was on fire.


I was at the Indy game last year, but 1989 was better. Clem had them play so hard, it was easy to cheer for them. I wasn't there last night, but it sure felt like those days again with the effort and atmosphere.



These are the good old days?
Click to expand...

1989 Illinois game was fantastic. I'll never forget Melvin Newburn (sp?) getting in his low defensive stance & slapping the floor the last couple defensive stops. Last night was pretty close.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

McHale's final home game. Loud and fun
 




sec105 said:
For me it would be the early Mussleman years. Sweet Georgia Brown Pregame, the crowd clapping in unison in anticipation of the "show", the lights dimmed as the Gophers exploded through the huge Gopher curtain. 17,000 to 18,000 people standing and cheeriing. Then the pregame. Fred Taylor (OSU Coach) said the visitors could hear it all in their locker room well before it was time to go up.
The games with Brewer and Behagen (at least until after the OSU game) Winfield, Turner, Nix etc. were wonderful. I know it has been as loud since but never LOUDER!
P.S. In those days the student section was in the second deck.
Click to expand...

I'm too young to have witnessed this pregame show. Can someone explain what went on?
 

Like others have said, the Barn was louder before the remodeling took place (in the late 80's or early 90's? I forget exactly when...there may have been several stages). About 4,000-5,000 more people crammed in, and they didn't have those comfy chair-backed seats so EVERYONE - even old timers - was frequently standing.

I remember a lot of games in the 80's (particularly when Robert Montgomery Knight would bring Indiana to town) that were louder than it ever gets now. In the last 20 years, I'd say the loudest I remember was when Voshon was a freshman and we beat the Fab 5. Voshon made some amazing shots that game and blew the lid off the Barn a couple times.
 


GophersInIowa said:
I'm too young to have witnessed this pregame show. Can someone explain what went on?
Click to expand...

You probably can't imagine it without seeing it but there were a number of things they did (some of which resulted in NCAA rules changes). The first thing I remember was the introductions (and that caused a rule change). They would turn off all the lights. Then they would shine a small spotlight on the floor and introduce the visiting team. They would then turn all the lights off again. Total black. 18,000+ people clapping and stamping their feet. Literally, the whole building shook. Then, while the visiting team is still standing in the dark, they would introduce Minnesota. The place would erupt. I have been to a lot of events - the Holtz years in the dome, the Twins World Series games in the dome - I don't think I have heard anything louder.

The pre-game shows were crazy and seemed to get crazier over time. They had a guy on scholarship who basically just did ball tricks. They would have the teams running choreographed drills to Sweet Georgia Brown while guys on unicycles would be riding around the parameter of the court balancing spinning basketballs on long poles. It was way over the top -- but, the crowd ate it up. It was literally like a circus.
 



Can't remember the last name, but the guy doing the ball tricks was George S. Musselman brought him with from Ashland. The players would be in a circle at center court doing a Globetrotters routine to the music. Flip Saunders was on those teams and I vaguely remember that he used much of the pregame stuff at the junior college where he started coaching.
 

Mulligan said:
Can't remember the last name, but the guy doing the ball tricks was George S. Musselman brought him with from Ashland. The players would be in a circle at center court doing a Globetrotters routine to the music. Flip Saunders was on those teams and I vaguely remember that he used much of the pregame stuff at the junior college where he started coaching.
Click to expand...

Didn't Flip ride a unicycle? I swear I heard that somewhere.
 

My vote goes to that double or triple overtime game against Iowa back in the late 90's. Can't remember what year. Maybe 97? Bobby Jackson baby!
 

Beating Ohio State to win the Big Ten in 1981-82. I remember Randy Breuer flying out to the corner to block a jumper and the place went nuts.
 

Mulligan said:
Can't remember the last name, but the guy doing the ball tricks was George S. Musselman brought him with from Ashland. The players would be in a circle at center court doing a Globetrotters routine to the music. Flip Saunders was on those teams and I vaguely remember that he used much of the pregame stuff at the junior college where he started coaching.
Click to expand...

Last name was Sauer I believe.

Flip was Head Coach at Golden Valley Lutheran College when he approached one his players to use his ball handling skills as part of their warm-up routine. That player was Larry Novotny who later went on the start(and still run) the Alexandria Aces.
 

SKOOKM said:
I haven't been to as many games as most guys on here, so the game that comes to mind for me was February 28, 1994 when Minnesota beat Indiana 106-56. Seems like everyone was just fired up the entire game.
Click to expand...

