• Augie’s Glorious Return..and Old 98’s Righteous Coupe

    Via my Google keyword spybot sentinels…from the Escanaba Daily News (naturally!), check out this piece on 92 year-old alum August Altese (inset left).  Augie played on the freshman team in 1940 and suited up once more for the Victors Classic prior the Spring Game a few weeks ago.   A few choice cuts from the story: On taking the field: ‘“I didn’t have my hearing aids in and they just pushed me out there,” Altese said. “I was so pleased to see that everyone was clapping. They assigned me the last five minutes and I just kind of ran this way and that. They didn’t throw anything to me, but when I was warming up they threw me three passes. I missed the first two, caught the third one and fell, and I still feel it.”’ On Billy Taylor: ‘”He was a great runner for Michigan, but he boozed it up and got into drugs after graduation,” Altese said. “Now he’s running an establishment that helps people. He’s a great guy.”’ and check this out, on Tom Harmon’s sponsored-sled(!!):  ‘“As a freshman at Michigan in 1940, Altese didn’t get much playing time, and though he was on the same team as legendary Michigan quarterback Tom Harmon, he said he never met him. [Ed. The author didn’t know or point out that…

  • Wire Photo Wednesday : Smooth Swing, Smooth Ride

    The second edition of #WPW.  If you’ve got any cool wire photos in your personal collection and would like to see them in a future post send them along.   Johnny Smooth… – A sweet shot of Michigan golf legend John Fischer’s swing, NCAA individual title champion in 1932 and he later won the 1936 U.S. Amateur (which golf fans know is a big fricking deal – and even more so back then).      Serenity NOW COACH! – In the aftermath of Woody slugging Clemson’s Charlie Bauman, here’s a look at Buckeye Ken Fritz trying to calm the old boy down.    Take the Field – An awesome shot of Bo leading out the troops, presumably before a spring practice/media day event.      Smooth Bennie – When you are the greatest athlete U-M has ever seen they put you outside the Ferry Field football gates in a fresh sled and take your photo.   Even in 1927.   Related:* Wire Photo Wednesday – Edition 1 – Bo cuts the cake, the Ferry Field Clubhouse and the all-Whites   Follow MVictors on Twitter

  • How Bo Lost recruit Billy Taylor (WTKA audio)

    Today on 1050AM WTKA “Touchdown” Billy Taylor was studio to promote the Perseverance documentary. I mentioned in my review earlier this week that one of the outstanding stories in the movie was about the recruiting trip BT and Thom Darden made to Oxford to visit Miami, OH and then coach Bo Schembechler (inset photo via the U-M Bentley Historical Library): * Thom Darden talking about how the recruiting trip he and Taylor made to see Bo Schembechler while he was still head man at Miami, OH.  (Bo didn’t exactly wine and dine them). This morning TDBT provided some more hilarious details on that trip to see Bo, and the aftermath, and it’s priceless: [display_podcast]   For the full interview this morning check out the WTKA podcasts. Related: PERSEVERANCE – The Story of Dr. Billy Taylor premieres Friday 11/16 in Ann Arbor   Follow MVictors on Twitter

  • First Look: Perseverance – The Story of Dr. Billy Taylor

    This weekend I got a sneak peek at the latest Michigan football-related documentary, Perseverance – The Story of Dr. Billy Taylor.   You can see it yourself later this week as the film premieres in Ann Arbor at the Michigan Theater this Friday November 16th in two showings: 7:30PM and 9:55PM.  Touchdown BT himself will be there and I suggest you grab a seat. One thing I didn’t expect going in: I loved the pace of the film.  While the BT backstory follows the typical documentary formula of blending photos, news clippings and video footage with music, it moves very quickly and seamlessly, more in line with the up tempo style of the 30 for 30 series than say a PBS Ken Burns feature. Given the subject matter and the potential for a few gems in the form of classic stories, old pics and vintage footage to emerge, naturally going in I assumed I would like the film. To my delight there were gems aplenty packed but it brought much more—they did a wonderful job of weaving this story together.   Like a memorable documentary should, Perseverance delivers a series of special moments that grab you such as: * Taylor discussing his strategy for sleeping inside abandoned houses, upstairs vs. downstairs, where he lived in Detroit over a two year stretch. *…