The Minnesota away game experience
Having just returned, I thought I'd share some thoughts about the Minnesota away game experience though it sounds like our next trip there is several years off.
First, on the positive side, Minnesota has a relatively new stadium with a brick facade and arched portals giving it a quasi-traditional feel. The fans and stadium staff exude "Minnesota nice" (the ticket taker even said "go blue" while scanning my ticket). Michigan travelled well, and you could tell that the Michigan sidelines and D heard us cheering them on during the last Gopher drive.
On the downside, the Gopher PA announcer made me really appreciate the Michigan experience. He was an over-the-top homer without any compensating humor or charm reminding me of an infomertial host on speed. He also, oddly, kept calling Drake Johnson what sounded like "Tony Johnson" (I see below he was saying "20 Johnson" -- my bad not his). Michigan's announcers are -- I've been told -- instructed to avoid histrionics & extreme partisanship but the Minnesota guy missed that memo. Also, the piped-in music was oppressively loud and relentless at least in the corner where one of the Michigan sections was. They kept playing music at high volume after Jake or Wilton got to the line, which I imagine would have impacted to some extent either's ability to change the play if the music was nearly as ear-splitting on the field as it was in the stands (I understand noise is part of the home-field advantage but it should be crowd noise).
Anyway, it is a trip worth taking (the twin cities are great) and it was fun to see us bring back the jug.
November 1st, 2015 at 8:57 PM ^
Who is Jake the Wilton? :)
November 1st, 2015 at 9:05 PM ^
King of Wolverburgh, son of Robinson the Gardner...father of John the Gentry the Fourth.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:06 PM ^
Hahaha! Thanks.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:42 PM ^
".....son of Frothgar, leaves his home to seek Hangar the Elder at the home of Thorvald Nlodvisson, the son of Gudleif, half brother of Thorgier, the priest of Ljosa water, who took to wife Thurunn, the mother of Thorkel Braggart, the slayer of Cudround the powerful, who knew Howal, son of Geernon, son of Erik from Valdalesc, son of Arval Gristlebeard, son of Harken, who killed Bjortguaard in Sochnadale in Norway over Cudreed, daughter of Thorkel Long, the son of Kettle-Trout, the half son of Harviyoun Half-troll, father of Ingbare the Brave, who with Isenbert of Gottenberg the daughter of Hangbard the Fierce ..."
November 1st, 2015 at 9:40 PM ^
i think he was part of the Plantagenent dynasty.
Good catch. Fixed.
November 1st, 2015 at 8:57 PM ^
They serve beer at the stadium. That was fun
November 1st, 2015 at 9:11 PM ^
I've heard that. How is that possible for a university owned on campus venue? I thought there were rules.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 1st, 2015 at 9:26 PM ^
There are a handful of college stadiums that serve beer.
November 1st, 2015 at 10:28 PM ^
Purdue now does, this started last season when they removed those rickety old south endzone bleachers and replaced them with a beer garden/food court area.
November 2nd, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
because the Purdue fans have to watch Purdue play football.
November 1st, 2015 at 11:00 PM ^
Maryland does too.
I had a couple at the Michigan game even though it was cold, windy, and rainy and the beers were like $5.00 for a 12oz. beer . . . mostly just because I could.
Once that novelty wore off, I had hot chocolate.
November 2nd, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
$8 if my memory serves me right...
November 1st, 2015 at 11:48 PM ^
Someone created a helpful map for this.
November 2nd, 2015 at 12:03 PM ^
Folsom Field in Boulder used to serve beer ...then banned it in about 1998 or so.
but you can still get liquor in the 'club level' as is the case with many college stadiums. if you pay enough, you get to drink.
November 2nd, 2015 at 1:14 AM ^
UW serves beer in a tent just outside the stands (but inside the stadium) operated by a local business.
Never a problem.
November 1st, 2015 at 10:06 PM ^
Friendly Gopher fan wearing one of those weird capes chatted us up walking into the stadium. He mentioned that they lose money on it every year but they serve beer because the fans love it. Not sure if that is a real stat or not, but I thought that was awesome. Friendly fans for the most part.
November 1st, 2015 at 10:39 PM ^
They lost money selling beer the first year because they got approval to sell at the last minute, so the infrastructure was kind of a mess and they way overdid it on security costs. Once they got the kinks worked out after the first year, I don't think they lose money on it anymore.
November 1st, 2015 at 8:58 PM ^
Glad you survived. The gophers stadium seemed pretty rockin on tv. I'm just happy we got our jug back.
