Do you like the "blackout" idea?

Do you like the "blackout" idea?

  • Yes

    Votes: 68 56.2%

  • No

    Votes: 38 31.4%

  • Don't care

    Votes: 15 12.4%
  • Total voters
    121
Donate To GopherHole
BleedGopher said:
Not a fan of it, but I packed my black for tonight to change into after work. Let's hope others remember as well. I wish they would have put it on the tickets as well to remind folks. Seems like a no-brainer to do that. Go team in black tonight!!
Click to expand...

Agree, I still think they should have given out shirts too. Doesn't make sense they didn't.

However, well done on packing the shirt!
 

I get there are a lot of criticism for the blackout. I think a lot of it is valid too. My hope is just that tonight, with the team wearing black, and desperately in need of a win, the fans can support as well.

If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. Let's beat OSU!
 


scher215 said:
Agree, I still think they should have given out shirts too. Doesn't make sense they didn't
Click to expand...

You don't own a black shirt? Can't buy one without complaining?

Does the UofM owe you a free parking spot, hot dog and coke too just for gracing the barn with your presence tonight... sheeze.
 

If you go to the game tonight and intentionally don't wear black, you are not a friend of this program.
 



image.jpg

My garb for the evening
 


afurry91 said:
If you go to the game tonight and intentionally don't wear black, you are not a friend of this program.
Click to expand...

While there will certainly be some conscientious objectors to the black out, the real issue is going to be the poor promotion of the event. A lot of people will show up tonight unaware this was going on. At the most recent home game you'd have thought the black out would have been promoted during nearly every stoppage on the video board and PA, but I'm not sure if it was mentioned once. This is why I'm a believer in the idea that to do this right, you need a sponsor with free t-shirts given out at the game to ensure total or near total participation. If enough people don't participate, it will look pretty bad and ruin the desired visual.
 



Sports_Realist said:
At the most recent home game you'd have thought the black out would have been promoted during nearly every stoppage on the video board and PA, but I'm not sure if it was mentioned once..
Click to expand...

Wrong. It was mentioned loud and clear.
 

Apparently people don't look at the big screen during stoppages, because I saw it up there 2-3 times during the last home game! I'm not disagreeing with the fact that free shirts at the door would have been better, just saying that there has been a decent amount of promotion for this heading into the game to where at least all season ticket holders and regulars at the game will know about it!
 

HOOP DREAMS said:
You don't own a black shirt? Can't buy one without complaining? Does the UofM owe you a free parking spot, hot dog and coke too just for gracing the barn with your presence tonight... sheeze.
Click to expand...

Sheeze, sensitive much? The surest way to make a blackout work with 100% of the crowd is to hand out a shirt. Like every single NBA arena does. That was my only point. But hey, way to somehow turn that into a moment for you to preach a little bit.
 

Do you like the "blackout" idea?

It should be noted that this is the best effort they have made so far and it's not close. The gold out efforts for Football are consistently terrible.

This attempt has been pretty good aside from giving out 14,000 free shirts which is probably a waste of 100 grand (assuming 7 bucks a shirt) if you ask me.
 



afurry91 said:
It should be noted that this is the best effort they have made so far and it's not close. The gold out efforts for Football are consistently terrible.

This attempt has been pretty good aside from giving out 14,000 free shirts which is probably a waste of 100 grand (assuming 7 bucks a shirt) if you ask me.
Click to expand...

If you are paying $7 a shirt at a volume of 14,000, you are a horrible negotiator.

Not to mention, shirt give-a-ways (like 99% of all stadium give-a-ways) usually have a corporate sponsor.
 

I stand corrected on the matter of announcements. Thanks to all.

I just ran into a coworker of about 60, who has men's hoops and football season tickets, and asked him if he was ready for the blackout. To say he's not excited or participating would be an understatement. Even when I reasoned with him about how the black alternate uniforms and the concept would go over well with the students and players, he dismissed the idea of us not wearing maroon or gold, even stating a dislike for the white uniforms. He's the perfect example of a guy who won't voluntarily wear black tonight, but who might at least be compelled to wear a black t-shirt found sitting on his seat if he saw pretty much everyone else doing it.
 

Do you like the "blackout" idea?

Stan said:
If you are paying $7 a shirt at a volume of 14,000, you are a horrible negotiator.

Not to mention, shirt give-a-ways (like 99% of all stadium give-a-ways) usually have a corporate sponsor.
Click to expand...

They got a sponsor. For the students.

Feel free to knit pick. Even 50 or 75 grand to give a bunch of old guys who would rather wear maroon and gold a black t shirt is a waste of money. Plenty of colleges do a color out and don't need to get 70,000 shirts from a sponsor to do it. The Hawkeyes seem to know how to do one at Kinnick.

This is a way better attempt than any football attempt at a gold out by far. I hope it's not a total dud but I'm not optimistic seeing as how 35% of the lower level is old guys who will try and make a statement.
 

scher215 said:
The surest way to make a blackout work with 100% of the crowd is to hand out a shirt
Click to expand...

