Looking back, when did you become a Gopher Football fan.

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Late 1950's I would plan my Saturdays around listening to Ray call Gopher games and hope like hell Dad didn't have any work planned for me. Sometimes he did, and I'd have to tune in late. Didn't take take long before I knew how things were going even if Ray hadn't given the score. Complaining about the officials was a clue, but, more than that, the man could sound like his wife had just died if the Gophers were getting beat soundly. Never heard such despair and dejection.

Speaking of officials, when Bobby Bell got called for roughing the QB against the f*****g Badgers, I kicked a hole in our living room wall. Moving the lounger over to cover it wasn't a good idea because Dad noticed it right away, and today the smacks with the belt would be called "child abuse."

Those early 60's teams will always be my favorite Minnesota teams. Loved Brown, Bell, and Stephens but was also drawn to guys like Julian Hook and John Campbell. Tough Minnesota kids who played their hearts out. Like 50 Pound, I loved to look at the Peach Section on Sundays and see the important plays dissected. The dotted lines showing the flight of the ball or the runner's path were great!

Saw my first Gopher game in person at Memorial Stadium in 1964 and been waiting for another Rose Bowl ever since. Lot of heartbreak in all those years, but I guess that will make it all so much sweeter when we get there. (Better hurry though--I sense I ain't getting any younger.)
 

Easy - when my Dad taught me. He's an alum, graduated with an EE degree in the early 50's, season ticket holder, even though "home" is in Florida (which is why I'm an alum of UF). Have seen the Gophers play in Memorial Stadium, in the Dome & at The Bank.


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They use to do these (probably still do) events where kids got to skate with the gophers. So i went once and I thought goldy was just the coolest dude ever. After that I turned my room maroon and gold and had a goldy mural on my wall.

I first turned my attention to football watching the Penn State Game in '99 and I remember jumping around my house ecstatic at such a great game. Was hooked for life.
Even tho the '03 game was the worst birthday present ever, I still remain loyal to this day. I dont follow or really care about any other team(s) besides gopher sports.
 

September 1st 2000, the day I was born. If I wasn't a Gopher Dan my dad probably disowned me. I can't imagine cheering for any other college team, maroon and gold flows through all my families blood.
 

I've been a Gopher fan my entire life. My grandparents were long time season ticket holders and my earliest memories are of them leaving for Florida in mid to late October and giving my dad and I the rest of the home games. Sometimes it was 1 or 2 games and sometimes it was 3 or 4 games, all depended on when they left and how the schedule was.

My passion for the Gophers took off at Brewster's press conference. While looking back it was probably the worst hire in U history, it was the first time I thought, maybe, just maybe, we could be something special.
 


My father was a professor at the U. He moved us all over the country while pursuing his Phd in Biochemistry. He landed our little family in MN and started as a new professor in the Bio Chem dept at the U in 1965. In 1973 he took me to my first Gopher game as an 11 year old vs. Nebraska who was #2 in the country at the time. Gophers lost 48-7 I think and it was sea of red in Memorial Stadium. I was hooked on college football and the Gophers from that day forward. The U has been a part of my family since 1965 as my father (Cal,Michigan, Johns Hopkins), my sister, brother, nephew and now oldest daughter all graduated from, or go to school at the U. As you can see it is big a part of our family history.
 

Rickey Foggie + Darrell Thompson
 

My football fandom started around the same time the new stadium was built. I went to the U in the Early 90's and went to some games, but the atmosphere of rattling around an empty metrodome didn't inspire me. At that time I was a season ticket holder to basketball which was the polar opposite, on campus, exciting, packed, could still pop over to Station 19 at half time for a quick drink at half and come back. It was a great experience. I kept season tickets to basketball after graduation but the teams post Clem, never felt the same and the reality of having to come back to campus for weekday games pre-big ten against opponents like Concordia, etc didn't make me feel like I was getting much out of it. I went down to single game tickets to a few big ten games. Had friends that started football season tickets about when the new stadium opened and went to a couple of games with them and the prospect of 6-7 home games mostly on Saturdays in decent weather outdoors sounded pretty appealing. We've had season tickets for 3 or 4 years now and we travel with our friends to one or more away games every year and it's a great experience. Went to DC last year for the Maryland game and stayed a few extra days to tour. Win or lose I really enjoy the gopher football game day more than I did basketball, but now that the basketball is climbing back to relevance it's still hard to beat a packed Williams arena for a big ten game for the energy and excitement during the game.
 

