The seller claims the band belonged to a “well-known player” and is asking $5,999.99: It’s certainly not the first Michigan football ring to be offered up on eBay and heck, it’s not even the first time someone’s sold a ‘97 championship ring. Maybe this is the same one just placed back on the block. Other rings that have been up on eBay over the past couple years: 1986 Rose Bowl Ring: This prompted a few follow-up posts, the first speculating on the original owner and then another, after a teammate confirmed my sleuthing. 1977 Championship Ring: Not as pretty as the others, but painful to see. 1980 Rose Bowl ring: Probably the wildest story, a ring alleged to a salesman sample bearing the name ‘McCartney’ on the side prompts a note from former Michigan and Colorado coach Bill McCartney’s wife Lyndi, asking that the ring be returned to her husband. I think the seller is reaching the $6K figure. I’m guessing this would be closer to $2K-$3K item but you never know if a big shot will swoop in to grab it.
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Tom Harmon’s Ping Putter
Check out this Ping putter bearing the name of Michigan Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon:
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History Police
I track a few phrases that prompt a Google alert, including “Fielding Yost.” If someone’s talking about the Grand Old Man I guess I want to give it a look. This morning a Bleacher Report post titled, ‘Independance [sic] Day at Notre Dame: How Many More Will There Be?’ popped up. Beyond tripping over the word ‘independence’ the author also struggles with the use of it’s/its: What these people are missing is the reason Notre Dame celebrates it’s own independence, along with that of the United States this July 4th. I usually [always] have a typo or two when I first publish a post and routinely mix tense so I won’t throw too many stones that direction. But I’m more concerned with a few phrases that are either just wrong or at a minimum, worthy of some deeper analysis: “Following a Notre Dame victory in 1908, legendary Michigan coach Fielding Yost….” – Nope. Notre Dame didn’t beat the Wolverines in 1908. Michigan won 12-6. That sentence continues.. “..refused to schedule the Irish and led the charge to deny the Irish entry into the emerging Big Ten.” This isn’t wrong but it is worthy of some qualification. I reached out to John Kryk author of Natural Enemies for comment. Via email, the foremost expert on the Notre Dame-Michigan rivalry explained: Complicated.…
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Eat at Moe’s
I’m pleased to officially announce a partnership with iconic Michigan outfitter Moe Sports Shops and Underground Printing. The deal didn’t include putting me on one of those classic Polaroid shots in the back of Moe’s but I’m working on that. More later, but for now—get some!
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Tom Osborne joins Jim Rome (6-29 audio)
Just to get your goat Nebraska legend Tom Osborne join Jim Rome today to talk about his Huskers, the move to the Big Ten and more. Here’s the audio, starts about 20 seconds in: [display_podcast] A few quotes: “We will probably be less well off financially for a few years at least..” “It was mainly fit, culture and just a feeling that the Big Ten was stable [and] was going to be there for the next 50 or 100 years.” Osborne admitted never feeling totally comfortable with the move from the Big 8 to the Big 12. Clearly he wasn’t happy about how that merge happened. On walking away from the Oklahoma rivalry. “We had asked and wanted to preserve that rivalry on an annual basis…” [When The Big 8 moved to The Big 12, but Oklahoma decided to go to the South division]. “When that happened…the rivalry was never quite the same.” “There were some very strong academic considerations.” In the decision process of joining the B10. He said no current recruiting commitments have changed their decision based on the move to the B10.
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Inside the Big House (Stadium Pics)
The athletic department swung open the Michigan Stadium gates today for premium seating tours. A big thanks to Mike for forwarding these over. Looks like they are putting the final touches on the placement of the new turf. Either that or they hired a Buckeye engineer to line up the letters in the endzone. Or the theme of the 2010 football season will be “Football is Goofy, right?”: Wide angle view from some of the club seating, east side. Not bad: And the club concourse, very nice and note with the widebody chairs suitable for fans young and old and thankfully, even Jedi Masters! Somebody gets it!
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On Newsstands Now (or Soon)
Announcement! A few items to look for outside these pages: Ann Arbor Observer: I’m honored to be appearing in the July issue of the prestigious AAO. I submitted a piece about longtime Michigan golf course Clubhouse Manager Charlie Green. He’s been working at the course since 1960 and I shared a few cool stories about the man and the course itself. The story will be in the ‘AnnArborite’ section and my spies tell me it’ll arrive in Ann Arbor homes as early as this weekend. Once it’s available online I’ll be sure to post a link. If you don’t get the Observer, order online. Oh, and it’s free to Ann Arbor residents. Hail to the Victors 2010: For some reason I was sent an advanced copy of Brian Cook’s amazing ‘HTTV 2010’ yesterday. It is the definitive preseason guide, packed with analysis, opponent previews and yes, history. I wrote a piece on the original Michigan stadium construction in the 1920s – I think you’ll like it. Many Bothan spies died to bring you this information so please read it. I’m sure HTTV will show up in bookstores around town soon but if you can’t wait, order it now here. I also appear in a short roundtable with some of the other HTTV authors. Based on the season predictions from the…
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Michigan captain Whitey Wistert’s ID (1931)
Here’s an auction of the U-M student identification card for the 1931-32 school year for the first of the legendary Wistert brothers: Francis Michael ‘Whitey’ Wistert: As the card indicates, Francis was a Chicago native and after graduating from high school worked in a factory building radios. A decision to tag along with a classmate on a visit to Ann Arbor effectively kicked off the Michigan-Wistert tradition. Several online references claim Whitey had no football background before coming to Michigan, but he is enshrined into his high school Hall of Fame for “Baseball and Football”. Oh and yes, he could also play some baseball—he was named Big Ten MVP his senior season. Whitey anchored the line for Harry Kipke’s back-to-back national championship squads in 1932-1933, and the 6-2, 210-pound stapping lad was named All-American in ‘33: I’ve written on the Wistert Trio before but in a nutshell, each played football for Michigan of course, each played tackle, each wore 11, all three made it into the college football Hall of Fame and they are the reason you won’t ever see another U-M football player wear jersey number eleven. Also included is an ID from 1938 when Wistert returned to assist Harry Kipke and his staff:
