OT: What is the lowest moment of your fandom?

Submitted by sarto1g on

What are the losses that kept you up at night?  What games made you question why you watch sports in the first place?  

October 17, 2015.  Through sheer luck and the kindness of strangers, I was able to procure tickets to Michigan-MSU just about a week or so before game time.  Had never seen the rivalry live in person and the pregame hype machine was in full force.  The game turned out to be several hours of push/pull and I vividly remember scanning the crowd with about 30 seconds left like it was all so surreal.  Then it got more surreal-er seeing both teams sprinting away from the end zone where we were sitting, seeing the score, seeing the clock, and that was it.  

I appreciate now that I saw maybe one of the craziest cfb endings ever but man that one hurt and put me in a fugue state for a good 3-4 days after.

schreibee

August 3rd, 2017 at 1:44 PM ^

Well you're lucky to be so young you can't recall the FG that was called wide, the Phantom TD, kicking to the Rocket AGAIN!... 

And of all those painful memories, I'd actually say last year vs osu was my lowest. The frustration & helpless feeling that it'd been stolen from us and wasn't a Damn thing we could do but bitch about the refs.

Of course, changing sports, there was the TO...

ijohnb

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:33 AM ^

Minnesota/Rutgers, no question.

I was really, really close to not caring anymore.  That wasn't a good feeling.

In reply to by ijohnb

pudge44

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^

Seconded. 2014 felt like the entire program was careening off a cliff with no bottom in sight. I wondered if/when Michigan would ever be relevant again.

jtmc33

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^

This hurts my soul.

But I guess it's these horrid memories that make us realize how good we have it now; and how ungrateful we were up until 2007

TIMMMAAY

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^

I didn't even watch that game, I was fishing up north. Caught the replay at a bar later that night, it took me several minutes to register that it wasn't some past replay, but that we actually lost. Then the next week I was there to see us get whomped by Oregon, all while sitting next to four Oregon frat brah's. Not a good start to the season. 

WTF, op? Thanks for dredging that up. 

M Ascending

August 3rd, 2017 at 11:22 AM ^

Apparently, the Horror refers to the App State game. I always thought it referred to Colorado. Maybe that changed in '07. If so, it should have changed again in 2015 after the Punt That Wasn't. No doubt the worst loss I have ever sat through.

Thanks for nothing OP. I negged you for making me think about this shit.

Sam1863

August 3rd, 2017 at 1:55 PM ^

Since you brought it up, I've noticed that this blog uses certain nicknames for certain games, and it can be confusing. For example:

"The Horror" seems to refer to the App State game. The "M00N" game is the NW game of a few years back which was scoreless at halftime. The "Spartan Bob" game was the final looong second which allowed TJ Duckett to catch the winning TD. The "Trash Tornado" was the MSU game in EL a few years ago that was not just a loss, but an ugly one. The 2015 MSU game is "The Punt," for obvious and tragic reasons. And I've seen some refer to last year's OSU game as "The Spot."

Do I have these correct? And what are some others? What, for example, is the Colorado game called?

Not trying to threadjack, but since the OP brought up bad memories, I figured I should at least know what to call them. (Pardon my ignorance if this has been done before.)

Eskimoan

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:39 AM ^

Rich Rod era, easy, losing to Miss St just flat like a gut punch, at that point, I went from sad and annoyed we sucked so bad to just flat out angry

somewittyname

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:41 AM ^

The timeout, saw Kordell in person, and the Saturday after the past Thanksgiving, probably '06 too.

4godkingandwol…

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^

... I remember watching that at a bar with some friends and thinking "why do I do this? this isn't fun. The game is painful to watch and not enjoyable even if it is close." For the first time ever, I actually just stopped watching the game even while it was competitive. it was apathy. And apathy, to me, is the lowest point in fandom. Worse than anger, sadness, etc... because those are critical pieces of fandom. 

