jvarg1

March 4th, 2012 at 11:26 PM ^

Congratulations to the young men who fought so hard to restore the maize and blue to its former glory. God bless you all and go seniors

WolverineHistorian

March 4th, 2012 at 11:35 PM ^

I posted this afternoon that I wished there was video footage of the team's reaction (ala Selection Sunday).  I had no idea they could get back from Pennsylvania so quick. 

This is a keeper. 

Mr. Yost

March 4th, 2012 at 11:47 PM ^

Everyone on this thread should take a step back. See what this program has accomplished since Mr. Dave Brandon has been in charge (no, this isn't about him...just giving a point of reference).

Hockey reached a Frozen Four Final, beat State in an amazing outdoor game. Football did what they did. Basketball is back.

Michigan has always been everything to me. Growing up in Ann Arbor, it was never about any other team than the Michigan Wolverines. I used to cry as a kid everytime Michigan lost. I still have trouble when I see Webber call timeout or Stewart throw that Hail Mary. Charles Woodson is the best college football player ever and no one could ever tell me different. The Fab Five will ALWAYS be Michigan and no one could tell me different. I was spoiled, I was blessed...my team "always" won. We dominated our state rival and at the time, we dominated our arch rival too.

However, there came a time where it was tough being a Michigan fan. Football was "okay" but not really elite. Basketball was forgotten --- Many "Michigan" fans went green and started rooting for State who was having major success. Years passed, it only got worse. Then it got to the point where it was laughable...I was numb to the losing. Didn't affect me anymore. Too old to cry after a loss, I didn't even get mad anymore. I just said "oh well." It even got to the point where I knew we were no longer as talented as our counterparts...where Michigan and "upset" was far too synonymous.

When I grew up, Michigan could get upset --- it could NEVER upset, ANYone. We just beat them. 

More fans left. More fans weren't fans at all. That's when I came to love a Michigan Legend. Fielding Yost. I do enjoy the fan sites, blogs, etc. --- my ID name was always "Yost" related. Because of this quote:

“True loyalty is that quality of service that grows under adversity and expands in defeat. Any street urchin can shout applause in victory, but it takes character to stand fast in defeat. One is noise – the other, loyalty.”

That is the 2nd greatest quote in Michigan history. Right behind "Those Who Stay Will Be Champions" and just ahead of "This Is Michigan." At least in my mind it is...

Many of us stood fast in defeat, year after year. And now...we're back. Michigan football just took those same players and went to a BCS Bowl. Finished ranked at the top of the conference. Michigan basketball made a foundation and built year after year...where now making the tournment is a novel accomplishment --- winning the tournament is the goal.

So take a deep breath after you read this my friends. Think about what Michigan has accomplished. Don't take for granted where we are. This is where we used to be, when things were expected. This isn't a fluke, an accident, this isn't an upset. This is Michigan.

 

 

buddhafrog

March 4th, 2012 at 11:51 PM ^

I can't watch this vide enough times.  I'm on the 4th viewing right now.  Damn, well deserved.  Whenever I see that banner hanging in Crisler, I'm going to remember this team, the senior camptains, and this video.

buddhafrog

March 4th, 2012 at 11:55 PM ^

I love Beilein's smile while the team was celebrating.  Full of love and pride and happiness for his boys.  With Hoke/Beilein, I believe we have the best two coaches possible for our program - great results on the field/court, even improving recruiting, coaching up the players, great eye for quality men, high standards, and true MICHIGAN character.  We are so lucky.

WolverineHistorian

March 4th, 2012 at 11:56 PM ^

Good post except for one little point.  You said...

'Many "Michigan" fans went green and started rooting for State.'

I refuse to believe that.  And it's not something I ever witnessed. 

I remember in 98 when Izzo won his first big ten title (which ironically was also a shared title after losing their final home game to Purdue).  And I remember the State fans pounding their chests and officially declaring themselves on par with Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and Kentucky. 

There's not a chance in hell any sane Michigan fan started rooting for them after several more years of that.  No, no, no, no.  Don't believe it. 

Mr. Yost

March 5th, 2012 at 1:02 AM ^

Unfortunately, I know too many people than when State was at it's height, winning NCs and whatnot...jumped ship and clung on to them. They didn't dislike Michigan any less, they just rooted for State. Or rooted for State except when they played Michigan.

Meanwhile, some of those same people HATED State in football or hockey because we were still good at both at the time.

I'm not saying a majority or even close...but far too many. I'm also not saying in order to be a good Michigan fan you have to root against them in everything. Personally, I only root against them in football (because I hate Dantonio) and when it helps Michigan in basketball. If State is playing Minnesota in basketball, I really don't care who wins unless it affects Michigan.

But unfortunately, I know "fans" that wore the colors, rooted for MSU basketball, etc. when they had their run of dominance.

I hate State. I love Michigan. Always have, always will. And when I sat back tonight and really thought about everything over the years...it was a pretty awesome feeling. Yeah beating Duke when you're the underdog a few years back was cool --- but that's not Michigan. That's Butler. Michigan expects to win every game it plays in everything. That's how it always was when I grew up and I'm glad that it's back.

During the Illinois football game (and Nebraska) --- I remember sitting back and watching the defense play with a big smile on my face. We were back. It was FUN to watch defense. Punts didn't matter. Defense did.

