OT: Ryan Field renovation proposal creating controversy, pitting Evanston residents vs Northwestern (Not OT: resident describes visiting fans)
Interesting article in today's WSJ about the brewing fight between Northwestern U and the residents of Evanston around the proposed $800 million Ryan Field renovation.
In summary - residents around the current field are against a number of changes (including allowing concerts, which requires a zoning change, and other events, as well as alcohol at the proposed new venue. I don't really care one way or the other, but thought these key quotes were interesting, for those without a sub as it is paywalled:
"Mr. Starkman [local business owner], who is 56, said complaints about fans urinating on lawns and bushes after games are exaggerated and happen only when Northwestern hosts Ohio State."
"Wisconsin fans party very hard but are 'nice and respectful,' he said; 'Michigan State fans are 'brilliant, lots of doctors and judges'; Michigan supporters are 'ruffians' but generally well-behaved; Iowa's are the friendliest in the Big Ten, and Nebraska's fans are the most likely to show up in pickups."
"Ohio State fans are the only problem," Mr. Starkman said. "They have a monster following, and they think the world is their bathroom."
"Asked about that, Ohio State declined to comment."
You neglected to mention the author’s follow-up: “Needless to say, the local business owner confused the fans of the two Michigan schools.”
He absolutely mixed them up. How many MSU grads have ever made it into law or medical school? Like 5?
I hear MSU has a highly ranked osteopathic medicine program, but I imagine most people would prefer an MD. It's like if a particular meteorology school taught everything the other schools taught, but also that you can predict the weather with tarot cards. I know I would definitely trust the meteorologist whose curriculum did not include a bunch of magic.
MSU is actually shutting down their DO program and merging it with the MD program (that may have already happened).
Actually, most people that really know the differences prefer a DO to an MD.
I suppose it may somewhat vary by field of medicine but mostly, DO.
I mean, come on now... I'm not sure that's the case... unless the subset of folks you consider to "really know the difference" consists exclusively of DOs. I know a bunch of great DO docs but I don't think a blanket statement applies to either training route in terms of the doctors they've become.
It's not a rule, but for all the GPs I've had in my life, the DOs seem more inclined to engage in longer discussions around wellness than MDs. Who knows why - it could be training, self-selection or economics. But beside manner and ability to dedicate time are more visible to a patient than the physician's training quality or patient outcomes.
yes, that's one of the major differences between a DO and an MD. primary care provider? good case to make that a DO is better. specialist? MD.
You obviously don’t know about medicine if you want a DO over MD. Someone never falls back on an MD if they can’t get into DO school like it does the other way around.
MSU law's most prominent alumnus is Kwame Kilpatrick.
The current governor and supreme court chief are both msu law grads. The weird chest pounding on this sub about athletics is frankly pathetic
Meh. Even today, Kwame is still more prominent than Big Gretch.
He's definitely more notorious, but I'd say Gretch is more well known outside of Michigan.
MSU law will always be Cooley to me…
This happens to me a lot FWIW. I have neighbors here in Ohio that dont understand that Michigan & MSU are different schools even though I wear Michigan stuff they'll "congradulate" me when MSU has a big win in something.
That was the first thing i thought of when I read the guys descriptions of the fanbases - he doesnt know the difference between the two schools. Well look on the bright side, for every Michigan fan he annoyed with that description he made three MSU fans thrilled out of their mind.
A version of this conversation happens to me all the time:
them: where did you go to colleg?
me: Michigan
them: Michigan State?
if I’m in a certain mood I’ll respond, “no, the good one”.
I do live far from Michigan, and this is usually a conversation with a non sports fan. But I just don’t understand why this happens so often.
I bet they don't confuse NC State with UNC...
Exactly. Do people confuse OSU with Ohio, or Washington with Wazzu? I don’t think it happens often for other teams.
March 29th, 2023 at 10:35 PM ^
This happens to me all the time too, the exact same sequence. I started to think I may exude a couch-burner vibe, so I'm glad to hear it's possibly not just me
A few years ago I got downvoted and sniped at when I tried to make that point, that outside Michigan, most people confuse—or conflate—Michigan and Michigan State.
