The Ten BEST Michigan Items you own
In response to Brian's post on the most embarassing Michigan items one can own, I was curious what the BEST items out there are? Also, if available, a link to where the item can be purchased.
While my collection is paltry, the pride of my collection is still my Desmond Howard Beckett magazine that is in mint condition. I hope to one day track him down to have it autographed.This item obviously is a tad dated and will only be available through ebay / resellers.
There is also a soft spot in my heart for the Bo & Woody Commemorative coin for The Game in 2007. If you want to read about the coin, MLive did an article on it before The Game. Only 25,000 were minted, and is only available via resellers.
When I moved to Toronto, my office gave me a framed panorama picture signed by the photographer of tipoff of the Michigan/Seton Hall '89 NCAA Finals game in Seattle. Its 6 feet wide and two feet high and looks fantastic above the credenza in my office. This was before the days of panaorama camera lenses and it's actually 4 photos that are fused seamlessly together. The clock at one end of the floor says 20:00 and at the other says 19:59.
* Student union matches from '61, says, "For Michigan Men" on them
* Autographed photo of Bo yelling at an official
1. Personalized autograph from my all time favorite player Tyrone Wheatley.
2. An autograph on a 'MGOBLUE' sticker from Desmond Howard.
3. Braylon Edwards autographed football (which I got as his dad was bitching him out after game). I also have Jeff Backus autograph on the same football. Is that good or bad I dont know lol?!
4. Authentic Chris Webber #4 jersey, with the name stitched in the back.
5. A panaramic photo of the Big House over Ann Arbor.
In no particular order (1) a 1997 National Championship commemorative football autographed by Lloyd, (2) coasters made form the original astro-turf in Michigan stadium, (3) a piece of turf from the Rose Bowl right after they beat WSU for the national championship, (4) the 1997 national championship issue of Sports Illustrated signed by Brian Greise, (5) a hockey stick signed by both Brendan Morrison and Red, (6) numerous ticket stubs from 1968 through 2012, (7) collection of Sports Illustrateds that have Michigan on the cover, (8) a UM basketball signed by Amaker, (9) a large print of a Wolverine signed by Canham and Bo, (10) my UM diploma.
In no particular order:
-Brady Hoke autographed mini-helmet and towel.
-UTL Throwback jersey (told myself I might only consider buying one if we won, and, well, then that happened).
-Michigan Hockey Jersey.
-Tickets from every game I've been to (must be about 40 by now).
-Football autographed by all the football players that lived in my hallway my sophomore year (Blake Countess, Desmond Morgan, Justice Hayes, Russell Bellomy) and also has Taylor Lewan and Brock Mealer autographs on it.
-"Those Who Stay Will Be Champions" banner.
-My M-Card (my ability to say that I'm a student).
-Michigan Garden Gnome
-My hat, t-shirts, and hoodies.
-Junior Hemingway autographed ticket from the 2010 Illinois game.
All of the "Wolverine" season preview books
All of the "Hail to the Victors" and other Brian Cook season preview books
Every SI cover with a Michigan Player on it since the '89 national championship
Collection of Michigan related books
Several pictures of the "Fanfare M" from pregame where I can squint and point and say, "That's me right there!"
Mitch Albom autographed copy of Fab 5
Some of the left over FieldTurf from when it was installed
Chris Webber autographed basketball
One of the gloves Derrick Alexander wore in the '93 Rose Bowl
Michigan game ball my wife got for me that I later had signed by Desmond Howard
By far, my favorite item is my Autographed 1981 Rose Bowl football that has over 30 signatures that includes Bo, Carter, Woolfolk, Haji-Sheikh & Wangler.
Got it for Christmas that year, right before the Rose Bowl.
Also got an authentic Michigan helmet that Christmas, too.
I still wear that jersey every Saturday, even though it's about 3 sizes to small these days.
Not autographs or anything. Just awesome knowing what I'm wearing is EXACTLY what Woody rocked that year
Go Blue
I have a program from the first game (@ND) that all five freshman started. It is signed by all five, as well as, Fisher and Riley. I put it in my safe the day I got it.
I have all of my ticket stubs from 1997, including all of the home games and the game I attended at PSU. I also have the paper from 1986 when I was a freshman with the headline "Harbaugh's Rosy Promise Comes True", after he guaranteed a victory at Ohio to go to the Rose Bowl.
But I think my favorite item is my Bo bobblehead that is still sealed in the package. I don't even know how old it is. I got it from my mother-in-law and she had no idea when she acquired it!
So it could be any age. I think the 2001 OSU game is the one where they had the give away, and then started selling them.
I own Tim Miller's Nike Swift game-used maize sweater fom the 2006-07 Great Lakes Invitational tourney. As far as I know it is the only time M hockey ever wore that design (which is understandable...they're awful). Miller spent the better part of his first two full seasons as a pro playing for my hometown team in the ECHL, but I didn't score that sweater until he after he got called up, so I never got a chance for him to sign it. He did sign a couple of the ECHL jerseys he wore while here, though. Good player. Nice guy. GREAT hair.
Under the Lights ticket stub.
/was there and nobody can ever take that experience away even if they jack my stub
1a. Authentic Anthony Thomas locker from the old Schembechler Hall (pre-renovations)
1b. Authentic team issued 1998 Nike Rose Bowl Charles Woodson jersey
2. Authentic team issued 2000 Orange Bowl Tom Brady jersey
3. Authentic team issued 2000 Orange Bowl Anthony Thomas jersey
4. Authentic team issued 2000 Orange Bowl Steve Hutchinson jersey
5. Authentic team issued 2002 Chris Perry road jersey
6. Authentic team issued 2004 Mike Hart road jersey
7. Authentic team issued 2003 Marlin Jackson jersey
8. Authentic practice worn 2004 Lamarr Woodley jersey
9. Authentic team issued 2004 Jake Long jersey
I've got a lot of other items but I love my jerseys.
1) ticket stubs from this year's Sugar Bowl
2) an old, tattered Michigan t-shirt that my son used as a security blanket in his formative years
My brother has a piece of a Michigan Stadium goalpost, circa 1980. After a UM victory, the goalposts were torn down. My brother managed to break off a small section through metal fatigue.
Back in the early '70s they sold a product called "Wipe Woody" which was a roll of toilet paper with Woody's smiling face and hat printed on each sheet.
took a bumper sticker off a car that was red and gray, and said "Michigan" with an extended middle finger serving as the "i"s. I believe we Tuley-Tillman-ed it.
Here are ten of my top UM collectibles: 1) 1998 Charles Woodson Rose Bowl, 2) Game Worn Desmond Morgan UTL gloves, 3) 2011 Denard Robinson Gator Bowl Jersey, 4) 2000 Tom Brady Orange Bowl, 5) 1992 Desmond Howard Rose Bowl, 6) Game Worn 2011 AJ Treais Maize Frozen Four jersey, 7) Game Worn 2011 Lee Moffie Navy Frozen Four jersey, 8)1997 Jarret Irons Outback Bowl Jersey, 9) 2008 Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Jake Long Capital One Bowl jersey(I knoww thats three but I figured I put them together), 10) Game Worn Alex Guptill hockey helmet.
The one that is with me pretty much all the time - M-Hat IV. It is the Bo Style Michigan hat that has now been to both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the field of the Big House, from one end of Michigan to the other. Fortunately, it has not joined M-Hats II and III at the bottom of the Detroit River.