Name: Chad A. Safran
Alias: Feeling Blue
Age: 34
Occupation: Freelance writer, restaurant server, aspiring triathlete
Team: University of Michigan Football, Phoenix Coyotes
Blog: MichiganNotes.com, CoyotesDaily.com

Many things come with having a degree from the University of Michigan: respect, knowledge, debt, and the passion for everything Maize and Blue. Despite having all those things, plus getting to wear shorts year-round and having barbecues while most of you are shoveling snow, I still am attached to the Wolverines like few others. My office has one wall painted like the Michigan helmet and the curtains are actually made out of the same material as a football jersey. I do not wear anything green and white or scarlet and gray. And I flush twice, knowing it’s a long way to South Bend.

Yet I do manage to keep a somewhat objective viewpoint when following Michigan, some of which was earned as a four-year reporter for the Michigan Daily. I know that the blowout win rarely happens and I am resigned to the disappointments that go with following the Wolverines. I will never blame referees or the weather, and when Michigan is either stronger or weaker than its opponent, I can recognize that fact. Do I bleed Maize and Blue?  Will my first-born child’s first words be the lyrics to “Hail to the Victors?” Sure, but a true fan is the fan who knows reality (see 2007 Rose Bowl—I was there), and I am that fan. When I am not following the exploits at Schembechler Hall, I participate in triathlons. More like survive. But I need to stay in shape, because watching the Wolverines can easily make you not feel so well some days. So the healthier I am before any football season the better.