Athletes, coaches from other sports send Michigan Football off

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

This is outstanding.

Fans, coaches and athletes on other Michigan teams all lined up in Glick Field House and held a surprise send-off for the team. I'll call it The Victors Send-Off.

In the bottom left picture, Carol Hutchins appears to be hugging Greg Mattison. 

Beilein and Berenson were there. 

Fans line up to send off Michigan's football team at Schembechler pic.twitter.com/goo5AH0zhK

— Claire Bryan (@claireab320) October 3, 2014

Reactions from players:

 

Omg much luv MAC (Michigan athletic community)

— #H1TP (@GreatGlasby) October 3, 2014

Love the support from everyone! #goblue

— jake butt (@JBooty_88) October 3, 2014

Wolverine Devotee

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:55 PM ^

I don't care if a highly-trained chimp came up with the idea, it's a great idea. It's almost heartwarming. 

Reminds me of The Victors Walk that was done here in 2008-2010. I don't know, there's just something about seeing the rest of the sports banding together here that I love.

maizenbluenc

October 3rd, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^

I've forgotten which game it was, but all the old guard came into town and cheered the guys coming off the bus and going into the locker room for a game when 2007 started badly (might have been before the ND game)

Setshot

October 3rd, 2014 at 3:16 PM ^

Brandon actually met with each team individually and told the coaches and athletes to show up to this wearing maize. He did all of this in the past day or so. I don't know if forced would be the correct word to use, but he did organize it and told everyone to show up. 

ypsituckyboy

October 3rd, 2014 at 3:34 PM ^

This is very nice for the football team, and I'm generally skeptical of anything Dave Brandon does given everything he's done in the past week.

However, I'm sure he did this with entirely altruistic intentions directed at the football team and it was in no way an effort to conjure an image that everyone in the the athletics department (athletes included) is in complete solidarity with Hoke, the football team, and most importantly David Brandon, against the boorish masses who would seek to destroy The Fort. 

I'm not sure.

LJ

October 3rd, 2014 at 3:54 PM ^

Jesus, not everything the guy does has to be interpreted as in his self-interest.  The team desperately needs a pick-me-up, and this was a great idea.  It shouldn't save Brandon's job, but we should applaud him for it.

LJ

October 3rd, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^

Some random individual tweets that Brandon watches film with coordinators, and everyone says "Aha!  Unmitigated proof that Brandon is pulling the strings and undermining Hoke!"  Someone says that Brandon organizes a nice send-off for the players, and everyone says "Are we SURE Brandon organized this?  Are we SURE he didn't do it just to save his own ass?"

This whole week has been a beautiful case study on confirmation bias.

MaizeNBlue

October 3rd, 2014 at 4:07 PM ^

I hear ya, man. You make a great point. I just think that a lot of people feel that there's enough (quantitiatively and qualitatively) evidence at this point to believe those random tweets. Their Michigan fanhood is choking on the smoke of all the tiny pieces of evidence to the point where they're paranoid of stuff like this sendoff.

Setshot

October 3rd, 2014 at 4:15 PM ^

No actual proof I guess that I can show you. I am a recent grad and know quite a few student athletes who are still at the school, and have friends there still who hang out with a bunch of our athletes. I'm also really close with one of our cheerleading coaches. So if you can believe me, this is indeed what actually happened. I just heard through one of my friends that Dave Brandon did this. She had no idea what she was going to. She was just told to show up wearing maize. As much as I hate DB, I gotta give the guy props on this one. This was an awesome idea. 

FreddieMercuryHayes

October 3rd, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^

I doubt it was coerced; I imagine most all the athletes would want to take the opportunity to support the football team.  Just like the students would.  If they were invited.  But I guess that wouldn't help Dave Brandon if the students showed up sounding their support of the players independent of Dave Brandon.

LSAClassOf2000

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:47 PM ^

This is actually a very cool thing to do for them, and hopefully it helps to give them some of the uplift that they need as they leave for New Jersey. We've talked about the growing sense of common purpose in the athletic department that actually Hoke had something of a hand in fostering, and it is nice to see it come through here. 

RP

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:49 PM ^

Lol. Dave Brandon attended the cheerleaders' practice today and has been visiting all the different sports this week... now we know why.

What a farce.

Rawls NTR

October 3rd, 2014 at 3:20 PM ^

This is a very awesome gesture from everyone in the athletic department, which makes it difficult to rag on, but it's extremely sad that's it's come to a point that something like this needed to happen. I would imagine most schools do this only in very rare circumstances, such as when you lose a team member or on their way to the national championship game, not simply when your hc and ad have had their names dragged through the mud all week.

michchi85

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:48 PM ^

And the players definitely deserve it.  I wish they could do this for every away game though, even including fans and students to cheer them on while they get on the bus.

B-Nut-GoBlue

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:49 PM ^

Cool thing for the players to have that respect from the rest of the athletes and coaches.  Funny we never hear about these things at other times but now it's pointed out.  A cool thing nevertheless.

ThWard

October 3rd, 2014 at 3:01 PM ^

Creating this dynamic that insulates student-athletes from the effect Brandon's decisions have on the rest of the Michigan community is potentially destructive.

 

This false "SUPPORT THE KIDS" backlash is troubling.

Blam Johnson

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:52 PM ^

I'm so happy this is an away game. I've been to every game this season in person. Now I can drink, sit on my couch, and have the option to change the goddamn channel.

jabberwock

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:52 PM ^

for every away game, but I love the idea that this could turn into a tradition for big away games (OSU, Bama, Bowls, etc.

Considering the state of the program right now, ths works for Rutgers too.

uofmdds96

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:53 PM ^

what I was advocating earlier in the week when people were pushing the Anti-Brandon rally.

I wish this was made known to the public!  Would not have been "suprise", but I would have loved to attend!

BRAVO!!

 

GO BLUE!

nyc_wolverines

October 3rd, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^

... And Fan approval is diminishing. All those folks staying home are NOT members of MGoBlog, either.

Also, Brandon likely wanted to keep external fans away and do the Victors walk as it creates more continuity internally -- Brandon likely knows an external PR campaign would be messy but Brandon can control an internal PR campaign as he makes the decisions as to how much support each and every one of those folks clapping will receive.

 

Clap! Smile! Clap! Smile! Brandon is watching....

 

Big_H

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:54 PM ^

This is really cool to see. Thanks for posting the pics. They probably did this to show that there are still people who will back them and cheer. Unlike the fans, who want to boycott games because of the AD is a dumbass. Good Luck boys! I'm behind you NO MATTER what happens.

Voltron is Handsome

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:55 PM ^

That is great, don't get me wrong. The players need stuff like this, but...DAMN IT....the fact that this is needed for the M football team is BAD.

samsoccer7

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:55 PM ^

Very cool gesture. I really feel bad for the players in all of this. They deserve better and I wish there was a better way for us to show our contempt without making the players feel separated and isolated.

mrduckworthb

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:57 PM ^

I'm a fan of Michigan.

I didn't go to school there, don't have family there, live on the other side of the state, and I love Michigan.

It is things like this that make me proud to be a fan.

Go Blue!

Fire Dave!

mgolund

October 3rd, 2014 at 2:58 PM ^

How many times on this board have we heard "I support the players, but not the coaches/AD"? The student-athletes know the footballers have had a rough fall - I have no doubt their support is genuine and appreciated. Even if Brandon orchestrated this for his own benefit, the actual results are really what matter. 

Thanks for posting this, WD.