• Why Michigan (really) Bought The Little Brown Jug in 1903

    October 6, 2023 /

    During a 2011 press conference, Michigan defensive lineman Ryan Van Bergen cracked a joke about The Little Brown Jug: “I don’t think you’d want to drink any water out of that.” True enough, but even if you wanted to take a swig, you’d be hard-pressed to make it happen. When I was doing my deep-dive Jug research a few years back, it was impossible to miss that the top is completely sealed off. There used to be a cap and some ribbons affixed to the spout, but at some point, they were removed—and from the looks of it, aggressively torn off. I once asked legendary equipment manager Jon Falk about it, and even Big House Jon wasn’t sure exactly when that happened. Today, it would take a flathead screwdriver and some serious pliers to pry that top open. You’d really have to want it. But why was the jug bought in the first place? Obviously, at one point, this simple piece of earthenware did carry water for the team, but the truth of how and why it ended up on the U-M sideline in 1903 has shifted a bit over the decades. In the early days of the rivalry, popular lore held that Michigan brought the jug and the water all the way from Ann Arbor. Furthermore, some suggested that…

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  • Hitching a Ride to the Opener (Red Simmons Interview)

    November 10, 2022 /

    [Ed 11/10/22 – Bumped, in honor of Red Simmons’ induction into the Michigan Hall of Honor Friday night (11/11/2022).] Former women’s track head coach Red Simmons is a fixture on the athletic campus, whether it’s attending football, hockey, or basketball games, or working out each morning at Crisler Arena.  Oh, did I mention Simmons turns 100 in three weeks? I recently sat down with the Michigan legend to talk about his amazing life for a piece for GoBlueWolverine Magazine for next month.  Definitely check that out, but in the meantime, I wanted to share this nugget. Simmons was a track star at Redford High School and was offered a slot on the U-M track team.   He told me that part of his desire to come to Ann Arbor stemmed from a trip he and his pals took when he was 17 years old: Simmons: “My heart was set on coming to Michigan. In 1927 when the football stadium was opened, two other guys from Redford and I hitchhiked up here to see the game. At that time I thought, ‘Boy I’d love to go to this school.’” It didn’t occur to me until after the interview that Simmons is very likely the last living person to attend the first game at Michigan Stadium. I’d love to know if anyone knows…

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