One Frame At A Time: Best Of 2013
2013 may have ended on a sour note (or several), but that doesn't mean it's not worth looking back at some of the highlights of the calendar year—especially, say, a few choice moments from March and April. While I've almost certainly omitted several worthy candidates, here are my picks for the 20 best (unedited) MGoGIFs of 2013.
If you'd like to peruse all of this year's GIFs, here are links to my Flickr sets for the 2012-13 basketball season, 2013 football season, and 2013-14 basketball season. Since Flickr is pretty cumbersome, you must click on each still frame, then right-click on the still frame and hit "view original" to see the actual animation. Alternatively, you can journey through the "one frame at a time" tag on this here blog.
Since it was difficult enough just to narrow this down to a list of 20, these GIFs are presented in chronological order, and you can vote for your favorite at the end of the post.
DANCIN' DENNIS NORFLEET (January 1st)
Because no MGoAnything is complete without some Norfleet.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the GIFs]
As usual, click the still frames to open each GIF in a lightbox.
THE DEFINITIVE MITCH MCGARY (January 3rd)
Get well soon, Big Puppy.
GR360 (January 17th)
I don't think the "nominee" bit was really necessary.
MITCH AND THE MAIZE RAGE (January 24th)
Mitch McGary, man of the people. (Also, I'm reserving the header in case I ever start a band.)
HARDAWAY CATCHES FIRE (February 5th)
A five-for-one special.
BURKE BLOCKS CRAFT (February 5th)
Revenge is a dish best served OUTTA NOWHERE.
A VERY TREY BURKE LAYUP (March 3rd)
This is just one of a great number of Trey Burke finishes I could've included; the above stands out as my favorite because it's such a signature Burke play—a crazy finish in traffic while taking contact (with no call), then falling down. His feet reappearing in the frame is what makes this one for me.
THE GREATEST PUMP FAKE IN HISTORY (March 3rd)
I sorta feel bad for the number of McGary GIFs in here considering the current state of things, but the dude is a GIF goldmine.
THE STEAL (March 3rd)
Yoink.
THE SCREEN OF DEATH (March 23rd)
Easily resistable force meets very immovable object.
SPIKE! (March 23rd)
While Spike's first-half explosion against Louisville was the more notable accomplishment, this is the better GIF—not only is the pass absolutely absurd, there's also GRIII finishing the play despite getting his jersey torn mid-play and the bench reacting accordingly.
THE SHOT (March 29th)
J-Bart's ESP is almost as impressive as The Shot itself. Almost.
SAD GATA (March 31st)
Mascots, especially when in Michigan-induced agony, are just the best.
RIP OTTO (April 6th)
Ditto.
THE BLOCK (April 8th)
If you think this shouldn't be included, please read this. (Or just keep watching, because ... good lord.)
JEHU GOES BOWLING (September 7th)
Alternate, edited version here.
HOKESHRUG (September 7th)
Still love this even though it may have taken on a slightly different meaning as the season went along.
JEREMY GALLON, SO ALONE (October 19th)
"You know, if that guy surpasses 400 yards we may have to seriously consider guarding him."
#DILEOPOWERSLIDE (November 16th)
I sincerely don't expect to see anything like that ever again, which may be for the best.
AIR FUNCHESS (November 30th)
Earns the nod over his hurdle attempt against Indiana since he managed to keep his feet on this one, not to mention the bonus points for doing this to a Buckeye.
VOTE
December 31st, 2013 at 4:35 PM ^
we could have seen more of Norfleet dancing in the end zone...but alas...he hardly ever plays.
December 31st, 2013 at 4:54 PM ^
Why can't they see what we see about Norfleet's ability to ball?
January 1st, 2014 at 2:29 PM ^
I haven't seen a greater mismatch between internet hype and actual on-field production since McGuffie than Dennis Norfleet.
December 31st, 2013 at 4:49 PM ^
It surprises me that "The Shot" was voted higher than "The Block".
