OT: The brand is strong...even in South America
I'm currently in Santiago, Chile for work and for some play. (No, not banished to Bolivia).
Today, while walking around town, I twice saw people wearing Michigan gear. One guy had on an authentic basketball jersey and when I said "Go Blue" to him, he gave me a funny look. I'm fluent in Spanish and after talking briefly with him, he is a fan of the Fab Five, which is why he wears the jersey. I also saw a girl with a Michigan sweatshirt and she appeared to be a local, although it wasn't licensed apparel. I saw no other college stuff today.
Santiago is 5275 miles from Ann Arbor. Pretty good distance.
It seems to me that the brand is still pretty strong if you see it at the other end of the world.
Anyone else seen Michigan apparel a long way from home? Where?
January 26th, 2016 at 8:14 AM ^
So many Yankee hats in London. I know it's a cultural thing, but considering probably 2% of those people could follow along with a baseball game, it's a little surprising.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:35 AM ^
Lots in Paris as well. For the vast majority it has nothing to do with baseball - American baseball caps are just trendy with a segment of the population. I also saw the occasional Detroit Tiger cap.
January 26th, 2016 at 6:40 AM ^
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January 26th, 2016 at 8:00 AM ^
If it was 2009, it could've been me.
January 26th, 2016 at 6:43 AM ^
This was several years ago (2008-ish), but I was actually in Warrington, Cheshire visiting some of my father's extended family and we made a trip to Liverpool one day and sure enough, there in the then-newly opened Liverpool One complex (basically a huge mixed use complex with a mall and several other things) there was someone with a Block M. I shouted "Go Blue" and they actually shouted back - turns out the guy was from Virginia but did his undergraduate work in Ann Arbor.
We are indeed everywhere.
January 26th, 2016 at 7:00 AM ^
Always in Korea, in almost any city. More than half the time the colors would be any combination such as Pink/Green. I got the sense that they usually weren't officially licensed.
I used to have a collection of photos I took of random strangers wearing UM gear. But those conversations about why I wanted to take their picture, and likely why I was laughing at their outfit, became too uncomfortable for all involved.
January 26th, 2016 at 7:48 AM ^
But taking pictures of their random American phrases is probably my favorite pasttime since I've been here. Haven't seen a whole lot of maize and blue though.
January 26th, 2016 at 11:26 AM ^
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January 26th, 2016 at 7:15 AM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 7:39 AM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 8:01 AM ^
We're gonna need that in a spreadsheet.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:16 AM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 7:33 AM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 7:42 AM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 7:53 AM ^
While on my honeymoon, I wore my Michigan hat through Paris, Zagreb, Istria, Split and Dubrovnik. Saw a couple of Michigan sweaters in Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is a pretty popular port for Mediterranean cruises, so no real suprise there.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:03 AM ^
Any recommendations on which of those cities (aside from Paris) to visit for someone who only has time for 1 or 2?
January 26th, 2016 at 9:28 AM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 8:15 AM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 4:12 PM ^
That's cause they make everything there.
What's actually noteworthy is that we see that stuff 12,000 miles away here in Ann Arbor, not the other way around.
A Chinese laborer is probably telling his buddy right now "Wow, my brother just saw the shirt I made in Michigan, USA. We're everywhere!"
January 26th, 2016 at 8:27 AM ^
My daughter lives in Australia and we have now been there twice. I have seen multiple people with Michigan gear. One of them was a guy that didn't even speak English but got the shirt from his daughter who he was with. I struck up a brief conversation with her and it turns out that she did a semester abroad at Illinois and she went to a game at the Big House with friends. Funny how she bought him a Michigan shirt and not Illinois - the brand is strong!
Another time I snapped a photo of an outdoor cafe with a guy wearing lederhosen. My wife said why did you take a picture of the guy in a Michigan shirt. Turns out there was a guy with an M shirt that I didn't even notice.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:32 AM ^
But when I visited my grandmother there, I could never get a conversation going on Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander. I guess they think the logo is badass.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:48 AM ^
*delete*
January 26th, 2016 at 8:44 AM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 4:38 PM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 8:48 AM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 8:51 AM ^
If you see anyone wearing Michigan gear in Poland, they probably got it from me. I send my family over there tons of stuff.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:53 AM ^
Went to Nawlins for Mardi Gras 4 or 5 years ago and wore my michigan hat. Had a busker in a Dick van Dyke a la Mary Poppins musical getup with banjo in hand and a bass drum & cymbals on his back stop dead in whatever song he was doing and launch into the Victors as I walked by. That was pretty cool.
January 26th, 2016 at 8:54 AM ^
I think Hoke has changed the tide on the rivalry. Hell people in South America are starting to believe him. Never in a million years I would have thought that. Selling Michigan jerseys is a good start.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:08 AM ^
I got a "Go Blue" atop Table Mountain in Cape Town, SA the day of the Utah game.
Also ran into 3 Wings jerseys over the course of almost a year in Southern Africa (sadly not legitimate fans).
January 26th, 2016 at 9:14 AM ^
I'm in Lesotho (the tiny independent country wholly within the borders of northern South Africa) in 2013 and staying at a remote mountain resort. The Alabama game is that weekend, so I DVR it and swear I'm going to avoid any news or Michigan people. That doesn't seem hard given that I'm in.. a remote mountain resort in Lesotho.
At dinner the first night, with maybe 6 total other guests... there's a dude with a Michigan sweatshirt on. Everywhere, man. Everywhere.
