Fans in general
I get to the Big House once a year if I'm lucky, and I was there yesterday. We had three tickets in section 24, up under the rafters of the press box, and one ticket in section 23, 20 rows up from the field. The difference in fan behavior was amazing. Down in section 23, we stood for every play, screamed, yelled, acted like real fans. But when my husband and I switched places (we both wanted the section 23 ticket) and I had to go to the other seat, it was like a morgue. Polite clapping. No standing except for the national anthem.
What the hell? No wonder this stadium is so quiet. I thought the small Penn State section was louder than the rest of us put together. I think the stadium is too big, and how many fans willing to stand and yell the whole game are there? Maybe 70,000? The rest (the people in section 24 were older) just sit there and get pissed if you make some noise.
I expect a raucus day at the Big House. I expect to lose my voice. I now know where to sit, and where not to sit.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:35 AM ^
at what point does one become an old blue hair? I've been around a while {got to Michigan in the mid-70's) and when I go to to games I stand and scream just as much as the current students do. I'm pretty sure I couldn't sit for a quarter much less an entire game. And I wouldn't even consider telling someone in front of me to sit down. Do you morph into a blue hair when you turn 60 or so? If so I'm running out of time. God help me!
October 25th, 2009 at 7:20 PM ^
It's actually a disease that smug graduates are constantly exposed to.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:46 AM ^
I'm glad you posted this. I was in Section 12, Row 8 yesterday and I could hear people in my Section complaining about how people in front of them (i.e. my friends and me) "wouldn't sit down". It's a college football game, arguably the best sporting event there is. Get off of your butt and cheer on the team!!
October 25th, 2009 at 11:49 AM ^
also in section 12 but about 40 rows behind you. In recent years there were season ticket holders behind us that got mad when we stood up, but they have left (thank god). It's been great so far this season, though, with nobody being pissy about general fanhood.
October 25th, 2009 at 5:25 PM ^
If you are in Row 8, then someone behind you has every good reason to yell "Down in front!"
You are the problem for all of Section 12, insofar as you are part of the reason that the whole Section, of some 2500-2700 people, all have to stand up whenever you feel like it. You stand up, the people in Rows 9 and 10 stand up, etc., etc., until, at Row 30, it is pointless to yell at anybody.
If you have to stand because people in front of you are standing, then you can tell them to sit. Eight rows? They could hear your normal conversational voice -- it wouldn't take a lot of yelling.
But I get the impression that standing is exactly what you want. So why don't you get season tickets in Row 90? You won't bother anybody that way.
Why don't you make a proposal to the Athletic Department? Step up, make a donation, get season tickets, respect your fellow season-ticket holders, the people who will be your neighbors for years and years every football Saturday, and who all want to see the game.
Are the Section 12 seats your season tickets?
October 25th, 2009 at 7:26 PM ^
No, you're the problem.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:08 PM ^
stay home and watch the game on your couch.
October 28th, 2009 at 10:04 AM ^
What's Virgil up to these days?
October 25th, 2009 at 10:00 AM ^
WendyK5 - There is a way of reading your post that makes it sound like you want to get rid of 30,000 "older" fans who have probably had season tickets for decades, who come week after week after week, who currently pay a extra couple hundred of dollars (I think 500) per ticket, and many of whom are Victors Club Members all so your one trip per year can be more fun for you? You don't really mean that do you? I'm reading this wrong, right? Yeah, I must be.
How about this, each section and area has its own way of doing things. Some sit, some stand. The section where my tickets are mostly stands, but sometimes we sit. It is Section 9. You're always welome if can find a ticket. And yeah, Section 24 is kind of known for being a calmer section. But let's not tell them how to be fans.
October 25th, 2009 at 5:05 PM ^
isn't to get rid of the people who don't cheer. But if you're one who does, like I am, and I am not a youngster - I graduated from U of M 22 years ago - you shouldn't complain about people who are acting appropriately in the situation. A college football game is a place where you CHEER YOUR TEAM ON. If you don't want to get loud and yell and get pissed and display lots of emotion, that's definitely your prerogative. But don't get down on the people who do. Do I want to stand for 60 minutes? Not necessarily, but if people in front of me are standing, then I'll stand to see the game. If I need to sit down for a minute, then I will.
I don't care if people don't cheer the way I cheer. But this is Michigan football, not a Saturday afternoon matinee. If you're not a "cheerer" you at least need to be accommodating to those who are.
October 25th, 2009 at 7:01 PM ^
I think we agree with each other. I just didn't get that from the original post.
October 25th, 2009 at 10:20 AM ^
From my experience, especially in the first half. When PSU was down in our student section end zone the place was loud and nearly everyone was standing yelling. I had not been to the stadium since the new boxes were put in and definitely noticed a difference. The crowd noise seems to bounce off these new structures and create a thunderous roar. The only time people quieted down was when we had the ball (appropriately) and when the game was well out of reach. I think everyone was generally pissed off after we were down 25-10, and understandably so.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:51 PM ^
I thought the crowd was okay for most of the game. In the fourth quarter it was quiet, yes, but being down huge (and in terrible weather, no less) is not real conducive to crowd participation. When we destroyed PSU in State College in '97, that place was quiet in the second half, too.
