Know Your Foe: Notre Dame 2010

The 38th version of the Michigan / Notre Dame game will take place this Saturday in northwest Indiana. The Irish and their new coach Brian Kelly dispatched the Purdue Boilermakers last week setting up an intriguing game.

For both of us, this game offers another opportunity to take another step towards respectability. I am sure Notre Dame would like nothing better than to push us back down after the high of last week. Michigan holds an all-time 21-15-1 advantage in the series. We won last season 38-34 in exciting heart stopping fashion.

History: In 1830 a Catholic missionary priest named Stephen Badin purchased 524 acres of farmland with the intention of expanding the mission with the nearby Pottowattamie Indians. The land cost $1.25 an acre. The only problem, is the Indians weren’t really interested in converting to Catholicism and promptly moved away. With no use for the land, Badin resold the land with the condition it would be used to establish an orphan asylum.

Badin holds the distinction of being the first Catholic priest to be ordained in the United States. He was originally born in France, but came to America after the French Revolution interrupted his education.

After a series of transactions and failed attempts, the land was offered in 1842 to another French priest named Edward Sorin. Because he was mandated t had to build a university within two years. The 28 year old Sorin quickly traveled to the site, and started teaching two local boys in the log chapel left by Badin 10 years earlier.

According to a legend, when Sorin arrived at the location, everything was frozen and he thought there was only one lake, and named the place “L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac” (The University of Our Lady of the Lake). The word Lac is singular, the land actually contained two lakes.

The early years at the University of Notre Dame were pretty elementary. There was very little higher education going on here. The school was primarily a religious grade school with a manual labor department serving only men. The collegiate curriculum never attracted more than a dozen students a year in the early decades. Notre Dame did not start admitting women until 1972.

The Roman Catholic influence on this place is very strong. A vast majority (80%+) of the current students identify themselves as Catholics. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart sits in the center of campus, a statue of the Virgin Mary stands on the top of the famous Main Building Golden Dome, and of course there is the omnipresent Touchdown Jesus on the Hesburgh Library looking into the football stadium.

Location: The campus is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, an unincorporated community northeast of South Bend. There is no municipal government here, as the entire area is made up of three college campuses (Notre Dame, St. Mary’s, and Holy Cross) . Notre Dame provides its own water, power, and fire department.

Most people just call it South Bend - which derived its name because it lies at the southernmost bend of the St. Joseph River. It was originally a fur trading post in the 1820s and officially incorporated as a city in 1865. Like most Midwestern cities, heavy industry have always dominated the local economy. Companies like the Studebaker Corporation, the Singer Sewing Company, and Oliver Chilled Plow Company were the early driving forces in the growing city.

U.S. Grant’s Vice President Schuyler Colfax lived in South Bend and represented the state in Congress and served as Speaker of the House during most of the civil war. He died of heart attack brought on my extreme cold and exhaustion in a Minnesota train station in 1885. He is buried at the local cemetery.

Nickname: They call themselves the Fighting Irish. There is no official story as to how or why. One would think because of the French background of the name and original founders of this place, they would call themselves the Fighting French. Then again, considering the history of the French military in the past century, maybe not.

During the era of the Four Horsemen (1920's) they were called the Rovers. Other times they were called the Terriers, after a priest’s dog. They also were called the Ramblers, because the football team would travel anywhere to play anyone. None of those names stuck.

To me, the best and most logical explanation for the “Fight Irish” name comes from the Irish Brigade in the American Civil War. This decorated infantry unit, originally made up of the 63rd New York, the 69th New York, and the 88th New York was filled with Irish immigrant soldiers fighting for their adopted country.

Many joined the army to gain military experience with an eye to returning to Ireland and freeing their country from the British. This unit first gained notoriety when, before the war, their Colonel refused an order to parade the troops for the English Prince of Wales. He was arrested and faced a court-martial. Once the war started, charges were dropped and the Colonel was sent into the fight.

I could write a doctorate thesis on the Irish influence and involvement and influence of the Civil War, but I won’t do that here. If you have ever walked the Union line at Gettysburg you will see a statue of Father William Corby (a Detroit Native) giving the Irish Brigade general absolution before the 2nd day of the historic battle. Corby later became Notre Dame’s 3rd (and 6th) President.

I say this every year, but I don’t understand is why the NCAA considers Native American nicknames like the Indians or Redskins offensive, but turns a blind eye to the equally as racist and offensive moniker Fighting Irish? Imagine if UTEP called themselves The Marauding Mexicans ? I can only assume the NCAA does not know that Ireland is a sovereign nation. Characterizing the good citizens of this nation as leprechaun fighters, is patently offensive.

Mascot/ Colors / Logo / Helmet: In 1965 Notre Dame named the Leprechaun as their official mascot. Each year a current student is selected to dress in a Lucky Charms outfit and hop around the sidelines. As far as costumed mascots go, this one is pretty goofy.

Many people associate green with the Notre Dame, but the official colors are “Madonna blue and Papal gold”. Throughout the history of Notre Dame football, they have sometimes worn green. During the Dan Devine era (1975-80) Notre Dame wore green uniforms almost every game. Today they reserve the green jerseys for special occasions, like when they are getting ready to lose to USC.

They use a classic interlocking ND as the primary logo. I noticed they incorporated it onto the sleeves of their 2010 football jerseys. This has been the Notre Dame logo since at least the 1960s. At times, a shamrock as appeared behind it. It is one of the most recognizable and iconic logos in American sports.

They wear a plain gold helmet. No logos. No stripes. No “good job” stickers. This helmet has become a symbol of the university as much as the golden dome itself. The Irish are one of the few schools to never change from the traditional grey color of their face masks. As with so many things about this school, they have made a big tradition for the student managers to spray shiny new gold paint onto the helmets before each game.

