Here’s a pic currently for sale from the turn of the last century at the inaugural Rose Bowl and more specifically, from the actual “Floral” Parade prior to the game. Funny, it looks like Willie Heston and crew are decked in their game uniforms and presumably taking the wagon directly from the parade route to the game!:
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Ohio State – Pregame (Photos)
A few of the sights and sounds from the pregame Saturday. Beastly Jake Long returns to the Big House for the game: CNN Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta represented. He was only asked 39 times if he had a prescription for the Wolverines’ woes: A look at the Ohio State throwback uniform and the Buckeye stare drill: This Buckeye band member got tuckered out in the middle of the script Ohio and decided to take a knee on the Michigan sideline: 1969 team take the field, you can also see a video here: Zoltan and parents: Team getting ready to come out, check out Brandon Minor in streets on the left (with towel covering some type of brace on his shoulder): Sweetness Melanie Collins of the Big Ten Network swung by our tailgate (hosted by Kristen and Todd Mitchell) to get some footage for their Big Ten Cookout show: You’ve no doubt seen quite a few pics and videos of the M Club banner. Here’s kind of a unique perspective from right past the banner. I actually felt a strong breeze as they rushed by: Recent Posts Ohio State Game Notes Hit CTRL-Z Ohio State – Pregame (Photos) 1969 Wolverines Take the field Fare Thee Well
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Jesse Owens, Gerald Ford and 1934
Regular readers of this site know one of my favorite decades of Michigan football is the 1930s, having covered different seasons and events in eBay Watch and in the Little Brown Jug Lore series from those years. If I had to pick one year as my favorite during the stretch it’s definitely 1934 which is ironic, as it’s arguably the worst season in Michigan football history. I argued this point here and here, but in a nutshell consider that Harry Kipke’s team, coming off back-to-back national championships, finished 1-7, was shut out in five of the eight games and scored a mere 21 points. Fugly. Despite the futility on the gridiron, the season is packed with historical treasures of major significance both on and off the field. Check out this program from the Ohio State-Michigan held on November 17, 1934: The program features several photos of players, including a collage of the Michigan team including team MVP Gerald Ford: The top of the photo features Willis Ward, the African American end who was at the center of a fierce controversy that played out before the Georgia Tech game a few weeks earlier that season. For those not familiar, The Jackets made it known well before the game that they wouldn’t take the field in Ann Arbor if Ward played, spawning…
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The Sheets
I’ve that had a little more access to the football team this season. I’ve made it to my share of press conferences, a few practices (before we were booted) and even on the field & press box for a couple games. It’s a nice privilege, but while the performance on the field the past several weeks has been beyond tough, watching all this crap go down behind the scenes all season has been brutal. Blabbering about it on these pages isn’t really a ball either as I’d rather blabber about old ticket stubs and the like. Nonetheless, a couple thoughts about the Detroit News report that football failed to keep the practice logs that would (help) demonstrate the team’s compliance with NCAA practice regulations: -> Since U-M’s audit and findings came out well ahead of the Free Press practicegate story, is it safe to assume that a Deepthroat inside either leaked the report or more likely, nudged Rosenberg and crew to dig around on this topic? Viva la conspiracy! -> Next, I’m not sure who I’m mad at here. It bugs me that this was allowed to go on as long as it did. "All other varsity sports submitted their CARA forms timely,” according to the July 24 letter sent to Rodriguez. The football program probably has the most complicated…
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Power Index Week 4
