So We Beat On
As I write this, fighting back the urge to puke from last night's drinking binder, from the corner of my eye, I see a book at the edge of my desk. That damn book. I've written a ton about it the last semester for college. I'm sick of it, but The Great Gatsby is consuming my life so I must share the burden with you.
"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year receeds before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter- tomorrow we will run faster, strech our arms further... And one fine morning-"
A lot has changed over the course of just a few years. Juggling school, work, and two children, things don't get much more hectic. Life has a way of shuffling your priorities for you, against your will. However, amidst the pressure of everyday life, in the forefront of a country in social turmoil, one thing remains a constant: Michigan. I make time for it. I forcably shove it into the spinning cogs that move my life forward every Saturday. Everything stops for three hours. The chaos around me is nullified to a dull hum in the background. I could search the very depths of my conciousness to find something that compares to this unique passion of mine, but it would be to no avail. No matter the consequences. I'm still here.
The Great Gatsby, if you're familiar with it, is a tragedy. F. Scott Fitzgerald writes of our passion to recapture the past. To re-create the moments lost in memory. As it goes, this passion is ultimately damaging. No matter how hard you try to grab the ever-fleeting past, you'll walk away defeated and demoralized.
Michigan football seems to be doing the same, stuck in the realm of past glory. We as fans push this notion all the time. Perhaps if we merely accept that things are different now, we can truely move forward to capture a new essance of glory.
Forget about yesterday, forget about capturing the past. Focus upon today, where challenges await in the future. And put some damn steel in your spine.
"So we beat on".
October 8th, 2017 at 1:02 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:04 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:05 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:38 PM ^
Because I have always disliked Tennessee (the university and its athletics only; the state is actually a wonderful place to visit). Carry on and mind the gap.
October 8th, 2017 at 8:09 PM ^
to remember Tennessee used to revere Johnny Majors for going 8-3 every year he won 3 SEC Championships in his 11 years at UT. Phil Fulmer won two and a national title, they haven't won one since. I'm not sure Tennessee was ever "great"
I also remember when Florida was the garbage pail of SEC football . In 1984 they won their very first SEC Championship in fooball and had to give it back because they cheated like hell to get it. The didn't win their next first until 1991 with Steve Spurrier. After Spurrier left UF has won 2 SEC titles and not since 2008. Great? They had a nice run under Spurrier and one great year under Meyer but other wise UF football history is really not all that great.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:04 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:08 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 4:05 PM ^
It sucks to lose to Michigan State, but many of the folks on here seem to be hurt more because it means that we aren't a program that will consistently compete for national championships.
I'm okay with going 9-3. It seems that to be consistently in the top 5% of FBS teams year in and out, you are also going to have to have full institutional support, financial support, favorable geography, and at least some ethical and academic flexibility. Of all of those, we have all but the last three. We aren't moving the university, and I don't think that two more wins a year is worth the compromises that it would take to become an Alabama or an Ohio State.
October 8th, 2017 at 8:12 PM ^
should never be to accept a 2-8 mark against your crappy instate rival
October 8th, 2017 at 6:26 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:08 PM ^
I actually find it easier to "beat on" now because the disappointment is just expected every year. I've lost the ability to really care about Michigan football.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:15 PM ^
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October 8th, 2017 at 2:57 PM ^
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October 8th, 2017 at 1:13 PM ^
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October 8th, 2017 at 1:13 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:36 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:18 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:22 PM ^
Yes, but where do you go now after last night? Bo and Lloyd teams had leaders that were pissed off after something like this, said it very vocally that it's unacceptable, and went out to destroy their next opponent. We'll see if that happens this year or if this another team like Hoke or RR gave us.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:32 PM ^
Right -- Lloyd's upperclass guys really rallied the team after the Appalachian State debacle. They came out the next week and really took it to Oregon! Oh, wait.
Yes, I did some cherry picking there. Let's be honest, though. Lloyd was a very good coach. He wasn't a great coach. I fear that Harbaugh's ceiling at Michigan (despite his stellar record at other locations) will be "very good."
October 8th, 2017 at 2:04 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:27 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:37 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:56 PM ^
Well, well...I think I'll just file that one in the "everyone grieves in their own way" folder, and if nothing else, I applaud the uniqueness of this particular method.
If you can go for long enough that you actually need the nap, well, that's pro level stuff. Respect.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:31 PM ^
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October 8th, 2017 at 1:47 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 6:56 PM ^
Kind of reminds me of a hysterical Brady Hoke quote. I believe we had just suffered our 3rd or 4th loss of the season and during the press conference he said "I believe we can still win the championship!"
October 8th, 2017 at 1:31 PM ^
Beat on Mike Cox?
October 8th, 2017 at 1:41 PM ^
I'm still waiting for a Michigan team to finally decide they've had enough with Sparty cheap shots & say "Next play we run to show (whoever laid the latest cheap shot) what happens when you do that."
It's not like wasting a play would have really mattered yesterday. I'm sick of seeing late hit after late hit & just being pushed around. Complaining to the refs seems to do nothing if you're not willing to fight back.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:56 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:52 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 10:38 PM ^
From another post:
Refs screw us anyway and that self righteous dick Dantonini has our number... I'd love to see us respond to dirtiness from MSU with nastier dirtiness from us. Talking Purdue jump on QB's back while he is sitting down to try to break his spine dirty. This offense just looks like a bunch of choir boy pussies to me.
October 8th, 2017 at 1:42 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:43 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:57 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:14 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 1:50 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:14 PM ^
When I look at any football team, I ask, does this team have the talent to win every game a be a NC.
The only two teams I can realistically say that about are Clemson and Alabama.
So fans are delusional attending games thinking their team is going to win every game and have no idea of the ability of the players and talent.
October 8th, 2017 at 3:01 PM ^
Michigan fans are not delusional, they're one of the two best teams in the best conference in football and Michigan has all the means to hire the best personnel and have some of the best facilities. It's not delusional for Michigan fans to want and expect to win championships B1G and national. It would be quite delusional yes for teams above and say Western Michigan to want and expect to win national championships.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:36 PM ^
But to pull the elite kids out of the south/Texas/west coast on a regular, yearly basis, we have to win and that ain't happening this year. Need to get Peters and Mccaffrey reps so they're not completely new next season. One day our QB/offensive coordinator ship will come in.
October 8th, 2017 at 2:43 PM ^
October 8th, 2017 at 2:37 PM ^
Sigh.