My story from last night

Submitted by hotdog46 on
As I sit here and eat my lunch I felt that I had to share my story from last night. I woke up this morning feeling as if I had a loss in my family as if someone came to my house and stole everything I had all because of a blocked punt. After watching that play and even before ESPN had time to change the score I got in my car and drove for 2 hours straight in silence. I turned my phone off and did not even speak a word until I got home around 1am. I layed in my bed thinking it was all a dream that there was no way that could have happened. I opened my laptop and started to read the only blog that knows my pain. A couple great users help me put things in perspective and I appreciate all of that. To say I'm sad is an understatement but knowing there are people out there who are as crushed as I am helps this process. I will never ever turn my back on Michigan regardless of how It makes me feel and I will always bleed blue until I die. Remember boys..those who stay will be champions. Have a great week.

tjohn7

October 18th, 2015 at 1:17 PM ^

Reading the board these last twelve hours has been very cathartic.  That was the most shocking thing I have ever seen with my own eyes.  I hope to never feel that shock and horror ever again. Go Blue.

UM Fan from Sydney

October 18th, 2015 at 3:20 PM ^

Yup. Until this game, it was the App State game. This topped that by infinity miles and is the worse loss that I have ever seen.

JUST BEAT OSU, PLEASE. That will make this all go away. I remember we lost to MSU in 2011 and I was so furious, but we beat OSU and MSU became an afterthought. If losing to MSU means besting OSU, I'm fine with it.




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M-Dog

October 18th, 2015 at 7:52 PM ^

Good point.  While thinking about the 2011 season recently where we beat ND, OSU, and won a BCS bowl game, I could not remember who it was we lost to.  I had to look it up.

When I saw it was Michigan State, I thought "Eh, whatever".  It didn't matter.

 

UMForLife

October 18th, 2015 at 1:18 PM ^

I was stuck in the traffic in A2 for two hours and being cut-off twice by Sparty making illegal turns. It took a lot of strength and patience to not let go off my emotion. Once I get on the highway and got home after midnight, I was ok. It was tough, but this blog is a real help.

The best medicine is Harbaugh's presser. I just love what we have and I am not going to let this one play diminish the excitement of having Harbaugh as our coach.

SalvatoreQuattro

October 18th, 2015 at 1:18 PM ^

I had liquid unintentionally thrown in my face and tripped over a board in the golf course. Then it took me two hours to get home even though I live two miles from the stadium.

It was a fitting conclusion to a shitty game.

WichitanWolverine

October 18th, 2015 at 1:19 PM ^

Last night I told myself I was going to start detaching myself from Michigan football.

Then I realized my other hobbies don't make me nearly as happy as spending all my free time on this team, and have been blogging here all morning while watching lecture videos...

Moonlight Graham

October 18th, 2015 at 1:47 PM ^

I had that same thought, that I need to back it down a little, maybe start focusing less on Michigan football. Perhaps I do during the bye week to take a breather but I'll be back. Michigan football is like baseball in James Earl Jones' speech in Field of Dreams. It's timeless, it survives, it marks the time. It's bigger than this one game, especially now that Harbaugh is at the helm. When Rutgers visits in a few weeks there will be 111,000 faithful at church, ready to worship.




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Moonlight Graham

October 18th, 2015 at 1:42 PM ^

And that's ok. When a game like this happens, the best course of action is to always, always, always stick with the team. Do not turn your back. We had to revolt against Brandon last year but it was never focused on the players (at least it wasn't for me and I don't think for this blog community). Just keep believing, be stronger than the noise. Take a few nights off from ESPN, the bye week is timely ... but get back on your feet. You know the coaches and players already are.




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kb

October 18th, 2015 at 1:23 PM ^

that I watched a great game with a once in a lifetime play to lose it. I was dejected last night, but woke up this morning and realized that Michigan football is on the up and Harbaugh will deliver. The days are numbered for Sparty and OSU. Sparty isn't going to win the playoff anyway.

JRell

October 18th, 2015 at 1:25 PM ^

Yeah there weren't too many things said from the time I started heading up the stairs to the time we got home 3+ hours later.  So many calls and texts ignored because I knew they would all be about what had just happened. Tried to best to avoid ESPN, failed at that so I started reading. Whenever I start to think about it again I just remember that anything I am feeling right now isn't SHIT compared to what these players and coaches are feeling.