This basketball season, I watched as we plugged along. We beat Sparty...we beat Ohio. And it feel different, it felt right. It wasn't a rush the court feeling...it was just an "ahhh, another victory over the rival" feeling. A "bragging rights" feeling.

I remember last year in basketball and this year in football, the losses felt different. They hurt. I was sick to my stomach. Couldn't watch SportsCenter for 3-4 days sick. It hit me that Michigan mattered again. And even though I was sick after the losses, I was so happy to have that feeling again. Like I said in my last way too long post --- I'd become a little numb. The sting of losing wasn't what it once was. Now? It's back. And it's real --- we're here to stay. No excuses. We're Michigan and we should win them all, that's part of being a Michigan fan --- we expect to win.

Feels good to be back. I hope you all take a moment to really sit back and let it soak in. What MICHIGAN has accomplished over the past 2 years cannot be understated. Drew Sharp can make his comments, we're a national program. Period. We're supposed to be the head of the B1G --- and we are. We got knocked off track for awhile, but we're still the leaders...and the best.

StephenRKass

March 5th, 2012 at 9:58 AM ^

I have never been an MSU fan. And I never will be. I don't follow MSU sports, except in the following circumstances

  1. When Michigan is playing MSUhead to head.
  2. When the game outcome affects Michigan. (Ex:  MSU - OSU game yesterday.)
  3. When MSU is playing on the national stage (Bowl Games, NCAA Tourney.)

When Michigan is playing MSU, I ALWAYS want Michigan to beat MSU. Always. In every situation. Wiith no exceptions.

In the 2nd scenario, when the game outcome affects Michigan, I want the outcome that helps Michigan the most. If the situation had been reversed yesterday, and Michigan State needed to beat OSU for Michigan to have a share of the title, well, I would have wanted Michigan State to win. It is crazy to me that someone could be so much AGAINST an opponent that they want them to lose, even if it hurts your own team.

In the 3rd scenario, I part paths with Michigan fans who reside in the State of Michigan. I am a Michigan fan first, and a Big 10 fan second. I always want the Big 10 to do well. The reason is simple:  when the conference does well, it is better for Michigan. I understand that when you live in Michigan, you can't stand Michigan State fans having anything to cheer about or gloat about. So you want them to lose. Always. For me, whether it is Ohio, or MSU, or Indiana, or Penn State, or Nebraska, or Wisconsin, I would rather they win in a bowl game, or in the NCAA tourney, then lose. Why? Because I'd rather see the Big 10 do better than the SEC, or the ACC, or the Big East, or the Pac 10.

What this means is that if MSU is in the Final Four, I want them to win. I'd rather they win then Kentucky, or Kansas, or Duke, or North Carolina, or Florida, etc., etc. Mr. Yost, if this makes me a turncoat in your book, well, that's your opinion, man.

I am not perfectly consistent. I dislike Dantonio enough, and Ohio enough, that in football, I would sometimes rather they lose in a bowl game. I guess I'll take that on a year by year and case by case basis. For instance, if Michigan was playing for the MNC, well, I'd want Ohio and MSU to win their bowls too:  their winning wouldn't hurt Michigan. But if the shoe was on the other foot, I might feel differently. It would depend partially on whether this was an outler or not (if they had too much success over too many years, I'd rather they lose.) It would depend partially on their opponent. (I almost always want the SEC to lose, but if Boise or BYU or Arizona or Texas was playing them, well, it depends.)

M-Wolverine

March 5th, 2012 at 10:12 AM ^

Even if you get beyond the fact that if MSU or OSU are better, it makes it harder for Michigan to win against them (and 12-0 vs. a weaker schedule is better than 10-2 vs. a tough one), because you just assume Michigan should beat them no matter how good they are, you're forgetting one thing: recruiting.

The more successful they are, the better they recruit, and the more head to head players we lose to them. Particularly in basketball with MSU there are a lot of recruits deciding between us.  If one is weak (see us for a long time) the other school can clean up.  They can all still get good players, but part of the whole midwest recruiting angle is every guy you get is one not going to the other team...and every one you lose, you're probably going to face.  The more they succeed, the harder it is to recruit against them, thereby making our program worse.

In short- screw 'em.

CRISPed in the DIAG

March 5th, 2012 at 9:39 AM ^

I'm too lazy to dig for a link, but I recall part of the issue was when Staee hung a "Big 10 Champion" banner BEFORE the game (they had secured at least a tie heading into the contest), proceeded to lose to a possibly irate Boilermaker team, and contiuned the chest-pounding after the loss.  It was so close to the Nebraska bogart of our '97 football title that I couldn't resist pointing to Spartan fans that they, too, were sharing a title - mostly because they were very quick to point to our shared MNC.

justingoblue

March 5th, 2012 at 12:40 AM ^

The new floor going in is going to take it to another level, as well.

Speaking of which, do we have any renderings of the new floor? Are we sticking with the huge, oversized block M, going back to a Fab-Five era M with the circle around it, or what?

WingsNWolverines

March 5th, 2012 at 12:26 AM ^

going up in the rafters of Crisler! Great day and weekend for the Wolverines and hats off to a tremendous season! Now let's win the tourney and get another one up there! GO BLUE!!!!

Also, no hats in MDEN shop for the championship win :/ ?

nuther proud W…

March 5th, 2012 at 6:40 AM ^

" I can't believe what I just saw" enjoying the title of these post's I have a feeling we will be seeing this more often now that these two teams are back on track. :) GOOOO BLUE