Mailbag: Iowa Asia Catchup, Box Details Comment Count

Brian

Hey kids: I am headed out to NYC today. That plus knee rehab equals no time (no time). Mathlete will hit you up later today. It's June, be chill. Posting should continue as normal after today.

From reader Will Gallagher comes this item:

Hi there. I'm watching a Japanese movie and halfway through, I was surprised to see the main character wearing a blue shirt with maize lettering that says "The Lord is my Shepherd, but Bo is my coach." Just in case you needed any more MGoShirt ideas. Screenshot included.

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I've asked after what this movie actually is… but probably can't put it in the store since it's obviously someone else's idea. [ED: "Rainbow Song." From 2006, which makes that shirt even weirder.]

For now, the Asian pop culture reference scoreboard stands at Iowa two (a terrible indie video and Girls' Generation), Michigan one. Unless you want to count a dozen Korean pop stars snuggling with your helmet more than a shirt, which fair enough.

Dollin' up the boxes.

I have neither enough points to start a thread nor the requisite photoshop skills to make this look right, but see attached and tell me if that is or is not an improvement... I like the full "UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN" myself, but could be talked in to the block M. It needs something, with the stands full you can't even tell its Michigan Stadium.

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I think the emailer is right: the boxes, while gorgeous on the outside, leave a little something to be desired once you're inside the stadium. They could use some maize trim and a simple, non-halo-esque logo or notification that this is a university. Professionally photoshopped, of course.

Another thing to do is to put the retired/legends numbers on one of the boxes like they do many other places. Before the boxes, Michigan never had anywhere to put said names. Now they do.

Also, when are we going to get the long-waited crazy person bleachers on top of those things? "See Michigan play football from the moon!" That's a freebie, Hunter S Lochmann. Call me. We'll push that envelope… to the moon. Call me, seriously. I have ideas for days.

Comments

Elmer

June 20th, 2012 at 12:58 PM ^

I was against the idea when I saw the Block M and yellow line, but the "University of Michigan" looked pretty good.  I wouldn't include the yellow piping or have the names of the legends, since that might look too busy.

Naked Bootlegger

June 20th, 2012 at 1:07 PM ^

I quickly read this as Brian heading to NYC for knee rehab and thinking "Damn, his knee is important.   SE Michigan knee rehab just won't do."

I love the full "University of Michigan" photoshop on the boxes.   Looks classy.   That font is amazing (but was it thoroughly test-marketed to the 18-35 YO demographic?)

 

 

 

M-Dog

June 20th, 2012 at 8:53 PM ^

Somewhere between the psychedelic cartoon carnival that was the Halo and the steel blue-gray brooding hulk that is the current suites from the inside, there is a sweet spot.

I think the OP's "University of Michigan" concept, but with "Michigan Stadium" instead, is that long elusive sweet spot.

Dave, do it. 

 

sundaybluedysunday

June 20th, 2012 at 1:18 PM ^

I was wondering if/when you were going to reference that ESPN article. It made cringe when I read it. Did anyone else feel like they were interviewing Christopher Polyblend from the Nike Pro Combat series at BHGP?

dcmaizeandblue

June 20th, 2012 at 1:21 PM ^

I think the press boxes look great as they are. The dimensions will make anything they put on them look really awkward in my opinion. Having the huge scoreboards is enough for me and i think having nothing on the boxes gives the stadium a much more classy look.

Putting the numbers or jerseys up almost always looks pretty tacky and will be very tough to pull off. I'd rather have them somewhere under the boxes like we have the championship team pictures and stuff.

Raoul

June 20th, 2012 at 1:22 PM ^

It needs something, with the stands full you can't even tell its Michigan Stadium.

Really? Even with the block M at midfield,  "Michigan" in each endzone, and "Michigan Stadium" on each scoreboard?

BlueMars24

June 20th, 2012 at 1:27 PM ^

I expect them to put bleachers between the scoreboards and ends of the suites instead of ontop of the suites. This would make it a closed oval instead of open in the corners. The suites are a little higher than the scoreboards now, but you could make it work.

MGoShoe

June 20th, 2012 at 1:30 PM ^

...alteration of the luxury boxes. Such an action is an affront to Michigan Tradition.

Mr. Brandon would ceratinly hear from this outraged alumnus if this occurs.

kehnonymous

June 20th, 2012 at 1:33 PM ^

Safe travels to nyc, Brian. This question probably isn't mailing worthy but: those fans - you know who I mean - are they now head-tilters or are they still cooler-poopers?

