NorthDakotaHockey Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 One week ago, my kids and I had just finished the Anthem, were settling into our seats at Mariucci, and were watching the puck drop. I was then so convinced that the Sioux would be going on a four game run to Championship that I was rife with excitement. We all were. So, here I sit, listening to any Gopher fan who wants to spout. That is fine. Let them spout. Wait 'til next year. I am still amazed that Gopher fans, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, could not, and did not, come out in droves to watch their beloved team, defending National Champs, play their last game of the season on home ice. How do I know this? I, and other fans, were left with a handful of ducats to sell, at bargain prices, to any Gopher fan willing to make the trip. There were few takers. This is one of the many distinctions between Sioux and Gopher fans. Two years from now, at the West Regional in Englestad, the rafters will be bursting with Sioux fans, regardless of who we are playing. No fair weather-ites in Sioux Country. No sir. Not yesterday. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWG Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Another Sioux fan was complaining about all the Gopher banter on this board, and here's a Sioux fan digging for more Its not Gopher fans who are fair weather fans (and this wouldn't even apply as they're on a tear right now anyway), but Minnesota fans. As a Bear's fan I could get tickets to the Bears/Vikings game every year until 1999. Now, all of a sudden in 2002 I was able to again. Coincidence? The Twins drew how many fans a game before mid 2001? Other cities have the same problem as well, but it does seem to be a fair weather fan market in Minnesota on all fronts. Even the Wild who are still experiencing sell outs get quite a few empty seats on non-big team games. To the Gophers defense, typically on a Saturday in the Twin Cities you have som many different things going on that its hard to fill all the venues. I.E. the NCAA basketball regional final conflicted with the Gopher game. Basketball unfortunately is still more popular than hockey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handyman Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Do you think it was possible that many of the Gopher fans didnt buy tickets cause 8 thousand Gopher fans already bought tickets? Just a thought though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beersong Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Unlike Grand Forks, Minneapolis has other things to do besides going to a hockey game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdahl Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 Having lived in the Twin Cities, I'm forced to agree with JWG that Minnesota fans (the state, not the school) are the most fair-weather I've been around. However, I also have to say that UND has definitely had fair weather fans. Again, it's tough to see now because we're in a period of relative success. Anyone who we went to hockey games in the early 90s knows what I'm talking about (I think all 2500 of us probably still know each other). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamsioux Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 The Twin Cities also has just a FEW more people I think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11~ZachAttack~11 Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 I don't know about you guys but I would much rather go to a hockey game than go to a football or baseball game. Thats just my opinion - don't jump all over me for saying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handyman Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Besides the Cubs, name me one bad team that sells out consistantly. Fans want a winner plain and simple. If the Sioux are down they wont draw, same with the Vikes, Packers (they may sell but I remember watching those games on TV when no one was there) Gophs (once the waiting list is dissolved down to nothing) and everyone else. For the money we pay we expect the best. Minnesota as a whole does have a lot of cruddy fans this is for sure. I am not one. I have gone to Twins games since 1987 (went on a 1 year hiatus in protest of the lack of even trying to put forth a good team in the 90's) and have been watching the Vikes since around then as well even when they stink. Before I realized the NBA sucked I used to attend Wolves games when I could (especially the first 4 years) and I have been to about 7 Wild games. To show you how much of a non-fairweather fan I am, I never miss Gopher FB games and have watched every game since I was 6. It is impossible to be a frontrunner with that team! Man if the Gophs go back to back the NEWBIES at Mariucci will be twice as bad. Now no one will be able to get student tickets (this year 3/4 of the students either have SRO or one day passes) and no one will show. Great Fact is there is just too much going on here in the Cities...I say contract the Wolves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthDakotaHockey Posted April 5, 2003 Author Share Posted April 5, 2003 Do you think it was possible that many of the Gopher fans didnt buy tickets cause 8 thousand Gopher fans already bought tickets? Just a thought though 8,000 whole Gopher fans. Wow. In an area of what, three million? Don't get me wrong. The Gopher hockey team has some very loyal fans. Just not that many of them, when push comes to shove. Let's see. The couch. Chips and dip on the trailer trash couch, with the fold down tray. Gophers on the TV. Naw, I won't go down to the arena. Too much work. Too much money. Rather stay home and just tell people later that I was there . . . . How many Gopher fans claimed they were at the Frozen Four last year when they were not? How many will this year? C'est la vie. C'est le gere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlop Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Let's ask Tarek Howard if we can borrow the Lamoreaux borsthers for next year. I am willing to bet that Pj, Mario, and Jocque could at least equal the output we had out of our fourth line this year. Yes, I know that PJ is defense, but even so...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melde Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 The Twin Cities is much larger the grand forks, but as mentioned there are 4 pro teams and countless college sports going on. The fan base does have their favorites and can't spend their time and money at every event. grand forks is like green bay, small market, sioux hockey and the packers are the only show around, regardless of size. Does your football team etc sellout? I bet not, Gopher basketball etc does very well. I'm so sick of hearing how Minnesota is full of fair weather fans, many other cities don't sell out every event, hell, most other cities can only support 1 or 2 pro sports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melde Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Here is a link with hockey seasonal attendance. It's outdated by all I could find http://www.ncaa.org/stats/icehockey/1/atte...attendance.