Walmart Wolverines - a Bump

Submitted by JeepinBen on

Seeing as it's that game week against our in-state (#2 overall) rival with an inferiority complex I thought I'd re-post a diary of mine from last year discussing our history of "Non-Alum Friends of the University" as Yost called you.

http://mgoblog.com/diaries/thank-you-non-alum-friends-university

Remember, non-alums built Michigan Stadium while sparty needed direct state support. And no matter where you went to school, your support of Michigan doesn't go unnoticed. There are quite a few life things that can prevent people from attending their "fan" university, doesn't mean you can't support it. You can also remind them that we've won 6 of the last 9 in "their" sport.

Go Blue. Beat State 

RoxyMtnHiM

October 24th, 2014 at 1:28 PM ^

Well, then you probably won't be thrilled about me showing up here. I do regret selecting my handle a bit. It was intended to be a bit ironic, a little bit of a stand against our own who think we're second class citizens b/c we never paid tuition there (long story, that, though I did get accepted, as I'm always too insecure to avoid pointing avoid -- lifelong dream and all that) and a lot of Dan Savage-style repurposing of a slur. Yeah, I'm what Sparty calls a Walmart Wolverine. So what? I've never been anything but pure Maize and Blue.

hailtothevictors08

October 24th, 2014 at 1:43 PM ^

However, if you cannot see the difference between pro and college sports, I don't know what to tell you. In pro sports, very few people are actually a part of the organization. They are fans of it. 

I was a Michigan fan, even a die-hard, before I got to campus even though my family had no connection to the place. This is perfectly ok and a huge part of the strength of our university, especially the support of south campus. 

However, there are certain parts of being a student/alumni that add to the experience of be a fan that can only be gained by actually attending classes. The biggest being that you are actually part of the school rather than a fan of it. I have other colleges I support (i.e. am a fan of) in different things but I can never imagine not cheering for MY school first. Your undergraduate school should always take priority, you are a part of it. (The only exception I can think of is a family member playing for an opposing school and even then, I openly cheered against a family member of mine who was a swimmer at OSU when she took on Michigan.) 

The biggest issue I see is the disconnect between alumni and regular fans is in the integrity part of the program (this is not a huge issue on this site but is in general). This inherently makes sense. As a fan of pro teams like say the Lions, I have no problem with them operating in the gray area of the rule book to win (think if they would tape teams like the Pats did). I am a fan and I want them to win. However, by being a part of the University of Michigan, running a clean program and upholding the high level of academics we have here is FAR more important to me than winning. I would rather lose with a clean program than win without integrity.

My biggest fear is a scandal like the UNC, one in which we actually devalue our own integrity and degrees. The disconnect I have spoken of earlier is many people who are just fans of the school seem to not care about the campus that exists away from south campus (and possibly the medical system as it is used by many) which is fine and normal. However, this leads some to not worry about the academic and integrity side of things as much. Even here on Mgoblog, I have seen calls for coaches like Tressel. This is horrifying to me. This man has an active show-cause penalty for intentionally playing ineligible players an LYING about it. He is the epitome of the kind of coach I would never want at my university.   

ThadMattasagoblin

October 24th, 2014 at 1:59 PM ^

I think that in 2014, pro sports and college sports are on pretty equal footing unless you're taalking about baseball or hockey. We fill a 110,000 seat stadium while the Lions have struggled for years to fill a 65,000 seat dome, Michigan and MSU both sell out their bball arena while the Pistons have a few hundred people at their games.

Walter Sobchak

October 24th, 2014 at 2:17 PM ^

Youre missing the point. It's a manifestation of jealousy. Michigan is historically a big time program in its sport, like the yankees, cowboys, etc in their own sport. Thus, many casual fans without a college program they can call their own, learned to love Michigan football.

This whole thing comes from spartan fans, because no one outside of their alumni base gives a shit about their shit program. And it makes them butthurt. Hence the denigration of "wal mart Wolverine"

Frito Bandito

October 24th, 2014 at 1:00 PM ^

If you went to another major university and openly root for Michigan rather than your own school what does that make you?

goblue224

October 24th, 2014 at 1:04 PM ^

Who says people don't also root for their own school? I grew up a die hard Michigan fan but because I decided to stay home and attend a major university in my own backyard (that doesn't have a football team) I can't also continue my fandom for Michigan...yeah that makes a lot of sense.

RoxyMtnHiM

October 24th, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^

In the case of the '88 Hall of Fame game, when I was at Bama, a little uncomfortable is what it made me. But what was I supposed to do? Adopt a new team just to get along, when my heart and allegiance lay elsewhere? I enjoyed my time in SEC land, was a Bama fan by the end, though Bama was always a distant and uncomparable second to the U of M to me, and by three or four years after I'd gotten the hell out of the Deep South, I no longer gave a damn about the Crimson Tide.

MaximusBlue

October 24th, 2014 at 2:45 PM ^

I currently live in Alabama and have the past 10 years and you're definitely a "Yankee" down here to these people. My family tells me not move back home, but that's easy to say when you haven't lived in Bama for all these years. Nothing could be worse.

RoxyMtnHiM

October 24th, 2014 at 3:21 PM ^

Whereabouts? I was very into the emerging Southern alt-pop scene when I (was) moved down there. I hitchhiked around Alabama some during college. Visited with Howard Finster at his place over in northern GA several times. Assembled a massive collection of recordings by Fetchin Bones, Let's Active, Hillbilly Frankenstein and on and on. Always been a bit fascinated with the culture, thanks to Faulkner, Michael Stipe and others. The landscape is often quite alluring and beautiful, from the foothills to the salt. The people, where the Old South is not completely kudzu'd under by the New South, can be pecularliarly and wonderfully weird, unreserved and expressive in pure ways. The pockets of progressive thinking and culture in places like B'ham are good counterpoints to the general narrowmindedness that still largely reigns, imo. I might rather eat in Alabama than Michigan (except for the lack of Great Lakes comfort food -- yes, this does exist -- like smoked lake trout, pickled herring, and ruffed grouse). I sometimes miss the winter light there... but now that I'm thinking about it, I'd really like to shoot a ruffed grouse for dinner.

True Blue Grit

October 24th, 2014 at 4:32 PM ^

when I had to go and visit my sister-in-law and her family.  Lousy food.  Run down neighborhoods with angry-looking dogs not tied up in the front yard.  People going into convenience stores and fast-food places with no shirt on.   Bama and Auburn fans everywhere.  No thank you.  I'll take Michigan any day. 

mastodon

October 25th, 2014 at 9:12 AM ^

That's my first thought when I hear Publix - Boar's Head.  Don't have Publix where I am, but I visited my brother in Orlando, and at the local Publix the deli guy was throwing suggestions (and samples) at us, and all I can say about that is Jerk Turkey with 3 Pepper Colby Jack cheese.  Phenomenal.

Bando Calrissian

October 24th, 2014 at 1:04 PM ^

While I'm not necessarily going to endorse the Wal-Mart Wolverine label, I will defend the idea that those of us who actually went to Michigan have an undeniably different relationship with the university, especially when faced with a non-alum who thinks it doesn't matter. 

I'm not saying it makes me a better fan that I have a Michigan degree hanging on my wall, but I do think it means my connection to the university is deeper and more meaningful than someone who doesn't. That may be elitist, but so be it.

mGrowOld

October 24th, 2014 at 1:16 PM ^

I think you're both right.  Bando is correct in saying that those of us fortunate enough to go to Michigan have a different type of relationship with the University - we do.  It doesnt make us better fans of the the athletic teams neccessarily but it does mean there's an certain element of "sweat equity" that we claim ownership of.  

