OT:Offered tickets to Ohio game
Yesterday, I was offered a ticket to go to the Ohio game over Thanksgiving. With flight, hotel, ticket, etc., it's probably going to set me back a few grand, which may be a drop to some of you, but I'm a teacher. On top of this, missing Thanksgiving with the kids and wife.
I have the go-ahead, and I can make the finances work. I would be going with some Ohio grads from out here in Portland. A few years back, I would have called this a no-brainer, but I'm curious what the board would do. I've never been to the horseshoe before (though I can't say it's on my bucket list), but with all the crap I've heard about going down there, I'm wondering if I should do it.
Would you do it?
I've been there several times for games. Just not worth it.
Save it and go to the bowl game.
I have a lot of PA friends and have been to last 2 games in State College. I sported colors proudly, but was with friends from PA. I got heckled in the parking lot and some guys were pretty bad coming out of the stadium. But, at the bars and restaurants and in the stadium it was great. But, watching UM teams lately is pretty frustrating. This is no news flash, but it dapens your mood a bit when you make such an investment of time and money to see the game. It's a bit easier to get over the poor play at home. Anyways, my point is I am not going to another stadium when it requires such a trip until I am a little more confident the team will look good. I'm not gonna sit there for 3 hours and be frustrated by the fact that they can't run the ball to save their lives. I'd personally save myself the frustration. If you do go, go for the experience and be happy with just hanging out with your friends and seeing a game...don't require a win to enjoy yourself.
I hope it is
Get your sarcasm meter checked. Mine was buzzing like a fly in a jar.
Don't do it. I will never set foot in that stadium, let alone on the day M and Ohio play a football game. There are no fans on Earth worse than those of the buckeyes. On top of the shitty fans, you'll likely have to deal with them after M loses on that day, which makes it suck even more.
I was at the 2008 game. Michigan had that terrible team, but the fans were great.
I have been to NW, OSU, MN, WI. I actually found Badger fans to be the worst of those four by far.
I guess by happenstance I might have avoided areas where their more vocal fans hang around. Or else Penn State folks just loathe OSU to a degree that is exponentially greater than any dislike they may have for Michigan.
...but I've never seen anything that severe near the shoe.
right...
OK, fair enough, but I am 95.3951% sure it happens.
Just as I am 100% certain that the RV that I rented to take up to the UM-OSU game in AA a few years ago was pelted by dozens of full beers. It happens. It is not the norm and should not discourage anyone from visiting OSU just as it has not discouraged me from visiting AA.
Well, except for that you have an actual story in this case.
Also, I forgot to mention. I have seen some MSU fans declare the buckeyes as their new rival, which is laughable. Mind you, I read that garbage on the Red Cedar Message Board.
PSU fans?! Come on. Does anyone outside of Pennsylvania (other than fans/alums living outside of PA) really give a shit about PSU and/or their fans? I'm thinking no.
Sorry. I've been to a few games at Penn St - as well as a number of games when they travel here. Their fans carried themselves almost as well as Nebraska's. Bad apples, etc. But Ohio fans are easily the most unpleasant.
- Section AA: inner ring on the sidelines - Mainly older, more affluent fans, usually alumni base. These are the fans that students don't like because they sit on their hands and don't contribute to the environment, however, they won't give opposing and any trouble. Tickets are expensive though.
- Section A (along sidelines): probably the most potential for trouble. These are your general, non-student fan zones. I would say the majority will leave you alone, especially if you're with osu buddies, but a few bad fans will be persistent enough to make it seem like the hostility is more widespread.
- Section A/B: endzones- these are student seats for the most part, where people are unlikely to start trouble explicitly with opposing fans. If it's a noon game, it's usually more civil, but against UM the drinking usually stars earlier. This doesn't mean the students will be more hostile to you, but everyone has a short fuse with everyone else, and the student body (myself included) is more likely to get in fights with each other than with opposing fans. I was at the Penn State loss in 2011 and PSU fans were starting trouble after the game which led to some hostility, but if opposing fans don't get in the students' faces, I wouldn't expect much trouble.
