Forever BLUE!

As my alarm clock carries out its purpose, I see that it’s 7 o’clock. We have to be on the road by 8. You see I live 2 hours away from Ann Arbor and my dad and I were on our way to our FIRST Michigan vs. Ohio State game. We weren’t 10 minutes into our drive before we saw our first car load of people going to the game. It’s not hard to tell who we are. We have flags flying, magnets on our cars, each of us draped in maize and blue. We wave at each other not knowing who we are, just that we have one very blue thing in common. Once you get within an hour of Ann Arbor the highway is filled with cars full of Michigan fans. After the long drive we decided to grab some lunch before the game. As we were walking out we saw two gentleman with hand crafted Michigan walking sticks. As any good fan would do, we complimented them. Eddie aka Stickman and Ace introduced themselves to us and told us they sold them. I had to have one. After thumbing though a stack of them in the back of his vehicle, I settled on one, paid the man his money and was on my way. Next stop Ann Arbor!

From the second we pulled off I-94, planning to take Ann Arbor-Saline road/Main street, we saw nothing but brake lights; brake lights and people walking on both sides of the road. After sitting in traffic for a good four miles, the crowds of people growing in size, I see Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. Goosebumps crawling up my arms as they do every time I get my first glimpse of the stadium, it’s time to park. We got there a little late, 11 o’clock, we turn to park in our usual spot, blocked. It’s full, keep in mind this spot is never full. It’s why I park there. So we see that just ahead we can still park at the school. We get waved in and they tell us to go where the parking attendants direct us. So we follow the first FOUR people back only to have to follow THREE more to the VERY back of the school. The walk turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the game. I saw the entire facility holding A LOT of fans. It was a very mixed crowd, for every Michigan tailgate crew there was an Ohio State crew right next to it. I saw a setup that included over thirty lawn chairs with three different 50+ inch flat screen tv’s. I would’ve been so much more impressed by it had it not been soaked in scarlet and grey. My favorite tailgate crew had four tents lined up end to end stretching over 50 ft with nothing but maize and blue; capped off by a grill modeled after the winged helmets donned by the Wolverines each Saturday. Unfortunately my walk was soured by the fact that I was between a group of buckeye fans that, I swear, knew every anti-Michigan chant ever created. Not to worry, my fellow Michigan fans answered right back with chants of their own. We get to the corner of Main and Stadium streets and the group of people waiting to cross is bigger than I’ve ever seen. All three corners are so full, people are falling off the curbs, forced off really due to the large crowds. This IS my favorite part of the pre-game aspect. That whistle blows, cars stop, and all those people flood toward the gates. Once you cross that street and you’re through those gates its game time at the Big House!

It doesn’t take long and the smack talk begins. A man wearing Ohio State from head to toe looks up at the Eagle placed just inside the stadium entrance in honor of the men and women that gave their lives in World War II and says, “what the h3** is that thing?” A Michigan fan responds with,” what’s the matter can’t you read? Oops I didn’t see your outfit you probably can’t.” From there on I continued to hear banter from one fan to the next the whole time I was waiting in line to get into my section. After about a ten minute wait, I walk through the entrance to section 17 to see a crowd of 110,922 people on their feet. Unfortunately I’d say 35% percent were in scarlet and grey. I climb through the other fans in my row to get to my seat. I get there and quickly realize I’m not going to be sitting down today. As we stand there, we remove our hats for the start of the National Anthem. The Michigan Marching Band is just about to finish the song as I feel my whole body shake, my heart skip a beat, and lose my breath as two F-16 fighter planes flew no more than 100 yards above the stadium silencing the entire place for one second; only to be followed by a shocked but impressed group of Buckeyes and Wolverines alike applauding loudly.

The game, as we all know, wasn’t what we wanted as Michigan fans. The atmosphere during the game was one I wont forget. The quietest fans in the stadium were the ones who are true blue. I was surrounded by either Buckeyes or Michigan fans that had nothing but criticism and negative comments about the Wolverines. Not all of the good Michigan fans could contain themselves. I, along with everyone in our section, was blessed with the presence of a Buckeye heckler. After 3 quarters, the older gentleman directly in front of the heckler stands up, turns around and says,” you talk a lot of s*** now, but when you and I were kids, we whooped yo a** up and down this field over and over again!” That was the last we heard from the heckler.

Yes Michigan lost, yes it was more of the same that we as fans are growing tired of. One thing is absolutely certain in this Wolverine’s mind, nothing will make you hate the Buckeyes more than sitting there with them as they celebrate in OUR house. I’m kidding. The One thing that is absolutely certain is, that place filled with fans that embrace every aspect of this rivalry, is as great a football venue as you’re going to find in all of college football. It was an experience that you can’t hear about, you can’t imagine what it would be like, you have to be there at the stadium in the midst of it all. Then and only then will you understand why good or bad, win or lose, I will be, forever BLUE!

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