Welcoming Nebraska to the Big House

100% agreed.  I think we can be welcoming and friendly to the fans and still be loud as hell for the game to create a hostile environment for the team.

Agreed. Be cordial and offer visitors a beer while explaining how having your entire team on the field during a play is a penalty.

Make a little extra chili and share it with red-clad passersby while noting that having to cheat in order to beat unranked teams in overtime does not make a national champion.

See, you can be bitter without being a jerk!

Totally agree.

Nebraska should be warmly welcomed to the Big House by the fans, and even more warmly welcomed by a Michigan team that plays defense like last week, and wins a good game!

I hear they like corn. Perhaps offer them some if you have extra.

1)  Save your ill-will for OSU

2)  Don't act out and make them think they've automatically become one of our top-3 rivals (they haven't even earned the #6 spot yet)

3)  Act like you've been there before  (because we have:  8-2 with greater expectations)

4)  If you find yourself in a conversation about the 1997 split-champtionship, talk about it with a high-five and a simple "I wish they could've played."   

5)  And most important - just don't be a dick.   These people have the reputation of being great hosts.   Don't ruin it for the rest of us that plan on going to Lincoln to have a good time, only to receive "payback" for dickish behavior in 2011.  

I agree.  Frankly, I'm embarrassed when I see a U-M fan at a home game talking shit to opposing fans.  We're better than the MSU and and TSIO fanbase and should prove that with class and cordiality on gameday.

My Michigan-Nebraska 1997 - Anytime, Anyplace T-Shirt on Friday.

But we should treat ALL opposing fans like described above; not just Cornhuskers because of their rep.  The glory is in a victory...not rubbing anyone's faces in it. Show why Michigan is different than Columbus or Madison or East Lansing. (Because, man, are they in for some system shock when they go over to Ohio State next year....)

I make it a habit to offer any visitors (even those in Scarlet & Gray) food and a beer when tailgating, or buy them a round if in a bar.  Especially those in Scarlet & Gray--let them go home flabbergasted by being treated with respect and civility, and then have to look back on their own fanbase's behavior.  As for Nebraska, since they're the new kids on the block, I'll go out of my way to treat them well Saturday.  And it usually works out well, as most visiting fans will buy a round a return for extending the courtesy.

I've been to a couple of road games and one of the things that always sticks out is the other team's fans.    I've met some great fans who cheer passionately for their team but are courteous hosts to fans from other teams.   It always leaves a good impression of the team, the school and other fans.

On the other hand, I've been places where I've had beer spilled on me, heard stupid idiotic crap and even been threatened-- just for having the "wrong" sweatshirt on.  Needless to say, those places and those teams strike me as being classless on and off the field (and yes, I'm talking about you Columbus).

Be a good host this weekend and every weekend.  

After going to OU and dealing with their fans, I am afraid that I will revert back t those times dealing with them at football games. I d not have ANY love nor respect for that mob they call fans. While not in the same league as tOSU nor the farmers, they still suck.

I will be the one wearing a Michigan hoodie and an OU ballcap.......

My wife and I are co-hosting a tailgate where we've invited 5 Nebraska fans coming up for the game (one is a business associate of my wife's company).  We're right across from the stadium in the AAA Travel lot, so it should be a great venue for them.  Of course, we'll be lining up a "return favor" for next year's game in Lincoln!

I agree with the above posts.  Stay classy Michigan! 

My wife and I are hosting a tailgate for a  group of 8 Nebraska fans and we can't wait to welcome them to Michigan and the big house. Look for us on Scio Church road.

Living in Nebraska and having gone to their games, any time I hear how great and accommodating their fan base is I puke in my mouth. If you go to a game the experience is fine because 90% of the crowd is 60+ (exaggeration but not by much). If you oppose the Big Red Machine and live in this state full time you get a true sense of their fan base.

They have a great base of douche bags just like any other school following and have no problem getting into your face. They shouldn’t be held on a pedestal as an example of how everyone should act because you will find they are not far from the MSU and OSU fan base. Believe me, living here and being a Michigan fan this place couldn’t be more anti-Michigan after the 1997 season.

So screaming "Remember the Alamo!" to everyone I see wearing red is not appropriate?

/confused

My experience in Lincoln was second to none in regards to the kindness and generosity that their fans demonstrated.  I went to the USC-Nebraska game a few years ago with my brother and as we walked through the throngs of red, almost every tailgater stopped us, welcomed us and offered us beers and brats.  They even wished USC good luck on the field.  Never have I experienced anything like that as a visiting fan. This includes multiple trips to South Bend, which is a distant 2nd compared to Lincoln, and a complete polar opposite to Columbus which is the antithesis to Lincoln. I echo the sediments of the previous posters that we treat our visitors to a great time while they are here in AA.

a-hole fans, and obviously Michigan is no exception.  I always say "Welcome to Ann Arbor" very sincerely and usually get a positive response.  They know they're in enemy territory and expecations start pretty low, so welcoming them like that comes across classy. 

