How did you become a Michigan fan?

I grew up 15 minutes from downtown Ann Arbor.

I went to MSU because I there was no way I could have afforded UM, but I've been a wolverine fan since I can remember. I used to sit and watch them religiously on our 19-inch BLACK AND WHITE television back in the late 70s when I was a kid.

I got lucky because my buddy was a grad student at Michigan and he'd take me to about every 5th home game because his wife would get tired of going (wtf?). Favorite game day experience was the day Biakabatuka went off on OSU.  That was a magical day.

Now it takes 25-30 minutes to get to Ann Arbor and Brighton almost feels like a city to its detriment.  Still love going home, but its not as awesome as it was.

Get off my lawn.

injected me with a serum.

...when I was 4. Then Cazzie Russel happened.

That is all.

As the story goes, my Dad was an MSU fan and worked at Spartan Stadium for a while. He saw them lose to Michigan enough times that he switched sides. He became a die hard during the Bo era. There are pictures of me in Michigan appareal all the way back to my birth. I can remember my Dad reading the The Wolverine back when it was a newspaper. My first memory of a Michigan sporting event is when my Dad had a big party for the 97 Rose Bowl.

tl;dr: my Dad is a Michigan fan

My great-grandfather was co-owner and publisher of the Ann Arbor Argus newspaper in the 1890s, and my grandfather grew up here. Granddad attended U-M as an undergrad from 1901-1904 and then got his masters at U-M in 1919. During his time in grad school he and his family—including my father—lived in houses on Packard and Wells. Although my grandfather then took a faculty position with Missouri in 1920, the Michigan tradition in my family was already well-established by the time I was born, and my earliest sports memories are of my father listening to UM football on the radio during the late '50s and early 1960s (when we routinely got our asses kicked by OSU and MSU). My attending U-M seemed like a natural decision.

This photo in my grandfather's photo album was taken during the 1904 game with Chicago. I believe it was a commercially-taken photo, since it also appears in a recently published book about Michigan football.

I think the play captured in the pic is at the end of this grainy film taken of the game:  

http://ummedia10.rs.itd.umich.edu/flash/bentley/bhlflash.html?dep=bentl…

Early in the video you'll see an injured player helped off to the far sidelines, and then toward the end of the film you'll see what I think is a concussed player laying on the ground and then getting unsteadily to his feet. I can't tell which team the players are on.

Growing up in Oakland County, I really didn't have a favorite college team.  The Spartans ruled the roost and got a lot of publicity in the mid 1960's, but for some reason I just didn't like them.  Then my friend's dad who was a high school referee got tickets to the '69 game.  He took us, and from then I was hooked.  Decided right then that I was going to Ann Arbor for college.  Lived through what has been called the greatest era of Michigan football, the 10 Year War.  Hated Woody but respected him.  Of course I loved Bo (he reminded me of my own Dad in many ways).  Graduated in 1978 and never looked back.  Both of my kids are students at UM now.  Life is a circle, and our family's circle is the University of Michigan.

I never had a choice.

Probably the 1959 or 1960 season.  Once upon a time, Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops around the state were invited for a game each season to "usher" at the half-filled stadium.

The tradition came to an end when the sellout string began.  Missouri 1975 was the last such event .

I was fixated on getting into Michigan in high school. I really could not have cared less about athletics. I didn't get football tickets my freshman year.

A switch flipped my second year. That's when the obsession started. Never looked back.

And then I joined Mgoblog...

We attended the 1972 Rose Bowl as a family (grew up in SoCal). My dad attended Michigan, but never made a big deal of it. I was a young, impressionable lad who thought the winged helmet was pretty cool. I've been to every Michigan Rose Bowl since that time. 

We lost to the Stanford Indians (as they were then known) 13-12, but the hook was set. I left CA after high school to become a Wolverine. No regrets. 

Born and raised in Ann Arbor, and my family has had seasons for 3 generations.  Went to every home game and nearly every road game from age 4 to age 18.  Stayed a fan even when I moved away from college (got into Michigan, but decided it was better from my growth to not go to school the same town I'd lived my whole life) and continued to move even farther way after. 

Sorry, double post

The day I was born!!

