Profiles in Fandom: Section 44, Row 30, Seats 7-10
11/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 18, 2014
During Michigan football's final home game of the season on Nov. 22 against Maryland, Michigan Athletics will salute its football seniors during the annual Senior Day ceremony before the game. Fan Appreciation Day will coincide with Senior Day, as many parts of the gameday experience will be designed to thank fans for their continued support of Michigan Athletics. Leading up to Saturday's game, MGoBlue.com will recognize some of U-M's most passionate fans.
* Liz's parents, Arthur and Susan Franke, have been season ticket holders for 12 years
College: Ryan, U-M '04, Master's in accounting '05; Liz, U-M '04, J.D. 2007
About Liz: Liz (Franke) Daly grew up in a home with two parents who are Michigan alums (Arthur and Susan Franke). Growing up in southeastern Connecticut, she traveled to Michigan often to visit family. Her first game at Michigan Stadium was in 1998 as a junior in high school, and she watched Michigan defeat Indiana 21-10 on Sept. 24.
About Ryan: Ryan grew up on Long Island and says a bumper sticker first piqued his interest in Michigan. The bumper sticker read "Michigan: Academic & Athletic Excellence." He says that summed up what he was looking for in a school. His first game at Michigan Stadium was the season opener in 2000, the first game of his freshman year; the No. 4-ranked Wolverines beat Bowling Green 42-7 on Sept. 2.
Q. What was your first game like?
Ryan: It was Labor Day weekend against the Falcons, and it was probably the hottest Welcome Week game I'd go through. It felt like 100 degrees, and I learned quickly that you need to wear sunscreen when you go to the Big House. We dominated even with Drew Henson only playing a half and John Navarre playing the second half. I was absolutely overwhelmed walking into the stadium. To see such a huge group of people all cheering for the same team, that was incredible. I learned that people going to a Michigan football game aren't just going to cheer on their team, it's more of a cultural phenomenon.
Liz: The men's hockey team had won the national title (the spring before). It was my first time going to Ann Arbor in the fall. My family and I went to an alumni tailgate in one of the field houses and I remember the marching band coming to the tailgate -- the sound filled up the room and you could feel it in your heart. Hearing "The Victors" live for the first time is something I'll never forget. We met the hockey team, and Bo Schembechler was there -- I was trying to get autographs on my hat. Then walking into the stadium for the first time after seeing it on TV so many times, it was a tremendous experience. Growing up in a Michigan household, I always wanted to go to Michigan. But at that point in my life (junior in high school), I realized how lucky I would be to attend U-M. I would get to experience the tradition as a student.
Q. What is your favorite Michigan Stadium memory?
Liz: The gameday experience starts by walking to the stadium. There are so many people along State Street and going down Hoover, that feeling of being with 109,000-plus of your Michigan brethren is unlike anything else. The spirit and excitement is palpable. My favorite memory is the first Under the Lights game against Notre Dame. At the end, no one even left the stadium -- no one wanted to go home after that game. It was a special game and a special victory -- every win over a rival is. That's one of my favorite memories.
Ryan: For me just hearing "Band, take the field" and hearing the "M Fanfare," that sends chills up my spine. I think I've been to 80-some games, and every time that happens, it's just thrilling. Getting to see triple overtime against Michigan State in 2004, I don't think anything will compare to that.
Liz and Ryan Daly at the 2012 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans
Q. What are your gameday traditions?
Ryan: Our tailgating has evolved from our student experiences on campus to now sharing time with family and friends on the golf course or in the Crisler lot. Being here in New York City, we watch every single game with a huge group of friends. Now this fall, we had our daughter Sloane and we watch games with her -- that's been a real treat.
Liz: I can't wait until we can bring Sloane to the stadium and have her sit in our seats. It becomes part of your life, and it's so exciting for us to share the Michigan tradition with Sloane.
Q. Who is your favorite player?
Liz: Braylon Edwards for me, he is electric. Then he came to the Jets and that was exciting to cheer for him there. And Tony Pape was my favorite player when I was in college.
Ryan: It comes down to a lot of the players from the early 2000s. So Chris Perry and LaMarr Woodley come to mind, they meant the most to me. Going up to East Lansing and seeing Chris Perry carry the ball 51 times to beat the Spartans in 2003 was awesome.
Q. What is the worst weather you have sat through at Michigan Stadium?
Ryan: It was the Western Michigan game (in 2011).
Liz: It went from the hottest game I'd experienced since probably freshman year, and then it was a monsoon. We didn't even finish the game. I remember being soaked to the bone, but no one wanted to leave the stadium.
Ryan: It was Brady Hoke's first game, and they called it off.
Q. Why do you attend Michigan football games?
Ryan: There is nowhere else that we'd rather be. Getting to share the experience in the Big House with so many other fans, it's something that quite frankly is incomparable to anything else. The big competition now is the 80-inch plasma TV, but it can't compare to the gameday experience and the feel of the atmosphere. We fly out on Saturday mornings and fly back on Sunday afternoon and we do it five times each fall. We go to bowl games, too. The experiences and the opportunities that the university and the alumni association provide are just awesome.
Liz: To continue enjoying the gameday experience in person, it's something we both feel so lucky to be able to do. It's a part of who we are as people. Anyone who has gone to football games, the gameday experience is part of your identity. It's so special. A TV is a lovely thing, but nothing beats Ann Arbor on a football Saturday.
• Big House, Big Thanks: Fan Appreciation Day Set for Nov. 22
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