Fight Song: In 1908 brothers John and Michael Shea wrote The Notre Dame Victory March. It was copyrighted by the university in 1928. It has become is one of the most recognizable college fight songs in history. Sports Illustrated ranked it in 2006 as the #5 fight song. In the same poll, Michigan's The Victors was ranked #1.



Rally sons of Notre Dame
Sing her glory and sound her fame,
Raise her Gold and Blue
And cheer with voices true: Rah, rah, for Notre Dame
We will fight in ev-ry game,
Strong of heart and true to her name
We will ne'er forget her
And will cheer her ever
Loyal to Notre Dame

Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame,
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send a volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky.
What though the odds be great or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all
While her loyal sons are marching
Onward to victory.

Academics: Once a popular choice for good catholic boys to attend college, Notre Dame has become one of the top academic institutions in the country. According to the latest US News and World Report it is ranked #19 amongst National Universities.

With no Northwestern on our schedule this year, Notre Dame is once again the only school ranked higher than us in the USNWR ratings. With a strong national alumni base and popularity amongst subway alumni (people that associate with but never attended the school), a Notre Dame degree is very valuable. I find it interesting the contrast between view of their subway alumni and our non-alum fans. We get ridiculed for being “Wal*Mart Wolverines” while they are considered a foundation for the fan base.

Football program: In 1887, the Michigan Wolverines introduced football for the first time to Notre Dame and shut them out 8-0. In 1888, we beat them three times in the same season. Not to be dissuaded, Notre Dame’s program got better and better, capturing the national attention and building an impressive tradition.

Today not too many schools can compete with their impressive history. In 121 seasons, they have only had 13 losing seasons. They have the third most wins (behind Michigan and Texas) and second highest winning percentage in history (behind Michigan). They claim 11 national titles, 12 undefeated seasons, and 7 Heisman Trophies. In total, the Irish have fielded 99 All Americans and 48 College Football Hall of Famers. They have produced the largest number of players to go on and play in the NFL, have had 463 players drafted, highlighted by 5 overall #1 picks. All very impressive.

Other Sports: Notre Dame fields a Title IX friendly 13 men’s and 13 women’s varsity sports teams. Most of these teams play in the Big East Conference, the obvious exceptions being football (independent) and hockey (CCHA). Over the years they have won National Championships in six different sports (seven in fencing, two in women’s soccer, two in men’s tennis, and one each in men’s golf, men’s cross country and women’s basketball).

Famous alums: Notre Dame has an substantial list of notable alumni including many corporate execs, elected officials, and educational leaders. Recognizable names include Charlie Weis (KC Chiefs offensive coordinator) George Wendt (Norm from Cheers), and Steve Bartman (brainless Cubs fan). They also have Condoleezza Rice (former US Secretary of State), Eddie DeBartolo Jr (former owner of the San Francisco 49ers), Alan Page (NFL Hall of Famer and Minnesota Supreme Court Judge), Phil Donahue (former TV talk show host), Regis Philbin (Annoying TV personality), Hanna Storm (TV Host), and Don Criqui (sportscaster). The Notre Dame football team can claim NFL hall of famers Paul Hornung, Joe Montana, Nick Buoniconti, and Dave Casper and many others. Other famous football names include Joe Theisman, Tim Brown, Jerome Bettis, Rocket Ismael, Brady Quinn, and Jimmy Claussen.

There are no former US presidents with a ND degree, Josiah Bartlet does not count. Former President Ronald Regan is closely associated with the school because he acted in a famous movie about a Notre Dame football player. They can claim former presidents of Panama and El Salvador.

I found 3 former astronauts.

The Game: This is always one of those games I never feel comfortable with. I have seen too many good Michigan teams go to Notre Dame and lose. Strange things always seem to happen in that stadium.

Notre Dame had some great recruiting classes under Charlie Weis. The potential for Brian Kelly to take those prospects and turn them into a decent football team is there. Our defense caught some breaks last week. I don't anticipate Dayne Crist, Armando Allen and Michael Floyd to come anywhere close to the inept UConn offense we all saw on Saturday.

As it will be with most of our games this season, it will come down to the defense. We can win if we make some stops and cause a couple of turnovers. I am sure our offense led by Denard Robinson will score points. I just have no confidence in our defense. I also never expect to get a win at Notre Dame. I hope I am wrong.

Michigan 24
Notre Dame 32

EA Sports: NCAA Football 11 Video

Know Your Foe: UConn 2010

Note: I prepared this KYF before Yost came back to the blogging world. We talked off-line and he gave the thumbs up for posting this here. I look forward to reading KYF on the original MZone very soon.

History: In 1881, brothers Augustus and Charles Storrs donated 170 acres and $5000 after they were convinced by the Farmer's Convention of the Connecticut Board of Agriculture that the state needed a school to train boys in farming.

This new school was called The Storrs Agricultural School. They launched with 12 students in a building that previously had been used as a home for orphans of the Civil War. Some years later, when the institution became Connecticut's land grant college, the name was changed to Storrs Agricultural College. In 1899, the name changed again to Connecticut Agricultural College; in 1933, to Connecticut State College; and finally in 1939, to the University of Connecticut. So basically, UConn is the Sparty of New England.

Location: The main university campus is in...wait....wait... you guessed it, Storrs. Which simply is a division of the Connecticut town of Mansfield. It is located approximately 28 miles east of the state capital in Hartford.

Unofficially Connecticut is known as "The Nutmeg State". The exact origins of the nutmeg connection is unknown. It may have come from its sailors returning from voyages with nutmeg (which in the 18th and 19th centuries was a very valuable spice). It may have originated in the early machined sheet tin nutmeg grinders sold by early Connecticut peddlers. It is also facetiously said to come from Yankee peddlers from Connecticut who would sell small carved nobs of wood shaped to look like nutmeg to unsuspecting customers.

