Large Kraft macaroni noodle spotted at Michigan Stadium to be removed Friday night
This big Kraft noodle will be removed from Michigan Stadium by Friday night.
Patrick Record | AnnArbor.com
- Related: Happy football season, Ann Arbor! Is the weather going to cooperate with kickoff?
- Everything you need to know about Saturday's road closure on Main Street
- 7 changes Wolverine football fans can expect at Michigan Stadium this fall
- Read more football coverage at MLive.com/Wolverines.
If you haven't canoodled with the giant noodle stationed next to the Michigan Stadium scoreboard already, you may have missed your chance.
The tempers of Michigan football purists were boiling over on Twitter Friday in reaction to what they felt was a promotion too cheesy for the Big House.
Those with negative reactions to the noodle included student body president Michael Proppe who tweeted “Nothing says @umichfootball tradition like a giant noodle under the scoreboard! I predict many angry donors.”
Fears of a noodle-tainted game day turned out to be unfounded. The massive macaroni, owned by Kraft Foods Inc., will be removed from the grounds of the stadium long before game time, University of Michigan assistant athletic director David Ablauf said.
“It’s actually kinda funny, everyone seems to be fixated on a noodle and not about a football game being played tomorrow,” he said.
“… but it will be moved out of the stadium this evening.”
The noodle was on site for the inaugural W.O.W. Friday event that the athletic department will be holding on Fridays prior to home football games throughout the season.
The “Welcoming Our Wolverines” initiative is designed to give fans and students access to Michigan Stadium during non-game times. Ablauf said that since September 11, 2001 it has been difficult arrange tours and other events to show off the Big House.
According to a news release, 60-minute tours of the Crisler Center and “select areas of Michigan Stadium” will be available on W.O.W. Fridays for $10 per person.
Ablauf said that the Kraft noodle, which has the company’s “You Know You Like It” slogan printed on it, was brought in to help kick off the events.
“It’s on site for the event,” he said. “Fans can take their picture with it, it’s something different.”
Ablauf said he is unsure where the noodle will be moved, or if it will return for future W.O.W. Friday events. He said that the sponsorship agreement to have the noodle at the stadium was between Kraft Foods and IMG College, which handles Michigan’s corporate sponsorships.
The noodle has been featured over the past 2 years at sites such as Wrigley Field in Chicago, Love Park in Philadelphia and Fisherman’s Wharf in San Fransisco.
Kraft Foods Company could not be reached Friday for comment.
Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Get in touch with Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2
Comments
Nic F.
Mon, Sep 2, 2013 : 2:10 a.m.
I love that fake kraft Mac & Cheese, but this is lame attempt to market college students. With that said I WANNA TOUR THE BIG HOUSE!!!!
Aceman
Sun, Sep 1, 2013 : 1:35 a.m.
Really ? Really ? These elite football purists must be the same ones who axed the Fight Song Halo...... It seems that there must be something in the world more important to whine about than the most iconic food in America that happens to be maize, seems pretty clever to me, but so did the only Stadium in America that had the best fight song around its top ! Had the halo remained it would have become more iconic than the Green Monster wall in Boston....sometimes embarrassed by the shallowness of M fans !
Brad
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 10:43 p.m.
Kraft - official faux cheese sponsor of the B1G. It's all about the Velveeta, people.
JRW
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 7:40 p.m.
It's all about $$. Mr Pizza Man hard at work for those dollars, even if it's tacky. No surprise there.
Justice4all
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 7:16 p.m.
Who are these UofM purists you speak of? Give me a break, It's a noodle!!! If you're a UofM football purist you don't give a hoot about a noodle outside the stadium.
David Cahill
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 6 p.m.
A new low in tackiness.
Basic Bob
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 5:39 p.m.
If only it was Macaroni and 3 Peppercorn Goat Cheese.
Eeyore
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 5:12 p.m.
What a friend we have in cheeses.
Eduard Copely
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 4:15 p.m.
Tacky, tacky...
nunya
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 3:42 p.m.
I think the city of Ann Arbor should make a deal with Kraft to put the noodle in city hall. The city can call it public art and meanwhile use the funds to pay for some road repairs.
JRW
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 7:42 p.m.
How many potholes does a noodle fill? I don't any potholes got filled this summer, so maybe the "noodle as art" is a good idea. Kraft underwriting for asphalt!
Soothslayer
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 4:18 p.m.
If I had a nickle every time someone attempted a cute quip about the public art fund, as important as art and culture is to the overall success of the community, I'd have a few dollars by now... which I'd additionally donate the the local arts.
nunya
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 3:40 p.m.
I guess Kraft got even more than they were expecting for their money. Between, twitter and the news look at all the exposure they are getting!
D8ton
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 12:54 p.m.
Anything for money? Time to hire classier decision-makers.
JRW
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 7:43 p.m.
This is what you get with Mr Pizza Man.
Brad
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 12:45 p.m.
"… but it will be moved out of the stadium this evening." ... because they couldn't come up with enough money to display it on Saturday. You know that is the *only* reason it isn't staying.
Nicholas Urfe
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 12:29 p.m.
"IMG College" WHO?
Nicholas Urfe
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 12:28 p.m.
"Ablauf said that since September 11, 2001 it has been difficult arrange tours and other events to show off the Big House." Funny, I walked through open gates with a group of friends during the middle of the day in Spring of 2006. We took photos - on the field. We regretted not having a picnic (in the stands). They really seem to be over-using the 9-11 thing.
aareader
Sun, Sep 1, 2013 : 5:24 a.m.
to Soothslayer ---I assume you mean the AD of the Athletic Department. As I understand it the Athletic Dept. and the University proper are separate when it comes to money. However, as you implied, it is easy for people to make this assumption since the name is the same. - U of M.- Perhaps the Regents would like to address the misconception with a better policy about the appearance "making a buck" for any reason under the University of Michigan's name.
