Michigan Football 2023: "Inevitable" (as represented by Calvin & Hobbes)
It may have been Joel Klatt. It may have been another color commentator. But somebody recently described this year's football team as possessing a sense of inevitability.
As in, it may take more plays than other high-powered offenses, but it's inevitable that they are going to get into the endzone. They aren't quick-strike, but it's inevitable that they'll be blowing out their opponent. They aren't flashy, but it's inevitable that they will be at least heavily in the mix for a championship by the end of the year.
"Inevitable." If Michigan wins the whole thing, that's what the book of this season should be titled.
Anyway, here's Calvin & Hobbes to better demonstrate the whole idea for you. Have a great Tuesday!
October 10th, 2023 at 10:19 AM ^
You could post literally anything with Calvin and Hobbes and I will upvote it
October 10th, 2023 at 11:05 AM ^
Personal favorite:
October 10th, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
Branch’s hit on Morelli.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:57 AM ^
My favorite:
October 10th, 2023 at 3:14 PM ^
And mine
October 10th, 2023 at 10:20 AM ^
I approve.
October 10th, 2023 at 10:25 AM ^
Klatt is the one going around saying "inevitable" about Michigan.
He also seems to be taking credit for calling us a "boa constrictor."
I thought that started from this blog's authors. In my mind it was as far back as 2018 but I can only find evidence of it from last year.
Did Klatt start it last year, or did MGoBlog?
Or is "boa constrictor" just an old football cliche and somehow I missed it.
October 10th, 2023 at 10:30 AM ^
Honestly I think everybody just kind of started saying it at the same time because it is that applicable. Nobody ever looks like they are going to be able to sustain what they are doing against Michigan. It all becomes helpless flailing. Resistance becomes less-less-less-less effective until teams just figuratively pass out. Both offensively and defensively.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:08 AM ^
The meme of Michigan "drowning ferrets" has been around for over a year now on Reddit. Apt.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:52 AM ^
Upvoted for avatar - topic synergy.
October 10th, 2023 at 12:32 PM ^
Psychopath drowning ferrets is the best thing Rutgers has created ever.
October 10th, 2023 at 1:48 PM ^
The world is forever indebted.
October 10th, 2023 at 10:57 AM ^
I've heard the boa constrictor for decades in relation to varying football teams so I'm pretty sure it's not a Klatt / MGoBlog original.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:03 AM ^
1) When he began saying it a few weeks ago, it definitely seemed like he thought he came up with it.
2) The use of it here predates any recollection that I have of his use of it.
3) I think that we just discovered that Klatt reads MGoBlog.
4) This doesn't necessarily mean that he stole it. It's likely the image got tucked away in his memory and produced itself at the appropriate time, at which point he thought he was coming up with it.
5) Of course, I could be the one with the faulty memory. But I choose to believe that we learned that he reads MGoBlog.
6) I think it's funny that he made so much of PJ saying it, because it could well be that PJ got it from MGoBlog rather than from Klatt.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:34 AM ^
Boa is so last year. This year I've been calling them a reticulated python.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
25 years ago, U-M fans on the internet were using the boa constrictor analogy to describe the '97 team. (Some used python or anaconda instead). Klatt didn't invent the term.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:48 AM ^
My memory of the term dates to the 2018 night game against PSU, but the details of exactly when or who spoke it I don't recall. May well have been something Brian wrote - because it sounds like a Brian type of reference. And the reference was specifically about the DL because it maintained gap integrity so well. That DL featured no stand out pass rusher, but all four just relentlessly closed in on the QB while maintaining gap coverage. The overall effect was that the QB had nowhere to go - no open receivers because 7 men were in coverage; no escape lane because the DL had them all boxed in.
This more recent reference to a Boa is for the whole team. And it fits perfectly...
October 10th, 2023 at 11:56 AM ^
All true except the 2018 PSU game was not a night game. It was Herbie/Fowler though so memory often misfiles it as a night game.
October 10th, 2023 at 2:36 PM ^
Maybe it was the 2019 game then? When was the Revenge Tour - 2018, or 2019? Those years are running together for me as the 'Before Times'... In any case, I remember the phrase from a night game at the Big House against PSU. It was a shellacking for the ages...
October 10th, 2023 at 2:41 PM ^
Revenge Tour = 2018 = UM 42-PSU 7 = 3:45 pm kickoff
It got dark later in the 2nd half. It was Herbie and Fowler, it just wasn't officially a "night" game.
