OT: (Where) have you been recognized by your fandom?
Last night I had to take my Dad to the ER (he should be just fine. Here’s hoping). The doctor walks in and after a couple minutes says to me, “I recognize you, from the stadium.” Turns our he sits a few rows from my Dad and I in the Big House. 29 years (that I can verify) attending games and this is the first time someone I didn’t know recognized me from my seats. Has this happened to you? Have you been recognized by fellow Mgobloggers anywhere? Or anything similar?
Every time I go to Denver I keep getting called "Neil" by the locals. Not sure what that's about.
Hi Neil!
Must be Colin Kaepernick's family yelling at you.
I ran into my Big House usher, Burt, a couple summers ago in Stevensville, some 150+ miles away from the Section 36 entrance tunnel where I see him every Football Saturday.
I spotted him first, was able to resist the temptation to yell "down in front!" and instead surprised him with a simple greeting of "Go Blue!". He, in turn, resisted the temptation to point me towards my seats.
I always bring one UM shirt when i travel. Every time i've always gotten a "Go Blue!". Michigan fans are global.
That is so true, as we go to the Caribbean for vacation often and I always take plenty of Michigan t-shirts - not the sweet activated ones - and always get the "Go Blue" at both the islands or the airports.
Often give the few 'lil brothers I see a "Go Blue", they really seem to like it!
Sweet!
I was at a museum in Amsterdam, suddenly out of no where i hear someone shout across the room go blue as they are leaving. Also had a tour guide comment on Michigan when they saw my hat. They brought up the fiasco with the Ruth Chris/Rutger promotion.
That is so true, as we go to the Caribbean for vacation often and I always take plenty of Michigan t-shirts - not the sweet activated ones - and always get the "Go Blue" at both the islands or the airports.
Often give the few 'lil brothers I see a "Go Blue", they really seem to like it!
My family's been moving around Europe for a few years now and we "go blue" everyone we see wearing Michigan stuff. In the Low Countries it's a dicey proposition: about half of the Michigan gear you see is worn by Europeans who like how it looks or think of it as American and don't realize that we're trying to talk to them because of their clothes. But what I like best is when current or prospective Michigan students in civilian clothes approach me because they see my Michigan hat, and tell me about their experiences or hopes about Ann Arbor. That happened twice on trains last year--once in Norway and once in Sweden--and it was cool both times.
Co-signed - every time I've traveled abroad I've seen at least one Michigan hat/shirt. Literally the only time I've seen OSU gear is at my hometown airport in Columbus. The only time I've seen MSU gear was a decked out couple over the holidays in 2015 - I presume they were travelling to the CFP game vs Alabama.
I've seen a lot of MSU and OSU gear outside the two states. Many vacations to the Caribbean I've had joking commentary with them when I am wearing my U of M shirt. MSU people are usually more talkative, although given the last 15 years what am I going to say to someone wearing Scarlet and Gray?
I did get honked at and flipped off by someone in DC with OSU gear. Fun times.
In traveling to dozens of countries and now almost 7 years of living in Europe, I have seen a grand total of 1 MSU shirt abroad. But I still regret being too far away to yell at the guy.
I get that everywhere I go, but especially in the Northeast. There are a lot of Michigan fans in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, etc.
My Mom's pain doctor in Florida wore a UM scrub hat, so we talked about UM. That helped my Mom, who was born in Michigan have confidence in him. My car has a front block M plate and a UM rear license holder, so I am recognized on the road.
My little grandson and I get "Go Blue" while sporting our Michigan gear, out of the blue, all over the country-especially my 10 year old grandson...and he beams!!! My brother and nephew are teaching him all the nuances of being a Michigan fan every chance they get.
Last week: Borough Market in London, UK got several "Go Blue" greetings from fellow shoppers. Also met another individual in the M hat.
Other Places: Downtown Philly, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Windsor Castle and most evidently any Disney Park where there is massive Michigan support among the patrons/staff, apparently.
Update: While reading through the content I recalled the most interesting experience at the Nexus line at the Port Huron Bridge entering the US. It seems the officer was interested in where I was heading and I said "Ann Arbor". Turns out the officer was both a Michigan fan and a follower of this particular blog. We commenced to have a fairly detailed discussion of the relative failings (Hoke Era) of the team while literally dozens of cars stacked up behind. He also weighed in on some local recruits with interesting insight. Officer seemed a truly good guy and as I left he gave a "Go Blue" to me and the family. Good times.
