The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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4 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2018 CHANGE IS COMING Dear The Wolverine, Growing up near Milan, Mich., I have been a Wolverine football fan since the Bump Elliott era. Watching a game at The Big House is truly one of the great experiences in sports. Recently I took time to review the past 60 seasons that I've been a "Go Blue" guy. I was quite surprised to discover the following: Our beloved Maize and Blue have only finished 10 seasons by beating the Buckeyes and following it up with a win in their bowl game. In the other 50 years, either a loss to Ohio State and/or a loss in the bowl game denied us the delightful satisfaction of a season-ending sweet. However, I'm still hopeful that in the near future Coach Harbaugh will lead Michigan to once again enjoying some of those double delight finishes that allow all of us long-suffering loyalists to sing "Hail To The Victors" with a true-blue gusto. I predict our disap- pointing past season is the poorest one we will have to endure for many years to come, and Michigan will win the Big Ten title by 2020. My wife, Ellen, and I look forward to receiving and reading The Wolverine. Keep up the good work! Bill Romans Fremont, Ind. THE BEILEIN BANDWAGON Dear The Wolverine, The Beilein bandwagon has become a supersonic jet, a bullet train, an Indy 500 racecar of iconic proportions, met- aphorically speaking, after the Big Ten Tournament championship. Icons, when I went to school, car- ried a religious connotation, but more recently includes the concept of leg- endary qualities. Michigan has had its legends including Yost, Crisler, Oosterbaan, Canham, Schembechler, Carr and Berenson. Basketball at Michigan has had its moments, but the Fab Five scandal cer- tainly took its toll on the prestige of the university basketball program. The university addressed the issue, but the sanctions by the NCAA stymied the basketball program for years. That being said, slow down the cur- rent bandwagon, because I want to get on. While I admit to being in the category of the fair-weather basketball fan, I have been caught up in the ap- preciation of the coaching job that John Beilein has brought to Michigan bas- ketball. Whatever occurs in the com- ing NCAA Tournament, Beilein has earned legendary status as a Michigan coach. Beilein has consistently hired qual- ity coaches who can coach the needs of the program within the parameters of the rules. He has had an eye for quality in players that other coaches have missed on the recruitment trail. The ability to develop a player's talent at the play- er's pace is a talent in itself. And, he does that time and again. This year is a perfect example for several players. And, did I mention that he does all these things in a friendly manner? He makes you want to hear what he has to say in the next interview. He has a sincerity of fondness for his players that is hard to match, but for this ob- server is palpable. I want to be on the bandwagon, because I know that we are watching the performance of one more Michigan legend. Thank you, John Beilein. Go Blue! J. Richard Jaconette, M.D. '59 Med Battle Creek, Mich. April 2018 • Vol. 29, No. 9 ISSN 1048-9940 Editor John Borton The Wolverine.com Editor Chris Balas Football Recruiting Writer Brandon Brown Staff Writers Austin Fox Andrew Vailliencourt Managing Editor Ryan Tice Contributing Editor Steve Downey Layout And Design Jeanette Blankenship Chris Miller Contributing Photographers Lon Horwedel Per Kjeldsen Cover Photo Lon Horwedel Publisher Stu Coman Business Manager Linda Autry Marketing/Merchandise Manager Beverly Taylor Director Of Advertising Michelle Delee-Hamilton Customer Service Lauren Saunders 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: gevans@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 Entering Michigan's Sweet 16 matchup with Texas A&M, John Beilein and his basket- ball team were 12-1 during the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments the past two years. The lone loss was a 69-68 defeat in the Sweet 16 to eventual Final Four participant Oregon. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL