Fandom endurance badges

Submitted by Sambojangles on

Brian created the Fandom Endurance Badge III for the Northwestern game in 2008:

http://mgoblog.com/content/perverse-joy-abject-stupidity

And the Hoover Street Rag tweeted about yesterday's game: 

https://twitter.com/#!/search/fandom%20endurance%20badge

Personally, I can't imagine anything worse than the Northwestern game. An already bowlless team, cold rain/snow, losing the game itself. And I wasn't even there! (I was sailing in Chicago and watched the game on TV) This game was not even close to that (warm, new coach, optimistic about future, etc.)

If you had to come up with 3 levels of Fandom Endurance, what would they be? And what are the worst games, weather and situation-wise, you have ever attended?

beangoblue

September 5th, 2011 at 2:50 AM ^

My first UM game back in Ann Arbor since 1991. Freezing rain the whole day and we didn't even score a touchdown. Had a great time overall and we were able to move up to the 10th row near midfield eventually, so that was sweet. The weather was brutal but we stayed the whole time.

jcgold

September 5th, 2011 at 2:53 AM ^

2008 Michigan Northwestern:  I stayed the whole game, and froze my ass off.  The student section was mostly empty for a game where we couldn't move the ball and were lucky to score on a blocked punt.

2006 Michigan Northwestern:  It seemed like a repeat of 2006 when the 2008 game happened, only we were good and actually won that one.  It was cold and very windy, and I was stupid enough not to bring a coat.  At least we won this one.

2009:  Michigan at MSU:  It rained off and on the whole day, and was windy as hell 5 rows from the top of the upper deck.  Only near the end of the game (coincidentally, when Tate led those two touchdown drives) did the sun come out, making it seem like everything would be ok.  We all know how that one ended.

If you sat thru the entire Oregon game, or the 2008 Northwestern game, you are at FANCOM 1. 

bklein09

September 5th, 2011 at 2:39 PM ^

If road games count, then 2008 @ND has to be up there.

Not only did we get curb stomped thanks to all kinds of yakety-sax, but the weather was horrible with multiple torrential downpours throughout the game. 

That was my senior year, and I combined the ND game with the NW game plus a trip to Columbus all to see 3 wins. 

That should be a Fandom Endurance Season Badge!

Yostbound and Down

September 5th, 2011 at 2:55 AM ^

Brian's dead on. If you attended or watched any of the 2008 games, you pretty much get the highest level of fandom in my book. I throw 2009 in there too, but whatever. 

To be honest, the craziest game I've been to was MSU-ND in 2006. My grandpa used to have horses and donated them to MSU when he sold his farm, so they gave him MSU season tickets in thanks. He and my whole family are big Michigan fans so we usually only use the tickets to go to the Michigan-MSU game, but that year the State-ND game was the Gameday game of the week, so we went to go watch (secretly wearing my "The Victors" T-shirt underneath my poncho). That game, weather-wise, was the most miserable I've been to. The rain was blowing sideways through the stadium, gusting over fifty mph. It was pretty nuts and ND actually came back to win at the end, but by around the start of the fourth quarter my grandpa, dad, cousin and I said the hell with it and left Sparty stadium. Too bad in a way, because the game wrapped up well, but it wasn't a Michigan game so none of us cared that much.

Yesterday there was a lot of wind and some hard rain but the temperature was very nice and aside from the lightning risk it wasn't that dangerous. Weatherwise top of the scale has to be 1950 Michigan-OSU "Snow Bowl".

Mr. Robot

September 5th, 2011 at 3:10 AM ^

2008 Northwestern - Everything that can be said about this game has been said. It was freshman year for me, I had watched the Michigan I had known all my life fall to unthought of lows, and the weather sucked, but we were only down 7 and it was the last game I would see for another 8 months, so I went down to row 1 with another group of diehards and I stayed the whole game.

2010 @Purdue - Pretty much 2008 Northwestern, but it was above freezing enough that it was only rain and I was FAR more prepared this time. Not all THAT bad thanks to being ready for the crap weather, and it was all worth hearing the Purdue fans boo thier local weatherman when he went out on the field during a break and they put him on the big screen.

