What will it take for you to renew your season tickets?

Submitted by A2MIKE on

I have season tickets in section 2.  It's funny, if the team hadn't been so abysmal over the last 7 years, I probably would have tickets in the endzone, but in 7 short years I have moved from section 12 at the top, to section 2 row 20.  Anyway, my question is what will it take for you to renew your season tickets?  I was really on the fence going into this year, because the PSD is so high, StubHub offers better options as far as purchasing good seats to the games you want to attend.  I have 2 kids and my wife, as well as my parents that all like to go, but we can't go to every game and now without change to both the AD and the Head Coach, I can definitively say that I will not be renewing next year.  I have spent literally my entire life at Michigan Stadium on fall Saturdays.  I was at the 95 Purdue game, it was my 12th birthday and I stayed until the end.  I was at 08 Northwestern.  I have been to every edition of "The Game" for 20+ years, since 93.  I am 31, and I have been to 21 Michigan - Ohio State games, but I don't know if I will go this year.  I am defeated.  The only thing that can change that is a full cleansing of the hierarchy starting with Mr Domino's.  And I don't want to hear any more "Michigan Man" crap.  I didn't graduate from Michigan, but I donate what I consider to be a hefty amount and I still feel alienated by the whole "Michigan Man" thing.  I hate it, and if that gets used as a criteria for the next coach, I am out, for good.  End of rant.

The2nd_JEH

September 27th, 2014 at 8:25 PM ^

My family and I are renewing our tickets no matter what. We are hard to watch, we aren't very good, but I can't imagine not attending games. The team will always have my support.

Mgoscottie

September 27th, 2014 at 8:28 PM ^

those that are going to renew should demand that Dave Brandon personally calls and sings them a happy birthday message or something that's slightly beneath him but he would consider.  I'll update on Monday.  

SalvatoreQuattro

September 27th, 2014 at 8:37 PM ^

It's about values and how a team that is from Michigan is supposed to play.(tough physically and mentally, fundamentally sound, and cleanly)

I really don't understand why you hate it. It's one reason why Michigan was so good for so long.

 

The issue is that the people who are overseeing the program now lack the competence to meet the standards set by Bo and others. That's the problem.

 

Football does not change. At the risk of sounding cliche the game at it's core is one of blocking, tackling, and being tough mentally and physically. Lacking in  any of these areas is fatal for any team no matter the schematical advantages a coach may possess.

A2MIKE

September 27th, 2014 at 8:53 PM ^

You severely limit your candidate pool by requiring a "Michigan Man" be the head coach.  Bo Schembechler was not a Michigan Man, if anything he was a Buckeye.  Fielding Yost was not a Michigan Man.  Michigan was not good for so long because they had a Michigan Man coaching the team.  They were good for so long because they had a great coach, that maximized potential, capable of cultivating assistant coaches and molding a team.  Football has changed.  You can't win and compete at the highest level by running the wing T or the veer.  You can't simply say "This is how we do it because this is how we have always done it".  You have to be flexible, your opponent knows you probably better than you know yourself.  You have to self scout, you have to be innovative.  And that goes for all sports, and that is why John Beilein, who wasn't a Michigan Man, is so successful.  A Michigan Man as a criteria, is severely debilitating the ability of Michigan to be great.  A Michigan Man should not be an entitlement, but something that is an ideal, a standard that we strive to attain, not a characteristic attached to attending the University, but a vision.  I can accept that Michigan Man model, but not the one we currently hold that stinks of nepotism and good old boy networking.

SalvatoreQuattro

September 27th, 2014 at 9:05 PM ^

needs to be at an elemental level is perfectly fine. Again, football never changes at it's core. To play it well it requires physical and mental toughness and to be fundamentally sound. Scheme is third on that list.  Any coach knows this.

What a Michigan Man is is a guy who molds his team into a fiercely competitive collection of brothers who play the game hard and clean. They are ambassadors for the university and their off the field conduct will reflect that. That is what a  Michigan Man.

You have conflated nepotism with "Michigan Man". That is a mistake in interpretation on your part. Michigan Man is simply a set of critieria. It isn't cronyism. That some have resorted to cronyism is a sign of incompetence and poor understanding on their part and not with any flaw with the concept of a "Michigan Man".

Michigan Man is not about specific schemes or coaching trees, but guidelines of how a team wearing the Winged Helmet is supposed to play and represent the university. 

 

A2MIKE

September 27th, 2014 at 9:43 PM ^

I think we are misunderstanding each other.  I agree that a Michigan Man should be an ideal that we strive towards, you feel it should be a baseline for conduct, agreed.  Where we differ, I think the Michigan Man was used as a justification for hiring Hoke, and the hire of Hoke by Brandon was nepotism/cronyism/good old boy networking at best.  If Hoke hadn't been a Carr assistant in the past, with his resume, he would have never been seriously considered for the job, and that bothers me, and I feel that characteristic of hiring a coach that may be inferior but has Michigan ties needs to die today, and not a moment later.  It will forever hold us back.  I consider David Shaw to be a Michigan Man, even though he has no ties to the University of Michigan other than having taken over for a graduate and former player for the University.  He is a Michigan Man because he strives to the ideals that we wish for our coaches to uphold.  So you say tomato and I say tomatoe, but I think we are on the same page.

