Do you agree Minnesota a sleeping giant? If so, when/how does it wake up?

Hollinsanity

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PJ has repeatedly referred to Minnesota as a "sleeping giant":

Per USA Today: “I think this is the sleeping giant of college football,” Fleck said. “I really believe that. We haven’t won a championship in 50 years, but that’s the opportunity to become a legend."

Per the Orlando Sentinel: “It was about our entire staff, where could our entire culture thrive,” he explains. “Who needed a culture build? Who hasn’t had something for such a long time? And where could we actual think it could happen? I think University of Minnesota was a sleeping giant and we came here to wake it up and that’s why we took the job.”

As of now, and in my opinion, the giant is still sleeping. The first two games against Buffalo and MTSU drew 43,224 and 43,727 fans, respectively. And there was likely fewer fans than that in the seats.

When will the "sleeping giant" wake up and what scenario is required to keep it awake long term?
 

When will the "sleeping giant" wake up and what scenario is required to keep it away long term?

My two cents regarding this year: It doesn't appear it is going to wake up for the Maryland game, as the game has been announced as a 11 AM kickoff and the seating chart has plenty of seats available with little movement. IF we win vs. Maryland and the Michigan State game is an afternoon or evening game I think the giant will wake up and that game should sell out. Late season games against Nebraska and Wisconsin should also be packed and festive if the team is doing well.

My two cents long-term: The struggles of Power 5 schools in major metropolitan areas have been chronicled repeatedly over the years. It's not just us that struggles to put butts in the seats: Pittsburgh, Miami, Cal, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Louisville and others all face the same uphill battle the Gophers do.

And unfortunately I do not see the Gophers attendance issues (or whatever you want to call them) changing anytime soon. You may see more Gophers gear around town if the team is successful moving forward, but without 9- and 10-win seasons on a regular basis I don't think home games will ever be a hot ticket. Non-conference games will hover around 45,000 people and B1G games will sell out pending major matchups, nice weather and afternoon/evening kickoffs. But the 11 AM games vs. Maryland/Purdue/Indiana etc. will continue to be a tough sell.
 

Win the rival trophy games, win the division, fair well in the B1G champ and bowl game and I guarantee TCF will be packed to top the following year. Then sustain success vs rivals and the fan base will remain solid.

Until then, we will be sleeping and mostly sleeping.
 

We've been a sleeping giant for a while now. ... at some point you're not that anymore.
 

People will follow this team en masse when they actually win something. Winning the pig every 3rd year isn't enough. Win a big ten title. Get some big time recruiting wins. Start a year ranked. Play non-directional schools in your non-conference that ABC actually would be interested in putting on National TV. Then people will watch. Until then, it's just us...
 


as fans we deserve 1 non conference home/away matchup with a strong program in the power 5 conferences. It was good to see USC and TCU in recent years but we need more of that. To be the best you must beat the best.
 


We've been a sleeping giant for a while now. ... at some point you're not that anymore.

I disagree. As long as there is a big power 5 university here, there is a chance the team will be consistently great again. I wouldn't be a fan if I didn't believe that. However, I can't answer when it will happen. I hope it is NOW and I at least hope it is in my lifetime. I'll quit being a fan or caring if I ever feel there isn't a chance the team can return to consistent Rose Bowls and contend for more.
 

I disagree. As long as there is a big power 5 university here, there is a chance the team will be consistently great again. I wouldn't be a fan if I didn't believe that. However, I can't answer when it will happen. I hope it is NOW and I at least hope it is in my lifetime. I'll quit being a fan or caring if I ever feel there isn't a chance the team can return to consistent Rose Bowls and contend for more.

I'm not sure how that related to "sleeping giant". At least that doesn't fit my definition.
 






When we beat Wisconsin, the Giant will open an eyelid. When we beat them two years in a row- the Giant will be fully awake. And when we are at the point of beating them 2 years in a row, there will be lots of other W's and Trophies as well. Let's just hope we get there.
 



Sleeping giant? No. Think that applies to teams in places that are hot spots for recruiting and aren't sharing the spotlight with 3-4 pro teams.

A place with potential to be much, much better with an occasional great season? Yeah.
 

Sure, we have a giant TV market, all sorts of willing sponsors, great new facilities, and a giant alumni base. There's no excuse for us to be as bad as we have been for the last 50 years. Our athletics department has a revenue base that is 19th largest in the country. If our football and basketball programs start consistently winning then there is no reason that we can't be as successful as an Ohio State or Michigan.
 


Sleeping giant? No. Think that applies to teams in places that are hot spots for recruiting and aren't sharing the spotlight with 3-4 pro teams.

A place with potential to be much, much better with an occasional great season? Yeah.

Ann Arbor is like 45 minutes from Detroit and Colombus has been rapidly growing since 2000. This excuse is overblown.
 

I think sleeping giant is what you become when you stop being consistently great.
 

If Minnesota starts consistently winning then the ceiling on what can happen for this program is as high as any other. But they need to win.
 

Sleeping giant? No. Think that applies to teams in places that are hot spots for recruiting and aren't sharing the spotlight with 3-4 pro teams.

A place with potential to be much, much better with an occasional great season? Yeah.


Ann Arbor is like 45 minutes from Detroit and Colombus has been rapidly growing since 2000. This excuse is overblown.

So has that response ;). However, trying to sneak Columbus in as a home of "3-4" or even 2 major pro team teams is new. Complete bullshat, but at least new.

Undertand both your overwhelming need to be contrarian and to find more that one example to use as a "yeah but". Still, it's a pretty spectacular failure on your part.

Unless you're firm in your belief that Michigan and Ohio aren't recruiting hotspots. Another novel, but quite wrong position of yours.

You know even a troll has to be right once and awhile.

You need to work on that.
 


So has that response ;). However, trying to sneak Columbus in as a home of "3-4" or even 2 major pro team teams is new. Complete bullshat, but at least new.

Undertand both your overwhelming need to be contrarian and to find more that one example to use as a "yeah but". Still, it's a pretty spectacular failure on your part.

Unless you're firm in your belief that Michigan and Ohio aren't recruiting hotspots. Another novel, but quite wrong position of yours.

You know even a troll has to be right once and awhile.

You need to work on that.

God you're a asshole, I feel bad for your wife.

Michigan and Ohio are recruiting hot-spots, Nebraska, Alabama, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington aren't and they have all had way more success than we have had in the last 40 years. But you just keep sulking in your corner.

LA, Dallas, Houston, Washington, Philly, Atlanta, etc. all support nearby college football programs. Why are you supporting a team that you don't believe in? Go root for Wisconsin if you don't feel that Minnesota can be as successful as they are.
 


God you're a asshole, I feel bad for your wife.

Michigan and Ohio are recruiting hot-spots, Nebraska, Alabama, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington aren't and they have all had way more success than we have had in the last 40 years. But you just keep sulking in your corner.

LA, Dallas, Houston, Washington, Philly, Atlanta, etc. all support nearby college football programs. Why are you supporting a team that you don't believe in? Go root for Wisconsin if you don't feel that Minnesota can be as successful as they are.

:blah::blah::blah:

Yeah, that in no way relates to the posts but..

Understood, getting your tit caught in a wringer like you did with that other post would hurt. Can see why you'd want to change the subject. Though screaming, jumping up and down and crying, tend to work better in person than on an internet board.

Though you have to go with what you know right? :cool03:
 

Win the West and things start to wake up. Do it 3 times in a 5-6 year span and we're back.
 

:blah::blah::blah:

Yeah, that in no way relates to the posts but..

Understood, getting your tit caught in a wringer like you did with that post would hurt. Can see why you'd want to change the subject. Though screaming, jumping up and down and crying, tend to work better in person than on an internet board.

Though you have to go with what you know right? :cool03:

No pissing contests allowed in my thread!!

Aka get off my lawn!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


I honestly don't care about attendance at all. As was shown earlier today in a different thread, we are about the 35th most valued franchise in the country (with pretty low attendance). I'd be perfectly fine if that were our "giant" ended up. If we were consistently the 35th best team in the country I'd be as happy as could be. We continually seem to end up in the 45-55 range subjectively. Michigan and Ohio State pin all their self worth on their college football teams so we will always lag behind them...thankfully/unfortunately (?) the twin cities has a lot going on and college football is nice, underground activity built into a thriving metropolis. The best college football towns are desperate wastelands.
 

No pissing contests allowed in my thread!!

Aka get off my lawn!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ha, he's on the ignore list now so I can't see him if you don't keep quoting him, problem solved :)
 





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