The recent discovery of an 1892 Athletic Association pin clarified the deep history of this lost Michigan tradition. I view this tradition as a bit of a historic puzzle, and this find provided a huge tangible piece of evidence on its origins. This post shares the latest history as I understand it today.
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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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When the Game Must be Moved
Played January 11, 2009, scheduled January 9, 2009 Red Berenson and crew continued its roll yesterday afternoon, wrapping up a sweep of Miami, OH with a 4-0 shutout. The rare Sunday tilt was of course due to the postponement of Friday’s scheduled game, due to the structural issues uncovered at Yost Ice Arena. This wasn’t the first time a scheduled game had to be moved, and unfortunately many of the other incidents were brought on by darker circumstances. I thought this would be a nice opportunity to look at some of those instances: 1963 – Kennedy The assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963 moved out the Ohio State game which was scheduled to be played in Ann Arbor the next day. Played November 30, 1963, scheduled November 23, 1963 I was able to connect with Dr. Barry Dehlin, a sophomore on Bump Elliott’s 1963 crew and ask him about his memories of the days surrounding the assassination. Here’s what he wrote: Naturally the assassination was a shock to all of us. I remember being in the dorm getting ready to go to practice when I heard what had happened. One of those sentinel moments in your life that you will always remember. We still met that Friday and the decision was already made that the game was postponed…
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Michigan Baseball team Visits Japan (1932)
A unique, well-traveled piece of Michigan athletics memorabilia showed up on eBay this week. It’s described to be a ticket stub from a game between Michigan baseball and a university team from Tokyo, played in Japan in 1932. At first glance, I laughed thinking there was no way a college team traveled to Japan during the throes of the Great Depression to play baseball. And the auction description didn’t help sell it for me: 1932 Michigan University vs Meiji University tour ticket stub from game 1 played at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo. From an excellent summary published in Michigan Today in 1998, it all started with Japan teams doing a college tour in the US years earlier, with many of the stops in Ann Arbor from 1911 to 1925. Then in 1929, Michigan coach Ray Fisher got an invite from the Meiji University inviting the maize and blue to visit Japan as “ambassadors of goodwill”. Fielding Yost and the board of athletics approved the trip and so they headed west, then more west, until they reach the Far East in 1929: After playing several games on the West Coast and one in Hawaii, the Wolverines arrived in Japan for a 30-day visit. Lodged at the Imperial Hotel, the 14 team members and Coach Fisher and his family were received lavishly…
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Hockey Tickets Arrive
That’s right, the Webmaster is in with season hockey tickets. In Section 22, of all places, which is my favorite section in the Big House! Of note: Maize Outs: – Ohio State 11/1 – Miami 1/9 – Michigan State 1/24 Blue Outs: – Teddy Bear Toss (someone pls explain why this is a significant event): – Michigan State 12/5 Senior Night: (glad to see they’re respecting the older crowd – Ferris State 4/28
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Open Call for Stadium Help
The athletic department bought a quarter page ad in today’s Ann Arbor News announcing “Football Stadium Team Members Needed”. They did the same last year if you recall. I’ve heard the stadium has stepped up its demands on ushers, extending the time period they’re asked to be onsite and working (both before and after the games). This may have caused a few folks to bag it in the last couple years thus the need for more help. They also might need a few folks to guide people around the construction. If you are interested in tearing tickets and escorting pickled fans out of the stadium you are asked to gather at the Junge Family Center on Saturday June 7 at 9am. For more info you can dial 734.647.9760. I couldn’t find more info on mgoblue.com, but I did find this interesting poll: Yes, people hitting mgoblue.com tend to lean Maize and Blue. I love that Kentucky got some votes. Why don’t they just ask, ‘Which school has the best helmet in college football?” UPDATE: Found it, more from mgoblue.com.
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From now on, You’ll be Fritz
Great, great stuff from the bountiful Sports Illustrated Vault. I found this beauty via the excellent Winged Helmet message board posted by uber user BlueCheeseHead. It’s a lengthy piece on Fritz Crisler first published in February 1964 titled “The Man Who Changed Football“. Definitely check it out. It presents the former Michigan coach and AD’s influence on college football rule changes but it also provides a few nice nuggets. Among them: Specifically how he got the nickname Fritz: Coach [Amos Alonzo] Stagg fastened the nickname of ‘Fritz’ on him after he had fumbled three times in a row. Stagg made the sarcastic point that there was a violinist, a great artist, who spelled his name Kreisler. He said he was naming Crisler Fritz because he bore absolutely no resemblance to Fritz Kreisler, the artist. On his strategy to defend “the sleeper”….where the offense hides a player near the sidelines, hoping the defense doesn’t notice: “We would put a bugler up on top of the press box with instructions to watch for that sleeper, and when he spotted one to blast out reveille with all the fervor and wind that was in him. It worked, but we could only use him at home games. There was a limit on the number of men we could take on a trip. One time…
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Season Ticket Renewals Arrive
1909 Season “Foot Ball” Pass In the mail today. A little less clutter in the envelope than usual, just the application ($375 per seat), an ad for their new radio device from live sports radio and a promotion for the 2008 student t-shirt from the mden*. Renewal deadline is May 16, 2008. The letter to season ticket holders takes some time to talk about the changes to the stadium to support fans with mobility impairments. My regular tickets are just out of the range of rows they removed for the new platforms; I’m curious as to where they put fans that were affected. Re: the ear device….I’m not sure if this the same company as Earradio, the company that had the thing last season. Either way, I still wouldn’t get one, although this version looks a little slicker. *Memo to M Den: How about an affiliate program for bloggers and the like? Goodness gracious.
