Just had an "unfortunate" run-in with some Iowa fans
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.
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.
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.
October 16th, 2010 at 12:02 AM ^
Real original Buckeye fan. I think I used that one in high school. Insert team here jokes are the worst.
October 16th, 2010 at 1:58 AM ^
That joke is much funnier in the original Latin...
October 15th, 2010 at 11:57 PM ^
for every belligerent, idiot, moron, drunk fan of the opposing team I've encountered...
October 16th, 2010 at 12:17 AM ^
for each and every classless Michigan fan who misrepresents this university like these other fans misrepresent theirs. Lots of drunk, belligerent, idiot, moron, etc., on our side too.
October 16th, 2010 at 7:12 AM ^
Yeah, then I wouldn't have to keep playing Power Ball to fund my retirement, crap, I forgot to play yesterday.
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.
October 16th, 2010 at 3:42 AM ^
that you are on a UM blog.You sir, are a loser.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:51 AM ^
Hate grammar too.
October 16th, 2010 at 12:25 AM ^
Dumb story! The Iowa fans did nothing wrong. Don't shelter your child or he'll grow up and cry in blogs.
October 16th, 2010 at 1:11 AM ^
You idiot. You should have murdered them, field dressed their corpses and fashioned their bloody skin as a cape. Epic fail.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:52 AM ^
Those were the days....
October 16th, 2010 at 1:33 AM ^
If those were his exact words, I'll give the drunk some credit for not using foul language.
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.
October 16th, 2010 at 4:13 AM ^
October 16th, 2010 at 7:27 AM ^
A stewardess punched you? What?
October 16th, 2010 at 7:31 AM ^
October 16th, 2010 at 8:44 AM ^
October 16th, 2010 at 9:53 AM ^
October 16th, 2010 at 9:56 AM ^
Order you to wear a Michigan hoodie and hat...?
<br>
<br>Oh, wait...nevermind.
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!
October 16th, 2010 at 9:35 AM ^
the corn cob from back home is going. go Blue!!!
October 16th, 2010 at 9:43 AM ^
He didn't swear at your kid and called the hat unfortunate, not even ugly? This is weak.
October 16th, 2010 at 5:46 PM ^
If I were going to rib a kid for wearing gear from a team I hated, "unfortunate" is exactly the kind of mild, gently teasing word I'd use.
<br>
<br>
October 16th, 2010 at 9:26 PM ^
If you were an adult who wanted to rib a kid - more importantly, a kid you didn't know - I'd think you were a loser. But I know a Michigan fan wouldn't do that.
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.
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.
October 16th, 2010 at 11:48 AM ^
No wonder I like to wear headphones.