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11~ZachAttack~11 Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 The Twin Cities is much larger the grand forks, but as mentioned there are 4 pro teams and countless college sports going on. ............ many other cities don't sell out every event, hell, most other cities can only support 1 or 2 pro sports. Like I said before - I would rather go to watch a Sioux hockey game rather than a professional game. Professionals play for money - College students play for their team - the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back of it. I mean, sure I would love to see a pro game - but if my team was in the finals for hockey and we had home ice - I would be supporting them before the pro team. I understand that Minnesota has the Vikes, the Twins, the Wild, and the T-Wolves but if I had to choose, I would choose college hockey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siouxrock Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 we goto b-ball games goto bars goto highs school hockey go to football Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatspin7 Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Here is a link with hockey seasonal attendance. It's outdated by all I could find http://www.ncaa.org/stats/icehockey/1/atte...attendance.html Try this one, its as of 2002. http://www1.ncaa.org/eprise/main/Public/pa...attendance.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schmidtdoggydog Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Canisius averages only 273 fans per game? That had to increase now that they have Forecheck's dreamboat, The Wookie, on their roster!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthDakotaHockey Posted April 5, 2003 Author Share Posted April 5, 2003 Try this one, its as of 2002. http://www1.ncaa.org/eprise/main/Public/pa...attendance.html The feared UConn Huskies are not even on the list?!? Maybe we ought to take that automatic MAAC bid off the board for a few more years? Or, why not open the post-season up to everyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWG Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Let's be fair about this... the numbers for both UND and the Gophers are sell-out numbers. The Sioux drew more, but the arena is bigger. We can't out draw UND if we don't the seats to put people in. BOTH teams have good fans who buy the seats right now. I don't think you can say one is better than the other if both are selling out. We could argue over butts in the seats all night long and never agree... going straight on attendance both teams are doing 100% Team Home Att. Home Dates Avg. Home Att. 1. Wisconsin 236,140 20 11,807 2. North Dakota 194,745 17 11,456 3. Minnesota 220,698 22 10,032 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handyman Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 8,000 whole Gopher fans. Wow. In an area of what, three million? Don't get me wrong. The Gopher hockey team has some very loyal fans. Just not that many of them, when push comes to shove. Let's see. The couch. Chips and dip on the trailer trash couch, with the fold down tray. Gophers on the TV. Naw, I won't go down to the arena. Too much work. Too much money. Rather stay home and just tell people later that I was there . . . . How many Gopher fans claimed they were at the Frozen Four last year when they were not? How many will this year? C'est la vie. C'est le gere. Wow you have some serious hatred issues to deal with. I suggest you seek counceling BTW dont describe St. Cloud and try and pass it off for the Cities...last time I checked most of the suburban area is hardly the "white trash paradise" you described. Of course if you ventured down here to civilization more often you just might get that I dont know how many "claimed" to be at the X but I can give you a pretty accurate count of how many were there if you like...I am willing to bet the number is rather large Whatever man just keep hating and fuming...its all good to me! Believe me nothing would compell me to want to switch places with you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leifolson Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Having lived in the Twin Cities, I'm forced to agree with JWG that Minnesota fans (the state, not the school) are the most fair-weather I've been around. However, I also have to say that UND has definitely had fair weather fans. Again, it's tough to see now because we're in a period of relative success. Anyone who we went to hockey games in the early 90s knows what I'm talking about (I think all 2500 of us probably still know each other). I remember the arena being a little empty a few nights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaNorthStar Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Being born and raised in the Cities, Minnesota definately has a lot of fair weather fans, though it has decreased in recent years. I remember Viking games being blackedout because of lack of ticket sales. I've also seen a Packer section in Target (where I work at home) that was always running low on merchandise. The only sport here that doesn't seem to have a lot of fair weather fans is hockey. Now to throw a little history at ya. The reason the North Stars left Minnesota was becuase the Met Center wasn't making enough money for them to stay (The Civic/River/Xcel Center would have, but Norm Greed wasn't having it). We do need to cut JWG and the Gophers some slack about the attendance. Marriucci is a smaller arean than the Ralph. That was the problen with the Met, it only had around 15,000 seats. Give them a bigger arena and the fans will turn out, as was seen at the Final Five this year. By the way...there are fair weather fans everywhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siouxrock Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 at least we average more then the gophs how can wisconsin average more? i mean tehy sucked it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slap Shot Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 at least we average more then the gophs how can wisconsin average more? i mean tehy sucked it up Because of the number of seats available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siouxrock Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 adn we can fill those seats why dont u get a new arena better tehn ours? wait, there cant be an arena better tehn ours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slap Shot Posted April 5, 2003 Share Posted April 5, 2003 Did your mother feed you paint chips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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