Where were all those Michigan fans that stormed the court yesterday last year?

[ChemEGopher]

I found it hilarious to see all those Michigan basketball "fans" and "student fans" storm the court yesterday after their win. On the roadtrip last year, there was MAYBE 1,000 people at the game (100 of them being gopher fans on the road trip) and like 50 students in the student section. We were able to walk down from our upper level seats to the Michigan student section in the first row, right behind the Gopher bench. I know we had some lean years towards the end of the Monson era, but that game last February, considering it was a big ten match-up, was the weakest showing for a big ten fan base I've ever seen.

Maybe it's because the football team was so sub-par this year, they need something to cheer for. Just shows that Michigan fans are some of the biggest front runners around.

 

[jamiche]

I was there too. The young gopher fans took over the empty building. My daughter and I wandered over to the section behind the gopher bench in the second half and sat in the second row.

She was at the Mich/Duke game yesterday and said it was a pretty electric atmosphere.

I have to repeat the question: why can't we get a top team to come into Williams every once in a while instead of settling for Cornell and VA as our top preseason games. Michigan's program has been as moribund as ours for years, but they landed Duke. Tubby needs a new scheduler or needs to pay more attention to the scheduling.

 

[From the Barn]

Michigan has been playing Duke for years if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Sour1729]

At the Gophers-Northwestern game at Welsh-Ryan arena last year there were in the neighborhood of 600-800 TOTAL fans at the game. Granted there was a huge snowstorm that day (It took me almost 2 hours to drive to Evanston from the North Side of Chicago...should have taken the Purple Line), but I still couldn't believe it. They were giving away free pop though so that was cool?

 

[bamboo bomber]

Michigan has been playing Duke for years if I'm not mistaken.

Yes. I think before Amaker got there. He undoubtedly helped to continue it.

Beilein is a good coach. I wouldn't bet against them continuing to get better over the next couple years.

 

[GortonsFisherman011]

At the Gophers-Northwestern game at Welsh-Ryan arena last year there were in the neighborhood of 600-800 TOTAL fans at the game. Granted there was a huge snowstorm that day (It took me almost 2 hours to drive to Evanston from the North Side of Chicago...should have taken the Purple Line), but I still couldn't believe it. They were giving away free pop though so that was cool?

And there will be at least a hundred gopher fans there this year

 

[Sour1729]

And there will be at least a hundred gopher fans there this year

That's right...the Barnyard trip is going there this year. Get ready to see a glorified high school gym. There were probably 50-80 Gopher fans there when I went because the UMAA Chicago chapter coordinates tickets for Gopher fans. So with the Barnyard trip this year and no snowstorm (hopefully) I'd imagine there will be in the neighborhood of 200 or so Gopher fans at Welsh-Ryan.

 

[mnboiler]

Welsh-Ryan

A glorified high school gym might be a little bit of an overstatement. The place is pretty crappy. The Paint Crew(Purdue verison of the Barnyard time 100(just joking)) road tripped there last year. We weren't able to move down just because the place was full of other Boilermaker fans. Depending on who is playing there, it can refered to as Mackey Arena North, Assembly Hall North(X2), Kohl Center South and this year William Arena South. We pretty much dominated the place. Although we did have obstructed veiw seat. The camera platform was right in front of us.

Then the "Wildside"(Northwestern verison of the Barnyard divided by about a billion decided to send there student section to Mackey. I think there was 5 of them.

Any way have fun and take Welsh-Ryan over. Boiler Up and Go Gophers.

 

[Sour1729]

A glorified high school gym might be a little bit of an overstatement. The place is pretty crappy. The Paint Crew(Purdue verison of the Barnyard time 100(just joking)) road tripped there last year. We weren't able to move down just because the place was full of other Boilermaker fans. Depending on who is playing there, it can refered to as Mackey Arena North, Assembly Hall North(X2), Kohl Center South and this year William Arena South. We pretty much dominated the place. Although we did have obstructed veiw seat. The camera platform was right in front of us.

Then the "Wildside"(Northwestern verison of the Barnyard divided by about a billion decided to send there student section to Mackey. I think there was 5 of them.

Any way have fun and take Welsh-Ryan over. Boiler Up and Go Gophers.

Yeah, I imagine there will be quite a few Gopher fans there but probably not as many as Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, etc. would bring. This is mainly just because I don't think there are as many Minnesota alums in Chicago as there are of those other schools.

A graduate of Minnesota doesn't have to leave the Twin Cities to get a job. Graduates of Iowa, Purdue, Indiana, etc. have to go to Chicago. I suppose some at the Indiana schools go to Indianapolis and Wisconsin alums go to Milwaukee, but neither of those cities seem as vibrant as the TC or Chicago.

 

[GopherRock]

A glorified high school gym might be a little bit of an overstatement. The place is pretty crappy. The Paint Crew(Purdue verison of the Barnyard time 100(just joking)) road tripped there last year. We weren't able to move down just because the place was full of other Boilermaker fans. Depending on who is playing there, it can refered to as Mackey Arena North, Assembly Hall North(X2), Kohl Center South and this year William Arena South. We pretty much dominated the place. Although we did have obstructed veiw seat. The camera platform was right in front of us.

Then the "Wildside"(Northwestern verison of the Barnyard divided by about a billion decided to send there student section to Mackey. I think there was 5 of them.

Any way have fun and take Welsh-Ryan over. Boiler Up and Go Gophers.

Actually, I kind of liked Welsh-Ryan Arena when we went there the last time (I think it was 2006, correct me if I'm wrong). If the team that played there were any good, it would be Cameron West. Unfortunately, the NU crowd was THE worst crowd I've ever seen at any sporting event before or since.

It seemed like there were a lot of Gopher fans from the Chicago area that drove over to NU and met us, cause there were more than 50 of us in the stands.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Welsh-Ryan

Have been to Welsh-Ryan many times. I think it's a great place to watch a basketball game. Have been there when Northwestern had some pretty decent basketball teams & players (Pat Baldwin, Kevin Rankin, Cedric Neloms, Rex Walters before he transferred) that just couldn't get over the hump. On those occasions when NW puts a truly competitive product on the floor -- granted, not very often -- the place gets rockin' not just with the opposing fans but NW fans as well.

The arena is fine for watching basketball, but putting a winning product on the floor (read: .500 or better & competing for a postseason bid), obviously, has been the problem. The day Northwestern finally makes the NCAA Tournament will be a great day for college basketball. It'd be like the Cubs finally getting to the World Series.

 

[ChemEGopher]

there will be 150 on the barnyard trip this year to NW

Three bus loads are going this year! It's going to be awesome.