Where did all the fans go???

I don't really get too wrapped up in how long people stay. To me the larger issue is the number of people in the stadium in the first place. I say anyone who buys a ticket and shows up can do whatever they please.
 

The people right behind us got 30 yard line seats on the street 15 minutes before the game for $5 each.

Go Gophers!!
 

Me and the people I go to games with left early. We're all "real fans" (season tickets for the last 10 years, travel to games occasionally, etc). We weren't cold. We didn't have Halloween parties to go to. Fact of the matter is, it was a great win, but a BORING game that was over in the 3rd quarter. In that situation, I'd just as soon sit down by the car, catch the end of the game/postgame show on the radio, have a drink and toss a football around. The same thing goes for blowouts in the other direction (actually, even more so).

Leaving a close game is one thing, but I personally wouldn't mind at all if we had a fanbase that largely decides they have better things to do than watch bad/meaningless football.
 

Don't forget there were 96 HS football games yesterday that affects attendance and leaving early.
 

Me and the people I go to games with left early. We're all "real fans" (season tickets for the last 10 years, travel to games occasionally, etc). We weren't cold. We didn't have Halloween parties to go to. Fact of the matter is, it was a great win, but a BORING game that was over in the 3rd quarter. In that situation, I'd just as soon sit down by the car, catch the end of the game/postgame show on the radio, have a drink and toss a football around. The same thing goes for blowouts in the other direction (actually, even more so).

Leaving a close game is one thing, but I personally wouldn't mind at all if we had a fanbase that largely decides they have better things to do than watch bad/meaningless football.

This got me thinking. I pay for my tickets, and for the upgrade, and for the parking. I will come to the games as late as I want, leave as early as I want, give my tickets away or not show up as I see fit.

Really, being a long time season ticket holder should be enough evidence of support. Who cares about style points?

Fans who buy tickets should be appreciated no matter what, unless they do the wave, which is unacceptable and must be banned.
 


fans leave early...they just do, nothing is really going to change that. The important thing is they left happy. Hopefully that will inspire them to keep coming back.
Can we stop acting like this only happens in Minnesota?
 


Me and the people I go to games with left early. We're all "real fans" (season tickets for the last 10 years, travel to games occasionally, etc). We weren't cold. We didn't have Halloween parties to go to. Fact of the matter is, it was a great win, but a BORING game that was over in the 3rd quarter. In that situation, I'd just as soon sit down by the car, catch the end of the game/postgame show on the radio, have a drink and toss a football around. The same thing goes for blowouts in the other direction (actually, even more so).

Leaving a close game is one thing, but I personally wouldn't mind at all if we had a fanbase that largely decides they have better things to do than watch bad/meaningless football.

LOL...Seriously, that was a boring game??? I'm sure our players love looking into the empty stands in the 4th quarter during a big victory. Oh wait....but you have more fun listening to it on the radio.
 

Garage sales usually end at 5:00 pm. Then there are the grey hairs who don't move around. By the
4th quarter they're frozen to their seats. The couple next to us, ( late 60's/early 70's) always leave
with about 8 minutes left. You wonder why we get passed over in some of the bowl games even though we've a better record? Look in the stands at the start of the 4th quarter. I'm in my late 60's. The only game I can remember leaving early was the Iowa game under Brewster when we got beat 55-0 and the Nebraska game when they rolled up 80 points on us. If you're over 60 and have season tickets and you leave in the 4th quarter give the f---ing tickets up.
Sit in your arm chair at home with a bowl of soup and a drool cup. Unreal....
 



LOL...Seriously, that was a boring game??? I'm sure our players love looking into the empty stands in the 4th quarter during a big victory. Oh wait....but you have more fun listening to it on the radio.

Are you serious? Yes, that definitely was a boring game at the end (before that, it was great). It was over 5 minutes into the 3rd quarter. And if I couldn't tell that just by looking at the scoreboard, then the 30 minutes+ of killing time and celebrating on the sidelines I saw from the team (before we decided to leave) would have proven it. It was obvious from the effort and the play calling that everyone in the stadium, including our players and coaches, was just waiting for the win to become official.
95% of the fan bases in the country would react exactly the same way to that game. If you want to stay and enjoy the rest of the win, great. If this happens against Michigan, I'm sure I'll stay too (to get a peek at the Jug). But if you think your willingness to stick out the rest of that game is somehow helping the team, or that me leaving in the 4th quarter is going to hurt the team, you're a little delusional.
 

Garage sales usually end at 5:00 pm. Then there are the grey hairs who don't move around. By the
4th quarter they're frozen to their seats. The couple next to us, ( late 60's/early 70's) always leave
with about 8 minutes left. You wonder why we get passed over in some of the bowl games even though we've a better record? Look in the stands at the start of the 4th quarter. I'm in my late 60's. The only game I can remember leaving early was the Iowa game under Brewster when we got beat 55-0 and the Nebraska game when they rolled up 80 points on us. If you're over 60 and have season tickets and you leave in the 4th quarter give the f---ing tickets up.
Sit in your arm chair at home with a bowl of soup and a drool cup. Unreal....

