It's Great To Be A Michigan Wolverine!

Submitted by GRMichFan on

As we wait for our bowl game selection in the midst of all these negative posts regarding recruits or coaches, I think it prudent to remember what it truly means to be a Michigan fan.

First an foremost, its bigger than any one man or recruit.  Its being part of the biggest alumni association in the world.  It's watching a home football game with more fans than any team in the country.  It's being part of a program and University that's about integrity.  I'm proud to know that when people talk about my school, I don't have to worry about what potentially is going on behind the scenes.  The running of a clean program.  We asked for more six years ago and the impact was significant.  Now, however, I can honestly say I feel like things are being done the right way.  No I don't like the record but I respect my school and my team and will support the leaders that our university has hired to right the ship.

I have no better memory than singing the fight song with the likes of Bo, Dierdorf, and many other Michigan alums in the hotel bar after the Rose Bowl win in 1998.  That is the glory we will return to.  

Once you become a Michigan Man you don instant credibility and respect throughout the country, not just as a football player, but as man.  Doors are opened because you are from Michigan.  Go Blue!

MGoBoard
Football

EastCoast Esq.

December 7th, 2013 at 11:47 AM ^

As a short follow-up, I would also point out that Michigan is not just the football team. The fact that we have the winningest program in CFB history is just a side benefit.

Michigan is about all-around excellence. While some schools may win football national championships or basketball national championships more consistently, we compete in nearly every sport, every academic field, and every profession. Being a Michigan Man (or Woman) is about always striving for greatness.

I would not be here if Michigan was just about sports. The reason I'm here is because the law school absolutely blew me away when I came to visit. If prospective law students had a 247 profile, my Crystal Ball would have been 100% to other schools, and it would not have been speculation.

I will always carry my Michigan degree with immense pride no matter how our football team finishes. And when an employer looks at my resume, they will see a name that reflects excellence, hunger for learning, and a community that demands the best from the brightest minds in the nation.

EDIT: Ok, not so short. What can I say? I am passionate about my school.

Joined: 07/16/2012

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South Bend Wolverine

December 7th, 2013 at 1:51 PM ^

Absolutely - this is what is so hard to convey to people who are fans of other schools that are more generic, just sports factories, etc.  To quote one of our gridiron heroes, "'Michigan Defense' is dominating everything, in every aspect of life. That's a rough definition." (Craig Roh)  It's not just about what happens on the field.  It's being part of the great public university the world has ever seen.  It's the greatest college town in the world.  It's a tradition of unparalleled excellence in so many ways.

At the end of the day, Yost (unsurprisingly) said it best: "But do let me reiterate the spirit of Michigan. It is based upon a deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways; an enthusiasm that makes it second nature for Michigan men to spread the gospel of their university to the world’s distant outposts; a conviction that nowhere is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours."

Joined: 09/11/2009

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Flood

December 7th, 2013 at 11:54 AM ^

What does it mean if I just can't get enthused by these rah-rah platitudes? Congrats on our supposed moral victory of running our team "the right way" nowadays (whatever that insinuates), and please join me at the bar as we watch our rivals compete for a championship tonight.

Serious question: this striking divide in our fan base that has been evident since 2009- are there similar divides at other schools? Or does it stem from the whole tradition vs. actual on-field success situation that is unique to Michigan.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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Section 1

December 7th, 2013 at 12:36 PM ^

Serious question: this striking divide in our fan base that has been evident since 2009- are there similar divides at other schools?

I take this as a serious, good-faith question.  I don't blame you for asking it.

I'll answer your question with a question:  What happened on August 31 [technically August 30], 2009?

Joined: 06/29/2009

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Flood

December 7th, 2013 at 1:06 PM ^

The freep article? But I'm asking if there are such apparent fan base splits at other schools, not why they exist at Michigan.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 313

Section 1

December 7th, 2013 at 1:45 PM ^

I simply cannot think of another major collegiate football program where an alum (Rosenberg, in our case) did so much, with so little, to harm his alma mater.  I think I am paraphrasing Seth (or was it Brian Cook?) with that.  The harm done by Rosenberg and the Free Press, and the personal malevolence, was historic for our football program.

So, no, I cannot think of another one.

Tolstoy's first line of Anna Karennina is, "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."  In college football, one might say that all winning programs are happy, and all losing programs find ways to be unhappy.

Joined: 06/29/2009

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inthebluelot

December 7th, 2013 at 1:06 PM ^

Best post I've read in a month here. Being a Michigan Man also means botching a coaching search, firing a coach after it's too late for him to interview at other schools, getting drunk in a bar and being fired, being an All American wide Receiver and not being able to read when leaving college but somehow remaining eligible for 3 years under Bo, fleecing fans and alumni for money to put up a $2.5M digital billboard, dividing and fighting over a coach before he even coached his first game, having a racist as the godfather of the program, getting hammered and then giving a speech at halftime of the Nebraska game (Michigan woman but still fits the bill), ruining the #1 pizza franchise in the world, sabotaging the new coach cuz your guy didn't get an interview, not filing proper practice reports for 7 years and then conspiring with the media to call attention to the same practice under the new regime, etc, etc, etc. Meanwhile, our rivals lose a season worth of wins, a bowl game appearance and Are playing in the conf. Championship tonight while we sit around and Pound our chests at how moral and righteous we all are. What a complete joke!

Joined: 01/05/2010

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bklein09

December 7th, 2013 at 2:36 PM ^

I can't believe the lack of perspective some people have. What the OP is trying to say is that the greatness of the University of Michigan is about more than the football team!! Or any one thing. I don't get how that is so hard to understand.

I think some people need to turn off the tv and go do something else today. The BTCG seems to be putting some in a really foul mood.

I understand people being upset about the season. But I don't understand coming in to this post to try to bring others down as well. If the positivity in this post bothers you, just click the back button.

Joined: 08/24/2009

MGoPoints: 7119

bklein09

December 7th, 2013 at 2:29 PM ^

I guess it means that Michigan sports (ie football and basketball) determine how you feel about the university as a whole. You asked, and based on your comment that is what I think.

For me, I love it when Michigan teams are doing great. But even when we were 3-9 and basketball was still trying to become a good team, Michigan was just as special and important to me. I think about my four years there, the people I met, the experiences I had, and the history of the great university for 200 years before I arrived on campus. I think those are the kinds of things the OP is talking about. If those don't get you excited and make you feel proud than I don't really know what to tell you.

Joined: 08/24/2009

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Flood

December 7th, 2013 at 4:45 PM ^

I was a freshman at UM in 2008, I went to every home game through my four years, both football and basketball. I don't need these hollow platitudes to remind me of why I care deeply about Michigan and its tremendously flawed football team.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 313

bklein09

December 7th, 2013 at 6:09 PM ^

So I think we're saying the same thing then. We both love Michigan and that love is not determined by the success of the athletics teams. 

Where we disagree is how we feel about these these positive / hollow "platitudes" as you described them. I tend to find them helpful because they help give perspective. You think they are hollow, and they do nothing for you. I'm really glad you came in here to rain on our parade and tell all of us that it does help that we are silly for feeling that way. 

Joined: 08/24/2009

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Michigasling

December 7th, 2013 at 3:17 PM ^

Thanks for the invite, but I'd rather watch our National Championship pre-season #1 men's gymnastics team in their intrasquad scrimmage tonight.  Unfortunately I'm not in Ann Arbor and no attention is paid, even to the guys with the video cameras.  ("Live results" for gymnastics?  Great.  Very useful.)  

Oh!  And I could check the live results as our National Championship pre-season #1 men's swimming team competes in the third day of a national competition.  (#1 after yesterday's 2nd day.)  

End of non-revenue rah-rah interruption.

Joined: 11/21/2009

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Bando Calrissian

December 7th, 2013 at 11:54 AM ^

Funny you bring up that 1998 Rose Bowl hotel bar. Got to talking with a former player at the tailgate last week who was there. He was standing at the bar trying to get a drink when Mike Gittleson walks up and orders 5 beers. Then he amends it to 10. Then 50. Then 100 beers. Apparently the hotel staff got so freaked out after about an hour that they just shut the place down.

Joined: 07/02/2008

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Mocha Cub

December 7th, 2013 at 11:55 AM ^

That's great and all don't get me wrong, but I'm sick of the rah-rah posts about being Michigan fans/Michigan men almost as much as I am of the daily sky-is-falling bullshit posts based off of nonsense. If people need to be reminded of why they're Michigan fans, then they truly weren't Michigan fans to begin with.

Joined: 11/17/2013

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jdib

December 7th, 2013 at 12:33 PM ^

The overcompensation of these rah rah posts stem from 5 out of every 6 threads being about recruits flipping and hanging on every word of a high school student who is making a life changing decision. I used to enjoy coming here and skimming for informative updates but now all i see are "the sky is falling" posts and absolute negativity. I know i have stopped coming here as much because of the bi polarity of most of these post users come in 2 flavors: defcon 4 or i ate the whole entire bottle of happy pills

Joined: 10/31/2012

MGoPoints: 13905

AlwaysBlue

December 7th, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^

"happy pills." It's a reaction to the near borderline personality disorder that passes gloom, straight to doom in every post. The character and values of a program, its athletes or its fans are revealed in adversity.

Joined: 11/23/2008

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jdib

December 7th, 2013 at 1:54 PM ^

Good sir, that these posts aren't going to correct the borderline personality disorder doom and gloom types. They are going to be depressed and spread their naysaying regardless of positive posts. People who have solid values and been Michigan fans for their entire lives know that superiority in any sport is largely cylical. Therefore, you don't need to make these posts to cheer them up. Obsessing about failure and desperately trying to counter balance is just as questionable.

Joined: 10/31/2012

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JimmyJuans

December 7th, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^

Would this thread get posted if we weren't about to watch our biggest rival play for a national championship bid and our second biggest for a rose bowl bid? If M was, say, 10-2, would we have posts like this or would we have posts about rumored bowl matchups?

Joined: 04/17/2013

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The FannMan

December 7th, 2013 at 1:34 PM ^

We would find something to be mad about and argue with other about it.  As a fan base, we seem to love being miserable and at each others throats.  We would argue about whose fault the two losses were, alternative uniforms, what color is truly maize, student v. alumni etc.  Then someone would mention Rich Rod and it would be on.

I have no idea if other fan bases are like this or not, but we are.

Joined: 11/25/2008

MGoPoints: 14816

sdogg1m

December 7th, 2013 at 12:58 PM ^

With those who want to return to on the field performance but not settling for mediocrity.

What makes a program and academic institution the "leaders and the best?" Earning that title! Michigan most certainly earned that title in the first part of the 20th century. Michigan did well in the 70s on the football field. The 80s and early 90s were wonderful to experience with five consecutive Big 10 championships. 1997 was most certainly amazing to experience. Since 2004 (excluding 2006, 2011), Michigan football has been difficult to watch.

We have zero Big 10 championships in nearly a decade. We are a mere 10 wins above .500 since concluding that 2006 season. We are repeatedly losing to MSU and OSU. We are posting losing records in the Big 10 now consistently. We cannot believe that because Michigan is the "leaders and the best" and winning is cyclical that everything will work itself out. The institution, the athletic department, and the football program must earn it.

I'll leave the definition of "earning it," to others as I haven't the slightest clue how to run a football program. What I see is a program floundering and people wishing for the best. I will be watching and rooting at every game next season but wonder if the refusal to make key personnel changes will hurt the team. Here is to me being wrong and the positive posters being right.

I hope to conclude with those who remain positive and potential attacks on those who do not share that optimism. Everyone has their breaking point. After a few more years, if the state of Michigan football does not change then you will have yours. So I hope you don't come down to hard on us other fans.

Joined: 09/13/2008

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HarBooYa

December 7th, 2013 at 5:45 PM ^

We do not have a bad program. We have a worse record and have performance problems this year, but it's not programmatic failure or results. We are the winningest program in the history of the game. This year we are going to a bowl.

People round here have an "elite" or nothing attitude.

Joined: 06/22/2011

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BlueHills

December 7th, 2013 at 1:31 PM ^

Being a Michigan alum means you never have to utter this little white lie:

"I got into Michigan, but I chose [insert name of lesser institution] instead..."

I am pretty passionate about Michigan football, but I honestly like our reputation as a clean program with a great tradition. As long as the games are well-played, I'm reasonably happy.

I don't care at all about the BCS or national championship playoffs. That's all perception and politics. A B1G title is sufficient for me, as long as it happens reasonably often. Which of course it hasn't in a long time. That's got me a little down.

Joined: 10/31/2010

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Section 1

December 7th, 2013 at 8:37 PM ^

When I asked you if 7-5 in Hoke's third year would get him fired like Rich Rodriguez (I didn't suggest that it should), you said that Hoke would find himself on the hot seat.  You're exactly right.  We have the right to expect a clean program, winning a lot, winning a lot more than our fair share of Conference titles.

Joined: 06/29/2009

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mdonley

December 8th, 2013 at 1:02 PM ^

Posters like you are whats wrong with our Football team. Being ok with Moral victories and just playing for the Big Ten. THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IS ALL THAT MATTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nobody plays for conference title's only. That is the dumbest thing ever. Nobody cares who's Big Ten Champ and who plays in the Rose Bowl. This isn't the 1970's anymore. Our fan base needs to pop into the 21st century with the rest of college football or we will be left behind. Reading your post we might as well just give up athletic scholarships and join the IVY league cause that is the type of Football you want.

Joined: 01/07/2013

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1974

December 7th, 2013 at 1:42 PM ^

I'm proud to be a Michigan fan, but this is empty cheerleading.

OP: "The running of a clean program. We asked for more six years ago and the impact was significant. Now, however, I can honestly say I feel like things are being done the right way."

* * * * *

If I had a do-over for 2007, I would not have hired Rodriguez. Obvious, right? Just wanted to get that out there.

* * * * *

From the OP's statement, though, you'd gather that Michigan compromised its principles and hired a slimy, win-at-all-costs guy. I realize that fits well with the world view of many here (especially the slimy part), but it is really fair to RichRod? Outside of minor MAJOR violations, what was done the *wrong* way? (By wrong I don't mean ineffective, as was the case with several academic reaches when recruiting. I mean ethically wrong.)

* * * * *

Go back to '07 and place Rodriguez aside. Suppose Harbaugh had been farther along in his career, on better terms with the university, and on a clear upward trajectory. One that was clearly better than the late phase of Lloyd Carr. (Sorry, Lloyd.) Would it have been wrong to desire *more* in that case? If so, why?

To put it another way, OP, what's with the guilt trip?

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