2009 @MSU - Again, this was actually not all that bad, but I don't have any other games that really qualify as every other game I've been to that it rained for it was plenty warm to make up for it and I was well-prepared for the weather.

Tully Mars

September 5th, 2011 at 9:48 AM ^

I wasn't at 2009 @ MSU, so I can't comment on it, but 2008 Northwestern and 2010 @ Purdue are by far the worst games I've been to since being a season ticket holder (2004 season, so not too far back).

 2011 WMU was certainly hot, but in the end the rain actually felt really good.  It's true that you can layer up as much as you want for cold, where as there is a limit on what you can do for hot.  However, once precipitation gets in there with the cold, that's the worst of all possible situations IMHO.

codeBLUE11

September 5th, 2011 at 3:12 AM ^

Northwestern '08 is my worst by far.
<br>
<br>That was my freshman year and I'm from Texas. I hadn't bought a coat yet and attended the game wearing a hoodie with a t-shirt underneath, jeans, and sneakers. Of course I was soaked to the bone within minutes and bought my first pair of gloves and a beanie at halftime just so I could endure the rest of the game. I can honestly say I was at the most miserable point in my life until I was able to move up from row 98 to row 2.
<br>
<br>This was also the only game I have sat down during gameplay because I was forced to resort to the fetal position during the 4th quarter to conserve body warmth.
<br>
<br>I hope I can live the rest of my life without being that miserable again. I was only able to endure the pain because This Is Michigan, godammit.

HELLE

September 5th, 2011 at 3:13 AM ^

was by far the worst (although I wasn't at the 5-0 Purdue game). I actually wore my golf Gortex rain pants to that game. I thought it would help but eventually my lap puddled and the water just soaked through.

PurpleStuff

September 5th, 2011 at 3:24 AM ^

Really sucked balls.  That and 2007 OSU are probably the worst I've been at.  Being in the midst of the celebration in Columbus in 2006 was vomit inducing as well.  Those two are the only ones I've gotten back for the last few years. 

Also never left a game early, but I turned off the Oregon game in 2007.  Can't imagine that was a fun second half to sit through in the stadium.  2009 at Illinois was probably the most frustrating/upsetting to watch though.

Isn't this fun?

Vasav

September 5th, 2011 at 3:45 AM ^

It was miserable - and afterwards, while waiting for the band, Oregon's numerous fans all moved into my section and had a little party while the band started to form up. That was when I decided to leave.

bklein09

September 5th, 2011 at 2:43 PM ^

My fiance's dad, a Duck fan, was in Ann Arbor visiting for that game.

Needless to say, we stayed for the entire game with him.

At least one person in our group was happy.

Luckily, he's a great guy overall and wholeheartedly roots for Michigan any time they are not playing Oregon. 

But that game was certainly hard to watch one week after the Horror occurred. 

HoldTheRope

September 5th, 2011 at 3:26 AM ^

2008 Northwestern and it's not even close. The only other weather-related games that weren't that much fun to be at were the 2007 OSU game (cold+rain+less than 100 yards of offense) and this past year's Purdue game in WL (it was rainy and windy and for some reason I went in a t-shirt). But yeah, 2008 NU...the weather was awful and the product on the field was even worse. The Oregon game my freshman year in 2007 was equally depressing despite the weather being much, much better. We simply got dismantled that day in a way that we hadn't been since possibly the 2002 Iowa game...I stayed, but I always stay till the end regardless (it's an irrational policy, but I'm not changing it now or ever). 

a2_electricboogaloo

September 5th, 2011 at 3:30 AM ^

2008 Northwestern game.  So I have to go with the 2009 Penn State game as my worst so far.   Just enough hype to get myself excited for the game, only to have it crushed in a miserable confluence of frigid rain and poorly executed football.  That loss really opened the floodgates for that season.

