Watching Michigan football - My "unhealthy" obsession

It kills me to be this guy now because I was that person who would watch a ton of college football a year and literally every bowl game humanly possible live (conflicting games at the same time and all)....and of course every Michigan game

Michigan games were a non negotiable 3 hours of non interruption. I then started to let my wife plan family parties or up north trips during the Michigan season with the stipulation that I would get to watch the game for three hours. We have fought about this when up north didn't have live TV or she took me to a restaurant that was not open for the entire time of the game with a casino nearby.

I'm slowly slipping. I've missed parts of Michigan games to see my niece and nephew's soccer games, scheduled work when I know it means I will miss a half of football, listened to one of the games on the radio, and attended other events where my enjoyment of the game will be lessened.

The Ohio State game last year may have broken me a little. I did not go to a party my cousin was having because I was going to be miserable. Just not worth it to get that worked up over sports. 

For me, while I would strongly prefer to watch a Michigan game - if there's a social obligation like a wedding with friends or doing something with the in-laws, that absolutely takes priority.  If I miss out on watching a game on TV that I'm not physically at because of my real life, them's the breaks - I can always watch replays of a game, but not replay time with people.  It sucks to be miserable when bad shit happens on a football field but it sucks even more to let the misery from that spill over into the rest of your week. If that makes me a false fan, so be it.

I'd similarly prefer not to watch with other people who won't get their heart tugged at the way I would because it'd be a pretty awful look on my part to swear, rant, and throw things in front of my very conservative in-laws while M is getting fucked sideways by referees who were paid in gift certificates from Columbus tattoo parlors in addition to the lotioned up handy they got from Urbz 30 minutes prior to kickoff.

But if anyone did make a fool of himself or herself going stark raving mad about the referee corruption last November and flat out ruined a family outing... I sure as hell won't think the less of you for that.

Several years ago, a half-dozen of us went to Iowa for a friend's wedding. This wasn't anything close to urban Iowa - this was "Wow, there really are lots of cornfields and very little else" Iowa.

The wedding was Saturday in the evening, so the other five decided to make a day trip to Dyersville, home of the famous "If You Build It, They Will Come" cornfield from "Field of Dreams". Under normal circumstances, I would have jumped at the chance (loved the movie). But that was the day of the Staee game, and I wasn't going to miss it. So while they were enjoying the visit, I was blistering the walls of the Red Roof Inn with many unprintable words, watching us fall to the Spartans.

On top of that, I got hideously sick on too much champagne at the reception, and spent the night doing chin-ups on the toilet bowl.

Good times.

Spent my formative years attending home games with my dad.  Away games, I listened to Bob Ufer on the radio while raking leaves in the backyard.  As a student, almost none of my friends cared about football.  Sitting in the student section was nowhere near as fun as our family season tickets. Although, being in the endzone for that Anthony Carter TD was one of life's best moments.  University life in general, though, was the best 4 years of life, and an experience for which I will always be grateful.  After graduation, I turned my attention to other things.  More education.  Jobs. Spouse, house. Never lost the fandom but wasn't making it the biggest priority either.  Fast forward some years.  Divorced, struggling financially, getting ready to head to work (all weekends dontcha know) and my dad was arriving at my house to take my 4 yo son (b. 1997, currently attending Michigan) to his first game.  Dad was decked out in all his Michigan finery, including his vintage fan hat from the 60s.  In that instant the passage of time and the Michigan tradition almost bowled me over physically.  Ever since then? and now?  There is no place I would rather be on a fall Saturday than in our stadium, I believe in supporting our team and school in exactly the way Bo would have wanted and which every Michigan HC deserves. 

Having hung in there during the down years, seeing the Harbaugh renaissance is all the more sweet.  The foundation is strong.   The future is bright.  

Will cuase these kind of problems for sure. The wife's blood pressure has been tested many times during this time of year. Every year months in advance the calender is circled on the date of THE GAME. I tell her emphatically that on this day the world stops turning as I am not missing said event. Sacrifices have to be made at this time of year and MICHIGAN football is not one of them. There are  8 months a year for all the other feeble functions.

I was a groomsman in a wedding right during a Michigan - Michigan State game. 

Several of us groomsmen and the groom got into a limo after taking pictures and watched the game on TV.  The bride showed up from pictures with her family earlier than we expected.  She FREAKED.

That marrige did not get off to a good start.  It did not end well either a few years later.

My daughter called to tell us that she was engaged and wanted a fall wedding.  This was October last year.  I told her that the only available date for a fall wedding was 30 September, UM's bye week.  Needless to say, she was married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony on 30 September.

This year, UM at IU.  Friend's daughter is getting married.  I sat in the parking lot of the church listening to the game when it went into overtime.  We get in the church and I realize that my wife had her tablet in her purse.  We sat in a pew in the back watching the overtime, 4 of us crammed over a 8 inch tablet.  When the ball was intercepted, we cheered quietly, just as the first bridesmaid was making her way down the isle.

I skipped out on my sister in law's wedding for UTL I. We had planned the tailgate and weekend 2 years in advance and when my SIL planned her wedding she floated that date of the game and the weekend after in Minnesota. To boot, our daughter was 10 months old and the first time the whole family would see her. 

My wife said "Do what you need to do, but Gladstone will not be there the night of the Notre Dame-Michigan game." My mother and father in law both came out a couple months earlier to visit us in DC and tried to guilt me into it. "We'd love to see you there..." I didn't think twice about it. Best part is that sister in law is my wife's least favorite sister so I don't get any grief. 

No regrets as that was one of the best days of my life. 

My wife's family was in the midst of a crisis, the details I won't get into. We had tickets to UTL I, and she felt she had to go see her parents in Oklahoma. I was pretty torn, as how often does one get to participate in a true first at Michigan Stadium? She totally supported me going, so I went with a friend.

There were no repercussions for me choosing the game over sitting around with the in-laws. In fact, they watched the game, so that was nice I guess.

That said, my priorities have shifted drastically. I now often DVR the game and will start it an hour or two after kickoff (or later, if needed). Losses don't ruin my day or my weekend. Wins are nice. I like that my weekend entertainment is just that, and not a make or break deal for my happiness.

in my family. When I was in high school, my brother was on UM's football team. My cousin was getting married on a home game saturday. I asked my dad if we were going to the wedding. His reply was no, we are going to the ball game.

In 1993 on the eve of the UM/OSU football game, my grandfather died in a car accident. He played football at OSU in the 1920's but he didn't like OSU. My dad and I went to the game with my mom's blessing (it was her dad that died) and we made funeral arrangments on Sunday.

In 2011 when my father in law retired, his retirement celebration was on the Saturday of the 1st under the lights game agains ND. When the family was together in July, I announced I was going to the game. My wife acted a little shocked but my father in law immediately came to the rescue and told me that he expected that I would go to the game and that I should go. So I did.

Just about everyone in my family and small circle of friends knows if there is a home UM game and they plan a function, I won't be attending.