Major OT - Waiting for flight @ JFK until 3 a.m., so top 3 "waiting until the end" Michigan memories
Since I'm stuck at JFK until at least 3 a.m. and fighting for WiFi access the past 2 hours, I figured once I got it I'd post to the forum. Lots of people are seeking a refund for their tickets and heading home, but I'm going to wait it out because I guess I'm just conditioned to not lose hope no matter how dire or wasteful. And heck, people are definitely hitting up the bars, so it might get interesting.
But as I sit here and chew on my bag of almonds (not a euphamism, I just like the option), I was thinking about all the times that I stuck around and watched UM football and basketball games until the end just because, well, you never know what might happen. Oftentimes the games ended how you expected, but every once and a while you were surprised in an epic comeback, a horrible collapse, or seeing something magical when most had turned off the television or headed out for the parking lot.
So with that intro, I ask everyone to post the most memorable times they "stuck around" until the end. Here are three for me, in no particular order.
- UM vs. Virginia (1995) - The Dreisbach game as well as Carr's first game as the head honcho at UM, all seemed lost as Virginia raced to a 17-point lead into the 4th quarter. But then the team rallied. Tiki Barber, who ran for an 81-yard TD in the 3rd quarter, was bottled up by Jarrett Irons and the rest of the defense. And Mercury Hayes pulled a pre-New Math by scoring two TDs, including one as time expired, to steal an 18-17 victory in the Big House. As a 13-year-old with little football affinity, this game may well have initiated my trek into puberty, as I seemingly aged years watching this game. This game made me a UM lifelong fan, and helped to heal the scars left from the second most memorable last-minute game the seaosn before...
- UM vs. Colorado (1994) - The game that basically got Kordell Stewart and Michael Westbrook drafted, the infamous 60+ yard heave into the endzone to steal the game for the Buffs. As the ball fell into frame, I remember my dad screaming "knock it down!" and expecting one of the 1 million Wolverines in the general region of the field to heed his cries. Alas, the Angry Michigan Secondary Hating God made an appearance, and I spent the rest of the day in a haze, asking my dad my they only rushed 3 guys when even I knew Colorado was going to throw the ball.
- UM vs. Minny (2003) - My favorite game because I was actually a student at the time. Navarre was the much-maligned QB, and while his numbers never seemed to match his performance, on this day he led the Good Guys back from 3 TDs down. From this day on, I cheered for him wherever he went, defending his career despite reality clearly disagreeing. Heck, I even cheered when the Cardinals drafted him later that year. And this wasn't one of those pushover Minny teams - they had a brusining running game and were always an above-average B1G team. This also proved to be a catalyst for the rest of the year, as UM stormed through their remaining games against ranked OSU, MSU(!), Purdue(!!) until the Rose Bowl, when USC crushed them AGAIN. But it was the last time UM beat OSU, and definitely a reminder that you should never turn off the screen if there is time still on the clock.
So I welcome everyone else to post their own memories. Heck, I've got the time.
I took my nephew to this game, his first ever Michigan game. Right after Henne was stripped he looked at me and said "Lets go, I don't want to watch Michigan lose in my first ever game at the Big House." I'm so thankful I got him to stay (he was 11). I'll never forget how excited he was and how happy he was we stayed. The topper of it all was my sister (his mother) worked with Jimmy King and that is how we got the tickets. We met JImmy at Will Call, got a quick pic and went to the game. What a day for not only me, but I was actually more excited for my nephew and how cool his first Michigan game turned out.
Got to campus in 2006. I'd go with:
1. 2008 MBB over Duke.
2. 2011 MBB over Illinois in the B10 tourney - being dead and looking terrible when THJ took over.
3. 2008 FB over Wisco. The pick 6 was easily the craziest time in the student section of my 5 years here.
Yelling in the student section that we're coming back and beating MSU. People looked at me like I was crazy.
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<br>Braylon helped out with that one.
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<br>To the OP, the '94 Colorado game was my first M game. I remember very little save for asking my uncle why a hail Mary was and him telling me that it never works...yea
The student section was the wildest I've ever experienced it as Braylon (and don't forget Jason Avant) brought us back to beat sparty! It was dark and students were jumping around with crazed excitement! (I personally stumbled a few times and accidently toppled a fellow student amidst the jumping!)
First one to come to mind for me was Braylonfest.
Others include 2002 vs. Washington when Brabbs kicked the game winning field goal after a miserable performance up to that point. That was my first home game as a student.
The one that was the hardest to stick around for was the 2008 Wisconsin game. Had to be one of the worst first halfs I'd ever seen, and then miracles started happening.
I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting, but those three + Manningham are top of mind.
