Ohio is classless.
Have you ever seen the movie Radio Flyer? There is one part in that movie that sticks out to me. In the movie, their is a jerk-off alcoholic stepfather, referred to by the boys as the King, who always gets drunk while listening to southern banjo music. He will then proceed to beat his two stepsons (one of whom is portrayed by Elijan Wood). Near the end of the film the King has sworn to never drink again, but that ends up not happening. The mother of the two boys comes home and finds that her sons and husband are not home. She discovers to her horror a bunch of empty beer cans and that the southern banjo music is playing. She realizes that the King is drunk and doing God knows what to her kids. As she runs to frantically search for her kids, the southern banjo can still be heard. The music is so disturbing to her at this point she falls to her knees, screaming for the music to stop.
For the 2009 game, all of the signs were pointing to an upset and a Michigan victory. Ohio had just clinched the Rose Bowl in a dramatic OT victory over Iowa, and were now going on the road in a game they did not need for the Big Ten title. I have never seen us beat Ohio as a Michigan fan. Needless to say, I was excited. After some stupid mistakes, crappy officiating, and play from players who may very well have been ineligible...yeah.
It was like if you were running in a race. You thought you had a chance, but your hated rival ends up winning. Then, right before the finish line, you tripped and fell, face first, and your face landed in a huge pile of crap. Dong punch.
At the end of that game, the Ohio fans felt a need to cheer about their team beating a 5 win team. They kept doing their trademark crap cheer. I could hear it. It sucked, but I could understand that they were happy for their team.
However, even as I had left the stadium and was walking back to the car with my buddies, they continued their stupid cheer. They would not stop. It was driving me crazy. I felt like the mom from Radio Flyer, who was begging for the music to stop, but it wouldn't. Going back to the running race, it was as if, after you hated rival beat you and saw you laying on the ground with your face in a pile of crap, he ran up and pushed your face down to rub it in the crap. Geez, their team had ALREADY WON. Couldn't they just be happy? Why did they have to rub our faces in it?
While this is far from the most classless thing Ohio fans have done (see Brian's story) it was classless. They have continuously rubbed our faces in this losing streak that they attained with the services of at least 6 ineligible players (that we know of).
I am so pumped for tomorrow. But I have a question. If Michigan wins, I want to rub Ohio's face in it. Their reminders of how long it has been since we have beaten them, even though we have been playing fair and they have been cheating, is too much. However, I don't want to sink to Ohio's level. So my question is: How far is too far? I was thinking that I could yell at every Ohio fan: Ohio lost! That wouldn't be nearly as classless as them. But is that too much. Should I just be happy my team won and not say or do anything? I feel a little dirty for even asking this, but those pos have driven me nuts.
November 25th, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^
Water contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom and is wet.
November 25th, 2011 at 1:46 PM ^
A stupid question, quite a few of you will now say. Of course water is wet. But try to explain to a small child what "wet" actually is. In order to answer the question as to why water is wet we need to start by looking into the meaning of "wet". Follow us on a little experiment. Take one bowl of water and one of flour. Now dip one finger into the bowl of water and one into the one with flour in it. What do you feel? The water swirls and flows around your finger. When you take your finger out of the water, both the water in the bowl and the water on your finger move. It trickles down your finger and drops form on your fingertip. If you now move your dry finger through the flour you notice that the flour around this finger trickles too. But when you take your finger out again, nothing carries on moving. There is another difference that you only notice after a while. With the finger that was in the flour you do not notice any significant change in temperature but the one that was in the water starts to feel cooler shortly afterwards. Physicists call this evaporation cooling "adiabatic cooling". And so in fact water is only wet because we associate these two sensations with it: evaporation cooling and movement. In other words, "wet" simply describes a very particular combination of sensations. If you really want to split hairs, it is actually not the water that is wet but our fingers, the towel we dry ourselves on or the flannel we use to wash with.
http://www.brita.net/glossary9.html?&no_cache=1&range=&lex=Is+water+rea…
November 25th, 2011 at 3:16 PM ^
if you really want a headscratcher, try explaining why ice is slippery.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/science/21ice.html?pagewanted=all
November 25th, 2011 at 3:11 PM ^
contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, but water can contain a significant number of atoms. Also soon we'll probably differentiate between atoms that are lone and atoms in a bonded state as they are quite different.....
