February 20, 2013

Way Back When-sday Pic of the Week

February 20, 2013/ The Webmaster

November 17. 2007.  Kevin Cowbell and I attack mini-Brutus in section 30 as Michigan falls 14-3 in one of the worst games I've ever had to sit through. — November 17. 2007. Kevin Cowbell and I attack mini-Brutus in section 30 as Michigan falls 14-3 in one of the worst games I've ever had to sit through.

February 18, 2013

Weekend Roundup, President's Day Edition: 2/18/13

February 18, 2013/ The Webmaster

William Howard Taft: Never ate anything from a vegetable garden

Here's what happened around those pesky internets while you were trying to find this in your size:

Hoops was underwhelming during Sunday's arena re-dedication game, as I expected. There is something fundamentally wrong right now, and for me it's about grit and hustle, and not in the cliche sort of way. I really mean we need to get physical. Sparty cracked the code, and the code is to put your head down and ram us. What we need is for Hoke to attend a hoops practice. The meat-grinder is in order. And get on the floor! Dive around. Take out the first couple of rows. That being said, I've got this feeling now that we are going to claw our way back to the performance level we saw in December and January. That's called optimism. It's a rare find around the offices of UMTailgate.com. I'm ready for a mad March.

Michigan and Michigan State, both at the Palace to start the tournament? Yes, that is the projection out of Indy this weekend says Mark Snyder in the Freep.
Stauskas and GRIII have returned to glory? Not buying that they're back based on the eye test, but perhaps the stat lines will bolster their confidence and get them back to where we need them to be,
Penn State Recap: Maize and Brew - Rededication - "As mercurial as Michigan's freshmen can be, you might as well call Trey "Planck" because he's constant."
Penn State Recap: UMHoops - "Michigan continued to look like a team searching for its former self while limping past Penn State on Sunday afternoon. The Wolverines’ early season confidence and swagger is gone and a struggling defense becomes a more pressing concern with every passing game."
I was ready to accept Minnesota as a power 6 weeks ago, but they've pooped the bed in a messier way than most. Also, Chumbawamba reference FTW: Tubthumping - Black Heart Gold Pants
Today's Big Ten Basketball power rankings from our friends in Happy Valley. Big Ten Hoops Weekly - Black Shoe Diaries
Auburn alum Charles Barkley, during an NBA broadcast on TNT, put a fake bandage on his head and said he was mugged and got his credit cards jacked while he was in Alabama congratulating the football team. This is spectacular. USAToday
Michigan two-way star, Heisman trophy winner, Super Bowl champion, National Champion, and future NFL Hall of Famer Charles Woodson was released by the Packers. I'm sure he'll show up somewhere in the fall...best of luck Chuck.
Tim Hardaway Jr's old man...perhaps you have heard of him...is a finalist for the NBA Hall of Fame.
$27 million and counting. Wait until the civil suits arrive fellas. Shut it down.

February 15, 2013

What's Up This Weekend? The Hangover Edition: 2/15-2/17/13

February 15, 2013/ The Webmaster

Today (2/15):

Baseball (0-0) vs. Cal (0-0): It's opening day! New head coach Erik Bakich (youngest in BCS) will skipper the Wolverines against the Cal Bears on the road in Berkeley. Peanuts, cracker jack...68 degrees and sunny. Michigan is not quite a media favorite in the Big Ten, as prognosticators have them from the middle to the middle-bottom of the Big Ten's 12 teams, but they do have a couple of players on a preseason watch list. The guy to watch is Michael O'Neill, who lead in a survey of coaches in several categories, including "Best Power Threat." 4:30pm ET first pitch.

Tomorrow (2/16):

Women's Basketball (18-6/8-4) vs. Sparty (19-5/7-4): Avenge me!!!! Avenge me!!!! Noon tip at Crisler Center. Live audio here.
Baseball at Cal: Game 2 of the series. 4pm ET first pitch.

Sunday (2/17):

Basketball (21-4/7-4) vs. Penn State (8-16/0-12) : I'm anticipating a sloppy game...and I am envisioning these kids not quite being over the loss to Sparty. I'm expecting to win of course, but if you have the means, take the Lions and the points.
Baseball at Cal: Game 3 of the series. 2pm ET first pitch.

February 14, 2013

Housed

February 14, 2013/ The Webmaster

Michigan fell 75-52 to Sparty on Tuesday, decreasing their all-time lead in the series to 94-76 (87-76 if you are into the Ed Martin adjusted record). The win was only the 2nd in 5 tries overall for the Spartans, but the 32nd in 33 tries at Breslin as well as the largest margin of victory in over 10 years.

Losing to Sparty sucks. Getting crushed by Sparty causes depression. This year, unlike most seasons since the late 90's, you really care, and you've probably been talking shit to your Sparty neighbors leading up to Tuesday's game. Now they own you, at least until March 3rd.

The emotional investment and the pride we felt for the most of this campaign seemed to disappear in one game, and that is sad, because something has been built here. The problem is, the foundation of it is based on the fragile psyches of freshman. Freshman that have never felt the pressure of a game in Bloomington, or the power of stupid people in large groups they experienced in East Lansing. The swagger is gone. This team is tired, scared and scarred. We need a break. We need to come home. We need Penn State to be Penn State...twice.

How they react now will define their legacy. When March comes in college basketball, nobody remembers February. There's another month of growth to be had before the Big Ten tournament, and it's open for debate whether that conference tournament really means something, even though it will be an amazing set of matchups.

The goal is to show up in the big dance. This season begins on March 21st (yes that is a lot later than usual) and involves 6 games. Avenge last year's debacle by winning on opening night. Make the sweet sixteen to get the national relevance we've been pining for. After that, it's all gravy. Win the first four, and you've got what the Spartans call a championship. Win six, and you grab something that the Spartans haven't held in 13 years, and something that is very rare in Big Ten country, a national championship in a revenue sport.

This team has a chance to do that. Not a great chance mind you, given their youth and streaky play by everyone not named Trey, but a chance nonetheless.

We went from this...