The Football Dilemma
I enjoy Michigan football. Or at least I think I did at one point. The highs are are high but the low points are worse and without perfection the season seems miserable.
Whether it is a loss against a better rival, worse rival or poor performance against Army - it never seems to get any more fun. The frustration and disappointment is the same as it was 5,10, 15 years ago.
So why do we continue to do this instead of other hobbies? I don’t want to go for a run or fix things around the house but I’ve never done those things and after hours been mad at myself. At least I’ve accomplished something.
But with sports, with football, it’s four hours for a shot at days or weeks of misery.
Id love to pretend I won’t tune in next week or skip the OSU game. But that won’t happen. I’ll be here all week gobbling up content being irrational with my expectations until circling back to the next let down.
Why do we choose a hobby that more often than not, let us down?
October 31st, 2020 at 5:06 PM ^
We waited on Halloween to lose the worst game of Harbaughs tenure. Very scary stuff indeed
October 31st, 2020 at 6:03 PM ^
Frighteningly bad.
October 31st, 2020 at 6:19 PM ^
Ghoulish
October 31st, 2020 at 6:38 PM ^
I love Hungarian goulash. Good comfort food when you need it, and boy do we need it now.
I think I'll make a batch tomorrow.
October 31st, 2020 at 11:21 PM ^
Hungarian goulash is the best. There's is no comparison!
October 31st, 2020 at 5:07 PM ^
You know you mention army and looking back I really wish we lost that game. The season would have spiraled out of control and harbaugh would have already been gone and we coulda used 2020 as a stepping stone for the new head coach. Hindsight is a real bitch ain’t it
October 31st, 2020 at 5:08 PM ^
Because the alternative is drinking to excess and working.
October 31st, 2020 at 5:10 PM ^
So I know I have told this personal story many times over the years, but I'll say it again.
When I was a kid, I used to be super passionate about Michigan football. After the loss to MSU with Spartan Bob, I didn't talk for like a week- I was that upset. Appy State made me nearly vomit.
As the years have continued on, I have come to realize that this program just doesn't win. They don't win when it matters, they don't win championships, they don't surprise you and rise up and beat a better team. They pad their numbers on shit teams and lose to the good ones. And what continues to make me even more grossed out by Michigan football is the constant barking- see, "Revenge Tour."
Meanwhile, Michigan basketball doesn't say shit, and all they do is fucking win. They are EVERYTHING I wish the Michigan football program was. They get my passion now. This football team- not worth it.
October 31st, 2020 at 5:27 PM ^
I’ve felt this too. The difference: you can lose in basketball and find success. One game doesn’t define you. Success can be an early season tourney title or conference title. Or late season run. You have about 4 chances a year to do something great. Plus beating rivals. That doesn’t exist in football.
October 31st, 2020 at 6:22 PM ^
The thing is I can take losing, it's the way Harbaugh's teams lose that I can't stand. I have said it ever since they let Curtis Samuel walk in untouched after the spot, his teams simply give up when the going gets tough or don't look like they're even interested in being there which I first noticed against MSU in 2017 at home at night and same thing today.
October 31st, 2020 at 6:31 PM ^
Michigan Basketball has better DNA than football. Once Carr left, it was all over. Need a new face of Michigan football. New culture. New everything. I am done with ‘the team’ .... this is coming from a longtime Alum. Time to make some changes - again.
October 31st, 2020 at 5:10 PM ^
The reason is because a lot of us are die-hards, whether because we're alumni or because we had great moments watching UM Football with our parents or grandparents. This program has just fallen flat, and when we see glimpses of success (such as last week), we just want to believe that they're on the way back up and we could create more memories.
Yes, this was a legit answer, but I'm genuinely saddened by the current state of the program. We all wanted Harbaugh to work out given his NFL pedigree, but the anger and vitriol has just turned into sadness and apathy, at least in my opinion.
October 31st, 2020 at 5:10 PM ^
Threadjack: team sucks. I’m gonna go have a fun Halloween with my kid.
October 31st, 2020 at 5:14 PM ^
football is like an abusive spouse. we are stockholm syndromed to love the highs and just get used to taking the beatings and looking for excuses and feeling like shit then hoping for the next good moment....
its basic fandom in a psychological nutshell.
October 31st, 2020 at 5:21 PM ^
Honestly, it's a shocking thing to see myself type, but I don't hate the idea of shutting down the football program before OSU passes us in the 2020s. Just stop playing football. I'm not kidding that I wouldn't care. Given how heightened and fervent I was as an undergrad and post-grad, even during the RR era, those seem at first like unconsionable words. But they aren't. I guess I always loved Michigan football more for its ability to showcase the school than for the sport itself. (Maybe mine is an unusual case but I didn't ever watch football on purpose, except for Super Bowls, until my freshman year, season tickets, and the unified bowl changed me). And given the last decade ... I'm cool with being done.
October 31st, 2020 at 5:26 PM ^
The first month of football season was nice. Even with the pandemic I took my young kids to state and county parks. We made the best with bike rides on Belle Isle and packing lunches to eat outside after nature hikes. This is the furthest thing from what I would usually do on a football weekend.
now games are back and I’m setting my whole day up around them and having my little girl play on her tablet instead of going outside. I could have had more fun being a dad.
After today’s game we found a park to ourselves and now we are playing in the leaves waiting for some Leo’s to be delivered.
