We ARE Michigan

Submitted by Cold War on

The winningest program ever. Most winning seasons. Most undefeated seasons. The ones who taught Notre Dame how to play football. Holders of the all-time single game attendance mark.

We play in the Big House. We wear the winged helmet. The Victors is the greatest fight song ever. Eleven national titles, and we've turned down five. Forty two freaking Big Ten titles.

Yost. Crisler. Elliot. Schembechler. Oosterbaan. Kramer. Ford. Harmon. Woodson. Howard.

Fergodsake, I'm proud to be a Michigan Man. And oh, yes, our rivals are Ohio and little brother.  Did anyone stop calling us scUM or tsun when things were lean for them? Hell no.

When times are tough, you embrace all of this. You don't toss it away.

We're not the Michigan of old? Always have been, and always will be.

 

 

MGoBoard

reshp1

September 10th, 2014 at 10:31 PM ^

Com'n man. Does this guy look like he doesn't care? Gardner was downright despondent after the PSU loss game last year. Don't question the players' motivation, that's not fair.

Joined: 10/31/2011

MGoPoints: 34170

ThadMattasagoblin

September 10th, 2014 at 8:32 PM ^

I don't see any excuses or anyone saying that it's ok to be bad. I will continue to support the program and go to the games because I'm a Michigan fan. Alabama went through this a decade ago. We will be fine.

Joined: 08/24/2011

MGoPoints: 64338

Bando Calrissian

September 10th, 2014 at 8:32 PM ^

Yep, you dont toss it away. But you also don't blow it out of proportion.

This program is quickly losing its relevancy, to the extent that continually trotting out our history to make up for our lack of present begins to come off as sad. Michigan shouldn't become the Uncle Rico of the college football world, and it's starting to look like that.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 68277

MGoStrength

September 10th, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^

And, even though the gripes and complaints may not be the most rational or well put, it all comes from the same place...our love of this program.  It makes us curse the program when it frustrates us and celebrate the tradition at the same time.  It's the same emotional string that both of these themes pull at, the only difference is how we focus that emotion.  I think we all still recognize what the poster is saying, but that doesn't take away our frustration that we've seen success too sporadically in the past decade.  At least when we blow steam from frustrations off here we can do it amongst like minded folks and have well intended rants.

Joined: 07/29/2010

MGoPoints: 20002

DC Johnny

September 10th, 2014 at 8:44 PM ^

between the university PR machine, press, fans and real, honest to God football! Jesus H people - we're talking about teenagers who are trying their best! And fans are disappointed because they are living. vicariously thru them - when you think about it - sports are great entertainment, been when it comes down to it they are just a pinch of poop in the grand scheme of things ...

Joined: 09/07/2014

MGoPoints: 360

atom evolootion

September 10th, 2014 at 11:00 PM ^

Nobody's angry or frustrated with the players, because we're seeing now that they're not developing, and it's amazing how they're regressing while their peers on other teams aren't. Who said scrap the team and start with better players? The players are good. The coaches are the ones who frustrate us. First, it was square pegs in round holes. Then it was can't tackle nobody, unless you're number 55. Then it was 11-2. Then it was the Borges. Next, we had the matador blocking scheme. Now, it's fuck if I know. This is why we're crazy: we can't tell what the fuck we're supposed to be looking at anymore, and this year is when the vision was supposed to become clear.

Joined: 11/03/2013

MGoPoints: 1069

Unicycle Firefly

September 10th, 2014 at 8:49 PM ^

I sat in the '08 Northwestern game, borderline hypothermic, until the last second ticked off the clock.  I spent $350 on a ticket for last week's curbstomping, stayed for the whole game, and slept at a truck stop all night because I was too tired to finish the long ass drive by the time I got to the highway three hours later.  I donate money to the University every year even though I went to school on the east coast.  I'll be there this week, and I won't boo. There's plenty more, but I don't want to tl;dr this.

Now that my loyalty and the fact that I haven't "blown off the team" are established:

Our head coach sucks and we need a new one.

Joined: 10/01/2013

MGoPoints: 8670

markusr2007

September 10th, 2014 at 9:04 PM ^

I remember that one: http://mgoblog.com/content/perverse-joy-abject-stupidity

Brian wrote:

"If you were there, and stayed there, and did not move from your seat until Nick Sheridan's final pass sailed out of bounds, you have completed the final challenge. This is the worst it can ever be: an awful team that does things specifically intended to hurt you playing a meaningless game against Northwestern in weather not fit for man nor beast. With multiple infuriating million-year-long media timeouts in the fourth quarter. That they lose.

If you put up with it (and far, far fewer than the announced 107,000 did), you are hardcore. You have a black belt in fandom. You get the Fandom Endurance III merit badge. If anyone ever questions your Michigan allegiance, you can just say "I was at the 2008 Northwestern game" and they will have to step off. If they fail to do so with sufficient obsequiousness I'm pretty sure you can cave their skull in with your finger.*

So I salute you man.

Personally I don't consider these "awful events" anymore.  "Awful events" and Michigan football chronicles are officially one and the same now.

