Crowd Intesity
I have always admired the colleges around the country that have very supportive fan bases. Ours being my favorite of course. But how do we take it up a notch? How do we get the crowd at the Big House into the game screaming and yelling the whole afternoon? Camp Randal, Happy Valley and the Toilet Bowl (Shoe) all have hostile crowds when we go on the road to play them. We should return the favor!!
How do we get a majority of the crowd to lose their mind for the WHOLE game?!
We need a 12th man tomorrow!!!
November 19th, 2010 at 9:41 AM ^
I'd have to say I went to the Michigan State game this year, with the new renovations at the stadium, I feel like that place gets rockin' in there. Was pretty loud when we had the looks of making a come back, until Drob through that last pick over the middle (remarkable how quiet it can also be).
November 19th, 2010 at 9:48 AM ^
Tone down or end the piped-in RAWK music. Tone it way down.
Allow the band to get more involved.
And no more of this, it didn't hype anyone up, just was confusing:
November 19th, 2010 at 11:10 AM ^
say something about the band being piped in over the PA sometime?
November 19th, 2010 at 11:19 AM ^
They've been doing it all season.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:41 AM ^
then they should stick to that. I have only been able to see them @ PSU.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:58 AM ^
Not a huge fan of RAWK music choices. I think it needs to be used sparingly.
November 19th, 2010 at 12:15 PM ^
That "Bed Intruder" isn't the best get-up song, but the student section gets into most of the RAWK music during the game and especially right before a commercial break ends. I have to say that a lot of the stadium has been getting out of their seats and cheering more this year, but does anyone else agree with me that this all starts and ends with the student section?
If the students don't get into "it" and get loud, then the place would be quiet enough to hear a pin drop (maybe not bad, but still...). Students respond to a lot of the RAWK music, especially Seven Nation Army and Lose Yourself, and playing those right before "The Man With The Red Hat" (TV time-out) leaves the field really gets the crowd going early.
That being said, I've also noticed an increase in student noise with the new band tactic on 3rd downs and big plays. Instead of just doing the "Whoa! Whoa!" thing like always, the drums start beating insanely to get the crowd going, and the students, I think, have really responded to that. When you combine the two (Perfectly Placed RAWK Music and The MMB), the place is bumpin'.
That's my 2 cents...dammit! Seriously, who left this soapbox under my feet again!?
November 19th, 2010 at 9:45 AM ^
I know this won't be a favorite idea, but I think the piped-in music when timed right and the appropriate song does wonders for a crowd intensity. Playing something on 3rd downs for defense I think would create a hostile atmosphere. I went to the Penn State game this year, and they use too much piped-in music, like its a NFL game, but I think we could make this place intimidating with suttle music.
I still want the band playing a majority of the music, just wish they were louder!
November 19th, 2010 at 9:47 AM ^
Sandstorm. If you play it. They will come.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:21 AM ^
Hysteria by Muse.
November 19th, 2010 at 1:56 PM ^
Vuvuzelas.
November 19th, 2010 at 1:56 PM ^
I agree with Sandstorm. It's kind of an old, somewhat overused song...but if played at the right time, I think it can definitely get the place rocking.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:05 AM ^
The problem is that a lot of the time they don't always play the appropriate song. Like when they play Bob Seger. He's great and all, but "Old Time Rock and Roll" doesn't really get people to be loud or intense. They can keep the "Seven Nation Army", that seems to do a good job. More Eminem songs like "Not Afraid" would help.
Back to the OP's question. My thought on helping the whole stadium get loud is that it happens on an individual basis. Some people aren't loud because they don't care about the game, some are only loud when people around them are loud. The people who don't participate at all make the people around them feel out of place for yelling, so we just need a little help from those who aren't making any noise. It's contagious. This happened to me freshman year. The people around me just sat around like a bunch of dead asses. Eventually I just didn't care and yelled me brains out (I'm a leprechaun).
And as a side note, the people in the "I" and "C" parts of the stadium when the cheerleaders hold up the "M-I-C-H-I-G-A-N" signs need to sac up.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:30 AM ^
Sucks balls, I vote no.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:54 AM ^
It's not about playing songs that are good, but about playing songs that get people pumped up. Eminem has songs that get people pumped up plus he's from Michigan and they seem to like to play songs by people from Michigan (which is probably why they play Bob Seger).
November 19th, 2010 at 2:24 PM ^
They can keep the "Seven Nation Army", that seems to do a good job.
Please no. We can do better than pathetically copy PSU.
November 19th, 2010 at 9:45 AM ^
I wish we could have bottled the crowd noise from UM vs ND last year!! We were rockin' the Big House!!
November 19th, 2010 at 11:00 AM ^
that was indeed the loudest I have ever heard it. I will be at tomorrows game and hope we break it!
November 19th, 2010 at 11:29 AM ^
If we bring the noise level that stadium had in 2008 VS Wisconsin to the improved stadium... that would be impressive.
November 19th, 2010 at 9:46 AM ^
Winning cures fan apathy and malaise, creeping irrelevance in the national media, and the hysterical joy our rivals have been taking at our expense. It's really that simple.
November 19th, 2010 at 9:50 AM ^
that we have a fair weather fan base at times. My question is how do WE as fans raise the level of noise in the Big House. Mgobloggers are a more devoted fan base than the rest of the m go community. What can we do to rock the Big House?
November 19th, 2010 at 10:14 AM ^
Never stop yelling. OHHHHHHHHHHHH as loud as you can on every down, start chants, don't sit down. etc.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:20 AM ^
- First you will feel stupid doing it all by yourself or with a buddy
- Then you will feel great on big downs and key game moments doing it
- Then people around you will feel stupid not doing it for big downs and game moments
Finally, everyone in the section will start doing it, at least for big downs and game moments. It really is a collectiveness thing, as a poster says below
November 19th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^
This.