I forgot the Brabbs kick, but that was the best live-game experience I ever had. Didn't hurt that I lived next to Brabbs as a freshman, but thanks for reminding me. Also remember the student section chanting "Woodson! Woodson!" after Marlin Jackson knocked down another pass directed at Washington's AA Reggie Williams.
I was on vacation with my (beautiful) wife in Key West and was miserable until the 4th quarter. After that game, I think we went out, had too many margaritas, and, if I remember right, she talked me into skinny dipping.. Yeah, I remember that Minnesota game.. <BigGrin>
I also remember another Minnesota game at the Big House in 2004. We got the tickets from one of my friends from my hometown in West Michigan and were sitting on the 22 yard line on the southeast side of the stadium. The people sitting next to us asked if we were from <my hometown>, Michigan. "Strange", I thought to myself. They went on to explain the tickets we had belonged to my friends grandparents and they had sit hext to them since the 60's. In that game, Tyler Ecker caught a 30+ yard pass from Chad Henne late in the game for the win.
"When Michigan wins, the world seems right to me."
-Me
Good luck with your flight; I have done that routine too many times..
Tim
I went to the triple overtime game against Sparty in 04. And I'm proud to say I stayed to the very end. After MSU scored to go up 27-10 with 7 minutes left, I was in pure shock. (Before the RichRod years, you never would have seen MSU win at the Big House unless they were mugging us on a 2 point conversion and not getting flagged.)
We're all yelling, screaming and pleading with Carr to let Henne throw the damn ball to Edwards. Once he did that, the rest was history. It wasn't until we recovered the onside kick that I really felt we had a chance to come back. It had been windy all day so that made every PAT attempt very nerve wrecking. One missed kick and it could have been all over. After it was all over, I jumped and screamed and high fived all the fans around me for about 20 seconds and then I had to sit down because I felt like I was going to pass out.
That game was a 4:30 start and it was the day before Halloween so it got dark pretty quickly. That was the weirdest feeling to be at a football game at the big house under a pitch black sky.
yes it should have been a flag, but desmond did admit a little while after that he should have caught the ball no matter what... other then us losing that way the worse part about it was going to school on monday (i was in the 5th grade) and seeing my sparty teacher who had the biggest smile on his face... at least he up to me after some ribbing and said, it should have been a penalty...
The most memorable game was Michigan and tiso 06'. That was the longest week of my life, waiting for the game. Hearing that commercial of Brent Musberger saying, "Michigan vs Ohio State. Number one versus No.2. Saturday at 3:30 PM." The game was so good, so nerve-racking, and then boom Shawn Crable's late hit..... When that happened I thought we could still be alright but deep-down I knew it was over. Then I balled like a baby and kicked my step-dad(tiso fan) in the balls because he was all in my face.... That is all.
I watch the games on tv but I have never turned it off early. Not the horror, not 3-9 season. Never.
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List of only games I've been to...
1) PSU in 2005- Was the day of my 13th birthday and my dad flew me down. We were standing at the exit of the section for the last few plays or so because we thought they had no chance. Then....Touchdown Manningham!!! The whole place went nuts. It was glorious.
2) Iowa this past year. We were down by quite a bit and came back. I thought we had it for a brief moment. The student section was about as loud as I have ever heqard it despite many people leaving. Goddamnit Avery, tackle!
3) App State. :(
For that Penn State game, I was in the opposite end zone of the last play. As soon as the ball left Henne's hand, I couldn't see anything. I had to watch the crowd's reaction to know whether we had scored on not.
I was about where that video was taken.
/chills
Illinois came back from being down 27-7 in the 3rd quarter. The weather was bad and lot of the students left in the third quarter thinking it was an easy win. I think Henson also came in the 2nd for Brady and didn't do anything when we could have put them away with Brady. I know it was a loss but I think it lit a fire because we won every game including beating Bama in the Orange Bowl.
That was a scary game to watch because despite the fact UM was leading, Brees was something like 22/24 in the first half, with those two incompletions due to his receiver just dropping the ball. I knew UM was going to be in a shootout in that game (I was a freshman then as well), and that loss hurt.
Either you're confusing Drew Brees with Kurt Kittner or Purdue with Illinois
Your No. 1 was the first game I ever went to. Solidified my fandom for sure, and always made me kind of appreciate Tiki Barber.
The Johnny Thompson interception return and the Epic Threet Gallop to come back against Wisconsin in 2008 were equally awesome and unexpected. Michigan got booed off the field at halftime.
2000 Orange Bowl: Comeback Kid and Michigan over Alabama
2004 Michgan v Sparty: 3 OT, first night game in the Big House for me.
2004 vs. MSU
2005 vs. Penn St.
2011 MBB vs. Duke in Tourney
All three games, I was extremely pissed off and fortunately we won the first two.
I was in Mexico City last night waiting for the 1:20am. I feel your pain. My three:
--Triple OT vs. MSU
--Penn State; Manningham TD on last play
--MSU loss when Desmond was mugged in end zone on 2 pt conversion. I was a student, and that play was right in my lap in the NW endzone corner.
The Kordell Stewart game would probably be right up there if I wasn't still bitter about 6 men on the line of scrimmage and holding/tackling which were conveniently ignored.
Mercury Hayes vs. UVA gets honorable mention; God it was hot at that game.
Remy Hamilton beating ND was incredible, albeit a road game I watched on TV. Insufficient retribution for Harry Fucking Oliver and Reggie Appropriately Named Ho.
Left at halftime of Phil Brabbs Washington game to go to a wedding reception. Dammit.
I barely remember AC vs. Indiana and Lee Corso. I think I was 9. Better recollection of that and it would probably be top three. AC was the one who really got me hooked on U-M football.
I remember being crushed when PSU scored their last TD, but for some reason my family stuck around to see what happened in the end. Watching Manningham catch that TD pass in our endzone was one of the top memories I have at the Big House. The stadium was rocking after that catch. Crazy game.
The only game me and my dad have ever left early was the 2004(?) MSU 3OT game. I remember that it got pretty chilly towards the end and the team looked like they weren't gonna mount any sort of come back. My dad and I talked ourselves into leaving. We left and got to the Lansing TGI Fridays as the game was reaching one of the OTs. Luckily we were watching it in a mostly MSU bar so we could still enjoy it. Best ending I've seen to a game. I regret leaving the game early to this day, and we've seen some miraculous comebacks before and after that game. I will never leave a game early again unless it's a completely embarassing defeat that I don't see happening. A few PSU OT and comeback wins along with the halftime comeback against Wisconsin have convinced me that leaving early is not an option. I can't wait to see what happens this year. So many great memories in that stadium.
3. 2008-Football vs. Wisconsin. "Minor is Major, TOUCHDOWN!" Also, the giant Maize Blob of Defensive Beef plowing all the way towards Pioneer (southwest corner). Honorable Mention: Steven Threet doing his best Denard impression.
2. 2009-Football vs. Notre Dame. RR had the honor of helping snuff out the Weis era.
1. 2008-Football vs. Northwestern. I was one of the unfortunates who stayed at the half. I got to move all the way to the tenth row on the 50. [raises eyebrows impressively] Probably the most Xtreme in-person football viewing experience I have had, so far.
I was fortunate enough to be at the triple OT MSU win, and the last second throw against PSU, but the most memorable (pleasant) waiting until the end was the game against Washington.
After Washington took the lead my brother asked if we should go, and I adamantly refused, saying that there was still time left. Of course Michigan won on a last second Brabbs field goal. I think the fact that Brabbs had missed 2 fg's earlier in the game created a tension/suspense that made that last fg all the more memorable. Oh that and my brother got sunburned after I told him he'd need sunscreen. Duh :)
The 2008 Northwestern game... the ultimate test of fandom. The cold chilled to the bone and it was raining half the game, but there was football to be watched. Unfortunately the refs blew a pick six dead before they should have and it screwed us over. It was actually a decent game in that forgettable year, but due to the cold there were maybe 30,000 left at the game by the end. This game pretty much sums up my time as a student at UM. Excruciating, and close, but no cigar.
1. Braylonfeast. My wife let my little brother use her ticket. Yes, he went to State. At one point, I saw him getting nervous and I told him "You know a lot of things have to happen for you to lose this." Then they all happened. Best sporting event I have ever been to, period.
2. An NCAA tournment game at Yost against Maine. I can't remember the year or the score for that matter. If was a back and forth game in front of a packed SRO crowd. We scored with a few mintues left to take the lead on a goal that you could see building. The place just exploded. A lot of Maine fans made the trip and were pretty good fans as I remember.
3. If we are going most memorable, I have to add the damned Colordao play from 1995. I was a law student at the time and took my girlfriend. After the game, I told her that she may want to just take off since I was going to be miserable for rest of the day. (I was trying to be nice.) She decided to hang-out, but she later told me that she thought I was just trying to get rid of her and she almost dumped me right then. Since we have now been married for almost 14 years and have three lovely daughters, I am glad she stuck around. I will always hate Stewart and Westbrooke for almost ruining my marriage.
An OT honorable mention is a Tigers game I went to circa 1983. I was like 12 years old and my father took me to Tiger Stadium to see the Tigers play the Yankees. The Tigers were down by 3 runs going into the bottom of the ninth, but we hung out anyway. They pushed a run across and had two on when Gibson came to bat. He hit a line drive, no-boubt-about-it HR that I think is still going. I can still see the ball in the air, the crowd standing and hear my father tell me that the the pitcher never even wacthed the ball. As soon as Gibby hit it, he just hung his head and walked off the mound. A real special memory for me.