Gallon (21), Avery (11), Funchess (87) get Legends Jerseys

Only one of them seems happy about it.

This is going to get confusing

Make us proud boys

Does anybody else find this annoying, or even understand how this works?  I understand its a great honor, but ... enough.  It was a cool way to unretire numbers year one, but every year?  Does every legend number, have to be used every year?  

Honestly, it's cool for them and all but I'm starting to hate it. I don't mind Funchess, but two seniors switching their numbers is really annoying. How is anyone going to make their own legacy? Guys wear a number for three years and then switch to the same number someone else wore last year.

I'm done ranting over a trivial thing but it's starting to get on my nerves.

I get that they are trying to start a new tradition honoring the program's history. That's cool. But changing guys numbers in their final year in the program just screws with me. I never got used to Roundtree in 21, and I imagine I will be wildly confused by Gallon in the number.

in someone's career do they decide " I want to make my own legend number!"? 

grumble grumble

its a great honor for them, makes my life a bit more confusing. at least they are not doing it mid-season like last year.

To shadow what everyone else is saying, this is getting really annoying.  I hate seniors changing their numbers.

Funchess is going to have a MONSTER year. and now that hes a legend...shiiiiiet, its ova 

That's frustrating. I've always touted my #10 jersey as my Jeremy Gallon jersey. Now that he's finally getting the acclaim that he deserves, though, he switches numbers. I guess I'll just have to go with my Denard Robinson jersey this year.

Also, I was looking forward to Funchess staying with #19 so that he could get his own patch one day. Then, every other tight end strives to get that unusual number for their jersey. 87 is just another tight end number now.

The belly-aching here is so funny.

"Oh woe is me! A football player changed numbers! Now I'm not used to them being that number! My life is so hard, Brady Hoke should be fired!"

Look, this is a way to not only honor past greats, but also reward players who the coches think deserve it.

I'm sure no one is forcing these players to change numbers, they only do so if they want to. If they want to have their own number their entire career, I'm sure they can. Denard played in two years while Hoke implemented this, but he was still 16 the entire time. Even Kovacs who changed numbers will still thought of as 32, no one will say he's 11 now. It's a small thing, stop whining.

courtney averys great great great great grandpa a pioneer of sorts for UM, like one of the first black doctors or something?

So will there ever be a #1 jersey again?

I don't like it right now, but I think it's possible that once this becomes normal, it's a cool thing.  Always the #11 on the Michigan D is an ass-kicker or deserving team leader.  Always the #87 TE and #21 WR is a player and someone that needs to be reckoned with. 

In time each will carry not only the legacy of the original legend, but the accomplishments of those that wore the number immediately before.  Gallon and Roundtree were friends, he's accountable (in Hoke parlance) to what Roy did in that uniform.  Same with Avery and Kovacs.  A TE 5 years from now is going to need to live up to Devin's (hopefully) outstanding legacy.  In that way they'll carry the past with them as every Michigan player does, but this a more tangible and direct connection.

Or it will just be confusing.

It's not like they put a legends jersey on Denard. These guys are true Michigan men who get the honor of wearing an old Michigan legends number.

Avery already changed his number from 9 to 5, Funchal is a sophomore who looks much better in 87 than 19 and gallon worked his ass off for 4 years already. If he wants to wear 21 (probably been idolizing Desmond for quite some time, remember he started on kick returns as RS fr) than let him.

And man Avery looks like such a bad ass in 11 I love it.

There has got to be a better way to reward high achievement.

Still one more change to come...98 for the ND game right?  I like this Legends program, but at the same time I hate it.  I think my head is gonna explode.

Playing musical chairs with jersey numbers is a stupid idea and, frankly, an insult to the original men who had the honor of having their jersey "retired".

Clearly, an old tradition means nothing at Michigan when a whiz-bang AD can scrap it for a new "tradition". 

I don't like it. It's great to honor them, but it should be shown in the stadium some where. In front of the suites? Desmond is "21" Tripp is "3" gallon should be "10". This is how you remember players, I still talk to my cousins about our favorite players. Going by the numbers, I love woodson#2 but then we name the other players that wore #2 Walter smith, Vincent smith, that we love. Who is going to be old 98?

Let the anti-legend people gather and rant.





Seriously, I'm sure the kids wanted these numbers. Heck I would want the same number as Desmond Howard and or the Wistert brothers! I'm sure there's bigger issues with the football team than players changing numbers like getting ready season.

Gallon should have gotten the number 1! 

This sucks.

This is dumb. Hate you Brandon.

would have been to incorporate their name and number in the architecture of the new additions facing the field. I've never been in favor of giving somebody a different number simply to honor some player who's long been retired, and it doesn't have anything to do with being confused.

Players should make their own legacy with the number they come in with, or are changed to for logistical team reasons. I don't think that Gallon or Funchess will equal or honor the accomplishments of Howard or Kramer with their play on the field, and that's not a knock on Jeremy or Devin. They need to be recognized in their own right for their own accomplishments, whatever they are.

I suspect this is just another tactic to get UM fans to buy jerseys and other memorabilia.

I know I'm an outsider here but I love the idea of legends jerseys. I feel it's a great way to honor seniors. 10 and 19 looked off for a WR and TE.

I can guarantee you that all three of these players were thrilled to be offered the opportunity to wear these numbers, and certainly would have had the opportunity to turn it down if they didn't want to wear it. Isn't the players opinion the only thing that matters?

This is all Braylon Edwards' fault. He dropped the ball with this number 1 jersey "rewarding" garbage. Now the disease is spreading. 

Looks like a large group of folks need to some FOOTBAW to start soon! C'mon...it's an honor for the kids.

Let's just fast forward to 4 days from now when this griping is forgotten and these young men have been recognized with a new Michigan honor.

Go Blue!

Does anyone think that the players themselves asked to wear the numbers?

I highly doubt anyone made them switch numbers.

So i think my answer is yes but...do these guys wear these numbers all season ?

"I feel it's a great way to honor seniors."

Funchess is in no way a Senior.

What happens if these guys become "legends" in their own right?  If Gallon puts up the monster year everyone is predicting of him, shouldn't he be honored at some point?  Will they use #21 (a number that should forever be tied to Desmond) or #10 (a number that he won't have worn his senior year)?  I think the idea here is fine, but it's a little short-sighted. 

I like it. The people complaining "I hate players changing their number their senior year now I have to buy a new jersey" boo hoo. If they were a senior you'd have to buy one soon anyways. Honoring Michigan legends is more favorable than a man complaining about having to learn a new number. Are half these comments even serious?

Saying "I don't like this because I already had this guy's number memorized" is a bit selfish. Not a great reason not to like this idea. There are others.  Namely, it hinders someone from creating their own legacy with a #.  And also it would be nice to see a standard reason for these jerseys - I assumed they were upper end type skill but it appears with Avery its leadership (and being a senior who maybe went through a lot of things) and with Funchess, well I don't see any specific reason.  We can wax poetic for his future but he was a guy who had a few nice games in non conference and then was swallowed up (not surprisingly) by the physical Big 10 season. Maybe he has shown great leadership this past offseason - but the point is we don't know why it was awarded.  Gallon I get on skill at least.  So is this a reward for leadership? For skill set? For having a great nickname? For potential at TE?  It is confusing as there is no parameters set.   Personally I'd rather see the #1 for WR and I'd add #2 for the best DB go forward to honor Charles W. 

Did it ever occur to people that either: A) maybe they want to wear these jersey numbers because they want to honor the past; or B) maybe they simply want to be that number? Maybe Funchess just wanted #87 and the legend patch came along with it. People are making way too big of a deal out of this.

I like the Legend jerseys. As long as we aren't forcing players to switch numbers I'm cool with it.

They should just add All Americans who wore a Legands number to the locker in smaller letters under the Legand players name. 

Man you guys complain a lot! 

Personally, I love this new tradition and love that these numbers (and the histories of the players that made them famous) are being reintroduced to the Michigan fanbase.  I am not quite sure why you guys feel the need to complain about EVERYTHING!

These jerseys aren't forced on players. They're an honor to wear. Someday down the line we'll fondly remember the best 11s, or 21s to wear the jersey just like

WRs cover the #1 or 2. If a guy wants to keep an original number and pursue his own legend jersey then he has the right to maintain that goal. That's a goal that's very difficult to achieve and wearing legends number is big accomplishment in itself. Or at least it should be (and is becoming)



These guys earned it. Congrats to them, though I will miss 10 Gallon.

I'm going to need to put aside some time to explain this to the blue-hair'd behind me

I have to print out the rosted on Friday (not earlier, in case things change) and refer to it during the game to know who's who.

Seems like popular opinion has swung around on these.  I'm glad, I've hated this idea from the start.  Don't even want to think about #98 coming out.  It's just not right!

The patches themselves are really ugly.  Might work on a Domino's pizza box but not the Michigan jersey.

I think it's an honor and great for fans. Go blue! Please bring back the number one jersey soon.

stop changing all of the best players numbers. Jeremy Gallon is 10 and Funchess is 19.

In 2033, we're going to look back and say "Damn. Every single great WR we've had for the last 20 years all wore #21". Isn't Mario Manningham synonymous with 86? Why screw with that?

Michigan really needs to get back away from the idea that a player's uniform number describes any of his characteristics--e.g., skill, leadership, etc.--other than his position on the field.  The uniform number is for identification purposes only.  It is not a "reward," it is not a rating system so you can tell who is good and who isn't.  At least it wasn't any of those things until one person a decade or so ago in a fit of skilled self-promotion insisted that it was.

But, in the end it is about the players, not us. How do we know that Gallon hasn't wanted that number from day one? Hemingway had it his first three years and Roundtree was given the honor last year. Gallon was #5 in high school and had no previous ties to #10. I won't argue that his lack of smile may come from the fact that he may view the #1 jersey as an even bigger prize. Would we be upset if he was awarded #1 as most seem to be about #21? Doubt it...

The players know who the greats are and strive to achieve as they did. We are not Team 134; they are. And the fact that they seem to embrace the legends numbers being given out as an honor is all that should matter. Congratulations to them.

Although I'm not sure I want them all awarded every single year. It's a great concept and I'm glad players can be rewarded for their hard work yet held to the standards and expectations that come with the jersey.

Someone needs to update 360 rosters and then report back when there is a finished product.  Oh, and I want the legends patches on the jerseys as well.

how do you decide how to merit the award of certain jersey numbers by judging the contribution of the current and former wearer? I can see the argument on both sides, and I agree that certain numbers haven't gained legendary status yet only because the players who wore them haven't become eligible for HOF honors, either by the school, conference or nationally. 

I mean we know certain Nos. are practically inviolate like 98 while No. 77 is already on its own path to legendary status, and is now only worn by the most deserving players who play a specific position. 

No. 2 hasn't achieved that status because the player who is most remembered for wearing it, is still active and not eligible for post-career honors --yet. 

No. 1, however, remains less mythical than No. 98 but with a history of its own and a certain standard applied for the player who earns the right to wear it. 

In the same way that Anthony Carter made No. 1 special, Denard made No. 16 special. But you could say the same for a lot of guys through the years, No. 4 worn by Jim Harbaugh, No. 10 worn by both Gallon and Brady. Even No. 20 worn by Mike Hart. 

There are certain Michigan greats on the Oline who are in the NFL HOF, and their numbers aren't given legendary status at Michigan. I'm thinking of Dan Dierdorf, Reggie McKenzie and others from Bo's teams.  

I mean will there come a time when certain alums are remembered as legends not so much for what they did while at Michigan but for what they did afterward in the pros? I'm thinking of Brady and Harbaugh. Does honoring them as Michigan legends impinge on the use of their former number by current players, just because we have a nostalgic recollection about past performers? 

I love the legends jerseys idea, hate the implementation. They should be given to incoming players, not given to guys mid career or worst during their last season. At least they did it at the beginning of the season instead of onesie twosie like last year. I guess the silverlining is I can just squint real hard and imagine Jordan Kovacs is still our safety and bask in the warmth and comfort of that thought.

It's worth noting that #2 isn't currently assigned to any player on the roster.  If they were going to make #2 a new legends jersey, this would be a good year to do it.

Fearless rumormongering: the Oakland Raiders have a bye October 20, and Michigan has a home game against Indiana on October 19.  I'm sure Dave Brandon would love to spice up an otherwise middling matchup by making it Woodson legends day...

So much MGoBitching... Does it really matter what numbers the players wear? Honestly, I couldn't care less as long as they WIN. The primary reason behind this is to teach the Michigan fan base and players about the schools' history and those that came before them; something that was practically forgotten during the Rich Rod era.

It also helps in selling the program to new recruits which is something Hoke is adamant about. We remind these young men about the greats who came before them and did it FIRST, and it's an honor to wear their numbers so they can carry on that legacy.

New legends will be made, sure, but it's okay to remind them of the Giants in Maize 'n Blue who fought before them and made it all possible.

I'm no fan of this for the simple reason that it prevents players from forging their own identity and instead mashes them into someone elses.  10 years from now NOBODY is going to remember who wore the legends patch but every Michigan fan worth a damn can name their favorite #7 QB (mine is Leach), their favorite #1 WR (Carter for me) or their favorite #2 DB (well obviously).

I dont think it's fair to the current players - honor or no honor.  And the pressure on a 20 year old kid to accept this "honor", whether they like it or not, must be enormous.  They would come off as increadibly selfish if they turned it down.