Pitino on The Barn: "To me it’s like playing your games at Wrigley Field."

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per Vin Parise’s 30-second timeout: Five questions with Richard Pitino:

CBT: We’ve heard a lot about “The Barn” recently. What is like to coach and play in front of your home crowd?

Pitino: To me it’s like playing your games at Wrigley Field. There is so much tradition that is associated with the building. So many people kept telling me that I hadn’t seen the “real” Barn yet – and they were right. Our Ohio State game the other night showed what I had hoped for. This is one of the best home court atmospheres in the nation.

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcspo...d-timeout-five-questions-with-richard-pitino/

Go Gophers!!
 

Please, God, don't let us be like the Cubbies...Lovable losers is not something I aspire for this program to be. Oh why couldn't he have compared us to Fenway...
 

tinyarch said:
Please, God, don't let us be like the Cubbies...Lovable losers is not something I aspire for this program to be. Oh why couldn't he have compared us to Fenway...
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He compared The Barn to Wrigley. He did not compare the Gophers to the Cubbies. Read things the right way, tiny.
 

Dr.Don said:
He compared The Barn to Wrigley. He did not compare the Gophers to the Cubbies. Read things the right way, tiny.
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Beat me to it Doc.

I've been to Wrigley but not Fenway. Those I hear talk about it say Fenway is a dump.

I'd rather see PNC Park than Fenway.
 

Who needs any of those options listed when you have the Metrodome?

Oh, wait.
 



There aren't nearly enough drunk, obnoxious frat bro's at the Barn for it to be Wrigley.
 

WindyCityGopher said:
There aren't nearly enough drunk, obnoxious frat bro's at the Barn for it to be Wrigley.
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True, Windy. But the view from the rooftops of buildings around Williams Arena is still better than in and around Wrigley. And stupid me, to think I used to chew Wrigley Gum.
 

I have had the good fortune of being in Wrigley and Fenway several times. Growing up here, living and traveling extensively and seeing many other sports venues - there is absolutely nothing else that compares to the barn! What an absolutely grand old noisy joint it is! Love it!! Keep it!! Cherish it!! There will never be another like it. We are very lucky living here to experience it and watch Young Richard develop. I hope he does stay here a very long time.
 



Zulgad: Richard Pitino making a smart play by embracing The Barn

per Judd, who has apparently pulled a 180 on The Barn as a few weeks ago he said the place needed to be torn down and replaced:

Given his age, it also would be easy to assume that Pitino is all about having the most modern, up-to-date things at his disposal.

It appears this assumption is wrong in at least one area and this is what shows that the Gophers basketball coach clearly gets it.

Pitino not only hasn't bashed Williams Arena since taking over at the University of Minnesota in April, he appears to have grown fond of The Barn.

This is a smart play for two reasons. One, bashing your home arena only hurts your ability to recruit. Two, Pitino knows that when Williams is rocking for a Big Ten game that it can provide an environment that makes it a very difficult place to play.

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/...king_a_smart_play_by_embracing_The_Barn012314

Go Gophers!!
 

You have to sit in the barn and feel a great game to truly appreciate. My favorite was watching us beat the fab five from right behind the scUM bench...I smile every time I think of it.
 

station19 said:
Beat me to it Doc.

I've been to Wrigley but not Fenway. Those I hear talk about it say Fenway is a dump.

I'd rather see PNC Park than Fenway.
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Having been to Wrigley and Fenway, Wrigley is an absolute dump. Fenway is a temple, IMO. They've done great things to that stadium.
 

BleedGopher said:
Given his age, it also would be easy to assume that Pitino is all about having the most modern, up-to-date things at his disposal.
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I think a big reason for this is that he came from a small school that probably didn't have elaborate facilities, but he made do with what he had. That's the mindset he's brought to Minnesota.

EDIT: Looking it up, FIU doesn't have a practice arena, and they practice in their main gym.
 



