Brian Kelly on Michigan Rivalry

[Jebediah Springfield]

Brian Kelly: Notre Dame-Michigan isn't a 'historic' rivalry

 

[phork]

I think I get his meaning, but to say its not historic is flat out wrong. They brought football to SouthBend, ND built a replica of Michigan Stadium as their own. I love the game personally, but its not like USC or Navy imo.

 

[BGIF]

What Kelly Should Have Said

What Kelly Should Have Said

With a tip of the hat to the BlueGraySky.com ( R.I.P.)



letter from BGS to Michigan fans, September, 2005...

Dear Michigan fans,

That time of year is upon us once again, when the two titans of midwest football clash in what's shaping up to be yet another epic battle. There's something extremely powerful surrounding this mostly-annual grudge match; we fight over local and national dominance, we fight over the top spot spot in all-time winning percentage, we fight over recruits. ND-Michigan has featured some of the best games in college football over the years, with legendary names like Hamilton and Oliver, Ismail and Howard, Carter and Brooks and Mirer and Gillette spilling across the headlines. Interestingly enough, despite the proximity -- Ann Arbor is just a scant 175 miles from South Bend -- Notre Dame and Michigan aren't really the dominant rivals in each other's worldview. Notre Dame has its traditional, and longer-running rivalry with Southern Cal, and Michigan's stalking horse has always been Ohio State. That's not to say ND-Michigan is taken any more lightly by its fans; on the contrary, the emotions run just as high. But the matchup is special: I would say that Michigan and Notre Dame are less rivals and more Enemies. Bitter, bitter enemies.

ND-Michigan more often than not features a battle of nationally-ranked opponents, and often goes right down to the wire. And unlike other grudge matches that often serve as a capstone to a team's season, the Notre Dame-Michigan affair is always right up front, usually kicking off the season. A win can catapult the victor to an undefeated season; a loss can sink a team's hopes right out of the gates. Off the field, we pit our rich traditions against each other in a never-ending argument over who's got the best academics, the best colors, the best uniforms, the best marching band, and the best fight song.

In a way, Notre Dame owes Michigan a debt of gratitude. It was a group of Wolverine players who first taught the game to a Notre Dame club way back in 1887. From those humble beginnings, both programs rose to national fame and fortune. So, we give thanks to Michigan for passing down the game that has defined us so, and we are grateful.

But we owe Michigan more than our gratitude. We owe UM our scorn, for they have earned it.

A quick look at the history books reminds us why the Skunkbears have a wing unto themselves in our Hall of Shame. Shortly after the halcyon days of 1887, when players shared the game in a collegial competition, you tried to kill us. Once Notre Dame beat Fielding Yost's "point-a-minute" champions (after 8 consecutive losses to the Wolverines), Yost took the fledgling Irish program off Michigan's schedule. The humiliation ran deep; as if simply dropping the Irish wasn't enough, Yost fought tooth and nail to keep the burgeoning ND program out of the powerful Western Conference, worried that the upstart immigrant school would damage the reputation of what is now the Big Ten. Yost blackballed us, and encouraged others to do the same; for 34 years, his cowardice was enshrined in UM's schedule for all to see. Like a deranged, Munchausen-by-proxy mother (look it up), you tried to smother us in the crib when our program was in its infancy. Fear of Notre Dame was a powerful talisman, institutionalized by Yost, and the cowardice and consternation towards Notre Dame oozes out of Ann Arbor even to this day.

Yost was but the first in a litany of men of low character to hold the reins at UM. Fritz Crisler's "bias" (ahem) toward ND is well-known, and, like his predecessor, again dropped the Irish from his schedule for thirty years after a loss. Bo Schembechler sat idly by, for years, as three different Irish coaches won National Championships, while he was busy losing Rose Bowls; Bo was driven crazy with the notion that ND might enter the Big 10 and end his biannual trips to Pasadena. Gary Moeller was frustrated that he couldn't pick Notre Dame up, drink it, and then drive into a ditch. These also-rans were over-shadowed by true coaching legends just down the road from them: legends like Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian, and Holtz, who racked up championship upon championship as Ann Arbor stewed.

In the end, perhaps we do owe the Skunkbears a few more tokens of thanks. If Yost hadn't taken his ball and gone home, perhaps we would now be in the Big Ten, and our idea of football excellence would entail two or three losses per year and a trip to the Rose Bowl twice a decade. But instead, you blackballed us, and tried to choke us out of existence. You should have finished the job. We survived, and because too many teams were under Michigan's villainous spell in the Midwest, we were forced to look elsewhere to find quality opponents. And we did. We scheduled and played the nationwide champions of the day: Army, Southern Cal, Georgia Tech, Stanford, and many others. We criss-crossed the country, we were Rockne's Ramblers, taking on all comers, what tho' the odds. In doing so, we won national acclaim, respect, and the hearts of countless Americans. It was Michigan's attempt to stamp out a budding rival that created the nation's most popular and successful football program, the University of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish.

This is why we don't approach the Michigan game with the same tradition-***** respect, the pomp and circumstance, or the "contest of equals" honor reserved for the Southern Cal game. Rather, like Inigo Montoya closing in on the six-fingered man, we come with a singular focus. We are Notre Dame Football. You tried to kill us. Prepare to die.

 

[fightingirish26]

That was awesome

 

[pumpdog20]

As unpopular as it is with most on here, the Michigan game has always meant more to me. So glad I was able to go to last year's game.

 

[rtrn2glory]

i personally have found the ann arbor game to be more of a rivalry to me than the usc or navy game simply due to the fact the usc game isn't what it used to be back in the 60s or 70s and the ann arbor game simply takes precedent due my geographic location

 

[scUM Hater]

Living in Michigan, this is the biggest rivalry on the schedule. It is a years worth of bragging rights. It's hard to deal with scUM fans after a losd. My biggest question is if michigan will present ND with a letter saying they are backing out of their game at ND next year.

 

[IrishLax]

Living in Michigan, this is the biggest rivalry on the schedule. It is a years worth of bragging rights. It's hard to deal with scUM fans after a losd. My biggest question is if michigan will present ND with a letter saying they are backing out of their game at ND next year.

From everything I've heard, the game was expected to be cancelled... but then Hoke started running his mouth... so who knows. I think if Michigan wins they will almost certainly cancel the 2014 game.

 

[calvegas04]

Usc is my main rival F them

 

[Rhode Irish]

I agree with BK. I would rather not do Michigan the favor of playing them every year. **** them.

 

[Booslum31]

I see Kelly working here and I'm OK with his comments. Trying to diminish the significance of the game...while behind the scenes he's probably amped things up considerably. It's like when a coach heading into a big game says "we aren't doing anything differently...it's just like any other game".

 

[philipm31]

Just don't get too good at it. Lou was a pro at poor mouthing ND and their preparation to the point that the media finally believed him and passed the Irish over for FSU, even though ND beat them soundly.

If not for the fluke TD pass to McCorvey, ND wins by 14 points and splits the national title with the Noles, instead of getting frozen out.

BTW that BGS piece was AWESOME!!

 

[Irish#1]

With a tip of the hat to the BlueGraySky.com ( R.I.P.)



letter from BGS to Michigan fans, September, 2005...

Great article. Haven't read it before, but have read one that talks more about Yost and the earlier years working to keep the Irish program down.

Been an Irish fan since the early 60's, the USC rivalry is bigger than UM to me. I've always enjoyed the UM game, but it's only number two to USC.

 

[scUM Hater]

From everything I've heard, the game was expected to be cancelled... but then Hoke started running his mouth... so who knows. I think if Michigan wins they will almost certainly cancel the 2014 game.

scUM has to present letter before game to get out of next year.

