Notre Dame at Night Next Year
![tom-harmon[1]](https://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/Notre-Dame-at-Night-Next-Year_CF58/tom-harmon1.jpg "tom-harmon[1]")
Here is a section of the press release:
Michigan to Face Notre Dame in Primetime, Honor Tom Harmon as Michigan Football Legend
Ann Arbor, Mich. – The University of Michigan football team will face the University of Notre Dame in a nationally-televised primetime game at Michigan Stadium, it was announced Tuesday (Dec. 11) in a joint announcement with ESPN. The athletic department will honor 1940 Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon, installing him as a Michigan Football Legend during a pre-game ceremony.
…
“Our athletic department is looking forward to recreating the night game magic from two years ago,” said Dave Brandon, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. “We have more in store for this game than the initial night game and will work hard to create many WOW moments. One of those magical moments will be the honoring of Tom Harmon. He is one of the greatest athletes in school history and we are excited to celebrate all that he accomplished at Michigan. Having Tom’s ‘Old 98’ back on the field will be special. This will be a memorable evening for everyone at Michigan Stadium or watching the game on TV. This will be the final match-up with Notre Dame at the Big House for the foreseeable future.”
Rumor is they will retroactively change Denard's number to 98.
December 12th, 2012 at 5:15 PM ^
December 12th, 2012 at 10:48 PM ^
I think 98 should be saved at a minimum until you have a player who is in serious contention for at least something along the lines of a national recognition, Heisman, Butkus, etc.
I also think a few of the jerseys this year were also forced to make for a show, and who should "earn" 11, 21, etc the following year.
At what point do you have have to look at adding in #2 and the always controversial #1.
Are we going to have a team here in the near future that has players that are at the standard to wear the #98, #2, #21 all at the same time (it would be great to have two or three players all in Heisman contention, do not get me wrong), let alone adding in 47, 48, 11, 1 etc.
December 12th, 2012 at 4:08 PM ^
If I never read or heard the phrase "WOW moment" again, I think I'd be OK.
December 13th, 2012 at 11:13 AM ^
Agreed... It just sounds off. It's like he's selling a time share in a 'hip new community'.
As long as I have your attention, allow me to tell you about something that HAS changed my life. Mangosteen juice....
December 12th, 2012 at 4:11 PM ^
December 12th, 2012 at 4:13 PM ^
I assume that, like the NFL, NCAA football has some restrictions on the positions that particular numbers can be assigned to -- is that correct? If so, we are looking at a limited set of potential players to wear the #98 jersey.
If not ... it would be strange (though kinda cool, I admit) if a skill position player today wore a number like that!
December 12th, 2012 at 5:18 PM ^
I think the only offical rules on numbers applies to O-linemen, since the ref needs to know who is eligible to go down field. O-linemen need to have numbers between 50-79, but there are traditional numbers for different positions, but there are many exceptions. 98 would be a receiver or end number, but I'm not totally sure. Anyone else know more?
December 12th, 2012 at 4:13 PM ^
Maybe we could just wear our normal blue jerseys for a big game! Yay!
December 12th, 2012 at 4:50 PM ^
Or we could wear old school 1940 throwbacks from Harmon's era?
December 12th, 2012 at 5:07 PM ^
but is this what the kids are calling nowadays as a "WOOSH" moment?
December 12th, 2012 at 5:10 PM ^
December 12th, 2012 at 5:19 PM ^
in Imagineering?
December 12th, 2012 at 6:13 PM ^
December 12th, 2012 at 5:12 PM ^
Whoever gets #98 should also get a twosie
December 12th, 2012 at 5:30 PM ^
The shoe will be on the other foot. And can we boost the band sound x 10?
December 12th, 2012 at 5:33 PM ^
December 12th, 2012 at 5:34 PM ^
I think we need to expand the program to basketball. Make Kovacs #32 a legacy number, and give it to Stauskas. Wow!!!
December 12th, 2012 at 6:45 PM ^
The ND AD, Swarbuck, gave Brandon a notice of cancellation of future games within minutes of kickoff at SB this year. That struck me as a bit "sleazy." It was at a time when Brandon could not take time out and read it. In so doing, ND asserted that, for the next three years, ND would get a "two-fer" ie two ND home games to UM's one. It meant that ND would have one more home game than UM for the entire contract series (which began in 2002).
I cannot understand why any contract would allow for such "gaming." It seems to me that the cancelling party should not be able to gain a home field advantage by reneging on an agreement. Since Brandon could not reasonably have been expected to read the letter until after the SB game, I wonder if there is any way for UM to insist on 3 games being played after the time at which Brandon actually could read the letter?
Even if it triggers a "buyout", I would like to see UM propose cancelling the following game in SB. That threat would be removed if ND agrees to give UM and ND each one additonal home after the letter delivery. I don't think that we owe ND anything after the sleazy way that their AD handled the matter
December 12th, 2012 at 8:25 PM ^
December 13th, 2012 at 9:02 AM ^
Hell, I'd go along with that. And to avoid any insinuations that Michigan is "scared" to play Notre Dame, we could substitute a team which has been more successful than Notre Dame in the past decade, like Stanford, Auburn, West Virginia, TCU, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Washington, Tennessee, Hawaii, or Boise State.
~Herm
December 12th, 2012 at 6:01 PM ^
Michigan's real home jerseys
WOW a mascot
December 12th, 2012 at 6:16 PM ^
Nothing like giving our friends from South Bend some anal leakage for the ballgame.
December 12th, 2012 at 6:52 PM ^
Nothing is sacred. So the last retired number gets unretired for the sake of a "wow moment". I'm agnostic on the legends jersey program, but i think to keep it from being cheapened to the point of publicity stunt they need to retain something unobtainable. Harmon's number fit the bill perfectly.
I've not yet gone full "get off my lawn", but i don't think that DB is very good at some of the things he's trying to do. It comes off as forced and cheesy. I'm not against changing tradition, as i happened to be around when the Blues Brothers tunes that are now tradition were new. Tradition changes. So "Seven Nation Army" being played all the damned time doesn't bother me per se; it's just that i've heard marching bands play it and it arranges really well for marching band. Instead UM pipes it in, along with everyone's favorite "Sweet Caroline" and this "In the Big House" bullshit. (Ok, get off my lawn, it's not the Big House. It's Michigan Stadium.)
Just not sure i understand the genius of setting yourself apart by trying to be like everyone else.
December 12th, 2012 at 8:24 PM ^
Did you really think we were going to keep one retired number after bringing back all the others? I don't see how that is shocking. Also, I'm not sure how that amounts to "trying to be like everyone else." I think we're the only school in the country doing something like Legends patches.
December 12th, 2012 at 9:20 PM ^
I didn't necessarily think we would. I do think we should. It's not the end of the world (i know i used "sacred") but it just seems unnecessary. This year with the whole program honoring the legends, etc. there was a narrative. It seems like this is DB trying squeeze one last "wow moment" out of something that is now likely to be little more than an offhand remark by a TV color commentater.
"Trying to be like everyone else" was directed not at the legends patches but at the piped in music, revolving uniforms, etc.
December 13th, 2012 at 12:07 AM ^
December 12th, 2012 at 8:17 PM ^
...the bitching and moaning about? Is this a surprise to everyone but me?
ND to be a night game. Holy cow, who'd a thunk it?
Old 98 will be a Legends Jersey. Ya don't say?
Dave Brandon is enamored with saying "Wow experiences". Golly, that's just silly.
December 12th, 2012 at 8:21 PM ^
That Harmon photo is one of my favorites. That was quite a coup by the photographer - I'm assuming they didn't have very fast shutter speeds back then. It's crystal-clear.
December 12th, 2012 at 9:58 PM ^
the funny thing about that picture, which almost no one ever notices:
Who is the opponent?
What type of helmet are they wearing?
December 13th, 2012 at 3:40 PM ^
It's Michigan State.
"Michigan State had adopted its version of a "winged helmet" several years earlier. Tom Harmon, shown here in the 1939 game, breaks away from several Spartans wearing a different model of Spalding's wing design. The Spartans wore several models of the Spalding winged helmet until 1948 when they joined the Big Ten and adopted a different style helmet."
http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/helmet/mhelmet.htm
December 13th, 2012 at 12:24 PM ^
It is one of the best football action photographs out there. Harmon's eyes looking upfield are the first thing you notice, and are amazing enough, but look at how his teammates (Quarterback #69 Forest Evashevski, right tackle #58 Reuben Kelto and center #66 Don Ingalls) have all turned to watch him run. Harmon's left hand warding off his tackler. The real grass under his feet. The fans in the background. You can practically see the colors, even though it's in black and white.
December 12th, 2012 at 9:25 PM ^
A side note.... does anyone know who we were playing when that photo was taken? They have a similar helmet design to ours. Looks like it may have been Purdue (?).
December 12th, 2012 at 9:31 PM ^
December 13th, 2012 at 12:38 AM ^
December 13th, 2012 at 7:18 AM ^
IIRC, the wings were part of the basic padding structure of the Spaulding helmet. Crisler's innovation was more the three stripes.
December 12th, 2012 at 9:44 PM ^
Whether you agree with the whole Legends jersey concept or not, the big question I have is, who is deserving to wear Harmon's jersey? Like others have said, this is not meant to be disrespectful to the current players, but it's more about showing respect for the greatness of Tom Harmon. Maybe hold off a few years on giving his number out until we have somebody who's CLOSE to being mentioned in the same sentence as Tom Harmon. Denard was probably the closest thing to a match, but obviously he's gone now.
DG or Funch would have to really light it up next year, to even be a consideration. The timing works for DB's marketing purposes, but it doesn't really work with the talent on the field. IMO
December 12th, 2012 at 9:51 PM ^
December 12th, 2012 at 11:05 PM ^
Lewan #98?
December 12th, 2012 at 11:12 PM ^
What positions are even eligible to wear the number?
Give it to Matt Wile and have him K, P, play QB, HB and DE.
December 13th, 2012 at 3:02 AM ^
Devin Gardner will wear #98. You heard it here first folks.
December 13th, 2012 at 9:07 AM ^
That is just an example of why this "Legends" patch malarkey is a sham. Gardner will have played, what, 5-6 full games by the time this game rolls around and you want him to be anointed as a Michigan "Legend" in the same category as Tom Harmon? I'm not disparaging Mr. Gardner, but it is remarkably premature to be stating he is even near the status of Tom Harmon.
~Herm
December 13th, 2012 at 9:20 AM ^
Oh I completely disagree. In terms of his impact to the team, his national stature and his overall importance to the University as a whole I think Devin has eclipsed Tom what'shisname (whoever he was) by a long shot. I cant believe we're even having this conversation what with the game he had against Minnesota and all.
#thehermshtickisgettingrealoldrdt
December 13th, 2012 at 9:36 AM ^
December 13th, 2012 at 10:36 AM ^
Why does the man who holds the highest position in our athletic department need to be told that WOW moments are not something you manufacture? They just happen. We don't need to try so hard to artificially make something that happens on its own in our stadium every year.
I told DB to get off my lawn, again. So he offered to buy it.
December 13th, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^
and the next morning I woke up with the head of a dead squirrel in bed next to me.
December 13th, 2012 at 4:29 PM ^
Did he make you an offer you could not refuse?
December 13th, 2012 at 10:42 AM ^
You people are seriously the biggest bunch of grumpy old men I have ever encountered on the internet.
It's a miracle you all could figure out how to use your grandson's computer well enough to even post.
Brandon could announce.... anything. Anything at all and you people would complain.
December 13th, 2012 at 11:04 AM ^
That might be true. Or it might be true that some of us on here have experienced tons of wow moments that were purely spontaneous, and know the difference. Some on here might remember decades of Michigan football tradition that arrived on its own because of what it inherrently was. Not because it was managed, scripted, sculpted, produced, put in front of a test group, and then stuffed in your face. Michigan football tradition is genuine because it is the opposite of those things. I'm not an old guy, but the artificial base of this type of stuff pisses me off because it is so fake and so unnecessary.
December 13th, 2012 at 11:46 AM ^
What makes you so angry about seeing a game at night and honoring Harmon?
December 13th, 2012 at 12:53 PM ^
I've got nothing against night games.... love 'em. UTL the First was awesome....but more because of the spontaneuous things that happened on the football field than for anything else. I've got nothing against honoring Tom Harmon....Michigan football icon, appropriate to honor him. My own opinion is having no one wear his jersey number ever again is more of an honor to Harmon. Letting someone wear the number is more an honor to whoever gets to wear it.
What makes me angry is the mentality behind this statement:
We have more in store for this game than the initial night game and will work hard to create many WOW moments.
How could anything scripted ever qualify as "more in store" than the way UTL 1 unfolded on its own? And working hard to create wow moments is just plain working too hard. Those things happen on their own, or they don't. I understand traditions evolve. I have no problem with that when the evolution is organic.
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