We're out of space for scores on the Little Brown Jug (again!). Here's a look at the considerations and options for the oldest rivalry trophy in college football.
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Hitching a Ride to the Opener (Red Simmons Interview)
[Ed 11/10/22 – Bumped, in honor of Red Simmons’ induction into the Michigan Hall of Honor Friday night (11/11/2022).] Former women’s track head coach Red Simmons is a fixture on the athletic campus, whether it’s attending football, hockey, or basketball games, or working out each morning at Crisler Arena. Oh, did I mention Simmons turns 100 in three weeks? I recently sat down with the Michigan legend to talk about his amazing life for a piece for GoBlueWolverine Magazine for next month. Definitely check that out, but in the meantime, I wanted to share this nugget. Simmons was a track star at Redford High School and was offered a slot on the U-M track team. He told me that part of his desire to come to Ann Arbor stemmed from a trip he and his pals took when he was 17 years old: Simmons: “My heart was set on coming to Michigan. In 1927 when the football stadium was opened, two other guys from Redford and I hitchhiked up here to see the game. At that time I thought, ‘Boy I’d love to go to this school.’” It didn’t occur to me until after the interview that Simmons is very likely the last living person to attend the first game at Michigan Stadium. I’d love to know if anyone knows…
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Mark Messner Interview (extended version)
Given a new Michigan legend has entered the College Football Hall of Fame, here's my full interview with Mark Messner from 2009 where he talks recruiting, facing Tony Mandarich and much more.
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Wing-Footed Elephants at Michigan & Trumbull (1900)
Looking at Iowa, one thing that’s kind of curious is that despite their long history of playing Michigan (starting in 1900) and their involvement in our league (they joined the Western Conference in that same year), we’re really not stacked with a bevy of major moments in history that would yield a rivalry with the Hawkeyes, although there are certainly important ties between our programs.
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The U.S.S. Michigan Sinks Penn (November 13, 1909)
The AMAZING story of the 1909 Michigan-Penn game, held in Philadelphia. Needing a boost after getting crushed by the Quakers the previous 3 seasons, Yost and Michigan got a big one. The navy men stationed on the U.S.S. Michigan came out to root Wolverines on in this HUGE historic win. You'll enjoy this one.
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The Distinguished Digit, The Sacred Seat | Origins of the 1 in Michigan Stadium capacity
A discussion on the origins and significance of the "1" in the Michigan Stadium official capacity. Includes an interesting theory coming out of a 1960s article in Sports Illustrated.
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Interview: Quarterback Nick Sheridan
An Interview with Michigan quarterback Nick Sheridan, conducted in 2009.
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Tom Harmon vs. The Drunk (Birthday Special Edition)
This Saturday (9/28/2019) would have marked Tom Harmon’s 100th birthday. Here’s my salute to Michigan’s great 1940 Heisman Trophy recipient, Old 98. What better way to mark this occasion then to relive this incident during the 1940 Cal game? After deking out several Bear defenders, Harmon faces one more “Cal” man near the endzone – a pickled fan named Harold Brennan who had enough of Terrible Tommy and decided to take matters into his own hands.