October 10th, 2023 at 1:00 PM ^
Some Boa references from this site:
https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/borges-%27s-their-approach-and-it%27s-unique-college-football (November 2022)
https://mgoblog.com/diaries/michigan-drive-analysis-through-8-games (November 2022)
https://mgoblog.com/content/wtka-roundtable-11212019-title-remains-it%27s-over-because-it%27s-over (November 2019)
Reference to MSU(!) defense as one in 2013:
https://mgoblog.com/content/preview-michigan-state-2013
It's just a common term methinks
October 10th, 2023 at 1:01 PM ^
Boa Constrictor and MGoBlog
2022 Klatt's reference using the term appears in the OSU Recap comments
2022 A Board Thread referencing the 'Boa Constrictor thing taking off'
2022 Nebraska UFR another Brian reference
Earlier references:
2019 Wino/Gary 'Boa Constrictor D'
Apparent earliest football reference
2016 Wisconsin Preview - Brian references 'Boa Constrictor time' in reference to the D.
October 10th, 2023 at 1:04 PM ^
It’s a Wolva constrictor.
October 10th, 2023 at 10:29 AM ^
Good gravy, Calvin and Hobbes is just delightful.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:27 AM ^
watch your language. next thing you know, you or some other blogger will be popping off with a 'geewillakers!' or a 'shoot-a-mighty!' and this place will deteriorate rapidly.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:46 AM ^
well dang-ol-shoot X you’re trying to take away all my favorite cuss words
October 10th, 2023 at 12:18 PM ^
The great baseball executive Branch Rickey, famous for the signing of Jackie Robinson, was a deeply religious man who would never curse. At moments of extreme anger or frustration, the worst Rickey would ever say was "Judas Priest!"
Since the ordinary cuss words are being taken away, I nominate this as the blog's unofficial profane utterance. At the very least, it'll confuse the hell out of people.
It also has a vintage heavy metal vibe ... which is nice.
October 12th, 2023 at 8:08 AM ^
WHO ARE YOU CALLING COOTIE QUEEN, YOU LINT LICKER?!?!
October 10th, 2023 at 1:23 PM ^
Like the great Too Short said:
Cusswords, just let em roll
Motherhumping poop, gosh darn piehole
Or something like that.
October 10th, 2023 at 12:02 PM ^
Heavens to Betsy!
October 12th, 2023 at 2:15 PM ^
oh gosh!
October 10th, 2023 at 12:50 PM ^
One of my old football coaches was a longtime principal / vice-principal, and Coach Basney's go-to cuss was "Aw, fiddlesticks!" I think he threw in a few "humbugs," but I think he was just messing with us.
October 10th, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
beyond the pale....
October 10th, 2023 at 7:45 PM ^
Can we get a ruling on scalawags? Dangerously close to Monitor Bolivia otherwise.
October 10th, 2023 at 10:30 AM ^
Someone edit this video and change "Mr. Anderson" to "Mr. Day"...
October 10th, 2023 at 10:40 AM ^
I was sitting next to a Minnesota fan after they scored their touchdown at the end of the half. She looks at me and asks me if I am scared. I said no, but you should be.
She left at the end of the third quarter. She said it was the first time she left a game early.
That's how the Boa's do it.
GO BLUE!
October 10th, 2023 at 10:59 AM ^
I had this identical interaction at halftime of the B1G Championship game last year, the fan was nice enough but his stunned reaction when I responded to his question with a smirk and a "no man, you guys are in trouble" was priceless.
October 10th, 2023 at 10:41 AM ^
While we're on the topic of pop culture mashups
October 10th, 2023 at 10:57 AM ^
Hahahahaha
October 10th, 2023 at 11:08 AM ^
Thoroughly enjoyable, thank you. I watched it twice, it was so good.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:10 AM ^
After Scott Bell, swanky wolverine is the most entertaining follow on Twitter, wrt Michigan content
October 10th, 2023 at 11:33 AM ^
Ha, this is great. I love still seeing fun stuff like this amongst all of the batshit crazy things that have taken over the internet.
October 10th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^
Milton, McCaffery, and McNamara had me giggling my ass off.
October 10th, 2023 at 10:50 AM ^
I saw them more as a Komodo Dragon - take a bite and then slowly stalk the victim to the inevitable conclusion and start feeding while they are still breathing. I know I've witnessed the team eating corn, which would prove my point!
October 10th, 2023 at 10:55 AM ^
Plus one for any reference to Calvin and Hobbes.
October 10th, 2023 at 11:13 AM ^
I prefer to think of this years team like the Borg from Star Trek.
You can't outrun them; you can't destroy them. If you damage them, the essence of what they are remains; they regenerate and keep coming. Eventually you will weaken, your reserves will be gone… They are relentless.
Resistance is futile.
October 10th, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
Nah, the hive-mind, collectivistic Borg would never stand for a celebration of individual achievement like the “Turnover Buffs”
October 10th, 2023 at 1:12 PM ^
No man…Turnover Buffs is a team celebration of a team achievement.
October 10th, 2023 at 1:32 PM ^
Fair point. Maybe the team is whispering to the player wearing the Buffs, “We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own.”