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Please, let it be a permanent return to black shoes!

PLEASE!

Thank you. Just win.

Play well, get the job done, and everything else will fall into place.

Win the games, and the ranking will take care of itself.

A 15-0 team won't be worried about rankings after week 1. We should concern ourselves with how the team plays, rather than its ranking. Block, tackle, take care of the ball and make plays, and the rest will take care of itself.

Personally, I focus on wins and losses.

A 15-0 team won't care what its ranking was after the first game. 

Well played, sir.

Every few years Michigan plays a Florida team that's supposed to be outstanding...and then Michigan beats them. Heck, if Mike Hart doesn't fumble at the goal line, the Cap One Bowl wouldn't have even been very tight at the end. Not to mention the fact that every bowl game played between Michigan and Florida just happens to have been played in Florida, making it a de facto Gators home game.

Seriously, who listens to ESPN anymore?

It seems to me that the goal at ESPN is so say provocative things, which get people to respond to them, thus ensuring more interest in the ESPN brand. Frankly, I'm interested in Michigan. I couldn't care less what anyone at ESPN thinks.

They could be going by AP National Championships

The Associated Press lists Michigan with two national titles. I disagree with that number, but that's the number the AP has. College football is different from most sports, which have an accepted format that everyone has agreed upon throughout history.

Yeah, I think that's about right.

To me, that's a great look at the game. I can't understand why anyone would think those are bad seats. 

You're high up in the corner of the end zone.

At first, that might sound bad, but don't believe it. You have great seats. You'll get a great look at the game. If anyone's bashing you, just forget them. I can't even tell you how many people on this site would be envious of you, starting with me. Seriously, go, and have the time of your life. You'll have a blast. 

 

GO BLUE!

Yup. I like it.

Well, I'll like beating OSU and MSU, that is.

Gotta say, I'm happy for you.

I've only been to a few games live over the years, and to me, nothing will ever match being right there in the building. Watching the greatest team in the world in the greatest stadium in the world; few things could match that.

And still, I get your point about the need for the occasional break. Sometimes, a road game is a good thing.

Truly wish I had the money for it.

Technically, i could afford it, but there are other expenses that have to come first. That maturity stuff gets in the way of a lot of fun. 

Seriously, I guess it's not as big a deal to many younger fans (i'm 53), but for me, nothing beats being there. 

"You can take all those high-screen TVs, chip dips, and Skypes, thoughout the country and in this conference. There's gonna be one fan base that appreciates The Big House. No amenity is more important than The Big House. No food is more important than the Big House. The Big House, The Big House, The Big House."

Ouch. This one hurts.

Yes, the on-field product is what really matters, but this kid certainly seemed to be a great player. At 6-6, 258, he has excellent size for the position, and players from Ohio have often panned out well for the Blue.

Solomon was more of a surprise, but I thought this kid was the better player, in the long run. Just my two cents.

That having been said, nothing cures this like have our players work really hard in camp and producing a great season.

That's exactly how I remember it.

People were asking about Big Will Campbell, and he brought up Nathan Brink, saying Brink had been very violent in practice. My lingering doubts about Hoke ratcheted up significantly after that. 

Mr. Goodwrench!

Loved the '70s!

Question: Which is which?

Personally, I prefer the cap on the bottom. Darker blue, thinner M, crisper look.

Friedman, not Freidman

The quarterback in the '20s was Benny Friedman.

Army

First, odds are those kids will be in harm's way down the road, and they're still playing football for their alma mater. They don't win national championships anymore, but everything they do is done with class. 

And as an extra, if you've never attended a game at West Point, make it a point to do so, and try to park in one of the vast parking fields, near the stadium, not a traditional parking lot. It's a great venue with a spectacular atmosphere. In particular, try to attend a game in October, when Michigan is on the road. The view from the upper deck is tremendous. 

Arguably the best UM pass rusher in the modern era.

To the person who mentioned the fumble return for TD against Notre Dame in '06, let me second that emotion!

That's about how I feel

Against an outsider, I used to defend OSU, knowing they shared the rivalry with us. But it's true, the animosity they exhibit toward Michigan far exceeds the animosity Michigan fans feel toward Ohio State. It's gotten disgusting. 

That's exactly what I thought.

I could come up with a fairly decent list of 25 top football players. All sports? Not a chance.

I grew up when there was no brand on the uniform

I know that horse is out of the barn, but I honestly preferred it that way. In terms of the uniform, I prefer the traditional uniform, at least the uniform we saw in the late '90s.

 

In fairness, when I saw the whole uniform on Rashan Gary, the blue shoes are so close to black that it probably doesn't matter. I just like the black shoes and the feeling of tradition that they convey. That having been said, it's not the end of the world that the uniform has changed slightly.

 

As far as hype around any brand, it's cool. To me, the brand is Michigan football. In my mind, that's second to none. 

In fairness, those questions were petty.

They could have asked him about replacing Shilique Calhoun, whether they feel a bull's eye on their chest after winning the B1G, a bunch of other things. I'm not a Dantonio fan (or a Sparty fan), but I can see any coach getting annoyed by those questions.

