Dear Diary is Winning at Ticket Quest Comment Count

Seth

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Given the weak home schedule this year, I planned on creating a new feature on the site to detail my exploits in obtaining seats for every home game (by methods available to the hoi polloi) without ever paying a forced donation. Rule was I had to get two people into each game and sitting next to each other. Then I didn't bother for awhile because it would've been a lot of dividing by zero. To wit:

Air Force: I couldn't attend so I sent a correspondent, who then accepted a free ticket from somebody.

UMass: Offered one guy near the northeast entrance $10 each for his tickets and another guy interjected with two free ones.

Illinois: Family friend offered me a pair of his earlier in the week, then the day of the game both my designated game buddy (Misopogal) and the couple who owned the tickets decided it wasn't worth sitting in a rainstorm for this edition of Illinois, so I rolled solo with 4 tickets. I traded one to a student for his student ticket and 5 bucks 'cause the kid needed to get his buddy in, and sold the other two extras for $10 each outside the Stadium-Main entrance. I think I gave the student ticket away. Total: –$25.00

MSU: Bought two Row 11s from our new affiliate on Friday for $129 each plus $14 to have them FedEx'ed overnight (cheapest seat on Stubhub was $20 higher at the time even before their fees). Corner, but our endzone got most of the action.

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Remaining home games are Iowa and Northwestern, and I'm at net $111. Guys, I think this is working.

DON'T MISS THESE:

The Thing About Purdue. In other useful though tardy things, the blogger formerly known as Blue Seoul (now ttifiblog) brought back the formerly weekly Game Wrap With Pics post for Purdue. Don't remember what that looks like? Like this:

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…but bigger and legible and there's lots of them. Brian front-paged but those who went to see discovered some bad html. Now fixed; dig in. And welcome back, Diarist of the Week.

Denard Watch. As he climbs toward the big career marks, let's look back on some of the milestones already passed along this trail of hobbled safeties, heaving linebackers, flying shoes, sanctified endzones, flappitty laces, askew helmets, smile-curved mouthguards, and soaring dreads. Courtesy of jeepinben.

Kugler and some guys we're looking at. Everyone's looking for the next 2013 recruit with consensus 4 stars to start moving up boards, and Patrick Kugler's one of those dues. A couple of helpful readers got a scouting report on his recent game, plus those of three prospects.

[JUMP: Weeklies, Best of the Board, Waving things in front of Brian]

THIS WEEK IN THINGS THAT ARE WEEKLY:

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Wallpaper by jonvalk

Best and Worst is I guess what bronxblue is now titling his streams of consciousness. He breaks out "Good job; good effort" kid, which just about captures the sentiment our fanbase had for State after this game. That and finally some peace and quiet 'round these parts. May we be coyly patronizing about their ice cream and stuff for many generations before a monkey like that can grow again.

Inside the Boxscore says the most important number this week was 900. Other important numbers were 68 yards on 26 carries for the best back in the conference (?), and by now you know what's the dileo with "the Threat."

Statistics and FEI Prediction shows Michigan's offense improving 23 places after this week. Note that their S&P ratings put us at 5th on offense, and 11th overall. Until they can decide if we're top 5 of FBS or just in the top 50%, I ignore. Enjoy Life's Turnover Analysis now comes with 2011 comparisons.

Best of the Board

THE POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF AIRBHG

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This archival footage was discovered by 5th and Long. I mean the meme did originate with Brian in re: Michigan's 2005 secondary. And I mean this could be a younger version of this:

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And I mean I dunno guys, I guess keep waving that thing in his face and see if he raises a finger of smiting. In the meantime I don't know if you can say Terp QBs are the victims of such a deity who haunts the Maryland pocket, or if the fact that there is no such thing as the Maryland pocket is perhaps the real culprit?

SUUSA DILEO CULPA

Before even the winning happened, what really got me behind this coaching staff is they stress culpability. Could you imagine Urban Meyer telling a press conference "We went with a chickenshit offensive gameplan, and 8106868022_4283383c16_z1it left some points on the board"? Could you imagine Charlie Weiss? Mark Dantonio?

This is why bwgrudt1484 is one of my favorite posters this week, for rather than hide amongst the shadows of forgotten history, he held a press conference to deliver his mea culpa, pulling his own negative comments in re: the Hoke hire, Denard's value at quarterback, a scholarship for Drew Dileo, and the darker days of Gibbons. Let his shame be lesson for why when a coach does a thing you need to be extra certain before calling it stupid, unless the coach has proven he's really stupid. Also I checked all those threads and whew—worst thing I whispered to the bitter watches of the HOLD ONTO THE DAMN BALL! nights was Dileo was probably recruited because he can catch punts.

ETC.

I really like Nebraska fans. If we're going to make sweeping generalities about the petulant Spartans and boorish Buckeyes, let's acknowledge internet Nebraska fans are likeable, yes? Michigan finally won a big game 12-10. Softball's complex next on the building docket.

