Wearing Mgear in Ohio
I'm playing in a 2-day golf tournament at Firestone CC in Akron next month. My lucky golf tournament outfit is the Loudmouth Maize & Blue argyle pants/shorts that you can buy at MDen along with a Michigan shirt. I've won low gross or low net several times in this ensemble. But I'm wondering if it will be considered a bit too "in your face"/douchey to wear it down there. I'm secure & self confident enough to handle anything the wild untamed masses below the border dish out, but don't want to come across as a jerk or an asshole.
Thoughts?
GO BLUE!
If you come across as a jerk or an asshole simply for wearing Michigan gear, it's only to people who are just barely human.
They'll be too busy with LeBron coming back to even care.
You'll be among jerks and assholes. You'll be the jerk in Michigan gear. Do it.
I regularly attend meetings at OSU and the state agencies there wearing a Michigan tie. F- them.
In Columbus in the fall, maybe. Akron in the summer? No. Go for it.
You will likely be dissapointed . . . not at the venomous trash talk that will come your way, but that no one will care.
Wear it. Repping your school isn't being a loudmouth.
(What Would Charles Woodson Do)
Coincidently, I will be at Firestone CC for the Bridgestone tourney this month. I'm volunteering my time parking cars for patrons as part of a fundraiser. Good luck on your tourney next month!
one Mr. Schembechler. He'd tell you to wear it if he were still with us. If you don't believe me, just ask Coach Hanlon. You'll get dbs everywhere. Just a short time ago, I complimented a M fan on his cap that was of camo design. He shot back, "and you're wearing the color of our rival." He was speaking, of course, to my St. Paddy's Day edition cap that is blue, with a shamrock in the back and a green block M in the front. Glad he only saw the front. With him being a youngster, relative to my age anyway, I thought I'd teach him a thing - believe it or don't - but there are some twenty-one year olds out there who haven't learned it all yet. I just informed him Michigan was known for the block M and asked him if he could tell the difference between a MN M and a MI M. He said, "sure." I told him, "My work here is done," and he just smiled.
Michigan gear in Akron in July? Like someone mentioned, you're probably just as likely to hear a "Go Blue" than anything else, and if this board is an indication, Michigan representation in NE Ohio is fairly significant (a fair number of our current and former players are from this part of Ohio anyway). I don't think the parade currently being held for LeBron James stops until it is time to discuss his contract again, so if standing out is a concern, the best bet for anonymity would probably be one of those "Forgiven" shirts.
You're going to be on a golf course in the summer. The worst you're going to get is a couple half-serious boos. Nobody is going to begrudge you a color scheme.
Wear the outfit, be a decent person otherwise.
drive thru Ohio and make sure that I AM wearing Michigan gear before doing so. It wards off evil.
the power of michigan compels you!
It's not like you're wearing a Buck the Fuckeyes shirt in the middle of Columbus on gameday. Then I'd be concerned for your life.
M fan from NE Ohio (30 miles or so east of Akron), currently living in Columbus. You are good to go wearing M gear. In fact, I see quite a few Michigan fans out and about in Ohio. As others mentioned, as long as you're not wearing it on a game day on or near OSU campus, no one really says anything. I'm sure people will curse you under their breath, but no verbal threats will be made on your life.
You'll be fine.
That is what I told my son when his 1st music teacher made him cover up his Michigan shirt because it "hurt her eyes." However, she soon had to apologize to him and the class for her actions. Just realize that these people are classless and are too ignorant to know what respect is.
Who made her apologize? The principal?
My wife and I had a meeting with the Principal and the teacher. We felt she was way across the line.
I've worn a Michigan polo out on Forrest Akers West when golfing with some of my MSU friends and no one became bent out of shape. The only people that gave me any grief were my friend and the cute girl working the proshop and it was all in fun. Same deal when I hit up the Dairy Store on campus after. Hell, I even got a free scoop of the MSU flavor after I order their Maize N' Berry! Haha!
I've been on the Ohio State campus in a Michigan hoodie and only two students razzed me by booing me before walking up and striking up a great conversation. Despite being 10 years older than the couple we met up at a place called Houndogs pizza and had a really nice time with a couple of their friends, one of which was from Monroe.
A few bad experiences seem to have a greater impact than many good ones. If anything wearing your schools colors in "enemy" territory could be an icebreaker to meeting some good people who get that sports and rivalries are supposed to be fun as well.
I typically don't wear college apparel while golfing because I think it looks tacky. And for those not familiar with what the OP is talking about wearing (Loudmouth), those are the crazy colored pants John Daly wears. Probably not the best idea at a classy club like Firestone.
I don't know why people worry about this stuff. I've lived in Columbus for ten years and the regularity with which I sport Michigan gear has never changed from when I was in Michigan. This is only a big deal in your head. Nobody in Ohio cares what you're wearing.
I never enter that state without wearing SOMETHING maize n blue. Usually I go with a combination of my 'worst state ever' shirt or my old 'our stadium is bigger than your stadium' from back when it was 107,501, along with my favorite M hat that I've had since I was 11. It also helps that my car has a virginia tag with the block M on it, as well as all 4 detroit teams across the top of my back windshield. My back dash has all sorts of memorbilia on it too. I've actually driven straight through c-bus (on 23) in august, stopped on the shoulder before i entered to put up my car flag, and then removed it when i left town.
Be a douche. It's allowed in that state.
But yeah. I live in Canton (OH) and wear the block M every chance I get. As said above, F them.
Wear the pants. Win the game.
There is an element of the OSU fanbase that feels a compulsion or even a sense of duty to be rude to Michigan fans. It shouldn't surprise you that this compulsion grows stronger once they have tucked into a few Budweisers. I wore my maize and blue HAIL shirt around downtown Cleveland last Saturday. The score: one high five, two hecklers (one drunk started the "O H" cheer, one who asked my wife what my problem was), and one insurance adjuster who thought it was about a hail storm. My wife didn't attend UM but she takes more offense at the heckling than I do. The worst so far was a policeman working crowd control at a county fair last summer who said out loud that it would be okay if the horse-drawn carriages ran over my 6yo daughter because she was wearing a Michigan shirt. Mrs. EE hasn't gotten over that one yet. At a golf tourney, give any detractors your best smile and marvel at how easy it is to get under Buckeye fans' skin.
I think Hoke has changed the tide on the rivalry. Hell people in Ohio are starting to believe him. Never in a million years I would have thought that. Selling Michigan jerseys is a good start.
I am playing in a church fund raiser in Columbus, North of Columbus actually, and I'll be repping with my maize and blue for sure. This will be my third year in a row playing this tournament and I did the same last year. Its fun...given the right crowd.
My family has been members at Firestone for close to 40 years. It is a pretty prestigious club. They have a very strick dress code. From what you are describing, I would not be surprised if they ask you to change. Bring your long game and have a good time.
Wore my M gear in Akron, and when meeting Tressel. He liked the colors. And wear the gear to job in downtown Columbus. With M parent license plate holder. Not a big deal.
Given how we've performed vs Ohio the last decade I'd say go for it. But wearing it back in the 90's when we owned them was a bit more dangerous.