October 25th, 2009 at 10:35 AM ^
I was in front of two short Penn State fans, so naturally I stood for most of the game. They wanted to sit the whole time but had to stand on their seat to see the game. That was the only enjoyment I had that game.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:05 AM ^
Watching on TV, when Penn State scored their points, the stadium was definitely the loudest I heard all game. I thought for a moment that the game might have been at penn state. That said, the team yesterday didn't give people that much to cheer about.
October 25th, 2009 at 8:43 PM ^
watched the game on tv. Which proves how distorted and selective a tv producer and director can be in broadcasting a football game.
There can be little doubt that ABC had several crowd mics, and that one or more of those mics were located in areas that were block-seating for visitors from Penn State. That's not surprising, nor any great mystery. It's standard operating procedure for such broadcasts.
btw: Michigan, as far as I know, offers the most generous visitor-seating ticket allocation of any school in the nation.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:34 AM ^
I guess I'm a bad fan for sitting down so the 8 year old behind me could see a football game he was obviously excited to be at.
Standing up is fine sometimes, but pay attention to your surroundings and don't be "that guy."
October 25th, 2009 at 12:54 PM ^
just curious, did you ever go to a game as an 8 year old? and did u really have one behind you?
October 25th, 2009 at 8:46 PM ^
Absolutely. With my grandfather, who roomed with Old Man Yost on road trips.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:05 PM ^
I sit in section 33. Row 1. I am so tired of being told that because I sit, in order for the children, and the people who sit behind me, to stand up, that my degree of fervor is somehow less. There is no one who yells more than I. And, if the person who was sitting next to me would have made some noise, instead of complaining for an entire quarter that he had been asked to sit down, that might have been good, also.
Make noise, instead of complaining.
October 25th, 2009 at 7:29 PM ^
Last year was my first season out of school and my girlfriend and I got season tickets in section 40 near the front. Definitely not my taste as most of the people there are fairly quiet, and some seemed really annoyed when I tried making noise for our defense. This year we went back to the student section with a few of our friends who are there for grad school. I feel like I'll need to continue to sit there for as long as I can because I want to be loud when I need to be, but at the same time not piss off anyone else.
October 25th, 2009 at 8:41 PM ^
My guess is that if you made a contribution to the Athletic Department, just to get their attention, and if you aksed nicely, that they'd be happy to exchange your current seats for some in Section 34, in a higher-up row, where (a) you'd be close to the Student Section(s) and (b) you wouldn't bother anybody if you stood for the whole game.
The interesting thing that just occurred to me is that there are probably a lot of Michigan students and recent alums, whose only experience in the Stadium is sitting in the Student Sections. All they know of Michigan Stadium is sitting in the ocean of Maize, and standing the whole game. And therefore think that's the normal, default mode for Stdium behavior.
October 25th, 2009 at 9:51 PM ^
Moving to a non-student section (40) was definitely a huge change in atmosphere for me. The lack of noise, comparable to the student section, made me realize why the Big House isn't really considered a loud stadium. I will continue to get tickets in the student section as long as I'm able to. The student section suits me, and it's nice to sit with a group of friends, although I guess it really doesn't matter to me all that much since I'm usually off in my own world focusing on the game.
October 25th, 2009 at 10:04 PM ^
I will agree on one thing: overall our fans could be louder. Being in the student section for four years I always thought that us fans could be more supportive of our football team.
However, what do you expect when you're a 4.5 point dog (aka within reason of winning the game) and getting shellacked at home? Our fans aren't stupid - cheering for the team at the top of your lungs in the fourth quarter probably isn't going to happen.
October 27th, 2009 at 11:12 PM ^
they can at least stay until halftime
October 28th, 2009 at 1:42 AM ^
Michigan fans bongotones.com wants to break a record at the Michigan/Ohio St game this year at halftime with the most ringtones played simultaneously with playing "hail to the victors." SO fans go here and check it out should be real cool!
http://www.mgobluefootball.com/2009/10/reminding-all-michigan-fans-who-…
Rob
mgobluefootball.com
October 28th, 2009 at 4:20 AM ^
I dont think standing is necessary but making noise is. Aren't we tired of other teams saying the big house isn't intimidating? Aren't we tired of tv broadcasters saying michigan is quiet compared to other, smaller stadiums. i live out of state and can only make a game or two per year, unfortunately. when i do go i get irritated at all of the people around me sitting on their hands and only making noise when something great happens or we score a touchdown. Where's the enthusiasm?
With 100,000+ we should be one of the loudest stadiums in the country but aren't because of how many fans sit quietly like they are watching a play on a stage. A louder stadium directly effects the other teams offense and can help our team. I don't have a problem if you want to sit the entire game, but show some emotion for your team...make some noise!