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 15th, 2010 at 10:20 PM ^
Its unfortunate they are Iowa fans, and probably live or lived in Iowa at one point, which had to be real exciting.
October 16th, 2010 at 12:13 PM ^
October 16th, 2010 at 9:09 PM ^
You get it. It's my kid. So much as frown at my kid and I'll cut your Hawkeye nuts off.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:24 PM ^
It was stolen out of a locker room in Portland, Michigan in 1981. I'm still looking for that hat.
EDIT: +1 for your kid's hat.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:48 PM ^
What are you trying to say? That Wendyk5's child stole your hat? Because if you are, I say to you sir, let's go get your hat back!
October 15th, 2010 at 11:03 PM ^
maybe you stole it! No, wait a minute, the bill on my hat was maize, not Cleveland orange.
October 15th, 2010 at 11:10 PM ^
It's cool, you can bring your winged hat!
October 16th, 2010 at 6:37 AM ^
Wendy clearly stated her child was 10; obviously, she took it and gave it to him...
October 15th, 2010 at 10:24 PM ^
This is what I read:
"You won't believe the encounter I just had!"
*detail story of what seems to be very casual good-natured ribbing*
"OMG I'm so mad!"
October 15th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
ain't cool. I'm sure his story didn't do justice to how obnoxious those dastardly hawkeye hooligans were.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:32 PM ^
Agreed that picking on kids should be off limits, but it was pretty tame.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:38 PM ^
And I agree with the post below about going to columbus. I saw UofM flags being burned and M fans being beaten up. The paranoia level was ratcheted up by my dad renting a car with out of state license plates because he was afraid to drive our car down to Ohio. It must've left some sort of psychological scar on me, because even now, 30 years later, I get sick to my stomach when entering ohio.
The response to any hawkeye fan who gives you crap is, "go pick some corn." That's all they got, a whole state of corn.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:40 PM ^
I think you need to look at the poster's name again.
October 16th, 2010 at 8:23 AM ^
Her story, not his.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:52 AM ^
My wife and two daughters (3 years olds and 11 months old) went to Meijer in their Michigan garb on gameday a couple of weeks back and were made fun of by an Ohio State fan. I'm not saying that's out of the ordinary for Buckeye fans but come on...a 3 year old and an 11 month old.
Give it a rest Buckeye fan!!
October 15th, 2010 at 10:34 PM ^
The worst part was that it was 9:00, they were ugly drunk, and made my kid feel a little bad, the way adults can do with kids.
No, actually, the worst part is that they won last year, and are favored to win this year. OMG, I'M SO MAD!
October 15th, 2010 at 11:15 PM ^
Yeah, you're right, Wendy. The drunkenness definitely makes the whole thing worse, especially as perceived by a child. I guess we were all expecting some story of MSU/OSU level debauchery... cars set on fire, lawn furniture stolen, piss being thrown around from the title.
But, the question that's been ignored... what the hell is with people making fun of the winged helmet? Maybe I'm biased, but I always thought that was unquestioned awesome in everyone's book.
October 16th, 2010 at 1:48 AM ^
It wasn't my fault - my parents moved there. My father was in the Army and that was his assignment. Ft. Hayes. Not sure it is still there.
I don't like OSU because of Woody. And the arrogance. Loved it when Florida whupped 'em for the national championship a couple years back. (I'm in Florida now.)
Anyway, I'm routing for the Wolverines this year. Love Denard. He's a once in a lifetime player. Plus he's humble and prays each time he scores!
But I've always disliked the Wolverine hat. I just don't. Still do. Sorry. I can't think of one I like. Maybe Notre Dame's gold dome because I was brought up to be a Notre Dame fan. But I rooted for Michigan when they played ND.
October 16th, 2010 at 2:07 AM ^
A.D.D.
October 16th, 2010 at 5:56 AM ^
picking on a boy when he's with his mom? Just the dynamic, in and of itself, is not really good-natured in my opinion.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:25 PM ^
Ha oh man. If you think thats bad...I remember when i was a youngin and i would go to Ohio State with my dad....
THe things that were said to me as a little boy there were disturbing to say the least.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:42 AM ^
Now what the men said....!
October 15th, 2010 at 10:28 PM ^
I doubt that people wearing Black and Gold will be laughing tomorrow. Wendyk5, I take it you're a girl. I'd expect better of Iowa fans than to diss a 10 year old with his mom, or if you're not a girl, with his dad, for that matter.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:28 PM ^
Back in '03 I was waiting in line at a restaurant the morning of the OSU game.
Guy behind me is there with his 2 kids, boys, one about 9, another maybe a couple years older.
Dad says " wait here I have to go to the restroom". Walks away.
50-something year old Buckeye fan, also waiting in line, turns around , looks at the kids and says "YOU'RE GONNA LOSE".
Wow. Big tough guy talking smack to kids when dad's not around.
I gave him the business and told the dad when get got back what the bucknut did. Things didn't get too out of hand but the buckeye trash got told.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:34 PM ^
Don't be too hard on the drunk Hawkeye fans. They live in Iowa, where the number two activity is picking on young kids. The number one activity is shitting corn.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:49 PM ^
Where does meth fit in the list?
October 15th, 2010 at 11:25 PM ^
You called? Actually I was not there but glad someone was thinking of me.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^
You should have asked him what Iowa stands for.
IOWA = Idiots Out Walking Around.
If you have ever spent any time in that fine state in the middle of winter, you will appreciate the truth behind the acronym.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:53 PM ^
I've heard it as "Idiots out wandering around," referring to the driving ability of Iowans.
October 15th, 2010 at 11:51 PM ^
You're both wrong, it stands for "I Owe the World an Apology"
October 15th, 2010 at 10:30 PM ^
That sucks, but you played it right as far as I'm concerned.
I had my own run-in earlier today on the Diag with some mini Michigan fans who were playing football. I heard one exchange as I walked by, pretty funny.
Young Michigan fan 1: "Hey! No Qb runs allowed!"
Young Michigan fan 2: "But I'm Denard Robinson!"
Can't argue with that logic.
October 15th, 2010 at 11:19 PM ^
Ahh I remember my own pick-up games with special rules when I was a kid. I tried to run the transcontinental every single game when I was in elementary school. Those were the days.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:34 PM ^
Honestly, a ten year old is the perfect height to punch an obnoxious grown-up right in the junk. And either way you win. Scenario one, the kid treats this Hawkeye fan's sack like the speedbag in Rocky and the guy limps away while everyone (his friend included) laughs hysterically about how he just got his ass kicked by a child. Scenario two, the guy still gets his junk pummeled, but in anger he takes a swing at the kid and is promptly sent to pound-me-in-the-ass prison (where believe me, explaining that you're on the inside because a kid socked you in the dick and you tried to fight back is not going to score you any points with the fellas).
/Awesome parenting advice
Go Blue!
October 16th, 2010 at 9:45 AM ^
But not the kind you're going to want to have...
October 16th, 2010 at 2:09 PM ^
+1 for advocating a nut-punch from a 10 year old.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:33 PM ^
I don't see what's wrong with what they said. Then again, I have no idea how they said it, but it's not like they called him names or swore at him or something. It's inconsiderate, and a little low to say it to a kid I guess...
October 15th, 2010 at 10:35 PM ^
Didn't even need to say anything to them, it is sorry enough they are most likely from iowa..
October 15th, 2010 at 10:39 PM ^
I was at the Wisc game a few years back 2 kids sitting close by had a cow bell and had the go blue thing going and the usher came over and took it from the kids. They might have been 12 -14 years old.
Pretty lame but they are everywhere.
I don't know what is worse, some radom guy or an actual employee of the school/stadium.
October 16th, 2010 at 12:50 AM ^
That kid's lucky the usher didn't throw batteries or coin-filled marshmallows at him. Wisconsin is the only stadium I've ever been to where I've actually felt unsafe.
October 15th, 2010 at 10:44 PM ^
October 15th, 2010 at 10:58 PM ^
corn one time
October 15th, 2010 at 11:07 PM ^
Dad you shoulda told your kid that if anyone says something bad about his hat he should go up and kick them in the balls and say "now that's unfortunate"
October 15th, 2010 at 11:18 PM ^
Wendyk5 is a mom.
October 16th, 2010 at 1:32 AM ^
Sorry about that Wendy .
October 15th, 2010 at 11:11 PM ^
I suppose. That said, what is the upside for the Iowa guys? Talking smack to a kid is not typically a big self-esteem booster. OTOH, if you're drunk, maybe it is. Historically I've had no beef with Iowa (the exquisitely painful 1985 Chuck Long game aside). I agree that the Buckeyes and Spartoons are several orders of magnitude worse.
October 15th, 2010 at 11:24 PM ^
I'm sorry to hear about your run in with drunk Iowa fans, but just feel fortunate that you didn't have your son in town for last weeks game against MSU.
Spartan fans are clueless, filthy and disgusting, especially after a win against Michigan.
October 16th, 2010 at 9:48 AM ^
Was a rough day.
October 15th, 2010 at 11:26 PM ^
This is how me or my kids or my wife or my neighbors would have reacted...
Screw those idiots.October 15th, 2010 at 11:27 PM ^
Just gotta laugh out of reading this thread. I'm born and raised in Iowa but a lifelong Wolverine. My mom is from St.Joseph Michigan and I spent a lot of childhood summers there so that's where my fandom comes from. I just have a few comments. 1. last year in Iowa City at 9am for the 7pm kickoff some drunk was telling me he had f*^%ed my dad and mom. I thought "u stay classy guy", but I was with a bunch of my Iowa grad buddies so I just let it ride not wanting to get ugly at 9am. Got hammered drunk in the snow and had fun even though we lost. 2. Are you people really mocking Iowa? 3. Really? Sure meth is a problem here, crack is big in Detroit. Yes we do have a lot of corn, but for pete's sake our colors are MAIZE AND BLUE. maize=corn. 4. Unemployment rate in Iowa 6.8% Michigan 13.1%. I know this isn't the greatest/coolest state, but it ain't all bad. Bottom line there are bad fans everywhere, and Wendyk5 I'm sorry that you and you're son had to deal with some of them.