Soothslayer
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 4:12 p.m.
Anything for a buck, that's the University of Michigan!
Tmodel
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 11:30 a.m.
I suppose it's just a sign of the state of journalism today, but did anyone else notice that the reporter misquoted the noodle? Does anyone edit these stories? Doesn't exactly raise my level of trust when I'm reading stories about issues where the information is actually important!
Dave Bass
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 10:36 a.m.
Gees! A NOODLE?
SaginawEric
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 5:20 a.m.
It's nice to hear people enjoy Michigan Stadium as a mostly advertising-free zone. There's not a lot of sporting venues left in the world like that. It's a shame we can't get ride of those pesky adidas logos on the uniforms. The winged helmet and block M are the only branding that stadium needs.
David Briegel
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 5 p.m.
And the ad for the Water Company every single game!
Dog Guy
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 3:58 a.m.
In Detroit, Kraft Dinner was in the gourmet aisle.
a2citizen
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 7:34 p.m.
"white flight" implies the person actually lived in Detroit.
Soothslayer
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 4:11 p.m.
Taking a jab at the most vulnerable in Detroit who've been met with unprecedented corruption for decades. Stay classy "white flight".
fjord
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 3:12 a.m.
If you're losing your mind over a giant promotional noodle, maybe it's time to re-examine your life.
jrigglem
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 2:10 a.m.
Seriously? Twitter was afire with people complaining over a noodle?? They must be Velveeta lovers....
arborani
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 4:10 a.m.
That's a terrible thing to say about another human being.
Carl Grapentine
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 2:07 a.m.
As of 9:30 this evening, it was still there.
SalineSoccerMom
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 1:33 a.m.
I think it's kinda cute! Not sure why all of the controversey. It is, in fact, just a noodle!
Youwhine
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 1:32 a.m.
If this is what people can find time to be upset about they must have painfully empty lives. And where do "purists" draw the line? Do they like the stadium the way it was before the noodle? Or before the giant scoreboards were added? Or maybe before the most recent addition where they added thousands of seats and made the stadium taller? Or maybe a true purist thinks they should go back to the original 1927 design which sat 82,000 people? It's hard to call yourself a purist when talking about a facility which is constantly changing.
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, Sep 3, 2013 : 11:25 a.m.
I'm constantly amazed at the level of reactionary comments on anything and everything in Ann Arbor. You would think the whole place spends all its waking hours looking for something to OMG about. Relax people. A2 is not the center of the universe.
Brad
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 12:24 p.m.
The only thing "pure" there is pure capitalism.
a2grateful
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 1:21 a.m.
I think it gives the block M a very nice and happy smile. . . I like it. It's also a nice reminder for us to smile, and welcome our new students. U of M a2: You know you're going to love it!
MichU
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 1:20 a.m.
Lame. The yellow and maize don't even match.
arborani
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 6:36 p.m.
I think MichU is referring to two non-matched shades of the same color - yellow. I agree.
Homeland Conspiracy
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 6:09 p.m.
The color maize or corn refers to a shade of yellow
smokeblwr
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 11:38 p.m.
I'm bummed. I was looking forward to synergy alignment between #UMFOOTBALL and #KRAFT. This is how football is being played in the 21st century, get with it or get left behind.
Concerned Citizen
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 11:34 p.m.
[ Levity alert, :-)! ] This may sound cheezy, but I'd like to see the noodle replace the swoosh ! :-)! (even IF only temporarily ! )
Laurie Barrett
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 11:25 p.m.
Boy, advertising Kraft processed food on campus--sanctioning it--that's perverse.
glacialerratic
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 11:09 p.m.
It's a public university. You can go into just about any building to take a look. For free. This is just crass greed.
YpsiGreen
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 3:53 a.m.
Or you can get busted for trespassing. Then it's just grass weed (and booze).
Linda Peck
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 10:50 p.m.
I like the idea of Friday tours for $10 for people who don't like football but are curious about what the stadium looks like now.
JRW
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 7:46 p.m.
It shouldn't cost anything. It's a public university.
WalkingJoe
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 10:44 p.m.
Gee, I'm torn. I'm a UM football fan and I am a fan of Mac & Cheese. I grew up on both so I guess I am clueless about why people are so upset. Now it it had something to do with the items now sold in the dorm vending machines (refer to article in annarbor.com earlier this week) that might be a little tacky.
hail2thevict0r
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 10:42 p.m.
Why would I ever want to take my picture with a Noodle? Especially when you have the country's largest stadium and most historic football field as a backdrop?
TheDiagSquirrel
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 10:31 p.m.
The mac and cheese would have a stronger presence there than any MAC football team.
Basic Bob
Sat, Aug 31, 2013 : 1:27 p.m.
Michigan's record against the (Wisconsin) Cheese is not nearly so good.
MajorPaul
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 10:13 p.m.
I suppose that if I said to the advertisers, "Now hey, THAT'S using your noodle!", then it would probably get voted down 'cause it's so damn cheesey.
aareader
Sun, Sep 1, 2013 : 5:09 a.m.
Puns used in correct places are always good puns and that is not cheesey ...just krafty.
bereasonable
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 10:17 p.m.
well played, sir. My hat's off to you (or should I say my cheesehead's off to you)
Steve Bean
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 10:03 p.m.
How much did Kraft pay for the privilege?
aareader
Sun, Sep 1, 2013 : 5:11 a.m.
So... has the policy of advertising at/in Michigan Stadium secretly changed or was this one sneaked in?