Vasav

September 5th, 2011 at 3:49 AM ^

2007 Oregon

2008 Notre Dame (although that was away - but it was cold and wet)

2008 Northwestern

2008 OSU - the first time we were blown out of The Game in my memory

On the other hand, even though it was a blowout with a long, cold, rain delay against a MAC team, the 2006 Central game was one of my favorites to be at. The game actually finished, and the rain delay featured the band and the students' section rocking out in the rain. Good times.

samber2009

September 5th, 2011 at 4:27 AM ^

That ND game was brutal. Temperature wise it was fine, but I remember those clouds coming in and it started raining.  I angered the weather gods or something by actually saying I didn't think it could rain any harder, and sure enough it found a way to rain harder.  I dont think there was a delay of the game, but 5 or 6 Michigan turnovers at ND stadium just made the day awful. 08 Northwestern game was by far the worst though. My senior year was 08/09... brutal in a nutshell. 

joeyb

September 5th, 2011 at 4:20 AM ^

2008 Northwestern was horrible, but, at the same time, felt like I was proving my fandom to myself, which made it kind of fun for me. Note: don't bring two Mexicans and a Puerto Rican to a game like that for their first (and probably only for two of them) Michigan game.

2007 OSU was 2008 Northwestern Light. Slightly less rain, slightly less cold, slightly less embarassment.

I've been to other games with bad weather, but those two are the only ones that stick out in my memory. I think everything else was pretty manageable.

Mi Sooner

September 5th, 2011 at 4:51 AM ^

The game Saturday was annoying but not bad -- except for that whole lightning thing. I've been soaked though at numerous games over the years. The three worst that I attended:

1. The 1995 purdue game. I've told that story here before. Let's just say it sucked. Funny that on Saturday they had mercury Hayes back; he had the worst day back in'95 with his hydroplaning through the large mud lake in sidelines in front of me.

2. The 2008 northwestern game. Nearly the same as the '95 game minus the high winds.

3. The 1969 tsio game. More snow than the 2008 northwestern game and less rain. The sun did come out for the second half.

A2MIKE

September 5th, 2011 at 8:44 AM ^

except I wasn't alive for the '69 game.  

1995 Purdue game was my 12th birthday and I got tickets to the game.  My parents picked up one of my friends and dropped us off at the game.  They came back at halftime thinking we would be waiting outside on main st, we ended up staying the whole game.  It was something like -10 wind chill.  It made 2008 Northwestern feel like a cool fall day.

2008 Northwestern

2007 Ohio State

2009 @ Illinois

2009 Penn State

2010 @ Ohio State

2001 Ohio State

For games that just sucked cause of the result:

2007 Oregon

2002 @ Ohio State

2004 @ Ohio State

 

 

shorts

September 5th, 2011 at 5:17 AM ^

The '06 Northwestern game was miserable, even if that was the best Michigan team in a long time. It was about 30 degrees, windy and pouring ice-cold rain (I kept wishing it would turn to snow) for the entire game.

I had moved out of state by '08 so can't really compare the two. Still, I've never voluntarily sat in more miserable weather.

Vasav

September 5th, 2011 at 7:04 AM ^

I remember the students section being mostly empty. Ironically, I got into almost every game that year for free - with that game being the exception. And I was sick heading into the game. Miserable experience. And thenLloyd Carr called out the entire student body for not being "tough enough" for the cold.

janel

September 5th, 2011 at 10:21 AM ^

That is the only game I have been able to attend in AA.  It was an anniversary gift from my husband (non M fan) and he still bitches about the weather to this day.  Worst part was it turned into a nice day as soon as the game wrapped up. 

The only other game I have attended is @Purdue last year and it was pretty crappy itself, but the temps alone make that Northwestern game a clear winner for me.

w2j2

September 5th, 2011 at 6:59 AM ^

We were sitting at the South end, top 5 rows, facing into the howling rain/sleet/snow.

I loved it.

The game...I remember thinking that I had seen far better high school defenses.

GoBlueMAGNUS

September 5th, 2011 at 8:27 AM ^

I remember telling myself the only reason I was going to sit through the entire 08 season, was so that years later I could tell everyone I did. The Northwestern game was the lowest of the lows. A totally pointless game and the worst weather I have ever seen. I've never been that cold. I proudly display my fandom endurance 3 badge

Volverine

September 5th, 2011 at 9:01 AM ^

I also vote for the 2008 Northwestern game. In that game, I was a junior at the time and had recently (6 months) started dating my now-fiancee. I actually decided to leave midway through the 4th because I was so cold. We made it up about 30 rows when my then-girlfriend cautioned me that by doing this, my "complete game attendance record" would no longer be perfect. I stayed.
<br>
<br>As a side note, I was at the first rain suspended game at the Big House (2006 against Central). Looking back, the weather there want bad at all. We had lightning and a monsoon of rain but it would never make a "worst weather at Michigan Stadium" list.

macdaddy

September 5th, 2011 at 9:04 AM ^

that 1995 Purdue game was extraordinarily miserable. And the 1985 (might have been '83) Ohio State game was the coldest I've ever been in my life. It was dry but I think I'm still thawing out. Finally, IIRC, the 1983 opener against Washington State was insanely hot. People were dropping like flies in the stands. During halftime everyone left (this was back in the days of re-entry) to get water and pop at the nearby party stores.

