Capital One Bowl Pics

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Didn't really touch on the tailgate itself...or lack thereof. We were some tired boys on Tuesday morning. Tired and unmotivated. I guess we were just going through the motions...waiting patiently for the impending doom. We were bad fans this day. No hope. No chance.

We managed to meet up with Baby Gorilla and his female companion (fresh off her regular season suspension, and proudly wearing Michigan gear), Shep and friends, and the world famous Goody and his fiance...no no, the new one. They all seemed surprised at our lack of enthusiasm. We-the-streakers just chalk it up to too much experience, and too many trips to this god-forsaken bowl venue. You can hand all the Capital One tarps you want on that atrocity, it's still the Citrus Bowl.

Little did we know that everything would change so drastically.

Inside, we ran into Cooper and family from Garsworld, who happened to be in our section. We celebrated the surprising victory together, and stayed long after the final whistle to bask in the glory. A day where everything finally went our way.

I hope you don't have a lot of big expectations for the pictures...like I said, I was suffering from a lack of motivation. Regardless...here they are....

Thank you Blue, for making me so wrong.

I'm Going to Disneyland

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​With all that holiday time off, I had so many plans. Multiple postings about the assistant coaching situation, the Capital One Bowl, recruiting...all in my head, but never came to fruition. Ah well. Hope it was relaxing for all of you as it was for me. This will no doubt be the busiest offseason for Michigan news we have ever had, so there are no plans for month-long lapses between posts. Plus, hockey looks to be something special, and basketball...well, they look to be something "special needs." Excitement either way.

Anyway, we're off to Orlando in the morning, and there will be a game to talk about when we get back. And while the only surprise we can truly hope for is to not look like completely inept idiots, there is always a chance at a miracle...right? Perhaps when we return we can have a season in review and a holiday roundup to get us all caught up before we start getting the troops together to rally behind Les Miles. Oh, and for those waiting patiently for the tailgate season in review video...it is in progress, and as usual, it's ridiculous. We're aiming for Groundhog Day shipping of the much anticipated masterpiece.

Happy New Year and GO BLUE!

If This Were Any Other Year...

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​...you'd be pissed at how screwed we're getting on this bowl bid.

Option #1:

West Virginia or Missouri lose, Ohio State goes to National Championship game that they will win just to ruin your 2008... Illinois goes to BCS. Michigan goes to Citrus Bowl of the Capital One variety.

Result of option #1:

You hold a razor blade to your wrist as you contemplate Ohio State's back-to-back trips to the BCS championship game. You ponder how Juice Williams expects to get loose against USC in the Rose Bowl. You wonder which team, Florida or LSU, would be more uncomfortable to watch dismantle your Wolverines. Tebow or New Bo? Hmmmm.

You find yourself in Orlando, Florida on New Year's Eve. Let me tell you folks, despite the perceived allure of Disneyville...Orlando sucks. The only thing worse than Orlando itself is the god-forsaken stadium in which the game will be played. From 2001:

First, for those that have never made the journey, let me tell you all a little bit about the Citrus Bowl. It is similar to going to a baseball game at old Tiger Stadium. The parking areas are a mix of gravel and grass. Local shops include a drug store, a liquor store, and a pawn shop, and all have bars on the windows. The pagentry of BCS bowl games is missing here. The only thing Citrus available at the Citrus Bowl were small bottles of Tangerine juice, obviously left over from the newly resurrected Tangerine Bowl played a week earlier. The food inside included cheese steak sandwiches, smoked turkey legs, popcorn, and hot dogs. All of the food was of the quality of, in the words of Stephen W., ˜a food stand in a 3rd world country.

Option #2:

West Virginia and Missouri both win. Ohio State goes to Rose Bowl to get dismantled by USC. Illinois goes to Citrus Bowl of the Capital One variety. Michigan goes to the Citrus Bowl of the Champs Sports variety.

Result of option #2:

A fair amount of embarrassment from attending a non-New-Year's-Day Bowl...but let's be honest, is embarrassment really an issue with the 2007 version of the Michigan Wolverines? An ACC opponent, most likely BC or Florida State, will be a better match. Maybe we can finally get revenge for 1991 against FSU. Oh, the intrigue...*yawn*.

You find yourself in Orlando, Florida on December 28th. Let me tell you folks, despite the perceived allure of Disneyville...Orlando sucks. The only thing worse than Orlando itself is the god-forsaken stadium in which the game will be played.

Gutter Ball

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Out-matched Wolverines Embarassed in Citrus Bowl

First, for those that have never made the journey, let me tell you all a little bit about the Citrus Bowl. It is similar to going to a baseball game at old Tiger Stadium. The parking areas are a mix of gravel and grass. Local shops include a 'drug' store, a liquor store, and a pawn shop, and all have bars on the windows. The pagentry of BCS bowl games is missing here. The only thing 'Citrus' available at the Citrus Bowl were small bottles of Tangerine juice, obviously left over from the newly resurrected Tangerine Bowl played a week earlier. The food inside included cheese steak sandwiches, smoked turkey legs, popcorn, and hot dogs. All of the food was of the quality of, in the words of Stephen W., 'a food stand in a 3rd world country'. After we all completed a cheese steak sandwich, a churning buring sensation arose in our stomachs. Luckily, Bubba and I chased our cheese steak sandwich with with the turkey legs, which were obviously leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner at a local soup kitchen. The bacteria in the Turkey legs killed the fungus in the steak (which was not beef by any stretch of the imagination) and we survived. Thank goodness they served beer at the game, as the alcohol further dampened the effects of the food poisoning that we all endured.

Why am I going on an on about the conditions of the Citrus Bowl, and the food there? Because despite all of it's shortcomings, the stadium outshined the Wolverines, as the untalented John Navarre left our outmatched defense on the field the whole game, and Tennessee rolled over the Wolverines 45-17. Perhaps this is the wake-up call we needed, perhaps this will lead to bigger and better things down the road, perhaps John Navarre has started his last game. All of our questions will be answered in a little less than eight months when the Huskies come to town on August 31st.

I hope everyone enjoyed the tailgating season and I thank you all for visiting the site so often. There will be alot of changes on the site before the next season starts. Until then, I hope you all continue to check back to see the winter reunions, spring game, and summer exploits of the upcoming return to Cumberland Lake. Use the message board to keep in touch. I hope to hear from and see you all soon.