September 2nd, 2011 at 8:18 AM ^
Looks like we'll have our own version of the kiss-cam during games. DB mentioned that there will be a live camera crew to capture people/"the experience" and put them up on the new boards. Awesome.
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:11 AM ^
Palace vision - shots of the crowd during downtime between plays
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:15 AM ^
This disappoints me a bit. I think fan cams are stupid good for filling dead time and work great for sports like baseball. At Michigan stadium, I'd rather see the dead time used to have the band or former/current athletes as the focal point. Maybe I'm just getting old early...
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^
So a few weeks ago, while watching the scoreboard testing on the stadium cam, I happened to see them messing around with a heart-shaped graphic, or transition or whatever you call it. First thing I thought was, Oh God, please don't let this be a kiss-cam!
NONONONONONO!!! I may just have to tackle the camerman if I see him...
September 2nd, 2011 at 8:20 AM ^
This one was a little anticlimactic, though.
Nothing gets me fired up for gameday like talkin' 'bout scoreboards!
September 2nd, 2011 at 8:35 AM ^
I agree. The scoreboards look awesome, but there was definately little enthusiasm for the season being "just around the corner".
September 2nd, 2011 at 8:27 AM ^
What happened to Doug Karsch? Was he fired for being too tall?
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:09 AM ^
Poor Karsch. It's like carrying the ball to the 1 yard line and having someone else punch it in.
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:54 AM ^
An unattractive "someone else" to boot. Woof.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:27 AM ^
How's Death's pad level?
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:38 AM ^
sorta like an MSU chop block of Mike Martin.
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:50 PM ^
Doug got Dave'd out of Day 1. Bummer.
September 2nd, 2011 at 8:38 AM ^
Sarah VanMetre is totally about average height for a woman!
September 2nd, 2011 at 8:45 AM ^
Anyone notice the seat cushions? They have a block M on them
September 2nd, 2011 at 8:58 AM ^
Did the victors just automatically start playing for anyone else or is it just me? Awwww yeah!! GO BLUE!!!!!
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:00 AM ^
That's all great and everything, but will Denard ever be in the shotgun?
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:12 AM ^
Woohoo! Finally my day!
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:18 AM ^
Yeah me too. Victor's... plus a little super mario bro's.
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:25 AM ^
That was hilarious. Tyrone Butterfield.
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:26 AM ^
Did our CEO just talk about leveraging the scoreboards and the "big marketing effort" behind the opening weekend?
Brandon sounded a little bit "dead" in that video. Like he was back in a corporate board room trying to convince other executives about the scoreboards. I hate when he gets all corporate in public.
Let's not leverage our scoreboards and lets leave the marketing to the W/L column!!!
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:31 AM ^
It must be to be in the video board room, hundreds of feet from the game, and having to watch it....on tv.
And Sara, you're no Doug Karsch. Get some lifts. And "we got in store for you on these boards"? Do any of those guys in the video rooms edit?
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:44 AM ^
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:48 AM ^
Yeah, Sarah VanMetre, never again. Or maybe, just like, never on the end day. You can have day 19, but your nervousness and lack of inflection was painful.
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:50 AM ^
That video is so HYPE!!!! I am so excited for the game and this video only makes it more exciting!!!! The relocation of the Michigan sports television personnel from Crisler Arena due to, what else? construction! The marketing support behind the whole game day experience, the fun we'll have putting things up on the boards, the....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
It's the day before the opening game of the Hoke era!!! You've got to be shitting me. The first rule of marketing: STOP TALKING ABOUT MARKETING! SELL THE PRODUCT! THE PRODUCT IS THE TEAM! oy.
September 2nd, 2011 at 3:01 PM ^
Ya, when Dave said something along the lines of:
"We want to create a great expeience above and beyond having a great football team."
That is where he lost me. Since when do we need a great experience in a 115,000 seat stadium other than watching great wolverine teams play?
THE TEAM THE TEAM THE TEAM!!!
Come'on Dave!
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:24 PM ^
It's all about the marketing. You can't spell Brandon without brand.
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:50 AM ^
DB looked like such a DB (no pun intended) with his hands on his hips, shaking his head and saying, "wow" while staring at his creation. Really?
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:21 AM ^
For me, this is the continuation of the CEO-ization of marketing that just bores the life out of me. Who is the CEO of GEICO? The reason that person is not in the ads is because, say what you want, GEICO has an effective marketing agency running their multiple campaigns (Cavemen, The Gecko, the celebrity singing the testimonals, etc). Remember all of those iPod ads with Steve Jobs standing with his hands on his hips in awe of his product, talking about how excited he is to market iPods to young people and enhance their music experience? NO, YOU DON'T.
