Two Items, And Then Into The Breach

I had to sit through the game in a Columbus bar with 5 other M fans until halftime, then there were two of us. I proudly wore my gear, and I had a feeling the outcome wouldn't be good. But I cheered them on anyway, in enemy territory

Rosenberg is an RR hater? A critic, yes. A hater, no.

I am looking forward to seeing a careful and detailed analysis of this season by someone who is objective and knowledgeable. Any suggestions as to where one may be found?

The video is awesome.

Now, with that said. I couldn't agree more Brian. "You're either with us, or you're against us." That's a quote from a movie or TV show, or something to that effect, that I've seen before. I think it fits rather well in this situation.

Support your team. Get through seasons like this civilly. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Going through seasons like this are just going to make it more sweet when we get back to competing nationally like we should. I'll never bash my team. I may not be happy with their play, and I may not understand some of the coaching decisions, so I reserve the right to hold my own opinion, and express it.

The truth of the matter is, I've watched every minute of every game this year. We're 3-8. I still wear my gear. I still support my team. I made two 3+ hour road trips to watch them play (3.5 hours each way to Purdue & 7.5 hours each way to Ann Arbor for the Toledo game). This is what a fan is. Brian, you captured it perfectly. We can't turn on each other. I don't agree with Johnny's original post, and was pretty upset by it, but everyone deals with adversity differently. Maybe this is just his way. We've got to stick together. He's to beating the Bucks and for the season to come: GO BLUE!

and win today, I'd like to see peanut-butter-jelly-time up on the MGoBlog masthead for a week.

Thank you for this, Brian. This captures what I have been trying to convey to my 12-year-old son for a good part of this season, but much more eloquently than I could put it.

This rivalry flows through my son’s blood. My wife started having contractions when she was pregnant with him during the ’96 game. Consequently his birthday is always right around this game. He has watched every Buckeye game with me, but the hook was really set in 2006 when we totally got into the hype of the Game, and for the week before it we burned and smashed buckeye nuts while chanting “it’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine.” We ended up watching the 2006 Game with a bunch of Buckeye fans, and ultimately heard them chanting “O-H-I-O” in our frickin’ living room. For that alone, my son will always hate the Buckeyes.

He has taken all of the losses very hard this year and tomorrow will likely be particularly bad. I have repeatedly preached to him that, “You can’t get down on your team”—even when I’ve found myself struggling to stay positive. But this post reminded me why it’s important to stay positive and what the payoff will eventually be if we do. I made my son read the last four paragraphs of this post. After he did, he looked at me, nodded, and said, “I get it.”

This season has been hard, but when the victories do start coming, they will be so much sweeter because of it.

This second item is not only dead on, but is beutiful writing.
What is a fan? "Those guys suck!" "The team no longer exists!". I believe a fan wears the colours all season long, no matter what. Are we fair weather friends of the team?
Thanks for the fine article and sharing you experiance at the Penn State game.

I fully agree that: 1) fans should not stop rooting for their team when it has a bad season (as in, "Oh, those guys? They suck! I don't know what I was thinking following them..."), because that's just lame; and 2) that they should never, ever attack a coach or player personally. At the same time, a little venting when things go wrong is natural, and shouldn't be taken as a sign of being a "bad fan." Hey, if you're a hardcore fan, you SHOULD live and die a little with each game. Don't go ballistic at someone just because he/she happens to be upset because we lost.

This post 100% reflects my point of view toward my....point of view on the season. This is the kind of fan I am. Support the team through the tough times and you can enjoy the good times. Damn, it felt good in 2006 watching the Tigers go to the World Series.

I'm still waiting my reward with the Lions. Ha.

Get that kid suited up. We could use even more of that attitude on the field.

maybe we could give the kid in the video a DT scholarship

Of COURSE they don't read the blogs. However, the MSM DOES, and has then repeatedly questioned the coaches in the pressers this week about McGuffie, others leaving, etc.
It's not a huge deal. Just another negative, albeit minor, distraction for the staff that they shouldn't have to be dealing with.

And just so another rumor doesn't get started: the staff does NOT think Brandon Minor is a negative distraction ;-)

Or, er... Unto it.

Anyway, Henry V, Act 3, Scene 1:

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English.
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers that, like so many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument:
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

Like, was there really greyhound racing in 1415? Perhaps not, but the metaphor is apt... for McGuffie!

is epic win!

is that OC's kid??

Any day at a Michigan game has to be a good day! See you there! (In spirit if not in person).

Brian -
Who do you expect will be leaving after this year? No one truly important, I hope. It's things like that that scare me and make me want to pull hair out with pessimistic anticipation. Just want some thoughts.

excellence is good,
but solidarity is better!

Hail, hail!

give a crap about eveyone getting along and all that stuff, and the mindset of the fans, except when it starts to effect the team i root for, and i have no doubt that posts about how bad someone sucks, or how bad the coaches are etc etc, are making their way back to the people that do matter to me... and that makes me angry towards the people that i have been very civil too and around for this past year...

Go Blue.

Does this apply to pessimism as well? I still watch every game (except the first half tomorrow when I have to be on a %#@#ing bus) and swear profanely, but I'm very gloom and doom heading into each game. But I still want them to win every game, and I still think Rod was the right hire and have never said otherwise. I'm not sure what my point is, I guess I just want to know if I should feel guilty or not.

to be upset. Its OK to be pissed off. Its OK to be disappointed. But its not ok to talk shit about Michigan or our team.

GO BLUE!!!!! Go to Columbus give those bastards hell!

I am steadfast in my faith in RichRod. It was peanut butter jelly time when he got hired, and nothings changed. No coach (Not even Bo) could erase the lack of depth, experience, and problems at QB that have affected this team.

There is a silver lining in this black cloud - Mgoblog has never been better. The flames of adversity make the steel stronger, or something like dat.

making fun of your team and then suddenly cheering for them makes you look like a dick. i've done it when i was younger (i.e. teenage years) and i'm glad i've changed. The Lions is one thing. They've given me no reason to hold faith. Michigan is another thing. Rich Rodriguez has NOT forgotten how to coach since 2007 (despite what some asshole on youtube has told me). He IS a good coach. This team perceived talent coming in was greatly exaggerated by the fanbase (what fans don't do this?) and the players aren't right at all for this system. But you can't see there and tell me that this team isn't 5 times better than it was 3 months ago. The offensive line actually has some small small glimmer of hope. The running game is starting to work. The D-line was awesome. The linebackers have gotten better, though they could stand to improve more. Brian, you were right about the safeties. They WILL trend up. I'm very confident of this. Whether it's Mike Williams, Justin Turner (unless he plays corner?), Mike Jones (who?) Mike Jones, or I. Bell (unless one or both are at linebacker), and most importantly...MARVIN ROBINSON. He will be a Wolverine. I am very confident of this. Guys, be patient. Listen to Brian's advice on how to root for the team. Stay the course. It will make it much sweeter in the end. Just ask any Tigers fan (like myself, who watched almost every inning from the age of 8 in 1995 up through 2005) how 2006 felt. It was INCREDIBLE. That's how Michigan 2010 or 2011 will feel. Of this, I am confident. GO BLUE!

I win???

Bouje>>> Brian :-p

I <3 you Brian :-p