December 31st, 2013 at 5:03 PM ^
Really? Huh. I voted for "The Shot," as it was/is the singular play of the year in Michigan sports as far as positive moments go; it was and is a play that will go down in Michigan history as a great moment, whereas "The Block" is infamous.. In the end, one elicits positive emotions, the other doesn't (at least not to me, and I imagine others as well).
December 31st, 2013 at 6:52 PM ^
it's painful but means so much.
trey was better than the refs believed he could have been; and their inability to see that sucked the life out of what would have been a game for the ages (win or lose).
December 31st, 2013 at 5:02 PM ^
For reminding us that 2013 wasn't all bad - there were some pretty great moments, weren't there?
December 31st, 2013 at 6:44 PM ^
but it was filled with iconic moments!
January 1st, 2014 at 7:57 PM ^
There were definitely some very good moments for our Wolverines this past year.
December 31st, 2013 at 5:24 PM ^
Great, great stuff. I voted for the Shot but there's so many good ones - the steal, Powerslide, Hokeshrug, the mascot agony ones, Dileoslide...
I forgot how epic that Ohio basketball game was. Between that, the MSU game and the tourney run, man, that was about as exciting a season as you could dream up.
January 1st, 2014 at 2:07 PM ^
I loved The Yell:
December 31st, 2013 at 5:29 PM ^
The block just kills me. Still painful.
December 31st, 2013 at 11:43 PM ^
Preach to me -- wounds just reopened :(
December 31st, 2013 at 5:40 PM ^
my vote to Jehu goes bowling. That was an unbelievably fun game and the season was still filled with possibility. An expected blowout against CMU and then a great game against ND. The football season was a lot of fun for a couple of weeks!
January 1st, 2014 at 7:58 PM ^
Jehu was great on special teams this year.
December 31st, 2013 at 6:02 PM ^
I thought we were calling it "The Trey"?
December 31st, 2013 at 6:15 PM ^
December 31st, 2013 at 11:40 PM ^
Clearly a charge LMAO
January 1st, 2014 at 12:50 AM ^
Dude never set his feet.
January 1st, 2014 at 12:59 AM ^
He gets credit for at least trying to defend - funniest thing I've seen in a while.
December 31st, 2013 at 7:50 PM ^
Had we been gifing the living gif out of every gifable moment since the dawn of Michigan sports, what year would have provided the best collection of gifs?
January 1st, 2014 at 12:34 PM ^
Desmond's punt return "The Pose" would be there -- the whole damned thing.
Edit: after getting a good night's sleep, I realize I cannot read.
January 1st, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^
One of the Fab Five years. We were good in all three sports those years and the Fab Five produced multiple highlight-reel plays in every game.
January 1st, 2014 at 8:12 PM ^
I have to agree with this.
January 2nd, 2014 at 11:03 AM ^
1996, just for hockey. You've got the Mike Legg goal, and Brendan Morrison winning the championship, plus a few of Turco's amazing saves in the championship game.
December 31st, 2013 at 7:57 PM ^
the shot for most iconic, but the sad gata and rip otto were most viewed. Hours of fun
January 1st, 2014 at 9:23 PM ^
I voted for RIP Otto. That gif encapsulates the NCAA tourney for me. I laugh every time I see it.
December 31st, 2013 at 8:11 PM ^
I voted for "The Block" because of Ace's post the next day, which really moved me. I had gone to Atanta for the weekend but had to return home for work on Monday, so saw the final game on TV after being in the MIchigan Bar all day for the win over Syracuse in Atlanta on Saturday. Not enough was mentioned about the Witchita fans in Atlanta, who were so gracious and fun and who all encouraged us to do what they couldn't do - beat Louisville.
GO BLUE!
January 1st, 2014 at 2:47 PM ^
Sad day...
January 1st, 2014 at 7:55 PM ^
I had not seen that McGary pump fake gif before. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
January 2nd, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^
Glad I'm not the only one who voted for Spike! To the 12 others who chose that one alongside me, I salute you. One of the greatest passes I've ever seen in a basketball game.
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