MDTCaptain

History

Member for

7 years 50 weeks

Recent Comments

Date	Title	Body
2 years 21 weeks ago	Husband is a Spartan	One thing that helps with M / MSU games (sort of), is the fan of the team that scored has to give some loving affection to the other (PG-rated guys, the game is still on).  It's just a silly tradition, but it keeps either one of us from going too far with whooping and screaming when we're just watching the game at home. After losses if he's being mopey, I ask if he wants to talk about it / vent about it.  Usually gets the bad mood over with more quickly.  He does similar things with me and it seems to work OK.  The other thing I do (which is kind of an asshole move) is tease him that he really SHOULD be rooting for Iowa since his cousin plays for them.  If an MSU / Iowa title game happens, it will be hilarious to see which way his 100% Spartan family goes.  Is blood thicker than STAEE? And as many have said, small children change the calculus significantly.
2 years 22 weeks ago	Advice from a bereaved parent	Having lost my son last year, I feel like I have a reasonable perspective to share.  I agree with much of the advice already stated, but will add (and reinforce): - Anything that requires no response or work is a good thing.  Cards, trinkets dropped off at the house, electronic messages, etc. are all fine.  The family can choose how much (or if) they engage with any of this stuff. - Not really a problem for those of us who aren't personal friends of the Carr family, but do not expect a response.  It doesn't mean the gesture wasn't appreciated.  (Of course, if you DO get some sort of response, be gracious.) - Don't push your belief system.  You don't know what their specific beliefs are re: death and dying, afterlife, miracles, etc.  Also, these things sometimes change during times like this.  Best to steer clear. - Simple words of support are often the best.  Be honest, and if you can be specific.  If you talked about Chad and his story to your kids / friends / etc., share that.  If you were inspired to donate or spread awareness, share that.   - DON'T ever say anything that starts with "at least" - DON'T ever say "I couldn't go through this" or any variation on that theme. - If you are inspired to send a gift to the family - gift cards are a good way to go about it.  Food and Amazon are good if you want to do something besides donate to the Chad Tough Foundation. - I love seeing my son's name random places.  If you wrote #chadtough somewhere or somehow cool, a pic of that would probably go over well (on social media or in print with a card).
4 years 49 weeks ago	Auditions	When I was in high school, I had my heart set on being in a dance company.  My parents were terrified I would skip college altogether, so tried to get me to audition for dance programs instead. I thought about places like Barnard, USC, NYU... but application fees and whatnot (apathy?) kept me from really pursuing it. I got dance auditions at Michigan and Western, and also applied to the corresponding LS&A program.  I think I also auditioned for theater at Michigan just because.  College art school auditions are really fun.  Even if you don't think you'll get in, or aren't 100% serious about it, I'd encourage anyone to try it if they can.  Time with the instructors, in the facilities, and seeing all the promo work is really something.  James Earl Jones narration, ftw. After I got accepted to Michigan's dance program (and LS&A honors), I skipped the Western audition and called it a day.  Less than two years later I transferred out of both to Engineering, and that's really the day I remember.  Having to do exit interviews from the LS&A honors office AND the dance office on the same day was... awful.  It felt like breaking up with someone, "it's not you, it's me - I swear!"  I felt guilty for maybe taking someone else's spot who would have finished those programs, and my dance advisor stopped talking to me once I joined dance team.  It was very strange and melodramatic.
5 years 1 week ago	Competition	Just to shed a little light... NCA has been around since the 40s.  National championships have been going on since the 80s.  Michigan was involved in the 90s, took a break in the 00s, and apparently is back in the competition game (they also placed 2nd last year).   Dance teams are newer, and the competitions haven't been around as long.  Michigan attended the UDA Nationals in January, and placed 12th in Hip Hop (didn't advance to finals in Jazz).  Michigan's never won a Dance National Title (however, Minnesota dominates - so go Big Ten!).   As for sport vs. athletic competiton vs. whatever going on in this thread - who cares?  The cheer and dance at Michigan, and the cheer / dance / mascots at other schools, use Nationals as a way to motivate and aspire to greater feats.  Whether those feats are athletic, artistic, or a combination isn't really the point.  Anyone striving for greatness under the maize and blue should have our support.   Supporting the other sports teams at Michigan is a big part of the spirit teams, but they also do things for themselves.
