Bye Week: Who do you sit by?

I sit at home on the couch, next to my wife. She starts asking if it is over yet toward the end of the first quarter but is generally a good sport about my Michigan fandom.

We have a pretty decent group around us.  Over the years as we've moved a couple times, one of our favorite parts of the gameday experience has been getting to know the people around us.  For the most part, they've been great.  There are a few that stand out.

1. Back in the early 90's, right out of school, my tickets were at first in the North endzone.  We had a lady right behind us who, EVERY DEFENSIVE PLAY, as soon as the ball was snapped would scream in a shrill voice, "GET 'EM!"  To this day, whenever someone is annoyingly redundant, we call them the get 'em lady.
2. We later moved to the SW, between the goal line and the 5 yard line.  We had a really old guy right in front of us who was downright mean.  One time, he actually hit my wife with his cane because he didn't like where her feet were.  Oh, and he was overweight and *smelled*.  We call him, "Stinky."
3. Finally, in those same seats, we had a pair of gentlemen (and their wives) who were in their mid- to late-sixties.  We eventually got to know them pretty well, but suffice it to say that they were disgruntled, grumpy, ill-informed, and vocal...and this was 10 years ago!  They complained a lot about how Bo would have done it.  We called them "Statler and Waldorf."

 

Fun topic.

If we could get 113,000 clones of your Metallica guy in Michigan Stadium, we'll never lose a home game again.  

Home: more than likely, my wife. She supports my Michigan fandom as long as it doesn't interfere with anything else she thinks is important. Which is rare. But I get a Michigan flag flying proudly in front of my house and a basement with all sorts of cool Michigan/Tigers/Lions/Red Wings/Muhammad Ali memorabilia (I have a nice collection of very old pennants and professionally framed/matted pictures).

At the game: I sit wherever I can. I'm not a season ticket holder, even though, I wish I was! Sooooo if you can help with that, if appreciate it (alum c/o 2010 Marketing).

I've see all different types of fans. From drunk, yelling guy who has trouble making it to halftime. All the way to the guy that narrates every play and how he was 'wide open!'.

Back in the day...I'd get frustrated with these people but over the years I realize they just enjoy the game how they want. If I can't stand it, don't go or leave. No one said I HAD to go, my 50 inch plasma is pretty nice and the line for the bathroom is shorter. I just enjoy being around people with the same passion as me.

I sit with my Buckeye wife.  She attends all the games and has even been known to root openly for Lloyd and Denard.  She now is infatuated with Norfleet.  She wears OSU gear to the game but cheers for the Blue except the final game of the year.

The people around us seem to change from game to game.  We have good seats (Section 43) but I think the tickets get passed around.  No complaints about idiots near me although the clown a couple rows back is becoming boring when he says Hoke should be fired each time Michigan runs the ball for no gain and thinks any fourth down is makable despite the location on the field.

the tallest person in the stadium.    If for some reason I don't, my wife or kids do and I trade seats with them so they can see better.  This is some kind of universal rule like choosing the slowest traveling lane or slowest checkout lane at the grocery store - it never seems to fail.  

Fun couple. The guy told me before the game, "First team to 10 points wins." Considering the state of both teams' OLs, I was concerned that might take longer than I had until I needed to get my daughter home.

But after graduating, my parents gave me tickets to games they couldn't attend, so I spent some time with the people in row 60 of the home end zone.

Most people are chill, but we did have one dude drunk off golf course mimosas every time who fancied himself a clone of Frank Beckmann...and acted as if he was on air. Yup. Play-by-play, done poorly, right behind me the entire game.

and I love how close knit everyone becomes over the years. I started attending regularly in 95 with my Grandpa (season ticket holder), Dad, and Uncle/friend. Section 6, row 86 or somethig, right in the corner, a couple rows from what used to be the top.

