To this day, the most read post on these pages remains the breakdown of the Conboy-Tropp-Kampfer mauling from January’s Michigan-Michigan State game. Spartan Andrew Conboy was kicked off the team and left school, opting to take his chances within the Canadiens organization. It looks like he’s currently playing with the Hamilton Bulldogs. Corey Tropp was also kicked off the MSU team but earned his way back onto Rick Comley’s squad, and will return to Yost tonight. Wolverine Steve Kampfer is of course still skating for coach Berenson. Should be an interesting night tonight. Here’s a look back, first at Red’s comments from January on the weekly coaches’ show at The Arena just after the incident: [display_podcast] And here are those stills that I took from Section 22: Conboy and Tropp zero in on Kampfer Conboy gives Kampfer the old clothesline from behind …and takes Kampfer down. Tropp cocks his stick, but actually pulls back a bit Then Tropp gets a look… …and then takes a swing.. …and connects. Michigan immediately dispatches the team doctor To Conboy’s credit, he appears to shove Corey Tropp with his right arm… ..and then pushes him away with his left
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Chicken Choked
I sit across from the heart of the Yost student section and it wasn’t hard to make out one particular young mind on Friday night: the dude dressed as a chicken screaming into a megaphone. Turns out that crazy chicken was Andy Reid, sports editor of the Daily. He made an encore appearance Saturday night but things didn’t go as planned: Saturday night, I got kicked out. Not cool, dude. Amidst an entire student section doing the same thing [the vulgar C-YA chant], an usher grabbed my elbow and told me it was time to leave, unless I wanted to be led out of the stadium in handcuffs. I will admit that I stood out from the other Children of Yost. I may or may not have had a megaphone. And I may or may not have been, ahem, dressed up — if you went to the game, you might have seen a six-foot chicken standing against the glass in section 18. But that’s even more reason to not kick me out. How is the team supposed to focus and be motivated without a yellow, fuzzy chicken standing behind the glass? Reid suggests other things could be done to curb the nasty chant (which is delivered when opposing players are sent to the penalty box) including a message from Red…
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eBay Watch: Billy Sauer’s Mask (2007)
Next up on eBay Watch, someone’s listing what they claim is the winged helmet and facemask belonging to former Michigan hockey goalie Billy Sauer: The seller says this mask was worn in the 2007 NCAA playoffs and Frozen Four, per the description: Game worn Billy Sauer University of Michigan helmet worn during the 2007 season including the NCAA Playoffs and Frozen Four. Itech mask with gorgeous Michigan paint job by Gilders(see all attached pictures). Helmet shows good usage with puck/stick marks on the top of the helmet and as well as on the chin area. Tough to argue on the authenticity here, and the seller points out a chip on the chin that appears to be on a photo of Sauer: According to a quick Googlestalk, Sauer is currently playing with the ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Looks like he’s struggled a bit early on but he did get his first professional win last week on Wednesday. Great to hear. The seller didn’t explain how he came to own the mask or why it was put on the block. It doesn’t appear to be tied to a University charity or fundraiser. The auction closed tonight, and no one bit on the $1,599.00 asking price, which seems way steep. Other cool stuff: A pin from the 1927 Illinois game at Champaign. Starting at…
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eBay Watch: Those Corny Winged Helmets (1989)
Update 3/10: A little more hockey helmet history on WTKA tonight. John U. Bacon brought this up on the Red Berenson show and the old coach brought up more details on those days, twenty years ago, when the hockey team donned the winged helmets. [display_podcast] I didn’t know that the helmet designs are actually taped (Red explains why). Red also said the players liked the new helmets at least “for the most part, there’s always a couple”. Yes, we know at least one student athlete who thought the design was 100% pure cornball (see below). Original post from 2/21/09: This week we’ll start with an unlikely candidate for an eBay Watch post: a hockey program from the February 11, 1989 game against Notre Dame. Bidding starts at $4.95 and here’s a look: Shortly after this game, in late February of 1989, Red Berenson gave the green light for the team to apply the famed winged pattern to the hockey helmets. This month marks the 20th anniversary of the hockey version of the football design (which coincidentally had its 70th anniversary this season). The exact day in that February? I’m not exactly sure. John U. Bacon devoted a chapter to the switch in Blue Ice, and the Bentley Library republished it for you here. Here’s captain Alex Roberts recollection of that…
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Red Berenson Ain’t Riding | Michigan Hockey’s Cold Night in the Soo
With Lake Superior State in town this weekend I thought I’d share some audio from my interview last fall with former Michigan hockey player and coach Dave Shand. This was published in the third segment of the interview, which was conducted over drinks at the great Mac’s Acadian restaurant in downtown Saline. I just made a comment about how Rich Rod hates to lose and this prompts Shand to go into a story about the night they lost 10-5 to Lake Superior State up in Sault Ste Marie in November 1990. Amazing story: MVictors: Sticking on the topic of coaches, we still don’t know a whole lot about Rodriguez but we know he really doesn’t like to lose. I think he cited it as a reason he didn’t want to film Michigan Replay after games (in case they lost). Shand: You haven’t seen fuckin’ Red after a loss. There’s actually a story in John Bacon’s book Blue Ice. We’re up in Sault Ste Marie, and we’re playing Lake [Superior] State. I think the previous 27 times we’d played them we beat them twice. This was 90-91. Lake State was defending national champions. They were big, physical and they’d bang the shit out of you, especially in their own building. I think we lost 10-5. It’s just Red and I up…
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Pearson on WTKA: Mitera could return in a couple weeks [audio]
A much anticipated call into to WTKA this morning as Andy Evans spoke with Michigan assistant head coach Mel Pearson. They discussed of course the ugly incident at the end of the Michigan State game Saturday night, where Steve Kampfer was taken down and then slashed by Spartan players [photos]. As expected, Pearson kept out of the fray. He said kind things about coach Rick Comley and the Spartan program and he offered he’s confident that Comley and MSU will do the right thing. He believes Tommy Anastos and the CCHA will act swiftly to send a message. Pearson also talked about the upcoming series with #1 Notre Dame this weekend which is going to be ridiculously awesome. Two positive notes: * Pearson confirmed that Kampfer is doing ok although they are still waiting for some test results to confirm there was no concussion. * He advised that Mark Mitera is doing very well and skating. Pearson offered this info up unsolicited, and said Mitera is “coming along very nicely. He looks great, he looks great. He’s probably a couple weeks away still..” Pearson added his return is a “real possibility”. Here’s the full audio [display_podcast] Here’s more podcasts from WTKA, including an interview this morning with new defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.
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Kampfer, Tropp Zapruder Film (Stills)
At least as of this morning, the video I posted of the mauling of Steve Kampfer at the Michigan-Michigan State hockey game last night seems to be the only one out there. Here are a few stills in a little higher quality than the YouTube item:
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Michigan completes Spartan Sweep, Kampfer injured (YouTube)
A great night up at old Yost again tonight save for the final few minutes where it got very ugly. A few highlights from up in Section 22 including a clip of the Michigan students dropping f-bombs on the Spartans after Kampfer was injured.