I'd wager that simple acts of civility, a "welcome", and maybe a beer or two generate most of the 'positive fanbase' comments across the nation.  It doesn't take much. 

The Utes fans raved about how well they were treated in AA back in '08.  They went out of their way to say what a great welcoming game atmopshere we have and posted it all over the 'net and to any MM types that interviewed them.  Keep it classy again for more first-time visitors this weekend and GO BLUE!

I agree with your sentiment, but (1) it's spelled "privilege" and (2) Wisconsin is not one of the nicer places to visit for a road game in the B1G.  In order of hostility, I'd rank them:

1. OSU

2. MSU (for Michigan fans, at least)

3. Wisconsin

4. Penn State

5. Illinois

6. Iowa

7. Minnesota

8. Purdue

9. Nebraska

10. Indiana

11. Northwestern

So we should leave our "Nuck Febraska" t-shirts at home?

/s

Welcome Husker fans.  Enjoy your time in our beloved town.

to offer to park their tractor for them.   They may not be used to parking them in parking garages.

Every time my sister calls with a pre-trip update, it seems she's adding one more person to their van (which heads east from Cornhusker state on Thursday night).  Thanks all for helping to make sure they have an awesome visit.

My uncle and I go walking around the golf course to find the opposing fans and then direct them to come do Jager shots with us at our tailgate.  The Wisky fans last year were quite rowdy and good fun.  The 2009 Purdue tailgate was great, as we met a big group of girls from Purdue and all had a bunch of Jager and also some hot apple pie.  Point is, setting football aside, we are all people there who are just looking to have fun.  Thats why we make it happen.  I'm hoping to have massive amounts of Cornhusker fans join us this week, since my Grandma is a Nebraska native. 

Then when the game is over and when M is done trouncing on them tell The N fans, "Hey, sorry about that but we're just warming up to Ohio." 

This kind of a post is like a time capsule - a snapshot in time from before Michigan and Nebraska started playing each other annually.

A decade from now, a large portion of fans here will probably hate Nebraska's guts (and their fans), for the simple fact that they'll have become a competitor.  You'll never see a post like this then.  It'd be as unthinkable as someone saying, "Let's make sure we welcome MSU fans to the Big House."

Try to keep it classier than the "take Nebraska to the showers" sign I saw at Penn Sate last saturday

Just beat em on the battlefield!

Next week we'll all have plenty of opportunity to yell the worst things we can think of towards our opponents and their visiting "fans."

I like your post and your points - but you said Wisconsin is nice? Have you been there for a Michigan / Wiscy game? OSU is the worst, MSU 2nd but Wiscy isn't that far behind with their hatred and terrible feelings toward Michigan. 

I've seen Michigan win at every Big Ten Stadium (except Lincoln and Minny's new one), ND and the Rose Bowl. Wiscy is not nice to UM fans.

This being said, I actually think PSU has the best fans from a welcoming standpoint - or maybe they just like young boys / men too much (too soon?).

Overall, I agree. Show Nebrasks respect. I just hope they don't bring an Army to A2 as I am fearing they will.

Go Blue!

I just hope Michigan student section arrives before the second quarter.

I actually try to do this every game. Especially because I am from SE Michigan and grew up near Ann Arbor (Northville and later Saline), I like to welcome people to the area and make recommendations on places to go. I do it while proudly wearing my Michigan gear too. 

Then again, there was one OSU fan, years ago, who promptly told me that "Ann Arbor could go fuck itself", to which I could only reply, "May I suggest the Brightmoor neighborhood of Detroit then, if Ann Arbor is too classy for you....there you may find desolation appropriate to your soul"

I suck. Nevermind. 

everyone attending the game is looking forward to visiting AA, mingling with UM fans,  experiencing gameday at Michigan Stadium, and watching a hard fought competitive game this weekend and for many Saturdays to come.

As for rivalries, we're new to that B1G tradition. The only rival we had was whoever was the biggest obstacle to winning the conference championship. Usually that was Oklahoma. We expect to compete every year for the Legends and that Michigan will also. Its up to Michigan fans if that adds to or replaces your current rivals. MSU and OSU of course will always be what they are, though personally I wonder if the new divisional B1G will change things for you a bit, especially with the Domers.  But that's your business.

One thing we've noticed is that B1G rivalries seem to be edgier than the old Big 8 or Big XII style, with more hate and less mutual respect. We never cared for that, Colorado was the closest to behaving that way, but to us it always seems out of place in amateur college sports.

I thought this was pretty cool and worth adding to the thread.  Numerous letters sent to the Nebraska paper, thanking the fans.

http://www.dailynebraskan.com/mobile/opinion/letters-from-penn-state-1.2...