Helmet decals. Honor badges. Or how about “performance stickers”? Call it a gut feeling but I think we’ll see them on the winged helmet following the Utah game but we’ll see. A primer on helmet sticker history can be found here. Naturally Dr. Sap has been pondering their return and he has mocked up a few potential designs for your review, poll at the bottom: 1. adidas logo 2. 1969 old school maize 3. 1969 high maize 4. Bo 5. Block M (Inside Oval) 6. Swoosh 7. Pebble grain retro 8. The Team x 3 9. HTTV 10. Mid-1970s Added: 11. Blockhams Bo (submitted by Scott from The Blockhams) Added 12. Plain Block M (requested on Twitter and mgoblog) Added 13. Via comments, Jumpman (2016?) Which one do you like, or do you have your own design? Send it over or hit me on Twitter. [poll id=”73″] Follow MVictors on Twitter
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Will the Decals Return?
So if Harbaugh is indeed introduced next week, a big question for Michigan uniform mavens concerns whether #4 will re-introduce the helmet decals. Bo actually invented the concept while at Miami, and brought them to Ann Arbor in 1969. Here’s a brief run down of the stickers over the years thanks to Dr. Sap: You’ll note above that the decals actually took a break in the mid-1980s during Harbaugh’s tenure, but did indeed return for his final two seasons, including his captaincy in 1986. We also know that Coach Harbaugh used them in Palo Alto: Coach Hoke was asked about this by Wojo back in 2011 and obviously nothing happened, but with Harbaugh? You’d have to think there’s a good chance we’ll see them on the field in 2015. What do you think? [poll id=”72”] Update: Amani Toomer chimes in with authority: Related: Harbaugh’s Top 5 games while at Michigan The full U-M uniform timeline can be found here. Follow MVictors on Twitter
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Origins of “Michigan Man”
The term Michigan Man hasn’t been this hot since Bo dropped his epic blast at outgoing coach Bill Frieder. We know the use of the term goes way back, certainly before Bo used it so famously. Heck, we know that Bo dropped this on Mark Messner during a last-ditch recruiting trip in the mid-1980s: Bo walks over, just hands me a tape and says [Messner in perfect Bo voice]: “You’re a Michigan man and you belong at Michigan.” And got back in the car. I don’t know if there will ever be a true “source” of Michigan Man because as I understand it, it’s piggybacking on the concept of the ‘Harvard Man’, which I believe was simply extracted from England and the ‘Oxford Man’ or ‘Cambridge Man’, for instance. The Great Gatsby, chapter 7: “And you found he was an Oxford man,” said Jordan helpfully.“An Oxford man!” He was incredulous. “Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit.”“Nevertheless he’s an Oxford man.”“Oxford, New Mexico,” snorted Tom contemptuously, “or something like that.” Anyway, I did a quick search to find the phrase and nabbed a century-plus old source of it being used in the context of a U-M grad in a coaching position. Vanderbilt was coached by a former M player, assistant and Yost’s brother-in-law Dan McGugin. Frank “Shorty” Longman…
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Throwback Coverage
Via the indomitable Dr. Sap, his homegrown retro EA College Football covers. My favorite up first. Lytle: Terrible Tommy: Ricky Leach: Wangler to Carter (including an appearance from the most interesting man in the world in his suede jacket): General Bo:
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When Bo Wavered on the Stickers
The recent Dr. Sap’s Decals post has sparked a bit of discussion on whether Hoke should bring them back. One of the arguments folks use against the practice is that individual awards like this take away from the team concept. But you have to reconcile that with the fact that Bo, who was mildly supportive of the team concept, started the tradition of issuing the decals. But there was a point when Bo wavered. Did you know that he actually took them off the helmets for a short stretch in the early 80s? I did, but only because Dr. Sap himself sent me an updated diagram a few weeks back. This week I got this email from a former U-M lineman who talked about when this happened and more: Not sure if you knew this but in 1983 and 1984 Bo did give us stickers but they were placed on a board in the Football Building. He just did not put them on our helmets. When Bo announced it, it was to show the importance of the team and not the individual as the gold footballs were individual awards. Initially It was like “that kind of sucks” and you never thought about it again. More because it was a change than anything else. It’s funny as an offensive lineman you…
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Dr. Sap’s Decals – Eastern Michigan
Hoke didn’t bring them back but I think a surprising number of Michigan fans would like to see them return. I’m talking about the helmet stickers or decals of course, Bo Schembechler’s 1965 invention (while at Miami, OH) that he brought to Ann Arbor. Wolverine gear guru Dr. Steve Sapardanis was one hoping they’d be back and he’s even suggested a 2011 version to grace the Schutts and Riddells on Saturdays: Although these won’t adorn the headgear this season, Dr. Sap thought he’d run down a his thoughts on who he’d honor each week. First, some context from Sap: In the past, Bo Schembechler had a list of achievements and criteria for each team (Offense, Defense and Special Teams) as well as individual accomplishments for awarding his helmet decals. Not being privy to film study or game performance grading, the process has been simplified to just touchdowns and big plays – and a few other "Awards of Distinction" as you will see below. Here’s Sap’s rundown for Eastern Michigan, including some influence from the editor of this site. Week #3 vs. Eastern Michigan ALL members of the Michigan Defense: for not allowing a point in the 1st quarter – first time all season! Jibreel Black: 1 decal for Forced Fumble in 1st quarter. Thomas Gordon: 2 decals – one for…
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BTN to air Big Ten Coaching Icons
It’s official now. The Big Ten Network will continue its Icons series this fall, this time looking at the iconic coaches in the league. It’s not a countdown this time, rather, they just selected a legend from each school: The 12-episode series will stretch into the winter, and profile one coach from every Big Ten school, including Illinois’ Lou Henson, Iowa’s Dan Gable, Indiana’s Bob Knight, Michigan’s Bo Schembechler, Michigan State’s Jud Heathcote, Minnesota’s Herb Brooks, Nebraska’s Tom Osborne, Northwestern’s Kelly Amonte-Hiller, Ohio State’s Woody Hayes, Penn State’s Joe Paterno, Purdue’s Gene Keady and Wisconsin’s Barry Alvarez. I did get interviewed for the Bo piece so my goofy mug might be in there. (And maybe in Woody? That would be a treat.) As far as the other selections, Lou Henson is a bit of a surprise. I guess I would have went with Bob Zuppke but ok. I’ve got a big issue with the Jud Heathcote choice, however. Without getting too far into this, I grew up in East Lansing watching Jud and I went to his hoops camp and I have nice memories of the man. And I get that the show can highlight the 1979 title and his grooming of Izzo & it will make for a quality show. But brother, Jud would be pretty far down on…
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Closer to the Poof Scenario
The latest Ohio State media guide apparently wiped Tressel’s 2010 coaching season from the books: — 94, career wins for Tressel at Ohio State. The media guide does list Tressel’s win total after subtracting the vacated 2010 season. So he’s 94-21 (instead of 106-22) and is credited with an 8-1 record vs. Michigan (9-1 before 2010 was erased), nine bowl appearances (instead of 10) and six Big Ten championships (he had seven before the self-imposed penalties took away last season). We’ll see how the Big Ten treats it. As discussed here, if the Big Ten agrees that the 2010 season never happened for Tressel, he’ll be wiped from #2 behind Fielding Yost in the all-time conference coaching standings which requires a minimum of ten seasons at the helm. Tressel would just have nine, and thus…see ya. The bonus: guess who’s currently at #3? Bo Schembechler of course, meaning General Bo will nestle up to Yost in second place if this goes down:
