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Billings (Montana) Daily Gazette, November 7, 1909

[Ed. Jan-30 – As sometimes happens with this history pieces, I received a couple follow-ups, one from Brian from the Bentley Library with some archived documentation.  I updated the post below.]

Today obviously the head coach of Michigan football team doesn’t have to look beyond campus to hit it big.    This hasn’t always the case of course, especially in the early days of the program.   While Fielding Yost’s contracts compensated him very competitively for the day, it definitely didn’t make him a wealthy man.  Yost spent a good part of the year pursuing his private business interests out of town.

Do you know the story of Gustave “Dutch” Ferbert?  He suited up for the Wolverines in the mid-1890s but most notably he was head coach of the famous 1898 squad that delivered Michigan its first conference title.  The championship-sealing victory over Chicago that year inspired Louis Elbel to compose ‘The Victors’.  

Ferbert coached one more season but then packed his bags and headed north, hoping to strike it rich in the Klondike.   In 1900 he traveled up to Nome and allegedly told folks he would “return rich or not all all.”

Well, there was some question whether he would make it, especially early on.  Thanks to Brian at the Bentley for forwarding this over, apparently from 1902:

Here’s the opening paragraph:

The many friends of “Dutch"” Ferbert, Michigan’s football coach in 1898, and one of the greatest halfbacks who ever carried the ball, have been fearful for some time that something has happened to him, but because it is “Dutch” Ferbert they remember his sturdy characteristics and are hoping that word will be received from him that he is safe

Well, he eventually resurfaced and yes, he kept his promise—he returned a rich man.

Thanks to the folks at the Billings Gazette for tracking down this November 7, 1909 story titled, “His Touchdown in the Arctic”.   The article describes how he made “a $1,000,000 touchdown”..and briefly recapped his quest:

The former gridiron star first located at Nome, and there the real battle to keep the best from the door began.  He tried prospecting in several districts, but with slim success.  He found work part of the time in restaurants, stores and other places.  This lasted for several years, but never a thought did he have of going back.  He started out to cross the goal line and a kick or two in the jugular from an adverse fate he considered part of the game.

Then came the strike at Deering City, and Ferbert was one of the first to hit the trail with a pack.  At the start it proved a “Roaring Camp” all right, but luck was a little shy, and then came the turn and riches in abundance.  He located some of the best claims in the region, panned out more gold than he had ever dreamed and became a bonanza king overnight.

While I’m not sure Dutch held onto his dough through the years, it’s still a great piece of U-M coaching lore.

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I don’t if Harry Kipke liked to be photographed, or whether the press chased him around a lot but, brother, there are always a lot of interesting photos of the former Michigan All-American player and coach on eBay.  

Just right now you can find photos of Kipke in scenes that have nothing to do with football—[left to right above] on vacation with his wife in Florida chilling in a bathrobe, hanging out with golfing legend Gene Sarazen, and most frequently, Kipke on his boat sailing or hanging out with other people who love to sail.  I don’t know if there are any Kipke family historians out there, but I’m guessing you can piece together Kipke’s life (certainly in the 1930s and 1940s) through solely the lens of newspaper wire photos that pop up on eBay.

Here’s my favorite and this might end up in my man cave.

Taken in May 1935 (notably after the horrific ‘34 season), on the left that’s Kipke’s son holding what you have to assume is a leather Michigan helmet.  Kipke is kneeling in a sharp 3-piece suit with a flower tie as he tangles with two baby lions at his feet.   Harry’s no fool—note the protective oven mitts. 

So what’s the deal with all of this?   First, chalk this up to a day in the life of Harry Kipke, who clearly had photographers wherever he went.   I scanned the free newspaper archives but couldn’t find anything.   If I had to guess, Kipke and his son are at an event, perhaps a graduation party or something, at the estate of his pal Harry Bennett.  As posted on these pages before, Bennett was Henry Ford’s enforcer and lived off Geddes road near town, and yes, he was known to keep lions and tigers on the property.

Ships Wheel
While I’m on the topic of Kipke I have to share photo and note sent over by reader Bob.  First the photo:

Here’s the backstory from Bob:

Hi, I am looking for information on a item I bought from Harry Kipke’s estate. It is a very large ships wheel with a football welded to the center. It has gold leaf writing which says “Birthday greetings Harry Kipke”.   It was hanging at the bottom of the basement stairs going into the billiard room. It is said H.K. was good friends with Henry Ford, Roy Firestone and Tom Edison and they often hung out there…I was also told the wheel may have been a gift from one of the Ford’s (Henry or Gerald). The wheel is 52? tall and in great shape. What I would like to know is who gave it to him and what birthday did he receive it…It is a honor owning it but feel it should be in a place more people can see and enjoy it.  Any thoughts as to where it should go?  If so what’s it’s value?   A local guy says 5K plus but I just don’t know.

So first off, I have no idea how much something like this would be worth.   It’s one-of-a-kind and you’d have to find someone who’s interested in both sailing, history and Michigan football [mgoshoe?!] to even approach finding a price for this thing.  If someone’s got a truly unique collection this might look nice on the wall, but it is so tough to say.  For starters I’d want to know who gave it to Kipke, whether is an actual from a ship (or if was it created solely as a gift for Kipke—likely, given the football affixed in the center), and the manufacturer. 

Related:

* 1933 and the Dickinson Formula
* Harry Kipke and the Fall of 1934
* Jesse Owns and Gerald Ford (1934)
* The Willis Ward Protests (1934)

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Seth Gold from American Jewelry and Loan beside his #16 Denard John Navarre signed jersey

[Ed.  The full interview with Seth Gold will appear in GoBlueWolverine Mag and Scout.com later this month.   Here’s just an excerpt, the complete discussion gets into the show, the shop and a few other details. 

