The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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4 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2018 MILES APART, BUT NOT IN HEART Dear The Wolverine, I should pinch myself just to make certain this all isn't a dream! Your pub- lishing of The Wolverine is the next best thing to being in Ann Arbor. Usually my best bud and I drive to Ann Arbor from Jersey four, some- times five, times a year for football, fun and loads of friends. Regrettably, health issues served as a road block, and we're not able to go this year. Nonetheless, we're grateful for count- less blessings and one definitely being The Wolverine! Thanks for taking us home to Ann Arbor. Go Blue! Marlon Benjamin Morristown, N.J. PAUL BUNYAN TROPHY IS JUST THE CHERRY ON TOP Dear The Wolverine, Thank you Wolverines for a deci- sive victory over MSU. This victory was sweet given the disrespecting pre- game antics by the Spartans, among the usual reasons that drubbing them is so satisfying. The final score does not indicate how one-sided the victory was, but the statistics do in all the im- portant categories. The Paul Bunyan Trophy, as I re- member it, was started by Governor G. Mennen Williams to commemorate the entry of Michigan State into the Big Ten Conference in the early 1950s. It was not a popular trophy for the University of Michigan in the early years, but has come to be accepted as a legitimate award for the victor even in Ann Arbor. That acceptance was on full display after the game, as it has been in recent memory for both schools. This team has come a long way since the Notre Dame game. They have pro- gressed in addressing the individual game shortcomings. Slow starts were an issue for too many games early in the season. The Nebraska game was a complete game followed by the early game doldrums at Northwestern and Maryland. The Wisconsin and Michi- gan State games were 60-minute ef- forts. The results speak for themselves. Go Blue! J. Richard Jaconette, M.D. Battle Creek, Mich. A SIMPLE REQUEST Dear The Wolverine, It would be safe to say that the Maize 'N Blue Nation is button- popping proud of a long-anticipated convincing football victory over the Spartans. My reaction is one of relief after watching the UM-MSU rivalry be tainted for 20 years by disgrace- ful public trash-talking, flagrant un- sportsmanlike conduct, cheating and fluke occurrences. I can only speak for myself when I say that I am disgusted by what the rivalry has become. Football has often been called a game of emotions, but an effective player must control and channel those emotions from being destructive into positive energy. It's time for The Leaders And Best to "take the high road" and show some class. What do you think Bo Schem- bechler would say about the current state of the Wolverine-Spartan foot- ball rivalry? Can you picture his fi- ery, blue eyes and the veins popping out of his thick neck as he points his stubby index finger at your nose? He might point out that 18- to 22-year-olds are known for their oc- casional rash and irrational behavior, but mature, clear-headed coaches and team captains need to step up and take control. Here is what I think he would point out. The whole "Little Brother" back- and-forth started at Coach Dantonio's 2007 postgame press conference when he jokingly asked for "a moment of silence" for Michigan after they lost to Appalachian State. Mike Hart's "Little Brother" joking-around comments were his response. Hurt feelings might have died down eventually had not Coach Dan- tonio publicly "gone ballistic" about his program being made the butt of that joke. That was the "declaration of war" as it were. What needs to be learned here is that coaches should stay out of such matters, even if they desperately need December 2018 • Vol. 30, No. 4 ISSN 1048-9940 Editor John Borton The Wolverine.com Editor Chris Balas Football Recruiting Writer Brandon Brown Staff Writers Austin Fox Drew Hallett Editorial Intern Andrew Hussey Managing Editor Ryan Tice Contributing Editor Steve Downey Layout And Design Jeanette Blankenship Chris Miller Contributing Photographers Lon Horwedel Per Kjeldsen Cover Photo Brandon Brown Publisher Stu Coman Business Manager Linda Autry Marketing/Merchandise Manager Beverly Taylor Director Of Advertising Michelle Delee-Hamilton Customer Service Cathy Jones, Gail Evans The Wolverine is published monthly. A one-year (12 issues) subscription is $52.99. The Wolverine is printed at The Papers in Milford, Ind. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Wolverine, P.O. Box 2331, Durham, NC 27702. Periodical postage paid at Durham, NC 27702 and additional offices. For advertising or subscription information, call 1-800-421-7751 or write The Wolverine, P.O. Box 1304, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. The Wolverine is a publication of Coman Publishing Company, 905 W. Main St, Suite 24F, Durham, NC 27701. E-Mail Address: thewolverine@comanpub.com Subscription questions: cjones@comanpub.com Website: www.thewolverine.com Be Heard! Send your letters to: Wolverine Letters • P.O. Box 1304 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Or e-mail: ryantice@comanpub.com Letters may be edited for clarity or length. FROM OUR READERS