head for the hills it's rap music

If you missed it, I covered questions on basketball rule changes, hoops attrition under Juwan Howard vs. John Beilein, and a little off-topic stuff here. Today's mostly veers into OT territory. There may be some ska content. Skantent? I'm fine, everything is fine.

True Home Games

As someone who hasn't been able to attend games live for longer than the rest of us, what are you most looking forward to when you can go again? Any tips for enjoying games on TV when you're used to going live? #mgomailbag

— Ben (@JeepinBen) May 20, 2020

This is going to be a little different for me than many of you since I've been going to games for work, not as a casual fan, since 2011. Although that doesn't necessarily change the experience as much as you might think, my answer of "being able to have audible emotions again" doesn't apply to most people used to watching in person.

I most miss the parts of the experience you can't recreate at home. If they even bother to show them on television, the band's pregame performance, the drum major back bend, the team touching the banner, that moment when the crowd roars in anticipation as the national anthem ends—none of it hits the same. I miss walking my traditional route from my childhood home to the stadium, passing tailgate after tailgate along the way. I miss the people in the press box who've gone from colleagues to friends.

Most of all, I miss the rush of writing the recap while looking over the mostly empty field and trying to live-transcribe as they air the postgame presser on the press box televisions, or doing the same sitting in the Crisler Center press room while sorting through photos and pulling quotes from the coach statements and player breakout sessions. Those were among my favorite moments on the job.

you don't get this on the teevee [Eric Upchurch]

That said, there are parts of the home viewing experience that I greatly prefer to going to games. Those used to spending a huge portion of their weekend—or even an hour in traffic—traveling to and from Michigan Stadium may find the lack of hassle refreshing, especially when it allows one to consume a good deal more football that day. My couch is comfortable. There are no lines for the bathroom. I set the menu. I can check in on other games or even utilize multiple screens to watch them simultaneously. I can see replays that aren't in pore-o-vision and take advantage of my DVR.

If you don't feel too dorky doing it, creating your own viewing-at-home traditions helps make up for the loss of the in-stadium pageantry. The marching band has released several albums over the years and you can find a lot of their work on YouTube—I'll have this going at high volume before big games. Before I stopped drinking, I had a traditional postgame bourbon. I call the same friend after every game.

I also keep this in mind: there are a lot of Michigan fans and only so many have the privilege of getting inside the Michigan Stadium gates. I had a particularly fun way to watch games for eight years. Even if I never make it back, I'll always feel lucky to have had that experience. Keeping that perspective has made it a lot easier to enjoy, and appreciate, watching from home.

[Hit THE JUMP for the revenue sport athlete who would've been the best decathlete, a bunch of music questions, and a Beilein/Cavs/Michigan hypothetical.]

You guys really came through this week with the questions, which span topics from football to hoops to music to desert island partners. Things discussed include:

• Real improvement vs. Rutgers “improvement”
• Importance of the Iowa game on projected wins
• Early-season MVPs
• Please stop trying to move Josh Metellus
• Jane Coaston for Rutgers head coach
• Brandon Johns or more two-guards?
• The sustainability of Juwan Howard’s star-heavy recruiting approach
• Desert island Michigan head coach, featuring the pioneer in the field of artificial vaginas and his successor, the Gold Rush success story
• Twin Fantasy vs. Twin Fantasy
• The sixth-best rapper of all time
• Early 2000s music choices
• Favorite non-Michigan twitter follows
• This one, uh, goes in a few unexpected places.

MUSIC:

“Alligator” — The Babies
“Sober to Death” — Car Seat Headrest

DOWNLOAD:

Link.

The guy who went to Alaska for eight, nine years looking for gold, he’s gonna give you your space.

Earlier this week, Brian put forth the five things he would do if he spearheaded Dave Brandon's governorship campaign was athletic director for a day, with a singular focus on improving the football gameday experience. Me? I'm happy to leave the branding and ticket pricing up to him; all I want is Special K's job (lofty goals, I know).

While I love the band and wish they were featured more during games, I realize it's 2012, and when gearing your program towards appealing to a younger audience—especially recruits—blasting music over the PA becomes an integral part of the gameday experience. If done right, this can actually become quite a positive. Firing up "Sweet Caroline" so the student section can pretend they're at Rick's instead of a football game, however, is not doing it right.

That's where I come in. While a certain level of universal appeal is needed when playing music for the masses, it's entirely possible to make a kick-ass playlist without spinning "We Will Rock You" and "Seven Nation Army" like every other stadium/arena on planet Earth—in fact, it's best not to do so. A few ground rules before I get into the music:

1. Local appeal is great—and actually gets its own section below—but quality trumps location. Penn State, for better or for worse (okay, definitely worse), stole "Seven Nation Army" from the heart of Michigan and made it so I can't hear that song without thinking of Beaver Stadium, of all things. Why? Because that song is amazing, and they played the living hell out of it.

2. That said, variety is important. Penn State essentially plays the same two songs on a loop during games. The stadium playlist I put together while going through my iTunes library topped 40 songs. I like being surprised.

3. No matter what you do, a certain segment of the fanbase (read: most people over 40) are going to hate whatever I put below. This is largely because they would hate any piped-in music. I'm not trying to appeal to these people. Instead, I'm aiming for the 20- and 30-somethings—people who've developed musical taste—while knowing that college students will get drunk and rowdy to just about anything (seriously, have you been to Rick's?). I'll probably swing and miss when it comes to the 30-something crowd, but I'm 24 and putting on my Deal With It shades.

Alright, enough with the talk. Let's get to the music. [EDIT: After the jump, because all the YouTube videos are making the page lag].