Too bad the two aircraft carriers deployed on the Great Lakes were already scrapped. One was the USS Wolverine. One of two PADDLE WHEEL aircraft carriers used in WW2
Maybe this coach just wants to go someplace where his backs and OL work together to show what they can do. With the current situation in Columbus, with the emphasis on trying to develop a pass heavy 3 five star wide outs each year, that simply won't happen. With the Wolverines, there will be a role for the RB and OL even if there is a superb QB like JJ McCarthy.
The bonus of course is that he might be a great recruiter. And there is a lot of tape on a great line with backs breaking 30 and 40+ yard runs. Even the most $ focused recruits can't miss the implications of that.
Well done - and I agree with the sentiment that the 2023 offense was not as explosive as the 2022 offense. As you pointed out the defense and the offense both contribute to a winning game plan. Perhaps that affected the numbers.
After the first half in most of the games (excepting of course PSU, OSU, Alabama) the defense had shown it could largely contain the opponent, and so the offense had only two basic goals: score points when it could (obvious) BUT important not turn the ball over or create easy scoring opportunities for the opponent - that maybe why we don't see more offense, more throws to RBs, etc.
The book series has a very devoted following (although the first few books were probably the most accessible).
And like any huge work (like Lord of the Rings) it can be hard to watch a film if you don't have a sense of what it is about ahead of time and it isn't for everyone - so if you go, don't expect a star wars like pew pew movie. David Lynch's 1984 version had its moments and the first few scenes which basically lay out the plot of the film really was clever solution to this problem:
"I did not say this. I was not here" - one of many great lines. Look also, as the Navigator leaves, his crew cleans up after him. In the book it is retrieve any stray bits of Spice, but it looks like they are trying to buff out any scuff marks they made in the Emperor's beautiful marble floor with their transport tank.
Villenuve having the benefit of more time - took a more leisurely measured pace but it is a stunning film.
Brian created mgoblog to train the faithful - truly, and Seth can explain the allusions to the Ottoman Empire, the symbolism of the Spice standing in for oil,
It is a pretty narrow curve if 5 inches roughly separates 4th best vertical with 3rd lowest vertical; 11" or roughly 1 foot from 4th best from 4ths shortest broad jump.
Does it really make a difference? I know that some will point out a small difference can mean a tipped ball, pass break up and such, but it seems that being a smart determined player and being in position to make the tip, and pass break is as important.
Have to wonder if this is a pre-emptive strike or opening bid sort of gambit. Make some very high nigh outrageous initial proposal knowing well that it won't be accepted but then helps frame the subsequent negotiations. Wonder if this was what the meeting with the SEC was about - getting their plans in order.
I found out that there are some days easier to get colonoscopy scheduled. A few years, I was scheduling months ahead and the clerk suggested "how about Monday in Feb?" - and without thinking, I agreed, only to later realize that was the Monday after the Superbowl. Turns out there are a lot of slots open!
That is the thing - can they figure it out. When Team 144 ran it back - the QB came back, the key RBs came back, the OL lost some people due to the end of eligility, but all other key figures came back, likewise with the WR and TE, except for Erick All.
For the Buckeyes, they lost a QB with BigTen experience - who admittedly was NOT CJ Stroud, yet, wasn't a bum, lose a lot of receivers, bring in a new OC with a new QB who isn't used to playing in the BigTen or in that system.
They have a very easy start with Akron, WMU, Idle, Marshall and MSU.
They have a month to sort things out but if not, they could end up very interesting.
Bill Martin did one very notable thing during his reign as the UM AD. He renovated the stadium, while we still used it. It is terrific, looks great and the new and old parts blend in beautifully.
That was in a stadium nearly double the size the NW stadium.
The Pistol and Spread formations are very close - if there are shift and motion.
If Alex Orji and Donovan Edwards are together with Max Bredeson in the same backfield, a lot of those tricky multiple handoffs and misdirects could work.
These are the positions where training, and development matter more, outside of QB.
The UM must have a decent reputation otherwise why would there be a steady stream of OL transfers who were already well established on their teams? They know the UM can make them better - pro NFL ready.
I hope this will have a spill over effect - RBs and QBs would prefer to play on a team with a good OL.
