New Tradition: The Victors Walk
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9 CommentsWhen Michigan begins the 2008 season, it will be different for many reasons. There is a new coaching staff, a new offense, new jerseys, two new enormous steel structures on the sides of Michigan Stadium, and many new traditions that will be created. One of those new traditions is something called “The Victors Walk,” which will give fans an up-close look at the team before every home game.
In the past, when the Michigan football team arrived at the Big House before a game, they got off their buses in a gated area outside of the tunnel. That kept the fans out of their way and allowed them to go directly to the locker room. Michigan will still follow a similar routine as they arrive at the stadium this year, but their walk to the locker room will be a little longer. Why? Well, “The Victors Walk” calls for the team to be dropped off of their buses at the edge of Crisler Arena, giving fans the opportunity to watch the players and coaches head to the stadium in an up-close and personal way.
Approximately two hours before kickoff the team will take part in “The Victors Walk,” and the band will be there as well to welcome them to the stadium. From what I saw in MGoBlue’s video report that mentioned this new tradition, it appears the team will be dropped off in the yellow area on the image below (click to enlarge) and will follow the route shown.
I’m definitely a fan of this new tradition as Michigan was one of the few teams out there that didn’t do something like this. Many teams walk to the stadium in a way that allows fans to get near the players and coaches, and now Michigan fans will be able to do the same thing.
UPDATE: Here are the details:
The “Victors Walk,” a 200-yard walk by the Michigan football players to the locker room about two hours before each home game, will give U-M fans and players a chance to interact.
Busses will drop off the players east of the Michigan Stadium tunnel entrance — east of Crisler Arena — and the players will be led by the Michigan marching band to the locker room entrance. The idea is for fans to be lined up to cheer the Wolverines as they march in.
Apparently Bump Elliott and Bo Schembechler did something similar with their teams before the tradition ended in the early 70′s. I guess this isn’t necessarily a new tradition, but the restarting of an old one.
FYI – while the band participated in the practice “victors walk” on Friday, as of yesterday, members of the band were not officially aware that they have to alter their own gameday traditions, as this would cause massive change to what they typically do on gamedays.
Showing up to the stadium that much earlier affects their morning practices, the step show and step off and their own march to the stadium…
I personally would’ve called it the Victors March (as opposed to Walk), but cool nonetheless.
Victors March is too close to “Victory March,” a la Notre Dame…
I’m interested to see how this works. I’m skeptical. Seems a little too “Everybody else does it, so we should, too” to me, especially when the place they’re walking through is a pretty dead corner of the parking lot bordered on one side by the back side of Crisler…
I’m a little skeptical about this too. One of the best things about Carr was that he protected his players. These kind of walks at other schools always seemed a little creepy and on the wrong side of hero worship for me. Plus, Notre Dame does it.
Does anyone know officially what the band is going to do? Will they go back to Revelli Hall and march in as before right before game time?
Traditions, by definition, are not new.
Phillip, I’m not exactly sure what the band will be doing. In the update I posted it says the band will be there, but it’s odd that they haven’t been told yet, especially since they have their own pregame routine.
Aram, I hear you. The reason why I was thinking “march” was because I recalled the lyrics to the tune “Varsity” –
“Varsity, down the field
Never yield, raise high her shield
March onto victory for Michigan”
And yes, I was in Men’s Glee Club. I seriously doubt anyone else would’ve made such an association, lol.
I expect the fanfare band to do this and not the entire MMB, i would think they will march in as always. As far as the fans lining up, this was done at the Capital one bowl last year and the team loved it, and said it fired them up, and we know the outcome of that game.