The first silk mill in the United States was constructed in Mansfield and financed by pilgrim descendent, William Fisk. The original mill is now in display at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan.

Peter Tork of the 1960’s made for TV band The Monkees was born in Storrs and still lives there. Also, in 2005, Storrs was named by Slate Magazine as "America's Best Place to Avoid Death Due to Natural Disaster." I am sure Randy Edsall uses this fact as a recruiting tool when he recruits in Florida or Lousiana.

Academics: The University of Connecticut is currently ranked #69 in the latest US News and World Report rankings of National Universities, tied with Virginia Tech and Northeastern. That places them right above Iowa, but not as good as Minnesota in the rankings. There are around 17,000 undergrads enrolled at the Storrs campus. On the positive spin side, for the last 11 years, UConn has been rated as the number one public university in New England. However, they will be hopelessly ranked as the second best school in their own state, behind #3 nationally ranked Yale. Again.... Sparty.

Famous Alumni: The list of famous former UConn students includes movie actress Meg Ryan and Ted Kennedy’s son, Edward Jr.

Former Cleveland Browns coach Sam Rutigliano, former Cleveland Indian pitcher Charles Nagy and a boatload of NBA players including Celtics star Ray Allen all hail from UConn. Kirk Ferentz, the current Iowa football coach (and one time rumored candidate to replace Lloyd Carr) is a former Husky linebacker.

They don't have any US Presidents as alumni. But they can claim the first female Prime Minister of Turkey, Her Excellency Dr.Tansu Çiller. Also, Sam Webb, the current leader of Communist Party USA has a Master's in (gulp) Economics from UConn.

UConn has two astronauts on their books. Franklin Chang-Diaz flew in seven shuttle missions and is the first naturalized US citizen to go into space. Richard Mastracchio is a veteran of three different spaceflights, including one as recent as April 2010.

Mascot, Helmets, and Fight Song: UConn athletic teams are called the Huskies.

Until 1933, like many land grant/agriculture schools their mascot was the Aggies. When the school changed its name, their athletic teams were renamed The Statesmen. This new name did not last long.

A year later, the Husky was chosen as the mascot. All live mascot husky dogs throughout the years have been named Jonathan in honor of Revolutionary leader Jonathan Trumbull. Trumbull was one of the few Americans who served as governor in both a pre-Revolutionary colony and a post-Revolutionary state. During the American Revolution he was the only colonial governor who supported the American side. Additionally, all but the first "Jonathan" have been white with one brown eye and one blue eye,

The UConn football helmet currently features a stylized block “C” on a blue helmet shell. In the past they have experimented (like Sparty) with side numbers and various “C” and “UConn” combinations. My favorite historical helmet design is the late 60's & early 70's version featuring the Chicago Bears “C” with football laces. There is really nothing like that in college football, and it would be very cool looking.

The UConn fight song, officially titled UConn Husky but commonly called The Husky Fight Song. It was written by by Herbert A. France, who joined the staff of Connecticut Agricultural College in 1931 to start up the music department and lead campus choral groups. He was department head until 1949, and retired in 1960. He died in 1971, and in 1981, at the University's centennial, his family gave UConn the rights to the song.

If you have watched the NCAA basketball tournament over the last 20 years, you have likely heard this song before.

UConn Husky, symbol of might to the foe

Fight, fight Connecticut

It's victory, let's go (let's go!)

Connecticut UConn Husky,

Do it again for the white and blue

So go (fight!) - go (fight!) - go (fight!) - go!

Connecticut, Connecticut U (Spell it!)

C - O - N - N - E - C - T - I - C - U - T, Connecticut

Connecticut Husky, Connecticut Husky

C - O - N - N - U (Fight!)

Football program: They have been playing football at Connecticut since 1896. Their first year, they played one college, five high schools and two YMCA teams. They finished 5-3. Three years later, the team went 0-3 and did not score a single point the whole season. The next hundred years of the program were pretty non-descript save the 1998 team that won 10 games and made the I-AA playoffs. That team was coached by Skip Holtz. The next season he left, they hired Randy Edsall, and made the jump Division I football.

From 1999 to 2003 UConn played as an Independent Division I program. In 2004, the Huskies were admitted as full football members of the Big East. That same year, the school made its first-ever appearance in a bowl game, winning the Motor City Bowl over Toledo... imagine that, beating Toledo. In 2007 they achieved a national ranking for the first time, finished the season 9–3, and climbed as high as 13th in the BCS standings.

Last year UConn had nine former players on NFL rosters, which is not that bad, considering they have only been playing Division One football for 14 years. The most recognizable former UConn player is Mike Hart’s NFL Colts backfield teammate Donald Brown. Brown was taken in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft.

Also of note, former Lions QB Dan Orlovsky is also a UConn Husky. Not that it would have made any difference, but I kinda wish they had taught him what an out of bounds stripe looks like.

Jasper Howard: Last season the UConn football program dealt with the tragic loss of one of it's players in the middle of the season.

Twenty-year-old starting cornerback Jasper Howard was stabbed and killed outside a university-sanctioned dance following their October win against Louisville. Jasper Howard was the first member of his family to attend college, and decided to leave his home in South Florida to attend Connecticut in part to escape the violence in the streets.

The day he was killed, Howard recorded a career-high 11 tackles and made perhaps the game's biggest play, forcing a fumble just as Louisville was about to score with UConn up 21-13 in the third quarter. UConn won 38-25.

Jasper will serve as an honorary captain for the 2010 Huskies.

Other sports: They play a lot of other sports at UConn, but nothing compares to their basketball programs. The Men’s team is a perennial NCAA contender and won the tournament in both 1999 and 2004.