I even got eighty year old "down in front" guy to start yelling a little bit during the MSU game, I was impressed he had it in him. If I hadn't been consistently yelling, I know he would never have uttered anything other than "that's their bread n butter" and "come on Rodriguess".
Good times.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:38 AM ^
LOL. them's fightin' words!
November 19th, 2010 at 11:37 AM ^
YES. I do it at home alone while everyone else who is watching the game with me just sits there looking at me like l am a freak.
And then, after being irate all game that no one was cheering because "cheering from 1000 miles away doesn't do any good idiot", on the final play of the game against Illinios, I charged the whole room to OOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH with me on the final Illini 3rd, they did and we sacked QB. End of game.
I know it doesn't really do anything but it feels good. Especially if you are angry, irate, wanting to threaten/distract etc. I agree that it is catching also.
*Especially effective when you are in the stadium.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:24 AM ^
November 19th, 2010 at 10:53 AM ^
I hate the "You suck" chant. We even cheer it when we get a stop down 31-14. Come on. There has to be something better than that.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:34 AM ^
When we do the You Suck thing on a third down stop when it's obvious four down territory. Ugh.
November 19th, 2010 at 12:06 PM ^
The "You Suck" chant is very lame and often used in inappropriate situations. When we are losing by a large margin and we finally get a third down stop there is no need for the chant.
November 19th, 2010 at 2:27 PM ^
It should be jettisoned, period. If you try to get people to only say it during certain circumstances, it's just going to confuse them. Just dump it altogether.
November 19th, 2010 at 8:56 PM ^
I agree. I was a student in mid 80s and was frustrated then by lack of enthusiasm. I am not young any more but just as rabid. I think the problem is too many old fogies. Last year I had a bunch of guys around me who looked like they were ready to keel over any minute. They just don't have the energy to go hard the whole game. Anyway, I will be loud the whole game. Go blue!!!!
November 19th, 2010 at 9:54 AM ^
Yup...that is the secret. Winning cures everything. Doesn't hurt recruiting either.
Last year's ND game, the Wiscy game of two years ago, and the last play win over PSU about five years ago caused slight, but highly acceptable, hearing loss.
November 19th, 2010 at 9:47 AM ^
chanting/singing "you suck" after a 3rd down stop will show 'em. i dont know how opposing teams can handle it. wild.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:11 AM ^
I'm not a big fan of the "you suck" chant. I like "Temptation" (song the band plays during it), but sometimes "you suck" just isn't an accurate thing to say. For example, a third down stop when an opponent is already up by a lot. If they suck then we suck because they're winning. And not trying to be the classy police, but it's not all that classy.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:33 AM ^
The hockey game chants are sweet and should never die, but the hockey crowd is a unique set of fans and it's acceptable to be a little bit hostile.
Football, on the other hand, is more representative of the greater Michigan community, which is far more sophisticated than the other schools mentioned. And I don't mind that. My wife is an osu alum and she prefers coming to tailgate at UM not only becuase we can tailgate on the golf course, instead of a crowded parking lot, but mostly because UM fans, in her words, aren't "raging meatheads, like at osu."
While I'd love to see the Big House super loud. I'm not a fan of degrading chants which detract from Michigan's tradition of civility, especially since our football games are televised nationally. So, unless we want the only people coming to games to be raging meatheads that are completely shitfaced, it ain't gonna happen.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:44 AM ^
You don't have to be a "meathead" to cheer on your team as loud as you can! I could care less about the chants after plays are done. I want to hear hostility in the voices of our fans when the opposing QB is trying to run their offense! I'm tired of the fans that sit on their hands and leave when we are losing in the 3rd quarter.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:47 AM ^
If I knew how to put in the "not equal to" symbol, I would be all over this.
November 19th, 2010 at 2:28 PM ^
= / =
November 19th, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^
i hate it. it is dumb on all levels. but i guess getting 100k fans (or just the student section) to agree on something is an achievement in itself. however we arent the most clever bunch when it comes to intimidation and the best we have is, "you suck".
November 19th, 2010 at 9:50 AM ^
Leave the women and children at home. I am still trying to figure out if I should stay sober andtake in the moment or drink to Bolivian and go out in a streak of slurred speech and man hugs.
/last game as a student :'-/(
November 19th, 2010 at 9:52 AM ^
go out in a blaze of glory!!!
November 19th, 2010 at 10:00 AM ^
Man Hugs
November 19th, 2010 at 9:51 AM ^
doing what it takes to help our team win. When a player makes a mistake its not going to help him to go on the sidelines and pout, so why should we sulk if something bad happens? Granted, I dont expect people to be super excited immediately after an opponent scores, but we can't let that take us out of the game until something good happens our way...the team feeds off the the emotions of the crowd and vise-versa, so lets give our team a real home field advantage...HARD EDGE STYLE! Sorry, I couldnt resist.
November 19th, 2010 at 11:13 AM ^
of a you suck chant, what about "hard edge" after a sack or anything that goes wrong for the other team at the hand of our players?
November 19th, 2010 at 9:54 AM ^
I think it challenged us as fans for the UCONN game.
November 19th, 2010 at 2:32 PM ^
There can be no doubt that your thread was the difference that day.
November 19th, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^
I think when we finally start stopping people and 3rd downs that it'll get better. As a student at A&M, I feel like our crowd is quite a bit louder than Michigan's, but that might be because I'm in the student section. But we have been so loud before that they stopped plays because no one could hear the snap count.