Your favorite piece of Michigan Memorabilia

Submitted by Seth on

So this is my first year since I started working here full-time when I might be able to afford things other than necessities and debt. Suck it poverty line!

As I contemplate what bit of Michigan schlock worth disposing my first disposable income (leaning toward a Jug replica) I thought about how much interesting stuff this community has probably accumulated. Share what you've got; I'll display the coolest in Dear Diary tomorrow.

Mr. Elbel

April 28th, 2016 at 9:51 AM ^

Not necessarily cool or original, and mostly weird, but I've had one of those plush footballs with the block M on it since I was around 8 years old or so. I'm 24 and I still sleep with it, mostly out of habit now. I pretty much have to be holding something now when I sleep because I've held that football for so long.

In the next year or so my girlfriend and I plan on getting married so I can upgrade holding onto my football as I sleep to holding onto my wife. (told you it was weird)

Everyone Murders

April 28th, 2016 at 1:04 PM ^

If your fiance's friends are truly friends to her, they will find some nice plush maize and blue lingerie for the wedding night.  You know, to ease the transition for you.

(Your story reminded me of the great John Heisman quote - "Gentlemen, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football" - and credit to you, Mr. Elbel, for holding on to the damn ball!)

ijohnb

April 28th, 2016 at 10:18 AM ^

is crazy is that I feel like the headline in any of the local Detroit newspapers if Michigan won the National Championship would be "Harbaugh's questionable recruting tactics lead to controversial win for Michigan" or "Michigan takes advantage of opponents injuries during College Football payoff to secure a National Championship of limited importance due to impending graduations and NFL departures."

Is it possible to imagine the local Michigan media to truly celebrate Michigan football success right now?  I seriously don't think so.

Bando Calrissian

April 28th, 2016 at 9:56 AM ^

The night Michigan played Illinois (I think) in basketball in 2005 was right in the middle of a renovation at the stadium, which included ripping out several sections of seats that they just threw into piles in the concourse. Of course, back then, the concourse was open and you could walk out of Crisler, through the stadium area, and out the other side.

Well, the team had just lost a close one to miss out on the upset (I think it was the night the Orange Krush took over, too). I'm walking back to my dorm, and what do I see, but a big pile of stadium seats. Other people are sort of rummaging, so I quickly dash over and find a five foot section. It's pretty much the shortest one, but it's been broken off of a larger piece, so it has a big jagged edge. I pick it up, and start walking.

Right after I pick it up, the cops show up. I can see this behind me as I'm walking out what is now the student section gates. Apparently the Athletic Department didn't want people picking through stuff that was just going in the dumpster anyway. So I go off-grid, because carrying a jagged, five-foot-long section of stadium bench while cops are everywhere directing traffic is a bit conspicuous. I walked through knee-deep snow, took every back street I could find, ran when I could, and snuck the thing into East Quad before I could get caught. 

The next morning, Daily Crime Notes started with a story on students getting arrested at the stadium for stealing discarded benches. I, of course, had one hidden under my bed.

Still need to figure out a way to display it.

Tshimanga Cowabunga

April 28th, 2016 at 11:38 AM ^

I have a similar story about yost. When I was a senior in college there was a bad ice storm that caused bricks from the facade to fall off the yost roof. For a long time there were bricks and more littering the ground and roped off. Well not to be satisfied with bricks, we decided to carry off an archway. Needless to say it was quite heavy. As two of us were walking down the street carrying this to our house we were stopped by the police. They asked us what we were doing and where we got the brick arch. We told them yost. They laughed and told us to have a nice night. Don't think any of us ended up keeping it from our house sadly.

M Fanfare

April 28th, 2016 at 12:22 PM ^

You must have told this story before, because I remember it! And the reason I remember it is because a friend and I grabbed a few Yost bricks after they were fenced off and were walking back when a cop car pulled up right next to us and turned on its lights. We both almost shit our pants, but the cop was actually pulling over a car. Then I read your story a while later and realized that we were in no danger whatsoever.

bgoblue02

April 28th, 2016 at 9:56 AM ^

a Bo signed copy of "A Dynasty in Blue" to which Bo wrote to a "Future 3rd Generation wolverine" - I received it in 5th grade and went on to graduate 11 years later.  

Candor for Sale

April 28th, 2016 at 9:57 AM ^

A handwritten response I got from Harbaugh when I invited him to my dissertation defense. He couldn't make it of course, but was gracious enough to respond and congratulate me. I put it in a frame.

MAccLA

April 28th, 2016 at 12:30 PM ^

Not sure if there are any Michigan Telefund alumni that are active on the blog, but I worked there for three years during college. I actually called Gerald Ford for a donation one time (but got his voicemail). Anyhow, one of my favorite coffee mugs is my Michigan Telefund coffee mug...reminds me of good times.

ND Sux

April 28th, 2016 at 1:47 PM ^

b/c too many extenuating circumstances (she's awesome).  Didn't kill the dog, as I blamed myself for leaving the book on the floor.  It bummed me out though, big time.

MGoBrewMom

April 28th, 2016 at 10:05 AM ^

one is a piece of the old artificial turf that looks like a doormat painted like the Michigan field. when they took out the turf they made it into things and sold it to raise money. Jack Weidenbach was the interim athletic director at the time and I was the FedEx driver that was in their office every day. Mr. Weidenbach gave it to me as a gift when I graduated from Michigan. The other thing that I am special to me is an autographed picture of Desmond doing the Heisman pose, that is personalized to me.

SoDak Blues

April 28th, 2016 at 10:06 AM ^

Spring game when I was 3. My dad got a picture of Bo and me in front of the old winged VW Beetle. Made it in to an 8x10. He took it to the bust that year and got Bo to sign it for me. My dad had that in his office for the next 30 years, and now it hangs in mine. Not only my favorite piece of Michigan memorabilia, but my favorite possession period. 

SoDak Blues

April 28th, 2016 at 10:43 AM ^

This is the absolute truth. I worked at UM for several years prior to moving to South Dakota, and I still have my season tickets (even though we only get back for a game or two each year).  

I have a one and a half year old son, and next summer I am going to pull every favor and every string I can to try to replicate this with my son and Jim.  I have to imagine that Harbaugh would appreciate this tradition with an EUTM. 

BroShembechler

August 4th, 2016 at 5:20 PM ^

Thats awesome! EUTM lol love it. Any chance you have some game tickets you'd be willing to sell to a guy whose only been to 1 game? Also im heading to Ann Arbor next week to get some Jordan gear with my dad and just bought my first home looking to get some old school M programs and memorabilia for my barn and basement any place you fellas suggest to visit to get some things?

Yo_Blue

April 28th, 2016 at 10:10 AM ^

I have numerous Bo-signed and Lloyd-signed things, but I have a couple prized possissions.

The first is a wooden chairback from the Snake-pit in Columbus.  I was in the band and stood on my chair towards the end of the game to get a better view.  The chair broke into pieces and I grabbed the back and stuffed it into my uniform on the way out.  Seat #1 by the way.

Number two is a bound book that the team put together after the 1997 season that shows the script for every practice and all game statistics.  I took it with me to a Mott charity event and got Woodson, Jansen, Dhani Jones, and Brady Hoke to autograph it.  Dhani checked out the Rose Bowl stats and took a picture of the section that showed he had one tackle.

WestQuad

April 28th, 2016 at 10:11 AM ^

I noticed the other day that there are ~1,600 different Michigan items on Etsy.    (No idea why I was on Etsy.  My wife yelled at me, "Would you get off of Etsy!"  Which was a definite role reversal.)

My favorite item is my Jim Harbaugh Michigan Hat or the stained glass "M" my father made me.

MGoBrewMom

April 28th, 2016 at 10:12 AM ^

I got my dad a photograph that focuses on the helmets as the players are gathered before a game. A close family friend worked for Jon Faulk for years and knew Bo well. He got Bo to sign it personalized to my dad. It hangs in my dad's office but it is probably the single coolest thing that I have (albeit indirectly)

UM Fan from Sydney

April 28th, 2016 at 10:13 AM ^

I have an autographed Braylon Edwards jersey and a game-worn helmet, though I don't know to whom it used to belong. It was a gift years ago.

JeepinBen

April 28th, 2016 at 10:15 AM ^

Similar to the Stadium Seat story above... I had a good friend do a "Victory lap" and graduate in 5 years. He lived on State Street just south of Yost and I spent a few weekends at his place. It was during the Yost renovations and there was a pile of bricks just sitting there... It's like they were asking to be taken.a 

2 of those bricks are in my house.

I Wrote a 4 Wo…

April 28th, 2016 at 10:17 AM ^

My wife got me an autographed Trey Burke jersey for my birthday 2 years ago. Her uncle also just gave me a program from the 2004 Michigan-OSU game, the 100th Game...but I'd probably like it more if I was there. Still cool, but the Trey Burke jersey is the greatest birthday present I've ever received & my favorite Michigan piece I have.




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