Seth Fisher appreciation thread
Seth had a brief dialogue today on the WTKA MGoBlog round table podcast from approximately the 11-13 minute mark that summarized the difference between Ohio State’s current program and Michigan’s current program. He talks about the qualities of love and positivity versus a culture based on hatred and manipulative narratives. Listening to it was actually quite moving, and it revealed to me that Seth sees a much bigger picture here. On a metaphysical level, many of us believe that love conquers hate. Saturday’s victory was reflective of that, and it was a beautiful and special moment in the history of this rivalry and in the history of sport. No one has articulated that the way that Seth just did, and I I’m so glad that I was able to listen to it. Seth is not only the hardest working man around in sports-writing, he is also a brilliant man with a unique perspective on things that are good and noble. Thanks Seth for your hard work and for sharing your immense talent with us.
November 30th, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
He's a jolly good fellow. Thanks Seth.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:21 PM ^
Brian is an incredible writer, his game articles are incredible writing. Seth though, he's the reason I keep coming to the site and he matches the UM football culture so perfectly.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:21 PM ^
Brian is the Anthony Bourdain of sports writing for me. Intelligence with snark and an edge. I miss that guy.
Seth seems the more approachable, thoughtful, and reflective fun personality. The depth of analysis on these matters I care too much about only has increased with time.
Can't thank them and their curated staff enough or maybe I just did?
November 30th, 2023 at 1:52 PM ^
Which NOBODY can deny!
November 30th, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
Forget the feelingsball. What makes Seth awesome is the DATA he generates.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
Username does certainly check out.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:30 PM ^
Also +1 to Craig Ross for knowing his Marx. Probably because they were roommates in college.
Edit: James Ross to Craig Ross. No idea why I wrote James.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:02 PM ^
Craig. Or is there a joke in there? Which I would love to understand if there is.
November 30th, 2023 at 3:08 PM ^
Craig Ross is old.
That's the joke.
November 30th, 2023 at 3:11 PM ^
Comment above yours was made before Hatter's edit from James to Craig.
November 30th, 2023 at 4:06 PM ^
You mean Engels - Seth met Marx later when visiting the British Library.
November 30th, 2023 at 12:56 PM ^
Seth gonna keep on Seth-ing
November 30th, 2023 at 12:56 PM ^
Harbaugh said if you coach the team well enough, the team will coach itself. Pretty much describes Michigan football.
November 30th, 2023 at 12:57 PM ^
I don't know it seemed a little lame to me.
"We are love." "They are hate."
November 30th, 2023 at 1:00 PM ^
He's not wrong.
Perhaps a little edit:
"We are love." "They are hate." "And soft."
November 30th, 2023 at 1:03 PM ^
The recent context of this past year and Wyld Stalyuns makes it resonate and removes the corniness, IMO.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
you're the guy who doesn't get invited to parties
November 30th, 2023 at 1:19 PM ^
Don't you know where you are? You can't be critical around here.
To me, it was a nice sentiment, but a bit over the top and too 'us-vs-them'. I wish we could all acknowledge that UM fans are a tribe as well, and that we have the potential to be blind to stuff, and that we can have bad eggs, and that OSU fans are also humans. It's a bit beyond that pale to suggest that JTT intentionally injured Zinter, for example. I also don't believe, if the Zinter injury were to happen at OSU to one of their OL, that those fans wouldn't be chanting for that kid also. We're much more alike than different.
The Big Ten screwed this up, yes. OSU might have been the tattle-tale and they deserve some turnabout. I hope we beat them 50-0 for the next 50 years. But can we honestly pretend that we're a program of love given what we've done to Thamel and Finebaum and anybody who had the temerity to report any of this?
November 30th, 2023 at 1:25 PM ^
I understand what you are going for, but the thing about JTT and Zinter? One person suggested that and was immediately panned by everybody.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:25 PM ^
You can be critical but it is lame to criticize on an appreciation thread. You want to be critical? Start your own thread and tell us why and we will happily criticize your sentiment or accept your sentiment.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
I get it, I'm asking for it, and I'm OK with it.
I do think these replies are basically proving my point. There's very little room for nuance, and I'm disappointed by it.
I don't need a new thread, I'm good. I love this blog and I have no desire to needle for needling's sake. This whole thing is starting to sound political and it bothers me. But urbanachiever said it better down below. I'll just +1 that.
I will say that I'm gratified that the feedback is "start a thread" instead of "this should have been a comment in an existing thread"!
November 30th, 2023 at 3:15 PM ^
I will say that I'm gratified that the feedback is "start a thread" instead of "this should have been a comment in an existing thread"!
LOL. That is pretty funny, good call out there.
November 30th, 2023 at 7:55 PM ^
Don't you know where you are? You can't be critical around here.
There's very little room for nuance in that statement, and I'm disappointed by it.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:32 PM ^
Geez, I'm sorry....I must have missed that episode of 60 minutes.....What is it that we are supposed to have done to Pete Finebaum and Pete Thamel, exactly?
I think you know that the issue here isn't that anyone "had the temerity to report any of this", but rather that it was spun (by those two, among others) in an incredibly destructive and disingenuous manner.
Speaking of disingenuousness....NICE POST.
GO BLUE.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
GO BLUE!
November 30th, 2023 at 1:41 PM ^
But can we honestly pretend that we're a program of love given what we've done to Thamel and Finebaum and anybody who had the temerity to report any of this?