For this excerpt I offer up a tighter introduction and get right into the Michigan-related talk.]

In early January over two and a half million people tuned in to watch Hardcore Pawn, a show about the drama that plays out inside a Detroit-based pawn shop. The hit series, which airs on TruTV on Tuesday nights, follows the Gold family (father Les, his son Seth and daughter Ashley) as they manage their store, American Jewelry and Loan, located just off of 8 Mile Road in Detroit.

Viewers of Hardcore Pawn, now in its fifth season, have no doubt spotted a winged helmet and a framed Wolverine jersey in the office of Seth Gold, one of the stars of the show, who happens to be a Michigan graduate. As a fan of the series and someone who delves into Michigan football memorabilia and history, I was thrilled when Seth invited me down to the shop to talk about the business, the show and even about his beloved Michigan Wolverines.

MVictors: So let’s get into your U of M background. You’re Michigan graduate, right?

Seth Gold: “Yes, I’m a 2003 graduate of LS&A [Literature, Science and Arts] and I was on a pre-med track. Ultimately my whole life I wanted to be a doctor and to help people. Then, my senior year, after my Chem, Bio, and Orgo exams, I didn’t sleep for like three days. I thought, ‘I don’t like what I’m doing. If I don’t like this now I’m going to be in big trouble.’

So I came here [to the pawn shop] for two years after I graduated and I was real quiet…just learning the business. I was working in the back and just doing whatever I needed to do. Then after two years went by I was like, ‘OK–We’re going to make some changes.’”

MVictors: How were things when you started out, given it is your dad’s business?

Seth Gold: “When you are the owner’s son you get this inherent respect, but that only lasts for a second before the older managers who have been here for 20-years+ say, ‘We don’t really care what he says’. So that’s why I stayed really quiet for the first couple years–you have to earn that respect. And I think I did.”

MVictors: You were a big Michigan fan before you went to school in Ann Arbor?

Seth Gold: “I’ve always been a Michigan guy.”

MVictors: On Hardcore Pawn every once in a while you can see a winged helmet and a frame Michigan jersey in your office, tell me about those items

Seth Gold: “If you watch the first season, the helmet is always behind me. Then they’ve been moving out because of the rights and stuff, so it ended up getting pushed out [of the camera shot]. I was really upset because when you walk into my office you should be able to see it. But there are still glimpses all over the place of my Michigan stuff.”

MVictors: There’s a #16 Michigan jersey hanging on the wall in your office, is that for Denard or someone else?

Seth Gold: “John Navarre. “He was the quarterback when I graduated. My wife was friends with a player on the team and got it autographed for me.”

MVictors: So are you a collector of Michigan memorabilia?

Seth Gold: “I’ve got some cool stuff, absolutely. Now that we have the show people bring in their [U-M] stuff because they know I’m a big Michigan fan. A guy came in one day and tells me he’s got something I won’t believe. He has a lamp made out of a Michigan helmet and it’s signed by Bo and Woody Hayes. But I’m wondering if Woody Hayes would actually sign a Michigan helmet. I asked for the certificate of authenticity, because if I’m going to invest in it I need to make sure that’s Woody Hayes’s actual signature. He said didn’t have it, so I asked him how much he wanted for it. He wanted one hundred grand [laughs]. Give me a break. But people are bringing all kinds of cool pieces all the time.”

MVictors: Do you see any vintage items, like old programs?

Seth Gold: “I’m getting a lot of sports memorabilia, and people know that I have an affinity to Detroit and Michigan things. Last week someone brought in a piece of Michigan stadium turf, cut up in a 4 x 4 square—they wanted $800 [laughs]. I wanted to help him out but come on. Whenever they have Michigan items they come straight to me.”

MVictors: I know you get championship rings in the shop now and again, how often do you see college rings like from Michigan or Michigan State? Have any Buckeye gold pants made it in to the shop?

Seth Gold: No Michigan State rings, but I do have Ohio State rings. No gold pants though [laughs].

It’s a reality folks—these rings have value and will occasionally end up on eBay or in pawn shops

MVictors: You have a few Michigan championship rings in the shop [they are kept in his office]. How did those end up in the shop?

Seth Gold: “[For one of the rings], I asked [the former player] how much he wanted, he said he wanted $500. Based on the gold value of that day, if I scrap it, meaning I melted it down and made it a little brick of gold, I’d get $350. I can’t over loan, period. I gave him a loan for $345.”

“Being a student athlete is one of the most difficult things. I lived in West Quad with a whole bunch of athletes—golfers. Obviously it’s not the most rigorous sport but these guys are busting their ass the entire time they are at school. You have to perform, but they are also given an expensive gift [the scholarship]. So take advantage of it while you can. A University of Michigan degree can take you places.”

Longtime employee Rich Pyle has Seth sign a HCP shirt for a customer during the interview

MVictors: Do you try to make it out to the Big House for games?

Seth Gold: “I was at the night game! So hell yeah. But I still work on Saturdays so it’s hard for me. I’ve got a TV in my office that I watch the games on. After the [Notre Dame] game, they interviewed Darius Fleming for the local Notre Dame paper. They asked him about his favorite show, he said Hardcore Pawn. So I actually reached out to him and said, ‘Real rough game over in Ann Arbor’ [laughs].

MVictors: So you follow the games pretty close on those Saturdays?

Seth Gold: “Oh yeah. Of course, of course.”

MVictors: When did Rich Rod lose you?

Seth Gold: “I liked the offense. It was a fun offense to watch. But it just wasn’t a Michigan offense. I was always uneasy with it. It didn’t seem right for the Big Ten. I think Denard is great but I like the pro-style quarterback.”

MVictors: How do you feel about the state of the football team now?

