Stop Talking About It, Stop Thinking About It, It Will Never Happen Just Stop
Pull the string on a person with a dumb idea about Rich Rodriguez's job security and you will hear a variety of talking points parroted back to you, perhaps the dumbest of which is that Rodriguez "doesn't fit in" with the old bluehairs that secretly run the athletic department and probably the world. Rodriguez will fit in just fine as long as he wins, thanks much.
90% of the stuff used to put forth this viewpoint is silly at best. For example, someone not named Rodriguez assigned freshman cornerback JT Floyd the #1, which had just been endowed by Braylon Edwards for a non-freshman receiver who had earned the number. Braylon chose to mention this in a newspaper article instead of over the phone, an infinitesimal scandal transpired, and Floyd was given a different number. BFD unless you're a person with a dumb idea about Rich Rodriguez, in which case it must be mentioned in every one of your articles for the Bleacher Report or Detroit Free Press. The only changes Rodriguez has made to Michigan's traditions have been to add Team Walks To The Stadium and Hype Video to the pregame dossier, which fine. Hype Video is a huge missed opportunity to have three seniors say "the team, the team, the team" instead of "I am Michigan" but it's okay.
This, however, would suck:
“I think nowadays when people are coming to games they want entertainment,” Rodriguez said. “Obviously playing good football’s the best form of entertainment, but what else are you doing to get the crowd into the game and have it be a part of the game as opposed to just being there?”
Rodriguez said fans won’t see many noticeable changes this year.
“It’s a process,” he said. “It’s not going to happen overnight.”
But in the works are things like making “the band and the students and some music” more a part of the gameday experience.
The band and some music? Does the band not play music? If you prick them, do they not play "Let's Go Blue"? This addendum can only mean one thing:
…One of the most powerful things that forges a fan community is the shared culture that naturally arises when you can say things like "one second left against Penn State" and know that the person you're talking to is thinking and feeling the exact same thing you are. It sets the group apart. This apart-ness is fundamental to the passion sports fans experience: it's us and them, and the more us our us is and the more them their them is, the more important the thing beneath us seems.
Michigan has a lot of culture. That, fundamentally, is its main asset. From that culture flows the passion, and from that passion flows the money. Part of that culture is a public address announcer who embodies neutral gravitas. Part of it is the lack of advertising in the stadium. And part of that is the way the game is presented inside the stadium, with no "NoISe!!!" signs or plastic chariots or electromagic Spartys with frickin' eye lasers.
I like it like that. I like my church with incense and deceased Jesus, my Christmas carols by Bing Crosby, and my Michigan Stadium without frickin' eye lasers.
This was in March. He keeps talking about it. This aggression will not stand. Could someone call up Braylon so he can talk about it in the newspaper?
I have been to places, yes I have. And I can tell you that everywhere I go the blaring of extremely bad music at extreme levels of volume does nothing to pump up the crowd. Case in point: Joe Louis Arena, home to extremely loud, extremely bad music at every stoppage in play. Also home to perhaps the worst crowd in the NHL. Contrast: Yost Ice Arena, where the only sounds are from the band and the PA announcer. Yost has about the best crowd in sports, adjusted for size. I've been to Auburn and Michigan State and Penn State and Illinois and Ohio State and Northwestern and there is a direct correlation between piped-in music and crappy, chintzy game experience. There is none between it and a fired-up, intimidating crowd.
So, hey, relevant. The Michigan Marching Band is looking for a new thing to play between the third and fourth quarters and is looking for suggestions, if you're interested. I'm thinking of putting together a poll once the thread runs its course with the things that seem to make the most sense, so get your good suggestions in now. My obvious suggestion: Hawaiian War Chant, which has been overlooked far too long.
Except. There is one thing I'd like to see change as far as music at Michigan Stadium goes: turn the band up to 11. At certain spots in the stands, especially the far corner on the pressbox side, the band is nearly inaudible. Mic them up and make sure the entire stadium can hear it.
