Happy Memorial Day

For most people, it is just another day off from work and the official start of summer. The original Memorial Day was in 1868, it was called Decoration Day. The purpose was to honoring the dead of the Union Army in the Civil War. Over time, the Decoration Day holiday was expanded to salute the fallen soldiers from both North and South. Eventually it was renamed Memorial Day and chosen to encompass all of this country's fallen in subsequent wars.

Like the old english "D" on the Tigers cap, I believe the United States Flag is a thing of beauty. I just wish the marketing scientists at Major League Baseball could prevent themselves from grafting these two masterpieces together into a hideous mess.

So PERFECT

Story

The Huskies are coming: 99

99 days (I think I got it right this time, check my math please).

Does anyone remember playing this game?

No announcers and the option for a 16 team playoff.
Of course it is available on eBay.

The wheels of the bus go round and round

This week has been about as exciting as a mid-May week can be for a Michigan college football fan. Without games actually being played, our unpretentious little program has once again been placed in the spot light. Regardless of your where your loyalty lies, this has been an exhausting week.

Rather than sit around and obsessively read only the Michigan perspectives, I always find it interesting to go out and read what our rivals/friends are saying about this mess. As you would expect, it is incredibly entertaining and enlightening. Here is a sample of what I found.

It comes as no surprise that our friends down south are basking in the sunlight of eternal and everlasting domination. The Ohio State football program has always dominated the Michigan football program and there is no reason to ever believe this will change.

Welcome to the Big Ten rich rod and Goodbye after this upcoming season. The spot light up there is too big for you i bet you wish you never left w virginia. Well we will always remember the 42-7 beatdown we laid on you in columbus and the beatdown you have coming in about 6 months. Go Bucks

I find it hilarious how obsessed the typical Sparty fan (and their coach is for that matter) is with ensuring Michigan is humbled. It really is funny considering they have won the last two games and haven't lost to us in basketball in a 100 years. As the direct decedents of the great King Leonidas and his heroic force of 300, I would expect a little more fearlessness from such a powerful group.

What would it take for you to feel humbled with regards to your crumbling football program? If 8-16 over two seasons and now a string of major NCAA violations didn't do it, I'm pretty sure nothing will.

Quite simply the best. Nothing sums up the hopelessly narcissistic Notre Dame fan better than this one. Yes Guilford, your loss last September had nothing to do with a pitiful defense, lack of discipline, and inept clock management.

I can't help but think how the Michigan game last season would have gone differently had the Skunkbears not had those extra hours. They were a young offense last year, and everyone knows that young players benefit the most from increased practice time. It takes a few weeks into the season for your team to gel, but perhaps less time if you're breaking the rules.

Penn State fans are not alone in turning this into a personal attack on RR. Interesting to note the recruiting edge these guys seem to think they have with a 1000 year old coach trying to lure star high school athletes to the big apple of central Pennsylvania.

I have no idea how any kid could ever actually want to play for Rich Rod He seems like the biggest scumbag on the Earth and would just as easily throw you under the bus to save his own skin as he would lie, cheat, and steal to get what he wants.

As much as I am looking forward to watching us grind Danny Hope into little tiny bits for years to come, I have to give it to this Purdue fan for his comment on Maize n Brew. This is pretty damn funny and so horribly true. For the record, if asked by the NCAA or Michigan AD, we will be honored to shut this place down for a year if it means this whole idiotic mess would go away.

How about this... The Michigan blogging legion must lose one member for one year. Come on, you guys have like 27 football blogs. I am surprised there isn’t one dedicated to kickers only. I cry Shenanigans!

And finally, this one from an Illini fan. Regardless on how you feel about Rich Rodriguez, his past record of building success following an initial transitional failure is well documented. I vote for Rising Phoenix, but then again, I am biased

I believe in some instances the NCAA finding a "lack of instiututional control" is more of Murphy's law and unintended results and consequences by the coaches and program; but with Rodriquez, it is difficult to take the high ground with him. What is the cliche, if you are going to be an arrogant rear end (based on what I have read), then don't expect much sympathy, when things go south.

Another side story to watch this season, will he be a Phoenix, rising from the ashes; or the Captain of a Titanic?

Yes, it is true, like the M compliance office and coaching staff, I proved a couple of days ago that I can't count very well. Football season starts in 100 days.

Wallpaper Wednesday: Not that John Madden

Congrats to former Michigan hockey player John Madden. His Chicago Blackhawks have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Because Madden is the only former Michigan player in the Finals, I will be cheering for the BlackHawks. During his four-years playing for Red, Madden set the NCAA record for most career shorthanded goals (23) and was a member of the 1995–96 championship team. In his final season in Ann Arbor, he was named to both the CCHA First All-Star and NCAA West First All-American Teams. He already has his name carved into Lord Stanley's Cup two times with the New Jersey Devils.

This wallpaper is from the impressive wallpaper collection at the Blackhawks official web site

Hail!

Probation

We will be very angry with you... and we will write you a letter, telling you how angry we are....

The Huskies are coming: 123

Are you ready?

Wallpaper Wednesday: Mike Hart

I can not wait for football season to start. I can not wait for football season to start. I can not wait for football season to start. I can not wait for football season to start. I can not wait for football season to start. I can not wait for football season to start.

Thread Jack: These are the days of our lives......

yeahya
how many of the Spawn Posse roll like dat????

Threepeat x2

Hail!

