Rich Rodriguez Craves Better Atmosphere at Michigan Stadium
http://www.annarbor.com/sports/rich-rodriguez-craves-a-better-atmospher…
Hey I got this from AnnArbor.com, courtesy of Dave Birkett. I do appreciate the older Alumni and the money they bring to UofM however sometimes they make the Stadium boring and are too old fashioned. Coach Rodriguez wants this to change, face it he's changing Michigan and making it modern. Rodriguez is an innovator and in my opinion, a leader not a follower. When he finally rights this ship I honestly believe the Big Ten will be in UofM's rearview mirror.
Edit: A few people were bitching because the story was in the body so I removed it yet there is nothing illegal about that. The same people who are against a fun football game and would like you "down in the front!" to sit on ur hands and shut your trap! Football? There's no fun in football!!
But I never said it was the "primary" factor. If I implied that, then I apologize. Certainly, the team's overall ability is far and away the most significant factor in determining home field advantage.
However, certain teams always seem to outperform at home, and I just cited Wisconsin as an example of that. If Wisconsin can be that dominant at home with a lesser (though still talented) team, then Michigan should OWN the Big House. As I perceive it, at least some part of the difference is the in-game atmosphere -- Camp Randall consistently trumps the Big House in that regard.
in an IV directly to the artery has a large amount to do with Wisconsin fans' rabidity.
That, and being bitten by rabid wolverines en route to Camp Randall. TAKE THAT BADGER.
YEAHH .. lets get monster trucks to come in at halftime
Could you imagine the look on the face of a 70 year old Alumni .. about to shit his pants when he hears VRMMMMMMM .. and sees gravedigger come barreling down the field.
for the record i love 70 year old alums
Wow .. have a sense of humor
people will have a sense of humor, when something is funny. that, was ok unitl you wrote down the sound a monster truck makes. thanks Buzz Killington.
Here's a piece of an email band members got recently:
"Michigan Athletics is asking our help to come up with some really awesome crowd participation songs that could be played for the fourth quarter of the game. Please submit your ideas no later than Thursday, July 30th..."
So if you have any ideas for songs that wouldn't be forced or tacky or whatever I'd write them in. Just sayin'.
off key?
And of course, Nickelback.
Also, how about USC's fight song, specifically against Notre Dame and Ohio State, if tOSU loses again this year?
Please God let this be a joke.
I assure you, it is sarcasm.
At the risk of a wedgie, I would like the band to play the Vulcan fight music from Star Trek (the one played when Kirk fights Spock, also in the Cable Guy).
I've never heard a band play this but I'd rather hear it than rattling keys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyhhFzE5O5U
All bad ideas. Nevermind. A guy with more points than me posted it in a thread anyway.
Seven Nation Army is huge in Europe at soccer matches. Of course, Penn State beat us to it.
I would like to propose a section dedicated to a group of lunatics like the Raider's Black Hole, in complete ninja garb...then we give it a snazzy name like "THE SLOT DOJO" and charge people double to sit there.
I'm kidding but I would love to have seats in that section.
Please some group of fans do this...please.
Just by looking at the replies I can tell why Michigan has the quietest 110,000 fans. Man some people are just opposed to everything. They'd rather just sit there, be quiet, and watch football. Zzzz.
I'm pretty sure if Michigan had a better stadium atmosphere not only would it make it harder for opposing teams because the fans would be loud, it'd also help in recruiting when Rich Rodriguez can actually mean it when he says "playing at the Big House is like nothing before."
It could only help if the Michigan Stadium atmosphere was more like LSU, Penn State, and dare I even say it...Ohio State.
you wouldn't be complaining about the stadium atmosphere if the team was winning 10+ games a year.
I agree with trying to mic the band, especially when they come out at the beginning of the game. This would be difficult to do, but when they are in the student section it is entirely possible. Please no rock music like PSU. They don't even use the band there. To me, the band is am extremely important part of the game-day experience.
Was that right before the Statue of Liberty play? That play made us look absolutely stupid. Key Play alright.
It was actually on a 2 pt conversion attempt, IIRC. Either way, yeah that play made us look ridiculous. Thumbs completely up our asses.
I could have sworn they scored 21 on their first possession in that game.
they're about to score. So, not quite 5 minutes...but close!
We held them to a FG there and we actually had a 7-3 lead at one point... then our secondary happened.
Putting this in the hands of UM Marketing is going to result in some really, really, really awful and cheesy crap. We do not want to cross the Rubicon into canned music, video board hijinks, and making the Band irrelevant.
