WCCO Radio, which has broadcast Minnesota Gophers football, basketball and hockey games since World War II, lost it's broadcast rights to Gophers sports today. The Gophs can now be heard on 1500 AM, ESPN Radio; and also KTLK 100.3 FM, according to news reports today.
'CCO Radio has lost its hold on many of the Twin Cities sports teams: The Twins left several years ago for 1500 AM. The Vikings moved several years ago to Clear Channel-owned KFAN. And now, the Gophers.
Part of it was in order to move the Gophers to an all-sports radio format, which WCCO is not. But, WCCO has been pretty popular in the Twin Cities. It is funny though, 'CCO Radio seems to be on a downturn; yet WCCO TV is pushing up in the ratings. Matter of fact, just a few days ago, I had heard that WCCO's newscasts now rank higher in the ratings than KARE 11.
I remember back in the 80s, WCCO Radio seemed to be so popular. I can remember many a time driving up to the cabin on the weekends, listening to the Cannon Mess; or the on-the-hour sounder for the news report. It was a fun station to listen to. Now, it's not even on my car presets.
Funny story about the Cannon Mess: I never actually knew the name of the show until I was at Brown Institute for broadcasting. When I was a kid, I always thought the show was called the "Cannon Nest." Never dawned on me - I just thought that's what the show was called. Until my best friend emailed me one day when I was at Brown Institute, and told me about how his radio show in college was called the JD Mess, patterned of course, after the Cannon Mess.
I thought - oh, that was it! The Cannon Mess....
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Showing posts with label Gophers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gophers. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sports Day in Minnesota - an idea
Some of us may know that Fox Sports North (FSN), the regional cable sports network here in the Twin Cities, annually sponsors what they call "Hockey Day in Minnesota." FSN broadcasts peewee games, a high school game, a Gophers game and a Wild game all in the same day.
I was thinking the other day, now that Minnesota's sports teams all have a place of their own to play, what if all four major teams and the Gophers, played at home, on the same day?
It could work. It would be an economic boom for the Twin Cities with all those people. The TV networks would love the revenue. Here's how I envision it would work, and who would broadcast what.
We start the day at 11am with the Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. The game would be carried either by ESPN or the Big Ten Network.
You could have a Wild game at 2pm at the Xcel Energy Center, broadcast by FSN.
It would take some doing with the NFL, but suppose there was a Vikings game at the Dome at about 3pm. Maybe even 4pm. This is where it could get a little interesting. Depending on whether FOX has the Major League Baseball playoffs that year, they might opt to show the World Series instead of a mid-season NFL game.
If Turner Broadcasting had the playoffs that year, just throw a couple million dollars at FOX to broadcast the game.
The overlap with the Wild game wouldn't be too bad.
Then, say the Timberwolves have their home opener at 5pm at Target Center. This one would be broadcast locally on Channel 45, KSTC.
And then, the piece de resistance, the Minnesota Twins play at Target Field at 7pm. For all five of these games to converge like this, it would put this particular day on or around October 28. The NBA regular-season doesn't start until very late October at the earliest.
And, it also assumes that the Twins likely took their season to Game 7 of the World Series that year.
All five teams would be very happy of course. All five are taking tickets, at home, in their own place, on the same day. I envision officials from MetroTransit at each venue passing out balloons, making speeches and throwing rice, celebrating the fact that the light rail systems they built and the commuter rail are working at full capacity.
This day probably would work best after the Central Corridor light rail along University Avenue is completed.
Downtown Minneapolis would benefit the most, as you'd have 40,000 for the Twins game. 63,000 for the Vikings game. 20,000 for the Timberwolves game. Another 50,000 just across the river for the Gophers. And, downtown Saint Paul would see 18,000 for the hockey game.
Restaurants and bars would be crowded. Streets would be buzzing with people. Traffic would be miserable (for those that didn't take mass transit). But, that would be one fun day.
I was thinking the other day, now that Minnesota's sports teams all have a place of their own to play, what if all four major teams and the Gophers, played at home, on the same day?
It could work. It would be an economic boom for the Twin Cities with all those people. The TV networks would love the revenue. Here's how I envision it would work, and who would broadcast what.
We start the day at 11am with the Gophers at TCF Bank Stadium. The game would be carried either by ESPN or the Big Ten Network.
You could have a Wild game at 2pm at the Xcel Energy Center, broadcast by FSN.
It would take some doing with the NFL, but suppose there was a Vikings game at the Dome at about 3pm. Maybe even 4pm. This is where it could get a little interesting. Depending on whether FOX has the Major League Baseball playoffs that year, they might opt to show the World Series instead of a mid-season NFL game.
If Turner Broadcasting had the playoffs that year, just throw a couple million dollars at FOX to broadcast the game.
