Fireworks will NOT happen: Regents vote against them
By the looks of these tweets, it seems there will be no fireworks. This guy is live tweeting the board of regents meeting.
It looks like fireworks will be shot down.
https://twitter.com/Freephighered
Read some of the comments from the Regents...
Fireworks at #UMICH football games to be similiar to Winter Classic display. Will be shot multiple times during game.
— David Jesse (@Freephighered) July 17, 2014
Regents asking lots of questions about fireworks display at games. Uncommon for them to ask this many questions in public
— David Jesse (@Freephighered) July 17, 2014
Regent Ilitch: I don't understand fireworks during the game.
— David Jesse (@Freephighered) July 17, 2014
Regent Dietsch: Heard from lots of people opposed to it. I will vote no. Plans disrespectful to our neighbors.
— David Jesse (@Freephighered) July 17, 2014
Regent Dietsch: Fireworks "feels like a night at Disney" not a Michigan football game. @freep @freepsports
— David Jesse (@Freephighered) July 17, 2014
Bernstein: We are not Comerica Park (says no offense to Regent Ilitch, who is sitting across him).
— David Jesse (@Freephighered) July 17, 2014
Bernstein, @MGoBernstein: The fireworks should be on the field, not above the field.
— David Jesse (@Freephighered) July 17, 2014
Edit!:
UM Regents vote against fireworks at Michigan Stadium this season, citing safety, public disturbance concerns. @michigandaily
— Ian Dillingham (@IDillingham) July 17, 2014
The Regents almost never vote this type of thing down. Usually by the time something gets onto the official public agenda everything has already been agreed to.
Hopefully this begins the pushback before the entire Michigan football experience becomes foreign to nearly all of the alumni.
...between the Regents and the new President, they'll decide to put an end to the clown show and fire Brandon. And Hoke too for that matter.
Fireworks are voted down for both games by the U-M Regents
— Mark Snyder (@Mark__Snyder) July 17, 2014
Thank God someone has respect for tradition over Brandon's almighty dollar. "Will be shot multiple times during game." Are these people insane? Are we going to have laser shows tied to that awful, repetetive music that gets played every game? That White Stripes song was obnoxious when it was on the radio A DECADE AGO. Kill it already.
Quote of the Day from Regent Laurence Deitch:
An even better quote: “I love fireworks, but not at a Michigan football game. We are not Comerica Park or the Super Bowl or Disney World or a circus, and the important point is we shouldn't try to be. At a certain point, enough is enough.”
Props to Regent Bernstein for that quote.
I'd love to see Brian put that quote up as the Blog tagline.
we could have had comments from the Regents about the "sky writing" stunt .... that had to be precious !!!
Go Blue!
Was he on the Board of Regents when the winter classic Hockey game was scheduled? If so, what was the liability coverage? Were fireworks disrespectul to the neighbors? How did he vote?
there is no tradition to Big House, outdoor hockey games that come along once every........oh.......exactly...
There's a difference between shooting them off once on a holiday, and telling the neighbors they're going to have to put up with it seven or eight times a year on the regular from now until God knows when.
(Edit: On re-reading I think my thought process jumped from place to place without much of a link in between, the idea being that this year was going to be only two games but there would be no reason to expect it'd be limited to that in the future.)
Seven Nation Army ("the White Stripes song") could most definitely use a rest at college football games, much love for Detroit's own great band.
Interesting that the tweets didn't explain exacty what was being requested. Had the pyro been for pre-game, halftime, or post-game that would have been one thing....but during the game, bad idea.
If the wolverines are released before TDs there will probably be more TDs.
If fireworks go off, our game will be JUST like the game at Jerryworld! Which wasn't stale adn corporate at all! Why do you need the band to play "the Victors" after touchdowns when we could have FIREWORKS go off!! Decades of tradition (like the band) doesn't build familiarity. Offering everything that you can get at any sporting event in the country (fireworks, rawk, advertising) only offering it BETTER is what Michigan should be all about.
WOW EXPERIENCE
HOT DOG CANNON!!!
really blew up in their face.
NOW I DON'T WANT MY 3:30 MIAMI(NTM) GAME TIX. I only wanted them for the chance to watch fireworks with the sun still in the sky.
/s
Odd that the vote on that game was so close....
Michigan Regents vote down fireworks at The Big House. 4-3 no vote for Miami (Ohio) game, 5-2 vote against night game vs. Penn State.
— Jeremy Allen (@JeremyAllenA2) July 17, 2014
is that the pyro for the Miami game was for the halftime show only, PSU was to be an extravaganza with fireworks after scores.
From reading what little has been reported, the Regents were never inclined to vote yes, given some of the spurious reasons.
I wonder which Regents were in favor in both cases.
EDIT: found my answer in the Freep article. Richner and Andrea Newman voted FOR fireworks in both casesare generally considered the two closest to Brandon.
Hooray for them putting Brandon in his place for once
When was the last time the AD ever got shot down like this, this badly?
I was kind of indifferent when it came to the postgame fireworks. If they had them, neat. If not, that's fine. It's still Michigan Football.
But to blow them off DURING the game? Uh, no. Save that for the outdoor hockey games.
The only fireworks I want during the game will be on the field offensively for Michigan.
That, to me, is the biggest news here: Michigan is being sued because nothing the Regents do happens in public, and yet fireworks are voted down with regents vocally critical of the plan (sure, the suit appears to be borderline frivolous but the criticism is valid). This could be very telling of the relationship between Brandon and the Board of Regents.
Regardless of what yout think about the fireworks, these are some pretty craptastic reasons to vote against them. There is nothing dangerous about a firework display, and disturbing the surrounding public for a half hour while people in the stadium enjoy the show is a lame concern.
I don't necessary disagree about the noise and danger excuses being just that....excuses. It's pretty clear from the discussions posted in the tweets that the real reason is the Regents, much like many here on the Board, are sick of turning Michigan Football into SIngle A Baseball.
But, but what about the Super Bowl experience?
No worries, the Regents never said anything about skywriters, so Dave Brandon will just hire a plane to write #BOOM-WOW over the stadium right before kickoff.
Lasers and sky lights. Maybe Dave can get a block M up there Batman-style.
But fireworks during scoring plays is flat out ridiculous. I'm totally fine with something like this for after a game, but c'mon man.
Remember a few years ago when the changes started and everyone proclaimed, "Oh, they won't take it too far. Learn to change with the times!"
Horseshit. I knew it the second there was a goddamn giant macaroni statute outside the Big House. That tells you all you need to know about the current AD's priorities.
Money > Fans, Tradition, Winning, Alumna > Students
C.R.E.A.M.
Also, in other Board of Regents news, the $12 million golf clubhouse renovation passed and will be renamed the Richard L. and Ruth E. Postma Clubhouse.
Seriously, thanks for the update.