We have all been through worse as Michigan fans and we have stuck with it. There are much much brighter days ahead.

 

lilpenny1316

October 18th, 2015 at 1:34 PM ^

After screw jobs in the Rose Bowl, the Hail Mary, numerous fluky losses at ND and the 2006 OSU game, this feels like just another way to lose.  For comfort, I just look at how Alabama lost to Auburn a couple years ago.  That was just as bad, and all they did was go to the playoff the next season.  

Oh, and I forgot The Horror.  Few things were more depressing than that.

Newton Gimmick

October 18th, 2015 at 2:55 PM ^

We beat Alabama in the Orange Bowl when they missed an extra point in overtime

We beat ND in 2011 on a miraculous final drive -- and our final drives against them in 2009 and 2010 were gutwrenching for them as well.  Going further back, we beat ND in the final minute in 1999 and 1994 as well, the latter a GW FG in South Bend.  That series has always been madness, with a fair share of heartbreak for both sides.

We beat Northwestern in 2012 using a tipped Hail Mary to Roundtree, and in 2013 on a sliding FG at the gun

We beat Washington in 2002 on one of the most unlikely FG makes

We beat Illinois in 2000 after they fumbled twice in the 4th quarter to blow a 10 point lead

We gave Penn State their only loss in 2005 on a TD pass as time expired

We beat Wisconsin in Madison in 2001 when a punt bounced off a Badger player's leg with 20 seconds left and Michigan recovered it

We ripped Virginia's guts out in 1995 after they lead 17-0 in the 4th qtr and lost on a last second TD pass that was barely inbounds

We beat OSU on the final play in Columbus in 1990 after John Cooper's ill-advised 4th down attempt

Several other times we left hopeful fans deflated: double-digit 4th quarter comebacks against MSU in 2007, Minnesota in 2003, Wisconsin in 2008

This is all just off the top of my head since I started watching Michigan football.  I'm sure there are many, many other examples: the Anthony Carter catch vs. Indiana, etc.

Don't succumb to selection bias.  This is all part of being a fan.  The losses will tend to be more memorable because Michigan usually wins, and often by a lot.  The upsets will be bigger when your team is better.  Alabama lost to UL-Monroe in Saban's first year.  In their down years they lost to Hawaii and lost to La Tech twice in three years.  Notre Dame lost to an abysmal Syracuse team coached by Greg Robinson.  USC lost as a 41 point favorite to Stanford. Florida lost to an FCS school in a game where on one play, two of their o-linemen blocked each other.  Many of these teams were worse than that Appy State team.

Ohio St. should have won a NC in 1998 but blew a big lead at home to a mediocre MSU team and didn't even go to the Rose Bowl; in 4 of the 5 previous years, they would have gone to the Rose Bowl and/or undefeated if not for a last-game loss to Michigan.

Every program has a unique brand of pain involved with being a fan.

p.s. the 2006 loss in Columbus was not fluky.  The penalty to ice it was frustrating, but OSU led that game much of the way.  It's not like it decidedly flipped the result.

 

 

 

Newton Gimmick

October 19th, 2015 at 12:55 AM ^

And I realize I didn't even mention the Braylon game.  One of my best buds is an MSU grad, was at the game, had not seen his team win in Ann Arbor since he was a little kid in '90, and Braylon basically took the game away, held it up with one hand and pushed State down with the other.  My friend still refuses to talk about that game.

Newton Gimmick

October 19th, 2015 at 1:00 AM ^

The ball bounced backward and one of their blockers had his thigh grazed by the ball.  Michigan recovered with 20 seconds left, kicked a FG and won in Madison.

I don't recall such a scenario with Ohio St, but I only remember back to about '90.

charblue.

October 18th, 2015 at 1:41 PM ^

Where were you when the lights went out on Michigan and what stage of grief are you in today? Clearly, the OP was in denial and isolation, followed by anger, perhaps now bargaining with general depression on the way when we realize in greater terms what was lost.

The good thing you should know is that everyone responds in this manner when someone we love or a valued relationship is damaged or lost. Our emotional investment and our feeling about last night and how we deal with it determine what length of time we spend in each of those stages.

I know that my feeling last night was total shock. I could barely understand how the play unfolded hours after it was history. I just couldn't believe it. Denial and Isolcation. Anger ensued when My SPARTY wife came home from the bar watching with Sparty brethren and tried to discuss the game. Get the FUCK OUT......! 

