OT-Slippery Rock and the Big House
So I'm getting tired after an extremely long day which leads to crazy thoughts and ideas. I was thinking what is everyone thoughts on Slippery Rock coming back to the Big House and play a game vs. GVSU or WSU. Its a crazy idea, but maybe on a friday night when Michigan is out of town. I thought since they haven't been here for some time and we acknowledged them last year, it would be a cool idea. Thoughts? I know this going to get a huge up vote or a huge down vote, but let me have it. I think it would cool for this small college and their players to experience the Big House again.
September 29th, 2011 at 1:15 AM ^
Double post.
Psychomatt, get out of my head!
September 28th, 2011 at 10:59 PM ^
in the late 50's and early 60's. I remember a couple of the games were Navy. Hope that helps anyone looking for stats. There were probably still 10-20,000 empty seats.
My HS band participated and it was fabulous for the kids. We were so inspired by the MMB. There numbers were so much more varied: dance steps, precision drills and formations. IMHO the band was better than it is now. I hate that flat-footed sissy step they do now. It looks too much like southern bands and is insipid.
Our band went to MSU one year, so I know they had band days also.
September 28th, 2011 at 11:03 PM ^
Per Wikipedia:
- The announcement of Slippery Rock's football scores is a tradition at University of Michigan Football games, begun in 1959 by Michigan Stadium's public address announcer Steve Filipiak.[3] Slippery Rock was so popular with U of M fans that on Sept. 29, 1979, they played in-state rival Shippensburg at Michigan Stadium, in front of 61,143 fans, a record for a Division II football game (Shippensburg won, 45-14). Slippery Rock played a second game at "The Big House" in 1981, attracting 36,719 fans in a 14-13 loss to Wayne State University.
I was a freshman in 1979. I remember this happening, but I didn't go (even though I was well aware of the Slippery Rock tradition). I looked it up and see that Michigan played Cal in Berkley that day. With the time change, the Slippery Rock game may not have conflicted with the Michigan game. However, back then the football games were rarely on TV. I assume we did listen to Michigan's game on the radio and that was obviously more important than Slippery Rock.
I think hosting Slippery Rock during a bye week would be a great idea.
September 28th, 2011 at 11:36 PM ^
I think it would be interesting to watch a game between two non-Michigan teams in the Big House. I wouldn't pay more than $10 or so for a ticket though.
September 29th, 2011 at 1:19 AM ^
What if it was OU v. 'Bama?
September 29th, 2011 at 7:51 AM ^
Hmm.. LSU vs Bama
September 28th, 2011 at 11:04 PM ^
I'm for it. Another potential Mott fundraiser?
September 28th, 2011 at 11:15 PM ^
$10 tickets with all proceeds going to MOTT. Get on this David!
September 28th, 2011 at 11:16 PM ^
The Lions played a few pre-season games in the Big House back in the 70's, too. I'd rather see that again
September 28th, 2011 at 11:25 PM ^
Because these upcoming seasons with two scheduled bye-weeks are just an embarassment. It's absolutely crazy, a season stretched from August to December already, with two blank weeks thrown in.
He might just need to throw in a Slippery Rock novelty game.
I'm over it, personally, although I'd hate to step on somebody else's fun.
The scoreboard operators and Carl Grapentine were really off their game last week, too. They announced the Slippery Rock night game (no score) twice, and they missed the scores of some much more important games.
September 28th, 2011 at 11:30 PM ^
I'll bet you Dave Brandon could get 100,000+ for that game. Just because.
September 28th, 2011 at 11:52 PM ^
Add $10 onto the season tickets and schedule it on Michigans bye week.100,000+ no problem.
September 29th, 2011 at 12:27 AM ^
Of course it would work. You'd be giving the students a reason to tailgate. That's all they need.
September 29th, 2011 at 1:03 AM ^
I read an article from the Slippery Rock athletics website that was written about the members of their team who came to the Wisconsin game last year and the article said:
"The salute to SRU was the brainchild of UM Director of Athletics Dave Brandon, who has revived the tradition of announcing Rock football scores during Michigan home games. A special hooded sweatshirt with The Rock logo emblazoned in UM's Maize and Blue colors is also on sale through one of Michigan's licensed vendors.
Brandon has also initiated discussions about The Rock returning to The Big House to play a game, according to Lueken."
The entire article is here: http://www.rockathletics.com/news/2010/11/22/FB_1122101637.aspx
September 29th, 2011 at 5:43 AM ^
"Its a crazy idea, but...."
It is crazy, therefore it could very well happen in today's topsy-turvy world. I still chuckle when they announce the Slippery Rock score, and I admit, I would probably go, particularly if the proceeds went to a good cause.
September 29th, 2011 at 7:56 AM ^
If the tickets were 5 dollars and we were allowed to bring kegs into the stands like the old days, I'm there.
September 29th, 2011 at 9:27 AM ^
September 29th, 2011 at 10:26 AM ^
I brought my kids to the game (I believe tickets were $10) and it was the only time we all sat on the 50. The weather was great and it was a lot of fun. Both schools brought their bands and put on quite a spirited halftime show. UM paid all expenses.
Several years later my wife and I were traveling in Pennsylvania and we made a small detour just to visit Slippery Rock. Of course we stopped in the book store to buy t-shirts. The store manager asked if we had a student enrolled there. We didn't, but told her the story of watching the Rocks play in Ann Arbor. A student overheard the conversation and her eyes got as big as saucers as she asked incredulously "Slippery Rock played Michigan?!"
Not sure if it would work again. Even if it's a bye week there are a lot more games on TV now that would compete. Making it a fundraiser for Mott plus adding a few other perks might do it. Band Day used to bring in about 10,000 people so that might work also.
September 29th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
running the risk of killing the Slippery Rock meme. It's so overused now. At the SDSU game they flashed and announced the Slippery Rock score (game had not started yet) with every score update. They also put the Slippery Rock upcoming schedule on the screen at least 5-6 times that I saw.
It's like the guy that still uses "that's what SHE said!" at every opportunity and elbows you in the ribs and nods at you to see what you think of his cleverness. Just flash the score up on the screen if they are playing among the other big time DI scores. Stop running the meme into the ground.
September 29th, 2011 at 12:27 PM ^
I mean
I don't know
those of you who know me know I like traditions as much as the next guy, a lot more than some of the company I keep on the MICHersphere
but this Slippery Rock thing... it's kind of mean, you know? I mean, I know it evolved into something positive but the gist of this "tradition" is that we're all going "OH MY GOD WHAT A MORONIC NAME FOR A UNIVERSITY HAHAHAHAHA I FEEL SORRY FOR ANYONE WITH A DEGREE FROM THAT SHITHOLE"
I feel like inviting them to the Big House is like inviting Gary Busey to give a commencement address. Sure, he'll be honored by it, but you're doing it for all the wrong reasons neg away
September 29th, 2011 at 3:37 PM ^
Was because they asked us to, because they were uptight and felt we were making fun of them. When, I don't know, I've always seen it as it started with a cute name, but quickly grew into reasonable affection for the school. It's not "ahhhhh, silly little school", but more a "little brother" feeling (without the disfunction of East Lansing).