# The Taj Ma Sioux



## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

I traveled for four and a half hours last Friday to meet my Cando friend in Grand Forks so that I could get my first exposure to the Ralph Englestad Arena (The Taj Ma Sioux). I have to say that it is unbelievably impressive. This is quite a tribute coming from a Gopher fan. I mean, I like Mariucci Arena and think it is a great college hockey venue - I have season tickets. But, the Taj Ma Sioux is something else!!

Congratulations to the whole state of North Dakota for such a beautiful facility.

It might be a curse however. With a facility like that, there should never be an excuse for not getting enough recruits to win the national championship every year.


----------



## SiouxperDave25 (Oct 6, 2002)

I still like the old Ralph better. The atmosphere there was incredible.


----------



## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

I would like to see it. I was pre Ralph. Way back to the days of the big barn. Sometimes the fog was so thick you could hardly see the game.


----------



## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

Perry's tribute to the Ralph has me thinking this must be worth seeing!! Mariucci is quite a facility!! I am curious about ticket availability, and my wife and I are always up for a good WCHA road trip!! We'll cheer for the Sioux I promise!! :beer:


----------



## duck_hunter_nd (Dec 30, 2003)

Old Hunter: You mention "the barn". Just checking to see if you know where the barn is at? I worked for UND until 1998. "The barn" is now a hangar at Grand Forks airport storing UND aircraft. I worked there for almost 20 years. My older sister and brother went there for many games. I never went to a game in the barn but must agree with SouixperDave25 that "The Engelstad" was more intense than "The Ralph".


----------



## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

I have had season tickets for 13 yrs at the old Engelstad & now at the new since it opened

It is truely amazing - if you can go when they are giving tours & see the indoor parking & training facilities & lockerooms & Olympic Ice next door

I like the new one the food & drinks are so much better not to mention the leather chairs with cup holders :wink:

There are only two more home series Colorado College Feb 13 & 14 Then Michigan Tech March 5th & 6th then playoffs March 12 13 & 14

My Kids go alot & buy tickets just before games - where I work, I see tickets for sale alot

When StLouis played the Wild there they said it is the nicest facility in the world

I have never been to Marriuci but have been to the Excell Center - the Ralph is not as big but your walking on Marble & all the wood is Mahogany & try to count the # of Sioux Logos


----------



## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

Old Hunter,

I too was pre-Ralph. I was Gopher student manager in 1967! We flew our old DC-3 into Grand Forks and almost couldn't land because of a ground blizzard. I bet most modern day Sioux fans don't realize that the Old Barn was not heated. If it was 20 below outside, it was just about that cold inside. Our guys couldn't wait for the period to end so that they could go to the locker room and warm up. I still remember how there was no glass behind the benches and the fans were literally right on top of you. Of course, the fans better not be chipping at the players because they could whack them with a stick pretty easily. Ahhhh, the good old days. Well, maybe not!


----------



## prairie hunter (Mar 13, 2002)

Mariucci Arena is nice, but give me the Old Barn anyday. The intensity of the fans was great and you were right on top of the game.

Now the M club takes the good seats for a bunch of extra cash and many of these fans miss games (good for those standing in line for rush seats).

Fans are much to polite.


----------



## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

Prairie Hunter is right. The fan intensity is down in both Mariucci Arena and Ralph Englestad. It ain't what it used to be in either rink. I've had my season tickets since 1975. When those big, new facilities are built they have to have the big bucks to pay for them. Therefore, they allow the corporate types to buy a big section of seats. They then give those tickets to their employees who don't know a puck from a penalty shot. So, the atmosphere isn't the same. The fans at the Ralph did not get excited on Saturday night until the beginning of the overtime. Otherwise, there was no emotion.


----------



## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

:thumb: You got it, and some of the biggest hard-core fans can't even get a ticket to a lot of the more premier match-ups!! I find myself at Mariucci wanting to stand up and hoot and scream my head off but would be about one of just a hand full in the section to do so!! Like the song says "All my roudy friends have settled down." :eyeroll:


----------



## Matt Jones (Mar 6, 2002)

The new Ralph is nice but it's not the same. It's a family place now, which is fine but they've taken the college kid drunken fun out of it. Hell, you can barely even hear the college kids up in the nose bleed section chanting, "F--- THE GOPHERS!!!" when we play MN nowadays. It's definitely more corporate and less rowdy.


----------



## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

I know that Sioux fans and Packer fans will jump all over this.....but......that was the beginning of the end for the Bison and the Vikings when they moved to an indoor sterile environment for their games. That was when we started to put up with mediocrity. I was at the very first game at the fargo dome, they played Pitt. state. I was in awe of the facility and really enjoyed it for that one game. But now the only reason I like it is because it is easier to take my kids to games when it is cold out!! Not enough noise, too many fans clapping properly.


----------



## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

I'm really glad Perry got this ball rolling!! this is great off hunting season stuff, and I just have to agree that indoor football really BITES!!! :bs: :eyeroll: I've even as much as I can't believe I'm saying this but thought about turning over to Packer colors!! I know what some of the purple pride are thinking but it isn't even close to the old days at the MET!!! Outdoor, old fashioned hard arse is where it's at!! :beer: and I want it back!!! I'm only "35" but I totally agree with every post on here that is into the "OLD SCHOOL" ways of the games!! :beer:


----------



## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

I don't know guys...UND played for the national title 2 of the past 3 years and they play indoors.Just ask North Alabama about playing there...huge advantage.


----------



## Fetch (Mar 1, 2002)

I hate cold

I never went to one UND football game outdoors.
This year I went to 4 & if not for hunting would buy season tickets in a heart beat

Same for the Vikings never went outside at the met but can't remember how many I've been to in the Dome

Now Baseball should be outside - there crazy not to build a stadium with a option to have it open or closed like tha Houston one. I can't imagine going to a baseballgame & not allowing a guy to smoke a good cigar :eyeroll: Even the Redhawks need to lighten up alittle :roll:

The old Engelsatd was at times pretty tame - I think the good games at the Ralph have been really fun, as far as crowd getting into the game.

Those young people need to learn to take their frustrations out on the refs like everyone else :******: ... :wink:


----------



## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

Okay, lets try this one.

There has been a recent thought in the debate about stadium design for the Vikings that there should be no dome or retractable roof because then it would be easier to charge a premium price for the enclosed luxury boxes. Besides that, it would be a hell of a lot cheaper to build the stadium.


----------



## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

M.N had the new stadium tax to buy a facility figured out to something like $5.00 a year per person in M.N I figure since we live in the land of 10,000 taxes anyway, what's one more going to matter!! I have been to a dozen or so Viking games in the dome and only recall one time when I was glad to be going inside the place. That was very late in the season and about -20 deg. out. Also in the fall when college football is happening who wants to sit in a stuffy old dome anyway. :eyeroll: Probably not helping with recruiting well either.


----------