Softball photo from MGoBlue.com

Lacrosse photo from MGoBlueLacrosse.com

Surfing the Apocalypse

One of my favorite features in Sports Illustrated is This Week's Sign That the Apocalypse Is Upon Us. Nothing they can put in that spot can top this week's claim by SI naming Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett is the front runner for the #1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

ARE YOU F---ING KIDDING ME ???!!!???? I don't do facebook, but THIS popped up during a BING search. I think I would rather see Terrelle Pryor win the Heisman than that goofy mouth breather from Texarkana.

iPad background: Old stadium pressbox

My wife bought me an Apple iPad for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. I love it. For those of you that have not seen one of these things, it has this awesome "rotating screen" to allow you to work both vertically and horizontally. The resolution of the iPad is 1024x768, but wallpapers need to be 1024x1024 to allow the image to fill the screen in both directions.

I took one of my all time favorites, cropped it and did some contrast and color enhancements. This great image was one of our first in the ongoing Wallpaper Wednesday feature (August 2008). From time to time, when the mood strikes me, I will share new iPad sized wallpapers.

The actual image was taken during the famous 2005 Penn State game. If you want to see more from the former Michigan student and Marching Band member (MightyBoyBrian) that took it, you can view his Flickr photostream here. Thanks again to Brian for sharing this shot with the rest of us. It is truly amazing.

Wallpaper Wednesday: Softball 2010

With one series at Iowa left to play, the #2 ranked Wolverine softball team sits firmly in the driver’s seat (16-1) for the conference title. Michigan is the two-time defending Big Ten champion and they are headed for an unprecedented Big Ten three-peat. This has never been done by Michigan. These girls have put up video game type numbers, with a .356 team average with 29 home runs combined with a 1.33 ERA with 155 strikeouts and just 52 hits allowed through 100 innings pitched.

Wow. Just Wow.

The conversation

Dave: Thanks for coming over to the office Coach. I know you are “busy with retirement” but we have another PR issue with Coach Rodriguez.

Lloyd: No problem Dave. I really wasn’t doing anything anyway today, and it is always good to see you and the athletic department staff. What is going on now?

Dave: Apparently someone wrote a book about one of your kids…. Trent…. Morgan Trent… it chronicles his path to the Cincinnati Bengals. The author is claiming that Coach Rodriguez was badmouthing Morgan’s work ethic and attitude to NFL scouts before the draft. He claims this dropped his draft status and cost him a lot of money.

Lloyd: Interesting. What does Coach Rodriguez have to say about this?

Dave: Well, Rich has told me and the media it is “ridiculous”. He claims he “said just the opposite about Morgan Trent to NFL scouts”. To be honest, I can't think of a single reason Rich would speak poorly of and undermine one of our own players. It would serve no purpose.

Lloyd: Well, we all knew this change was going to be hard. This just sounds like another salvo at Coach Rodriguez -- Nothing new. None of us should be surprised by this by now.

Dave: Wait Coach, there is more… the author is claiming you told Morgan Trent that Coach Rod was sabotaging his career in the NFL.

Lloyd: I did what?

Dave: I know, I know. The author is claiming you told Morgan that Coach Rodriguez hurt his professional football career.

Lloyd: Why would I go and do something like that? I have never even talked to this author. I had a conversation with Morgan some time ago. We discussed his disappointment with how late he was drafted. I tried to get him to recognize and take individual responsibility for his performance under Coach Rodriguez. I suggested this may have had a negative influence on the scouts view of his future.

Dave: I don’t know. It doesn’t make any sense to me either. This story has been picked up by the local news and the bloggers. Do you want to issue a statement?

Lloyd: No. I didn’t care what the media said about me when I was on the sideline AND I certainly don’t care now that I am retired. I don't even know what a blogger is. I learned a long time ago that anyone can write anything they want. It does not make it true. If someone calls me, I will tell them the truth. But I really don’t care to deny something that I did not say.

Dave: What about Morgan Trent?

Lloyd: Morgan Trent is a grown man. He is a professional football player. He can say and do what he wants. It sounds to me that he wants to help his friend sell some books. In the end, he has to live with the decisions and statements he makes. If he wants to make up excuses for his performance on the field and attempt to convince people that somehow his former coach is the culprit. I can't do anything about it. The truth is the truth. There are really only three people in the world that know what was said. Two of them have made definitive statements and the third wants to move on claiming it is "water under the bridge". You tell me who is telling the truth.

Gone to the World Cup : T9 Healing Edit....

mmmmmmmm Soccer

Gone Fishin...

I could not let a full week go by without posting something....

In honor of the now defeated Detroit Red Wings

God Bless Ernie Harwell

"In baseball, democracy shines its clearest. The only race that matters is the race to the bag. The creed is the rule book. And color, merely something to distinguish one team's uniform from another's."
~ Ernie Harwell's Hall of fame induction speech. 1981.



Thanks for the memories Mr. Harwell.

Tasered

Last night in Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park a drunk (and stupid) fan ran out onto the field, waved a rally towel around, and got tasered for his efforts. He falls flat on his face at about the 17 second mark. I love the reaction of Ryan Howard (Phillies firstbaseman), he is covering his mouth with his glove because he is laughing. There is no truth to the matter that the guy is Boubacar Cissoko.



The 17-year-old was charged with defiant trespass, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. According to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer, he called his father to ask permission to run on the field prior to doing so. The father says he did not grant permission. The MLB site has a better video of the event, but it will not embed.

The POTUS says: "Go Blue!"

No matter your politics, a sitting President of the United States of America just spoke in Michigan Stadium to the Class of 2010.
AND commissioned the ROTC 2010 Graduates into the Armed Forces.


The President, Bitches, THE President