Our experience at "The Big House"

[ohiohusker]

First of all, I got this wild idea last Tuesday night, that since I realized we are only 5 hours from Ann Arbor, that we ought to go to the game! My husband wasn't working, so I started looking for tickets. Ended up just ordering from the University of Nebraska ticket office. We decided to leave Friday night and drive to Findlay, OH and leave early Saturday morning from there. The drive up was OK, until we got closer to the stadium. My Equinox has a Nebraska bracket around the plate and a huge "N" decal in the back window. We started getting Michigan fans pointing at us, making gestures, and honking their horns. We really had no idea where to park, so just decided to find a reasonably close spot and walk. We ended up parking in a frat house driveway for $30. Figured some college guys could use the money. (They even let me use their bathroom....and that is another story!) Anyway....on the walk to the stadium, we had comments about "corn", "farmers", and inappropriate comments directed towards Nebraska women. We noticed quite a few Nebraska fans too! The Michigan team buses drove up about that time, and we stopped to watch it. It doesn't compare to our Unity Walk at all. We needed to find the Will Call window, so asked an usher who was very nice. Welcomed us to "The Big House" and hoped we had a good time, etc. We got our tickets, but I had to throw away my 4 x 6 purse because NOTHING is allowed into the stadium. I had to take my license, cards, money, etc, and put them in the inside pocket of my coat. We walked a short time and headed to our seats. We were in Section 9, row 95, but at least with the Nebraska fans. All was good, until the row behind us filled up with Michigan fans. Rude, loud, drunken, obnoxious men. (I could not bring in my purse, but they had bottles of liquor.) From the time the teams were introduced to the end of the game, they did not shut up. The whole stadium booed us when the Huskers were announced. The smart a** comments were non-stop. I finally turned around and asked them to please chill out. A few other Nebraska fans asked the same thing. Their answer was, "Guess you didn't choose very good seats!" The weather was in the 50's and cloudy, but we enjoyed the experience. No doubt, we were disappointed in the outcome, but there is always next year. On the way out, the usher for the Nebraska section said, "I have been doing this for 12 years, and I can without a doubt, say you all are the best fans we've ever had here!" We were asked how we were treated and hoped we felt welcome there. There were also SWAT team members all over the place, but I was told that is normal, "after all, this IS the Big House" is what I was told. I suppose I might go back there, but I sure appreciate Memorial Stadium so much more now! Am I naive to think that that is the way football stadiums ought to be? A place of family, respect, being good hosts, and mid-western hospitality? Love our Huskers and let's hope for a big win over Iowa on Friday afternoon! Go Big Red!

[tschu]

comic sans ftw

[Excel]

Really, is there a fan base Husker fans have nice things to say about that doesn't pull for a school that is god awful?

 

...and don't say Penn State because that game was played under some really weird circumstances.

 

It's football! People are going to be mean! That's not to say they're always rude or inhospitable but come on, you're at a football game! Some things are to be expected.

[HuskerShark]

Really, is there a fan base Husker fans have nice things to say about that doesn't pull for a school that is god awful?

 

...and don't say Penn State because that game was played under some really weird circumstances.

 

It's football! People are going to be mean! That's not to say they're always rude or inhospitable but come on, you're at a football game! Some things are to be expected.

 

I've never been to an away game, but I don't really understand why a fan base would want to say rude things to opposing fans who are visiting your stadium. It is something that you do when you're 16-20 MAYBE, but then you hopefully mature and understand that it is more rewarding to be courteous and hospitable to the other team's fans. I heard the reviews from the Wisconsin game, and it sounds like an unnecessarily hostile atmosphere. Buuuuuuut, I still plan on making it there someday, along with the rest of the B1G monster stadiums.

[WoodyHayes1951]

hmm....

 

Never had any serious problems up there in a few trips outside of getting coal thrown at me in 2009.

 

Everything else is just words(Which I don't mind). The ***hole chant directed towards me(and me alone on this one) from the student section was fun.

 

 

 

And yes, life isn't going to be perfect at VISITING stadiums. I think your expectations are way too crazy high.

 

I even got a "F%&K you" at Illinois this year and those fans are fun.

[HuskerShark]

HAHA^ I'm glad you are in good humor about it all.

 

Call me naive I guess..

[WoodyHayes1951]

My philosophy, Embrace the hate . It's a good time as long as physical assault is left out and Women are respected.

 

Also, in a stadium with 100,000+ do you really think you are not going to encounter some hostility?

[Ratt Mhule]

Really, is there a fan base Husker fans have nice things to say about that doesn't pull for a school that is god awful?

 

...and don't say Penn State because that game was played under some really weird circumstances.

 

It's football! People are going to be mean! That's not to say they're always rude or inhospitable but come on, you're at a football game! Some things are to be expected.

