OT: Tailgating at home for tomorrow’s game? What are your plans and is on the menu?

Submitted by Amazinblu on December 30th, 2022 at 7:42 AM

The kids are home - they didn’t score student tickets for tomorrow’s game - so, they’ll be watching it with us.

Our plan is the “usual” tailgate menu.  I’ll be grilling in the afternoon - Stella’s and Trudy’s on ice - mixers, etc.. hot drinks will be available if necessary.

We’ll be hosting the soirée at our home - and they have invited classmates from both Ann Arbor and high school.  We did the exact same thing for the Ohio State game.  My view is.. if it ain’t broke - don’t fix it. So, we’re not changing anything.

What are your plans?

Go Blue…

1989 UM GRAD

December 30th, 2022 at 7:48 AM ^

I'm experiencing a high degree of stress over here.

Planned a family vacation to Charleston and Savannah a few months ago.  The way the timing worked out was that we flew down on Christmas Day and planned to fly back on New Year's Eve Day.

Ugh!  Didn't even think about the date/time of the possible Michigan playoff game.  I should probably downvoted just for that egregious planning failure.

Flight lands in Detroit tomorrow at 3PM.

Given the timing, I will get home by 4:30PM at the earliest.  If the flight is delayed, I might spontaneously combust.  

What would all of you do in this situation?

Listen to the game when it starts at 4PM in the car and then get in front of the TV when you get home?

Or, record the game and begin watching it when you get home...hoping to catch up to the live broadcast by halftime or so?

I'm concerned that any effort to go in to an information blackout will be unsuccessful...and somehow I'll hear/see something before I can get home and get in front of the television.

Given the timing, there won't be any menu or plans.  Just me watching the game either alone or with my wife/kids...which is how I prefer it for high-stakes games that aren't being played at Michigan Stadium (where I'd be in my seats in section 44!).  Having anyone else watching the game with me at my house creates a disturbance that could negatively affect the outcome of the game.  

(By the way, this is a great trip...especially if you haven't spent much time in this region of our country.)

1989 UM GRAD

December 30th, 2022 at 8:01 AM ^

PDX, in most cases, I'd agree with you. Don't worry about what you can't control.

But, I'm one of these people that is 99% convinced that my actions have a significant impact on the outcome of the game.

How can Michigan be at its best if i'm not following my usual game-watching policies and procedures?

1VaBlue1

December 30th, 2022 at 8:14 AM ^

Well, you kinda blew your usual "game-watching policies and procedures", so be a big boy and suck it up enough to realize that Michigan football will be okay until you get home and start watching the recording from the first play (I agree with PDX on that point).

Besides, if Michigan is not okay, everyone already knows that you blew the "game-watching policies and procedures" and will blame you accordingly.  Nothing you can do at this point - either Michigan wins in spite of you because what you do 1000 miles from the field doesn't matter, or the loss is solely your fault.

Now finish enjoying your vacation - Charleston and Savannah are gorgeous!

Team 101

December 30th, 2022 at 10:27 AM ^

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has an abandonment superstition.  If you will be home by 4:30 then I would record the game.  You will catch up quickly if there is pregame coverage and with all of the commercials.  I used to go to my kids soccer game and have to catch up on the VCR.  I had two VCR's running - one to watch and one to record while I was watching.  I often caught up.

If you are running late, there is a good chance that there is ESPN on the plane and you will be able to watch it there or watch on your phone and have someone else drive you home.

Perhaps you can switch to an earlier flight.

I'm glad your trip is good because I have a business trip to Charleston in March and we are going to combine it with a family vacation.  I can't travel by plane at the moment because I am recovering from a medical procedure so my wife and I cancelled our trip and are stuck in Michigan.

Amazinblu

December 30th, 2022 at 7:56 AM ^

‘89

For sure, record the game at home.   Begin watching the recording and skipping commercial breaks - from the start, and - if you arrive home at 4:30 pm, my guess is - you could be “live” with actual / real time game action by the start of the second quarter.

Or, as you point out - listen to Jansen call the game live as you drive home.

Either option works.  Go Blue!

M Go Cue

December 30th, 2022 at 8:51 AM ^

I would tell the wife that you will do something special for her if she drives from the airport. Then watch on the ESPN app until you get home.

If the game has already started when you land, feign a leg injury and request one of those carts that drive you through the terminal.  Then watch on the ESPN app in style.

Yahtzee

December 30th, 2022 at 9:13 AM ^

For sure record it.  If you do get delayed follow as much as you can.  If no delays, shut off your phone/radio anything so you don't hear updates.  Start watching from the beginning once you get home at 4:30.  Fast forward by the commercials and you should be caught up at halftime.