5 years 1 week ago	Pejoratives	It's surprising to me how little people think.  Slurs can be used for comic effect sure, but slurs against marginalized, persecuted, and shamed minorities are tacky and in extremely poor taste.  When will we start using a slur for "educated white male" to describe things?   Oh wait, not surprised at all.
5 years 23 weeks ago	That's me!	7:22 on the first video - there I am, jumping like a maniac and screaming my head off. My husband was on the field too - in the Spartan Marching Band.  Needless to say our memories of that wonderful game differ quite a bit.
5 years 37 weeks ago	Women aren't sports fans?	That's quite the generalization.  Try telling that to anyone dealing with Red Wings marketing. A short-term memory sports fan is a short-term memory sports fan, regardless of gender.  It's just like anything else - the sports you obsess over and care about, you will tend to remember more details about.  The sports you watch because they happen to be on TV - obviously much less likely to recall years later. That being said - Jason Lezak, Michael Johnson, Marion Jones, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Rulon Gardner, are burned into my memory for one Olympic reason or another.  And certainly not because I follow their sports every year.   The Fierce Five were favorites, so their team win lacked the underdog drama of something like Rulon Gardner, or Lezak's ridiculous final relay leg.  There's still time in the all-around and event finals for some memorable storylines, but we shall see.
5 years 40 weeks ago	Junior	It was my junior year.  It was also the first game that Michigan Dance Team got to stand by the band for the whole game (instead of down by the away band).   Great day.
5 years 42 weeks ago	Men's & Women's	I was at the trials, and Team USA for both men and women is looking pretty strong for medal contention.   Sam from U of M on the men's side, and Jordyn Wieber from Dewitt, MI on the women's side are both really exciting for (state of) Michigan gymnastics.  There were a lot of collegiate athletes - it seemed like more than normal.  Although they didn't make the squad, there were guys from Illinois, Ohio State, Berkeley, and Stanford (in addition to the beasts from Oklahoma). If any of you have MGoKids in gymnastics, try to get them interested in pommel horse for men, and uneven bars for women.  That is where we have been lagging, and they'll be trying to bring those events up for the young ones.
6 years 5 weeks ago	Memory books	Didn't see this posted yet, but they have multiple books to remember a kid's first game (or any game, I guess).  My 2-yr old nephew went last season for the first time, and they prepped him for it.  Watching on TV, talking about what it would be like, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa were all there too. They didn't want to jinx it by buying the book ahead of time because the one they had you can fill in the team names and score (and I think it says Michigan won! on the last page), but afterwards it was a cute reminder for him and will be a cool memento. Here is an example: http://www.amazon.com/Big-Day-Michigan-Football-Game/dp/1936319233
6 years 10 weeks ago	Amaizing.	I too, prefer the brighter color - if only because it reduces the comparisons to "school bus color."  So many stores when I was in school (including Ulrichs) had AWFUL orange-yellow shades that were absolutely terrible.   At least now the school bus variation is an obvious knock-off.
6 years 10 weeks ago	Welcome week, one of my	Welcome week, one of my teammates face-planted outside of Rick's and needed stitches.    She did not get to perform at that Saturday's game.     Another friend stepped on broken glass at Rick's and ended up on crutches.  They gave her tons of "skip the line / no cover" passes so she wouldn't sue.     I smell a pattern...
6 years 10 weeks ago	In the minority	I must be in the minority based on comments here and other outlets, but I HATE the "Imported from Detroit" slogan. Imported does not mean "automatically sexy and better."  And Detroit, contrary to the common belief here on the West Coast, is not in Canada or any other country.  Goods made in Detroit are not imported, they are good old Amuuurrrrrcan cars.   Now, if we could disassociate the git-r-done, Amuuurrrrcan thing from domestic production, the whole thing would be more palatable.  Luxury, fancy, whatever car, made here...by us. // I am especially sensitive to the "Michigan is in Canada, right?" thing since *honestly* I have been asked that multiple times.  These commercials do not help.
6 years 14 weeks ago	SJSU misses the force.	I was all ready to start making "May the Forcier be with you" T-s in the baby Michigan colors SJSU uses.  It would've been fun to have a little mgostyle at grad school! Le sigh.
6 years 21 weeks ago	I need a nap!	TOO MUCH EXCITEMENT!
