More Legends Jersey Proposals

We read with great interest yesterday MGoBlog's post "This Week's Obsession: Leaders Numbers" and particularly Seth's concept below:

I'd start them young and make the whole thing goal-oriented: freshmen or sophomores can apply to the coaches for a Legend's number, and there's a set of things you must do in spring or fall practice to earn the right to wear it that exemplify the guy who set that number. For each I would also set list of accomplishments comparable to those of the Legend which if you achieve them in your career you earn the right to have your name added to that patch, for example Devin can get his name added to the 98 patch if he wins the Heisman and leads the nation in scoring, and Ryan would need to be a three-time All-American and two-time captain to have his name added to 47. Have a wall at the stadium somewhere that honors all of them and lists the accomplishments, and open it up a bit so there are easier numbers to attain (#7 for a QB who beats OSU three times as the starter, #46 for a QB who leads his team to an undefeated season and national championship, #77 for an OT who's a 4-year starter and two-time All-American, 60 for a DL who does the same, 76 for a guard).

Never one to let a good idea rest, we would like to humbly offer our Top 8 Legends Jerseys that should happen with the criteria needed to earn it.  (This will not be a slideshow, only because we have no idea how slideshows work.  We're like Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer when it comes to that part of the internet.)

From a September 1989 game by Stephen Dunn | Getty Images

8). Leroy Hoard | #33 | Michigan RB 1986-1989
A running back must average EXACTLY three yards a carry for his first two seasons.  No more, no less.  EXACTLY three yards a carry.

From a 2008 Michigan Daily photo by Clif Reeder

7). Zoltan Mesko | #41| Michigan P 2006-2009
A punter must achieve any two of the following three items:
a). Average 42.5 yards per punt.
b). Succeed in your attempt to high kick the M Club banner.
c). Prove that you hold domain over an extraterrestrial empire.

Getty Images

6). Marcus Ray | #29 | Michigan S 1995-1998
A safety must achieve all of the following in one season:
a). Intercept at least five passes.
b). Make cover of Sports Illustrated destroying an Ohio State wide receiver.
c). Captain a team of Michigan football players that defeats a team from Michigan's quiz bowl program in an intramural game.

You are still missed Vada.

5). Vada Murray | #27 | Michigan DB 1986-1989
Successfully block a field goal or extra point attempt while a minimum of 18 inches off the playing surface.

4). Jareth Glanda | #54 | Michigan LS 2010-2013
Move anonymously through two whole seasons of football without having your name mentioned, then catch a pass for a first down on a broken play during a bowl game.

3). Mercury Hayes/Martavious Odoms | #9 | Michigan WR 1992-1995/2008-2011
Catch a game-winning touchdown in either the opening game of the season in 98 degree weather or warmer or to beat Ohio State to end a losing streak.

One shining moment.

2). Nick Sheridan |#8 | Michigan QB 2006-2009
As a walk-on quarterback, successfully prevent Minnesota from taking three-year ownership of the Little Brown Jug by playing out of your mind.

Mike DeSimone

1). Ernest Shazor | #25 | Michigan S 2001-2004
Hit a a Purdue ball carrier so hard as to make him regret ever being born.

Light in the Dark

(Author's note: Apologies for a lack of game column last week.  I was on a special assignment which I hope I can talk about soon, oh and I am trying to sell my condo.
But UTL requires a column.)

Devin Gardner: New 98. (Photo by Eric Upchurch from the MGoBlog photo stream.)

In the end, the lights were on, and someone was home.  For a sixteenth straight occasion, Michigan's football players walked off their home field in triumph, having first made their way to the student section to share the moment with their peers.  There were gimmicks to be sure, Michigan Stadium's first thank you tifo, lasers, flyovers, celebrity cameos, the most underutilized giant disco ball in the history of mankind, but they were ephemeral to what was a Michigan football experience at its core, dread, hope, more dread, still more dread, and finally relief.

Zach Helfand wrote a tremendous game column on how Gardner's teammates rallied Gardner and the team back after the darkest moment of the night, the moment where things could have gone all Achebe* and would earn Michigan a place in the pantheon of NBC Sports Network replays of Notre Dame classics and would have strangled the hopes of the nascent 2013 season in the crib.  Recent history, which is to say those days under the leadership of Brady Hoke, would tell us that we need not worry about the disasters of the past, that a steady hand at the tiller on the Michigan sidelines will find a way to guide the result into a soft landing and a Michigan win in the Big House.  But the past lives in a Michigan fan's heart, that dread encoded into our DNA both as birthright and as mutation wrought by the losses of the past where fourth quarter leads set like the early autumn sun over the press box, leaving just blood-stained skies and deeply held anguish.

*-To go Achebe-When things fall apart.  From the 1958 novel of the same name by the recently passed Nigerian author Chinua Achebe.

But while the past is instructive, it is not destiny.  Just as they had done in 2007 in destructive fashion, 2009 in comeback fashion, 2011 in destructive comeback fashion, Michigan once again found a way to remind Notre Dame that while they may be parting ways for a while after next season, you can't ignore the history built up between the two teams.  No one has won a greater percentage of their games than these two teams.  (Notre Dame has fallen to third in FBS all-time wins behind Texas, but with the Irish playing Purdue this week and the Longhorns hiring Greg Robinson to fix their defense, I suspect the Irish may be back at #2 sooner rather than later.)  They have played a lot throughout my lifetime, with the renewal of the rivalry coming just a month after I was born.  But it is not to be.  There will be other big games, there will be other big moments, but it won't be Michigan/Notre Dame, which is a shame, because it should be.  Even if it was four years off, two years on in a rotation with Michigan State and Purdue, it would be something, it might even be more of something.  But pride, money, and hurt feelings are in the way for now, so we will wait.

In the meantime, Michigan takes the New 98 and Snoop show out for a couple of more games against competition not to be overlooked, but that should be handled if Michigan plays to its potential.  The chances for more great moments, for more highlights, for more legacies will be there.  The lights are on, we're definitely home.

Photo by Geoff Zmyslowski and a pretty accurate assessment of where we were sitting Saturday night.

Farewell Mr. Kramer

Jerry Green did this about a million times better than I ever could, but I wanted to share my Ron Kramer story.

Last year, my college roommate and longtime Michigan football seatmate Dave talked me into going to a local card show because Al "Ox" Wistert was signing and so was Ron Kramer, meaning two of Michigan's retired numbers would be there, and well, they're both older and we don't know how much longer they'll be around.  So we go to the Livonia Elks club, and we wait in line, and we get a chance to talk to Mr. Wistert, and we then make our way down to Ron Kramer.  He's wearing a cowboy hat, shooting the breeze with the gentleman sitting next to him, signing autographs with his huge hands, and being just an overall good guy.  So Dave says "Mr. Kramer, would it be possible for us to get a picture with you?" and instantly Kramer says "Go f*ck yourself."  Dave turns as white as a ghost, I don't know what to do and then Kramer just bursts into the biggest smile and starts laughing his ass off and says "That was hilarious!  You made my day kid."  Dave and I got our picture and a story that we will never forget about a Michigan legend.

Thank you Ron for everything you did for the Maize and Blue and thank you for being a man who loved every second he was here on this earth.