My pappy is a die hard and he was born a Wolverine just like his pappy.. The first time I got to go to Big House and fell in love with Michigan was when they played Iowa in 93' and this STUD of a RB who wore #6 (Wheatly) put on a show. I had just got done playing a rocket football games and my dad told me I had a surprise. One of my favorite memories of my dad and I.. Also, Shante Peoples hit someone so hard he made them do a flip....

Have no idea how anyone who lives in this state isnt a Michigan fan... The only thing i can think of is they have terrible parents or have no idea what real football is all about!!!!

Go Blue till the day I pass

I grew up a Military Brat - moved to Grand Rapids in 1969 when Dad got out.

Started playing football in '69 as a 9 year old...Dad was a Nebraska fan...I remember vividly Bo kicking Woody's ass in '69...and have loved the Wolverines ever since!  I had my heart set on going to Michigan and was crushed when no scholorship offers were forthcoming.  I went to Eastern Washington University instead because they were willing to foot the bill.  My love for the University and it's sports programs has never waivered. 

Hard to believe it has been 46 years cheering for the Maize and Blue.  Been to several bowl games, including the 98 (99) Rose where our cherished program was jobbed by being named Co-National Champs! I currently reside in Minnesota - and love regaling my friends with Jug possession - now I am living in Hell due to a Rodent victory last year.  I guess John U. was correct - the Jug only matters to us when we lose it.

Go Blue.

Accepted into LSA in winter of 2004. Visited in April, weather was beautiful, decided on the spot that Ann Arbor is where I wanted to be.

I was a Northwestern fan growing up because my dad went there, much to the chagrin of my grandfather who lived in the D and was a huge M fan even though my mom went to Sparty.  I vividly remember my grandpa yelling at the TV when Kordell Stewart threw the hail mary.

One of my best memories was watching UM lose to NU 54-51 at Ryan Field.  But then I applied to college and chose to attend UM over NU and was hooked on Michigan the moment I went to my first game (against Miami-OH) and never looked back.  

I drove from Ann Arbor to Detroit because I had a feeling I should watch the UM/MSU basketball game with my grandpa one night while I was in college.  He wore his "Michigan Grandpa" shirt and we watched the cagers together, cannot remember if they won or lost.  He died in surgery the next day and I was glad I went that night.

The one unifying theme from my NU fandom and my UM fandom is a passionate hatred for Notre Dame.  I honestly don't mind Ohio State or MSU, I guess thats what happens when you grow up in Chicago.  

I went to NU for law school and still root for them unless they are playing Blue...

I grew up near South Haven, and when Don Moorhead became the quarterback, that got it started (as an 11-year-old). 

Then, two games cinched the deal.

Game #1: The debacle at Columbus where Woody went for two because he couldn't go for three. My old man hit the roof and took the occasion to explain to me why Wayne Woodrow's deed violated all bounds of sportsmanship. Hearing Ufer's outrage on the radio only added fuel to the fire.

Game #2: The Game the following year, which we all know about, and where our hometown boy played a key role. 

I grew up a Syracuse Orange fan but I did my residency at UM, met my future wife there, and started to follow Michigan.  We liked it so much that we are moving back to AA in July.

My dad loved Woody Hayes and OSU.

My mom grew up in Michigan.

My oldest brother went to Michigan in the mid-60s (the last 4 years of Bump)

My older brother went to OSU because that was "in state" and my dad fully encouraged it.  Yes, I was trapped in Ohio for many years.

I chose Michigan to break the tie and stick it to my dad and brother.  Bo beat Woody 4 of the 4.5 years I attended Michigan, so yeah, I also changed the competitive balance, too.

Moved to Troy as a baby and neither parent had any connection to Michigan.  We had family friends who were all ND grads/fans and we watched football together a lot.  The first  game Ireally remember was The Game in '74 when these so called friends were cheering for OSU.  The helmets, fight song and Michigan being the local school had me rooting for the Wolverines.   Been a fan ever since. 

And that's all she had to say. I was 5 years old and in no position to argue (if I wanted supper).

Dad, sister,  grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather (and lots of uncles and aunts) all were Wolverines.  First football game UM v Navy and QB Roger Staubach.  Wooden bleachers, alumni tickets, the card section,  and a not very full stadium - 1964, I believe.