We ARE Michigan

Submitted by Cold War on

The winningest program ever. Most winning seasons. Most undefeated seasons. The ones who taught Notre Dame how to play football. Holders of the all-time single game attendance mark.

We play in the Big House. We wear the winged helmet. The Victors is the greatest fight song ever. Eleven national titles, and we've turned down five. Forty two freaking Big Ten titles.

Yost. Crisler. Elliot. Schembechler. Oosterbaan. Kramer. Ford. Harmon. Woodson. Howard.

Fergodsake, I'm proud to be a Michigan Man. And oh, yes, our rivals are Ohio and little brother.  Did anyone stop calling us scUM or tsun when things were lean for them? Hell no.

When times are tough, you embrace all of this. You don't toss it away.

We're not the Michigan of old? Always have been, and always will be.

 

 

MGoBoard

Shiznit7

September 10th, 2014 at 11:31 PM ^

This is kind of the problem facing the program.  Sounds great on paper, but in real life every other major program is laughing it's ass off at Michigan.  The program acts like they've been relevent since WWII without much success to back up the talk.  You know it's a slippery slope when posts like this are made.  You are part of the problem.  Congratulations.

Joined: 07/07/2010

MGoPoints: 84

Sten Carlson

September 11th, 2014 at 1:37 AM ^

I don't think you have a clue what every other major program thinks of Michigan. If they're laughing at us, they're not paying attention to themselves and will like suffer from the effects of hubris sooner or later. Every AD and HC at every major program knows just how fleeting and fickle football success can be. They're not laughing, they want us back, they know they're one misstep away from being right where we are, and that we could come roaring back at any time. Such hyperbole is infantile.

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: -56

jonvalk

September 11th, 2014 at 7:51 AM ^

If you don't think we've been relevant since WWII, then you're either a troll or your definition of "relevant" is perfection. We're still (even in our shittiest of years) one of the most relevant football schools in the country.

Joined: 07/19/2009

MGoPoints: 8315

cp4three2

September 11th, 2014 at 12:14 AM ^

Cool so does Rome. One of our biggest problems is that we're so obsessed with the past that we have stopped innovating. Michigan had 11 national titles! (1/2 of one since 1948). We have 42 big ten titles! (1/2 in a decade). Little brother lol! (We haven't scored a TD against MSU in over two games and haven't scored a TD. at ND in 2 games) We've beaten OSU twice since 2001. What exactly is the Michigan of old? Yost and Crisler innovated rather than saying This Is Michigan! (Tm). If you want to point to Bo, that's great, I love him too, but realize that none of those 11 titles you brag about belong to him. He was King of the Big Ten in an era that it was important, but outside of the Midwest few are impressed. We are never going to be good again simply because Yost, Crisler, Bo, and Lloyd were. Michigan is good when it uses its powerful tradition to be new and leading.

Joined: 08/03/2009

MGoPoints: 4828

Michigan Arrogance

September 11th, 2014 at 7:26 AM ^

Fielding H. Yost ain't walking thru that door.

Fritz Crisler ain't walking thru that door

BO SCHEMBECHLER AIN"T WALKING THRU THAT DOOR!

 

the problems wiht the M football team won't be fixed by anyone but Brady Hoke & Co. there is no new scheme on D- just more tight coverage techniques and Jake Ryan in the middle. The D is deep, fairly talented and VERY experienced. The O is a clusterfuck, but hopefully can become mediocre. M is still looking at 8 wins, but can get to 9. Utah and Minnesota and @ Rutgers will give us some good info.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 35515

bronxblue

September 11th, 2014 at 7:47 AM ^

Oh Lord, I missed ANOTHER of these threads where people try to pump everyone up with echoes of the past and then everyone craps on him/her for wasting time and being myopic?  Damn.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171910

BRBLUE

September 11th, 2014 at 8:24 AM ^

I love the positivity, but I look at it not just at one game (which was a nightmare) but over the past 10 games we are 3-7.. That is unacceptable for Michigan football. Also we are what, 1-12 against teams with a positive record on the road... again unnacceptable. We can beat teams like App. State and Miami of Ohio but when we are against a team like ND that punch back we don't know what to do and to me that is on the Head Coach who preaches about toughness.. it's been like that for a while. Do I hope we get out of this rut? Yes, but my confidence is shaky. 

Joined: 03/24/2011

MGoPoints: 3723

Former_DC_Buck

September 11th, 2014 at 9:08 AM ^

Buy Brian's old inventory of Returning to Glory shirts, replace 1989 with 1997 and the ND logo with a Michigan one. Opposing fan bases and ironic Michigan fans might be a new untapped market to exploit.

Joined: 12/01/2013

MGoPoints: 1591

club2230

September 11th, 2014 at 9:51 AM ^

Do you root for a team or a program?  The basis of fandom is not rooted in the program rather in the team.  Being a fan is about the present not about the past.  Sure we like to bring up the past to make our experience more exciting or to foster a greater connection to the program, but ultimately what it comes down to is the fact that the team that you are going to root for is not coached by Yost or Crisler or Bo.  There is only one team you root for an that is the present team because anything else is impossible. 

All that other stuff is nice, but you don't root for the 69 wolverines now because that is history.  When times are tough you make tough decisions for the present and future and not hide in the past. 

Joined: 01/13/2011

MGoPoints: 2324

Sten Carlson

September 11th, 2014 at 10:18 AM ^

Club,

Your point is solid and well stated.  One thought though.

Take any historically successful organization/company/civilization, etc., they almost always erect grand edifaces to commorate their past glories and triumphs.  Further, and somewhat more personal, most families revere and hold up the past accomplishments/successes -- "my grandfather stormed the beaches at Normandy ..." "My great grandmother started this company during the Great Depression ... " etc. 

These things, IMO, are not "hiding in the past," they are kept alive and in the forefront of the minds of those attempting to carry on the tradition so that they know what the expectations of the program/nation/company, etc.  That is why we have trophy rooms, museums, and monuments -- to show those doing it now what people from the past did, in the hopes that those in the present will continue to progress and push the accomplishments to a higher level.

Right now, Michigan isn't there, and it's incredibly frustrating.  But, if there is enough desire among the players and coaches to get that 43rd B10Championship, they'll get there, I have no doubt.

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: -56

club2230

September 11th, 2014 at 11:06 AM ^

I understand the sentiment and do recognize the importance of history.  My point was that what we do defines us rather than where we came from.  Our history and ancestry is important when it comes to respecting respectable tradition and the lessons/values learned in the past, but it ought not to define us.  There is an element of pride in history, and it ought to be used to motivate us to do positive things to the extent that it can motivate.  When it comes to football I get the sense that history and tradition is becoming less and less of a motivator.  When it comes to Michigan football it seems like there are a lot of folks who love to quote Bo and talk about the accomplishments of Yost and Crisler, but that isn’t going to bring us any victories.  It could lure a couple of recruits, but if there isn’t a coaching staff or team mentality that is “win the game” then all is lost.

Joined: 01/13/2011

MGoPoints: 2324

UofM Die Hard …

September 11th, 2014 at 10:44 AM ^

but please spare us right now with this.  We are all pissed we just got beat down and dont wanna hear it. I appreciate the historical shit but not now and not for a while..tired of it.  Been forever since we won the B1G...eff it

 

 

Joined: 03/10/2011

MGoPoints: 18392

SWBlue

September 11th, 2014 at 12:27 PM ^

As an alumnus, I will continue to support our Team.

But ....

They need to start playing better - NOW

We need to stop living in the past - tradition is great but it doesn't win games

and PLEASE, PLEASE stop calling MSU "Little Brother" and OSU "Ohio" - if we have such great tradition then we need to acknowledge other teams - they are the Spartans and Ohio STATE (although I didn't say we have to like them)

Joined: 08/26/2014

MGoPoints: 335

FrankMurphy

September 11th, 2014 at 1:22 PM ^

This is exactly the kind of tone-deaf, arrogant cluelessness that is holding this program back. Do you realize that Michigan has a whopping one national championship in the past 65 years and zero Big Ten championships (which is supposedly Michigan's ultimate goal, according to Brady Hoke) in the past ten years? Do you realize that most of what you're referring to happened before the advent of electricity? To most non-Michigan college football fans, "This is Michigan" or "We're Michigan" (or any other variation of that stupid catchphrase that Hoke loves to trot out) equates with mediocrity. What's mind-boggling is that many of us live in a world where the ongoing mediocrity has no bearing on our inflated opinion of ourselves and the idea that we're special simply because we're Michigan. It's a weird form of cognitive dissonance. We are dangerously close to becoming the new Notre Dame. Brian said something in this week's podcast that resonated with me, and I think it bears repeating: "I would hope that, if things go the way it looks like they might go [i.e., Hoke needing to be let go after this season], the program would start to look at itself as a problem." The longer Michigan lives in our own world as that world drifts further and further away from reality, the less likely Michigan is to achieve at the highest level.

Joined: 08/19/2008

MGoPoints: 32253

You Only Live Twice

September 11th, 2014 at 2:28 PM ^

It was interesting as always listening to WTKA on the drive to work.  And continue to listen on my computer at work, while doing work, of course.  Brian had some points to make, and he did.  Among them, well, the Big 10 kind of sucks. 

For his part, Sam continues to be one of the most gracious radio talk show hosts anywhere.

Joined: 09/14/2013

MGoPoints: 9615