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Early bye means a ride

Not (just) that kind of ride.  Motorcycle ride, because the weather will be gorgeous and we won't have to worry about getting back in time for the game.  If it's a late season bye we sometimes use that as Pasty Day, because yes we're that Michigan that we make pasties.

But otherwise it's a normal week.  I still inflict lots of football and MGoBlog hilarity on my guy, and he still does his thing and spoils me wtih dinner.

You can't drink all day

if you don't start in the morning.

Peppers, in sum

I'm hypnotized, watching Peppers spin like the Tasmanian Devil.

Peppers for the Heisman! Oh, sorry, wrong thread?

Respectfully disagree

I had several heart attacks during this game.  But I sure am relieved we got the jug back. 

Those Gophers playled their hearts out, and I really feel for them, but the jug needed to come home.

Brings back memories

I think you're right.

The first game after he died, there was a long, long moment of silence for him. It was real silence, too, not that shifty muttering you sometimes get.

And then, in the middle of it, there was a single toot on the horn.  It was perfect.

Those late 70s games

I grew up in AA, and remember those games well.  It seemed like the norm was to beat opponents by dozens and dozens of points while they got none.

Of course, I suppose the only tickets people were willing to give up to a little kid were ones to games Michigan was expected to win in a blow out.

But it forever set my expectations for how Michigan should win its games--emphatically, and without letting the other side see the end zone.  I've been so confused for the last decade, wondering where the heck my wolverines have gone.

I do remember the stadium getting loud.  Awe-inspiringly loud.  I suppose, in retrospect, it wasn't the eardrum-shattering decible level of a rock concert.  What I remember, though, is this wall of sound giong back and forth across the stadium: Go! Blue!  The eerie stillness sometimes, when our team was out there, and the roars of approval when they scored.

It was loud. It was loud because even in an open bowl, 110 thousand people yelling in glee at the top of their lungs make a lot of noise. They don't need the sound-reflecting roof, or crappy loudspeaker music, or anything but the cheerleaders (or seat mates) starting the chant or a good score.  It was the loudness of a football game on a sunny fall afternoon, not the screaming pitch of a concert or jet plane.  Just people, giving it their all in a massive open space.

I was a kid. The romance of that pure, genuine atmosphere seeped into my soul, warped my perspective. I understand, on an intellectual level, that shutouts are incredibly rare, and that winning by 70 points is almost unknown.  I expect it anyway.  Yeah, I know.

I had tickets to the Northwestern game.  I gave them to my brother, so he could see his son sing with the MMB. He did, too, actually caught a glimpse of him on the field.  I suppose the flame red hair probably made him easier to spot. Anyway, as I jumped up and down in my living room, screaming at the tv, as is my wont, I felt the team of my childhood return. The bone-chiling, awe-inspiring sound of an entire stadium erupting in a gleeful chant as another Big Ten team was put in its place.

Tomorrow (TOMORROW! Finally!) my son is going to the game. Third generation alum, that boy, he swears his first words were Go Blue.  He's a laid-back type, seldom in a hurry, not excitable. Tomorrow, though, he'll be yelling, the way he does only during Michigan games. He'll do his part, I know.  Stomping on third downs, roaring when Michigan scores.

I hope he loses his voice by Sunday.  That'd be good.  As you say, the pain will be worth it.

Go blue!

(Er, sorry for the length. I got carried away, I guess. Good memories, good to have that feeling back.)

All of the above plus

The Rudock long bomb, completion in the end zone.

Clearly

I need more caffeine. 

Maryland in rear view mirror?

I'm slightly confused.  I thought we played Northwestern last week, so they'd be in our rear view mirror, and Maryland would be in OSU's.

There were only bits of stomped-on blood and bone left on the field by the end of the game, though, so I may have misidentified our opponent.

 

Eta: Meant to add, I always love these posts, with the update on previous opponents and the helpful guide to the appropriate fear level for upcoming games.

Such a contrast

The Michigan Daily column was superb. 

 

Too much MGoBlog?

I saw "when you want to demand that your coach publicly burn every dollar he's been paid."

I thought it said, "when you want to demand that your couch publicly burn ..." and thought huh, so Michigan State's ways are spreading across the country.

Maybe I spend too much time here.

...

Nah.

Best announcer line

"He has no idea that Woodson can jump 15' in the air..."

My nephew is singing at halftime

I couldn't stand the thought that MGoBrother and his wife couldn't go see him, so I gave them my tickets. Sure hope it's a great game--we know it will be a great show.  The MMB wins every time.

That was gold

But this one made me laugh out loud:

UNC did an awesome impersonation of Peter by denying victory three times in the red zone against South Carolina

Same problem

I have had to remind myself, constantly, that throwing my kindle across the room is not the same as throwing a book across the room. The results would be suboptimal.

But I get so angry all over again, every time I read about the truly horrible and wretched and unforgiveably stupid stunts Brandon pulled.  And I get angry all over again at the search committee that signed off on his hire, after finding him the least qualified candidate. 