It's 2014. Somehow the distance between today and the awful events like "Northwestern 2008" and MSU 2011 still seems too short.  The frequency of shitty football is still too high.

And I can't get this damn score out of my head: Notre Dame 0, Michigan 31.

So cheerlead away, if it helps you cope.  I'm too busy wallowing in the reality that is called right now.

 

 

Joined: 10/21/2008

MGoPoints: 19372

atom evolootion

September 10th, 2014 at 11:07 PM ^

"weather not fit for man nor beast" is hilarious to me. That game sucked to watch. That team sucked to watch, but at least we understood that the players were just completely wrong for the Rich Rod thing, like standard nuts on metric bolts. Now, we have metric nuts and metric bolts, but the mechanics seem to have forgotten lefty, loosey; righty, tighty...

Joined: 11/03/2013

MGoPoints: 1069

Son of Lloyd Brady

September 10th, 2014 at 9:26 PM ^

That was my first game ever at the Big House. My mother asked me at halftime if I wanted to leave and I told her, "It took me 18 years to get to the Big House, I am not leaving at halftime!" (I was offered tickets to The Horror, which at the time would have been my first game but I had flying lessons so O could not accept. If those were my first two games I might have forced myself to stay away from the stadium forever.)

Joined: 07/15/2011

MGoPoints: 3043

los barcos

September 10th, 2014 at 10:55 PM ^

From mvictors will say after every loss: @MVictors: Reminder to WTKA callers, pls rattle off your fandom credentials b4 your rant (e.g., yrs season tix holder, watching team since 19XX, etc.) So now we know where you, unicycle firefly, fit into the grand scheme of things. Thanks for your opinion and the money you spend on the university will surely make your opinion heard in the athletic department. Also we minions on the mgoblog will be sure to follow your lead.

Joined: 03/27/2009

MGoPoints: 10865

JohnnyV123

September 10th, 2014 at 8:52 PM ^

Obligatory...Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!

I said it last year and I'm saying it again. We get 13 Michigan games a year and then 9 painfully agonizing offseason months of waiting for the next season.

I'm not giving up on any season as painful as it can be to watch because Michigan games are too rare of a commodity

Joined: 04/08/2011

MGoPoints: 1007

KennyGfanLMAO

September 10th, 2014 at 8:58 PM ^

Ever since I was a kid. It started out because I liked the helmets. Also blue was always my favorite color. I didn't, however, start following the program religiously until 2007. I live a dark life.

Joined: 11/04/2009

MGoPoints: 3818

Blueshoo

September 10th, 2014 at 9:11 PM ^

Nobody cares whether Purdue wins or loses. Nobody cares about Purdue recruiting, AP polls, or playoff eligibility. No one cares about Purdue attendance records or the promptness of their students for kickoffs. And not one national (hell even regional) person waxes philosophically about the temperature of Purdue's head coach's seat.

In short: no one cares two flying fig newtons about Purdue football.

And that is, roughly, the emotional commitment from me that Michigan has earned. When they offer a better return on my 3+ hour investment, I'll pay attention.

Until then, they're Purdue to me. Like, "I'd rather paint my house than watch Purdue football" kind of commitment. I know I'm not alone, either.

Joined: 12/30/2010

MGoPoints: 113

Blueshoo

September 11th, 2014 at 8:36 PM ^

Also known as a busy fan. Lots of competing demands for time. Fair weather fans are the ONLY way to be. Think about it - who cheers for lousy weather? Nobody.

Unfortunately for UM, lots of people cheer for sunny weather, and they vote with their feet year after year down to frickin' SEC country.

Joined: 12/30/2010

MGoPoints: 113

Princetonwolverine

September 10th, 2014 at 9:07 PM ^

I will always be proud to have graduated from Michigan in '77 even if we never had a football team. 

Football is a bonus. 

Joined: 10/10/2010

MGoPoints: 14174

DC Johnny

September 10th, 2014 at 9:29 PM ^

4-5 years ... as has the coaching g staff (lately) ... what you are hearing as far as the UM history is media and the university PR ... keep the faith ... Bama, USC, Ohio, ND have all been where we seem to be now but we are climbing out from the depths

Joined: 09/07/2014

MGoPoints: 360

MgerBlerg

September 10th, 2014 at 9:23 PM ^

I'm on board as far as supporting the program, players, and school unconditionally.  The problem with "we are Michigan" is when it comes with a sense of entitlement, which leads to us stubbornly clinging to the past rather than evolving with the times...

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: 5364

DrueDown

September 10th, 2014 at 10:01 PM ^

And is only relevant to your existence because you choose to watch it, embarrassing you?!

You don't lose or win games.
You don't play for Michigan.

What's embarrassing is that you let something you have nothing to do with affect your life. I bet you talk *isht, brag and take credit when the team (that you have nothing to do with) wins.

I'll never understand people like you. If it doesn't bring you joy or entertain you, go away, get a real hobby where you actually do something besides sit and watch others put in work.

Joined: 12/22/2011

MGoPoints: 3487