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 5:08 PM ^
My section, section 4, had mostly Michigan fans. Our side of the stadium had very loud Lets Go Blue through out the game. I thought the IU band was good. They even played hail to the victors for us! Overall, I would place my visit to IU ahead of @ IL. I like the Iowa football atmosphere better and I enjoy my trip to Purdue! Yes, I would be willing to attend another game @ Indiana.
I did heard the cowgirl and the Lets Go Blue on the way out of the stadium and she did go back to tail gating and heavy drinking after the game. That girl has some good genes!
November 15th, 2015 at 5:14 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 5:45 PM ^
"You're from China? Cool!
Do you know . . . "
November 15th, 2015 at 6:08 PM ^
Ha Ha Ha...
November 16th, 2015 at 10:10 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 5:26 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 5:26 PM ^
you have a crush on Canadian Cowbell Girl Michigan fan.
November 15th, 2015 at 5:49 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 5:34 PM ^
I was at the Arizona vs Utah game last night and the PA announcer and the U of A fans had a similarly annoying shtick. Every time...[player name] for [yardage gained] for AN ARIZOOOONNNAAAAAAA FIRST DOWNNNNNNNN all with the fans joining for the first down part. That, along with all of the other manufactured cuing for fan participation, including a nuclear siren sound through the speakers on defensive 3rd downs (wtf?), just makes the environment feel forced and almost cringeworthy. I guess I'm saying we are lucky to have Grapentine and his subdued style and organic fan involvment.
November 15th, 2015 at 5:37 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 5:38 PM ^
Great stuff!
I feel like most away games I go to are kind of 'campy'/'dorky' compared to the bigger school like ours or Penn State. It's just such a much smaller stage. I almost feel like I was at a different game as I didn't notice your points 1-3.
The PA announcer didn't bother me - the fans seemed to love it. I definitely saw cowbell girl. I was impressed. I don't remember her at the Utah or Maryland game.
Indiana fans were nice - but I was in the section where they kept talking about great teams from the 80s or at least bowls games that they were in 20 years ago. The fans in general reminded me of the ones at Rutgers - generally assuming that they were going to find a way to blow the game.
I thought about going for 2 for a second when time ran out, but I deffered to Harbaugh on that one.
Really bad calls made for both teams, so I guess it's a wash...I guess.
Side note - I thought it was cool that the IU mom a few seats over told her young kids that her favorite fight song was "Hail To The Victors".
Overall - it was a great time and a massive feeling of relief to win that game. Obviously...
It was also fun to hang around after the game and cheer on the players as they made their way to the bus. It was much better than waiting in traffic.
November 15th, 2015 at 5:44 PM ^
-We did not tailgate, but both UM and IU fans invited us to join them as we walked around prior to kickoff.
-I was shocked by the amount of students that didn't return after halftime. If a close game with a top 15 opponent doesn't keep them there, nothing will.
-It was enjoyable to see the disappointment of the students preparing to rush the field when Jehu caught the tying TD.
-My four year old informed me he had to use the restroom, just after Darboh scored in the 2nd OT. We were able to make it back prior to IU's possession. The life of a dad sports fan!
- All being said, IU offered a great atmosphere and a great game. My son (and his dad)will never forget his first UM game.
November 15th, 2015 at 6:46 PM ^
Ugh. Thank God Jehu made that catch. Here's hoping we can duct tape our defense together enough to close the year out in spectacular fashion. I think Indiana presented a challenge on offense with a healthy defense, let alone with our decimated line, and our injuries have me worried about the Buckeyes.
November 15th, 2015 at 5:52 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 5:53 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 6:03 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 9:22 PM ^
They played a lot of hip hop/rap during pre-game warm ups and then played hard classic rock during the game TV timeouts during the game. Liked hearing Metallica!
November 15th, 2015 at 6:09 PM ^
1. Indiana fans acted like they had invented college football for the last three quarters of that game.
2. The tailgate theme would be embarrassing if you were talking about a high school let alone a Division I college. There was nobody there until about noon. I also parked on the north grass lot and nobody showed up for the first three hours the lots were open.
3. There announcer was absolutely annoying.
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November 15th, 2015 at 6:14 PM ^
IU is a great road trip. Went yesterday and had a great time with a few friends. Saying the place is "campy and dorky" is ridiculous. Not sure why the first half of your post is spent bitching and insulting them. They are a basketball school. Sure as hell beats going to some other B1G places and getting insulted all weekend long.
November 15th, 2015 at 7:26 PM ^
I didn't mean to bitch or insult. The band was very good and the fans were super nice. My son and I had an excellent time. One fan even told me "thank you for Max Biefeldt!" I said I had nothing to do with that, but you're welcome.
And I apologize for using the word "dorky" to describe the experiece as whole. Nothing was dorky to me except the emoji race and the bicycle race, both of which seemed inappropriate given the closeness of the game. The announcer was, to me, beyond horrible because I appreciate announcers who do not try to drum up excitement. I like the monotone -- like Bob Sheppard (RIP) or Grapentine. Announcers who are too enthusiastic diminish the game experience in my view.
But you're right. All things considered it was an excellent trip -- and you make a very good point when you say that it felt like watching a football game at a basketball school. No one insulted me once. Yours is the first insult I have absorbed all weekend in fact!
