| Geoff: |
It's as good as we can get.
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| Craig: |
I think a lot of our readers are curious to know what we know about the "Victors Walk", which has been previewed during the last few days.
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| Geoff: |
The video posted on MGoBlue.com just raised further questions.
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| Jeremy: |
To bring people up to speed, according to Doug Karsch, apparently the team's trip into the tunnel is going to be met by the Michigan Marching Band.
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| Geoff: |
And this is supposed to happen two hours before game time. The Victors Walk seems to pose a number of practical obstacles for the MMB.
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| Jeremy: |
As loyal reader Aram pointed out, in order for the MMB to be there for this, they'd have to leave the morning rehearsal early and have approximately zero time to eat or change into uniform.
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| Geoff: |
Things get easier with a late game, but still, what are you going to do for those noon kickoffs? Are you going to start practice at 7:00 AM? If you start later, will it just be a full-uniform practice? Are you going to march back to Revelli after the Victors Walk is over or stay in the stadium for an extra hour? Is it even going to be the full block, or just Fanfare Band? In the Karsch clip, I count about 40 band members in the stands, but that might not mean anything when it comes to the actual game day. If it's just Fanfare Band, you still have to get those members off of Elbel, into uniform, and down to wherever they want them on the Walk.
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| Jeremy: |
But even that is cruel and unusual treatment for Fanfare Band; even getting pampered with a catered lunch doesn't really make up for that precious down time in the morning before game time.
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| Geoff: |
No, it does not.
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| Craig: |
[nods in agreement from only what he has been told]
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| Geoff: |
If it's Fanfare Band, I'm sure that they're walking back to Revelli Hall after playing. Otherwise you have a whole different set of difficulties with the usual parade and loading the tunnel.
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| Jeremy: |
so they have to walk to and from the stadium in full uniform twice?
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| Geoff: |
It's the easiest solution I can think of. Other than pulling reserves to fill in the gaps in the ranks and then switching them out inside the tunnel after having Fanfare Band wait in there for an extra hour/hour and a half.
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| Jeremy: |
We will find out in a few short days. And if anyone reading this knows, please fill us in.
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| Geoff: |
Our first show of the year sounds like it'll be a strong one. We'll be saluting The Who.
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| Craig: |
Which has me very excited.
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| Geoff: |
"Pinball Wizard" is an MMB classic from the days of "A Saturday Tradition"
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| Craig: |
That's a lot of songs people will know/like and seems like it should be well received by student and alum alike.
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| Jeremy: |
I believe Pinball Wizard is a new Boerma arrangement.
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| Geoff: |
Oh yeah? That'll be interesting to compare.
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| Jeremy: |
Also, Baba O'Riley is a notable omission.
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| Craig: |
Well, it doesn't help that most people don't know the song's actual name. They'll just complain that "Teenage Wasteland" is missing.
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| Geoff: |
"I Can See For Miles" would've worked better if Les hadn't stayed down at LSU.
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| Craig: |
Is it our way of sending Les some love as the Bayou Bengals open with they from Boone?
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| Geoff: |
Actually, if they follow it up with "Won't Get Fooled Again", maybe they're sending a different message.
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| Craig: |
"Meet the new boss....same as the old boss.."
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| Craig: |
"I tip my hat to the new constitution, take a bow to the new revolution, smile and grin at the change all around me..."
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| Jeremy: |
I'm torn who to cheer for in that game. Les Miles to rain hellfire on someone we couldn't beat like he did with OSU? ASU so that our loss is no longer the biggest upset of all time in the eyes of the media (even though Stanford beating USC last year is the true champion)? A meteor? If it were 2007, I'd probably just throw up at the athletic prowess on display.
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| Craig: |
Jeremy, I have struggled with the same question and I have realized that there is no correct answer, just get back from the Michigan game as quickly you can to a television with ESPN and settle in. And failing that, Ron Franklin is calling MSU/Cal.
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| Geoff: |
Does anyone really know what to expect for Game 1 of the Rodriguez Era? I mean, last time we had no idea who would be the starting quarterback, we at least *thought* we knew.
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| Jeremy: |
No! And that's the beauty of it!
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| Craig: |
No. Not even Coach Rod, I would suspect. There are not only too many variables, but there are too many variables within the variables.
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| Craig: |
It's a cypher, wrapped in an enigma...
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| Geoff: |
...smothered in secret sauce
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| Jeremy: |
for once, I have -no clue- what the opening drive will look like.
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| Geoff: |
I know! I checked on UFR. The last three years, it was a Hart rush. The last two, a run to the left. And 2005 wasn't charted for where he ran.
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| Craig: |
He might punt on first down. It's what our last coach from West Virginia LOVED to do. It's like Crazy Ivans....TO THE STARBOARD!
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| Craig: |
By the way, "Won't Get Fooled Again", lyrically, is scaring me as to how apt the metaphor might truly be...."The change it had to come, we knew it all along, we were liberated from the bull, that's all. And the world looks just the same, and history ain't changed, because they banners they all flown in the last war..." Anyway, I don't think we can know, but I am going to place my faith in conditioning
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| Geoff: |
Apollo XIII is on AMC right now, and they're right at the single greatest engineering scene ever depicted on film, and you hope that Rich Rod's coaching staff took that same look at the available parts he has from which to create a whirling death ninja offense.
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| Craig: |
As a teacher, it's also the greatest moment of demonstrating real world critical thinking skills you can depict in a movie...
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| Jeremy: |
So will RichRod as Gene Kranz turn to his engineers (offensive coordinators) who say their ship (team) wasn't designed to do that (run this play), and then damn well do it anyway?
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| Craig: |
Rich Rod doesn't care what it was designed to do, he only cares what it CAN do. We've never lost a bowl bid in space and we're sure as hell not going to lose one on his watch
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| Jeremy: |
I hope the team doesn't find itself in a similar potentially-the-biggest-disaster-in-program-history situation as the Apollo 13 crew did, though.
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| Geoff: |
7-5 looks pretty good from here
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| Craig: |
Agreed. I hear 8 wins from pundits and think "Wow, that's bold!"
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| Geoff: |
Wisconsin, Penn State, and OSU will be tough, tough wins. Illinois, MSU, and Utah could take 2 out of 3 and I wouldn't be surprised.
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| Jeremy: |
Even guessing at records (7-5 is fine with me), there's no way to predict which five we'd lose to or seven we'd beat.
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| Geoff: |
That's the truth.
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| Craig: |
Indeed. I would love to think it's Penn State, because I have the shirt ready to go...which likely means it will fail miserably.
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| Jeremy: |
The shirt?
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| Craig: |
Yes. I have an idea for a shirt should Michigan extend the streak.
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| Craig: |
You know, back to the unpredictability, I go back to something a famous, if fictional, Michigan alum once said: "Just because you don't know what the right answer is - maybe there's even no way you could know what the right answer is - doesn't make your answer right or even okay. It's much simpler than that. It's just plain wrong." Predicting what this season is going to look like is a fool's errand because we simply lack the data. But it will not stop us from trying, because for lo these last eight months, we have lacked actual football and actual data from which to work
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| Geoff: |
Yeah. Only a few days left, but we still have to wait.
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| Jeremy: |
Baseless conjecture is fun but we've been doing that for almost a year.
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| Craig: |
Indeed...Also, a request to our readers: You guys and gals are awesome. You have given us great tips in the past, and great ideas. We're always willing to listen. Share, participate, give us what you have. We appreciate it and will continue to do so.
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| Geoff: |
Thanks to everyone for sticking with us through the summer downturn
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| Craig: |
Until next week, Go Blue, Get There Early, and let a new day dawn.
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| Geoff: |
Go Blue
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| Jeremy: |
And to end with another Apollo 13 quote... we'll catch you on the flipside.
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| Jeremy: |
"We just put Sir Isaac Newton in the driver's seat" is hopefully appropriate as well.
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| Jeremy: |
Go Blue.
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8 comments:
While "Pinball Wizard" is a MMB classic, I don't believe they're playing that arrangement from what the MIDI file sounds like.
I see this Victor's Walk as something cool for the people tailgating at Crisler, but I doubt many others will leave their tailgate party 2 hours before kickoff. That being said, this may end up leading to a new MMB feature in Crisler Arena if they're required to be at the stadium 2 hours early.
I agree -- the band leading the team to the locker room seems quite odd to me. Any more details? Maybe the band could play a quick game of touch football, since A) the players will not be in uniform, and B) there will be NO ONE in the stadium. Whadda think?
How about You Better You Bet and Who Are You as part of the Who tribute?
Oops! You already listed 'Who Are You'. Sry.
FWIW: No details yet about the Victor's Walk, except that there IS one. My source said he doesn't think it will alter the pre-game routine too much. Also, Adidas has provided the MMB with new hats to wear while in the stands. He said they're "awesome!" Maize, lightweight, and the members are stoked!
MY source just said that the reserves will play at the Victors Walk. Which still doesn't explain the logistics of morning rehearsal, nor the non-normal distribution of parts that exists in the reserves.
The reserves make sense, I guess. Would this happen during the step show? Then they may have time to return for the march to the stadium?
Haha! So cryptic! You said "MY" source! I should have just said "my son" in the first place! :)
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