All About the 'M': Mayhem, Milestones, Marriage, and Miami (OH) at Michigan

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Over the Hill: 50 Straight For 2 Tailgaters
Those who stay will be champions. Bubba and Stephan W attended their 50th straight Michigan game on Saturday, enduring what may have been the most boring Michigan victory ever. The Godfather presented several of us with commemorative champagne with personalized labels marking the boys place in history.

Not to be outdone, Bildo presented all of us with new Michigan Nike hats, and Goody presented several of us with personalized Michigan hats. The gifts, speeches and hugs...the season is starting...the family is together again.

Finally, several message board regulars were able to put faces with message board names. It was nice to meet some people for the first time... even though I already felt like I knew them.

The Captain Drinks Some Captain...Then Goes the Way of Jordan
About half way into the tailgate, our friend Larry dissappeared. Minutes later, Captain Michigan appeared with a duffel bag full of yellow socks and passed them out to the tailgaters. He announced that he was ready to leg wrestle again...right now. He quickly disposed of Goody, Tuba, and Brian.  I warned you all...don't ever count out the Captain. He'll be leg wrestling until his 6 feet under...and then he'll wrestle God.

It Doesn't Get Any Bigger
No doubt, the Michigan vs. Miami of Ohio tailgate was the biggest ever. I am pretty sure that everyone that I've ever known was there. Noticibly absent were the Bolivians, who I thought might make the trek from South America for the game. A quick shout out to those that travelled from far away to make it to the game... Bildo and Tuba flew in from New York, and UManiac came in from Wisconsin. I tip my Michigan hat to all of you that come to the tailgates despite the fact that every game is an 'away' game for you. I want to thank everyone for attending the first real tailgate since the creation of UMTailgate.com. People know us, people know this website, and the support and thanks I received throughout the day (especially that which came from people I have never met) is enough motivation for me to keep this thing running forever.

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Up Next
The Wolverines travel to Seattle for their next game against Washington. Washington has some of the same issues that Michigan has...new QB, new Offensive Line. It should be an interesting matchup. It would really SUCK to fly all the way out their to watch us lose, so cross your fingers for the Maize and Blue and the travelling tailgaters.

Coaching Mecca To Face Blue

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Know Your Enemy

Well, we're less than a week away. Miami of Ohio, former home for such legends as Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, and our own Bo Schembechler, will come to Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 1 for what should be a warm-up game before the Wolverines head to Seattle the following week. Of course, Ohio State took the Redhawks for granted last year... Miami had the game tied up 10 to 10 at the end of the half before going on to lose 27-16...much closer than I would feel comfortable with.

Lunch With the Yuppies

I attended the Victor's Club lunch on Saturday with Bubba, Stephan, Old Frank, Bubba's Dad, and Tears. Lloyd spoke...and made reference to a certain team 'south of here' that is 'counting the days'. He also gave us a BCS lesson and made a Freudian slip, saying 'we' when referring to this year's Big Ten Champion. All in all it was a fun event. The team took off pretty quick after our private practice, so I was only able to get a pic with Chris Perry.

Retirement

At this time, UMTailgate.com will not be commenting on the supposed retirement of Captain Michigan from leg wrestling. A full report will be available after we talk to him at the tailgate.

Are You Ready For Some...Alcohol?

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The Tailgate

And so it begins. A group of people that have seen each other only a few times in the last eight months will soon be congragating every Saturday through Thanksgiving...plus a Bowl game (god willing). At 8am on Saturday, September 1st we will begin a ritual known as the Tailgate. Stronger than any religion, deeper than any bond, and often more exciting than the four hour contest that it precludes...the Tailgate is a time to drink in excess, eat in excess, gamble on the last digits in the score, catch up with old friends, and make new friends... all while wandering around in a constant buzz.

The Participants

Fame used to be contained by the confines of the golf course. Now, with every aspect of our tailgating life being displayed to the entire United States (and Bolivia) there is no doubt that The Godfather, Captain Michigan, The Madhatter, Bubba, and Stephen W will become household names by season's end. I can barely contain my excitment at the prospects of the first UMTailgate.com Tailgating action.

The Streak

Shall I compare them to Joe DiMaggio? ...or perhaps Cal Ripken? Among our tailgating crew there are a few of us that plan to attend each and every game this season. But there are two individuals that will reach a pivotal milestone on September 1. Bubba and Stephen will be attending their 50th straight Michigan game (that's home and away). I can't begin to express the respect I have for their endurance. They've dealt with wins, losses, and bringing their wives on road trips. Their travels have taken them to the Rose Bowl, Hawaii, and Florida...among countless trips to the universities of the Big Ten. So, when you see these guys on September 1... be sure to tip your Michigan hat in their direction.

Just Who Do I Think I Am?

Well, I'm not a sport's analyst...that's for sure. I am always happy to offer my opinion on The Team...most of the time in an optomisitic manner, and especially when Tuba comes to town and fires me up. So, for the purposes of this website, I will be using a complicated simulator (NCAA Football 2002 for the Playstation 2)to make predictions on the season instead of my biased heart. This is what the simulator came up with after I ran through the whole 2001 season (this assumes Spencer rides the pine):

Michigan finishes the seaon 8-4, tied for 3rd in the conference. They win their bowl game against Georgia Tech, and end up #14 in the coaches poll, and #12 in the AP poll. Chris Perry and Tim Bracken combine for 1300 yards, 13 TD's, and just 1 fumble. John Navarre throws for 2382 and 12 TD's.

Miami wins the National Championship. Heisman Trophy: DeShaun Foster - UCLA (runner-up Tico)

Down To Business

First and foremost...you're all invited. I can't guarantee a parking spot, but I can guarantee you a beer and some chex mix. Stop by and see us, get your picture taken, and you might even get your grill depicted on UMTailgate.com.

Thanks for stopping by...

-The Webmaster

 

We Made It!

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We pulled away from the dock, the rhythmic squak of Aboriginies ringing through the outdoor speakers...the Survivor theme played. Between the time when we boarded the docked boat until we shoved off, each castaway had inbibed a few, and we awaited the time at which the State Dock authorities would turn the massive ship over to our inebriated captain. JJ took control, and we were on our own.

Each night we seemed to find the perfect space to tie off for the night. We drank, we ate, we swam...we drank. We built fires on the beach and ran the Kentucky "naked-gauntlet" through some of the country's finest red-necks, the only thing keeping us awake was the 3 cases of Red Bull we knocked down in the first 36 hours.

We returned to shore on Monday, 7/23/01, everyone still alive...and still smiling. Nobody died, a few puked, and fewer 'forniced'. In the end, it was a near-perfect trip, with near-perfect company.

Hackers Infiltrate Polls...Suspects At Large

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At approximately 3pm EST, the Pre-survivor tournament polls closed. Voting was coming in at an alarming rate and an administrative decision was made by the Webmaster to shut the system down. A new poll was created, displaying an apologetic message. 15 minutes later, the re-created blank poll registered 33 votes to a non-existant answer...a tell-tale sign that some kind of automatic system was being used to register votes.

So, a new system is being used that will hopefully curb the re-voting issue. If this does not fix the problem...we'll just have to deal with the results... I only ask those that are voting to vote just once. We will complete the entire round of 16 on Tuesday, with the polls closing at approximately 10pm. Thanks for your cooperation.

Meanwhile, local police have identified the culprits of the hack. Known only as "Crazy" and "Trouble", the two have been causing havoc all over the Ann Arbor area.