Tips for surviving East Lansing

I have gone to other B1G stadiums.  Three things will greatly mitigate the problems.  1.  Don't be a dick.  2. Pay for better seats.  Generally by a better group of people who care about getting kicked out of the stadium.  3.  Be nice.  While this generally falls into the "Don't be a dick", specifically find some people and be nice.  Say "hello".  Recognize the pain of their fan experience as similar to BPONE, etc.  This also helps your kids and maybe MSU fans realized we are not all monsters and this is just a game.

Strategy above worked perfectly one of the times I was on the threshold of a fight with an unruly fan in Minnesota.  It was the Navarre Throwback screen game.  Emotions were high and they thought they had a chance.  One asshole took the opportunity to get mouthy for a while.  When the game turned in our favor, my wife and I were smiling... broadly and this guy crossed a line.  As I was going to 'discuss the matter like gentlemen'.... the group of Minnesota fans I had been talking with intervened, got security, and had that guy tossed.  

Stay away from tunnels?

A fire extinguisher would be helpful. 

It ain't Columbus. You'll be fine. You can at least drive a car there with Michigan plates and not have it vandalized. Park at the Pizza House on Hagadorn East of campus and take their shuttle to the stadium. Just don't eat there. SanSu is better in the same shopping center.

Tuck comin?

Dont eat breakfast before you go and bring your appetite for batteries

It's not really hostile. For all the online animosity, people in Michigan are used to having the opposite team's fans as neighbors and friends. Don't start shit and probably the worst you'll get is some friendly trash talk (especially this year.)

Most Spartan fans I know have already moved on and are focused on Basketball.  They will still watch the games but without the enthusiasm they normally display.  Their hatred for us still remains at an all time high.  Fairly confident they root harder for our opponents than they do their own football team on a week in week out basis.

I have tickets to the game in Lansing and I am hoping almost 1/2 the stadium will be maize and blue and 100% maize and blue by the 4th Qrt.

I was there for the 2001 clock-gate game so about as hostile of a walk back to the car after the game as you can get. As long as you don't have a thin skin it's not really that bad. Just know that you'll get your share of heckles, a few of which will cross the line.

Be prepared for you and yours to be harassed and threatened. 

This is the "Mork D'antisportonio" philosophy and "he's baaacckkk". 

I'm ready to eat some batteries after Michigan destroys them. (subtle radio ref) 

Go Blue. 

This will be my 4th or 5th trip to EL for the Paul Bunyan game. I’ve traveled 9 times to Columbus for The Game. For me, the plan is the same with any rival fanbase. Don’t respond to the idiots who’ll try to bait you and you’ll be fine.

I attended the UM-MSU game in East Lansing in 1993 with a couple of buddies. I was a student then and we had tickets in the MSU student section. We were all wearing our M gear and were naturally greeted with plenty of foul language and jeers, both inside the stadium and out. We responded in kind like the immature and slightly intoxicated undergraduates we were. People threw some harmless stuff at us, like those hard marshmallows with embedded coins--I don't know how often people are able to bring those in anymore. But it was a lot of fun. I think you just have to embrace the hostility.

Thing is though, MSU won that game 17-7. And as we were walking out of the stadium, I remember a few dudes throwing some actual punches. I don't remember if they just missed or if we actually had to block them or duck out of the way, but it's not like any of us got hurt or anything. But I do think at least a couple of them were seriously trying to hit us. I do remember thinking, "what is it with these people--they won the damn game and they are still doing the fisticuffs?" Even so, I never felt truly unsafe. Perhaps if Michigan had won the game it would have been different.

I have to imagine you can avoid most of that by getting seats not in the student section and being a bit more inconspicuous. But what's the fun in that!

If you're truly concerned about this type of stuff I'd advise you to not wear any Michigan gear to the game. I barely own any right now so don't typically wear anything that denotes that I'm a Michigan fan when I go to road games. I'm going to the game in Minneapolis this weekend and I didn't pack any Michigan items. I do have a jump man/block M zip up. But it's going to be too cold for that so I left it at home and brought a winter jacket instead.