November 15th, 2015 at 6:19 PM ^
("I feel so sorry for Michigan and almost even want them to win; they need it more; on most days, their lives are depressing--having to live in that wasteland state; around that worst-in-the-conference college town; with their worthless college degrees. If they don't win, they'll have nothing. Meanwhile, we get to stay here, in Indiana")
But man was I silently losing my grip in the second half. I didn't do or say a single thing in retaliation. But I was losing my grip on reality thinking that guy was going to go home...emboldened by an IU win. It was a weak moment, which can happen in tough times. I'm glad it passed.
November 15th, 2015 at 6:21 PM ^
/woof
November 16th, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
Well it's generally good when people are happy and grateful and proud of where they are from, at least, as long as they are not too obnoxious about it.
USA! USA!
November 15th, 2015 at 6:32 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 6:34 PM ^
First experience at memorial stadium since I just moved to Bloomington. I hated it. The PA guy was annoying and the whole thing felt like a minor league baseball game. What really did it in for me was the EmojiCam. I'll admit that I'm a curmudgeon, but seriously. I contemplated going back to my apartment just because it felt so artificial. The fans were nice for the most part. Except for the asshole IU student behind me. He ended up puking though so it was all good.
November 15th, 2015 at 6:50 PM ^
though I pull in the lot @ 11:30 (scored a parking pass in the lot that was 100 feet from the stadium) and I was like the 6th care in the lot ... WTF !!! I was the ONLY M flag flying above the tailgate in that lot, but the IU fans were incredibly friendly. Talked to several M fans too and actually the Detroit news photogragher was snapping some shots of my M flag.
The stadium is nice. Good views of the action and we had a great turnout for an away game.
The ads were the most annoying part of the game to me. Everything the PA announcer said, was sponsored by some business. The scoreboard had ads all over it ... but then again since they don't have ticket sales, they need to generate revenue anyway they can.
If IU was in the west division, they could compete ... but their 5 B1G games have been OSU, MSU, Penn State, Iowa and Michigan. For any mid level B1G team that's just insane.
Go Blue!
November 15th, 2015 at 6:58 PM ^
I can't speak to the quality of the IU Marching Band, but their School of Music is one of the B1G Death Stars (Northwestern and Michigan are the other two marquee programs). It's a huge program too - four orchestras and four bands (double the size of U-M-SMTD). Solid place if you're a young up-and-coming music scholar.
November 15th, 2015 at 7:35 PM ^
November 15th, 2015 at 7:50 PM ^
i love it when people on the internet post stupid stuff
November 15th, 2015 at 7:57 PM ^
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November 15th, 2015 at 9:41 PM ^
Real men don't have to compensate.
November 15th, 2015 at 8:24 PM ^
Canadian Cowbell Girl is the revelation of this thread. We need some video of this performance.
November 15th, 2015 at 9:31 PM ^
You would say she's hot! I'm sure there must be pictures out there of the Canadian cowbell girl.
November 15th, 2015 at 9:40 PM ^
November 16th, 2015 at 2:54 PM ^
I wish someone would show me a video so I know what I look like.... hahaha
November 16th, 2015 at 3:47 PM ^
Rach, you looked great!
November 15th, 2015 at 9:34 PM ^
I was at the game yesterday as well.
To echo the OP's points:
1) The PA announcer was unbearable. It is so nice to have a non-biased PA announcer who doesn't shout FIRST DOWN!
2) It felt like a mix between a high school atmosphere and NFL atmosphere. High school because the crowd wasn't full, the IU fans who were there didn't seem extremely knowledgeable (although they did cheer loud towards the end), and just the overall excitement and atmosphere was less than impressive. And then NFL because they would do things like a kiss cam, emoji cam, mario bicycle race, and trivia questions in the crowd. Plus during replays and announcements there was advertisements covering half of the screen. It made me really grateful for the Michigan stadium experience.
3) The IU fans we met were nice, polite, and helpful with any questions.
4) The game itself was stressful and felt like a game we could lose pretty much after the 1st quarter. Glad we pulled it out as the D looked gassed at the end.
Overall it was a good experience and interesting to see another stadium experience.
November 15th, 2015 at 10:28 PM ^
November 16th, 2015 at 3:08 AM ^
Nobody can drink as much as they can. (Though Wisconsinites come the closest...)
November 16th, 2015 at 6:19 AM ^
Canadians just drink and drink and drink without making a big deal of it. No big drinking songs; they just do it!
November 16th, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
I was in section 4 with my GF and my friend who went to IU and another friend who came along who lives in Bloomington. We were in a fairly pro Michigan section and I was standing and cheering as I would at a home game.
Some tool Michigan fan sitting behind us told me I was annoying and I "didn't want to keep doing" what I was doing by cheering and standing. Basically threatened me.
Unreal, this asshole completely ruined our time and we all left at half to go watch at the bar. Sorry for cheering at the football game, man. Should have sat on my hands and grumbled.
The tailgate was a great time though and everyone was friendly.
November 16th, 2015 at 2:48 PM ^
HEY THAT'S ME!!! I am the Canadian Cowbell Girl... and yes I was at the game in Utah in September.
November 16th, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^
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November 16th, 2015 at 9:32 PM ^
November 16th, 2015 at 9:48 PM ^
a marriage to happen in 3 years and an accompanying MGoBlog entry about it. I mean if it happened on ESPN why not here.
November 17th, 2015 at 2:39 AM ^
November 17th, 2015 at 8:02 AM ^
If you use proper grammar and like country music - it's a date. hahaha
November 17th, 2015 at 1:27 PM ^
November 16th, 2015 at 2:50 PM ^
YES YES YES same girl that was in Utah!!
November 16th, 2015 at 2:53 PM ^
She also got kicked outta her front row seat for cowbelling!
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