A Touch of Class. Michigan St vs Michigan 2012 post game sportsmanship.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:02 PM ^
I'm quite certain Brady Hoke does not encourage or condone on-field fighting. It may happen on occasion, but that's quite a bit different from it being part of the character Hoke is shaping.
August 21st, 2013 at 11:26 PM ^
Only point being made is that Michigan has brought an incredibly demeanor into the Ohio State game each of the past two years in comparison to any other opponent during Hoke's tenure (still baffles me that there was a fight against Ohio State in 2011 but not even an incident from Michigan's end against MSU that year). Not all that much in the way of grace either time. But you are correct, it doesn't apply across the board. Not even a rumbling of an incident outside of the 2011 MSU game which was completely one sided.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:07 PM ^
I wouldn't say we "brawled" either time. There was a little trash-talk and some shoving, and then it stopped. No big deal. It wasn't anything like that Miami-FAU (I think) game a year or two ago, where guys were throwing haymakers.
August 21st, 2013 at 11:31 PM ^
I would place Miami-FAU on that same level as Malice at The Palace. You have to adjust your definition for fighting based on the sport, or at least I did. If the same thing that happened on the field happened on the ice rink, people would be lining up to take a face off five seconds later with no penalties. I would call what happened each year about against Ohio State about as close as you'll get to fighting in football. But if you want it in absolute terms, substitue and replace "fight" with "kerfuffle."
August 21st, 2013 at 10:05 PM ^
I hate the word "classy." Can we just say they were "good sports" or "showed integrity"? I'd much rather have integrity than class. What the hell does "classy" even mean?
August 21st, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^
It means that one is socially above the status of jackanape, as evidenced by the ability to drink tea with pinky extended.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:14 PM ^
sounds as abstract as classy. a "good sport" or "sportsmanship" at least has concrete examples. If we're getting nitpicky, I'd like to pick even more nits...
August 21st, 2013 at 10:13 PM ^
From where I sat last year, I could see some of this anyway (albeit from a distance) and I thought it was a great gesture and a small but important part of the culture that Hoke and the staff have been working to build / rebuild at Michigan - the sportsmanship aspect of the culture is evident, I think. Someone mentioned it before, but I do agree - the players get it and I think there is a respect that the players seem to have for one another. Very nice to see.
August 21st, 2013 at 10:50 PM ^
August 21st, 2013 at 11:04 PM ^
August 21st, 2013 at 11:59 PM ^
August 22nd, 2013 at 5:49 AM ^
it is standard fare in hockey, even after actual brawling with the other team, to shake hands with them when the game is over. we did it at michigan, thats for sure.
got to play football until i was an old man and it was absolutely the norm.
nothing wrong with high-fives and big yells when you win in a thriller, but a few seconds after that you search out the other team and congratulate them for their effort. indeed, the measure of your victory is the strength of your opponent - honor that thought and you too will be honored.
August 22nd, 2013 at 9:09 AM ^
the image that is burnt into my mind is that of the obnoxious Michigan fans a section over who were taunting Sparty fans with little brother chants after the 12-10 whooping.
August 22nd, 2013 at 1:21 PM ^
But I think it is a more noticable gesture to act "classy" and shake hands after losing a rivalry game in close fashion. Michigan didn't do this so much after the 2011 loss to Sparty but of course Sparty players weren't helping the cause by going over and immediately holding up 4 fingers after beating Michigan.
August 22nd, 2013 at 3:07 PM ^
Have we cleaned all of the Axe body spray off of the Bunyan yet? That shit gives me a headache.
August 22nd, 2013 at 4:27 PM ^
I think that not celebrating right away and shaking hands is a thing of the past. Even shaking hands with the opponent after a loss is for losers. Heck, Coach Hoke didn't shake urban's hand at the end of The Game last year, so why should the team. Forget this "1950's sportsmanship stuff". It's gone.