Ten Years Gone

(Author's note: Before I was a blogger here, I had my own personal blog.  It was your standard zaniness of a 20-something with too much time on his hands and a belief that people wanted to read every thought you had in an era before Twitter, where we now know this to be true.  The following is my "game story" from Thought for the Day (TFTD) from Monday, November 1, 2004.  As it is Michigan State week, it felt right to share my own trip back to Braylonfest, before we even knew we were calling it Braylonfest. I will attempt to annotate as appropriate.)

Games I Watched: 
#11 Michigan 45, Michigan State 37--I was at this game. I must tell the story of this game. All other games you can read about elsewhere, right now, you get this game. 

In Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby writes: 

"For a match to be really, truly memorable, the kind of game that sends you home buzzing inside with the fulfillment of it all, you require as many of the following features as possible. 

(1) Goals: As Many As Possible. 
(2) Outrageously bad refereeing decisions 
(3) A noisy crowd 
(4) Rain, a greasy surface, etc. 
(5) Opposition misses a penalty (or a late game field goal to win it.) 
(6) Member of the opposition receives a red card. 
(7) Some kind of 'disgraceful incident'" 

OK, so let's look at this in terms of Michigan's win, and adjust for American football: 

(1) Goals: As Many As Possible. 
Well, let's see. With 7 minutes or so to go in the fourth, it was 27-10, which is pretty high scoring. By the end of the game, it was 45-37, so yes, we have that. 

(2) Outrageously bad refereeing decisions, preferably against your team that do not cost your team the game. 
Oh, well, which one would you like? The reversal on the roughing the kicker that went for State, the fumble out of bounds that State never had, the phantom pass interference that allowed State to try its last second field goal in the fourth. I think we have a winner here. 

(3) A noisy crowd 
The loudest that a Michigan crowd has ever been in my experience, and that includes after the 1997 Ohio State game. Part of the problem is that the noise just gets sucked into the bowl and sort of dies, it's very hard to sustain any noise. But as the comeback got rolling and there started to be a true sense of belief, it got very loud, very quickly and sustained itself to the point of hoarseness. 

(4) Rain, a greasy surface, etc. 
In our case, major sustained winds throughout. It was going to wreak havoc all day and it did. It also made it very cold by the end of the night. Also, it was a 3:30 start, which meant it was dark by the time the whole thing was over. That is a very rare thing at Michigan Stadium and I think will add to the mystique of the game. 

(5) Opposition misses a penalty 
OK, in American football parlance, this would be opposition misses a late game field goal which would win it. And well, yes, made better by the fact that it came right at Dave and I and fell short. 

(6) Member of the opposition receives a red card. 
American football lacks this, and I have a hard time drawing a parallel. 

(7) Some kind of "disgraceful incident" 
When Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton went down in the second quarter, [college roommate/longtime seatmate] Dave turned to me and said "It's 100,000 people trying very hard not to cheer." As [longtime friend/now cousin in law] Mike pointed out yesterday, "And only 80,000 were successful." As much as Stanton was killing us, and I mean, he was destroying us, you can't cheer when the kid gets hurt, even if he was running with the ball. It's just bad form. Kind of shameful, no matter what the positive outcome that may occur for your team as a result of the injury. 

Now, I will add three personal criteria that I also think you need. 
(8) It is better if it is a rivalry game. 
Had Michigan rallied to beat, say, Indiana, I don't know it would have been AS exciting. Knowing that they rallied to beat State, saving us, the alums, from a year of Sparties lording it over us, which you know they would, is a tremendous thing. 

(9) Spectacular plays, especially for scores. 
Let's see, there was the amazing onside kick recovery, there was Braylon's first touchdown grab in Desmond corner, there was Braylon's SECOND touchdown grab in Desmond corner, there was Avant's "miracle make-sure I get a leg in" catch in the overtime, so yes, we had plenty of that. 

(10) You have to be there with someone who shares the same intensity and passion for the team as you do. 
This was not a game for a first date or an introduction to the game, this was a game where you go with your friend who has been there with you for years, who knows the whole history as well as you do, who understands the up and down, and who gets your jokes about or at least appreciates your witty comments. I had long-time partner in crime Dave and it made the whole thing even more spectacular. 