Instead of piped in music or the MMB, we should have the contributers of this thread scream obscenities at each other from opposite ends of the stadium. The deafening roar would confuse and intimidate our opponets.
I'm sure someone else said this by now, given the number of comments. But just in case ...
Isn't piped-in-music the moral equivalent of the stadium halo from like '99 or '00? It's just NOT MICHIGAN. We are more classy-if-not-snooty. We're not a Single-A baseball team. We don't need extra adornments and t-shirt guns to make things interesting on game day. The red brick is all the adornment necessary because the entertainment is on the field (as has already been pointed out). And that's what makes Michigan MICHIGAN. That's who we are.
Brian, is there any way you could get an MGoPetition going? You know, to stop the madness? Or at least file an official preemptive grievance?
Jet Fly-overs = awesome, especially when its done by the Michigan Air Force ROTC crew (military and Michigan football seem to have a pretty historic history, like that awesome article about the USS Michigan and the UPenn game in Brian's Maple Street Press magazine for this year). I had a lot of good friends in ROTC at UMich, and people always seem to forget that they are part of our community when they aren't climbing up the dentistry building. I also join the Rawk would be a horrible idea bandwaggon, but the MMB really needs to do a better job with the half-time shows, other than the goofy 90s sing-a-long they picked a couple years back, they always go with the dumbest themes and arrangements. Also, the purple color-guard flags always bothered me, why not maize or blue or not-purple?
Bring on the Rawk music. Anything would be better than that pathetic excuse of a band, bunch of jort wearin, boytaur ridin gueers. The only thing more arrogant than the blue haired down in front crowd is the Michigan marching band. They think they're god's gift to the big house. They could be more entertaining if the drum major committed seppuku on the fifty yard line before each game. Fuck them and the T-squares, protractors, and TI-82s they rode in on, go back to Bursley you fucking geeks.
can't possible represent the Michigan fanbase, can it?
Calling for RR's head if HE *gasp* pipes in music? Calling a stealth bomber fly over "fascist"? And the owner's of these disgusting comments have hundreds of points? And if you speak out in disagreement with Brian, you're given "board demerits" or banned? Unreal.
Brian, your blog is a great source for Michigan sports news, but some of the opinions being nurtured on here, suck.
Michigan football, Michigan sports, are FULL of tradition. Tradition much greater than whether music is "piped in" or not. Been to a Wolverine Baseball game lately? What's wrong with the player music intros each time a Wolverine comes up to bat?
And as someone who served in the military, and loves this country, those "fascist" flyovers still give me chills, even when watching from home. They're a reminder that we're here, on this day, enjoying a football game in this setting because other people have sacrificed and believed in something bigger than themselves.
"It's the real deal, Roc. Evil men, dead men."
The Soviets loved seeing those tanks drive through the Red Square.
I love the fly-overs, I love the National Anthem (get chills every time), and I love the Michigan Marching Band playing Hail to the Victors. Piped in shitty/commercial music definitely cheapens the experience and generally feeds the whole ADD culture we are living in today. Not to mention being an insult to our band.
That is why I don't want them to "pump up the volume", or whatever. I can listen to loud music anytime I want, on ther ride there and back! What I can't do anytime, is watch Michigan football, or hear Hail to the Victors live. I'm all for trying to get the crowd more involved somehow (I'm generally the loudest person nearby at a game(at appropriate times of course)), but I think simply piping in more noise is a bad idea. I do think the band should at least increase the ratio of brass/woodwinds somewhat, and find some better stuff to play, but...
Edit: and seriously, I appreciate you and all others who serve in the military. Keep up the good work.
not just "douchey" MGoBlog user, but now TRUSTED MGoBlog user
I love 'em
This board, I think, is full of raging hormones. Is that typical of M fans? I have no idea. Just sayin'
That's right, Dude. 100% certain.