The overlap with the Wild game wouldn't be too bad.
Then, say the Timberwolves have their home opener at 5pm at Target Center. This one would be broadcast locally on Channel 45, KSTC.
And then, the piece de resistance, the Minnesota Twins play at Target Field at 7pm. For all five of these games to converge like this, it would put this particular day on or around October 28. The NBA regular-season doesn't start until very late October at the earliest.
And, it also assumes that the Twins likely took their season to Game 7 of the World Series that year.
All five teams would be very happy of course. All five are taking tickets, at home, in their own place, on the same day. I envision officials from MetroTransit at each venue passing out balloons, making speeches and throwing rice, celebrating the fact that the light rail systems they built and the commuter rail are working at full capacity.
This day probably would work best after the Central Corridor light rail along University Avenue is completed.
Downtown Minneapolis would benefit the most, as you'd have 40,000 for the Twins game. 63,000 for the Vikings game. 20,000 for the Timberwolves game. Another 50,000 just across the river for the Gophers. And, downtown Saint Paul would see 18,000 for the hockey game.
Restaurants and bars would be crowded. Streets would be buzzing with people. Traffic would be miserable (for those that didn't take mass transit). But, that would be one fun day.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Finally, back on campus
Well, unfortunately, I wasn't at the Gophers-Air Force game on Sept. 12 to welcome on-campus football back to the University of Minnesota. But, I can proudly say, I watched the entire game on the Big Ten Network; and for me, it was fun seeing a Gopher home game in a setting other than the Metrodome.
The commentators raved all night long about how the stadium "was done right." Still, others have commented to me that TCF Bank Stadium, "looks just like the old one." Well, maybe not EXACTLY like the old one.
Memorial Stadium was the last on-campus stadium at the U of M, vacated in 1981 for the sterile Metrodome a couple miles away. And, there were plenty of things missing in that stadium that are present in TCF Bank Stadium. Memorial Stadium, aka "the brickhouse" had all bench seating. TCF Stadium has about half bench seating, half chair-back seating. However, the University has taken an interesting approach to the bleacher seating. For a little over $40 a year, season ticket holders in the bleacher areas of the stadium can have a stadium seat installed professionally.
This site: http://www.twinsballpark2010.com in a post entitled "A Football Place - Nuts and Bolts" has some good pictures of what the installed stadium seats look like.
And of course, TCF Stadium has a much larger, hi-def video scoreboard, private suites, artificial turf (that really does look like grass) - all amenities that were absent at Memorial Stadium.
Amidst the excitement of being back on campus, and high praise from TV commentators, the opening was not without a few glitches. Many reports said that entry into the stadium was slow - with security measures and all. A big complaint was the concession operations. Apparently, the concession stands at the stadium don't have cash registers. They use a barcode system for each concession item, then add the total on your basic Texas Instrument calculator.
Hmm...almost $300 million to build the place, and no cash registers. Alcohol is also absent from the stadium. You might remember there was a big discussion about alcohol sales at the stadium, whether it should be available in the high-priced seats only, or to everyone. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty basically put it all into perspective, "it's available to everybody, or nobody." So, they went with nobody.
Parking can also be a nightmare over at the U. Matter of fact, TCF Stadium was built over four very sizable parking lots. Many were told to park in ramps on the west side of the river and take a shuttle to the stadium. You can take the Hiawatha Light Rail to the Metrodome station, and take a Metro Transit bus to the stadium as well.
We will just have to wait and see how the U handles these small little glitches. Hey, every stadium and arena in the country has at least a couple on opening night. And, the university is already dealing with noise complaints from neighbors around the stadium, saying the public address system is too loud.
Perhaps, maybe college football stadiums do concessions and gate entry procedures differently. The Metrodome, the home for the Gophers for the last 27 years, hires union employees to take tickets, sell hot dogs and show people where their seats are. Most if not all of the people working at TCF Stadium, are student volunteers.
It seems that there are some opportunities for the U to ramp up the PR, and do what they can to solve the small glitches as much as they can.
In any event, Gopher football is back on campus, the excitement is back, the Gophers have probably won several fans back, and gained new ones. And, we're undefeated in our new home.
Ski-U-Mah.
The commentators raved all night long about how the stadium "was done right." Still, others have commented to me that TCF Bank Stadium, "looks just like the old one." Well, maybe not EXACTLY like the old one.
Memorial Stadium was the last on-campus stadium at the U of M, vacated in 1981 for the sterile Metrodome a couple miles away. And, there were plenty of things missing in that stadium that are present in TCF Bank Stadium. Memorial Stadium, aka "the brickhouse" had all bench seating. TCF Stadium has about half bench seating, half chair-back seating. However, the University has taken an interesting approach to the bleacher seating. For a little over $40 a year, season ticket holders in the bleacher areas of the stadium can have a stadium seat installed professionally.
