Things actually feel... normal around here
No Football drama and moderately positive media coverage in general (for not actually being in season), Basketball has a meaningful game coming up to get into the Tourney, Hockey made a run and took the league title... I forgot how this actually used to feel and how little I appreciated it previously when this just used to happen. The complaint then was "when will we win a championship" or "why couldn't we finish the season rankded higher" not realizing how it was to truly wander through the wilderness for a while.
Now, I can almost feel the Michigan arrogance growing a little bit inside me, sort of like the Grinch's heart as he listened to Whoville sing on Christmas morning. Thank God I learned my lesson. If we make a Tourney run and football starts curb stomping the majority of the B10 again, I might start running around like Nelson Muntz pointing to certain acquaintances who happen to root for the wrong college team.
While, I somewhat agree, normal will be when the football team is ranked in the top 25 pushing for a B1G & MNC title and I am not worried about what the offense will look like underneath a new head coach.
I hear you. For me it is nice that for the first time in a while, we don't have the almost-constant negative media coverage of our head coach. I almost forgot what that was like!
Women's softball doin work. Things are looking pretty normal to me.
but where's Brian been?
Vacation according to his twitter.
Youre gonna jinx it.
Normal to me will be when people are back to saying "damnit, we have to play Michigan this year...", as opposed to chuckling in our general direction.
The troll rash seems to have cleared up a little bit too, so that's good news.
that rash was starting to burn...
Nothing a little Logic Cream and Actual Evidenceonol can't cure.
We are not there yet, but I share in your feeling that the worst is far behind us. True normal will not be here until we are in a place to KNOW that we will beat most of the B10, and compete on the level with OSU. But, the positive signs are here, including:
(1) no more divided fanbase.
Sure, not everyone loved the Hoke hire or even the RR firing, but that decision is in the past, and even strong RR supporters seem open-minded to Hoke.
(2) No more hot seat talk in the MSM
It is nice to be in an offseason and not have to constantly have to hear "how many games does our coach have to win to keep his job?"
(3) actual experienced players at key positions
Denard will be our QB. Whomever starts at RB (unless it is Rawls or Hayes - both unlikely) will have some experience. The O line is primarily returning. Ditto the receiving corps. Ditto almost the entire defense. Once the players get used to the new coaches / system - which may take a few weeks - we should be in great shape to kick ass in theB10 now that we are not playing with 18 year old freshmen. With more experienced players, even when we lose, I don't think that the losses will be as painful to watch as this past year.
(4) Competent coaching
Ok, how many of you thought this was going to be a shot at RR. It is not. I am talking about defense, where we all agree that whatever passed for coaching was, well, not so good. Mattison brings instant credibility and instant hope for rapid improvement. More relevant to this thread, Mattison has become someone that the sports media seems unable to criticize, which should result in more positive press.
(5) Junior Denard
I don't care if the offense is coached by RR, Borges, Brian or Halle Berry - there is no way that this kid is not going to compete for the Heisman. The media will jump right on the bandwaggon, resulting in even more positive press.
(6) MBB - we are for real?
I haven't closely followed the MBB team since I graduated in 1998. They have been too painful to watch. I only started watching this year's team because my 3 year old son loves both basketball and anything Michigan related. But, I have gotten hooked - this is the most exciting MBB team since the fab 5 days. Next year, with some experience, they are going to be insanely good. There is a real feeling of excitement that MBB's 15 year walk through the winderness may finally be over.
We passed on Halle Berry? Call me naive but I think her recruiting prowess would have outweighed the fact that she probably doesn't know jack about the game.
I heard that it was her life long goal to coach M football. It runs through her blood, and she openly considers it to be her dream job.
But Brandon didn't offer her because she wasn't as easy on the eyes as Hoke.
That just made me think of Condoleezza Rice, she's said it's her goal to own an NFL team. Maybe we could've stolen her from Stanford after Harbaugh wasn't coming.
Give her a dual appointment in the Ford School and as the Head Coach. By all accounts she's been a huge recruiting tool at Stanford (and I'm not kidding, it's true).
Ever dream of meeting the Secretary of State? No big deal or anything.. your call
Got the story here. Not sure how big of a deal it is to some kids, but I'd like to believe that a lot would care.
We should circle the Big House one day and sing an MGoVersion of that song.....or just "Hail To The Victors".
I'm glad the basketball team is overachieving and doing better than normal! This much excitement for a basketball game isn't something I've seen since I followed the team.
confidence that Michigan Football and Michigan Basketball are going to demonstrate increasing successes. The football staff is proven enough to encourage me that the program will instill fundamentals, a voracious work ethic, and a hatred for the rivals who deserve to be hated. I was so sick and tired of all the "scheme" discussions. Hoke is going after streamrollers on both sides of the ball, large and speedy kids without obviously questionable records, and some are even scholars. Michigan basketball is very well coached. A great example is the last few minutes of the Wisconsin game. I think we are in good shape; need some more big men and player development and maturity. As far as the other sports, I'm much less interested I'm afraid. I just feel good about the football and basketball programs, even though the new football staff has yet to coach a game here. I'm respectfully predicting Michigan Football wins 9 games this year. Go Blue
the first day of the rest of our lives
is the start of a great time in Michigan History. Today will change our lives forever!
Go Blue!