Of course, Football Saturday, a weekly holiday here on the Ann Arbor campus, is more than just football at the Big House. Game Day entails a straight four hours, at least, of boozing for students and occasionally parents. It also demands a well organized week so that all of this tailgating before the game can be accomplished correctly, as well as the time afterwards to recuperate from those ten or so beers one downed before the 00:00 for warm up strikes. And if that isn't enough for you, check out the seniors who come decked out in anything from their favorite superheroes sporting UM gear, or next to nothing with body paint as their only shield from things that should be kept between intimate lovers.
Football Saturday can also be viewed as a pain in the ass for others. The locals are probably restricted to their homes since the streets of Ann Arbor flood with drunk students, tailgaters, and "Ohio is a State that Sucks" shirt booths. Ann Arbor has to deal with the many who flock to see their team be led to victory once again . . . hopefully now that what's his name is gone (who was our 1st string quarterback? I think his name was Threet . . . yes, that's how . . . sad he really was). They have to put up with the drivers who don't know the streets, the ones who turn down the one ways going the wrong way, or who are too busy gawking at passerby's to notice their light is green . . . or red.
But there are others who love to see the stupid tourists cram into the already crowded college town. They take full advantage of the loaded fams that pay $40 to park across the stadium where they are trapped an hour after the game is over. Or the silly people who will pay $5 to buy a water that is still warm, and possibly opened. Fans are ripped off by scalpers who are trying to get rid of their tickets, by popcorn vendors in the stadium, and occasionally by homeless people who I am sure love game day in every way, shape and form.
Football Saturday in Ann Arbor is a mad house, complete and utter chaos. Every restaurant is full, every M Den is bustling, every stomach is full to the brim with alcohol. But the spirit still radiates from each and every person's body and never fails to show up for at least the first half of the game, or until someone blacks out during the drum major's back bend.
Speaking of the drum major, yet another major factor in Game Day . . . "the half-time presentation of the Michigan Marching Band!" as announced weekly by our fantastic commentator. The band never fails to impress . . . and they march to impress too. Not only does the stadium get to witness the stellar performance, they actually get a say in what goes down on that turf during those twenty minutes of . . . well, marching. And I give them loads of props, kudos, marshmallows, whatever it is they want 'cause I know I couldn't sweat my body weight in those sexy band uniforms while sporting a feather in my hat and carrying a trombone . . . all white keeping in step and making any sort of racket with that instrument.
All I know is that Football Saturday, Game Day, Tailgate Day, whatever you want to call it, is one of the most sought after days here on campus. Everyone counts down to the day when we can all march to the stadium in our maize shirts to root for "the leaders, the best." And that fight song . . . it rings from east to west in this city every time one of those navy football jerseys crosses into the end-zone, football in tow. Ears ring after "Hail to the Victors" is sang, shouted, slurred, out of every fan in the stadium.
Can it get more exciting than that?
I think not . . .
wait, if we beat OSU : DDD
GO BLUE!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment