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.

Stadium Arcadium

It's been a while since we've fired up the blog machine and if this is your only source of news or connecting with the outside world, we got bin Laden.

There's a lot of ways I could go with this blog post, considering the Twins are staring their worst season since the mid-90s in the face, how the NBA playoffs have been better than I ever thought they could have been and why Ricky Rubio will never arrive.

For now, the thoughts will be focused on a potential new Vikings stadium and how they have suddenly gone from coming up with nothing over the last 10 or 15 years to two proposals in as many days, at either the Metrodome or in the northern suburb of Arden Hills.

I don't usually commend his work, but Patrick Reusse nailed the situation with his column on Wednesday on the matter. The Metrodome idea isn't a new one and the Vikings used to be behind that idea but I can't blame the purple-clad squad now, especially when they found a dance partner who could help them with their $1.2 billion Wilf World. The Vikings appear to be madly in love with Ramsey County and that is fine, because I will fight for the Metrodome.

The state has said that their contribution will not top $300 million, including infrastructure. Arden Hills could have that amount in highways and interchanges, alone. The upgrades in infrastructure would be around $25 million at the Dome and I have a feeling that with the Vikings now stepping up for around 40 to 45 percent of the total cost, the state might be willing to pony up for the extra $25 million. Toss in the light rail (that will expand in 2014, with the addition of the Central Corridor) and the Metrodome is the more attractive site from a transportation standpoint.

I favor the Metrodome site because it is ready now and leaves the facility more attractive to whatever may want to come to the Twin Cities (Final Fours, Super Bowls, World Frolf Championships). People want to be closer to everything else that is in Minneapolis or Saint Paul or the Mall of America. That doesn't happen when you are 11 miles north of both of those cities in Arden Hills, on a site that is unearthing more and more questions. Because of this, I think that the stadium does more for the economy downtown than it would being out in the suburbs.

With all of this said, I have my doubts that any of this actually occurs before the end of the legislative session in a couple of weeks, simply because there are a ton of hurdles to get past. I won't go crazy like Vikings play-by-play man Paul Allen has over these transgressions, considering it the greatest moment ever but it is some sort of progress.