Over A Decade Of Annoying The Rich And Powerful Alumni of U of M

"The Spirit of Michigan: It is based upon a deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways; an enthusiasm that makes it second nature for Michigan Men to spread the gospel of the university to the world's distant outposts; a conviction that nowhere is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours." - Fielding H. Yost

Red's Army Marches On

I know I’m a bad fan for not updating my website more often since football season ended. You have to understand that for as much as I’ve enjoyed this hockey season, what good can I possibly say about basketball season. Well I’m leaving on vacation this week for almost a month, so it was time for a celebration of some of teams and a Festivus-style airing of the grievances for others… Here we go.

Is there anything more satisfying than kicking the hell out of the competition when they predict your mediocrity prior to the season? Maybe that’s why we’ve seen Red smile more during this 2007-8 season than we ever have??? As the final seconds ticked off the clocks at the Joe last Saturday against the Redmen…..mmmmmm….Redhawks, is there any doubt that Red Berenson is indeed one of the finest coaches in the history or athletics at the University of Michigan??? The Wolverine Hockey team has been on top of the college hockey world for almost two decades now thanks to Red…and frankly I can’t imagine Yost without him.

So the team that was predicted to finish 4th or 5th in the CCHA this year has been ranked #1 or #2 for something like 17 weeks, they had a top seed in the Frozen Four Tournament wrapped up regardless of what happened on Saturday night, and they seem to have as decent of a shot of getting to the Frozen Four in Denver as anybody out there. Hockey is a strange sport. All it takes are some strange bounces of the puck, some strange angles off the boards, or a boat load of maddening shots off of the posts to end your season. Regardless of how this season ends, and here’s to hoping for another 3-2 overtime victory in the championship game, this has been one hell of a hockey season. Regular season and CCHA tourney champs! I’ll take that any year! Thanks Red for making like the King and Takin’ Care Of Bidness…

Basketball Season Rest In Peace...Or Pieces:

I find it very interesting that at the end of the season, there was some media questioning whether John Beilein hadn’t taken on more than he can handle. After putting up with Tommy Amaker for as long as they did with no questions, it seems rather strange to me that anybody could be critical of Beilein after a season. Let’s make this clear…the cupboards were bare. Imagine what he could have done with Tommy’s last class??? Michigan Basketball is in an absolutely pathetic state right now…and as much as folks like to blame Amaker, and Chris Webber, and Ed Martin, and rolled over SUVs on M-14, after eight years, it’s time to put the responsibility solely on the person that deserves it…and his name is Bill Martin. The fact that THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN…A TEAM THE COULD BOAST FINAL FOURS IN THE 60S, 70S, 80S, AND 90S, HAS BEEN ONE DECADE SINCE IT’S BEEN IN MARCH MADNESS IS AN ABSOLUTE EMBARRASSMENT TO THIS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT AND THE ENTIRE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY!! IT’S FREAKIN’ PATHETIC!!

I my humble opinion, the Athletic Director is mainly responsible for four things. 1. Keeping all teams NCAA compliant. 2. Hiring coaches. 3. Make sure we’re staying in the black…with a powerhouse like football being the straw that stirs this drink, you’d have to be an idiot not to make money…(no offense Mr. Goss) and 4. Facilities, facilities, facilities. When people talk about Yost being the godfather of our athletic campus, do you think that for one minute that Mr. Yost had his coaches out there with hat in hand begging for money to build the facilities they should have to make us the leaders and best??? Hell no! He took care of the facilities…he made them the best for his age. We’re the University of Michigan god damn it…why does out M.O. for coaches have to be doing more with less. Hell with that. Make sure they have the best…make sure they have it earlier than everybody else. It’s a disgrace that they’ve let Crisler fall into the shape it has. It’s ridiculous that we didn’t build a practice facility ten years ago. Now with Northwestern building theirs, do you realize we are the only school in the Big Ten without one??? Now I hear that the wresting team has already raised 2/3 of the money for a practice facility to benefit everybody, including basketball, and we still haven’t announced that we’re breaking ground???? Strange that we started a new Tennis facility when we didn’t have all of the money yet… Well you know how the general public loves it’s Tennis Teams. It’s Horse$&%* Bill Martin! Get it done…or it’s time for YOU to go. I hope all of our sports do well, all of the time, but me and most of the planet care about Football, Basketball, and Hockey…and to a lesser extent Baseball. I’m sure your Olympic buddies are real impressed with those facilities…BUT YOUR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI ARE DEMANDING A COMPETITIVE BASKETBALL TEAM!!

