• Cold Case Closed: Herron (2011) vs. Harmon (1939)

    Thanks to the new U-M Bentley Game Film vault, we’ll have a chance to see game events previously only experienced through photos, written descriptions, or rarely, first-hand accounts. And maybe we’ll use these videos to learn a few new things, and possibly, clear up a few mysteries or misconceptions. In the 2011 season opener against Western Michigan, U-M’s Brandon Herron took an interception return 94-yards to the house. But was it the longest ever?

  • On Honoring Michigan Legends

    I’ve had a few days to think about the newly unveiled ‘Michigan Football Legend’ program.  Bottom line–I really like it.  My whole thing about the history of U-M is whatever gets people talking about former players, coaches, seasons, or games is a 99% of the time a good thing.  (Glen Rice).   The BTN Icons series, for example, had everyone talking about Harmon and of course this was a big couple weeks for Desmond. Another thing we learned is that it’s clear Michigan will not be retiring any new numbers and on Sunday, Angelique caught up with Dave Brandon who told her this: Brandon intends to offer the families of the players whose numbers have been retired — Tom Harmon, Bennie Oosterbaan, the Wistert brothers, Ron Kramer and Gerald Ford — to have those numbers re-established but with the "Michigan Football Legend" patch associated with those players. I’m hoping the families of the guys who have already have had their numbers retired agree to join this program.  The fact is no one really talks a whole lot about Kramer, the Wisterts and even Oosterbaan (unless of course we’re talking about retiring a jersey). And I’m with Brian, it’d be cool to see someone wearing #98 on the field and have a tricked out Harmon locker.  Someone get Mr. Shoop on the…

  • Intrepidus, Michigan’s Last Living Wolverine (1939)

    Check out (above) this excellent wire photo of a live mascot wolverine.  The auction description says it dates to October 13, 1939 and was retrieved from the archives of Sport Magazine.   The beast just might have been trotted out before the Michigan-Iowa match the next day, a game in which Tom Harmon dominated everyone including Iowa’s great Nile Kinnick. Here's the story of Michigan's attempt to have actual live mascots on campus: