Random thoughts from first trip to Memorial Stadium
My son and I went to see the game yesterday. It was generally a great time -- lots of Michigan fans, the north "grass" lot was pretty much a huge Michgan party -- and the game itself was obviously exciting albeit disconcertingly close.
I would be curious, though, if others who went to the game felt the same way as me about the whole experience. Here are a few random thoughts:
1. The whole scene at IU is really campy and dorky. They have a "players walk" from Assembly Hall to the stadium before the game. It was very awkward. The band plays on the steps of Assembly Hall while the cheerleaders dance for a while, then the players march to the field.
2. They call their band the "marching 100." Their PA announcer repeatedly calls them that.
3. They have a cartoon shark that swims on the scoreboard on third downs and it seems they have tried to get a sort of "gator chomp" thing going -- but it's not clear why and not many fans do it. Also, right at the most exciting part of the game, they had a Super Mario bros inspired bike race in the north end zone with two middle aged ladies riding bikes between cones and over a ramp. I have no idea what that was.
4. Their PA announcer is the most egregiously irritating person I have ever heard. Each time they got a first down he shouted "First down HOOOOOSIERS!" The fans all echo him when he says "Hoosiers." When they are on defense he would excitedly say "stand up fans! It's THIRD DOWN!!!"
5. Canadian Cowbell Girl Michigan fan. Has anyone else tailgated near this group? They are apparently from Canada, and one of their group is a girl who appears to be about 20-25 years old. She wears striped maize and blue pants and a maize cape with a blue maple leaf on it. She can hold an insane amount of alcohol. During the game she ran all around the stadium with her cowbell tapping out the bit before everyone says "Go Blue!" I was fascinated, horrified, and inspired by her. Does she go to all the games? It seems she must. I thought she would be passed out in a pool of her own vomit by halftime, but she was going strong the whole game with that cowbell.
6. Indiana fans in general were nice, polite, cheered well etc. The seemed flabbergasted that they were even in the game. They were also very campy and said obvious things all game long like "it looks like we'll probably have to punt here." Or "their receivers run better routes than ours." The guy behind us kept saying that Michigan should "go for two since they're the away team. Isn't that usually how it goes?" At first I hated him, but after a while I felt sorry for him. He wasn't so much a jerk as an ignoramus.
7. That offensive pass interference call near the end of the game was not legit. We got a break on that one.
8. Jordan Howard is for real. They kept running that stretch play and he timed his cuts perfectly. Their interior offensive line must be grossly underrated.
9. Once 98 on their d-line went down with what appeared to be cramping, I knew we would win. He was the man.
10. Not to be master of the obvious here, but our d-line looked tired and flat. There was no pass rush whatsoever. Sudfield had all day to throw.
11. I thought Dymonte was out for the year the way he was laying on the ground after that kickoff. But he was on the field playing at the end during crunch time. Awesome. It was also cool to see they defense high fiving the offense as they came on the field after the d couldn't hold during those last few drives. My sense was that Michigan never felt like they were going to lose.
Overall it was a good experience, but my sense was that they weren't quite sure how to be football fans there. It seemed novel to them and their support for their team was not spontaneous and natural.
I would be curious to hear what other people who went to the game thought.
I also haven't watched it yet on tv. Why were we getting so gashed on those run plays, particularly on their latter few drives?
Final thought: Chesson was in one on one coverage on the outside almost the whole game. That last touchdown pass I thought "finally!" It seemed like they could have exploited that more. Indiana was clearly stacking the line trying to stop the run. I guess that's why Rudock threw for 440 yards.
Go Blue!
November 15th, 2015 at 4:32 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 4:44 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 15th, 2015 at 8:17 PM ^
I sensed that he was aroused by Canadian Cowbell girl Michigan fan. Anyone knowing who she is should send Marvin an e-mail.
November 16th, 2015 at 2:44 PM ^
I know her!! I was the other girl cheering on!! Give me his email lol
November 15th, 2015 at 4:37 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 15th, 2015 at 6:25 PM ^
Plus Godin had a rough game. IU was basically running right at him till he was finally benched. Morgan and Bolden were also less than effective.
November 15th, 2015 at 7:29 PM ^
Great point. I forgot about that. He was not in game shape. I hope he gets there soon!
November 15th, 2015 at 6:32 PM ^
Good summary. The DL played well in the first half, mostly, but by the 4th they were exhausted and just not getting any push at all.
November 15th, 2015 at 4:38 PM ^
Cowbell girl was at the Utah game in SLC.
November 15th, 2015 at 4:44 PM ^
Did you see her before the game? I couldn't believe she could still stand let alone run all over the stadium tapping on her bell. She was chugging beers out of a whiffle bat, then she would hit the can with the bat. As I said, it was eerily inspiring!
November 15th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 4:52 PM ^
Ha! I think maybe so. I couldn't really tell because she was so decked out in her Michigan superhero outfit.
Her enthusiasm was certainly infectious. I kept thinking, "man, she is going to feel it tomorrow, and the ride home to Toronto (or wherever) is going to suck for her." But I'm speaking from the perspective of a man in his early 40s. My 22 year old self would likely have been just fine with it all, and I would have kept drinking on the ride home -- so there's that.
November 16th, 2015 at 3:45 PM ^
I'm very proud to say that the "Cowbell Girl" is my daughter. Her Dad and I have been Michigan Football Season Ticket holders for 27 years. When Devin (aka Cowbell Girl) graduated from Adrian College in 2013 we were able to get 4 more tickets for her. She bleeds maize n' blue and can talk football stats and strategies with the best of them! So she's a true football fan.... it's not just an act.
As far as the drinking goes..... her Dad and I met the old fashioned way.... in a bar! So what can I say... LOL
Her Dad is from Marine City, Michigan and I am from Canada..... so our daughters (yes, there's another one following in her footsteps) have dual citizenship. We had the Maize and Blue Canadian flags done up 2 years ago and she wears one to every game. I even have a complete room dedicated to the TEAM..... and oh ya, her Dad is working at the Home Games as an usher this season..... It was a 'Bucket List' thing for him and a great way to ensure a sober driver for her trips home! LOL
Go Blue!
November 16th, 2015 at 4:04 PM ^
tell her to make an MGOaccount if she hasn't already and start posting.
We could all use some positive MOJO for the next 2 games.
Don't worry about us MGOStalkers; MGO BrewMom & Mable Pines will look after her.
November 18th, 2015 at 9:40 AM ^
Michigan fans!!! Keep it up
November 16th, 2015 at 2:45 PM ^
yes she's HOT
November 15th, 2015 at 5:03 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 5:10 PM ^
I think so! But it's painted with Michigan stuff. But yeah, it looked like an ambulance. She also had what appeared to be a cross country ski with four shot glasses glued to it. Four people would then take shots at a time.
November 15th, 2015 at 6:50 PM ^
November 16th, 2015 at 2:46 PM ^
Yes, that's her!
November 15th, 2015 at 4:45 PM ^
I went to the Michigan-Indiana game in '99. I remember it being very quiet and felt like my friends and I were the only ones cheering...and we were cheering for Michigan! It wasn't even close to full. It was a different and odd atmosphere, but I was kind of expecting that.
Also, I believe their band has been known as the Marching 100 for a long time.
November 16th, 2015 at 7:11 AM ^
at all the empty seats in that small stadium. Can you imagine what the big house would look like today if we did not have the Bo resurrection?
November 16th, 2015 at 11:46 AM ^
It would look like a UCLA game at the Rose Bowl.
November 17th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
Which in their mind probably meens any multiple of "hundred". 100, 200, 700 etc.
November 15th, 2015 at 4:45 PM ^
He had a hugely productive day.
It may not have felt like it live, but take a look at the numbers:
10 catches, 200+ yards, 4 TD.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 15th, 2015 at 4:54 PM ^
Right. I just meant that he seemed perfectly positioned for a few more attempts at home runs.
November 15th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^
November 16th, 2015 at 4:30 PM ^
because schadenfreude. BYU's were fun to listen to be bummed. Minnesota's too. On the other hand, i will never gets MSU's out of my head.
November 17th, 2015 at 10:39 AM ^
Lost count of how many times he called De'Veon Smith "De'Veon Jones".
November 15th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 4:47 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 5:12 PM ^
I think it's because most of the people who have tickets actually go and when they play Michigan, it's a showcase game for them. I've noticed that in the three road games I've been to this year, fans of opposing teams are REALLY intrigued by Harbaugh. The ass-clown next to me at the game yesterday kept yelling at Jim.
All of those empty seats were still up for grabs on the official IU website. There was no secondary market for them to be sold on since nobody had ever purchased them. I think I saw that there were less than 60 tickets for sales on Stubhub about an hour before the game. It was either pay a higher amount for good seats, or pay face value for crummy seats.
November 16th, 2015 at 3:50 AM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 4:48 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 4:52 PM ^
I thought the atmosphere in the grass lots south of the stadium was great. So great apparently, more than enough people to fill the rest of the stadium stayed outside to tailgate during the game. I had a great view of the lots from my seats in section 105 and it was buzzing with people the entire game. One cool thing they do is let you leave the stadium during halftime and return as long as you had your ticket scanned before you left!
November 15th, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
... but the away team going for two bit takes it to a whole other level. I imagine a football game in Durham, NC, Lawrence, Kansas, and Lexington, Kentucky to name a few would feel this way. True two-sport schools are not the norm. But the Big 10 seems to have more schools that come out in force for both: Michigan, MSU, OSU, Wiscy. Some years Iowa.
November 15th, 2015 at 5:02 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 6:50 PM ^
MSU is still a two-sport school. Even if a two-sport school for little brothers with short attention spans.
November 15th, 2015 at 4:51 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 4:53 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 4:58 PM ^
Campy as in bumpkin-like -- not like they actually go camping.
November 15th, 2015 at 5:45 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 15th, 2015 at 5:47 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 6:20 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 7:47 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 4:54 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 5:05 PM ^
1. The canadien cowbell girl had to be the same girl we encountered in Salt Lake City. She had that cape on and her tailgate crew had a very cool truck with a keg on tap and a canadien flag painted on the outside. She's a mad woman.
2. My grandparents and father moved from Indiana to Michigan in 1952. When they went to their first HS football game the ref raised his arms to signal touchdown. My grandma looked at my grandpa and asked, "What happened?". He replied, "must be a jump ball". That's Indiana for you....
November 16th, 2015 at 2:47 PM ^
Yes, she was at Utah
November 15th, 2015 at 5:05 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 5:12 PM ^
That's right! My bad. I remember it as being near the harrowing end, but it was just the end of the first half.
Comments