November 25th, 2011 at 4:58 PM ^
Don't forget about the hydrogen bonding, that goes a long way in explaining tears, me thinks...
November 25th, 2011 at 1:29 PM ^
just win baby. Beat ohio
November 25th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
After this year's Northwestern game (which I attended), Michigan fans chanted several repetitions of "It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine" as we walked out of the stadium. Sticks and stones, words, etc.
November 25th, 2011 at 1:36 PM ^
I can attest that this is true. However, I'd hardly agree that doing a chant after a victory is classless. I'm sure the "It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine" will ring loud and true in the Big House come roughly 26 or so hours from now
November 25th, 2011 at 1:42 PM ^
This is the chant I hope to be part of. I don't care about going head to head with that smug bunch who lack the humility to acknowledge their tainted winning streak and would have no reservations to include it a continued count. I have no interest in what will be their belief that a loss is only a bump in the road as they await Meyer.
We paid our dues and we paid them with an honesty and integrity that don't even have markers on their success measuring stick.
I say screw 'em. It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine.
November 25th, 2011 at 1:41 PM ^
Take the high road. By saying that I mean that you should tell every Buckeye fan that you did not see the game and want to know who won. Then give a "well aint' that something" as you smile and walk away.
November 25th, 2011 at 1:43 PM ^
This game is really scary to me. There are so many people assuming we are going to win. This OSU team, though not their best team, is also a team loaded with talent. If we don't take them seriously - we could be in for a rude awakening.
I would reserve your chants for after the game and let emotional creativity take you where it needs to. For now, contain your hatred, channel it productively (i would watch Woodson going for 6 on every Classic ESPN out take) and get ready for tomorrow.
November 25th, 2011 at 1:45 PM ^
November 25th, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^
"This is Michigan fergodsake"
November 25th, 2011 at 1:50 PM ^
we dont rush the field like we won the NC or anything. tsio is weak this year so we should not get too excited less we start acting like Lil' Bro.
November 25th, 2011 at 1:54 PM ^
I don't understand why this bothers people. I'll never fault fans for being excited about their teams' win. I especially would not fault our students for being excited about a win in this series after eveything this program has gone through.
November 25th, 2011 at 3:09 PM ^
No idea why people wouldn't want to rush the field. It'd be a watershed moment much larger than simply beating that team in Ohio once. If I can get to the field, I'm rushing it ... I hope I get the chance to.
Go Blue! Beat Ohio!
November 25th, 2011 at 2:13 PM ^
Couldnt disagree more. I really hope we rush the field and rub it in their faces
November 25th, 2011 at 3:26 PM ^
Win. Just win. If they rush the field I won't care, because it would be a meaningful win for many reasons. Break the streak and potential BCS berth.
November 25th, 2011 at 5:57 PM ^
"Rubbing it in their faces" would constitute acting like we expected to beat them, not running onto the field and make them feel as thoughour livelihoods depended on us winning. We shouldn't act as if we don't expect to win. We are not clinching a spot to the Rose Bowl or a trip to the BCS Championchip Game... we don't even know if we'll get into a BCS Game for sure. Let's just handle our business and party really, really hard if/when we kick their ass.
November 25th, 2011 at 5:52 PM ^
7 straight losses to our biggest rival, the first BCS game since, a guaranteed sugar bowl berth (the first since '84) and a dismal 15-22 in my college tenure before this season (including 0 wins against msu) justifies rushing the field
November 25th, 2011 at 1:50 PM ^
...is to act like it is business as usual for us.
And the best way to treat opposing fans is the way you would want to be treated if you were visiting Wrigley Field, Augusta National, Churchill Downs or The Old Course.
It is your choice. You can do as I suggest, or you can be an asshole, like any asshole in East Lansing, or State College.
