Photos: We Are DENVER

(above) Michael, Lauren & Michael cheer on the Pioneers
(above) Pioneer Pride was everywhere in Baltimore this weekend
(above) Boone flexes pregame
(above) Boone is interviewed on the stadium jumbotron TV
(above) Denver fans were out in force throughout the stadium
photo credits: Andrew Fielding

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great photos! It was a fun couple of weeks following the lacrosse program. It's starting to settle in that DU has another legit spectator sport besides hockey for students and alum to rally around. (No disrepect intended to our great skiing and gymnastics programs. But for various reasons, lacrosse seems better suited to the same kind of excitement that hockey generates.) We came up short in the final four, but just making it there was great for the lacrosse program and the school. I haven't seen many comments on the turnout at Crimson & Gold, but I can say firsthand that it was very impressive, to say the least. Packed to the gills with students, singing the fight song after every goal, people sporting the Boone "tattoos" that were handed out at the door, etc. It was pretty raucous at the start, and I can only imagine how it would have gotten if DU had a better result on the field.

dggoddard said...

Thanks for posting and very interesting comments to say the least.

I think what is happening on campus with school spirit is just as important as the success of the lacrosse team, who's success has fueling the school spirit.

For the first time in recent memory DU students are getting an identity as a "group" and we are seeing firsthand how much fun all this can be.

Thanks to Facebook we're going to have a pretty good idea who has been attending the Crimson & Gold rallies and they could be the core group for future school spirit growth.

Interesting times lie ahead.

Mike B said...

What does the slogan "We are Denver" even mean? I know that the school makes those signs and hands them out at various sporting event, but, seriously, is that the best that they can do? How about, 'We are Denver, we are not Colorado Springs or Ft. Collins'? Come on, now. I think that "We are Pioneers" is much better. A Pioneer can be anything in this world, both domestic and international (cause I know that we are worried about being diversified and not devisive). A Pioneer is the first to do something significant. One could even say that we are Pioneers of the sport of Lax coming out west by hosting the first ever NCAA lax game west of the Mississippi. That is a Pioneer. Where was it? Denver, obviously. We are Denver is just meaningless.
That is my rant for the day. DU marketing department: Get off of your asses and make better slogans so that our fans can stop being embarrassed on national tv. Earn your position at the school. Seriously.
'We are proud Pioneers'. That one's free.

dggoddard said...

The cards were double sided they said, "We Are Denver" on one side and "Pioneer Proud" on the other side.

I like the "We Are Denver" slogan for a multitude of reasons. Keeping in mind that "We are Marshall" was a successful movie.

"We Are Denver" reminds folks that despite the fact that DU is an elite private school, we represent the city of Denver in sports and that the team's success is shared with the city.

We specifically had Boone bring out a Colorado Flag this weekend for the same reason. To remind folks that our lacrosse team and school was representing the state of Colorado on the national stage.

There is a tremendous opportunity for DU Athletics to reach new markets in the coming years if they can re-enforce the message that DU is more than just a school for rich kids.

Tim in Los Angeles said...

The chant of 90,000 people at the LA Coliseum and 7,000 at the new b ball arena for an elite private school proudly representing Los Angeles is always...

We Are (beat, beat) S.C.

Another attitude USC markets so well is this...

They are Bruins for 4 years, we are Trojans for life.

I'm proud to say...

I am a Pioneer for life.

Timothy Wurtz
DU, class of '73

dggoddard said...

Echoing what Tim said; USC, Notre Dame and University of Maimi football programs have thrived thanks in large part to people who never attended those schools.

Clearly DU needs people like Bob Magness, Dan Ritchie and many others to donate even though neither of them attended DU.

Interesting to note that several of the original Boone costume donors didn't attend DU. They were fans of the hockey program.

Anonymous said...

There is something really special about cheering your team on the road.

Cheering at home is easy, but seeing 1,000 DU fans in Baltimore was really special.

Great to see all this DU pride in action.

Anonymous said...

DG,

I never attended DU nor even considered it -- technically I'm a DSU (errr...Metro St) "scumbag"...however I was raised to be devoted to DU hockey and have contributed quite a bit over the years in various capacities for basically just the "feel good" of knowing I am helping DU Hockey as much as I can.

Every once in a while, I get a snide comment or two about how I am not a DU grad and basically implying I shouldn't have the opportunity that I do. I just smile and basically state that the people I know within the program know me and know what I have done since I was a kid -- and basically for them to mind their own damn business and to be happy that there are people like me who help for little to no actual compensation.

Not saying that I or anyone else like me actually make the program run. Just that we are community people who help support it and contribute our portion to a successful program that we can all be proud of; I definitely know firsthand how important community contributors are.

Heck, it's even been 20 years since we have had a DU grad on the paid coaching staff.

dggoddard said...

Great points.

There were plenty of DU supporters in Baltimore who didn't attend DU.

This blog has been a particularly handy forum for students, alumni and DU fans to interact & exchange ideas and information about the teams and the school.

There is a real opportunity for DU to capture the "hearts and minds" of the Denver and Colorado communities in the coming years. Particularly from people who have moved in from out of state.

Anonymous said...

Yup...from big money to small contributions of your time to running a blog to whatever...every little bit helps and adds to the overall success of the DU hockey program.