Make It Quick: You're Kidding (Ski-U) Meh?

Took me a while to read the Star Tribune today but when I saw the above-the-fold story on the slow sales of Golden Gopher student football tickets they had me. Read the online story and then go back to the seventh paragraph from the bottom and read those three graphs again.

Bob Hughes, president of the University of Minnesota's Goal Line football booster club, said the school has yet to recover from the loss of student support that came from playing nearly three decades at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.

"This whole generation of students now at the University of Minnesota, they didn't grow up with that college [on-campus] football experience," he said. "We lost a lot with the Metrodome."

But Hughes, despite the sagging numbers, is optimistic. "I easily see seven victories this year," he said. "I've never been so excited in my life."

I say: You're kidding me?

The Gophers moved out of the Metrodome because they complained about the lack of an on-campus experience. Now, because the team is bad and you can't sell tickets, now you're saying the Metrodome was better for students.

You cannot be serious. There is no possible way that can be argued. One could have played the beer card a year ago but even that will be served at games now, basically giving fans more than what they had at the Dome, except for the roof and Glen Mason.

As for the inability to sell student tickets, that part is simple: Wins = Butts in seats. That was the formula at the Dome and it will be the formula at TCF. You're not going to convince average college kids to show up at 11 AM to watch the Gophers lose 31-10 every week.

Mr. Booster Club President says he sees seven wins easy this year and while I'm normally optimistic about the Gophers, I think he's cracked based on his already flawed logic seen above. They might get seven wins, but by no means easily.

Take off the maroon-colored glasses Bob.