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Many were calling for…

Many were calling for Harbaugh to be fired after the COVID year.

He wasn't, and went on to deliver a string of victories over OSU, 3 B1G championships, and a national championship.

In the light of that experience, Howard too deserved a chance to turn things around. It didn't happen.

You win some, you lose some.

But I personally wish him well and am grateful for his many contributions to Michigan basketball, as a player and coach.

Thanks, JH, and Go Blue.

My tastes have evolved over…

My tastes have evolved over the years, but fortunately there are plenty of choices. I prefer something with witty humour and a happy ending to relax after a day filled with gloomy news of worldwide troubles.

I would recommend Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton, a recent sf novel which provides an entertaining commentary on war, AI, and human double standards. 

I agree about Guy Gavriel…

I agree about Guy Gavriel Kay. Try All the Seas of the World too.

Impressive metaphor.

Impressive metaphor.

Interesting perspective.

Interesting perspective.

Epic, really, from the low points in the first two decades of this century, brightened by occasional heroic individual performances; through the disaster of the Covid lockdown year and the insulting salary reduction to JH; to the unexpected triumphs since. First, the victory over OSU followed by the B1G championship; then victories over both MSU and OSU, the latter in their own stadium with pundits (except Woodson) predicting a Wolverine loss, and a repeat of the B1G championship; then winning it all in 2024, including the best the SEC had to offer coached by none other than the great Nick Saban in the Rose Bowl.

At every stage players responded beyond expectations. After setbacks, they regrouped and renewed the struggle more determined than ever. They may not have the highest 'measurables' which the NFL seek, but they have an immeasurable quality which is even more valuable: they rise to the challenge.

Heroic stuff.

We have been lucky to share the experience.

Go Blue!

I remember that 1965 team…

I remember that 1965 team. Like the football team, they came tantalizingly close to a national championship 1964-65. Impressive (almost) double.

Go Blue!

Ah yes, stirs memories of my…

Ah yes, stirs memories of my now far-distant childhood, one year of which I spent living on my uncle's farm in Ireland. The friendly neighbour in this context was a farmer with another horse, and the two animals were teamed up to pull mechanical equipment to plow the fields, cut hay, etc., on both farms.

A different world perhaps, but the mutual support in the farming community has always been crucial to survival.

I hope that scaling farming up for efficiency does not destroy that sense of community. We have more need of it than ever.

Go Blue.

Thanks for sharing this…

Thanks for sharing this memorable experience. 

Too often we allow our fandom to raise expectations to the point where we forget to enjoy the good times (BPONE?). Sure, the exodus of coaches casts a shadow over next season and we have lost a lot of talent and experience; but the TEAM has delivered a major triumph despite all the adversity, and that has been deeply satisfying. We beat the best to do so.

We might not do it again. But then again, why not?

Go Blue!

Well done.

Well done.

Sums it up well. Thanks.

Sums it up well. Thanks.

Stirs warm memories.

Thanks…

Stirs warm memories.

Thanks Ms. Lowe for the well-written opinion piece.

As someone remarked, she chose a good year to experience Michigan football, but then so did I (1964-5) and did we ever destroy the opposition in the Rose Bowl that year. It might be too much to hope we could do as well against Alabama tomorrow. 

But it would feel very good, especially after all the harassment this season.

And this team will give it their best shot.

Go Blue! 

Or Robert Heinlein's "They"?

Or Robert Heinlein's "They"?

Impressive. Well done…

Impressive. Well done Wolverines.

This surprises me too.

Has…

This surprises me too.

Has it always been like this, or is it a recent attitude in response to our success. Especially dominating the line of scrimmage?

The strategy of distraction…

The strategy of distraction from personal failures by launching attacks on the conduct of others is, unfortunately, a venerable tradition. 

Politicians have refines the technique.

Your satire is welcome,…

Your satire is welcome, Bryan, but I doubt whether the NCAA will recognize that is what it is.

In any case, there are too many examples in high places of refusing to acknowledge mistakes. And being rewarded for it.

To be fair, Indiana and…

To be fair, Indiana and Rutgers do play in a pretty tough conference/division . . . .

As a grad student, I watched…

As a grad student, I watched the game between Illinois and Michigan in 1964. I recall Timberlake  saying complimentary things about his play afterwards. He earned them the hard way.

The importance of…

The importance of perspective.

As an mgradOSUgranddad, I…

As an mgradOSUgranddad, I can sympathize with you, mGrowOld. But since my Michigan degree is at a graduate level (M.A), perhaps my sports fandom is less intense than that of students who spent longer in undergrad programs.

Or were raised in Michigan?

Impressive achievement. It…

Impressive achievement. It is not easy to continue one's education after one leaves campus and encounters so many other obligations and distractions. It takes a special kind of persistence, and that is a particularly valuable quality.

Well done, Rashan. And Mom.