This site: http://www.twinsballpark2010.com in a post entitled "A Football Place - Nuts and Bolts" has some good pictures of what the installed stadium seats look like.
And of course, TCF Stadium has a much larger, hi-def video scoreboard, private suites, artificial turf (that really does look like grass) - all amenities that were absent at Memorial Stadium.
Amidst the excitement of being back on campus, and high praise from TV commentators, the opening was not without a few glitches. Many reports said that entry into the stadium was slow - with security measures and all. A big complaint was the concession operations. Apparently, the concession stands at the stadium don't have cash registers. They use a barcode system for each concession item, then add the total on your basic Texas Instrument calculator.
Hmm...almost $300 million to build the place, and no cash registers. Alcohol is also absent from the stadium. You might remember there was a big discussion about alcohol sales at the stadium, whether it should be available in the high-priced seats only, or to everyone. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty basically put it all into perspective, "it's available to everybody, or nobody." So, they went with nobody.
Parking can also be a nightmare over at the U. Matter of fact, TCF Stadium was built over four very sizable parking lots. Many were told to park in ramps on the west side of the river and take a shuttle to the stadium. You can take the Hiawatha Light Rail to the Metrodome station, and take a Metro Transit bus to the stadium as well.
We will just have to wait and see how the U handles these small little glitches. Hey, every stadium and arena in the country has at least a couple on opening night. And, the university is already dealing with noise complaints from neighbors around the stadium, saying the public address system is too loud.
Perhaps, maybe college football stadiums do concessions and gate entry procedures differently. The Metrodome, the home for the Gophers for the last 27 years, hires union employees to take tickets, sell hot dogs and show people where their seats are. Most if not all of the people working at TCF Stadium, are student volunteers.
It seems that there are some opportunities for the U to ramp up the PR, and do what they can to solve the small glitches as much as they can.
In any event, Gopher football is back on campus, the excitement is back, the Gophers have probably won several fans back, and gained new ones. And, we're undefeated in our new home.
Ski-U-Mah.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Farewell, Williams Arena floor
After 81 years, the hardwood at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus is being replaced.
I know it's not a widely-renowned playing surface, a la the grass court at Wimbledon, Amen Corner at Augusta National or even the infamous parquet floor on which the Boston Celtics play, which was even moved from the Boston Garden to the new arena across the street in 1995 (the place changes names so many times, I'm afraid if I use one here, it'll be obsolete by tomorrow); but, here in Minnesota, they're cutting up a piece of history at "The Barn."
It was on that very floor (which sits atop a concrete slab, raising it a couple feet, to improve sightlines) that the 1951 NCAA Basketball Championship was played. It was on that floor that players such as Randy Breuer, Kevin McHale and Mychal Thompson played their years of college hoops.
And above that very floor, hangs championship banners - and even empty spots in which banners were taken down because of NCAA sanctions (namely the banner for the Gophers' 1997 Final Four appearance).
The St. Cloud Times reported that the floor has been sanded and re-painted several times in the floor's history - but it will now be replaced by a floor with more "modern materials and a new paint job." And, the new floor will be raised, just like its predecessor.
So, now, the court sits under a white "dust shield" while the demolition continues. It looks a little bit like they're protecting the floor from a nuclear attack. The pieces will be cut up and sold as part of a fundraiser for the U of M Athletics Department.
Thanks for reading - and have a good holiday weekend.
I know it's not a widely-renowned playing surface, a la the grass court at Wimbledon, Amen Corner at Augusta National or even the infamous parquet floor on which the Boston Celtics play, which was even moved from the Boston Garden to the new arena across the street in 1995 (the place changes names so many times, I'm afraid if I use one here, it'll be obsolete by tomorrow); but, here in Minnesota, they're cutting up a piece of history at "The Barn."
It was on that very floor (which sits atop a concrete slab, raising it a couple feet, to improve sightlines) that the 1951 NCAA Basketball Championship was played. It was on that floor that players such as Randy Breuer, Kevin McHale and Mychal Thompson played their years of college hoops.
And above that very floor, hangs championship banners - and even empty spots in which banners were taken down because of NCAA sanctions (namely the banner for the Gophers' 1997 Final Four appearance).
The St. Cloud Times reported that the floor has been sanded and re-painted several times in the floor's history - but it will now be replaced by a floor with more "modern materials and a new paint job." And, the new floor will be raised, just like its predecessor.
So, now, the court sits under a white "dust shield" while the demolition continues. It looks a little bit like they're protecting the floor from a nuclear attack. The pieces will be cut up and sold as part of a fundraiser for the U of M Athletics Department.
Thanks for reading - and have a good holiday weekend.
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