Uncomfortable situation at the basketball game

Submitted by Mercury Hayes on

Had an interesting experience at the basketball game this afternoon and felt like I needed to share. I was sitting in the gold section near the rafters next to the loudest, most annoying clapper in the world.

After every Purdue basket, this pudgy, middle-aged guy would hammer his hands together, fist pump to the sky and scream out all kinds of things (as if the players could hear him). He screamed for the entire first half.

When he went to purchase 11 hot dogs at half time, I couldn't help but notice a massive Purdue ring on his hand 9from what I don't know) His kids were wearing Robbie Hummel jerseys. Even wifey and grandma had bedazzled Hummel shirts on.

Either this was the Robbie Hummel fan club, or Robbie Hummel's family. That's fine. Except the annoyance continued in the second half. He started screaming at Beilein, then began calling Darius Morris a "hot dog" every time he touched the ball.

Every time Michigan got a foul he would yell "they haven't broken anyone's nose yet!"

At this point I just started glaring at him. This seemed to make him even more energetic. I really wanted to get up out of my seat and punch him in the face, but he was with his kids, or someone's kids, and there were families all around. So I just kept quiet.

At the end of the game when I put on my coat and headed for the stairs his kids started taunting me! Swear to god, I was getting heckled by a god damn 10-year-old in a Robbie Hummel jersey.

It took me everything it could to not push him down the stairs (the dad or the 10-year-old). I suppose I was hoping a long-haired, bearded Michigan blogger would swoop down from the rafters and save the day. Sadly, Brian never came. And the only memories I have of today's game involve hot dogs and Chris Kramer's nose.

Waters Demos

December 28th, 2010 at 6:53 PM ^

Taking the class approach has no price.

And in the long term, though perhaps not in the moment, it really is the most satisfying way to deal with such things if you reflect on it.

You'd have regretted calling out this douchebag or his kids. 

samber2009

December 28th, 2010 at 7:54 PM ^

I grew up in Indiana, and happily left to go to Michigan.  I never had a problem with Purdue and even kind of liked them growing up.  But, ever since their basketball program has come out of nowhere the last 10ish years (someone should actually look into that), they have developed a pretty bandwagonish fan base and tend to be very douchey now.  They are now apparently a basketball school which is strange to hear as a child of the 90s.  So that's my rant of the day, and to sum up: Purdue "fans" are very annoying.

samber2009

December 28th, 2010 at 8:23 PM ^

I didn't neg you FWIW.  The "out of nowhere" reference was a really poor attempt at SMU humor.  I loved Coach Keady growing up mostly because he was the anit- Bobby Knight.  But they were a self-proclaimed football school even when Keady was there.  So in the sense they have been Indiana's perennial basketball national superpower for the last 10 years, yes, they came out of nowhere. 

EDIT: This is really more of just a complaint to their fandom not their program.  Didn't mean to offend anybody.

M-Wolverine

December 28th, 2010 at 8:41 PM ^

If not quite elite. The place they struggle vs. the rest of the Big Ten's best is in National Titles. Keady could kick anyone's ass in the regular season, but never could quite get that push for Final Four greatness. So, hair bad, but coaching great.

M-Wolverine

December 28th, 2010 at 8:57 PM ^

I always thought he was doing it with less talent. He was up against Knight's Indiana when they we're a power, and got the best of the Midwest. Heck, he didn't usually have as good talent as the Illinois, Michigan, MSU type teams. But he regularly beat them (including Knight) by outcoaching them. The Tournament is just a time for talent to take over. Still is. And outside of the Glenn Robinson years there wasn't a lot of top level NBA talent going through Purdue. They would overachieve where others would regularly underachieve. Coaching.

Wolverine318

December 29th, 2010 at 12:29 AM ^

Let's stick to the truth. Geuax blue made a douche bag comment completely unrelated to this thread. I defended myself and he made yet another douchey comment. I called out a double standard that exists towards non m undergrad alums that is present on this site. I also called out geaux blue's lie and his butt buddies like omg shirtless neg bombed me. I guess some people are just butt hurt over m basketball.

OMG Shirtless

December 29th, 2010 at 12:38 AM ^

Don't play the martyr.  Your replies to Geaux Blue were as bad as his shots at you.  Even if you don't intend to, your comments come off as bragging.  You start comments with, "I run ultra-marathons,"  "I'm a GSI," "I sit in the student section."  You have every right to defend your Purdue education, but doing it the manner in which you choose to do so is going to get a reaction from people.  Did you really think there wasn't going to be some brushback when you start bragging about your Purdue degree in a thread about today's basketball game?  You aren't that delusional are you?

Wolverine318

December 29th, 2010 at 12:45 AM ^

Sorry I am the victim here. I am not bragging at all. I said run ultras in a offseason OT thread about marathon tips. God forbid. I said was a gsi in a thread asking when grades are posted for the football team. I get attacked out of the blue for no reason and that attack is defended where is the logic? There is none. Geaux blue was a douche and I defended myself. I still get ripped. If this is how mgoblog is going to operate then I don't want to be a part of it.

OMG Shirtless

December 29th, 2010 at 12:56 AM ^

Please, you aren't the victim.  You're an adult, this is the internet, you can't really think that.  You are as guilty as Geaux Blue and I of immature personal attacks (and of course several others).  Take a look at some of your comments if you need a refresher.  To act otherwise is completely ridiculous.  

Note - I'm not going to continue this e-slapfight, because the argument was already deleted once.  

Wolverine318

December 29th, 2010 at 1:01 AM ^

Nope. I stick to the truth where I was attack with a laundry list of lies and out if context attacks by geaux blue. I have every right to defend myself and correct those lies by geaux blue. I am also sick of the double standard towards those with a lot mgopoints. They can attack others unfairly with lies and out of context quotes. Others will agree with them just because they have a lot of mgopoints they must be right.