Part of the reason that i am not a sports journalist is that I know I am not able to fully convey what I saw on Saturday, and certainly not with an even-handed approach. But I do know when Braylon scored that touchdown to make it 27-20, I said "Uh-oh, Sparty hears footsteps." And I know that a comeback is best experienced in person, but it's still not the best Michigan game that I have ever attended in person. OK, here it is, my Top Five: 

1). 10/18/1997: #5 Michigan 28, #15 Iowa 24 
At halftime, Iowa leads 21-7, thanks in part to a brilliant Tim Dwight punt return for a TD. It's late October and the dream of an undefeated season is hanging in the balance. Michigan roars back with two third quarter TDs, the defense stiffens and Michigan emerges with a 28-24 win. Part of what makes a great game is what the stakes are. Michigan season this year was already somewhat sullied in South Bend, the Iowa game represented the march of the possible. 

2). 10/30/2004: #11 Michigan 45, Michigan State 37 (3OT) 
See previous. 

3). 10/12/2002: #13 Michigan 27, #15 Penn State 24 (OT) 
The only other overtime game in Michigan history, this one stems from the fact that it had me sitting in the closest you can get to F. Scott's at the Big House thanks to [friend/game show winner] Kevin's largesse. 

4). 11/22/1997: #1 Michigan 20, #4 Ohio State 14 
Charles Woodson's punt return wins him the Heisman. Michigan's win over the Buckeyes seals the first Rose Bowl bid since in the Carr era. 

5). 08/31/1996: #12 Michigan 20, Illinois 8 
Not a particularly great game, but it was my first game as a Michigan student, it was my 18th birthday, and thanks to my efforts, most of Stevenson's class of 1996 that was attending the U was sitting in Section 30 with Dave and I. 

Also, this is from Slate this morning: 

ORLANDO?The South Florida Sun-Sentinel buried this nugget Sunday in a story about the late delivery of 2,500 absentee ballots in Broward County: WPLG-Channel 10, an ABC affiliate in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area, aired a half-hour chunk of Stolen Honor, the 43-minute anti-Kerry documentary, on Saturday. The time was purchased by Newton Media, a Virginia-based media placement company that says it was founded "on biblical principles" and that includes a number of "media ministries" among its clients. 

Angry callers "flooded the customer service phone lines" at the station for airing the program, the Sun-Sentinel reported. A liberal backlash? No, just sports fans upset that the Michigan-Michigan State football game, "tied, 37-37, and about to go into overtime," was pre-empted. Doesn't anyone at Newton Media know the story of the "Heidi game"? 

WTI: Really?!?

Craig:	Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Whatever This Is. I'm Craig Barker, and I just shed three Michigan tacklers to get here...
Geoff:	I just got clobbered, because I'm not holding a football.
Jeremy:	I can't believe I watched Brad Banks and the Iowa Hawkeyes upset Michigan at homecoming again.
Geoff:	The weather was better this time, at least.

