I’m back for another year of crude analogies, meandering personal anecdotes, stone cold takes, and cocktails of varying quality.  As always thanks for reading in year 4!! And your comments

Michigan is coming off back-to-back Big Ten titles and playoff appearances, so all is good in the land of Michigan media.  But being in the the negative Michigan fandom, Let’s talk about the TCU game.

I’ve read plenty of post-facto commentary where the main census is that it didn’t matter since we wouldn’t have beat Georgia.

This is of course self-soothing garbage. 

This game was the weirdest Michigan game from start to finish since the 2003 Oregon game.  (With all due respect to the Alamo Bowl).   In that game, Michigan led 6-0 after the 1st quarter with 56 seconds of possession on a blocked FG and TD after a 9 minute Oregon drive.  Missed extra point, fumble on fake punt, punt return td, blocked punt TD etc.

This game reminded me of that game because it never became a normal game.  From the failed Philly special until the end, it was chaos game.  The problem was TCU was Bane and we were not even Batman.  We were Alfred with only 1 close game in 12. 

All the huge play swings led us to play a Big 12 game.  Sure, those games are fun to watch, the crazy point swings the high-flying offenses.  I did not like watching this one.  We played a Big 12 ass game and got a Big 12 ass result.

The Philly Special was horrible in concept, in preparation, misread, and executed horribly.  A complete failure from stem to stern.  My biggest problem with it was that in gave the TCU defensive front line unnecessary confidence.  It signaled to them that our back-to-back Joe Moore winning offensive line could not get a yard.  Worse, Michigan did not have confidence in themselves that they could get a yard.

The game had to chance to be come normalized, but one of the most egregious overturns in history.  You know it, I know it, TCU knows it.  People love just to add the 7 points and go well Michigan would have won.  I will not say that, but that overturn completely changed how the rest of the game was played.

That call stands and the game is 14-10 and the game should have turned in a normal game, where the offense doesn’t need to score every series to make up the 21-3 deficit and Minter doesn’t play high variance defense trying to get turnovers and stops.

The review was maddening live and incomprehensible.  It’s as if the review booth saw the but down on the 1 and Wilson touching the ball and went yeah there’s the spot.  Only problem, he hadn’t secured the ball yet.

In the last 5 years, between NFL and college I don’t know what a catch is.  The problem is the review guys  don’t know either.  But I know for a fact, if the ball would have popped out at the point pictured, not football fan on Earth who would call it a catch.  Ok maybe 1. 

                      Too Soon? 

The Wrecked Pirate

The East Carolina Pirates give us a chance to jump in the Rum Punches again.  At the beginning of the football season, I’m always trying to hold onto the last remainders of summer.  Looking like 90 degree weather for the weekend, I’ll be in the pool

In the 50’s and 60’s post WWII, the Tiki and tropical drink scene exploded as servicemen returned to the states.  Now it’s back been in vogue as retro. 

Here’s something you can make 1  drink or 8.  So Ill scale the amounts for ease of use.

Ingredients

1 oz cranberry juice cocktail (8oz)
1 oz  orange juice  chilled (8oz)
1 oz Pineapple juice   (8 oz)
.5 oz  dark rum   (4 oz)
.5 oz  white rum  (4 oz)
.25 oz amaretto  (2 oz)

Pineapple slices and 2 cherries

In your cocktail shaker or pitcher put all ingredients in.  Stir to mix .   Pour over crushed ice.  Add your pineapple slice with cherries.  Or throw all ingredients into a pitcher and stir.  

Mgo Salut !  Please like my new screenname in the comments.  I have again used up my file space so need to make a new account.  I need the points to post a diary next week mbrummer3