Gopher07 said:
Having been to Wrigley and Fenway, Wrigley is an absolute dump. Fenway is a temple, IMO. They've done great things to that stadium.
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I had the opposite impression. Interesting. I think you have to be a fan of the team not to see the warts with both, but Fenway didn't impress me at all.
 

station19 said:
Beat me to it Doc.

I've been to Wrigley but not Fenway. Those I hear talk about it say Fenway is a dump.

I'd rather see PNC Park than Fenway.
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PNC is a top 3 MLB ballpark
 

fryguy22 said:
PNC is a top 3 MLB ballpark
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Best photo of PNC

scherr54-20130703160436.jpg
 



Gopher07 said:
Having been to Wrigley and Fenway, Wrigley is an absolute dump. Fenway is a temple, IMO. They've done great things to that stadium.
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Yeah. My son had the privilege and pleasure of playing in a regional Little League All-Star game last May at Fenway Park, and the place is beautiful, the field, the concourse, all of it. It's pretty much a monument and shrine, such I got chills and tears and actually wept like a baby to see my boy take that field, and how I cried and cried and cried in the absolute beauty the all of it, and I'm not even a Red Sox fan, and neither is my son. We're both Braves fans, thank God. :) But Fenway did have much the feel of a cathedral, just majestic and wondrous like that.

And granted, its tons of inadequacies wrought simply by measure of being old, the fact that men's restrooms outnumber those of women's by at least 10-1 (and where is the logic in that, as women by nature take longer, duh!), and the fact there are some serious wharf-rats roaming through those halls, but how none those warts can change how absolutely wonderful and unforgettable a place it is, and hey, we all get old and grow our own warts, don't we.
 

What impresses me most about Fenway is that, as old as it is, it's actually greener than any of the newly built ball parks.
 

Pitino promotes the program very well. He seems to take every chance he has to say something great about this place. You could just imagine how he is with recruits. I think the 2015 class is gonna be a really good one.
 

Finally got to Wrigley in 2012. Was pleasantly surprised, mainly because of how many people call it a dump - I had low expectations, I guess. I thought it was clean and well kept. The big disappointment was concessions and beer - lack of choices, particularly lack of interesting and high quality choices, at least that I could find.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Finally got to Wrigley in 2012. Was pleasantly surprised, mainly because of how many people call it a dump - I had low expectations, I guess. I thought it was clean and well kept. The big disappointment was concessions and beer - lack of choices, particularly lack of interesting and high quality choices, at least that I could find.
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I could be wrong but I think they made some improvements in the past few years. I went about 5 years ago and was not impressed at all.
 

Bad Gopher said:
Finally got to Wrigley in 2012. Was pleasantly surprised, mainly because of how many people call it a dump - I had low expectations, I guess. I thought it was clean and well kept. The big disappointment was concessions and beer - lack of choices, particularly lack of interesting and high quality choices, at least that I could find.
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GophersInIowa said:
I could be wrong but I think they made some improvements in the past few years. I went about 5 years ago and was not impressed at all.
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I should probably clarify that when I was at Wrigley it relatively new.:cool02:
 


XMan said:
I would love to visit PNC but we are lucky as Target Field is one of, if not the best baseball field in the country.
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Target Field is a tremendous ballpark, it's too bad the size of the property is so small. A larger space would have allowed to align the park to face downtown and for less outfield seats. There really isn't a great view as it sits now. Granted there wasn't an available location that was ideal like PNC.
 

station19 said:
Target Field is a tremendous ballpark, it's too bad the size of the property is so small. A larger space would have allowed to align the park to face downtown and for less outfield seats. There really isn't a great view as it sits now. Granted there wasn't an available location that was ideal like PNC.[/QUOTE]

You are absolutely right! On the plus side, you can get a free meal a block and a half away.
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XMan said:
I would love to visit PNC but we are lucky as Target Field is one of, if not the best baseball field in the country.
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Oh, I completely agree. Target Field is in my top 3 as well.
 

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