Sam says looks like MSU at Night
Seriously. I'd rather someone who WANTS to have a great time watching M beat the fuck out of MSU in prime time be there. Not some grown up baby who is annoyed that he has to sit in traffic at night and cannot get to his cozy bed at 9:00 PM to go to sleep on a Saturday night.
Two seasons ago was by far the WORST traffic around here I've ever seen for any game. It made it much harder to get to the stadium. Hopefully, by the time the game is played, Sparty will be sucking pretty bad and their crappy fans will have jumped off the bandwagon.
Love night games. Especially love them against MSU, on my birthday. HATE that I am a student council advisor, and Homecoming is our biggest event, and the Homecoming Dance is on...October 7th. So bitter...
I personally prefer not having night games since I like getting up on Saturday, watching the game at home in my pajamas and then getting on with the rest of my day. Moreover, even I sometimes have a life, so not having night games frees me up to go out on Saturday evenings (To say nothing of the fact that my recent memory of night games is tainted by thoughts of Iowa last season, the 27/27 Penn State game, the 31-0 debacle at ND, etc.)
But, I'm also sometimes an adult who recognizes that the best overall thing for M football doesn't rise or fall on my personal feelings nor hidebound notions of What Bo And Fielding Would Have Done. Prime-time games can be potent recruiting tools, as long as you don't overdo them. So if it's best for business as it were, I think we can all indulge 1-2 night games per season. The big question, I guess, is whether the increased logistical/security hassle is justified by increased revenue to local ancillary businesses. That answer is beyond my pay grade.
Having said all this, if we have to have a night game, should we really be wasting that slot on MSU? Why not instead use it on a more meaningful opponent that the rest of the country might actually care about?
that'll help defray the extra cleanup and repair costs after they leave town.
It seems like the gist of the argument is that...
- Some people prefer early games
- Some people prefer afternoon games
- Some people prefer night games
If 7 of 8 games a year are afternoon/early, then what is the harm in having one night game a year for people who have a slightly different opinion or benefit from it?
I can only imagine all the bitching and moaning from the old guard about how this is so unsafe, how "Bo wouldn't have wanted it," how Ann Arbor will be completely trashed after the game, yada yada yada.
Alabama and Auburn play each other at night. LSU and Alabama play each other at night. Each of those fanbases are more rowdy than MSU and UM. I'm all for hiring additional security if you think you're going to need it, but this whole unsafe deal is a load of shit. Plenty of other college towns without massive public transportation systems get along with rivalry night games just fine.
This has just been one more way about how Michigan has been perceived as a program living in the past.
"Alabama and Auburn play each other at night. LSU and Alabama play each other at night."
Alabama-Auburn is virtually always a day (afternoon) game. The Iron Bowl.
LSU plays at night a whole bunch. Because it is so ungodly hot and humid in Baton Rouge.
I love watching the Bayou Bengals at night, after getting home from Ann Arbor. Best of all, all of the problems are for LSU and their fans. And I don't have to be out on Highway 61 at 2 am. By the way, I would love to get them in a home-and-home.
Edit. - This, from the Wikipedia page for the Iron Bowl; "In 2009 and 2010 CBS Sports and the two universities arranged to have the game played in an exclusive time slot on the Friday following Thanksgiving. The 2009 game was the sixth Iron Bowl to be played on a Friday and the first one in 21 years.[15] CBS did not attempt to renew the agreement after 2010 due to criticism from within the state from both fan bases, returning the game to its traditional Saturday date."
TV versus the ticket-holding fans. Love to see the ticket-holders win...
thank you.
and woo, welcome back SectionOne. I had to check your posting history to make sure it really was you and it sure is.
I believe that Alabama and Auburn played a night game against eachother a few years ago. 2014 if I'm not mistaken. Even if they never did, LSU does it with Alabama every single year. And Baton Rouge/Tuscaloosa are still standing the next morning.
The point is that none of these programs are afraid to put their biggest rival (or in Alabama's case, one of their biggest rivals) in a night game. There is zero reason Michigan shouldn't at least give it a shot with MSU, a secondary rival at best. Safety/Traffic are such lameass excuses when plenty of college towns all across America host at least one night game every year. PSU does it every year and they're in the middle of buttfuck nowhere in Pennsylvania.
You don't like driving home that late? Fine. Sell your tickets and stay home. There are plenty of people out there who will pay top dollar to go even if the game starts at midnight.
not about to stop now! Have had an absoultely fantastic time.
I do however acknoweldge the hesitation and concern voiced by others on the board and their concers are not without merit.
Here's hoping for a short learing curve for Ann Arbor, the Atheltic Department and Michigan fans regarding night games against MSU and how to best prepare/respond for some of its eventualities.
This allows for big time recruits who live in Georgia, Texas, California, basically far away from here to play their games on Friday night, get on a Saturday morning flight to A2 and use their official visit to see a good game. The crowd is livelier at a night game opposed to a noon game.
This also allows more national exposure through TV when we play at night. It is a recruiting advantage. I've said it before, it was the first thing Urban did when he got to OSU, Michigan should be doing the same thing. Michigan should have 2-3 of these a year. If you don't like it then don't go to the game, watch it at home.
This. It's all about 'cruitin', and all other complaints pale in comparison to the benefits.
A few years ago, I wouldn't have liked this idea. But putting in stadium lights has resulted in 3 nights games in 7 seasons...and that's a travesty
Just give me a night game, ANY night game at this point. Even if it's against those guys.
The lights that have been installed integral to the concourses get used, thank you very little. Almost every 3:30 game in October and Novermber ends up using the lights. Yes, they are useful. I am glad they are there.
But the existence of the lights in Michigan Stadium are NO imperative, to have any games start at 8:00 pm.
I'm definitely getting punched in the face.
With my 2 daugthers msu. Haven't been to a night game!
Should be awesome.
GO BLUE!!
I have a preference, but it pales in comparison to my preference of WINNING.
All other considerations be damned, home night games so far have had a proven track record of producing Michigan WINS.
Even if night games were the most inconvinenent thing in the world for me (or season ticket holders), I would still support Michigan night games 100% whole-heartedly for this sole reason.
Winning cures all, even a few grouchy season ticket holders.... who will be shelling out even more the following season to see a team that is WINNING.
We should be doing night games way more often.
Jumping in because I feel so strongly.
Finally, we have what we need - big stage, at night, primetime. I want to see Michigan Football in marquee time slots for the foreseeable future. There is absolutely no reason we should not be one of the top 6 or 7 featured teams in the nation.
As someone who lived out of state for many years and watched all games on TV, I sympathize with the traffic concerns.
But really though, get over yourself. This is about M and being bigger and better than ever before, not preserving your family tradition or your seat cushion or whatever the hell. Get over it. This is
My goodness people - let's be relevant again and in people's faces at night like we should.
And deliver an ass kicking. Of course.
Hell yea leave em' at home if they cant stand and scream. Tired of nobody being intimidated about our stadium.
Don't disagree at all. Like I said, I personally prefer noon games but there is clearly enough valid reasons and enough preference for the occassional night game. TV watching bums like me get 9+ day games a season, a night game here and there is fine.
For something that Sam says "Looks like." Maybe we save the faux/non faux outrage for when it's made official? Oh MGoMay...
What's the alternative here? This is actually a semi-interesting discussion about evening games agaisnt a rival.
It's happening. Making it official is only a formality. This is not a big secret.
If you don't like going to games at night- they will try to find someone who does.
If it creates problems for the community- price the community pays for the tourism dollars
Well I agree, sort of. The fans who buy tickets are irrelevant to television prorammers, producers and lawyers.
But the fans who buy tickets to Michigan football games and who pay PSD's for the privilege of buying those tickets, are the financial lifeblood of all of University of Michigan athletics.
Again I refer you to the 2016 budget .pdf up above.
Sell your tickets if you don't like it. Don't go. The person who buys the tickets would be okay with a night game and you wouldn't have to worry yourself about traffic, safety, your bedtime, or whatever other concern you have.
I may do it again.
That is my choice, but I think it is a rotten choice. I don't like watching on tv; and I don't like getting home at 4 am. I may sell my tickets, and if I do I hope it is at a very large markup. But I'd rather go to the game, at noon.
So; I'll make another choice; voice my concern/protest to the Athletic Department, and encourage other donors to do the same. Okay with you?
Perfectly okay, but next time maybe wait until after your afternoon nap.
Are you capable of saying something without coming off like a complete asshole? Just curious.
It's just a night game. We're gonna make it, you guys.
(Edit: Sorry. This post had more of a point before I neutered it to remove the potentially offensive and aggressive parts.)
BOUT TIME!
If you scared, go to church.