On the other hand when it comes to pure fandom some of the most rabid and enthusiastic supporters of my school have no real connection to it.  You mentioned WD and I'd take him in my section of the stadium anyday over about 95% of the people that fill the seats and watch (or bitch) quietly.  Space Coyote is another non Michigan guy who loves the school and is certainly more of a supporter than many of us (including me) have been at times.

 

Drew_Silver

October 24th, 2014 at 1:20 PM ^

the tent is large enough for everyone

if you pay taxes in MI you are a wolverine supporter (and gasp! a spartan supporter as well as all the others)

just say go blue with a little enthusiasm and try to pump your fist on the hails (or if you have no musical ability whatsoever, just keep clapping)

MGoBender

October 24th, 2014 at 6:38 PM ^

Ahh... the tax argument.  Let's not bring that up since so little of the University's budget comes from state funding (17%).

How much money from an average tax payer ends up at the U?  A buck or two a year?   Less? 

If you're going to talk about tax payers and their dozens of dollars funding the U, those with dozens of thousands of dollars spent on tuition are probably rolling their eyes.

HipsterCat

October 24th, 2014 at 2:48 PM ^

I think having a degree vs not having a degree has nothing to do with sports but more a connection to the university itself. I work with a couple fellow grads who couldnt give two shits about sports at all but still rock the maize and blue. They are a part of the university in a different way than somebody who is a sports fan.

For me personally my attending michigan sparked my fandom. Wasnt really a huge sports guy before hand, now I am. People on the board have mentioned loving the mazie and blue since they were young kids but didnt attend the university for school for whatever reason. Am I somehow a better fan because I went to school here than they are? NO WAY, they have decades more of emotional investment into the program. And yet they can be a "walmart" wolverine and I am immune to such claims. It's silly. Just a way for sparty to try and put down those loving the maize and blue by saying you cant really be a fan

 

 

VectorVictor05

October 24th, 2014 at 3:56 PM ^

100% agree.  I was raised to be a UofM fan by various members of my family that did not attend UofM (granted some of them were UofM fans because of children or siblings that did attend).  My commitment to UofM sports was entrenched well before I decided to attend UofM.

All of that said, my time at and two degrees from UofM have made that fandom much deeper and more nuanced that it could have become without attending.  My fandom isn't surface level based on athletic accomplishments as it may have been if I had not attended UofM - I think we can agree that our fan allegiance, unless you have some other deeper connection, is pretty ambiguous (e.g., based on where you were born, the teams of your favorite relatives, a favorite player as a kid, etc.)  My fandom now has a lot more to do with how our athletic teams represent the overall university, better UofM's reputation/brand in all things, and as a result make my degrees a bit more valuable than they otherwise would have been without athletic success.

DMill2782

October 24th, 2014 at 1:09 PM ^

Logical. Anyone who attends any given university is going to have deeper ties/roots with that university. It's a major era of your life.

Still wish I would have taken on the debt to go to Michigan. I was accepted, but I would have had staggering debt ($125,000+) if I attended. Had to make the difficult decision and stay home in Indiana. C'est la vie. 

Everyone Murders

October 24th, 2014 at 1:23 PM ^

At least one aspect of this is that no matter what Michigan does, it will be "our school" due to the alumni element.  As you say, that doesn't necessarily make us better fans (or more intense, sincere, caring, intelligent, classy, etc.) - in fact, alumni jackasses who insist otherwise make the rest of us look bad in doing so.  But for alumni it will always be "our school", and few of us can walk away from it when things aren't going well. 

You saw this in painful measure when the PSU scandal went public.  I used to have a grudging respect for PSU, and it was pretty frickin' easy to disown that school once the details rolled out.  If I was rockin' a couple of degrees from PSU, it would be much more difficult to just write that program off for dead.  (With that degree of depravity, though, I think I'd be willing to give my alma mater the Fredo treatment.  But I felt for people with deep ties to PSU that had no involvement in the actual scandal.)