Hoary Voracity Seeks Updated Gameday Experience
So, over the course of the past five years that I've read this blog... Has it really been five years now? Who knows, it seems like it. Anyway, I've not really found a reason yet to email in a question, post a comment, or write a diary until now. Sure I've had a million things I wanted to know or ask, but just really haven't built up the motivation. Anyway, I reached the proverbial boiling point this weekend while attending the EMU game. Having gone to games now for the better part of twenty years (starting at the tender age of 14), I am finally going to ask that the mgoblog nation participate in my grass roots attempt to bring change to the gameday "organized" cheering.
If I have to reverse the wave one more time...
Seriously... In the 20 years that I've been going to games at the Big House, the organized cheers haven't improved... or changed.
Seriously.... who does the wave anymore?
Oh yeah... That guys does...
Anyway, I'm quite tired of being able to tell my wife in the third quarter, "Guess what?? When the wave comes around again; they're going to do it really fast this time, then they're going to reverse it! I'm giddy like a school girl, but I'm not a school girl, so I'll just say that I'm really excited."
Anyway, I'm picking on the wave, but a bunch of the other crap is monotonous, boring, quiet, and purposeless (what is that thing where you face your palms to the sky and "raise the roof")?
Yep, thinking back to my section at the EMU game, these guys look guilty.
Back to the wave, even its own wiki describes it as something you do during downtime. Not while you're trying to watch the damn game.
Enough rambling... I just hope that many of your are as tired as I am of the same-ole-same-ole. We have wholesale change at hand within the football program. Lets liven up the crowd.
HOLD THE ROPE!
If I have to reverse the wave one more time...
Seriously... In the 20 years that I've been going to games at the Big House, the organized cheers haven't improved... or changed.
Seriously.... who does the wave anymore?
Oh yeah... That guys does...
Anyway, I'm quite tired of being able to tell my wife in the third quarter, "Guess what?? When the wave comes around again; they're going to do it really fast this time, then they're going to reverse it! I'm giddy like a school girl, but I'm not a school girl, so I'll just say that I'm really excited."
Anyway, I'm picking on the wave, but a bunch of the other crap is monotonous, boring, quiet, and purposeless (what is that thing where you face your palms to the sky and "raise the roof")?
Yep, thinking back to my section at the EMU game, these guys look guilty.
Back to the wave, even its own wiki describes it as something you do during downtime. Not while you're trying to watch the damn game.
Enough rambling... I just hope that many of your are as tired as I am of the same-ole-same-ole. We have wholesale change at hand within the football program. Lets liven up the crowd.
HOLD THE ROPE!
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:26 AM ^
I like the wave. But would be open to some other changes. Can you give more examples of exactly what you are talking about here and how you would change it?
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:30 AM ^
The wave is just fine, albeit some students do not know the rules for when it is fair game (11 pt game vs ND not ok, 21 pt game vs EMU ok). I'm just not so sure what would replace it. The "All In for Michigan" slogan, towels, and pledge have not worked, and have been pretty much rejected by the students.
Even so, the crowds have been much louder this year than previous years. What more can we do to liven up the crowd without pushing out current elements of the gameday experience?
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:41 AM ^
I like the wave, but Im with you on the first down cheer. It's pretty ghey and a little bit gueer too .
September 22nd, 2009 at 1:47 AM ^
I'm not a fan of the wave, but back in my youth, I seem to remember the wave being far more innovative --
after the students split the wave, the next phase was to speed up and slow down the split wave, so you'd have a fast wave going in one direction and a slow wave going in the other, or two slow waves traveling in opposite directions. It really added a new dimension when they overlapped.
Other things left behind:
- Toilet paper streamers
- Throwing marshmallows
- Student crowd surfing up sections
- Miller Lite Less Filling/Tastes Great call and response "cheer"
Can anyone think of any other old student section "traditions" that have disappeared over the years?
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:01 AM ^
My parents fondly remember the look of thousands of Boones Farm bottles glistening in the afternoon sun.
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:57 AM ^
the marshmallows. :^(
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:42 AM ^
they start with the wave around once, then slow it down, then speed it up, sent it back, and last but not least, do the cross wave....they actually teach you this at the freshman orientation (atleast they did 6 years ago)
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:15 PM ^
1) Bullwinkle, though the travelling pep band does the theme song while visiting the southern sections.
2) Bullsh*t, where the underclassman would wave the right arm above the head in a circular "lasso toss" manner, end in a point toward the upperclassmen, and scream "bullsh*t" for some lousy PI call. The upperclassmen would then respond in kind, ending up pointing back at the underclassmen.
I miss the TP raining down from high above, too...
September 22nd, 2009 at 1:52 AM ^
Jangling keys on an opponent's third down. Oh wait...that's still around. Damn.
September 22nd, 2009 at 8:33 AM ^
Everything you find on wikipedia is 100% factual.
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:15 AM ^
down-time?
I love the wave. Is that you Section 1? do you just not want people to stand up in front of you while doing the wave?
September 22nd, 2009 at 10:57 AM ^
"and get off my lawn"
FIFY.
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:37 PM ^
Think of it this way:
It starts in the student secton, every 4 years we get a whole new student section(say everyone leaves in 4 years). New people are always sittingin student section ready to start the wave.
It also starts with one drunk loud person telling everyone to do it, then the wave begins.
EDIT: Lets have a mgoblog get drunk night and everyone post things they think is interesting when intoxicated. Minds think differently when drunk.