Michigan Arrogance Quantified Once Again

Submitted by Michigan Arrogance on

So I was scanning my feed reader and I clicked on a MSC post that referenced a BTN list of B10 athletes competing in Beijing. Feel free to count for yourselves, but I wouldn't even bother. Michigan athletes make up about 40-45% of B10 representatives. M has more than 25 athletes in China. Second place comes in at 7 athletes. My question: Does this Michigan dominance justify in any way the arrogance of Michgan fans? Or does it just perpetuate the falsehood? Maybe the answer depends on what school you went or what state you grew up in or what team you follow. Maybe it depends on if you went to Michigan or not. Here's what I think: Michigan, more than any other university in the B10 and perhaps the nation, attracts the cream of the crop. Not only athletically, but academically. There are only a handful of institutions that exceed Michigan's academics in most fields. Only a handful exceed Michigan athletically in most sports. Exceed Michigan in both? At most, one: Stanford. So does this list justify my arrogance as a Michgan fan & alum? You bet your sweet arse it does, brah.*

 

*speaking of brah, where are the Aggies on that list?

Comments

jamiemac

July 31st, 2008 at 12:08 PM ^

I do know that with all the Domers and tosu folks I work and hang out with around here that I am very quick to point out Michael Phelps' connection to UM. Also, cant remember her name, but the only member of our women's water polo (which is a strong gold medal contender) team who is not from a California school wore the Maize and Blue in her college playing days.

chitownblue (not verified)

July 31st, 2008 at 12:14 PM ^

I wonder if the "cream of the crop" would really need to scan the internet with such intensity in an attempt to stoke their ego. It's great that there are so many Michigan atheletes in the Olympics. It won't make me think I'm better than others.

West Texas Blue

July 31st, 2008 at 12:20 PM ^

The biggest reason why I chose to attend Michigan was that it excelled in both academics and athletics. The school is top 25 in the nation, and Michigan's football program is one of the best programs of all time. No other school has a balance like we have. I'm quite proud of this fact.

I talk trash to friends who chose places with high academics and no athletics, and I talk trash to friends who chose places with high athletics and no academics. Both groups missed out on something special, especially the high athletics group, as their jobs suck now.

chitownblue (not verified)

July 31st, 2008 at 12:31 PM ^

You know, I cheer for Michigan football. Hard. Same with hoops, which is pretty quixotic. But the second I use Michigan football, basketball, hockey, what have you - which are institutions with which I have absolutely no association other than my occassional presence in the stands - in order to justify my "superiority" over any other human being who, in turn isn't associated with THEIR school's team...then I become pathetic.

WolvinLA

July 31st, 2008 at 12:46 PM ^

I agree with your point Chitown, but I think the Michigan arrogance doesn't really refer to each associated individual, but with the school as a whole.  I work with a guy who went to Northwest Missouri State (or something like that) and he's the most respected guy in my office, somehow.  Do I think I'm better than him because I went to Michigan?  No.  Do I think my college is superior to his?  Absolutely.

hat

July 31st, 2008 at 12:34 PM ^

Michigan arrogance needs no justification. One of the laws of sports fandom is that we must brag when the opportunity arises. Brag away this August.

Ninja Football

July 31st, 2008 at 12:42 PM ^

The thing that justifies my arrogance is that I'm awesome. Also, I'm better looking and more intelligent than you. The fact that I cheer for Michigan and went to school there is just a bonus for all of you, because without that you have the benefit of reading my posts.

RHammer - SNRE 98

July 31st, 2008 at 12:54 PM ^

There is nothing wrong with pride in the excellence of your institution, both academically and athletically, in collegiate, olympic, or professional endeavours. We are fortunate, as alumni/fans of the University, to have a lot to be proud of, and there is nothing wrong with that. HOWEVER, this pride is not the same as arrogance. For ease of reference, let us call upon Mr. Webster: Pride: "a reasonable or justifiable self-respect" Arrogance: "an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions"

chitownblue (not verified)

July 31st, 2008 at 12:56 PM ^

Agreed. I'm proud, by proxy, of our atheletes. I'd contend, RHammer, that the orginial post here swayed much further towards arrogance than pride.

RHammer - SNRE 98

August 1st, 2008 at 12:08 PM ^

yes.  the original post was more heavily weighted on the arrogance side...

to me, pride and humility are not mutually exclusive, and their combination is certainly preferable to arrogance... i think it is part of the culture of the university, and of the program, but it unfortunately is often either misunderstood by outsiders, or is occasionally (or habitually, depending on the person) disregarded by fellow wolverines, who take the arrogance train and run with it...

TeamDP

July 31st, 2008 at 1:30 PM ^

Also, UM would've had at least one more if Alan Webb didn't choke. Also, also, Jake Deitchler shouldn't count for Minnesota since he has yet to take a class or compete for the school.

J.W. Wells Co.

