150th Anniversary: Our Shared Stories -- Part One
10/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 14, 2015
A common theme for our 150th anniversary is "This Michigan of Ours." This short yet simple phrase from Fielding H. Yost's speech in 1939 implies that this one thing, in this case, the University of Michigan, is shared by all who love and support it.
Every Michigan fan has a story. Some of them are known; most of them are not. This space is dedicated to the telling of those stories from our fans, by our fans.
Do you have a memory or unique story? E-mail us at goblue150@umich.edu or fill out our online form.
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76 YEARS OF MICHIGAN FOOTBALL FANDOM
Submitted by: Richard Creal
Both my father and mother attended the University of Michigan from 1920-24. My father was an avid football fan and ushered games at the old Ferry Field.
In 1939, when I was nine, my father took me to see a Michigan football game in Ann Arbor at the Big House, and I was hooked. From then on, I managed to see every home game, using whatever means necessary to get in. The hardest access was the 1944 game against Army where security was tight. I didn't get in until halftime, and had to sit in the aisle of the team entrance.
During the winter of 1941, a classmate of mine and I traveled across town to interview Tom Harmon at his fraternity on a Saturday morning. He met us in the library in his bathrobe and graciously spent a good hour answering questions from two spellbound boys for their elementary school newspaper.
The stadium was never full in those days and tickets were available for $1 for high school students. As a student and after college through the employee plan, we always had season tickets, even after we moved to Illinois.
The greatest game I ever attended was the 1969 Michigan-Ohio State game. Woody Hayes came to Ann Arbor as the No. 1 team in America, and many said they were the best team ever. As usual, Woody led his team onto the field and headed to the south end to the cheers of the Ohio State fans that were expecting an easy victory. But Bo had other plans. At the half, it was U-M 24, OSU 12 -- and at the end of the game, the score remained the same. It was a great upset, and to watch Woody's antics that day was worth the price of admission.
At 85, I'm still an avid fan watching every game from my TV in central Florida. Each year, though, I manage to get back to Ann Arbor to attend the first home game with my two sons. I suffer when they lose, as father did when he was alive, but celebrate when victorious. It's been an exciting 76 years of watching Michigan football.
Postgame celebration following U-M's upset of Ohio State in 1969
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FROM SCOUT TO STARTER (ALMOST)
Submitted by: George Olsen
It was Sept. 28, 1946, and we played Indiana in football. The Hoosiers lost two quarterbacks in the first half. At halftime, Fritz Crisler met Indiana coach Bo McMillan at the middle of the field and said something to him. In the locker room, Fritz was asked what happened. It seems that Bo had laughed and slapped Fritz on the back. It turned out that Fritz realized that Indiana's loss was very serious, and he said to Bo that if they lost another quarterback, he would lend them our scout team quarterback, which happened to be me, since I practiced all of the Hoosiers' plays all week long. Fritz had a wonderful sense of humor. Michigan won 21-0.
Although I never got to play in a game, and most of the men on our team were World War II veterans, I had the opportunity to be surrounded by some of the finest men I've ever known. Many of them were All-Americans, All-Big Ten, etc. I would not give up those memories for anything.
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HOOP DREAMS
Submitted by: Jill Brunt Hauff
In the spring of 1989, while in the seventh grade, my father, who was a Michigan State grad, asked my brother and me if we wanted to fill out the NCAA Tournament bracket. He said he would pay us money for correct picks increasing amounts for each round and $50 for picking the winning team. I'm sure he never thought either of us would ever pick the champ.
At the time, I was quite fond of two eighth-grade boys who were huge Michigan fans, and, as a result, I loved the Wolverines! I picked them to win the whole tournament. I didn't know a single player on the team and really did not care if they had a chance. I loved Big Blue and no other team could ever be picked to be champions in my eyes.
I don't remember how many games I actually watched, but I was so proud to mark off their victories with alternating yellow and blue highlighters as Michigan advanced in each round. At the end, much to my father's chagrin, I proudly accepted that $50 payout. I still have the Sports Illustrated with Rumeal Robinson and Glen Rice on the cover. It hung in a plastic sleeve on my wall for many years after that game.
From that day forward, the only place I wanted to go to college was Michigan. Thankfully, my dreams came true in 1994 and I'm so incredibly proud to call myself an alum.
Glen Rice helped U-M to the 1989 national title with an overtime win over Seton Hall
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BACK AND FORTH WITH BO
Submitted by: Mark Rosenbaum
It is well known that Bo had a heart attack just before the 1970 Rose Bowl, his first year at U-M. I was a freshman that year and was on the track team.
In the spring of 1970, when the winter weather finally broke a bit, the track team went outside to work out on the track. Who did we find out there on that first day but Bo.
Back then, the track team looked pretty much like the rest of the student body. Most of us had facial hair, wore necklaces and had long hair, often held back by a headband.
Bo had been told by his doctors to walk a lot as part of his recovery. The outdoor track being very close to his office, he was using it before spring football practices.
Bo obviously hadn't thought much about the track team coming out to work out and he was somewhat surprised to see us. He was a pretty conservative guy. As we jogged by him in our warm-up, he growled at us, saying our hair was too long and we needed to cut it. Back then, Bo was not a legend. He was just a football coach finishing his first year at the school. We kidded back at him that his hair was too short and that he needed to grow it out a bit. We told him to be careful where he walked -- to use only the outer lane of the track, as we didn't want him getting in our way. After all, the track was our "turf." He needed to obey our rules. And he wasn't our coach, so we didn't have to pay him much attention.
He was clearly of two minds about us. He didn't like our "looks," but on the other hand, we were Michigan student-athletes, and he respected that.
That spring, if I got to practice early, I would see Bo and chat with him while he walked. He got used to us, and we got used to him. He would regularly continue his demands for us to cut our hair, and we would just as regularly ignore him or kid him back. After a while, I think he enjoyed the back-talk. I doubt his players responded that way to him.
The 2015-16 academic year marks the 150th anniversary of Michigan Athletics. We invite the University of Michigan family to celebrate the passion that fuels us, rediscover the stories and traditions that unite us, and imagine what the future holds for us. We look forward to celebrating "This Michigan of Ours." To share a memory of Michigan Athletics, please fill out our online form or email goblue150@umich.edu.