Wendyk5

December 30th, 2022 at 10:17 AM ^

Record the game and begin watching it when you get home, as if you haven't missed anything. Do your best to avoid contact with the outside world between getting off the plane and getting home. Don't let anyone with you get on their phones in your presence. Fine them if they do. I sometimes watch the game this way anyway, fast forwarding through commercials, and if I'm really stressed out, I check in with Mgoblog as a way to mitigate disappointment -- I'll know what's coming if it's bad and can prepare myself. And Mgoblog tends to overreact in the game thread so sometimes it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. 

charblue.

December 30th, 2022 at 1:21 PM ^

Well, if it's me, I don't record the game but I do monitor it every moment by phone. So pull up the app for a live look-in or a gamecast play-by-play. You can easily do this because the game is on ESPN but you can also do it via MGoBlue.com. Then, when you get home, you haven't missed a thing and you could also listen to a Michigan radio broadcast. 

Don't know how this behavior will go over with the rest of your family. But with AirPods or beats, or simple earphones, you remain present but not completely there with family scrambling at the airport anxious about getting home. Of course,  you could always record the game for posterity purposes and do a rewatch. 

I agree with your trip assessment. If you get a chance some time down the road, you might want to  consider a trip to St. Simon's Island in Georgia. That's a great place for a visit this time of year 

 

 

 

MGoGrendel

December 30th, 2022 at 9:58 AM ^

We have an annual seafood fondue dinner on New Years Eve, which started when I was a kid.  No fondue this year, but we still have seafood on the menu.  My youngest daughter likes “crab arms”, a term she coined when she was little.  I’ll have the game on while I’m cooking and my seat at the table has a clear view of the TV.  First half of the game is likely to be a slog similar to every game this year.  I’ll be on the couch for the second half.

1VaBlue1

December 30th, 2022 at 8:20 AM ^

I'll make some cheesy sausage dip for chips, and probably grill up what's left of the prime rib I smoked Monday.  It was plenty rare (the only way prime rib should be served), so a quick, high heat sear will be perfect for the ribeye's still hanging around.  I'll watch the game by myself because neither the wife or kid share any enthusiasm for football.  While I'd love for the kid to be interested, he's not, so it'll be better on my own.

s1105615

December 30th, 2022 at 8:37 AM ^

Various cheese and crackers, cocktail shrimp, pigs in a blanket, chips & guac/queso, wings, beverages from 11:30am until ??

Pretty low key with maybe 3 or 4 people coming over (in laws who don’t care, my Iowa fan friend who is happy for me, and an FSU fan who has begun to loosely follow UM based on hanging out with me), as well as my 13 yr old who is fully invested, and my 10 yr old, who’s second UM game was in Indy this year who is starting to show some interest.  Hopefully Iowa can avenge their bowl loss to UK last season and UM gets to move on to the Final.  Go Blue!

Midukman

December 30th, 2022 at 9:04 AM ^

In honor of having some dam good Mexican food every time I’ve been to AZ, I’m doing a taco bar along with chicken enchilada dip that I got the recipe from old elpaso. Don’t judge on that one, it’s friggin phenomenal. I’m marinating flank steak and chicken in an orange/lime juice with cumin, garlic and chili powder. I’ll smoke the steak and chicken at a relatively high temp, 300 for a bit then chop it up and throw it in some crock pots. Also some ground beef because my 16 yr old still eats like he’s 7. Guacamole, pico and all the other taco fixings. Dos Equis, Corona and plenty of limes on the side. If shit goes south I’ll quickly shift over to my traditional gameday beer (coors light) to undue any damage that’s been caused. I’m throwing some roast I have left over from my last side of beef on the smoker around noon today. I’ll smoke it for around 5-6 hrs then cube it up and add some bbq sauce and let it caramelize for tonight’s supper. Please let us win. 

Kewaga.

December 30th, 2022 at 9:12 AM ^

Korean BBQ:

Spring rolls x2

Steamed Dumpling- L

Fried Dumplings- L

Seafood pancake

Beef Bulgogi

Pork Bulgogi

Chicken Bulgogi

Seafood Soondubu

I work till 7 am and it's an early game so deferring my normal spread to the following Monday IF we win.

My best friend, his wife and my boyfriend (he's only comming for the food) are joining me.

ih8gb

December 30th, 2022 at 10:53 AM ^

Ohh man, Korean seafood pancakes I've had at Korean restaurants are bomb. Nothing like a breakfast pancake, it's a savory, thin, really crispy, greasy, fried pancake with scallions and a chopped up mix of seafood fried into the pancake. Visually they don't look great, but damn they're good. If you're anywhere near Annandale and want to try one, Lighthouse Tofu serves up amazing pancakes. Their specialty is soon du bu (Korean spicy tofu stew), and that with a seafood pancake is just a perfect meal.

father fisch

December 30th, 2022 at 9:24 AM ^

Taco dip, mozz sticks, deviled eggs, pigs in blankets, hummous/chips, little pizzas. And an assortment of beverages consumed in my 1985 Fiesta Bowl commemorative tumbler.