However, the success of the Men's program is dwarfed by the acomplishments of their Women’s basketball team. Quite simply, the UConn women have turned the rest of the country's basketball programs into the Washington Generals. In all, they have won seven national titles and have not lost a game since the 2008 Final Four. They currently own a 78 game winning streak, which is the longest winning streak in the history of women's college basketball. I am pretty sure, if given a game, these chicks could beat the Michigan team John Beilein has touring around Europe right now.



The game: Like it or not, this is a HUGE game for the Michigan football program. The entire country will be watching to see what happens as we introduce the newly enhanced Big House. Win this game and the third year of the Rich Rodriguez era has a chance. Lose this game, and the lynch mob gets louder and the hot seat gets warmer. Getting to seven wins starts with this game. This is the first step to return the program to respectability.

This is not a layup. UConn has won its last seven openers. These guys went to South Bend and beat Jimmy Claussen and Notre Dame last year in double overtime. They have been to and won bowl games in each of the last two seasons. I expect Michigan to come out of the tunnel and be very emotional and very aggressive. I am confident our offense will be dynamic and score some points, regardless of who is at QB. I am praying our defense will be able to tackle and apply pressure. The defense that makes the most stops and forces the most turnovers will win.

Michigan 32

UConn 24

Go Blue!

Hello to our newly adopted siblings

It looks like at some point today, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are going to make it official and announce they will in fact be joining the increasingly poorly named Big Ten Conference. T9 suggested we put together a "Know your new Little Brother" post to mark this historic expansion event. As always, she has a great idea, but in the spirit of time management, I will wait for when we play them to roll out the full "Cornhusker KYF". In the meantime, I will share a couple of fun little facts.

A Parthenon for the Plains: The University of Nebraska was founded 1869. The new campus was laid out on four Lincoln city blocks. Its first building, University Hall, was an impressive structure to young people visiting the capital city. One student, born and reared in a sod house, likened it to the Parthenon.

Attempts to impose a more civilized appearance on the campus landscape often were turned back by the harsh conditions of the prairie. Hundreds of trees were planted, only to perish, and the first flower beds were cut down numerous times by marauding hordes of locusts.

If all this comes to fruition, and the Huskers actually do join our ranks, the good people of Nebraska will eventually get to experience the marauding hordes of Buckeye fans -- and long for the good old days when they only thing they had to battle was the locusts.

Know Your Foe: Bemidji State

Basic facts and history: Bemidji State University (going forward, I will simply type BSU) is a public state university located in Bemidji, Minnesota. The school was founded in 1919 as Bemidji State Normal School. The name was later changed to Bemidji State Teachers College, then shortened to Bemidji State College and finally Bemidji State University. If these names sound familiar, check out my KYF on Western Michigan from last fall.

One other thing they have in common with our friends from Kalamazoo, girls, lots of them. Females make up over 55% of the student population here.

The Chippewa (Ojibwe) tribe settled near here in 1750 and continue to hold an important place the community. A band of about fifty Leech Lake Indians (The Leech Lake Band Of Ojibwe) lived and farmed wild rice along the south shore of a lake since the 1880s. The US Government established a reservation and have been dealing with the Leech Lake Indians on a government-to-government basis longer than Minnesota has been a state.

In the late 1800’s the rural roads were always a major problem for the area. Early settlers were required to pay a poll tax or work specified days just to keep up the muddy township roads. In 1913, the township board gave a resident 50 pounds of FREE dynamite to blow out stumps on "his" road. It appears that they now have paved roads and no longer need citizens and dynamite to keep things moving.

About 10 years ago, the BSU Board of Regents recommended changing the name of the university to Minnesota State University – Bemidji. The move was innocently designed to improve the brand awareness and general recognition of the school. This name change was universally opposed by students, alumni, and local bystanders. Rather than face the angry mob, the Board decided against the name change.

Location: BSU is located on the shores of Lake Bemidji in the heart of northern Minnesota's lakes and forest region. It sits four hours northwest of Minneapolis and two hours northeast of Fargo, North Dakota. Technically, you can make the claim that Lake Bemidji is just a bulge in the Mississippi River because water Mighty Mississippi is both received and drained here before making the 2,552 mile journey to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico.

The city derives it’s name from the local Native Americans meaning "lake that traverses another body of water". There are about 13,000 people that live here, and the average annual temperature is a chilly 37 degrees. They average about 3.5 feet of snow a year. The lake typically freezes in mid November and stays that way until mid April. BSU has an underground walkway system so the students can wear t-shirts and flip-flops all year long.

The legend of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox is very strong here. The city makes a claim as the “official home of Paul Bunyan” and include them on their seal and flag. In 1937 the community built statues of both. Thanks to the miracle of the Internet, you can watch over these statues all day every day. However they have some competition from several other places, most notably the community of Oscoda, Michigan. The Oscoda Press claims to be the REAL home of Paul and the Michigan State Legislature agrees.

Colors: In February, 1920, an assembly hour was set aside for the selection of school colors. After the balloting on colors had resulted in a deadlock, Cyrillus Freeman, a student from Minneapolis, rose and commanded attention.

“As we sat here discussing this question,” she said, “I happened to glance out the window. The sight that met my eyes was fresh, green pines silhouetted against pure white snow. What could be more appropriate than green and white?”

These colors were accepted unanimously.

Nickname: They call themselves the Beavers. The name was first used in 1932 when the school president reviewed football practice one evening, called the team into a huddle, and raised his hands and declared, “I christen this team the Beavers.” The name is symbolic of the silent, hard-working teams representing the school.

Logo: In 1998, campus-wide discussions were held on the need for new marks to represent BSU athletics. The University marks at the time had been in place since 1974, but there was no official athletic logo. The next year they issued an RFP, seeking an image that would represent pride and confidence while being gender-neutral and not appearing cartoonish. The public relations firm of Russell & Herder in Brainerd won and produced the current logo in 2001.

Mascot: They have a cute child-friendly buck-toothed Beaver they call Bucky. Other than darker fur and cro-magnon forehead, I honestly have a tough time telling the difference between Bucky the Beaver and Goldy the Gopher.