Ugh. Michigan dips further but somewhat surprisingly not quite yet at rock bottom, but just barely. At the top, the Buckeyes hold their filthy grips on the top slot with the impressive win over Penn State. Sorry for the delay: Comments from the pollsters: Biggie – What a fantastic fall day to enjoy college football. Gotta a chance to tailgate at the “Bronco Bus” with a bunch of my buddies that attended WMU. Western was the elixir MSU needed after two straight heartbreakers. With Larry Caper sitting out the game, Ashton Leggett came out of nowhere to earn himself some time at RB. AL runs hard; he reminds me of Jehuu Caulcrick. Cousins continues to prove that he is the QB for State. Huge game next week in West Lafayette if Sparty has any intentions of going bowling. Schlimmy – Maybe I’m not going out on a limb to far here but I believe that Brian Kelly will be the next coach at Michigan, whether that is a month from now, a year from now or beyond it seems like a perfect fit, obviously he’s been very successful at every level and has some ties to Michigan (Grand Valley and CMU) In saying that I believe Rich Rod will get a least next year to turn things around but it…
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Official Official Statements after the game
The U-M Media Relations department circulated this after the game. I’m not publishing it because I have some beef with the calls or think they had a major impact on the game. I haven’t seen the replay of the lateral yet but assume they made the correct call, and it looked like Michigan got a huge break on the fumbled punt that was negated by the bad interference call. I’m not sure who’s asking the questions– Following are the quotes from Todd Geerlings, the Referee from today’s Michigan-Purdue Game. What was the interpretation on the fourth down review with the forward lateral? What was it that the replay official saw? TODD GEERLINGS: “The replay official saw that the ball, when it left his hand to the point where it touched the receiver’s hand, was clearly forward from the 13 to the 12 yard line. That’s why we had an illegal forward pass from the spot of that pass.” Who called for the review? GEERLINGS: “The booth called for the review and I announced that on the field prior to. The coaches on the field were trying to but Purdue did not have a challenge left so they couldn’t have. They were trying to but just as I got the buzz on the pager, I just turned to Purdue and said…
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This Flag is Signed, Sealed but not yet Delivered
According to my deep cover, bunkered moles at the athletic department, this sweet item has been relisted on the auction to support the Pat Maloy Scholarship. A frame and signed ‘M’ flag containing the signatures of an amazing array of Michigan football greats. From the auction description: You will never find a greater piece of Michigan football memorabilia anywhere. This is a two foot tall by three foot wide Michigan flag autographed by 46 of the greatest players to ever don the Maize & Blue in Michigan Stadium. The flag is professionally matted and framed with UV protectant plexiglass. The flag is autographed by all of the following former Michigan stars: Charles Woodson. Jake Long, Ron Kramer, Anthony Carter, Jim Harbaugh, Anthony “A-Train” Thomas, Larry Foote, Victor Hobson, Elvis Grbac, Will Johnson, Morgan Trent, Tim Jamison, Aaron Shea, Rick Leach, Don Dufek Sr., Don Dufek Jr., Ali Haji Shiekh, Bill Dufek, Harlan Huckleby, Stan Edwards, Steve Morrison, Adam Kraus, Derek Walker, Chris Floyd, Clint Copenhaver, Ron Simpkins, Glen Steele, Mark Messner, Jamie Morris, Bob Chappuis, Greg McMurtry, John Wangler, Marcus Ray. Billy Taylor, Reggie McKenzie, Buster Stanley, Jim Brandstatter, Scott Dreisbach, Mark Campbell, Rondell Biggs, Carl Diggs, James Hall, Doug Skene, Ron Bellamy, Andre Weathers and Eric Mayes. Bid high and often and good luck. Item is hanging in Moe…
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The Vague Anxiety and Bill Frieder
That's that alpha and omega of my recollection, so thankfully I have a copy Craig Ross's tome, Obscene Diaries of a Michigan Fan, published in 2006. If you enjoy the tone, feel and prose of blogs like mgoblog and even this site, I suggest you get a copy of this book. I had a chance to meet Ross, a local attorney, author and raconteur, for lunch in December. I'm a good way through it and it's fabulous. Ross takes a good portion of chapter four in discussing cheating in college hoops in general, and takes a look at Johnny Orr, Bill Frieder, Ed Martin and Steve Fisher through this lens.