Pretty foolish thing to say considering there is currently nobody else that would buy the tickets. Would you rather have an empty seat the entire game?
 

Pretty foolish thing to say considering there is currently nobody else that would buy the tickets. Would you rather have an empty seat the entire game?

Ruppert didn't think about who will sit in their seats when they stop going to games. Another thing he didn't think about is that the over 60 crowd who leaves in the 4th quarter doesn't give a sh*t what Ruppert thinks about what they do.
 

Are you serious? Yes, that definitely was a boring game at the end (before that, it was great). It was over 5 minutes into the 3rd quarter. And if I couldn't tell that just by looking at the scoreboard, then the 30 minutes+ of killing time and celebrating on the sidelines I saw from the team (before we decided to leave) would have proven it. It was obvious from the effort and the play calling that everyone in the stadium, including our players and coaches, was just waiting for the win to become official.
95% of the fan bases in the country would react exactly the same way to that game. If you want to stay and enjoy the rest of the win, great. If this happens against Michigan, I'm sure I'll stay too (to get a peek at the Jug). But if you think your willingness to stick out the rest of that game is somehow helping the team, or that me leaving in the 4th quarter is going to hurt the team, you're a little delusional.

95% of the fan bases around the country would react the same way??? Your foolish. If we win the jug next week I hope you will just leave early again....go listen to your radio and toss around your football.
 



Pretty foolish thing to say considering there is currently nobody else that would buy the tickets. Would you rather have an empty seat the entire game?

For as much as they participate ( sitting on their hands, leaving early, telling the real fans to
SIT DOWN!) you might as well put cardboard mannequins in the seats) The fan base at the Syracuse game because of the $10.00 tickets was alive and into the game. Now we could go radical and put guard dogs at the gate with a security guy asking for a legitimate reason on:
"Why are you leaving start of the 4th quarter with the game still undecided"? In response to
Goforbroke? KMA...Beat Michigan!
 

For as much as they participate ( sitting on their hands, leaving early, telling the real fans to
SIT DOWN!) you might as well put cardboard mannequins in the seats) The fan base at the Syracuse game because of the $10.00 tickets was alive and into the game. Now we could go radical and put guard dogs at the gate with a security guy asking for a legitimate reason on:
"Why are you leaving start of the 4th quarter with the game still undecided"? In response to
Goforbroke? KMA...Beat Michigan!

Again... If the fan base we are appealing to will only buy tickets for $10. We are doing something wrong.

The fan base is the season ticket holders and regular goers. The $10 ticket buyers are there to experience the atmosphere and hopefully become fans.
 

There are people under 60 at the games. People leaving early is far from limited to those under 60.
 

IMO, college football games are too long. I am sorry for a game that is supposed to be 60 minutes it takes three and half hours or three three quarters long to finish it.
 

IMO, college football games are too long. I am sorry for a game that is supposed to be 60 minutes it takes three and half hours or three three quarters long to finish it.

The reason it is that long is because of all the television commercials. It is all about money.
 

Also, we leave almost every game we go to early. I arrive with my 4-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. We stay as long as they aren't miserable, and the goal is that each season they can stay a little longer. We want them (and us) to enjoy the experience.

My son spends part of the game playing on my iPhone. We buy treats like popcorn that take time to eat. We are building them into fans one game at a time. Right now, they'd rather watch Goldy than anything else. They actually enjoy some of the commercial stuff more than the game, like the Pet of the Week. That's why I find it funny when I read on here how people want all of that stuff stopped because it takes away from the game. It seems like everyone only thinks of what THEY like at a game, based upon their situation. Sure, if you are 26 years old you only care about the game. Fans with families have a different view, and someone in their 60s will have a completely different view. As long as people are showing up, enjoying the game the way it fits their needs we shouldn't complain. And game operations has to create an experience for everyone, not just the football purists.

By the way, we left Saturday's game at halftime as my son fell asleep on my wife's lap during the first half. It was a long half. Special thanks to the guy behind us as we carried our son out and we didn't notice his snow boot fell off, and he caught up to me to give it to us.
 

The game day experience should be about 4 things only:

1. Football
2. The Band
3. Cute chicks
4.....I don't remember
 

The game day experience should be about 4 things only:

1. Football
2. The Band
3. Cute chicks
4.....I don't remember

19, at our ages, the memory is the 2nd thing to go, but I can't remember what the first thing is.
 

The reason it is that long is because of all the television commercials. It is all about money.

I don't think it is. The NFL has a ton of commercial breaks as well. There are three reasons the games take longer IMO:
1. The clock stops after every first down.
2. Halftime is 5 minutes longer.
3. College football is generally a faster pace so there are both more scoring per game and more plays per game. The average total points scored in a CFB game is 59 and it's about 45 in the NFL. The average total plays in a game is about 147 to 129.

I wouldn't mind if they didn't stop the clock after first downs except in the last 2 minutes of the half and last 5 minutes of the game. But, honestly, I'm fine with the long games. We only get 12-14 chances to watch your team every year. It's not like it's baseball where they play every day.
 




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