Thanks to reader Biggie Munn for passing this along. I was in the Howell Arby’s a few months back and I noticed the Michigan-themed cups. It occurred to me (with a Spartan sitting next to me) that everyone might not appreciate that. I also noticed the last few cases of Coke Zero have had a Michigan football theme to them. A few Spartans aren’t happy. Via spartantailgate: When I buy a 12 pack of Coke Zero and open the box to get one of the pop cans, why do I see a certain college name and logo on it? Arby’s do you like losing business by being bias? Do those who are obsessed with this particular school in question call you and demand that you promote this school and their football program? Via Rivals: Is this a state wide campaign? I can’t imagine the National Headquarters in Florida promoting this. Would they be a part of promoting FSU or UF in northern Florida? I would think not. IMO this is NOT wise in the state of Michigan either. When discussing this with an Arby’s spokesperson she said the promotion was part of the agreement with U.M. for the Big Chill Hockey game in Ann Arbor. If this is true, I suggested that they consider adding the event and both Universities…
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Mr. Hagelin’s Ribs
mgoblog I try to catch the Red Berenson show on WTKA Tuesday nights when I can. There’s always a great line or story that makes it worth the listen and this week was no exception. Here’s the very last segment of the show where host Ira Weintraub asks Coach Berenson about recruiting players like Swedish phenom Carl Hagelin: Two notes: Gotta love Red mimicking the conversation between he and Boris in Berenson’s Saskatchewanese. I actually met Boris last fall. He came to a party a friend threw for the Wisconsin game. I was told Carl Hagelin’s dad was going to show and I had a picture of this old, fair-haired Swede in my head. Boris shows up and he’s really not much older than I am. Things that happen as you approach 40. Anyway, the hockey team was struggling and I asked Boris what the problem was. He offered up a single sentence (paraphrasing): 90% effort isn’t good enough. Hearing this I put down the handful of Cheetos, drove home and tore off 9 semi-perfect push-ups.
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Monday with Hondo of Spartan Nation (audio)
[ed. 10-6 8:28pm Noted Hondo also has traditional radio affiliates.] Are you familiar with Hondo Carpenter’s work? He runs SpartanNation.com and broadcasts live on the web and across his affiliate radio network from 6-9 ET on his show, Spartan Nation Radio. You can listen live via this link. It’s very interactive with callers, tweets, emails, etc. and the guests he books are outstanding—coaches, former and current players, recruits, and media. I think Michigan could use a show like this in the evening and I wouldn’t be surprised to see something pop up in the next couple years. Anyway, I’ve been on a few times now and Hondo asked me to join him on Monday night at 8pm. We talked a little bit on the rivalry, a lot on Denard Robinson, a bit about Brock Mealer (I know the accident happened in ’07, not sure why I said last year), a prediction and even a little more about Denard. Check it out: [display_podcast] Much of the talk about town is who has more "on the line" in this game. Hondo didn’t ask me about this but if he had I would have said something like this. Traditionally that answer is easy, it’s Michigan State. This year I think Rich Rod and Michigan have much more on the line and I think…
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Monday Press Conference – MSU Week – Photos
For recap of the player and Rich Rod press conferences, check out Tim’s rundown on mgoblog. It’s Michigan State and there was clearly a media buzz in the air. About twice as many video cameras were on hand. The press conferences go like this: At just after noon, Rich Rod sits down for about 20 minutes in the back of the Junge Center and answers questions off camera. Then he moves over to the front for a cameras-on presser, usually a little shorter (because everyone’s already asked him 20 minutes of questions!). Then there’s a delay, then media relations brings in players to speak & usually 4-6 guys hit podium one after another. A few shots. Here’s Rich Rod seated at the pre-presser at his seat in "the squared circle": Obi Ezeh was very relaxed and put the defense’s troubles in perspective: Likewise with Kovacs, who had a huge game last year against State: Captain Steve Schilling scored big points with his "Offense" shirt. It reads "SCORE" on the back. Make we can get Underground to print up some "Defense" and "Don’t SCORE" shirts for Obi and crew: Denard eyed the Pizza House pizzas stacked up in the back of the room and nothing was going to stop him from getting there: Update. Speaking of Denard, check out this…
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Forty-Nine More to the Left Column (1939)
Look at this 1939 wire photo of Michigan’s Grand Old Man, Fielding H. “Hurry Up” Yost looking at a team photo of his dominant 1901 squad. Yost is pointing to the great Willie Heston but it’s not clear why: Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time a wire shot has shown up on eBay featuring someone holding a photo of Yost’s dominant 1901 squad. Back in March, I did a short post on a Rose Bowl beauty queen from 1938 holding a large photo of the point-a-minute squad: Here’s one thing I didn’t notice in that March post. In the team pic featured in the wire photo of the beauty queen and in today’s auction with Yost, the writing on the ball held by captain Hugh White reads “550-0”. But in the official team photo (obviously the original) at the Bentley Library page for the ’01 squad, that ball reads “501-0” (right): Back in those days, the team gathered for the team photo after the season, to not only take the picture but also to select the captain of next year’s team. Michigan was undefeated and outscored its opposition by the 501 to nothing margin—at least up to that point. So they snapped the photo but they had one more game to play that year and which was…
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Denard: Please Don’t Loop, Swoop or Pull
I was up in East Lansing for the Wisconsin game but tuned into the radio broadcast and this morning I watched the replay. (I broke down and ordered the expanded sports package on Comcast to get ESPNU). It’s remarkable stuff to watch to be sure and like you, I’m still very worried about what’s going to happen in the next few weeks with this defense. Miscellanea: * I expected it to be close, definitely closer than the spread, but not quite like that. I read this Saturday morning and remember thinking it was silly for Sharp to be so specific in his prediction, but, pretty much: Drew Sharp MICHIGAN 41, INDIANA 38 This is a game that goes down to the last possession. The Hoosiers score a touchdown with less than a minute remaining, but that gives Denard Robinson enough time for another miraculous drive. * Love the MS Paint giant shoe sign: Lon Horwedel – A2.com * After the final pass of the game was broken up, cameras panned over to their obligatory shot of the winning coach. Greg Robinson grabbed Rich Rod to tell him something and it was kind of weird: * The other interesting sideline moment came just minutes earlier, after Taylor Lewan was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after Denard scored the game-winner. While ESPNU provided…
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AP Poll Week 6: Who Voted for Michigan (and who didn’t)
Sixth week of the poll from the Associated Press. A rundown of where Michigan landed after the squeaker against Indiana. This week, comparing where each voter had Michigan and next week’s opponent, Michigan State (via pollspeak.com): Voter Michigan Michigan State Differential Chip Cosby unranked 12 Jon Wilner unranked 24 Scott Wolf unranked 22 Ray Ratto 8 12 -4 Kyle Ringo 9 12 -3 Craig James 10 11 -1 Keith Sargeant 10 16 -6 Kyle Tucker 10 15 -5 Rob Long 10 11 -1 Randy Rosetta 11 14 -3 Greg Archuleta 12 14 -2 Brett McMurphy 13 12 +1 Joe Giglio 13 18 -5 Dave Foster 14 19 -5 Greg Auman 14 16 -2 Mike Hlas 14 12 +2 Adam Zuvanich 15 17 -2 Bill Cole 15 17 -2 Bob Hammond 15 18 -3 John Werner 15 13 +2 Sal Interdonato 15 16 -1 Tom Keegan 15 14 +1 Cecil Hurt 16 19 -3 Jack Bogaczyk 16 18 -2 John Hunt 16 18 -2 John Niyo 16 12 +4 Jon Solomon 16 15 +1 Kirk Herbstreit 16 18 -2 Kyle Veazey 16 15 +1 Steve Conroy 16 10 +6 Bob Asmussen 17 16 +1 Chadd Cripe 17 16 +1 David Jones 17 20 -3 Doug Lesmerises 17 11 +6 Ferd Lewis 17 18 -1 Manny Navarro 17 18 -1 Robert Cessna…
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This Week in Michigan Football History: Yost, President Coolidge and the 1926 Wolverines
Here’s the next entry in ‘This Week in Michigan Football History’ to be played tomorrow on WTKA 1050AM’s Key Bank Countdown to Kick-off pregame show before the Indiana game. This time we head way back to October 2, 1926, for the season opener in Fielding H. Yost’s final year as head coach, and the last season the Wolverines would play at Ferry Field. You get a little history on Yost, on the state affairs on the construction of the new stadium (it was a mess), and on a special trip out east where Yost and the boys met President Calvin Coolidge. The sponsor is Wolverine Beer so here’s where you can find it, or check out the Beer Wench’s Blog. I’m still waiting to have my first Wolverine beer, perhaps someday soon. You can hear all of the This Week… clips here.