Seth Gold: “I like it. I think it’s going to change and, you know, 10-2 is nothing to laugh at in Hoke’s first season. I heard [a local sports radio host] say they’re going to win a championship in the next four years. I’m like, ‘Let’s go!’ I’m going. Wherever it is, I’m going to be there! It’s exciting.”

MVictors: You must have a lot of people who like the show who just want to come in to see what it’s like here..

Seth Gold: “I had some coaches from the Chargers come by last week [they were in town to play the Lions]. You know who else was here? Mila Kunis. She stopped by.”

MVictors: Nice.

—————————————————————

You can and should do the following:

*  Follow Seth on Twitter here.
* Watch Hardcore Pawn on TruTV Tuesdays at 9PM ET. 
* For those around town, check out American Jewelry and Loan just off the Lodge near 8-mile.

The full interview will appear in GoBlueWolverine Mag and Scout.com this month.  I’ll post the whole thing here later on.

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It’s a beautiful day!   No question the star of the game was this guy, who once again showed poise beyond his years:

That photo was taken after Burke’s first start of the year in game 2 against Towson.   Back then I wrote this:

Burke is a cool cat for a true freshman by the way.  He admitted he was a little nervous before the game after [getting] the nod for the start, but he certainly wasn’t nervous breaking the game down for the media.

I think that was the last time he was nervous because that’s a cool dude.   He’s cooler than Treezy with shades in the Maize Rage.  And he not only led the team with the ball most notably creating the game winning score, he made several very nice plays on defense.   In the final seconds (after he’d been on the court all but a couple minutes of the game) he had the awareness to help out Novak to stop Green’s drive just past the stripe, and he while he didn’t get the rebound, he turned, got a body on Green and broke up Green’s attempt to tip the ball in. 

Radio >>  As an aside, I had the unique opportunity to listen to a portion of the game on the radio while heading back to the area.  I caught about 10 minutes of the game on WJR with George Blaha Will Tieman on the Spartan Radio network and now I know what play-by-play sounded like in the 1950s in Indiana.   When I got in range of WTKA 1050AM I flipped over to Matt Shepard and David Merritt and what a difference.  And trust me, this isn’t a Green vs. Blue thing.  Each guy is fair albeit with a clear (and understandable) leaning toward the teams they cover, but the difference between the quality of the broadcasts is severe.  Props to Shep for delivering an outstanding call—he’s quick with the info, actually helps you visualize what is going on and, something he’s always done well, brings great energy.

Bummer, but not surprised after the recent incident.  And this might be a first, includes a (very nice) statement from the guy being dismissed.  Via U-M media relations:

Wide Receiver Darryl Stonum Dismissed from U-M Football Team

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – University of Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke announced on Tuesday (Jan. 17) that wide receiver Darryl Stonum has been dismissed from the team for a violation of team rules.

“I love Darryl and wish him nothing but the absolute best,” Hoke said.  “However, there is a responsibility and a higher standard you must be accountable to as a University of Michigan football student-athlete.  That does not and will not change.  It’s unfortunate because I believe he has grown a great deal as a person since the beginning of the season. My hope is that maturing process continues.”

Stonum started 25 of 36 career games at U-M, catching 76 passes for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns.  He also returned 62 kickoffs for 1,538 yards and holds the single-season kickoff return mark with 39 returns for 1,001 yards in 2009.  Stonum redshirted in 2011.

“I appreciate everything the University of Michigan, Dave Brandon and Coach Hoke have done for me,” said Stonum.  “I look forward to continuing my football career down the road, but more importantly, right now I’m focused on graduating from Michigan this Spring.  I understand only I am responsible for my actions. I’m sad about how all of this turned out, but I completely understand.  I love this school and my team and will miss them all greatly.  But I’ll always be a Wolverine.  I know I have grown and matured as a person over the last nine months, and I will continue to learn and grow every day.  I want to thank everyone for all of their support, and I hope they will support me in the future.”

– M –

Office pic via @umichsoccer via Twitter

Brand spanking new Men’s Soccer Coach joined Ira this morning on WTKA 1050AM.  Worth a listen.  While Daley isn’t the most dynamic speaker in the world, the Q&A was pretty interesting.   Among other things, Ira asked him about his team goals for next season, his approach to recruiting (locally, nationally and internationally), his plans to tie into to the former players (both varsity and club) and yes, whether he got a lesson in the rivalries with the Buckeyes and Spartans.

Here’s the audio:

As always, you can check out all the WTKA podcasts here or check out WTKA.com.

Here’s a goal for Coach Daley…more of this:

And this:

The Sugar Bowl trophy was on display at Crisler last night before the Northwestern game, and the football squad honored during a timeout in the first half.   A look:

Molk makes that trophy look like a toy; Van Bergen has his back

Craig Roh scouting out a courtside seat

The team 132 logo helmet alongside the Sugar Bowl trophy – a few hundred waited in line for a better look and a photo

 

Treezy and Denard eventually decided to emerge themselves into the Maize Rage

 

Treezy found his shades and the earrings—so he started feeling it

Most people know the basics (or if you read this site, about everything you’d ever want to know) about the story of the Little Brown Jug.  To recap, back in 1903, Michigan and Minnesota’s powerful teams played in Minneapolis to a fiercely fought 6-6 tie.

After the game the Wolverines left behind a five gallon stoneware water jug, purchased at a local store before the game.  Minnesota equipment manager Oscar Munson found it the following day or two and brought it to Director of Athletics L.J. Cooke.  In remembrance of their mighty tie they decided to give the jug its first paint job, scribing, "Michigan Jug – ‘Captured’ by Oscar, October 31, 1903," on one side. On the opposite face they spelled out, SCORE, "Minnesota 6, Michigan 6," making the Minnesota "6" three times larger than the Wolverines’ score.  Six years later Cooke and Michigan coach Fielding Yost agreed to play for the righteous crockery, something they’ve done 92 times now (if you count that 1903 game).

While the playing for the jug is of course one of the deepest and most replicated college football traditions, painting the jug actually is a practice that started before the teams even agreed to play for the pottery. After Cooke and Munson’s initial handicraft, the scores of the game have been painted on sometime after the game to this day.

The jug was split with two sides (Michigan on one, and Minnesota on the other) sometime after the 1919 contest.  The columns of scores were added in the 1920s, and it received a new design in the 1930s including a reformulated Minnesota block ‘M’ that we see today.  Eventually the four columns were inserted (two on each side) to hold all the scores of the games.

The Wolverines of course retained the jug this year after the dominant 58-0 triumph over the Gophers in Ann Arbor back in October.   As the final seconds ticked off, equipment manager Jon Falk handed the jug to the players who paraded the trophy around the field and over to the student section in the northwest corner of the Big House.

After the game there was still one more bit of work to do before tucking the jug away for another season: the 58-0 score needed to be painted on.  For the past several decades, when the Wolverines win the crock, the primary owner of the honor of painting the score on the crock has been Jil Gordon, a local artist.

Gordon was first involved with the football team back when her former husband Larry was a graduate assistant for Bo in the early 1970s.     Larry noticed that the team meeting room was bland and suggested to Bo and the other coaches that he had the solution—they agreed to let Jil spice it up.

“In the main meeting room, where they had the 8MM projector, right behind it, always was a theme for the season,” Gordon told me.  They asked Gordon to use her skills to decorate a wall each year, but she didn’t stop there.

“I’d do signs, all kinds of motivational posters,” she shared.   Gordon was even asked, on occasion, to do a few touch-ups around campus including the block ‘M’ above the tunnel in the Big House.

When it came to updating the score on the Little Brown Jug each season she was the natural choice, and she started after Falk’s first season in Ann Arbor in 1974.   After she moved out to California for a few years, Falk quickly restored her old duty she returned to live in Ann Arbor for good.

On the Monday morning following the big win over Minnesota this season Gordon was back at it.  In the Schembechler Hall equipment room, Falk placed the jug on a large, well-lit table. Jil carefully etched this year’s score first in a pencil outline.

After an initial coat in black paint was allowed to dry for five minutes, Gordon went over the numbers one last time. Once it was done, Jon Falk tucked it away in a secret location in its specially-designed case for another year.

And for the most part, that’s it. There is the matter of the replica (often mistaken as the real trophy) that’s on display in the museum just inside Schembechler Hall. Gordon also typically paints that jug but this year when she was in doing the job on the official trophy, didn’t have the keys handy to open the display case.

She still does various touch-up jobs around the athletic campus and even paints the occasional honorary game ball for not only Coach Hoke (she did one with the ‘Under the Lights’ logo after the Notre Dame game), but also for Coach Beilein.

There are 92 scores painted on the jug dating back to 1903, including 67 Michigan wins, 22 for the Gophers, three ties (1903, 1933, and 1950) with just one slot remaining in the current four column configuration. So the big question remains: What will happen when we run out of space?

To steal Sam Webb’s phrase, my gut feeling is that if Michigan makes that call, Gordon and Falk will add some scores in the empty space above (and eventually below) the M logos for each team.   If anyone deserves to make that call it’s Falk and after all, it is technically Michigan’s jug—I’m sure there’s a receipt from 1903 somewhere.  This will cover us for many games to come and push off the big decision for a few decades.   We’ll find out what happens soon enough.

———————————————————————

Check out Jil’s website here (jilgordon.com).  Love the logos!  Gordon also designed the official Michigan M Vase and the Official M Carrier…because everything is better with the block M:

 

Related:
Little Brown Jug Lore!

Part I: What Really Happened in the 1930s
Part II: Spinning Myths
Part III: Getting it Right
Part IV: 2013: A Space Quandary
Part V: Red Wing Roots
Part VI: Is the Greatest Trophy in College Sports a Fake?
Part VII: Open Questions
Part VIII: Doc Cooke and the Real Origins of the Rivalry

A few random notes, pics and takes in the aftermath a solid trip to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.    A few quick hitters:

>> Hospitality.  File under you probably don’t care, but I’ll say it.  The media was treated first class by the Sugar Bowl folks.  Beyond being ridiculously courteous,  they provided excellent communication, were quick with the transcription of the press conferences, offered good food/coffee/drinks, workspace, logistics, etc.

They offered a couple nice gifts as well—a Sugar Bowl jacket and luggage tags.  It was very cool to be a part of it all. 

They also arranged for a 30 foot Po Man Boy (left).

>> Dome View.  The press box in the Dome is all the way at the top, here’s a fairly accurate look at the view from up top:

They did have video monitors rolling everywhere, along with a screen of live stat updates.  The ESPN feed appeared to be about 6-7 seconds behind the live action.

>> Fans.  I was surprised by the number of Virginia Tech fans that showed up for the game.  I thought Wolverine fans would overwhelm the joint but that didn’t happen.   There was still more Maize and Blue out there but to me, it was only a slight majority. 

One thing I noticed wandering around town—Michigan definitely had more students just in general, just a younger fan base in New Orleans.  The average Tech fan seemed to be a 60-ish year old man.

One fan in town was Ricky Leach:

If this photo is crystal clear to you, you are probably on Bourbon Street right now.   (Polaroid seems appropriate, maybe I’ll give it to Moe’s).

>> Headlines.  The Times-Picayune from Wednesday morning:

>> Locker Room.  A few folks asked about being in the locker room postgame.  Definitely a unique experience, the players seemed unfazed by having the media around and you truly got a chance to talk to these guys in relaxed setting.   Chatting with Molk was memorable—the guy was beaten & battered but giddy at the same time and gave some great lines.

