[ed 8.17 – Got a call from Bruce Madej at U-M Media Relations on this. He advises that this logo is not “new” or a change and in fact, the Block M with the blue outline is used in certain media/TV situations and is still at midfield today. Madej did confirm that there is an effort to have a more consistent look to the logo. For the record.] I have a friend that does some work with the athletic department and he told me that this year he was provided a subtle change to the Block M design on his products. The previous version of the logo included an outline of blue around the M, and you’ve seen the older editions that have MICHIGAN across the middle. A rundown of the trademarked M images is found here. I spoke to Erin at IMG who confirmed that the athletic department is going with the all Maize look and that the move “was made when Dave Brandon, Michigan’s new Athletic Director, took office in March.” Voila: I guess it shouldn’t be a shock that one of Brandon’s first moves was to usher in a consistent look and feel to the iconic M logo. I like it. I like it a lot. What is interesting to me is that there wasn’t any…
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Don Canham’s Gift
Prior to the Purdue game I sat in for a segment on WOMC’s Tailgate Show. Just before I went on the air, host Lucy Ann Lance summoned over Peg Canham, widow of legendary Michigan athletic director Don Canham. Mrs. Canham was wearing a stunning necklace and it caught my eye. Lance knew a bit about it and mentioned that it was a gift from the former AD, made from an old Wolverine football championship ring. I wanted to know a little more, so I connected with Mrs. Canham afterward and she was kind enough to send along a photo: I knew there was something very familiar about her necklace, and it didn’t take long to figure out why. I’ve featured a few Michigan championship rings on eBay Watch over the years including this one from 1977: Along with the photo, Mrs. Canham was kind enough to share a few memories about the ring. “He surprised me with the necklace for Christmas shortly after we were married in 1995,” she told me. “As I’m sure you can figure Don had a jewelry box full of rings but this one was always my favorite because it is the Michigan Stadium, and he knew it.” She also noted that in the famous photo of Don Canham at his desk (the same one you…