Judge recognized my avid Michigan fandom before saying I need to stay 500 yards away from Denard.
Did this happen in the Senate Building?
I was super surprised at the large number of Michigan and Michigan State fans in Tennessee when I moved there for college. Turns out a ton of people would regularly head up to Detroit for work even as late as the 80s, and a lot of them rooted for Big Ten teams.
Believe it or not, when you are surrounded by Tennessee fans that would lecture you about the dominance of SEC football, even an MSU fan seems sane by comparison.
That reminds me...camping with family at Hocking Hills area-just SE of Columbus, about 6 weeks ago...lots of Michigan folks proudly on display.
I hate when out in public seeing someone with some type of M shirt or hat and I give em the 'Go Blue' and they have the confused look on their face. I think some alumni could care less about athletic teams whatsoever but proudly wear their alma mattas gear. That and/or people just wearing their friend or family's clothes
Believe it or not, not everyone remembers what they are wearing at any given moment. It quite often takes a second for me to realize why some nutjob is bellowing in my direction before my brain makes all the connections.
When I was living in Luzern I gave a guy in a Michigan shirt a "Go Blue" during my morning walk to the train. He was so confused that all I got back was a "What? Really?"
Was wearing a Michigan shirt in downtown Nashville a couple years ago and was (nicely) hassled by a UT fan. They still haven’t gotten over Woodson beating Peyton for the Heisman.
When I lived in Denver I used to watch all of the Michigan games at a bar called LoDo's where the alumni had the entire place reserved. I lived in close proximity to the bar in a building downtown.
A few years back I was in Sydney Australia for New Years Eve. We were all out at a club and I started chatting up this one girl with a nicest rack you could possibly imagine. This girl was playboy playmate hot. Coincidentally we lived in the same building but she lived directly on the other side. I lived there for 5 years and never ran into her once.
She was a complete tomcat in the sack and we didn't leave the hotel for the next 2 days. It doesn't really pertain to this topic but I just thought about those titties and felt like sharing.
ummmm....
Lighten up Francis
I am honestly laughing out loud in my office.
Im glad someone appreciated my titty story. Its tense around here in the offseason
I enjoyed your story, but did I miss the part where she had on a maize & blue tube top? Also, from Urban Dictionary:
A word used to describe a masculine bisexual woman. Tomcat is to bi woman as butch is to lesbian.
"I'm going out with Sarah tonight, and from the way she acts and dresses I can tell she's a tomcat."
Thanks for the imagery hehe.
Urban dictionary really screwed me over there!
I wasn't personally recognized, but my Michigan hat did get a "Go Blue!" in a particularly obscure and uninhabited place:
It was me
Twas cloudier the day we were there, but nice photo! That's definitely the place. Skol!
Is that you?
Is that a glacier in the background?
Yessir
I recommend anyone going to Europe to add a "Stopover" in Iceland. It's basically free to stop there for a few days (the place itself is fairly $$$).
I was roaming the markets in New Delhi, India a few years back and all of a sudden I heard a “go blue” yelled from the crowd. We were both there on a Doctors Without Borders type of trip, truly is a global brand.
Two weeks ago got a “Go Blue” at a mountain spa hotel outside of Sofia, Bulgaria. Or does this belong in the cool story bro thread?
sat next to a fellow MGoBlogger at the National Championship game against Nova in San Antonio - we actually discussed the blog...and we parted ways without ever divulging our usernames to one another. Was pretty cool.
plot twist: you were talking with Maizen
I was peacefully kayaking the Mediterranean when I heard a huge group of people yelling Go Blue from the shore. It was a bunch of students.
I also wore my Michigan gear at Disneyland and told my kids that if we got 10 “Go Blue” cheers in one day they could all choose one piece of Michigan gear from MDen. We got it by the early afternoon.
I ran into a guy who sits in the row in front of me walking by each other on a sidewalk in Aspen. He noticed my hat and said "Go Blue". I looked up and we recognized each other. Super funny and cool out of nowhere!
That’s what I’m talking about.
Unrelated to the University of Michigan, but I have been recognized from my time being on a game show where I made a good chunk of money with my family.
I believe that this belongs in the "Cool Story, Bro" thread.
On one of those wooden-plank-and-rope bridges in the Cloud Forest in Costa Rica. It was weird.