When people hear “Michigan played the Marines,” they assume it was a casual intramural base squad. It wasn’t. The Quantico Marines were a national powerhouse, essentially functioning as an elite, semi-professional traveling team of grown men, many of whom were rugged World War I veterans. This bulletin is signed by Commandant John A. Lejeune himself. Lejeune used the football team as a massive public relations weapon to keep the Marine Corps relevant and well-funded in the peaceful 1920s. Sending 1,500 armed, uniformed Marines and their legendary band into Ann Arbor via a dedicated train was a calculated show of military pageantry. The article mentions Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby (the former Michigan center from 1895). What it doesn’t mention is that at the exact moment he was sitting in the stands watching his alma mater play the Leathernecks, Denby was secretly drowning in the biggest political scandal of the century: The Teapot Dome Scandal. Denby had recently signed over control of emergency naval oil reserves to the Department of the Interior, which secretly leased them to private oil companies for bribes. Within a few months of this game, Denby would be forced to resign in disgrace under threat of Senate impeachment. And he wasn’t the only big name in the crowd. Look closely at who else showed up to…
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UConn Pregame Festivities—What to Look For
I had a chance to talk to a few folks at Media Relations about Saturday’s pregame activities. It’s suggested you get into your seat at least 20-25 minutes prior to kick-off to be safe. It won’t be a drawn-out process as there’s a TV schedule and of course a football game to be played. Here’s what you can expect (bulleted by design, specific order not certain): Video piece on the Stadium project Video piece on Brock Mealer Ribbon cutting (with Bill Martin, Dave Brandon, the Regents) Brock Mealer will lead the team out, walk under the banner. The team will follow. Looks like two flyovers (sounds like MGoShoe has it right.) TBD – but possibly some type of pyrotechnics(!)? There will also be set video pieces throughout the game In and around the concourses there are a few new items (I’m not sure how much of this was in place for Fan Day): The Michigan Stadium ‘Art Deco’ lettering is now on the east side of the stadium, and Bruce Madej encouraged folks to check that out along with the goings on around the rest of the concourses. He wasn’t sure if the other lettering set was going to put on the west side. There is also new permanent artwork in the concourse areas "honoring teams and award winners." Other…
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Fielding H. Yost’s Bust (1927)
In the past couple of years, I’ve featured posts on Fielding Yost busting the Galloping Ghost and highlighted a program from the 1953 Football Bust which featured autographs from a few of the Yost’s finest players. Thanks to reader Craig B., this edition of eBay Watch takes a look at a statue bust of the old coach as presented in a wire photo: Along with the note, Craig asked an excellent question: So, what we know from this is that there was a bust of Yost in Yost Field House, but I have never, in my life, seen it. Do we know where it is today? Can we get it put back into Yost? Am I just missing it somewhere? Anyway, I shall eagerly await any potential news you have on this, in post or reply form. Thanks much! The photo is dated October 27, 1927 and if I had to guess at the blurry plaque below the bust, it reads “Fielding H. Yost – illegible – University of Michigan – then I think it might say, ‘University of Michigan Club of Chicago’ – 1927: As Craig points out, the auction description hints that this statue might have been associated with Yost Field House but given the date of the photo itself, it may have been presented to Yost…