Beilein is a great coach, and when you talk with him, you can tell how embarrassed and hurt he was to lose. He will turn this around if he has the tools to do it. If he doesn’t get the tools, then shame on us for not demanding Bill Martin do something about it or get out.

Look hard and make no mistakes with what I’m saying, Bill Martin at this point has more to do with the state of Michigan Basketball than Ed Martin ever did. Period.

Here's A Scoop For The Ann Arbor News And Jim Carty....Nobody Gives A Sheeeeeeeet

Has there ever been more made out of an article with less substance than the Jim Carty series about the Athletic Department and the Academics??? Boooooring. Now I never thought Carty was the absolute ass that many made him out to be… If nothing else, he starting calling Amaker to the carpet before the rest of the general media…but coming out with something like this really did make it look like he had some vendetta against the University of Michigan. I’m looking to the follow up of this shocking piece…about how a majority of writers for the Michigan Daily are journalism majors…and how members of the band are in the School of Music. Now that’s the kind of hard hitting journalism that can really change the world. Please.

Guess what, I’m no brain surgeon. I was lucky enough to go to the University of Michigan, but if I heard there was a class or professor that was easy or fun, you’re damn right I took it. Almost everybody I knew did too. Hell, I knew people, smart people, that went to MSU instead of Michigan because they thought it would be less work. That’s the God’s honest truth. What he wrote wasn’t news. It was as shocking as a headline in Michigan this year “More Snow Expected Today”. Your grades don’t have to be as good if you can rush for 1500 yards a year….I don’t believe it. It happens everywhere, and we all decided a looooong time ago as a society that we’re fine with it. His big story on the 2nd day was that Terry Mills or Rumeal Robinson would not have got in if they didn’t play basketball and the coach and President vouched for them???? We’re going back twenty years for breaking news now??? Since some of you won’t remember back that long, let’s review how that went. Terry Mills turned into a damn good college and pro player. Rumeal Robinson stone-cold dropped in two free throws that won us the 1989 National Championship, and he was a the toast of the town. He was held up as an example as how Prop 48 can work. He failed to mention that the lowest ACT score ever seen though the admissions office, a 6, was denied admission to the University of Michigan although he was a DAMN fine ballplayer. I’m not going to tell you where he went, but here’s a clue… “On the banks of the Red Cedar…”

I’d suggest to Mr. Carty that he starts reporting the news instead of trying to make it. Frankly, he’s just making himself look like an ass. All he really accomplished was to embarrass some athletes and tarnish the reputation of a Professor that by all accounts was a pretty decent professor and person. If he’s looking for a Pulitzer, I’d suggest something more timely like “Man Walks On The Moon”.

Long Live SuperFan IX!

Man am I getting old. I’m proud that another fine student and fan has been voted on by the Maize Rage to be SuperFan IX. You might recognize him by his sad face, but here’ s a big shout out to Vince for being the man in the cape next year. Rook did a hell of a job this year…and maybe the Hockey Team will bring him home a National Championship like they did for me Senior Year.

Great job VIII and IX!

Although I’d love to be in Denver, I won’t be around for the Frozen Four or to update myself for almost a month. I’m heading to Hawaii until April 20th…so you won’t hear from me until then. It kills me to miss the Frozen Four and my first Tigers Opening Day in 15 years, but I think there are people out there with worse problems.

Until then, Go Blue and Aloha my friends! Go Blue and God Bless Ya!

“For all the men and women – past, present and future – who strive for excellence through honesty, integrity and hard work….That’s the Michigan way." - Bo Schembechler

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