My story from last night (the Rose Bowl).
(This is my first original post; please be kind to a guy who saw "Touchdown Billy Taylor!" live as a freshman, in 1971.)
Over the past two years our daughter (Elinor) and I have really bonded over Michigan football. She's a young adult, plays roller derby in Ann Arbor, and decided to come over to our house to watch the 2022 game in Columbus. I occasionally have to explain some of the rules around penalties and stuff, but she is a smart kid and picks stuff up. (When they re-played the head-butt she was like, "That has to be a penalty!") She came over to watch The Game this year, and then came over yesterday evening.
I was resigned to another CFP loss until Roman Wilson's (I've always liked that kid) miracle catch led to us tying it up.
I had to explain the overtime rules to her, rather quickly, in the brief space the broadcast allowed us. She had followed the game well, making a number of perceptive observations about plays. She was mostly impressed---as I think we all were---with how the blue shirts were living in Bama's backfield. (BTW, it is not very relevant, but she was born in Huntsville, AL) I went nuts when Corum scored, and she was impressed with the "pin-ball" aspect of that run, bouncing off of/away from tacklers, and staying on his feet into the endzone.
But we have to stop Bama for it to matter. It comes down to the 4th and goal from the 3, and we both went nuts on the stop. We were both screaming with joy. My wife (Elinor's mother), who is not a football fan, comes running downstairs saying she could hear the neighbors screaming, our phones are going nuts as our son, in grad school in Kentucky, is texting all of us "YEE FUCKIN HAW," and I go to open the Bourbon.
As we are waiting to watch the trophy presentation, Elinor's one comment, speaking of the players up on the podium, is, "Those guys must stink!" drawing on her own experiences in roller derby. I told her they probably do, but also probably don't give a damn about it.
It was a great evening, a great time to be a Michigan Wolverine. But the job's not finished. One. More. Time.
JFE
January 2nd, 2024 at 11:23 PM ^
Wonderful! Loud shouting here as well to annoy the non football fans upstairs.
January 2nd, 2024 at 11:29 PM ^
December 1985 UM Chem Eng grad. Loved seeing JH beat Ohio 27-17 with 3 TD passes in my last home game. Now JJ throws for 3 TDs in the Rose!
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:22 AM ^
My viewing scene….my nephew (current student) and I (02’grad) completely/idiotically decked out from head to toe, yes both of us had UM socks on, in UM gear, my sister and mom who root for UM and understand the game very well, my niece (current MSU student) and teenage daughter who are both, blah football(another family get together?) and my dad who from Ohio, grew up hating UM obviously, but still a football/B1G fan, and my sisters dog…..
At that last Alabama stop, there wasn’t anyone not on there feet!
We were all up fists pumping, high fiving, yelling at the dog to stop jumping, (because a 4 yr old pup has no idea what a bunch of humans are doing at that moment and he was jumping on us all, lol), hooting and hollering and acting silly!!
Afterward, both my niece and daughter talked about how neither actually ever watched an entire game before, and neither have ever had such emotions over any game before….
The rest of us just smiled at ‘em and said, welcome to sports!
It really was a magical game on a variety of levels! An evening that will never ever be replicated! An evening that only happened because of sports. But especially because of the….my….our….University of Michigan.
Go Blue!
One More!!!
January 3rd, 2024 at 6:14 AM ^
great share, JFE.
we had the 5 youngest kids home on monday. there was leaping and yelling and even praying by our youngest on that 4th down stop. joyful, joyful ending.
go blue
January 3rd, 2024 at 6:44 AM ^
Sweet.
January 3rd, 2024 at 7:18 AM ^
My older son is as big a fan as I (The younger, not so much)...
We text pretty much continually throughout the M and Lions games, and he usually starts it. It's a nice thing to just chat with your kid. (Makes my wife a bit jealous that I get a 3-hour "conversation" with him :) )
January 3rd, 2024 at 11:01 AM ^
Chicks man, chicks! Whataya gonna do?
January 3rd, 2024 at 8:26 AM ^
I, as is tradition, sequestered myself from the TV to begin the final drive in regulation, and then through overtime to ensure victory. You’re welcome!
My wife screaming, gave me play-by-play and I have seen all the plays in hindsight.
I was a wreck till she said we got the stop. But good triumphed over evil.
January 3rd, 2024 at 8:29 AM ^
I watched with my wife and three sons Monday night (ages 7, 8 and 12). It was funny to see how nervous they got during times. The 12 year old walked off at one point saying, “I’m going to bed!” after the Roman Wilson block in the back penalty. I said, “hold on! They still got the first down!”
The 7 and 8 year olds were sitting next to me at different times “for good luck.” I knew that would be a special game, and it was. The first game I ever watched was the ‘89 Rose Bowl and loved watching Leroy Hoard dominate the second half.
Hopefully this Rose 🌹 Bowl game, that they were able to stay up and see the entire game, will be their first great Michigan football 🏈 memory.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:56 PM ^
The Bourbon was opened. At my house as well!
January 6th, 2024 at 10:14 AM ^
Stink like roses! Great diary!
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