College Hockey 2013-2014 (Non-UND hockey)

[tnt]

In Omaha? No. But I guarantee you that UND doesn't have as many fans in Madison as Minnesota. I remember the Kessel year in 2006. Gopher fans took over the entire third deck. A badger fan told us he's never seen a fan base do that to their arena before.

Bottom line is that we're talking about two of the best, largest, and most passionate college hockey fan bases with UND and UM. It's silly to argue otherwise.

So you are saying that Minnesota has many more fans in its population base, but still can't draw as well at home as UND? Granted, their arena isn't as big, but then again, why is that? With that population base, not filling a 10,000+ seat stadium every time doesn't scream out passionate to me. Sure, many of the ones that are there are passionate, but I am talking as a whole.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

I would say that judging who is more passionate is rather difficult. I think it is misguided to say in either direction who is more passionate because passion isn't something you can really quantify. It is simply an opinion.

I saw the government stats on D1 sports finances and Minnesota makes something like twice as much money on its hockey program than we do. If their fans are willing to spend that much more money on their team than we do, does that make them more passionate? I'm not making that argument but somebody else certainly could.

I guess my point is we can't definitely state either way who is more passionate. Obviously we would say our side and they would differ. It is a matter of our own personal bias.

Yeah someone could make that argument about the revenue, and I would have a counter for it but since we won't go down the road it's not much of a point.

Passionate may have been the wrong word then: dedicated, loyal, diehard. And by the way, all of these are a result of college hockey being THE game in Grand Forks. I've never met a Gopher fan that is close to the level of dedication of many Sioux fans...and I live and work in Downtown Minneapolis so I've met more than my fair share of rodent supporters, including having a friend that's a Goldy mascot. I often know more about their own team then they do and when we get down to friendly arguments about the programs they always pull the "we have all these other sports teams and ND only has college hockey" line. And honestly, that does make us that more passionate, dedicated, and loyal. The Sioux are "The Game" in Grand Forks similar to the Packers being the only show in town in Green Bay. I think that makes us embrace the team even more since we know they are what puts Grand Forks on the map in the sports world and that makes us proud to call the team our own. So call it whatever word you want but Sioux fans and Gopher fans are very different.

[MafiaMan]

So you are saying that Minnesota has many more fans in its population base, but still can't draw as well at home as UND? Granted, their arena isn't as big, but then again, why is that? With that population base, not filling a 10,000+ seat stadium every time doesn't scream out passionate to me. Sure, many of the ones that are there are passionate, but I am talking as a whole.

In all fairness to TC folks, if you stuck an NHL team in East Grand Forks and put an NBA team at the AFB, I think Sioux hockey attendance might take a bit of a dip too.

[tnt]

In all fairness to TC folks, if you stuck an NHL team in East Grand Forks and put an NBA team at the AFB, I think Sioux hockey attendance might take a bit of a dip too.

But you are talking about a major metropolitan area. You are talking about 20+ times the population to draw from, and basketball doesn't seem to be a sport that plays well in this area, probably because of the passion for hockey.

[MafiaMan]

But you are talking about a major metropolitan area. You are talking about 20+ times the population to draw from, and basketball doesn't seem to be a sport that plays well in this area, probably because of the passion for hockey.

I realize it's an apples to oranges comparison, but it's a comparison nonetheless...

[Sodbuster]

I only watched about 30 percent of the UMD vs UMN-TC game, but it was absolutely awful listening to the "homerism" of the announcers. UMD has a team full of lousy no talent divers and talkers is the take away point. At one point, the color man actually said "GO Tom", or whatever the player's name was for the Gophers, as he started skating out of his d-zone. Did anyone else catch that? I think it was after Farley did his embellishment and the color guy was all fired up and about to cry.

I was pulling for UMD so hard in that game, seemed like they were the better team for long stretches when I watched.

Yes, I caught that too, but I thought i was hearing things.

[keikla]

What the heck happened at the Union/RPI game and where can we get a video? Eight suspensions and tons of penalty minutes... Coaches involved in the.brawl.

Haha I'd actually posted the video a couple days ago (a couple pages back in this thread), but it got lost in the arguments about fan bases. I was surprised no one had commented on it, since it kind of seemed like a big deal.

[Biddco]

After drawing about 4,000 for the opening semi-final and 3rd place game, I would concur with you about building something better. It would be hard to go down from that.

It will only get better.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

Exactly, I left my job at 3:00 to get across town on Friday, but it's totally different for people that have to take off at 11:00 or 12:00. I guess it doesn't surprise me that people are that self-important though. Gopher fans have had it pretty good for years and will because of the money involved. It's jsut the way it is at this point.

PASSION is the difference here. UND fans take the day off 6 months in advance, if needed, to make the trip possible. Step up the passion!

[Let'sGoHawks!]

So you are saying that Minnesota has many more fans in its population base, but still can't draw as well at home as UND? Granted, their arena isn't as big, but then again, why is that? With that population base, not filling a 10,000+ seat stadium every time doesn't scream out passionate to me. Sure, many of the ones that are there are passionate, but I am talking as a whole.

I can answer this one for you with their same, tired old argument. There is nothing else to do in North Dakota. There are a "bajillion" more things to do in the Twin Cities Metro area, thus, the difference in attendance. (They don't ever include that their metro area is 4 million or so, and GF's is 100,000 or so)

[smokey the cat]

I can answer this one for you with their same, tired old argument. There is nothing else to do in North Dakota. There are a "bajillion" more things to do in the Twin Cities Metro area, thus, the difference in attendance. (They don't ever include that their metro area is 4 million or so, and GF's is 100,000 or so)

What is there that is more to do that the locals partake in?

[Siouxman]

Passion is defined as the Fighting Sioux fan from Fort Worth, Texas that missed his first home Sioux game in two years just recently. Brad wrote about him in one of his stories from Denver. The guy did make it to Denver.

[Siouxman]

Well OF COURSE Minnesota sent their friendliest and best-behaved fans. They all had permission from their probation officers to leave the state for the tournament and were risking have a probation violation being filed upon their return to Minneapolis if they weren't on their best behavior.*

*I apologize in advance to any Gopher fan who takes offense to the above post. It is meant strictly in jest and any familarity to any Gopher fan, living or deceased, is unintentional.

I was being Fighting Sioux nice and didn't mention any of that.

[GFG]

But you are talking about a major metropolitan area. You are talking about 20+ times the population to draw from, and basketball doesn't seem to be a sport that plays well in this area, probably because of the passion for hockey.

It's a metropolitan area, but money isn't unlimited for most of the people living in it. The Wild and Gophers share A LOT of the same fans. Gophers basketball is significantly more popular than Gopher hockey (Same with every Big Ten school) and that takes even more money from fans who would possibly spend it to go to a Gophers hockey game. It's a completely different scenario in Grand Forks where there is literally no competition. It doesn't help that many of those other teams play the same night as the Gophers. A lot of people just choose to stay home or go to the bar so they can watch all of the games and not just one.

[Mariucci]

What is there that is more to do that the locals partake in?

Four professional sports teams and a Big Ten University. We're talking 7 popular sports teams. During just one weekend in the fall it's very possible to have Gopher hockey home game Friday and Saturday night, Gopher football home game Saturday afternoon, A Vikings home game that Sunday, and quite possibly and probably a Wild or T-Wolves game Friday, Sat, or Sunday.

Even now in the dead of winter you have Gopher hockey and basketball plus T-wolves and the Wild.

Some people don't think Minnesota has great sports fans but when you think about it it's pretty impressive that only the 12th biggest media market in the country can support 7 teams. 9 if you count the Linx and Gopher womens bball.

[MafiaMan]

Three professional sports teams, a Big Ten University, and a really good AAA baseball club.

Fixed your post.

[Wilbur]

I watched the games on TV and heard the estimates on "Beyond the Pond" on Saturday morning. The show did everything to try to minimize the Friday afternoon attendance problem, including at one point, blaming the weather. Instead of saying using actual numbers, they pointed out the 14,000 figure from Friday but admitted "several thousand less than that" for the afternoon game. Several thousand? Try 10 out of every 14 people with tickets not showing up for the UMD/Mankato game. Only UMD play-by-play man Bruce Ciskie mentioned the low attendance for the afternoon game as being problematic.