Chances are if they gave out a free t-shirt we could have a 5 page thread full of people complaining about the design of the t-shirt.
 

afurry91 said:
It should be noted that this is the best effort they have made so far and it's not close. The gold out efforts for Football are consistently terrible.

This attempt has been pretty good aside from giving out 14,000 free shirts which is probably a waste of 100 grand (assuming 7 bucks a shirt) if you ask me.
Click to expand...

Well I think Governor Dayton should get involved.
 

scher215 said:
Agree, I still think they should have given out shirts too. Doesn't make sense they didn't.
Click to expand...

I've never understood this. You can probably produce the shirts for $5 apiece or so. You can't find a couple sponsors to fork over $70K to have their names on them and get the free publicity that comes with the promotion?
 



afurry91 said:
They got a sponsor. For the students.

Feel free to knit pick. Even 50 or 75 grand to give a bunch of old guys who would rather wear maroon and gold a black t shirt is a waste of money. Plenty of colleges do a color out and don't need to get 70,000 shirts from a sponsor to do it. The Hawkeyes seem to know how to do one at Kinnick.

This is a way better attempt than any football attempt at a gold out by far. I hope it's not a total dud but I'm not optimistic seeing as how 35% of the lower level is old guys who will try and make a statement.
Click to expand...

I spoke to another guy at work who has hoops season tickets a minute ago and asked if he was ready for the black out. He's in his 50s. He said he wanted to buy some of the official black t-shirts online through Goldy's Locker Room, but ran into some issue or another and couldn't complete his purchase. In his own words, "If the U of M can't make it easy enough to do, I'm not interested. I'm wearing white." He wasn't bitter or angry despite how the tone might read and laughed when he mentioned wearing white. He's actually a very calm and level headed guy who's been a huge fan going back to the Musselman days. Shopping online is not an issue for him. However, he just felt that if he can't get out of the online store in about a minute with a black t-shirt he doesn't really have to have in his life, he's skipping it.
 

Sports_Realist said:
I spoke to another guy at work who has hoops season tickets a minute ago and asked if he was ready for the black out. He's in his 50s. He said he wanted to buy some of the official black t-shirts online through Goldy's Locker Room, but ran into some issue or another and couldn't complete his purchase. In his own words, "If the U of M can't make it easy enough to do, I'm not interested. I'm wearing white." He wasn't bitter or angry despite how the tone might read and laughed when he mentioned wearing white. He's actually a very calm and level headed guy who's been a huge fan going back to the Musselman days. Shopping online is not an issue for him. However, he just felt that if he can't get out of the online store in about a minute with a black t-shirt he doesn't really have to have in his life, he's skipping it.
Click to expand...

Great story.
 

Sports_Realist said:
I spoke to another guy at work who has hoops season tickets a minute ago and asked if he was ready for the black out. He's in his 50s. He said he wanted to buy some of the official black t-shirts online through Goldy's Locker Room, but ran into some issue or another and couldn't complete his purchase. In his own words, "If the U of M can't make it easy enough to do, I'm not interested. I'm wearing white." He wasn't bitter or angry despite how the tone might read and laughed when he mentioned wearing white. He's actually a very calm and level headed guy who's been a huge fan going back to the Musselman days. Shopping online is not an issue for him. However, he just felt that if he can't get out of the online store in about a minute with a black t-shirt he doesn't really have to have in his life, he's skipping it.
Click to expand...

This sort of sums up previous times the U has attempted a "PickYourColor" Out. If you want something like this to work you either need to promote the piss out of it (which they have done better this time than any other, but still could do better), or else make it very easy to get the shirts: i.e. free. Someday they will figure this out.
 

Sports_Realist said:
I spoke to another guy at work who has hoops season tickets a minute ago and asked if he was ready for the black out. He's in his 50s. He said he wanted to buy some of the official black t-shirts online through Goldy's Locker Room, but ran into some issue or another and couldn't complete his purchase. In his own words, "If the U of M can't make it easy enough to do, I'm not interested. I'm wearing white." He wasn't bitter or angry despite how the tone might read and laughed when he mentioned wearing white. He's actually a very calm and level headed guy who's been a huge fan going back to the Musselman days. Shopping online is not an issue for him. However, he just felt that if he can't get out of the online store in about a minute with a black t-shirt he doesn't really have to have in his life, he's skipping it.
Click to expand...

What's easier than showing up at the arena and handing a Goldy's dude 10 bucks?
 


I think players and recruits like the new uniforms. Going outside the box once in a while can be good. The problem, really, is trying to get Minnesota fans in either all Gold or Maroon is impossible anyway (see TCF Bank Stadium), so Gold Outs, Maroon Outs or Blacks Outs probably won't be effective because the older fan base just wont wear black.
 

I agree. Buying a $10 tshirt at Williams Arena or at Gold Country is not that hard. However, some people don't care enough to make a larger effort if the easiest mode of getting it done is unavailable or fails. This guy knew he could pick one up somewhere, but didn't care enough to make the effort. If the shirt was sitting on his seat when he got to the Barn, however, he'd probably put it on.
 

We need everyone to bring in "black ice" posters and lift them up everytime ohio misses a shot! :D
 


You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom