Surprise! U of M botches Thursday night opening game logistics

Donate To GopherHole

RailBaronYarr said:
Should not be too hard. The fair is an asset to the U as it's directly adjacent to the StP campus and we have the dedicated busway to make bringing people back and forth very easy at marginal cost.
Click to expand...

Having busses running even within the land owned by the U is surprisingly a pretty penny. The band can barely scrape up the funds from the U to bus over to the State Fair on the Campus Connectors for a yearly parade.
 

did it ever occur to folks that maybe some of that stuff could not be changed? They had to negotiate with the state fair to get the ltos by the stadium released to use because they had an agreement with the state fair.
they don't need to worry about the media savaging them, you guys are doing a fab job youselves.
 


corcoran1 said:
did it ever occur to folks that maybe some of that stuff could not be changed? They had to negotiate with the state fair to get the ltos by the stadium released to use because they had an agreement with the state fair.
they don't need to worry about the media savaging them, you guys are doing a fab job youselves.
Click to expand...

Their communication with fans who typically tailgate in these lots cold have changed. I'd rather someone be up front when they have bad news than to have to hear it from an online forum.
 


corcoran1 said:
did it ever occur to folks that maybe some of that stuff could not be changed? They had to negotiate with the state fair to get the ltos by the stadium released to use because they had an agreement with the state fair.
they don't need to worry about the media savaging them, you guys are doing a fab job youselves.
Click to expand...

That's the main component of the Gopherhole Marketing Plan.
 

TexasAggie11 said:
Their communication with fans who typically tailgate in these lots cold have changed. I'd rather someone be up front when they have bad news than to have to hear it from an online forum.
Click to expand...

That's quite true, unfortunately Teague's M.O. (North Carolina games, Basketball Coach turndowns, fund raising i.e.) in his short tenure here has been all "don't tell them and hope it doesn't get out" when it comes to bad news. You'd think he'd learn his lesson, but with TCU and Pitino bailing him out you should never expect a "mea culpa" from Teague before hand .
 

Love this pic!
 

Attachments

  • image-2063117461.jpg
    image-2063117461.jpg
    45 KB · Views: 52

Re: Teague

Iceland12 said:
That's quite true, unfortunately Teague's M.O. (North Carolina games, Basketball Coach turndowns, fund raising i.e.) in his short tenure here has been all "don't tell them and hope it doesn't get out" when it comes to bad news. You'd think he'd learn his lesson, but with TCU and Pitino bailing him out you should never expect a "mea culpa" from Teague before hand .
Click to expand...

Other than the NC thing, the rest is completely silly.
 



LesBolstad said:
Other than the NC thing, the rest is completely silly.
Click to expand...

Yeah, didn't expect the reaction to UNC. NO Coach was offered the job before Pittino and the Florida Head Coach was lying when he said he wasn't asked about Pittino until Monday? No fundraising discussions have taken place with big donors? Oh and now, they didn't think there would be any backlash about parking/tailgating for the Thursday opener and offering the extra hour of tailgating today was just a coincidence?

It had nothing to do with the "angst" that has taken place today?

Les, you certainly know silly.
 

Fans should not expect a tailgating atmosphere here like it is at other school, there simply isn't the space to do it properly so when it's tried it is a joke. Embrace the urban nature of the school's location and go to the bars for your pregame intoxication.
 


corcoran1 said:
did it ever occur to folks that maybe some of that stuff could not be changed? They had to negotiate with the state fair to get the ltos by the stadium released to use because they had an agreement with the state fair.
they don't need to worry about the media savaging them, you guys are doing a fab job youselves.
Click to expand...

Umm...TCF has been open since 2009. If the powers that be wanted to start hosting a game on opening weekend, they've had PLENTY of time to negotiate with the State Fair. With this kind of excuse, it sounds like you belong in the Gopher athletics marketing department.
 



Iceland12 said:
The problem we've got here on the board is the automatic "blame the f*-ing University", or more likely the knee-jerk "it's that damn Maturi's fault." At least no one has went there yet.

Blame the U? Okay. They made the schedule and Teague and Kaler probably operating from a combination of hubris and the belief that the State Fair Board WANTED to be cooperative, blew this one big time.

E-mail Teague all you want. Give Nadine another chance to write a "if they'd just listen to me column". Sure, why not.

Here's a much better question. Why isn't anybody advocating calling or e-mailing the damn State Fair Board and asking them why for one bleeding day they couldn't cooperate with the University to let them use their own parking lot?

