When I hopped in the car Friday morning I was happy to hear the discussion on the WTKA 1050AM morning show focused on the 1930s and in particular, former M coach Harry Kipke. Ira took a few calls including a notable one from listener Don who broke down the whole discussion of “worst” three year stretch ever, and the fall of the Kipke era. Here’s Don’s call: [display_podcast] Well done, Don. As far as Don’s online Michigan historian, I’m pretty sure that’s me and he’s correct that you can find a lot more on that era on these pages. Regarding the worst stretch ever, I started that discussion three seasons ago when local writers started calling RichRod’s first the worst of all time. And despite what folks say (including our athletic department), by almost any measure the 3 year stretches from 1934-1936 and from 1935-1937 are worse, and Don adds some great points about our dismal performance against our rivals. It’s not so much that I care if you make a statement about the worst or best or whatever. But out of respect for those who care about the history and traditions of this university, at least mix in a “one of the” or “among the” before you drop in the word “worst” or “best”, assuming you are not willing to…
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We Had a Bust Thursday
You heard? On an recent email thread in my inbox someone mentioned they heard Jim Rome talking about how Rodriguez played Bette Midler at the banquet. I was there and even live blogged for the second year in a row if you missed it. (It was going well until the Dee Hart to Bama rumors emerged and unfolded during the middle of the bust and the live chat went sideways for a spell. Recruitniks! <shakes fist>) So regarding Rodriguez’s speech and the Josh Groban moment. I was seated in the back of the room. Rich Rod starting his final words around 9pm and lost in all the Grobanathon is that Rodriguez delivered an excellent speech. It was passionate, heartfelt and he seemed truly humbled in the moment. About ten minutes in he dropped two of his big lines, “Our time is coming, and it’s coming in a big way”, and “We’ll let people jump on the bandwagon. They may not get a front seat.” You forget that Rodriguez is a skilled public speaker in these type of forums. Then came the Groban stuff, about 10 minutes in. When RR first mentioned the pop-opera crooner I winced. When he recited the lyrics I chuckled & when they started blasting the tune I cringed. And it was LOUD. I think it would…
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From Tingley to Ann Arbor to Nashville: Coach Dan McGugin’s Friendship with Fielding Yost
A wonderful account of Vanderbilt's Dan McGugin and his relationship and history with Michigan's Fielding H. Yost.
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Legacy of Gripers: 131 years and Growing
I was poking around the U-M Bentley Library tonight doing some research for the final segment of This Week in Michigan Football History for Saturday’s pregame show. I went over to page #1 of Wolverine lore: 1879 & the first game ever played against Racine College in Chicago at White Stockings Park. (No, the teams didn’t switch sides when they crossed midfield, hahar). The Bentley page for the 1879 team now includes a recap of the Racine game from the Michigan Chronicle, the student newspaper of the day. So check this out. Near the start of the first game ever played, before a point was officially tallied or a single line of history written, maize and blue backers had a major gripe with the referee over a call: I love that the writer took the high road on the disputed kick during the game but insisted “a kick was made” in the recap piece, and added the parting shot, “he is as liable to be mistaken as anyone else.” It’s in your blood, Michigan fan—getting screwed for 131 years.
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Meeemmmmorieees
The crew and UMGoBlog interviewed me prior to the season, asking for a few of my favorites memories. You can check out what I came up with here. A snapshot: 2008 Spring game at Saline (really) 1990 and 2003 Ohio State games Getting to know the Little Brown Jug 2004 Michigan-Michigan State game The 1998 Rose Bowl experience including Morris Day, JMJ, Run DMC, and Chuck Wood. Here’s the full post.
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Forgot to Register
From my inbox, thought I’d pass this along. Greg Kinney, the great curator at the wonderful U-M Bentley Historical Library forward this cartoon last week and I love it. It was stored in one of the athletic department scrapbooks: The gent on the left is disgraced Michigan football player James Joy Miller, who was dismissed after the 1909 season for failing to properly register and attend classes. The scandal made it all the way over to the New York Times and Michigan ended up apologizing to each of the teams they faced that year. Cook is explorer Frederick Cook, who reached or (claimed to reach) the North Pole in 1908, months ahead of the guy credited with it – Robert Peary. At one point he promised to the King of Denmark that he would submit all the detail of his reports and findings to the University of Copenhagen. He submitted a report, but not all of the detail the school was expecting and this happened: In late November, drawing on his diary, he completed his promised report to the University of Copenhagen. (He chose not to send his diary to Denmark for fear of losing it.) In December, the university—whose experts had been expecting original records—announced that Cook’s claim was “not proven.” Many U.S. newspapers and readers took that finding…
