Happy 25th BPONE-iversary

Cool story bro.

That was the last day I ever cried.  I was 13.

I was at a wedding reception listening to the game on my walkman radio.  When I heard the play went for a touchdown, I threw my walkman on the floor and it shattered into pieces.  I finished eating my meal in disgust and left and went home.  I did not stay for the dancing and other festivities.  Luckily I did not bring a date to that wedding.

I think that was the day my stepfather punched me. Though I probably had it coming, as I had farted in his general direction.

Took me years to figure out that this was the first sports memory that stuck with me. I was 4 at the time. For like a decade I thought Kordell Stewart and the Steelers won a Super Bowl on a hail mary play. 

I was working that day and listening on the radio. The last play was just a formality to end a good Michigan win. But then it seemed to take an eternity and then the announcer came with the awful news that Colorado had scored an impossible TD to win. It was devastating and surreal at the same time. This was in the era when Michigan chokes were rare. They rarely came back from a deficit but if they had a lead in the 4th quarter, they would always seal it.

I was there.  Freshman year.  Walking up the steps towards the exit, turned around for the last play.  Thanks for the memories.

I remember two things vividly. 

I remember Bob Griese saying that Michigan should have a few more defenders over the receivers, and I remember Stewart buying about 2 extra seconds before he threw the ball to allow his receivers forever it to get downfield.

It already did not look good. 

I was there god-dammit, took my younger brother to that game for his first game

we had no business losing that one

edit:  that was 25 years ago, holy crap I'm getting old

I was at a wedding, watching parts of the game at the reception bar area. Lost my mind, predictably, given my obsessive fandom at the time. 

Girlfriend was mad at me for a while about that one.

A guy who worked for me was getting married that night so i sold my tickets to the game to go to his wedding.  The reception didnt start until around 7ish so I blew off the wedding and watched the game.....right up to the point where Michigan scored to make it 26-14 with 3 minutes to go so this game was now in the bag (remember, this was before smart phones kids) and hit "record" on the trusty VCR.

So I go to the reception and there for an hour or so and several drinks later I run into another coworker and the conversation goes like this:

Him: "Man I'm sorry for the M game.  That really sucks"

Me: "WTF are you talking about - we won."

Him: "No, you didnt.  You lost on an insane hail mary"

Me: "Fuck you.  We won"

So the rest of the night I'm convinced this guy is just fucking with me.  When I get home I load up the VCR to watch the last three minutes and I'm stunned to watch the end of the game.

The true irony here is what happened next.  After the Michigan game shut off on the VCR the tape showed me what had been recorded previously that I recorded over.  As God is my witness the football game tape ended with the stupid pass from Stewart and cut directly to the last minute of the 1993 NCAA championship game in basketball so I got to watch the Colorado game and the NC game back to back.  Anyone who doesnt think God has a sense of humor and likes screwing with Michigan fans can debate me anytime.

I literally set fire to that damn VCR tape.

From a selfish POV, that play arguably cost Penn State a National Title in 1994.  I was rooting for U-M regardless in that game.  I was a freshman at PSU and I could see the longer-term implications resulting from that pass (most of my classmates were rooting for Colorado).

The PSU @ Michigan game on October 15, 1994 was a great football game.  A match-up of #3 at #5.  If Michigan won, it probably would have been #4 at #3.

Now, PSU still went to #1 anyway after the win.  #1 Florida lost earlier in the day, and the Michigan win was enough for PSU to vault to #1.  The problem was that still-undefeated Colorado was #2 and still-undefeated Nebraska was #3.

So when they played 2 weeks later, Nebraska got the vault to #1 and they stayed there to the end.

That arguably (hard to say) might not have happened if CU/Nebraska was #7 at #2 instead of #2 at #3. 

I was incredibly hungover from a party the night before where I made an ass out of myself.   I drank a couple beers before the game at a tailgate in the Pioneer parking lot to try to rally.   About midway through the 1st quarter I had to pee really bad.  After taking care of business the line to get back into the student section still was hundreds of people deep.  After waiting about 10 minutes I decided to heck with it and ran home.

I watched the second half with my roommate on tv.  It was the most unbelievable ending.  We said Mo should be fired.  Bo would never allow this.  This program is a joke.  UNACCEPTABLE!!   We'll never compete with the big boys!  Bring back Bump Elliot!

Damn you. I was at the game sitting in section 6 row 21, which was the end zone of the play. I recall my dad and people around us not saying a word the entire walk back to car. Dead silent.