Article on Michigan fans/students

Max, your post is full of dumb. First of all, if you think that the fraternities are the only people who get fucked up before football games and show up late, you're very wrong and you should probably walk down state (near hoover) or Arbor or a number of other streets where many non-Greeks are also wasted. Also, lots of Greeks stay sober and show up to watch the band. Great sweeping generalization though. I suppose all the Asians don't go because they're too busy studying or hanging out at Bubble Island too, huh?

And really, if someone buys a ticket and shows up in the second quarter and leaves in the third, isn't that their business? Buying a ticket doesn't mean you need to be a superfan. I know a lot of alumni who buy season tickets and don't even show up to half the games. Should they have their ticket privileges revoked too?

EDIT: Mahorn, I like what you're doing with the new avatar. I hope you treat her like a lady, she deserves it.

#1 I am a member of a State St. frat

#2 Yes, pregaming is a huge deal for us to the point that I will be up at 6 am for any noon game (intrestingly enough thats 5 hrs earlier than ill get up for class)

#3 That being said, I have never missed us running under the banner or any second of action, I never left early including the Northwestern game where I actually stayed in the stadium for a while after the game cause I was so disgusted with the result I couldn't face the walk home

#4 I missed only 1 non break basketball game for a family wedding and I made sure my ticket was given (not sold) to the biggest fan I knew without one

#5 I am also far from the only Greek who acts like this, obviously we don't all care like that, but some of the hardest core fans i know tend to be ex-high school athletes who just werent d1 quality but wanted the michigan expirence and still love sports and greek life has alot of similarities to the lifestyle and feelings expirenced by high school athletes, its not as good as playing, but it is fun

#6 Much of the student body not just Greeks get drunk or sometimes very drunk before the game

+1

By the end of halftime there had to be less than 45% right? At the very least, I remember my seats as a freshman were row 88, and I was standing in the mid teens by the end of that game.

I feel like if you're a UM student going leaving every game early, then fine; you were probably useless in your seat and texting the whole time anyway.

I have to agree, but the article does make some meaningful points that we should all take to heart. I don't really care about starting tailgates on wednesday because we have an excellent tailgate atmosphere as it is. All the fans need to make an effort to be louder during the game. Old people are a big problem. I don't understand why these guys feel the need to tell other people to sit down and be quiet. If they can't see the field then look at the jumbo screen for that play. Most of them have the radios on in their ear to listen to the play-by-play anyways. If they really can't stand other people making the stadium better for the team, then they need to stay home. There are many people out there willing to take your seat to be able to make noise. That is all.

the drive to watch the team in KC was a great example of the love we do have for the team and fwiw was a great trip (thou i must have taken a shitty route cause i remember it being like an 11-12 hr drive)

Somewhat off topic but whether it's a bandwagon or not, Michigan basketball fans represented well last year. Plenty of noise. I went to a game in Chicago where we were outnumbered by Wildcat fans but were much louder than them.

I've been in the student section for the past 5 years. In my humble epinion, it's not the problem. Part of the problem is the "traditions" like Key Play, but the biggest part is that the Michigan culture is never going to be LSU/UF, etc.

Part of it could be Michigan has been good to great for the entirety of most fans lives, so instead of celebrating victories and good plays, people seem to be more relieved when sword of Damocles doesn't drop before the end of the game.

I'm not sure if it's ever going to change, and it's just as much a part of Michigan football as the winged helmet.

In regards to the article, I agree. Let's think about the make up of the Michigan student body. Intelligent, driven, type-A, not overly friendly, and snobby from time to time. We generally get a more academically driven student body who come to Michigan for the education and not the atmosphere of Michigan football. Also, we get a lot of international students, East coast sorostitutes and frat douchebags that have never been to a Michigan game and really have no clue what it is about (especially if you are a freshman).

As a comparison, take a look at OSU. They have some truly obnoxious and rowdy fans, and they like to make a mockery of our fans. However, most the OSU fanbase is in Ohio and the vast majority of the students are from Ohio. They grew up closer to OSU football enabling a greater cultivation of fandome and general all around excitement.

Then it's no wonder why you see a lot of Michigan students show up late, leave early, and text their friends sitting right next to them - a far less percentage grew up around Michigan football and many are just becoming Michigan football fans.

This, combined with the other 70% of the stadium - older and quieter season ticket holders - is recipe for what many call an unenthusiastic crowd.

Now, I am OK with this because you cannot confuse quiet fans with unloyal fans. Despite the reserved nature of our crowd, I still think we have some of the most loyal and true fans in the WORLD, and we provide and appetizing environment for opposing fans to enjoy. Can't say that about OSU.

The more I attend games, the more I think the problem is in large part the student section.

Strongly disagree (and I graduated a few years ago). Yes, there are some students who aren't really into it, but those who are generate a ton of noise. No other part of the stadium (and I've sat in several other sections) comes close. The only non-student sections that generate any real noise are in the endzones. The sections from the 10-yard lines in are shockingly quiet.

The "average student" is possibly a female born in the 90s, possibly foreign, and probably doesn't listen to classic rock.

I love ACDC, but I don't think it belongs anywhere in the Stadium, unless the band is playing it. Which is a good option, IME. Also, they need to look into some way to mic the band. I think it has been said by someone who knows these things that it work be technically impossible to do, but, yeah, that would be nice.

Michigan Stadium != a minor league hockey rink.

Rawk Music works for other places, but it's been a little awkward the few times they've tried it at Michigan Stadium. Give me the marching band playing popular music mixed in with Perry Como/Muppet hits from the 70s.

If anything, mic the band so people on the West side of the stadium can hear it better.

Actually, if the sports department is like it was when I was there a few years ago, the people who covered baseball one year often go on to cover football the following fall. There's a hierarchy of sports at the Daily. Baseball is one of the top spring assignments. People who cover it usually are pretty high up on the ladder.

...could just be Mad River.