Michigan athletes/teams up for many B1G Awards
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/28186/big-ten-awards-on-tap
Looks like a few Wolverines are up for some awards from the previous school year. It looks like we have a good chance to win in almost every category listed in this blog post, it would be a tremendous miscarriage of justice if Sullinger wins the breakout award over Denard.
I, for one, find it quite surprising that Mark Dantonio is placed in the "courageous" category alongside Brock Mealer and Jon Hoese.
Yeah I see Denard winning because he obliterated records. Sullinger is good, there is no denying that, but many freshman basketball players come in and do what he did; but for someone to do what Denard did, that doesn't happen often (man, could I say did / do a few more times?). I also hope that Brock gets the award. He is a fighter and there was no better event this year than him walking and touching the banner in front of 100,000+ people after such a horrific accident. The Michigan v. Illinois game could definitely win as the best finish as well. It was an exciting / entertaining game for sure.
I still get chills when I think about watching Brock walk out of the tunnel.
Dantonio did have a mid-season heart attack...
Until someone can actually prove that this man has a heart I say it was just a gas bubble.
Not denying that for Dantonio to keep coaching was courageous, but relative to the tremendous personal adversity that Brock and Jon Hoese had to go through I was suprised.
My predictions:
Breakout Performer of the Year
Denard Robinson, Michigan
Most Dominating Performance
Robinson vs. Notre Dame, Sept. 11
Most Courageous Performance
Brock Mealer, brother of Michigan offensive lineman Elliott Mealer
Best Finish
Notre Dame at Michigan State, Sept. 18 (Good opportunity for Big 10 to stick it to ND)
Men’s Team of the Year
Penn State wrestling
Game of the Year
Ohio State at Wisconsin, Oct. 16
Those comments are gold.
Not to discount what Hoese (played a GREAT game right after his father had a stroke; he died 2 days later) and Dantonio (heart attack) went through, but Brock Mealer is clearly the runaway winner for the Most Courageous category.
Ever since Dantonio had his heart attack, everyone has been pulling his dick about him being a great coach. Before then, he was barely above .500
He'll get a Lifetime Achievement Award when he finally wins his first bowl game at msu.
...Denard Robinson.
Runners up: Darius Morris and Jared Sullinger.
...PSU wrestling (NCAA champions).
Runners up: OSU men's basketball, Wisconsin football
....David Boudia (Purdue Diver). Six time NCAA champion, 3 time NCAA Diver of the Year, 9 time All-American.
...Shannon Smith (Northwestern Lacrosse). Scored game winners in the NCAA semis and championship game. Scored 18 goals over the season.
...John Hoese (Minnesota football)
Runners up: Mark Dantonio (MSU football), Brock Mealer (Michigan S&C rehab)
....PSU volleyball
Runners up: Northwestern lacrosse, Wisconsin ice hockey
...Notre Dame vs. MSU (football)
Runners up: Wisconsin vs Michigan (men's basketball), Illinois vs. Michigan (football)
...Mark Johnson (Wisconsin ice hockey)
Runners up: Coquese Washington (PSU basketball), Carol Hutchins (Michigan softball)
...Cael Sanderson (PSU wrestling)
Runners up: Matt Painter (basketball), Thad Motta (OSU basketball)
...Denard Robinson (Michigan football vs. Notre Dame)
Runners up: Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin basketball vs. OSU), Mikel Leshoure (Illinois football vs. Northwestern)
....Illinois vs. Michigan (football)
Runners up: OSU vs. Wisconsin (football), OSU vs. Wisconsin (men's basketball)