In 2004-05...

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Sour1729

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The Gophers started the 2004-05 season with a 6-3 Big Ten record. As I'm sure you all have noticed, that is the same record we have right now. However, the Barn was pretty stale with an apathetic student section and fanbase. Currently, the Gophers are the talk of the town and the student section was full for the Illinois game 40 minutes before tip-off. Same Big Ten record.

Without intentionally baiting for Monson/Tubby talk, why is it so much different this year? In 2004-05 everyone should have been just as excited about the team, but people clearly weren't. Is it the recruiting classes we have coming in? Did everyone just think that 2004-05 was a fluke season that wouldn't be sustained? Is it due to the fact that we beat Louisville in non-conference when the 2004-05 team didn't have a real "quality" OOC win?

Obviously everyone loves Tubby (as do I) but it seems weird to me that there is such a dramatic difference in fan behavior about 2 teams with similar records.
 

Sour1729 said:
The Gophers started the 2004-05 season with a 6-3 Big Ten record. As I'm sure you all have noticed, that is the same record we have right now. However, the Barn was pretty stale with an apathetic student section and fanbase. Currently, the Gophers are the talk of the town and the student section was full for the Illinois game 40 minutes before tip-off. Same Big Ten record.

Without intentionally baiting for Monson/Tubby talk, why is it so much different this year? In 2004-05 everyone should have been just as excited about the team, but people clearly weren't. Is it the recruiting classes we have coming in? Did everyone just think that 2004-05 was a fluke season that wouldn't be sustained? Is it due to the fact that we beat Louisville in non-conference when the 2004-05 team didn't have a real "quality" OOC win?

Obviously everyone loves Tubby (as do I) but it seems weird to me that there is such a dramatic difference in fan behavior about 2 teams with similar records.
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I think it's two things:

1. We came off a 3-13 BT season the year before, with only a handful of players returning
2. This resulted in 300 (yes 300) student season tickets being sold. Now there are over 2000.
 

Coach Monson became apathetic, hence the Barn became apathetic.
Coach Smith instills excitement, hence the Barn becomes exciting.

GL....well stated examples of the two things I stated. That is the difference.
 

Dr.Don said:
Coach Monson became apathetic, hence the Barn became apathetic.
Coach Smith instills excitement, hence the Barn becomes exciting.

GL....well stated examples of the two things I stated. That is the difference.
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I would disagree with that, if Coach Monson was apathetic that year, he would of never taken a team picked to finish 10th in the BT, to the tourney. Yes, the crowd was much smaller...but it filled up more and more every week. MN fans are so fairweather, it makes me sick. There are times that I loved our 300 dedicated students more than 2000+ fans that are on the bandwagon, and there were times, when the smaller crowds could rival the bigger ones we're getting now in terms of atmosphere. But then I stop, and realize we're generating so much more revenue and excitement, and that's what all of us want.
 

GopherLady said:
MN fans are so fairweather, it makes me sick.
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It's called human nature. Years of losing and an academic scandal will erode any fan base. Give credit to Tubby Smith for bringing back excitement to the Barn ... and what did he bring? Winning, the hope of more winning, and integrity.
 


Fair weather/apathetic fans are everywhere, not just in Minnesota. After the Marching Band helped ASU win against CCSU on Dec 29, there was a thread about us on their message boards, and they talked about how apathetic their fanbase was despite having a nationally ranked team and one of the best players in the country. They talked about pretty much the exact same stuff we do.
 

There are times that I loved our 300 dedicated students more than 2000+ fans that are on the bandwagon, and there were times, when the smaller crowds could rival the bigger ones we're getting now in terms of atmosphere.
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There had to be precious few times you felt like this.

GopherLady, you are usually spot on with your observations but I really have to disagree with this statement. I attended every single home game during the Monson years and the atmosphere was dreadful. I'll take today's crowds any day over those years.
 

GopherLady said:
There are times that I loved our 300 dedicated students more than 2000+ fans that are on the bandwagon, and there were times, when the smaller crowds could rival the bigger ones we're getting now in terms of atmosphere.
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I agree with the first part of that statement. I get pissed sometimes that I had to go to school right before Tubby came. I loved the students that would come game after game even if they were a dedicated few. But, the atmosphere wasnt what it is now. During Monsons tenure there were some games I would show up 5 minutes before gametime and be able to sit approx. 10 rows up in section 110, and be heard loud and clear the whole game. Now if I were to show up in the student section right before a game, Id have to sit in the back and be drowned out.
 

