BleedGopher
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per Chip:
Psst, attention please. We interrupt your State Fair corn dog consumption and hand-wringing over the Vikings offensive line to deliver a piece of news that somehow has been largely ignored: The Gophers football team opens its season Thursday night.
Where is the buzz and sense of anticipation for a new season? Gophers talk has been unusually quiet around town, lost in a sea of euphoria over the Vikings prospects at a Super Bowl run.
Outside of diehards, interest in Gophers football seems subdued. The school anticipates attendance in the low 40,000s for the opener against New Mexico State, a figure that includes more than 5,000 ticket giveaways to incoming freshmen. The inability of a Big Ten program to sell out a 50,000-seat stadium for a season opener is disheartening to those of us who love college football.
The Gophers still are trying to create that deep emotional attachment in a crowded sports market that is coming down with Purple Fever.
How do they get there? Win. That’s the most simplistic answer. Winning solves a lot of problems.
The roster underwent a significant overhaul with an influx of youngsters who bring more upside and will fill important roles right away. Venerable fifth-year tailback Rodney Smith must feel like a grandpa when he looks around the locker room.
Fleck called his debut season Year Zero, but that’s merely semantics. Year 2 starts Thursday with a bunch of fresh faces and intriguing unknowns. Count me among those interested to see how this all looks.
http://www.startribune.com/save-some-of-your-purple-curiosity-for-the-maroon-and-gold/492048201/
Go Gophers!!
Psst, attention please. We interrupt your State Fair corn dog consumption and hand-wringing over the Vikings offensive line to deliver a piece of news that somehow has been largely ignored: The Gophers football team opens its season Thursday night.
Where is the buzz and sense of anticipation for a new season? Gophers talk has been unusually quiet around town, lost in a sea of euphoria over the Vikings prospects at a Super Bowl run.
Outside of diehards, interest in Gophers football seems subdued. The school anticipates attendance in the low 40,000s for the opener against New Mexico State, a figure that includes more than 5,000 ticket giveaways to incoming freshmen. The inability of a Big Ten program to sell out a 50,000-seat stadium for a season opener is disheartening to those of us who love college football.
The Gophers still are trying to create that deep emotional attachment in a crowded sports market that is coming down with Purple Fever.
How do they get there? Win. That’s the most simplistic answer. Winning solves a lot of problems.
The roster underwent a significant overhaul with an influx of youngsters who bring more upside and will fill important roles right away. Venerable fifth-year tailback Rodney Smith must feel like a grandpa when he looks around the locker room.
Fleck called his debut season Year Zero, but that’s merely semantics. Year 2 starts Thursday with a bunch of fresh faces and intriguing unknowns. Count me among those interested to see how this all looks.
http://www.startribune.com/save-some-of-your-purple-curiosity-for-the-maroon-and-gold/492048201/
Go Gophers!!
