For those of you that missed it, it was a great game ending in with a timeless Sparty meltdown. Down 27-20 Central rallied and scored a touchdown in the final minute. Rather than kick the PAT to send it to OT, they went for the win. The two point conversion failed and it looked like they would lose 26-27. BUT, After a perfect on-side kick and a couple of plays they were in position to kick the game winning 47 yard field goal. They miss it, but Sparty was called off-sides and they get another chance from 42 yards.
Eight seconds left. Right before the eventual game winning FG ESPN pans the noisy and anxious Central Michigan section at Spartan Stadium -- and I see this:I can only assume the guy on the phone was a MSU fan calling his friends complaining that they were going to lose another game they had in the win column. But more importantly, notice the brunet female CMU fan making noise. Now take your eyes two people to her left. Yes, the fan wearing a "M" hat. He looks like he does not have any idea what to do in such a critical moment of the game...
Rather than follow the lead of the Chippewa fans sitting around him by making some noise or clapping his hands, this poor misguided Wolverine fan takes out his keys and starts shaking them. Wow. I can see Yost's head spin off his shoulders now.I will admit, I thought the "key play" shtick was cute..... in 1980. I am posting this as a public service, in case you are unsure on what to do next time you are in Michigan Stadium. If just one Michigan fan changes his behavior, it will be worth it. At critical moments in the game put your keys in your pocket and scream. If you absolutely have to jingle your keys, go ahead and multitask : open your mouth and scream while holding your keys.
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I sat two seats in from the aisle in section 25 on Saturday - 4 rows from the wall, so essentially I had the entire student section over my left shoulder. I did see the Key Play on the scoreboard on ND 3rd downs, and looked over to see kids jangling the keys --- BUT (change of direction) they were also yelling their fool heads off (as was I, without the keys).
And.....it was so freaking loud down there at near field level that you couldn't hear a single jingle. NADA.
If you haven't been to a game yet this year and can only sense a little more crowd noise on the tv - you're in for a treat. It was electrifying on Saturday.
The Big House has put a 12th man on the field now, thanks to the skybox design -- the crowd.
I also read a Claussen quote that ND had to re-think their playcalling and couldn't use some plays due to excess verbiage that was futile to even try to communicate out there. Jimmah used a lot of unnecessary time outs and got dinged twice for delay of game. It will be even more frustrating to a less prepared team or a QB with less poise.
The way to see more of our potentially explosive offense is to keep their offense going 3 & out all day. Crowd noise will make that happen.
This is great news. T9 tells me the noise inside the stadium is much louder this year. It sounds like it on TV also.
I am fly up to Michigan and going to the game this week. I hope we stay loud.
I must comment. Since I sit in the 29th row of the student section (just a few rows behind the band) It is difficult to determine if it is louder in the stadium, or simply louder in the student section. Everyone that I have spoken with (in the stadium and those watching it on TV) tell me it IS louder. I am certain the new construction has something to do with it, I am also certain that it is highly likely that having the year we had last year incited the crowd to actually use their voices and hands this year.
The key thing, is HUGE in the student section. The majority of them do it (and it is an amazing sound when you are in the middle of it) Justthinking has it correct, they may jingle their keys, but they also are screaming their heads off.
My first year as a student,(this is my 3rd year) I didn't sit in the student section, rather with a group of grey haired LONG time season ticket holders. They stood and clapped only at halftime for the band. I swear they looked at me more than they looked at the field during the game!! (I happen to scream my head off and shout advice to the coaches frequently).
I think a new generation is spawning in the fan base. Perhaps some of the old ticket holders are passing away and new more passionate fans are picking up those tickets.
Let the kids have their keys, they cheer the loudest and it seems to be a tradition that they love. Just make sure that the rest of the fans realize that they can jingle their keys, as long as they scream their heads off too! :)
I was also told that last season, the glass was not on the skyboxes - that would make all the difference in the world over last year's games for sure.
I think the new acoustics actually make it easier for the rest of the crowd to get in the game - especially if you sit in the "quieter" sections.
READER WARNING: RELIGIOUS EXAMPLE
Most people don't sing in church because they know they can't sing worth a lick, and many churches have poor acoustics, so it makes it sound like you're singing alone if you do attempt to do more than hum along.
Churches with good acoustics can make 100 people with decent voices sound like 1,000 as the sound literally fills the whole chamber.
Go one step further to a big church (thousands) with a professional ensemble leading worship, with professional sound engineers and it sounds downright heavenly. Not only can you hear the music, but now you can feel it too.
At this point EVERYONE is singing, as the chamber is 100% full of beautiful "surround" sound. It actually frees people to not only sing out for the first time, but to sing out far louder than they ever, ever thought they would in public.
This is what I think is now happening at the Big House.
With this new acoustical design, the sound actually fills the entire chamber of the stadium now, instead of just going straight up and out of it.
I've been there for some big touchdowns and great victories and at those points in the game, 100,000+ people can indeed get pretty loud. But it never really stayed that way, as there was nothing to hold it in.
Whenever you would yell out in the old stadium, it just seemed like you were the only one doing it and since it annoyed most of the people around you, you would just go back to sitting on your hands with the rest of everyone else in your section and wait until a big play -- or a key play, and start jingling your keys to make it sound like a nice spring rain.
Now, the sound reflects so well in so many directions off the skyboxes, that it literally is not only bouncing back down, but also around too. It is a sound that is all encompassing - literally surrounding you now.
Because of this - and the fact you don't need to yell "in key" - this new encompassing sound that is filling the stadium at very high decibles actually draws in more people to start yelling themselves.
When it sounds like everyone around you is already yelling, you will have the urge to join in and not feel like you're the only one doing it.
I absolutely believe that Saturday's game was the loudest game every played in Michigan Stadium to date.
Somebody needs to make up "I'm the 12th Man" t-shirts or something.
Andy - I hope the crowd gets into the game for you this Saturday - besides just for big plays and touchdowns.
Yell Your @#$%^&* Off - It's Now Contagious!
Go Blue!
You are correct, Andy. My head would have spun then simply exploded.
Even in opposing stadiums, our fans are sometimes confused as to exactly how to cheer.
I'm going to the game Saturday...but I'm torn...My Alma Mater is Eastern but I love Michigan.....I don't think Eastern will win though....so...
Blah...
YOST!!!!!
HE HAS RETURNED!!!!!
YEAH!!!!!!
Hey Yost. Good to hear from you ! I hope you stick around and have some fun with us this season.
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