Eleven Warriors

His explanations on the majority of stadiums was so general, its like he had no idea what he was talking about.... He only had snippets of info based on what he saw from occasional tv viewings....

@BUCKSFAN - The irony gets even funnier when you think about the fact that Ohio Stadium was modeled after Harvard Stadium.  

Though it's really a matter of preference, Michigan Stadium is really a beautiful sight.  I'm a big fan of the red brick exterior (which I do think looks better than the white concrete exterior of Ohio Stadium since the expansion), but I still think it's vastly inferior architecturally to the 'Shoe.  I mean, think about something like the Rotunda, it's like the nave of a cathedral--stained glass, ornate flowers in the ceiling (maize and blue, thanks to a loss in the dedication game against UM), it's not just a stadium, it's an altar.  Those sweeping arches, the filligree littered throughout, that antiquated-yet-signature horseshoe look (others may have done it before and since, we still define that look), they combine to create something more than the sum of its parts; an intimate and intimidating personification of what the sport means to midwesterners: the best that life can offer.  Its stoic opulence belies that: enough to be legendary, yet not enough to ever seem indulgant.  Michigan Stadium just seems plain by comparison, and that's not an easy task to muster.

The 'Shoe isn't some over-the-top Hollywood spectacle, like the Colliseum in LA; nor is it the soulless concrete-and-steel bohemoth dwelling in State College; the 'Shoe's character is enough to demand your acknowledgement of it's grandeur, yet releases you once you become lost in the aural cascade of 106,000 crazed fans.  It transcends college football, reminding us of the halcyon days of early American sports.  It's a time capsule, one that will hopefully stand the test of time, long after ourselves, the players, and even the sport we hold so dear have long faded into memory.

@HODGE - THAT is how you describe a stadium!

"(A)n intimate and intimidating personification of what the sport means to midwesterners: the best that life can offer, its stoic opulence belies that, enough to be legendary, yet not enough to ever seem indulgant"

This also appears to have been written by a ten-year-old.  Check out this shining example of literary prowess, with regards to Tennessee's Neyland Stadium:

"It is tough for the opposition because the fans get excited in the Smoky Mountains while sitting on the Tennessee River"

@CCOLLINS - There's a toolbar for text editing at the top of the text entry window, one of those buttons has a quotation sign in it ( " ), just press that and your next paragraph will automatically show said formatting.  To turn it off, just press it again.   

I never liked Michigan Stadium, and not just because it's Michigan. I think it's incredibly plain / boring equating to a very unappealing appearance. The piss colored fan clothing doesn't help matters, either. I think the only reason it gets any recognition at all is its large capacity.

I have heard players that play there state its not intimidating from a loudness standpoint....quite the opposite of what players say that play in The Shoe.

I went to a game at ttun last year and I have to agree that especially from the outside it wasn't very impressive.  Part of that is because they dug it down instead of building it up so it is really only a couple stories above ground level, so it doesn't stand out.  Obviously 100000+ is always pretty impressive, but I couldn't hear the band and they played too much music through the speakers (a trend I hope we don't emulate with the new scoreboard/sound system) so that the atmosphere didn't have the same feeling.

^ When was the last time you were there?  I went last game, and I didn't have any problems with crowds.

^^^^^^^ +1 Wolverine Destroyer!

"It is such a tough place to play because the fans have created the standard for all other schools."

Maybe setting the standard of 50-70 year old's sitting around quiety watching and occasionally taking their eyes off the game program to cheer for a big play then...yeah sure.