Experiencing the Big House
Have you ever been so overwhelmed by experiencing the Big House that it has got the best of your emotions? For the home opener in 2010, my and one of my friends took her mom to her first ever Michigan game. It was her mom's birthday and everything. Her mom cried the first time she saw the team run out onto the field because she never thought she'd ever see that live.
So my question to you guys is, do you have any similar stories? Have you ever been overtaken by your emotions from experiencing the Big House live?
When Michigan beat ND in the night game, and everyone was still there singing. My best friend was standing right next to me, and was moving to North Carolina the next day. It was just wierd because I haven't seen him since then. But I didn't cry or anything, but I took a second to realize how awesome of a moment I just witnessed.
I was so depressed in the third quarter and distinctly remember how pissed I was that I spent $300 for myself and girlfriend to watch such an abominable performace. Then, the rise to elation as we took the lead near the end of the game, back to hopelessness when we went back down, followed by the final moments were biggest emotional rollercoaster I have ever experienced. I will never forget the atmosphere that night for as long as I live.
have a few of my own personally, in addition to my original story. I was also at the night game. I went by myself. Spent 300 bucks for 4 games and went to all 4 on my own. That Notre Dame game was the most spectacular thing I've ever seen live. I can picture myself in my head after the game. I remember screaming at the top of my lungs randomly about 10 mins after the game. I also went to the OSU game. I went with my cousin. It was pretty special to be on the field celebrating after exercising years of frustration. We have watched all the M-OSU games of the past 7 or 8 years together, and that was our first time doing that live.
Also, The Big Chill. I remember leaving that game just looking around thinking, this is what God envisioned when he made heaven for a die hard M fan. It was just a perfect night.
Most recently for me, last year's OSU game too. It felt like it had been forever since we got the best of those guys, & I had almost forgotten what victory over Ohio felt like. When that final interception sealed the game, I just started shouting at the sky. I felt so free, like I could do anything I wanted for no reason & feel great about it. Just being alive became so amazing. Then everyone went down on the field to dissipate all their built up energy & ended up laying on their backs in the grass of the Big House, listening to the brand new sound system pump out tunes like it was a giant dance party. I have never seen such a care-free moment in Michigan Stadium.
Brock Mealer. Not ashamed to admit that I got dusty during that.
That and the celebration after PSU '05. UNREAL.
you should be ashamed if you didn't get choked up from seeing that live. I know I sure did.
Agreed. I got a little misty watching Brock walk.
I got misty-eyed watching Mealer on that weekend ABC sports program (essentially E:60 reruns). That was phenomenal.
Nothing too interesting, but I remember during the Wisconsin game in 2008 after the pick 6, I started laughing and tearing up from being so happy. I teared up after beating Ohio State this year too.
I've always been insanely jealous of people who got to witness live events such as 1995 Virginia, 2004 MSU, 2005 PSU, 1995 and 1997 OSU...Then I got to be at 2011 ND. It's a night I'll never forget. I have vivid memories of that entire weekend that I will never ever forget.
I was at all of those games.
a Bro-hug is totally NOT gay
That's some good man love right there.
1. Is definitely Notre Dame at night. That game was absolutely amazing, and I was hugging random students during the Roundtree catch, and again once the clock hit zero. That WAS the most electric crowd I have ever witnessed. Also, how the stands were full after the game singing was a lot of fun.
2 for me would be Manninghams game winner over Penn State. I was lucky enough to be in that end zone so it was really exciting.
3 would have to be Braylonfest vs. MSU. U was getting ragged by my Sparty family and friends when they were up 17 and my friends who I was with wanted to leave with 8 minutes left. Great game and memories...
getting razzed by MSU students. I was being badgered by a ND fan on the golf course before the game. He would not stop going off about how bad they were going to crush us. Wish I could have seen that clown's face after the game.
The ND student section chanted "It sucks to be a Michigan Wolverine" at the conclusion of the 3rd quarter of the UTL game. At the conclusion of the 4th quarter, much of the southwest corner of the stadium chanted "It's GREAT to be a Michigan Wolverine" back at them. Pretty awesome moment.
I forgot about that! I was fairly close to their section (the other side of the corner I was in), and I remember being so mad about that.
I was in that endzone. I was super pissed when I heard them chanting it, but we couldn't really do anything about it. I don't remember if we all started chanting back after Vincent Smith's TD or Roundtree's, but it was definitely one of my favorite moments of that game.
I was in that southwest corner chanting back at them as well! Greatest sporting event I've ever attended!
Not taking anything away from being at the 2010 game in South Bend when Denard went all Heisman tho!
I almost forgot, I mentioned UConn, Big Chill, ND, OSU from the past two years. But Nebraska. That was the first time my sister ever got to see the Big House. I couldn't believe how wide her eyes got upon her first glimpse inside. I imagine that's how I looked too.
In the 2011 season anyway, I would have to say that the top two were UTL and the end of the Ohio game.
Definitely, if nothing else, UTL was a bit of an emotional roller coaster, but when Gallon caught that catch with no Irish player even in the same ZIP code, myself and everyone around jumped right up and started cheering at the top of our lungs. The very next play, of course, well....it was even louder and more jubilant. That was awesome.
Similar thing for the Ohio game last year - when Avery caught the INT and we realized it was over and this was our day, the whole section just erupted, and this normally somewhat introverted ex-programmer jumped onto the field with thousands of others and hugged random Wolverines.
For misty-eyed times, I would have to say, as someone else mentioned, Brock Mealer. Incredibly moving moment.
else ever hear the song Dynamite by Taio Cruz and automatically flash back to the end of Notre Dame?
that is the only reason I like that song. I hated it before UTL and every time I hear it, it brings me back.
i'm glad that i'm not the only one. everytime i hear that song i think of how awesome that night was. without a doubt the best time i've ever had at Michigan Stadium.
But I rember that Taio Cruz song and of course the Seven Army Nation song. But anyways, I remember I was watching the game with about 15 other friends in a living room, and when we heard the crowd doing the Seven Army Nations chant on TV, we would all go outside and chant that on the top of our lungs so probably the whole neighborhood could hear us (was a blast being drunk as well).
My daughter was listening to that song shortly after that game and it hit me! I had to immediatly download it! HA! Now whenever that song plays, I can hear the crowd in unison singing- "AAAAAA-O, Gotta Let Go!" What a night!
1992 against Houston. Tyrone Wheatley retuned the opening kickoff 99 yards. That was the day I was hooked on going to The Big House. I still have the newspaper article about the game.
Everytime I hear that Dynomite song I think of the ND night game.
MSU overtime, overtime, overtime, PSU Mario, OSU 100th game & Sept. 1, 2007.
I graduated 3 years ago, attended every home game in my 4 years, the Penn State night game with Manningham was great but...
I will be attending the final home game of Denard Robinson this year, and I anticipate that I may get choked up when he gets introduced.
Maybe i am older than some of you but Desmonds punt return for a touchdown was the most electric the stadium had been since denard arrived. Also Biaktabutukas performence vs. OSU.
Both from last year, UTL and beating TSIO, with storming the field outranking UTL. At UTL I had a better tailgating, and it's one of the best days I've had in my life, but I was by myself for the actual game (me and my $300 seat), and it took forever to find my friends after the game who were at a restaurant. And since I'm junior-soon to be-senior college aged kid, I hadn't seen us beat TSIO since 7th grade. So winning, storming the field, then celebrating with my friends on the field was just flat out amazing.
Other great moments: Brock Mealer, The Big Chill, my first ever game (2000, Indiana), '08 Northwestern (well that game sucked, but it's still a vivid memory), and 2011 WMU
I want to buy a picture on the Mgoblue photo store of the field being swarmed by fans after the Ohio game (I was on that field). Maybe even have Denard sign it one day to hang up on my Michigan wall.
Also, here are two videos to help remember that day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK35GOeORZo&feature=related
Funny how they play Dynamite after the Ohio game too, but I still remember it as the Notre Dame song. The song after that, Good Life, is the one I remember. It really was the good life that day.
And for the choatic video from that day:
I was fortunate to be a student from the '02 to '05 seasons, never missing a home game, and have been back a few times since. But Braylonfest and UTL stand out the most.
Braylonfest was just incredible. Everyone knew who the ball was going to, hell MSU knew who it was going to, but it kept working. I was freezing my ass off because the game started at 3:30 and was roasting but once the sun set, the t-shirt was a terrible move. None of it mattered after it was over.
UTL was nothing like I've ever seen in my life. The whole day was unlike anything I've ever been a part of as a fan, starting from the all day tailgating (especially important since I was visiting from out of town) to the final TD. It's the only time I can remember having that big of a smile on my face and being speechless for so long.
Close #3 is Manningham vs. Penn State in '05. Not in the top 2 because it was fall break for students and I was missing many of my friends who went home. The phone calls afterwards were awesome though.
Equally close #4 is my first home game as a student, 2002 vs. Washington. Brabbs redeeming himself was something none of us thought we'd see that day.
right about the Notre Dame game being an all day experience. Instead of tailgating, however, I stayed about 3 miles outside of Ann Arbor in my friend's apartment. She lived in the middle of nothing. You wouldn't even have known a major University was only 3 miles away. Watched the Tigers game there (went to it the night before on the way to AA), hung out, watched other football games, ect. Then the game. Then going back to that middle of nowhere apartment to fire up Mgoblog, check my voice messages (lots of them), watch the highlights on ESPN, listen to Denard's WHAAAAAAT interview, and drink a few beers. Unforgetable day. I get a little nostalgic just thinking about it.
Otherwise, agree with every word you say. Doubly so for UTL.
But then, I never do cry unless I'm really, really angry. Like Hulk angry. I have an extremely sissy super power. :(
I tried to lead the AA BWW in The Victors after UTL, but nobody would follow my lead.
Late last year, my wife and I moved back to A2 after living in Arizona for 5 years. Our car, with trailer in tow, entered Ann Arbor city limits Thursday evening, September 1. With most of our things still in boxes, we headed down to the stadium for the opening game against WMU on the morning of the 3rd. After almost 6 years of not being in the Big House, you bet your ass I started tearing up the moment the first few guys out of the tunnel touched the banner.
a small MAC opponent, I'll never forget that game either. The start of Hoke, the horribly hot weather followed by vicious downpours (that made me freeze), and the weather delay. Also, getting back to the car in the golf course to find out the Tigers were actually PLAYING still only a few miles to our north. Don't forget that. They had an EPIC comeback win over the White Sox from way behind that day. Kinda like they did today!
I could be wrong, but didn't Inge hit a walk off home run that day?
No, that was actually the same day as UTL. I remember because I was at the Tigers game with my wife, her sister, and her sister's fiance. We were DVRing the M game so that we wouldn't miss any of it, and as the Tigers' game was getting close to heading into extra innings, we were debating whether or not the stay. Inge made the decision for us, and after a quick celebration, we raced out of Comerica and headed back to GR. We must have been the first ones out :)