Millennial and Zoomer Fan Appreciation Thread

Submitted by M-Dog on December 10th, 2021 at 10:22 AM

As a Boomer, I started at Michigan in the fall of 1982 and became a Michigan fan in earnest from that point forward.  My timing was good, I got to see the glory years of Michigan football in the 80's and 90's, up close and in person.  

During the 22 year period from 1982 to 2003, before the down years set in, I got to see the following:

- A National Championship.
- 5 AP Top Five final rankings, including an AP #2 runner up ranking.
- 11 Big Ten Championships.
- 14 wins over Ohio State.
- 2 Heisman Trophies.
- 3 Rose Bowl wins.
- A winning Bowl record, including three straight over the SEC. 
- New Years Day Bowl wins over the likes of Alabama, USC, and Florida. 
- Wins too numerous to count over Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Wisconsin.

I was blessed.  I got to see Michigan football in its full glory.  So when the dark times came, as frustrating as they were, I had the warm embers of the 80's and 90's to hold me over.

But you guys that became Michigan fans this century got none of that.  You got the frustrations without any of the glory.  You loved a program that didn't give you anything back.  

You got a few morsels here and there: Lloyd's last game, a surprise Wisconsin comeback win, a few ND and PSU beatdowns, Brady Hoke's lucky rabbit's foot season in 2011, Denard's smile and Devin's guts.  But those were always false dawns.  Nothing was ever sustainable.

I often thought to myself: "How can these guys still be such loyal and passionate fans of a program that quite frankly has not merited it for years?"  I'm not sure if I could do it.

So, my hat is off to you guys.  You stuck with the program in the dark times without wavering.  You embraced it and put your own mark on it . . . the Maize Outs, the season shirts, Mr. Brightside, and so on.  You adopted a mangy mutt of a program and made it your own. 

Well now your loyalty is finally being rewarded.  I am happy to report that these last two weeks are as good as anything from the peak Michigan years.  This is what it felt like.

You have made the big time!  You are finally getting a taste of what the glory years of the 80's and 90's were like.

I am happy for you guys.  

More to come!  
 

MGoBoard
Football

M-Dog

December 10th, 2021 at 11:00 AM ^

Within the big-2-little-8-bubble that was the Big Ten in the 70's, the 10 Year War with Woody and Bo was great.

But outside of that it was all frustration.  Michigan did not win a single bowl game the entire decade, losing 5 straight Rose Bowls and the Orange Bowl.

It wasn't until the 80's and 90's that Michigan was actually nationally competitive.  Those were the glory years of Michigan football in the post black and white TV era.

 

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 257517

1VaBlue1

December 10th, 2021 at 10:29 AM ^

I didn't think much when I saw the title, but the more I read, the more I liked what I was reading!  My fan days go back to the 70's, although haltingly (I'm not as old as Don!), and I can confirm that this is what success feels like.

It's beautiful.

Joined: 01/31/2016

MGoPoints: 127207

Booted Blue in PA

December 10th, 2021 at 10:35 AM ^

Roger that.... I became a Michigan fan at the young age of 9 years old.  Butch Woolfolk, Anthony Carter..... awe man, i was absolutley hooked and smitten.

yes, we had the benefit of a lot of good years and a few great ones. 

Good to be  back, GO BLUE

Joined: 12/18/2018

MGoPoints: 60408

Watching From Afar

December 10th, 2021 at 10:39 AM ^

My first in-person Michigan game was #8 Wisconsin @ #15 Michigan in 1998 as a 7 year old. Tom Brady and Co upset Wisconsin.

I still remember walking into the Big House and just stopping to stare at the size of it. My dad had to move me out of the way because I was blocking some people from entering the stadium.

Hasn't been the easiest majority of my lifetime as a Michigan fan, but glad I got to experience some of the late 90s/early 2000s Michigan football. The dark years have made me more appreciative of the good ones, that's for sure. But let's NEVER do that again, ok?

Keep this going so I don't have to live through another 10-15 years of gut punches.

