Public speaking can be really tough. Heck, I get nervous speaking in front of just a couple dozen people. So imagine how it must feel to speak in front of 120,000 people?
I know, drink a few beers! That’ll really calm the nerves!
University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman experimented with just such a theory— maybe— at Saturday’s Michigan-Nebraska game. Deadspin, among everyone in attendance at the game, posited this theory Sunday.
Coleman, who has been president of the university since August 2002 and spoken at the Big House many times, delivered an awkward, slurred speech at halftime of the game. She rambled about how great Michigan is, and the coaches and athletes are and repeated the same things over and over.
Let’s just say, if you’ve heard people who’ve had a few too many drinks try to give a speech, it sounded a whole lot like Coleman was drunk.
Michigan released a statement Sunday saying it was actually a microphone malfunction which threw off the president.
“We rarely use live wireless microphones at Michigan Stadium because of the way that sound is distributed; it travels from the north scoreboard across the field to the south,” athletic director Dave Brandon said in a statement. “There was significant wind that caused the sound to be delayed and distorted and created feedback during President Coleman’s speech.”
We’ll probably never know for sure, since Michigan was never going to say, “Oh yeah, our president was totally hammered.” We’ll have to leave it up to you to decide after watching the video.
Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports. Please, no drinking and speaking. For your own safety.
