What a night. This one will be remembered for the pounding rain for most of the game but also for the complete effort on the field against a top tier opponent and of course, a rival. As a bonus this is sweet historically knowing we'll likely not see the Irish until 2033. To the sights and sounds...
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True Dedication – Opening Michigan Stadium Sights & Sounds (1927)
A few sights and sounds from the Michigan Stadium dedication on October 22, 1927. Video footage, a theft(!), the MMB, enemy praise and much more.
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Don Canham’s Gift
Prior to the Purdue game I sat in for a segment on WOMC’s Tailgate Show. Just before I went on the air, host Lucy Ann Lance summoned over Peg Canham, widow of legendary Michigan athletic director Don Canham. Mrs. Canham was wearing a stunning necklace and it caught my eye. Lance knew a bit about it and mentioned that it was a gift from the former AD, made from an old Wolverine football championship ring. I wanted to know a little more, so I connected with Mrs. Canham afterward and she was kind enough to send along a photo: I knew there was something very familiar about her necklace, and it didn’t take long to figure out why. I’ve featured a few Michigan championship rings on eBay Watch over the years including this one from 1977: Along with the photo, Mrs. Canham was kind enough to share a few memories about the ring. “He surprised me with the necklace for Christmas shortly after we were married in 1995,” she told me. “As I’m sure you can figure Don had a jewelry box full of rings but this one was always my favorite because it is the Michigan Stadium, and he knew it.” She also noted that in the famous photo of Don Canham at his desk (the same one you…
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Michigan Today: Aerial Views of campus
The January edition of the online alumni magazine Michigan Today was released tonight. Included is a nice slideshow of aerial photos taken around campus by Scott Galvin of U-M Photo Services. While we’ve seen many shots above the Big House over the years, I thought this one was pretty cool:
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Blue Books: Historic Michigan Football Photos
I just received a fresh copy of ‘Historic Photos of University of Michigan Football’ from Turner Publishing. Michelle O’Brien authored the collection, which pulls together fascinating photos from the vaults over at the U-M Bentley Historical Library over the past 100+ years. It isn’t confined to games and practices; it also includes a few unique looks at the band, the fans and in some cases, the excitement on campus and outside the stadium. Each photo contains a detailed caption describing the photo often along with a relevant background from the period. O’Brien did a very nice job-it’s a fine collection and would make an excellent gift. While I’ve seen a few of the photos before but most were new to me. Here’s a few of my favorites, click to enlarge: Louis Elbel, the man that composed The Victors after the 1898 Michigan game at Chicago, conducts the Michigan Marching Band in 1952 The original Little Brown (White?) Jug. I love the “Not to be taken from the Gymnasium” instruction painted on the top. Can you imagine? A photo as they break ground on Michigan stadium, with a clear shot back to Yost Field House in the background. Gorgeous.
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Pushing the Rock
While there’s still a shot a getting to six wins and preserving two great streaks, this season is turning into an exercise of focusing on themes and trends inside games rather than the end result. A loss a Notre Dame is always tough to take and we still don’t know how good the Irish are, but I saw some good things out there Saturday. The comeback effort turned into a Sisyphean task, as a few times the Wolverines were on the brink of scoring a critical touch only to have a brutal fumble or pick wipe it all away. This game was obviously lost on the turnovers, the worst occurred before the rain came down, but that can be fixed. This offense isn’t quite ready to enough register points to overcome the kind of hole they put themselves in the first quarter, but certainly showed signs. After last week I never thought I’d say this but Threet looked sharp, didn’t he? I don’t mean sharp as in ‘much improved for a guy who’d be a third stringer on most teams’, I mean sharp as you want your quarterback to be. I haven’t seen the replay on that early screen to Minor that was dropped and picked up by the Irish- I assume that shouldn’t have been thrown but otherwise, didn’t…
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From the Inside: Construction photos
A few photos from inside the stadium Saturday. I got to the game pretty early but overall I hear they did a good job with the crowd control. There was much more room in the concourse underneath the new construction than it appears from the street, and it provided some nice shade and there was a good breeze blowing through. A few photos of the construction:
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Provisioning for Michigan Stadium: 2008
[Webmaster’s note: Slightly modified from last year’s version] Here we are on the eve of Michigan football’s 2008 season opener. Many of you out there are no doubt assembling your tailgating gear, food, wares, etc., for the early start tomorrow. Part of this preparation includes your in-stadium provisioning, which is a completely separate exercise. A few thoughts: 1. AM/FM Radio. To listen to the play-by-play from Brandy and Beckmann. You’ll get injury reports, sideline observations and insight, statistics and analysis of key plays that are under replay review. Probably most critical: you’ll have a chance to block out the blabber from an idiot nearby that is giving his own play-by-play or screaming at the coaches. 2. M Lid. While not an absolute requirement, it certainly helps to keep that sun from beating down on you, especially for the noon games such as tomorrow’s tilt. For those in the North end zone or West side of the field, could be critical. 3. Digital Camera. You never know who you’re going to see at the game or what live action you might catch. Make sure you upload any vintage game video on YouTube for everyone to enjoy throughout the ages. 4. Tickets & Lanyard. Obviously you’ll need those tickets to get in but for the big games I always try to bring…