Last year after Army we went to Chuck E Cheese. Once this pandemic is over we are going to do so many things that we can control instead of letting college football control us. (Or at least I hope I’m able to).
October 31st, 2020 at 8:28 PM ^
We're nowhere near shutting down the football program. Even Kansas isn't close to doing that.
October 31st, 2020 at 5:48 PM ^
There is a better way, which most people think is lame.
Record the game.
Check the score.
If it's a win, watch it.
If not, wait a week.
You're way happier this way, trust me.
October 31st, 2020 at 6:04 PM ^
That’s completely lame. Definition of fair weather fan
October 31st, 2020 at 6:03 PM ^
Stop it. You’re whining
October 31st, 2020 at 6:12 PM ^
Not me. Not watching this team get completely dismantled by OSU again.
October 31st, 2020 at 6:20 PM ^
Well ... let me apologize in advance for the length of this post. It's right in my wheelhouse tho.
I have a niece who graduated from U of M, but that's the only direct connection I've got. But I've bled Maize n Blue since long before that. I grew up in Rochester, had a couple tours in the USAF that took me to the Puget Sound area and watching all those Rose bowl games when Bo's teams got regularly obliterated, I sometimes wanted to get a blood transfusion. But I made it thru somehow - even managed to laugh at jokes like this: Ya know why Bo eats his Wheaties straight outta the box? Cuz if you put em in a bowl he'd lose em. Ya, my dad (MSU grad) remembers the Tom Harmon days - but I've only known occasional joy interrupted by way too much misery. I guess most CFB fanbases could say the same.
One of my kids caught the Maize n Blue disease with me - he's been off n on about JH since he got here, I have always been on JH's side - I started fanatically watching, recording, re-watching and devouring content on what, I was sure, would be the resurrection of Meechigan football since ... before Bob Ufer's time?
Today is the day I had to give up on that. I love U of M. I love Ann Arbor. I love JH. Pretty much in that order. But there is this attitude that pervades A2 - this genteel, nice guy, pure class sort of attitude that isn't exactly the type of petri dish you want your football team to culture in, know what i mean, Vern? Bo had the perfect attitude to counteract that, I'm not sure JH does. He is inextricable from the program ... I mean IMHO ... he's got to leave on his own terms somewhat, how do you get rid of someone unceremoniously like him? So what can he be? The second most famous M QB from the NFL in charge of European vacations for the team? Maybe. Hopefully sumthin like that. He's got class and he's got Meechigan DNA ... he can't just be sent away ... but damn, we've seen our ceiling, it ain't getting better.
Long live that other JH, I still believe in Juwan Howard.
October 31st, 2020 at 6:33 PM ^
That’s the huge elephant in the room. The media will suggest it’s the contract. The reality is you cant fire a guy like that because if Harbaugh can’t do it -which could would take this thing on? It would be a tough position to hire someone new with no connection to the school. And no one with a connection to the school is going to step on Harbaugh’s grave.
of course if he leaves on his own the narrative is he’s a quitter and even then who knows who they could realistically get (save me the Urban/LesMiles/BrentVenebles takes)
October 31st, 2020 at 7:12 PM ^
Yeah, I seriously doubt Warde would ever fire his buddy. But he should. Tomorrow.
October 31st, 2020 at 7:13 PM ^
Believe
October 31st, 2020 at 7:28 PM ^
Just pull back on your fandom. I have over the last few years. I spend barely any time following in the offseason and minimally during the week leading up to the games. I watch the game. I hope they win. Sometimes they win. Sometimes they don’t. Unlike me of 5-10 years ago though i don’t let it bother me for days after a loss. When they win I do enjoy it for days.
Enjoy the good stuff. Find other hobbies or things that make you happy and enjoy those. And add in watching Michigan football as one of them. Just don’t make it too important. It’s just a game. Played by 18-19year old kids.
Bigger things in life and the world to let bother you than a ball game.
cheers.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:31 AM ^
This right here
It's not difficult. Just have a hobby other than watching M play. Losses won't bring you down. These are college kids.
October 31st, 2020 at 7:56 PM ^
I’m done with this team this year. The last time I felt this way was after rich rod lost to Toledo. My flags I put out for game day are put away until Harbaugh is gone.
October 31st, 2020 at 9:24 PM ^
For the betterment of my health (physical and mental), I’ll be running or biking (on an indoor trainer) during the remaining Michigan games this year. I get way too emotionally invested and games like today are so disheartening I just don’t want to do it anymore. I quit watching the Lions and Sunday’s are that much more enjoyable.
the following stage will be to quit hating OSU. They win so damn much it’s hard not to.
October 31st, 2020 at 11:01 PM ^
This year has been crappy enough for me, that it's kind of fun even when we lose. I watch games with my dad who is getting up there, I talk about them with my Michigan fan friends, I read mgoblog which is a pretty entertaining website, I read these forums too, which can be fun. And when we lose, the complaining is sort of its own form of entertainment. Plus, M fans are great, the stadium is great, the school is great, Ann Arbor is great, shame about that football team.
It would be more fun to be winning, but we don't always get what we want.
October 31st, 2020 at 11:27 PM ^
Kind sir, I think you have the wrong blog
November 1st, 2020 at 9:07 AM ^
Nothing a few more helmet stickers won't fix!