Denard in #1 Jersey?

Submitted by Michiganguy19 on

I know most of you are just waiting to click on this link and then ask the mods to delete it, but relax, this is real information... thanks to Touchdowns no flags for grabbing the picture last night...

Last night was the Michigan Coaches Tour in Chicago, they had lots of postcards/fliers made by the athletic department/alumni association. One in particular was a flier for the Michigan opener vs. Alabama. It said "History in the making... be part of it" and depicted what certainly appears to be denard in the UTL/Michigan State style jerseys, and wearing the #1.

Mods or someone embed the image below for me please as I don't know how to do it from my Mac.

Not much of a twitter user but here it is: http://pic.twitter.com/zJopqkpJ

Assume that someone at least approved this? I would suspect it could signal something coming down the line...

 

FrankMurphy

May 15th, 2012 at 5:05 PM ^

Did they actually intend for that to be Denard? They probably just wanted to put up a picture of a random, unidentified player handling the ball. Denard handled the ball more than anyone else last year, so most of the photos they could draw upon were his. They probably photoshopped #1 onto him because 1 is a cool number and because no one on the team is currently assigned #1.

In other news, September can't get here soon enough. 

MGoBeer

May 15th, 2012 at 5:05 PM ^

If you're saying this is what should be expected for the Bama game I'm more worried about the possibility of them bringing out the bumblebee jerseys. Please no.

unWavering

May 15th, 2012 at 5:05 PM ^

Denard said himself that he wouldn't want to wear it because it is meant for receivers.

As a side note, I'm not as bent up about alternate uni's as a lot of you are, but if they do yet another uniform variation for the Bama game I will be supremely annoyed.  We don't need a different looking uniform for every big game.

Section 1

May 15th, 2012 at 5:06 PM ^

No gloves on either hand, and the belt-towel give it away that it is him and not Smith or Roundtree.  I don't know; maybe they were trying to make it a generic-appearing anonymous football player.  Sort of looks like some dreads got airbrushed out too.

Section 1

May 15th, 2012 at 6:03 PM ^

Although the team can usually get away with that, in images that are not for sale.  In any event, the usual way around that is to use a photo of a player who is gone -- Hemingway, or Koger, or Martin, etc.  Your point is a good one in any event.

superstringer

May 15th, 2012 at 5:08 PM ^

That's either (1) meant to tease us endlessly, or (2) a real tidbit of info.  But it's not random -- they didn't just randomly put a face and pose that is totally Denard, with the #1 jersey randomly.

FrankMurphy

May 15th, 2012 at 5:19 PM ^

Yes they did. They either had an outside firm or some random intern prepare it. In either case, I'm sure they just gave some general instructions to create a cool-looking promotional leaflet. The Heisman-looking pose is about the only thing that might have been intentional. The #1 was probably photoshopped onto the picture to avoid putting the focus on any player in particular.

The AD is not the State Department. Not every statement or communication they deliver is carefully and meticulously crafted to convey some very precise meaning. The only reason we're looking into this so deeply into it is because it's May and there's nothing else to talk about. 

Yo_Blue

May 16th, 2012 at 8:21 AM ^

I spent way too much time searching Google images looking for the picture.  While I didn't find it, I did see that Denard had the high blue socks and Devin did not.  The picture is Denard airbrushed beyond recognition.  Isn't that some kind of crime against humanity?

ctmaizenblue

May 15th, 2012 at 5:10 PM ^

I try not to read too much into these things.  I would not be surprised if the advertising agency used by the Department had no idea that the picture they altered would have deeper meaning to Michigan alumni.  Ironic though, that a "tip of the hat" to program history misses the implications of the image 

GoBlueInNYC

May 15th, 2012 at 5:13 PM ^

So wait, if Denard is wearing the #1, I assume that means he's playing WR. Which means Gardner must be playing TE. Which means Ricardo Miller is being moved from TE to SLB, because I've been hearing that Cam has been tearing it up at QB all Spring.

In all seriousness, I think it's just a publicity photo. I doubt Denard will switch his number, and I doubt they bust out the MSU jerseys for the Bama game (or at least I hope they don't, or ever again, for that matter).

trueblueintexas

May 15th, 2012 at 5:31 PM ^

Please people, how could you overlook the obvious.  Denard is so fast, you can only see the 1 on his jersey because the 6 is still stuck in the space time continuum. Duh.

 

edit: please wear the traditional jersey to go up against 'Bama.  Please, I beg of you.  You do not need jersey gimmicks when two great programs are on the field at the same time.

Section 1

May 15th, 2012 at 6:45 PM ^

... You have just stumbled upon the very best reason (among many) to take the numbers off.  Because Alabama has them on.  Thanks for the idea.  I give you all the credit.

MGoSoftball

May 15th, 2012 at 8:11 PM ^

for the clever post.  I thought long and hard about the numbers.  I am old enough to remember the numbers on the helmets back in the "real" day.  Originally I was excited to have the numbers back, now? I say no numbers.

Our helmet has wings, we need nothing more.  No numbers, no stickers, just grass and an occasional drop or two of blood.

Wolverine Devotee

May 15th, 2012 at 5:44 PM ^

It's against NCAA rules to have current players on any posters, t-shirts, flyers etc. because it violates student rights.

You see this with Michigan Football caldendars. They only do players who graduated the year before the calendar, and any current player in any of the pictures in the calendar have their number photoshopped out and replaced with #00.

The player is clearly Denard, but they could not have #16 on there so they shopped in #1.