Folks, the Alumni Game starts at Michigan Stadium at 11am Saturday.  This afternoon the rosters were revealed.   Outstanding to see Murray and Brabbs as captains and love that they brought back some guys from the ‘65 Rose Bowl team for the game. Last year the Blue prevailed 32-24 thanks to a touchdown on the final play of the game. Early line, Maize –2.5: MAIZE Coach — Desmond Howard (1989-91), WR     Captain — Vada Murray (1987-90), DB Ron Bellamy (1999-02), WR Tom Brigstock (1962-65), HB Gasper Calandrino (1978), DB Jim Conley (1961-64), E Zia Combs (2000-02), DB/WR B.J. Dickey (1977-81), QB Don Dufek (1972-75), DB Chris Floyd (1994-97), TB/FB Jermaine Gonzales (2000-04), WR Livetius Johnson (1988-91), RB Rich Leach (1975-78), QB Triando Markray (1982-84), WR Ben Mast (1997-01), OL Chris Matsos (2002-04), WR Zoltan Mesko (2006-09), P Anthony Mitchell (1985-88), DB Ohene Opong-Owusu (2007-09), LB Darren Petterson (1995-98), WR Marcus Ray (1995-98), S LaTerryal Savoy (2006-09), WR Lasker Smith (1992), DB Phil Webb (1983-87), TB Josh Williams (1995-99), DT Chuck Winters (1992-96), S Pierre Woods (2002-05), DE BLUE Coach — LaMarr Woodley (2003-06), DE Captain — Phil Brabbs (2000-03), K Tony Blackenship (1989-93), S Alijah Bradley (2003-06), RB Jason Carr (1991-95), QB Will Carr (1993-96), DT Bob Cernak (1984-87), QB/TE Bill Dufek (1974-77), OL Dan Jokisch (1987-90), WR/TE Brian Lafer (2001-03),…

A few updates for you on goings on in and outside this space: To the Scout.com readers, I’m happy to report that I’ve signed on with Sam Webb & crew for another year of pieces for GoBlueWolverine Magazine.  My submission for this month can be viewed here, an adaptation of an earlier post on the circumstances of Michigan and Yost leaving the Western Conference.  I’m also working on a piece for the 2010 installment of Brian Cook’s prolific Hail to the Victors series, the best preseason guide in the business.  More details later on. For fans of the eBay Watch series, I updated the listing of all the posts in the series, over 135 strong at this point.  (I suppose I need to find a better way to index these posts). 

ESPN college beat writer Mark Schlabach dialed up the Colin Cowherd show (with guest host Doug Gottlieb filling in) to discuss the NCAA’s visit to Morgantown.  Schlabach admits he doesn’t know much, but assumes that the “NCAA is trying to show that this wasn’t a one time deal; that this was a system that was put in place that started at West Virginia.” Schlabach suggested it should be interesting to see how West Virginia reacts, adding, “you don’t want the NCAA looking into your books but at the same time I don’t think West Virginia people will go out of their way to protect Rich Rodriguez.” Gottlieb clearly thinks the allegations (of too many coaches/too many hours) are a joke, quote: “Really?  Really?  This is the stupidest dog and pony show by the NCAA EVER.   Go after the real criminals in college sports.” Here’s the audio (taken from my phone while driving in my car…not too bad!): [display_podcast]

[Ed 4/14 – audio fixed.] A few notes from the press conference: Rodriguez met with the media for about 20 minutes.  He started off with an update on the recovery of wheelchair bound Brock Mealer.  Some great news of his recovery came out earlier this week, to me via a tweet from Camp Barwis.  Rodriguez confirmed that on Saturday Mealer walker about 50 yards with aid of a couple crutches, and they’ve set a goal that Brock will lead them down the tunnel and into the stadium for the opener. RR praised Cam Gordon once again.  He heaped some love on Troy Woolfolk, J.T. Floyd and Justin Turner (he’s “gotten better”).   “We’re finding a little bit of depth there.” On Junior Hemingway and Je’Ron Stokes, RR advised that they might return today or in the next two practices. Gardner is improving and “slowly getting there.” Adam Patterson was “playing well at end”, but they are trying him at nose tackle.  “He’ll play inside and outside.” A little drama returned to the press conference today as about an hour or so before the media got to Schembechler Hall, news broke that the NCAA was probing WVU.   Preface: The media’s been warned not to ask any questions about the NCAA allegations (at Michigan of course).  Mike Rothstein of AnnArbor.com started to ask…

