Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday

Submitted by MGoSteelers on

Michigan is doing a Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday for fans attending the game.

— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) November 18, 2014

Following the game, fans will be allowed onto the field after the band's post-game performance.

— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) November 18, 2014

Season ticket holders will receive special concession packages at the stadium, first 2,000 students get a free hot chocolate

— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) November 18, 2014

 

in an semi-related note, does anyone know how to embed pretty tweets instead of the ugly blockquote?

--they've turned pretty but i'm not sure how

WhoopinStick

November 18th, 2014 at 5:08 PM ^

For you old timers that remember Band Day back in the 70's, this Saturday's game against  Maryland will be kind of a mini Band Day.  Instead of inviting entire high school bands from around the area like they did in the 70's, they have invited a limited number of band members from various high schools in the region.  These high schoolers will perform with the Michigan Marching Band during halftime and post game.  

GOBLUE4EVR

November 18th, 2014 at 1:38 PM ^

are by far my fav pre game event... its not corny, unless its overdone... the best one ever was before the 95 OSU game i believe, it was almost like no one in the stadium (players, and coaches also) knew it was coming and it also came from the north (they usually fly over from the south endzone)...

so during the national anthem, you could hear something in the distance and then you could see 2 dots in the sky and then about 15 seconds later both jets ripped over the stadium and the entire stadium went crazy, people got fired up even more so and then tim went all tim on the OSU defense that day... such a great day...

ThadMattasagoblin

November 18th, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^

Really no reason not to come to senior day. I'm sure some people will complain that it's too cold, it costs too much despite it only being 20 dollars on stubhub. The game against Indiana showed that the problem wasn't just DB but the fans too. Look at Nebraska who has sold out games forever despite them not winning one conference title since 1999.

FreddieMercuryHayes

November 18th, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^

While I was discouraged by the fan turn out for Indiana, it's not an overnight fix to repair the rift between the fans and the athletic department.  To use BiSB's analogy, you don't fire the captain of an off course ship and then be mad you aren't immediately safety back at port.  But I find stuff like this encouraging.  At least they're trying.  And I'm not familair with Nebraska really, but I doubt their athletic department model for the last four years was "ruthlessley exploit the expendable resource of fans" until the fans break.

Jason80

November 18th, 2014 at 6:07 PM ^

The fans are the customers and more are choosing to consume the product at home at a substantial savings. My job has me working most saturdaysnfor years but even when I'm not I don't have much interest in investing the time and money in attending the game. I love that feeling I get when The Victors is playing and the fellas are smacking the banner but I don't love it at these prices when the part that follows is mediocre. So it is like any other choice I can make with my disposable income now.

dnak438

November 18th, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^

only look pretty in the comments, not in the OP area. That's been my experience, anyway.

For example:

EDIT: OK that was obviously wrong. Now the OP's embedded tweets look like mine. I do think there is a difference between what the OP can do and what commenters can, like the way that videos need to be embedded using the old code in the OP area vs. the new code which works in the comments.

Everyone Murders

November 18th, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^

Appreciated, but not fully appreciated.

(Kidding aside, I like the tone of the promotion.  Nothing here to cheapen the stadium experience, and for those who've never been on the field, it's a great incentive to come see what should be a close game between teams vying for bowl eligibility.)

Michigan Mizo

November 18th, 2014 at 12:51 PM ^

Does anyone know when the last fan appreciation day was where the departent did something like this to add to the gameday experience?  I can't think of anything beyond the "fan day" where you can wait in line for 4 hours to get a single autograph.

wile_e8

November 18th, 2014 at 12:57 PM ^

I'd bet a dollar the open scrimmage this fall was a "maybe we should do something nice for fans for once" thing mandated from on high. Too bad it took masses of unsold tickets for the AD to do it, and then any good will bought by the event was undone by all the blunders afterward.

maizemama

November 18th, 2014 at 12:53 PM ^

it's really cool that they are letting people on the field. At the 1 mile fun run before the Big House Big Heart 5K, they wouldn't even let the parents of the kids on the field to get their kids. We tried to get on the field to grab them, so they wouldn't be lost at the event and we were told NO ONE can be on the field. So this is a nice change.