Perhaps we should relax,…

Perhaps we should relax, take a deep breath, and see how Coach Howard responds to the challenges created by these departures and the new normal in college basketball?

I know that patience is not as common among fandom as it once was (or is reputed to have been), and the spread of the internet has given disgruntled fans greater freedom to vent to a wider audience. Feelings expressed in the heat of the moment are rarely to our credit, however.

Remember, a few short seasons ago they were calling for Harbaugh to be run out of town.

I'm with you, Rendezvous,…

I'm with you, Rendezvous, but I fear we grammarians are a dying breed  . . . . 

Congratulations, Jace.

Not…

Congratulations, Jace.

Not easy to perform well in academics and play basketball at a high level. In this star-struck era, student-athletes deserve full recognition for their achievements. The impressive list of Academic All-Big Ten honorees at U-M is a reminder of how hard they are working. It augurs well for their future.

And ours?

My sympathy, XM, and thank…

My sympathy, XM, and thank you for the poignant reminder of how much our pets have warmed our hearts over the years. Each further loss, however, feels more emotionally painful. Another side-effect of aging? Ours as well as theirs?

I recently scanned some slides taken many years ago, and loaded them onto my computer where they now rotate as the background image. Among them are pictures of our beloved Irish wolfhound, who won a special place in the hearts of all my family. Indeed, it was the experience of caring for him in his dying days, while my wife and I were on sabbatical leave, that launched my younger son on his career as a veterinarian.

With the passage of time, the pain of loss does diminish, fortunately. 

But the love lives on. (Did I mention that one grows more emotional with age?)

We have much to be grateful for, and those memories are a gift.

Take care.

Hey, leave Bump alone.

His…

Hey, leave Bump alone.

His overall record as a coach may have been disappointing, though his players loved him, but the 1964-65 season was very impressive. Not many Wolverine teams have ended the season ranked higher than fourth nationally. And won the Rose Bowl against the PAC-12. By a wide margin.

One of the few that did was the undefeated team in 1947, known as the Mad Magicians. Bump not only played on that team (on both sides of the ball), but won the Big Ten (Nine?) MVP award and was an All-American.

Later, he did a lot for the Iowa football program too. His record is stellar. Check it out.

Congratulations, ladies…

Congratulations, ladies. That is an impressive achievement and it deserves greater recognition!

Go Blue!

The Wolverines were ranked…

The Wolverines were ranked 5th in 1964 when they were upset by Purdue. They went on to win the Big Ten and Rose Bowl, and ended up ranked 4th nationally, but this loss probably cost them the national championship.

Takeaway?

Keep focus on this game. Plenty of time later to think about the national playoffs.

Go Blue!

Not sure how precise the…

Not sure how precise the parallels are, but I did enjoy the history lesson.

Thanks for the illuminating…

Thanks for the illuminating historical analogy, DWT.

But don't forget the contribution to that campaign of Sharpe, Kydd, and numerous other heroes of historical fiction. To say nothing of Temeraire (the dragon, not the ship).

/s

While it may not to be…

While it may not to be particularly relevant to this thread (but when has that ever deterred digressions?), I would actually like to see a playoff between the two best SEC teams (Georgia and Tennessee, presumably) and the two best in the Big Ten (us and OSU). SEC v B1G in each semi-final, winners to the final. Those should be games worth watching and they might resolve a lot of questions we have about how good the various teams really are, as opposed to how poor were their opponents.

Though unlikely, it is a scenario that may play out under the existing CFP, but would doubtless annoy excluded candidates. As an appetizer/footnote we could even add PSU v Alabama/LSU (football version of what they do early in the basketball season?). I imagine the TV networks would be happy . . .

Escapist fantasy, but a welcome distraction amidst a world of troubles . . . 

Sorry to hear that. In 1964,…

Sorry to hear that. In 1964, the Wolverines defeated the Illini team that included Butkus, but Timberlake was generous in his praise of Butkus. I would have hoped the respect was mutual.

Maybe he resented the sense of superiority displayed by some of our fans? That can be pretty annoying.

Maybe your Granddad's? Bob…

Maybe your Granddad's? Bob Timberlake led the Wolverines to victory in Columbus back in 1964. 

Go Blue!

Thanks, Kelsey. That sense…

Thanks, Kelsey. That sense of being an outsider amidst the crowd is one I can relate to and you caught it well.

Good luck with your MFA.

I make no claim to expertise…

I make no claim to expertise, but it seems to me that Harbaugh and his staff are choosing to deploy formations that make best use of their resources.  Since these include a dominating o-line, great RBs, and strong TEs, it is unsurprising (but very gratifying) that they have found ways to use them effectively. It is equally unsurprising that these ways have been used before, but they deserve credit for doing the research. Or using common sense?

It does mean that some talents seem underused, but I suspect that they will be developing them in practice for when they are needed. Meanwhile, we roll along.

Go Blue!

