Props to Brian Griese and Bill ‘Huge’ Simonson who helped the Michigan football team and WTKA raise over $117,000 for the new Mott Children’s hospital. Here’s more from mgoblue.com. The former national champion QB called in the last hour of the telethon and offered to match dollar for dollar each pledge made in the final 52 minutes. Simonson broadcast his show from the Ann Arbor studio and helped expand the reach of the telethon to stations around the state. In those final minutes callers donated over $31,000 and with Griese’s match put the total way over the $80,000 goal. This site has been critical of WTKA in recent posts but this is certainly worthy of praise. The final hour also featured the conclusion of Lloyd Carr’s turn at the microphone (he went for about 2 hours) and Mike Hart. Hart was joined by Saline native and freshman tailback Vince Helmuth of whom Hart referred to as “my fullback”.
-
-
Where the Money’s At
We showed some early bowl projections compliments of collegefootballnews.com last week. Now here’s some early Vegas futures on the Big Ten champion and for the BCS. Here you go: What does this mean? Pretty much nothing. Certainly Michigan is considered as a contender but I think a lot of the money is based on schedule.
-
2008-09 BCS Bowl Projections? Here you go…
for all bowl projections, visit this site.
-
The World has enough Smartasses
In the latest chat wrap, smart arsed college football analyst Ivan Maisel revealed his sharp tongue. Of course he’s probably right: ——————————————————————————– Brett (Grand Rapids, MI): Any word on Michigan’s WR Adrian Arrington and his suspension from the team? Ivan Maisel: It would be easier to learn of North Korea’s nuclear plans than to get any word out of Lloyd Car about his in-big-house discipline. I think it’s safe to say, based on history, that the suspension will mysteriously finish up right before August.
-
Time served in Columbus
By some stroke of irony the MVictors.com webmaster has been working in the outskirts of the snake pit for over a month now. It’s about as you’d expect. I’m at a sizeable customer headquarters and Buckeye gear, photos, helmets, etc. are everywhere. Local sports talk radio [which is pretty weak] is riddled with Buckeye talk. I’ve seen the occasional guy with some quasi-Michigan gear but it’s been pretty scarce. I write this post because of what happened this week. I was using the gym at the corporate site and I spotted a guy in a yellow “Maize Rage” tank top. I’m not one to come up to strangers and strike up conversations but I practically hugged the guy. I didn’t get into the whole question of what it is like to be a Michigan fan in Buckeye land, I just exchanged pleasantries and talked a little Michigan hoops. You have to wonder if the guy just has balls, or if it really isn’t that much of a taboo to wear M gear in Columbus. Probably a little of both: this dude was a strapping lad who stood a good 6′ 5″. The lesson? Don’t have one. But of course half my T-shirts are M-related and I’ll be breaking one out soon thanks to the Maize Rager.
-
Jim Harbaugh Turns up the Volume on Michigan
Ann Arbor News columnist Jim Carty sought out former Michigan QB and new Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh. Carty wanted to give Jimmy a chance to explain his comments that were critical of the Michigan athletic program, and in particular, some of the alleged practices of steering athletes into ‘lighter’ majors and of turning its back on players after they graduate. [Check out mgoblog or The M-Zone for more detail and reaction on Harbaugh’s initial comments.] I heard Carty this Sunday morning with John Bacon and former M star Jamie Morris on WTKA’s ‘Off the Field.’ Carty said he was half expecting Harbaugh to back away or at least explain that those comments as a weak moment. JC explained that not only did Harbaugh not back off; in fact, he stepped it up. Sunday morning’s AA News details the phone interview with Carty and it is pretty shocking stuff. Certainly, check out the entire article but here are a few excerpts: “I would use myself as an example,” Harbaugh said. “I came in there, wanted to be a history major, and I was told early on in my freshman year that I shouldn’t be. That it takes too much time. Too much reading. That I shouldn’t be a history major and play football.” And here’s the stinging analysis from Carty: …when…
-
Shand’s Former co-host chimes in
For those following the Dave Shand story, there’s not much going on. No major media source has mentioned the story. Recently Shand’s former co-host on WTKA 1050 Mike Wickett offered a few words on the situation here on MVictors.com. For those not closely monitoring the message board I thought I’d call it out: Sounds like a lot has happened since I’ve been gone. Dave has never been one to pull punches, especially on the air. I also know Dave understood what good radio was, and how close you sometimes needed to come to “that line”. I have no “inside info” on the situation, but I can only hope Dave and WTKA lands on its feet. Cheers from Milwaukee!! – Wickett Wickett left WTKA a few months before Shand’s firing to join former program manager Ryan Maguire in Milwaukee at station WSSP. He currently co-hosts The Doug Russell Show weekday mornings in Brew-town. Wickett and Shand hold the distinction of having the interview with Bo Schembechler just minutes before his death. Here’s all the posts related to the Dave Shand firing on MVictors.com.
-
Lloyd Carr Takes up Russell Crowe’s Offer
Looks like Coach Lloyd Carr took Russell Crowe up on his offer to visit his Australian rugby team. Carr even took along former Michigan players Jeremy Van Alstyne and Brian Thompson who trained with Crowe’s team, the South Sydney Rabbitohs or ‘Souths’ for those in the know.