My parents were U alums, so I was always cheering for the home team, but the moment that I fell in love with Gopher football was the moment I run-cadenced out of the TCF Bank stadium tunnel for the pregame show on September 12, 2009. I will never forget the roar of the sold-out crowd and going down to one knee for the Minnesota spellout after playing the Rouser. Regardless of the yearly heartache, I love this team and this university.
 



The supposedly promising 1982 season, when Salem's Gophers were supposedly contending for a conference title. They played the conference favorite, Tony Eason-led Illinois, early in the season, in what was billed as a showdown of contenders. The Gophs held their own for a while, but the Illini steamrolled them late. That started the free fall through the following season, which led to Holtz being hired. It's obviously been an up and down affair - mostly down - since then.
 

I can't recall exactly. It might have been the win over Michigan in 1977. The first Gophers game I clearly remember was the Wisconsin game in 1979. I remember hoping the Gophers would win do it wouldn't be a losing season. My father and I were splitting wood in the back yard, and I remember the log splitter interfered with the radio, so I could only hear the game at moments when we had the log splitter turned off. I had been listening to games on the radio for some time, but I can't really recall games before this. I do remember that it was a rare treat to get to see a Gophers game on TV, it was all radio. It was a 5 hour drive to Minneapolis, so I never got to a Gophers game at Memorial Stadium. My father took me to a couple Vikings games at Metropolitan Stadium, but I don't think I could have got him to make the trip for a Gophers game.
 

Early '70's for me...probably '71 are my earliest recollections... I would have been 8 or 9.

Dad was a Wisconsin alum, and his first job was in St. Paul....he became an immediate Gopher fan... circa 1959-60.

I grew up on the Iron Range... we would attend two games a season...Usually 1 non conference and 1 conference. One was usually HS band day, with all the different HS bands in seated in the west end zone seating at the brickhouse. It was a helluva a treat for a grade school kid to get to travel down to the big city for even 1 game.

We would drive down and have lunch at the now gone Criterion Restaurant on Univ Ave near Lexington, and ride their bus down to Memorial Stadium. I don't recall my first game, would have been very early '70's... but do remember The Cornhuskers with David Humm at QB crushing the Gophers, but do recall many wins as well.... Washington, Washington State (I believe), TCU, and others.

My Dad was usually cursing up a storm and yelling things which involved Murray Warmath and I dont recall if those were pros or cons.

In '77 when they beat Michigan, Dad and I were in far northern MN grouse hunting... we ended up sitting in the truck all afternoon listening to the game with sketchy reception, the old man was going bonkers!
 

For me it was 1960. What do you call it if you never went there, but cheer for them? Slumni?
 



I was born into being a Minnesota everything fan, but never paid too close of attention to Gopher football until I was an 8th grader during the 1999 season. That Dan Nystrom kick over Lavar Arrington on November 6th, 1999 has had me hooked since.
 

1985 (7th grade). We were over swimming in our neighbor's pool when he received a call from Lou Holtz, urging him to buy season tickets. My neighbor quickly consulted with my dad and they agreed to go in on four season tickets. Went to every game in the 1985 season and have never looked back.

We also went to the Dome opener in 1981 vs. Ohio. I thought that was cool, but I was never really a huge Gopher fan until 1985.
 

As I child in the early 60's I heard my great aunt tell stories about how she tutored (did homework for) Bronco Nagurski.
 

Sadly at birth. A life full of heartbreak but couldn't ever be a fan of another team
 

nevisgopher said:
Going into NSD let's make this a happy Go Gophers thread and explain why we care so much about this program (obviously given the number of posts in the past 2 months). Looking back, what is your first memory of becoming a Gopher Football fan?

