What Would Ron Burgundy Do?

The increasingly prolific Michigan Sports Girl strikes again with another post here on the MZone.  Be sure to check her out on Twitter @SupportBradyHoke.

Never mind new Aztec head coach Rocky Long’s insistence that he and Coach Hoke’s former team are genuinely happy that he now has the chance to live his dream. Never mind that Coach is still in contact with the SDSU staff -- not to talk football, but family. Never mind that Hoke made his intentions very clear to SDSU officials regarding any future opportunities at Michigan before he signed his contract in San Diego. Never mind that SDSU is 3-0 and touting the nation’s second-leading RB while dominating their competition thus far. Never mind the respect that both universities and each coaching staff have for one another. Never mind that the current group of Aztec players and staff have moved forward post-Hoke.

None of that matters...to one SDSU alum.

Yes, Kyle Turley is still mad.

The helmet-throwing, obscene-gesture making, slur-wielding and self-proclaimed ambassador of San Diego State, Kyle Turley, still has his nightie in a knot over Coach Hoke’s move to Ann Arbor back in January.

The picture that Turley is trying to paint going into the game this weekend is quite colorful -- in a nanny-nanny-poo-poo sort of way. His use of his quasi-creative references are nothing short of borderline outrageous, referring to Coach Hoke as both “a parent who ran out on his family” and as an “ex-wife who one day leaves the house and doesn’t say why until you hear from her lawyer the next day.”

His not-so-eloquent use of expletives has also been enjoyable to witness in his many public forums, including Twitter. My favorite tweet? “Brady Hoke’s dream job is about to turn into his worst *ucking nightmare. GO AZTECS!” Nice.

Oh, and don’t forget his steadfast prediction that our loss to SDSU on Saturday will lead Coach Hoke to be “fired from his dream job.” Really, Kyle? Laughable.

But Coach is just Coach, taking all of Turley’s affirmations in stride.

In his simple, matter-of-fact, good ol’ boy manner, Coach Hoke addressed Turley’s displeasure diplomatically, saying: "Y'know what, Kyle and I really started to build a pretty good relationship and I understand his reactions and his sentiments. We were on winter break, and I had to be on a plane to Michigan that day. No time for official goodbyes. But I'll reach out to him. I have bigger fish to fry with what we're trying to get set up here.” A classy response to the ramblings of a lunatic if I do say so myself.

And with Turley firmly insistent that “karma will be a factor” in Saturday’s game, perhaps HE should be the one to consider the eternal question: What would Ron Burgundy do?

You call it nuts, I call it doing my part for the team

MZone reader Steve, proprietor of the blog Michigan meets S.C., submits this guest post about his "rituals" when the maize and blue play.  I think we might be related.

Way back in the off season somewhere between the 2005 and the 2006 campaigns I broke down and a purchased a new maize shirt. Nothing special, mind you, just a plain shirt with the word ‘Michigan” emblazoned across the front.

Don't f**k with the windsock!

Now, as you recall, the 2006 season was especially good to us.  Going into the OSU game, we were 10-0 -- something we all know was owed to “the shirt”.  So I’m not saying I’m superstitious or anything, but well, don’t screw with my lucky stuff on game day.

Which leads us to this season.

My wife removed a Michigan windsock from our deck the day after the Notre Dame game and I thought I would wet myself. Here we were riding high at 2-0 -- a day after one of the most thrilling victories in Michigan history -- and she removed one of the main reasons why! (although a non-believer might call it a faded rag hanging from three strings.  But what do they know about messing with football karma?)

In the recliner during a game, I don’t mess with much: my drink, the remote, nothing.

If we’re doing well.

 If not, I start changing things around. I remember one year sucking it up against OSU. I changed to the couch in the 3rd quarter and the comeback was on. MLB manages will not step on the baseline when going out the mound to give the pitcher his walking papers for the evening. They must be nuts -- I'm just helping my team.

During the timeout at the end of the ND game, :08 seconds remaining, and I’m sitting on the deck watching the game (I watched the first half inside and, as you know, that didn't work so well).  Meanwhile, my wife was inside watching the game. But during that timeout, she comes out pacing and rubbing my neck! For God’s sake!  Not only was she jinxing it by coming outside all of a sudden, but she also moved the sliding glass door that was in the game winning position.

WTF?!

It was everything I could do to not bust! Panicked, I moved the door back to where I thought it was. How we won the game after that disturbance in the force is beyond me. Yes, I’m certified. But I bet I'm not alone among college football and MZone readers.

And as for the shirt, well, that was retired somewhere in during the first RichRod season. There are some things even a lucky shirt can't do.