I was at that game with an IU alumnus buddy. Absolutely spectacular. He was completely devastated on the long ride back to Rochester.
 

harrys ghost said:
You probably can't imagine it without seeing it but there were a number of things they did (some of which resulted in NCAA rules changes). The first thing I remember was the introductions (and that caused a rule change). They would turn off all the lights. Then they would shine a small spotlight on the floor and introduce the visiting team. They would then turn all the lights off again. Total black. 18,000+ people clapping and stamping their feet. Literally, the whole building shook. Then, while the visiting team is still standing in the dark, they would introduce Minnesota. The place would erupt. I have been to a lot of events - the Holtz years in the dome, the Twins World Series games in the dome - I don't think I have heard anything louder.

The pre-game shows were crazy and seemed to get crazier over time. They had a guy on scholarship who basically just did ball tricks. They would have the teams running choreographed drills to Sweet Georgia Brown while guys on unicycles would be riding around the parameter of the court balancing spinning basketballs on long poles. It was way over the top -- but, the crowd ate it up. It was literally like a circus.
Click to expand...

If somebody at the U is reading this, can you please try to dig up a video? That would be awesome.
 

Mulligan said:
Can't remember the last name, but the guy doing the ball tricks was George S. Musselman brought him with from Ashland. The players would be in a circle at center court doing a Globetrotters routine to the music. Flip Saunders was on those teams and I vaguely remember that he used much of the pregame stuff at the junior college where he started coaching.
Click to expand...

From 1973

2-73-29.jpg


2-73-32.jpg
 

station19 said:
Last name was Sauer I believe.

Flip was Head Coach at Golden Valley Lutheran College when he approached one his players to use his ball handling skills as part of their warm-up routine. That player was Larry Novotny who later went on the start(and still run) the Alexandria Aces.
Click to expand...

Close, but it was George Schauer.
 

harrys ghost said:
They had a guy on scholarship who basically just did ball tricks.
Click to expand...

My jaw dropped at this... until remembering that there probably was not a scholarship limit back then (or limit was higher).

I believe NCAA scholarship restrictions only started in the mid 70's. There's a quote somewhere about the Pitt football coach Johnny Majors giving 90 scholarships to one incoming freshman class (that's one CLASS) which later went on to win a national title.
 

station19 said:
From 1973

2-73-29.jpg


2-73-32.jpg
Click to expand...

I was pretty young during that whole time period, but I remember it well. I really, really wanted the Goldy curtain contraption. Goldy was magical until he shook my hand and I felt his "real" hand on the palm side of his outfit. Wasn't as bad as finding out about Santa being fake and all, but it still took some of the magic out of the act.
 

station19 said:
From 1973

2-73-29.jpg


2-73-32.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks for the outstanding throwback photos, Station! That was a bit before my time as a student in the late '80s, but I especially love the understated feel of everything about the Barn: the court is minimally painted; no ads on the baselines; no ribbon boards; the great early '70s scoreboard that gave you scores, time and fouls and nothing else; the old baskets without standards that were held up by cables tethered to the roof; and the old MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS benches (those last two were elements were still around when I came to the U at the start of the Haskins era).
 

WindyCityGopher said:
Thanks for the outstanding throwback photos, Station! That was a bit before my time as a student in the late '80s, but I especially love the understated feel of everything about the Barn: the court is minimally painted; no ads on the baselines; no ribbon boards; the great early '70s scoreboard that gave you scores, time and fouls and nothing else; the old baskets without standards that were held up by cables tethered to the roof; and the old MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS benches (those last two were elements were still around when I came to the U at the start of the Haskins era).
Click to expand...

I did a quick google search and found these. Funny part is they were from a blog or a tweet from and Alexandria guy.....a little older than myself. It was a posting of many basketball related photos he had taken over the years. Small world.
 

shickmyjanski said:
My vote goes to that double or triple overtime game against Iowa back in the late 90's. Can't remember what year. Maybe 97? Bobby Jackson baby!
Click to expand...

This was 93 or 94. I believe Voshon was the star of that game. Hit a buzzer beating 3 to send it to the second OT.
 

JimmyJamesMD said:
This was 93 or 94. I believe Voshon was the star of that game. Hit a buzzer beating 3 to send it to the second OT.
Click to expand...

March 5th, 1994. The very next home game after they routed Indiana. Very eventful season.
 

station19 said:
From 1973

2-73-29.jpg


2-73-32.jpg
Click to expand...
Wow, easy to see where we lost 4000 seats going away from the benches even though we added the barn lofts. There's hardly room to breathe in there.

Are they really not allowed to turn off the lights during intros anymore?
 

AO54 said:
Are they really not allowed to turn off the lights during intros anymore?
Click to expand...

Lights-out intros are done at Wisconsin and Iowa. I think there are no lights-out intros here because the lights take 15 minutes to cool off enough to re-start.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom