2018 Spring Trip Announced: Paris, London, and Normandy

Submitted by hail2victors9 on

Per Harbaugh, the 2018 Football team's Spring trip will include stops in Paris, London, and Normandy.

 

"Yeah, we took a straw poll," Harbaugh said. The result of the vote? The team chose to go to three places in Spring 2018, returning to Europe. "Paris, Normandy and London."

http://michigan.247sports.com/Bolt/Harbaugh-team-going-to-Paris-London-and-Normandy-in-2018-53215018

 

Courtesy Isaiah Hole at 247sports

Franz Schubert

June 18th, 2017 at 11:28 PM ^

Why didn't you list San Bernardino or Foot Hood, I'm sure it was just an oversight and not intentional. There are hundreds murdered in Chicago ghettos alone, so by citing a few exceptions you are not disproving the point.

StephenRKass

June 17th, 2017 at 2:09 PM ^

This is wonderful. Happy for them. Very happy. Hope that more take advantage of study abroad for a couple weeks after. And I hope most of the team goes.

stephenrjking

June 17th, 2017 at 2:24 PM ^

I don't know about recruits, but this sure makes ME want to join the team. What an awesome trip. I wonder if they can do a football practice at a notable London soccer location. Or Twickenham, I guess.

UMProud

June 17th, 2017 at 2:41 PM ^

These team trips are not only great for the student athletes but, let's be honest, an awesome perk to wave at recruits & their parents.  I can't see how schools who don't want, or can't afford, to do this will not complain to the NCAA. 

StephenRKass

June 17th, 2017 at 2:48 PM ^

There will undoubtedly be complaints. Goes with the territory. But this is so much more valuable than lazy rivers and putt putt golf courses and lounges and endless luxury in football facilities and dorms. I just don't see how they can shut this down. The reality is, schools like Harvard and Stanford and most of the Ivy League have enough donors they can do whatever they want. And the same goes for SEC schools in terms of football facilities.

I do find the insularity and lack of interest in the world among many kind of fascinating. Got that sense from OSU about what Michigan was doing.

fksljj

June 17th, 2017 at 4:32 PM ^

I'm planning on taking the lady friend to Paris around that time. What a sight it would be to run into the team! Although I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate it as my attention would be diverted from what is supposed to be an intimate getaway.

fksljj

June 17th, 2017 at 4:34 PM ^

Also if I recall correctly, I think the men's basketball team took a trip to Italy as well sometime in the early 90's, so this isn't really a new concept for us.

FL_Steve

June 17th, 2017 at 6:01 PM ^

that will be an awesome trip, love that they will be seeming normandy. That will be such an inspiring and humbling experience for these young minds!  

ommeethatsees

June 18th, 2017 at 9:06 AM ^

Agreed.  Very emotional experience. The beach is very beautiful and peaceful with the waves lapping the shore and the birds singing.  And then it hits you how many yound men died in that very spot.  It makes you really appreciate that you're an American.

ATC

June 17th, 2017 at 9:12 PM ^

In preparation for Normandy.... The Team (representing the state which is home to the Pershing Doughboys) stops at the Detroit Arsenal that produced the M4s which helped liberate Normandy. Then, a visit to the Detroit Arsenal of Democracy Museum followed by a Willow Field departure, birthplace of Rosie the Riveter and the famous B-24 Liberator. While there: -Flanders Field American Cemetery is less than 2 hrs from Paris.... It's doable and worth the effort. -Duxford Museum and airfield is about an hour from London (Kings Cross iirc).... great place to learn about the Battle of Britain.

grumbler

June 18th, 2017 at 9:10 AM ^

Not to pick nits, but the B-24's birthplace was San Diego (Consolidated Aircraft) and Rosie the Riveter was Rosalind P. Walter from Long Island's Grumman plant. Rose Will Monroe, from Willow Run's plant, did portray Rosie the Riveter in a short about the war effort, but that was long after the song and the Norman Rockwell cover had made Rosie popular. It was coincidence that Rose Will Monroe had the same first name as Rosie the Riveter.

jmblue

June 18th, 2017 at 10:11 AM ^

There is an American cemetery right at Omaha Beach. That's probably sufficient for the guys. Seeing the war sites is a moving experience, but they may want to do some more conventional touristy things, too.

ATC

June 18th, 2017 at 2:55 PM ^

There are many who believe the world ends at their county line.... same and similar ones also have the mindset that "if you've seen one military cemetery, you've seen them all" and that all war cemeteries hold a homogeneous story. Re:B-24, without Willow Field in no way would it and Rosie ever come alive to fight and drive rivets for every major theater of WWII..... turns out,Frank Capella (from Warren) took a photo of an anonymous line riveter.... after seeing, it provided Norman Rockwell's inspiration for his famous portrait.... the Grumman plant being geographically closer provided the backdrop for Rosalind Walter. (The rest of the story)

MIGHTYMOJO91

June 18th, 2017 at 8:18 AM ^

Maybe the team will march through the Arc de Triomphe as Hail to the Victors is played! 

Seriously though, the Normandy experience should be awesome for these young men.

Night_King

June 18th, 2017 at 10:48 AM ^

Love it. Also happy that the kids chose another Europe spot - the traveling is much more manageable. Flights to South Africa/Australia/etc. can be brutal but I am sure the program will visit some of those places in the future, they are absolutely beautiful - just a major trek.