Football week is here! The boys deliver a lively discussion on the game, their pre- and postgame routines, memories from Desmond Howard's magical 1991 season, the new college football rules and of course, a preview of our week 1 opponent East Carolina. Go Blue!
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Terrible Tommy Nabs His Heisman | This Week in Michigan Football History
This Week In Michigan Football History, as played during the WTKA 1050AM 'Countdown to Kickoff' held November 28, 2020 before the Michigan-Penn State game. Michigan has three Heisman Trophy Winners (Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson). We consider former Michigan players that probably WOULD have won the Heisman has it been awarded prior to 1935 - including Willie Heston, Bennie Oosterbaan, and Harry Newman. And finally we look at Tom Harmon's brilliant career and in particular the 1940 season, concluding with his dominant performance against Ohio State.
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Interview with Larry Lage, Associated Press | MVictors History Show
An interview with longtime Michigan Associated Press (AP) sportswriter Larry Lage. We covered a ton of ground including: - His Ann Arbor roots and early days at Michigan Stadium - Performing as the 'Sparty' mascot at MSU (and how he kept it a secret) - Escaping the Malice at the Palace in 2004 - Getting cussed out and booted out of practice by Nick Saban - Growing up with two deaf parents and how this affected his perception and his career - The COVID vibe at sporting events, and the good & the bad for his profession - Much more...
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Michigan’s Most Painful Moments
With Colorado visiting Saturday and their choice to supposedly wear 1994 throwback jerseys, I’ll revisit the top moments where the Wolverine faithful were punched in their collective giblets. The focus is on specific devastating moments in games, not necessarily the totality of the game. First off, sadly enough and while certainly devastating, here are the honorable miserable mention moments: 2001 Spartan Bob stops Clock/TD pass to TJ Duckett (East Lansing vs. MSU) 1990 Desmond mugging (Ann Arbor vs. MSU) 1973 Mike Lantry misses 44 yard FG (Ann Arbor vs. OSU) 2013 Failed/intercepted 2 point conversion to win The Game (Ann Arbor vs. OSU) 1980 Harry Oliver nails 51-yard FG into the suddenly still wind (South Bend vs. Notre Dame) HT: John Kryk 2016 “JT was short” The list: #6 ‘The Catch’ (vs. Colorado @ Michigan Stadium, 1994) The Moment: With six seconds remaining down 26-21, Colorado’s Kordell Stewart hurls the pigskin 70 yards and finds Michael Westbrook: Why it sucked so hard: It was a big game, at home, and Michigan seemingly had the game sealed.Why it might not be as bad as (see #1): While Michigan seemingly had the game sealed, Colorado still had the ball in their hands. As brutal as that was, Hail Mary’s happen. They even have a name for them. Stewart made a perfect…
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The Fall of the Legends?
So word is out that the helmet decals will return and the Legends program will be modified in some manner, starting with the patch on the jersey.
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The Reverse Dimple Rawlings Double Grip Football | Storytime with Sap
[Ed. Here’s another great Bo-era story from the mind of Dr. Sap.] Guest Post by Steve “Dr. Sap” Sapardanis After Bo Schembechler left U-M to become the president of the Detroit Tigers he met Oakland A’s owner Charlie Finley. Finley liked to dabble in the unique as he was the inventor of the high visibility yellow baseball as well as the green and gold tunics the A’s wore in the ‘70s. The two talked about Finley’s new football invention – the reverse dimple football. Its enhanced grip was supposed to improve the accuracy of throws and increase the distance it was kicked. [more on the patent here.] The grip enhancement looked much like a golf ball’s surface and the leather looked something like this: Bo was intrigued and told Finley to go see U-M equipment manager Jon Falk in Ann Arbor…and that’s exactly what he did in the spring of 1990. The two hit it off and Falk agreed to try the new ball that Rawlings now dubbed the “Double Grip Football” with the 1990 Wolverines. Everybody liked it. The quarterbacks liked the grip and felt more accurate throwing it. The receivers liked the tackiness and the kickers felt it sailed longer when booted. Falk wanted to use the new pigskin against Notre Dame to start the 1990 season, but…
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Retiring #21 Gets the Heisman
Momentum seems to be building for another former M player (or 2) to have their jersey number retired, something that hasn’t happened since 1994 when we hung up President Ford’s #48. As Mike Rosenberg discussed recently, Coach Carr brought it up and supports the idea: "Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson, as winners of the Heisman Trophy, I think they are both deserving of having those jerseys retired," Carr said Wednesday. "I believe that … I think it’s an issue that is very important to Michigan football." I’m not big on retiring jerseys but if the tradition is going to continue, I’d love to see Desmond and Woodson honored. And while I don’t think there is racist intent, it’s still a bit glaring after all these years (and Heismans) that no African American is represented among those retired. So this brings me to this, and thanks to my man and local writer James Dickson (see MVictors guest posts) for allowing me to post this beauty. A while ago JD dug up this October 1997 report from Amy Whitesall of Ann Arbor News, announcing that #21 would be hung up for good: Except of course none of that ever happened. So what’s deal? The report was pretty specific (U-M board voted Tuesday…ceremony next season…) so you’ve got to believe something was seriously…
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Phil Simms Wants a Piece of Desmond
If you missed this little piece of Twitter drama this afternoon…apparently Phil Simms confronted Desmond at ‘The NFL Experience’ Event in Dallas over something Howard said about his son, Tennessee Vols QB Matt Simms. Via Twitter, Magic described what went down: desmond_howard 1:20pm via ÜberTwitter At NFL-Xperience and Phil Simms just threatened 2 hit me b/c I said his son was 1 of the worse QBs in the SEC. I told him "LET’S GO!" desmond_howard 1:39pm via ÜberTwitter I am DEAD serious about the Phil Simms thing. We all thought he was joking, but he kept going and said he wanted 2 take a swing at me!! desmond_howard 1:55pm via ÜberTwitter During the season we talked about the Tenn v LSU game and I said "u will see 3 of the worse QBs in the SEC" That’s what Phil did not like. desmond_howard 3:13pm via ÜberTwitter It ended w/police stepping in between so I could continue my appearance w/fans. Hey old man Simms, that’s weird! Congrats, you are now highest profile odd and overbearing athlete dad, surpassing Craig James. Maybe they could settle this with a Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Super Bowl MVP Trophy fight later. Related: Ace Discusses Simms vs. Desmond as well Follow MVictors on Twitter or I’ll fight you