Rug Dog

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:44 AM ^

Uhhh the Horror.  Woke up, gathered a bunch of friends and went to the bar.  I live in Ohio, so the bar was filled with Buckeyes.  That day will never leave my memory, the amount of shit I got that day was insurmountable.  The next week I went to a party and all the Buckeyes had App State shirts on.  Not only did the day of the Horror sucked, but I was still getting backlash weeks later.

wolverinekeith

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:43 AM ^

2013, I attended the Florida @ LSU game in Baton Rouge with some buddies.  After, we were in a bar and I watched the utterly awful ending to the 2013 M @ PSU game when Brendan Gibbons missed the game winning FG.  I was pretty drunk by that point and found myself getting far too into the game, watching it on a tiny corner TV in a bar, with only an OSU fan buddy with me.  After that ended, my OSU buddy was like, "dude, what is wrong with you guys?"  

That was maybe the lowest moment for me.  

Noahdb

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:44 AM ^

I was 13 at the time. When Bob Stanley threw the wild pitch that let the tying run in, I was pretty horrified. When Buckner let the ball go through his legs, I lost it. I sobbed like a little girl with a skinned knee. 

My father is a pretty stoic guy. He was reading something and I saw him glance down at me as I began trying to dehydrate myself with tears. He let me go for about 15 minutes and didn't say a word. Then he nudged me with his foot and said, "That's enough. It's a new day tomorrow."

That was the last time I ever cried over a sporting event. Hell, that might have been the last time I ever cried. After that, sorrow was just turned into rage.

Maybe 10-15 years ago, after a particularly painful loss that not only ruined my weekend, it ruined the following week and the weekend after THAT....I started thinking about how envious I was of people who weren't sports fans. THEY didn't let a critical fumble make them miserable. It dawned on me that sports could be a bad bargain. When you get to the point where the losses hurt more than the wins feel good, you've entered yourself into a very poor arrangement. 

Bill Parcells once said that after the wins, he only felt relief. There was no joy. Then there was anxiety and pain until the next game. If they lost, he was devestated. 

That's no way to live your life.

After that, I turned the volume down on sports. I like it. I just don't let it dictate my mood.

Bocheezu

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:46 AM ^

I didn't go to games in 1994, so there was an insulating distance there.  Being there for kick six and having to listen to braindead Sparty fans for another year was just infuriating.

The Horror's pretty bad, too.

goblueram

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:46 AM ^

Getting interviewed as a young high school buck on channel 4 in the parking lot after the Appalachian State debacle.  Then Oregon the following week was the cherry on top.

But the most devastating moments I've attended are definiely:

  • 2006 M football @ OSU
  • 2016 M football @ OSU
  • 2013 M basketball vs. Louisville
  • 2011 M hockey vs. Minnesota Duluth
  • 2013 Red Wings @ Blackhawks game 7

NFG

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^

Shane Morris being sent out there to play when everyone who was watching the game on TV knew he shouldn't have been. Hoke standing there looking clueless, and Dave Brandon on the sideline in a trench coat and suit smiling. It was disgraceful. 

Nobody Likes a…

August 3rd, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^

I’m not sure if it was that moment or the early AM press release way too late trying to justify sending him out. Either way it feels like splitting hairs. The entire event is a low point in the program and athletic department for me. Callous, stupid, cover your ass first and lacked any care for the student

BLUEyouout

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^

I don't understand why any of us would want to relive low points in our fandom. The outside world gives us enought grief to do this to ourselves.

Mr. Elbel

August 3rd, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^

Honestly, its the big losses that kill me the most. 2006 osu game. both recent Tigers WS losses. Pistons losing to the spurs. Wings blowing it against f'in Pittsburgh. Lions getting screwed over in the Dallas game. Trey Burke getting that block called a foul. Ugh. Can we have a negbang now to purge our souls.

evenyoubrutus

August 3rd, 2017 at 11:14 AM ^

My honest answer: the day that Bo died. I remember it vividly. I was a young bloke and had just gotten married. My wife had run into Kroger to grab something and I flipped on WTKA and heard the news. She came back and sat down in the car and saw me crying for the first time in her life.

And then after that Michigan Football immediately went to shit, wandering for 40 (ish) years in the desert.