DanDiego1999

September 27th, 2014 at 9:19 PM ^

"Football has changed. You can't win and compete at the highest level by running the wing T or the veer. You can't simply say 'This is how we do it because this is how we have always done it'. You have to be flexible, your opponent knows you probably better than you know yourself. You have to self scout, you have to be innovative."

Very true, indeed. Even Bo, who was knocked for his old fashioned-ness, embraced the principles of flexibility and adaptation (to changing times). Throughout his first decade Michigan was extremely successful running power-option. From Wangler-to-Carter onward he ditched the option for a more pro-style attack that increasingly opened up (evolved) as the 80's progressed. Often, fans forget that our 3-yards-&-cloud-of-dust coach had a team that set a single-season passing yardage record (with Jim Harbaugh) in 1986 - that wouldn't be broken until 16 years later (with our pass-centric John Navarre offense). Bo understood the need to adapt to the times and his personnel.

skwasha

September 27th, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^

Have been a fan since the 70's when my parents taught me to love Michigan Football. Have been a season ticket holder that entire time as well. First through my parents tix, then additionally through my own since I graduated from M in 93. We let my parents lapse this year... just couldn't justify two pairs anymore. I kept mine (though I've given all mine away this yr - not sold, but given). The AD has been all up in my parent's biz about signing back up - Countless offers to re-engage, re-enlist, etc. Pathetic.

I honestly don't know at this point if I'll renew or not. DB has been so completely tone deaf to the wants and needs of the fanbase, all in search of the extra dollar. Couple that with the complete clusterf*ck that the team has become.... ugh. I keep thinking I should just add the money I give to fball to the money I give to bball. At least they seem to be putting it to good use.

mGrowOld

September 27th, 2014 at 8:46 PM ^

Gave mine up last year and got LOTS of shit here because of it. Looks like the vast majority of people who gAve me shit last year would not do so this year.

This is so sad

Little Jimmy

September 27th, 2014 at 8:59 PM ^

This has been a lost decade of my football fandom.

We are 10 years into our roaming in the wilderness.  I see another 10+ years to go.

Even a big hire - a great hire - like Harbaugh is not enough.

I fear we are losing the players if they are not already lost.

You are seeing the results of a deep rooted, system wide malaise.

Michigan football is so large, so big, so bloated that it will take a long time to stop it down the path it is on - turn it around, and set it on its right path.  It's inertia is too great.

Unfortunately, by the time Michigan is relevant again - it will be too late for me.  My kids will be grown up and their fandom forever lost.

AMazinBlue

September 27th, 2014 at 8:58 PM ^

My family had season tickets since 1956 and I gave them up after the shit show last season and the schedule for this year.  That's 58 years if anyone is counting!!!!

Best move I have made.

I'm starting to believe even Harbaugh wouldn't come here if he could pick the AD himself.  This is such a mess.

UM Indy

September 27th, 2014 at 9:01 PM ^

Before this season. Just didn't want to pay for the shitty schedule. Was a difficult decision but it's proving to be a very good one. I don't miss them.

snarling wolverine

September 27th, 2014 at 9:33 PM ^

We need a new coach.  It looks like Hoke has lost the team and I don't see how that changes from here on out.  It's too painful to watch games like this again.  If we suck next year under a new coach, at least it'll be year 1 and there will be hope.  I have no more hope for us now under this staff.

UnkleBuck

September 27th, 2014 at 9:19 PM ^

The last 6-7 years have been tough.  I've been attending games since the mid 70's, and have had season seats for 15 years now.  I think my delusion of the program is the only thing that keeps me renewing.  With my shit luck, I'll drop my tickets, they'll hire Harbaugh, rip off 12 wins, and curb stomp an SEC team in a bowl game.  I'm optimistic something big is going to happen at seasons end.  It has to, or a mother load of season tickets will be dumped.

ifis

September 27th, 2014 at 9:39 PM ^

This team is talented enough to turn it around next year, Auburn style IF we retain our talent. How can we be this bad with this much coordinator talent and athleticism! It is truly amazing.

You Only Live Twice

September 27th, 2014 at 9:47 PM ^

It's a family thing, we enjoy it, 5 people share the 3 seats (although this season everyone has pretty much gotten to attend everything) and we like our section 43 even though a lot of opposing fans seem to land there.  We will have our tickets next year with an amazing home schedule.

I'm thinking the AD should be the one to step down before the HC, since the buck stops with him.  We have no idea what it's like to work for him, we have no idea if the HC would be less prone to showing signs of stress which then filter through the program, with a different AD....  I don't know how this affects football coaches and players but human beings in most situations, when faced with extreme stress, start to act from desperation instead of rationality, make poor decisions, and turn on each other.  I'm not professing to know a single thing that goes on in the athletic dept.  but signs of stress are appearing, and those indicators need to be analyzed all the way up to the top where they usually start.