Hey, Remember the Spring Game?

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No?  Well, it sucked real bad.  It was cold.  It was stupid.  And there's no doubt I will forget that it was cold and stupid when I load up the truck to do it again next year.  Regardless, I owe you these pictures...which are courtesy of mounty-lover Derek.

Some Housecleaning...Tourney Challenge Winners and Spring Game Tailgate and Reunion Stuff

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​Two things to announce...

First, congrats to the winners of the 2010 UMTailgate.com tournament challenge.

1st Place: Walter Noot (dude had Butler - Duke in the final with Duke winning.  Hope he put this bracket in some other places with bigger payouts!)

2nd Place: Ty Blanchett

3rd Place: Charles Zielinski

Second, the SPRING REUNION IS ON AND SET FOR POST SPRING GAME.  We will also be attempting a Spring Game tailgate.

So mark this down:  April 17th...Spring game tailgate around 9am...  Spring game at noon....  Spring Reunion and Theme Selection Meeting following at Conor Oneill's around 3pm.

Weekend Roundup, Hold the Phone Edition: March 9, 2009

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​I have fallen victim to another social network, so it is with great malaise that I utter type these words:  FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.  I digress...

Huge win.  Colossal win.  Program making win.  While you can't say that Michigan did everything they could in the Big Ten to make the NCAA Tournament, you can say that they did everything they could on Saturday.  It was gritty, gutsy, clutch, and any other word you can come up with that portrays a comeback when all, including the season itself, looked lost.  On the road, against a team that needed it and wanted it as much as we did, we showed that we belong...that we are better.  You cannot take the Gophers and not take us.

And if you could somehow take out that loss at Iowa, when Manny was pulled for the duration of the overtime collapse, when we were certain we were NIT bound, then it would be time to talk seeds...to dream of brackets.  But we lost that game.  And because we lost that game we cannot rest on our laurels.  This team, with their new found focus and "us against the world" attitude, needs to shut off ESPN this week.  They don't need to see that we are no longer appearing as the last four in or the last four out, and that as far as Joe Lunardi and the rest of the world is concerned, Michigan is a lock to return to the dance.

The problem is, I don't think we are.  Some say seven, and perhaps as many as eight, teams will be in from the Big Ten.  But would it be the biggest surprise in Selection Sunday history if they only took six...or even five?  Despite the out of conference record of the bulk of us, I can't help but think that some bean counters from the selection committee saw Penn State vs. Illinois and said, as we all probably did, "hey, that's some shitty basketball."  And that's fine.  But if that is the case, then to be certain a week from tonight that Bill Martin will get a call before 8pm we have games yet to win.  We need to be playing on Saturday.

The rest of the internets that you missed while combining nipples and beer.

  • Someday, somebody will realize that there are more Michigan bloggers than there are other college sports bloggers combined.  And guess what?  9 out of 10 of them are really f'n good.  And while I myself am probably #10 in that gorilla math survey, it doesn't stop me from admiring the rest of the M-'sphere.  Before the Minnesota game, Dex of the Wolverine Liberation Army took us back to his youth, and a time of extreme youth in Michigan Basketball history.  More impressively, he does it without a single reference to fornication, which is odd for a man that can only be described as the Peter North of Cover it Live.

  • MVictors covers a great man in Michigan history, Red Simmons.  I spent a couple of seasons about two rows behind Red at Michigan Basketball games.  Red was there before me.  Red left after me.  And Red fielded fans throughout the game coming to catch a glimpse of a Michigan icon.  Seriously...he was hired by Fritz Crisler.

  • Dylan offers up the Big Ten tournament bracket  There's not a team in our half that we haven't beaten.  There's also not a team in our half that hasn't beaten us.  Iowa Thursday + Illinois Friday + Purdue Saturday = Dancing the following Thursday.

  • Fanhouse says that Michigan State is in a class of their own.  Fill in your own "class-less" joke of your own, and be sure to include riots and couch burning.  Then remember that this is MSU's first outright Big Ten championship in 10 years.  Ha.

  • This year's spring game is what the media calls "intriguing."

This Tailgate Has Come to Order

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​We're just past the halfway point of the offseason...no better time than now to get together with the tailgate crew and decide the coming season's home tailgate themes. We gathered together at Fraser's pub on May 3rd to hammer out the details.

The meeting was called to order in a partial drunken fog by the Godfather. The committee immediately took time to enter into the minutes recognition of the birthday of Hall of Fame tailgater John Dogan. John turned 75, and remains the elder statesman of UMTailgate.com. Congrats John!!!

First on the docket...Utah. The opening game of the RichRod era will end a streak of of first-game Luaus going back to the start of themed tailgates. The Luau becomes another victim of the Appalachian State game and the heavy superstitions surrounding it as the worst loss in Michigan history, and may never be seen again. After a lengthy debate, we decided on a new theme, purposed by KT...The Patriotic Theme. It quickly morphed into a more football friendly title of "The All-American Theme" and will be red, white and blue decorated. Food will be also be All-American in nature, with burgers, fries, dogs, corn on the cob, etc.

Next up is Miami of Ohio. Out of New York by way of a teleconference, Tuba made a case for the 80's theme. 80's decor?...not sure. 80's food?...not sure. But 80's clothes and music...that we can do. The Godfather can help us all with this one. He's been wearing 80's stuff since...well...the 80's.

Then we travel to Notre Dame for the famous "party at the Godfather's" where we will look for back to back successful trips to South Bend.

The theme for the Wisconsin game came through very quickly...German. Easy enough.

For Illinois, the homecoming game, the theme selected was Urban. It should be noted at this point that the secretary entered into the minutes that "Frank is a control freak"...also that she had to pee so we needed to hurry up with this theme picking shit.

Ahhhhhh Toledo. Who doesn't love the mid Big Ten season MAC showdown. It is here noted that Captain Michigan needs another drink, and that everybody wants to eliminate Luau except for Lisa. Editors note: Lisa wants to keep Luau because she thinks she looks cute with flowers in her hair in the pictures. Back to business... Webmaster suggests a Western theme. Godfather seconds the motion. Toledo gets a Westerntheme.

The little brother game against Michigan State is up next. I will write directly from the minutes: Kristen and Lisa want a Formal Theme. Godfather wants to know what we will wear into the stadium. Pam doesn't want to wear heels. Southerners dress formal for all of their tailgates - why can't we do it? Captain Michigan is going to club a bunch of baby seals and wear a fur coat. Formal is the winner!

Northwestern gets the newly created Wild Game theme. This will be coupled withsoups and stews. Of note...Frank envisions Janet wearing a Pebbles-like outfit.

ADDENDUM: Yes, there will be a Carnival Theme tailgate, which was the favorite from last year. The carnival theme will be placed in an appropriate slot where we get a 3:30pm kickoff, and will bump the theme that is there.

Other Notes:


  • I need tickets for at Penn State, at Notre Dame, and at Ohio State.

  • The banquet will return to Damons on Nov. 15th