The Soccer Didn't Suck So Bad

Man I wanted to hate this.  I'm on a streak of hating every Brandon decision since 2010.  But I cannot lie.  This was a great event.  Ann Arbor was alive and kicking for 2+ days with a completely different group of sport loving idiots, and while I don't understand them or their absolutely ridiculously boring sport, I appreciate their passion for their teams and for drinking copious amounts of beer. 

An informal survey of the tops of tailgate tents before I went nearly blind on Summer Shandy (shandy is for men damn it) resulted in an estimation that only about 30% of tailgaters were straight up Michigan fans.  The other 70% bought their tickets on stub hub and ebay from enterprising season ticket holders like myself, and many of those wouldn't know the difference between a "Go Blue!" and an "O-H" if given a pop quiz.  But it made for a unique atmosphere, albeit way too red.

We had a modest start of 10AM and a decent crew turned out for the tailgate. I dusted off the catering grill for one last hurrah before it is replaced to start the real season.  It performed admirably, serving up some sweet corn, burgers, and sausage and peppers.  It was a nice warm up before things get serious in a few short weeks.  Thanks to Derek for the bulk of the pics.


Hey, Remember the Spring Game?

No?  Well, it sucked real bad.  It was cold.  It was stupid.  And there's no doubt I will forget that it was cold and stupid when I load up the truck to do it again next year.  Regardless, I owe you these pictures...which are courtesy of mounty-lover Derek.

The Best of 2013

Things are slowly starting to tingle over here at the UMTailgate.com offices.  Tickets have arrived, and we are of course anxiously awaiting the always exciting Big Ten meetings that will take place next week in Chicago.  Meanwhile, things are bubbling in the test kitchen.  Meats will soon be curing.  Themes will soon be finalized.  Rum will soon be flowing.  The tailgate family will be gathering soon.  For now, here's the some of the best of last year's photos to get you in the mood....