The video on the website for The Braylon Edwards Foundation is really cool. It’s a bunch of Braylon clips playing mirrored with Anthony Carter clips that are super similar. Tim approves, even if it takes about 7 months for the video to load.

Posted under Misc.

Since the open spring practice is still a long three weeks away, I’m going to continue to make posts that are related to football only in the vague sense that they have something to do with the gameday atmosphere. My topic of the day? Fan attire.

Last year, the official student t-shirt was blue. This was a terrible idea. Bright colored student sections look infinitely better, and since Michigan has only one bright color (as opposed to say a Texas, who has both orange and white), the choice should obviously be maize every single time. I’ve already covered this in the past, so I won’t get into it too deeply.

I’d now like to extend that ideal, and say that the fans not in the student section should wear yellow as well. The Athletic Department seems to be getting into this a little bit as well, as the slogan on the student shirts is “Go Blue, Wear Maize.” Nothing bothers me more than the fans who come in their grey or white sweatshirts. Wearing blue is acceptable, wearing neither yellow nor blue shouldn’t be.

Also, I have a great idea that has blatantly ripped from Penn State (in case you haven’t noticed, I have some sort of weird thing for PSU). In the section of the stands where the ‘M’ is, the fans should wear the color corresponding to their seat so that the figure comes out on TV. It looked really cool during the PSU/OSU game, and I think it’s something that we should try as well.

Obviously, however, it is difficult to get fans to all wear the same color, it will be exceptionally difficult to get them to figure out where they’re sitting, and dress accordingly. The solution? Give away the T-shirts. Not only could the athletic department manage to do this for free (corporate sponsors would pay for it, much like the towels from last year’s OSU game), but it would be essentially the only way to guarantee that this cool visual imagery could take place.

The athletic department would know exactly how many of each shirt they would need to buy (allow me to suggest that blue shirts be given to those on blue seats inside the yellow box, and yellow shirts be provided for those sitting in yellow seats), and could give people the shirts as they enter the stadium in that section (although this would slow down the entry through those couple gates for a while, it would be well worth it).

For lack of information, I’m going to end this post here, but I certainly plan to follow up on it in the near future (i.e. when I take the time to figure out the numbers of shirts, etc.)

Posted under Analysis

Enjoy this highlight

Posted under Misc.

Lloyd Carr had his pre-spring press conference, at which he shed a little bit more light on the Antonio Bass situation.

The knee was actually injured during a conditioning drill. Bass is probably not going to practice in the spring.

Interestingly, Lloyd also said that Bass was going to play both WR and QB in the spring practices. It was unclear whether the QB was scout team (i.e. practicing for Ohio State et al), or if he was actually going to see significant time at the position this year (other than the occasional gadget play).

Maybe, based on the lack of QB depth that we will have this year, it was actually going to be a position he would think about playing. I think that would also represent a big step forward in UM’s coaching staff getting with the times of the current football climate in the NCAA as well. This is all speculation at this point, however, so I guess we’ll never know.

Other pertinent information from the press conference will be divulged when I have the time to review the tape (have to get ready for the NIT, of course).

Posted under Personnel

I’ve heard that Antonio Bass hurt himself playing basketball, and the injury is supposedly somewhat severe. I don’t have a whole lot of details, but at this point it’s pretty clear that he will likely be out for spring practice. I’ll do some more detective work and see what I can come up with.

A posting on his facebook wall from his girlfriend makes it sould as though there may be some truth to the rumor.

Posted under Personnel

I know I rarely post about basketball, but I think this is relevant to this year’s football season as well.

It is easy to be a fan when a team is doing well. The true fans come out when their team isn’t doing so hot. It was despicable when Indiana “fans” were cheering against their own team, just so Mike Davis would get fired (or resign, as he eventually did). It is no less despicable for Michigan fans to do the same thing to try to get rid of Amaker.

Amaker isn’t going anywhere for a long time. Deal with it. You don’t have to agree with how he coaches, or the effort he seems to get from his players sometimes, but that should by no means mean that you support the team any less.

Yes, I wanted the team to go to the NCAA tournament, and no, it didn’t happen. Well, they’re still playing basketball folks. If you forget about them now, then maybe you aren’t the true fan you thought you were to begin with.

Posted under Misc.

The votes are in. Barring a recount, the winner is option #2. Along with the back, the shirt will look like this:

Posted under Misc.

It’s March, so the football news is slow. I’ll get back into the roove as recruiting picks up, and the spring game rolls around.

For now, take comfort in the fact that the basketball team is A one-seed in the NIT

Posted under Blog News

EDIT 3-15: If you were linked to this post, check out The main page to see which shirt was selected. In case it’s been pushed off the main page, the post of interest is right here.

Here are the possibilities that students have the choice to vote on for the front of the 2006 student section T-shirt:

#1:

#2:

#3:

I forgot to save the images of the potential backs (oops), so I’ll have to wait until the design is officially released to post it. Both options were something along the lines of “107,501 fans, 40,000+ living alumni, 11 National Titles, One Voice GO BLUE.” I forget exactly what it was, but that was the general idea.

As for my editorial comments on the designs, I think all three front designs are pretty ugly. If the Athletic Department want people to wear the shirt (and I think they should actively pursue it, in case I haven’t made my position on the issue clear enough yet), they shoujld at least try to come up with something that’s a little aesthetically pleasing. At least they are returning to the yellow shirt, recovering from what was a huge mistake last year (in my opinion).

The shirts still aren’t “free” with season tickets, which is what I think they should be. (i.e. not actually free, but you don’t have the option to not pay for it). That way, more people will have the shirt, and thus more people will be able to wear it.

I’m not exactly sure that I posted the pictures right, because I have yet to master mfile. If anyone has trouble seeing them (even when you click), leave me a message and I’ll fix it.

Posted under Misc.