These hacks have literally generated profit by shitting on our program and riling up the masses. In other words, fuck off this with this shit.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:31 PM ^
I don't want what I said boiled down to love versus hate. The title of the show is "It Brings Out All of It" not "Love vs Hate." I was expounding on a sentiment from the podcast about how people aren't basically good or bad; they have the capacity for both, and both can make you powerful. It's not that Michigan is *Love* and Ohio State is *Hate* it's that Michigan found a well of power in tapping positivity and while Ohio State is trying to scrape the bottom of the negativity well, and that can only take you so far.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:42 PM ^
Love vs Hate...It sounds more like Light(Up) Side vs Dark(Down) Side to me. Light looks at the whole picture while vs Dark using hatred as the only tool to be stronger.
TLDR: Dark refuses to look in the mirror and reflect upon itself.
PS: Had to get some Spaceballs in there.
November 30th, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^
Agreed. The only caveat I'd toss in, is I don't think their players went in on the "hate" at all. I actually have a hearty respect for their players, they seem like decent dudes, mostly. Very different from the Tressel/ early Meyer days.
November 30th, 2023 at 7:51 PM ^
Your arguments would have more credibility if they were not founded on the Strawman Argument Fallacy.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:46 PM ^
Anyone near my house on Saturday wouldn't have known that. It was filled with expletives and yelling. Still filled with love, but not your mother's kind of love.
November 30th, 2023 at 12:58 PM ^
Seth is on a happy mission as well! Good shit Seth!
November 30th, 2023 at 12:58 PM ^
When does the man sleep?
November 30th, 2023 at 2:32 PM ^
2 weeks in December, 10 days in February.
November 30th, 2023 at 12:58 PM ^
Quality rant. Perspicacious.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:01 PM ^
Doesn't like getilte fish tho.. jk thanks seth!
November 30th, 2023 at 1:01 PM ^
When Seth gets excited on the podcasts its probably my favorite! His love and passion come through even more through audio.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:02 PM ^
Seth and Brian are the foundation of a generation and a half of hardcore Michigan fans.
May their reign last 10,000 years!
November 30th, 2023 at 1:07 PM ^
Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
Superb quote…
November 30th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
Except Brooks. He died, of suicide, brought on by loneliness :-)
November 30th, 2023 at 1:24 PM ^
becuz he didn't have hope..... that's the point
November 30th, 2023 at 1:07 PM ^
Thank you Seth! I love your football knowledge and sharing it with us!
November 30th, 2023 at 1:08 PM ^
I appreciate Seth's perspective. However I imagine that most Ohio State fans do not view their team and University as hateful. I don't think idiots on twitter represent Ohio State, just as I don't think idiots on twitter represent Michigan, and a lot of the sentiment coming from Brian, Seth and others seems to stem from there
That said, the point about the positive culture at UM stands independent of any criticisms of OSU. We should be proud of the players and coaching staff for the culture they've created, and it clearly benefits us on the field
November 30th, 2023 at 1:17 PM ^
Walk down High Street in Columbus wearing Michigan apparel and see the reaction you draw.
Buckeye fans love everyone who thinks they are the best thing ever. If you share a single criticism - or, if they lose to your team, vitriolic just begins to describe their sentiment.
There were Buckeye fans staying in our hotel. After the game, we grabbed a bite to eat and enjoyed a few beers. I went over and complimented them - saying they had a very good team. They asked about Zinter - it was a nice, cordial conversation. IMO, those fans were the exception, not the rule.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:30 PM ^
So I've gone to the game in C-bus and had a TERRIBLE time from some racists and drunk students and whatnot. But I also remember the Buckeye sitting behind me who had my back, and the nice couple that stopped their car as we were walking and gave us a ride. And in real life, most buckeyes I meet are....pretty much just like us, except with uglier colors. (seriously, scarlet and gray seem straight out of upton sinclair).
I think the folks you met at the hotel aren't the exception. I think the ones on the internet are the exception, and the drunk college kids on High Street are loud and obvious but not the norm. Most are just decent people who like football. Which is basically most Michigan fans.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:35 PM ^
This, what Amazinblu said..... I have shared in the past, several times, my second ex was an ohio state alumna and her family lives in Worthington/Dublin area. The vast majority of the people I encountered, I always had some Michigan gear on, were rude and ignorant. The story years back, about the young boy that had cancer and he named his tumor "Michigan" should give some perspective how ingrained the hatred and ignorance is in that fanbase. You have to beleive that child was conditioned to hate Michigan from birth.
My wife at the time, was in Riverside Hosp. Nuro ICU with a TBI, on life support..... I was out of town when the accident happened... I get to the hospital, knowing nothing other than she's in ICU, in serious condition.... Rushing to see her, I get off the elevator, on the ICU floor, only to have two people waiting for the elevator make assinine comments to me because I'm wearing a Michigan hat.
Sure, there are normal people, who are fans and respect others... but to be honest, that isn't the majority of their fanbase, speaking from my experience.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:01 PM ^
So, honestly, if a Michigan kid named his tumor "Ryan Day" you'd look down on that? You wouldn't think that's a fun way to handle a horrible situation?
November 30th, 2023 at 2:44 PM ^
No, I sure wouldn't..... Having been with close friends who fought cancer and eventually were taken by it, No.... nothing is equal to that horror..... equating it to a person or group of people..... would never even consider it.
The further point is raising your child to think that a team, a university, a fan base is so horrible that they can be considered a cancer. those are some sick people, IMO. nothing 'fun' about it.
November 30th, 2023 at 9:13 PM ^
I'd support it. For starters, it's a good way to soften the tumor up before blasting it with radiation.