And we all know what happened the last time RichRod and Athletics thought up an idea for the Band... Glad those cowbells got retired before October was up.
While we're on this topic, the Band needs to be louder. This is criticism #1 consistently thrown at Prof. Boerma's feet, and two years in he still hasn't figured it out. It wouldn't hurt if he also got a clue that show tunes from Wicked do not great stands cheers make.
You know, I'm pretty sure that if you took a picture of the student section at a football game, it would look pretty similar.
Any game, every game, I go home with a headache.
Doesn't matter if it's Toledo or OSU, I'm making noise on every single defensive down.
upper portion of the bowl? check
2007? 3 in 7 chance to be a losing game. and not the good style loss (I'll cut back and say 1 in 3 though, based on clothing)
underclassmen? likely check
is this a poor example off which to judge the entire student section? looks like it!
Are you part of the student section? Great, then you'll probably know that it has people that don't cheer as loudly as others. But you also know damn well it's the loudest part of the stadium, game in and game out. get on someone else, ime.
Yes, I'm bitter. I have lead sections around me with my cowbell (and in the case of Yost, anywhere from 33% to 100% of the arena). I yell my head clear off. My ears would bleed if I could ignore the pain response.
I bring it, every game. I also bring it to Yost. Do you?
I bring it, every game.being a fan is SRS BSNS
Did your section bring it against NU last year? If so, I couldn't hear (or see) you:
+1 for having a great sense of humor
so you're the creep who takes pictures of fans instead of watching the game.
thats not my picture! i got it off google!
Look at all the empty seats.
Because the people in my section would yell at me to sit down and probably email the AD to have my tickets revoked (they did that to another guy for committing the cardinal sin of *gasp* cheering too loud. No joke, although I wish it was.)
I've been to some night games at WVU. Its crazy. I think RR wants that kid of environment at a Michigan game. I'll tell you what, drunk hillbillys Love to party at football games.
I agree with Rico616...no wonder we are the quietest 110 grand in America. You guys (not all) but some sound like a bunch of dickheads. I mean you dont have to be sarcastic about everything. This is something that we as fans can solve and also help our football team. Now if your to cool to cheer for MICHIGAN then dont come to the games. Sit on your ass at home and do all your sarcastic bitching. I for one will be at the games yelling as loud as I can for my favorite team and will be proud of it. I am on board with any idea RR has. He is the best thing to happen to Michigan since BO. He will change the landscape of the Big 10 forever and I cant wait to see it happen. GO BLUE!!
Who said they don't want to cheer? Who said that they don't cheer often? Put your torch down - strawmen are people too.
what we really need to do is to bring back the "woof woof" to the Dawg house. That will solve everything. That and Bullwinkle.
The Wolverine House
We probably shouldn't be copy-and-pasting articles like this. AnnArbor.com needs to get paid too!
If someone on Freep did this to MGoBlog, we'd all be pissed.
1. This is not about old people and young people. Plenty of old people at the Swamp, and damn it if that place does not rock. Truly an experience.
2. Michigan (and any other college team for that matter) should not stoop so low as to pipe in canned music when they have a band: This is bullshit plain and simple. Our band is incredible, but could spice things up.
3. Regarding amplification: Best example of this is USC who plays in an open stadium setting non-conducive to sound. Therefore they amplify the only crappy song they know on speakers. They are a highly recognized college band, but the truth is that they pale in comparison to Michigan. Bias aside - there honestly is no comparison. Because we have a similar wide open bowl, sound is lost. I would not be averse to speakers simply because the stadium is so fucking big that it matters in a big way which direction the band is facing
3. Excitement is linked to sensory input; case in point any Disney theme park experience. If you want excitement, you need to fill the senses - sight, sound AND victory.
4. You can do all of these things and still keep tradition intact. If you create excitement, young people and old people alike will stand and yell.
5. FUCK SHIT UP AND GO BLUE!
As much as Colin Cowherd is persona non grata around these parts he is right about stadium noise. It has everything to do with a combination of economics and the age of the fan base/program. Michigan has been winning forever, its fan base, students excepted, is older, more staid and they frankly have more on the line. A 50 year old alumni professional is just not going to get all liquered up and act stupid. He will cheer at the appropriate times and in an appropriate measured manner. Nothing too outrageous, nothing too extreme.
Growing up in Toronto and going to games at Maple Leaf Gardens was wonderful. That was a working class stadium with working class people buying seasons tickets. It was loud and the fan base knowlegable and that arena would rock from the first pre-season game. The Air Canada Centre with its corporate seats, high prices and so forth is quiet and dull, a boring place to watch games. I hear the new Yankee stadium is the same thing.
Nothing is going to change the way cheering happens at the stadium unless you were to cancel everyone's season's tickets and sell them to nothing but factory workers and 20 somethings with nothing to lose by cheering like a half crazed idiot all game. Live with it. Professionals with their careers on the line, older alumni and the like are not going to turn Michigan Stadium into Autzen Stadium or the one in Lubbock, TX (That Texas v. Texas Tech game last year where they rushed the field twice at the end was quite something).
But really, do we want to be those places anyways? Do we need crowd noise to win? Why should we feel inferior about this anyways? This is Michigan, the Big House...lets be ourselves and let the rest of them wish they had the history and tradition of this program...
crowd at this point in recent history says nothing. No one was saying how tough a place to play Happy Valley was until we lost there. tosu is loud for the same reason USC is loud, THEY'RE WINNING!!!
It's not like the fans are reading a book at the game. The physics of the stadium make a difference and the conditions of the game make a difference.
If USC was .500 every year, no one would claim they have a huge advantage at home. The Swamp, the toilet seat LSU and others have two decks which hold in sound and help to bounce the sound back toward the field. The main source of the sound comes from success not pumping in a bunch of music or special phrases on the scoreboard.
I have been going to games since 1974 and a season-ticket holder for four years now, there are those that watch the game and those that participate in the stands. I was there when we beat Wisco last season and when we beat PSU on the last play of the game. I said it when we were at the Wisc. game that it was the loudest I ever remember there.
You can't use last year as an example of how "quiet" the Big House is because that season was such an abberation on so many fronts.
Winning and success breeds excitement. Artificial noise to get everyone loud doesn't last long. Every play that warrants a lot of noise gets it. You're not going to get 110,000 people screaming at the top of their lungs for 3 1/2 hours, but when the signs of success and the winning starts, you'll get a lot more noise.
I think the best thing about last year is that the complacency that has existed for the last 20 years disappeared with 3-9. Now fans will cherr louder for positive results and be more into it. Whereas before it was expected, now it is desired, maybe more than ever. The success will be greatly rewarded by the best fans anywhere.
For years I denied the idea that The Big House was not intimidating, but that all changed when I attended the PSU game last year. The energy in the crowd was electric, and they cheered very loudly even on less than big plays. I dont know what needs to be done, but I am encouraged by RR addressing this issue.
UM fans are the quietest fans in any stadium I have seen. I still think the best solution is to give the students the lower seats between the 20's on both sides of the stadium. UM supports the Big Ten and NCAA when they say they don't want a playoff because they are "concerned about the student-athlete." Also, the NCAA party line is that the games are all about student life.
Great! Make the games about student life and the student-athlete. Give the students the best seats in the house. Let the people who would provide the most "school spirit" sit where they can be most easily heard. And let the "down in front" people sit so high in the stands that it doesn't matter what they think.
The Big House used to be an intimidating place to play. Now, even Appy State isn't afraid to play there. It is time to do something about it. Letting the students sit where they belong would be a great start.
Even though there would be a controversy and a few disgruntled season ticket holders, it would be better in the long run, more consistent with the NCAA's mission statement, and they wouldn't even lose any money in the process.
In other words, everyone wins except the "down in front" people. Sounds like a great situation to me.
Anyone remember the bull running through the streets of Chicago on the scoreboard before finally arriving at The United Center with Final Countdown playing?
Pretty lame when I look back on it but I remember getting pretty fired up when I was 12.
Some kind of badass pregame video would not be a bad thing. I am not suggesting a poorly produced cartoon wolverine running through the streets of Ann Arbor, but maybe some of you more creative posters could come up with some ideas?
It plays before every game.
And I get pretty fired up by the marching band. It's part of why I follow Michigan - because they don't resort to stupid, NBA-style pep stunts.
I watch and support Michigan football because of...
wait for it....
Michigan football. Maybe it's just being a little older, but I don't need Nickelback blaring through speakers or shirts shot into the crowd or maize jerseys or artificial noise pumped in. I like the cheerleaders leading a GO BLUE chant. I like the funny fast wave. I like the marching band. And by God, I spend 8 months a year waiting for Michigan football games and I take them seriously. I'm not going to go drink a case of beer and scream at the top of my lungs after Martavious Odoms executes a 2-yard bubble screen. I'm going to absorb what I'm watching because I only get about 36 hours of it a year, and I want to remember and analyze what I'm watching. If that means that I only cheer when it's warranted, I think that's rational.