You think you know the U of M?

Jon at TNABACG posted about a recent Sports Illustrated On Campus visit to the University of Minnesota. I agree with him that it's good to get a more experienced opinion on these matters, but I disagree with some of his assessments as well as SI's. Instead of posting disagreements on his blog, I figured I'd retreat to my own safe haven and share my two cents.

Best Sports Arena

SI: Mariucci
TNABACG: Williams

Me: I have to agree and go with Williams, mostly because I've never really been past the ticket office in Mariucci Arena. I've been intrigued with Williams Arena ever since watching the Final Four season a decade ago. The catchy and unique features give our campus something to be proud of. If the horrible day ever comes in which they decide to bulldoze this arena for a new facility, I can only hope they design a new venue that pays tribute to Williams Arena. Keep the unique features like the raised floor, barn "lofts", and obstructed view seats, while also expanding the seating capacity and upgrading to more modern lockers rooms and concourses. No, I will not cry the day they get rid of Williams Arena unless they replace it with a stale, soulless venue like the Kohl Center.

Best Pizza Shop

SI: Campus Pizza and Mesa Pizza
TNABACG: Papa John's

Me: Papa John's? WTF? Look I understand that it is a very cheap option, and yes, I also ordered from them plenty of times during my freshmen days in Bailey Hall. But then I grew up. I became a sophomore and my palate matured. I did enjoy Campus Pizza, and while Mesa Pizza didn't come about until after I graduated, I have been there a couple times since.

My choice would have to be Duffy's Pizza, just around the corner from Burrito Loco. I'm not even sure if they are still open, but it combined the best of both Campus and Mesa Pizza. Like Mesa, it was a small shop that was open late after bar close and served pizza by the slice, but like Campus, it focused on the basics and not a bunch of gimmicky pizza toppings. And it was still cheap. You could get a slice of cheese pizza for $2 or pepperoni for $2.50. It also helped that I lived only one block away from this joint, too.

Best Outdoor Studying Area

SI: Northrop Mall
TNABACG: Tie between Northrop Mall, Superblock Commons, and St. Paul quad

Me: Northrop is hands down the best place and really fits the ideal campus picture. There are many general classroom buidlings nearby, there is a plaza area with tables and chairs, large trees to provide shade, and plenty of hustle and bustle. If you happen to sit down there on a day where some fat guy in suspenders and a tie is preaching and telling everybody they are going to hell, then I recommend packing up and heading down the steps behind Coffman to the river flats. This will provide a more serene and peaceful atmosphere. The only downside is you will eventually have to walk your fat ass back up those stairs.

Best Bar

SI: Blarney's
TNABACG: Stub and Herb's

Me: Blarney has gotten better since most of the douchebags and the women who love them have migrated to the Library, but it's still not the best. I also liked Stub and Herb's when I first turned 21 and didn't know any better. It's too far away from where most everybody lives and is always packed on game nights, which is about 3-4 times a week during the winter.

If I'm going to make such a long journey, I'm heading over to the West Bank and getting a table at Bullwinkle's. They got cheap beer and burgers, bubble hockey, the most action on a Thursday night, and the bartenders play music from a vast collection of burned mix CDs. I always seem to hear kick ass music there, such as the Pixies, Rancid, Elastica, Oasis, David Bowie, and the Violent Femmes.

Best Spot for Weekend Breakfast

SI: Al's
TNABACG: Al's

Me: Yeah, I understand that Al's is an institution and that everyone should go there at least once, but when I went, I had to stand in line for 20 minutes, got asked to move down a seat twice during my meal, and ate with a bunch of people standing over my shoulder and breathing down my neck. I had the eggs benedict and it was OK. I really feel the only reason to eat there is so you can tell people you ate at Al's.

I would even tell people to go to Al's if they asked for a recommendation, but if I were going out for breakfast, I would go across the street, step over a sidewalk caked with cigarette butts, and head down a stairway littered with concert fliers to the Dinkytowner. It's a nice dark basement with vinyl booths and a make-your-own-bloody-mary bar. That's right, you can get booze at this place, and you can even dine with a group of more than three people. It's hard to do that at the lunch counter across the street. It's the perfect place for a college student to meet with a group of friends, relax for a couple hours, and tell tales of drunken debauchery from the night before.

Best Laid-Back Student Hangout

SI: Coffman Union
TNABACG: St Paul Student Center

Me: I have vague recollections of Coffman before it was renovated, having only been in it once during my older sister's freshmen orientation. After the renovation, I'm happy to see it provides lots of different services, but it's anything but laid back. It's a constant hub of activity with people coming in and out for various reasons. The thing that bothers me the most though is the lighting. Too much harsh fluorescent lighting.

I will second the St. Paul Student Center. It offers many of the same services with less noise, less people, and a cozier setting. If you don't want to go all the way to the St. Paul campus, I recommend grabbing your books, lunch, and coffee and try to get into Northrop Auditorium. Sometimes it is unlocked for various reasons and you can sit in one of the cozy seats to study or take a nap. The silence in that place is eerie and soothing at the same time.

Best Student Section

SI: Williams Arena
TNABACG: Williams Arena

Me: I also have to agree. Seeing the Barnyard on TV as a teenager made me want to come here in the first place. The Monson years didn't give me a whole lot to cheer about during my years as a student, but I do recall the section still being pretty rowdy and entertaining at games.

Best Pre-Game Spot

SI: Sally's
TNABACG: Stub and Herb's

Me: I only have season tickets to football, so I would pick Bullwinkle's as my favorite pregame spot. When I do go to basketball or wrestling events at Williams Arena, I avoid the obvious choices in Stadium Village go to the Steak Knife in Dinkytown. It's deceptive because it just looks like a little eatery, but they do have a couple beers on tap and bottles in the cooler. I can always get a table, good food, 2-for-1's every night, and they don't revoke their drink and food specials on game nights like some places do.

Biggest Reason for Excitement on Campus

SI: TCF Bank Stadium
TNABACG: Tubby and Timmy

Me: I'm going with a combination of the stadium and Tubby. I don't think the majority of the students will get to excited about Tim Brewster until he starts putting some wins on the board.
Tubby has already been a defibulator to the heart-attack victim that was Gophers Basketball. The games I saw in person and on TV this year were way more amped up then anything I saw during my years as a student.

TCF Bank Stadium is also going to create a new excitement never seen before. Most incoming students hardly know about Minnesota football and don't really care to get tickets at the Metrodome. If they actually went to the Metrodome and saw the pre-game tailgate atmosphere and watched a game from the student section, they'd buy season tickets in a snap. With the new stadium just a short walk from the Superblock, hopefully more students will get on board after they see what Big Ten football is all about.

Best Week to Visit Campus

SI: Spring Jam
TNABACG: No comment

Me: Definitely Spring Jam. It's a lot like homecoming, except there's really no varsity sporting events or parades involved. That leaves just one big buildup to a Saturday full of drinking and fun with no other commitments. Residents of Dinkytown get up early in the morning to fire up their grills, stereo systems, and beer pong tables. The concerts are hit or miss, as is the weather, but after a long afternoon of partying, you're pretty much up for anything that night.

Best Off-Campus Hangouts

SI: Downtown - Hennepinn Ave
TNABACG: Como Ave and 22nd

Me: I still consider Mannings and Sportsmans part of the campus scene, and I don't know what the SI people were smoking when they dropped this little quip:

On the weekends, check out Brothers Bar & Grill or Bootleggers. Both are in the Hennepin Avenue area and are within walking distance to the Target Center. For those who enjoy more a fraternity setting, The Lodge is the spot for you.

While it may be debatable that The Lodge is more fratty then Brothers and Bootleggers, the latter two are also considered pretty frat-tastic.

If I had known then what I know now, my favorite off-campus area would be Lyndale Avenue South. Check out this bar lineup:

Rudolphs: 2-for-1's every night and excellent cheap appetizers such as mini pulled-pork sandwiches.

Mortimer's: Pinball, air hockey, foozball, darts, and booze; it's like a Chuck-e-Cheese for adults.

Red Dragon: Wanderous Punch. If you don't know, then go find out.

Leaning Tower of Pizza: It's got pizza and beer; what else do you want?

Bulldog: If you want to fill your stomach with 100% pure delicious, order the Double Dog Dare.

CC Club: Cool dive bar with Old Style on tap. Play Journey or Bon Jovi on the jukebox to piss of the hipster dorks.

VFW: Karoke hosted by this adorable elderly couple who sing God Bless the USA to close out the night.

Herkimer: They make their own microbrews

Country Bar: Probably the diviest bar I've been to. They have fried chicken wings and a ghetto karaoke setup.

Pizza Luce': Because after a night on this street, you may be hungry for more pizza, and they are open after bar close.