6 DAYS And Counting.....Beanie Bowl - Band UPDATE

BEANIE BOWL UPDATE

For those of you that didn't know, the team and band perform a Saturday pre-season dress rehearsal of sorts. Last Saturday, August 23rd, the band marched and led the team into the stadium. Only this year, tradition has changed. Now, the band will form two lines and lead the team into the stadium 2 hours prior to kick-off. Please see the Mgoblue.com website countdown day number 8 for further details. We looked good playing ourselves.

So what does this have to do with anything, you might ask? For those loyal tailgaters at the corner of Hoover and Greene (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), it could have lead you to believe that the pre-game tailgating tradition was going to change and that the band would be marching by the tailgate some 2.5 hours prior to kick-off. However, investigative reporting by Greg H has provided insider information that notes everything will be normal for the band on game day:

MMQ:

Band will be making their normal march on Game day!

The victors walk with the player will only be a few band members and take place two hours before kick off


Greg

-----Original Message-----
From: Maggie St. Clair [mailto:mstclair@umich.edu]
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2008 4:10 PM
To: Holland, Greg
Subject: Re: Band route and performances on Game Day

Greg:

the Victors Walk and the band walk to the stadium are not the same event.

The Victors Walk will be in the parking lot by the stadium. We will continue to do our walk as we usually do on game day.

Maggie

MAGGIE ST. CLAIR Telephone: 734.764.6102
Michigan Marching/Athletic Bands Email: mstclair@umich.edu
Revelli Hall - 350 E. Hoover Fax: 734.763.2018
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3707


On Aug 25, 2008, at 4:04 PM, Holland, Greg wrote:

Hello,

I was wondering if you can tell me the route for the band and the players on game day, the "Victors Walk" or march?

Is the band still going to march up Hoover turn on Green and go to the stadium on game day?

We always love watching the band go by our tailgate!

Thank you for your help and GO BLUE!,

Greg Holland
Class of '90
Michigan Engineering

Product Manager
Special Profiles

Tahnkfully, some traditions do not change....

The Rich Rod Era Begins

Ready or not. The "Rich Rod" Era is upon us. Everything is hinging on this guy and this team. When that team runs out, we will have witnessed one legacy that started nearly 40 years ago finally be laid to rest, and a new legacy begin.....We can now really talk about the ghost of Bo in the same reverent way we talk about the ghosts of Yost and Crisler.....

I say that somewhat tongue in cheek, but think about it. 6-6 at Michigan is unacceptable by a new guy. We would have bitched and complained about Lloyd going 6-6 (like we bitched when they went 7-5 and were lucky to go 7-5) but this is different. Expectations, weirdly, seem higher this year than in 2006. At least, that's the feeling you get. No one, and I mean NO ONE is giving Michigan a chance.

I have seen us picked to finish as low as 6th in the Big 10....6th??? WTF......Tell me how that can be? If Lloyd had still been here, would we have been 6th?? Behind perennial greats like Penn State, MSU, OSU, Illinois and Wisconsin....Ahem, let me clear the air: The last time PSU beat us was before Lloyd took over....MSU hasn't beat us since the 1 second issue with Sparty Boob in 199...the Suckeyes are due to lose and Illinois will be tough, but we have them at home. And we owe Wisconsin....

If they don't impress early and often, well, it could be a long season. Not Notre Dame long, mind you, but long. But I just have this feeling that things can't be as bad in a weak Big 10 as some of the pundits want us to believe.

I really want someone to ask The Rod a simple question: Is the overall level of talent you currently have at Michigan better or worse than what you left at WVU? That should answer the critics...If he answered the question honestly. I am sure he would dance around it like a fly dancing around a light bulb in the dark. If he has better talent and loses, than he is a failure as a coach. If he has worse talent, well, how can he possibly win this year? So, we won't get a straight answer to the question, but it would be interesting if someone asked it.

Here's another thought: What is everyone going to do if Michigan wins 9 or 10 games? Is the Rod the coach of the year? It seems to me he has to be, right? I mean, we're really supposed to suck harry balls, so how can it be anything less than the comeback story of the year??? But wait....There is always more to the story...

Unfortunately, due to O-Line bail-outs and injury, we are in a very precarious position at this point....Start looking for defensive guys to make the switch to offense in order to get playing time. The o-line is hurting, and the predictions, while dire, may end up coming true.....

Anyway, until Monday..

MMQ

P.S. Michigan is an early 3.5 point favorite....With all the O-line injuries, look for that spread to DROP like a rock and go to even....Take Michigan

12 Days and Counting - INSIDE MICHIGAN Debuts August 26th - MORE STADIUM OVERHEADS!

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

CHECK THE BRICK WORK!!! THIS LOOKS REALLY COOL!!!!!

What Michigan Replay has become. (Click for MGOBLUE website details.)

For those of you that just want the gist of it:

"ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Inside Michigan Football, the University of Michigan Athletic Department-owned football show, begins its first season with head coach Rich Rodriguez, host Jim Brandstatter and reporter Doug Karsch on Aug. 28.

Inside Michigan Football will be broadcast 15 times throughout the season, debuting on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. on FSN Detroit with a replay Friday night at midnight on WXYZ-TV7 (ABC). The same weekly schedule will remain in place for the entire season with additional airings to be announced on the Big Ten Network.

“The title of the show is exactly what it will be,” said producer and director Patrick McLaughlin. “We will have a level of access that few programs in the country allow. We’ll be at every practice, in the locker room and behind the scenes every football Saturday. This will truly be an inside look at Michigan football.”

The show will include game highlights, player features, postgame locker room reactions, commentary from Rodriguez and a preview of the next opponent. Additional features such as sideline spotlights with former players, sounds of the game segments and more will be seen for the first time on Inside Michigan Football."

6:30 on a Thursday night? How in the @#$#%@% am I supposed to remember THAT? Turn it on during dinner? Of course, maybe, just maybe, Ole Rich Rod knows a thing or two about the average college football viewer and the high school recruits...Thursday practices are walkthroughs, for the most part. High Scholl players are probably home early looking forward to the "Big East" Thursday Night Lights game to come on. Isn't this a nice little preview. Still, 7:30 would have been a better time slot for this viewer....

Well, I guess we'll see....I am curious as to this whole insider thing...At least Brandy is still there. And Karsch is a good addition...Even though someone reported that he graduated from Sparty Land???? If anyone can verify, that would be great.

Countdown on the MGoBlue website has been interesting and some of the videos leave me with an "Uh-Oh...." feeling. If anyone has watched any of these, you will know what I mean. While this may be the most conditioned team to head into the stadium for the first game, we could really suck while everyone adjusts to the new offense and defense. I am hearing things like, "In time, this should work itself out as long as we keep coaching hard." Kind of like that App State game worked itself out last year....

More Stadium Remodel Overhead Pics

Thanks to longtime reader and Fan Tom H for providing the link to the Michigan Engineering Website that has a collection of photos and overhead shots of the Stadium renovations....If you poke around on this site, you will find some web cameras as well that take real time shots of the construction.



(click on Images to Enlarge)

website address:
http://www.umaec.umich.edu/projects/Stadium/photos.html

But, as I look at this.....How in the hell do they plan to move 107,101 people in and out of those sections that are under construction????? Are other sections going to get asked to pick up the slack? Inquiring minds want to know. Getting in and out of that place could get even worse than it already is.

Other Notes

The Buckeyes got two players arrested...So what else is new....

Things are always in sort of a wait and see mode with 2 weeks to go...It's just hard to believe we are less than 2 weeks away from the season opener.

So, until there's more to report,

MMQ