- C deck: avoid c deck. This is a mix of students, non-alumni fans, alumni, and opposing fans. In my experience this is where you'd expect to deal with the most hostility. Kind of like the bleachers at a baseball game. Again though, if you have buddies from osu that have your back, I wouldn't expect much trouble, but you never know.
As far as tailgating, stay away from the parking lot until game time, and keep your friends close. I'd recommend going to the alumni bars, like Out-R-Inn or Varsity Club, where people are more civilized, or Woody's tavern on campus (where I work). At Woodys, the fans are usually students and alumni, and should there be trouble, Union security is always close by to diffuse issues.
I hope this helps, and if you make it out for the game I hope the experience is a good for you and your friends. I've been to every home game for the past 3 years, so I can answer any questions you might have on the status quo for attendance.
If the OP does go, I would actually recommend the Varsity Club. I thought the food was pretty good and I remember the prices not being at all bad either for what you get. They even had decent service despite the grave distraction that was my Michigan sweatshirt. I was actually with a couple other Michigan fans and outside of the odd snide remark, there wasn't any trouble and it is perhaps 1/3 mile from the Shoe.
I think this is the point that tips it toward attending the game. If you're going to be with OSU people, the physical confrontations will be fewer. Of course there will always be heckling, but that's what a rivalry is all about.
I've attended several times with my OSU friend. If your OSU friends are actually friends, they'll help to steer you away from the worst tailgates.
Yes, Buckeye fans can be a little intense, but keep your cool and you'll enjoy yourself. Once you're in the building, it's different. You'll have a blast. Posters such as TIMMAY are correct; there are many Buckeye fans who are very nice people, and a few who can be rude, and the same can be said for our fan base, as well. Don't get drawn into any trash talk, show respect for their tradition, and you'll be amazed how far that will go -- in almost any American sports situation.
And yes, GO BLUE! The day will come when we finally achieve VIC -- Victory in Columbus. It may occur this year, and it may not, but it will happen some day.
Separately, I really agree with the posters pointing out that we can't let ourselves, as fans, be intimidated and my show up for road games and support our team.
In sum, make your decision based on if you feel comfortable spending the cash, not because you are afraid of OSU fans.
I've gone down there twice, once in high school and once in college. It was actually a cool stadium to see, and not a terrible campus. Didn't experience any of the horrible incidents we hear about on here...but then again I was lucky and had nice tickets and parking pass, so my interactions were probably a bit more tame.
That day was ridiculously cold but it didn't matter. Because we were about to watch the greatest rivalry of all of sports. We showed up to Columbus me with my maize and blue on and before the game it was relatively low key. Just a bunch of that stupid freaking "O-H..." Shit. Aesthetically the stadium is beautiful and I was excited to see inside it for the first time. Especially because of how awesome our seats were going to be. This excitement faded...fast.
We get to our seats and apparently it's in "b-deck" right behind the Michigan bench. It's under an awning. Okay. Cool. Here's the problem though. Our seats were the last row under this awning. Meaning our backs were up against concrete. Still...I'm okay with this. But if you think they cram people into Michigan stadium. It was nothing with how crowded this bench was. I LITERALLY could not sit. I couldn't even stand like a normal spectator could. I had to stand on top of the bench just so my dad could sit. Now here's what's really shitty about that. I'm standing on the bench but we're right at the apex of this awning. So I have to keep my head at a 90 degree angle FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE GAME.
NOT ONLY THAT but our view was partially (nearly completely) obstructed by the columns that we're supporting the awning up. So my view was in five-seven yard increments. Blocked for five to seven yards etc.
NOT ONLY THAT but because I'm standing. Because my head is at a 90 degree angle I cannot see either scoreboard.
NOT ONLY THAT but they had what looked like 22 inch video monitors about every 25 yards under the awning. Which. Even if it was big enough to see IT WAS ON A FIVE SECOND DELAY! So if a play happened. I might be able to see the handoff. Then the RB would run out of my field of view and then I had to wait for the fans reaction to see the outcome of the game. Fucking. Horrible.
BUT I had a great time with my dad regardless and I'm glad I got to spend the day with him.