Comments

MosherJordan

October 26th, 2012 at 9:09 AM ^

I love that Pom Pom graphic of Brian, because everyone else in the picture is having a good time in Michigan stadium, and making some noise, except him. Pom poms are only annoying if you're not waving one.

yzerman19

October 26th, 2012 at 10:48 AM ^

my policy is to make life as difficult as possible for the opposing offense.  pom poms encourage noise; noise makes life harder for the opposing offense. sitting down and watching quietly does not help our defense so i don't do that.  i don't understand the opposing viewpoint but i am not an overly empathetic person.

M-Wolverine

October 26th, 2012 at 11:30 AM ^

That shaking a pom pom isn't making as much noise as yelling and screaming. (Not that the two have to be separate).  But I'm guessing people like the lady in front of Brian would be screaming at the top of her lungs "KILL THE QUARTERBACK DEEEFENNNNNSSSSSEEE!!" if only that pom pom wasn't there, so I agree with you.

Everyone Murders

October 26th, 2012 at 12:35 PM ^

pom poms encourage noise

But doesn't holding a pom pom make it more difficult to shake your keys? (You can only hold so many things, you know.) And nothing is as intimidating as the sound of jingly-jangly keys.

GRWolverineFan

October 26th, 2012 at 12:34 PM ^

After I looked for a third time I realized I was wrong.  I am one section over (Section 40).  You are right about them being good seats if and only if the action is in that end.  When it goes to the other end I find myself watching the jumbotron more often than not.

M-Wolverine

October 26th, 2012 at 11:39 AM ^

Or are season tickets easy enough to get nowadays that you can give them up and then re-up the next year without any waiting list?

Because it's a different matter if you're making a profit this year, but then having to buy them off the street next year with ND, Nebraska, and OSU coming to town.  It would have been even more interesting (though historically skewed) if you had done it LAST year, with the first night game, first visit by Nebraska as a conference member, and first time likely beating Ohio State (which did come true). Yes, that doesn't happen every other year....but with the season tickets you do have the security of having those seats for those types of once a decade games for sure, at no UTL surplus.

As long as one of Blue Seoul and ttifiblog aren't from Alabama, I'm ok with the change. But it is confusing when you know someone brings such consistently good content. Thanks for clearing that up.

And playing off of memory here, but I think you're pretty safe in the whole Hoke transition.  Rather than inflamatory I seem to remember you just being more overtaken by millions of otters suddenly cried out in terror and suddenly silenced.

Seth

October 26th, 2012 at 12:16 PM ^

Definitely a two-year study, because obviously the package for 2013 is way better than that for 2012.

I think with Hoke I went with Bob Dylan, which in retrospect was both totally apropos and totally hipster chickenshit of me because it went with sentimentalism and "this is meaningful but you don't really get why so keep pretending you get why." I'm still proud of the qutoes though, and they stand up:

What happens when you leave Dylan's collected works on random play while writing a dear diary:

bill-martin: Old man sailin’ in a dinghy boat, Down there. Old man down is baitin’ a hook, On there. Gonna pull man down on a suckling hook. Gonna pull man into the suckling brook. Oh yeah!

lloyd-carr: Counterfeit philosophies have polluted all of your thoughts. Karl Marx has got ya by the throat, Henry Kissinger’s got you tied up in knots. When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up? When you gonna wake up and strengthen the things that remain?

Rodriguezvote: Well, I’m tired of talking, I’m tired of trying to explain. My attempts to please you were all in vain. Tomorrow night before the sun goes down, if I’m still among the living, I’ll be Dixie bound. I just don’t know what I’m gonna do. I was all right ’til I fell in love with you.

http://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/843c2f3acf9e_C76E/brian_cook_thumb.jpg: I hate myself for lovin’ you and the weakness that it showed. You were just a painted face on a trip down Suicide Road. The stage was set, the lights went out all around the old hotel. I hate myself for lovin’ you and I’m glad the curtain fell.

From left: U-M President Mary Sue Coleman and football Head Coach Rich Rodriguez listened while Athletic Director David Brandon spoke during the Michigan NCAA media briefing on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com: While some on principles baptized, to strict party platform ties, social clubs in drag disguise, outsiders they can freely criticize, tell nothing except who to idolize, and then say God bless him (except, actually, the opposite of that).

Harbaugh: You say you’re lookin’ for someone who will promise never to part, someone to close his eyes for you, someone to close his heart. Someone who will die for you an’ more. But it ain’t me, babe. No, no, no, it ain’t me, babe. It ain’t me you’re lookin’ for, babe.

A very happy Brady Hoke prepares to talk to members of the media following his introductory press conference as Michigan's new head football coach, Wednesday afternoon, January 12th at UM's Junge Family Champion's Center.<br /><br />
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com: Well, I waited for you when I was half sick. Yes, I waited for you when you hated me … Well, anybody can be just like me, obviously. But then, now again, not too many can be like you, fortunately.

fredjackson: Look out kid, they keep it all hid. Better jump down a manhole, light yourself a candle. Don’t wear sandals. Try to avoid the scandals. Don’t wanna be a bum. You better chew gum. The pump don’t work ’cause the vandals took the handles.

mgobloglogo: I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind. You could have done better but I don’t mind. You just kinda wasted my precious time. But don’t think twice, it’s all right.

