Viva Las Vegas

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A stellar weekend with stellar company. Five people headed to sin city, including the Webmaster, Bloomfield, Cindy, Lisa, and newcomer Alpa. It was the weekend of VIP rooms, five-star restaurants, and casino comps, as the dangerous combination of two gamblers and three tantalizing vixens became an unstoppable force in a world where it's not what you know, but who you know...and who you can convince that they should know you.

We started our first night in Ghostbar, a gathering of the west side's finest talent, set on the 55th floor of The Palms casino. Only the amazing view overlooking the entire strip from a unique side angle could match the scantily clad patrons. We moved from Ghostbar down to Rain, also in The Palms, where the girls manipulated their way into VIP status, taking yours truly along for the ride. We looked down upon the entire club from a private suite with free drinks and free women flowing throughout the evening.

Night two took us to Light, an exclusive club in the swank Belaggio casino. Again the girls used their "assets" to get us through the line and into the bar, where easily the best hip-hop DJ of the weekend spun all of our favorites. At around 4am, we split up for a while, and after a short run-in with the LVPD, I met up with Cindy at Drais, the number one after hours bar in town, for a few more drinks. Cindy and I maneuvered our way in on a table (a priceless thing to be sitting at in Las Vegas). After running into a few of the suite-holders from the previous night, known as Matt and Matt B, they stamped me with the monniker Mr. Vegas. Thinking that was enough for the night, I trekked back to our temporary home at the Luxor at 6am, waking Bloomfield up to take the 2nd shift.

Night three was our last night together, and unfortunately it came to an early end when Ra, the club in our hotel, gave my VIP pass the run-around because a special appearence by DJ skribble caused a line around the block. Though we still got inside, the techno beat was not our style, and the night ended early.

On the other side of the night life was the day life. The girls tanned by the pool, while Bloomfield and I spent most of our time playing high-limit blackjack, quickly earning comps, private access to VIP lounges, and executive suite restrooms. Without citing specifics (tax purposes..hee hee) we both came out on top. Capping off what is known as Vegas perfection... getting your comps and winning too.

Special thanks to the girls, Bloomfield, and Amanda Volkert for making Memorial Day weekend a memorable one.

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.

Your 2003 Michigan Wolverines

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From Beale to Bourbon to 7th Avenue

It was arduous, but well worth it, as the UMTailgate.com tour took the long way to Tampa. Travelling through Stevensville, Memphis, and New Orleans ended the monotony of the straight shot down Wolverine Bowl Game Parkway (A.K.A. I-75). In Tampa, we (Webmaster and Bloomfield) met up with Stephen, Bubba, and Old Frank for a quick tailgate, some souvenir shopping, and a stadium tour. Yes, a stadium tour was warranted before the game. I can't stress enough how much better Raymond-James Stadium (known to the locals as Ray-Jay) is than the Citrus Bowl. Someone needs to swap the position of these bowls in the Big Ten - SEC hierarchy. The food was actually edible, the beer was cold, and the place was clean.

The Strength is in Our Defense?

A shootout at the Outback Bowl ended with victory for the Wolverines. Chris Perry ran for four touchdowns and had just under 200 all-purpose yards. John Navarre threw for over 300 yards. But the game was won by taking care of the football and capitalizing on turnovers. Coupled with opportune offensive conversions, the Wolverines pulled away from the Gators and sealed a 38-30 victory.

The Ohio State University is The National Champion

Stealing the fire from my bowl season enjoyment, the Buckeyes upset the Miami Hurricanes and ended the season 14-0, winning the concensus National Championship of college football. Did you cheer or jeer? Mixed emotions filled the Ann Arbor bar from which I viewed the game. Crossed between rooting for the Big Ten and deep rooted hatred for the Buckeyes, I chose the latter, and explained to those that cheered for the scarlet and grey that if Michigan was in Ohio State's position, the Buckeyes would be rooting against the Wolverines so vehemently that Columbus would have been renamed North Beach. Now that it's over, I'm happy for the Big Ten, and happy that the Wolverines may be able to use what they witnessed as motivation for next season. And we WILL need motivation, as the media will no doubt be hyping the 'high-powered' offense that is returning with two seniors at the two biggest skill positions.