 

[sos32]

As unpopular as it is with most on here, the Michigan game has always meant more to me. So glad I was able to go to last year's game.

Could have said it better, I live in a scUM infested area of Ontario, Canada (about an our from Detroit). Glad I was there last year to see the win and will be glued to the TV to watch another this weekend!

 

[loomis41973]

Bk is dead wrong...Either talking trash or is clueless about ND.

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

Politician talk obviously.

 

[loomis41973]

Obviously...but makes him look foolish imo

 

[rocket66]

Who gives a ****? BK is paid to win games, not drool over an opponent that won't be on future schedules. Hoke took a shot at ND this spring, and BK fires back with "UM isn't a big deal game". Since it fired up the UM fan base, then I'd say BK did exactly what he intended.

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

Obviously...but makes him look foolish imo

Maybe. There were some rumblings on Twitter (from Detroit Tigers beat reporters of all people) that he is somehow "holding a grudge" because he never got the MSU or UM nod after Grand Valley. I sent my fair share of tweet bashings, but people were somehow agreeing with that rationale.

 

[BobD]

BK was just saying f scUM in a socially acceptable way and it came out a little awkwardly.

 

[loomis41973]

Maybe. There were some rumblings on Twitter (from Detroit Tigers beat reporters of all people) that he is somehow "holding a grudge" because he never got the MSU or UM nod after Grand Valley. I sent my fair share of tweet bashings, but people were somehow agreeing with that rationale.

Interesting point OR sour grapes on their end..


+1 either way

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

@IDtheMIKE: Believing ND/Michigan is a major rivalry game is simply proving that Marketing is a discipline worth studying.

@SandlapperSpike: Mark May just said he watched Notre Dame-Michigan growing up. May was born in 1959. ND and UM did not play between 1943 and 1978.

 

[clashmore_mike]

Saw that may tweet. Hilarious

 

[pkt77242]

@IDtheMIKE: Believing ND/Michigan is a major rivalry game is simply proving that Marketing is a discipline worth studying.

@SandlapperSpike: Mark May just said he watched Notre Dame-Michigan growing up. May was born in 1959. ND and UM did not play between 1943 and 1978.

Now that is funny.

 

[Rhode Irish]

.

 

[BGIF]

i personally have found the ann arbor game to be more of a rivalry to me than the usc or navy game simply due to the fact the usc game isn't what it used to be back in the 60s or 70s and the ann arbor game simply takes precedent due my geographic location

The USC game isn't what it used to be in the 60's and 70's?

The USC series in the 60's and 70's was disasterous for ND. The Irish were 7-11-2 with Kuharich and Devore winning 3 of the 7 and Irish Legends Parshegian and Devine losing 10!

1960 to 1979 ND v USC
Kuharich (2-1) won in '60 and '61 then lost in '62.
Devore (1-0) win in '63.
Parshegian (3-6-2) lost 17 games at ND, 6 were to the Trojans.
Devine (1-4) lost 16 games at ND 5 were to the Trojans.

During that same period ND split 2 games with UM in 78-79.

The pendulum started to swing at USC under Faust (3-2) of all people. Then Holtz went 9-1-1.

Davie was 3-2 before the pendulum swung back to USC in the Willngham/Weis years.

The USC series has run in streaks for both teams.



Let's be candid, your geographic location is your factor.

 

[connor_in]

BK was just saying f scUM in a socially acceptable way and it came out a little awkwardly.

This
Somewhat akin to scUM referring to OSU as Ohio

 

[STLDomer]

“@AnnaHScout: "Michigan is coming off the schedule and we're adding Texas, so we're adding to our schedule" - BK to Heather Cox”

 

[Black Irish]

The BGS piece is awesome. I think the author hits the nail on the head when he says that "while USC & Navy are rivals, Michigan is an enemy." While the UM game gives me agita supremo, I will miss it. It's a series of extremes; the loses sting harder but the wins are so much sweeter. It's only second to me to USC as the game I most look forward to.