Amen, WD.

That's the kind of goal I'm talking about!

That 1997 uniform was a classic, head to toe.

Some changes I'm cool with. Spread option offense? OK. Miles of blitz packages? Sure. Change the uniforms?

Nope. 

Back to maize pants and black shoes

How about making the 1997 uniform permanent? That looked pretty good. Clean, sharp, without being too flashy. 

Make the shoes black! Tradition!

One, humble request from a traditonalist: Make the shoes black. Period, amen.

The shoes have traditionally been black.

UM football has always had the best unis in sports, long before Michael Jordan became a household name. No knock on the school colors, but why change a good thing? Nike should respect UM and its hallowed tradition, not vice versa.

Yes, I know this comes off as "get off my lawn", but I'm flexible when it comes to offensive/defenseive schemes, strenngth and conditioning, among other things. The Unis? The traditional UM uni is the best in sports, bar absolutely none. Why change?

Shoes should be black

Traditionally, Michigan has worn black shoes, with notable exceptions, such as Billy Taylor's blue shoes, and what could politely be called the Brady Hoke era. So UM has a contract with Jumpman and Nike, great. The contract should stipulate that they respect UM tradition.

Make the shoes black!

I agree. It's beneath us.

We're better than that chant, or at least we should be. The point of being a great university or a great football program is not to be as vulgar as possible. When it comes to football, support the team vocally and loyally, but there's no need to denigrate our opponents. Beat them, yes. Disparage them, no. 

Just a great video.

Love how it focuses on the entire university, not just the football team. Outstanding!

I care more about the dark blue and the black shoes

Maize? Pick a maize, even if it's a mustard. If it's the price one has to pay to get old-school black football shoes and a 1969 era dark blue jersey, then sure, I'll go along with whatever shade of maize would swing things toward that goal. 

 

Heck, I've always chanted "Let's go, Blue" not "Let's go, Maize." 

Brings up the issue of seat allocations

During the 1998 renovation, the athletic department stumbled upon the fact that some tickets were held by corporations that had long since gone out of business. If memory serves, they found a block of 29 season tickets that was owned by a company that went out of business in 1970. For some reason, people were up in arms, and the policy was changed to prvent that sort of thing.

Personally, I think the drop in season tickets points out one thing: If someone is willing to pay for 29 season tickets, don't stop them. Who cares if they're using a corporate name, and the company went out of business? The only thing that matters is that somewhere there is a person who is willing to shell out that kind of money. That's some serious support of the football program. Frankly, that should be appreciated. For all we know, that person gave tickets away to people who couldn't afford to buy tickets on their own. I'm not saying that is the case, but it is possible. At the very worst, the tickets are sold. How is that an affront to the university?

Spell it out. MICHIGAN.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Block M on the bumper a Dave B idea?

For that matter, I always liked the Split M, and I still do. It involves both colors; while Dave's Block M was only maize.

Let's not think small in terms of expansion

·      Expand Michigan Stadium so that an upper deck encircles the entire stadium.

·      End Zone upper decks could rise to the same height as the existing top of the stadium. In other words, put seating in the end zone to make the end zone match the height of the suites, and then put another, more massive seating tier, above it, which would go around the entire stadium.

·      Make sure the university controls/acquires the properties across Main Street, so that Main Street can be slightly re-directed if necessary.

If you watched Michigan on ABC in the ‘70s, you might remember hearing that the stadium was designed to have an upper deck built on it. This isn’t anything new. It should be done. The question isn’t if, it’s when.

Of course, it is acceptable to take time. Such an expansion wouldn't have to be done all at once.

GO BLUE!

Just my thoughts on rooting

1. Try to be loud, in general. This doesn't mean being disrespectful toward opposing fans, but it does mean being VERY loud in support of our team, particularly when they're on defense, which is the perfect segue to...

2. The "DEE-FENSE" chant. It was always religion at Shea Stadium when the Jets had the New York Sack Exchange going, and it's much more effective than jiggling keys, which brings us to

3. Stop jiggling the keys. Doesn't help the team in any way, shape or form. Yes, it's a key play, so make some noise on D -- or not, if the team is on offense.

4. The traditional "Let's Go, Blue" chant, when started spontaneously by the crowd, is very effective. The key, after all, is to generate some momentum for the home team.

Bottom line, be loud, know the game, and support the team. Go Blue!

Conference's best team? Heck, I want to be the nation's best.

The B1G is nice, but let's be frank. Around the country, people really only care about who won the national championship. The conference title is a valid reward, but wouldn't it be great to see Michigan go 15-0 and win the national championship?

Since '08?

The decline started when UM lost to OSU in 2001. The last decade and a half have largely been very rough times.

That having been said, I think JH and his staff can right the ship. It won't be easy, but they've got the right idea: do it with hard work. They're also right about their obsession with competition. Too many times we've seen highly rated recruits come in and be hailed as saviors, only to fall flat. Competition prevents that.

Let's stay humble, work hard (or root hard as fans) and support the team.

Michie Stadium at West Point

MUCH smaller than The Big House (40,000), but very stylish. Two decks on the west side (home sideline, just like Michigan Stadium), but one deck around the rest of the stadium. The best place to sit is actually the upper deck, becuase you see tremendous fall foliage across from the eastern side of the stadium. The Black Knights of the Hudson haven't been good in years, but the ambiance of a West Point football Saturday has to be experienced to be fully appreciated.

Great, smaller stadium with a lot of atmosphere, and fans who are very nice and respectful to all. If you have kids, it's great.

Is Daelin Hayes still committed to USC?

Somehow, I thought the fact that Hayes was moving back to Michigan might signal a change in his recruitment.

Ultimately, I think we have to trust the coaches. I know that hasn't always been wise counsel, but in Harbaugh's case, I think we have to give him time to do things his way. It worked at Stanford. Granted, that's in California, but it can still work here.

Three choices...make that five

1. Jerame Tuman. Solid possession receiver who could make critical yardage after the catch; great inline blocking skills as a tight end, and above all, a very clutch player, particularly against  Iowa and Washington State in the 1997-98 season. 

2. Chris Floyd. So glad that someone mentioned him earlier. Fullbacks rarely get their due in the modern day, but Floyd was certainly deserving of it. Punishing blocker (Andy Katzenmoyer could attest to that), surprisingly clutch ballcarrier (timely touchdown carries and that 16-yard gain on the first scoring drive vs. Ohio State in '97), and a ballcarrier who punished tacklers (again, see that 16-yard carry in '97 vs. Ohio State). All in all, a very good player, and a good Michigan Man. 

3. Dennis Franklin. Yes, I know, QBs always get the glamour, and I'm the first one to recite the traditional "Defense wins championships" mantra, but Franklin was truly an asset, and yes, that  undefeated 1973 team isn't remembered anywhere near as much as it should be. Frankly, if Bo turned Franklin loose vs. Ohio State in 1973, our guys would have won that game, and for once, we had the type of roster to make Southern Cal pay, with matchup nightmare Paul Seal and speedy/shifty Gil Chapman. 

4. Maybe not underrated in the true sense, but I always thought that MLB Jarrett Irons was a true money player. Similar to Mike Singletary in many ways. 

5. Tight end Paul Seal. Too tall for most linebackers to cover effectively, very tough for smaller DBs to tackle, presented a real matchup problem for 1970s defenses. 

Black shoes, please.

Personally, I want the team's traditional uniform, right down to the shoes. For that matter, I don't even want the Nike, Adidas, or any other kind of logo on the uniform. The uniform should signify Michigan, and nothing else. 

As far as the shoes go, old school. Basic black.

Question: Play him at safety or corner?

From what I gather, he has experience at both. Would it come down to a quesiton of where he's needed more?

But by the same token, it spent a lot of time on Yost.

Frankly, with that brief an amount of time to devote to the documentary, it could well be a choice of picking between Yost and Lloyd. We reveled in Lloyd's perfect season/national championship, but from a historial perspective, Yost had four perfect seasons in a row. That's not something that happens too frequently.

I checked the parts devoted to each team

Believe it or not, in terms of time allotted to each team, it's about as even as you can possibly get.

I've heard from numerous Michigan fans that the documentary favors OSU, but I've heard from just as many OSU fans that the documentary favors Michigan. Fact is, it's right down the middle.

If there is one thing I think that should be changed, it would be the length. I think that topic probably deserves two hours, not just one hour. Then again, I'm sure there are those who would claim that's too long. 

GO BLUE!

If you believe wikipedia, Pipp didn't graduate from Michigan

He grew up in Michigan, but graduated from Catholic University. Maybe he went to grad school at UM, but it doesn't indicate that on wikipedia, and in fairness, wikipedia isn't always the most relliable source around. 

 

Personally, I'm not a fan of the "key play" thing.

It doesn't help the home field advantage at all. Chanting "Dee-fense" on big defensive plays does help.

Black shoes, please. And perfect seasons.

What a coincidence, the last perfect season came while the team was wearing black shoes!

I will always root for Michigan to win.

But believe me, I understand the frustration. 

Sadly, I sense a coming showdown between football supporters and those who feel that football detracts from the university's mission. I hope I'm wrong about this. 

I do hope we land Harbaugh, but I'd be OK with someone named Stoops (Bob or Mark, I'm not picky) or even Les Miles. My fear is that Harbaugh is still obsessed with the NFL, and that Les Miles is using us as contract leverage. (No, he'd never do that.)

As always, Go Blue! Better times are ahead. 

Mattison's daughter played softball at ND. That's why he went.

He always loved UM, and yes, he has family in Michigan. He took the ND job to be near his daughter. I have a daughter, and let me tell you, if she moves to Lower Slobovia, I'd consider moving, just to be near her. 

 

http://www.und.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/mattison_lisa00.html