Check out this close up of Desmond at the GameDay desk from this morning: First off, you’ve gotta love the custom cufflinks. The one on his right cuff appears to be a photo of one of his sons. (I assume the left features another son). Love that. Next, is the ring. My instincts tell me that that’s not a Michigan ring, rather, it’s a College Hall of Fame ring. We had this discussion a few years back when I discussed the band Dan Dierdorf donned on a 2008 CBS broadcast: Reader David, who seemed to be in the know, asserted that the ring I spotted was indeed Dierdorf’s CHOF ring: Actually he wears one ring on each hand. On his right hand is his College Football Hall of Fame ring and on the left hand is his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring. Both have blue stones, but the one in the picture (right hand) is his College Hall of Fame ring which has a larger blue stone. I doubt I’ll see Desmond buzzing around in the press box but if I do, I’ll get on that. As far as the pink pen, discuss amongst yourselves. Related: ESPN GameDay – Then and Now This Week in Michigan Football History – Remy Steals Powlus’ Thunder (audio) Pre-GameDay Desmond on Strike Night…
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Coach Robinson’s Championship Ring (1990)
It looks like another Michigan championship ring up for auction, this time a 1990 Big Ten Championship Ring. Here’s a look: A few notes: Like most of these rings it’s 10K gold. It appears as though the stone is maize colored, the first time I can recalled seeing that. Reads “Big Ten Champions” around the stone. One side reads “Count On Me” which I take to be the team slogan that season, along with the score 35-3 below an alligator. That of course is a nod to the 1991 Gator Bowl when Gary Moeller’s men crushed Mississippi (Wolverine Historian YouTube). That’s the game the entire Michigan offensive line (Dean Dingman, Tom Dohring, Greg Skrepenak, Matt Elliott, Steve Everitt) was named the MVPs of the game. Steve Everitt told the Ole Miss guy across him, “YOU LIKE THAT, HUH??” a record 17 times that day. The other side features the player/coach name, a depiction of the Big House and their position/role on the team. This one belonged to a coach named “Robinson”. There wasn’t a major position coach on the team with that surname but the team photo does reveal a David Robinson, fourth from the right in the seventh row, probably supporting S&C or another group: So…this probably was this man’s ring. Having featured a bunch of rings on this…
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1997 Michigan Championship Ring for Sale!
The seller claims the band belonged to a “well-known player” and is asking $5,999.99: It’s certainly not the first Michigan football ring to be offered up on eBay and heck, it’s not even the first time someone’s sold a ‘97 championship ring. Maybe this is the same one just placed back on the block. Other rings that have been up on eBay over the past couple years: 1986 Rose Bowl Ring: This prompted a few follow-up posts, the first speculating on the original owner and then another, after a teammate confirmed my sleuthing. 1977 Championship Ring: Not as pretty as the others, but painful to see. 1980 Rose Bowl ring: Probably the wildest story, a ring alleged to a salesman sample bearing the name ‘McCartney’ on the side prompts a note from former Michigan and Colorado coach Bill McCartney’s wife Lyndi, asking that the ring be returned to her husband. I think the seller is reaching the $6K figure. I’m guessing this would be closer to $2K-$3K item but you never know if a big shot will swoop in to grab it.
