THERE IS A FLAG ON THE PLAY

CLICK HERE TO SEE VOLUME ONE AT FULL SIZE AND ADDITIONAL CONTENT

I'm very excited to unveil the first edition of THE BLOCKHAMS™, my new ongoing online comic strip featuring the illustrated exploits of a maize and blue family.  As I've previously mentioned, THE BLOCKHAMS™ will run every Tuesday here on MGoBlog and every Thursday at its official home page at www.theblockhams.com

If you like what you see, be sure to visit the site to learn more about the cast and the premise of the strip itself, and bookmark it before you leave.  As always, be sure to check out the site's awesome sponsors as well.  And The Blockhams are also on Twitter at @theblockhams so be sure to follow to receive updates whenever a new strip publishes.

Finally, after some deliberation before Christmas I've chose to 'out' myself here on the blog, simply because this is my creation and I'm too proud of it to hide behind a user name and risk someone else claiming ownership.  This strip will run for the foreseeable future and I wanted to do it right.  So there it is, here I am, please respect the decision, etc.

BONUS STRIP!
Finally, as a gift on the official launch date of the series, I've decided to run a second strip that will publish later this afternoon on THE BLOCKHAMS™ home page.  If you like what you've seen, be sure to check back later today at http://www.theblockhams.com for a look at what Christmas was like in the Blockhams home this year.

Thanks everyone and GO BLUE TONIGHT!!!

THE BLOCKHAMS ARE COMING.

THE BLOCKHAMS™ is an online comic strip devoted to the life and culture of Michigan fans, as told in the adventures of one multi-generational family and their loyalty to the maize and blue.

Created by soon-to-be outed MGoBlog user "Six Zero," THE BLOCKHAMS™ is to be an ongoing series, with two editions published per week.  Every Tuesday it will run on the pages of www.mgoblog.com, the web's premiere Michigan athletics blog and information portal; and every Thursday will see a new strip on the site's own domain, www.theblockhams.com.  For the sake of archiving and full catalog reading, each Tuesday strip will also be posted on the official site as well.

Despite previously teasing a January 1st start date, series creator Six Zero has opted to hold the series launch until January 3rd, the date of the team's actual bowl game and pending destruction of the Virginia Tech Hokies.  As such, www.theblockhams.com will not be activated until its official launch date.

Although the surname 'Blockham' is obviously a not-so-subtle reference to the familiar 'Block M' brand that represents Ann Arbor's exceptional institution, the series is not affiliated in any way with the University of Michigan and/or its athletic department. The series' creator invites anyone to pronounce the name "Blockham" however they would like, but he phonetically says it as "BLOCK-ums."

At its best, THE BLOCKHAMS™ will be a fun distraction to anyone who loves comics, but it should certainly be understood that the series is a strip about Michigan sports for Michigan fans created by a Michigan fan.  There will be inside jokes, obscure trivia and references, and even the occasional criticism.  And it will show little mercy to Sparty and Ohio.

For more information on the upcoming release of  THE BLOCKHAMS™, please keep a close eye on www.mgoblog.com posts by Six Zero.  Business partners interested in advertising opportunities should express an interest on related posts, and further arrangements will be made for direct contact.

THE BLOCKHAMS™ arrive on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Go Blue!

Six Zero here, proud to announce the glorious return of…

This feature highlights some of the more famous personalities here at MGoBlog
and beyond.  Without pulling back the infamous veil of blog anonymity, we’ll get
to know some of your favorite posters better and possibly shed some light on
their definition of why it’s so darn Great, To Be, A Michigan Wolverine.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF MGOPROFILE
(Scroll down to the MGoProfile section of the User-Curated HOF).

And now, my friends, I give you…

Man.  Myth.  Legend.  Lloyd Brady.

I submit to you a young man, a seemingly random spectator who-- through no machinations of his own, mind you—found himself thrust into the spotlight of MGoBlog and beyond.  Doing a simple search on MGoBlog doesn’t quite do it justice; this guy registers prominently on the search engine of your choice. The phenomenon now known as “Lloyd Brady” has, for better or worse, become a part of the common lexicon of the site and the fan base as a whole, and for all we know may go down in history with the jingling of keys and the term ‘Little Brother’ as part of the fabric of traditions that is Michigan football.

This week I was able to get in touch with arguably the most famous fan of the Michigan Wolverines, and rest assured, this is indeed legitimate.  It’s my pleasure to bring you this MGoBlog exclusive interview with the one and only Lloyd Brady:

1.    So first and foremost, in your own words—who or what is ‘Lloyd Brady?’
Lloyd Brady started as someone’s description of my appearances, but has kind of evolved into something more than what I look like. It has become me, kind of, as in that’s how people recognize me and people that recognize me as Lloyd Brady probably don’t know my real name so it’s me as two people in a sense.

Like, in a Bruce Wayne/Batman kinda way?
It’s hard to explain. But, when people see me and my expressions, it’s usually how they feel as well, I think. For example, last year at the Penn State game I was on TV with kind of a depressed look as we were losing and it seemed likely we were going to lose. People posted pictures and comment “This is how I feel,” and other things like that. Then, at another game that we won, I was captured on television with a huge smile and people were posting, “if Lloyd Brady is happy, Michigan must be winning”. So Lloyd Brady is me, but is also a representation of Michigan, and a feeling or sensation. I think that there is some Lloyd Brady in every Michigan fan, but I have become the representative figure of them all I guess.

Yes.  You are the embodiment of Michigan Men everywhere.  Whatever Lloyd Brady is feeling during any given play, we’re probably experiencing the same thing.  And yet, none of uscan possibly imagine what it was like to be caught in the center of this phenomenon.  Can you describe what it’s like to, well, be ‘Lloyd Brady?’
It is interesting. I didn’t really like it at first because it seemed a little weird seeing my picture and people making comments, but have learned to accept it and enjoy it now. It makes me happy to make other people happy and if meeting me or seeing me enhances someone’s Michigan experience, I guess that is what I like most about it. There are threads that people post their stories about seeing me on TV and telling their wives and kids, and now they look for me as well. It is just crazy how much attention it has gotten. I have progressed to a point that if it makes people happy, then that’s probably a good thing.

2.    I’m sure we can all remember the day or at least week* when this whole thing broke.  How did you find out about it?
I found out for myself actually when I was looking through MGoBlog after the game and clicked on the original Lloyd Brady thread and it was “woah, that’s me!”

As someone who wrote a little piece called “WifeDay,” I know what it’s like to have something blow up around here and grow beyond your control.  At what point did you realize how big Lloyd Brady had truly become? Was there a point where you just threw in the towel and learned to live with it?
When did I realize?  The Photoshop thread.  I never denied it, it was just I think I took it the wrong way to start.  It started as poking fun which I didn’t enjoy too much, but now it is completely different and I think I accepted it when Brian threw out something about it on the main page that he showed his support for me and that it was a good thing, not a bad thing.

Yeah, I think an epic 386-response thread would be hard to ignore.  So you’re a reader of MGoBlog, then?  After all this, I don’t think anyone would blame you if you boycotted us for the rest of your life.  What are your thoughts on the site?
I have been a fan of MGoBlog before this started even. I love the breakdowns of Michigan sports and besides, the MGoBoard isn’t always just Michigan related threads; there’s others that keep me up to date on other sports related news as well.

I agree—even popular culture and news (like this summer’s northeastern earthquake, personally) has a way of breaking on MGoBlog for the loyal readers.  So now we know, people—when Lloyd Brady needs an update on the Red Wings score, you know where he turns.

3.    Does the ‘Lloyd Brady’ meme exist only as an online entity, or is it alive and well on campus also? And how has it affected you on a personal level in real life?
Lloyd Brady started online, but there are people behind all those computers and many of them attend the University of Michigan (a lot of them go here) or attend football games or some of the other sports. Yes, it is on campus, I take pictures with people at parties, bars, games. On a personal level I don’t think it has changed me much; I don’t go and exploit it and say, like, “I’m Lloyd Brady” and try and get free shots at the bar or anything. I’ve had it happen, and it’s fun to see someone on campus that recognizes me: it usually leads to a conversation of Michigan sports which I am always up for talking about. Last year, people were calling out to me or taking pictures at the Gator Bowl. It also comes up at the basketball games, hockey games, etc…

Last week while at work one of my co-workers told me he was in California for the Ohio game and said at the bar he saw me on TV and some other random person at the bar yells “Lloyd Brady!” which is crazy to think about I think.

4.    Yes.  You are a national ambassador for the fan base and arguably one of our biggest fans.  What is gameday like for the student section’s most popular face?
Gamedays. If you ask my roommates they may hate me, but I make sure they are up and ready to go. Usually for noon games I’m not allowed to wake them up until 7 am. And later games, 9 am. On gamedays, I naturally wake up around 6 or 7 ready to go. Shower, wake people up, then go and tailgate for a while. Tailgating at Michigan is extremely different than any other campus I’ve visited. I enjoy the campus atmosphere during gamedays a lot. After some tailgating, it’s time to go to the game, usually a little earlier than other students.

Especially for you.  I’m sure there’s pictures to pose for, autographs to sign, babies to kiss.  What’s your secret for getting so much screen time?
I’m not sure there really is a secret, I just go be myself and enjoy the games as much as possible cheering, celebrating, doing things simply. I don’t dress up, bring signs or do anything real extreme to get on TV. I guess it’s just location and it’s a lot easier to pick me out I guess because people are looking for me.

That’s true.  Let’s see a show of hands out there—as soon as ESPN cuts to the student section, who doesn’t start scanning the crowd to see if you can pick out our boy Lloyd?

5.  Let’s talk more specifically about the student section.  And, well, Denard.  You’ll be forever immortalized celebrating with him on the wall on national television after the UConn game last year.  Tell us about that moment.
It was the first game of the season. We had some hype going into the season and didn’t really know what to expect since it was about time for Rich Rod’s offense to finally take effect. Denard came out strong and Michigan won, and everyone was excited for the time being as how things were going. After the game, the players came running over and Denard jumped up into the crowd, and then the moment that was captured was me pulling him up into the crowd. And with the angle the photo catches me at, I do look like a mix between Tom Brady and Lloyd Christmas. I was the starting QB for our state championship high school team, and back then people were referencing the “Tom Brady” look-alike appearance… but the Lloyd Christmas was definitely something new.

A former athlete, and now you’re obviously a UM student.  One day you’ll graduate and be on the job hunt.  What would you do if the ‘Lloyd Brady’ thing came up in a job interview?
If it ever came up in a job interview-- I would actually think of showing someone in an interview maybe, give them something easy to remember me by. But, if someone else brought it up, I think I would be excited and shocked. It would give me a larger perspective to how big Lloyd Brady is known and also how many people read MGoBlog.

6.    And you will forever be a part of its lore. Can you explain why you are a Michigan fan?
I was born and raised to be a Michigan fan. I have been attending games since I was 2 years old. As a child I had a Michigan helmet and played one on one tackle football against my dad and somehow won every game on some dramatic play. My sister’s first words were “Bo Schembechler;” she used to pretend to be on the phone and when you would ask her who she was talking to she would respond, “Bo Schembechler.” I actually did some volunteer work with Bo during a cancer drive for former Wolverine Tom Slade. I’ve never thought of switching loyalties or ever considered being a Spartan. When applying for college, I received my MSU packet in the mail, my parents were excited for me (well, maybe not my dad because he bleeds maize and blue).  But when they handed it to me, but I didn’t even open it; instead I said “Great, I’ll go to Arizona if I don’t get into Michigan.”

Arizona?  I bet that’s much more ironic now than it was, say a month ago.  Finally, who is Lloyd Brady’s all-time favorite Wolverine?
Lamarr Woodley.  I’ve followed him for a long, long time and it was great to see him excel at Michigan and beyond. He was a great defensive linemen and super-exciting to watch since you knew he could always get to the quarterback on every play. That whole defensive line, though, with Woodley, Branch, Watson, and Jamison, was one of the greatest D-line groups in Michigan history. Also, I guess it would make total sense if I included Tom Brady on that list as well. There are so many people that I could list … and Bo would be right up there too.

Yes.  Lamarr is one of my favorites as well.  And right up there on the list of many others is a man known as Lloyd Brady.  Thanks so much for sitting down with us, and can we expect to see you in the Mercedes-Benz SuperDome on January 3, 2012?
Yes, I’ll definitely be going!

Lloyd Brady.  The meme really has taken on a sort of mythical presence, and it’s easy to forget that there’s an actual guy out there who wakes up and goes to classes and lives his life when he’s not in glorious High Definition in every one of our living rooms on Saturday.  As he himself said above, it’s almost like an alter-ego, except in a maize tee and blue base layer instead of a cape.

Let’s face it, Lloyd Brady is something of a celebrity within our fan base, and it’s been fun for all of us to be in on the joke, along for the ride.  But it hasn’t always been fun for him—at its birth, this whole spectacle was ridiculing and almost cruel in nature before gaining an air of respectability.  It’s a testament to this guy that he took it as well as he did, and even found a way to claim a sense of ownership over something that he originally had no control over.

With that being said, Underground Printing and MGoBlog are pleased to announce a new partnership with the man behind the face, and are proud to release the all-new Lloyd Brady Collection at the MGoStore.  These three new designs celebrate the phenomenon of Lloyd Brady and are now available for order:

I BELIEVE

CLICK THE ABOVE IMAGE TO ORDER!
Bigfoot.  Santa Claus.  The Loch Ness Monster.
Little green men from Mars.  And Lloyd Brady.  If you believe with all
your heart, then he must be real, kids.  THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!

HOMEBOY

CLICK THE ABOVE IMAGE TO ORDER!
Because, you know, he is.  For all of us.

WHERE IN ANN ARBOR?

CLICK THE ABOVE IMAGE TO ORDER!
Designed as an homage to Carmen Sandiego, it’s everyone’s favorite
pastime between the whistles.  Searching for Lloyd Brady is more
than a gametime activity, it's a new Michigan tradition.

Lloyd Brady looks great in the student section and even better on your HDTV… but he’ll never have looked better being worn on your chest, or even under the Christmas tree for your favorite Michigan fan.  Order now before they’re gone!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GO BLUE!

I was thinking about Urban Meyer yesterday, and today has only compounded those thoughts with every random article or thread post.

Urban Meyer.  Ohio Head Coach.

No pressure there, right?

Here's a guy whose body couldn't handle the stress of the expectations he created at Florida, the expectations of greatness and regularly performing at champion-caliber football.

Today he'll arrive in Columbus as the most heralded man ever to set foot in that cesspool of a town, praised and worshipped for what every slack-jawed Buckeye native is absolutely certain he'll bring:  National titles, and several of them, in as little time as possible.

"Jus' y'all wait 'n' see-- 'Rbin's gon' take US all da way!"

They are all telling us, ever since Saturday-- just wait.  Just wait til Urban gets here.  He's going to win so many dang football games they'll be saying 'Woody Who?'

Urban will do it.  Urban can do anything.

And, interestingly enough, we haven't even learned of their fate from the NCAA.  If the governing body of collegiate sports actually grows a set and gives these hooligans what they deserve, the noose will grow tighter as every diehard Buckeye swears that 'it won't matter, Urban will win it all for us anyway."

The demands that will be heaped on Urban Meyer will be as ludicrous as the boasts being proclaimed about him this very minute by every scarlet and gray "football fan."  Every ridiculous thing we read about what he'll accomplish or what he'll do to us will add to the weight of what is expected of him.

And if he fails to meet those expectations... well, just ask Jim Bollman what those dedicated wagon jumpers are capable of saying.

Can he meet what is expected of him in Columbus?

Could anyone?

Today he is the Scarlet and Gray messiah, and Heaven help him should he not be able to produce what the Senator did under a blanket of corruption and deceit.  Heaven help him if he isn't able to walk on water they way an entire fan base is today testifying him as being capable of.

Stressful?  Are you kidding me?

I guess, in short, my point is that for a man who feared for his own health enough to walk away from the stress in Gainesville... this is a very curious choice.  The pressure on him is already mountains more than anything he'd ever sufffered in Florida.

I think he'll win, plenty.  Yes, he may bring them a national championship.  But I just can't see the guy there more than four or five years top. 

[ED: Bump.]

Five days.

It's amazing how fast life can change.  What's happened in State College is an amazing reminder of how unstable even the most bedrock things in life really are.

That might sound ridiculous when we're talking about a mere football coach.  But keep in mind that Bo coached for twenty years.  Paterno's been a part of that program for almost fifty.

Watching all of this play out has been nothing short of a nightmare, even from someone like myself who is not a fan but has always respected and admired the football program if not directly supported it.  These stories have not showed up as random links in college football tabs on my desktop, but rather on the front page of the paper that lies in my driveway every morning.  What has seemed like an untouchable truth has crumbled around us in the blink of an eye.

Reading the SI articles today, it was amazing to see how they provided such a stark contrast of how Sandusky, Paterno, and ultimately Penn State football, was perceived for what seemed like eternity.  For me, I grew up in the reality that grass was green, the sky is blue, and Joe Paterno is the respected football coach.  I remember a wrestling coach who openly emulated him in every way.  I remember entire towns cleaning up because Paterno may or may not be coming to visit a potential recruit.  I was raised in a Penn State family. I have an uncle who is probably right now clearing signed footballs from his mantle.  I have an aunt who used to babysit for the Paternos in the very house I watched on SportsCenter last night--  I've driven past it myself, and been amazed at how humble the little home is for a man of such legendary stature.  And while I was never forced to be a PSU fan, I was always aware of how much the program was about values, and what those values meant to my dad and uncle and grandfather.  Honesty.  Integrity.  Hard work.  These things meant everything to my role models, and maybe that's why Penn State meant so much to them as well.

