Would a basketball national championship be just as satisfying as a football national championship?
Irrespective of how we might feel about the state and direction of our football program, few would disagree that the basketball program has given us more to celebrate in the past few years and is closer to the top of the mountain than its gridiron counterpart. This season is shaping up to be special and it looks like there's no limit to what this team can achieve if it's firing on all cylinders.
And yet, Michigan has always been perceived, internally and externally, as a football-first school. So my question for my fellow MGoBloggers is this: would you find a basketball national championship as satisfying as a football national championship?
I consider the NCAA Tournament to be the most exciting event in all of American sports, and as a lifelong Michigan fan who came of age in the late 80's and early 90's during the Steve Fisher/Fab Five era, I personally would find it every bit as satisfying. Having said that, historically I've followed college football more closely than college basketball. But I'm curious about what the board thinks. What say you?
December 6th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
You're clearly not a parent of 2+ kids ;)
December 6th, 2018 at 2:25 PM ^
Easy, you pick the smarter one. If they're both morons, pick the younger one.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:22 PM ^
I'd rather win both in the same year. But no.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:23 PM ^
Would it be as satisfying as a NC in football for me? No, but that's only because college football is my favorite sport.
Would it still be satisfying as hell? Absolutely. As would a NC in hockey or baseball. Or softball.
December 6th, 2018 at 3:01 PM ^
this is my sentiment exactly. i like college basketball but nowhere near as much as i love college football.
December 6th, 2018 at 6:27 PM ^
If beilein sticks around another few years you have a decent shot at B.B. he’s as good as they get for clean coaches. This year , little chance.
Football? You won’t have any realistic chance with saban at Alabama. I’d say go for a title in hoops and maybe hope to see an actual conference title in fb.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:23 PM ^
Yes. College basketball is 1b to football's 1a.
December 6th, 2018 at 3:49 PM ^
1a and 1b here too. I get more amped for football, however seeing Z do his alpha walk, draining a nail in the coffin 3 (by anyone), watching Matthews fake shoot, Teske swatting things are really exciting this year. Each sport is/will be fun to watch. Comparing similar wins tho there is nothing like hoisting the Paul Bunyan trophy even as compared to Moe saluting the Breslin Center in March of this year. They are close but not the same.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:23 PM ^
I'd like to say yes, but deep down Michigan football is where it's at.
That being said, I do love John Beilein and would be ecstatic to see him win a national title.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:23 PM ^
No. But still amazing!
December 6th, 2018 at 2:23 PM ^
I also get a little more revved up over football. I was on campus for the Fab Five wins, and everyone was pretty excited, for sure. I wasn’t around anymore for the 1997 Natty, so I can’t speak to it, but I’d venture to say that while basketball is appreciated, football is revered. JMO though.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
I think it is close. College football feels more "like a job" as a fan at this point. It feels far more serious and dire while it is happening. Michigan's lack of "big stage" success is more of a crisis than it is just an irritant. I think winning a football national championship would be a massive "relief" at this point more so than necessarily super fun.
Michigan basketball is far more fun, and frankly, much more likeable than its football counterpart. As much as I love Michigan football, there can be no question that there aspects of the program that feel entitled and self-important. Those are some negative aspects that are the complete anti-thesis of John Beilien and the program that he has built.
It is close for me. I think out of the all the people involved in both programs, Beilein is unquestionably the person to whom I would wish the ultimate success upon and that would be a national title.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:38 PM ^
Sticking with this team year after year is definitely a freaking job at this point
December 6th, 2018 at 2:39 PM ^
This is pretty much where I'm at. Also, you bring up an important point: Jim Harbaugh and Michigan Football are widely disliked and ridiculed outside of our fanbase, whereas John Beilein and Michigan Basketball are universally respected among their peers, even by our rivals. As unfair and meritless as the public perception of our football program may be, it's hard to dismiss it entirely given our embarrassing record against Ohio State and a Big Ten Championship drought that is entering its fifteenth year. There's something to be said for having the respect of your peers, and let's be honest: the football program hasn't done much in recent years to merit the level of respect we seem to think it deserves.
December 6th, 2018 at 3:01 PM ^
There are times when I am not even entirely sure that I "like it" right now, and have to kind of do a recalibration of what exactly attracts me to the football program right now aside from my "history" with it. This years Michigan State game is kind of an example of that in my mind. In the moments, as they were occurring, I liked Devin Bush stomping and smearing the logo, I liked Harbaugh's post-game comments about State, I liked his Monday comments about Dantonio. Then, as I got some distance on it, I began to wonder how and why I possibly liked those things. They are not and would not have been the actions of the players and coaches that I grew up idolizing and that made Michigan what it was. It is weird, Brady Hoke did not have success on the field, but when he said "this is Michigan," at the time, I knew what he meant. I am not entirely sure I know what that would mean anymore.
December 6th, 2018 at 4:42 PM ^
All of us would be crying like babies for a long time seeing the football team win a NC.
I did in '97, especially with the Griese "proud papa" bit.
Then again, I couldn't breath for the entire OT of the basketball NC game in '89 so maybe I was just catching my breath.
Damn, those were good days ...
December 6th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
I love Beilein and Co., but come on now.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:25 PM ^
No, because the NCAA basketball tournament doesn’t prove you were that season’s best team. It only shows that you got hot at the right time and maybe had a fortuitous path through the bracket. However, if we won the tournament as a 1 seed, that would be very close to winning the CFP.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:29 PM ^
Does it bother you that 1989 Michigan probably wasn't the season's best team?
IMO, a champion is a champion.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:57 PM ^
This is how I feel, too. While great teams often do win the tournament, there is a significant element of luck of the draw and catching fire at the right time. Even with the CFP, that is much less of a factor because only four teams get in.
