Wistert's #11 Going Back Into Circulation
From Mike Rothstein's Twitter account this morning:
Michigan releases statement saying the No. 11 of the Wisterts is back in circulation.
Every U-M home game have some sort of honor with it: AF (Oosterbaan), UMass (Kramer), Ill (Ford), MSU (Harmon), NW (Wistert), Iowa (Moeller)
Release is unclear whether the Nos. 11, 47, 48 and 87 will be worn just on the day of the honoring of said player or for remainder of year
Thought it was an interesting move to say the least.
August 3rd, 2012 at 10:40 AM ^
...mgoblue.com:
The University of Michigan Athletic Department will recognize three additional former football greats -- tackles Francis, Albert and Alvin Wistert -- with the "Michigan Football Legend" distinction during the 2012 season. With the support of the Wistert family, the No. 11 jersey, worn by all three Wisterts, will return as a "Michigan Football Legend" number this fall.
....
The Wisterts, Ford, Kramer and Oosterbaan, along with former Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon and former U-M head football coach Gary Moeller, will be honored throughout the season across marketing collateral. As the 2012 season marks the 133rd season in Michigan football history, the "Team" concept will be carried throughout the season.
Tickets to each game at the Big House in 2012 will feature one of the six former playing or coaching greats and their teams. For the Wisterts, Ford, Kramer, Oosterbaan and Harmon, the ticket artwork is the official team photo from their senior or final season at U-M, while Team 115, Moeller's 1992 Big Ten and Rose Bowl championship team, also will be recognized.
Additionally, U-M's football schedule poster, die-cut in the shape of 133, will include the official team photos of Team 1 through Team 132 as the background artwork.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:54 AM ^
That schedule poster is awesome! When I lived in AA/metro D, I used to go pick them up in the ticket office. Anyone know how to get ahold of one if you're out of town?
No, but I want one also, but am in the same predicament.
August 4th, 2012 at 12:40 AM ^
Those ticket stubs are awesome. /wishes he was a season ticket holder.
Me too. My life goal is to have season tickets to Michigan football. I've been working at it for quite some time.
But can't seem to do it on their website (btw your link doesn't seem to be working...but easy enough to find).
But I don't think the tweets were all that remarkable...all you needed was your season tickets...
(For those who want to see the image bigger, and didn't get in on the season ticket thread)
August 3rd, 2012 at 10:42 AM ^
Good call.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:00 AM ^
Not to beat a dead horse. But is a player going to be thrilled to be wearing a no.11 or any other legends number, with a big patch on it? That player can never make a name for himself with that number...
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:14 AM ^
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:25 AM ^
ACs #1 wasn't retired, and Braylon didn't wear a patch honoring AC. And other players wore #1 between AC and Braylon without any reference to AC.
Having said that I like them wearing the retired numbers with the patches.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:41 AM ^
It's that patch that bothers me. I like knowing that when I see the no.1 I think of great players to wear it, AC, Derrick Alexander, Terrell, Braylon. But if someone gets the no. 11, I'm suppose to think of the Wisert brothers. I like that no.77 usually goes to a good Left Tackle and can think of great players that wore that too. But the patch just bugs me for some reason. Maybe because there are going to be so many of them...? Who knows. I probably won't care when the season starts anyways, and we start winning.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:58 AM ^
1. For me, this would be a huge honor. It would be like being able to wear the #20 for the Lions. I would be grinning from ear to ear the entire time. They have judged me to be good enough to wear a jersey honoring a Michigan legend. Nobody is saying that I won't be a Michigan legend in the future, they are just saying I am the best we have right now and have earned this honor.
2. History of The Team is crucial to buy-in. In this bright future, you can't forget your past. These guys need to know why Michigan is such a strong program. The opportunity to be part of that history should make them try just a little bit harder. This also forces the press and critics to recognize that Michigan has a long and storied history that far out-distances the last four losses to MSU.
August 3rd, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^
Well said.
People forget it's not an "either-or" as far as making a name for yourself vs wearing one of these numbers.
And I doubt any kid will be forced to wear one of these numbers. If they wear it, they're wearing it willingly and are probably pretty damn excited about it.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:51 AM ^
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:27 AM ^
...without a big patch on it.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:18 AM ^
It's not about a player making a name for himself.
It's about The Team, The Team, The Team!
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:20 AM ^
I don't know, if I were an incoming freshman, I'd be excited to where a number from one of the greats. I could see kids using it as motivation to live up to wearing it, as well as trying to be the first number to have more than one 'legend' associated with it.
But I agree in regards to upperclassmen: if I had already had a number throughout my career, I probably wouldn't want to change it in my last year. So if they decide to give one of the numbers to Kovacs, for example, I hope it's only for one game and not the entire season.
Totally disagree. If you are going to get issued a number, let it be for the whole season. I want to put my stamp on it and do what I can to make it mine ("Maybe end up having another patch on 21, Desmond's and mine.").
Also, IMO it should not be giving to an underclassman, it should be “earned” by a junior or senior. Furthermore, I think it doesn’t even have to be awarded every year, if no one has “earned” it. Think it would great motivation and source of pride to get to wear one for a season or two.
I doubt it will be “forced” on someone. It will be offered, between coach and player. If for some reason the player doesn’t want it that is his choice. (“Coach, this is my deceased uncle number, I’d rather keep it.” or whatever reason.)
My last statement about wearing a number only for a single game was in reference to upperclassmen who have already earned their own unique reputation and association with their number. Also, I'm talking about this year only with the unveiling of these legends numbers. Any other year, Hoke can give them out to any player who he deems deserves it and they'd wear it all year.
