We're gonna need more lights

Michigan State will attempt to break yet another Michigan streak in this year of streak-breakers, that being not having won in Ann Arbor since 1990 (BTW, Desmond's 2-point conversion was good).  Kickoff has been set officially for 3:30pm.

Also of note, Bubba would like to remind you that THIS IS NOT MICHIGAN BASKETBALL.  In other words, DON'T BE DUMPING YOUR TICKETS TO THE GREEN AND WHITE FAITHFUL. If you find yourself unable to go to the game, then sell your tickets to someone wearing Michigan gear...and check to make sure that they don't have a green shirt on underneath it, because they are crafty couch burning little bastards these Spartans.  If I have to hear a GO GREEN, GO WHITE chant in the Big House that is unable to be drowned out by The Victors, I'm going to get Butters to start shooting people in the dick.

Remember who they are....they have 5 wins against us since 1988.  THEY ARE LITTLE BROTHER.

GO BLUE!

Winner Winner

Fifteen minutes until tipoff. No tickets. Ahhhh, but this is Michigan Basketball. Tickets can be had at the box office my friends. Even on Jalen Rose Day, you too can garner blue level seats.

It was an odd celebration. It was more about Jalen's charity, the Jalen Rose foundation, than it was about the man himself. But when halftime hit, the PA announcer rattled through Jalen's resume, full of statistical top 10's in nearly every basketball category. Then Jalen spoke. He took the crowd back to a time when things were good in Crisler arena. He gave thanks to the coaches that had a profound effect on his career: Perry Watson, Steve Fisher, Bo Schembechler. Watson and Fisher evoke mixed feelings for most Michigan fans. Perry Watson, whose involvement in the recruiting of the Fab 5 is well documented, also had links to  Ed Martin. Steve Fisher, the lovable old man, the Barney Fife that took us on the magical run in 1989, and had an even more magical run of recruits through the early 90's. It's unfortunate  it was all tarnished by money.

Jalen then individually called out the names of the other members of the Fab 5. Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King (who was in attendance), Ray Jackson. It's been a long time since those names have been uttered in public. Chris Webber is not allowed to be associated with the University in any way until 2013. Even more amazing, Jalen revealed that he had not been inside Crisler since he last donned the jersey. Now, with his NBA career coming to a close, Jalen promised to be back often. Roars of applause followed Jalen's final statement, which was that he would be back to see "those banners" go back up, referring to the missing final four banners from 1991 and 1992.

Maybe this is the beginning of the rebuilding of the past in Michigan Basketball. It was certainly an emotional time for those in attendance that had memories of the way Michigan Basketball used to be. Whether that will be enough to have us look past the black mark that accompanied the black socks remains to be seen.

As for the game...pretty much the worst shooting I have ever seen. The final was 49-43, and the score wasn't even indicative of how poor the execution was on the floor. But winning is what it's all about, right? OK, game over...on to the Joe.

With no respect for the law, or for human life, we made our way to the home of the Red Wings to exact revenge on Sparty for the ass-handing they gave us the night before. The goal was to see the end of the basketball game, and the drop of the puck at the hockey game. We came very close. Missed the drop by 30 seconds. But we arrived in time to see the #1 Wolverines take an early 2-0 lead on their way to reversing the previous evening's score. Michigan wins 5-2.

2 for 2 on the day, not bad. Here's the pics.

If You Want Something Done Right...

​...you do it yourself.  So for today's two-sport double header action, instead of watching from the couch, a limited crew from UMTailgate.com will be in the stands.  Both Michigan Hockey and Michigan Basketball are coming off of disappointing losses, and play back to back today/tonight just 40 miles apart.   Tip off for the Jalen Rose festival is at 4pm, Michigan-Michigan State is scheduled to start at 7.  With pregame pageantry, the games should be separated by about 45 minutes.  So with some speedy driving, the A2 to Detroit trek should fall nicely between the Crisler buzzer and the drop at The Joe.

Full coverage tomorrow.

For now, watch Bo give a tour of the Big House courtesy of The Wizard of Odds, and try to hold back the tears (Dennis).

The Weekend Roundup: To the VICTORS Go the Spoils Edition: 11/6/2007

​Much has been made of the "war of words" between Mike Hart and Mark Dantonio. For the second time this season, a coach has responded to comments made by Mike Hart. Isn't that embarrassing for the coach? I mean, what kind of headway can you make as a leader of men when you are bantering back and forth with a student-athlete in a "I know you are but what am I?" fashion. Perhaps there's a case to be made that Mike needs to grow up. Fortunately for him, he's young and literally needs to grow up. As for Harbaugh and Dantonio...they ARE grown up, and they are acting like a couple of bitches more interested in winning a conversation with a 22 year old than winning football games. The Spartans and Cardinal(s) are basically lucky to get the national attention they are getting from Mike shitting on them. Get that fellas? Mike poops, and the location of his poop becomes news. You sirs, you are just toilets. Shut up and win.

Of course, this topic has been run through the ringer in the blogosphere. I will direct you to the post by MGoBlog, which continues my streak of linking to MGoBlog pretty much every time I write a post. He has a good take on it, and also links to the rest of the good takes across said blogosphere. (Spartans, Your Profession is Loser - MGoBlog):

But seriously folks, the one thing the Michigan State program needed was a monomaniacal focus on Michigan. It needed a coach who would install a countdown clock to their eighth straight loss in the series. It needed a man who would stand up and say "you know what, guys? All those other games we play are stupid and we shouldn't try very hard in them." It needed a guy who would teach his resilient troops to follow his example by bitching to the assembled media a full two days after his team blew it again. It needed a man who could forge them into a cohesive unit capable of picking up critical personal fouls at the very worst time possible. See, the problem with Michigan State is that occasionally they enter the fourth quarter of games leading. And Michigan State needs a man who can blow that lead, preferably in really, really painful fashion.

Friends, Mark Dantonio is that man.

I dream of writing shit like that. Damn you mgoblog! Other takes on Hart vs. Dantonio to look at when you are not on a quest to find every abandoned Chi-Chi's in the nation: 

• Michigan Sports Center analyzes Dantonio line by line.


• Blah Blah Blah provides a solid timeline of evidence that the Spartans are a bunch of dicks.


• The Hoover Street Rag reminds you what it's all about


• Bleeding Green whines like the bitch that it is about a coach getting his ass kicked by a band member.


• Michigan Against the World covers the glorious "Moment of Silence" and the coins the nickname "Douchebagtonio."


• The Lansing State Journal is so fair and balanced. Ya.


• The Detroit News reports that Dantonio says "it's not over." Actually though, it is. I was there. It was 28-24.

The rest of the news around the internets that you missed while building your ownCharlie Weiss Jabba the Hut.

• Lost in the shuffle of choking on the football field was the #8 Spartans falling to Grand Valley State in basketball. [Michigan State is Overrated - With Leather] or [Division II Grand Valley State... - ESPN]


• Meanwhile, the Wolverine cagers took care of business against Ferris. [Beilein Era Begins With Win - MSC]


• In a test to see if a link to a link to UMTailgate.com can result in a link to a link to a link to a link to UMTailgate.com, I give thanks to Michigan Football Saturdays for the shout out on our tailgating prowess. I then begin to contemplate identity theft insurance based on the amount of information he knows about me. [Tailgating Like A Champion - Michigan Football Saturdays]


• Money, power, respect...money. They should really give me the Big Ten network for free. In fact, they should come and install a dedicated flat panel tv broadcasting it in my home. [Big Ten Football Means Big Money for Michigan - MLive]


• Wisconsin knows we're coming...and Mike Hart doesn't want a tie. [Wolverines Have Clawed Back - Wisconsin State Journal]


• Crable is a modern day Jimmy V. [Never-Give-Up Turnaround - The Sporting News]

That Sound You Hear is Mike Hart Laughing

​It will be posted on their lockers for the next five years. It will make their blood boil. It will be a rallying cry. It will continue the perception that Michigan is arrogant. I couldn't care less. What is it? It's Mike Hart's postgame quote:

I was just laughing," Hart said of Michigan State taking the lead. "I thought it was funny. They got excited. Sometimes you get your little brother excited when you're playing basketball, and you let him get the lead, and then you come back and take it back."

You hear that Sparty? Mike Hart is laughing at you. He called you a 'little brother.' And there's nothing you can do about it until October 25, 2008. In fact, you can't even exact revenge on him. He'll be playing in the NFL and reminiscing about how he never lost to you in four starts and busted you for 100+ in each game.

There is a place here somewhere for humility, or perhaps charity. You know...you just may want to feel bad for Sparty Nation. A loss Friday evening in basketball to Grand Valley State University and the finest choke job of the college football weekend against their perceived rival.

The night began with a pep rally for the Michigan State football team on the eve of its matchup with archrival Michigan. Coach Mark Dantonio and co-captain Travis Key spoke to the sellout crowd before the coaches and players formed a tunnel to welcome the basketball team.

Whoops. That's rough. But before you start feeling sympathetic towards lil bro, know that they were ready to flaunt the product of their inferiority complex if they had won. So ready were they to smack talk that they started to get lippy with 7:40 to go in the game. Up by ten and in the wake of (to that point) a dominating 2nd half on the ground, they had something they only seem to find in the Breslin Center...confidence. It must have felt good to have us on the ropes. From the sounds of the Spartan faithful around us, it felt a little too good. Of course, I use the term "Spartan faithful" loosely, because if you are a home fan and you only manage to garner tickets in the away section, just how big of a fan are you?

I am willing to admit, I was a Michigan Man of little faith when we were down by ten. I should have known better. No matter what happens, Sparty is still Sparty. They don't want to win by making plays and dominating the line of scrimmage. They want broken plays that result in big gains, odd turnovers, mystery penalties, mystery no-calls, and clock mishaps to result in wins that will be debated for all eternity. This was a real game...not good for Sparty. At the end of a real game, the better team wins. Make no mistake, despite the close call, Michigan was the better team.

That's it. Game over...28-24. 8 quarters remain for the comeback of the century that followed the upset of the century. Bucky Badger...you're next.

The UMTailgate.com roadshow continued with a solid turnout. We welcomed back FryDaddy Frank with open arms, turning out an amazing overkill on food and drink with breakfast sandwiches, cheesy potatoes (of course), pulled pork sandwiches, boneless pork ribs, fried mac and cheese, fried cheese curds, garlic fries, and bloody marys.

Well done everybody...well done. See you in Madison.