Why We Love Football and let's not forget it
November 10th, 2013 at 3:01 AM ^
Block of text.
And this is basically how I feel about the whole site.
November 10th, 2013 at 3:41 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 5:42 AM ^
November 10th, 2013 at 6:02 AM ^
".....let's talk about our football experiences that connect us all!!"
This is exactly what we are doing. It just so happens that we all experienced the same thing this Saturday. We wish we alI had a nephew's game to attend Saturday @ 3:30..
November 10th, 2013 at 7:59 AM ^
and your attempt to be positive.
This is why I love watching football: it's an unscripted drama. It's people trying their best to do something challenging. It's people doing amazing and athletic things, that most of us can't do.
The reason I am finding this season difficult to watch is that there is little drama - we are just that bad; the players seem to be trying their best, but they seem to be getting little help from above; all of the athleticism on our team has been bottled up with runs up the gut for -2 yards.
In any case, congrats to your nephew. Maybe, by the time he gets to college, UM football will be back in the place we think it should be.
In the meanwhile, I am enjoying something else entirely - Saturdays in the fall. It can be pretty nice outside in the midwest, and taking a long walk gives one a sense of accomplishment, no matter how little.
November 10th, 2013 at 8:38 AM ^
I love football because when I was young I saw a rabbit at a football game and then it hit me, if it wasnt for the football game, no rabbit and also it was a nice day and the sun was out and i went to chuck e cheese after the game but i didn't order rabbit but even if i did they didn't have rabbit on the menu but i did buy a rabbit's foot so there's that.
November 10th, 2013 at 9:31 AM ^
1992 Purdue?
November 10th, 2013 at 9:06 AM ^
I love football because it was the most amazing sport I've ever played. I played soccer, tennis, basketball and a few others growing up. Nothing came close to the adrenaline rush you get during a football game. I was a middle linebacker all my life because I love hitting people. I was constantly in search of the perfect hit. When you use flawless form it's like a karate chop through a block of wood. You can feel all the energy tranferring from you into the opponent, and there's nothing like hearing a crowd roar after you destroy an ISO in the hole. My love for Michigan started with my parents. They both scream and get crazy during games and Michigan football is sacred in my family. I have passed this tradition on and both of my daughters (under 4yrs old) can sing the victors already. No matter how good/bad this team is, I will always love and follow Michigan. Sports teaches you important life lessons, and life isn't always roses and chocolate. This year is one of those years where it's not much fun, but they always balance out with years that are pretty amazing. Thanks for getting some positive thoughts out of me on this gloomy day after.
November 10th, 2013 at 9:25 AM ^
I'll take a shot at this - as someone who has always loved (and even played at points) sports but also has been fascinated his whole life with strategy, probabilities and the notion of "chance", football in particular has been a favorite because it is that uncertainly on a given call in a given situation that I find riveting. The uncertainty is the drama, and at least around here, we track the outcome in a way with RPS in the UFR segments. The trends and metrics of football are fascinating to me as well (shocked, right?) and the attempt to develop ways to reliably predict performance keep me watching. It's a great game, and for me, also an interesting intellectual exercise.
November 10th, 2013 at 9:31 AM ^
Let's face it, football is more fun to watch than most other sports. But, what makes college football so much more enjoyable than the NFL is our sense of community and link to Michigan. It's the tradition, history, uniforms, rivalries, past successes, fight songs, marching bands, cheerleaders, stadiums, ties to a university, state, and region that all draw us to a particular program. But, when some of the things that have drawn us to Michigan, like past success, is no longer there, it's hard to enjoy.
Although I didn't go to Michigan, my dad did and I was born in AA. Going to Michigan was never really on my rader because I grew up in both Texas as a kid and the Northeast as an adolescent and young adult. Michigan was just too far away to attend, plus I wanted to play college baseball and the coaches knew nothing about me. But, nonetheless with my parents links to Michigan I grew up watching Michigan football and basketball and I am invested it. It makes it all the more difficult to see them struggle year after year after growing up watching so much success.
I still share college football with many of my college friends. I went to school in Pennsylvania, so they are all PSU fans. I watch Michigan play almost every time they travel to Happy Valley. Unfortunately, they have dropped the last two games I've been there. I still share this love of college football with friends from another struggling college football powerhouse. It actually gives us more to agree on than back in the early to mid 2000s when we were both really strong. I won't stop paying attention to the game or program I love, but when we struggle as a team it makes the experience less enjoyable.
November 10th, 2013 at 1:47 PM ^
In support of your thread, which is a good reminder of keeping perspective, my earliest memories of being alive are of being in Michigan stadium with my dad. He took us kids to all the home games through our growing up years and then we became Michigan students. The third generation hopes to be enrolled in the fall of 2015, and has continued the tradition of attending all games, winning or losing teams, no matter how crappy the weather. While obviously I'd rather win, to me the values of loyalty and perseverence are more important.