Michigan vs. Louisville NCAA Tournament Game 6 Open Thread
Once more unto the breach, dear friends....
Not only keeping with the front page style, but I feel that way. I'm pretty live and let live on threads. But I might have fought someone for this one tonight. I'm taking no chances. I even had subs tonight. Because I bet it's going to get crazy. Liveblog is up on the front page, so if there are zero posts in this thread, that's fine. It exist. (Oh, and you can check out the Gameday open thread till this game really gets started).
It's funny how 2 and a half hours, plus commercials, can bring such misery or joy, over how a ball bounces. Both teams here have accomplished a lot. But only one gets to go home happy. For every person who loves this team and thinks "we're due" there's a Louisville fan thinking the same. Programs, recently overshadowed by their in-state rival, trying to win their first national championship since the late 80's, with a coach trying to set a historic personal milestone and prove their ranking among the elite. And someone is going to end very unhappy. So it's time to seize the day. Better them than us.
Because one of these opportunities may not come along for awhile. It doesn't have to be 20 years of darkness to not get back to this point; it's really hard, and you can be good for a good long while and not have the perfect mesh of players who come together in the right year, the right amount of chemistry and luck in big Tournament games, and things belong your control like some opposing team who is just better than you that year.
Is Louisville that team? We'll know before the night is done. But we should try and enjoy every player and play tonight, because we have no idea how many of these guys will be back. And while I expect we'll always be good under John Beilein, there's no guarantee we get back this far, even fielding good team after good team. If you had told a young me that after going 3 out of 5 years and back to back that we wouldn't be back till I was 20 years older, I don't know that I'd have believed it. We were Michigan. And we will be; a new generation will get to experience that from this day forward. I just hope they also don't have to experience the agony of losing one of these things. There's not much in sports worse. But only with great risk can come great reward.......
We are here. Louisville may be the better team, but we have the better players; and while Pitino does a great job when you consider recruiting and everything, I think we have the better X&O coach. One day to prepare. Time for them to shine in the short turnaround. Play for 40 minutes, leave it all on the court, and have no regrets. And bring home the ring and the banner, and fire up the pep rally and parade. I want to watch One Shining Moment and be happy. 5 down, only 1 to go. Let's do this. Go Blue!
It seems to be lagging all day. Hope it can handle the traffic.
But then, it's never had to experience a day like this in its existence.
Please win guys.
May we all be rejoicing in celebration come tomorrow morning. Stay safe and be proud of the team win or lose!
Either way it has been fun and it's nice to enjoy college basketball again. A win would simply put a big maize bow on things. Go Blue!
Kilroy was here
Go Blue!
Anyone else keep getting goose bumps?
I woke up with that nervous anxious feeling but it had subsided a bit during the afternoon. Now seeing Dickie V talking with the guys shooting around in the background I've got it back. So ready to get this damn thing started!
Let's Go Blue! Roast the Cardinals!
LET 'EM HANG!!
Fuck Louisville.
I'll be avoiding the liveblog, as I have the entire tournament. For some reason I prefer the threads.
Let's f'ing do this!!
I was just thinking about this walking home with my sub... Is this the biggest night for Michigan Athletics since January 1, 1998? Because it sure as hell feels like it.
Yep, it is. (Agree that 2006 OSU is second.)
I'm training for an Ironman, had three solid days of training, had to work a double Thursday- I am gassed! There's no way I'm going to miss this game, I couldn't sleep with it on anyways. I'm watching the CBS Sports channel as I check out my favorite blog; wow, tonight feels special. I know Louisville feels like a child of destiny but we have made so much progress in this tournament it's hard to feel we are the underdog. Can't wait for it to start...
All these people worrying about if Webber is in the building...
All I want to know is where Jason Bossard is watching this one.
That dude would jack up nothing but 35 footers during pre-game warmups. Very comical to watch.
He'd do the same thing if he got some garbage time minutes. Launch 'em over the backboard and stuff. Bossard was the best.
This blog is going to crash in a matter of hours no matter the outcome. Also, be safe tonight in Ann Arbor.
Hopefully Webber is here. It would make the night the best in Michigan basketball history if the fab 5 reunite on the same night.
but I'm almost siding with the detractors here. It's starting to become too much of a story to me. I wanted them to reunite before it was cool
/mgohipster
that it would take away from the team but I think it would be great, a bridge from the old to the new, from the last time we made it this far to the present. I think the team would get a boost from it.
I'm one of the older 'Blues' so I've seen Michigan Seton Hall, Michigan Duke and Michigan North Carolina and they were all special to me. Michigan Seton Hall was pretty special because we lost our coach in the tournament, got past North Carolina after being booted out of the tournament the previous two years by them, blew out Virginia 102 -65 then getting past a great Illini team that owned us in the regular season. Of course the championship game was great. This year has been pretty special as well; it makes me real happy to add Michigan Louisville to this list.
We do. We're more disciplined, better coached, can beat their press, have more momentum, and will be the better defensive team.
It's just misery, hoping for the best but absolutely bracing for the worst
greatness. Go Blue!
If Nik and Tim can hit from 3 we got this.
my feeling of terror will plummet. If Stauskas starts hitting threes, I start getting hopeful.
Buckle up, your in for a wild ride! :P
I just hope the officials call the hand checking that Louisville guards typically use. I also believe a couple of Wolverines are going to light it up from 3 point land--not sure which ones, but several players are due.
Does the team really get distracted if 5 guys who played 20 years ago show up. Are they also distracted that Charles Woodson, one of the best players in the NFL is there, and Glen Rice. Isn't he a distraction too? The bottom line is if a couple of guys showing up to the game, has impact on them then they have really thin skin.
I am nervous.
Is it 9:23 yet?
One prediction: look for some weird substitutions in the first half. Coaches try to get through the first half of championship games with as little foul trouble/fatigue as possible for the starters and that could mean a cameo for a guy like Vogrich.
Godspeed everyone. I've ignored the blog during games for the whole tournament and that'll continue tonight. Go Blue.
I felt we defintely showed our youth at the end of the Syracuse game.. although make some FT and it wouldn't have mattered. Here's hoping we got that out of our system.