It's Great To Be A Michigan Wolverine!
As we wait for our bowl game selection in the midst of all these negative posts regarding recruits or coaches, I think it prudent to remember what it truly means to be a Michigan fan.
First an foremost, its bigger than any one man or recruit. Its being part of the biggest alumni association in the world. It's watching a home football game with more fans than any team in the country. It's being part of a program and University that's about integrity. I'm proud to know that when people talk about my school, I don't have to worry about what potentially is going on behind the scenes. The running of a clean program. We asked for more six years ago and the impact was significant. Now, however, I can honestly say I feel like things are being done the right way. No I don't like the record but I respect my school and my team and will support the leaders that our university has hired to right the ship.
I have no better memory than singing the fight song with the likes of Bo, Dierdorf, and many other Michigan alums in the hotel bar after the Rose Bowl win in 1998. That is the glory we will return to.
Once you become a Michigan Man you don instant credibility and respect throughout the country, not just as a football player, but as man. Doors are opened because you are from Michigan. Go Blue!
December 7th, 2013 at 2:17 PM ^
December 7th, 2013 at 6:48 PM ^
December 7th, 2013 at 7:19 PM ^
But this is crap. A large reason that this university has its insanely loyal alumni network is historic athletic superiority. Michigan is not as fine of a school as the top Ivies, but it historically went out and competed athletically on an elite basis too. It gave a unique "we're awesome at both" well deserved arrogance that made UM unique and merited the "leaders and best" tag.
Given the continued and sustained mediocrity of the football program, it's almost laughable that you can sit here and say that we're the "leaders and best" when we're not the best academic institution and have been continually getting slapped around for the last decade with our flagship athletic program. We're basically a top 20 institution with a top 20 athletic program (major sports that the public ever notice). This is fine, but this smelling-our-own-farts superiority complex has roots in football superiority, so you can't keep up this leaders and best nonsense while getting embarrassed on national TV 3-4 times per year without sounding silly.
Then again, our alumni network is 2nd to maybe Harvard, so as long as the alumni keep smelling their own leaders and best farts, I'm happy.
December 9th, 2013 at 12:39 PM ^
" Michigan is not as fine of a school as the top Ivies, but it historically went out and competed athletically on an elite basis too."
When I attended Michigan it had a top 3-4 law school, a top 3 med school, a top 4 business school, a top 3 computer science program, a top 5 engineering school which offered a number of engineering degrees that were arguably the best in the nation and a number of other top 5-10 programs that escape my fading memory. If you want to argue that MIchigan has regressed or other schools have caught up or moved beyond MIchigan that's one thing, but historically Michigan consistently competed head to head academically with the "top Ivies and any other top tier university.
Football was important, but it was expected to be a top program because Michigan either was, or was commited to becoming, among the very best in everything it offered. The claim that Michigan's sense of superiority is rooted in its football program is historically untrue.
December 8th, 2013 at 1:08 AM ^
Always has been, and always will be.
December 8th, 2013 at 1:10 AM ^
You better notify Brandon than to change the ticket prices to more of a program that just plays to be boy scouts and have fun. Cause if you charge National Championship caliber team prices you better produce National Championship caliber teams and coaches cause if not you'll get plenty of ticked off fans and alumni. It's great that we have history but when its all we have to talk about year after year it starts to lose it's luster. Posts like this just show me we still have a large portion of our fan base who would rather live off our "Supposed" great past (I can't minus 1997 and for about ten years of Bo remember this great time) but I guess some of you think almost winning is great.
December 8th, 2013 at 10:13 AM ^
about mediocrity, I have heard it here more than anywhere. Remember, we will always recruit the top ten student athletes in the country and do it the right way. So this so called mediocrity will be short and sour to me so keep telling us how mediocre our football team has been over the past five or six years. Those with an agenda on here to ruin this web site or make it unreadable your thinly veiled we all know who you are and anything you say will be disputed.
December 8th, 2013 at 1:57 PM ^
I agree. Thanks for the ray of sunshine.
December 8th, 2013 at 2:16 PM ^
You people are insane! Only bitter Michigan fans can take a post meant to inspire and turn it into a something to bitch about. I love posts like this. I've been a Michigan fan since I was old enough to have a memory, and admittedly I'd become used to winning. It is easy to get down when they are mediocre like we have been lately. Posts like this serve as a reminder of things we should be thankful for. Grow the hell up and just don't comment if you don't like them. I love the entire University of Michigan, not just the football team, and will not allow you bi-polar narcissists to sully my good "fan-name". You people are what's wrong with being a sports fan.
And don't try to give me that junk about "accepting" mediocrity and "not demanding a winner" and all of that. You're a fan, not an investor in a company. Your job is to support the team, not make administrative decisions. SUPPORT THE DAMN TEAM. GO BLUE!