In the future BSU-SCSU will easily draw 15,000 fans for the third place game. Bank on that.

[MafiaMan]

In the future BSU-SCSU will easily draw 15,000 fans for the third place game. Bank on that.

Let me see if I have this right...St Cloud rotates out next year and Sacred Heart rotates in, correct?

[shortbusguy]

I can answer this one for you with their same, tired old argument. There is nothing else to do in North Dakota. There are a "bajillion" more things to do in the Twin Cities Metro area, thus, the difference in attendance. (They don't ever include that their metro area is 4 million or so, and GF's is 100,000 or so)

To be fair, if you're counting the whole MSP metro you should really include the FM area in your Grand Forks metro count. I used to live in Stillwater, considered in the metro, and it was an hour drive to campus. Live in Fargo now and it takes about the same time to get to REA.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

To be fair, if you're counting the whole MSP metro you should really include the FM area in your Grand Forks metro count. I used to live in Stillwater, considered in the metro, and it was an hour drive to campus. Live in Fargo now and it takes about the same time to get to REA.

Fair point. I believe St. Cloud is counted in the Twin Cities metro area, right?

Something that "cities" folks forget is that most people in ND cheer for the same professional teams they do, and regularly make trips to watch these pro teams, in addition to supporting either UND or NDSU. In my younger days, I would attend about the same amount of Vikings and Twins games that my friends in the Twin Cites and Rochester areas would. UND is my number one by far, but I still support other (professional) teams and attend their games...I just have to get a hotel for a night or two instead of drive back to my house. Nice weekend away, but the best part is, I get to come home after.

edit: same goes for concerts, if it isn't happening in GF or Fargo, the Cities are an easy little trip.

Back on topics: What's up with the wooden cup....?

Why did the coach lose it in that end of game brawl?

What are the good games to watch this weekend, being UND is off?

[tnt]

It's a metropolitan area, but money isn't unlimited for most of the people living in it. The Wild and Gophers share A LOT of the same fans. Gophers basketball is significantly more popular than Gopher hockey (Same with every Big Ten school) and that takes even more money from fans who would possibly spend it to go to a Gophers hockey game. It's a completely different scenario in Grand Forks where there is literally no competition. It doesn't help that many of those other teams play the same night as the Gophers. A lot of people just choose to stay home or go to the bar so they can watch all of the games and not just one.

You're making my argument for me, saying that gopher hockey isn't as popular as basketball, etc. You cannot say that about UND, period. Hockey is #1, and even Denver's ticket policy bears that out. Don't know of any other college team that has had a ticket policy directed exclusively at them.

[MafiaMan]

Fair point. I believe St. Cloud is counted in the Twin Cities metro area, right?

I don't consider St Cloud to be the 'Twin Cites metro' anymore than I consider Steele to be the 'Bismark metro.'

[smokey the cat]

To be fair, if you're counting the whole MSP metro you should really include the FM area in your Grand Forks metro count. I used to live in Stillwater, considered in the metro, and it was an hour drive to campus. Live in Fargo now and it takes about the same time to get to REA.

Stillwater is part of the Minneapolis MSA (metropolitan statistical area) and Fargo is not a part of the GF MSA.

[MNState0fHockey]

Hardly pal. The U's academics are right where they need to be for a Big Ten school. There's hardly a difference between 56(OSU) and the U at 68 nationally. You're trying to hard and failing miserably.

And that's just for the General College. Minnesota has one of the best business schools in the country, much less the Big Ten.

[MNState0fHockey]

It's amazing how few people in the TC media truly understand the set up or why it's happening the way it is. I listened to Ruesse yesterday and his hair-brained idea is that MSU and BSU should trade off each year and SCSU and UMD should be grandfathered in. Jess Meyers either doesn't get it or didn't want to spoil Ruesse's bit. Randy Shaver didn't even understand that it was a tournament this morning. It makes me distrust most of what they say simply because they are talking as if they are an "authority" and they're just flat out wrong.

Your first mistake was expecting any type of credible hockey dialogue from Reusse.