Y U No Go to Bowl Game?

Submitted by allinforM on

Angelique tweeted earlier tonight that Michigan had sold 5,500 tickets out of its 11,000 allotment for the BW3 Bowl, and that we "donated" back the rest. Curious as to why people aren't going, if they have gone in the past? Price? Distance? Less-prestigious bowl?

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aiglick

December 21st, 2013 at 1:56 AM ^

I'm actually surprised that many sold for that weekend. It's all about expectations. If we were Indiana or another team that didn't make bowl games very often I imagine an even higher percentage of fans would have bought admission.

Joined: 11/27/2010

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San Diego Mick

December 21st, 2013 at 2:07 AM ^

but fuck that, I'd rather watch from the comforts of my recliner. I went to the '94 Holiday Bowl vs. Colo. St. and the '98 Rose Bowl, both wins, now that the B1G is affiliated with the Holiday Bowl again, I can wait to see U-M after a 9-3 or 10-2 type season here or a more successful season in the Rose Bowl if not in the 4 team playoff any particular year.

Joined: 05/11/2011

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shonuff73

December 21st, 2013 at 2:23 AM ^

I purchased front row tickets for the bowl game after we were announced as participants. I purchased them before our "allotment" was even available. However, had I know WE would be too "unimpressed" with the "product" to bother going, I would have made sure to contribute to our allocated tickets. 

Joined: 09/08/2010

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gord

December 21st, 2013 at 2:42 AM ^

We barely lost to one of the best programs in the country (OSU).  We beat a team that beat MSU a week later (Notre Dame).  Get over it.  Go to the OSU boards, they are crowing about how great they are with all of their 5'11" burners and linebackers.  We are in GREAT shape.  Our OL will be a strength in the next few seasons.  OSU won't have B.Miller forever and when they lose him they will be DONE.  Urban Meyer brought us Tim Tebow.   He has no idea how to produce NFL talent.  OSU will continue to have a long line of failed QB's and pretty much every other offensive position.  Look up the stats of Buckeyes in today's NFL.  They are doing NOTHING.  Brian Hartline is the best Buckeye on offense in today's NFL and I just heard about him last week.  Urban Meyer will NEVER get an NFL job and continue to disappoint.  He left Florida in shambles and lost to the 3 star general Dantonio. 

Joined: 11/02/2013

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Tator Salad

December 21st, 2013 at 10:13 AM ^

Sorry but miller's backup... Guiton (no idea how to spell his name and don't really care) is possibly better than miller. I hate Osu as much as anyone but to say they're not good or are not going to be good is just moronic. I agree we will see how they do in a few years when it's all meyer's recruits, but in the mean time you don't go 24-1 without talent

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UESWolverine

December 21st, 2013 at 2:47 AM ^

but I already had my flight to Michigan (from Fort Smith, AR) booked to see the Winter Classic and couldn't really change it. If not for the Winter Classic being held at Michigan Stadium, I would've flown out to just about any bowl game. Now we just have to wait and see if the Wolverines B-ball game will be at the same time as the Wolverines hockey game - right before the football game starts.

 

Joined: 01/21/2013

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UnkleBuck

December 21st, 2013 at 6:05 AM ^

I did my duty and bought 3 tickets as Christmas presents for my folks and sister who reside in Phoenix. They're getting great seats. I've been to 3 bowl games-all in Florida, but just could not make it out west this year. 

Joined: 11/02/2013

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ChicagoBigHouse

December 21st, 2013 at 6:27 AM ^

I went to the orange bowl in 1999 after making the mistake of not going to the rose bowl the year before.   

 

I enjoyed it, but the next Michigan bowl I'd attend is the national championship or the Rose Bowl.

Otherwise, I'd rather go see a home game at Michigan Stadium then go on the road for a middle tier bowl game.

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LSAClassOf2000

December 21st, 2013 at 6:37 AM ^

I actually looked into the possibility this year as I had not been to a bowl in several years now (that sort of stopped once I had kids), but for me, between the expense of getting all of us out there and then the distinct possibility that two small children will not sit through the game anyway made that seem impractical. I would go myself, but my wife actually works that weekend (and probably couldn't get coverage now) and my in-laws will be in Chicago, so no "extended child-minding", if you will - the kids are sadly a bit young for me to give them $20 for a pizza and a two liter as I leave for Arizona. 

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Demonstrationhall

December 21st, 2013 at 1:57 PM ^

The pussification of our young most stop. You think it's wrong to give your children $20.00 for a pizza (hell for $20.00 they can get the Supreme with Xtra toppings) + not a 1 litre but 2 litre soda?  A little parenting advice...go to the game and lock all doors, bar the windows, throw away the key,  but first instruct you children to learn a few survival tricks.