Nah, lets go with the old standard, it's those SOBS over at the U.
Click to expand...

+1
 

forever a gopher said:
Umm...TCF has been open since 2009. If the powers that be wanted to start hosting a game on opening weekend, they've had PLENTY of time to negotiate with the State Fair. With this kind of excuse, it sounds like you belong in the Gopher athletics marketing department.
Click to expand...

Sorry to play devil's advocate, but don't you think maybe, just MAYBE, the Minnesota State Fair board wasn't willing to negotiate?
 

Ski U Master said:
Fans should not expect a tailgating atmosphere here like it is at other school, there simply isn't the space to do it properly so when it's tried it is a joke. Embrace the urban nature of the school's location and go to the bars for your pregame intoxication.
Click to expand...

The Grove at Ole Miss, perhaps the most legendary tailgate spot in all of college football is only ten acres. If you took fill advantage of every grassy spot surrounding TCF, you could scrounge together a few acres, and with the Ski-U-Mah lot you would have your ten.

There's a good half-acre east of Mariucci, an half acre to the north and an acre to the south of McNamara, a good quarter acre south of the stadium itself, a half acre at University/Washington/33rd, the perimeter of the triangle at the East Gateway steam plant, and several grassy strips between parking lots and sidewalks within a block or two of the stadium.

You put that all together, make some loading zones so that it is easy for people to drop off and pick up their tents, grills, and coolers, and you've got a tailgate zone that can rival many of your peers. UT-Austin is just as landlocked and urban (except for the LBJ library area), but they manage to have a decent tailgate scene.
 

TexasAggie11 said:
The Grove at Ole Miss, perhaps the most legendary tailgate spot in all of college football is only ten acres. If you took fill advantage of every grassy spot surrounding TCF, you could scrounge together a few acres, and with the Ski-U-Mah lot you would have your ten.

There's a good half-acre east of Mariucci, an half acre to the north and an acre to the south of McNamara, a good quarter acre south of the stadium itself, a half acre at University/Washington/33rd, the perimeter of the triangle at the East Gateway steam plant, and several grassy strips between parking lots and sidewalks within a block or two of the stadium.

You put that all together, make some loading zones so that it is easy for people to drop off and pick up their tents, grills, and coolers, and you've got a tailgate zone that can rival many of your peers. UT-Austin is just as landlocked and urban (except for the LBJ library area), but they manage to have a decent tailgate scene.
Click to expand...
Grassy areas are a non-starter for casual fans which is the bulk of Gopher fans. They aren't going to invest in tents and logistics to "tailgate" in grass spaces. Comparing the fanbase of the Gophers to UT/Ole Miss is absurd, those empty spaces work because lots of people WANT to go to the games and the grassy areas are what is left. Fans here don't want to put in the effort to do that because they simply don't care about the Gophers enough to do all the planning and hoopla that has to be done in advance of it.

Also, expecting the AD/UMN to make tailgating or access to those greenspaces and easier is not going to happen. They don't want Northop Mall and The Knoll trampled by people and they don't want open boozing on campus, too scared of public opinion. Tailgating is just not in the culture of fans in this city like it is in real college towns.
 

Re: Teague

Iceland12 said:
Yeah, didn't expect the reaction to UNC. NO Coach was offered the job before Pittino and the Florida Head Coach was lying when he said he wasn't asked about Pittino until Monday? No fundraising discussions have taken place with big donors? Oh and now, they didn't think there would be any backlash about parking/tailgating for the Thursday opener and offering the extra hour of tailgating today was just a coincidence?

It had nothing to do with the "angst" that has taken place today?

Les, you certainly know silly.
Click to expand...

You're an angry man, Iceturd.
 


TexasAggie11
There are a couple of obvious quick fixes to this situation that can salvage at least some of the gameday atmosphere:

1. Make Thursday an early release day (at noon) for all non-essential University staff.

Iceland12
The problem we've got here on the board is the automatic "blame the f*-ing University", or more likely the knee-jerk "it's that damn Maturi's fault." At least no one has went there yet.

Does this mean Maturi gets off at noon on the 29th?
 

MNGoldenGophers1 said:
TexasAggie11
There are a couple of obvious quick fixes to this situation that can salvage at least some of the gameday atmosphere:

1. Make Thursday an early release day (at noon) for all non-essential University staff.

Iceland12
The problem we've got here on the board is the automatic "blame the f*-ing University", or more likely the knee-jerk "it's that damn Maturi's fault." At least no one has went there yet.

Does this mean Maturi gets off at noon on the 29th?
Click to expand...

:clap::clap::clap: - Nice.
 

Ski U Master said:
Grassy areas are a non-starter for casual fans which is the bulk of Gopher fans. They aren't going to invest in tents and logistics to "tailgate" in grass spaces. Comparing the fanbase of the Gophers to UT/Ole Miss is absurd, those empty spaces work because lots of people WANT to go to the games and the grassy areas are what is left. Fans here don't want to put in the effort to do that because they simply don't care about the Gophers enough to do all the planning and hoopla that has to be done in advance of it.

Also, expecting the AD/UMN to make tailgating or access to those greenspaces and easier is not going to happen. They don't want Northop Mall and The Knoll trampled by people and they don't want open boozing on campus, too scared of public opinion. Tailgating is just not in the culture of fans in this city like it is in real college towns.
Click to expand...

I'm sure all that is true. I was simply responding to the 'there isn't room' bit.
 

BieberHole69 said:
Twins and Vikings that day too? I did not know that. Wow.
Click to expand...

Not to mention the majority of HS teams in the metro play that night. I can't make the game due to a commitment to a HS game. I look at it this way. Do we want to be a college town or the wonderful metropolitan area we are? Plan ahead and make the choices you have to make? I wouldn't trade where I live for any other Big Ten spot.

Do any other schools in metropolitan areas or who have to battle pro sports have this problem? Do you think Northwestern cares about this? The experience is different for everyone and we don't have to be like everyone. Sh!t my city council has 7 different opinions, now take 50,000 fans?
 

I tried tailgating once. Very boring, very very boring. My gameday experience is from the kickoff until the final seconds wind down.



Go Gophers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.
 

norman dale said:
The Texas State Fair has figured out a way to incorporate a the huge Texas-Oklahoma fanbases into its fair parking.

http://www.bigtex.com/docs/Tailgating.pdf

/

Largest state fairs by attendance http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/qampa-texas-tops-state-fair-attendance/1155248
We'll go with raw attendance figures here, even though the state fairs vary in length. The numbers are from 2010, courtesy of carnival warehouse.com, which tracks the largest 50 fairs of all kinds in North America:

1. Texas State Fair, 2,618,500 in 24 days

2. Minnesota State Fair, 1,776,211 in 12 days (so, No. 1 in average daily attendance)

3. Oklahoma State Fair, 1,100,000, 11 days

4. North Carolina State Fair, 1,091,887, 11 days

5. Arizona State Fair, 1,041,329, 24 days

Why can't the fair and the University co-promote their respective events? They are a natural fit together in the hands of the right promoter.
Click to expand...

If you asked everyone in the state of Texas would they rather have the state fair OR the Oklahoma game they'd take the game and cancel the fair. Same question in Minnesota with the Wisconsin game and they'd take the fair and skip the most played rivalry in all of college football.
 

"Tailgating" in a different city from where the game is being played and then taking a bus is hardly "tailgating" in the first place. Get a spot at the River Flats and stop whining.
 

I realize its Sunday, and we do not have DL65's report. To this point, nothing, nada, nunca from Norwood. It will be hard to get in front of it now. The first question, the constant question Mr. Teague will have to answer is you have stated very clearly improving the game day experience is important, critical, going to happen, how is cutting back on tailgaiting, moving lot pass holders to a parking ramp improve anything. Did you think you could sneak it by in the small print?
 

TexasAggie11 said:
I'm sure all that is true. I was simply responding to the 'there isn't room' bit.
Click to expand...

There isn't room for real tailgating. Picnic in the grass is not what people think of when someone says "tailgating"
 

Sometimes one must question just how sincere our new Norwood really is. Perhaps he fancies himself to be a "slick guy"...a "Teflon" guy who is just too slick for the hicks in Minnesota. That would be fine...IF he could sell it. My question is: "...just how well is our new Norwood SELLING it...or...is he just SLINGING it? Does he "get" football...does he care about football?" I am starting to feel a bit concerned about our new Norwood...He has been here a while and what has he really done to make the Football Program a better Program. Game Day Experience? He has got to SHOW me something before I will buy that he has done much of anything except talk...talk...talk...maybe he needs some more assistants from VCU to get some work done on Football Game Day Stuff...oh, that's right: VCU doesn't have football...

First they gave us the mac-guy and then they trotted out this new Norwood version of an AD. Maybe our new Norwood will be GREAT...or maybe not. Things are moving pretty slowly and the pop from the new stadium is being totally wasted. Time marches on...and not much changes.

; 0 (
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom