Confessions of a Michigan Football Fan
11 Warriors has an interesting piece on their site where they "invite you (their readers) to spill your sins, real or perceived, against Ohio State athletics." It makes for a fun/entertaining read and I thought we Michigan fans probably have plenty of interesting thoughts to spill as well.
So I guess I'll start with my 3 confessions:
-I love Ann Arbor to death, but I don't think it's the best college town in the Big Ten. I think that privilege goes to Madison.
-I'm a Hoke fan, and I love Mattison and think Nussmeier was a great pick up, but State has the best all-around football staff/coaches in the Big Ten. Hands down.
-Here's my big one... Had we played Nebraska in a BCS Championship-like game back in '97, I think they would've won.
Bonus: I LOVE the movie "Rudy" and have no real negative feelings toward Notre Dame at all.
11 Warriors Link: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-state-athletics/2014/06/36200/ohio-state-athletics-confessional-2014
I'm in 100% disagreement with this one. The osu unis I think look okay, but I think the Sparty uniformz are....icky.
against a green background doesn't appeal to me. Boise isn't allowed to wear all-blue on their blue turf in conference games, I think. State shouldn't be allowed to wear all-green. That's just too much green.
I just had to chime in and debate the OP on Neb winning a hypothetical game against us in the '97 season.
Let me remind you that we had the #1 defense, the #defense against the run , the best secondary in the country.
Facing a Neb team with a QB that was a runner more than a thrower, we would have challenged them to throw the ball by stacking the box, our CB's were able to cover man and press with the best of them.
They didn't have a sophisticated passing game like Wazzoo did and Leaf who was a stud QB that year with 5 wideouts constantly.
I liked our chances a lot in a potential match up, besides, had there been replay thast year, Neb woulda lost that game to Mizzou cause that ball touched the ground on that play that won that game for them.
I am old enoiugh to remember every game that year fairly clearly, and if our opponents offense was one dimensional, which Nebraska clearly was--no throwing threat at all that year-they were dead against our defense.That was the year we embarrassed Ron Dayne and Wisconsin, and there's no way a one dimensional N team could have won that game. In fact i think we would have won by at least two scores.
True green and white is a fine uniform. Dark green and black / "bronze" sucks
I still pine for Harbaugh
or his SpicyWeiner?
I hate it when the Maize Ragers jump up and down like the Dooks and the Sparty Izzers and all the rest of the student sections. Leaders, not followers, gang.
I hate Michigan fans that call into talk radio stations. Period.
I hate Michigan fans that call OSU "Ohio". Well, I don't hate those fans, I hate that choice.
I hate that our AD is for sale.
I hate that our student sections have great fans that have to put up with bad fans giving them a terrible rep. Whether it is frat and sorority members showing up late or long-time Maize Ragers who were called terrible fans because of their small numbers. I want Michigan's student sections to be elite and groups to behold. Unfortunately, they are not.
who played the piano, right? I thought he died decades ago.
/s
Wow.. No. You're thinking Liberace.
Woosh?
That's the Nike trademark, right?
Although they've been largely eclipsed by AMC, IMHO
I hate that we still have fans who stereotype all Greeks as bad fans.
Seriously? I don't even expect the Greeks to be good fans after recent events.
Hell, FIFA has the Greeks ranked #12 in the world and they got toasted by Columbia 3 nil. Sure, Columbia is #8 in FIFA rankings, but 3 - 0? Good god.
It will be interesting to see how many Greeks turn out tonight vs. Japan
doubled
Now Japan has some fans. You can't accuse them of not turning out. Granted, Brazil has the highest population of Japanese outside Japan.
Why is that shameful? Veronica Mars kicks ass! That Kickstarter was the best I've ever backed (and yes, I've backed all the HTTVs).
I was one of the students chanting for Ryan Mallett during the 2007 Oregon game.
I called out Devin Gardner early last season for not being tough.
I renewed my tickets this year.
You bastard
For being funny and for Zappa.
- I'm very annoyed Michigan does not display their National/B1G Championship years inside the stadium on the "boxes". A HUGE canvas and you do nothing with it. Just the plain solid Blue color.
- I really hate the "win the Big Ten and go to the Rose Bowl" mentality. This is not 1988 anymore, coach. I'd do some gross things to get a B1G Championship this season, but in reality, that should and will eventually become a consolation prize for not making the playoffs/not winning the national championship.
-
I want at least one alternate uniform a year for Football. Starting with a Maize jersey and Blue pants this year. Not for rivalry games. Games against the PSUs, the Wisconsins, Nebraskas or the big non-conference games in the future. Hell, I can do you one better. How about saving the Maize/Blue set for one big non-rivalry home game a year? Hockey and Basketball wear Maize for the big games and I'd love to see Football do it for a change.
Agreed on the Rose Bowl thing. It was relevant in Bo's day and Gary Moeller's day, and early Lloyd up until 1998. Once the BCS and now the playoffs have started, it's like saying that our goal is to make the elite 8 in bball.
1) I'd be OK with something visible, honoring Championship seasons, inside The Big House, something bigger than what's on the scoreboards.
2) While I understand your argument, you still have to win the B1G in order, under the 4-team playoff system, to have a shot at the National Championship. But the goal of a National Championship IS a real goal that should be strived for, no doubt about it.
3) Uniformz? At home? NO! When you have a classic home uniform, that's all you need. Leave alterrnate "uniformz" for teams (regardless of sport) what aren't fortunate enough to have gotten it right long long ago. Michigan Football, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, New York Yankees, USC Trojan Football, etc., etc.---there are certain teams with iconic uniforms in each major College and Pro sport. When you have perfection, you run with it.
Obvious alt uniform is obvious: Blue pants for a road game now and then.
It's bugged me for some time now how after years of keeping the uniforms more or less identical from one year to the next, the first change they make is absurd-looking piping, followed by bumblebee alternates. Someone made a decision to skip over an obvious one like blue away pants in favor of ridiculous striped patterns? Why?!?
But what about blue pants for a home game?
An all blue scheme is one of my bold predictions for this upcoming season. Gotta generate buzz somehow and the schedule ain't doing it. Plus the recruits love it.
I really hate that some fans don't think that winning the Big ten is meaningful in an age when there is a national championship to be won. It is difficult to imagine competing in the national championship game without winning the Big Ten. And setting "win the Big ten" as the minimum standard for success isn't dumb. It is generally achievable with hard work, and I think such a lofty minimum goal is great for motivating the players.
Personally, I'd be happy to just have the Rose Bowl, and say "fuck it" to the national championship playoffs. The Rose Bowl should pit that champions of the B10 and P12 and that should be it for their seasons. Let the rest of the college football world scrabble for the rest of the championship picture.
Although I agree that winning a National Championship is an ultimate goal, accepting that winning the conference is within our control is the necessary first step. I think Hoke's intent is that we have more control over what we do within our conference, but what happens in other conferences, and to a bigger degree who is voted into the NCG (and now, the playoffs) is out of our control. So, first win the B1G, a premier conference in the country, then let the rest of it play out.
...in this day and age is like bragging that you got straight Bs in the 10th grade. But I guess that's the new Michigan standard, so...yea.
Winning the Big Ten is like graduating from the 11th grade so that you can go on to your senior year. The standard of "No Big Ten title means an unsuccessful season" may be a much higher standard than you are willing to shoot for, but I think Hoke is right to define it that way. If he doesn't set the minimum for success that high, players can get complacent.
Now, there are some Michigan fans that argue that a given team is a failure if they don't win a National Championship, but I don't think that these people have thopught through their position.
So, I hate fans who are unwilling to set "win the Big ten" as the minimum for success, and those unwilling to settle for less than a nationa crown the definition of "success." I think Hoke has it pegged correctly.