Are legend numbers being diluted?

Submitted by KAYSHIN15 on
I know our kids are playing their hearts out, but I have to be honest when I say I cringe every time I see a pass get caught on #2 in our secondary. I also think it's safe to say that the #98 is probably not getting its just due either. Are we hurting the legacy of our former greats when we give out numbers because kids work hard and have good character despite their lack of greatness on the field? If I had a vote, I would put both the number 2 and 98 back on the shelf or does anyone believe we risk permanently breaking the confidence of our players by going this route?

CoverZero

September 7th, 2014 at 3:57 AM ^

The Legends numbers were a horrible idea to begin with.  Just a marketing ploy rolled out on to players who had not accomplished anything of note in their Michigan careers.  Rewarding players who had not accomplished much.  Putting individuals above the team.  Brady talks about tradition etc., however its just lip service.  Bo would have never agreed with that BS.

Joined: 08/30/2014

MGoPoints: 14571

Don

September 7th, 2014 at 9:50 AM ^

There is not a single particle of evidence that there was any widespread desire on the part of the Michigan fan base to do the legends numbers. None. Until it was unveiled I had never heard in all my years of being a Michigan fan anybody other than the occasional crank say "we should unretire the jerseys." I have never heard any Michigan alumni player advocate the move. I never heard a Regent advocate the move.

There was no demand, no grass-roots groundswell insisting on this move. It was something completely cooked up by Brandon and his athletic department.

It was a PR gimmick at its very core by an athletic department whose mantra is "If it ain't broke, break it!"

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148237

Lionsfan

September 7th, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^

There's no substantial evidence for it, but the scuttlebutt is that Desmond wasn't necessarily happy with how the program was handling his number/legacy.

Trying to tread delicately too, but part of that included that all of the retired jerseys were white guys, and meanwhile the program is (hopefully unintentionally) ignoring it's first black Heisman trophy winner.

Hence why he was the first Legends Jersey to be unveiled

Joined: 06/03/2011

MGoPoints: 2526

Bando Calrissian

September 7th, 2014 at 10:22 AM ^

If true, this is pretty much hilarious. Desmond's legacy wasn't being honored enough? I must have missed all the times the university celebrated The Pose, The Catch, brought him back for events, etc. etc. etc.

The thing about the retired jerseys is that aside from Gerald Ford in '94, all of those numbers were retired seventy years ago or more. It's not like Michigan was retiring every number but Desmond's. They could have retired Woodson and Desmond and made this whole thing less of a gimmick, while reiterating who the retired numbers were in ceremonies, a display in the stadium, etc. Instead, we got this "program" that tinges of some MBA suit at 1000SSS having a bright idea, as per usual.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 68094

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

September 7th, 2014 at 11:21 AM ^

I think it was a good idea badly executed.  Football has run into the problem where you can't keep retiring numbers even though there are clearly deserving players, and it would be crass to just un-retire them all.  But now you have a potentially great player like Devin Funchess wearing three different numbers - how would you honor him going forward?

Better would have been just to continue to have the patch, but not make the numbers something you earn - because that precludes the player who earned it from ever making his own mark.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 41586

nyc_wolverines

September 7th, 2014 at 4:07 AM ^

Brandon sniffs his own debris and thinks he's in a garden. The Michigan legend patches may be appropriate but now seem like a bad attempt at reaching for great-great-great grandpa's peerage to justify getting the membership. Bad form. We need to stop marketing ploys - "Team 13x" "legend numbers" "11 National Titles" and focus on the here and now. Recruiting will be an issue as they see Hoke out the door, the b1g a mess compared to PAC, SEC, Big 12, ACC. those who have bad judgment typically continue to make bad judgments. Sad day for Michigan fans when the fix is so close yet, for now, so far.

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 570

bjk

September 7th, 2014 at 4:07 AM ^

of un-retiring numbers after 70 years in the first place. It seems to defeat the point of retiring them. What's wrong with letting an outstanding player newly immortalize whatever number they happen to be wearing? That said, let's not do anything with numbers already in play this year; 37-0 is enough of a psychological hurdle to get over. But this business of not being able to tell any more if a retired number is retired or not just shows that David Brandon doesn't get it, doesn't understand the tradition and isn't a real Michigan man (ducks).

Joined: 11/26/2009

MGoPoints: 3993

mackbru

September 7th, 2014 at 4:31 AM ^

Honestly, who gives a shit about this stupid numbers? It's all become a giant vanity exercise -- one made all the more annoying by the team'd collective mediocrity. Worry about playing well. Then worry about who wears which fucking number.


Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 09/01/2009

MGoPoints: 34057

ShariaLawFan

September 7th, 2014 at 6:02 AM ^

it's a briliant preemptive scheme to beat marketing rights out to players... the jersey sells itself!

kinda true no sarcasm, although i personally don't think college football will get this far

Joined: 11/24/2012

MGoPoints: 102

BlueGoM

September 7th, 2014 at 8:16 AM ^

Who knew the numbers were retired?  Did anyone ever notice that 11 wasn't on the roster, for example?  Bringing them back helps people remember the players who wore them more than never ever seeing the numbers to begin with, IMO.  Out of sight, out of mind.

"Hurting the greatness" - Well Funchess got hurt so what now? take away #1 for getting injured?

I'm pretty sure this whole "deserving a number" thing wasn't even a thing until Carr used it to motivate Braylon Edwards.  People are making too big a deal out of it.

Joined: 08/25/2009

MGoPoints: 7997

Leonhall

September 7th, 2014 at 8:34 AM ^

This staff seems more worried about what numbers certain players are wearing. Bo scripted the term, "the team." Yet we continue to individualize certain current players by letting them wear a guys number who was a Legend. I don't mind Funchess wearing #1, but nobody else should have a special number.

Joined: 06/14/2012

MGoPoints: 16430

JTrain

September 7th, 2014 at 8:40 AM ^

I'd shelve that shit if we don't straighten things out. What a fucking embarrassment. I bet the Kramers are elated that their dads jersey wasn't on the field for that disgraceful event.


Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 12/08/2012

MGoPoints: 8459

WMU81

September 7th, 2014 at 8:41 AM ^

Countess with #2 is ridiculous and 98 for Gardner is also ridiculous.. What a pathetic display of football... I have couple simple questions, why can't we run the god fobidden ball on 2nd and 3 and why can't we ever have a dependable kicker??? I'm losing patients with Hoke!!

Joined: 10/15/2012

MGoPoints: 774

Uper73

September 7th, 2014 at 9:04 AM ^

The concept of honoring the numbers is a good one. However, too many have been given to players who do not adequately represent the player they honor.

Sure, we have had some great kids like Kovacs and Gallon, but mostly the players chosen perform at best, adequately, not superbly. One horrible game does not cloud the fact that our guys, who I support and will continue rooting for, are nowhere near the level of players that the Legends were. Funchess and Countess are good examples, both good players, one with unlimited potential, but neither have performed consistently good enough to wear those numbers.

Joined: 10/12/2013

MGoPoints: 1352

Mocha Cub

September 7th, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^

The legends numbers with patches idea is dumb imo. Why can't we have something like a ring of honor where the number is put up with the person's name is underneath? Maybe a wall outside or inside the stadium with the person's name, number and their accomplishments while they were a Wolverine? If I were a top player, I'd want to make my own number, the one I came in with, a big deal. Not wear my own number for most of my career and then towards the end switch to someone else's. Thanks, but no thanks.

Joined: 11/17/2013

MGoPoints: 23066

M Go Cue

September 7th, 2014 at 9:04 AM ^

How do we create any new legend numbers if our "best players" are wearing someone else's jersey?  If I was Peppers why would I want Woodson's number?  Any player worth a damn should want to make their own number remembered.

Joined: 07/13/2013

MGoPoints: 3936

chomz14

September 7th, 2014 at 9:53 AM ^

You guys are a bunch of ass clowns. Countess is a kid you guys absolutely loved and a month ago were on here clamoring about him getting the #2. He had a bad game. He knows. The coaches know it. We all know it... But to come on here and rip the kid for it. Shameless. You ever try and cover some of the best athletes in the world man to man? Guess what, not that easy! Don't even get me started on Devin... You sissy's probably wore blue socks and gym class... Neg me, call me names... Blah fockity blah... I'm going to sit here watch football with my 8 year old who probably knows more about the game than most of you and have an awesome day doing so. Just a shame!

Joined: 09/03/2009

MGoPoints: 3676

Mocha Cub

September 7th, 2014 at 10:13 AM ^

I never liked the idea of the Legends numbers. Either you retire the number and never use it again or you let someone wear the number and maybe say every now and then so-and-so wore this number back in the day. 2 isn't a legends jersey number though. It's not yet, it probably will be in time I'm sure, but it's not yet. It's all marketing, it's all a bunch of bs. Just another way of trying to squeeze money out of fans. Legends numbers and gimmicks aren't the way to bring the program back to glory, but wins sure are. STFU already and just do it...enough with the talk.

Joined: 11/17/2013

MGoPoints: 23066

uofmfan4

September 7th, 2014 at 10:18 AM ^

Based on most of the topics here, it seems people are bitching just to bitch. That's understandable at the moment, but again, if we're winning it's stuff almost nobody is complaining about. 

Personally, I don't care what numbers they wear. Everyone knew when they gave Countess #2 that he wasn't Charles. 

Joined: 03/06/2014

MGoPoints: 198

RoxyMtnHiM

September 7th, 2014 at 1:21 PM ^

Sure, and no one thinks Shane Morris is Rick Leach (though we did hope Drew Henson might've been). Neither of those numbers were retired or re-instated with special patches, so it's about a little more than just the number. And when you're losing, everything from the x's and o's to the culture come under question.

Joined: 04/21/2009

MGoPoints: 1892

kb

September 7th, 2014 at 10:40 AM ^

legends jerseys, especially giving them out to players who haven't done squat yet on the football field (e.g., Gardner after one game last year). I know the kids like it, but it really tarnishes them when they are given out so easily.

Joined: 10/31/2009

MGoPoints: 7151

Victor70

September 7th, 2014 at 10:51 AM ^

I think the legends jerseys are a great idea but they poorly executed, beat to death, over used them already.  They shouldn't even give out one every year, they should be for just the most exceptional players.

Joined: 11/12/2009

MGoPoints: 950

JimBobFreedom

September 7th, 2014 at 1:04 PM ^

The legends jerseys were a bad idea. Let new players immortalize new numbers and randomly give them out like we did in the past after they graduate. These have brought us nothing but bad luck.

Joined: 05/22/2012

MGoPoints: 73

RoxyMtnHiM

September 7th, 2014 at 1:16 PM ^

Putting retired numbers back on field is a weird idea. Using retired numbers as the hook in a promo scheme is crass. Getting your ass kicked while wearing patches that say your number is legendary is a big fat marketing campaign blowing up in your face.

Joined: 04/21/2009

MGoPoints: 1892