What's the deal with the couches on fire thing? I didn't grow up here, this tradition is new to me. On the face of it it seems stupid.... what am I missing?
Thanks everyone! I appreciate the local background and info.
@CarrieB I’m shocked tbh. I thot that was exclusively an e. lansing thing.
People keep bringing up East Lansing. I think the thing you have to understand about that is the 1999 "Gunson Street Riot".
Historically, there was an MSU parking lot where people tailgated before football games. In 1998, MSU banned alcohol there, resulting in the impromptu 1998 "Beer riot".
In 1999, people who heard how much fun the beer riot was decided they were going to riot after the game no matter what.
They burned couches & tipped over a cop car.
@MegaMichelle ah! Makes more sense. Thanks!
@MegaMichelle @CarrieB Yeah, this is what I remember. I graduated high school in '92 and by the time I was a mom, State was doing that nonsense.
I feel like if the kids had a place to go for a giant bonfire/victory party, this wouldn't happen but, well, liability issues.
@CarrieB To add to what others have said, it was yet another uncouth East Lansing thing that Ann Arbor looked down on for a long time.
Google is useless now so I can't be sure, but I think it became a thing after the Michigan win in the M-MSU game in 2007 in East Lansing. At least that's how I remember it.
Sadly, current 19yo kids don't remember that this was something they did that we laughed at, not something we did.
@CarrieB Not sure you’re missing anything. I grew up here and have no clue why couches must be burned in ritual celebration…and we all made fun of E Lansing doing it for a decade until the other night. It *is* stupid.