 

Oklahoma and Texas A&M for two. Washington I heard was very hospitable last year.

 

I went to the Big House last year for UM/UConn wearing my Husker gear before we even were in the conference. I had some things said to me, but overall I had a good time.

[redblooded]

Really, is there a fan base Husker fans have nice things to say about that doesn't pull for a school that is god awful?

 

...and don't say Penn State because that game was played under some really weird circumstances.

 

It's football! People are going to be mean! That's not to say they're always rude or inhospitable but come on, you're at a football game! Some things are to be expected.

 

Maybe smack talking a friend who knows you are joking and just flipping them crap, or at least someone you are tailgating with and have given a beer to, IMO. Why the hell would you just insult a stranger who likes another team? Or their Kids, the elderly fans, or pretty much anyone obviously not college age? especially over something like a football game. It makes no sense. People who think that's "part of the fun" are idiots.

[Excel]

Really, is there a fan base Husker fans have nice things to say about that doesn't pull for a school that is god awful?

 

...and don't say Penn State because that game was played under some really weird circumstances.

 

It's football! People are going to be mean! That's not to say they're always rude or inhospitable but come on, you're at a football game! Some things are to be expected.

 

I've never been to an away game, but I don't really understand why a fan base would want to say rude things to opposing fans who are visiting your stadium. It is something that you do when you're 16-20 MAYBE, but then you hopefully mature and understand that it is more rewarding to be courteous and hospitable to the other team's fans. I heard the reviews from the Wisconsin game, and it sounds like an unnecessarily hostile atmosphere. Buuuuuuut, I still plan on making it there someday, along with the rest of the B1G monster stadiums.

Ok well I don't understand outright rudeness on an individual basis either, by that I mean when a visitor walks toward me I don't curse them out or anything. If I pass a group walking to the stadium I might honk and beat on my door but other than that not much. I will boo when the visiting team runs across our field with their flags...hell yea I'm going to boo. Am I booing your kids? No I'm booing the fact that a visiting team's colors are flying across the field that I love.

 

I get where you're coming from but at the end of the day you are a visiting fan. You have come to root for your team to beat my team in our house and in the land that I call home. You have made a concious decision to make said trip and by doing so you knowingly or unknowingly accept certain risks and open yourself up to these incidents. They happen, you will find that in most places that have a halfway decent team you're going to encounter Drunk Fan and his buddy Belligerent a-hole. I don't doubt for one second that if I were to make it for the game in Lincoln next year that I would see them. I have or have heard of such encounters at just about every other locale in CFB.

 

I think this is just one of those "Why does everyone have an accent but us?" or "Why does it seem like every other team in America only wears white?" kind of cases.

[HuskerCarter]

Sounds like you had fun time at game, sorry about the rudeness you experienced from Michigan fans. Next year when they visit Lincoln, they will see how true football fans really act.

[WoodyHayes1951]

In 2005 I sat in the student section up there(by myself mind you). The girl who sat in front of me storms into the stadium mad at the loss from the year before. She gets to her seat and the first thing she does is turn around and flips me off(her hand maybe a foot away from my face).

 

I found it hilarious. EDIT: Oh, and I didn't say anything.

 

 

Maybe I'm weird though. I can see how some could find it really offense but it doesn't bother me.

[Blackshirt39]

As long as your not bearing similarities to Phillies/Eagles fans or Colorado Buffs fans you're okay.

[zeWilbur]

In 2005 I sat in the student section up there(by myself mind you). The girl who sat in front of me storms into the stadium mad at the loss from the year before. She gets to her seat and the first thing she does is turn around and flips me off(her had maybe a foot away from my face).

 

I found it hilarious. EDIT: Oh, and I didn't say anything.

 

 

Maybe I'm weird though. I can see how some could find it really offense but it doesn't bother me.

 

What made it funny was that you had the win from last year. I would have found it funny too!

 

We don't really have much history with anybody in the B1G yet, save a few games here and there. Fans giving other fans grief is just part of it and I understand that. But, to me, it just doesn't feel like we have done anything to deserve it yet. That's probably why it seems unjustified to some folks. Give it time, give it time...

[HuskerCarter]

In 2005 I sat in the student section up there(by myself mind you). The girl who sat in front of me storms into the stadium mad at the loss from the year before. She gets to her seat and the first thing she does is turn around and flips me off(her hand maybe a foot away from my face).

 

I found it hilarious. EDIT: Oh, and I didn't say anything.

 

 

Maybe I'm weird though. I can see how some could find it really offense but it doesn't bother me.

That happened to me once at a high school basketball game. Cept it was a guy, i spat a loogie into his face and knocked him out. Then i ran like hell because he was twice my size.