Longtime Michigan fan Dick Furnier of Canton, Michigan is passionate about the winged helmet.   He called me recently, urging for to share his vision for minor tweak (if there is such a thing!) to the coveted headgear.  An excerpt of the note he sent to me discussing his idea: ..The helmet was [originally] made of leather and constructed by sewing the wing and stripes onto the base helmet.  This construction provided full definition to the wing and stripes, allowing them to stand proud of the helmet base.  Because of the need to further protect the players, the helmet has completely changed to a one piece plastic shell with the wing and stripes painted on the same surface, therefore, losing the full definition of the wing in particular.  With this letter, and enclosed pictures, I’m hoping that you will consider, at little cost, a minor change that will come close to restoring the full effect of the wings.. Here’s a snapshot of what Furnier would like to see changed on the helmet, from the current helmet (left), to the subtle addition of a thin line separating the stripes and the wings (on the right): Yes, this season marks the 75th anniversary of the wings and since the helmets for next season are probably already reconditioned and ready to go, nothing will…

So call this Part 2 of my post from earlier this week.   I suggest you read that post before you proceed here, but in summary, a Michigan Daily writer’s story about a group of students (including a football player and the basketball captain) selling sports gambling cards on campus caused a major stir and made national headlines.   Several students were arrested and that Daily writer, Bart Huthwaite, was hanged in effigy in the Diag. As promised at the end of that post I tracked down Mr. Huthwaite, now 74, and he shared a few more memories of the story (including the FBI’s involvement) and more from his days at U-M, including the Spring Break he spent in a Cuban jail cell!  The 1960 U-M grad now lives on Mackinac Island, MI although he spends his summers in Florida.  Today he runs the Huthwaite Innovation Institute, as he describes it, “helping companies design their products so they cost less, they can sell more and they are easier to use and on and on.”   Clients include Boeing, Gulfstream, and 100s of others. MVictors:  So looking back at 1958, you’re a student working at the Michigan Daily when you wrote the parlay card story that made headlines around the country.   First off, when’s the last time someone has mentioned this story to you?…