I have a friend that was in the AF and whenever they'd fly over I'd always think of him and how lucky that I was to be able to be where I was because of people like him doing a service for this country while I sat on my ass and watched a football game.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand"
to give.
... hire the PA guy that does U-M hoops/Tigers baseball to do the football games.
If that guy doesn't get you pumped up, nothing will.
BRANDON INNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGE, FTW!
iTunes pays Mike Barwis 99 cents every time he downloads a song.
I'm really disappointed that more Michigan fans don't co-sign with Brian on this one.
1. Everyone realizes that winning is more important than the music issue. Brian realizes this. Nobody needs to point it out.
2. Not wanting piped in music has nothing to do with being old and crotchety. It has everything to do with having a semblance of taste.
3. Piped in music makes crowds complacent. There is evidence of this everywhere (look at any pro sports arena).
4. Having a unique culture to your fans or having a unique atmosphere to your stadium should be something you take pride in. Every basketball crowd on earth tries to emulate the Cameron Crazies. Doesn't doing the exact same thing as every other fan in the country make you feel a bit silly or dull? When you talk about Michigan football to outsiders, don't you always talk about the things that make us unique or stand out from the rest?
I would hope that there would be an angry mob of fans rallying against the piped in music idea. Did I expect too much?
I want piped-in music and Lada GaGa to do the halftime show
That's right, Dude. 100% certain.
JUST DANCE
When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing. -- Bo Schembechler
200 linear feet of porn mags!
I doubt MIIIIIIIIIICH will crank RAWK at all during the games. Maybe between quarters they can bring in that lady who comes to the basketball games and flips bowls on her head from a unicycle. That would RAWK the DAWG POUND HOUSE WOOF!!!
No question, Jim.
-Mike
http://crosschips.blogspot.com/
The most innovative move made in this time is the Bullwinkle jingle. How embarrassing for us all. The problem with piped in music, on the other hand, is that the Southeastern Michigander thinks that J Geils Band is/was so hip that one can hear "Angel is a Centerfold" at Tigers, Pistons, Red Wings and Lions games - in 2009. Things could get even worse; an effeminate Red Sox-esque theme song might break out at each half. But, IMO, we take these serious risks. The band is to blame, too many halftimes putting people to sleep.
The Ferris Bueller's Half Time show was boring? The Monty Python show was boring?
Do you see the shit that other bands do when they come to our house? Our band does fun stuff and maybe you just go for shitty games where they do shitty half times but maybe try going to a good game and you'll see a good half time show.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand"
I have to agree 100% with Brian. The War Chant is the way to go. First, it's totally unique. Second, it is cool. Besides, it's a big part of Michigan tradition since "you can't have one without the other". I'm a father now, and I have to keep my kids around for the post-game show just so they can be part of that tradition. It would be very cool for the band to do the Temptation/War Chant duet and would keep a tradition alive in the process.
I'm surely in the distant minority, but I don't really care how loud the stadium is. Let's kick the asses of our opponents in polite comptition. Screaming is for the scared.
I'm an old fogie who now lives in Atlanta. I hate to knock a fine educational institution like Georgia Tech but I went to one of their football games a couple years ago to see what another school's home games were like. I was totally turned off by their piped-in music. They have a marching band but it was overshadowed by the recorded rock. It was like the simulated energy of attending an NBA game.
Piped in music, when you have a band, is like posting a command to "Make Noise" on the scoreboard. Very forced and just doesn't ring true. Admittedly I've been spoiled by the MMB, but when I go back to games I cherish our traditions, especially the music, the intro ("Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the 250 member Michigan Marching Band etc."). Please don't cheapen our gameday experience with artificial recorded music.
I've been linked to by Brian. You've made me the happiest girl in the world.
Given his penchant and love for the MMB over piped in music...