Many of the guys were clowning around, singing and joking as you’d expect.  I spotted one younger player getting his Sugar Bowl hat signed by the seniors.

>> I Can Confirm…that indeed Gibbons final kick never touched the Super Dome turf and I didn’t have to fight off Holly Rowe to make the grab. [video clip if you need it]

>> When it Works.  Here’s Fowler coming off the backside of the podium laughing basically because that whole scene with Hemingway and the Michigan alum from All-State was so perfect.   (And you know those podium presentations are typically horrific):

>> Vintage Michigan Since ‘74.  What?  You didn’t think legendary equipment manager Jon Falk would don the Pour Some Sugar on Me T?  Think again—here he is thanking and shaking hands with a police officer after the game as the confetti pours down:

>> Museum Addition.  This will look good in Schembechler Hall.  Don’t forget they have visiting hours now for the public, so make sure you stop by to give it a look:

 

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I rare 30 minute trip inside the postgame locker room including a few moments with David Molk, who was chilling out in the aftermath of the big win.

On what happened  before the game:

Molk:  “I was fine before we got here.  As pregame went through, one thing led to another and something happened.”

On whether it was his call not to go versus the coaches/trainers:

Molk: “I was waiting for feeling.  Once I got that…it’s humanly impossibly for me to sit and watch football when I’m dressed up.   So I figured it out, taped it up…and went at it.”

Chris Balas asked if he was “fighting for his life” on the field:

Molk: “I don’t know if I was fighting for my life.  I still had one leg.  Come on, I squat a ton [laughs] so one leg’s good enough.”

On the idea of getting a championship ring:

Molk: “We actually talked about.  We weren’t even positive we’d get a ring after this game.  It used to always a be a Big Ten championship or nothing.    You know, we didn’t win a Big Ten championship but at the same time it’s a BCS bowl game.  Something to remember you’d want to show to your grandkids and your grandkids’ grandkids.  It’d be something to carry on.”

Later:

Jim Brandstatter stopped by and praised him for battling out there.  Molk said he was "just doing what a Michigan Man is supposed to do."   Love it.

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Related:

Sugar Bowl Postgame Photos– It’s Great, etc. etc. !

Sugar Bowl Postgame: Brendan “Brunette Girls” Gibbons, Hoke, Denard, Junior Hemingway

Sugar Bowl Pregame Photos

TWIMFbH– A Rosy Conclusion to 1988

Is Michigan Back? Hoke: “Michigan Never Left” (Full Sugar Bowl presser)

Live From the Sugar Bowl (Hoke Press Conference)

Great stuff.   First off the MVP:

Junior Megatron Hemingway after stepping from the podium

 

Hoke waiting for the replay decision on the Virginia Tech overtime touchdown

 

Mobbing Gibbons after the kick

 

Koger and Odoms on stage

Devin Gardner and Denard Robinson delivering their complex array of 5s

 

Maize meets Blue confetti.  Maroon and Orange confetti lining bird cages tomorrow.

 

Molk looks at the Michigan fans while being fitted for his Pour some Sugar T-shirt

 

RVB checks the fans

 

Hoke preps for ESPN postgame.  They made him switch sides of the desk for whatever reason.

 

Mattison postgame

 

 

Warrior Molk about to take off the M jersey for the last time – but not quite yet.   Asked why he jumped into the game after the first series despite the pain, said he was “just doing what a Michigan Man is supposed to do.”

Related:

Sugar Bowl Postgame: Brendan “Brunette Girls” Gibbons, Hoke, Denard, Junior Hemingway

Sugar Bowl Pregame Photos

TWIMFbH– A Rosy Conclusion to 1988

Is Michigan Back? Hoke: “Michigan Never Left” (Full Sugar Bowl presser)

 

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Photo via MVictors.  Transcript Via Sugar Bowl media relations:

Allstate Sugar Bowl Michigan Post-Game Press Conference
Head Coach Brady Hoke
Quarterback Denard Robinson
Wide Receiver and MVP Junior Hemingway
Place Kicker Brendan Gibbons

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the official postgame press conference for the 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl.

            We’ll begin with Michigan head coach Brady Hoke. We’ve been joined by Denard Robinson, Junior Hemingway, and Brendan Gibbons.

            At this time I’m going to turn it over to Coach Hoke, a few thoughts on the game, and we’ll open the floor for questions.

            COACH HOKE: You know, thank you. It was a great college football game. Two teams who played extremely hard, two teams that played for each other. I think Virginia Tech and Coach Beamer, they did an excellent job, when you look at how they defended us a little bit and then offensively and then you look at the Michigan Wolverines and how our guys stayed together, complemented each other.

            We talked about playing 60 minutes of Michigan football. We played about 63 and a half, I think. So I’m just real proud, real proud of our seniors, real proud of how they took this football team last January and molded it and did a tremendous job.

            And we always have a tremendous legacy of Team 132 that a lot of teams are going to have to try and match up to.

            THE MODERATOR: We’ve been joined by Ryan Van Bergen.

            Questions?

            Q. Brendan, it hasn’t been a great Bowl season for kickers. You see him miss, and you go up. Just talk about what’s going through your mind at that point and how good it felt?

            BRENDAN GIBBONS: It felt good to go out there. Coach Hoke and the whole Team 132 had faith in me the whole season. Coach puts us in situations, two?minute drill every Thursday practice.

            And it just felt good to make the kick for the team to help the seniors go out in a good way.

            Q. Junior, you seemed to get very emotional after the game. What was behind all the emotion, just the victory? Was there something else? What does it mean to get the two touchdown catches and the victory?

            JUNIOR HEMINGWAY: From the beginning when the coaches first came in, you know, we had to buy in and the seniors had to get the rest of the team to do the same thing, Team 132.

            It was just a hard?fought season. And to go out there and do it for the underclassmen who now have a Sugar Bowl championship under their belt and for us to leave with the Sugar Bowl championship, it just shows our hard work, our determination, our resilience. And that’s where most of the emotion came from.

            Q. Coach, I’m curious: What do you think this win means for the program? Is Michigan back?

            COACH HOKE: I was asked that the other day. Michigan never left. And some people may have thought that way, but Michigan never left. What it means is that we’ve got a group of guys, especially a group of seniors, who won 11 football games.

            And it’s only the fifth team in the history of 132 years of Michigan football to win 11. And so it’s a significant task.

            And these guys have grown as a team. We’ve grown as a football team and a staff, and there’s a lot of love and respect that we have for each other.

            Q. Denard, how do you describe the way this game went, just from your perspective?

            DENARD ROBINSON: I feel like this was a team that didn’t quit and we just kept fighting. We held everybody accountable for what we had to do to win.

            Q. Ryan, Brady’s talked throughout the year about what this season has meant to the seniors and he’s in a way dedicated this year to seniors. Can you talk about what it meant for you ending it with so many challenges in losing Will and all that?

            RYAN VAN BERGEN: We’ve had times where we had to face adversity throughout this whole season, and it kind of comes full circle for the seniors. Like you talked about, we faced a lot of adversity since we’ve been here.

            This game was kind of just, you know, a microcosm for what happened to us so far as a senior class, and it’s been an amazing turnaround for this year, and I think the seniors left an amazing legacy.

            Team 132 will be the fifth team in Michigan history to have 11 wins. That’s significant when you play in a program that has the tradition that Michigan has.

            So we couldn’t be more proud as a senior. I couldn’t be more proud of the guys that we got the opportunity to lead. It’s a full team effort. And we just stayed strong all season. It’s a marathon.

            Q. Brendan, did you know it was good when you hit it? How did you celebrate when you were absolutely sure?

            BRENDAN GIBBONS: I thought it was good when I hit it. Felt good coming off my foot. How did I celebrate? I just wanted to celebrate with my teammates, and it felt good to celebrate with them.

            Q. Denard said earlier in the week he wasn’t second?guessing himself, whether he made a mistake throwing the ball to Junior Hemingway. After he throws that pick looking for Junior earlier in the game, goes back in the corner, I guess, what kind of confidence does Junior instill in you and what kind of confidence does Denard instill in you and your performance today?

            COACH HOKE: I’ve always had confidence in both of these guys. And when you have a big target and a guy who has great timing, which I think is part why Junior makes a lot of those catches, and has a big body and bodies some people out of the way.

            And so we’ve always had a lot of confidence in that combination and sometimes you are going to make plays. And you’ve got to have guys who can make those plays, and when they’re the ones doing it, you feel pretty good about it.

            Q. Junior, talk about your two catches.

            JUNIOR HEMINGWAY: The first one, the play was called. I forgot what the play was. It was corners. So I saw how the DB was playing. I broke it off in front of him. I seen Denard getting ready to throw the ball, but I didn’t know who he was throwing the ball at. He threw it up and, number one, didn’t play the ball good. I caught it. I heard the safety coming over I didn’t know if he was going to take me out or what. Snatched the ball in there, ran it in for six.

            And the second one, it was an all?goal play and I got behind the safety, and I was thinking in my head: Please, Denard, throw this up, please, I want you to so bad.

            And he threw it up. He threw it up. And I made a play on it.

            Q. Coach, a lot of people question the selection process for this game and said that maybe the teams weren’t worthy. What do you think that the result of the game and the way that it transpired says about that proposition?

            COACH HOKE: Well, you know, people always are going to have an opinion, and that’s part of the beauty of college football, part of the beauty of the BCS and all that kind of stuff.

            And I can tell you that team we played tonight is a pretty doggone good football team. And I think we’re a pretty good football team.

            So people are going to have their opinion. We just happen to disagree with them.

            Q. Brady, a couple of things kind of related maybe. If somebody had told you you weren’t going to have 200 yards of offense in this game and only have the ball for 23 minutes, how much trouble do you think you would have been in? And can you talk a little bit about what David Molk went through to even be on the field?

            COACH HOKE: Well, you know, I’ll answer the second question first. David, he’s a warrior. He’s a captain on this football team. He tweaked his foot during the pregame. And our trainers did a tremendous job, our doctors.

            And he has a lot of pride in Michigan and he has a lot of pride in this offense. And so it means a lot to see him come out there and perform like he did.

            What was the first question?

            Q. Getting it done without ??

            COACH HOKE: Well, you know, you never know what you’re going to get in any game. We just gotta be able, when the time’s right and when either side of the ball needs to make a play, and we’ve done that through the course of the year.

            The defense caused a turnover. We got a great turnover on the kickoff, their kickoff return, which was a big part of it. But to be honest with you, you know, you really ?? points on the board. And that’s what’s at the end of the day. We had more points.

            Q. Brady, you’ve been resistant, reluctant, throughout the year to qualify whether or not this season has met or exceeded your expectations for this season. Now that it’s over, can you qualify if the season lines up with what you expected?

            COACH HOKE: We go in with the expectation to win the Big Ten championship. And that won’t ever change. Winning ten games or more are part of that expectation. So we didn’t reach that goal. But I can tell you this group of guys got us a heck of a lot closer than we were before.

            Q. Brendan, what was going through your mind as Virginia Tech calls time out and it’s overtime you’re lining up that kick and thinking about lining up that kick? What was going through your mind before the kick in overtime, during the timeout and all that?

            BRENDAN GIBBONS: Brunette girls. Every time we were like struggling in kicking, Coach tells me to think about girls on a beach or brunette girls. So that’s what we did. Made the kick. (Laughter).

