Your most bittersweet M sports memory/day is...
Today was quite the day in Michigan sports. Red and Fisher retire. Two MBB players declare for the NBA draft (but won't hire agents). And the blog posts an agonizing "what if" exchange. The latter clearly all just bitter, but the other two sets of items are definitely bittersweet - Red's restoration of M hockey, but the late fall; Fisher's NC and 2 NRU teams, but then that happened; 2 great young men take a chance to follow their dreams after helping take MBB on another exciting run.
So, what's your most bittersweet M sports moment? A game we lost, but shouldn't have been in it? A player that left early, but you couldn't fault them for getting theirs? The coach that almost came to Ann Arbor but thankfully didn't now we know he staffs out recruiting to local ladies of the evening?
For me, I vote Derrick Alexander breaking his leg against BC in 1991. Bitter: If he's healthy, do we stand a better chance against FSU? Or Washington? Sweet: Does Howard make 'the catch' the next week against ND? Or win the Heisman? Thankfully Alexander went on to finish a great M career followed by a solid pro career, but 1991 could have been even more special.
April 11th, 2017 at 11:25 AM ^
April 11th, 2017 at 12:56 AM ^
I felt the same way, I knew then it was only a matter of time, and we were ahead of schedule. Additionally, if MSU doesn't win that game, Ohio State likely goes back to the CFP again instead of MSU (They both ended up 7-1, MSU had head-to-head. Flip the UM-MSU result, MSU is 6-2, and UM and Ohio State are both 7-1, they have head-to-head). Unlike MSU, Ohio State might have had a real shot at winning another national championship. 2015 Ohio State was stacked. MSU got by on fluky wins until getting exposed by Bama.
April 11th, 2017 at 12:55 AM ^
and having the refs blow a 4th down stop. I hated how OSU lucked out in that game. Going into the 4th QTR we had the momentum and our D was kicking their asses! We need to beat those buck nuts this season in Michigan stadium!
April 11th, 2017 at 12:59 AM ^
The entire season was sweet, winning the NC and the PSU game - a real battle of titans - showed just how good we were. However, the hit that ended the careers of both Bob Stephenson and Daydrian Taylor was horrific.
Whenever a player goes down, be it in victory or defeat its disturbing. This hit,though - "The hardest hit I've ever seen," according to Charles Woodson, even though it ended the career of both players, could have ended so much worse. I am simply happy both players survived that viscious hit with major medical scares only and not what could have been. I agree with Charles. It was probably the worst two player collision I've seen in my 48 years as a Michigan fan.
I sat in the Rose Bowl and watched Navarre go 8/28 for 111 yards in 110 plus degree weather! We were ranked #3 and Henson cost us a National Championship. We lost that day and I say there starting at the ground!
1997/98 - Nat Champ Game vs WSU, I witnessed it sitting on the 50 yard line and little would I know that it would be 20 years later and I have not felt that much joy for a team ever.
04/05 - Rose Bowl vs Texas! Was probably the most electric game I've been too ever. I also sat in the end zone that day w my wife and watched VY shred us and he looked right at me at showed us the ball after that TD. And watching that FG sail right in front of me hurt!
2016 - Citrus Bowl vs Florida! First time my son had ever seen a Michigan game. We flew in from California and it's a memory I will never forget. The whole week was amazing. Thank you Harbaugh.
Last years OSU game is still to fresh for me to talk about. It took me 20 years to get over the Colorado and Kordell pass. Another wasted championship year.
when we win the National Championship.
My dad isn't here to share the joy with me. Miss you, pops.
Mine is easy and it'll make you all smile. Jim Harbaugh getting tossed from the 49ers (bitter) and then got hired at M (SWEET)!!!!
Almost every Fall Home game we win that I attend in person is bittersweet. UNC Wolverine put it well. "Oh to be young again." I typically only attend one game, and not every year. But at my age, having attended Michigan in the late 70's and early 80's, you realize how time marches on, and stands still for no man.
Almost all the games are sweet, and not really bitter. But I wish I would have appreciated those years gone by a bit more. Walking around campus (or riding our bicycles) and showing my teenage son various buildings, sharing various experiences brings back so many sweet memories of days gone by. Alas, you can't turn back the hands of time.
an undergrad. sitting with the guys and watching a thriller. my buddies were the mallorys and the hammersteins. exciting, ended with a win. and i remember walking off the field with them thinking, 'this is it. no more games',
link to the game here. i think a video is on the link, too. it takls about earle bruce's trick play which resulted in a critical turnover (mike h. recovered the fumblerooski attempt by ohio) which we then drove down to take a 10 pt. lead. great game.
link: http://www.cleveland.com/osu-michigan/2012/03/osu-michigan_1983_earle_b…
" i remember walking off the field with them thinking, 'this is it. no more games'"
I was there about 1/2 year after most of my buddies had graduated and moved on. I remember my last game at Michigan stadium. Fun yes, but the whole year was bittersweet knowing I was 'past my prime' and yet still enjoying my last gasp.
I remember the very last game, I walked out; we'd beaten OSU and that allowed NW to become B1G champion. I just turned back and looked at the stadium. There was a girl in a Northwestern sweatshirt that was jumping up and down and blowing kisses screaming 'thank you!' to Michigan fans. We stonewalled Eddie George that day and Biakabutuka ran all over them.
It was a good memory. but I also remember it as my last there as a student.
The next time I went to the big house it seemed so changed with all the work they've done on the front.
Under Harbaugh he might go pro. Under Hoke/Borgess, he got sacrificed
Bitter: The Fab 5 weren't awesome enough.
" A player that left early, but you couldn't fault them for getting theirs? "
Jabril.
Barry.
Losing Spielman from the Lions.
Games:
The early Eastern Conference semi finals losses when the bad boys were starting to gain momentum.
The early runs at competitiveness by the wings with Proby and Kocur against the Oilers (vageuly remember watching those with my Dad).
For me, looking back at the 2003 football season is bittersweet.
Sweet:
Big Ten Champions
Beat Ohio State
Rose Bowl Berth (loss to USC)
Check out the roster highlights: Chris Perry, Braylon, Navarre, Breaston, Long, Avant, Baas, Pape, Diggs, Bowman, David Harris, Leon Hall, LeSueur, Roy Manning, Massaquoi, Mundy, Shazor, Gabe Watson, Pierre Woods, Marlin Jackson, Woodley
Bitter:
Losses @ Oregon and @ Iowa (Spread PUNTS) kept us from a shot at the National Championship game
2003 was the LSU/Oklahoma/USC National Championship Game Clusterf*ck and the split national championship (LSU - Coaches, USC - AP)
Just looking at the roster makes me curse Iowa again.
Lloyd's teams were just stacked from top to bottom. Unfortunately, coaching (ours and that cheating fuck tard Tressel) prevented our winning more during his tenure.
April 11th, 2017 at 10:27 AM ^
Seemed like there were a bunch of Lloyd teams that suffered an early loss that ended up costing us a shot further down the road. 2003 stood out to me.
April 11th, 2017 at 12:11 PM ^
The patented Headscratching Early Season Loss that was a feature of every Carr season except 2006 (not coincidently, our best post 1999 season, probably still) in the new millienium.
I agree, 2003 was a bittersweet year. Some great memories, a win over OSU and a conference title, the terrific comeback against Minnesota... but it could have been so much more.
The 2003 team was worlds better than the 2001 version, and it improved by exactly one win.
Devin Gardner gives an all-time performance on a broken foot. Al Borges opens up the playbook and we shred OSU's defense in a shootout and lose on an ill-advised play call on the PAT. Very disappointing at the time, but there's a good argument to be made that we aren't where we are right now if we get the 2PC.
Maybe Brady has a little more slack going into next season (beating OSU 2 out of his first 3 years) and the admin is more hesitant to pull the plug after back to back 8-5 seasons. Hoke eventually flounders but not until we've missed the window on Jim Harbaugh.
If Borges calls his Buffalo Wings Bowl two point conversion play in the OSU game, who is our head coach right now?
For me it was The Game 2015. Was a super frustrating loss, but immediately after the game, my wife told me I was going to be a dad.
I was a kid at the 1973 10-10 tie with OSU game. A tie sucked but we were going to the Rose Bowl right? Nope.
April 11th, 2017 at 10:30 AM ^
The loss of Dadrion Taylor (and the opposing PSU player) permanently to football after the hardest hit I've ever seen en route to the MNC in 1997.
April 11th, 2017 at 10:46 AM ^
"Judgment Day" 1997. UM beat PSU 34-8 , becoming a favorite for the national title. But The Hit ended both players' football careers.
April 11th, 2017 at 10:54 AM ^
Terrible for Shane, who physically recovered but never really saw the field again. However, the following mishandling of the situation, along with the 49ers showing Harbaugh out the door, has led Michigan on the return to our glory days
April 11th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
2013 OSU - Gardner played like an All-American Heisman caliber player and almost beat OSU single-handedly on a broken foot. He was flawless the entire day after enduring so much crap throughout the season, but naturally, his coaches failed him on the most important play of the game. They didn't switch up the playcall, OSU knew exactly what was coming, and boom, game over. Gardner put up one of the all-time great performances of a Michigan QB in any game, any era, ever. During the biggest game of the season. He deserved to win that day, but all that effort was for nothing. We'll only remember the loss.
2016 OSU - first time in a long, long time where Michigan looked like the better team. Defense smothered Barrett, Weber and Samuel all day, and they seemed destined to carry the team to its first win in Columbus in over 15 years. I just wanted a win so badly for those seniors, but kept having that feeling that somehow, someway, Michigan was going to lose. The offense shat the bed when they needed to make just one, maybe two more first downs to ice that game. Defense couldn't get to Samuel when he ran 10 yards backfield before the fateful 4th and 1. Too many mistakes, too many missed opportunities. Had them down for the count and we just couldn't finish them off. Just another day where OSU gets to revel in ruining our season. They've had way too many of those recently.
2015 MSU - the only game that has ever left me truly speechless. The only time where my wife has told me that I legitimately "needed to calm the fuck down." Nothing else that needs to be said.
One of my most thrilling moments was undoubtedly Bob Ufer's thrilling pep rally speech at Citrus College on December 31, 1980. He spokes without notes directly to the players, urging them on to finally win a Rose Bowl for Bo. Utterly inspiring and well worth finding the Youtube video to watch. Anyone who aspires to be a Michigan Man (or Woman) will get misty eyed hearing it. He willed those boys to win that game, which they reosoundingly did the very next day.
What makes it bittersweet was that Ufer was already ill with the cancer that would take him within the year. I'll never forget the seemingly neverending roar at Micxhigan Stadium when the Band spelled out U-F-E-R on the field and he was honored by all the Maize and Blue faithful.