Now, i feel myself wavering between bargaining and depression. At these times, yard work becomes vert appealing. After all, misery loves company.  But this is a bye week. There will be plenty of time for that.

In a way, this is actually a good thing (barganing and rationalizaton mode) because it means this team has reached a point in play where feeling this way makes sense and has returned us to normalization after a huge loss. GET the FUCK OUT......Sorry. Anger creeping in again.

freejs

October 18th, 2015 at 1:42 PM ^

I was in a hurry and looking for something in the neighborhood and looked at this site: https://wolverineseast.wordpress.com/michigan-friendly-bars-nyc/

Once I was there it was too late to change and I wanted to be out of the house so my dog wouldn't suffer (she hates when I yell at the TV). 

I watched the horror and had to listen to hundreds of Sparties celebrating. 

I was able to push my way out with little trouble and got out of there fast. 

That's the 2nd worst moment of my sports viewing life. 

Pretty scarred. 

freejs

October 18th, 2015 at 1:46 PM ^

can't the Michigan solar powered car team figure out a ripple in the time-space continuum so we can go back, take a moment, and really think about just what we need to accomplish on that play?



Had horrible dreams. 



A lot of anger and depression mixed in. But so much irrational bargaining. 

 

MichiganMAN47

October 18th, 2015 at 1:49 PM ^

I'm going to double down on my emotional investment in Michigan and cheer even harder for our guys when we play the Buckeyes. That's the only thing that will make me happy about our football season now.

Ron_Lippitt

October 18th, 2015 at 1:50 PM ^

Had a 7:30pm flight to Dallas (from DTW). Decided the best course of action for me was to get to the airport at 3:00 so I could be snug in the Delta lounge at kickoff. Game on!

To my astonishment, the lounge was packed with sparty fans by 5:1. Every good play for them was met with wild applause and whistling, while the good guys had a smattering of clapping -- mostly by elderly fans, oddly enough. I ended up in a seat right next to the HDTV sitting with four of the loudest sparty dudes, who themselves were traveling to Germany for some automotive conference. I asked them when their flight was. They said 7:50. They were pressing it just like I was!

Watched the whole game like this; enduring these idiots hooting and hollering, listening to them argue every call and non-call by these horrible officials. Finally, the 4th down play where we stopped them (before the end) comes, and I'm late for my flight. I need to run -- but I stay just to see Connor Cook miss the pass. I grab my bag. Point at the loudest of the dudes, who was scowling at me, and said --- "Great game. Have a good flight!" to which replied, "Whatever, dude.."

RAN to my gate which by now I imagined the door slowly closing before I got there. I run up to the gate agent, scan my phone, only then to hear the entire airport ERUPT in a roar, followed a moment later by my phone blowing up. Turned around as I was entering the jetway to see the sparty guys running past -- one of them catching my eye, and shouting "There he is -- HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Door closed on the plane a moment later. I asked the flight attendant for vodka.




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Team 101

October 18th, 2015 at 1:52 PM ^

I still in a bit of funk over this.  It's about as deflating as it can get.  The horror was a horror throughout the game.  I don't know anyone from Colorado and it was a great plan by the Buffaloes.  The Spartan Bob game they had to cheat.  Same with Desmond and the two point attempt.  Here we had it won and couldn't execute a play you do multiple times every game.

I wanted out because I know how Sparts celebrate and the ones around us were already pretty drunk.  It wasn't easy - on one was leaving the stadium because I think everyone was in shock and waiting for a flag or for the play to be reversed on review.  I was glad I parked far away because the cars weren't moving on the street.  There were a ton more people in town than there is for a normal game but I was able to find my out gonig on some back roads and it didn't take me as long to get home as some of the other posters - only about 15 minutes longer than a normal day when there is no football.

I'm trying to remember the games we won like this and remember that games like this make the victories even sweeter.

I'm going go see the hockey team and hopefully that will break the funk.

Go Blue!

freejs

October 18th, 2015 at 6:23 PM ^

that this Ruddock helmed team probably isn't good enough to do anything in such a playoff and that were JH, by some miracle, be able to pull out a MNC in his first season, he might eventually lose appreciation for the climb. That's a man who needs to be challenged. A part of me thinks it's a good thing that he is seeing how worth doing all these things are that he intends to do, one hopes, repeatedly.