            Q. Brendan, I’m curious if maybe thinking about those brunette girls you may have false started on that kick. Replays appeared to show that you jumped a little early. Do you feel you might have beat the snap coming out there?

            BRENDAN GIBBONS: I moved a little bit. Not really. But it’s kind of like my false step approach. So Glanda and Drew did their job and I did mine to win the game.

            Q. Denard, after giving up two field goals early, what helped you change to get the offense going?

            DENARD ROBINSON: We knew the defense was stepping up making big plays. It was time for the offense to step up and make plays, and that’s what we did.

            Q. Coach, out there Al talked about how this really wasn’t about execution, it was more about will. In some ways is it even more satisfying for you as a coach?

            COACH HOKE: I think you’re right. And Al’s right. It was about will. When you play a game like that and we’re both ?? both teams are getting after each other ?? and I can tell you down on the field it was physical. You could hear. And guys were playing football, and you could hear football. And so it was a physical game.

            The one thing that’s great about this football team is they’ve continued to stay together. And they’ve continued to complement each other. And that’s exciting. And that’s why we’ve won 11 games.

            Q. Ryan, obviously in the clutches, just what happened in the end?

            RYAN VAN BERGEN: I got stuck under a pile and my foot got bent down in an angle, so my foot was parallel with my shins, so that was an awkward angle. That was early in the game, and that was bothering me. I had a cut block actually fold it the other way. So I was just trying to battle it off.

            This was my last game. Unless I saw a bone, I was going to try to stay in and fighting that off. The guys behind me, they filled the role really well. Jibreel Black did a great job at the end of the game.

            Q. We talked about after the Ohio State game what this senior class means to you. After a game like this, a win like this, how are you going to remember them? How are you going to remember the team and how they set the foundation for your first year?

            COACH HOKE: These guys have left a mark and one that ?? I can tell you, the senior class, we’ll always remember and always be proud to say that we had the privilege and the opportunity to coach them.

            THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

A few from pregame live from the Super Dome!

 

 

 

“They didn’t even check my ID!  I love New Orleans!!”

Denard doing the LMFAO Party Anthem shuffle (trust me)

 

A tribute to DenardX?

Happy New Year, and happy game day!   Here’s the final installment of This Week in Michigan Football History, this time a look back the season of 1988 and more specifically, the Rose Bowl played on January 2, 1989.

After a rocky start, things got rosy real fast as Michigan busted through the Big Ten scheduled and landed once again in Pasadena to face Heisman Trophy runner-up Rodney Peete and the USC Trojans.

As always, you can listen to it out before the KeyBank Countdown to Kick-off on WTKA 1050AM later today, or click play now:

 

You can hear all of the  This Week… clips here.

Follow MVictors on Twitter.   Beat Hokies!

It’s a first class operation here in New Orleans.  Follow me on Twitter for coverage tomorrow.   Here’s a couple photos from today’s press conference and the full transcript.  Beamer and Hoke sharing a chuckle, looking sharp:

Here’s a look at the Sugar Bowl trophy:

 

Full transcript from the press conference today:

THE MODERATOR: We’ll go ahead and get started with coach Brady Hoke, Michigan head coach.

Coach, just a few thoughts on how your preparations have gone for the game, and we’ll open the floor for questions.

COACH HOKE: Well, first, on behalf of the University of Michigan and Team 132, our kids, the staff, trainers, the marching band, everybody, we can’t tell you how thrilled we are to be here and how much we appreciate the great hospitality the city of New Orleans has given us and the Bowl committee, the Sugar Bowl committee, and all their people and their efforts. It’s been great.

I want to thank Tulane and the opportunity to use their facilities. They were tremendous, and really as a team I think we’ve had good preparations starting back in Ann Arbor, navigating finals and all those things that are a part of it.

And then coming down here, I think our team has really done well. I think we’ve gone out every day and competed. I think we’ve had a focus and an intensity.

And so we’re excited. And I think, like everybody, we want to kick it off and play the football game.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. With this being your first year, how much of this team has your fingerprints on it versus what you just had to use because this is what the old regime had?

COACH HOKE: This is our seniors’ team. It’s not Brady Hoke. It’s our seniors. And what those fourth? and fifth?year guys have done, how they have managed this football team and their expectations.

It is never about the coach at Michigan. It’s never about anything but Michigan and the guys who are playing.

Q. There’s obviously a disparity, experience?wise, between yourself and Coach Beamer. Can much be made of that? Or obviously the game’s going to be played on the field between the players, but can much be made of that, I guess, in terms of preparation or anything like that?

COACH HOKE: You know, I don’t know. I think there’s always ?? the more you have experience at something, you probably tweak it and figure out a few more things.

But we are a pretty seasoned staff, when you look at us from guys who have coached in a lot of Bowl games, a lot of different teams. So we always have great input on preparation and are we doing enough or are we not doing enough and those kind of things.

But I would think that there’s something to having those years of experience and the quality of coach that Coach Beamer is.

Q. I know you talked about this being for your seniors and the end of the line, but how much thought have you given to that Alabama game next September in Dallas?

COACH HOKE: You know what, really not much. You know, we gotta finish this one off. And that will be a great opener for us a year from now.

But right now we’ve got to finish off ?? we started it, and so we need to finish it.

Q. Coach Beamer talked about all the things that winning a Bowl, a BCS Bowl, does going into talking to people in the off?season and getting ready for spring ball. Can you talk a little bit about what that would mean?

COACH HOKE: Well, you know, I think there’s a momentum that any team has when you win that last opportunity you have to play.

I think there’s something to be said for that. You’re on a national stage. The only game in town. And so people who love and have a passion for college football, they’re going to take notice.