For me personally I've noticed that I'm my worst self when people talk shit about Michigan to me. I for some reason get irrationally triggered. Couple that with enjoying going to road games and I try to avoid making myself a target. 

Most road venues outside of Columbus and EL are pretty safe to bring someone, IMO.

Be respectful and you’ll be fine. 
 

I’m going as well, and will thoroughly enjoy the ass kicking MSU is about to receive.

It's too bad they no longer have it up, and Wayback Machine doesn't have it archived, but MSU used to have a webpage (https://msu.edu/celebrations/faq) talking about what to do if you find yourself in a riot, what to do if you get teargassed, etc...

You'll see couples, one wearing MSU and the other wearing UM.  There will be plenty of friendly fans around.  The trash talk you hear is the same shit you hear at work or in public whenever you wear Michigan gear. Unless you can't handle a little trash talk it's not hostile at all. You're still in Michigan, go to any restaurant you want, there'll be MSU and UM fans there.

I live in Lansing and never get hassled for wearing UofM gear.  Obviously its different on campus or in the stadium.  Once you get out of East Lansing you will be fine.  I saw someone recommended Meat BBQ downtown.  I happen to like Bowdie's chophouse but it's more pricey.

You can also find plenty of eateries in Okemos which should be pretty tame.

I really only think you'll run into douchebags near the stadium.

MSU undergrad alum and Lansing resident...

If you keep to yourselves you'll get some catcalls at worst. If you get too close, like with any pack of wild animals, you can get bitten. I can understand bringing the wife to be a question. Couples going as just the two of them, depending on age, are in my experience prime targets for the most cowardly of their douchebags. They say something aimed at the woman hoping the man will feel compelled to defend her honor, you do that and say something back, now suddenly they think they're justified in flexing on you with 5-6 friends in tow. Might get threatened, might get worse. And of course when you walk away instead of getting mobbed by half a dozen drunk overprivileged little Brock Turners, it'll be a "Yeah, keep walking, pussy." Other than that you might get people hollering shit from passing cars, as a bigger and, I'm told, not the friendliest looking guy, I get that a lot wearing Michigan shirts from people lacking the courage to say something to my face. And as someone already said, being with State fans helps, if you know any of the handful of well-adjusted ones.

If you go to bars, I'd steer clear of EL if you're wearing Michigan gear (I'd steer clear regardless what I was wearing), but Lansing proper, most bars you'll just be grudgingly accepted. Art's (sports bar but kinda small for one), Stober's (excellent dive bar but no kitchen), Moriarty's (also good dive bar, and has a kitchen), REO Town (dive bar but also no kitchen), Zoobie's / Cosmos (hipster dive with attached eatery) would be my suggestions. Some would suggest LBC, I just don't often find their food worth what it costs. And for just eating dinner another vote for MEAT Southern BBQ in Old Town. There's also Saddleback BBQ and Sleepwalker in REO Town, En Vie downtown, Bowdies, also downtown, if you don't mind spending some money. Pretty sure it's the most expensive joint in Greater Lansing but like their other locations on the west side of the state you definitely won't be disappointed.

My experience has been things are just fine if you don't behave like an obnoxious asshole.

I haven't been to a game there since [96, 97 or 98], but it was totally fine.  People were nice. There are a lot of jerks at MSU, but the vast majority are just people who like football.  We did get a speeding ticket in a speed trap on the way back to A2 though.  Cop was a state fan and was "profiling" the cars.  Go the speed limit.

Stay away from Cedar Village

Been to some games there before and never really had a problem--people aren't going to go out of their way to be nice to you but as long as you're not a dick to them, you usually don't have a problem (unlike in Columbus).  I honestly think their fans are usually worse when they come to Ann Arbor.

That said, after what happened last year in the tunnel, I do not expect this to be a friendly crowd. They're not going to be good and the game won't be too competitive, so their entire enjoyment hinges on our misery.  We're choosing to stay home and watch the beatdown from the comfort of our couch.

I went two years ago and had a nice time.  Only mildly negative event was one sparty 'accidently' bumping me as he moved down the row to sit down.  

My take is that in a year they are expecting to lose, they are pretty quiet and awaiting the inevitable.  My concern is that it is a night game, I think.

I’d absolutely love the thought of Michigan fans packing Spartan Stadium to insane numbers.  But remember the circumstances heading into the 2016 game.  Sparty had lost 5 in a row…even a bad Northwestern team put up 54 points on them.  Michigan was undefeated…and I don’t remember seeing an obscene number of our fans there on TV.  Unless they were spread out everywhere.  

I was at the game in 2014 in East Lansing and there were some UM fans directly in front of us wearing maize. Aside from a little bit of trash talking nothing happened. 

It's a heated game, passions are high, but I don't think there will be trouble for 99% of the two fanbases. Obviously there's always going to be some dipshits who want to act stupid, and you've got an idiot on the radio propagating that idea. 

1. It’s not really super hostile, for the most part. Yes there will be some obnoxious fans, some will heckle.  But you should be okay. If you do have to deal with any knuckleheads, best to not engage/escalate.
2. I have no reservations about bringing my wife, you should be fine to bring yours. 
3. I’m not too sure about specific places, but you may want to consider eating in Okemos as opposed to East Lansing. 

* A suggestion: consider buying tickets in the visitor sections if you can. You’ll have more fun sitting with Wolverines, plus that will minimize how much you have to deal with potential knuckleheads. The designated visitor sections are; 105, 120, 127, and also the lower part of section 4. That being said, if you sit somewhere else you’ll still be fine!*

Sorry. After 2021 I won't go to that shithole. Had to tell a guy I had covid to keep him from spitting into my face. Some rich lady under a tent with a nice spread and nice clothes yelling obscenities at us as we left the game.

It's not that I am afraid of them, it's just that it has become like Illinois. It's just not enjoyable. Go ahead, take your wife, so she can see what animals are really like. Fuck Sparty.

I’ve been to several Michigan games in East Lansing and the fans were fine. The visitor sections are 4, 105, 106, 120, 121, 126 and 127 so try to get tickets in or near those sections. There will be a lot of Michigan fans at the game this year. Just stick close to those groups. Avoid the student corner altogether. Be polite and don’t engage. 
 

I like to park near 127 / Kalamazoo street. There are neighborhoods on the west side of 127 and a little league parking lot on the east side. All free. Little bit of a walk but the west and northwest side of campus is nice in the fall. 

They're worse than osu fans, I mean that and stand by that. 

They somehow see themselves as the victims in every scenario (even the tunnel bullshit last year), and they blame Michigan for anything bad that happens to them. Not to mention, Valenti basically pulled a Trump and insinuated that there will be violence. 

Well after we go up 30-0 you should, LEAVE!!!

Born and raised there unfortunately.

I doubt it will be hostile at all, considering they forget they have a team when they're shitty. Nowhere Wolverine "friendly", that I can think of, but again, they suck so it'll probably be pretty chill anywhere not directly on campus or adjacent.

Even Harrisons Roadhouse may not be bad. 

I'd check out a downtown Lansing restaurant, it's not far from campus, and there are others on Michigan Ave along the way. The Lansing area food scene is ass imo, but Troppo and Bodies chophouse are a couple of spots you may like. 

Old Town is solid too. They have a BBQ joint there that I hear is decent, and of course Lansing's famous Sir Pizza. It's right on the river. Not a bad cheap food spot. 

If you insist o

n staying east, I'm biased, but I'm partial to Haslett and the Lake Lansing area. Blue gill grill is decent and a bit farther west near thw Lake Lansing Meijer has tolerable sushi. 

My advice? Save your money, you're not missing a damn thing in Lansing. Just my extremely overeducated opinion. 

Be careful you don’t get jerked off on 

Most of them will probably be indifferent. They’re convinced they’re getting Meyer so they’ll deal with one more beating for the next 5-7 years of glory.