HOLIDAY META: The Gift Of MGoBlog

Submitted by LSAClassOf2000 on

THE GIFT OF MGOBLOG

Another Christmas is upon us and I thought it might be a good time to reflect on this gift provided to us on the Internet because it has been especially useful in what has been a rather trying year for the MGoCommunity.

Like every year, win or lose, we gather here and discuss what we saw, what it means going forward and how it might be improved. We even do it in the full realization that what we say has no bearing on what occurs on the field, on the court or wherever, but we share all the same because we want our community to know how we feel.

It isn’t just having a forum for posting our thoughts that makes this place a gift, but also that those thoughts generate discussion and the standards of the blog create a situation where, in many cases, we have the potential to end up better fans or more informed fans as a result. Granted, there are threads where this is difficult if not impossible, but even in those threads, you can still find opportunities to learn and grow because you have people that will redirect the discussion or answer questions honestly. This is a very well-informed community and finding out things you may not have known about Michigan athletics is almost a daily exercise, even in the worst threads.

Part of the gift is the people who inhabit this blog as well. We cover a vast range of ages and occupations and more importantly for the blog, we represent a vast array of perspectives on Michigan and Michigan athletics. Some of us are in fact alums while many are not, but we have the common bond of passion for this school and for its teams. All of us want those teams to represent the school well and to be as excellent on the field as well as off of it. No matter the personal angle from which we approach all this, we meet in that common center.

One of the things that managed to help me get through one of the most frustrating football experiences in my mere 36 years on this planet was in fact this blog. Frustrated as I was by a team which so vastly underachieved, I came to MGoBlog as a fan – like I have for years now – to vent but also to talk about what I thought needed to happen. I tend to do that with numbers, but however you do it, we all wanted the same thing in the end. To tie that into the present, in the potential to land Jim Harbaugh, we see the things we discussed as missing, so we shall see how the next week pans out. I will say that this – if it happens – would not be a bad belated Christmas gift for the program at all.

It has been these last few weeks since the dismissal of Brady Hoke that have made me realize just how special this place can be, oddly enough. I will never celebrate anyone losing their job, but the sheer volume of content that the resulting uncertainty produced servers as proof positive that those who claimed to be numb or indifferent during the season really weren’t entirely truthful, and that’s a good thing. What all this has shown is that we do in fact care, we want success and the fact that we came within inches of posting profiles of NAIA coaches shows how deeply we care about the future of football. I don’t doubt we would do the same thing for other sports, but football is a convenient example of the enormity of this community’s concern for Michigan and its willingness – in whatever capacity it can – to help.

That there is a forum for all this where highly engaged fans can meet, share knowledge and perspectives, but more importantly, improve knowledge and allow the opportunity to walk away with a more rounded perspective…that’s what makes MGoBlog an infinitely useful gift for Michigan fans. Personally, I am glad to participate both as a user and moderator where I can and I can only hope that people find my own contributions as entertaining or illuminating as I often find those of others. Here is to a better 2015.

Happy holidays, MGoCommunity.

-LSAClassOf2000

Comments

klctlc

December 24th, 2014 at 11:47 AM ^

To the great contributors we have.  Brian (more than contributor), Ace, Seth, Alex and BiSB.  Sorry for leaving others off.

The quality of info, writing and flat out awesomness of your posts is second to none.  Plus having the same M bias as the rest of us makes it even better.

Thank you for helping ease the pain. I can't imagine what this blog would have been like in 1997, but maybe after next Sunday, I can dream?

 

Happy Holidays and continued progress to Ace!

k.o.k.Law

December 24th, 2014 at 11:48 AM ^

are great things.

I love the intellectual level of this blog, which reinforces my UM arrogance.

and, nice to know I am not the only fanatic concerned with the UM sports issues so articulately discussd and eloquently expressed herein

You Only Live Twice

December 24th, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^

this present that we users get to enjoy year round.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to the MGoBlog cast of characters, writers, commenters, and all!

Cranky Dave

December 24th, 2014 at 10:26 PM ^

I am not an alum but grew up in Michigan and started following UM football when I was 5. Living in the south for the past 25 years I don't run into many alums or even others who are just fans. MGoBlog has gotten me more connected to the football program than ever. My wife calls MGoBlog an obsession or addiction but I point out that this vice is much better than the alternatives.

Thanks to Brian, the mods, regular contributors and everyone else on here for keeping me away from more dangerous addictions!

Blue Ninja

December 25th, 2014 at 11:05 AM ^

Grew up in western Michigan surrounded by MSU fans, became a UM fan in 1986, my first year in college in of all places Tennessee. Now live in Cincinnati and while I'm sure to see far more UM fans here than you do it does seem to be far and few between what with all the bandwagon Buckeye fans.

I became a part of the UM online community after watching the 2005 Alamo Bowl game, it's when I decided I had reached my limit with Coach Carr. So I went searching for a website to vent my frustration, found one but after a couple of years felt it was a place just to argue in rather than learn. So the search began once again and I found my new home, MGoBlog. Thanks to Brian and all the other great contributors. Your inside info, game breakdowns, recruiting updates and all the other various tidbits are worth their weight in gold. You are appreciated more than you can know.

MGoGrendel

December 25th, 2014 at 11:36 AM ^

Not only do we come here to vent and suggest improvements, we act! Brandon and his cronies are gone, in no small part to the actions here. He will land somewhere else, but I am happy he lost his job here.

Happy New Year!

Carolina Wolverine

December 25th, 2014 at 2:35 PM ^

I'm new to mgoblog. I've been here less than a month. I add a little opinion, but I'm not going to have inside info. As a Michigan fan in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, there is almost no coverage of Michigan and the B1G. Don't have access to the B1G network either. ESPN is pretty much my Michigan lifeline...until now. I don't know any of you guys, but I'm learning who is who and which sources of information are most reliable. Until IT happens, hanging out here has been the best part of the offseason.

UmichFord

December 25th, 2014 at 9:38 PM ^

Nice post. I like to think the MGoCommunity did have something to do with the resignation of Brandon, though. I think the Brandon protest (which had MGoFingerprints all over it) had a huge impact on his resignation. Happy holidays everybody! 

BlueinOK

December 26th, 2014 at 12:00 PM ^

I love this place. I started following the blog during the Rich Rod search. I was hooked. It's the best place for anything Michigan football. Thanks to everyone who makes this place so awesome.