I understand that CEOs are ego maniacs (and I also understand how vital they are to the success or failure of their business-- not arguing that), but for the love of all that is holy, save it for the shareholder meetings and let the marketing department SELL THE ACTUAL PRODUCT. CEOs are generally tone deaf to the nuance of marketing because they are so focused on the operational/strategic/ financial aspects and the 50,000 foot vision of the organization they are running. Why do so many of them think consumers and fans give a shit about them and their personal appearance in marketing campaigns? Does your understanding of and passion for Michigan Football have anything to do with Dave Brandon's thoughts on the subject? Does his imprimateur mean anything? He is nothing more than the steward of OUR PROGRAM-- he has big calls to make, but he makes them on our behalf, as part of our history, our tradition.
The day before kick off of the opening game of the season of Brady Hoke's debut season should be a highlights package of Denard and Hoke and Borges and Martin and getting us hyped for the season, for the game, for the tradition, for everything Michigan stands for.
Usually, I wouldn't care about a stupid Countdown To Kickoff video, but soemone needs to grab Dave Brandon and let him know this is not about him. At all. All of the enhancements he wants to make to something most of us consider sacred, he should talk to his customers and get out of the way. You don't hear the Pope coming out and talking about all of the new, exicitng things he's going to do to enhance the marketing experience of next year's Easter Mass. Michigan Football is sacred, its traditions blooming from the grass roots experience, not handed down from the AD and the jumbotron.
Brandon has done a lot right, but he also seems tone deaf; he'd rather talk corporate about how exciting his work process is and, instead of leaving that for the Regents and Mary Sue Coleman, has put it front and center in the way he frames the program.
I'm sure 99.99% of people won't give two shits, but it drives me crazy. Sorry to vent.
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:43 AM ^
What he said.
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:52 AM ^
Worst. Countdown to Kickoff Video. Ever.
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^
Like it or not this what Brandon brings to the table. A "kiss cam" is clearly ready to debut.
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:30 PM ^
Very well said. Don Canham was the original marketing God. Yet you never saw him. He did all his work behind the scenes, and let that work speak for him.
Dave BRANDon does not need to be the spokesman for Michigan football. It can speak for itself just fine.
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:56 AM ^
I got so excited because I thought they'd really interview Tyrone Butterfield...
September 2nd, 2011 at 9:57 AM ^
but we can't come up with anything cooler one day before kickoff? This would have been fine on day 20. Hype video? Denard's Smile? Hoke saying "This is Michigan". Anything else. Come on.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:27 AM ^
Anyone else ready to run through a fucking wall after that video? Yeah, me either.
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:35 AM ^
And where the hell was Mike Martin I thought for sure he would be doing the day 1....im really let down
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:54 AM ^
Roving camera, wonder what the delay will be on that. Flash your big "eyes" baby.
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:22 AM ^
Seat cushions! Can't wait to not sit in mine!
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:51 AM ^
Roaming cameras to capture the gameday "experience"???
Unless they stay in the student section it will be a lot of seated old grumpy people waiving their canes and complaining about anything.
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:31 PM ^
You never know... maybe we'll get treated to some 83-year old fan announcing to the roving camera that he pooped in his Depends after another electrifying touchdown by Denard.
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:18 PM ^
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
Nice to see a picture of my great game against Virgina in 1995. Brings back some great memories.
September 2nd, 2011 at 12:34 PM ^
The only thing I don't like about Brandon are the night game jerseys and the piped in music other than that it's been ok.
September 2nd, 2011 at 1:06 PM ^
Because the piped in music came before Brandon.
September 2nd, 2011 at 1:01 PM ^
Obviously not the greatest video in the world, but it was still cool to see the stadium and boards 100% complete after years and years of construction. I was also getting sick and tired of hearing every single player and coach talk about consistency, technique, toughness, blah blah blah.
September 2nd, 2011 at 1:10 PM ^
All of Countdown to Kickoff was disappointing this year. Player interviews that are weeks old aren't what pump me up for the season. MOAR HIGHLIGHTS!!!
September 2nd, 2011 at 1:42 PM ^
It was either 2008 or 2009. The very last countdown to kickoff had the MMB practicing in Michigan Stadium with the players watching. the drum line entry was awesome, and had me stoked.
I guess DB thought a public service announcement on the changes to the Big House was better ...
Still can't find the old one on you tube or mgblue to post up in the place of this one ,,,