  Photo: NY Daily News (umm, is that Connect Four on his shelf?) Via a tweet from SI’s Richard Deitsch, from the ESPN liveblog prior to the Yankees home opener: 12:35: Hal Steinbrenner just told us that fittingly enough, his dad George M. Steinbrenner III, was the first Yankee to receive a championship ring, brought to him up in his private suite before the official ceremony by Joe Girardi and Derek Jeter. "Quite frankly, I think he was pretty much speechless,” Hal said. "Jeter’s pretty good a breaking the ice at times like that, and he told my father to take his Ohio State ring off.” According to Hal, The Boss looked at Jeter and sniffed, "Michigan,” which drew a laugh from everyone in the room. "It was a good moment,” Hal said.   Follow MVictors on Twitter 

A question from MVictors reader Tom K: What did Gerald Ford [do] for employment during his summer vacations while attending the University of Michigan? I know Gerald Ford had various ways of making money while attending school over his years at Michigan, including waiting tables at the medical school, selling his own blood, managing the fraternity house, etc.  But none of the sources (biographies and his own autobiography), and not the Bentley or the Ford Presidential Library have the answer to this question.  I’ve also tried with Betty Ford, but she wasn’t on the scene until much later. Anyone know? Related: * eBay Watch: Jesse Owens, Gerald Ford and 1934 * Harry Kipke and the Fall of 1934 * The Willis Ward Protests * eBay Watch: Yost’s Warning to you Drunks (1933)   Don’t be a square, follow MVictors on Twitter

Check out this great shot of Old 98, Tom Harmon, on the sideline grabbing a drink. No, it wasn’t from a water jug or even from a cup.  It’s 1939 and you got your drink from a ladle dipped from a trough LIKE A MAN: This was shot during the game against once great rival Chicago in 1939, a game in which Michigan won 85-0 in front of a sparse crowd of 5,000, no doubt mostly Michigan fans.  The hapless Maroons were pummeled all season, losing to Ohio State 61-0, Illinois 47-0, Harvard 61-0, Virginia 47-0, and were even shut out by tiny Beloit College 6-0. Those are the kind of beatdowns that force you to think about the direction of a program, and the Maroons did some hard, hard thinking after the 1939 season concluded.   In December it was announced the once-splendid Chicago would cease fielding a football team. This concluded a 15-year deemphasis on our beloved pigskin: Stagg was of course the first man to defeat a Fielding Yost-led Wolverine team at the conclusion of the Point-A-Minute era from 1901-1905. Chicago was Michigan’s first true rival and U-M’s 1898 victory in the Windy City inspired Louis Elbel to write The Victors, in turn inspiring a blogger to name his website MVictors. Complete withdrawal from the conference for the…

With the Masters upon us, it’s a great time to post this photo from 1931.  I found it thumbing through Michigan LInks magazine, which in turn published it courtesy of the great U-M Bentley Historical Library.  I’m guessing they are on the 18th tee box, with the camera pointed north toward campus. In the photo above, you have to love these guys with the middle pair (team captain J.R. Royston and John Howard) taking a break from enjoying their cigarettes for the photo.   The gent on the right is coach Thomas Trueblood, the man who organized U-M’s inaugural club team in 1901 and the first varsity squad in 1921. Here’s a clip from the Daily in 1919, where “Professor Trueblood” is quoted on the prospect of a varsity golf team: and who led Michigan to five Big Ten championships and two National titles (‘34 and ‘35).   Michigan was the first non-Ivy League team to win NCAA titles.  Trueblood hung up his argyle socks on top after the 1935 season and is a renown golfing legend in Michigan and elsewhere. The Blue CourseGiven that this photo dates to 1931 it was likely shot on Michigan’s freshly built golf course that we all know and love today.   The land was purchased by the-Athletic Director Fielding Yost as part of the parcel bought…