At the risk of a lot of downvotes, I hope he gets one more year.
Why? Two reasons:
1. His cardiac surgery, which was done on Sept. 15, 2023. This was not a trivial surgery with his aortic valve and aorta being operated on. Many patients afterwards feel fatigued and depressed even if functionally the valve and aorta seem to be operating well because of the tremendous load due to recovery and some believe from being on bypass.
His situation isn't identical to Harbaugh's but the effect of some event (e.g. in insurance parlance, an Act of God) like COVID and needing major heart surgery can't be discounted.
2. For good and bad, college basketball is much more volatile situation than football. Were his past few seasons on a football team, the trend is ominous but basketball volatility can also work for a coach - literally needing a good season from one or two players to turn around the team's future.
I hope things turn around for him and the team. The snowy 2021 game with the Wolverines running over the OSU defense despite CJ Stroud converting 3rd / 4th and forever has one other image in my mind. When a very tall figure in a blue parka could be seen in the tunnel area cheering on the team and greeting the team - Juwan Howard. That suggested to me that like Jim Harbaugh he understood the crazy energy that can occur in college sports - and if one can just tap into it, it can be a magnificent ride.
We should expect more of these sort of moves in the future in the modern world of NIL, etc.
Top players with a realistic shot of playing in the NFL would be unlikely to "wait" for their chance if they don't break into the line up after 2 years.
Some others who are dreamers and who were big splashes in high school may also bolt hoping a change of scenery will refresh their chances.
Michigan maybe doing the smart thing in the long run by focusing on developing the lines. This is a process that is acknowledged to take both time and skillful training.
I lived in Buffalo, NY for ten years including the great 4 year run. Many people forget that in the subsequent 2-3 years, the Bills remained very strong and were always a threat to go back.
If the Bills ever win the SB, the fans there will go bonkers. I know that the Lions have suffered a lot but the Bills fans came so much closer - literally down to one play, or one horrible 15 minutes.
The Chargers will be fun to watch out of curiosity. If Jim Harbaugh does turn them around and take the team to the playoffs next year or within 2 years, it might have interesting effects on the coaching profession.
It will be fun to root on JJ, Blake, Mikey, Roman and others.
Nice story! I was at the game with a friend and we were way up in the upper most level. It was a depressing moment at 17-14 but soon turned the right way. (Thank you Michael Barrett!).
For lot of fans, this is an end of an era of college football.
Thanks to the efforts of Brian and Seth here, I have a new appreciation of how well the team played, and it is fun to go back and rewatch games - and if you can get them the long views videos where all 22 players are visible and see how the plays develop.
Have yet to tire of watching any of highlights of this year.
I was lucky enough to see the 1997 team win in the Rose Bowl and the 2023 team win in NRG stadium. That is like seeing Halley's comet twice in a life time. The post game euphoria is bound to have a bit of a let down.
But having seen the team win and do so in such a classic Michigan fashion (stout defense with a power running game) was just more satisfying.
Even the down times can have good moments and we just have to learn to enjoy them. The Richrod and Hoke era had Denard Robinson - still the single most amazing player I've seen in person. That he turned out to be a decent person and not just a ball player helps make his memories even better. The downturn also caused a lot of fair weather fans not to renew, and I was able to move way up in the seating ranks for season tickets - just in time for the years under Harbaugh.
I'm OK if I won't live to see another national title game, because it is enough. There is only one thing left on my life to-do list after the Houston game. I've renewed my tickets and will be at the game but won't fret if things aren't perfect because I've already experienced it and it was glorious.
The last game was won. The great team and its leaders dispersed back to their homes, or were so affected that they journeyed beyond to the western isles and now reside in myth.
But like in the Tolkien trilogy, The Shire was changed as well, and it marked the end of an era; an end of a magical time, and the beginning of a more mundane age of man. Now we maybe seeing the same thing with college football - run like a feeder league for the NFL.
It could be a desperate last ditch try - try to appeal or challenge the players to prove him wrong. Sometimes this works but only if the players care about the opinion of the coach. If they have already resigned that this will be their last year here, and or don't care about basketball anymore, then it could actually get worse.
As many have commented - this whole chasing of attendance numbers is not worth it. Many of you were at the 2017 Michigan Minnesota game (Nov. 4, 2017) - due to rain and lightning, the start was delayed. Kickoff ended up being at 8:31 PM and the end officially ended at 11:39 PM. In our section there were only 5 people who stayed through the rain, wind and cold. Yet, the official attendance was 111,090. When that was announced, it was met with a chuckle by those of us still there.
The $700 million renovations is long overdue. The jury rigged seating (with exposed scalfold like supports ) where the visitors are dumped are frankly rickety. Bill Martin may not have been a great athletic director when it came to coach hiring, but he knows the construction business. The Michigan Stadium renovations were carried out despite being in use, and looks nearly seamless joining the original 1920s and modern sections together.
Consider Purdue only added air conditioning to Ross-Ade Stadium for the 2018 season.
The seats physically were disappointing - literally metal seats with no cushions. The seat back chairs at the Big House and Lucas Oil were much better. Surprised that this was a relatively new NFL stadium.
Thank you! One of the real treats on MGoBlog are these beautifully crafted diagrams and illustrations. I hope that they fihd their way into some sort of durable memento like a book(s) (hint - will pay money for that)
Harbaugh as a coach is like a kid joining a family business - plumbers, accountants, carpenters... it is a family business and he has picked up all of the tricks / tips from dad, brother, etc.
Sherrone could be really good - but he isn't Jim and I'm glad he won't try to be Jim. But I hope he will practice the craft of college football coaching like Jim/
That was a great story - I can just picture the getting down into stances, and roping Jay in to act as another play and having Jack give the count. If this were in a TV show or movie, people would think it is over-the-top, yet it was real.
I hope you are right because this could be the real edge the program has going forward. A lot of places will throw (NIL) money at their programs hoping to buy their way to a championship. Others have adopted some aspect of the professional game (e.g. passing attack) but to run an actual NFL defensive scheme seems unique.
Jim Hackett was the guy Michigan needed after the DB era.
He was a Michigan Man. He played for Bo. He was a successful businessman and understood enterprises that encompass millions of dollars. He had all of the bona fides for the role.
He was also ideal in that he focused on the mission. He knew his primary mission was getting the football program back in order and the most likely way to achieve this was to go get Harbaugh signed. He didn't have some weird personal ego needing to prove something psychopathology driving him. So he got Jim Harbaugh signed and faded from the scene.
When future historian write up the story of the Harbaugh era, his small but critical role should be remembered.
We'll meet again
Don't know where, don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through
Just like you always do
Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away
So will you please say hello
To the folks that I know?
Tell them I won't be long
They'll be happy to know
That as you saw me go
I was singing this song
We'll meet again
Don't know where, don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
We'll meet again
Don't know where, don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
Now that college football season has ended triumphantly, had time to revisit some classic movies that seem appropriate for this season; namely, Godfather I and II.
1. BigTen Commissioner Tony Petitti rant about the Conor Stalions affair seems like Jack Wolz from Godfather I. "A man in my position can't afford to look ridiculous" and of course the BigTen championship in Indianapolis was like waking up with the horse head.
It will be interesting to see how much development occurs during the summer. I hope that all of the QB hopefuls are throwing and working with receivers.
If the OL is good and with the backs they have coming back, there should be a good running game - always a help to a new QB.
Work a little bit on his pass blocking otherwise he can be a true 3 down back - he can be primary runner and a 3rd down pass catcher. He has the speed to be a breakaway. Next year's offense just got brighter.
The context and times affect how we judge actions. Don Canham, the AD under Bo was hailed as a marketing genius because he actually realized we can market the UM brand/logo and made the vast sum of ... $100,000 doing that. Of course at that time, most AD never heard of the idea. Today, every influencer and youtuber has "merch".
Was Bill Martin a "Great" AD when he ended up hiring Rich Rod? Yet, he did a magnificent job in renovating the stadium and the surrounding buildings and athletic campus because coming from a building/housing industry these played to his strengths.
His successor, managed to achieve a rarity - actually galvanized the student body to call for his ouster complete with protests in from the Presidential house and demonstrations. He also linked tickets with buying two liter bottles of pop as if the game experience was just one more cheap commodity.
Jim Hackett showed his wisdom as the interim AD - he knew his one job: go get Jim Harbaugh hired. He did this an quietly faded out of the scene - people conveniently forget that - probably the most successful 1.5-2 year run as AD.
Harbaugh is a unique character. Let's just see how it plays out and always enjoy the past 9 years - an epic story that turned out with a happy ending. If there isn't a second volume, so be it, the time was still epic.
This could be an art design contest option each year - and season ticket holders can buy complete packs. So many marketing opportunities right there. They just outsourced out to some company
By the way, I'm trying to build a complete season set. I have these and the CFP. Any links for the Big Ten and Rose Bowl?
Recent Comments
Too bad the two aircraft carriers deployed on the Great Lakes were already scrapped. One was the USS Wolverine. One of two PADDLE WHEEL aircraft carriers used in WW2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Wolverine_(IX-64)
https://www…
Well, ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMIyDf3gBoY
Maybe this coach just wants to go someplace where his backs and OL work together to show what they can do. With the current situation in Columbus, with the emphasis on trying to develop a pass heavy 3 five star wide outs each year, that simply won't happen. With the Wolverines, there will be a role for the RB and OL even if there is a superb QB like JJ McCarthy.
The bonus of course is that he might be a great recruiter. And there is a lot of tape on a great line with backs breaking 30 and 40+ yard runs. Even the most $ focused recruits can't miss the implications of that.
Each are superb in their realm.
McCarthy is the JJ for all competitive sports. He's a proven winner.
Hunsecker is the JJ if you want to smear a hapless jazz guitarist by claiming he is a communist and planting marijuana cigarettes on him.
Walker is the JJ you want if you need "Kid Dyno-Mite!"
Well done - and I agree with the sentiment that the 2023 offense was not as explosive as the 2022 offense. As you pointed out the defense and the offense both contribute to a winning game plan. Perhaps that affected the numbers.
After the first half in most of the games (excepting of course PSU, OSU, Alabama) the defense had shown it could largely contain the opponent, and so the offense had only two basic goals: score points when it could (obvious) BUT important not turn the ball over or create easy scoring opportunities for the opponent - that maybe why we don't see more offense, more throws to RBs, etc.
The book series has a very devoted following (although the first few books were probably the most accessible).
And like any huge work (like Lord of the Rings) it can be hard to watch a film if you don't have a sense of what it is about ahead of time and it isn't for everyone - so if you go, don't expect a star wars like pew pew movie. David Lynch's 1984 version had its moments and the first few scenes which basically lay out the plot of the film really was clever solution to this problem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR8tbNKxBhE
"I did not say this. I was not here" - one of many great lines. Look also, as the Navigator leaves, his crew cleans up after him. In the book it is retrieve any stray bits of Spice, but it looks like they are trying to buff out any scuff marks they made in the Emperor's beautiful marble floor with their transport tank.
Villenuve having the benefit of more time - took a more leisurely measured pace but it is a stunning film.
Brian created mgoblog to train the faithful - truly, and Seth can explain the allusions to the Ottoman Empire, the symbolism of the Spice standing in for oil,
It is a pretty narrow curve if 5 inches roughly separates 4th best vertical with 3rd lowest vertical; 11" or roughly 1 foot from 4th best from 4ths shortest broad jump.
Does it really make a difference? I know that some will point out a small difference can mean a tipped ball, pass break up and such, but it seems that being a smart determined player and being in position to make the tip, and pass break is as important.
Sainristil:
Wallace:
Have to wonder if this is a pre-emptive strike or opening bid sort of gambit. Make some very high nigh outrageous initial proposal knowing well that it won't be accepted but then helps frame the subsequent negotiations. Wonder if this was what the meeting with the SEC was about - getting their plans in order.
I found out that there are some days easier to get colonoscopy scheduled. A few years, I was scheduling months ahead and the clerk suggested "how about Monday in Feb?" - and without thinking, I agreed, only to later realize that was the Monday after the Superbowl. Turns out there are a lot of slots open!
Must have been something good to bring him so far into civilization in daylight. Usually these incidental sightings are out in the wild.
That is the thing - can they figure it out. When Team 144 ran it back - the QB came back, the key RBs came back, the OL lost some people due to the end of eligility, but all other key figures came back, likewise with the WR and TE, except for Erick All.
For the Buckeyes, they lost a QB with BigTen experience - who admittedly was NOT CJ Stroud, yet, wasn't a bum, lose a lot of receivers, bring in a new OC with a new QB who isn't used to playing in the BigTen or in that system.
They have a very easy start with Akron, WMU, Idle, Marshall and MSU.
They have a month to sort things out but if not, they could end up very interesting.
Bill Martin did one very notable thing during his reign as the UM AD. He renovated the stadium, while we still used it. It is terrific, looks great and the new and old parts blend in beautifully.
That was in a stadium nearly double the size the NW stadium.
Yes, the Jamie Samuelson and Stoney pairing had more subtlety if that could be possible on morning sports radio.
The Pistol and Spread formations are very close - if there are shift and motion.
If Alex Orji and Donovan Edwards are together with Max Bredeson in the same backfield, a lot of those tricky multiple handoffs and misdirects could work.
Upvote for the Ned Flanders' beatnik MOTHER reference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOTyUfOHgas
Will be interesting to see what those Charger Chiefs games look like.
These are the positions where training, and development matter more, outside of QB.
The UM must have a decent reputation otherwise why would there be a steady stream of OL transfers who were already well established on their teams? They know the UM can make them better - pro NFL ready.
I hope this will have a spill over effect - RBs and QBs would prefer to play on a team with a good OL.
At the risk of a lot of downvotes, I hope he gets one more year.
Why? Two reasons:
1. His cardiac surgery, which was done on Sept. 15, 2023. This was not a trivial surgery with his aortic valve and aorta being operated on. Many patients afterwards feel fatigued and depressed even if functionally the valve and aorta seem to be operating well because of the tremendous load due to recovery and some believe from being on bypass.
His situation isn't identical to Harbaugh's but the effect of some event (e.g. in insurance parlance, an Act of God) like COVID and needing major heart surgery can't be discounted.
2. For good and bad, college basketball is much more volatile situation than football. Were his past few seasons on a football team, the trend is ominous but basketball volatility can also work for a coach - literally needing a good season from one or two players to turn around the team's future.
I hope things turn around for him and the team. The snowy 2021 game with the Wolverines running over the OSU defense despite CJ Stroud converting 3rd / 4th and forever has one other image in my mind. When a very tall figure in a blue parka could be seen in the tunnel area cheering on the team and greeting the team - Juwan Howard. That suggested to me that like Jim Harbaugh he understood the crazy energy that can occur in college sports - and if one can just tap into it, it can be a magnificent ride.
Good luck! It is home town, Columbus but not sure if he'll get that much more playing time.
He is a small LB/strong safety hybrid.
https://mgoblue.com/sports/football/roster/joey-velazquez/24416
We should expect more of these sort of moves in the future in the modern world of NIL, etc.
Top players with a realistic shot of playing in the NFL would be unlikely to "wait" for their chance if they don't break into the line up after 2 years.
Some others who are dreamers and who were big splashes in high school may also bolt hoping a change of scenery will refresh their chances.
Michigan maybe doing the smart thing in the long run by focusing on developing the lines. This is a process that is acknowledged to take both time and skillful training.
I lived in Buffalo, NY for ten years including the great 4 year run. Many people forget that in the subsequent 2-3 years, the Bills remained very strong and were always a threat to go back.
If the Bills ever win the SB, the fans there will go bonkers. I know that the Lions have suffered a lot but the Bills fans came so much closer - literally down to one play, or one horrible 15 minutes.
The Chargers will be fun to watch out of curiosity. If Jim Harbaugh does turn them around and take the team to the playoffs next year or within 2 years, it might have interesting effects on the coaching profession.
It will be fun to root on JJ, Blake, Mikey, Roman and others.
Nice story! I was at the game with a friend and we were way up in the upper most level. It was a depressing moment at 17-14 but soon turned the right way. (Thank you Michael Barrett!).
For lot of fans, this is an end of an era of college football.
While many may confuse Wink Martindale (YTWM) with the gameshow Wink (NTWM), he is also well known for ushering in the amazing world of 1999.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAELQX7EvPo
With computers! Computer banking. Computer cooking. Large screen TV. Work from home. Truly an amazing time.
Thanks to the efforts of Brian and Seth here, I have a new appreciation of how well the team played, and it is fun to go back and rewatch games - and if you can get them the long views videos where all 22 players are visible and see how the plays develop.
Have yet to tire of watching any of highlights of this year.
I was lucky enough to see the 1997 team win in the Rose Bowl and the 2023 team win in NRG stadium. That is like seeing Halley's comet twice in a life time. The post game euphoria is bound to have a bit of a let down.
But having seen the team win and do so in such a classic Michigan fashion (stout defense with a power running game) was just more satisfying.
Even the down times can have good moments and we just have to learn to enjoy them. The Richrod and Hoke era had Denard Robinson - still the single most amazing player I've seen in person. That he turned out to be a decent person and not just a ball player helps make his memories even better. The downturn also caused a lot of fair weather fans not to renew, and I was able to move way up in the seating ranks for season tickets - just in time for the years under Harbaugh.
I'm OK if I won't live to see another national title game, because it is enough. There is only one thing left on my life to-do list after the Houston game. I've renewed my tickets and will be at the game but won't fret if things aren't perfect because I've already experienced it and it was glorious.
That is a great way to put it.
The last game was won. The great team and its leaders dispersed back to their homes, or were so affected that they journeyed beyond to the western isles and now reside in myth.
But like in the Tolkien trilogy, The Shire was changed as well, and it marked the end of an era; an end of a magical time, and the beginning of a more mundane age of man. Now we maybe seeing the same thing with college football - run like a feeder league for the NFL.
It could be a desperate last ditch try - try to appeal or challenge the players to prove him wrong. Sometimes this works but only if the players care about the opinion of the coach. If they have already resigned that this will be their last year here, and or don't care about basketball anymore, then it could actually get worse.
As many have commented - this whole chasing of attendance numbers is not worth it. Many of you were at the 2017 Michigan Minnesota game (Nov. 4, 2017) - due to rain and lightning, the start was delayed. Kickoff ended up being at 8:31 PM and the end officially ended at 11:39 PM. In our section there were only 5 people who stayed through the rain, wind and cold. Yet, the official attendance was 111,090. When that was announced, it was met with a chuckle by those of us still there.
The $700 million renovations is long overdue. The jury rigged seating (with exposed scalfold like supports ) where the visitors are dumped are frankly rickety. Bill Martin may not have been a great athletic director when it came to coach hiring, but he knows the construction business. The Michigan Stadium renovations were carried out despite being in use, and looks nearly seamless joining the original 1920s and modern sections together.
Consider Purdue only added air conditioning to Ross-Ade Stadium for the 2018 season.
…
Thank you for doing this.
It quantifies the changes seen under Jim Harbaugh.
The seats physically were disappointing - literally metal seats with no cushions. The seat back chairs at the Big House and Lucas Oil were much better. Surprised that this was a relatively new NFL stadium.
It maybe the notion of revenge jinxed the tour - just like the Return of The Jedi was once The Revenge of the Jedi.
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2018/original-film-posters-online/ea384f95-02c9-47c3-8f10-8c2cce45d504
The Return of the Michigan Wolverines - ending in a triumphant national championship just seems better.
Only Bo who knew Jim as a kid would say "little Jimmy Harbaugh ..."
Or when this all star senior bowls were on TV 20 UHF from the MizLou network.
They sleep in a bed that looks like a race car.
Thank you! One of the real treats on MGoBlog are these beautifully crafted diagrams and illustrations. I hope that they fihd their way into some sort of durable memento like a book(s) (hint - will pay money for that)
Harbaugh as a coach is like a kid joining a family business - plumbers, accountants, carpenters... it is a family business and he has picked up all of the tricks / tips from dad, brother, etc.
Sherrone could be really good - but he isn't Jim and I'm glad he won't try to be Jim. But I hope he will practice the craft of college football coaching like Jim/
That was a great story - I can just picture the getting down into stances, and roping Jay in to act as another play and having Jack give the count. If this were in a TV show or movie, people would think it is over-the-top, yet it was real.
I hope you are right because this could be the real edge the program has going forward. A lot of places will throw (NIL) money at their programs hoping to buy their way to a championship. Others have adopted some aspect of the professional game (e.g. passing attack) but to run an actual NFL defensive scheme seems unique.
Hmmm, the MGoblog gang do remind me of Tom Servo, Cambot, Crow T Robot, etc.
Jim Hackett was the guy Michigan needed after the DB era.
He was a Michigan Man. He played for Bo. He was a successful businessman and understood enterprises that encompass millions of dollars. He had all of the bona fides for the role.
He was also ideal in that he focused on the mission. He knew his primary mission was getting the football program back in order and the most likely way to achieve this was to go get Harbaugh signed. He didn't have some weird personal ego needing to prove something psychopathology driving him. So he got Jim Harbaugh signed and faded from the scene.
When future historian write up the story of the Harbaugh era, his small but critical role should be remembered.
Clearly he has a gambling problem - that is about 24 bets per day over a year.
I guess he'll the join the list of "disassociated" persons now.
We'll meet again by Alfie Boe and Vera Lynn
We'll meet again
Don't know where, don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through
Just like you always do
Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away
So will you please say hello
To the folks that I know?
Tell them I won't be long
They'll be happy to know
That as you saw me go
I was singing this song
We'll meet again
Don't know where, don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
We'll meet again
Don't know where, don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
Now that college football season has ended triumphantly, had time to revisit some classic movies that seem appropriate for this season; namely, Godfather I and II.
1. BigTen Commissioner Tony Petitti rant about the Conor Stalions affair seems like Jack Wolz from Godfather I. "A man in my position can't afford to look ridiculous" and of course the BigTen championship in Indianapolis was like waking up with the horse head.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhRfNcv_seM
2. This recent news of the literal mercenary efforts of tOSU seems like a scene from Godfather II between Michael Corleone and Hyman Roth.
MC: The soldiers are paid to fight, the rebels aren't.
HR: What does that tell you?
MC: They can win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7gv9aGB7VY
Should be interesting to see how this plays out.
1. Lots of old timers - back when there was only 1 player in the NFL over 300 lbs (Roger Brown, DT), and huge was 6'4" 250-260 lbs.
2. Chuck Hughes
That sounds like a challenge - there were 2-3 slots below Iowa - something to shoot for.
It didn't work in the home video market but dominated the commercial professional side.
It will be interesting to see how much development occurs during the summer. I hope that all of the QB hopefuls are throwing and working with receivers.
If the OL is good and with the backs they have coming back, there should be a good running game - always a help to a new QB.
Work a little…
Great news!
Work a little bit on his pass blocking otherwise he can be a true 3 down back - he can be primary runner and a 3rd down pass catcher. He has the speed to be a breakaway. Next year's offense just got brighter.
Not bad. But on par with the usual explanation Brian and Seth have been providing here. :)
The…
Both or neither.
The context and times affect how we judge actions. Don Canham, the AD under Bo was hailed as a marketing genius because he actually realized we can market the UM brand/logo and made the vast sum of ... $100,000 doing that. Of course at that time, most AD never heard of the idea. Today, every influencer and youtuber has "merch".
Was Bill Martin a "Great" AD when he ended up hiring Rich Rod? Yet, he did a magnificent job in renovating the stadium and the surrounding buildings and athletic campus because coming from a building/housing industry these played to his strengths.
His successor, managed to achieve a rarity - actually galvanized the student body to call for his ouster complete with protests in from the Presidential house and demonstrations. He also linked tickets with buying two liter bottles of pop as if the game experience was just one more cheap commodity.
Jim Hackett showed his wisdom as the interim AD - he knew his one job: go get Jim Harbaugh hired. He did this an quietly faded out of the scene - people conveniently forget that - probably the most successful 1.5-2 year run as AD.
Harbaugh is a unique character. Let's just see how it plays out and always enjoy the past 9 years - an epic story that turned out with a happy ending. If there isn't a second volume, so be it, the time was still epic.
This could be an art design contest option each year - and season ticket holders can buy complete packs. So many marketing opportunities right there. They just outsourced out to some company
By the way, I'm trying to build a complete season set. I have these and the CFP. Any links for the Big Ten and Rose Bowl?