When did you become a Gopher football fan?

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My Dad started taking me as a baby in the 60's. I don't remember the games until the 70's. We had season tickets for football and men's basketball.
 

First Game 1961 Sept 30th Gophers vs Missouri only game that year 1962 got to pick 1 game I chose Navy with Roger Staubach playing QB for Navy. I was born in 1952 started buying season tickets in 1964 using my paper route money. My dad and grandfather had season tickets. My grandfather started buying season tickets in 1899 at old Northrup field he would always tell me about the original Michigan Minnesota game when we kept the brown Jug. My dad started going in 1924 the first year of Memorial Stadium. He would tell me how he and his friends watched the workers build the stadium( they lived at 23rd and como ave) using horse to do much of the heavy work load.Gopher football has been a family tradition for many years. My most emotional game was I think about 1977 when we beat Michigan here when they were number 1 in the Nation that game brought tears to my eyes. If the Gophers can somehow make it to the Rose Bowl this year or soon it is my Bucket list item. GO GOPHERS !!!
 

Ricky Foggie, Lou Holtz, and Darrell Thompson days! Even though Holtz left, he probably created a lot of Gopher fans. At least he was here at all.


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Gopher1934 said:
First Game 1961 Sept 30th Gophers vs Missouri only game that year 1962 got to pick 1 game I chose Navy with Roger Staubach playing QB for Navy. I was born in 1952 started buying season tickets in 1964 using my paper route money. My dad and grandfather had season tickets. My grandfather started buying season tickets in 1899 at old Northrup field he would always tell me about the original Michigan Minnesota game when we kept the brown Jug. My dad started going in 1924 the first year of Memorial Stadium. He would tell me how he and his friends watched the workers build the stadium( they lived at 23rd and como ave) using horse to do much of the heavy work load.Gopher football has been a family tradition for many years. My most emotional game was I think about 1977 when we beat Michigan here when they were number 1 in the Nation that game brought tears to my eyes. If the Gophers can somehow make it to the Rose Bowl this year or soon it is my Bucket list item. GO GOPHERS !!!
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That's awesome.
 



I think I’ve identified an issue with attendance, not enough Fathers exposing their children to Gopher football in today’s society, or football in general. Look how many people are saying on here that their fathers first exposed them to the Gophers. Its something that is often times passed down, not discovered out of your own will. Like they say, everything starts at home. Time to make it a point to have Gopher football be one of those things.


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Really, mid-90s for football. I took free tickets nobody wanted. Enjoyed the Mason climb. Hated the Mason plateau. Crushed by Brewster's heavy promises and paltry results.

My mom was a loyal listener to Gophers Football in the 1980s, so it often was the background of my teenage Saturday experience. Basketball I watched pretty religiously as a kid.
 

My dad got season tickets in '53 before I was even born. Been going for as long as I can remember. I don't remember a game I was as excited for as the PSU game except for maybe the OJ game.
 




1997
I remember them using Gopher highlights on the show COACH so that's how I got hooked being a young buck in the Buckeye state. Add into the mix that my school district, Liberty Local Schools, colors were maroon and gold and the fight song is the rouser. Liberty schools is home to former Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint and former Hawkeye and NFL DB Bradley Fletcher, also Jerry DePizzo of the band O.A.R is an alum as well.

I've never been to Minnesota but have seen Gopher football, basketball, womens basketball, hockey, baseball, and softball in the buckeye state when they travel to Ohio State, Bowling Green, or even Kent State. Even went to UNLV for my honeymoon a few years ago for the season opener during the Brewster years.

I'm now divorced, paying child support while being the one who buys everything for my daughter, so one day I'll be able to save and make it to Minnesota, it's my dream....but I do have enough bar money to go out and watch this game today and next weekend my daughter will be with me to watch us roll the Hawkeyes from my living room in Youngstown, OH <3.
 

First paid attention when Holtz "Holtz'd" us. Been a fan ever since.
On another note, I hear so many people talk about back in the 50s, 60s, 70s. I just want to say thank you for still being around the website to give some of us young farts something to respect. I'm on my way to being 48, but nowhere near the experience and knowledge you guys have. Thank you.
 

I became a casual fan in my teens during the Mason years. In my entire extended, very large, catholic, family my cousin is the only other person with a degree from the U, so not a strong historical connection. My college educated family are mostly Tommies and Johnnies or went to Mankato. My mom's dad was a working-class Irish-American through and through and was hard into Notre Dame, so I will always have a connection to everyone's least favorite team.

Became a diehard in 2007 when I was at Inver Hills Community College and decided that my goal would be to transfer to the U of M. I've hardly missed a quarter of Gopher football since then.* First game I attended was at TCF against Cal.

*Games I know I missed: Brewster's loss to South Dakota, the "seven passing attempts game" against SJSU, last year against Miami (OH) (in my defense, I was getting married at the time), and a couple of conference games against Purdue and Northwestern over the last few years that always seem to land during an annual conference I used to attend.
 
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When I was a young boy growing up in NE ND .Probably around 1955.

I listened to the games, often with my ear close to the old radio. and also devoured the Sunday Peach Section. I think the first time I ever saw the Gophers play was the Rose Bowl and the TV reception was horrible. Dave Mulhulland was my favorite being a Fargo boy then Sandy Stephens. I also listened to the Gophers hoops and my Fav was Lou Hudson.

Can't remember the first game I attended at the Brickyard but it was in 1971.
 



I remember these days very well. The original day is when my brother committed to Holtz to play football. I remember sitting at the table and Holtz telling our family how the you will rise from the ashes. Hell I wanted to run through a wall for him and I was still pretty small.

