Confessions of a Michigan Football Fan
11 Warriors has an interesting piece on their site where they "invite you (their readers) to spill your sins, real or perceived, against Ohio State athletics." It makes for a fun/entertaining read and I thought we Michigan fans probably have plenty of interesting thoughts to spill as well.
So I guess I'll start with my 3 confessions:
-I love Ann Arbor to death, but I don't think it's the best college town in the Big Ten. I think that privilege goes to Madison.
-I'm a Hoke fan, and I love Mattison and think Nussmeier was a great pick up, but State has the best all-around football staff/coaches in the Big Ten. Hands down.
-Here's my big one... Had we played Nebraska in a BCS Championship-like game back in '97, I think they would've won.
Bonus: I LOVE the movie "Rudy" and have no real negative feelings toward Notre Dame at all.
11 Warriors Link: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-athletics/2014/06/36200/ohio-state-athletics-confessional-2014
I miss Rich Rod because the games were exciting.
I didn't watch the end of games a few times last year because we were so bad.
I think the OSU band is better than ours.
To start, I hate how much I post on this blog (and I understand the irony of this statement).
I like that growing up I used Michigan football as an escape; but I hate that I now blame the fans more than the product on the field for that no longer feeling like the case.
I hate that whenever I post I'm automatically associated with Borges. I hate that when I bring up Borges people need to make a snide remark. I hate that when I bring up Nussmeier it automatically assumed means that I'm brining up Borges in the same breath and comparing. I hate that it's mostly my own fault for that being the case (although I still don't disagree with my initial argument). In that same vein, I hate that many of my arguments got twisted or strawmanned, and it was that fact that made me so aggressive in my counter (in other words, I allowed myself to get sucked in). I hate how that turned to me taking many things personally, and I hate that I did feel personally attacked by Brian in a front page post, beyond just it being part of a back-and-forth debate, and I hate that I just so willingly came back. I hate more that I took it all personally, and still do.
I hate many Michigan fans. I hate most of them on twitter, and more of them on Facebook. I hate the ones that say stupid, stupid things they have no idea about. But I also hate most fans of other schools as well.
That said, I tend to enjoy talking to fans of other teams, because they can take what I say at face value, and I generally don't have to apply an additional opinion, and can instead just talk the facts.
I love X's and O's, probably about as much as anyone. I also think it's by far the most overrated thing that fans complain about. I find that annoying, and Michigan fans have been awful about it dating back to my first games at Michigan stadium under Carr (oh, you think calling a draw on 3rd and 30 is really the worst playcall? Alright...)
I don't like blogging. It's not that I don't like commenting, I like commenting. But I don't like blogging. It's a job. It's not really that fun. It was exciting at first, but I really don't like it all that much.
I find a lot of the OT threads on RCMB interesting, and think they have better OT discussions there a lot of the time. And the ones that aren't interesting are funny due to the machoism of the people there.
I hate that I tend to go against the grain from the common reaction of most fans. During the highs I tend to focus on the lows. During the lows I try to refocus on the highs. That's probably the coach in me, but always having to look at things in that light, and in a technical way, and in a "what was the thought process" about this and that does take some of the pure enjoyment out of watching the game. I wish I could just watch the game sometimes and go with the flow with everyone else and just be a fan.
I think fans tend to oversimply rivals in a negative light, and tend to find it annoying. There is nothing more annoying than the overused jokes that get thrown around for far too long. I think that generally happens with certain phrases on this site too.
I don't like that Hoke calls OSU "Ohio". I hate fans that don't acknowledge MSU as a rival, and MSU's attempts to act like all Michigan fans think that way.
I hate fans that act like Michigan being academically superior gives them the right (even non-Michigan alums) to bash others education. All B1G schools are good schools. All have strengths. And way mock someone for furthering their education? Hate it.
I think Mattison is a very good DC. I don't he's what everyone expected he was when he was hired or after his first year.
I hate how black and white many Michigan fans are. Especially with regards to the coaches (they're the best; now their the worst), Dave Brandon (we get it, you don't like him, just shut up already), paying players (it's right and there is no argument against it; it's wrong and should always be wrong), etc.
I hate the sports mentality that is "what have you done for me lately" and the need for instant gradification. That's only been made worse and it's getting worse.
Lastly...
I kind of like Magnus. Good guy, good poster. I appreciate him.
Oh man, that academics thing drives me insane. Ohio State is an outstanding institution of higher learning, and MSU is very good as well. People who attend those places are not disadvantaged in life in any way at all. Hell, both of those universities have several elite academic programs.
Also the MooU thing. As someone who works on a farm and who's family has done small farming for years, I don't get that. Why would you make fun of someone who grows your food?
I transferred to Michigan as a second semester sophomore. My freshman year, I went to Boston University. I know I was taking freshman level courses, but my profs at BU were outstanding and I felt like it would have been a quality education had I graduated from there. The big difference for me was the caliber of the students. There was a seriousness at Michigan - the willingness to study on Saturday nights until 11 before going out, for example, or just the level of ambition that most of my friends had, and we were all liberal arts majors, nothing heavy duty like engineering. I don't think you find that en masse at a place like Michigan State or Ohio State. Good educations, to be sure, but maybe not as many grinders who plan on getting advanced degrees at other great schools. Just my opinion.
I have no idea why you even come back here. I hate how most of the commenters think they know anything about coaching football or just football in general. I would love to post more, but there are wayyyyyyyyyyy to many dipshits that have no clue that will attack you for your opinion. An opinion that is based on years of experience, actually coaching football. I hate that most of the posters think actual football is like a video game. This game is fucking hard, just because a kid was good in high school does not mean that he will be good in college; there are just to many variables that go into everything. I have read about an 1/8 of a UFR and said to myself "what the fuck is this guy talking about" and I will never read one again. Some days I hate that I read this blog and that causes me to hate myself a little bit.
I appreciate the work you do trying to educate some of the fans here. I have no idea why you do it, but it is admirable. I also appreciate the work that Magnus does and enjoy reading his blog.
I'm ok with hoke using Ohio, but it drives me insane when everybody else says it.
I hate the Team number 134 or whatever number reference....ok for hoke, but not everybody else.
I like the OSU band version of hang on sloopy.
I consider michigan state the number one rival...I can handle losing to OSU (maybe not as much as we do), but not MSU.
There's no place I'd rather be on a fall Saturday than Michigan stadium.
I think we lose to OSU and MSU again this year.
My confession is that I honestly do think that the University of Michigan is the best at absolutely everything and any representatives from Ohio State are evil incarnate.
People think Dennis Norfleet can be an asset and that makes me hate him.
I also hate that UM has been "young" for the last 8 years.
I was a huge fan of Jim Jackson and Robert Smith when they were at ohio state. I always felt like Smith was too good for osu.
I don't really like most of our recent basketball uniforms. I did like the ones with the small block Ms. Still have my old mid-90s era Nike shorts.
I can't stand the programs, but notre dame and ohio state have some pretty catchy fight songs. As an aside, none of my Illini alum friends even know their fight song.
My favorite non-Michigan school is the University of Georgia, having been born and raised in the Atlanta area (Decatur, Stone Mountain, Marietta).
The Columbus, OH area actually isn't bad. Downtown is clean and has some interesting spots close to the city (Short North, Arena, German Village). Pretty good restaurants My sister used to live in Powell and it was a nice suburb. The zoo is nice. Surprising number of large employers.
1. This is the best thread I've seen on here in a long time
2. When people follow recruits on twitter, and their every move, I find that really creepy. No 30 year old should follow a 16 year old that you don't know on social media.
3. I love 7 Nation Army in the stadium (when played at the right moment)
4. I hate when the stadium plays Don't Stop Believing and Sweet Caroline. Hate it.
5. I hate the legends jerseys with a passion. Just do a patch.
6. I think Hoke is an awesome guy, and leader, but not a coach for this level.
7. I'm goig to miss Frank Beckmann's calls
I think the Sugar Bowl uniforms were better than our regular away uniforms.
1. I will pull for any B1G team in bowl games except Michigan State and Ohio State. My family thinks its dumb but I will never be able to pull for those two teams.
2. I grew up in Farmington Hills, parents went to Michigan, I moved to Washington State when I was 14 and went to Washington State University...I love my school but I will pull for Michigan whenever they meet again. My friends want to kill me for it...I dont care.
3. I have a soft spot for Iowa. Second favorite team in the B1G
Coug fans loved him. Super fast and always went hard.
MSU to win the 2000 Basketball Championship. Because "Flintstones" and I was living out of state and I hate Florida. Still. I hang my head in silent shame...
...does anyone know his backstory? He was way ahead of his time (which in all honesty still hasn't arrived.)
That Michigan will never return to being one of the top 10 football programs in the country. I fear 6-9 wins per season will be the new norm over constant coaching changes. I fear years of minor bowl games and getting beaten by the likes of KSU!
We are entirely too beholden to the random sentiments of a coach that never won a National Championship.
I don't mind piped-in music at Michigan Stadium one bit.
I think Dave Brandon's actions have been mostly fantastic with a few minor disagreements.
I think the reason we lag behind OSU in success is simply that we do not demand success to the extent their fanbase does. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as they'll cheat to get it, but its a reality.
I hated RichRod before he coached a single game for us because he appeared to have an IQ in the low-80s.
I find myself reading mgoblog.com far less than in the past mostly because Brian deletes people who do not regurgitate his inane groupthink 100% of the time. I didn't buy Hail To The Victors 2014 because I did not want to give him any financial support.
I think the idea that the headcoach at Michigan shouldn't make a top-3 salary in the nation is bewildering self-defeating and stupid.
If Michigan wants to be like the SEC and many others, Bo will have two national championships.
1973 and 1985. They were selected.
I was always hopeful RR would find success here, but knew he would never fulfill the "professorial" role. Hoke doesn't either, FWIW.
I'm annoyed by people thinking we need someone more academically-inclined to run a football program. It's football fergodsakes. FWIW, I think RR's a better person than Carr.
for reasons unbeknown to me, I think the poster that stated helmet stickers were a major blunder by Bo and seemed tacky is forgetting the error. It was not uncommon for cfb in those days to see Bucknuts on OSU helmets and they were used by a large portion of h.s. teams during the late 60s, early 70s. All fashions run their course, but I don't think the short shorts worn by the bb teams of that era were a mistake. It was simply the norm.
I do realize their are certainly better analogies, but you must remember as great a coach as he was, his major strength was motivation, taking decent players and getting them to perform so much better than their athletic gifts would indicate as possible. Consider someone like Barry Pierson from the U.P. - really can't think of another UM player from there right now - and his two interceptions against the All-American Kern and his tremendous punt return in the '69 game. When he opted for helmet stickers, and perhaps they did clash with the famous wings, he did it because those that earned them took such tremendous pride in hearing their names called in front of the entire team and listening to Bo explain to their teammates just why they were receiving them. When put in context, I can't argue with his logic.
I enjoy Ford Field as a better viewing venue than the Big House. Michigan has been too obsessed with the numbers of fans than the actual viewing experience.
I hate the "Michigan Man" meme. I think it leans far too heavily on a Schembechlerian ethos that limits how our program can grow and evolve and until we can rid outselves of the millstone, Michigan will struggle to achieve it's full potential.
This is correlation = causation. "We were great with MICHIGAN MEN, then NOT MICHIGAN MAN DICKROD came along and we sucked!!1" so therefore we have to have a Michigan Man coaching no matter how much he sucks at coaching. If Brady Hoke gets fired we'd better spend a few mill getting a real coach and not some guy who just says things
...the owner of this blog is a much bigger fan of his own opinion than he is of the University of Michigan and much of his writing is detrimental to the football program. If I were an opposing coach and wanted to negative recruit against Michigan I'd block quote a bunch of Brian's rants and show them to recruits and say, "Even the author of their most widely read blog thinks Hoke should be fired". Probably not a shock that I think Hoke is a very good coach and will silence his critics for good in 2015 but the naysayers will still hold sway this year.
Negged you, OP, for Rudy. Because, fuck Rudy.
Take that garbage to someone else's house.
I hate how many Michigan fans now feel compelled to say "Ohio" instead of "Ohio State".
I have found Michigan Football games in the Hoke era to be uninspiring (for lack of a better word). In fact, so much so that I now find myself DVR'ing Michigan Football games instead of watching them live and fast forwarding through at least half of game action. These are things I never did with past coaches (at least in the DVR era).
I have a hard time fully supporting Hoke as the HC of Michigan Football.
College football is corrupt and the national championship is won by the team that cheats the most.
Most of the streets that surround campus (South U in particular) are trashy and need some investment.
Anyone that says "UMich" needs to delete it from their vocabular. If you want to abbreviate say, "U of M" or "Michigan" but never "UMich"
1. Hoke knows the spread offense is better than manball but cant change to the scheme for numerous reasons...one being it is seen as RR's offense. But he is smart and knows it is better.
2. Junior year Henson was the best QB I have seen at Michigan and it is not close.
3. Mattison is good coach but coaches dont allways age well.
4. Hoke is a very good head coach...one of the best...but needs a good OC. Most head coaches only have expertise on one side of the ball...i dont fault him for this.
5. I hate people who say "you think you know more than a college football coach" It is lazy thinking.
6. At least 2 or 3 Carr teams after 1997 could have one a national title with a different coach.
From '99 through '02 Michigan was loaded with talent! Carr did under perform those years. Though I think he over performed in '06. Mo had talented teams leftover from Bo and was a bit disappointed in some of his teams before he got canned!
Holy shit are other fanbases as divided on so many damn topics as this one? I mean, it shows how diverse people really are and how opinions differ so much from person to person. But damn, there's so much to agree/disagree/dispute with this program. Is it that way elsewhere?
ADs, uniformz, coaches who succeeded, coaches who didn't, coaches who got drunk, split NCs, music, rawk music, bands, bands travelling, stadium "pasta", students sections, quiet alums, walmart-fans, AL BORGES, O-line coaching, left tackles, DUIs and marijuana, ticket renewals, bandwagon fans who don't renew.....Holy shit I could go on.
Maybe it's a good thing in a way, that there's so much to care about. I don't know, but we seem to have such a black and white attitude toward much of it, it creates strong opinions/sentiments, it can become distracting and hostile...and we're supposed to be cheering for the same damn team.
I absolutely think it's the same for any fanbase.
I THINK so too, to an extent. However, I'm not sure Bama, USC, Florida, LSU, Oregon, Ohio St., Florida, St., etc. are doing what we are doing. I use "we" loosely, I suppose. Now, some programs listed aren't doing this because THEY'RE WINNING. That cures a lot. I've got a feeling the bitching going on within the Bama or Oregon or Ohio St. fanbases have to do with "who is starting over who" of things of that nature. However, I have a feeling if we were to look at Florida, Tennessee, USC even, Washington, Nebraska, etc. they're bitching about on-the-field issues. Not the abundance of shit Michigan is buried in and dealing with. I could be wrong and have no problem if I am. But in taking a moment to think of other programs discrepencies, if you will, I don't think many match up to ours. Penn St. does I suppose, but that's one BIG issue, that's seemingly been resolved, versus the endless list of our issues. USC went through a couple bad years, and so what, they were fucking awesome for almost a decade+ and they're not that far behind again after suffereing the couple of aforementioned down years.
I think it just happens to come with the territory of being in a peculiar place, for a peculiar program: An historic, top 5 historic-level, program who's had plenty of success over the decades, finally in a rut of 5-10 years of mediocrity-to-bad levels of footbal with a smidgeon of "pretty good football" being played, but currently playing pretty lackluster. Someone mentioned it earlier, but we don't know what cyclical success means. We've always been at least "good". Now the landscape and terms of college football have changed in a few ways over the last 10 years and we seem to be "stuck" in, I honestly don't know what, but it isn't a good sign at this juncture. As per usual, winning cures a lot of this dissaray. We'll see if that can happen.
Did anyone actually read the confessions of OSU fans?
The one guy claims to work at the Shoe and said they found Joe Pa's shat drawers the game where he famously ran to the bathroom.
Also a couple guys said ''There are really parts of Michigan that I do give a damn for'' and that ''I love the buckeyes but I hate Ohio''. I had to lol at that.
Nah, just kidding.