Big Easy...Meet Little Easy

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Hurricanes and Hand Grenades

New Orleans is all about survival. Want to pace yourself? You can't. The fervor of thousands of people that are more drunk than you will instinctively cause you to catch up. Want to relax and hang out in your Bourbon Street hotel room? You can't. The crowd noise from outside the window will call you to the street.

The drink of choice is the hurricane, made of equal parts liquor and sugar with a hint of fruit juice, they only come in one size, extra-large. Knock down a couple of these thirty-two ounce demons, and you won't be able to fend off the barrage of two-dollar-shot-girls, which are scantily-clad dressed waitresses armed with the ultimate selling pitch: getting a shot from them is akin to getting a quick and clothed lap-dance.

The four UMTailgaters survived the temptations, the alcohol, and became creatures of the night. Oh ya, I almost forgot, there were games too! Syracuse defeated Kansas 81-78 as the final game came to an end on Monday night, starting an evening of street-wide celebration by the raucous and often rude Orange faithfull. Even Carmelo Anthony hit Bourbon Street, with an entourage that ran behind him as if he were the pied-piper.

All in all the trip was a success, even though it was capped off by a longer than expected all night road trip back to Ann Arbor. We're all back, and we should reach normal equilibrium sometime before football season starts.

The Winners Are...

Congratulations to Randy Wallace, Roger Trim, and Vik Bhatia for taking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place respectively in the 2003 UMTailgate.com Tournament challenge. Prizes are en route. Thanks again to all that participated...especially to those that paid.

It's March Madness...Again

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Get Married...Or Tailgate?

UMTailgate's family congregated once again, as the annual Winter Reunion took place at Fraser's Pub in the heart of Ann Arbor. Beer, Captain, and fried foods filled the table for the seven hour marathon that included witnessing a dissappointing performance by the Michigan Basketball team.

Throughout the event, I personally received more than my fair share of pressure from Shane "Goody" Goodell. Goody, who previously gave me the impression that he was forced into a fall wedding by his bride to be, has scheduled his wedding for a GAMEDAY. Yes, the son of a hall-of-fame tailgater has performed the ultimate sin, scheduling a personal event on the day that the maize and blue will take the field. In addition, he has suggested that I attend his wedding in lieu of travelling to Minnesota. For some, this is a difficult decision. For others, just an inconvenience. For me, my most difficult decision is where I plan on staying in the Twin Cities.

Actually, at this time, I would like to personally invite Goody to the Minnesota game on October 11th. Since he's never been to Minneapolis, I thought he'd enjoy a nice weekend out of town...breakfast at Al's Breakfast, beer served in the stadium, and Michigan on the field. By my calculations, there's a good chance he'll have nothing to do that day anyway, but in case the improbable is still scheduled, he'll have to make the decision. Get Married...or Tailgate? Actually, it sounds like the next Fox reality show. See you all next month at the 'Spring Game/Practice'.

A Truly Super Sunday

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I Remember

Dateline: Saturday, December 13, 1997.

Michigan took to the court at Crisler Arena to face off against the number one ranked team in the country, the Duke Blue Devils. The Wolverines came back from a 17-point second half deficit and won the game 81-73. As if we knew exactly what we were supposed to do, the students and fans took to the court in celebration. We weren't without practice, however. Just three Saturdays prior to this date, Michigan football fans rushed the field following a 20-14 drubbing of Ohio State that capped off a Big Ten Championship and undefeated regular season.

Following the game, buzzing with excitement, we returned to 1213. Later that evening, in possibly a more stunning upset, Charles Woodson beat out pre-season favorite Peyton Manning to become the first primarily defensive player to win the Heisman trophy. I still have the Sportscenter from that evening on tape. It was a great day for Michigan, both on and off the court.

Fast forwarding to today, 1/26/03... The Freshman, who I presume will soon be known as 'The Sophomores', came through with an extra ticket in the Maize Rage section. We arrived early and made camp just four rows behind the Spartan bench, basically within throwing distance (sooooo tempting) of Lansing-legendary coach Tom Izzo. The ebb and flow excitment of the game could only be outshined by the strict chanting organization of the Maize Rage, who's candor and ingenuity was impressive to a level only previously seen at Yost Ice Arena. They battered and embarassed Izzo, dressing a blow-up doll in a dress-shirt and MSU tie, as well as gluing a perfectly modeled Izzo-face onto the doll head. They chanted "Angry-Midget" early and often, and jumped all over him at his every outburst.

As the game neared its end, Michigan turned up its defense, holding the Spartans scoreless for over six minutes. Several fans nearby began to discuss an impending 'court-rush'. Two desparation three pointers fell for the Spartan's in the final seconds, but they were not enough to overcome Michigan's impeccable free-throw shooting. Michigan passed the ball in to Bernard Robinson Jr., who tossed the ball down the court as the final 1.7 seconds expired. Michigan wins 60-58. And then....bedlam. They were not strangers to the Crisler hardwood, having rushed the same court only a few weeks earlier following an amazing come-from-behind victory against Wisconsin. Pouring out on to the floor, we celebrated the first victory over the Spartans in almost 5 years. Why storm the court after beating a 10-8 team whose tournament hopes are now on the level with our sanctioned team? Because hopefully we won't have to do it again. Excessive celebration is often the product of a mediocre team that enjoys big wins because they are not expected. The victory on Sunday afternoon was a turning point for Michigan Basketball. Not that winning will be taken for granted every night, as this program has NCAA rulings to endure and a lot of growing to do. However, losing will not be the expectation. Rushing the court will be reserved for championships...and wins over Duke.