Until two weeks ago; this was the shame of Penn State. Frat boys shouting insults and throwing beer cans at guests from OSU. I wonder how many man-hours were expended in attempting to erase all traces of that damning video from the web.
November 25th, 2011 at 2:11 PM ^
If I see any Michigan fan act like that tomorrow I would have half a mind to help a Buckeye whoop his ass. Pathetic.
November 25th, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
but let's not forget how awful ohio fans are consistently to Michigan fans. This isn't a random person you're assaulting, but rather someone who condones fighting crippled people, knocking elderly people over, throwing beer bottles at strangers and let's face it, probably most are sex offenders of some kind. At some point class is a moot point and you need to stick up for yourself against a bully.
November 25th, 2011 at 3:59 PM ^
No, it's still a random person you're assaulting. What you're saying here, in essence, is that you condone the same behavior as long as "they started it."
November 25th, 2011 at 5:00 PM ^
assaulting random people, nor random buckeyes for that matter. But I do think that there is a huge difference in this situation in that it's a given that if I were to go to this game away next year I would be assaulted or something awful and nothing will be done about it ever. Claiming "class" to me is very weak, if someone punches you in the mouth, punch them back in the mouth in some form.
I guess this situation to me is much more complex than the 2 year old's view of "he/she started it". It's not right that I have to fear for my life, or freedom to go to a football game. It'd be nice for my kids to be able to go to an away game without me fearing for their lives as well....
November 25th, 2011 at 8:02 PM ^
WE are Michigan...and I have to agree, just because many of their obnoxious fans are assholes who would light stuff on fire just because they had nothing better to do, I'd still rather stay classy...however I also agree...when confronted...do what you have to do...
A number of years ago at the Big House, a group of those PSU fans/probably frat boys, were parading around our stadium weaving in and out of the lines in to the seats cutting through the crowds of UM fans making a spectacle of themselves...had their shirts off, rather scrawny little boys as I recall making some chant about 'this is our house, not the big house' blah blah...it just welled up inside seeing them coming and knowing in my gut they were headed right for me, my son, my dad, etc...a quick stiff arm to the chest of the lead prick set the tone...as he tumbled into the group and started exclaiming 'whoa whoa dude lighten up take it easy man Jesus..' the rest of the line gave them the proper discord about going around...message sent, they picked their asses up and the UM football team handed it back to them...courtesy of Manningham...as the team provided the direction as to who's house it really was that day..all I could think was...Karma is a bitch...
November 25th, 2011 at 1:55 PM ^
you've been there before. Beatin Ohio should be the norm. SSDD. Being blase will eat them at them more than being an Ohio-like dbag
November 25th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^
In other news, Nixon resigns. Gerald Ford sworn in as next President.
Oh, also beat Ohio. I won't rub their face in it though - we've both been there before, but they don't seem to realize it.
November 25th, 2011 at 2:07 PM ^
I've only been an M Fan since 2004 (nobody's perfect). I never HAVE been here before.
November 25th, 2011 at 2:34 PM ^
who have been here before. Ohio State always thinks they're going to win and (except for recent history) they usually don't.
We rush the field when:
1. We win the NC
2. We are a terrible team yet knock off OSU and spoil their season
3. We win something incredibly dramatic
Keep in mind, that the best game to rush the field would've been the Notre Dame win this year. My hope is we trounce OSU so thoroughly that no one feels anything but pity for Fickell's very short tenure as their coach.
November 25th, 2011 at 2:06 PM ^
I propose a "Days since a Clean Ohio State program beat Michigan" ticker on MGoBlog in the event of a Michigan victory tomorrow, which will stand at 3,000+ days. The hillbillies will hate that, which is why it would be a fantastic idea. Keep it up all year, in bold maize lettering.
November 25th, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^
seconded.
November 25th, 2011 at 2:18 PM ^
will take every opportunity to demean and ridicule those in defeat. It is partially celebration, partially, bullying and partially schadenfreude. Fortunately or unfortunately it is all part of being a fan. Some fans are classy and point out that their team was the better one that day and wish the loser good luck in the future. Some fans give some good natured ribbing to their befallen counterparts and know that some light-hearted fun at the other expense is part of being a fan.