So, it seems that we are both saying the same thing (make that legends number your own by becoming a legendary player yourself) with the exception of underclassmen. As far as that goes, I think underclassmen would have to be given the legends numbers, because the association with the digits wouldn't be as strong if they were given out as seniors.
Take Denard as an example. He's had #16 for three years. If he has a heisman winning season as a senior, with the career he's had, he'd probably deserve a patch of his own, no? Well what if they gave him a new number to wear this year--all year. Don't you think that it would muddle his identity a bit historically? What number would they issue Denard's legends patch to? I say keep it simple, give out the numbers to identify the kids--that's what they're there to do in the first place.
Again, this year is an exception because these legends patches are new, but afterwards, I say give the kid a number and let him keep it for four years.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:54 AM ^
Roundtree is wearing Desmond's number, not Denard. I think these jersies will go to leaders that aren't going to be all-timers.
I don't expect our great players to be wearing these patches, they'll have their own numbers with the goal of one day getting a legacy patch of their own.
I don't mean that as a knock on Roundtree, but I think it just is what it is. You're not going to see our next great CB wear number 2. You're going to see the next good one wear it.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:01 AM ^
So that means Tom Harmon's number is the only one that's still retired, right?
at least
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:13 AM ^
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:39 AM ^
To the average fan, they can't even name the numbers retired off the top of their heads. This is a great way to let the legacy live on of each guy.
August 3rd, 2012 at 12:00 PM ^
You spelled asinine wrong. Nobody can take you seriously when you miss the little things.
You're totally right, dude--and I couldn't agree more. Spelling is next to Godliness in my world; the reality is that my brain is fried after a brutal week.
The issue that I have with reviving these numbers and then having an existing player at, assumingly, the same/a comparable position is that it could cause future "Legend" issues.
Hyperbolic Hypo #1: Some random kid gets the honor of wearing the re-circulated #11, an unusual number these days. God forbidding, an unlikely (well, not for THIS year, obviously) off-the-field scenario occurs, and he's kicked off the team after some shameful, embarassing incident. The jersey number is now tarnished in a way--and people will remember BOTH players who wore it, albeit in divering ways.
Hyperbolic Hypo #2: Roy is now wearing Desmond's #21 this season as some tribute to him. What if he goes absolute ham for 110 (!) catches, 28 (!) TD's, and 1500 (!) yards? In a relatively wide-open Heisman year, he wins it. (He's obviously also rewritten many of the record books.) Now you have TWO Heisman winners who have worn that number. Who is the "Legend?" Do you then put TWO of those big ass, obnoxious patches on there?
Bottom line: we are the most prestigious, decorated program eva. Why keep changing why isn't broken?
#GOML
Hyperbolic Hypo #1: Some random kid gets the honor of wearing the re-circulated #11, an unusual number these days. God forbidding, an unlikely (well, not for THIS year, obviously) off-the-field scenario occurs, and he's kicked off the team after some shameful, embarassing incident. The jersey number is now tarnished in a way--and people will remember BOTH players who wore it, albeit in divering ways.I think people would remember the 4 players who wore it, and the fact that 3 of them did fine. And nobody really remembers the fact that Tyrone Butterfield didn't exactly pan out as a player. I'm somewhat against these jerseys, but this situation isn't something we'd have to worry about
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:23 AM ^
I feel like we should spread these releases out, not do them all in one season. Release one in a marquee home game for a few years in a row. Oh well.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:23 AM ^
I don't know what to think of this. I think it would be weird for say a QB to wear the Wistert brother's legend patch, but at the same time I can't see Taylor Lewan wearing #11 (although that would be kinda cool)
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:24 AM ^
I don't think a lineman can even wear 11 now, so that one is kind of wierd to me.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:37 AM ^
If he lives up to expectations, look for PeeWee Pipkins to wear #11.
August 3rd, 2012 at 12:34 PM ^
that in college it shouldn't/doesn't matter, but in the pros they do it to tell if a guy is an eligible receiver and stuff like that.
August 3rd, 2012 at 10:42 PM ^
I am fine with OL being restricted because it makes the refs job slightly easier, and the less for them to worry about the better IMO. Other than that, I feel like there should be no restrictions (don't even know if there are).
reccomendations, but not actual rules for other numbers. IIRC the NFL has hard and fast rules for positions, though.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:33 AM ^
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:59 AM ^
I personally love it that the Wisterts number is part of this. The Wisterts were always one of my favorite stories in the great Michigan lore.
August 3rd, 2012 at 12:00 PM ^
I would rather leave the uniforms unaddorned (uniform, get it?) and instead have the names and numbers up on the stadium where all can see it clearly. There is a lot of blank facing on the stadium boxes, for instance.
August 3rd, 2012 at 12:04 PM ^
"No man, is more important than The Team. No, coach is more important than the The Team."
-Bo Schembechler
Then why bother with any sort of commendation? No more retired jerseys, no more "Legend" Jerseys either
Don’t worry about that blank facing, am sure DB is already investigating he he can use it for ad space as we speak. 8P
I'll be wearing #11. Yes, it might be in NCAA football 13, but I'll be wearing it.
Michigan's press release is incorrect. The last ticket stub of the season honors the 1994 team, not the 1992 team. That season was Moeller's last in Ann Arbor, and did not include a Big Ten championship or Rose Bowl appearance.
Note the numbers in the team pictures.
1992 - http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/getimage-idx?viewid=BL001277;cc=b…
1994 - http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/getimage-idx?viewid=BL001279;cc=b…
I like the die-cut poster, but it almost looks like it's saying "Team 100".
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:41 PM ^
Can't wait to get these ticket stubs in the mail.
August 4th, 2012 at 12:55 AM ^