Gopher07
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Vote for Williams Arena
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parkinglotgopher
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Gary Parrish's take on this is classic. At the bottom, he says he's never been to Williams but has been to Vandy's Memorial and thinks it's neat, so Vandy gets his vote.
Right now it's 51%/49% Vandy in the lead with ~650 votes in. Go vote for Williams.
Right now it's 51%/49% Vandy in the lead with ~650 votes in. Go vote for Williams.
Gopher07
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I know, what a lame piece Parrish writes at the end there. Oh well. Get out the vote for The Barn!
The-Real-Truth
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I have been at Vandy's Memorial. It is such an intimidating place. I have watched 2 NBA and 2 college games. I have never been in Williams arena. For what I see on TV, it is an even more intimidating place than Memorial. I believe the reason is the width. Vadny’s court is so much wider. To some extend, Purdue’s court is similar to both. I have been in a bunch of games when I was there. I also vote for Indiana’s court as one of the most intimating places to play. I am getting the Gopher’s season ticket this year. It will be a great year.
Gopher07
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Now sitting at 53%/47% Williams in the lead, 915 votes. Keep it up!
Bronko Nagurski Gopher
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vandy has jumped back into the lead 51%/49%. keep voting for MN
nm
nm
alltimetwinsfan
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Anyone who has been to both arenas (as I have) would know without question which one is a better arena...
It's Williams Arena.
Most of you have been to the Barn, so here's my version of Memorial Gym:
I went to Memorial Gym a few years ago in a game they played Georgia Tech, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The "raised floor" was cool, although it was more of a sunken seating area than a raised floor...it was only lowered on the sidelines, while the baselines were even with the floor itself.
The fact that the benches and coaches are on the baselines really affect how the game is played, particularly in the first half, since the coaches really have a hard time communicating with their players. In fact, if I remember correctly, Vanderbilt used cards to direct plays, much like a football team uses cards from time to time to direct plays.
Aesthetically, the building is nothing all that special, and it's clear that it has never had a major renovation to the actual arena. A few years ago, they created a singular concourse that connected all four sides, but that's about it. (Believe it or not, the four sides were at one time not connected to each other, so if you sat on a certain sideline or baseline, you would not be able to go from one side to the next...there were four entrances, and you HAD to go in the correct one to get to your seat) There was exposed concrete in places, and the bench seating was wood...pretty cool if you're a purist, but it was pretty high-school gym like in most places.
The crowd was pretty professional for the game I was at, though it did get loud due to the fact that the place was pretty much straight up, and had two balconies along with the main floor. The students find themselves on the sideline right next to the court, in the sunken in seating area.
Vanderbilt dominated the game I was at, winning by about 30 points (this was two seasons ago, when they had a very good team, but eventually got bumped by Siena in the first round in the 4/13 game...very disappointing), so there was a lot of opportunity to get a feel for the building. It was a great atmosphere, and the fans really appreciate college basketball there in it's purest form...and by the way, they really hate Kentucky, but they really like Tubby Smith now that he's not there.
Having said all this, if you've been to a game at both arenas, the atmosphere at the Barn is better, and the arena is just plain better in terms of a facility. The Barn makes you feel like basketball history has taken place there more so than Memorial. Also, they're both old-school arenas for sure, and they're both very cozy, but I didn't quite feel like the fans were truly into the game at Vandy. If the Gophers host a school like Georgia Tech, there's a buzz in the building. There was no buzz at Memorial Gym...again, it was very professional. Remember, Vanderbilt is a school very similar to Northwestern, and it showed by the fan base. Now, don't get me wrong here...they were very passionate about their team; however, they weren't the "scream your lungs out" kind of fans. I know Gopher fans get reprimanded for not cheering as loudly or wildly as some, but they certainly are more into the games than Commodore fans.
In the end, it's Williams Arena...Memorial Gym is cool, but Williams Arena has a different feel, and that's what gives it the edge.
It's Williams Arena.
Most of you have been to the Barn, so here's my version of Memorial Gym:
I went to Memorial Gym a few years ago in a game they played Georgia Tech, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The "raised floor" was cool, although it was more of a sunken seating area than a raised floor...it was only lowered on the sidelines, while the baselines were even with the floor itself.
The fact that the benches and coaches are on the baselines really affect how the game is played, particularly in the first half, since the coaches really have a hard time communicating with their players. In fact, if I remember correctly, Vanderbilt used cards to direct plays, much like a football team uses cards from time to time to direct plays.
Aesthetically, the building is nothing all that special, and it's clear that it has never had a major renovation to the actual arena. A few years ago, they created a singular concourse that connected all four sides, but that's about it. (Believe it or not, the four sides were at one time not connected to each other, so if you sat on a certain sideline or baseline, you would not be able to go from one side to the next...there were four entrances, and you HAD to go in the correct one to get to your seat) There was exposed concrete in places, and the bench seating was wood...pretty cool if you're a purist, but it was pretty high-school gym like in most places.
The crowd was pretty professional for the game I was at, though it did get loud due to the fact that the place was pretty much straight up, and had two balconies along with the main floor. The students find themselves on the sideline right next to the court, in the sunken in seating area.
Vanderbilt dominated the game I was at, winning by about 30 points (this was two seasons ago, when they had a very good team, but eventually got bumped by Siena in the first round in the 4/13 game...very disappointing), so there was a lot of opportunity to get a feel for the building. It was a great atmosphere, and the fans really appreciate college basketball there in it's purest form...and by the way, they really hate Kentucky, but they really like Tubby Smith now that he's not there.
Having said all this, if you've been to a game at both arenas, the atmosphere at the Barn is better, and the arena is just plain better in terms of a facility. The Barn makes you feel like basketball history has taken place there more so than Memorial. Also, they're both old-school arenas for sure, and they're both very cozy, but I didn't quite feel like the fans were truly into the game at Vandy. If the Gophers host a school like Georgia Tech, there's a buzz in the building. There was no buzz at Memorial Gym...again, it was very professional. Remember, Vanderbilt is a school very similar to Northwestern, and it showed by the fan base. Now, don't get me wrong here...they were very passionate about their team; however, they weren't the "scream your lungs out" kind of fans. I know Gopher fans get reprimanded for not cheering as loudly or wildly as some, but they certainly are more into the games than Commodore fans.
In the end, it's Williams Arena...Memorial Gym is cool, but Williams Arena has a different feel, and that's what gives it the edge.