Then there are the ridiculously over-zealous, delusional, win-at-all costs, no lead is big enough, cheat if you can and if you get caught, hide it better next time fans that think the only measuring stick is the final score and most recent data that supports their theory of dominance.
There is no reasoning with the third group, no logic or acknowledgement of their current moment of dominance that will quiet this storm. The only solution to the problem is to win and quiet them through your (your team's) own success over them. The true meausring stick in my mind is not simply the score or the record, but the grace and maturity you show when you confront the vanquished.
Myself, I ignore them until provoked, then calmly point out their shortcomings and tell them "see you next year." There is no reasoning with idiots and no amount of logic and goodwill will quiet the insane ramblings of the delusional rabid dogs that support programs that derive their self-worth from the final score or recent record against a rival. When that is all you have to hang your hat on, your destined for mediocrity as a person and unfathomable sadness eventually as a fan.
If you can't both laugh about and have a beer together, is that person worth your trouble? I think not.
Having said all that...BEAT OHIO! GO BLUE!
November 25th, 2011 at 2:43 PM ^
Sign suggestions:
Hey Ohio
Your honest loss today
is better than
your cheating wins
No Gold Pants
for Ohio today
OHIO
That taste in your mouth...
Get used to it
OHIO is Fickell
about their coaches.
3 in 2 years?
Eat all the nuts you want.
You still won't beat Hoke
fergodsakes
Tressel
Fickell
Meyer
A year from now who will it be then?
November 25th, 2011 at 3:38 PM ^
Love the first one.
November 25th, 2011 at 2:48 PM ^
Winning is enough. Don't resort to their level...god, how old are you?
November 25th, 2011 at 3:04 PM ^
Their stunned silence and muttered obscenities as they leave our stadium as losers would be more than enough.
November 25th, 2011 at 3:39 PM ^
Be Michigan.
November 25th, 2011 at 4:09 PM ^
If an OSU fan is being profoundly stupid or trying to start something. Then strike back without cussing or saying something about their mothers. Keeping it short and classy has the best effect.
For example, after the ND game in South Bend last year, a random ND fan starting yelling stuff out of his car about the size of Michigan fans' penises. I opened my window and asked him if he could tell me the score of the game, I had forgotten. He sputtered and stammered and yelled at me, trying to start a fight. I just said scoreboard. He was pretty angry by the end of it.
But anyways, yeah, don't be stupid. If an OSU fan is acting like an OSU fan, it shouldn't be too hard to get him to shut up.
November 25th, 2011 at 4:10 PM ^
I'm thinkin if/when we win we storm the field celebrate the struggles this team has overcome
November 25th, 2011 at 4:25 PM ^
Seriously...don't storm the field. Act like we've been there before. Don't be like Joey Harrington every time he threw a TD for the Lions--he acted like we won the freaking Super Bowl. Act like it was expected and we move on to the BCS. Bottom line is, they still won the last 7 times. We have a lot of catching up to do.
November 25th, 2011 at 6:03 PM ^
I agree. The rivalry all time is still pretty lop sided. Cheating for a decade and still down 13. They've had their time. Now it's our turn. Let's collect our win, watch the seniors lead the victors in the corner and start thinking about the BCS.
November 25th, 2011 at 4:15 PM ^
BEAT OHIO FUCK EM UP!!!
November 25th, 2011 at 4:25 PM ^
Did not even read the thread. Reading the topic headline is enough for me to agree.
November 25th, 2011 at 6:11 PM ^
All this crap about storming the field... We all know the college students are going to storm it so everybody who is whining about it needs to get over it. Enjoy when we win. GO BLUE
November 25th, 2011 at 6:55 PM ^
"Your guys played a nice game. Too bad somebody has to lose." That should suffice, particularly if U-M's margin of victory is by 17 points or more (which I expect it will be).
November 25th, 2011 at 7:03 PM ^
And in other news, the sky is blue, water is wet and Jerome Bettis is from Detroit.