January 26th, 2016 at 4:24 PM ^
Did you hike Sentinel Peak / Tugela falls right on the border? Stunning views.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:16 AM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 9:19 AM ^
Not in another country, but still in Bodunk Colorado....Visited Telluride recently, small little ski town, maybe 3 bars on the tiny strip. Go to get Pizza for the family one night walk into Brown Dog pizza (I think), and bam Michigan gear all over the walls, jerseys signed by pro's....
Pretty cool even in the smallest parts of Southwest Colorado!!!
January 26th, 2016 at 11:59 AM ^
I think that pizza place in a remote-ish Colorado resort town is owned by a former Michigan football player (or players). Couldn't tell you who, but I believe I've seen someone comment on it before around these parts.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:22 AM ^
I live in Paris(France) so far far away for A2.
I see about 3-4 michigan gear per year, always makes me smile but I don't think the people wearing them are fans
January 26th, 2016 at 9:24 AM ^
I saw a Tractor Traylor jersey on Railay Beach (near Krabi) in Thailand.
Unfotunately, I also saw a MSU Draymond Green jersey for about 3 days straight. It was 2012 during the NCAA tourney and my buddy could not get rid of his hard on for Draymond.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:30 AM ^
In Hamburg, Germany I saw a guy with a Michigan hat on. I had my German friend ask him if he liked Michigan, he told her it was just a hat.
In Milan, Italy I ran into about 15 M students (almost every single one of them had something Michigan on) at the train station there...I ended up striking up a conversation with the prettiest one. 6 months later at a house party on campus I ran into her, she immediately recognized me (called me Mr. Milan, lol)....and we eventually hooked up, haha.
In Zurich, Switzerland I saw a kid and his dad in msu shirts. I yelled "Go Blue" across the street and ended up eating dinner with them (this was in the pre-Mike Hart "Little Brother" days when spartan fans were actually tolerable). They were very nice.
Also, on every cruise I've ever been on I have seen lots of M garb and heard a lot of "Go Blue"s thrown my way.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:37 AM ^
A guy wearing a Michigan jersey that doesn't know what "Go Blue!" means and a woman who may/ may not know what she's wearing doesn't = strong brand. At best, it's an indicator of the strong work of Goodwill.
However, there are plenty of better examples of a strong Michigan brand in this thread, so it's a good one.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:49 AM ^
Here in Hawaii, you have a pretty torn rooting interest for teams up and down the west coast. Tons of transplants from LA, Seattle, the Bay Area, Oregon, etc.
But the one constant I've noticed, is the amount of Michigan folks here on the island. Every time I wear my Michigan gear (at least twice/week), I get a minimum of 2 "Go Blue's" every single time. I also get a ton of chatter from SF fans about Harbaugh. I tell them he's our guy and I couldn't be happier to have that crazy SOB as our head coach. They miss him.
My favorite "Michigan Man" on the island is a cyclist in a Maize and Blue biking suit. I've seen him twice, and he's always keeping up with the traffic speed. He kills it on the hills out here. Awesome dude.
January 26th, 2016 at 9:54 AM ^
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January 26th, 2016 at 11:01 AM ^
Is literally the default response when I say it... The sad thing is I really think these people I say it to are alums, but just a little slow, socially.
January 26th, 2016 at 12:23 PM ^
January 26th, 2016 at 1:29 PM ^
Yeah but at least you figured it out... Most people don't seem to. But easy mistake to make I guess.
January 26th, 2016 at 10:08 AM ^
Did you see any Michigan 2013 NCAA Basketball Champions T-Shirts?
January 26th, 2016 at 10:12 AM ^
Used to occasionally see Michigan gear while living there in the mid-90's.
I could never get anyone to sing The Victors in Spanish, though
Vivan los ganadores, heroes conquistadores...
January 26th, 2016 at 10:41 AM ^
a Michigan hat standing outside Notre Dame Cathedral and an elderly guy walked past saying, "GO BLUE!"
This is my cool story bro moment.
January 26th, 2016 at 10:53 AM ^
We have a small grouping of exiles.
January 26th, 2016 at 10:58 AM ^
Was in Bogota for The Game this year. Was franticallly running around the city looking for a place to find the game.
Ran into this other alum at Bogota Beer Company, which supposedly has sports channels.... Unfortunately it, like everywhere else did not have the game. All the places down there seem to have the Colombian version of DirecTV or Dish or something like that, which ONLY has soccer.
Anyway, he was down there as a consulting chef, graduated in '02 or something like that. Not a very personable dude, which is kind of what I expect out of my fellow alums. Bright, but often lacking in people skills haha.
While Bogota and Mexico City have let me down for games like that, and I have to resort to the first row, Lima, Peru of all places, has a sports bar "The Corner" that is a haven for expats watching these games... kind of interesting.
Anyway, as for seeing people in Michigan gear... I'm pretty sure I've seen it in Mexico City and South America, just don't exactly recall where and when. And they normally appear to be natives with no association with the school. So yeah, we seem to have a bit of a presence down there.
January 26th, 2016 at 11:05 AM ^
This has been the case for years. I've seen Michigan schwag nearly everywhere I've been. I think it's more a case that Michigan has probably sold more apparel than any other team so the clothing/hats are bound to end up in all corners of the globe.
The litmus test to me is if I say "go blue" to someone and they do not say it back. That indicates that this is more an apparel volume effect than the brand being strong.