Unverified Voracity Says Nice Unfinished Hotel

... of more suck from Saturday.

THE BAND WAS AWFUL!!!!

Couldnt hear them most of the game - though we got a good dose of the PSU band over in the southwest corner. Couldnt hear them during most of the halftime show and what we did hear was like "what is this supposed to be?".

Seriously, someone mic the band please?!!?!?!?!?!

The rawk music wasn't the best, but at least I could hear that and it seemed to pump folks up; certainly more than the Michgan Somnambulistic Band seemed to.

Very very sad about this. The real insult was when the domer next to me remarked on how bad our band has become. Ouch.

Why did the creativity of the MMB die this year? Literally the most interesting thing they've done this year was the Van Halen symbol thing during the State halftime show.

statistics are horrible. It would be interesting to know how many of the 'in the pocket' plays are by design or caused by pressure, and same with the out of pocket plays (I'm guessing that a good majority of the out of pocket plays are not by design but more due to Tate's ability to pass on the scramble?)

MMB had a 3 day week last week due to fall break.

PSU's band is not good, don't confuse that point. There are other great bands in the Big Ten, but PSU has never impressed me, they play Zombie Nation and Seven Nation army over and over and seem to lack any discernible tradition.

After seeing those stats we need to roll him out as much as possible.

A quick command F yields that USC is the all time champ with 14 belts. M appears tied with Alabama and Notre Dame

I guess it must be a snapshot in front of Memorial Stadium, but... is that really the best view they've got of the place? It was built 80+ years ago, and they just renovated it. There must be some kind of archway or gargoyle or place-to-take-a-picture-when-your-folks-are-in-town to stand in front of.

I know he would never say anything negative about Bo. But I wonder if he wasn't real happy about Bo hanging around practice when he was head coach.

"I did not want to be a coach who's at practice and hanging around and answering questions from the media about what I saw. I didn't think that was good for Rich or our program."

The traveling trophy concept is quite cool. It really shows how dominant Miami (YTM) and USC were at the beginning of this decade.

at the Freep screen grab for 10 minutes.

What am I missing?

So that guys head is the size of a cabbage patch dolls or is that a novelty helmet?

1.) When someone with as good of seats as our fearless MGoLeader complains about not being able to hear the band, then you know something is amiss. Been saying ever since I began participating in this community three years ago, but we cant hear the band. Bring on the RAWK music, at least we can hear it and it keeps folks in our section on their toes and more into the game.

2.) Say what you will, but the PSU band kept their fans entertained and I was entertained by them as well. For example, when they did the 'Hey Baby' song, we all got involved. Note to MMB: It is not a good thing when the other team's band gets the home fans more into the game than you do.

3.) To the new Illini QB: Please dont be Siller, please dont be Siller, please dont be Siller.

4.) Thanks for the link to that BSD piece. I have said it many times, both on the podcast and in diaries and comments, that I thought a storyline of the season was improved Big 10 QB play. Finally some evidence to back that up, other than my eyes and my amatuerish arm chair QBing.

5.) The NCAA "probe" wont amount to a hill of beans. Yesterday's announcement is boiler plate stuff. There is no need to lose sleep over it, although it is annoying to see it in the news again.

6.) The Lloyd comments. I never bought for a second that he was against Rich and the program. Stated my case many times. It's funny, but these comments likely wont quell those who hate Carr and think that somehow he is behind a conspiracy. They're already using opinions disguised as facts and truth. Why will this stop them?

One of the cool things about the trophy belt thing is that is has bounced around the country almost evenly. It started with the Ivies and military teams, obviously, then went to Syracuse then Michigan, when we literally the Champions of the West (1918). Since then, the title has bounced around from the Big Ten, SEC, Pac-10, and Big 12 teams. USC seems to almost always win it in the Rose Bowl from a Big Ten team.

I think this was the most interesting sequence: we won in the '81 Rose Bowl, lost to Wisconsin in the first game of the season, then eventually won it back later that season, only to lose it to OSU.

If you're sitting in the southwest corner, what's easier to hear? 300 musicians pointed straight at you sitting around 40 yards away, or 300 musicians pointed away from you sitting 100 yards away? There's a reason you can't hear the MMB--they are farther away and not pointed at you. The PSU Band was closer and pointed straight at you. It' the same reason that from the northwest corner, I couldn't hear a single note the PSU band played. They were 100 yards away and not pointed at me. Simple.

The halftime show was a result of Fall Break. The University was off Monday and Tuesday and with a home game the previous week, the MMB had 3 days to put something on the field. To solve this issue, the directors decided to resurrect a halftime show from 1957 that was composed by UM band program legend Jerry Bilik (he wrote M Fanfare, Temptation, Hawiian War Chant and other things). The drill was simplified so it could be easily learned and cleaned in only three days and the decision was made to play to the corners of the stadium--hence you cou could only hear 1/4 of it if you sit near a corner; you heard the 1/4 of the show when the band was pointed at you. The show was comprised of various arrangements of The Victors in different time periods--the first was a 1950s rock version, the second song was a 1930s/1940s big band jazz version, the third what a 1920s Charleston version, and the final was an "Ancient Roman" version based on Respighi's "The Pines of Rome."

Most college bands don't play a new show every home game, but rather they do 2 or 3 and thus play the same show multiple weeks in a row. The MMB was put in a particularly tough position and to shit all over them is disrespectful and uncalled for. Does any other fanbase go after its band like this one does? This is why we can't have nice things.

The MMB had only three days (4.5 hours of rehearsal time to learn music and drill) to put a show on the field due to fall break, and I promise you the last two shows of the year will have more intricacy and entertainment value.

I'm sorry you are disappointed, and I assure you that the MMB works hard everyday to try to put together a NEW show for every home game. Many colleges repeat shows throughout the year (or have only 4-5 home games). We are blessed with 8 home games at the Big House this year and the MMB has taken on the challenge to put on a new show every week. I can't think of one other band in the country who has to do eight new shows.

The members of the MMB are PAYING students, not scholarship athletes. (I believe it's still a class through the School of Music, so those kids have to PAY to be out there). I would guess that the vast majority of them came to U-M to be in the Michigan Band and perpetuate its great tradition, just like the athletes.

And if the athletes enjoy great careers at U-M, some of them can look forward to highly lucrative careers playing their sport. Even the greatest marching band member in the world will ever receive a cent for his/her efforts out there. This is it for them. I know I rarely touched my trumpet after graduating. What could top playing in 5 bowl games, marching in the Tournament of Roses, and travelling to 4 NCAA basketball tournaments.

When coaches fail to put the players in a position to be successful, they are criticized along with the players. BUT, how much more influence does a U-M football player have over his individual success on the field than a marching band member? A helluva lot.

Long way around, the kids in the MMB work hard. They sweat, they hurt, they run and they PAY for the chance to perform in Michigan Stadium. And for what? For Michigan. For the love of it. Certainly not for an ungrateful public that knows little (or nothing) about what goes in to what they do.

I think criticism of the MMB needs to be directed at its leadership, the director, the School of Music and, to an extend the Athletic Department. Those are the people that need to put these kids in a position to succeed.

If you've got issues with the Band, direct them where they will do some good. To say "the Band fucking sucks" just shows your own ignorance. Save it.

(/rant)