Thanks for my friends at Moe’s and Underground Printing – my fav, the Ufer shirt: get yours here get yours here The shirts are posed in front of my authentic #77 Michigan Schembechler Hall locker (yes, I convinced the boss to let me put it in my office). Want one? Email me.
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eBay Watch: Gold Pants Galore !
Oh man, word is out that Terelle Pryor hocked his ‘gold pants’ charm, the prize Buckeyes get if they beat Michigan in the big one. The tradition started in 1934, Gerald Ford’s senior year, when then coach Francis Schmidt told his men not to fear Harry Kipke’s Wolverines because: “They put their pants on one leg at a time, the same as we do!” –Francis Schmidt, March 2, 1934 There are four sets of the gold beauties on sale right now: 1967 click to view 2009 click to view 2007 click to view 2008 click to view The pants include the year, the score and initials of the player who originally owned them. As a Wolverine this is funny but as a historian/memorabilian this hurts – really. That a guy would toss this out on the market while he was still in school? I almost understand a ring to the BCS game, but brother, not the pants! Ed. 12/24 – Sure enough, the auctions above were pulled from eBay :{
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Signed WWJ Michigan Pigskin (1958)
Check out this vintage football signed by the 1958 University of Michigan football squad (see above) Above ‘UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN’ it is stamped ‘WWJ 1958’. The WWJ stands for longtime radio station WWJ in Detroit which aired Wolverine games for many years, including, according to the Bentley Library, what is believed to be the first live broadcast from a football stadium in 1924. The auction’s limited description doesn’t indicate why it says WWJ or when the ball was signed, but perhaps it was passed around during the annual bust held in December of that year after the rough season. How rough? Well, the Wolverines finished 2-6-1, losing their final four games, and prior to the finale against Ohio State coach Bennie Oosterbaan resigned. This probably didn’t help matters: There was no drama or transition period after Oosterbaan handed in his resignation. He stayed at the university and former star player and then assistant coach Bump Elliott took over effective January 1, 1959. Back to the ball, while it doesn’t appear to be loaded down with superstars, it does include Oosterbaan’s predecessor and current athletic director Fritz Crisler: And historians might recognize the name Harry Newman, the great quarterback from the early 1930s, but.. ..you might also notice the “Jr.” tagged on the end. That’s Harry Newman’s son who didn’t leave…
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Rich Rod Presser 12-18 (audio)
Coach Rodriguez let the media into Schembechler Hall this morning for a 20 minute Q&A and to watch practice. Check out some photos here and here’s the audio of the press conference: [display_podcast] No surprises with injury report. Je’Ron Stokes is practicing. Denard is fine. “They kick like champions in here,” as in inside the Hall. Still a competition. Not sure if anyone will be ineligible due to grades until exams are done. Talked about Miss State a bit. “Probably did the best job of anybody all years against Cam Newton and Auburn.” As soon as practice is over, many of the coaches are hitting the road recruiting. Running back situation is open – sounds like everyone (Smith, Shaw, Fitz, Hopkins) is healthy. Flying out the 26th on a charter or the guys will fly in from their homes. The wanted to fly down Christmas day but the Redskins have the hotel booked up. On early enrollees: expecting between 2 and 4. Devin Gardner won’t play in the bowl game. He is practicing, his back is “better”. RR said they will (“probably”) start the paperwork process after the bowl game for the medical redshirt. He is eligible, playing time wise, for Michigan to apply.
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Bulldog Bells
Mississippi State fans love them some cowbell and recently Rich Rod mentioned that he’d probably be looking to mimic the clanging in practice to prepare for the Gator Bowl. Thanks to today’s rare media glimpse at a practice, we know it’s happening. A few young assistants along with Rhett Rod (I think that’s little RR), were hovering over the snap rocking the bells. No sign of Chris Walken and no need– it was pretty loud: A couple others from practice: Legal stretching RR at the podium – kind of a cool spot for a press conference (on the balcony of the second floor, not far from RR’s office) Pending update
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Hunwick Hits it
I watched the players come out of the tunnel to the ice last Saturday and at the time I was surprised as it appeared as the first few guys, including the goalies, didn’t bother to hit the GO BLUE banner. I listened to the Red Berenson Show (recap or full audio) on Tuesday and heard Shawn Hunwick tell Ira and co-host John U. Bacon about touching it, and more specifically, how he touched it with his stick. I didn’t doubt him—he pitched a shutout in front of 113K, why lie?– but I went ahead and pored through my photos from Saturday. Trust but verify says me. Voila:
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Update from Guinness on the Count
An update from Sara Wilcox, my contact at Guinness Book of World Records PR in New York. As far as the 85,451 number, as you know by now, she provided this update: “We are still waiting to review ticket counts and the number is subject to change.” I followed up via email and asked if they had an idea when the count will be done, and if they had a read on whether they expected the number to go up or down. (The GBWR blog post indicated numbers were going up). Her reply: “Unfortunately not, we are not sure when we’ll have the final ticket scans to count. At this point we do not know how or if the number will change.” So what to read from this? It sounds like they do indeed base their figures on ticket scans which definitely won’t jive with the U-M figure which includes “everybody” – bands, ushers, media…and I believe factors in tickets sold. We’ll see what they come up with. The other question is the reliability of using scanned tickets as the data point. I know that in the past we’ve had problems with those – I mean, half the time I went to hockey games last year the guy tried to scan me three times and then just let me in. …
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Gold Football Charm (1926)
From a very cool auction that recently ended and it was described to be a 1926 Michigan football charm: It has initials “G.J.G” on the back and the words ‘UNDEFEATED’: When you see vintage items like this there are a few things that go through my head. First, of course, you want to know if this was really something that was commemorating a Michigan football season. Keep in mind that ‘M’ or even blue ‘M’s aren’t unique to Ann Arbor but I’ve seen these types of charms before. Then you’ve got to look at what’s on the piece. Photos can deceive but it appears to me that the year reads “1926”. The “On the Front to each side of the laces 19 and 28.” I emailed the seller and questioned his read on this – he replied that he questioned it as well but came is certain that it is an 8. I still don’t think so and here’s why: * Six and Nine. Ignoring my own advice on making calls from bad photos, I still think it is a 6. I mean look at the 9 on the left – the loop practically connects to the line in the middle forming an 8. I can understand why the seller thinks it’s an 8. * The ‘Undefeated’. While neither 1926…
