Bo-nniversary

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

He's been gone 10 years......he was before my time, but as much old game tape as I've seen and having read his book multiple times, I can't help but wince when November 17th comes around every year. I can't believe it's been 10 years. I remember where I was when I heard. Being dropped off from 5th grade at home. Didn't truly understand what we lost that day, but I figured it out pretty quickly seeing the mourning that took place all over the country. His impact and legacy is still felt at Michigan. Only man in Ann Arbor with a statue. There will never be another Bo Schembechler.

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Amaizin' Blue

November 17th, 2016 at 3:57 AM ^

I remember I was supposed to see him speak to the Alumni Club of Chicago just days after his passing. His death and the announcement of his retirement from coaching are two days I'll remember vividly.



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andidklein

November 17th, 2016 at 3:58 AM ^

I was working at channel 7 that day. It was such a surreal day. Everything was quiet until he collapsed. After Bo was taken to the hospital we needed to work on stories about what happened. It was a difficult day to concentrate, especially for someone who had followed the team for so long and worked with Bo at 2 and 7. The station was eerily quiet the rest of the day. Even the newsroom was subdued during broadcasts. I've never seen anything like it. Don Shane was never the same after that day. Bo was his best friend. I've hated this day ever since.



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andidklein

November 17th, 2016 at 9:49 AM ^

BTW- I've come to despise years that end in 6. My aunt died in 1996. We had her funeral the day of The Game. Obviously Bo in 2006. This year my mom passed the day before the Wisconsin game. Can't wait to see what shit 2026 has in store for me.



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GOBLUE4EVR

November 17th, 2016 at 7:16 AM ^

work when all of a sudden a co-worker stood up and said that BO was being rushed to the hospital... 5 mins later my dad called me and said he was gone... lets just say not a whole lot of work got done for the rest of the day and when I got home I turned on the radio and listened to all of the former players tell their stories and drank a lot of beers in BO's honor...

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Michifornia

November 17th, 2016 at 6:57 AM ^

I remember meeting Bo as a grade schooler at a little league game.  He was very kind and seemed to enjoy the low stress environment.  Went to high school with his son Schemy.  Nicest kid you could imagine.

Seeing all the corruption in college football and the win at all costs coaches out there, it's nice to remember a time where you won by working hard and outcoaching the other team.

GO BLUE!!

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Carl Spackler

November 17th, 2016 at 7:48 AM ^

When I was in 5th grade, I did a year-long project on UM football. I wrote several questions to Bo and received a hand written letter. I still have that letter. 

When playing catch in the back yard with my dad--and if I dropped a pass--my dad would say, "you better not let Bo know you dropped that pass."  

When he died 10 years ago, I was sure that somehow the football gods would have us win The Game the next day.  When that didn't happen, well........ i don't know man.  

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LSAClassOf2000

November 17th, 2016 at 8:19 AM ^

I was actually driving back to my office from a meeting in downtown Detroit when I heard the news on the radio that Bo had passed. I actually got off at the nearest exit (which happened to be Northline Road along I-75 in Southgate), pulled into the parking lot of the nearest fast food place and unsuccessfully tried to stop myself from feeling, well, rather choked up about it. It was a dreary, cold day in metro Detroit too, as I recall, which seemed sadly appropriate for the mood.

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You Only Live Twice

November 17th, 2016 at 12:05 PM ^

I was driving my son to Mitchell elementary school and as always, was listening to WTKA in the car.  Bo was the guest on the morning show and I remember being alarmed and shaken by the weakness in his voice.  The radio guys asked him if it would be too much for him to watch M-OSU that weekend.  I will never forget the sound of his voice as he gave his reply.  He said, "I'll be OK."  I got chills and told my son he didn't seem OK.  We were pulling up to the school and the bell rang, son got out of the car and kids were running inside, leaves were swirling in the breeze and all around were the sounds of life and the new generation. I went back home and got ready for my then-job at the airport.  Got on 94 and turned on the radio to learn the news and realized that Bo saying "I'm OK" were probably close to his last words on the air.  It was so hard to get through the damn day and the days that followed.  

Just one of the many thousands of people whose lives he touched and who he never met. 

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ChalmersE

November 17th, 2016 at 9:52 AM ^

I was on a Northwest 737 that had just landed at Metro. I called my Father-in-law to alert him to head out to pick up my wife and me. He told me, I told my wife, folks near me heard me, and within seconds I think the whole plane knew and there was an unusual quiet as we disembarked.

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Kwitch22

November 17th, 2016 at 9:27 AM ^

I can't believe it has been 10 years already. Seems like it was just yesterday. He would be so proud of coach Harbaugh and the direction of the program. 

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GoBlueBill

November 17th, 2016 at 9:28 AM ^

Man its so hard to believe its been ten years now.  I miss that man so much. As has the program over the last ten years . He did so much to make this program what it is .

RIP Bo and thanks for everything .

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drzoidburg

November 17th, 2016 at 9:39 AM ^

He signed a copy of the book i was given as a xmas gift after i had just begun as a student. He contributed immeasurably to the program and his death seemed to immediately trigger a downward spiral. They got on the bus the next day and lost the biggest game in the rivalry's history...then the bowl loss, then the Horror, Oregon, 3 win season, concussion-gate...I can't help but think his leadership even in retirement would've prevented a lot of that. Now it's one of the players he respected most who is leading the program back to success To me the biggest sign though of his legacy was the tribute Ohio payed to him after his death. With all the vitriol, I never thought i'd see any respect from them towards anyone in Michigan. But he did more to lift the rivalry than anyone before or since

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Ty Butterfield

November 17th, 2016 at 11:20 AM ^

Bo's death seemed to curse the program. I remember most of the John Cooper years for Ohio State. It wasn't exactly the same for Ohio State because Cooper won a lot of games but just couldn't beat Michigan. Michgan has been pretty bad for most of the time since Bo died and even before that was getting owned by Tressel. It hasn't been much of a rivalry for 15 years. I am just tired of losing to these bastards. The way Meyer is recruiting is insane and it seems like Michigan will have a hard time closing the gap. I am tired of other teams getting lucky while Michigan gets fucked with injuries and always seems to find a way to lose big games.

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morg2636

November 17th, 2016 at 11:38 AM ^

I shook Bo's hand when I was 8 years old and felt field turf for the first time.  From then on I have been a diehard Michigan fan.  I had no idea who he was.  My Bo story.

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