#1) if a fire breaks out instruct them on how to spit like a gattling gun....or excuse me for being rude....pee on demand.

#2)In the advant an earthquake happens just tell them they got the A+ ticket like they give at Disney.

#3) most important, when they deliver the pizza, ask if he is a MSU Grad, then see rule #1

So go enjoy the game and take satisfation you have given your young children a "life Lesson"

 

 

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michgoblue

December 21st, 2013 at 8:15 AM ^

This seems to be one of the biggest impediments. I am going to the game, but the flights for my family of 4 are really expensive. Paid around $450 per ticket from NY. Florida would have cost half of that. Almost made me reconsider.

Joined: 11/16/2009

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Red is Blue

December 21st, 2013 at 7:41 AM ^

Lots of reasons I'm not going -- too expensive, too far, mediocre opponent, mediocre bowl, frustrating offense... If they had ended up in Florida, it would have mitigated the cost and distance issues for me and I probably would have gone.

Joined: 05/13/2010

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michgoblue

December 21st, 2013 at 8:13 AM ^

It's obviously your call as to how you spend your time, but to me this seems like something of a fair weather fan reaction, Basically saying I won't watch the team when it has a bad season. I found this season as infuriating as anyone, and perhaps emotionally I wrote it off as a way of dealing with all of the losing, but part of being a real fan of the team is watching th struggle through tough times. Makes the good times all that much better.

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exmtroj

December 21st, 2013 at 8:10 AM ^

Despite all that happened this year, I hung in and showed up at the OSU game. The way it ended...I just deflated on the spot. Something went, and I haven't recovered mentally to the point where I can really care much yet. It's kind of a strange feeling, not sure if it's a total loss of hope or what, but yeah, just not that interested in this game.

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blueblueblue

December 21st, 2013 at 9:58 AM ^

This is a misrepresentation. Browsing through the comments, I see plenty of folks who do not expect to see a good product on the field and for whom the emotional toll of watching Michigan football grew too high this season. They therefore do not see the expense of going to the bowl game as worth is. I am in that camp. But, this does not mean these folks think the bowl game is meaningless. That's an unfair characterization. A win is always meaningful, to a varying degree depending on the stakes and the opponent. What is meaningful in the comments here is the apparent level of competence to which fans hold Michigan football, the percieved level of competence displayed on the field this year, and the interrelated frustration they felt when watching Michigan football this season.  

For these fans, the emotional costs have been too high to justify the expense of going to the bowl game. These fans care - a great deal, it just manifests in a different way. Yet, in a way that should be respected. What you see here is not a fans who claim not to care and then who care once the game starts. That's not what is going on at all. Its much deeper and complex than that. 

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Don

December 21st, 2013 at 8:35 AM ^

This can't have been news to the Athletic Department.

It doesn't do much to support the notion that I heard from a wide variety of people that Tempe was a much more desirable location than Jacksonville. If it is, people aren't voting with their wallets.

I understand that the BWW bowl had their choice before the Gator Bowl this year, but why the Big Ten agreed to that arrangement to begin with is unfathomable to me. A 7-5 team is not the easiest thing to sell at bowl season to begin with, and when you look at the historical record of who's played in both bowls, only an idiot would deny that the Gator is a far more prestigious bowl in terms of the game competition it hosts.

Nobody cares about Kansas State, and that's irrespective of the fact that Bill Snyder has done an amazing job there. If the game was against Georgia in the Gator, the amount of interest in that matchup for Michigan fans would dwarf what we're seeing today.

This game will mean far more to Kansas State's program than it will to ours.

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Cold War

December 21st, 2013 at 9:02 AM ^

I understand the Florida overdose, but it seems distance/expense are trumping that. And as said, a New Year's Day bowl against a team like Georgia carries more prestige and interest.

Disclaimer, there was no chance I'd go either way. But selfishly I'd rather have a NYD game on TV versus sitting up until 2am.

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Don

December 21st, 2013 at 10:14 AM ^

Yep, he did say that, and I don't doubt that's what people in the AD told him.

From what Sam and Ira both said, the UM athletic department didn't want a bowl game involving the University of Michigan to conflict with an NHL game played in Michigan Stadium.

Apparently David Brandon believes that the overlap between the diehard Red Wings/Maple Leaf fanbase and the Michigan football fanbase is so great that it's impossible to have a game for each group occurring on the same day.

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