"Those Who Stay Will Be Champions"
hey brian, to compare the rabid 5000 out of 6600 fans in a confined space such as yost with 50,000 hardcore fans out of 110,000 in an outdoor stadium leads me to think you might want to downsize your bong.
physics, my baked friend.
my only visit to the silverdome the lions were hosting the eagles with 65,000 as the announced crowd and I could not hear the guy next to me over the noise.
pipe the music in and take back the white stripes 7 nation army from Penn St. I mean my god they are from Detroit.
noahtahl
NEVER....seen a board so full of pretentious, self adoring, take myself waaaaay to seriously mooks.
The only posts worth reading are Big Gays and some of you are wanting to "punish" him with the idiotic point thing.
When I grow up I wanna be a juuuuust like all you mbloggers. All this over the band and the possibility of piped in music.
Mgoblog good.........discusion boards, and I use that term loosely .......fucking retarded. Kinda like putting an ice cream bar in a 5 star restaurant. Of course this post will be deleted asap...But look on the bright side, maybe you can put me at -300 !!!!!!!!!!
Oldschoolblue60
Flamers like you are why Brian bans idiots now....read the Blog if you like it and don't waste our time or your time with your childish drivel in the retarded "discussion board".....
"Those Who Stay Will Be Champions"
As an alum and a kid from Michigan who left the state in 1995, I take a trip to Ann Arbor to see the team whenever I can; Traditions mean a lot to me because they show me that my experience at Michigan was part of something bigger, a culture and a history that is beyond trends. In this country, we don't really honor those things anymore; Sports and entertainment, like neighborhoods and cities, are seen as disposable and constantly mutating. Sure, scoreboards and luxury boxes are changes, the songs the band chooses change, the players and coaches change, but the culture of MIchigan football, the tradition of which I am a part, stays relatively the same. I like that and it is one of the reasons I still love the football program.
In 2007, I was working in Florida and had the opportunity to attend the Capital One Bowl, which is a giant NASCAR toilet of an event held in the worst neighborhood in Orlando, FL. The game was riddled with incredibly loud, ESPN promo-knock off rock music, often times playing over the top of the band. The half time show featured short sets from the marching bands followed by a "Blues Brothers" Tribute act of incredibly awful proportions. Before the game, Stealth Bombers did a fly by, just in case we had forgotten how awesome war is and how relevant it is to college football. The stadium was packed with Florida fans awaiting the annointment of Tim Tebow as the homeschooled second coming of their favorite deity, constantly cheering big plays from the Gators, as the rock music drowned out their cheers. Despite this horror show of an experience, one of the worst three hours of stadium nonsense I have ever endured, Michigan won what was the least Michigan Football like experience of my entire life.
If Michigan Stadium became anything remotely resembling this nightmarish hellscape, a huge part of what makes Michigan Football what it is would die.
That said, my suggestion is to have the Marching band play WAR PIGS by Black Sabbath, as I still think that song would be awesome in front of and after important plays.
Before the game, Stealth Bombers did a fly by, just in case we had forgotten how awesome war is and how relevant it is to college football
About as relevant as the National Anthem, I suppose.
Hate to break you the news, buddy, but there is at least one flyover at Michigan Stadium each season.
That's right, Dude. 100% certain.
I didn't think anyone agreed with me that jet flyovers are completely fucking stupid exercises with fascist sprinkles on top.
This is not sarcasm. I'm being completely serious here.
I could live without the goddamn flyovers, personally. Every year on opening day, the dback flyover goes right over my office. I am NOT located on a flight path or anywhere near one on any other day Every year, I lose my shit thinking "Oh fuck, not again." (as in 911, not just another opening day) Any time I go to a Sun Devil game, some dumbass in a FedEx plane ignores the flightpath restrictions and goes right over the stadium, prompting the same sort of non-logical reaction.
I appreciate the military and especially their sacrifices, and I think bowl game flyovers are a tolerable compromise between my sanity and other people's need for/appreciation of domestic military displays. I could also handle flyovers at Michigan Stadium if the jets hung around to shoot down banner planes/strafe the opposing bench.
