Angry Michigan Hating God meme
It is fascinating to see how various comments eventually becomes overused memes.
Some of these include numerous recruits being “shirtless,” quarterbacks regularly throwing to “Tacopants,” Rodriguez using “snake oil,” and opposing coaches or players being “douches.
One meme I have seen used increasingly is the “Angry Michigan Hating God” (AMHG.)
Recent references include the diary post after the hockey loss last night entitled The Unanimous Declaration of the mgoblog Community, rejecting any relationship or allegience to said God. Then I just saw mention of the Michigan Hating God in the third installment of C-Rex’s hilarious Korean - American Dating Blog. A plethora of Hockey posts mention the AMHG.
I’ve been pondering the nature of this God. So far, I think I’ve only read about the AMHG when bad things happen. When good things happen, is that a different God? Was it the Benevolent Michigan Loving God (BMLG) at work with the awesome streak of wins for the Hockey team? Was it the Generous Michigan Recruiting God pulling the strings when Gardner signed with Michigan? Or is the Michigan God only tied to disasters?
If there was a BMLG at work, would Michigan win all its games, in every sport, at all times? Would that be good, or would we become bored and blase with the success? Interestingly, whenever something good happens to Michigan, it seems to be because of the skill of our athletes, or our superior conditioning, or good coaching. Never because God is involved. As far as I can tell, from the posts I’ve read, the BMLG had nothing to do with the wins at Munn or Joe Louis or against Bemidji State. If the BMLG were active, would there never be injuries to Michigan players? It is the AMHG who caused Molk’s injury. Is it the BMLG who brings misfortune to other teams, or is that their own Hating God? (Who was responsible, for instance, when Turner was hurt at Ohio State?) What God is at work with Notre Dame? And I don’t even want to know about Tebow and Florida and the Florida Loving/Hating God.
I sometimes wonder if the religious background of the individual affects the God at work. Are Roman Catholics more prone to believe that God has it out for them, that the AMHG is simply waiting to smote Michigan? Do Michigan students with an Indian background offer sacrifices? Burn incense to appease the AMHG? What do atheist fans do? Agnostic fans?
I’ve always wondered about the wisdom of praying for a win. In the bigger scheme of things, I don’t think any God (whatever you believe or don’t believe) cares that much either way. The most I can say is that you prepare as well as possible, and maybe pray that God would help you perform to the best of your abilities.
This TLDR post is my long-winded way of saying that the AMHG meme is getting a bit old and over-used. And that as Easter approaches, I’m very thankful for a loving and forgiving and generous God.
FWIW, there is a Benevolent Michigan Tolerating BLANK God. Recently it was "walk-on."
-1
There's no such thing as a Benelovent Michigan Tolerating anything God. This weekend convinced me.
It's more like the Sadistic Michigan Teasing BLANK God.
Given that we have the winningest football program in history and the most national titles in hockey, I would not be so quick to doubt His existence. This just seems to be our "Moses in the wilderness" phase. Hopefully it doesn't last 40 years.
Are you going to post pictures of your black nail polish and Fall Out Boy T-shirt, or do we just have to imagine them?
Fall Out Boy is sooo 2008.
You are showing your age, Magnus.
These days us kids are listening to Purple Couch Dungeon, HackerPit, and Corporate Cock-Rings.
Dammit. You know, ever since em0 showed up on this message board, my desire to keep up with modern emo music has totally disappeared.
Anyway, did anybody get the new Peter Frampton album? I heard it's pretty rad.
My reply to Brian was entirely sarcastic - not that people would understand sarcasm, of course (note the point total).
If you need to know how I truly feel about this weekends events, they can be found in the "Why I'm not that depressed about last night's Hockey" diary.
It is a joke, Reverend.
just saying the joke's been used a lot lately, something like Rodriguez using snake oil on every recruit.
I agree, snake oil is as played out as Kanye West.
Hey, do you like fishsticks?
Good.
And Bad.
mostly bad.
then I would remind everyone how Job felt in the face of a Job-Hating God, so to speak.
I believe Job is now a p-i-m-p in heaven. Men of faith feel free to correct me.
Perhaps we are being tested. Perhaps we are destined to survive these brutal years of hardship. Perhaps we are the chosen ones.
I think Job is now Steve Jobs
I was raised to believe that God was a UofM alumni. Recent events have challenged by faith in that "fact."
The only way I can still believe that God wears his "M" hat on fall Saturdays, his "M" sweater during the Great Lakes Shootout, and his bright maze "M" shorts when UM travels to the Breslin is to believe that it is not God, himself, that has turned away from the Great Institution that is The University of Michigan and its storied sports history and tradition... but some AssHat second tier God (aka AMHG) that is really not doing a very good job as God of Sports Managemant and Recreation. I hope God fires his ass quick before September 2010.
Growing up I assumed God was a Michigan fan because my Father was always screaming at his son; "Jesus Christ Bo" on the television.
The sky is blue, and the sun is maize.
You're not telling me a t-shirt lied, are you??
lets get sacrilicious!
god is a huge michigan fan, but the alumni sitting behind him keep telling him to sit down, so he knoweth not which way to direct his miracles.
That's a new one for me. Does it mean dissing dorm food?
I take it you're not a Simpsons fan...
I actually have a book on my shelf entitled The Gospel According to the Simpsons. It's a great show. Unfortunately, I don't watch much TV, other than sports, so I'm not up on all the pop cultural references I should be familiar with.
I've been praying to both God and a gallon of fat free milk 5 times a day for the Michigan football team to win a national championship in college football each and every year.
