Hoke: No new Legend numbers this year
So yesterday on the Inside Michigan Football Radio Coaches Show (presented by Consumers Energy), Brandstatter was taking questions for Hoke.
I asked if they were going to award the #11 and/or #21 Legend jerseys this year.
Hoke said no, basically. They answered it at 33:33 of the show.
I think this is a good move. The only player I could see them giving #21 to right now would be Funchess and he already has a Legend number. It could've been possible for him to take #21 and give #87 to Butt, giving Funchess three different jerseys numbers in 3 years but then the universe would explode.
Edit: after looking at it again, Brandstatter didn't actually ask Hoke about #11 & #21 specifically, but if there were going to be anymore Legend numbers this year. So I guess Hoke answered it how he heard it even though I asked about the two numbers.
@brandymancan will the #11 and/or #21 Legend jerseys be given out this year?
— † Wolverine Devotee (@WolverinesMike) August 27, 2014
August 28th, 2014 at 6:05 PM ^
Good move. We should not force legends jerseys upon kids and expect they all get used every year.
August 28th, 2014 at 6:07 PM ^
this is a case of "less is more." Do it on the field this year, then let's talk next year about who earned them.
August 28th, 2014 at 6:09 PM ^
I really wish Devin Funchess had stuck with #19. I feel like 20 years from now there could have been a #19 legends jersey.
August 28th, 2014 at 6:11 PM ^
I don't know, I think he wears #87 well.
Now #19 will be Speight's number.
August 28th, 2014 at 6:14 PM ^
I know but he wore 19 as a freshman. Just like Kovacs with #32 or Manningham with 86, there hasn't been a great player, at least in my lifetime, to wear that number. He could have made it his thing.
August 28th, 2014 at 7:24 PM ^
I don't want every great WR we have to graduate wearing number 21. Braylon was #1, Manningham #86, Carter #1, etc.
August 28th, 2014 at 7:35 PM ^
Goodness man Funchess has to do way more than he has to deserve that. I'd love it if he makes a case for it but it's not close right now.
August 28th, 2014 at 6:10 PM ^
Not so fast.
The question was if there was going to be any more legacy numbers, not if they were gonig to give the already established ones out.
August 28th, 2014 at 6:12 PM ^
I seriously doubt they're going to do it the day before the game.
Last year, they did it on Monday before the opener.
August 28th, 2014 at 6:25 PM ^
PLEEEEEASE?
Honor the legends, but the patches are stupid. They take up to much room in bowl games. You can't give out #1 because it could be 2 different guys.
Just make a monument park with plaques and statues and things of that nature.
August 28th, 2014 at 6:29 PM ^
The Team, The Team, The Team. That's why the statues won't happen. There's only one statue on campus and it's of Bo.
I do actually like the idea of them being worn for one game during the season. Having all six Legend numbers on the field for ONE game. Make it like a surprise for which game it is.
August 28th, 2014 at 6:47 PM ^
The north campus wolverine comes to mind.
August 28th, 2014 at 6:58 PM ^
Might be the only statue of an actual person though.
unless that family statue kitty corner from Angelo's are of actual people, but I think it's a general man, woman, child statue
August 28th, 2014 at 7:15 PM ^
I think at one time there was a claim that it was the first statue of an individual on campus, but that was later clarified. This is from an archived DetNews article:
In the 197-year history of the university, this is the first outdoor statue on campus of an individual, according to athletic director Dave Brandon.
And, by the way, I'm with Ryanfourmayor. Hoke did not say the #11 and #21 jerseys weren't going to be given out this year. All he said on that show was that no new legends jerseys were going to be created this year. That's exactly what Baumgardner wrote about in this article.
August 28th, 2014 at 7:18 PM ^
You forgot the eagle. I think there was one above the old press box but I can't find a picture anywhere. Anyone know what they did with it?
August 28th, 2014 at 7:54 PM ^
was a ball-hawking safety. I think he led us in INTs one year.
August 28th, 2014 at 10:29 PM ^
The bird statues on top of the press box (I think there were two?) were to scare off birds from landing or nesting up there. Nothing special.
August 28th, 2014 at 11:26 PM ^
Over at Ferry Field, there's a semi-statue (OK, a plaque with a bust on it) of an Ohio State guy. I don't care how many world records he set, why does Michigan have a semi-statue of a Buckeye on our campus?
August 29th, 2014 at 2:56 AM ^
But Michigan football doesn't begin and end with him.
He deserves to have his statue out in front, by itself, for everyone to see...
But there's no reason you can't create a completely seperate "Michigan Football Memorial Park" (insert donor name here)
And have life size (not larger than life) statues of the retired players, plaques with faces on them, etc.
Like what the Yankees have.
You can also figure out ways to honor great TEAMS...which for a school that yells "The Team. The Team. The Team" to everything...that would certainly be pretty cool to honor teams like most schools honor retired numbers.
We have Schembechler Hall so some of this would be redundant...but it would be nice to visit on gameday, a walk through the History of Michigan Football. Take pictures next to the great players, list the names of the players of the great teams. You can do a wall like the do in DC for some of the monuments....take a bunch of elements and make it our own.
Have a Heisman corner and honor those guys.
When you play at Michigan, you want to be honored in this park once you're done. Whether individually, or as a team.
I personally just like this idea better than retiring numbers or going crazy with patches. Both are too hard to figure out at a school like Michigan. You don't want to take numbers off the field, you don't want your best players always wearing the same number (which we already have).
August 28th, 2014 at 7:54 PM ^
I think a monument park with plaques at Michigan Stadium is a good idea. That way we can honor worthy players like: Long, Hart, Leach, Mandich, Freidman, Heston, McCenzie, Dierdorf etc... who will probably never get a Legends number.
Also, we need to add championship years and University of Michigan on the skyboxes. Brian had a post last year about it, but it seems like nothing came of it. I would like to see us do something like this: http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/i/n/memorial-stadium-press-box-lettering-illini.jpg
August 28th, 2014 at 7:03 PM ^
Thank goodness, I like the legends jerseys but I don't like them just being handed out every year to average players. Make them earn it, Christ hey are legends jerseys.
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August 28th, 2014 at 7:37 PM ^
I still really like the legends jerseys and think its a great way to connect to the past. That being said I have no problem with numbers not handed out every year.
August 28th, 2014 at 8:10 PM ^
There is no need to give out legends numbers for little achievement (Gardner wearing #98). I'd be happier of they took them all away.
August 28th, 2014 at 10:30 PM ^
These are ridiculous, stupid, confusing, and unnecessary. Just a ploy to sell more $100 replica jerseez by DB.
GET. RID. OF. THEM.
August 29th, 2014 at 2:03 AM ^
Thank you tiny baby Jesus