Bo is God
You do it once or twice during the game. Not like a lot of places where it takes over and is even more boring than the band.
C'mon, stodgy Michigan has got to go. I'm with Big Gay Heart--lots of great music, lots of people who've been listening to music. Things CHANGE!
Pick one or two spots, let the fans (or preferably, STUDENTS) pick a piece of music, pipe that fucker in,
It's funny listening to people talk about how Michigan stadium should be loud--it never has been and never will be--in fact, to steal a quote: Stop talking about it stop thinking about it, it will never happen jus stop. Old, boring crowd, lots of people who aren't even from Michigan, and of course, a Michigan Man wouldn't deign to scream or yell or stand up at one of these football club matches.
Talk about tradition--which this is unfortunately about: Michigan Fan's tradition is to create an atmosphere that is cozy, comfy, not intimidating, and in fact quite welcomming to visiting teams. Michigan fan tradition is to create an atmosphere where you can get quite a nice, long nap in a big, quiet outside venue, bask in the sun, talk to someone sitting across the field or certainly a couple hundre rows away, hear birds chirping, airplanes flying over, snoooze with the rest of the fans a lil more, then go home. NOW THAT'S Michigan tradition. Perhaps Brian is right: That is too precious to let go.
That being said, it is what it is.
Yes, more of the above and loud....i am one of the old f*cks that want the band loud, but i don't want that piped in music crap or that stupid freakin' Mildcat roar over the loud speakers in Douche stadium in Evanston or Happy Valley...i purposely bought front row seats in the new east club level on the goal line side of the MMB so i can hear them and be in sync when they play the greatest fight song ever written. The even older f*cks behing me are gonna love it when i don't sit down before, during and after big plays during the game.
This is something RR does NOT need to change, but i could do without the wkly captains bs....and night games would be awesome, period. Hell, they have them at Stanford games and they put up portable light posts in the Eucalyptus groves, so don't tell me they can't do the same at the golf course and Pioneer lots, and the local hotels and restaurants in A2 would love the extra business it generates.
I live in Switzerland but will still make it back for 2-3 games and you WILL hear me on gameday, i guarantee it.
Those Who Stay Will Be Champions.....
"Those Who Stay Will Be Champions"
Case in point:
Michigan Basketball.
First, I give all props to the marketing crew that works with basketball. Katy Jackson, Brian Townsend, et al did a great job this season and I know they are working hard to continue the improvement for next year.
HOWEVA!
The complete shackles they put on the band were atrocious. There were literally times where the Maize Rage was beckoning the band to play after a big run and an opponent's timeout, yet the script called for the "Text Your Song to play." So instead of some great Pep Band piece to keep the excitement going we had to listen to some random piped in song. At times this was tolerable. Once, I shit you not, it was the Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas song. Unacceptable.
It's Great to Be A Michigan Wolverine
Personally I feel that whatever we do our stadium just needs to get louder. There is no excuse for a stadium that seats over 100,000 to not be loud even if the sound supposedly goes out not in. I hope those new suites can hold sound in becuase if everyone got loud our stadium would probally be even tougher to play in than the Swamp or Tiger Stadium.
1) Does RR know that we're still selling out every game? There's only one way that's going to stop happening: another 3-9 season. Don't worry about the entertainment, coach.
2) Ernis kinda beat me to it, but I can only think of one suggestion for the marching band: Sabbath
They should play a different Sabbath track every week:
Paranoid
Supernaut
Wheels of Confusion
Sweet Leaf
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
N.I.B.
Killing Yourself to Live
Fairies Wear Boots
They've done Ironman before, and it's been fine, but the above list would be superior, and they get you through the entire home slate.