Yes, Messrs. Hackett and Harbaugh have already improved the tone and substance of the department.  Some of the damage, though, may never be repaired. Can never be repaired.

Sort of like my kindle, if I get overwhelmed again and throw it across the room after all.

A goddess scorned

There's no wrath like the wrath of a scorned goddess.

Sure would explain a lot about the last 8 years or so.

The subjectiveness of time and risk.

Some days and weeks and months shrink away to tiny motes; some hours and minutes and moments expand to fill your consciousness.

This. Yes, football is dangerous to play, sometimes painful to love. But those moments that expand are so very glorious.

I think only the players can decide if the risks are worth taking.  If they are willing to take the risks, I will honor their choice and revel in watching them play.

The Horror

I was there. It was traumatic beyond belief.  You're right, sometimes the quiet is just the result of utter devastation.

It's the quiet that matters

I generally agree with you--and further to your point, notice that Mr. Hackett's strongest memory was of a Michigan-Ohio State game and the quiet.

When that massive stadium falls still, it's an eerie and marvelous moment. Of course, it's even better when it then erupts in earth-shattering roars of victory.

But how often do you have moments where an entire 100,000+-person crowd is silent, spellbound, holding their breaths for the next play on the field?  I would fight to preserve that magic.

Which word?

Can one word encompass his folly and and iniquity, his propensity for wreaking devastation?

"A most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no one good quality."

A worm of which we are well rid.

AC

One of my earliest memories of Michigan football is watching Anthony Carter play at a home game.  He was electric--in that huge stadium, he lit up the field and you couldn't take your eyes off him.  Nor did you want to, because he was generally the center of the action it seemed like.  Just phenomenal, and he'll always be one of my favorite players.

All that glitters...

What, you don't like the glitter?

I like to picture their locker room covered in the stuff. If you've ever come near glitter, you know it goes everywhere.

Official colors?

Officially, ND's colors are blue and gold.  This green nonsense is a wholesale departure from tradition and, arguably, taste.

Then again, it's ND so I don't mind at all if they look absurd. 

As for the helmet--ouch. It's hard to believe anyone would do that to the iconoic gold helmets. Respect where it's due, the ND helmet used to be somewhat cool. This one? It's a farce.

 

Pitchforks.

Possibly also torches and clubs.

(p)ouch

You're really in the pocket, aren't you?

Valuable PSA

Thank you very much!

Onetwothree Death!

To our enemies.  Thank you for reminding me of that brilliant piece of writing.

It makes me wonder--which animal is more vicious and formidable, the wolverine or the mantis shrimp?

And the SMELL

We live down the block from, if you would believe it, a store devoted entirely to all things truffle. You can tell as soon as they've gotten a shipment, because the smell wafts out onto the sidewalk.  It's... distinctive.

Bananas are evil

I can't even stand the smell.

Excuse me while I go throw up after thinking about them.

Only mostly correct

Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront? The very definition of smoldering good looks. Besides, "I coulda been a contendah!"

Citizen Kane, however, is dreck.

Gorgeous description

Somehow I think Harbaugh can really relate to "that...insensate courage, that symbol of slaughter, sleeplessness, and tireless, incredbile activity..."

Wolverines are sacks of fury and claws

Someone on this board one time described a wolverine as something like a sack of fury with teeth and claws--only it was much more eloquently put than that. I've actually searched for it because it was such a great description.

Anyway, yes, the wolverine should always look pissed. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a wolverine.

Well if we're going to be pedantic...

I applaud the post whole-heartedly, but "is comprised of" makes me shudder. Here's a grammar discourse link.

The staff comprises many extraordinarily good coaches.  The OP's summary of their accomplishments encourages my cautious optimism.

Point a minute football

It is, indeed, fearsome.

Or so I dimly recall.

Acceptable

This outcome would be acceptable.  Harbaugh might not be pleased with the tie, but I could live with it.

I'm not saying it's not all about the money...

OP had a point--promptly lost--that some issues other than money could be brought front and center if the decision today plays out to mean that students have more of a say in how football programs are run.

That's a mighty big if, but let's pretend.

I think the idea of having students in the room when compliance and communications rules are established is intriguing. These are two areas that are in dire need of simplification, and students would unquestionably benefit from a better understanding of what the rules are.

(I say, naively, thinking that better understanding would lead to better compliance.)

Likewise, reforming the LOI system and scholarship system seem like winning ideas that might get more attention if students had more influence.

Do these issue pale in significance next to the money questions? Are they merely offshoots of money issues? Will they get buried in the discussion of money issues?

Money is the huge and obvious and pervasive issue where unions are concerned, but I think it is by no means the only one.

It's not that they make the right calls

I don't know that I agree--I mean, I recall complaining plenty often of bs/missed calls by the regular officials.

But I don't recall ever once complaining that they didn't know the rules.

So there's that.

Why can't we?

I think that's a sensible idea.  It would give everyone time to read the book, throw it across the room, re-read it, use up a box of kleenex, and by April maybe come to their senses and be ready to have a rational discussion over it, with the bonus of having some perspective from a year-plus under a new regime.