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My next experience was last year. I went with my buddy to the OSU Wisconsin game. He had student tickets in the south end zone. (The one under the ginormous video screen across from the FREAKING HUGE AMERICAN FLAG). Climbing those steps was like climbing Mount Everest. Very steep and very shallow steps.
The sound board was right behind us and for all you spinal tap fans was turned up Wayyy past 11. So every time seven nation army was played (which was freaking all the time) it literally rattled my bones.
So sitting in the end zone is fine. You go into it expecting to see only one dimension of play. However. I was at a loss for the decision to put the GINORMOUSLY OBSTRUCTIVE FLAG POLE (f*ckin 'Merica you guys) in front of this teeny little video board behind it. So using that for any replays or any other view point was out of the question. So I watched a good portion of that game turned around to watch the 1000 ft video board behind me.
I could go on. But my heart can't take it this early in the morning.
Go blue. Fuck Ohio.
I feel your pain. B deck under the overhang is awful. One thing that I love about the Big House is that I have never had a bad seat. Even at the very top row of the stadium you still felt close to the action. If you ever get a chance to go back, try getting seats in the first couple rows of C deck in between the thirties. To me, those are the best seats in the house (outside of club level).
Growing up in Ohio I've seen games at the Horseshoe. I also like seeing games at different schools to check out the atmosphere. Columbus on a Saturday is an interesting experience to say the least. I've never had a proglem there on a gameday dressed in Michigan gear. I've always been with Ohio State fans though. You'll get the typical idiot that calls you some derogatory name, but nothing too bad. I agree with others that inside the stadium I never had any problems, which includes sitting in the student section in UM gear.
With that said, I also work in education and know how much a trip like this can impact finances. When I plan a trip, or anything else that has a financial impact on our family, I always thing about opportunity cost. What could I do with my kids with this money. I usually choose to do something with the kids, but both my wife and I sometimes do fun things for ourselves as well. I don't regret any trip I took or any that I passed up.
Whatever you decide, make the most of it, and you'll be happy with your decision.
If you have difficulty interacting with people in a public place, then you might not enjoy it. If you're a normal human being, go. It's a pretty good place to watch a game.
I've never been myself, but I've never heard of someone going down there without having a pretty miserable experience. Even if it's a small percent of their fans, that small percent seems to be pretty awful
When do you need to make the decision by? While I've personally had poor experiences in Columbus in the past I do think road games in general are a lot of fun IF Michigan wins - not so much when they lose. And I've heard the environment in Columbus is a lot better than it was 10 or so years ago when I was there. FWIW - I've come your way three times for Rose Bowls (86, 97 & 04) and I can tell you the flight home is a very, very long one after a loss.
So if I was in your shoes I'd wait as long as I could to make the call to see how the team is shaping up before making the go-no go call. If the team is performing as well as I think they should then they'll be 9-2 heading into that game with only one B1G loss and potentially playing for a shot at the B1G Championship game. In that world I would DEFINITELY make the trip. But if they stumble early and are out of it I'd probably advise saving your money and waiting a couple of years to go but that's just me.
:)
"Go, it will be a blast... but on the following conditions:
1. Don't wear michigan gear, but if you do, don't wear too much
2. Be sure to take a car that doesn't have michigan plates
3. Stay away from xyz places before and after the game
4. Be prepared to get verbally abuse potentially
5. Realize that piss is sterile
6. If we win, don't celebrate and get the fuck out of town ASAP
7. Be sure you have some OSU fans with you for protection
8. You might be punched, but whatevs
9. Don't bring your children
10. Etc etc etc"
Too me, that sounds like a miserable experience in the making.
I wouldn't do it. Personally I don't find the stadium experience worth the money I spend on tickets alone and since it would be so expensive for you with airfare, ticket and hotel I certainly would not go.
You could go on a nice family vacation rather than (most likely) see us lose to the buckeyes. To me it's a no brainer.
If I watch us play OSU in columbus its gonna be some year where I'm almost certain we will win.
I have no desire to go to Columbus. Enjoy Thanksgiving with your family and go see the Penn State game that I refuse to call UTL III.