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, 2014I wonder if this is just the Regents reaction to the freep lawsuit, which is shining some very public light on their rubber stamping ways.
The other angle, of course, is that this reveals some serious discontent among the regents with Brandon. The Regents rejecting fireworks for a halftime show is totally ridiculous and should be viewed as a huge slap in the face to Brandon. I'm not a fireworks fan, and am glad they rejected them for after TDs during the PSU game, but the frickin' REGENTS rejecting fireworks during a halftime show is not about fireworks. It's about Dave Brandon.
I think that at least a couple of the regents made it clear that they think fireworks before, during, or after are a step too far, and I suspect they'd feel that way if it was Bill Martin's idea.
However, I'm sure you're right it's also a pointed rebuke to Brandon as well. A twofer.
What's revealing is that yet again, Brandon doesn't seem to recognize where the limits are. He's the bull in the marketing and PR china shop.
Banning water from being brought in the stadium and making people buy bottled water was bad enough; attempting to charge people for cushions was a giant step too far.
The worst home schedule in forever—including Appy St.—was bad enough, but increasing season ticket prices on top of it was insult upon injury.
Re-working seating priority for the students was serious enough a change, but then forcing them to wait for long periods of time in line just to get into the stadium was too much.
My bet is that if the fireworks idea had been strictly limited to post-game, it would have been passed by the Regents, with some grumbling by Dietch and Bernstein. No, that wasn't enough—the "If it ain't broke, break it!" mentality rules in the athletic department, which meant they weren't content with anything less than fireworks during the game as well. A half-wit could have predicted the negative reaction to that brainstorm.
I thought the water bottle ban occured during the Martin era. Otherwise, I agree with your rant.
I had to check to make sure, but the water bottle decision came down after DB assumed the AD position.
"David A. Brandon began his tenure as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Michigan in March 2010."
http://www.mgoblue.com/genrel/brandon_dave00.html
"Posted on Sat, Jul 31, 2010 : 1:45 p.m. Football fans angry over bottled water ban at Michigan Stadium this fall"
http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-football/football-fans-angry-over-new…
I suppose it's possible the decision was in the works prior to March 2010, but Brandon had the final authority to approve the decision.
Regents with a big middle finger to Dave Brandon. I love it.
the "enough is enough" quote was very telling.
We aren't the only peope that are completely fed up with Dave Brandon. The man is a total @$$hat and honestly, the sooner he decides to go run for political office or go make more crappy pizza or do something, ANYTHING else and leave Michigan alone, we will all be better for it.
This isn't to say there aren't MORE incompetent ADs out there, as I'm sure there are (cough!, everyone Rutgers hires cough!). But we've got to be able to find someone who isn't intent on turning Michigan football into a 3-ring circus at every opportunity.
I'll bet you 100,000 MGoPoints that Bernstein and Ilitch did it to capitalize politically on Michigan fans' distaste for the fireworks. Such things never come this far to get voted down by the regents, and those quips are too good and too targeted at the fanbase to be off-the-cuff responses.
We just witnessed a little play by two astute politicians, at the expense of another politician. This is politicians playing their games; at least this game stopped the fireworks.
If you expand that unfounded allegation to Deitch, I'll take your bet. This wasn't a political play. The Regents (at least those who stopped the circus) feel, pretty much like all of us. From uniformz to jock jamz, they're just sick of it.
And his name is Reggie Hammond. Y'all be cool. Right on.
So free fireworks to students arriving early is out, too?
Message received DB?
When this first came up, I didn't have a problem with it because I thought it was postgame. But TD fireworks? Why not just install the General Motors dancing fountain?
Wow that wasn't staged at all guys.
i'll never get the "the experience should be the game on the field, and nothing else" argument. news flash. a large majority of us go to the stadium to watch the game already. we have been for decades. i haven't seen anyone doing anything else, but watching the game while it is being played in any of the games i've attended... then again i've never sat close to the student section so i can't say that for sure.
when did you all turn into grumpy old men?
So you're in favor of fireworks after touchdowns?