Mine happened in the early 60's when I was about 7 years old. My Dad and I road hunted pheasants on fall Saturday afternoons in southern Minnesota. The Gopher Football game was always on the car radio (Ray Christensen in those days). We stopped at small town cafes for an RC Cola and a burger, and if possible caught a bit of the game on television or radio. Good times and even though success has been hard to come by since then, I've been a loyal fan ever since.
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I was born into it! LOL I think the first moment I remember was the late 60's I was three or four years old. O.J.(Yes that OJ) was playing against the Gophers. I became a Gopher fan, and yes an OJ fan. Been hooked on the Gophers ever since. Family ties, former players, and coaches associated with Gopher football, just sweetened the deal.
 

Moved to Minnesota in 1986 and remember watching the Liberty Bowl and rooting for the Gophers. Became more than a passive fan in college at the U and was in Marching Band for my first 2 years there. Got season tickets as a student and had them from 95 until 2003. After the Michigan game, I walked out of the Dome, broke my Gopher window flag off my vehicle and gave up my Season Tickets until 2009. I think I went to 1 game from 2003 until 2009. Got Season tickets again in 2009 when TCF opened and have had them since. Not sure I am renewing this year.

I joke around with my wife that Child Protection should be called because I have brainwashed my kids to be Minnesota fans- Gophers, Vikings, T-Wolves, Wild, Twins (not a big Twins fan- was a Cardinals fan that grew up in Southern Illinois until moving to Minnesota- 1987 sucked for me) and hating everything Wisconsin.
 

Didn't become a serious Gopher football fan until after I was done with my own college playing career; not coincidentally, that was when it was becoming easier and easier to watch them on TV. When you live in outstate MN, before cable TV was EVERYWHERE, it was tough to follow the Gophers hard core. By the time I was done playing, it was a lot easier to follow them on TV and shortly after, the world wide web!
 

Entire life. Have vague memories of listening on the radio to the crazy 59-56 win over Purdue in 1993 (was 9 years old).

First game in person was the upset victory over McNabb/Harrison led Syracuse in 1996.
 

My family moved to Minnesota the summer between seventh and eighth grades, but I was indifferent towards the Gophers until I began attending the U of M in the fall of 1998. I had a job on the weekends my freshman year so I didn't get to my first football game until Homecoming of sophomore year, which was Mason's breakout season in 1999. That got me hooked -- bought season tickets and went to my first road game the following year, and attended all 11 games the year after that (naturally, it was Mase's only losing regular season in his last eight years as coach -- my record in road games has never recovered).
 

Been a Gopher fan all my life. Attending football games at Memorial Stadium and basketball games at The Barn in the 70's. Recall seeing Tony Dungy, Rick Upchurch, Marion Barber playing and as someone said earlier the turf they played on was hard as a rock. Also went to some BB games, seeing McHale, Thompson, Ray Williams. In HS, went to a game every year with our HS football team at Memorial Stadium and would go down to where the visitor locker room was to see the players and how big some were. Was there when Michigan and Anthony Carter played and couldn't believe how small he looked. Went to many games in the Dome, quite a few heart breakers there and highlights Darrell Thompson 90 some yard run, winning the axe on a Rhys Lloyd FG, The dropped punt that let Wisc. win. and more. Attended the first game at the Bank vs. Air Force and have been to at least one game every year since. Haven't seen many BBall games, last one was MN-Indiana during Monson era when Joel Priz. outscored AJ Guyton and the Gophers won. After game Monson happened to be walking in the parking lot and my nephew was crying and Monson came by and made a joke about it because the Gophers had won and he didn't need to cry. Also have gone to football practices in the spring and fall over the past 10 years.
 

