For this very rich with tradition Michigan Homecoming game, we jet back to 1902 for one of my favorite tales – go blue!
script after the jump
Happy Homecoming and here’s a salute the U of M alumni around the world, especially those who traveled back to campus for today’s game. The tradition of the Meeechigan alumni stretches ALL the way back to 1845 when the eleven graduates that year decided to form a society. From there its roots spread around the globe and its numbers grew until in 1897 the group officially formed the Alumni Association as we know it today.
On this day in Michigan Football History, many members of that first Alumni group were no doubt attending the home game at Regents Field played October 6, 1900 against Kalamazoo.
Wolverines got off to a blazing start, as Everett Swelley took back the opening kickoff 105 years TO THE HOUSE, and U of M cruised to 11 to nothing victory on this day 118 years ago.
The Captain of that 1900 squad was a gent named Neil Snow. The Detroit native was an All-American in 1901, scored 5 touchdowns in the first Rose Bowl played in January 1902.
His resume didn’t stop there – Snow also captained baseball and track teams and it sounds like he kept busy OFF the Field, enjoying the campus social life….
How do we know?
Well somehow the folks at the Koppitz-Melchers BREWERY in Detroit got word of the captain’s beer preference – and get this – they placed an ad in a Michigan baseball program touting Snow’s approval of their Pale Select beer!
Of course Snow was still a student at the time and was neither contacted about this and didn’t consent to the ad. This was a less litigious age, and instead of a lawsuit, he simply wrote the folks at the brewery admitting that yes, he loved their beer, but no, he really didn’t want everyone knowing about it – especially as he put it the more “puritancial” in town.
Snow suggested a remedy, writing“If you want to make an awful hit with me and my friends…send me a case or two of Pale Select, express prepaid…”
AND they did – a few days later a case of beer showed up at Captain Snow’s house on State Street, with the brewery asking Snow and his friends to “drink to our success”!!
Go Blue!! Beat Ira’s beloved Terps!