The Team, The Team, The Team

Another outstanding guest post today from Michigan Sports Girl, proprietor of Support Brady Hoke.

Wallpaper Wednesday

Today's wallpaper comes courtesy of Jon and his website, MonkeyWrench32, which specializes in schedule wallpapers for Detroit area sports teams, including the Tigers, Lions, Pistons and Red Wings (and yes, even MSU).

For Michigan's 2011 edition, he's included both their traditional helmet and the "Under the Lights" version that will be worn this weekend vs. Notre Dame.

Guest Post: Wait for it, it's coming...

Today's guest post comes from Steve, proprietor of Michigan meets S.C.  If you'd like to become a world famous blogger and submit material to the MZone, drop us an email at the addy on the left (if you can't find it, that's the first test.  FAIL).

In the wake of the new, latest, whatever, scandal brewing at The University of Miami, their President Donna Shalala’s apology is just around the corner.  Unless I missed it.  I don’t know who’s position it could possibly save or even if it will save her own position within the walls of this hallowed correctional institution.  But the actual apology is what I'm waiting for.  You see it from politicians, sports figures galore, movie stars and the like.  Here’s how it goes:  A big news conference is called and the poor unfortunate sap steps to the podium all solemn and pulls a paper from their breast pocket, unfolds it and begins to read their apology.

How to write a convincing
apology letter!

Read it!  My God - read their apology!  Unbelievable.  Anyway I love it when they READ their apology.

I could care less what they're saying, they all sound the same and it's all drivel anyway. Les Miles said that “appropriate action will be taken when it’s deemed necessary” after a couple of his players kicked the crap out of some guys outside a bar. My guess is that will be somewhere around September 4th, right after the Oregon game. I loved his delivery, blaming the car horn and all. So straight faced. Whoa is me. The whole world was watching and what was he doing, looking down reading from a prepared statement, only looking up occasionally to see if anyone is buying this crap he was shoveling. I call bullshit. I mean hell I'm in trouble as much as anyone and I don't get a prepared statement to try and get out of it. If you have to look at a piece of paper to say you didn't know any better or are extremely remorseful you're no better an apologist than you are a, whatever you are. The only time anyone should be allowed a prepared apology is before they're caught and are turning the screws on themselves. Like that ever happens. Take it from an expert, I know apologies. Oh yeah, and Donna’s gonna need to have a husband or good friend stand next her while she’s reading it so we can mock that person as well. I hope she chooses Michael Irvin.

Michigan Legends

Below is a guest post by our friend and frequent MZone contributor, Mikoyan, proprietor of the photography-based blog, Michigan Exposures.  Camera in hand, Mikoyan recently set out around Ann Arbor to find the final resting spots of three Meeechigan legends: Bo Schembechler, Fielding H. Yost and Bob Ufer.

The first grave I found was Bo's because the website I found its picture on gave a pretty good idea of where it was. The other two involved a bit of searching but I did manage to locate them.

Glenn Schembechler was born in Ohio on April 1, 1929. His nickname of Bo came from his sister's attempt to say brother when he was younger. One of Bo's lessons came from his father who refused to cheat on a Firefighter exam and didn't get the promotion he was seeking because he scored one lower than the people who did cheat. From this Bo taught hard work and integrity.

Bo went to Miami University in Ohio where he played football as a tackle under Sid Gillman whose style laid the groundwork for the West Coast Offense. Prior to Bo's final season, Gillman went on to coach at Cincinatti and the program was taken over by Woody Hayes. Bo graduated from Miami in 1951 and earned a Master's Degree from Ohio State in 1952 where he was an assistant coach under Woody Hayes.

Bo had a number of assistant jobs until he got his first head coaching job at Miami University in 1963. He would serve as the head coach there until he got the job at Michigan in 1968. His tenure as head coach would yield him a record of 234-65-8, only Joe Paterno and Tom Osborne recorded 200 wins faster than Bo. His bowl record was not as good which meant he didn't win many national championships. Despite that, he is revered by Michigan fans everywhere (including this Michigan fan). Heart trouble meant that he retired at the age of 60 in 1989. He was followed by coach Gary Moeller. He died in 2006 just before the Michigan-Ohio State game.

It was a little harder for me to find Fielding Yost's grave as the location I had wasn't the greatest. Finally, I managed to look up the website for the cemetary and they had a pretty nice locator on it and I found it immediately.

Fielding Yost was born on April 30, 1871 in Fairview, West Virginia. He enrolled at the Ohio Normal School where he played baseball. He later enrolled at West Virginia University where he played football until 1896.

