Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Assorted links

1. DEA sadism.

2. A time series of satellite maps of Ann Arbor via Google.

3. Electronic coaching for students at Michigan.

4. The McDonald's of the future.

5. Did Notre Dame "chicken out" of its football series with Michigan?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Brady Hoke ought to read up on the history of the Michigan-Notre Dame "rivalry." The teams have actually played sparingly little (until late), mostly because Michigan tried multiple times to run and hide from a challenge (throw in a little deep-seated anti-Catholicism from Fritz Crisler as well).

Notre Dame won in 1909 after losing to Michigan 8 straight times. Michigan reacted by canceling the series until 1942. Notre Dame won in 1943, and then Michigan reacted by canceling the series until 1978. You can read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan%E2%80%93Notre_Dame_football_rivalry

Brady Hoke's hero, the late Bo Schembechler, famously said "To hell with Notre Dame. They need us more than we need them." Three years before he died, Schembechler said if he were athletic director he wouldn't schedule Notre Dame if they got down on their hands and knees and begged. Read about it here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/455885-the-notre-dame-michigan-rivalry-to-hell-with-notre-dame

In many respects, Notre Dame has Michigan's cowardice and prejudice to thank for its rise to power. Had Michigan not been so hostile to Notre Dame in the early 20th century, Notre Dame would have been admitted to the then Western Conference (now known as the Big Ten / We Can't Count Conference). Had Notre Dame been in the B1G, they would have become regionalized, and wouldn't have developed intersectional rivalries like the one with Southern California.

The other thing lost in the shuffle is that Michigan would have canceled the series had Notre Dame not. Now that the B1G is going to a nine game conference schedule, Michigan would have backed out anyway. Dave Brandon, Michigan AD, said: "I have to have seven home games a year. If you think about a nine-game Big Ten schedule, there will be one year I have four home games and one year I have five. In the year that I have four, I have to play every one of my non-conference games at home, so I can't be in a world where I have four Big Ten home games and I'm supposed to play Notre Dame (in South Bend). I can't live in that world." Read about it here: http://collegefootball.about.com/b/2011/04/19/will-big-ten-expansion-threaten-the-notre-dame-michigan-rivalry.htm