6 years 21 weeks ago	Wishing I was in AA	The ONLY THING that would make this better is the Jug!   I want to go back to Michigan, to dear Ann Arbor town...
6 years 21 weeks ago	Come on Blue!  I just stayed	Come on Blue!  I just stayed home by myself so I could watch this free of Sparty in-laws!  I would prefer a complete Michigan domination smackdown so I don't have to get nervous.  Thank you Blue, thank you seniors, thank you Hoke.
6 years 24 weeks ago	Ditto	I am 100% for any kind of mod work that keeps any part of mgoblog less vulgar than the MSU boards my fiance leaves open on the computer.  ::shudder:: ESPECIALLY when they are providing that service for free on a liveblog.     -- Better a witty fool than a foolish wit --
6 years 27 weeks ago	My Sparty Story	Yeah, so typically my fiance is bearable, but today he literally whipped out the "I currently make more money than you" card.  Despite the fact that I took a career hit so we could be less geographically challenged. Stay classy, Sparty.
6 years 43 weeks ago	In my estimation...	I always read it as "In my estimation..." Funny how we invent things for ourselves.
7 years 7 weeks ago	Best. Halloween. Ever.	I loved that game.  I love that my celebration is forever frozen in highlight videos. I loved having to explain how overtime works to the people on the field around me. I loved hearing the deafening noise from the student section. I loved gloating when people were complaining they left to get out of the cold and missed the Braylon show. I love that there will probably never be a greater moment in this rivalry in my life time, and Blue is on the upside. I love that when my future in-laws gloat about their Spartans, I can just play this game in my head and smile through the needling.
7 years 7 weeks ago	208	Let's GO BLUE
7 years 21 weeks ago	Oh how I hate...	the cement pants they were wearing. the plethora of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties when they are winning. Pryor lumbering down th field looking like that dude from the Goonies. I could go on.
7 years 26 weeks ago	w/ Sparty	Is anyone else watching the MSU/NW game with a Sparty?  Are you rooting for their happiness, or Northwestern onslaught?
7 years 26 weeks ago	Being a healthy football fan	This is the one week (until December) I can watch college fb w/out the specter of Michigan excitement / despondence / anxiety / ecstasy.  No heart racing, just objective analysis and the ability to step away from the screen. Is it next Saturday yet?
7 years 30 weeks ago	MSU at Mascot Camp	As many have said, that was MSU's fake Wolverine mascot.  They brought it to camp in 2004 the last time I was at the same camp as Sparty, and had it act like a jerk all the time.   It would have been acceptable if they were just using it to give more people a chance to practice/learn with the big suit on, but to have it act lazy and mean in the skits they put on was a bit ridiculous.  Camp is supposed to be big on learning and development, low on animosity, but I guess MSU didn't get the memo.
7 years 31 weeks ago	Double post...sorry...	All my apologies.   Rest in peace, Ron Kramer. GO BLUE
7 years 31 weeks ago	RK	Ron Kramer called my pops when he was in the hospital in 2000.  Talked to him much longer than a normal courtesy call.  A class act, that one.
7 years 34 weeks ago	I'm so glad this post was	I'm so glad this post was already going!  A Spartan friend's parent recently called my father a Wal-Mart Wolverine because he didn't attend UofM.  My friend corrected her, but used the reasoning that since he sent two kids there (my brother as well), he is OK. But really, the fact that my brother and I attended UofM has NOTHING to do with the level of my father's loyalty to the University.  He's loved Michigan since he was a kid, idolizes Bo, has had season tickets since the mid-70s, and would go to the high school football field to re-enact missed field goal attempts that lost us the game to try to understand.  He is devoted, and he went to Oakland.  If times, finances, and opportunities were different, he might very well have gone to UofM.  Things don't always work out that way. Will I heckle you for being to quiet?  Yes.  Will I berate you for being fairweather?  Most definitely.  Will I point out bad sportsmanship?  You bet.  I guess my main point is, I hope I am never so arrogant that I make assumptions and claims on the validity of other fans.
7 years 36 weeks ago	If the tailgate idea gains steam...	You could probably get some ancillary sports groups to participate.  Band, cheer, and dance are pretty good about making appearances when asked, and some of the lesser-publicized teams would probably be game for participating in some way (roller hockey demonstration in the parking lot?).  I mean there's the holy grail of getting Red to stop by or something, but nothing should stop the organizers from asking around. It could be a *really* cool event for Michigan faithful.

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