Q. Obviously in your first year you got your players you recruited so they don’t necessarily lend themselves to the system that you want to run, particularly Denard Robinson. Talk about how you’ve tweaked your offense a little bit so you’re able to use his dynamic way that he plays football.

COACH HOKE: You know, Al Borges, our offensive coordinator, is a very smart man. He’s coordinated a lot of different places. I think we have a system that we’re working towards. But I think Al’s really done a great job on the different things that Denard ?? because of what he brings to the table, his athleticism, I think, you know, and how he’s progressed in what we’re doing.

I think he’s a big part of what we want to do as a football team. And I think we’re smart enough to know that we’ve got a pretty good football player there, so why not utilize what he does well.

Q. Brady, the defensive improvement you guys made this year is well documented. What ?? when you first came in with your staff and Greg Mattison, what was the biggest and first thing you had to change about the defensive mentality?

COACH HOKE: You said it there at the end. There’s a mentality and an expectation, and there’s a pride ?? and coaching there at Michigan before, there’s a pride that you play Michigan defense and Michigan football.

And, you know, the scheme was different. Personnel was a little bit used differently. But I think all those guys on defense are such good teachers from a fundamental and technique standpoint and expectations that our guys hear every day of how you play Michigan football.

And then it’s really up to those guys, the Mike Martins, the Woolfolks, and Van Bergens and the guys who are the leaders on that defense and everything that they’ve done.

Q. Coach, being a Ohio native coaching at Michigan, you were an assistant at Michigan before taking the head coach job, does that offer anything interesting? Does that come up in the process and coaching there?

COACH HOKE: No, not really. Michigan’s had some pretty good Ohio coaches as assistants. And a guy name Schembechler wasn’t bad. And, believe me, there’s no near comparison, but it’s still the greatest rivalry in the sport, that game.

So it’s a lot of fun.

Q. Brady, you talked about ownership. And how long did that process take for your seniors to really take hold of the team, especially with you being a new coach and you wanted to put your footprint on the program?

COACH HOKE: Well, you know, again, our seniors, you know, we communicate a lot. We talk a lot. We do leadership seminars all during the second semester with our seniors and talk about leadership and influence and what it is. And those have all helped. Coach (Aaron) Wellman and I run those. And guys really being committed to each other, it’s a big part of it, and respecting each other, and that’s what they’ve done.

Q. Have you thought of the prospect of Denard Robinson playing on field turf in the Superdome? And also, seriously, do you feel like you’ve had enough time to get used to the Superdome as Virginia Tech practiced three times last week?

COACH HOKE: I hope so. I think we had a pretty good practice when we went over there the other day. We do more than walk?through today; we practice. And so we’ll get some work in there again. And the turf and the field itself is in great shape and it’s a great turf. And Denard would be fine, I think.

Q. I know you’re a little reluctant to look ahead. But next year with Ohio, would you like to say in transition, Penn State in transition, Wisconsin and Michigan State losing their quarterbacks, is there a window of opportunity for Michigan, you’re going to be good anyway, but to be in that national championship picture?

COACH HOKE: Oh, I don’t know about that. We really ?? you know, every team’s different. We’re going to find out a lot about Team 133 and the seniors who are going to lead that team.

We’re going to have some holes to fill, like everyone does, and I think once we get through spring, I think we’ll have an idea where we’re at.

Q. Frank was in here talking about his first few years at Virginia Tech, it took some time for him to get that rolling. At Ball State it took some time for you to get that rolling. Do you see in college football now where administrators are just less patient and guys aren’t getting a fair shake?

COACH HOKE: Well, you’re probably going to have to ask the administrators that. It’s part of what college football is to some degree, with what have you done lately. And just how it is. I mean, but certain places have a different philosophy at times. Certain places don’t.

It’s all part of it. And I can’t judge if you get enough time, don’t get enough time.

Q. If you guys win this game, would you say Michigan is back as far as the national, the national attention that you guys would get going into the off?season?

COACH HOKE: I don’t think Michigan ever left. There was some ?? maybe a lean year or two. But Michigan was always Michigan. And will be.

So Michigan never left.

Q. You’ve talked a lot about how your nerves mostly come out in the days leading up to a game and that you’re mostly calm on game days. Do you expect that to still be the case tomorrow?

COACH HOKE: It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a lot of people cheering and it’s going to be bands there and people are going to have fun.

Q. I don’t know if you’ve been asked this question, but what is your definition of a Michigan man?

COACH HOKE: It’s always been a guy who plays at Michigan who has got a toughness to him in how he plays the game. He’s got a tremendous respect for the University of Michigan and his teammates. A guy who has got integrity, and a guy who has character.

Q. Team 132, seems like I’ve heard that from you quite a bit over the course of the season. Is that something you just started at Michigan or Ball State where you started talking about Team 78, Team 79?

COACH HOKE: We’ve always numbered our teams. At Ball State, whatever those numbers were, and San Diego State, and Coach Carr kind of indoctrinated me into that when he was the head coach at the University of Michigan. And it’s about a legacy as a senior class.

And it’s about that team, because you’re remembered. This team has a chance to be the fifth Michigan team to win 11 games. And that’s significant. And it’s significant for those seniors. And so we’ve always done that.

Q. You said Michigan never left, so Michigan can’t be back, but is it safe to say there are some elements that are back that were maybe gone, such as physical play and toughness up front along the lines?

COACH HOKE: We hope so. It’s something we’ve always wanted to ?? that we believe in, and that’s what we believe Michigan football has been for many, many years.

Q. Is the goal against a team like Virginia Tech, with the team speed issue, is that going to be an emphasis for you guys in the future in recruiting to try to get faster to have greater team speed?

COACH HOKE: I think everybody wants to have speed. It’s the balance between the physicalness and the speed that you want.

So, yeah, I think everybody wants to have team speed. And I don’t know how fast we are or how unfast we are.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.