 

Impediment, I would guess.

Impediment, I would guess.

Proof reading is a dying (dead?) art, though it does take time and we live in a busy world.

 

Pride is a two-edged sword,…

Pride is a two-edged sword, but when it helps people perform their duty to the best of their ability, it deserves our admiration, even amidst the wastefulness of war or the dying minutes of a one-sided football game. On both sides.

But glad our team won. Go Blue.

In my now long distant youth…

In my now long distant youth I played rugby in school, though not well (too slow and light, better as a distance runner). But the camaraderie was great.

Go Blue!

As frustrating as the team's…

As frustrating as the team's inconsistency has been (to themselves as well as others, no doubt), let's give them credit for their hard work and improvement in some areas, notably defense. They beat two higher seeded teams to reach the sweet sixteen, where they fell to a second seed, on a night when two top-seeded teams lost. Meanwhile, the rest of the Big Ten have been . . . unimpressive?

Perhaps our expectations for this year were unrealistically high, but last weekend the team showed what it is capable of. A final loss is always a disappointing end to the season, but unavoidable for all but one in a playoff. As in football, we outperformed our rivals, despite some hiccups, and that  is . . . gratifying?

Speaking of which, we are doing pretty well in other sports. (Go, ladies!)

As alums and fans, we're spoiled, really, which is kind of nice to remember.

Go Blue!

I share the widespread joy…

I share the widespread joy at the team's triumph over a favored opponent and the ignominious defeat of rivals, but why I write this comment is to thank Brian for the LeGuin reference.

Very satisfying.

Can we claim that Brady…

Can we claim that Brady would not have been so successful playing in New England had he not been through cold-weather conditioning at Michigan?

Sure, why not . . . .

If nothing else, it might warm our hearts on wintry days. 

Along with a good malt whisky, of course.

Go Blue! 

(Wait, does that war cry have another level of meaning?)

I read Mann and Dostoevsky…

I read Mann and Dostoevsky in grad school at UM a long time ago. And Camus and Sartre. A growing experience.

Now? I prefer fiction with happy endings. Or at least Tolkien's eucatastrophe.

Maybe it's an age thing?

Or maybe not. The hope of success, at least in some measure, does encourage one to persevere in the struggle against the darkness, and we certainly have plenty of challenges to choose from. And I loved Lord of the Rings when I first read it a year later.

Hereabouts in the (Canadian)…

Hereabouts in the (Canadian) Maritimes, yesterday's rain and snowmelt left water in my basement; hours of freezing rain and rising winds threaten power outages today; and substantial snow forecast for tonight promises another weekend clearing the driveway.

Enough with the changes.

I'm glad Jim is not leaving.

Besides which, he provides enough change for me. Like defeating OSU and winning the Big Ten championship this year after so many had given up on him. We are lucky to have him.

Disappointing but…

Disappointing but unsurprising.

One positive note for Wolverine fans. In the one game Canada played, Owen Power broke a record as the first defenseman to score a hattrick at the juniors. He was impressive.

It gets worse as you get…

It gets worse as you get even older. Check the scores from time to time (if you wake up), record the game, and watch later. Or maybe not if the result is disappointing. (Hey, I'm 80!)

Twice as much work, twice as…

Twice as much work, twice as fast, twice as long? You might want to make clear from the outset that you are referring to certain kinds of sports, not the workplace in general. 

While it is always…

While it is always satisfying as fans to complain to one another about bias, lack of respect, etc., the reality is that we were always going to face Georgia or Alabama (and probably both) to win the championship. The CFP committee would not want a rematch between the two SEC teams at the semi-final stage.

SEC bias may well account for the inclusion of both, though the claims of the teams that missed the cut are not convincingly superior, as has been pointed out, but that gives us a chance to prove on the field how big a mistake they made in favoring the SEC. If it plays as well as it has lately, limits mistakes, and avoids injuries, this team can win out.

Regardless, they have had a great year, overcome adversity, and far exceeded the expectations of all but the most optimistic, as the euphoria on MGoBlog since the victory over OSU demonstrates.

They have earned our heartfelt gratitude.

Go Blue!

Nothing like an unexpectedly…

Nothing like an unexpectedly successful season, culminating (so far) with an imposing victory over Ohio State, to help us recall nostalgic memories. I like yours, tricks.

Go Blue!

Thanks, Tragictones. I…

Thanks, Tragictones. I appreciate a thoughtful argument and attempts to promote civil discussion.

Nor is it a bad thing to respect your opponents, rather than underestimate them because of perceived shortcomings. Fortunately, I think the coaches take this former approach. At least, I hope so.

That's what I was wondering…

That's what I was wondering when I saw the title on the message board. The use of initials is confusing to those more familiar with different contexts. Still, this was an interesting learning experience. Canadian Dairy Network? Milk consumption in families with growing children?

Another tribute to the range of expertise on MGoBlog.