Still in Pain (Pat 1-of-3)
I made a point to be a positive and encouraging Michigan fan this weekend. This is a huge game, and the last thing the team needs is fan criticism. It also helped that I received a nice Michigan spirit boost when I went over to the Victors Club offices on Friday to drop off my season ticket "waiting list" donation. Guess who greeted me when I walked into the Victors Club office? JAMIE MORRIS!! OMG! As I was leaving the office, some random guy walking in asked me what I thought the score of the game was going to be tomorrow. You may not believe it, but I actually said "Michigan by several touchdowns". I'm sure FlyingV was proud!
With that comment, it felt good to know that I had found my true Michigan spirit back in Ann Arbor. I was definitely ready for The Game!
I made my way back into Ann Arbor on Saturday morning around 8AM. After finding a fantastic free parking spot within two blocks of Michigan Stadium, I went over to watch the MMB morning practice. This was not intended to be much of a reunion weekend since most of my friends were not coming back for The Game, so I was just killing time around town talking to a few MMB trumpet alums that I encountered at the band practice while waiting for TheJSB to arrive in Ann Arbor.
It was a crisp November morning, with an overcast sky fitting of a late November football game. The sun was starting to peek through the clouds, and the game day forecast was moisture-free.
TheJSB arrived shortly before 10AM and we went for a walk down State Street to take in the crazy house party atmosphere (pictures to follow in part 3). It was definitely a zoo there, and my favorite sign was one hanging outside a house on that street that said "Mike Hart. Are you looking for a baby momma?" I'll post a couple pictures from this scene a little later.
After having my first ever meal at Mr. Spots (shocking, I know), TheJSB and I met up with her dad. I tried to pay her dad for my football ticket, but he refused to accept payment since I was their guest for the game. I was speechless. Who gives away tickets to The Game? Their worth their weight in gold!! It was an incredibly kind gesture. I was planning to take them out to dinner after the game as a 'thank you' anyway, so I just figured I'd take them to a nicer restaurant. However, now it was time to walk to the stadium.
Just after we entered the stadium, it started to rain lightly. So much for that moisture-free forecast. I was wearing a maize Michigan hoodie over my old blue fleece and a maize long sleeve Michigan t-shirt (my standard late-fall Michigan football attire). I was not really prepared for rain, but at least I would stay somewhat dry even if my sweatshirt got soaked. I was regretting my failure to pack long underwear underneath my jeans. Jeans and several hours of rain and cold don't mix very well.
As we watched the tail end of the warmups from our seats in row 82 in the south endzone, I was amazed with how great the view is at Michigan Stadium when you are so close to the top row of the stadium. I did not feel like I was that far away from the field. There is not a bad seat in that entire stadium! Unfortunately, most of the road team ticket allotment is in patches around the south endzone, so there were a decent number of Buckeyes around me.
Despite the rain and cold, the crowd seemed fired up and ready for a glorious Michigan Stadium send-off for Lloyd Carr.
Coming up - Part 2 - 60 minutes of misery (I'm just not ready to write about this now)
With that comment, it felt good to know that I had found my true Michigan spirit back in Ann Arbor. I was definitely ready for The Game!
I made my way back into Ann Arbor on Saturday morning around 8AM. After finding a fantastic free parking spot within two blocks of Michigan Stadium, I went over to watch the MMB morning practice. This was not intended to be much of a reunion weekend since most of my friends were not coming back for The Game, so I was just killing time around town talking to a few MMB trumpet alums that I encountered at the band practice while waiting for TheJSB to arrive in Ann Arbor.
It was a crisp November morning, with an overcast sky fitting of a late November football game. The sun was starting to peek through the clouds, and the game day forecast was moisture-free.
TheJSB arrived shortly before 10AM and we went for a walk down State Street to take in the crazy house party atmosphere (pictures to follow in part 3). It was definitely a zoo there, and my favorite sign was one hanging outside a house on that street that said "Mike Hart. Are you looking for a baby momma?" I'll post a couple pictures from this scene a little later.
After having my first ever meal at Mr. Spots (shocking, I know), TheJSB and I met up with her dad. I tried to pay her dad for my football ticket, but he refused to accept payment since I was their guest for the game. I was speechless. Who gives away tickets to The Game? Their worth their weight in gold!! It was an incredibly kind gesture. I was planning to take them out to dinner after the game as a 'thank you' anyway, so I just figured I'd take them to a nicer restaurant. However, now it was time to walk to the stadium.
Just after we entered the stadium, it started to rain lightly. So much for that moisture-free forecast. I was wearing a maize Michigan hoodie over my old blue fleece and a maize long sleeve Michigan t-shirt (my standard late-fall Michigan football attire). I was not really prepared for rain, but at least I would stay somewhat dry even if my sweatshirt got soaked. I was regretting my failure to pack long underwear underneath my jeans. Jeans and several hours of rain and cold don't mix very well.
As we watched the tail end of the warmups from our seats in row 82 in the south endzone, I was amazed with how great the view is at Michigan Stadium when you are so close to the top row of the stadium. I did not feel like I was that far away from the field. There is not a bad seat in that entire stadium! Unfortunately, most of the road team ticket allotment is in patches around the south endzone, so there were a decent number of Buckeyes around me.
Despite the rain and cold, the crowd seemed fired up and ready for a glorious Michigan Stadium send-off for Lloyd Carr.
Coming up - Part 2 - 60 minutes of misery (I'm just not ready to write about this now)
posted by GaryGinew at 3:40 PM
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