Shama: College Football Weekend a Charmer

per Shama:

It was encouraging to see the Gophers announce a near capacity crowd Thursday night. Minnesota fans, though, are a casual bunch. They routinely head for the exits in the second half, even when the game is close like against South Dakota State. At Wisconsin games, fans do the “Jump Around” between the third and fourth quarters. In Minneapolis they head for the dorms, the bars and the interstate.

College football is celebrating its 150th birthday in 2019. In the sport’s first game ever, Rutgers defeated Princeton “six goals to four goals” in November of 1869. The Rutgers program hasn’t done a lot to distinguish itself since then, and why the school was welcomed into the Big Ten a few years back is something that makes a lot of the league’s fans wince. Painful, too, was watching the Scarlet Knights start their game down 14-0 to UMass, an awful FBS program.

Rutgers (48-21 winners) was one of three Big Ten teams to play on Friday night. Michigan State looked intimidating while beating up on Tulsa, 28-7. Coach Mark Dantonio’s teams most always play punishing football. He demands it. The guy scowls and I jump a foot, even while watching on TV! Wisconsin embarrassed South Florida, 49-0, to give the Big Ten a Friday sweep.

I wrote a couple of weeks ago the Badger program could be on the decline. I am sure Bucky used my words as bulletin board material for motivation. And, yes, South Florida coach Charlie Strong’s seat is warm in Tampa, and it’s not because of the weather.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!

Did he give any consideration to the actual time of day? Perhaps people had children at the game, or sitters with a time limit? Lots of variables this time which could have been in play.

I've been to Camp Randall, Badger fans arrive late and leave early. Many leave after the jump around


And yes, there were MN fans streaming to exit early in the 4th. I was there until the end! (usually am most games, win or lose)

salzie said:

I've been to Camp Randall, Badger fans arrive late and leave early. Many leave after the jump around


And yes, there were MN fans streaming to exit early in the 4th. I was there until the end! (usually am most games, win or lose)

Click to expand...

I will never understand the people that leave early when a game is in doubt but people have their reasons I guess. Certainly not a new thing or solely Minnesota phenomenon. But it is definitely a very common thing in Minnesota sporting venues to see lots of people heading to the exit before the game is over.

My thought for some of the early leavers from Thursday would be that it was an 8pm start and by the 2nd half it was pretty late for a weekday night. Had I been in attendance I would have stayed the whole game but I can see why people were leaving in the second half.

MNVCGUY said:

I will never understand the people that leave early when a game is in doubt but people have their reasons I guess. Certainly not a new thing or solely Minnesota phenomenon. But it is definitely a very common thing in Minnesota sporting venues to see lots of people heading to the exit before the game is over.

Click to expand...

I won't fault people leaving early on the Thursday night games. People have to work in the morning, get the kids ready, etc. Starting a weeknight game at 8:00pm is going to make for lots of folks leaving to get home at an acceptable time.

My mother was at a HS FB game last Friday. She left early "to beat the traffic out of the parking lot" and missed seeing the visiting team kick a late field goal to upset my hometown 9-8.

In Mom's defense, she is 93 years old.........