• Outback Bowl 2013 – 2nd Half Photos

    A few from second half.  A big thanks to photog Kelley Kuehne for all the shots today:                                Jadeveon Clowney after he got hit in the giblets    More from the Outback: Outback Bowl 2013 – Postgame Outback Bowl 2013 – First Half Photos Outback – Pregame Shots TWIMFbH: Beating the Irish in the Beauty Contest     Follow MVictors on Twitter

  • TWIMFbH: Beating the Irish in the Beauty Contest

    Happy New Year’s eve everyone. Hoodwinked and Whipsawed Here’s your sneak listen to This Week in Michigan Football History, to be played during the 1050AM WTKA pregame show tomorrow.   We’re talking a little 1947 pigskin, or more specifically, the 1948 Rose Bowl: [display_podcast] P.S.  I’m on my way to Tampa, check back in here and follow MVictors on Twitter for notes, photos, snark and more.

  • Emotionally Disconnected Band?

    HT to Papa Dools for this one from this weekend’s WSJ.  It’s a piece on Michigan grad Arthur Bartner (left) who’s commanded the USC marching band since 1970.   Of note: Mr. Bartner, who played football and basketball in high school in New Jersey, gave up sports to join the marching band at the University of Michigan, where he eventually earned his doctorate in music education while directing local high school bands. At Michigan, he said the band felt emotionally disconnected from the football program. So when he took the helm at USC in 1970, he took the unusual approach of trying to marry the band and the team together, modeling his program as closely as he could after the team and maximizing the interaction between them. Hmm.  So from googling around I assume Bartner’s band tenure was in the early 1960s.   I also understand that Bo did things to create a tighter bond between the band and the football squad.  That said, I’m curious from past or current band member—do/did you feel an emotional connection with the football team?   Do you care?  Follow MVictors on Twitter

  • Willis Ward at 100

    Born on this day a century ago, Willis Ward.  The former Michigan track and football star was honored this season at Michigan Stadium: His involvement in the controversy around the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech game is of course chronicled in the documentary Black and Blue.  October 20, 2012 was declared “Willis Ward Day” in the State of Michigan. Have a toast tonight to Willis Ward!

  • Cheers to Charlie

    Check out the nice piece on longtime U-M golf course manager Charlie Green in today’s Ann Arbor News.   Charlie last official day at the helm is December 31, concluding an amazing 52 years of services at the course.   From today’s piece: His memories at Michigan are good ones. “The athletic department has been like a second family for me,” he said. “There is a warmth here, people look out for each other, and even the big shots come around and visit.” Green was on a first-name basis with the people who have had buildings named after them — Crisler, Oosterbaan, Keen, Canham, Schembechler. He isn’t old enough to have Fielding Yost on the list, he said. Green recalls the day eight years ago when Bo Schembechler came to his office, sat down and said, “What’s this I hear about you?” That was shortly before Green was scheduled to have open heart surgery for an aneurysm. Bo had had his share of heart problems by then. “I’m going to show everyone that I’m as tough as you are,” Green replied. To which Bo said, “You’re not that tough!” and got up and stormed out. “I have met so many men, tough and hard-nosed on the outside, but, like Bo, who really cared,” Green said. “Those are my memories. Now we have…