Advice: How do you deal with fellow irrational Michigan fans?
A week ago after the SDSU win, my wife and I went over to one of her friend's houses and there were a group of guys that kept saying a lot of irrational things. I tried to argue them on much of it, but I got bored and didn't want to be the guy always arguing everything that was said. How do you guys handle such situations?
I am sure I will meet these gentlemen again, is it worth arguing/discussing things with them? Or is it better to just ignore?
More info...the following things were said that I felt irrational....
1) Denard Robinson is deliberately missing open WRs so the coaches will let him run more.
2) Benard (yes with a B) Robinson wouldn't even be a QB on any other BigTen team and should be moved to RB since we have zero good RBs.
3) Lloyd Carr was a horrible coach and any coach with his players over the years would have won a national title at least 3 to 5 times!!!
4) Hoke will never win in a blowout, because he was mentored by Carr who never won in a blowout. (I wonder what he is thinking now)
5) If Michigan was any good they would have blown out SDSU.
6) Carr always put in too many back ups.
7) Carr would rarely pass, it was always 3 yards and a cloud of dust, he needed to pass like Purude did when they were good.
8) Mike Martin should be benched for not living up to his potential.
9) Tom Brady was always a back up and Henson and Navarre started over him - further proof that Carr was bad (this is 100% BS and Navarre wasn't even there at the same time)
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:12 PM ^
I thought you said you were talking to Michigan fans.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:16 PM ^
re-reading it alot of the stuff said is what stupid MSU fans say all the time...
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:05 PM ^
To extrapolate, how do you deal with other UM fans who say ass holish things to visiting fans and otherwise? I've heard stories of some pretty ass holish UM fans, and I would much prefer if our fanbase rose above the stupid bullshit like spitting on opposing bands, but I've heard it's happened. How do we deal with those people?
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^
Hey, act like a Michigan fan, not like you came from Columbus. Show some class befitting the program.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:16 PM ^
True. The most irrational "Michigan fan" there didn't even watch the SDSU game, but felt as if he could comment on it since he heard the post game on the radio.
October 3rd, 2011 at 2:31 AM ^
The fuck is he talking about?! This whole post made my head hurt.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:14 PM ^
I usually just laugh and explain to them that they are wrong, but most of the people who say that shit arent smart enough to understand what im saying. They are just bandwagon in for the ride type fans that take everything they hear on TV and 97.1 literally.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:17 PM ^
What dumbasses. Michigan blew out indiana in 2000 by the same score as yesterday and shut ND out 38-0 twice in Carr's tenure. The guys saying this probably still wear the all in shirts, wanted rich rod to stay and RAWK OUT to pop evil.
Yep everything Lloyd did was bad. What about the fact that he brought Michigan their first national championship in 49 years? I'm sure I'd still here some lame rebuttal.
Those guys probably had a few beverages before they said all that. They sound like the kind that if you asked them how many B1G championships Michigan has, they'd have to look it up to find out.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:22 PM ^
Don't hate on my All In shirt! True, I usually wear it inside out, but it's still maize!
October 3rd, 2011 at 6:56 AM ^
And I'll raise you the "May the Forcier Be with You" t-shirt I wear when I go running AND the Gator Bowl sweatshirt I wear to help people move. We lead the nation in ironic apparel.
October 3rd, 2011 at 1:48 PM ^
I also own a 2008 shirt. As a rule I wear it inside out with the Adidas logo in the front. It puts a backwards "GO BLUE" on my chest and looks sort of cool compared to a normal 2008 shirt of doom.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:16 PM ^
Y U have such stoopid friends?
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:19 PM ^
Not my friends. First time I had ever seen 2 of the 3 guys.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:20 PM ^
then let it be the last time aswell
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:17 PM ^
I would have left.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:17 PM ^
Make them watch this:
Then tell them their argument is invalid.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:18 PM ^
Zone out. You can never win with people that stupid.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:58 PM ^
for obvious reasons.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:18 PM ^
I thought your title was about "irrational" fans. Those are called "stupid" fans.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:20 PM ^
Move to the UP!
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:25 PM ^
I would probably laugh. If heavily outnumbered retreat to the kitchen before laughing. Then I would borrow one of their beers since they'd obviously had plenty and wouldn't notice or care :-)
Long term will be tougher. I would define your positions early on: Denard is a QB and will stay there for the rest of his Michigan career; Carr helped cement Michigan's reputation as a fine school for producing NFL quarterbacks; our RBs have been producing 100-yard games consistently thus far in the season (this may change, obviously); and Mike Martin is solid. Then, when their irrational rambling conflicts with one of these data points, you can cite point X from the above list, and say "Your argument is invalid."