I remember the 85 Oklahoma game where nobody thought it was going to be close but the crowd got ridiculous loud and our defense played insane. Aikman kept pulling away from center because of that stupid rule that made the crowd get quieter for the snap count if they could not hear it. After the game, I had never seen my brother so happy even after a loss. He just kept saying, the day is coming.

I remember that same night I went to my first college party with my brother and a couple other players. I remember Doug Mueller for some odd reason since he and my brother were best friends at the time. I was probably in 5th grade maybe 6th; all I remember is that I definitely wanted to go the U after that night. Little did I know they were using me as a way of trying to pick up girls at the party since I was definitely the mascot that night. Also, I remember playing catch and touch football with Rickey Foggie, Valdez Baylor, Donovan Small, Mueller, Steve Rhoades and my brother. They all let me play well, I guess to get my confidence up.

Thanksgiving Day in 85 when Holtz left for Notre Dame, watching my brother get up from the table and leave not to be seen for 2 days. When he finally returned, I had never seen him so drunk. It was as if part of him died watching that press conference and seeing the U Haul truck drive away; but he still believed that day would come.

Years later on Christmas Eve of 98 my brother passed from a heart attack. Still pining for the day when the program official rose from the ashes. I remember sitting there at the funeral and even after driving back to my home thinking about that day when Holtz made that promise. All these little moments made my fandom stronger.

After watching or attending those special moments, 99 Penn State, opening of TCF, winning the Pig, Axe and Jug, and even the Bowl game in Orlando; I know he is up there watching and happy. Yelling at someone that the Dam refs better throw a flag on the holding call and lose his **** in the process.

Today though would be special for him. My brother was a big guy. He though I am pretty big myself, I was and still am considered a runt compared to him. I ll be thinking about him today, and probably shed a tear or two. Seems like I do this privately during times like this when I think about him and why I am a Gopher fan.

Go Gophers
 

IDFM said:
I remember these days very well. The original day is when my brother committed to Holtz to play football. I remember sitting at the table and Holtz telling our family how the you will rise from the ashes. Hell I wanted to run through a wall for him and I was still pretty small.

I remember the 85 Oklahoma game where nobody thought it was going to be close but the crowd got ridiculous loud and our defense played insane. Aikman kept pulling away from center because of that stupid rule that made the crowd get quieter for the snap count if they could not hear it. After the game, I had never seen my brother so happy even after a loss. He just kept saying, the day is coming.

I remember that same night I went to my first college party with my brother and a couple other players. I remember Doug Mueller for some odd reason since he and my brother were best friends at the time. I was probably in 5th grade maybe 6th; all I remember is that I definitely wanted to go the U after that night. Little did I know they were using me as a way of trying to pick up girls at the party since I was definitely the mascot that night. Also, I remember playing catch and touch football with Rickey Foggie, Valdez Baylor, Donovan Small, Mueller, Steve Rhoades and my brother. They all let me play well, I guess to get my confidence up.

Thanksgiving Day in 85 when Holtz left for Notre Dame, watching my brother get up from the table and leave not to be seen for 2 days. When he finally returned, I had never seen him so drunk. It was as if part of him died watching that press conference and seeing the U Haul truck drive away; but he still believed that day would come.

Years later on Christmas Eve of 98 my brother passed from a heart attack. Still pining for the day when the program official rose from the ashes. I remember sitting there at the funeral and even after driving back to my home thinking about that day when Holtz made that promise. All these little moments made my fandom stronger.

After watching or attending those special moments, 99 Penn State, opening of TCF, winning the Pig, Axe and Jug, and even the Bowl game in Orlando; I know he is up there watching and happy. Yelling at someone that the Dam refs better throw a flag on the holding call and lose his **** in the process.

Today though would be special for him. My brother was a big guy. He though I am pretty big myself, I was and still am considered a runt compared to him. I ll be thinking about him today, and probably shed a tear or two. Seems like I do this privately during times like this when I think about him and why I am a Gopher fan.

Go Gophers
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Speechless. Words cannot say enough. All the best to you, your family, your brother in heaven.
 

Late 70's. Gophers beat Michigan via Barber and Kitzmann.
 

Gopher1934 said:
First Game 1961 Sept 30th Gophers vs Missouri only game that year 1962 got to pick 1 game I chose Navy with Roger Staubach playing QB for Navy. I was born in 1952 started buying season tickets in 1964 using my paper route money. My dad and grandfather had season tickets. My grandfather started buying season tickets in 1899 at old Northrup field he would always tell me about the original Michigan Minnesota game when we kept the brown Jug. My dad started going in 1924 the first year of Memorial Stadium. He would tell me how he and his friends watched the workers build the stadium( they lived at 23rd and como ave) using horse to do much of the heavy work load.Gopher football has been a family tradition for many years. My most emotional game was I think about 1977 when we beat Michigan here when they were number 1 in the Nation that game brought tears to my eyes. If the Gophers can somehow make it to the Rose Bowl this year or soon it is my Bucket list item. GO GOPHERS !!!
Click to expand...

This is incredible.
 

In the early 70’s when my dad’s insurance agent would occasionally give him a pair of tickets. Sometimes it would be to a Twins game, sometimes Gophers hoops,and sometimes Gophers football. The Gophers games were my favorite. I was the wide-eyed chubby little dork who thought he had gone to heaven at those games.


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I became a Gopher Fan when my son confirmed enrollment at the U on May 1, 2017!

My Son is a Clarinet in the Pride of Minnesota Marching Band! Unbelievable experience for him in his 3rd year!
 

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