July 31st, 2008 at 2:19 PM ^

The fact that U-M has so many athletes participating in olympic sports (BTW, I totally won't be watching) is due in large part to the fact that the athletic department tells all of its coaches to recruit nationally. I believe it's the case that the U-M athletic department has the biggest tuition bill in the country, and it's not even close. The coaches go all over the country to get the best athletes, the athletes want to come because they see what a great school / sports program it is, those good athletes make the sports program even better, and coaches then have an easier time recruiting nationally. It's a big circle of awesomeness. But the circle wouldn't be so awesome if Bill Martin wasn't willing to be "dad" to hundreds of kids from all over the country who pay out-of-state tuition at one of the country's most expensive public schools.

It's not arrogance when you're the best; it's called honesty.

littlebrownjug

July 31st, 2008 at 2:24 PM ^

I agree with Dex that our success does not justify arrogance. There is no reason not to strive for excellence in both arenas (sports and school), but I think that we do not need to advertise how good we are. People know that students in Ann Arbor receive a wonderful education, and our record of excellence is universally known.

big gay heart

July 31st, 2008 at 3:58 PM ^

How does some guy throwing a javelin 6,000 miles away have anything to do with you? It's like being a really ugly dude who goes to college with a really good looking dude. Said good looking dude bangs hot chicks left and right, really ugly dude never bangs any chicks, and yet really ugly dude somehow feels proud and accomplished because he, by total chance, went to school with a really good looking dude.

dex

July 31st, 2008 at 4:57 PM ^

I once saw Michael Phelps at a house party, and we drank from the same keg, so therefore I am superior to Joe Sixpack who went to MSU. At some point in your life it's kinda necessary to carve your own identity and not rely on the accomplishments of 20somethings who wear maize and blue to validate your own awesomeness.

oriental andrew

July 31st, 2008 at 5:17 PM ^

both academically and athletically than all but maybe stanford is untrue.  Based on a very few select rankings alone, UCLA is our doppleganger out west.  Cal is right there (slightly higher ranked academics, slightly fewer DC points).  I will say, though, that there are very few schools that achieve such a high level in both arenas, particularly with regard to the "money" programs. 

School, USNWR undergrad rank, Directors cup rank

Michigan, 25, 3

UCLA, 25, 2

Cal, 21, 7

USC, 27, 13

Virginia, 23, 17

Notre Dame, 19, 21

UNC, 28, 14

Michigan Arrogance

July 31st, 2008 at 7:37 PM ^

1)It's not arrogance when you're the best; it's called honesty. 2)...justify my "superiority" over any other human being... 3)The thing that justifies my arrogance is that I'm awesome. 4)Do I think I'm better than him because I went to Michigan? No. Do I think my college is superior to his? Absolutely. 1)basically agree 2)agree... no one is a superior human being based on school attendance. but some degrees don't exactly carry the same weight. IOW, a degree from NW assigns automatic respect from square one. A degree from Generic State U? You gotta show me something, brah. 3)granted 4)can't agree any more w/ you. Also, the assertion that UM is better both academically and athletically than all but maybe stanford is untrue.... yes, but Stanford is the only school you can say is DEFINITELY quantitatively better than Michigan in sum.

 I'll get the new html tags down soon. the comments were easier in the old days under my old handle. certainly a good change overall tho.

 

The Barking Sp…

July 31st, 2008 at 9:43 PM ^

The only thing that gives a guy a right to be arrogant is to be reasonably good looking and up and packing a howitzer in your pants. Everything else a guy thinks he's cool for is a substitute for that. And much of what a really cool guy accomplishes can be attributed to said howitzer. In the end, you gotta get naked, and if you're laughed at, well, there goes your Michigan degree! Plus, you CAN take a howitzer to the grave.

Topher

August 1st, 2008 at 3:06 AM ^

I did not attend Michigan (blasphemy!), but went to a small technological university in New England, and then for grad school to a west coast university where a Michigan alum is now the head football coach. (Thus my love of UM through my alum parents is intact, not unseated by a D3 fandom or a football team that won 14 games in my four years in grad school.) A few weeks back my cousin chastised me for fronting the "credentials" of my graduate school. It took me a bit of self-reflection to realize I was doing nothing of the sort - she was just shrinking at every mention of the school as if she'd been made to feel small, when really it was just her reaction and not my action. If someone chooses to have an inferiority complex at the mere mention of a supposedly superior school, that in itself doesn't make anyone an arrogant bigshot - just like expecting winning and success doesn't make a fan base arrogant.

Wolverine Nation

August 1st, 2008 at 11:11 AM ^

The fact that many Olympic athletes attended UM makes me feel superior to those who did not attend the same school as top-notch athletes. How many athletes does MIT or Harvard have? LOL. Student-athletes like Mario Manningham are the reason why we are THE LEADERS AND BEST. Hail.

chitownblue (not verified)

August 1st, 2008 at 11:14 AM ^

I find it amusing when when people think themselves better than others based on the success of people they've never met.