Yostal

September 5th, 2011 at 10:33 AM ^

My argument as for why Saturday was worse than Northwestern 2008:

1). You can dress for the cold, you cannot dress for the heat.

2). It rained sideways.

3). I spent much of the second shower attempting to protect our tickets from becoming unusable because they got soaked.

4). My back was screwed up like it had never been before.

5). I was reminded how screwed we are if there's an actual emergency that requires an orderly but rapid stadium evacuation.

So, in this case, my nomination was that it was hot, humid, sweaty, and then rainy, cold, and miserable.  The changes in weather made me give it a Fandom Endurance IV, but I also know that I probably have blocked much of the misery of Northwestern 2008 out of my head, because rereading my game column for it, yeah, that sucked.  I fell prey to presentism.

So Fandom Endurance II: Randomness Cluster?

By the way, few mention it, but Boston College 1996 is Fandom Endurance II as well.  So is Notre Dame 2008 (road edition) and Purdue 2010 (road edition.)

Tater

September 5th, 2011 at 10:47 AM ^

I'm sure those who detract us as a fanbase will cut and paste some of the "better" comments on their blogs.  Threads like this certainly help fans in Columbus and EL who paint us as a spoiled fanbase that would rather be inside enjoying wine and brie.

DOWN IN FRONT!

Wolverine Devotee

September 5th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^

Was at the 2006 NW game. Stayed the entire game through late October rain, snow and cold to see #2 Michigan win 17-3 over an awful NW team. I remember seeing maybe 2-3 NW fans the whole day. But it could've been hard to tell since everyone was wearing heavy coats and ponchos.

1995 Purdue, anyone who lasted the whole game deserves a medal. Wasn't there but seen the videos and heard many stories. 1996 Boston College was a washout, early September and pouring.

jmblue

September 5th, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^

Besides all the ones that have been mentioned, Syracuse '98 belongs up there.  Brutally hot and a stunningly bad game (we were down 38-7 before we tacked on three face-saving TDs).

BiSB

September 5th, 2011 at 11:39 AM ^

@ Notre Dame '08.

Epic rain storm. Throttled by ND. The birth of HOLD ONTO THE GODDAMN BALL. Yeah...that sucked.

It was even worse for me personally, as I was in the ND student section in my Michigan gear.

bklein09

September 5th, 2011 at 2:48 PM ^

I'm 100% with you on this game.

Not only did the game/gameday weather suck.

But, my friends and I decided to tent camp near South Bend the night before the game because there were no hotels available and it seemed like a good, cheap way to spend a friday night in the fall.

It must have rained 5 inches that night, and all of our tents ended up with water in them. 

I probably slept 2 hours that night, and then spent the entire next day getting more wet and reamed by fumbles and ND.

Awesome...

Shaqsquatch

September 5th, 2011 at 11:42 AM ^

This one didn't deserve a fandom endurance, it was much more like the CMU game in '06, beating up on a weaker opponent in weather that's way too hot, then a more than welcome rain cools everything off. This one was a little more intense with OMG MEGASTORM, but still not entirely unwelcome. I gotta say though, it's pretty cool to officially have been through the only two rain delays in Big House history.

SagNasty

September 5th, 2011 at 4:09 PM ^

I had a blast tailgaiting for the 06 nw game. There was a guy with us who was going to his first michigan game. I remember herbstreit and spielman calling the fanbase soft for leaving early.

I was also at the 08 nw game and a guy walking behind us on the way out made the comment that that moment was probably the worst moment in his michigan fandom. I just turned around and shook my head in agreement. App state was close but at least that team rallied to win some games.