Does this happen to other schools? Do people confuse Florida and Florida St., USC and UCLA, Texas and Texas A&M, etc.? I mean I guess I could see it with some of the less prominent pairs: Arizona and ASU, Oregon and Oregon St., etc. But I just find it hard to understand how people mix this up...
I think confusion is less likely if a person's a college football fan.
But otherwise, especially on the coasts, Michigan-Michigan State, sound the same, seem the same.
Though I know the difference between, say, Iowa and-Iowa State, it's only because they're in different conferences. Otherwise, even though I'm originally from the Midwest (NE-MO-MI-IL), I couldn't even tell you anything about the difference between them as a colleges, ranking, reputation, student population, best programs, etc.
A long time ago I would mix up Oregon and Oregon State. Ducks Beavers......
But with us it's MICHIGAN fer God's sake.
Exactly! I only know the difference because I dated someone from OSU. But even then it took a while to remember which one was Ducks, which one was Beavers.
[EDIT: Actually, the difference only really sunk in later when Phil Knight acquired the University of Oregon and its Ducks.]
March 29th, 2023 at 10:45 PM ^
You think we get annoyed? Many people confuse Ivy League Penn for Penn State. Drives them nuts.
They have a poem about it:
We're not Penn State,
We're not Penn State,
Check the price, you could go there twice,
We're not Penn State.
We're not Penn State,
We're not Penn State.
Check the IQ, It's Penn State times two,
We're not Penn State
Ha, that poem really sucks.
They need to fancy that shit up a bit.
Now THAT is a confusion I'd pretend to make.
As for the "poem," putting sentences in different lines doesn't necessarily make a poem.
Not much IQ involved there either.
Oh, wait! Is this a poem?
Your neighbor absolutely knows the difference and that's an epic troll job to fans of both schools.
I use to live and work in Tokyo a long time ago. A met another American at my company. He told me that he heard I went to Michigan University. Didn't want to make a fuss so I ignored that a couple of times. The third time it happened I said it's the University of Michigan. I asked him where he went to school. He replied Ohio State University.
Fucker. He worked me over good. Ended up becoming friends.
March 29th, 2023 at 10:38 PM ^
Here in the East coast when I tell people that I went to Michigan and they are confused which of the two major schools in Michigan that is, they will sometimes ask "The one with the football team?"
I smile.
March 29th, 2023 at 11:27 PM ^
He definitely knows all about the Ohio State fanbase.
I assumed this was actually in the article. Now I'm disappointed. That aside would have fit well with the author's other snide comments. He should have gotten Jason Gay to give it a read.
That’s like confusing the English and the Irish.
They're both pale.
Mr. Quattro,
You usually makes so much sense but I believe this time you're wrong.
The animosity between Irish & English is famous in the English-speaking world, even thousands of miles away.
But I'd bet you a nickel—no, make it a dime!—that most people outside Big-Ten land wouldn't have a clue about the difference.
And many of them think that Michigan and Michigan State are different names for the same university.
Sincerely,
D. C. Worth (aka, Due Centesimi's Worth)
The animosity between Irish & English is famous in the English-speaking world, even thousands of miles away.
But many outside the English-speaking world get them mixed up.
Scottish versus Irish?
Coolers in the front yard should solve this issue.
Go Blue!!!!
I think it only solves the 'second' problem.
What about the Rutgers fans?
Rutger has fans?
Exactly.
Rutger has a fan.
{Insert photo of sprain tanned Rutger fans here}
"sprain tanned": what happens when you contort your body to get a tan on every part of it.
Rutgers jokes aside, it looks like Rutgers has played at Northwestern exactly once since Rutgers joined the B1G. So I can forgive the guy for not remembering Rutgers (even if he did confuse Michigan with MSU).
With an attendance of 30,218 out of an official capacity of 47,130. Obvious joke here is does either team have fans?
Mr Starkman should invent the human pooper scooper before OSU downtrends.
for my own selfish reasons I hope they go through with it. If it looks anything like the artist rendering it'll be a really cool stadium and make for an even better road trip destination. It would only seat 35k but it could actually be loud. That is, if opposing fanbases don't continue to take it over.
Would still be loud but would just be 30k visiting fans.
Go Blue!!!!