November 1st, 2015 at 8:59 PM ^
I don't know if it's an actual rule or just tradition, but yeah, our PA guys at Michigan Stadium have always been very neutral-sounding. The Crisler guy is more of a homer, and I don't care for him.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:07 PM ^
To your point, basketball PA announcers always tend to be more animated and bias...both college and NBA levels (the Pistons announcer mine as well be a hype man on a part bus). Don't think our guy at Crisler is anywhere out of the norm. The rules of the road are different as well as home teams can play music, beats, and sound effects during actual play.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:00 PM ^
He was referencing his number "20" Johnson.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 2nd, 2015 at 1:39 AM ^
I also had thought he was saying Tony.
November 2nd, 2015 at 8:23 AM ^
I heard Tony Johnson and so did everyone around me, both Michigan and Minnesota fans.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:01 PM ^
I would expect stadium announcers to be pro home team to a point.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:03 PM ^
I've road tripped to most of the B1G campuses for games and Minnesota was definitely a favorite. Granted, that was back in 1996 and they were still at the Metrodome, so it was a little different. I was also in ninth grade and so going to Mall of America was about enough to impress me on its own.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:38 PM ^
that was almost 20 years ago. Lots has changed.
November 2nd, 2015 at 6:16 AM ^
...which was pretty much acknowledged.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:03 PM ^
Minnesota fans are pretty good folks and I think are on parity with Michigan fans. You can feel safe traveling there and not have to worry about a beer bottle being thrown at your head like is done in Columbus.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:06 PM ^
That isn't Minnesota's stadium. Theirs is currently being built and they're using the Viking's new stadium til it's completed.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:09 PM ^
That's backwards. The Vikings are playing in the Gopher's stadium.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:20 PM ^
TCF Stadium was built for the Gophers, while US Bank Stadium is being built for the Vikings.
This thing looks like a monstorsity!
November 1st, 2015 at 9:27 PM ^
Looks like a vessel. A Viking ship perhaps?
November 1st, 2015 at 9:31 PM ^
(the rails are pictured just the right of the stadium in that image). And that place is absolutely enormous; I definitely had the thought it was evocative of a Viking ship. Pretty cool architecture, really.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:39 PM ^
Looks like it has stealth capabilities a la F117 fighter.
November 2nd, 2015 at 1:16 AM ^
Looks like a Pontiac Azteca.
November 1st, 2015 at 9:34 PM ^
US Bank Stadium looks awesome up close. The Green and Blue lines share a train stop right next to the stadium and it is quite an impressive sight. The glass look on the side is really cool.
November 1st, 2015 at 11:31 PM ^
unless you're a bird
November 1st, 2015 at 10:00 PM ^
So the Legion of Doom is setting up HQ in the Twin Cities huh
November 1st, 2015 at 10:08 PM ^
tipped upside down, waiting for the next flood?
November 1st, 2015 at 9:09 PM ^
I thought it was the opposite
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 1st, 2015 at 9:09 PM ^
You are confused. It's the other way around. The stadium is on campus.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 1st, 2015 at 9:10 PM ^
Uh......
November 1st, 2015 at 9:10 PM ^
What do you mean? TCF stadium is definitely the gophers home stadium. Think you're trying to say the Vikings use TCF til their new stadium is finished (US Bank Stadium).
November 1st, 2015 at 9:11 PM ^
Ha, looks like all of us caught that crazy backward mistake at the same time
November 1st, 2015 at 9:21 PM ^
I heard that your thinking is backwards
November 1st, 2015 at 9:07 PM ^
Minneapolis is a nice city and I'mglad you enjoyed the game. I lived in Minnesota for one winter and it cured me of the desire ever to return.
The people were nice, even the Minnesota fans treated me with class. But the weather was more than I could bear.
November 1st, 2015 at 11:15 PM ^
I had a business trip there once in January. It was so cold, that the rental car windows were frosting up on the inside from our breath. The guy I was with had to scrape the windshield on the inside as I was driving so that we could see.
I grew up in northern PA and went to school in Michigan, so I am no stranger to the cold. But I have my limits.
BTW: Was it cold there for a night game at the end of October? It did not look like it was very cold.
November 2nd, 2015 at 8:26 AM ^
There was a very brief rain/snow mix right at the end of the first half, but other than that it was a great night for the end of October. There was hardly any wind.
November 2nd, 2015 at 8:59 AM ^
It was about 50. Chilly enough to wear a jacket, but for Minnesota in late October, it was balmy. Very mild autumn so far.
November 2nd, 2015 at 9:09 AM ^
I grew up in Dallas.