EQ RC Blue

October 26th, 2012 at 11:50 AM ^

What if you spent all the time you were looking for tickets making money some other way?  I don't know what you do, but you could (a) bill another hour, (b) build another widget, (c) write another article.  Would these activities make up more money than $111?  You actually might be getting value because you're writing an article -- i.e., making $ from Mgoblog.  Either way, you'd have to consider these factors if you want to make a meaningful cost/benefit analysis.

Seth

October 26th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^

I don't get paid per article for MGoBlog, and we've been packing in so much content the value of another article financially is pretty minimal. I get paid monthly for the editorial and then it's all commission on the ads, and HTTV, and trying to help other blogs start up their own preview mags, and getting new products into the store. I don't know how to build the widgets; I know where commas go. Most of what I do is sales, which is hard to quantify by time, and I'm at the point in this career where I'm trying to build it into something that's going to be a comfortable living but very much isn't yet.

But I get the point -- there should be a general income point at which it's no longer worth the time and effort put into obtaining tickets because most of our readers don't really have their lives affected that much by what's probably a $1,000 or so swing per year per person.

If I get the time, I'll write up the adventures with more depth--maybe for HTTV this year or next--because there really wasn't that much time put into it. For UMass I literally didn't think about tickets until gameday because it's UMass. For the rest I discluded some time spent browsing the ticket spreadsheet and prices online earlier this season, but the Illinois tickets were offered to me the Monday before the game. I've probably spent 2 hours total. Last time I bought season tickets I spent more than that researching and going through the process (not to mention organizing everybody going in with me).

Smash Lampjaw

October 26th, 2012 at 12:36 PM ^

Early season losses to Alabama and Notre Dame reduced the market value of my season tickets. Before the start of the season I considered whether the sale of my MSU tickets might finance the rest of the season. I am hoping that next year, with a better start, my OSU tickets might pay for the season. With big question marks at qb, I will have to sell them in August. (I don't like having our biggest game at Thanksgiving weekend. I don't know when life will ever let me spend the holiday in that way.)

Indiana Blue

October 26th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^

but do you think that this is unique to games at Michigan Stadium?

Somehow I get the impression that trying to do the same experiment at say ... nd, tsio, Nebraska or Alabama would have a very different result.  Dare I hypothesize that going "bare" for tickets at any of these stadiums would result in more cost than a season ticket ?

Go Blue!

Seth

October 26th, 2012 at 1:03 PM ^

We went to the Georgia game this year with 3 tickets for 6 people. We ended up getting a third for $70 and two more for $75 apiece. Brian's group was looking for one more ticket at the same time and I think they got theirs for $75. This is 5 minutes before entering the stadium, for Georgia's only expectedly decent home game this year, against an opponent only 4 hours away who traditionally travels very well. And we were paying little over face.

For things like World Series tickets I wouldn't expect there to be much available the day of the game, because lots of people head down there just to see if they can get in, and most people got their tickets within the last week and have been looking forward to that specific game ever since.

But for college games where people have to purchase these things in packages way out in advance there's always going to be ticket owners who just simply can't go, or who have things come up that week and can't go, or who see the weather and that Illinois is way worse than expected and decide not to go. Let's look at next year:

Date         Opponent It's gonna be so expensive because.... It might be cheap because....
Aug. 31 CMU First game of the season. Wooo Devin Gardner, preseason Top 10!!! It's MAC. It's Labor Day weekend and many folks are out of town.
Sept. 7 ND Notre Dame! UTL was unreal. ND fans don't travel that well. Biggest corporate travel week of the year.
Sept. 14 AKRON Wooo we beat ND! Beautiful day I bet. It's Yom Kippur. Every Jewish seat will be on sale.

Oct. 5

MINN Brown Jug! Lolphers.
Oct. 19 IND Homecoming! Only home game within 2 weeks either side. It's just Indiana.
Nov. 9 NEB Battle for the BIG TEN BO DIVISION! This late in the season one or both teams could be out of the running
Nov. 30 OSU The Game Thanksgiving. Cold-almost December. Depending on how the season has gone interest could have waned.

 

Section 1

October 26th, 2012 at 1:12 PM ^

...I am going to say I actually don't mind this exercise in online journalism.

I hope Dave Brandon is reading.  Because he's really stretching people's good will toward the University well beyond market rates.

For the Illinois/homecoming game, I could almost not give away two Section One seats.  (One problem in casual reselling is that for many buyers, tickets are all fungible.  Casual attendees don't know Row A in the endzone from Section 1 between the portals.  A ticket is a ticket and, hey, that guy on the street corner has two together for $20 apiece...)  Not so, when we are asked to pay our PSD's.

At the Illinois game, in miserable weather, and looking at a half-empty student section, I was thinking a lot about PSD's, paid ticket attendance, and the notion that Brandon proposes to add 15,000 or 20,000 seats in a new concourse in the south endzone.  How he expects to fill them, and where Brandon expects that people might park, is incomprehensible to me.