For tomorrow’s evening affair, a trip back to 1930, a season that started with a double-header(!) in front of only 13,000 fans but was notable nonetheless. In that year coach Harry Kipke got things working and started a string of 4 consecutive conference crowns. October 11, 1930 was week 3 when his Wolverines faced defending league champ Purdue. This game also marked the debut start of would-be superstar quarterback Harry Newman. Check it out: [display_podcast] You can catch all of the This Week in Michigan Football History clips here…And don’t forget to catch it live Saturday on the KeyBank Countdown to kick-off on WTKA 1050AM or inside the Bud Light Victors Lounge starting at 3pm. Follow MVictors on Twitter
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Charity Schmarity (1931) | A Benefit at Michigan Stadium
In 1931 the Western Conference agreed to schedule a full slate of games to benefit a fund for the many Depression-era unemployed worker at the end of the season. The league also agreed the games would count in the tight conference standings.
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Hail, Hail to the Chief | Happy 101 Gerald Ford
A hearty salute to the memory of President Gerald Ford born July 14, 1913, who today would have turned 101. In honor of the 1934 team MVP, a repost. Here are a few of my favorite shots of the POTUS in and around campus. Above, via eBay one of the classic shots of Ford hiking the pigskin in the 1930s. Below, via the Bentley Library, Ford addressing captain Mark Messner and the team in 1988: Here with Bob Ufer kicking off his presidential campaign in 1976 at Crisler Arena: And finally at practice with General Bo: In honor of Ford’s 101st birthday, here is a repost of the speech President Ford delivered to the Annual Congressional Dinner of the University of Michigan Club back in March 1975 and worth a read: [Introductory portion omitted] You know, as a matter of fact, I can still remember spending a good part of my sophomore and junior years washing dishes in the DKE house–of which I was a proud member–and I mean washing dishes. As a matter of fact, I washed so many dishes I was the only athlete in Michigan history who ever had a football knee and dishpan hands at the same time. [Laughter] As I mentioned a moment ago, I was lucky enough to play football, first on Ferry Field…
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Augie’s Glorious Return..and Old 98’s Righteous Coupe
Via my Google keyword spybot sentinels…from the Escanaba Daily News (naturally!), check out this piece on 92 year-old alum August Altese (inset left). Augie played on the freshman team in 1940 and suited up once more for the Victors Classic prior the Spring Game a few weeks ago. A few choice cuts from the story: On taking the field: ‘“I didn’t have my hearing aids in and they just pushed me out there,” Altese said. “I was so pleased to see that everyone was clapping. They assigned me the last five minutes and I just kind of ran this way and that. They didn’t throw anything to me, but when I was warming up they threw me three passes. I missed the first two, caught the third one and fell, and I still feel it.”’ On Billy Taylor: ‘”He was a great runner for Michigan, but he boozed it up and got into drugs after graduation,” Altese said. “Now he’s running an establishment that helps people. He’s a great guy.”’ and check this out, on Tom Harmon’s sponsored-sled(!!): ‘“As a freshman at Michigan in 1940, Altese didn’t get much playing time, and though he was on the same team as legendary Michigan quarterback Tom Harmon, he said he never met him. [Ed. The author didn’t know or point out that…
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Wire Photo Wednesday | Taking a Timeout
It’s Spring Break for many here in Michigan and thus WPW takes the foot off the gas this week, featuring just one shot of General George S. Patton Schembechler: Schembechler Hall was dedicated this past weekend, and of course the centerpiece is the new Bo statue. Details on the 7 1/2 foot bronze Bo features the mandatory ‘M’ hat, sunglasses, a headset (with “BO” in Dymotape label) in his hand, and a Rose Bowl watch on his wrist. The above 35MM shot of Coach Bo looks to be in the ballpark of the era of the pose that was used for the statue, and that looks to be a Rose Bowl watch shining on his left wrist as he calls timeout. You can find that photo on eBay right now. Follow MVictors on Twitter
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The Bo Brackets | The Final Four Results
[Ed. Steve “Dr. Sap” Sapardanis returns with the next round of the Bo Brackets. You can find background including how the teams were selected here, and a breakdown of the Schembechler 16 results here and the Elite 8 here.] Oosterbaan Region Champion – 1973 vs.Yost Region Champion – 1976Everybody expected this game to be a George Patton-like ground assault, but it didn’t start out that way. On the first play from scrimmage, 1976 sophomore QB Rick Leach called an audible and hit a wide open Curt Stephenson for a 76-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. Just as surprising was how the 1973 UM squad responded. Dennis Franklin completed three straight passes to Paul Seal, Gil Chapman and Clint Haslerig to set up All-American Mike Lantry’s 33-yard field goal, and that’s how the first quarter ended, 7-3 in favor of Bo’s 1976 group. The second quarter featured more of what everyone was expecting to see – three yards and a cloud of dust. When the dust settled, Ed Shuttlesworth and Rob Lytle traded touchdowns in between another Lantry field goal. As Bo’s two best teams from the ’70s went into the locker room at halftime, the 1976 contingent was clinging to a one point lead, 14-13. In the third quarter, Leach overthrew a wide open Jim Smith and Dave…
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WPW | Jimmy Orwig’s Righteous Swig
Hump Day! Wire Photo Wednesday leads with something near and dear to my heart, the Little Brown Jug: A great shot of a few men from Bennie Oosterbaan’s 1957 roster. Left to right I believe you’ve got: Stan Noskin (QB), Dave Brown (QB), ‘57 captain Jim Orwig (LT) taking a pull, Larry Faul (LG) and Jerry Goebel (C). We don’t have a lot of information on this shot, but it looks like it appeared in the Minneapolis Star, making me think it was shot just prior to the ‘57 battle for the Jug. The caption also says that’s a replica – which is looks to be (for starter, there are no scores down the side, at least on the side we can see…). Good news – Orwig took back the real jug after Michigan’s 24-7 victory on October 26, 1957. Fritz: “..and finally, we’re getting new helmets..with yellow wings on them.” [Team breaks out in laughter]Fritz: “Trust me on this one. Wings are the future. Wings I tells ya.” So I’ve seen this shot on eBay before but never noticed the significance of the date it was taken. This is actually a pretty historically significant shot from March 28th—the start of Spring football back then. This is probably one of, if not the first, published photo with Fritz Crisler…
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Wire Photo Wednesday | Cutting Nets and Dr. Shake
Good Wednesday to you. Leading off…T Mills: Leading off, the man coach Bill Frieder personally visited at Romulus High literally hundreds of times – to keep him away from Jud Heathcote and MSU, here from April 1989 presumably from the Kingdome following the NCAA title victory (Ed. However as a commenter pointed out, M wore blue of course in the finals—so perhaps an earlier round or something else]. From 1970, an awesome shot of back Glenn Doughty posing between an unidentified pair of Bo’s bruisers. Great shot. Following his Michigan days he became Shake and Bake, and later (after completing his PhD in Groove from Funkalicious University [Dearborn]), just Dr. Shake: He earned the nickname “Shake and Bake” during his years with the Colts, and the nickname was also extended to the 1975 Baltimore Colts offense. The Colts Record of 10-4 reversed the prior year’s 2-12 record to set the greatest one year turn-a-round season in NFL History. The Colts won the Eastern Division Championship. Doughty played a key role in leading the Colts to three straight Eastern Division Championships for the first time in Colts history. 1975 also saw Doughty, a Motown native, create the Shake & Bake Band. The Group consisted of Tight End Ray Chester on bass, Lloyd Mumford Defensive Back on harmonica, Fred Scott…
