UM vs. App State: Sharing the Tradition With My Son
A friend was offered a bunch of FREE!!!! UM vs. App State tickets as part of some deal between Bowling Green State University and the University of Michigan.
So yours truly has been given the chance to fulfill the dreams of my 9-year old son. I've wanted to take him to a game for a long time and planned to last year, but finances haven't been great for quite a while. I am really excited to share the U of M experience with him!
So I wondered - is anyone else sharing the Michigan experience with someone for the first time this weekend? Or experiencing it for the first time yourself?
My son upon hearing the news:
Hail! Go Blue!!!
****Mods - If this is considered OT, please delete and beat me with a wet Dave Brandon noodle.****
August 25th, 2014 at 1:23 PM ^
Going to a Michigan game is not OT.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:25 PM ^
EVER. WANT MOAR POST LIKE THIS YES MOARRRRRR
August 25th, 2014 at 1:24 PM ^
Taking my new girlfriend to her first ever game... Planning on scalping on the day of the game.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:28 PM ^
some of your own tickets, or did you mean buying them? LOL
Is your girlfriend a fan? I'd take my own girlfriend but she's an OSU fan and she says she would burst into flames! lol
August 25th, 2014 at 2:18 PM ^
boliver46, I share your pain. My gf is born and raised columbus, attended osu, and is die hard buckeyes. I also live in columbus so I have to endure this hell.
August 25th, 2014 at 2:48 PM ^
you beat me. No way could I live down there. I've gone there for training a couple times and had my car broken into once, and all they stole was my U of M lanyard/ID hanging from my mirror. Message received!
August 25th, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^
Well, she has a few friends who played girls basketball at Michigan, so she's kind of a fan already. She's a big football fan in general (which is awesome) so she is excited!
August 25th, 2014 at 2:49 PM ^
her STAT!
August 25th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^
I feel for you. I'm a Wolverine and my family are Buckeyes...Thanksgiving is always the worst.
August 25th, 2014 at 3:40 PM ^
My in-laws are all Buckeye fans too. My son always stirs the pot by yelling "Go Blue" at them...
Kid's okay in my book...
August 25th, 2014 at 3:43 PM ^
Now you just gotta get him humming "The Victors" as they walk by.
August 25th, 2014 at 7:02 PM ^
1. Take osu gf to M game
2. osu gf bursts into flames
3. ...
4. Profit?
August 25th, 2014 at 2:03 PM ^
and you can get in big, big trouble.
don't say we didn't warn you....
August 25th, 2014 at 2:17 PM ^
+1 most likely solid legal advice.
August 25th, 2014 at 2:50 PM ^
This was my first thought as well. If you don't like her haircut just tell her gently...don't scalp her...
August 25th, 2014 at 1:28 PM ^
ready for his first game. I am sure you are just as excited as he is!
August 25th, 2014 at 1:29 PM ^
Actually, it would be nice if more people would share these sorts of stories because I think part of what makes this a great community is not only the shared Michigan experience but the passing of that experience to future generations of Michigan fans.
My son was barely a month old when we played Appalachian State in 2007, and obviously we couldn't take him (but we were there - my wife and I had tickets and my in-laws graciously babysat for us). This time, it is 2014, and although at 7 years old we may not make it through the whole game, he is going.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:34 PM ^
It's probably good you didn't take him to the Horror...he can honestly say: "We played Appalachian State before???" and have his incredulity not be mistaken for MGoBlog snarkiness. lol
I'm a little concerned how long my 9-year old will last as well. He only made it to halftime of a University of Toledo game last year (also free!) so not sure how much better he will be in a year's time...but his love of UM will probably help!
Now if only we could convince his older sister to be a UM fan and not OSU....ugh.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:34 PM ^
I can understand wanting to bring kids but personally I'd have a really hard time doing it until they were 12/13. I can't stand the thought of leaving early.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:44 PM ^
but the fact the tickets are free will make it more palatable should this occur.
August 25th, 2014 at 5:31 PM ^
discussing Hockey.
Take your son if it is at all possible. Stay as long as he wants then leave. You'll survive, and he won't have a bad experience. Remember, there is much more at stake here than you getting to watch a bit of football.
Remember - get this part right and someday, when your son is an Alum, he can take you to football games.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:47 PM ^
If your kids are already into Michigan football, then 9 is plenty old. My then 5 year old twins made it through all of the UConn night game last year (and may have kept the predominantly M section in the end zone partially sane). The kid in the OP looks plenty into the game. You'll have a blast.
August 25th, 2014 at 4:30 PM ^
For us it was simple. If my wife went and felt like she wanted to accommodate one of the kids taking a walk, that was up to her.
If I was going solo, we would offer a ticket to one of my kids, but they understood that it was not a right and that my expectation was that we'd stay and watch the whole game. Of course if it were an emergency I would have taken care of them, but by both setting the expectation and making it not about "me sharing the experience with them" but rather them "choosing to experience it with me" we were all on the same page.
All three of my kids (16yo daughter, 13yo daughter, and 9yo son) love going to football, basketball, and hockey games with us and are all big Michigan fans now. For us, it worked. Now we have 5 tickets for football and can take as many as are available to go that week. Sometimes it is all five of us; sometimes due to other commitments it is zero. We love having the option and love being able to share our love of the University with them.
The downside is that they all know I'm a sucker for buying them something at the M-Den...
August 25th, 2014 at 6:09 PM ^
For me I can remember going to games since the early 2000s and being bored (though we never left early), but suddenly when it was the 2004 season and became 7 I was suddenly into every game. so it depends on the child I guess, 7 was it for me.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
I've seen threads detailing what to expect taking young children to Michigan events, its been helpful.
Hopefully everyone's little ones enjoy the game enough to let the parents do the same.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^
That's pretty cool Boliver. FWIW - my son Tommy was a hard-core OSU kid when I met him to the point of not wanting to GO to the Michigan game cause you know...go Bucks and all that.
Well now I'm happy to say that is completely dead, he wore Michigan uniform to halloween last year and is proud to wear the gear down here in O.H.I.O. Amazing what a couple of games can do to a child's fandom.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:33 PM ^
Oh man I read that wrong. I'm glad his liking of ohio is dead.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^
Can he play guard? Or is he better suited for center?
August 25th, 2014 at 1:36 PM ^
gonna be OL for sure like his dad. 99th percentile in all categories and slow as molasses. He hates being slow, but giggled when I told him when I got to college football a coach pulled me aside and said: "Damn, it sure is a shame no one taught you how to run, son."
I was nicknamed ho-ho for a reason. lol
August 25th, 2014 at 1:35 PM ^
I am taking my boys (8 and 4) to their first ever game this Saturday! We're all very excited! Can't wait! GO BLUE!!
August 25th, 2014 at 1:39 PM ^
even sure where we are sitting (don't care!) but we will look for you! lol
Look for us!
August 25th, 2014 at 1:35 PM ^
to other universities?
August 25th, 2014 at 1:37 PM ^
I was waiting for someone to pick up on that.
There was apparently a lot of about 200 tickets they distributed to faculty and employees. Interesting, to say the least.
August 25th, 2014 at 7:54 PM ^
enjoy the game!
August 25th, 2014 at 1:35 PM ^
My 2 year old will be catching her first game at The Big House this weekend with Dad and her Uncles. So far this week we've learned to say "touchdown", "go blue", and "fuck Ohio state."
August 25th, 2014 at 1:40 PM ^
My son is adept at trolling his OSU loving sister - but I think I'll save Fuck Ohio State until he's a bit older.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:44 PM ^
My wife came up with that one. She's currently in a hospital bed, had a c-section 5 days ago. Still has her sense of humor!
She's glad she'll be home for the game, as our 2nd girl came a week early.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:42 PM ^
What?
August 25th, 2014 at 8:06 PM ^
that escalated quickly.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:50 PM ^
Have a great time. (Get him a different colored shirt from your post!!!)
The only Michigan game I took my youngest son to was Appy St #1. The only Yankee's game I have taken him to was David Cone's perfect game.
You win some, you lose some.
Great experience no matter what.
August 25th, 2014 at 1:53 PM ^
I don't have any kids yet, but when I do I'll enjoy the time-honored tradition in my family of signing up the kids for soccer on Saturday mornings while the adults go to the game --__--
August 25th, 2014 at 1:57 PM ^
Have a great time! Going into that stadium for the first time, seeing the band come out for the first time, and watching the team roar out of the tunnel for the first time gives any fan goosebumps. I hope your son has as an amazing first-game experience as I did my freshman year.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
August 25th, 2014 at 2:06 PM ^
I remember walking down alongside the band (not sure of the streets) for the Utah game a few years ago.
Where is the best place to park to do something like that and follow the band to the stadium? Last time we just decided to walk from Maize 'n' Blue deli and that was a heck of a walk...lol
August 25th, 2014 at 4:49 PM ^
There will be the "Step Show" which is a performance by the drumline in front of Revelli Hall on Hoover Street about an hour before the game. They perform while the rest of the band finalizes their preparations. Then the full band will come outside and form up for inspection.
After inspection, the band will step off for the stadiume and you can follow the band as they march down Hoover and turn left on Greene. The cheerleaders will be ahead of the band and will do a very short performance at the intersection of Hoover and Greene before continuing on; it isn't a bad intersection to wait for the cheerleaders and band to pass and then follow them in if you don't make it to Revelli hall in time for the step show.
The band will publish their gameday schedule later this week. If you're truly interested, you can watch morning rehearsal (for a noon game I'm guessing about 8:00) on Elbel field, which is the fieldturf at the intersection of Hill and Division.
If you want even more band, there is a post game show on the field as well.
August 26th, 2014 at 9:34 AM ^
Awesome info to have!
August 25th, 2014 at 2:14 PM ^
my wife to her first game at the Big House. She has seen a few road games but nothing that will compare to Saturday! - And she is pregnant with our first child so "technically" it will be my daughters first game and one DB can't charge for!!
August 25th, 2014 at 2:15 PM ^
Here is my 4 year old walking into the Big House for the first time in his life last weekend. He's holding the hand of his grandpa, who learned to love Michigan from his dad (and my son's namesake) almost 50 years ago. I'm thinking his first actual game will be in Shane's senior season.
August 25th, 2014 at 2:18 PM ^
you should go downvote profitgoblue while you're at it
August 25th, 2014 at 10:56 PM ^
I started taking them to games at age 4. They are now 9 and 11 and a highlight of the year is Saturday football in AA.
They usually go to 1-2 games with me and the Mrs.
The remaining games I go with my buddies.
I used to enjoy the games with my friends more than with the kids but I tell you - as they get older (especially that past 2 years), those family Saturdays in AA are almost magical.
My point is - it's never too early to start traditions and memories like those you will be making with your son. I congratulate you.
August 25th, 2014 at 2:31 PM ^
before he and next oldest son start to have their own games until november. see you all there.