Its me Dave

November 18th, 2014 at 2:12 PM ^

Finishing a 5K at midfield in the Big House and having it displayed on the Jumbotron is pretty cool.

Back when the luxury boxes were completed, they had sort of a townie open house.  Turns out that visitors were most interested in queuing up at midfield to have their photos taken on the block M.  I have a nice one of me running a fade towards the M side of the north endzone.

Low tech, high-touch.  I like it.

Barnes1234

November 18th, 2014 at 12:58 PM ^

There are trying to get people to come to game. If the weather is not to bad they might get 80,000 people. If it was 80 degrees I believe the same amount shows up. People are sick of the clown show every week.

Maryland 24

Michigan 14

jnick7979

November 18th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^

We (fans,alumni,former players) fight for the block M!!! Your support is no longer needed or wanted. That goes for any "fan" that feels they don't need to support the TEAM!! Be angry with the ath dept, with hoke, or with whatever else chaps your ass that particular day but stop taking it out on the team. It's a bad look and they can feel the negativity on the field.

LSAClassOf2000

November 18th, 2014 at 1:45 PM ^

For those of us who stayed and risked frostbite at the 1995 Michigan-Purdue game, Saturday's forecast of 39 with a rain / snow mix is comparatively a laugher. In all seriousness, I think there shall be more people there than you believe rain, snow or cold November sun. I'll be there certainly. 

Izzoiswashedup

November 18th, 2014 at 1:05 PM ^

I feel like people should show up whether the team is 5-5 or 10-0. The "I'll only show up again when the team starts winning again" faction of our fanbase sounds a lot like the Miami Heat or USC Trojans. In no way am I happy about the current state of things but I always thought that our fanbase was more dedicated than others. Now we have thousands of empty seats even after getting rid of Brandon and we are now a bandwagon fanbase that will come back in droves if Harbaugh comes back.

Izzoiswashedup

November 18th, 2014 at 1:13 PM ^

Who cares about incentives? The athletic department makes tons more money if the football team is winning even if the stadium is full. Why do people want to see the program destroyed more just because of their vendetta against Hoke. Root for your team and show up. In a month we'll have a new coach.

BlueinLansing

November 18th, 2014 at 1:07 PM ^

this will be used to gauge fan interest.  If its low, we might not get a ticket hike this year.

 

Otherwise another desperate attempt by a poor and out of touch athletic department to keep fans.

GoBLUinTX

November 18th, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^

would be in the form of free hot chocolate for the first three quarters of the game for all those in attendance.

Hot chocolate is cheap, goodwill is expensive.  If the AD really wanted to show some appreaciation to the fans, he would have included all of the fans.  Besides, think of all the more expensive concessions which would be bought with the hot chocolate.  "Would you like a couple of fresh warm donuts to wash down with your hot chocolate?"

charblue.

November 18th, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^

people feel at a funeral or a memorial. It's all over the place, anger, rationality, optimism, hope and uncertainty about the future of this program. 

From a PR standpoint, we can see the immediate impact of a new leader in the Athletic Department. It comes across not only in Hackett's email to donors and season ticket holders, but in the way he lifted a coach from the throes of defeat and agony to deal with a player loss, giving him the freedom to let himself take responsibility for making the kind of appropriate decision we all knew was needed. 

The interim AD isn't the same old boss. And so if he helps steer this ship into port safely, it starts with a new course correction, free hot chocolate and acknowledgement of the fan base on Senior Day. There's nothin wrong with that. And you don't even have to buy a couple of Cokes to get on the field. 

We'll wait and see how he handles more important stuff. But you've got to admit this is the right thing to do. And its really sort of bitchy complaining when you're handed an olive branch in acknowledgement of unwavering support. .