Quick Message to Students - Don't Riot/Burn Couches
Michigan Students -
Win with class and lose with class. It's what this team is about, it's what this University is about and I hope you carry on that tradition tonight.
I don't want to sound all "get off my lawn," but when I was a student in 1997, we beat then No. 2 Penn State 34-8 in Happy Valley. The game wasn't even that close. After, students began congregating on the lawn of then President Lee Bollinger's house. It was awesome. He let us in. A huge number of students partied in that massive, beautiful house on South U without destroying anything. No one burned couches, turned over the cars or did anything that required police or the fire department to intervene. We showed how great it was to be Michigan Wolverines.
Tonight we play for the National Championship. No matter what happens, keep in mind that you too represent this University. Do so with class and honor and leave rioting to Sparty and tOSU.
Was it the spring of '96 or the spring of '98 when, after the hockey team won the NCAA championship in overtime, a "riot" occurred that consisted of a mob of a couple hundred people walking down South U towards the Union, stopping a couple of places (including the Law Library) to sing the Victors?
While it's one of my favorite memories of my time at Michigan, I can't remember what year it was. Must be getting old.
In 1998 there was at least one car overturned on South U by a "mob." So, there was some damage, but it was hardly a riot. Maybe you avoided the overturning car portion of the "mob."
and was in the middle of the group near south U. I do remember my friend making the 11:00 news, because he was jumping up and down on the TV Van (can't remember what station, one of the Detroit 3)...
(EDIT: removed name)
I was also part of the peaceful celebration on South U after the 1998 hockey championship. I don't recall seeing any overturned cars, though I suppose it's possible something could have happened later in the evening.
Alternatively, feel free to riot vigorously in your own dorm/apartment/house. If you must destroy property in excitement, you are encouraged to throw a baseball through the television or chuck a keg through some drywall.
...just drive to East Lansing and wear white (wouldn't dare say green) when you do it.
Some couches were burned after the Syracuse W. This is Michigan--not any other school
Only you can prevent couch fires!
Can we please make a t-shirt with this slogan and sparty pointing like smokey the bear?
First attempted post, but I made this:
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/WuPxB7o.jpg[/IMG]
If that doesn't work I posted it to http://imgur.com/WuPxB7o
Thanks, this should reach all 40K students safely
specifically anyway? Why not an area rug or old blankets. Maybe like a mattress. Why is it always a couch?
Yes, don't be assholes.
(Plus, if I see any couches burning I'm not donating another cent to the University until all you degenerates graduate.)
/kidding, but not really
Just order Subs, It'll be crazy.
I was on South U. after the '92 game. Many of the main trouble makers were not UM students. If you see idiots being idiots try to talk them out of it or point them out to security before things get crazy (not sub related).
Yep, if you see anything bad going on take a pic and report it.
For those who want to do riot/burn stuff, there is no reason to do it (nothing to gain):
1. You make the university look bad
2. You can get in trouble
3. Girls hate guys that do that without a cause
So party and have an awesome time, but keep it civil.
When is there proper cause for couch burning?
Just curious.
Oh man thanks for the heads up. We had the coach-burning all planned (sent out e-vites, bought some beers, ordered pizzas....you know the usual) and then I read this so we're changing our plans for sure.
God would that have been AWKWARD.
It's still ok to flip cars though right? Nobody's got any issue with car-flipping these days do they?
like a duck. Then they are made of wood and that's why witches burn.
Why don't you just build a bridge out of 'em?
small rocks in which case you can build a bridge out of them.
edit: I submit to pfholland
not apply to those who were students in the 1920s such as yourself mGrowOld. Burn away!
Also, don't forget that (say what you will) the University Police are probably as big of fans of the team as you all are and would probably prefer to be smiling and cheering rather than putting batons in your backs and pepper spray in your eyes. Just saying.
I thought Michigan hired a lot of State grads for the police department so that they would be tougher on students? Maybe I'm wrong but I thought I heard that somewhere. If this is true however, then they would take pleasure in this and be smiling as they put a batton to someones back.
Is that right? If so, that's both hilarious and very troubling.
Is this necessary. I mean: Have students on campus done this in the past?
Remember Saturday was Hash Bash so there was A LOT of people who aren't Michigan students on campus. Just food for thought.
Forget the couches! I'm more worried about this site having enough bandwidth to handle crazy MGoBloggers when Michigan wins tonight!
Thanks for this. I was gonna start a riot until you told me not to.
How 'bout a nice tire fire? /s
c'mon this is Michigan FERGODSAKES!
I will riot couches if I please.
"When I was in school" in the 90s, the cops had the full riot gear out for the UNC/Michigan championship game because they knew what was coming. Because it had happened before.
It was also not really the students rioting.
So this post fails on two accounts. By suggesting that rioting is a new thing and that it is perpetrated by the students.
I was there too. Police threw smoke bomb canisters first and a couple jagwagons threw them back. One of the kids was as senior from my highschool. After the smoke bombs, the tear gas came out. This clown along with a few friends tried to tear down a stop sign and news camera's caught the whole thing.
Honestly, get off your soapbox and shut up. The people who are burning couches aren't reading mgoblog.
As a current student who never does this kind of stuff I really don't feel like coming on this site and getting lumped in with the small minority of couch burners.
...then you should pass on the word.
Or don't, it's your choice.
Just like clicking on this thread was your choice. You could've ignored it and went on about your day.
Judging by the upvotes, I'd say his soapbox is more like a front porch.
Relaaaax
Damn kids. Back in my day, we used to walk to class in blizzard conditions, uphill both ways.
The only mob I saw during undergrad at UMICH was the 2008 election. There were like 2000 excited and respectful students marching down the streets.
But don't riot or burn couches.
Basically, when riots happen tonight don't try the "back in my day this didn't happen" thing. Not that I'm advocating it at all- it'd be nice if everyone followed OP's advice.