Anyone who really knows me knows that I'm not the most, ah, dedicated of anti-Michigan fanatics. I didn't grow up in Ohio, so (like a lot of other things) the hatred for that state up north was not seared into my psyche from birth. I went to and graduated from Ohio State, and on that one certain Saturday in November, I truly do wish those people the worst. Normally though, I'm really just a shade below neutral.
At any rate, having now been to their campus, seen 'The Big House' in person, and taken a quick glance around, I am wholly unimpressed. That stadium is entirely unintimidating from the outside, and Crisler Arena looks and feels like a dungeon. Despite the dingy atmosphere (comparing anyone's facilities to our own is kind of unfair), the fan support and participation at the game was admirable. Our seats at the game last night were in the thick of the UM student section--right on the floor behind the Ohio State bench. They were loud, and they were effective. Several of them had cowbells which, during full timeouts, were beaten literally non-stop. Absolutely piercing. I was ready to credit them for their fervor, until (after the game had ended and people had filed out) I came across this:
Now, far be it from me to criticize the organization of a fanbase (I think that's what a lot of teams sadly lack these days), but I found this flyer to be particularly amusing. I tried to make the scans as small as possible while still being readable, but if you're having trouble, I'll pick out the gems. Directly from the page:
"Matt Sylvester's name can be rearranged to spell the phrase 'My vest rattles'."
"Sophomore center Matt Terwilliger says the greatest risk he's ever taken is scuba diving."
Not sure what purpose those serve, but that's not the best part. If you look closely, there are detailed instructions on the back (the bottom image) as to how the fans are supposed to cheer. For example:
"H-BOMB: If Daniel Horton hits a three, drop back in your seats as if a bomb has violently shaken Crisler Arena. It's the H-BOMB!"
Yes. And there's more.
"Hype our player: In the pre-game introductions, rather than chanting "who cares!" when an opposing player is introduced, start chanting for the Michigan player about to be introduced (i.e. before Daniel is introduced, we will start chanting "Dan-iel Hor-ton!" (clap clap clap clap clap) during the Wisconsin [Ohio State?] player's introduction)."
Mm hmm.
"Old chants:
- De-fense (clap clap) <== DON'T SPEED UP!"
Needless to say, I was less reverent after reading this. I definitely value a crowd for being loud, rowdy and distracting, but if you need an in-hand manual as to how to achieve that, well...you're just lame.
In any event, as the title says, I thought you all would find this to be plenty amusing. It was a beautiful sight, seeing them in their ridiculous yellow outfits with their fallen faces drag themselves out of the arena. If I can manage to find a way out of work again (shh!), I'll probably go to East Lansing to watch it happen again.
At any rate, having now been to their campus, seen 'The Big House' in person, and taken a quick glance around, I am wholly unimpressed. That stadium is entirely unintimidating from the outside, and Crisler Arena looks and feels like a dungeon. Despite the dingy atmosphere (comparing anyone's facilities to our own is kind of unfair), the fan support and participation at the game was admirable. Our seats at the game last night were in the thick of the UM student section--right on the floor behind the Ohio State bench. They were loud, and they were effective. Several of them had cowbells which, during full timeouts, were beaten literally non-stop. Absolutely piercing. I was ready to credit them for their fervor, until (after the game had ended and people had filed out) I came across this:
Now, far be it from me to criticize the organization of a fanbase (I think that's what a lot of teams sadly lack these days), but I found this flyer to be particularly amusing. I tried to make the scans as small as possible while still being readable, but if you're having trouble, I'll pick out the gems. Directly from the page:
"Matt Sylvester's name can be rearranged to spell the phrase 'My vest rattles'."
"Sophomore center Matt Terwilliger says the greatest risk he's ever taken is scuba diving."
Not sure what purpose those serve, but that's not the best part. If you look closely, there are detailed instructions on the back (the bottom image) as to how the fans are supposed to cheer. For example:
"H-BOMB: If Daniel Horton hits a three, drop back in your seats as if a bomb has violently shaken Crisler Arena. It's the H-BOMB!"
Yes. And there's more.
"Hype our player: In the pre-game introductions, rather than chanting "who cares!" when an opposing player is introduced, start chanting for the Michigan player about to be introduced (i.e. before Daniel is introduced, we will start chanting "Dan-iel Hor-ton!" (clap clap clap clap clap) during the Wisconsin [Ohio State?] player's introduction)."
Mm hmm.
"Old chants:
- De-fense (clap clap) <== DON'T SPEED UP!"
Needless to say, I was less reverent after reading this. I definitely value a crowd for being loud, rowdy and distracting, but if you need an in-hand manual as to how to achieve that, well...you're just lame.
In any event, as the title says, I thought you all would find this to be plenty amusing. It was a beautiful sight, seeing them in their ridiculous yellow outfits with their fallen faces drag themselves out of the arena. If I can manage to find a way out of work again (shh!), I'll probably go to East Lansing to watch it happen again.
