I attended the University of Michigan. If there was ever a school that had undying team spirit and an awesome fight song, it’s Michigan. Hail to the victors, “go blue” and all that. Would I love it if one of my kids ended up going to my alma mater, (granted that is at least 15 years in the future) sure! I’d love to go back to “Drake’s” for coffee and egg salad sandwiches (with the green olives inside.) But when is team spirit a bit much?
When I read this article my mouth dropped open and I just had to take a moment. Baby videos targeted to create the up and coming group of Michigan fans. Forget about targeting them in high school–start right in the crib! Raising tomorrows fan today! Want to raise an avid Wolverine–start them on “Team Baby.” Now realistically I know a lot of people who would buy this. It’s niche, it’s mildly entertaining and there are probably lots of shots from the highlight reels so dad will like it. But it seems to me that marketing this as something that “provides an informative, entertaining and educational way to introduce your child to the university and team you root for” is a bit of a stretch.
What do you think all of you die hard fans? Think this one will fly for your toddler?
Posted on July 18th, 2005 by Sam
Filed under: Uncategorized
I am very proud of my educational institutions. Earning my undergrad degree from Univerisity of Arizona and my MSW from Grambling State University have much to do with the person I am and what I have done thus far with my life. I would be happy if my children chose either of these schools to pursue their post high school studies. BUT, what kind of fun is it for them to watch a person unknown to them belt out the school songs and scream out the school cheers? I want my kids to see ME singing and cheering. For me, it is fun to share my school spirit with my children. I don’t think it would be the same kind of feeling if the kids and I were watching Wilbur The Wildcat on the TV and singing along with him, nor does a video take the place of visiting Grambling with my kids and letting them see the marching band in person during a football game. While I consider myself a committed college fan, I am not a fan of this video recruitment tool for my kids. So the short story long, I agree with you, the video is a stretch.
Bizarro. I’m a UofM alumni (alumna? whatever) also, but I never did get into whole school spirit thing. But regretfully, I have to inform you that Drake’s is no longer there, and their location has been taken over by a bagel franchise, who remodelled everything.
Another UMich alumni (alumna?) - Drakes is indeed gone. It is now a Brueggers Bagel shop. Or Einstein’s Bagels or something like that.
Not only did it get bought and turned into somethng else, but the chain required that the building be gutted out and made to look just like any other branch of their chain.
I was raised a Little Wolverine, though not in the “Rah, Go Team!” mode, of tailgates and little uniforms. My dad was an alumni, my mother worked in the business office there in the 60’s while Dad was finishing up. We lived upstate and made Pilgrimages several times a year, to go visit friends and shop at real Bookstores (Borders, back when Borders was an independently-owned college town bookstore owned by two brothers from A2. My family were fans not of the football team but of the educational and social experience that the UofM provided.
So no, I won’t be buying my kids “Team Baby” vids. But they have had Michigan sweatshirts in every size from 6mos on up. OF course, we’re currently living out of state in another very cool college town, so the chances of them thinking of UofM as “Of course I’ll go there” are slim.
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