Bangkok Soiree

June 20th, 2012 at 1:35 PM ^

tight rope guy (Wallenda) to tight rope walk across the stadium on game day. 

That would blow away the fly over and the parachute guy.  Totally worth the increase in ticket prices.

WolvinLA2

June 20th, 2012 at 5:36 PM ^

That Wallenda guy annoyed the hell out of me.  He's got to be the cockiest person I've ever watched on TV.  Even my wife, who usually eats that shit up, hated him. 

The only way I'd be cool with him tightroping over Michigan Stadium is if the loud, thunderous combat planes flew into him.

readyourguard

June 20th, 2012 at 1:35 PM ^

I really like the University of Michigan across the boxes..........until someone suggested Michigan Stadium.  Duh!  That's definitely the way to go.  And I propose they spell it out in individual letters atop the current structure, like we had with the old box.

BlueLotCrew

June 20th, 2012 at 1:37 PM ^

... better than nothing on those boxes.  But more importantly, why in the EFF are you watching Japanese movies?  WOW... just WOW!

Space Coyote

June 20th, 2012 at 3:39 PM ^

There are lots of great Japanese (and foreign) movies for that matter.  Bashing someone for watching something that could possibly be a great movie, just because it's Japanese, is worth bashing.

Section 1

June 20th, 2012 at 1:49 PM ^

Kill this idea.

Kill it with fire.  Kill it with the fiery heat of lasers, shot by laser-wielding sharks flying fighter jets.

Nothing says "Clemson" quite like a "ring of honor" in your stadium.  Here's one argument that I hope will work with some of you:  Reason Number A-1 not to do it; The Ohio State University Buckeyes have decked out Ohio Stadium with all manner of stick-on letter honoraria:

 

Okay?  Need I say more?

Ohio State thinks it was cool to do.  Meanwhile, the real model for our great Stadium, the Yale Bowl, looks like:

 

If they really want to dress up the boxes at Michigan Stadium, I'd prefer that they use a silhouette of three wolves howling at the moon as a theme, because, hey, why not?

 

Anyway, no matter what the idea, it's not happenin'; the Stadium architects are all adults.

 

In reply to by French West Indian

M-Dog

June 20th, 2012 at 9:00 PM ^

The Yale Bowl is the coolest, oddest, wierdest stadium in the country.  Part Soccer Staduim, part Rose Bowl, part ancient indian burial mound.  It should have its own cult following.

jabberwock

June 20th, 2012 at 1:44 PM ^

but then I've always been a fan of naked.

I guess my first chice would be a light grey/metal subtle UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, but as a last resort I don't think the maize lettering would look too horrendous.

If it ever becomes a decision for the AD I'm sure Dave Brandon will consider the following:

!.  Will some 16 yr old recruit think it's cool?

2.  Can I somehow make $ from it (shirts, withhold $ & ask for donations, etc)

3.  Whether the sign company includes the word "Synergy" in it's presentation.

cutter

June 20th, 2012 at 2:04 PM ^

I'd like to see a picture of the decorated luxury/press boxes along with the new scoreboards to get a better idea of how the whole would look like, but I think the additional signage/lettering probably isn't necessary.  The scoreboards already have the words "Michigan Stadium" on them plus a couple of block M's as well.

Also keep in mind that Michigan Stadium is a memorial field.  Fielding H. Yost had it designated that way in order to keep his name off the stadium he was primarily responsible for building.  The idea of putting up a ring of honor or painting names of individual players on the luxury/press box structures seems to run against the spirit of Yost's intent.

It'll be interesting to see if Michigan does build additional seating to flank the scoreboard on the stadium's south side.  Yost original envisioned a stadium with 120,000 to 125,000 seats with 80K in the bowl section and an upper deck for the other 40K plus seats.  Obviously, that specific vision isn't going to come to fruition, but the seating capacity might well get to that number.

Perhaps eventually the north side of the stadium will also be enclosed as well.  Lambeau Field (which is modeled after Michigan Stadium) has luxury boxes in the end zone areas plus a large atrium on the outside.  Who knows?  Maybe that's we'll be seeing in a decade or two.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Michigan_Stadi…

 

 

 

 

Needs

June 20th, 2012 at 2:30 PM ^

The Packers are in the process of enclosing the last part of the bowl of Lambeau that remains open with a couple decks of seating and a new scoreboard. I personally think the two decks are ugly (and man, are those upper decks going to be a long way out) but here is what the construction looks like.