Badger

November 17th, 2018 at 10:07 PM ^

One of my favorites was the "why we hate Ohio State" style post with the story about their fans that attacked his disabled friend. Talk about blood boiling rage. Anyone have that link?

Joined: 08/14/2011

MGoPoints: 6109

Commie_High96

November 17th, 2018 at 10:07 PM ^

My best freind growing up lived two houses down from Bo and Mille.  Each time UM made a Rose Bowl, she planted a rose plant in the yard.  I watched Bo mow on his John Deere most every weekend and hit a couple baseballs there that i had to retrieve.  Trick-or-treated at his house, seems like a lifetime ago

Joined: 02/10/2012

MGoPoints: 19677

stephenrjking

November 17th, 2018 at 10:13 PM ^

It's my birthday today.

My birthday has always, basically, had a Michigan-Ohio State flavor to it. I was born the day of the 1979 game (OSU won that day, alas). Birthday parties? Guys playing football in the front yard. A bunch of cash for my 18th birthday? Scalped a ticket to attend in person for the first time, in the student section. It was 1997. 21st birthday and I don't want to drink? Scalp tickets to the 2000 game, invite my friend who was in school in Steubenville, have a deliriously great time way up in the nosebleeds, go bananas as Henson runs that bootleg into the end zone.

And, of course, there was 2006. Bo, that day. The Game, the day after, as big as it has ever been.

I have a wonderful life. A calling. A wife. Kids. I have a modest place to live and working vehicles to drive. I live in a beautiful place. I don't have need of anything.

So I get asked, what do I want for my birthday? What do you ask for when you have everything you could ask for?

There is but one thing.

Beat Ohio. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143524

LSAClassOf2000

November 17th, 2018 at 10:27 PM ^

I still remember exactly where I was when I heard the news of Bo's passing, and I remember having to actually pull over (I was listening on the radio), get off I-75 in Southgate, and cry on the side of Northline Road. I grew up watching his teams, I was - in a small part (my mother and other people in my life were more immediate influences) - a Michigan fan and alum because of his teams. I was crushed. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130561

Bando Calrissian

November 17th, 2018 at 11:59 PM ^

I was in my apartment packing to leave for Columbus. My mom texted me and told me to turn on the news, nothing more than that. At that point, the update was just that he had collapsed at the studio and was taken to the hospital. A few minutes later, the update changed. 

I didn't know Bo personally. But I'd interacted with him a lot. He was important. I wasn't ready. It felt just like finding out any of my grandparents had died. A completely crushing gut punch. And then I was off to the 'Shoe for... yeah.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 68097

You Only Live Twice

November 17th, 2018 at 11:23 PM ^

12 years.  

It's burned into my memory too. Driving my son to school. Listening to WTKA, this was pre-Sam and I don't remember who the hosts were, they were talking to Bo and he sounded so weak I was alarmed.  They asked him if he would be OK to watch The Game and he replied, "I'll be OK" (believe that is the quote) and I just went cold from head to foot.  He sounded like he was trying to be reassuring but again, alarmingly weak.  We pulled up then at the school and the bell rang, I remember trying to shake off the cold feeling, seeing and hearing young life all around, yelling and jostling as they ran through fall leaves swirling in the wind, into the school.  

It felt like Bo was saying goodbye.  I tried to disregard the cold feeling, went back home and got ready for work, by the time I got on the freeway Bo was gone. 

The little boy in elementary school is now a senior at U-M

Joined: 09/14/2013

MGoPoints: 9615

stephenrjking

November 18th, 2018 at 12:29 AM ^

Seriously? That must have been an interesting broadcast. Any details there?

Could have been Shand, I guess my memory has faded a bit. I was never a huge fan--I listened, but the afternoon show with Fithian and Wickett was much more listenable.

Except for those classic highlight intro montages (fatboy slim, maybe?), which were amazing. The Defran morning show was worth it just for them. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143524

Bando Calrissian

November 18th, 2018 at 1:08 AM ^

Defran was a total asshole pretty much no one liked to work with, and had been skating on thin ice for a really, really long while. If memory serves, that morning he had been doing something stupid like throwing a water bottle at his co-host as kind of a joke (maybe it was Steve Clark?), went a little too far, the guy lost it on Defran, they cut to a commercial, and came back from the break without him. 

With Shand, he got axed from WTKA because the Athletic Department told them to fire him, IIRC. There was a whole legal production about it after the fact. Shand had gone after Bill Martin one too many times. I tend to think there was a bit more of a backstory there, with Shand having been an assistant coach and department insider for a while. Total bummer, he was great. 

WTKA in the mid/late-2000s was a trip. GOOOOOD AFFFF'TERNOON, DENNIS!

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 68097

Jeff09

November 18th, 2018 at 1:12 AM ^

If this doesn’t send a few chills up and down your spine, I don’t know what will:

”And you wonder: do I like Michigan because of the way I am, or am I the way I am because I like Michigan?”

I’m glad I am the way I am because I like Michigan, and because I hate Ohio State. 

Joined: 06/25/2011

MGoPoints: 8460

M-Dog

November 18th, 2018 at 7:52 AM ^

One of Brian's best posts ever.  It was all about Michigan football and had nothing to do with Michigan football all at the same time.

And it worked incredibly well on both levels.

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 256985