Besides Holiday Inn Metrodome any other suggestions as far as places to stay in Minneapolis. I would prefer to stay close to the Metrodome area. I've looked at several packages coming out of Fla.Airfare and hotel 2 nights/3days from $380.00-$600.00. Anybody know where the team might stay?
I live 2 blocks from the Holiday Inn Metrodome and it is probably one of the closest hotels to the dome there is. It does have the advantage of having 5 bars and about 7 restaurants right outside its front door. Not more than an 8 minute walk to the dome. Great place to be if you don't have access to a car. They have a shuttle service which will you bring you downtown if you like. There is a Radisson Metrodome (a misnomer in that it is not close to the dome) right in the heart of campus. That is the weekend that students move onto campus so there will be a lot of actvity in that area. About 4 blocks from there but in the opposite direction of the dome is a Days Inn where a lot of my out of town friends stay. Cheaper than the 2 above hotels but you get what you pay for. There are lots of hotels in MPLS so a room won't be a problem although I would stay away from the northern suburbs as the state fair is going on and that is just chaos.
Norman-what's the best Gopher website with message board?
Boca Rocket Wrote:Norman-what's the best Gopher website with message board?
This is the only one I have come across. I have had very nice discussions with Gopher fans off and on since 2001 there. They are cordial and respect the Rockets as we respect them.
<a href='http://minnesota.rivals.com/forum.asp?sid=935&fid=203&style=1' target='_blank'>Minnesota Rivals Board</a>
Minnesota people are very genuine.
As mentioned above the Minnesota Rivals board is best place to keep up to date. I am a habitual lurker an monitor a number of boards on a regular basis, especially the Big 10 conference members and for the most part our board is very receptive to other teams fans. I myself have a special interest in Toledo. Myself and my best friend went to the Minnesota vs. Toledo game in 2001 in which Toledo won handily that year. At the time I thought it was one of the low points of Gopher football during the Mason era and I wasn't sure we could ever be competitive. Suffice it to say I know longer feel that way. Also, I will never, ever forget that fake punt with 3 minutes left that Amstutz called while up 31 points. Since then I always keep track of how the Rockets do on a weekly basis. I for one am as excited for the home opener vs. Toledo as I get for any Big 10 game.
In all fairness to the fake punt.......
We ran it to keep the ball so we could run out the clock. You may have noticed that after we got the 1st down we basically just ran out the clock.
There were two things involved in it. #1 was to keep possesion of the ball and run out the clock. #2 was to see how well the team could execute the play in a game situation.
If we were doing that fake punt to run up the score or to stick it in Minnesota's face then we would have tried to score after it; which we did not.
IMO, Minnesota fans blew that play way out of proportion. Kind of like how I am sure Minnesota fans think that we UT fans complained way too much about the penalty called in 2002 on us when we executed a long TD pass to take a 28-21 lead. Replays showed that the pass was easily behind the line of scrimmage and should not have been a penalty. The Big Ten office even sent an official apology to UT about it. That play turned that game around big time. If the play would have stood we had a great shot of winning the game.
I've watched enough Toledo games to know that Amstutz is a risk-taker and will call his share of gimmick or "surprise" plays for lack of a better description but to see if your team can execute a fake punt with 3 minutes left up 31 is stupid coaching logic for a couple of reasons. 1) No S#&% the play worked. Why would Minnesota think to be alerted for a fake under those circumstances. 2) You don't think other teams looked at that tape and thought, "Gee, Toledo has a fake punt they ran, we had better watch out for that." Why not save it for a more crucial juncture in a close game rather than show it when it doesn't matter?
If you want to keep possession of the ball throw the bleeping pig in the air and earn it, don't sucker punch the other team. I know Toledo basically took a knee after gaining that first down but that didn't make it right in my opinion.
You don't think other teams looked at that tape and thought, "Gee, Toledo has a fake punt they ran, we had better watch out for that."
I have to believe that is exactly what Amstutz is hoping, that teams look at the tape and have to prepare for one more play. That's less time they can practice running something they want. It will also cause them to hesitate in punting situations. Always keep them guessing. That Amstutz is crazy enough to try anything at anytime so you better cover everything even if you can't cover anything thouroughly.
norman dale Wrote:I've watched enough Toledo games to know that Amstutz is a risk-taker and will call his share of gimmick or "surprise" plays for lack of a better description but to see if your team can execute a fake punt with 3 minutes left up 31 is stupid coaching logic for a couple of reasons. 1) No S#&% the play worked. Why would Minnesota think to be alerted for a fake under those circumstances. 2) You don't think other teams looked at that tape and thought, "Gee, Toledo has a fake punt they ran, we had better watch out for that." Why not save it for a more crucial juncture in a close game rather than show it when it doesn't matter?
If you want to keep possession of the ball throw the bleeping pig in the air and earn it, don't sucker punch the other team. I know Toledo basically took a knee after gaining that first down but that didn't make it right in my opinion.
Bottom line, if Amstutz was trying to score again, he could have. If he had, you would have something to cry about. As it is, all that he did was not let you touch the ball again...which is what he should have done. This "sucker punch" rationale is stupid. Yes, watching a MAC school completely dominate your team bruised some egos, but there is no reason to act like we ran the score on you. Parity was knocking on the door of college football for a while, your team just happened to be one of the "big boys" that had the misfortune to answer the knock.
We'll be knocking again in 134 days. You might want to wear a cup this time.
Other teams knowing that Amstutz had a fake punt play would just not be as likely to come after the punter to try and block it. That's a good thing if you are Toledo, so if others saw that tape then good.
Like I said and Oddball said.......it was obvious Toledo was trying to keep possesion to run out the clock. We didn't try to score again, we just ran out the clock.