Maybe I speak only for myself, but from 03 Blue 07's excellent reviews I'm pretty sure I'm going to find the book fascinating, enraging, and horrifying.  Maybe by April I'll be sufficiently recovered from the trauma of reliving the last three years to discuss it.

(I should clarify--I think that no matter which side, if any, one was on for the past 3 years, they were beyond painful.  So that comment was not an indication of where I stand on anything.)

/disclaimer

I wondered the same

In camera review seems likely to me if the court doesn't rule directly for ESPN--just from what's been reported, er, relayed, here, there seem to be ample grounds to demand that the court at least have an opportunity to review the documents and force the university to justify its calls.  Every document sent to Sarniak (or received from him) sets off red flags for me.

I'm wondering if the university is putting far too much weight on FERPA.  Their arguments consistently strike me as over-reaching, especially given the genuine public interest in the information.  And not just popcorn-loving Michigan fan interest; any taxpayer in that state (hi Mom and Dad, tell me again why you moved there?) should care about the fact that the university would more efficiently use its funds by setting fire to them instead of paying its compliance staff. Or its AD.  Or its president, come to think of it.

Make that 4 cents for spoilation

Defying an order of the state supreme court and destroying evidence--that would make every NCAA violation that school ever committed pale into the realm of jay walking across a dirt road.  The mind reels.  I cannot imagine any attorney risking literally everything with such a stunt, or anything more likely to get everyone within a million miles of it fired instantly (only faster).

You're so right on the legislature getting involved too.

That said... some people put the crazy in fanatics.  It's not beyond the realm of possibility that some deluded fan with access to the emails would try to scrub them in some fatally misguided notion that they were protecting the almightyand ever-true football program.  I'm a little cynical and a little willing to believe that sometimes people do phenomenally stupid things.  And so are ESPN's lawyers, which is why they WILL check for missing documents.

Oh yes Pixar

I knew I had forgotten key components of his career.  Pixar did indeed revolutionize animated film.

I learned of Jobs' death from an MZone tweet

which I read while skimming Twitter on my iphone.

Jobs revolutionized laptops (and likely much more) with the creation of the iPad.

Before that he revolutionized cell phones with the creation of the iPhone.

Before that he revolutionized the entire music industry with the creation of the iPod and iTunes.

Before that he revolutionized laptops with thinner than thin, beautiful laptops.

Before that he revolutionized *everything* by making computers personal--usable, affordable, and actually personal.  Without that? No internet used by everyone, no Google, no Amazon, no Twitter, no global sea change in communications and the use of computing power in everyday lives.  Or perhaps it all would have happened eventually, but it would have happened less efficiently, and with less care for the technology user's experience.

Jobs fully integrated technology and design.  His effect on our world is profound without measure. 

May he rest in peace, and condolences to his friends and relations.

Mildly persuasive, perhaps

The Ohio Supreme Court can totally ignore any other court's opinion on state laws, and it only has to follow the US Supreme Court if it says something about FERPA itself.  It is otherwise the boss of its own state's laws, if you will.

Nevertheless, it's likely to look at the other court's ruling and at least consider it, especially if it was that state's supreme court.  It may reach the same conclusion if it makes sense and if the state laws at issue are similar.  The laws don't have to be identical, but they have to be in the same ballpark.  (They likely are, especially if both are modeled on the federal law.)

Please note that absolutely no research was done to draft this answer, and heed it accordingly.

Edit: this answer was ony as to your second point.  Next step for OSU lawyers?  Suck it.  (I haven't followed the litigation closely, sorry, and the answer could vary, but it will be some variation of suck it.)

My only quibble is Mattison

I don't know that it's going to take him a few years to turn this defense into the defense that strikes fear and trembling into every OC's heart.  Mabye one or two.  I have been happily astounded by the progress I've seen already--fundamentals are back!

This is me being all Hokeful.

Ryan Fitzpatrick?

Went to Harvard, just handed Tom Brady a loss, maybe will prove to be the real deal.

Or, you know, any given Michigan QB.

Clearly

But will there be roses?

I hoped for it

But I didn't expect it.  Welcome to the Big Ten, Nebraska. 

Wisconsin looks legitimately good, imo, even if they haven't faced any killer opponents yet.  They played smart, fast, tough ball.  And jeez o petes their QB can play.

So yeah, Wisky should move up.  Don't know if it will, but it should.  Michigan will go up a bit, I'm guessing, but we're still not going to get major respect.

I was hoping the same

but Wisky didn't look as good as I would hope on that first drive. 

I'd take a respectable win by Wisky.

Fair, I was overbroad.

Gallon did fine, and field goals today blew my tiny little mind.  Coverage on kickoffs returns still left a lot to be desired, though. 

It's a very small concern on a very good day.

In all seriousness...

It was very telling, that Hoke is a class act.  Nicely done, I thought. 

Otherwise, special teams continue to lack improvement but everything else verged on stellar.