Falk with artist Jil Gordon and the replica jug she created. Jon makes the jug actually look “little” What a cool event for Jon Falk held at MGoPatio last night! Props to Wolverine Beer for running the tap and for Slow’s BBQ for delivering the food. I dialed up WTKA this morning to talk about the night (and a little jug business) with Ira and Sam: [display_podcast] While I can’t recap everything, I captured a few of the quotes delivered by Jon’s longtime colleagues Coach Jerry Hanlon and longtime trainer Paul Schmidt. Coach Hanlon started by joking about how stingy things were at Miami, OH when Falk worked there, but because of that Jon brought a certain attitude to Ann Arbor: “He put in our kids into a mode that not everything in this life is free, not everything that’s going to happen to you is going to be great. He kept them on a straight and narrow program. He brought a realistic attitude on how to handle the kids, and I really believe he’s done as well as any coach here in developing young men and having them understand that this isn’t a free ride, you have to work for what you want to get. I have a great deal of respect for him.” Hanlon, in his vintage M…
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Dr. Sap’s Decals: When the Decals Returned
Ed. The Decals don’t stop just because it’s a bye week. Here’s Steve “Dr. Sap” Sapardanis with a guest post and a little decal history: After a two-year hiatus, award decals returned to the Michigan helmets in 1985. Bo removed them from the helmets after the 1982 season because he felt there was not enough emphasis and focus on The Team, so off they came. Michigan still kept track of them for the 1983 and ’84 seasons, but in 1985 somebody convinced Bo to put the decals back on the helmets. (My guess is that somebody was Jim Harbaugh, but that is a story for another time.) When Bo first debuted them in 1969, the decals were crudely shaped footballs that were more orange than yellow in color. In 1975, a snarling Wolverine head was added while the shape became more rounded and elliptical. Ten years later, the now more spheroid-shaped footballs centered the Wolverine head on them and added laces. The 1985 season was a great year for Michigan and that team will forever be remembered for having one of the best defenses in U=M history. As a result, it should come as no surprise that the top two decal award winners came from that side of the ball. All-American Mike Hammerstein had 48 decals on his helmet at…
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Solving the Little Brown Jug Space Quandary
Right now somewhere inside the bowels of Schembechler Hall rests the Little Brown Jug. Upon it are the score of the 93 games played in the series aligned in four columns (2 each between the Ms): Making up those 93 scores are 68 victories for Michigan, 22 for the Gophers, with three ties (1903, 1933, and 1950). You might know that we have a decision to make after next Saturday’s game because we are out of space in the current score configuration.. …because last season Jil Gordon (above, ably assisted by the great Jon Falk) dropped in the 35-13 result in the final available slot in the column started in 1987. So what to do? I looked at this question all the way back in 2009 as we knew this day was coming. I’ve heard it all: Retire this jug, put a new jug in service Stop writing scores on the jug Extend the jug Stanley Cup-style (inset left) Find more empty space on the jug (and work in more scores) Repaint the existing score columns with tiny scores to add more space Via MGoShoe: Slightly reduce the size of the 2 Ms to allow 2 new columns to be added (1 on each side). Would require a complete repaint. Via @SeanRatGoBlue : Just make a new trophy at a…
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Ufer Returns Saturday – Toe Meets Leather at Noon
God bless your maize and blue fedora-covered ears, old Ufe returns Saturday. Continuing an awesome tradition, starting at noon Saturday WTKA 1050AM will air another game from the Bob Ufer radio archives, this time the 1976 battle between the #1 ranked Michigan men and Stanford from Ann Arbor on September 18, 1976. Here’s the game boxscore from the U-M Bentley Historical Library if you need it: So after weeks of ignoring those important in your life, tune in while you are making good with your spouse, friends, family or putting rake to leaf in the yard. Go Blue! More on Bob Ufer here. Follow MVictors on Twitter there.
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Giving It Up
For good reason there’s been a lot of chatter about turnovers heading into the bye week. Right now the NCAA has Michigan 112th overall (of 123) in turnover margin. Reader Bennie pulled together some recent historical data to mull over: Net, net? Hold on to that GREASY pigskin, M Men. Follow MVictors on Twitter
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Straight From Bo’s Desk
On eBay right now some gent is offering up two fresh pieces of General Bo’s letterhead dating back to his days as head football coach. Toss on one of the many Schembechler autographs also available on eBay and you’ve got potential to make things happen. If this doesn’t stop your annoying U-M Facebook buddy from dialing down the nonstop posts, nothing will: In the event your old lady gives you grief about your tailgating rituals, toss out this bona fide man pass from General Bo himself: Or the old Jimmy Hoffa “catch all”. Good for getting through security on campus and for weasing out of traffic tickets around the area: You can own the righteous letterhead for $19.99 on eBay now. Follow MVictors on Twitter
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Delivering WOW Experiences…since 1954
Check out this item on eBay right now. It’s a promotional packet for season ducats nearly 6 decades ago, implying ticketholders would get a piece of the coveted WOW experience (see above). The 1954 season (6-3 overall, 5-2 conference, #15 ranked) didn’t quite deliver the full punch of a WOW but sitting in the Big House watching #87 Ron Kramer line up against Army, #4 Iowa, #8 Minnesota, and Michigan State must have been pretty cool.
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Nerf Manball | Michigan 24, UConn 21
“We’ve got to prove that we can move people off the line of scrimmage.” That was Hoke in the pregame field interview on ABC. Then on consecutive third and short calls early in the game U-M didn’t even consider handing it to a back and plowing over 77—Gardner kept the ball and wiggled around the end. Same on the first drive of the second half that yielded the butt fumble. Then once more on 4th and short early in the 4th when Gardner was cut down and fumbled again. In each case they didn’t even try to do the Michigan #Manball thing, namely, the old everyone-knows-it-is-coming-but-you-can’t-do-a-damn-thing-about-it running back smash. If you were unsure before Saturday night, understand right now that the coaches know they have a crisis up front. At around 9:15pm EDT on Saturday night somewhere in the bowels of Schembechler Hall a bead of sweat rolled down the side of the Little Brown Jug. Be afraid, my beloved stoneware crock. The misc: Faux Headset > At least two callers to the WTKA Sunday morning shows complained about Hoke not wearing a headset. One guy, I swear, suggested Brady should don the headset “even if there’s nothing coming through.” God that is beautiful. They could make one with hollowed-out earpads filled with Gatorade and the mouthpiece could be the…
