Rant about Thursday night games

[LakerFan]

So, instead of "the customer is always right" your sales motto is "buy my product, regardless of what I do to make it less attractive of a purchase". This is exactly the attitude I just got done ranting about. You are assuming everyone is as loyal of a fan as you are. Most of the people on this website are the kind of fan who will certainly be on the rock-pile at midnight if that's when the Gophs play. The problem is, until we get enough fans like us to fill up the stadium, the U needs to do what it can to attract casual fans for whom start time and day of the week may be very important factors. I am not smart enough to know if Labor Day weekend Saturday or Thursday night is going to be better, but people do have opinions, and the U should be doing what it can to fill the stadium.

That is the point I was trying to make. I want the Gopher fan base to grow. It grows by turning casual fans into serious fans and bringing in more casual fans. IMO it doesn't grow playing chumps on Thursday nights. If people think everything is fine the way it is then you must be happy with a half filled student section and sitting next to more Nebraska fans than Gopher fans at a home game like last year. What's wrong with acknowledging we have a big state fair and starting the year with two road games and playing the next two at home. It's the same number of home games.

 

[station19]

So, instead of "the customer is always right" your sales motto is "buy my product, regardless of what I do to make it less attractive of a purchase". This is exactly the attitude I just got done ranting about. You are assuming everyone is as loyal of a fan as you are. Most of the people on this website are the kind of fan who will certainly be on the rock-pile at midnight if that's when the Gophs play. The problem is, until we get enough fans like us to fill up the stadium, the U needs to do what it can to attract casual fans for whom start time and day of the week may be very important factors. I am not smart enough to know if Labor Day weekend Saturday or Thursday night is going to be better, but people do have opinions, and the U should be doing what it can to fill the stadium.

Speaking of old, worn out and false cliche's.

 

[Winnipegopher]

That is the point I was trying to make. I want the Gopher fan base to grow. It grows by turning casual fans into serious fans and bringing in more casual fans. IMO it doesn't grow playing chumps on Thursday nights. If people think everything is fine the way it is then you must be happy with a half filled student section and sitting next to more Nebraska fans than Gopher fans at a home game like last year. What's wrong with acknowledging we have a big state fair and starting the year with two road games and playing the next two at home. It's the same number of home games.

But does it grow playing chumps at home on a Saturday at 11 am? I think a Thursday opener might even be a better crowd than a Saturday.

The Gophers only play one road non-conference so playing two in a row isn't feasible without losing revenue.

PS As a non-Minnesotan, I have to say I do not understand the state fair, I hated t the one time I went. So crowded and nothing to do but eat lousy food.

 

[station19]

There certainly isn't a need for more total space. There is a need for better management of existing space to cultivate a better environment. The way the U sells its tailgating space, it hurts the atmosphere because it spreads out the hardcore group into a series of pockets spread around a bunch of different lots. What would be ideal would be a tailgate where are the hardcore groups start out earliest at the lots closest to the stadium, created a localized party atmosphere that can grow and attract more people feeding off of itself.

More tailgaters is always a good thing for the team. I know that I have had plenty of friends who would have had no interest in simply buying a football ticket and accompanying me to a game, but were willing to do just that when I sold them on the fun of joining my group for our tailgate (I have a couple groups, sometimes I am down by the river, sometimes up by the Barn). I would bet that other tailgaters have similar experiences recruiting fans to games who otherwise would not have attended.

At the end of the day, I am not saying that tailgaters are more important than any other fans. However, until we are consistently selling out and have a waiting list for tickets, we should be trying to cater to as many different types of fans as we can. That is why I got annoyed last year when we had some people complaining about the guys who complained about the stadium running out of hot dogs at the opener ("if it bothers you so much, just don't come!" some of you said). While I have no interest in paying for a wildly overpriced brat in the stadium (especially after swallowing 6 or 7 brats in the tailgate lot), some people consider it a tradition to take their kids to a game, get a brat and soda with them, and watch it. Who am I to judge them for enjoying the Gophers in a different way than I do? And who are the Gophers, who struggle to come close to filling their stadium, to take any attitude other than "let's make sure we do everything in our power to keep as many different types of fans happy and coming back as possible"?

People attract people.

 

[station19]

You are a man of few words, ..... or do I mean letters?

+

 

[AO54]

That is the point I was trying to make. I want the Gopher fan base to grow. It grows by turning casual fans into serious fans and bringing in more casual fans. IMO it doesn't grow playing chumps on Thursday nights. If people think everything is fine the way it is then you must be happy with a half filled student section and sitting next to more Nebraska fans than Gopher fans at a home game like last year. What's wrong with acknowledging we have a big state fair and starting the year with two road games and playing the next two at home. It's the same number of home games.

Your solution to growing the fanbase is to play more road games and avoid playing on the night most people are likely to watch the game on TV? The inconvenience of a few tailgaters is a great convenience for everyone else.

 

[CP Gopher]

I don't mind the Thursday games.
It allows me to be hung over at work on Friday instead of wasting an entire Sunday recovering.

 

[Ole]

So, instead of "the customer is always right" your sales motto is "buy my product, regardless of what I do to make it less attractive of a purchase". This is exactly the attitude I just got done ranting about. You are assuming everyone is as loyal of a fan as you are. Most of the people on this website are the kind of fan who will certainly be on the rock-pile at midnight if that's when the Gophs play. The problem is, until we get enough fans like us to fill up the stadium, the U needs to do what it can to attract casual fans for whom start time and day of the week may be very important factors. I am not smart enough to know if Labor Day weekend Saturday or Thursday night is going to be better, but people do have opinions, and the U should be doing what it can to fill the stadium.

It's unfortunate, but the only logical conclusion I've come up with after considering all the different decisions and policies put in place by the U is that the attitude you rail upon here is exactly that of the administration at the U.

The obvious and easy ways to increase fan involvement and recruit casual fans into the fanbase have not been considered now several years into the new stadium and have even been out rightly denied.

There is no creative outside the box gameplan, no support for expanded gameday festivities, no changes to the awful sports marketing dept.
Student fans are marginalized, loyal fans are not the priority, and outside groups hold more sway over decisions than the athletics dept does.
I had faith Norwood had the ability to cut through all this BS, but it's clear to me now he simply cannot overcome the idiocy that is the U of MN bureaucracy against sports and fun.

 

[station19]

I don't mind the Thursday games.
It allows me to be hung over at work on Friday instead of wasting an entire Sunday recovering.

Finally some sanity.

 

[RodentRampage]

There's plenty to do at the State Fair. I like to stop by the U's exhibit, my wife likes the Fine Art building. My daughter likes to watch baby animals being born - I could do without that part myself. I like to go on the Old Mill, as cheesy as it is. Of course, not everyone likes what the fair has to offer, but it is pretty clear a whole lot of people do. I'm not sure which would have greater impact on attendance, the fair or people going away for the weekend. Myself, I wouldn't be able to attend the game if it was on the weekend. I visit my parents on Labor Day weekend. They don't drive down anymore, so i have to go up there, and it makes more sense to go on a three day weekend.

Sent from my LG-L38C using Tapatalk 2

 

[BleedGopher]

Selfishly, I wish every game was played on Thursday nights. Living in Bangladesh, a Muslim country that's 11 hours ahead, I will be able to wake up at 5:00 on Friday morning (start of my weekend) to watch the Gophers play on a video feed that often times freezes or becomes fuzzy or has pop-ups that interrupt. It'll be the only game I get to watch live this year, except perhaps a bowl game since I'll be back for the holiday season; ideally though, I'll miss watching that bowl game too, since we will be flying back for work on New Year's Eve.

My wife and I willingly made this choice and for the most part we look forward with no regrets. But, besides being away from family and friends, probably my biggest ongoing melancholic moment in being away from home is that I've never seen the Gophers at The Bank on a beautiful fall afternoon or evening. I'm sure my story's not that dissimilar from many other Gopher fans who are spread throughout the world. Enjoy the opening game.

It's about time we catered to our die-hard faithful living in Bangladesh!! You are too often an ignored stakeholder group.

Enjoy the game from afar and I hope your journey is still going well.

Go Gophers!!

 

[Ski U Master]

River Flats. That is all.

 

[gophers&guns]

River Flats. That is all.

That's my plan, trying to figure out the timing thing as it will be my first time parking there.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

It's profitable because more people will watch. More people watching=helpful. Everyone knows it's not a scrimmage. Take a vacation day on Friday if you're such a big drinker.

No, everyone does not know it's not a scrimmage. I've had several people ask when the Gophers' first game is, I've told them Thursday, August 28th at 6:00 PM against the HATED Panthers of Eastern Illinois and they look and say something like "but that doesn't count for their record, right?" or "is that a pre-season game" or something equally uninformed.

There are a lot of people that do not understand college football schedules and records and meanings thereof.

Also, I really question whether more people will watch (or if ANYONE will watch who is not at the game). Do the people who will watch Directional State vs. MN care when the game is? Will the casual fan tune in regardless whether it's Thursday, Saturday, or Tuesday?

Honestly, this would gain the U of MN more if it was against a recognizable opponent. I'm not talking Alabama, I'm saying a lower tier D1-FBS Power 5 conference team or higher tier non Power 5 conference team. This game will likely be beaten in the ratings by reruns of Modern Family on USA. Even in this market.

 

[AO54]

No, everyone does not know it's not a scrimmage. I've had several people ask when the Gophers' first game is, I've told them Thursday, August 28th at 6:00 PM against the HATED Panthers of Eastern Illinois and they look and say something like "but that doesn't count for their record, right?" or "is that a pre-season game" or something equally uninformed.

There are a lot of people that do not understand college football schedules and records and meanings thereof.

Also, I really question whether more people will watch (or if ANYONE will watch who is not at the game). Do the people who will watch Directional State vs. MN care when the game is? Will the casual fan tune in regardless whether it's Thursday, Saturday, or Tuesday?

Honestly, this would gain the U of MN more if it was against a recognizable opponent. I'm not talking Alabama, I'm saying a lower tier D1-FBS Power 5 conference team or higher tier non Power 5 conference team. This game will likely be beaten in the ratings by reruns of Modern Family on USA. Even in this market.

People that don't understand that colleges don't play scrimmages are beyond help. You really think they'd be more impressed by South Florida, Ball State or Idaho? To get those types on the bandwagon requires being undefeated or beating top 15 teams.

 

[jaymil]

No, everyone does not know it's not a scrimmage. I've had several people ask when the Gophers' first game is, I've told them Thursday, August 28th at 6:00 PM against the HATED Panthers of Eastern Illinois and they look and say something like "but that doesn't count for their record, right?" or "is that a pre-season game" or something equally uninformed.

There are a lot of people that do not understand college football schedules and records and meanings thereof.

Also, I really question whether more people will watch (or if ANYONE will watch who is not at the game). Do the people who will watch Directional State vs. MN care when the game is? Will the casual fan tune in regardless whether it's Thursday, Saturday, or Tuesday?

Honestly, this would gain the U of MN more if it was against a recognizable opponent. I'm not talking Alabama, I'm saying a lower tier D1-FBS Power 5 conference team or higher tier non Power 5 conference team. This game will likely be beaten in the ratings by reruns of Modern Family on USA. Even in this market.

Next year will be vs. TCU on Thursday night. Is that better? It probably isn't realistic to want to schedule a solid opponent every year for the first week of the season though.

Bottom line, just keep winning more games. The casual fans will continue to pay more attention and start showing up to the games regardless of the day and time.

 

[RodentRampage]

No, everyone does not know it's not a scrimmage. I've had several people ask when the Gophers' first game is, I've told them Thursday, August 28th at 6:00 PM against the HATED Panthers of Eastern Illinois and they look and say something like "but that doesn't count for their record, right?" or "is that a pre-season game" or something equally uninformed.

There are a lot of people that do not understand college football schedules and records and meanings thereof.

Also, I really question whether more people will watch (or if ANYONE will watch who is not at the game). Do the people who will watch Directional State vs. MN care when the game is? Will the casual fan tune in regardless whether it's Thursday, Saturday, or Tuesday?

Honestly, this would gain the U of MN more if it was against a recognizable opponent. I'm not talking Alabama, I'm saying a lower tier D1-FBS Power 5 conference team or higher tier non Power 5 conference team. This game will likely be beaten in the ratings by reruns of Modern Family on USA. Even in this market.

There are people who don't know the difference between a non-conference game and a pre-season game, but this has nothing to do with playing the game on Thursday. People who are that ignorant about college football would be unlikely to know the difference between Eastern Illinois and any other team we.might play in non-conference.

Sent from my LG-L38C using Tapatalk 2

 

[Killjoy]

+

+19 Says it all!

 

[savagerube]

The 6:00 start is what sucks. Half my group won't be able to get to the game on the time. I'll have max 15 minutes to tailgate. Last year I had less than that. Many at my work with season tickets are just skipping. Too much of a hassle to get there plus work on Friday. The Thursday start is bad enough. Starting at 6 kills the atmosphere and will result in even less attendence.

You think a 11am game on labor day weekend would draw more fans than a Thursday night game? Not sure about that one. Not to mention all returning students, transfers, etc. move in on August 30th. It would be a cluster F. Even if the attendance suffered because of a 6pm start time, the fact that it's a BTN night game and it will draw more viewers on a Thursday night versus a Saturday where the state fair is in its first weekend, returning students move in day, and it's a holiday weekend. I personally love the night games and it gives the Gophers an opportunity to be under the spotlight versus being on a BTN alternate channel on a Saturday.

 

[Schnauzer]

No, everyone does not know it's not a scrimmage. I've had several people ask when the Gophers' first game is, I've told them Thursday, August 28th at 6:00 PM against the HATED Panthers of Eastern Illinois and they look and say something like "but that doesn't count for their record, right?" or "is that a pre-season game" or something equally uninformed.

If you are having those types of conversations and you are looking to not have them, I suggest you quit talking football at the Hmong community center or in line at Spalon Montage.

As others have said, if your audience is that far removed from college football, I doubt you'd be able to move the needle with a Thursday night game against other directional foes Like USC or Northwestern, either.

With a 12 game schedule, I think it makes very good sense to schedule one FCS opponent, two mid-majors, and a major conference team for non conference games. And... that is exactly what the Gophers have this year. Excellent. And, a Thursday night game against a team like Eastern Illinois makes a lot of sense on the opening night of college football, than it would later. There are a lot of hungry college football fans that will watch. Last year I watched Indiana play some horrid team like Indiana State simply because I was so hungry for college football. In fact, if you are going to play teams like Eastern Illinois, it is about the best time to play them.

 

[goldybobblehead]

I am really excited to roll onto campus from work Downtown MPLS on the Green Line Train and bar gate my way to the stadium. I guess I am fortunate I can skip out of work a few hours early and take an 11 minute commute 5 train stops away right to the stadium.

I know it is a lot harder for out-state fans to come for a 6pm start, but I am surprised by all the people here saying their groups will not be coming, because it doesn't sound like the Thursday night start is the reason. If you wanted to go you would make it a priority and take vacation or do whatever to get out of work on time - you have had a year to put it on your calendar. I feel it is more attributed to the Non-conference opponent. Having the game Saturday of a holiday weekend would have been a harder decision for me to attend because I do value the long weekend fishing trip.

Just like my priority for a Thursday night game is to skip out of work and get there before the game starts after visiting some bars, I do have to say I am really torn about the Iowa game being on Deer Hunting Opener, so, again, priorities are a tough thing and fans have to figure out how to make that work - and that would be true regardless of what night or day the game is held.

 

[Some guy]

I get the tv thing and the hosting opening weekend thing. It is just a little unfortunate that most of people involved in high school football in Minnesota have a game on Thursday night. Some of the biggest football fans in the state can't go. If you can't understand why people are frustrated with a Thursday game then you are probably pretty stupid (you don't have to agree with them, but you should understand why they are legitimately frustrated)

 

[RodentRampage]

Speaking of the state fair, one of thr things you can see is the Governor's Victory Bell. Now, it's not the greatest trophy in the world, and it is rather unbalanced - the Liberty Bell is a symbol of Pennsylvania, but there is nothing that symbolized Minnesota.

What we need is a new Bell, carved out of Minnesota taconite. We could call it the Taco Bell.

Sent from my LG-L38C using Tapatalk 2

 

[AuEGO4]

No, everyone does not know it's not a scrimmage. I've had several people ask when the Gophers' first game is, I've told them Thursday, August 28th at 6:00 PM against the HATED Panthers of Eastern Illinois and they look and say something like "but that doesn't count for their record, right?" or "is that a pre-season game" or something equally uninformed.

There are a lot of people that do not understand college football schedules and records and meanings thereof.

Also, I really question whether more people will watch (or if ANYONE will watch who is not at the game). Do the people who will watch Directional State vs. MN care when the game is? Will the casual fan tune in regardless whether it's Thursday, Saturday, or Tuesday?

Honestly, this would gain the U of MN more if it was against a recognizable opponent. I'm not talking Alabama, I'm saying a lower tier D1-FBS Power 5 conference team or higher tier non Power 5 conference team. This game will likely be beaten in the ratings by reruns of Modern Family on USA. Even in this market.

Last time I checked (1 minute ago) the gophersports ticket page was still selling tickets to the "scrimmage" for $30. Maybe the people you were talking to would like to attend the "scrimmage" and learn about what they are missing. I don't care who we play as long as I am able to spend time on my favorite campus and watch some good Gophers football. Hell I will even be flying all the way from California to watch this game. Maybe your suburban twin cities buddies can cough up some cash and try to have a good time. Glad to see you are educating them about how it works, but the experience of the game would save you some time.

 

[AuEGO4]

Speaking of the state fair, one of thr things you can see is the Governor's Victory Bell. Now, it's not the greatest trophy in the world, and it is rather unbalanced - the Liberty Bell is a symbol of Pennsylvania, but there is nothing that symbolized Minnesota.

What we need is a new Bell, carved out of Minnesota taconite. We could call it the Taco Bell.

Sent from my LG-L38C using Tapatalk 2

Maybe the iron to cast the bell was created by the oar of Northern MN, or the wood frame created from our pines.

 

[AO54]

I get the tv thing and the hosting opening weekend thing. It is just a little unfortunate that most of people involved in high school football in Minnesota have a game on Thursday night. Some of the biggest football fans in the state can't go. If you can't understand why people are frustrated with a Thursday game then you are probably pretty stupid (you don't have to agree with them, but you should understand why they are legitimately frustrated)

The majority of the teams are still playing on Friday. 103 on Friday, 78 on Thursday. They're playing on Thursday for many of the same reasons that the U is. no real blame to go around. You can probably catch most of the first half on TV before the high school games start at 7.

 

[Maximus]

I get the tv thing and the hosting opening weekend thing. It is just a little unfortunate that most of people involved in high school football in Minnesota have a game on Thursday night. Some of the biggest football fans in the state can't go. If you can't understand why people are frustrated with a Thursday game then you are probably pretty stupid (you don't have to agree with them, but you should understand why they are legitimately frustrated)

Both the U and the high schools moved games from their traditional day of play to avoid labor day. Are the biggest football fans in the state equally frustrated with the Minnesota state high school league?

 

[BJN]

Lets play on a rock-pile at mid-night. It doesn't matter. Adjust your schedule to match theirs and not ask to have their schedule match yours. Either your a fan or not a fan. Suck it up.

If it comes to choosing between my job and a football team, I ain't choosing the football team.

One of the reasons football has become so popular is because its has been consistently played on Saturday and Sunday. It's a become a tradition and a break from the week that people can look forward to.

If the state fair prevent opening week home games from being played at home, start scheduling away games that week.

 

[pharmacygopher]

That is the point I was trying to make. I want the Gopher fan base to grow. It grows by turning casual fans into serious fans and bringing in more casual fans. IMO it doesn't grow playing chumps on Thursday nights. If people think everything is fine the way it is then you must be happy with a half filled student section and sitting next to more Nebraska fans than Gopher fans at a home game like last year. What's wrong with acknowledging we have a big state fair and starting the year with two road games and playing the next two at home. It's the same number of home games.

I acknowledge the state fair part. We usually play at least 3 home non-conference games. Please explain to me how now playing 2 road games instead of 1 is 'the same number of home games'. Are you talking about doing a road conference game week 1 or 2?

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

Speaking of the state fair, one of thr things you can see is the Governor's Victory Bell. Now, it's not the greatest trophy in the world, and it is rather unbalanced - the Liberty Bell is a symbol of Pennsylvania, but there is nothing that symbolized Minnesota.

What we need is a new Bell, carved out of Minnesota taconite. We could call it the Taco Bell.

Sent from my LG-L38C using Tapatalk 2

2 points. First, if memory serves, it was by design a Pennsylvania-centric trophy to commemorate Penn State's first Big Ten game. They changed the original name which was going to be the "we-really-need-to-create-some-artificial-rivalries-for-this-northeast-team-that-stumbled-into-a-midwest-conference Victory Bell".

Second, as to the Taco Bell point, when we played them last year, I drove through and bought of couple of the family deal soft shell Tacos at Taco Bell the night before the game and put them in the fridge so that we could throw them on the grill in honor the Bell the next morning. As it turned out, refrigerated and then grilled Taco Bell soft shell tacos are really tasty. Also, we put Jingle BELL Rock on the playlist.