I have always been a stats and recruiting nerd and I would sit next to a man who was a local reporter for the South Haven area. Being from Kalamazoo, we had a lot to talk about and he knew of some of my team mates (Greg Jennings and Jerome Harrison - both NFL) and opponents. We always had a lot to talk about and he would follow Greg at Western when he was there. Cool dude, had a son older than me that was very nice.

Another guy, named Charlie or Chuck I think, sat a little in front of us and would always start a cheer/chant "Goooooo blue, gooooo blue, gooooooo blue FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT. Then he would yell POUND ON EM, POUND ON EM, POUND ON EM! and get the whole section hyped up.

Perhaps my fondest memory is the smell of black berry brandy being passed around, spilled, and swigged every time Michigan scored. There was also one guy in particular that would always high five me after i high fived my Grandpa and Dad, and that high 5 was the only interaction we ever had with eachother...good times!

Jackass had a radio and would bitch about our head coach on every play that was under 20 yards. Every defensive play that allowed positive yardage he would bitch.

I have Lions season tickets, which I've had for a few years now, and when I got to my seat for the very first game I found I was sitting next to some old friends from growing up who have their season tickets right next to mine.  Completely random and out of the blue.  It's a great arrangement - not only do we now get to hang out at games, but we can occasionally swap tickets if one of us is going to be out of town for the holidays.  I got to bring my dad and all my brothers to a Christmastime game a few years back; they'll get to do the same this Thanksgiving.

Most of my life I sat in Sec 2 row 81. Had a former cheerleader named Duncan sitting behind us who would ride a unicycle on the field during homecoming. He liked to talk about the good old days when you could bring a picnic basket into the seats and hide a bottle of wine in the bottom. To our left we had a guy who came by himself and was always wasted. He only made sarcastic comments if he talked at all. He referred to Drew Henson as "The Messiah!" And always would ask, "should we genuflect and bless ourselves and cross ourselves when we see him?" It honestly seemed like he hated Michigan but never missed a game. In front of us were my parents good friends for many years including a former WBB player who cheered her heart out all game long.

I've had season tickets since 95 and some of the best times were up in Sec. 8. Sat by a couple who were fun and the family that sat in front of us. We had a great time.

I upgraded my ticket to around the goal line (Sec. 19) a few years ago and sat by a women who read a book most of the time.

I put in for a seat change this past year and got exactly what I asked for. Nobody really stands out although there is someone in back of me that yells out the players name who just made a play or something. I don't know if that is trying to impress people or what. It's kind of annoying.

Since I have upgraded tickets I've sat in Sec. 19 and 20 and it seems like they are never the same people in the seats.

And only make it back once or twice a year. My favorite person to ever sit behind, was a mentally handicapped teen with his father, and whenever they piped music in (it was probably the first year they ever did) he would play air drums and guitars. Absolutely awesome fun.

We sit with my father in law's fraternity brothers. They've been sitting together for 30+ years. We used to have an old guy who sat in front of us. He would be drunk every game. He'd always say, "throw the ball! Throw the God damned fffffffootball!" We always expected a different F word but never heard it. He never made it past the 3rd quarter though.

Before we sat here we sat in the corner across from the student section. There was a guy there who would always yell "watch the fake!" every single time the other team punted. I have fond memories from those seats though. That's where we sat for triple overtime MSU and Touchdown Manningham Penn State.

The four seats in front if ours are rarely ever used. Usually have lots of leg room.

I made it to NW '13 and UTl III this past weekend and it wasn't too bad either time. Northwestern fans are pretty tame the entire time. Although, there was an annoying teenage M fan at that game who insisted that Devin Gardner was the anti-Christ.

I was pretty much surrounded by normal M fans at UTL III but there was this one drunk Penn State fan who kept asking if I had ever been to Penn State in 5 min intervals. Still, he wasn't very douchey, so I could deal with his unenviable memory.

We don't have season tickets but attend semi-regularly on my friends' tickets, or my in-laws'.  So I get to know the faces even if I'm not a season ticket holder.