I started following the Gophers in the mid 90's when Jim Wacker was coach and Cory Sauter was the QB. Born and raised in Minnesota, the Gophers are our only Division I team so I followed them just like the Twins, Vikings, North Stars/Wild, and Wolves. A lot of the games were televised on MSC as well. I remember thinking as a kid how "cool" it was that they played at the Dome with the Vikings and Twins....boy how times change!!

1999 was the year I started to get more into the Gophers with the upset win at Penn State and earning the first bowl game in many years when they went to the Sun Bowl on New Years Eve.

I attended my first Gophers game in 1996 when Illinois was playing at the Dome. I did not attend another game until 2014...I have since attended at least one game each year and will continue to do so.
 

1961 when I was 11. Everyone we knew was so excited about the Rose Bowl. The Twins were new and the Vikings weren't here yet (?). The Gophers were THE ONLY game in town. Later when I attended the U I loved tailgating at the games with the various visiting teams. Everyone was friendly and so generous. I really missed this when they moved to the dome. My single biggest thrill was once getting to sit next to Bob McNamara in his 50 yd line seats at Memorial Stadium. When he sang the school song with his hand over his heart I had goosebumps. He truly bled Maroon & Gold. Generally every end of season I say I'm all done, but every spring I am back reading GH and waiting for the spring game.
 

Pops had season tickets for basketball and football when I was growing up. My first memories are from the Wacker era...so not good, but I went to pretty much every home game with my dad. Favorite football memory: Rhys Lloyd FG to beat the Badgers. Still remember watching him jump over their bench to get the axe.

I have no clue what section we were in, but it was the the first deck at about the 25 yard line of the visitors bench side in maybe row 35 or so. We sat on the aisle and in the row to our left there was an older guy who was as diehard as I've seen. He was there for every single game with his wife. Even his shoes had the Gopher logo on them. And his wife had Gopher earrings and pompoms. Didn't matter what the score was, he would go nuts whenever we scored. Always came up and gave me a high five.

We had good tickets for Gopher bball too. Vincent Grier going off against the Badgers was my favorite game. The Barn was absolutely nuts. Also, my dad tells me that I always told him to be quiet during timeouts so I could watch the cheerleaders. Knew the rouser by age 6, and have fond memories of Clem Haskins basketball camp where Kosmoski was the director and Courtney James was a camp counselor. Went to undergrad at the school where Koz is now head coach and I had lunch with him in the cafeteria probably once a month. He remembered me from basketball camp. He had some pretty good stories.
 


In the early seventies I have memories of raking leaves in the backyard with my dad and the Gophers on WCCO. I picture a clear crisp glorious Minnesota fall Saturday and Kent Kitzman battering one of the little 8. I also had the pleasure of being at Memorial when the Gophers upset #1 ranked Michigan 16-0. I was at the U during the Holtz and Gutekunst years and watching Ricky Foggy was great fun. He was electric.
 

Can't really say when I came a fan, but my earliest memories were from Asad Abdul-Khaliq's freshman year.
 

My first real memory was in the 40's when I was a boy Scout usher, cause you could get in free in uniform.

Billy Bye, Ev Faunce, Vern Gange, Leo Nomelini, Bud Grant, Clayton Tonimaker, Paul Giel, Bob and Pinky Mac Namara. were my heroes. Bearman's real "Golden" Gophers, then Wes Fesler was our neighbor in S. Mpls.

My Gopher Basketball players were Chuck Mencel, Dick Garmaker, Bill Simonovich, Whitey Skoog; The Hockey guys were Ken Yackel, Jack McCartan, the Christians Bros. So many I can't bring them up now.

Recall vividly our 25 pound portable radio squacking out Halsey in the middle of lunch during Pheasant season doing a game VS. OSU. Must have been '47 or so. We won 27-0 in think. Attended the U after Washburn from '55 to '60. Best years of my life, First true love, first Rose Bowl.
Lived in California since '60 and lost track until BTN and we dumped the dome. Special trip to see the hole that became the Bank. Found Gopher Hole and follow it every day.
Appreciate all the great memories on this board. Thanks to you all. I'll be 80 before this season and will try to get back to see an Elite Game.
 

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