Amazingly, the results of these prayerful efforts are ALWAYS the same in every case - whether directing my prayer to God or the gallon of milk (which is now a gallon of festering curdled milk FWIW). There are 3 possible results:
A. Yes
B. No
C. Wait
Very predictable. No need for signs of supernatural hate, rage, thunderbolts or lightning.
I haven't tried bowls of fruit or burnt offerings yet. I'll try that next week.
At this point, suffice it to say that the Creator of the Universe probably has his arms folded in utter indifference as to anything remotely associated with the Michigan football program.
As for Notre Dame football, I suspect He's getting ready to intervene again.
so maybe you should try praying to a gallon of soy milk. You might get better results.
As an added bonus, it would take longer for the object of your devotion to go bad.
... I see your point on some of the stale jokes -- snake oil, for example.
I don't think I would write a very long post about it, but I see your point.
nothing on this site is more stale than long winded, uninteresting, pointless posts about this site
nuff said.
obvs i don't care much, will comment on anything really.
Tis' a joke, sir.
Its not like we all believe in an Anrgy Michigan Hating God. Its our way of jokingly explaining the indescribably excruciating misfortunes of our athletic programs for the last year (Who was also temporarily tolerant of short walk-on goalies).
I do not relate Angry Michigan Hating God with the real one in any way. I do have a joke about it though:
After Woody Hayes died, he was being shown to his home in heaven by Jesus. The home was a quaint little cottage made of brick with, of course, some Ohio State trinkets. Woody always liked to keep it simple, so he was pleased, but he couldn't help but notice the large mansion decked out in Michigan gear on the top of a large hill down the road.
"I see you've already got a place ready for Bo", said Woody.
"Really?", said Jesus, "He's not due for another couple of decades. Where are you seeing this?"
"Right on top of that hill", replied Wood, pointing at the mansion.
"Where? Is it next to my house?"
[/End Joke]
And no, I don't think God cares about our sports. If he did, Notre Dame would never have fallen. I do hope that we'll be able to play some football with angels though. That'd be pretty sweet...
God does care about sports and he hates Notre Dame.
god i cant stand this post.
In fact, "meme" itself is one of the most overused words on this board. So I agree.... let's rid ourselves of tired old memes, and in doing so, lessen the overuse of the word.
Had never seen it used elsewhere before, and never used it myself before the OP.
The idea of a "meme" originated in the 1970's (I think) to describe cultural evolution. It is the equivalent of a "gene" in describing biological evolution. Richard Dawkins has a chapter about it in The Selfish Gene, which is a good place to learn the original meaning of "meme" (and a damn good book, overall).
Señor Enciclopedia.
I am reading "The God Delusion" right meow. It is pretty meh so far.
I didn't make it through that one, but it seems that as Dawkins gets older he becomes less of a science and more of a philosopher. The Blind Watchmaker is a slightly more even-tempered take on, basically, the same point -- and even that was too much for me.
The Selfish Gene is good
Meh, Dawkins is probably one of the most narcissistic, narrow minded people I've read in a while. I guess you can say that about anyone who would rather further their own agenda instead of trying to actually discover the truth, though (super-conservative Christians are a good "religious" example).
The writing and composition wasn't too bad, though, I guess.
and should therefore be grateful
It's just a joke everyone uses whenever we lose a tough game.
it's Angry Michigan ____ Hating God. Started, I believe, with the spate of injuries at the safety position a few seasons ago (2006?) and, thus, Angry Michigan Safety Hating God as a facetious way of explaining said rash of injuries and general suckiness of play at the position.
as for "meme," it's a web-word (yeah, I just made that up as a way of explaining words that are used predominantly on and/or in reference to the internet and happenings therein). You know star wars kid? Meme. Rick-rolling? Meme. All your base are belong to us? Meme. LOLcats (ie, kittens saying things like "i can haz cheezburger")? Meme.
The word "meme" is a meme.
The dynamics with which we attribute failure to the Angry Michigan ___ Hating God is the inverse of professional athletes' frequent attribution of success to Yahweh.
Strange that they are quick to praise their god for success but do not give him any credit for their failures. But I ask, is brown-nosing any better than making excuses? Discuss.
Bottom line: someone has got to call out the gods for their shenanigans, and we at MGoBlog have the guts to do it. Makes me proud.
"When his life was ruined, his family killed, his farm destroyed, Job knelt down on the ground and yelled up to the heavens,
"Why god? Why me?"
and the thundering voice of God answered,
"There's just something about you that pisses me off."
Stephen King.
...so you'll have imagine the scene from Caddyshack:
Tony D'Annunzio: Another Rob Roy, Bishop?
Bishop: You never ask a navy man if he'll have another drink, because it's nobody's goddamned business how much he's had already.
Judge Smails: Wrong, you're drinking too much your Excellency.
Bishop: Excellency, fiddlesticks, my name's Fred and I'm a man, same as you.
Judge Smails: You're not a man, you're a bishop, for God's sakes.
Bishop: There is no God...
When they stop hating my teams.
I say that it is all the work of the Prince of Darkeness, old Satan himself. Since Bo passed from earth to heaven, Satan is no longer afraid of any current Michigan Men on Earth and thus has been messing with us mightily! This has allowed the Devil to sneak in and strike us down with all sorts of dastardly plans and injuries and referee screw-ups and what not. Obviosuly, Lucifer has cut a sweetheart deal and posesses the souls of Jim Tressel, Charlie Weiss, Tom Izzo, MSU, OSU, Miami's hockey coach (no doubt signed just after last year's NCAA finals collapse!), and a very large portion of the people who inhabit the dastardly state of Ohio!
Thanks. btw, you didn't go to the game, did you?