There is nothing quite like walking into a football stadium filled with over 109,000 fans cheering “Lets Go Blue!” in unison.
Your body gets all pumped up and you can’t help but joining in the cheer.
Then when the Wolverines come running out onto the field everybody is standing up clapping and cheering them on.
The atmosphere builds and builds until the kick-off. Then the fans settle down until the first big play happens when once again everyone is on their feet cheering.
This was the case last weekend despite the tragic events that occurred on Sept. 11. The fans did not turn away. Some even came as early as 8 a.m. to tailgate.
All that could be seen at the golf course across from the stadium were cars and the smell of brats, hot dogs and hamburgers filled the air. Fans sat by their cars in lawn chairs, drank beer and threw around footballs.
The only difference between this weekend’s games and the usual college football game was the heightened security entering Michigan stadium. All purses were searched, while cameras and cell phones were looked at.
Blue and red pom-pons were passed out at the entrance that said “In memory of September 11, 2001” on the handle.
Once inside the Big House it seemed like a regular football game. If there were more security guards, fans did not notice them. They were too focused on the game.
The students supported the team not only by cheering them on, but by giving the wave a whole new meaning. They would start it going one direction, then turn it around and make it go the other way. At one point the wave broke off and turned into two. It would speed up and slow down. This went on for about twenty minutes before it finally died out.
Several fans dressed in maize and blue, while others showed their patriotism by either wearing an American flag on their shirt or dressing in red, white and blue.
Chants of “USA” could be heard throughout the stadium after the singing of the National Anthem, while the blue and red pom-pons were waved around above the fans’ heads.
The usual scene of airplanes flying advertisements overhead was missing along with the Goodyear blimp, which is why there weren’t any overhead shots of the game on TV.
That didn’t seem to matter to the fans, who were just happy to be able to enjoy attending a sporting event again.
