What do you miss about Michigan Stadium?

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

A couple weeks ago on WTKA after the Joe closed, they were talking about how every local stadium is going to be new in SE MI. 

They mentioned Michigan Stadium being "new" in 2010 due to the massive renovations.

OT season is here. So this is a feels thread.

I miss the original Michigan Stadium. The bowl.

No giant boxes making it feel boxed in and taking away from its size on the inside.

Sure, it's MUCH louder.........but still. It will never be the same again. I'll never forget my first time walking in when I was 9 years old and being amazed.

M-Dog

April 20th, 2017 at 10:39 AM ^

Us too.  

We had only one male teacher in the entire elementary school.  He called all the boys out into the hall and told us all to stop taking "long shots" into the urinals.

All the girls wanted to know why all the boys were called out of the classes.  We told them it was for a biology lesson . . . which was kind of true.

bhinrichs

April 20th, 2017 at 10:43 AM ^

Man I do miss those urinals. 

As a young kid I felt scared and creeped out by the dankness and drearyness of the old dripping troughs (were all those pipes leaking, or deliberately set to to super low flow, I wondered) .  But even then I did appreciate seeing all the old timers shuffling through along with us.  Everyone was treated the same.  Badly, but the same badly.  ^_^

As an adult, I wish my kids could have that old school experience - harken back to the history of the place and what great players might have might have made their mark there long ago. 

Like Schembechler's speech to his first group of players in the old facilities - maybe even Yost used this trough!  Imagine that!!

 

xtramelanin

April 19th, 2017 at 9:33 PM ^

but that just isn't true.  nothing worse in august in SE michigan than running those stairs when the heat and the humidity are the same number.   do that for 20-30 minutes, then go start skating at yost.  

Don

April 19th, 2017 at 10:02 PM ^

My favorite summer workout was running the steps on a hot and muggy day. Five times all the way up and down in the south end zone without stopping was the closest I can come locally to matching the lung-busting fun of hiking at 14000 ft in Colorado. Of course I didn't have to then go to hockey practice after. I'm reduced to running the steps outside at the east entrance, and it's a pale shadow of doing it inside. I'd pay somebody good money for access to the stadium just to run them.

And I also miss the troughs.

xtramelanin

April 19th, 2017 at 10:12 PM ^

kind of ruined the moment, so to speak.   but as you mention, great way to get in shape.  you'd think we were on the olympic team the way they would monitor us for heart rate, growth, weight, strength.  it was pretty hi-tech for the 80's.   

Alton

April 19th, 2017 at 9:43 PM ^

Howard King:  "Good Afternoon..."

Celebrating touchdowns with toilet paper.

Marshmallows.

Games without commercial breaks, that started at 1:00 and ended at 3:30.

rob f

April 19th, 2017 at 11:04 PM ^

the male cheerleaders doing backflips off the wall in front of the student section after each Michigan scoring play, to count off the total # of Michigan points. Had to be somewhat exhausting for those guys when Michigan so frequently scored 50+ points back in those days!

Also, watching the students passing coeds up towards the upper rows. And the inflatable "dolls" being bounced around along with the beach balls.

ppToilet

April 19th, 2017 at 9:40 PM ^

But there used to be more grass just outside where you could sit and enjoy people watching. It was also easier to sneak in alcohol and you could bring your own food and thermos.

The bathrooms are infinitely better now. I don't miss the trough at all.

Maizen

April 19th, 2017 at 10:16 PM ^

This and only this. I can't tell you how many times I've had relatives or friends visit from out of town during non football season that would love nothing more than to peek inside the Big House but now can't. Everything else about the old stadium....good riddance. Nothing charming about cramped seating, long bathroom lines, no handrails, bad concession choices, and all the noise dissapating outside of the stadium. The brick facade and luxury boxes are gorgeous and the new scoreboards are perfect.