That said, I would LOVE a basketball championship.
December 7th, 2018 at 7:40 PM ^
I always distinguish between NCAA Tournament champion and "national championship", i.e, the best college basketball team of the year. Not to downplay the astonishing achievement of winning the tournament, but the winner is frequently not the best team in college bball that year.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^
My sources say no
December 6th, 2018 at 2:28 PM ^
No.
It would be awesome for sure. And if there’s anyone in college basketball that deserves to win a national championship it’s John Beilein! I believe the man is easily the best person coaching in any sport at the moment.
That being said, it’s still not quite as satisfying as a football national title would be.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:28 PM ^
Yes. To me the sports are basically 50-50 in importance.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:28 PM ^
No, but still good.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:28 PM ^
Probably not, but I think we should win both and then compare just to be sure.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:29 PM ^
I'm an old man, and at this point, I'll take anything and everything I can get. I was in Seattle in 1989. I was at the Rose Bowl in 1998. I never would have dreamt I would not see another NC in those two sports. My advice to anyone willing to listen is not never take anything for granted.
SAVOR the victories.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:31 PM ^
No, now go put yourself through a fucking wall.
December 6th, 2018 at 3:13 PM ^
Sigh, I guess there aren’t any “F Is For Family” fans on the site. It's Bill Burr's animated series on Netflix and his character's name is Frank Murphy, the OP was created by Frank Murphy, and his tag line to his kids is, "I'll put you through a fucking wall."
December 6th, 2018 at 5:19 PM ^
lol... I hadn't seen it, but that clip might make me give it a shot.
As for my moniker, it's a reference to this man.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:31 PM ^
Not to those of us who live in Columbus.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^
No. The basketball tournament is much more random, where a team that gets hot for a six-game stretch can win it all. Winning the CFP championship is much more indicative of season-long dominance.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:49 PM ^
I think this argument is a bit exaggerated. While the NCAA tournament produces some upsets along the way, the champion is rarely a big surprise. I think the bigger thing is that there is more parity in basketball than football, and the difference between a #1, #2 and #3 seed is often not much. OTOH, the difference between Alabama and whoever the #12 team is in football is giant.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
A lot of people are saying this, but let's take a look at the last fifteen winners of the NCAA Tournament:
2005: UNC
2006: Florida
2007: Florida
2008: Kansas
2009: UNC
2010: Duke
2011: UConn
2012: Kentucky
2013: *COUGH*
2014: UConn
2015: Duke
2016: Villanova
2017: UNC
2018: Villanova
Aside from Florida's 2-peat in '06 and '07, that's a veritable who's who of basketball bluebloods (or, at the very least, basketball-first schools). So while it's theoretically possible that any team can get hot at just the right time and win it all, historically that hasn't really happened. The recent winners have mostly been from among the schools you might expect. Michigan Basketball crashing that party would be every bit as satisfying for me as if Michigan Football finally broke through.
December 6th, 2018 at 3:23 PM ^
Would you then say winning either football or basketball are comparable in a theoretical universe where the "basketball playoffs" mimic football and only the top 4 teams are selected? So it'd essentially start at the final four with only the 1 seeds playing?
IMO, I'd think that having to get through 4 elimination games before hitting the final four is tougher than getting a 1 seed playing in certain conferences - *cough* Gonzaga *cough*
December 6th, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^
Absolutely, Especially because the Basketball has come so close twice in recent memory. Getting over the hump would feel like the culmination of a long building project.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^
I’m getting close to accepting the fact that CFB for the foreseeable future is gonna be dominated by Bama, Clemson, Georgia and probably OSU. Not sure if Michigan is progressive enough to get to that level and compete with them, I truly hope I’m wrong but I don’t see it. But basketball on the other hand, I truly believe in the team and the coaching staff. Coach B winning a national title would be surreal and fantastic. I love watching Z, Teske, Iggy, Poole and all the other guys ball out just as much as the football team play. I’d 100% be just as satisfied.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:58 PM ^
I don't think that Michigan is not as progressive enough in football. I think that, while some may find this to be excuse-making, we just don't cheat as much as the schools that you listed at the top. Does anyone question that Alabama, Clemson and Georgia have the best bag men in the game? Seriously? As for OSU, it's kind of coincidental that their recent golden era came when they imported a coach who basically brought SEC recruiting to Columbus (which already had a decent start in that regard, if the pictures of T. Pryor with his boss' corvette and all of the other stories of $100 hand shakes have any validity). For more examples of good cheaters make great coaches, see Louisville and their vacated bball NC.
At the end of the day, you can have the best coaches out there, but superior talent will generally win. As a result of their "loose" morals, the teams that you listed have superior talent (going by recruiting rankings).
December 6th, 2018 at 3:39 PM ^
Well it’s evident that Harbaugh and co. won’t allow for bagmen and Beilein we know for a fact won’t, so we should just give up on hope for either because we don’t cheat enough?
December 6th, 2018 at 2:34 PM ^
No.
I am a nigh infinitely greater football fan than I am basketball fan.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:35 PM ^
No, but it would be close for me at least
December 6th, 2018 at 2:35 PM ^
your answer is the picture in the banner.
December 6th, 2018 at 2:36 PM ^
No, but it's closer than the other commenters are giving credit to it. The unpredictability of the tournament takes a partial shine off the basketball national title. The football championship shows you were the best team, the entire year, relentlessly. Not just the best team at the end of the year, or the best team remaining because the actual best team stubbed their toe.
That being said, I cried big time we won our B1G tournament championships the past two seasons. Who knows how it would have felt winning that game last year.