This past Saturday morning, I flew up to Detroit to surprise my dad for his 60th birthday. It would be a whirlwind tour - leaving Washington on Saturday morning, renting a car in Detroit, and then back to Washington at the crack of dawn Sunday. The Detroit gate in Terminal A was a sea of maize and blue, evidently headed to Ann Arbor for the Michigan/Notre Dame game. I texted my friend Brian about it, and he quipped, "They probably got their tickets for free - ha ha!" Seriously, three weeks ago, if I were a Michigan grad, I may have sported my maize and blue proudly. But at 0-2? I might have gone with a subdued gray sweatshirt or something instead.
Two guys, in particular, stood out for me. They were not just in their Michigan jerseys. They were decked out with the matching hats (and probably matching socks, matching boxers, etc.). They were talking smack to some guy in a sport coat, who apparently was a Notre Dame alum. I wasn't listening too intently, but I did catch this. Neither one of these jokers was an actual Michigan grad. In fact, they went on about how they each pulled a 2.something GPA at whatever higher education institution was willing to admit them. Uh - not something to brag about, guys.
I stood there and said nothing, but these guys were just so over-the-top obnoxious, and the fact that they couldn't even back up their obnoxiousness with a Michigan degree just irked me. I mean, I guess I understand cheering for a school you didn't attend in a way - not everyone goes to a college that offers a decent team to follow (or at least a team that PLAYS decent teams). But to be that in-your-face about "your" team? Ridiculous. These guys were like 30-year old Al Bundys.
I had the great pleasure of running into my new friends at the Enterprise rental car office, and they were just as annoying there. No smack talk this time, but they were flirting with their rental agent, and were just . . .so. . .ew. I told them I saw them boarding my flight and they laughed, "Oh yeah - we were talking to that lame Notre Dame guy."
Where does this Michigan attitude come from? I can venture a guess. When I was in elementary school, we dedicated an entire day's course of music class on learning the Michigan school fight songs. We spent 45 minutes on "Hail to the Victors," but only had 10 minutes left to go over the Michigan State song. We had Michigan/Michigan State dress up day in junior high and high school. 90 percent of the student body donned maize and blue. Of course, at least half of those people ended up going to Michigan State because they didn't get into Michigan. This still kind of makes me chuckle.
Two guys, in particular, stood out for me. They were not just in their Michigan jerseys. They were decked out with the matching hats (and probably matching socks, matching boxers, etc.). They were talking smack to some guy in a sport coat, who apparently was a Notre Dame alum. I wasn't listening too intently, but I did catch this. Neither one of these jokers was an actual Michigan grad. In fact, they went on about how they each pulled a 2.something GPA at whatever higher education institution was willing to admit them. Uh - not something to brag about, guys.
I stood there and said nothing, but these guys were just so over-the-top obnoxious, and the fact that they couldn't even back up their obnoxiousness with a Michigan degree just irked me. I mean, I guess I understand cheering for a school you didn't attend in a way - not everyone goes to a college that offers a decent team to follow (or at least a team that PLAYS decent teams). But to be that in-your-face about "your" team? Ridiculous. These guys were like 30-year old Al Bundys.
I had the great pleasure of running into my new friends at the Enterprise rental car office, and they were just as annoying there. No smack talk this time, but they were flirting with their rental agent, and were just . . .so. . .ew. I told them I saw them boarding my flight and they laughed, "Oh yeah - we were talking to that lame Notre Dame guy."
Where does this Michigan attitude come from? I can venture a guess. When I was in elementary school, we dedicated an entire day's course of music class on learning the Michigan school fight songs. We spent 45 minutes on "Hail to the Victors," but only had 10 minutes left to go over the Michigan State song. We had Michigan/Michigan State dress up day in junior high and high school. 90 percent of the student body donned maize and blue. Of course, at least half of those people ended up going to Michigan State because they didn't get into Michigan. This still kind of makes me chuckle.
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P.S. I have to give credit where credit is due. I appreciate the subtle (or not-so-subtle) jabs at other teams in college paraphenalia. One guy on the plane was wearing a yellow t-shirt that had an outline of the state of Ohio with the line "Worst State Ever." It wasn't even that clever, but I still found it hilarious. Kind of like that ESPN commercial with the guy in the Ohio State sweatshirt and the girl in the Michigan sweatshirt making out on the couch with the caption, "Without sports, this wouldn't be disgusting."
I had to add this Amanda - guess who was on the sidelines of the Michigan/ND game this weekend? Aussie at a college football game? Rumors are that he's friends with the coach. Ummm, at least Matthew McConaughey went to U of Texas.
I had to add this Amanda - guess who was on the sidelines of the Michigan/ND game this weekend? Aussie at a college football game? Rumors are that he's friends with the coach. Ummm, at least Matthew McConaughey went to U of Texas.
That's craziness - I can understand the love and support for your alma mater and being able to back the smack up with your own personal experiences but to be just a crazy, regular schmoe for a love of UofM? That's a little ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteRussell Crowe - what a goon!
ReplyDeleteMichigan blows, I mean really. And I am so sick of celebs attending sporting events. I mean, are there seriously people out there that will cheer for a team because fatty Crowe is at the game or Ashley Judd is making a fool of herself??? Now it'd be another story if a celeb such as Paris Hilton or Queen Latifa was playing say the tuba in the marching band or something...
ReplyDelete