Jeremy:	But my heart felt the same in the end.
Craig:	Well, we'll get to the game soon enough, but let's start with a positive from Saturday, Blast From the Past. Geoff, Jeremy, you were there, your essential takes, my friends?
Geoff:	The organizers of that event do a phenomenal job of putting it together.
Jeremy:	The old cheerleaders are simply incredible. Not only do they actually, like, fire people up, but their mirrored handstand gig involves near certain death if one of them makes a mistake.
Craig:	I have to admit, I love the old cheerleaders, but I had someone ask me if we will keep doing the locomotive cheer until all of them pass on to the Big House in the sky.
Geoff:	Yes. Yes they will.
Craig:	And I am OK with that. One of the hardest things about being in the stands for Blast is that you have so many things going on, there's baton craziness in the North End Zone, there's looking for your friends on the field, there's just, it's a lot of things, too many voices!
Jeremy:	It's always great to be back in the tunnel again and play the fight song in the stadium.
Geoff:	It was strange to be so relaxed about everything. See a hole, fill it in. Make up your own rank moves on the parade. Whoever feels like it, let's go play the business school tailgate. And I definitely haven't played that much since I was in the MMB.
Jeremy:	It's all the fun of being in the band with almost none of the responsibility.
Craig:	It does seem nice and loose. John Wilkins certainly is in his element on a day like that.
Jeremy:	He clearly relishes that time with the alumni.
Craig:	I also want to note, I thought the Jersey Boys show was very crisp. And I will tell you, like Jonesy on the Dallas, I swore I heard....singing... It was faint, but it did seem like the crowd was singing along.
Geoff:	The crowd certainly seemed to be into the show from where I stood. Did we have any drum majors playing with fire this year? I know I saw Cavi with the knives in his pack on Saturday morning.
Craig:	I did not see any, but there was a lot going on
Geoff:	One of the things I forgot was how different a view of the game you have from that close to the field. You either have to find a way through the people standing on the sidelines or the ball is right in front of you.
Jeremy:	Yeah, I had to watch most of the first half on the scoreboard because of all the event staff and cameramen standing in my way.
Jeremy:	The lesson here is to sit higher up in those bleachers.
Craig:	But would you want to have seen what was happening in the second half...zing!
Geoff:	I think we just gave up another long touchdown.
Craig:	Third and ten...holy flark!
Jeremy:	Oh, I missed it, I was watching Obi Ezeh crush the running back who did not have the ball.
Craig:	I mean, those were the best ball fakes I have ever seen, replacing the Brandon Minor fake from the week before.
Jeremy:	At least since Dennis Dixon's fake statue of liberty.
Craig:	It was just, it was a demoralizing loss. In part because I bought in to the "turned the corner" delusion.
Jeremy:	The second half really yanked you right back around the corner. It rubbed in that the Wisconsin comeback was more of an accident and outlier than positive trend.
Geoff:	Let's play a little game here. So, Michigan. You've got Illinois in 3rd and 10 and they throw it 6 yards downfield. And you decide that the best thing to do is run wind sprints up the receiver's back. Really?!?
Craig:	You lost by so many points to Illinois that the name "Red Grange" was invoked for the sake of comparison. Really?!?
Geoff:	Instead of throwing a bubble screen to a guy who racked up 129 yards receiving on the day and who has a linebacker basically ignoring him, you run it inside behind a guy who was playing left tackle last week and the guy who was his backup on the bench. Really?!?
Jeremy:	Anyone else surprised Stevie Brown chased down Juice to tackle him at the 2? I figured he'd overpursue it and dive in front of him four yards into the endzone.
Geoff:	Finally: Juice Williams. 420 yards. Most in stadium history. Still called "Juice". Really?!?
Craig:	But, this week is a new week, and Holy Toledo, the Rockets are in town. Will there be Cake? And what is on the half-time slate for this week?
Jeremy:	Halftime is the Modern Rock/Pop show
Craig:	Woo hoo, Modern Rock! Woo! More _____ Pipe!
Jeremy:	Scotty B and his Blues Band will be performing at Northwestern this year.
Jeremy:	MMB songs this week: "Sugar We're Going Down", "Paralyzer", and "Welcome to the Black Parade".
Craig:	Ahh, so it's 2000s Modern Rock. No [Sirius] Lithium show for me. Still, should be interesting. And somehow, "Welcome to the Black Parade" is totally appropriate for this Michigan season
Jeremy:	"Sugar We're Going Down" has been played at basketball games for a couple seasons now. Which means it, like the rest of the show, was arranged by Jamie Nix.
Geoff:	Have we heard anything about him recently? Still at Miami (Yes, That Miami)?
Jeremy:	Yep. University of Miami '10, Doctoral Fellow in Conducting (h/t: facebook)
Geoff:	Switching gears, I have no idea what to expect from Toledo. Absolutely none. Ball State shut them out, but the Fightin' Football Cardinals are a decent team, and the Rockets lit up Fresno State like nobody's business.
Craig:	But FIU, Geoff. NED beat the Rockets. The first time FIU has beaten a FBS team on the road. EVER.
Geoff:	Ned is an American Hero. Much like J Leman.
Craig:	Who will be calling MSU/Northwestern this week. You know, a game with Big Ten title implications?
Geoff:	I believe that should be "Big Ten title implications".
Jeremy:	That is a job that requires a tie. He has to wear the flag tie, right? please?
Craig:	I think it will be a tie made up of dozens of small American flags
Geoff:	I mean, this game might have Capital One Bowl implications, but we still don't know if either one can hang with the top of the conference.
Craig:	Also, as much as we're focused on Toledo, this weekend also marks the return of joy to our lives, as St. Lawrence visits for a pair of games to open Michigan's regular season slate
Geoff:	Ron Mason's alma mater. Let's hope that hockey can put together another good season, even if nobody ends up with a Hobey.
Craig:	I would hope Michigan will come out hot and get off on a good foot. I do not expect the torrid start of last season, simply because the schedule does not look like it will help out. There's dozens of pitfalls early on.
Geoff:	Last year was unbelievable. And I'm not so concerned about the start as the finish.
Craig:	Hey, no games in Denver. Sauer should be fine.
Geoff:	I (we?) close this week with a plea for the football team: Please don't lose to a MAC team. That would suck. A lot.
Craig:	Yes, please, I can accept that some streaks may end this year, but the no losses to MAC schools is one you can never change.
Jeremy:	Indeed. Two very important streaks are at stake this week. A 3-game win streak vs Ohio teams would be a nice one to get this season too.
Craig:	So gentlemen, until another week...I'm Craig Barker.
Geoff:	And I'm starting at left guard next weekend.
Jeremy:	I'm twenty yards into the secondary already. Goodnight and Go Blue.
Geoff:	Go Blue
Craig:	Go Blue

WTI: WOOOOOOO!!!!