Fight song: Yes, they have one. No, I could not find any historical info about it.



Go Bemidji Beavers,
Go you Green and White.
Go Bemidji Beavers,
Fight with all your might.

We are here to cheer you.
We're out to bring you fame.
So go Bemidji Beavers,
Fight and win this game.

B-E-M-I-D-J-I Bemidji, Bemidji, Go BEAVERS!!


Academics: BSU is the only baccalaureate institution in northern Minnesota. It offers 65 undergraduate majors and 13 graduate programs. It is ranked as a Tier I institution by the US News and World Report. In 2008 they accepted 82% of the students that applied. Interesting enough, the tuition is the same for both in-state and out-of-state students.

One of the main sources I use to get information for KYF is the media guides produced by the athletic department. Bemidji needs to do a better job in updating their marketing materials. Actual media guide text: Each year, students complete internships with the likes of the NASA space program in Houston, Texas, Disneyland, Compaq, Rubbermaid and a host of architectural firms.

Compaq was bought by Hewlett Packard in 2002. It has not existed as a company for 8 years.

Sports: BSU fields six men's varsity teams and nine womens teams. All their varsity sports compete at NCAA Division II level -- except Men's and Women's Ice Hockey.

Dressed in uniforms that look like Braylon's New York Jets, their football team plays in a stadium that holds 3,500 fans and have won a total of five Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championships since 1926. They have a single post season birth since the inception of the program (in 2006, they lost). The Beavers have had two players drafted by the NFL: In 1946 the Chicago Bears took offensive tackle Dean Widseth in the 21st round and in 1979 the Cleveland Browns selected TE John Redebaugh in the 16th round.

The BSU hockey team has had a significantly more success. They first started playing organized college hockey in 1946. They did not field a team from 1951 through 1959 because the roof on their sports arena collapsed while several children were skating in the arena. Somehow they miraculously escaped and survived the falling roof.

Without an arena, they tried to play games on the frozen lake, but could not make it work and quit for a while. Nine seasons later they returned to play in a couple of outdoor venues before moving inside in 1967.


In all they have won an incredible 13 Hockey National Championships (7 in NAIA, 1 in NCAA Division 3, and 5 in NCAA Division 2). They became a NCAA Division I team in 1998, and have been to 5 NCAA tournaments. The 1983-84 went undefeated with an NCAA record 31 wins 0 ties and 0 losses. Last season, the 2009 Bemidji Beavers shocked the college hockey world when they upset both Notre Dame and Cornell to make their first trip to the NCAA Frozen Four.

Next season (hopefully after Michigan beats them), they will change conferences (from CHA to WCHA) and move into a brand new arena.

Famous Alums: I swear I looked. Their Alumni Association web page does not have a list of notable graduates. The BSU wiki entry only has former NHL player Joel Otto and Marty Turco’s backup Matt Climie. If you graduated from BSU, please send me your name and I will include it here.

Lacking any real names, I want to mention that former Oakland Raider and NFL Hall of Famer Dave Casper and Jane Russell were both born in Bemidji.

And yes, I am willing to bet those are real.

The game: I have not seen them play. But rest assured these guys are pretty good and a very dangerous team for us coming off a miracle CCHA run. While we might have better talent, you can’t take anything for granted. Notre Dame found out last year what happens when you don’t take them seriously. Based on the season we have had, I won’t be surprised at all if we come out flat and struggle.

I am still hoping for the best.

Michigan 4
Bemidji 2

Know Your Foe - Canada

I promised if the US and Canadian Olympic Hockey teams met for the gold medal game I would do a "KYF" for Canada - so here it is. I have visited Canada many times since my first trip as a drunk college student navigating the tunnel to the Windsor Ballet (some one else was driving). Over the last three or four years I worked for a company based in Vancouver, so I have gotten to spend a good deal of observational time with Canadians. If you are from Canada and read this, understand that most of this is fun, but you also know most of it is true.

Key Facts: The name Canada comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word, kanata, meaning "village" or "settlement". Canada is the second largest country (by land mass) in the world. Our shared border is the longest in the world. The country consists of ten provinces and three territories. Think of a Canadian province in the same manner in which you would think of a US state. There are over 30 million people living in Canada and 80% of them live within 93 miles of the US border.

History: The land that makes up Canada was originally inhabited by various groups of Aboriginal people. Europeans first arrived when the Vikings settled briefly at L'Anse aux Meadows around AD 1000. That colony failed and there was no further attempt at European exploration until 1497, when England's John Cabot explored Canada's Atlantic coast. He was followed by Frenchman Jacques Cartier in 1534. Another French explorer named Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1603 and established the first permanent European settlements at Port Royal in 1605 and Quebec City in 1608. Two years later, the English established fishing outposts in Newfoundland and colonized the Thirteen Colonies to the south. As was the case in the American colonies, a massive percentage of the native people died because they had no natural immunities to the diseases the Europeans carried.

Britain and France repeatedly went to war in the 17th and 18th centuries and frequently used Canada as a battlefield. In 1763 the French were removed from nearly all of its colonies after the Seven Years' War. During the American Revolution there was an attempt by the Continental Army in late 1775 to take Quebec from British control. They were defeated by Guy Carleton, with the assistance of local militias. At the end of the revolution about 48,000 loyalists moved to Canada, where they received lands and reimbursements for lost property from the British government.

In 1867, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces, combining three British colonies. This began an process a process of increasing autonomy from the British. Although it was not until the Canada Act of 1982 that ended all remaining dependence of Canada on the United Kingdom.

Government: This can be a little confusing. Most Canadians can not easily explain how their government is organized. As an American, I am even more confused and suspicious. In Canadian English, the word government is used to refer both to the whole set of institutions that collectively govern the country as well as the reigning monarch. The Canadian Federal Government covers the major institutions - the monarchy, governor general, federal courts, the prime minister, parliament, government departments and agencies.

WTF, a monarchy ? As per the Constitution Act, 1867, Canada is technically a constitutional monarchy, wherein the reigning sovereign (King or Queen) is both legal and practical. The monarchy only plays a ceremonial role in Canada. The Canadian Governor General is the representative of the Queen in Canada and is also mostly symbolic and ceremonial.

The Parliament of Canada is the legislative branch of the federal government and makes the laws. Parliament is made up of three parts: the Crown (the Queen, represented by the Governor General), the House of Commons and the Senate.

Although the role of prime minister in Canada is not defined by any law or constitutional document, it somehow is the most powerful role in Canadian politics. Essentially the prime minister is the head of government in Canada and he is actually elected. Imagine the role of President without any supporting legal documentation. The Canadian prime minister is usually the leader of the political party that wins the most seats in the House of Commons in a general election.

Flag: The Canadian flag is one of the most recognizable on the planet. Sursprisingly it was only adopted in 1965 as their national flag. Prior to that, they just used the flag of the United Kingdom. Yes, the same one we know as the Union Jack

In 1964, the Prime Minister appointed a flag change committee sparking a national debate. Out of three choices, the maple leaf design based on the flag of the Royal Military College of Canada was selected. The flag made its first appearance on February 15, 1965; the date is now celebrated annually as National Flag of Canada Day.

National Anthem: O Canada is the national anthem of Canada. The song was originally commissioned by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec for the 1880 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony. Calixa Lavallée wrote the music, which was originally only in French and was translated to English in 1906. For my money, the Canadian National Anthem is very moving and patriotic. I love it every time I hear it at hockey and baseball games.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Sports other than Hockey: Believe it or not, lacrosse (not hockey) is Canada's oldest and official sport. Soccer has the most registered players of any sport in Canada, but there is no professional league. Other popular team sports include curling, baseball, basketball, cricket, rugby and softball.

They play a mutated brand of football, commonly referred as Canadian Football. This game only has 3 downs and the end-zones are HUGE. Football is Canada's second most popular spectator sport behind ice hockey. The Canadian Football League was founded in 1909 as a rugby organization. It has been around in its current football form since 1958. Today, the CFL is made up of 8 teams separated in 2 divisions. The annual championship, known as the Grey Cup, is the country's largest annual sports event. They also play college football there, but it is not nearly as popular as college football in the US. In fact, I would guess that Texas High School football is more popular than Canadian College Football.

Wolverine great Tshimanga Biakabutuka played high school (and college) football in Canada before he hung 313 yards on the Buckeyes in 1995.

Canada has a long and interesting baseball history. When the Brooklyn Dodgers decided to make Jackie Robinson the first black player in MLB history, they sent him to Montreal for a season of preparation. In 1969 the city of Montreal was awarded a Major League Baseball franchise. Named after the Expo 67 World's Fair, they were called the Expos. After a decade of losing seasons, the team won a franchise-high 95 games in 1979, finishing second in the National League East. The team won its only division championship in the strike-shortened split season of 1981, only to lose to the LA Dodgers in the playoffs. In 1994 they had an awesome team and had the best record in the majors when the strike forced the cancellation of the remainder of the season. The franchise never recovered, moving to Washington DC ten years and many empty seats later.

Canada can claim the two MLB titles ('92 & '93) by the Toronto Blue Jays, which were founded in 1977. Canada has participated in both of the World Baseball Classics. In 2006 they upset a powerful Team USA in first-round play. Some people in Canada call this the "Miracle on Dirt".

Ice Hockey: The modern form of ice hockey began in Canada in the late 1800s. It is widely considered Canada's national pastime, with high levels of participation by children, men and women at all levels of competition. Canada has a massive junior hockey league and has six teams in the National Hockey League.

The Stanley Cup is the famous trophy awarded NHL champion. The trophy was donated in 1892 by then Governor General of Canada Lord Stanley of Preston, as an award for Canada's top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. In 1915, the two professional ice hockey organizations, the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA), reached a gentlemen's agreement in which their respective champions would face each other for the Stanley Cup. After a series of league mergers and folds, it became the de facto championship trophy of the NHL in 1926.

The last Canadian NHL team to win the Stanley Cup was the 1992-93 Montreal Canadians. Since that time, the Detroit Red Wings have won it four times.

Quite simply some of the most famous hockey players in the world come from Canada, led by The Great One: Wayne Gretzky. The list of greats is impressive including Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Steve Yzerman, Maurice Rachard, Mario Lemieux, and currently Sidney Crosby.

Olympic Hockey: Canada won the first Olympic hockey tournament played during the 1920 Summer Games in Antwerp, Belgium. Four years later they won the first Olympic Winter Games competition are held in Chamonix, France. The Canadian hockey team wins all five of its games, outscoring opponents 110-3. In 1936, after four consecutive gold medals and a 20 straight victories, Canada loses an Olympic game to Great Britain and finishes second. Ten of the 12 British players live in Canada. They have won a total of seven gold medals in hockey, the last in 2002 when they defeated the United States in Salt Lake City.

One of the most famous international hockey events did not take place in the Olympic games. It took place later in 1972 when the gold medal winning Soviets play a team of Canadian NHL stars in an exhibition series called the Summit Series. Initially shocked by the speed and excellence of the Soviet players, the Canadians win the series by the margin of a single goal in the final game.

Olympic teams manned by professional players was not the norm until just recently. In fact, in the 1972 Winter Games Canada refused to send a team, having withdrawn from international hockey to protest the definition of amateur athletes. The Canadians argued that the Soviets and other eastern bloc teams are amateur in name only. This boycott was expanded in 1976 when Sweden joined the Canadian boycott. This protesting the use of sham "amateurs' by eastern bloc countries eventually led to the inclusion of professionals in 1988.