There are times that I loved our 300 dedicated students more than 2000+ fans that are on the bandwagon, and there were times, when the smaller crowds could rival the bigger ones we're getting now in terms of atmosphere.
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I was part of those 300 tickets the 04-05 year, and I'm inclined to agree with her. Things really didn't take off in the Barnyard that year until Vince Grier's explosion against Wisconsin, which (per Eric Thrall's site) was the 9th Big Ten game of the year. Sure you had us diehards, but the general populace didn't seem too interested until there were signs the Gophs were going to be good, and the weasels were coming to town. At the start of the semester, my residents thought I was nuts for having basketball tickets.

Perhaps one reason why GL and I (and some of the others who were in that 300) think so highly of it was that tickets were still reserved-seats. The diehards were ALWAYS in the front. Johnny-come-latelys were sent to the back, with everyone moving down only if no one was in front of them at the tipoff.
 



While the fan support has been great, I do see what GL is saying. Last night, we arrive about 80 minutes before doors open, per usual, to stake out a good row in Section 110. When we settled in, the row in front of us had some girls sitting in it that seemed eager to learn some of the chants. It was exciting to have some people that were clearly new to basketball games showing dedication to arriving that early for good seats. That excitement quickly dissipated when they didn't participate in anything: no screaming while on defense, no chanting, not even spelling Minnesota during the Rouser!! Fans like these are likely those dancing in GL's mind when she made the above statement, and that's why I can see the intent of her post.

MadisonRaisedGopherCrazed said:
Now if I were to show up in the student section right before a game, Id have to sit in the back and be drowned out.
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If you could get into the student section at all. Forty minutes before tip last night, it was pretty much full to the walls. Kids were looking to stand on the steps against the back wall to get a view of the court.
 

GopherRock said:
I was part of those 300 tickets the 04-05 year
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Being a part of that group has become something of a badge of honor. Myself included in this group, I really think those who sat through those game, and those who were still in school and on board during the 06-07 debacle, are the ones who can appreciate the resurgence, while still having mixed feelings about people packing into the student section and not cheering like it.
 

parkinglotgopher said:
Being a part of that group has become something of a badge of honor. Myself included in this group, I really think those who sat through those game, and those who were still in school and on board during the 06-07 debacle, are the ones who can appreciate the resurgence, while still having mixed feelings about people packing into the student section and not cheering like it.
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I was there for all I could go to. Including Clemson.
 

There definitely seemed to be a lack of appreciation regarding the historical nature of last nights win. A lot of people shrugged their shoulders like it was just another 20 point win over a mediocre team.

And to the people that took my spot yesterday, at least cheer once next time.
 



My friend and I joke that anybody who still has their blue 2005-06 season ticket (remember those), should get priority seating for these tubby games.

While it is nice to have more people there, with more people comes more apathetic people. Those of us who were there through the lean years know what it was like to be able to start basically any chant we wanted. We could hurl individual insults at players, coaches, and refs and they could actually hear them. I do miss those days in some respects, but in reality, it is so much more fun to be winning.

That being said, encourage others in the student section to cheer, yell, sing, chant. It's contagious. When you are surrounded by people who do all of those things, you're naturally going to start joining in.
 

MinnesotaMadman said:
My friend and I joke that anybody who still has their blue 2005-06 season ticket (remember those), should get priority seating for these tubby games.

While it is nice to have more people there, with more people comes more apathetic people. Those of us who were there through the lean years know what it was like to be able to start basically any chant we wanted. We could hurl individual insults at players, coaches, and refs and they could actually hear them. I do miss those days in some respects, but in reality, it is so much more fun to be winning.

That being said, encourage others in the student section to cheer, yell, sing, chant. It's contagious. When you are surrounded by people who do all of those things, you're naturally going to start joining in.
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Was it blue that year? I thought it was green, but that may have been hockey. Yeah I definitely remember the days of assigned seats. I think they got rid of that though beginning in '05-'06? Proud member of the 300 as well. Kind of like the movie 300, we really had to be warriors in those days.
 


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