Craig:	Hello and once again, welcome to this, well, "comeback" edition of Whatever This Is. I'm Craig, and I'm a believer...
Geoff:	The single biggest comeback in Michigan Stadium history
Jeremy:	And what an emotional rollercoaster it was. When the lows are that low, the highs are that much higher.
Geoff:	-7 yards passing.
Craig:	Oh yes, oh yes. That's unpossible! And the run was going nowhere and balls were flying out of hands and I was staring 3-9's gaping maw in the face
Jeremy:	I was thinking about the S-word, and wondering how long it had been since we'd faced one. But then the second half happened!
Geoff:	1984. I looked it up.
Jeremy:	And that was on the road (home was 1960s, IIRC). [1967, 34-0 vs. MSU -ed]

Geoff:	That second half was wonderful. Everything started clicking. Once Threet was able to establish a downfield passing game, it opened everything up.
Craig:	Indeed, and I think that leaves us with a larger question
Jeremy:	Where do we go from here?
Craig:	While we can appreciate and enjoy the glory of last Saturday, so we have any sense of what it means for the short and long term future of this team. I'm taking the view that this is a perfect coaching win for Rich Rod: No quit from his team, but plenty of room for improvement
Geoff:	I think it shows that the offense is a work in progress and will advance in fits and starts.
Jeremy:	all season we've been subjected to brief glimpses of what can happen when, to quote David Boston, our offense and defense is clickin'.
Craig:	I think it is important that I feel we've seen growth, if painful
Jeremy:	It manifested for 20 minutes on Saturday and it was enough to pull out a win against a ranked opponent, but is it unreasonable to expect that level of play continuously for the rest of the season?
Craig:	That level? Yes. A level near that? No.
Geoff:	Yes, it is, unfortunately. It's not unreasonable to expect that level of intensity, or for them to bring that attitude on every down, but the execution errors aren't going to disappear for a while. At the same time, we should see them diminish throughout the season.
Craig:	We hope
Jeremy:	One thing that has been continuous, and we can keep counting on, is the obvious Barwis Effect in the 4th quarter.
Craig:	And the great thing about the Barwis Effect is that it now is tangible. The players believed it, but now it has a manifestation.
Jeremy:	My favorite moment was after Wisco's false start late in that quarter. After seeing the flag, Terrance Taylor points down the field, and struts -- arms swinging in front of him, legs kicking high -- STRUTS to the new LOS. As if to say "I could do this all day."
Craig:	But, I think we also need to realize, there was a bit of luck in that comeback. Michigan DID make the plays, but Wisconsin had some drops which cost them. Whether drops are "luck" remains to be seen, but there it is...a letter opener.
Craig:	Now, amazingly, lost in the sheer joy of Saturday was an exceptional halftime show, even if pre-game had a bad bad omen.
Jeremy:	Clearly the motivation came from everyone being able to Twist and Shout during halftime. Everyone around me had a sense of "screw it, let's dance," and really enjoyed it.
Geoff:	I was all ready mock the Wisconsin band for their lost plumes and then Cody loses his.
Jeremy:	Doing two backbends in one game may have made up for it
Craig:	My future brother in law noted that plumes always had to be paper clipped in and that kind of thing was inspected.
Geoff:	Yeah, we had plume locks inside our hats. I don't know how the drum major's is set up.
Jeremy:	Yes, the "plume lock" was an elaborate contraption.
Geoff:	The show took a while to set up, and the people around me weren't feeling all that patient until I told them what was going on, but everyone around me really enjoyed it.
Craig:	The Wisconsin fans around me were NOT getting that it was an homage to Ferris. I LOVED March of the Swivelheads, and thought that the movie clips were not only spot on, but had a great sense of both humor and inside baseball knowledge.
Jeremy:	The show managed to contain a larger MMB theme while successfully parodying a movie AND making fun of Big Ten schools.
Geoff:	Those were very well done. I wish we could have a copy of the show cut together and posted online.
Jeremy:	I'll admit I was skeptical -- would enough people get it? would it actually be funny? skit shows are risky! -- but quite pleased with the outcome.