He was a for single seasons at Ohio Wesleyan, Nebraska, Kansas, Stanford and San Jose State until he became the head coach at Michigan in 1901. He was very successful at Michigan where he racked up a record of 165-29-10. Under Yost, Michigan would win a total of 6 National Championships. His 1901 team would outscore it's opponents 550-0 enroute to a perfect season and victory over Stanford in the First Rose Bowl. This would be the first of the point a minute teams.

From 1901 to 1904, Yost never lost and only tied once. This tie was in the legendary game against the Minnesota Gophers where the Little Brown Jug was formed. Basically, Yost didn't trust the people in Minnesota, so he brought his own water supply. He left one of the brown jugs behind and was told that if he wanted it back, he'd have to win it. Thus College Football's first trophy was born.

He retired from coaching in 1926 and would become Michigan's Athletic Director. Under his leadership Michigan Stadium, Yost Fieldhouse (now the Ice Arena) and the golf course were constructed. This leads to one of Michigan Stadium's nicknames - The House that Yost Built. He died in 1946 of a gall bladder attack.

The whole Yost family

Right across from Yost's grave is Bob Ufer's grave.

For me, Bob Ufer is probably Michigan football the most. I admired Bo and I knew about Yost and I would watch Bo on Saturdays but I would listen to Ufer when I started to listen to Michigan football games. Unfortunately, he died before I really got into football but his game calls are legendary and you can hear some of them online. There were many people in the state who would turn down the TV to watch the game but would listen to it on the radio. Nobody could bring the game alive quite like Mr. Ufer.

Bob Ufer was born on April 1, 1920 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He would attend the University of Michigan where he was a stand out track athlete. In 1944, he would become the radio announcer for Michigan football and would hold the spot until 1981 shortly before he died of cancer. His football broadcasts were highly biased in favor of Michigan and you could hear his allegiance in his voice and there was no question which team he was rooting for. These broadcasts would be accompanied by a horn from Patton's jeep which he would blow three times for a touchdown, twice for a field goal and once for an extra point. He would get really exuberant when Michigan won and really sad when the lost. He had a head for facts and it showed during his broadcasts.

Here is a good link to his broadcasts and some more stuff about his life.

God bless his cotton pickin' maize and blue heart!

Guest Post: Brady Hoke vs. Big Ten Coaches

Last week, I got an email from a recent U-M grad now working for a tech start-up in Santa Barbara, CA.  The company, FindTheBest.com, makes objective comparisons that allow users to sort and filter by what criteria is most important to them. He explained how the site is useful for college football fans and asked if he could write up a short post about it.  

Voila!

Growing up a Michigan football fan has been a true honor.  Up until the Rich Rodriguez era this consisted of being part of winning seasons, trips to the Rose Bowl, and having the opportunity to watch some of college football’s greatest players (e.g. Charles Woodson – college football’s greatest player).  Unfortunately though, Rich Rodriguez was not able to continue the Michigan tradition of winning. With that said, I’m not going to sit here and put all the blame on him, I will say though, that the firing of Rich Rodriguez and the hiring of Brady Hoke was probably the right move.

So the question now is, can Brady Hoke return Michigan Football to glory?  Only time will tell.   What can be examined currently though is how Brady Hoke stacks up to the rest of college football’s coaches.  A new comparison tool from FindTheBest.com allows you to search and compare college football coaches by criteria such as school, winning percentage, age, salary, and much more.

Using FTB’s comparison tool you can compare Brady Hoke to the rest of the Big Ten coaches and see how he fairs (Big Ten Coaches).  Or maybe you want to see how Brady compares to his little brother; you could simply compare Brady Hoke vs. Mark Dantonio and see that Brady Hoke (53 years old) is actually 2 years younger than his little brother Mark (55 years old).  Or even better, maybe you were interested in the Cheaters State University (OSU) coach Luke Fickell; you could compare Brady to the cheaters coach and see that Brady has much more experience than Fickell - (Brady Hoke vs. Luke Fickell).

Furthermore, maybe you just wanted to explore the comparison a little bit; it would allow you to see who the highest paid active college football coaches are (Nick Saban - $6 million per year).  Or see who the oldest active college football coaches are, though it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Joe Paterno is the oldest at the age of 84 years old.  Or my personal favorite; who the winningest coaches are.  Because at the end of the day while a clean program comes first, winning is crucial.  Chip Kelly just so happens to be the winningest active coach in college football currently (though he’s only coached 2 seasons to date).

Whether you want to compare Brady Hoke to the rest of the coaches in college football or just want to have a little fun seeing who makes what or how many bowl appearances each coach has FindTheBest’s College Football Coaches Comparison is a great resource for all Michigan Football Diehards out there.

Go Blue!

Vincent Bradley/Class of 2011