NYD Game Superstitions

Submitted by Blazefire on

It's been a few years since an NYD bowl game, but some of my superstitions are vaguely coming back to me. Though I have no idea if it has actually proven true, I firmly believe that if it snows in AA on January 1st, Michigan will win its bowl game.

Weather report for NYD in AA: 39 degree high, 50% chance of showers. Rain doesn't tell us anything either way, but we'll just hope it gets a little colder and we get a wintery mix.

I also firmly believe that if I am the first person to spill a drink at our NYD party, Michigan will lose its bowl game. Several years ago I bought a no-spill coffee mug that I put every drink into on NYD.

Do you have any bowl game superstitions you're excited to haul out of mothballs?

ChitownWolverine82

December 28th, 2010 at 4:18 PM ^

Sometimes I get blitzed before noon, wander into a bar of an opposing Big Ten team and start a fight with the biggest guy there. 

But mainly, I just get some chicken wings and nurse my hangover at a buddies. 

michgoblue

December 28th, 2010 at 5:10 PM ^

I don't have any traditions, but here are my plans for NYE/D:

NYE:

4:00 p.m - set TiVo to record game (I watch on tape delay when my son goes to sleep, and go on a complete media blackout - no phone, no cell, no bberry, no going to places with TVs or where I may run into someone who would tell me the score)

4:00 p.m. through 6:00 p.m. - obsessively check MGoBlog for any late breaking injury, line-up, cc information.

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 - chineese food dinner with the wife and son.  Discuss the upcoming game, cc topic, etc. until even my wife, who is a die hard M fan, gets sick of discussing M football.

7:30 - 8 - re-check MGoBlog for any new info

8-1a.m. - A few couples coming over for a laid back NYE celebration.  One of the husbands is a huge football fan - discuss upcoming game, CC topic, back to game until said husband politely excuses himself from conversation

1:00 a.m. - back to MGoBlog to check for any last minute info

1:05 a.m. - issue silent prayer to Charles Woodson that M comes out strong, finds a defense, dominates on offense and beats the ranked SEC team that they are playing.

1:15 - go to sleep

2:27 a.m. - dream about game.  In the first dream, M dominates, starts next season ranked, runs the table through the first 11 and I wake up just before kick-off of the OSU game.  In the second dream, MSU manhandles us, RR is fired and Les Miles rides in on a thunder cloud to take over the HC job, where he proceeds to humiliate the program and land us in major NCAA hot water.  This is a bad dream.

2:32 - cry myself back to sleep after said bad dream.

NYD:

8:30 a.m. - wake up and immediately check MGoBlog for any last minute, game day info

9:00 a.m. through 1:00 a.m. - morning with the family (sneak checks of MGoBlog on bberry), obsessively check TiVo to make sure that game is set and will record.

1:30 - 7:30 - spend 6 horrible hours desparately attempting to avoid all forms of human contact - this is serious media black-out time

7:20 - slip small amount of Vodka in my son's chocolate milk to guaranty an early bed time so that I can start watching this damn game.

7:30 - issue another siled prayer to Charles Woodson

7:32 - watch game

michgoblue

December 28th, 2010 at 6:23 PM ^

I have been doing it for 3 years, since my son was born. 

My wife and I both watch the games, so if we watch it during the day, the only option is to watch with him.  He can last for part of the game, but it is sort of tough to watch with him - also, I can't be responsible for him going into pre-school and repeating some of the words he would learn watching with me. 

We save the games and re-watch with him the next morning over breakfast, so that he can be properly indoctrinated.  He is 3 and knows by heart the jersey numbers of the following players:  Denard (obviously), Tate, V. SMith, Shaw (who he sometimes call Mike Hart), Roh, Mouton, Stonum, Roundtree, Hemmingway, Martell Webb, Martin, Molk, Jeremy Gallon, and such classic Wolverines as Tom Brady and Brian Griese.  I am bragging. 

So, my wife and I decided to come up with this whole blackout thing.  It only works if you are obsessive to the point of crazy and do not care about being a functional part of society for 12 Saturdays a year (plus a bowl).  We turn off our phones, bberries, cell phones, TV, radio, etc., and 100% avoid placed with televisions.  We try to put our son to bed as early as possible and then make a night out of it, having a whole game day meal / dessert, etc.  It's actually pretty cool, but on days with a noon kickoff, it is tough. 

M-Wolverine

December 28th, 2010 at 6:44 PM ^

But wouldn't it be easier to just get a babysitter for 12 Saturdays a year? Grandparents? Leash him out back for a few hours? There has to be an easier way. But I admire the scheduling prowess.

cjpops

December 28th, 2010 at 11:41 PM ^

I dvr every game i possibly can as well. Been doing that with all tv since I've had the technology. I see no reason to watch live tv at all. I get thru a UM game in just over an hour. No huddles, halftime, time outs or ads. Lions in 45 minutes or so. Sometimes faster to dull the pain. Plus, I get to spend the daytime doing things on my own terms.
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<br>Just TiVo the game and go play golf (well...in the Fall anyway). Im always less frustrated, see very few ads, don't have to listen to Millen 'break it down', don't Sit thru the halftime blowholes telling me what I just saw and pitching Old Spice while previewing the Monkey Butt Itch Powder Bowl, and replay anything I want whenever I want.
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<br>Regarding other tv shows (30 rock, et al): I don't even know when they are broadcast normally. I just turn on the tv and watch whatever is recorded. TiVo might be the greatest thing since wireless Internet.
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<br>Fellas: all you need is TiVo and mgoblog. Turn off ESPN, stop worrying what Mark May or some other 'expert' thinks about (anything) UM football, forget about pre/post season prognostications from whichever fish wrapper is masquerading as a newspaper in Detroit these days, don't worry about 'in depth coverage' from beat reporters scribbling cliche quotes from press conferences and regurgitating (and probably misquoting) in columns later. As George Carlin would say, "It's all bullshit, and it's bad for ya."
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<br>Just remember to always extend the recording at least an hour past the game's scheduled end time. You never know when a triple overtime will happen.
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<br>Enjoy the game!
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<br>:-)

wigeon

December 28th, 2010 at 5:56 PM ^

but there's a clear trend in my game-watching history for M bowl games - visit someone and they lose, stay home they win. This holds true since '97. 

I'm staying home. 

M-Wolverine

December 28th, 2010 at 6:47 PM ^

Not much. Have the Bowl game hat (little Rose symbol from Bo's last), and have the lockerroom national championship combo t-shirt or sweatshirt, for whichever the weather permits. Because I want every bowl season to end in another Championship, and it's good to remind opposing fans we've been to the mountaintop.