This morning I was in the car when Greenberg literally had the news about JoePa dropped in his lap and he read it aloud.  We in Pennsylvania all knew this day would one day come, but like this?

Learning that the ethical standards that went hand in hand with Joe Paterno were not only inaccurate, but has also cost him his immortal job status?  Well, it's like waking up one day and finding that the United States is secretly run by a Communist dictator.  It just doesn't make sense, and certainly doesn't seem real.

Penn State football will not suspend its games for the season.  That's unfair to Nebraska and certainly unfair to the current players.  Penn State football will certainly not fold like the Post suggested in its editorial.  It will move on, and it will one day be free of this grip of shame and unspeakable horror.  Not even this will shut down the program.

But what it will cost Penn State is its tradition.

When I think of Penn State football, it's always had a timeless feel.  Regardless of whatever composite materials or Revolution designs the helmet evolved into, it would still remain plain.  Boring.  Penn State.

What I never could have imagined is that in the decade to come, the school might knowingly sink that tradition, just to move away from all this.  In 2020 you might very well see Penn State in some ridiculous ProCombat jersey with leaping mountain lions across the shoulders.  You might see gray trim on the numbers.  You might see the athletic logo, known affectionately in these parts as the 'Beaver head,' finally on both sides of the helmet.  And that helmet might be gray, or blue, or both.  And not because Paterno is no longer there to refuse the idea... but rather to distance the program from what is now and will forever be remembered as a marred past.

There was once talk in the early 2000's that not simply the stadium would be renamed in Paterno's honor, but rather the entire campus or town itself.  Paterno Park.  Paternoville.  He was as timeless and as frozen in goodwill as Santa Claus.  Until now.

Penn State tradition was forever altered this week.  The men that will soon be put to task to pick up the pieces of this Hiroshima-esque landscape might very well choose to bury that tradition once and for all.  And for many, dreams, memories and entire ways of life will die with it.

There's a friend of mine down the street, an alum, who along with his dad, my neighbor, cherish their season tickets like family heirlooms.  That will not change.  They will continue to go, continue to tailgate and even continue to fly the flag outside their homes.  But this week, I have thought about him much, and specifically about what he will do on Saturday morning when he packs up the car and prepares to take the family up to State College.  He's got a son, about the same age as mine, who is always wearing blue and white on a Saturday morning.  And how on earth does he put his son in a Penn State jersey this week?  And if he doesn't, how does he tell his son that he can't wear his Moye jersey?  How do you tell him to stop loving JoePa, or explain why he won't be there next year?

Yes, I know, small fries compared to the lives of those poor kids whose trust was betrayed by that monster.  But life as we all know it has changed this week in Pennsylvania, and the ripple effects of this mess will continue to affect normal everyday people in my life and beyond for years to come.  It's just a really sad, improbable day... and we can only hope that lessons are learned and that lives can be changed for the better with the serving of justice. 

I know I'm not the only PA native here on the blog, and I'm curious to hear Steve in PA's take, and others.  But it's a strange, surreal blur of a bad dream in our community and thought it might be worth sharing and describing for the rest of you, if you're so inclined.  This is my last mention of the subject.

Prayers for the victims, and Go Blue.

Oh, What a Night.

You've seen the stories on MSN and Yahoo about those small tribes somewhere in the secluded jungles of South America that continue to exist in blissful unawareness of the outside world.  They have never seen a telephone.  They might fear a flashlight.  They do not know what jeans are.

These might very well be the only people on earth who do not know who Denard Robinson is, and even then they probably heard someone's stories at the watering hole about Michigan's amazing fourth quarter comeback against the Irish on Saturday night.

You stayed up to watch the entire game.  If you were among the 114,804 luckiest people on the planet, you were actually there.  And you will never, ever forget what you experienced on September 10, 2011.  And, of course, now you need a shirt.

Shirt?  Shirt.

The pride you are still feeling today can now be worn with this exclusive UGP MGoShirt design.  For a limited time the "OH WHAT A NIGHT" shirt can be yours, available in S-3XL for this week only.   This is indeed a short run and will not be featured in the regular MGoStore or at Moe's.  Just like Brian Kelly's patience and Notre Dame's BCS hopes, this opportunity will be gone before you know it!!

Click Here to Order Yours Now!!!