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:21 PM ^
I would probably just go get something to eat if it was at a tailgate personally..
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:28 PM ^
They sound like fans of a couple of other schools in the conference. I have more than a sneaking suspicion that I know what radio station they listen to. I hope these are not close friends. If so, you have my sympathies. Also, Mattison is very worried one of them will take his job over his bad personnel decisions.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:31 PM ^
All you can do is hope they don't breed.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:31 PM ^
with a lot of the above comments.
In general, there's no convincing folks like this of much of anything and it isn't worth the bother. Laugh politely and then change the subject. Odds are, if they have been drinking, they'll keep wanting to talk football. Bring up some other team (Miami, OSU, USC are easy targets) or try to shift to another sport. When all else fails, answer your cell phone and walk away.
Sorry you have to deal with dumb people...
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:32 PM ^
same strategy i adopt for dealing with large groups of absolutely classless undergrads i've encountered the past few years.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:34 PM ^
I've heard a michigan fan say any of this...
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:34 PM ^
just slap them around a little bit.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:38 PM ^
I feel for you. I live and work in Cleveland and have to deal with this level of ignorance at work on a daily basis. It's almost too much.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:39 PM ^
Debating stupidity is a fool's errand. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:45 PM ^
I clicked this thread expecting to read that there were Michigan fans who were irrationally buying into the #11/#12 national ranking.
As for the 'fans' the OP described...guessing they aren't enjoying life very much if they are upset that Lloyd let 3rd stringers get a series in a big win after they'd given 4 years of their lives to Michigan football with no recognition.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:45 PM ^
I find that when I'm in a situation where I don't want to lose emotional control but on the other hand do not want to cede anything I just say, "We agree to disagree." After everything else I just shrug.
However, a flaw of mine is when someone says something factually wrong, I can't help correcting them.
There are a lot of Michigan fans, so odds are, a lot of them are going to be dumb.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:08 PM ^
In the face of that kind of stupidity, I think I'd just use another four magic words, "shut the fuck up." That's me, though. I can't stand how anyone could be so down on Denard. All the guy does is cause Notre Dame tears, cure sick puppies with his smile and bring nothing but good press to Michigan.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:15 PM ^
dont forget responding to little kid's letters! that alone shows he is a true class act
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:46 PM ^
tell them to just come out of the closet already...its 2011!!
FYI...I would void it. These kinds of fans have confidence issues, and still need a hug from their father and a pat on the butt from their HS coaches...
Get my drift?@?@
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:47 PM ^
Only 9) was 100% BS? I call BS on that. It's pretty obvious they aren't Michigan fans. Thery're just repeating crap they heard from Mike Valenti and other Sparties. Alhough to be fair, not many of them are ignorant enough to call our QB Benard.
October 2nd, 2011 at 9:48 PM ^
The face.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:03 PM ^
Sounds like you got trolled.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:03 PM ^
people who don't believe in evolution. If you are going to come at me that stupid, I'm not going to even respond. Getting your point across could cause their heads to explode, and that's messy.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
I can't believe people would be so stupid as to not believe all the intricacies, intelligence, and finesse demonstrated on a football field derived from a primordial mud puddle.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:04 PM ^
,,,I can make you believe any lie
I can make you pick a fight
with somebody twice your size
ALCOHOL"
(just a hunch here)
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:10 PM ^
Are you sure these guys are Michigan fans?
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:16 PM ^
At least part of the problem and accompanying solution is unmentionable.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
I have encountered morons like this from time to time. These are guys who feel the need to have a strong opinion even if they have no info to back their ridiculous stances. You will never win in an argument because they are too ignorant to understand that they are wrong or have been defeated by a well thought out argument. Your only choice to keep your sanity is walk away and hang out with the women. Their conversations will be annoying as well but at least you will not be expected to produce an opinion on the things they talk about i.e. purses, shopping, reality tv, etc. Just smile and nod and the women will think you are a nice guy. The morons may think you are a loser which means you have already won.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:21 PM ^
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:42 PM ^
Valenti and Foster...
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:22 PM ^
They seem more like the "Oh what game is on this channel?" crowd.
October 2nd, 2011 at 10:24 PM ^
what do you want from the guy?? he's been dominant each of the last two seasons. tell them to read some UFR's for pete's sake