Just had an "unfortunate" run-in with some Iowa fans

Submitted by Wendyk5 on

Just walked past a couple of drunk Iowa fans at our hotel. One of them told my ten year old son, "Well, that's an unfortunate hat, son. A very unfortunate hat." It's a baseball cap made to look like a winged helmet. 

 

Really, drunk Iowa fan? You're going to give it to a 10 year old?? 

 

So I told him that it was actually the coolest hat there is, and they both just started laughing. After about 30 seconds of laughing, I said, "We'll see who's laughing tomorrow. " And they stopped and said, sort of snidely, "Yeah, good luck." 

 

Kill the Hawkeyes. 

 

Edit: Have to agree with the notion that this wasn't a horrible incident compared to some, like the time I was in Columbus as a senior with a few girls, and after winning the game, got kicked repeatedly by OSU fans. 

It was the condescension in their voices, the superiority, the disrespect in their laughter that set me off. Plus, another Hawkeye fan chimed in and started in on the "unfortunate" remark and started repeating it, like it was the most brilliant thing he'd ever heard. I wanted to keep it on the up and up in front of my kid. Today might be another story. 

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U Fer M

October 16th, 2010 at 7:10 AM ^

I would say Iowa fans in general are the most well behaved. That being said, the incident, while tame in comparison to your typical mouth breathing, nuckle dragging OSU fan, would be more out of line for an Iowa fan. Never saw a couch burning in Iowa, maybe after the lab caught fire, but certainly not after an Iowa win.



Joined: 08/01/2010

MGoPoints: 1068

Timnotep

October 15th, 2010 at 11:28 PM ^

There was a kid in front of me who couldn't have been more than five or six who was wearing a Michigan hat... the guy in front of him (who was in an OSU windbreaker) turned around and said "You know you're not aloud to wear that hat in this state right" The kid got bug eyes and I thought for a second he was going to take it off.

Then the Buckeye fan proceded to tell this one "You know why they have astroturf at Michigan Stadium?... So the Cheerleaders don't graze" To which I budded in and responded by saying "You know Ohio Stadium has astroturf too right?"

He turned around and didn't turn back.

Joined: 07/07/2008

MGoPoints: 5862

ihateMichigan

October 16th, 2010 at 12:24 AM ^

bad about what he said?  And yes, we will see what happens tomorrow with your horrendous defense.  Iowa will punish it all game long.  I cant wait to watch.   I hate michigan and all the fans more then anything on earth.  Because of your cocky, arrogant beliefs.  Nov. 27th is getting closer son. 

Joined: 12/05/2009

MGoPoints: 213

UNCWolverine

October 16th, 2010 at 3:18 AM ^

After we lost to Iowa last year on my walk back from their stadium I got a handful of "Fuck Michigan" cat calls. My retort was simply, "That's ok because we're still Michigan and you're still Iowa". The less drunk ones pretty much shut up after that.

Joined: 10/06/2008

MGoPoints: 23193

casmooth

October 16th, 2010 at 4:13 AM ^

Was just punched by a stewardess on my flight who, once she saw my UofM shirt, asked who we were playing, not knowing it was UofM vs Iowa week... Eek electronics off! Hope my flight goes quickly so I can make it back in time for part of the game! Go Blue!

Joined: 11/21/2008

MGoPoints: 589

meals69

October 16th, 2010 at 7:31 AM ^

Yesterday, i had to make a trip to the ER for...let just call it a fairly common issue middle aged white guys tend to have on occasion ...on the orders of my dr. I was wearing my Michigan hoodie and a Michigan hat. I sat in the waiting room for a few minutes...when the nurse, who was wearing tOSU scrubs came out to bring me back, a look of shock came over her face as i walked toward her. She turned back toward her colleagues to yell for the lone nurse that is a michigan fan as i advised her i wear maize and blue b/c i have class. As the other nurse lead me to my room, the previous nurse announced quite loudly: "look at his diagnosis and you'll understand!" To which i repeated: "As I said...I've got CLASS!" God I hate tOSU fans.

Joined: 07/25/2008

MGoPoints: 1272

jsquigg

October 16th, 2010 at 8:44 AM ^

Those darned Iowa fans!  Don't worry, we'll kick their behinds today and then they'll really know who the better team is!  That story made me so angry I could stomp my foot!

Joined: 09/06/2009

MGoPoints: 9621

Feat of Clay

October 18th, 2010 at 4:35 PM ^

You've never gently teased a kid you didn't know -- Oh, excuse me, let me use italics here, a kid you didn't know?

Look, I am the mother of a son the same age as yours.  Yes, sometimes he gets teasing from adults he doesn't know based on his team gear.  Big whoop. 

Would I be less than pleased if the perpetrators were drunk?  Or seemed mean?  Sure. 

But generally speaking, I like that he's gaining poise and confidence in speaking with adults he doesn't know, especially around a topic that complete strangers typically chat about.  All his life people are going to strike up conversations around sports.  Even people he doesn't know.  Even people who root for other teams.   I'm not going to go all Mama Bear and protect him so only allow empathetic fans are allowed to speak to him without me complaining.

When he was littler, he would get shy when someone would rib him for wearing, say, a Nebraska sweatshirt (which he wears as proudly as his U-M gear).  But he's grown up some and we've encouraged him to understand that it's not personal, that most adults mean well when they seem like they are giving him a bit of a hard time.  I'm really pleased that now he can grin and give it back to opposing fans.  And I'd much rather they say something like "wow, what're you doing with that unfortunate shirt on" than something like "Michigan SUCKS" or "what a loser team."

Bottom line, I think it's okay for adults to talk to kids, and 99% of the time the adults who have talked to my son about his fandom have been fine.  Even when they were ribbing him.  Maybe that makes me a "loser" but perhaps, as two Michigan fans, we might try to interpret it a little more kindly?  Maybe our preferred wording is different, maybe the semantics of "unfortunate" are different to each of us. 

Joined: 08/10/2009

MGoPoints: 3759

M-Wolverine

October 16th, 2010 at 9:59 AM ^

You on the ground, and all the kicking coming at once, I'd say you got off lucky.
<br>
<br>I'd say I'd be waiting for those guys in the lobby of the hotel after we win...but really, after a win, all those things don't seem to matter. (Though a mental image of how miserable such people will be after always warms my heart). It's only when they win that it sticks with you.

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 42190