What One Player From the Past Do You Wish You Could Have Seen in Person?
I pity the fools who never got to see Anthony Carter play in person. Seeing a grainy YouTube video of the Indiana catch doesn't begin to compare to what it was like to see AC in person. Same with Denard.
That said, if you could go back in time and pick one Michigan player from before your time to see in person, who would it be?
For football, I'm tempted to say Tom Harmon, but I'm going to go with Willis Ward. He had Jesse Owens speed and at 6-1, he was bigger than almost anyone he played against.
For basketball, give me Cazzie Russell.
How about you?
There would be something really special about being able to see Red Berenson play, knowing what we know now. I'd say the same for Harbaugh, but I know a lot of people on the board did have that chance (although obviously not that knowledge).
The 'knowing what we know now' idea made me think of Gerald R Ford. I would make a sign and be a local legend 40 years later for having the incredible forsight "FORD 4 PREZ!!!"
When Harbaugh played QB at Michigan, he was the best passing QB we had seen. He was the first QB who was allowed to pass a lot and was really good at it, "Wingin' Wangler" notwithstanding. We already "knew" we were seeing a great QB.
We all knew he was a coaches kid who grew up on Michigan practice fields. We had heard the Bo and Jimmy stories. I can say that I always thought he might be our coach some day. I would bet many people thought the same thing.
Fab Five
Now I feel ancient.
out of my prehistoric mouth.
He could have been alive. Just wasn't able to see him in person
That one guy... Henney I think his name was... Before my time but I hear he was good... ;-)
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Henney Youngman? Interesting choice...
Sorry about that. Any Wolverines under 30 didn't really get to experience that group. Woodson is my other one. My personal Michigan memories start in about 2000 watching games with my dad. I was hooked for life in 2004 by Braylon.
Desmond Howard.
Those of you lucky ones who got to experience Michigan in the 90s are the ones I envy.
From 1988-89 - 1998-99:
- Football National Championship
- 5 Rose Bowls
- 7 Big Ten Championships
- 2 Heisman winners
- Basketball National Championship
- 3 Final Fours
- 2 Hockey National Championships
- 6 Frozen Fours
That's just from the big 3 sports.
I bet there's a Director's Cup Championship in there somewhere too...
Nope.
Stanford has won every Director's Cup ever contested other than the first one which was won by UNC.
The highest Michigan has ever finished was 2nd in 2003-04.
I was close enough to Desmond for The Catch I could have hit him with a marshmallow if my 12 year old self could have put enough mustard on it. I went to most every BB game from 88-93 and I was at The Game for most of the 1990s (96 was my favorite since OSU never had a TD and their band didn't get a chance to play the fight song after a touchdown). My favorite though was watching Jim Abbott pitch and meeting him at um baseball camp. He is still my favorite UM athlete and the one I think gets the least recognition.
The 90s were kind of ugly for Michigan Baseball as the program was crippled for a few years due to NCAA sanctions.
Some really ugly, ugly scores but Freehan cleaned it up before he retired and they eventually picked themselves back up in 1997.
I Bleed blue, mom and dad went to UM, 1/3 of my undergrad credits are from UM, kill me, but I would have loved to see Jessie Owens run. He has a plaque at ferry field. A buckeye I think any of us can respect.
Still hasn't been a more magical player sense.
This made me feel old. I remember seeing Chuck on Friday nights at Fremont Ross. Dude was a Highlight machine on the football news highlight shows....and get this...that was at RB.
I never got to see him in person though
Too hard to choose between Desmond or AC.
Football: Wheatley. Not really before my time but he's pretty much the primary reason I became a Michigan fan.
Basketball: Rice. Again not totally before my time but far enough back where I have no recollection of him playing.
Non-Michigan player(s): Ty Cobb/Gordie Howe. Watching those two tear up their respective sports would have been a thing of beauty.
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Tom Harmon. The obvious choice.
Oo didn't think of that
Same - Tom Harmon
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I would specifcally like to have seen the 1940 game against OSU if I'm able to be so selective.
Got a standing ovation from the c-bus crowd.
Hell I would of taken watching Mark Harmon, aka Agent Gibbs, get knocked out of the UCLA vs Michigan game.
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The fact that every member of this board didn't automatically say
TOM FUCKING HARMON!
is a problem.
Harbaugh himself
Not before my time but would loved to see him in person
Some say he was the best player in the history of Michigan football
Wolverine Historian has a great tribute where I watched his highlights and was blown away. Completely understand why he won the Heisman.
Tom Harmon. Played offense, defense, punted and placekicked. Nothing left to say (or play)!
Especially on a particular November Saturday in Ann Arbor,1995. Took make it worse, my best friend was at that game.
I would have my memory erased and watch Denard again.
Woodson in the Game
Desmond in the Game and against ND
Harmon in the Game
The Fab Five in their prime
The 1989 basketball NC game - (it was bad enough having no breath left at my friend's apartment)
I am thinking all these guys had fans holding their breath in anticipation every play. I don't remember that watching Harbaugh.
Baseball: Ty Cobb or Walter Johnson
Football: Tom Harmon or Jim Brown
Hockey: Gordie Howe
Basketball: Don't care. Though I guess Pistol Pete Maravich or Wilt Chamberlain.
played for Michigan.
They didn't. Did I miss something in the OP where it said the players had to have played for Michigan?
They didn't. Did I miss something in the OP where it said the players had to have played for Michigan?
Double post.
100% Tom Harmon. Dominated games like nobody since.
Bobby Layne or Jim Brown.
When in college I had season tickets to Um and the Lions for a couple years. So Saturday's were at the Big House and Sunday's were watching Barry.
Barry's Dad always said that Brown was better so I'd like to see it.
My Dad always said Layne was the damnedest player he ever saw: didn't have a super arm. Didn't have great speed... Just figured out how to win games.
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Football: Tom Harmon
Basketball: fab five (born in '91)
Hockey: Marty Turco
Baseball: Jim Abbott
I'll just leave this here. the best.
i am old enough to have literally seen almost every single one of the others listed on this board except of course ty cobb or willie heston(?).
CWood
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I'd love to see the Brendan Morrison specifically, but any of the Michigan teams from 95-97
You have no idea how fun Yost was back then. Those teams were unbelievably fun to watch.
I know exactly how fun it was. I didn't miss a game for 3 years from 96-99--it took a while freshman year to understand how awesome hockey was. Dumped my basketball tix the following year in favor of Hockey. Also drove out to Boston for the Championship game in 98. Yost was the most fun place ever.
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Tom Harmon.