Road Games is another blog
And a couple things stand out:
1. When did Jack Black become Saliva's lead singer? I thought he was doing that Tenacious D thing.
2. Can we PLEASE put a stop to the 'boy gets girl by getting his ass kicked' meme?
3. Apparently, that girl didn't see him hurling his guts out before she started Frenching him. Ewwww times infinity.
Btw, Captain Picard does not facepalm. I repeat: CAPTAIN PICARD DOES NOT FACEPALM. He merely rubs his temples as he contemplates the stupidity of his junior officers.
Speaking of Zombie Nation, who's taking the place of AC/DC? I thought all those guys died a long time ago. I doubt any of their fans would notice, though, since they've been playing the same three chords for forty-seven years.
Now, back to the program: Michigan Stadium just needs to electrify the seats to get the crowd fired up. Deny the bluehairs the opportunity to sit down, they won't yell at the people in front of them to sit, and they might actually enjoy the game, the rat bastards. And when they get angry about not being able to plant their four-foot-wide derrieres on the eighteen-inch space they've been allotted, the band can play 'Uncle Fucker', with lyrical support from the student section. Now THAT would be a tradition worth fighting for.
You obviously have never been to a hockey game in Florida, Atlanta, Phoenix, etc...
Panthers games are pretty bad.
Is it just me, or did RR not explicitly say that there will be piped-in music? I'm under the impression that he's looking for something along the lines of what Penn State does where the band plays Seven Nation Army and everyone sings along. I could be wrong, but that quote seemed kind of vague.
c/o 2008
GO BLUE!
fucking deal to people. If they pipe in music, oh well. I won't be super excited about it, but it's not like it crushes my soul. The "new" Michigan tradition should be winning football games, especially those played against OSU or in BCS bowls. I don't care if they to have night games with Nickelback lighting the goal posts on fucking fire with Chad Kroger's eye lasers to get this new traditional going. It's not like when I was infuriated, watching PSU beat the shit out of us last season, I all of a soon felt good because at least we don't have a piped in roar. I still thought,"wow, we suck at football." I understand people like a certain game-day experience, but this is really that big of a deal?
awful typos in the original post. I apologize for that.
Yeah, it's not that bad of deal. We just don't want to see the gameday experience cheapened.
We probably do all sound like a bunch of crotchety old men complaining about kids and their rap music, though.
Sooner or later, you're going to have to stick your arm up a cow's butt.
"The "new" Michigan tradition should be winning football games, especially those played against OSU or in BCS bowls. "
thank you.
+several hundred
great and omniscient Grand Poobah of the WLA
when I close my eyes at the stadium I have a difficult time knowing if I'm in my seat or on my couch at home watching The Masters.
and they need to do something about it.
Yeah. I don't know why our fans can't get crazy like the people in Death Valley. I guess people just expect us to win all the time and don't get particularly excited when we play well because it's expected.
If you don't think non-band music pumps up the crowd I would urge you to go to Knoxville for the Tennesse-Florida game and listen to Rockey Top come on over the loudspeakers. Or go down to the Iron bowl and listen to Sweet Home Alabama in Bryant Denny. Even Hey Baby in Beaver stadium gets everyone on their feet.
Do I need to mention going to Camp Randall and having to watch an entire student section going nuts during Jump Around?
We're not that stupid
Are some of us very stupid? Yes. That stupid? No.
That's right, Dude. 100% certain.
I was in the student section for it and maybe it was just because it was 11am but I thought that it was pretty lame.
Zombie Nation at Penn State is better but even then it's piped in music.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand"
does not pump people up. Winning does. Either way, the root cause of low decibels is stadium acoustics. Hopefully the new luxury boxes will reflect some of the crowd noise back to the field.
I'm gonna take two weeks off, and then quit.
Seriously, pick 4 people at random or thru a drawing and have them race from one goal line to another, with tix to a B-ball game at stake.
I'd rather watch that than suffer through the MMB stumbling around the field playing "A Salute to the Big Ten" or "Hello, Dolly."
My vote for new band song is this, only to be played during blowouts (of which I hope there will be many).