Questions about the Michigan Stadium experience

Submitted by mich_hockey_6 on
I haven't had a chance to attend a game yet this year, so I haven't had a chance to see what has changed and what hasn't. Obviously, the RAWK music is still running rampant. Some of this has already been covered in previous threads, so I'll just ask the questions I haven't seen answered (or missed). -Are water bottles still prohibited? -Have they removed the ads from the concourse? -Is the student section a hybrid between GA and assigned seating or has it been returned to the same set-up as before Dave Brandon broke everything? What other input do MGoBloggers have as far as fixing the game day experience at Michigan Stadium (aside from just winning, because, of course we want to win)?
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MichiganMAN47

September 19th, 2015 at 9:29 PM ^

It is becoming annoying as fuck to me honestly. Can't hear yourself think, can't talk to your neighbors, it drowned out a chant from the student section today. It ruins the pre-kickoff hat waving. It's overdone. Will Hackett realize that it's not the type of music, but the extent of it? I Can tolerate a handful of times a game, but the DJ is trigger happy up there. I listened to more songs today than I have all month. It's obnoxious. I want to listen to natural crowd noise. I can listen to Kiss 7 days a week if I want, but there's a reason I choose not to. Don't impose this shit on the fans. Music is always hit or miss. Let's Go Blue and crowd chants are a hit every time. It's completely unnecessary to have music, and has caused fans to be less loud during the game. Why cheer if the music is going to make noise for them? I go to support the team, and talk football! I don't go to listen to 80s rock!

Joined: 02/24/2015

MGoPoints: 3216

StephenRKass

September 19th, 2015 at 9:50 PM ^

The stadium experience is mostly fine. However, there are a ton of rules.

  • No purses.
  • No bags.
  • No food.
  • No drink.
  • No water bottles.
  • No cups.
  • No empty bottles.
  • No umbrellas.
  • No seat chair backs.
  • No camera lenses over 6".
  • No diaper bags.
  • No beach balls.
  • No banners.
  • No flags.
  • No toilet paper.
  • No flasks.
  • No alcohol.
  • No binocular cases.
  • No camera bags.
  • Obv. no cigarettes, marijuana, etc.

I personally think they need to loosen up on some of the rules. It won't keep me from going to games in the future. I'm a Michigan fan, after all. But it makes for a pretty bland sanitized Disneyfied generic game experience.

As for rawk music, It doesn't much matter to me either way. I do really miss Rocky and Bullwinkle and the travelling group that would go around in the 3rd quarter. Something about bushels of apples for the band in the 3rd quarter seemed nice:  maybe that was a cost cutting measure, or a way to get band members to buy food.

Two changes since I was a student that I really like:

  1. More color coordination in the stands. I love seeing the sea of maize shirts in the student section. Never did that when I was a student.
  2. The video boards. I love the replays and some of the announcements, etc. I really think they could do a lot more with the video boards than they do. 

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 23103

MotownGoBlue

September 19th, 2015 at 10:09 PM ^

Agreed, "loosen" up Francis. Half that crap (beach balls beach balls beach balls) always make it in. No biggie. I'd rather have a beach ball bounce off my head than the hot dog wrapper soaked in ketchup (whisking through the air over the student section) land on the side of my face; like it did to some unexpecting student. ...Couldn't help but laugh and cheer.

Joined: 08/09/2014

MGoPoints: 25375

growler4

September 19th, 2015 at 10:18 PM ^

Yes, they still have ads in the concourse. Just awful! Ruins the entire game day experience. It's so upsetting...

And the rock music. Just terrible. I'm trying to read books on the history of Michigan football during lapses in game action and it's just so hard to concentrate.

Furthermore, they sell branded soft drinks, snacks, pizza, hot dogs, etc. The M Den, such an evil for-profit enterprise, has multiple locations in the stadium concourse engaging in commercial activity.

It's all Brandon's fault. Everything is ruined.

Joined: 11/24/2014

MGoPoints: 1704

You Only Live Twice

September 19th, 2015 at 11:00 PM ^

There seemed to be less overall reliance on the RAWK and more focus on the field.  More variety in the music played (Tom Jones??? Frickin genius!!!) and while loud, there were quiet moments here and there.  Almost enough to converse with my seatmates also known as my kids without having to yell into an ear.  

The wave was almost what we used to experience as the norm in the Bo days.  Not quite, as back then  we didn't have the RAWK decibel level to obliterate the impact of crowd unity, but there were definitely organized, successful waves, in the third quarter with a comfortable lead, as God intended.  

Best of all, was the turning off RAWK in those moments before the team first took the field.  It was great fun to hear, as well as see, the starting lineups, and when the team charged through the tunnel, with hands flying up to touch the banner, there was no RAWK!  There was Grapentine, the band played Victors, and this thoughtful planning set the stage for the afternoon.

Joined: 09/14/2013

MGoPoints: 9615

HBHChicago

September 19th, 2015 at 11:21 PM ^

The gameday experience is greatly improved over the past several years. The band played more than ever. Yes, there was piped in music, but it wasn't played very often, and it wasn't annoyingly loud. This 40-something alum can't say anything bad about the student section. It was full enough for most of the game, and while there were empty seats at the top, it was very obvious that students were crammed together in the front and had fillled the aisles.

 

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 165

LSA Superstar

September 20th, 2015 at 12:34 PM ^

I guess I'll be the thread contrarian.  I appreciate a mix of piped music and band, and I think that this mixture (as opposed to the Brandon ratio, which was more music heavy) is great.  I also do not agree that the volume of the music is inappropriate.

Band needs to up their game with respect to halftime shows.  UTL III show was stellar, but I have to go back years before that to find a halftime show that entertained me more than trying to pull up other scores on my phone.

Joined: 10/03/2009

MGoPoints: 3323