Joined: 10/10/2016

MGoPoints: 15996

BTB grad

December 10th, 2021 at 12:02 PM ^

I was right behind you for 2013-2016 lol. I remember sitting there for 2013 Nebraska and 2014 Utah thinking “what the fuck am I doing with my life?". 2015 was honestly pretty great as it was all house money since I didn’t think we’d be that good right away. 2016 was a great way to have a senior year, mostly stress free beat downs for all of our home games and ended it with a great snow game vs. Indiana.

The first Michigan game I saw was the 2005 UM-PSU game and first season I really followed start to finish was 2006. Man this past Saturday and the Saturday before that felt like 16 years of release. A catharsis unlike any other. 

Joined: 12/01/2015

MGoPoints: 23518

JamesBondHerpesMeds

December 10th, 2021 at 10:45 AM ^

I was the first marching band class in two decades to never have gone to a Rose Bowl in our four years.

Seeing the MMB get to potentially think through *two* more halftime shows for this year brings a big smile to my face. And spending the new year in Miami ain't bad.

 

Joined: 04/13/2009

MGoPoints: 39665

rob f

December 10th, 2021 at 1:51 PM ^

Seriously, though...I agree with the OP.  We've been through some very rough patches over the last 15 years with occasional glimpses of hope that quickly suffered beatdowns.  There was enough doom and gloom that all but the most stridently faithful of us (myself included) were calling for Harbaugh to be fired just as RichRod and Brady Hoke had previously been canned.

Yes, we 'boomers' had been spoiled by sustained success since 1969, by every measuring stick short of consistent bowl wins and multiple National Championships.  Other than last season (which essentially was a sad exhibition season) I've been attending games every season going back to 1974 and been a season ticket holder since '77; I was beginning to seriously question whether we'd ever get back to that level.

Well here we are (though the 2021 journey has yet to finish playing out).  Sustainability, too, has yet to be proven, but the tea leaves look promising on that front.  We're already seeing results on the recruiting front.

Back to the basics of the OP:  As many of you know, I was there in Indy last weekend.  Included in our group of nearly 20 of us were also a few fellow boomers, such as.my close friend Mark the co-holder of our block of seats (we started with our 4 seats in 1977; now we have 8) and his wife.

  Dave, who also is part of our tailgating/game gang, is a 1988 Michigan alumni, and his brother-in-law, who has been at tons of games with us all along, also attended U of M.  So while all of the above are boomers, we had millennials and genXers and younger with us.  

Post game we found a tavern we were able to squeeze into & found one small table where we could tightly gather to enjoy a few adult pops. My toast to the next generations present was essentially this: "May this be just the first step in all of you finally getting a taste of what the rest of us experienced for nearly three decades---championship-level Michigan Football!!

Joined: 11/11/2010

MGoPoints: 195012

evenyoubrutus

December 10th, 2021 at 10:48 AM ^

Even though I'm lumped in by birth year with millennials raised on Barney and beanie babies I have always felt like a Boomer. I guess this confirms it! Because I started my obsession in the early 90s as a young lad and never looked back.

Joined: 11/04/2008

MGoPoints: 178318

Kapitan Howard

December 10th, 2021 at 10:48 AM ^

My first season as a student was 2007 and that season started rather horribly. I did stay on an extra year for grad school so I got the 2011 season and attended the Sugar Bowl, so it ended alright.

Joined: 07/30/2009

MGoPoints: 6560

MaizeNBlueTexan

December 10th, 2021 at 10:51 AM ^

This is pretty much my fandom. I really started to get into my fandom in 2008. My first game I watched with true earnest was Lloyd Carr kicking that Urban Meyer / Tim Tebow Florida team in the Orange Bowl. Rich Rod was actually in the casting booth and was allowed to chat a little about his thoughts, the team, and what he was going to bring to Michigan.

Boy that was rough.

I only went to two Michigan games, since I live in Texas, the first was 2017 UM vs OSU. The O'korn special. I still remember how crazy it was we were actually in the game until late in the 4th when he threw a pic.

My second game was 2021. UM vs OSU. I stormed the field and got to experience it with my father, cousin, and wife. 

After all the down years that win just meant more. I'll probably never experience that high of a high again sports and that's okay. 

It makes me even enjoy the blowouts. My wife thinks I'm crazy to watch a dumb, boring game, like the 78-0 Rutgerring of Rutgers. I love watching those games, because they are easy, stress free and it's a win. I don't think I'd ever appreciate those games if I was say...an Alabama fan.

Joined: 09/13/2011

MGoPoints: 2801

truferblue22

December 10th, 2021 at 10:57 AM ^

Good shit, man. 

I'm a millennial and metro-Detroit native, so I was a U-M fan before attending. So I had a taste of what-could-be in the late 90s when my fandom first blossomed (and LBH I was pretty lucky to get 3 Rose Bowls (all Ls, of course) in my time on campus). But man, it had been just mountains of shit since then. I've also thought about some of the Zs I see on Instagram who are Michigan fans who had seen, prior to two weeks ago, AT BEST a singular win over osu. I think some of the really young ones don't even remember that. So yeah. Hats off to all of you -- and shit, hats off to us -- we knew what this program was and could be. Often it was more painful knowing what we didn't have anymore. What a RELIEF to finally be here again. Go Blue!!!

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 13361

redman8442

December 10th, 2021 at 10:58 AM ^

I came into it in the early to mid 90s.  I got a taste of the glory days and then went down with the sinking ship.  Feels so good to be back above water again.  I hope we have smooth sailing for years to come.  Go Blue!!!

Joined: 07/29/2011

MGoPoints: 374

Piston Blue

December 10th, 2021 at 10:59 AM ^

It’s been tough but I’ve known nothing else. One of the first games I can remember was Braylonfest, but the first season I can remember watching every game of is either 2005 or 2006, so at least I started my fandom with Henne and Hart. I attended for the 2017-18 seasons which unfortunately were above average for my lifetime haha, so this is a much welcomed season!

Joined: 11/28/2012

MGoPoints: 3754

Sione For Prez

December 10th, 2021 at 11:01 AM ^

Shoutout endzone season ticket holder gang! Started going to games in earnest in 2008 and have only missed one home game since 2013 (not by choice). 

This season has been such an amazing experience. Especially since we couldn't go to games last year. The energy in the stadium for Washington, the entirety of the OSU game, the Big Ten Championship game. I'll cherish these memories forever. 

Joined: 11/16/2015

MGoPoints: 10674

UMxWolverines

December 10th, 2021 at 11:02 AM ^

11/27 was probably the best win I've ever seen as a fan. Started really paying attention in 2002 at 8 years old. The only other game that compares was OSU in 2003 to win the Big Ten. 

Joined: 03/01/2009

MGoPoints: 65474

Soulfire21

December 10th, 2021 at 11:05 AM ^

This was a really cathartic season for me, though I assume that is true for most of us.

I wasn't a Michigan fan until I enrolled in school and my freshmen year was '08-'09. Remember going 3-9? I remember going 3-9, losing to Toledo, etc. It was a lot of football mediocrity for much of my Michigan fandom. I was skeptical of the Hoke hire but my concerns were temporarily allayed by the 11-2 campaign in 2011, and then we all know how that happened.

It was great to see Harbaugh come back. We had promising years, notably '16 and '18, but weren't quite able to get over the hump. Finally, we did.

I'm so glad to be here.

We have a fairly easy schedule next year (I do wish we had one better OOC game). The difficult game is @Iowa in early October, but we should be 10-1 or 11-0 entering The Game.

Joined: 03/18/2010

MGoPoints: 22716

Vasav

December 10th, 2021 at 11:22 AM ^

This is a great point - if we've learned anything this year and in the Hoke and Rod eras, take nothing for granted. We had a couple of escapes this season too - 2 of them on the road that will be in A2 next season, but also Rutgers. Every other contender in the Big Ten struggled against the Nits and Huskers, and we smoked 3 of those contenders, so it doesn't take the shine off this season one bit. But as excited as I am for next year, this year has cemented that I am firmly NOT in the prediction business.

Joined: 12/13/2009

MGoPoints: 19255

Soulfire21

December 10th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^

Expectations do go the other way too, but my point remains that the schedule sets up extremely favorably next year. We were also coming off a 2-4 year so it makes sense that the preseason prediction wasn't great. It is not unreasonable to think that coming off a 12+ win season with a conference title with staff in tact portends good things for next year.

Joined: 03/18/2010

MGoPoints: 22716