Are You Ready For Some...Alcohol?
/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
