Two huge, actually three BIG sports brands are coming together at the BIG HOUSE.. Manchester United are in the midst of their American preseason tour. It’s a chance for Reds to increase their presence in the U.S. And yet another way Americans, and the rest of the world for that matter, can learn more about the rich history of the most valuable and highest profile sports club in the entire world.
United takes on Real Madrid at Michigan Stadium, nicknamed “The Big House” in the International Champions Cup on Saturday. The Big House, home to Michigan football, is known for having the highest capacity of any stadium in the United States and among the most in the world. Tickets to this game sold out in just two hours!
And the attendance will break the U.S. domestic record!
Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, it seats 109,901 for college football. The capacity will be less for the United-Real matchup on Saturday. Some seats may be lost as the field will have to widened to meet international standards.
I asked Michigan football Coach Brady Hoke today at Big Ten Media Day if he’ll a part of United vs Real.
“I’d like to be, but I won’t be, simply because our freshmen, that’s their first day coming in as far as some of the administrative details we need to take care of,” Hoke responded excitedly.
“But I think we’re going to break a record.”
Said Michigan football player Frank Clark:
“Me and a couple of my teammates were talking about attending that game. Just got word that Ronaldo might play, I might have to be a water boy for him, but hey anything for Ronaldo, he’s the highest paid soccer player in the world.”
Clark, a DL, will obviously be rooting for Real then, as he’s obviously a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, who Man United sold to Los Blancos a couple years ago. Ronaldo is flying in to the U.S. to play in two matches, here and Dallas.
Apparently, Michigan football players can get a ticket if they serve as water boys during the game.
“I’m actually a Barca guy, I love Lionel Messi, that’s my guy, but Ronaldo is the highest paid soccer player in the world, I can’t be mad at that,” he said.
Right. Don’t hate the player. Hate the game. For the English Premier League clubs that embark on these tours, they’re a huge money maker. These things are truly a cash cow. It’s ridiculous. And now you bring three massive worldwide sports brands together: Real Madrid, Manchester United, Michigan Football
Wolverines Quarterback Devin Gardner says he sent in an email trying to obtain a ticket by being a water boy.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the big house in that different atmosphere, they took out the goalposts the other day, it’s going to be exciting to see how they put all the grass down, and it’s exciting to see your stadium turn into something different,” Gardner said.
“This is Michigan football. We’re going to break the record,” Gardner proudly proclaimed.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports and Yahoo! He’s been a guest on news talk shows all across the world. He’s also a special contributor to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Banks has been featured in numerous media outlets including NFL.com, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, ESPN, NBC, CBS, the History Channel and more. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)
