• Interview with Larry Lage, Associated Press | MVictors History Show

    An interview with longtime Michigan Associated Press (AP) sportswriter Larry Lage. We covered a ton of ground including: - His Ann Arbor roots and early days at Michigan Stadium - Performing as the 'Sparty' mascot at MSU (and how he kept it a secret) - Escaping the Malice at the Palace in 2004 - Getting cussed out and booted out of practice by Nick Saban - Growing up with two deaf parents and how this affected his perception and his career - The COVID vibe at sporting events, and the good & the bad for his profession - Much more...

  • Fab Five First Pitch – September 20th

    The Detroit Tigers are teaming up with U-M’s Pat Maloy Cancer Scholarship this September.  The promo is called ‘Wolverines in the D’ for the Tiger’s game on Friday Sept 20 against the Twins.   $25 gets you an upper deck seat and a “Wolverines in the D” t-shirt.   The Tigers will then donate $5 of each ticket package sold back to the Maloy Scholarship. All the details and online ordering info is on the Tigers site here.   Notable: The U-M Men’s Glee club will perform the National Anthem.Very notable: Fab Fivers Jimmy King and Jalen Rose are throwing out the first pitches.  I need someone to be there with photos and scouting report. Again, details here.  The Pat Maloy Scholarship was created by former students of University of Michigan professor Bernard “Pat” Maloy who passed away in 2001 after a courageous battle with esophageal cancer. The scholarship is a four year scholarship awarded to an incoming freshman with financial need who has battled cancer or whose direct family members have been stricken with cancer. H/T to Neil C. for passing this along

  • Hang Five

    photo via Macaroni Tony photo Paul Sancya (AP) via ESPN So from the recent comments of Mary Sue Coleman and Dave Brandon, rest assured that the ‘92 and ‘93 banners will remain on the shelf at the BHL evermore. But DB opened the door to honoring the controversial quintet in some other way: Are there (different) banners we could put up, though? Yeah, there are," he says. "I’d love to celebrate the Fab Five. Are there conditions on which that has to happen? For sure. But we’ve been very open and vocal about that, and there’s just nothing new on this subject. Brandon’s conditions are tied to Chris Webber admitting to taking money from Ed Martin and apologizing in some form.   Don’t hold your breath. Based on the calls to WTKA I’m guessing most of you would just like to see nothing happen and move on.   I get that.  I’m ok with leaving the banners at the BHL but I would like to see these guys honored in some form or another.  (I openly admit my huge bias—I was at U-M during the heyday of the Fab Five). A suggestion—when the time is right, why not retire #5 as a ceremonial nod to the group and a not-so-subtle tribute to Jalen (who wore #5 and was the leader of the…

  • Jalen Joins Shep to discuss the Fab Five (03-03 WDFN audio)

       Jalen Rose joined Michigan hoops radio voice and WDFN morning show host Matt Shepard on Shep, Shave, and Shower on 1130AM this morning: [display_podcast] They talked quite a bit about the legacy and potential reinstatement of the Fab 5.  Jalen clearly thinks the F4 banners need to be restored and feels a jersey or two should be retired.  ESPN has an extensive documentary on the controversial quintet coming up on March 13 at 9am.  You can preview some of the clips here HT to Jeff Papworth. One historical nitpick: Jalen says a key piece in restoring the Fab Five back to Michigan will be restoring their Final 4 banners.  He adds that the Fab 5 had were the team “that helped Michigan get to two of its three final appearances ever.”   Of course Michigan was also in the 1965 and 1976 NCAA finals, losing to UCLA and undefeated Indiana respectively. You can catch all of the WDFN podcasts here. 

  • Bing and Jalen

    If you missed it, check out the outstanding piece by Mike Rosenberg in SI this week on former Piston and current Detroit mayor Dave Bing.   Yes, there is tie to Michigan athletics with a portion touching on Bing’s relationship with Jalen, an excerpt: The Pistons roomed Jimmy and Dave together on the road, hoping Dave could reel him in a little, but that was like trying to net a pack of butterflies. Walker was traded to Houston in August 1972; five months later Jalen Anthony Rose was born in Detroit. Jimmy was Jalen’s biological father. Jimmy was a lot of kids’ biological father. "I hear that number is in the teens," Rose says. Jalen’s mother, Jeanne Rose, was a key puncher for Chrysler. His father was invisible; Jalen never saw him. But his father’s backcourtmate was around. Bing kept tabs on the kid, taught him what he could. "Like a godfather," Rose says. For years they talked about everything but Jimmy. "That was not something we heavily stressed," Rose says. "Or discussed. Or even acknowledged." Rose went on to be a star at Southwestern High. Jimmy was never there, but he was always with him. Rose chose number 42 because it was the reverse of the 24 that Jimmy wore with the Pistons. Jalen wanted to play like his father…

  • Emotional night for Jalen Rose

    Tonight at the Palace they are announcing the 30 member all-time Detroit Pistons team. Representing his deceased father Jimmy Walker will be my classmate, fellow Michigan graduate Jalen Rose. Walker died last year due to complications related to lung cancer.