There's a family who sits just ahead of us, four people who appear to be two generations of Michigan fans.  They closely follow everything and the daughter is probably the loudest and most opinionated about plays & calls (but she's not obnoxious).  Her mom brings a bag of old-fashioned minty throat lozenges, and she has one after every UM touchdown  She said her own mother started the tradition and she's continuing with it, every game. High scoring games, she gets pretty sick of them. 

Nearby there is a very old stooped-over fellow wearing the kind of head-to-toe dandified Michigan gear you can only really pull off if you're over 80.  Love that man.

Sometimes we park in Champions East and we should know our neighbors there, too, but the only one who stands out to me is the lady to marched over and told us if we didn't come early to tailgate we had no right to be there at all.  Good to know, thanks.

I'm just waiting for the ridiculous "wife day" thread. I'm married, too, but still realize there is a shit ton of football during bye weeks, so that is what I do. The wife, thankfully, understands my obsession with college football.

Lloyd Brady!

of section 20. about the 5 yard line in the sw end. Mostly alum types. After M scores, there's a guy who always comes down from 10 or so rows up to stand on the wall to lead a cheer: M-I-C-H-I-G-A-N! I haven't been to a game in way too long... dont know if he's still there doing that, but I love those seats. I've had them since 91 when I graduated. Saw Desmond do his pose right up close.

My section is pretty lame. My seats are above the handicapped seating and above an entrance. You could literally sit the entire game. It's the ultimate wine and cheese crowd. There are a few down in front guys who sit behind me and I try to be respectful. Some people in my section might describe me as an MGOKNOWITALL. Nothing obnoxious and no anger issues. I just tend to say things out loud to my family and to the guy in front of me. I wouldn't be surprised if people around me find it annoying. There are a few Get 'em guys. They constantly yell "Get 'em" when UM is on defense. I really only have issue with the two guys that regularly sit directly behind me. I swear they buy tickets just to go and bitch the entire game. Extremely negative towards coaches and players. The latter really bothers me and ultimately caused a rift between us a few years ago during the 65-63 Illinois game.

Section 41. I pre-warn anyone that I take for the first time to ignore the belligerent idiot that sometimes uses Daddy's tickets to the lower tier games.

He can literally wreck an enjoyable experience through his constant rant at all the fans around him.  For some reason we are all required to chant along with him or join him in yelling useless negative belches at individual players. If we seem to ignore what he feels is important he starts yelling at fans in general -- as if we are not true Michigan fans.

Besides this inbred turd -- all others are great and make me hesitate to try to improve my location.

On a side note, since I only have two season tickets we periodically give them to family members or friends.  We then grab a couple additional tickets from stubhub and my wife and I enjoy trying other locations in the stadium.

Go Blue!

 

Went to UTL III and sat next to mostly normal fans, except for this woman who kept trying to sit on part of my fiance's seat pad. They're that size for a reason lady, keep your ass on your number!

Oh and after the first quarter my fiance asked if it was halftime, and I said no it's just the end of the first quarter, so of course she responded with, "oh so it's quartertime."

visitor section behind the south end zone. It's only slightly annoying because the cheering is louder when the opponent makes good plays. It's been pretty sparse this year, lots of elbow room and at UTL III we were able to put our feet on the seats in front of us -- no one there. The family that used to be in front of us for years hasn't been seen all season. You could tell he was getting more and more frustrated every year. 

But regardless, UTL III was great and was slightly restorative. Maybe Atomic Dog will be some sort of turnaround point. Not turning on a dime and beating MSU in two weeks, but when we begin to recover and work our way back, maybe this game and that moment will be remembered beyond this year as more than just an endearing sidenote. Maybe Special K will put it in the rotation permanently, and the crowd will go wild every time it's played, knowing what it means. 

The worst guy I had was against Michigan State in 2010. He was two rows behind us and he was so drunk he started to pee right on the MSU guys behind us. His buddy who was just as drunk yelled "dude put your d*** away." This was pregame. It's the fastest I've seen a guy kicked out do the stadium.