Geoff:	"Jim Tressel? The wine cooler king of Columbus?"
Craig:	O-H-Oh-no!
Craig:	I agree, high risk, but I felt high reward. Cody did a fine job with his bits.
Craig:	By the way, did anyone else enjoy "Lloyd Carr: Associate Athletic Director" I know it's his new gig, but it was just "Wait, who is this random person??"
Geoff:	Yeah, it's another thing to get used to.
Jeremy:	What did you think of turning the MMB into a jukebox with the "request a song" feature?
Craig:	I thought it was a back door way for AT&T to get advertising in to Michigan Stadium without actually doing it.
Geoff:	Until "Across 110th Street" is an option, disapprove
Craig:	I am glad to see Cowbell quickly went away. And co-sign on Geoff
Jeremy:	I appreciated it both for its ability to get people to pay attention - if briefly - and for how it unceremoniously swept the cowbell gag under the rug.
Jeremy:	Apparently there's a similar deal for hockey band coming up where the right price will let you request two songs that they play (plus tickets and other incentives).
Geoff:	I hope they switch up the options week to week.
Craig:	I do as well, and honestly, I couldn't hear it, even though I knew what was going to win as soon as the options went up
Craig:	I shall look forward to the hockey band deal. I will request the long version of I Can't Turn You Loose for Halloween
Jeremy:	As long as they follow that up with the full Varsity
Geoff:	I was afraid Zep and Journey would cancel each other out, leaving NSYNC. But I underestimated the cultural impact of The Hills.
Craig:	And the fact that Brock Sampson was not in the house
Craig:	Now this week we see Illinois and the Blast From the Past. Geoff, this will be your first Blast, correct?
Geoff:	Yes, actually.
Jeremy:	Third for me. I couldn't wait; I'm a sucker for being able to play the Victors in the stadium.
Geoff:	Our show this week will be a medley from Jersey Boys.
Craig:	And I will not be on the field because, contrary to popular belief, I am just a fan, not an MMB alum. I mean, I'll be at the game, I have kicking seats this week
Craig:	I am hoping that the 75th Anniversary of "Temptation" gets mentioned this week
Geoff:	Me too.
Craig:	Have we mentioned that to someone with the authority to actually do something about it?
Jeremy:	Consider this the mention, readers.
Craig:	Will either of you be able to take cameras with you for your seats? Because now that I know how to do it, my panorama from the 47 is going to be sweet, I hope.
Jeremy:	oh, definitely. Part of the fun is how much more relaxed it is than having to perform in full uniform.
Geoff:	Do we have any expectations for the game itself?
Craig:	I think this is going to be another battle. I think Michigan will be brimming with confidence, tamped down by the fact that they do not start the game at halftime
Craig:	If they can get decent contain on Juice, I think that Michigan will have a good shot to make things happen. The offense will need to manage the game. 17-14 either way seems reasonable to me at this point
Geoff:	Arrelious Benn worries me. I don't think we've seen a receiver of his caliber yet this year. I expect to see a lot of Donovan Warren on him.
Jeremy:	The ground game should have more success this week. We stared down the "Inevitable 2nd and 12" too much on Saturday.
Craig:	I do have one other larger question: If Stephen Threet does nothing else in his career (which I hope is not true), has he secured a place in Michigan lore after last weekend?
Jeremy:	I say yes. He was Saturday's Phil Brabbs vs Washington.
Geoff:	You make a very good point, Jeremy. Stephen Threet will definitely be remembered for this moment. Beyond that, he'll have his stamp over the whole first year of the Rodriguez administration.
Craig:	I say yes, just because the image of the double crossed arms on his scramble will be locked in my head. The rarity of a Michigan quarterback taking off down the field, coupled with someone desperate not to fumble was a perfect marriage of what had happened and what was happening in that game.
Geoff:	I have to say, if Threet's ceiling is Navarre+, I don't mind that.
Craig:	Agree. When we do a WTI from the Vault, John Navarre will definitely be a topic, him versus Dennis Franklin for most underrated Michigan QB post 1968.
Craig:	But until that time, we're off for another week. I'm Craig...
Geoff:	I'm Geoff
Jeremy:	I'm Jeremy. Go Blue!
Craig:	Good night Ann Arbor! We love you!