Famous Canadians: Besides famous hockey players, Canada has produced some other people. Some name you may have heard of: Jack Kent Cooke (sports team owner), Louis Mayer (co founder of MGM), Alexander Graham Bell (actually he was from Scotland but invented the telephone in Canada), James Naismith (inventor of basketball), and Peter Jennings (news anchor). They have produced a boatload of actors, including Pamela Anderson and musicians, including Neil Young.

Who the heck is Tim Horton? If you have ever been to Canada, no doubt you have seen or heard this name. Tim Hortons is a Canadian institution known for its coffee and doughnuts. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and another guy. Horton played in 24 seasons in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. He died in an automobile crash in St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1974. He was 44. Today there are 2,700 locations in Canada, there are over 556 in Michigan, Ohio, New York and Connecticut. The company is larger than McDonalds in Canada.

The GAME: The 2010 United States Olympic Hockey team has blazed through every game they have played. A week ago they beat the Canadians in a memorable showdown. Both teams are stacked with NHL All Stars and future hall of famers.

This is going to a lot of fun to watch. I can not wait. Picking a winner in this one is tough. My heart so badly wants the Americans to win -- but my head believes Team Canada won't be beaten twice in their own country. I think this one is going to come down to a deflected shot for a goal. I hope I am wrong on who gets it.

USA 3
Canada 4

The new RED threat

Now that the Soviet Union is a distant memory, there really isn't any other country for us to loath during the Winter Olympics. The natural choices just don't work out. Cuba doesn't have winter sports and North Korea, despite the correct climate conditions, has only ever won two medals (a silver in 1964 and a bronze in 1992). Essentially, they just suck.

As much as we don't want to face it, our biggest rival when it comes to Winter Olympics is yawn, Canada. In the spirit of "know your foe" I wanted to share this clip. If the Gold medal hockey game ends up being USA vs Canada, I will produce a full fledged "know your foe" post dedicated to the new red menace.

Know your Foe – Ohio State 2009

No matter how much I wanted to avoid it, here we go. Each game is a little more painful. Unlike the traditional old school rivalry we have come to adore -- this game is just another step in the brutal task of program rebuilding. Each year that passes takes a little more luster of the rivalry. If I could call "UNCLE" I would. It isn't good to either school to suck as bad as we do now. Anyway, here is everything you would ever want to know about the angry mob of poorly behaved mouth-breathers from down south.

History: The school was founded as The Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1870 under the ever popular Morrill Act. Later that year, the first group of twenty-four students, including three women started attending classes. Like most land-grant schools of the era, an internal battle erupted to determine the mission of the school. On one side was the "narrow gauge" crowd, looking to teach subjects strictly related to agriculture and mechanical functions. On the other side was the "broad gauge" crowd looking for a more diversified curriculum that included liberal arts and sciences. As was the case in almost all of these land grant school battles the “broad gauge” side won. In 1878 in light of its expanded focus, the college permanently changed its name to "The Ohio State University".

But that wasn't the only battle for OSU, they were also under fire from other schools within the state of Ohio. Both Miami University and Ohio University were older and more prestigious institutions at the time -- and they were upset they were not selected as THE state university and the recipient of government allocations. Former US President Rutherford B. Hayes lobbied hard for monies for Ohio State and basically browbeat the institution into it's prominent position above the other schools. By 1906, the state legislature had enough of the fighting. They settled the issue by declaring Ohio State as the only school that would be allowed to offer bachelor through doctoral degrees. Miami and OhioU would be limited to Bachelor and Masters Programs.

Location: The school is located in Columbus, Ohio, the capital city positioned in the middle of the state. The city is named after the lost explorer and father of new world genocide -- Columbus is the largest city in the state of Ohio. Many find that surprising because the cities of Cleveland and Cincinnati are more well known and home to major league sports teams.

Nickname: They call themselves the Buckeyes. The Buckeye is the official state tree and a creative term of endearment for the pioneers on the Ohio frontier. Apparently one of the first acts of the original settlers was to cut down one of these stinky trees down and they’ve called themselves buckeyes since. The leaves appear in a five-leaf cluster, and the fruit (nut) resembles the eye of a deer, thus the name: buck-eye. As I have stated in the past, the nut is poisonous and should not be consumed by humans or cattle. Regardless of the danger, Ohio State fans love their buckeyes – and it is a very common sight to see them on game days wearing them around their neck as ridiculous tribal necklaces.

Mascot: In 1965 Ohio State students Ray Bourhis and Sally Huber decided Ohio State needed a “game day” mascot and persuaded the athletic council to study the matter. At the time, mascots were commonly live animals brought into the stadium or arena. A buck deer was contemplated but that idea was eventually rejected given the impossible logistics of keeping a deer calm in a large crowd. Instead, a simple (yet heavy) paper-maché buckeye nut was constructed by students and worn over the head and torso, with legs sticking out.

They named him Brutus Buckeye. He made its initial appearance at the 1965 homecoming football game against Minnesota. The heavy costume did not last long and it was soon replaced by a more permanent and durable fiberglass shell. Sometime during the 1970’s they added a baseball cap to the bucknut with limbs. Today Brutus looks like something out of a muppet nightmare and frightens anyone he comes in contact with.


Colors/Logo/Helmet: The schools official colors of scarlet and grey were selected by three students the same year (1878) they changed to their name to Ohio State. The combination was selected because it was viewed as a “pleasing combination” and these colors were not being used by any other college. The original mixture of orange and black was shot down when the students discovered that Princeton used those colors. This was the closest Ohio State has ever come to being confused with Princeton.

The primary athletic Ohio State logo from 1957 to 1987 was a simple, yet enduring block “O”. Since 1987 they have added a more modern “Ohio State” arched through the middle. They have a ton of secondary logos, the most common combining the classic “O” with a buckeye leaf and nut.

My theory of the helmet design stability and program success is well supported with these guys. The Ohio State's silver bullet helmet design has been basically unchanged since 1968, making it one of the longest-running continuously-used designs in the NCAA. This simple scheme is augmented by little buckeye award stickers for class attendance, good behavior and nice plays.

This week they are planning on wearing a "throwback" uniform to honor their 1954 National Championship team. This is a NIKE marketing coup. I can only hope this uniform change will enable our team to get over their obvious fear of their standard issue scarlet and grey garb.

Fight Song: In 1915, OSU student William A. Dougherty, Jr., set out to write the perfect fight song for his school. Dougherty felt that something more exciting than the sad melancholy Carmen Ohio was needed for pep rallies and football games. As a result Fight the Team Across the Field was created. It debuted on October 16th 1915 against Illinois and has not stopped playing since. It is important to note that they had to wait another 4 years before they could play it during a win against Michigan.

This is the main buckeye fight song, although the Buckeye Battle Cry is played after touchdowns. Though the lyrics reference football heroics, the song is used by Buckeye teams of all sports. If you have ever been to an OSU game, their band plays an entire catalogue of toe tapping, yet kidnapped tunes, including the ever popular Hang on Sloopy.

Fight the Team Across the Field

Fight the team across the field
Show them Ohio's here
Set the Earth reverberating
With a mighty cheer
RAH! RAH! RAH!
Hit them hard and see how they fall
Never let that team get the ball
Hail! Hail! The gang's all here
So let's win that old conference now!

Of course there is always the alternate version I learned as a child of the song.

Academics: The US News & World Report rankings of undergraduate colleges in America currently places Ohio State as 53rd, tied with George Washington and Maryland. This places them 6th in the Big Ten. Over the last couple of years, Ohio State has made dramatic steps in this area of academic rankings. With 39,000 undergraduates, Ohio State prides itself on offering about any academic or extracurricular opportunity a student could dream of: 170 majors, 800+ student organizations; 120 study abroad programs; internship and research opportunities in every college.

Other Sports: Few schools have the athletic tradition of Ohio State. They are one of only three universities (Michigan and Cal-Berkeley being the others) to have won national championships in football, men's basketball, and baseball.

Since the inception of the Athletic Director's Cup, Ohio State has finished in the top 25 each year. Ohio State has won 57 total college national titles; of these 22 are NCAA championships. Their Women's teams have never won an NCAA sanctioned title, but they do have trophies in Cheerleading, Synchronized swimming (24 times) and pistol (2). In 2007, Sports Illustrated nicknamed Ohio State's athletics as "The Program" due to the unsurpassed facilities, unparalleled amount of men's and women's sport teams, success, and the financial support of an impressive fan base.

Exceptional former athletes at Ohio State include Olympic Gold Medalist Jesse Owens, NBA greats John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas, college basketball coaching legend Bobby Knight, and golf superstar Jack Nicklaus (attended, did not graduate).

Football: It is in football that most people recognize and associate Ohio State. They’ve won five recognized national championships, including most recently the 2002 crown. They’ve won 34 Big Ten titles. They have a combined seven Heisman Trophies including the only two-time winner: Archie Griffin in 1974 and 1975.

They have produced many NFL stars and college and pro football Hall of Famers. Famous names you might recognize include Jim Otis, Jack Tatum, Eddie George, Chris Spielman, Orlando Pace, and Cris Carter. Recent NFL first round draft picks include Chris "Beanie" Wells, Malcom Jenkins, Vernon Gholston, Anthony Gonzales, and Teddy Ginn Jr.

Ohio State is most well known for it's former coach Woody Hayes. Even to this day, he is worshipped as a god in the state despite an irascible personality and recurring episodes of poor sportsmanship, including the final spectacular explosion in which he punched a Clemson player after he had the audacity to intercept a Buckeye pass during the 1978 Gator Bowl. The identity of the school – and much of the state – is wrapped up in how the Buckeyes do on the gridiron. It is who they are and it unites them, much to the humor (and horror) of the rest of the nation.

Famous alums: As you would expect, Ohio State has a long and somewhat impressive list of famous alums. They have many successful CEOs and political leaders. They have produced two Nobel Peace prize winners and have accumulated 10 Pulitzers. Recognizable names include former UofM President Harlan Hatcher, Tuskegee Airmen Squadron Commander Harold Brown, WWII Medal of Honor winner Robert Scott, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center co-founder Charles Kettering, Goosebumps author RL Stine, Windex inventor Harry Drackett, Shoney’s founder Alex Schoenbaum, ESPN SportsCenter director Vince Doria, Actress Patricia Heaton, annoying comedian Richard Lewis, Rascal Flatts lead singer Gary LeVox, country singer Dwight Yoakim, Baseball Hall of Fame sportscaster Jack Buck, and the co-founder of Wikipedia Larry Sanger. By far the most humorous and ironic name I find on this list is Teflon inventor Roy Plunkett. I can only imagine how many times Jim Tressel has gotten on his knees and thanked him over the years.

Yes, our own Bo Schembechler has a masters degree from Ohio State. He also has a pair of those cute little gold-pants charms they give out for beating Michigan.

Ohio State can also claim serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and Christine Chubbuck, the florida television reporter who committed suicide on live television in 1974.

In case you are still keeping score, I counted at least four NASA astronauts, there may be more. And although the state of Ohio has produced eight US Presidents (William Henry Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren Harding) -, but none of them attended or graduated from Ohio State. Ohio State does claim 3 current US Senators and 6 current US Congressmen.

The Game: I have no expectations what-so-ever for this game. If we win I will smile and breath a sigh of relief. If we lose, well.... I guess I will just go on like I have for the last 6 years. It shouldn't be close.

Michigan 57 total victories
Ohio State 43 total victories