Old School Game Day Traditions
I recently was discussing with friends game day traditions when we were at UM in the late 70s. I have attended games regularly since then and have seen traditions come and go. Despite my approaching geezer status, I actually enjoy many of the recent changes. I thought I would mention a couple from the old school, just for yuks.
First, was the toilet paper hurl when M scored. Just take a look at Michigan Historian footage from that period. When living in the dorm, one had to stash a roll or two every Sunday because after a game there was none to be found anywhere.
Another was the Sh*t Band. Like todays Pep Band, they were a small group that walked section by section stopping only when a sufficient number of fans cheered and otherwise cajoled them to stop. They differed from today's Pep Band in a couple of ways. One, they always wore their rain ponchos. Two, their musical selection was a series of short several note blasts with a pause in between. The gap was filled by the students pumping their fists and shouting "SHIT"! Maybe something else in the other sections.
One tradition we most certainly did NOT have was students standing throughout the game. Although, back then the drinking age was 18 and there were no restrictions on what could be brought into the stadium. I think most students would have had trouble standing more than a few minutes at a time.
Happy Independence Day!!
"Although, back then the drinking age was 18 and there were no restrictions on what could be brought into the stadium."
Wow... when was this, exactly?
I would have to check to make sure but I recall being "legal" for my first two football seasons and then it went up. I think it was effective Jan 1, 1979. Drove the bars nuts.
My Dad was class of '73 and he told me stories of people bringing wine coolers into the stadium. A student would stand up and have to chug the whole thing. If he wasn't able to do it, he was met by a whole section of "BOOs". Ahhh the good ol' days.
Chugging wine coolers, huh? What sorority was your dad in?
It's funny to think there was a time when the drinking age was 18 (at least for this 23 year old).
My Dad was a senior in HS when they bumped it up to 21, so he had to go from legal to illegal. It's kinda funny that his high school yearbook had a feature about no longer being able to drink.
my last home game in 1977, they had an announcement noifying us that coolers would no longer be allowed in the stadium. we stood and booed so long our own offense had to back off at the line of scrimmage.
but my favorite game day tradition (other than rolling a few to burn in the seats) was putting orange flavor Tang powder directly in a bottle of nearly frozen vodka. a "power screwdriver" we called it.
I love watching all the toilet paper fly through the student section on old clips. But I can understand why they did away with this tradition. The game was delayed several minutes before every PAT just so people could clean all the toilet paper out of the end zone.
The marshmellow throwing I could take or leave.
The male cheerleaders doing backflips off the big house wall on to the field was big in the 80's after scores too. Though, it had to have sucked whenever we played a Wisconsin, Illinois or Minnesota and the team would score 50, 60, sometimes even 70 points. Obviously when the field was lowered in 1991, this tradition had to stop or the cheerleaders would have killed themselves. Did they do this in the 70's when you were there?
the soberity of the students pry hasnt ....
i actually think it helps in standing for 3 and 1/2 hrs minus halftime ... it sorta numbs the senses
wish it was that easy to drink during the games still but trust me ( i actually do not during the game) when i say its far from impossible
I thought this was a joke until I googled it:
http://www.kegworks.com/product.php?productid=21705&source=base
And to think you can actually use it to sit on (up to 300 pounds) as well? This might just be the product of the century.
had michigan fans at the rosebowl cheering lets go blue for the entrance into the stadium, one tradition that is so awesome and am glad it has continued.....
cannot think of any others, marshmellows went away as did the toilet paper....
Another great thing last yr was getting some good music pumping the stadium up but sadly the band had put a stop to most of it, and allowed the osu fans to get loud before the band finally got off their collective tails and did anything about it.....
On Hoover there is a bbq tailgate/stand selling pork and ribs, for discount after the game. Gotta have that extra $3 in your walletso you can buy that glorious food, sit down on Elbel, and either let the food calm you down or use it to help you bask in the glory of victory
but the thought on them melting into the field turf on a 90 degree day makes me think we shouldnt revive that tradition.