Getting Started

Thanks to Austin for the warm words of welcome.

So, what's a guy in Columbus doing writing on a Michigan sports blog? I've often wondered about life's twists and turns that have brought me here myself. It's a long story, but suffice it to say I fell in love with Michigan from my first campus visit in 1984. I went to Ann Arbor in 1986 and graduated in 1990. Six years later, I found myself in Columbus, and it has been home since then.

I have attended Michigan sporting events with crowds of under a hundred (who decided that night baseball in March is a good idea?) and as large as 112,000 in the Big House. Along the way, I had the fortune of attending 1/2 of Bo's Rose Bowl wins, his last game in Michigan Stadium, and many other unforgettable (and a few very forgettable) Michigan sporting events.

I am a die-hard Michigan fan, but I also love college sports of all kinds. I've been to baseball games in Austin, Texas, and water polo matches in Berkeley, California. I spent a day at the Frozen Four here in Columbus in 2005, and spent 20 hours watching basketball when the first round of the NCAA tournament was here last year.

As the blog develops, I'll probably share some thoughts on life in Columbus as a Wolverine. We have a hardy band of brave souls living here behind enemy lines. For the moment, though, let's talk about Michigan hockey, which will be my focus, at least for the next two months.

The history and tradition of Michigan football is well known. What is not as well known is the history and tradition of Michigan hockey, although the record has been just as successful. Michigan boasts more NCAA hockey championships (9) than any other school, and played a huge role in the creation and establishment of the NCAA hockey tournament. Michigan also plays its home games at Yost Ice Arena, a classic old barn which housed the basketball team until Crisler Arena opened in 1972. I can only imagine how intimidating a venue for basketball it must have been.

Back in my days on campus, Michigan basketball was a tougher ticket than Michigan hockey. When I started attending games at Yost in 1987, a crowd of 3,000 was a big deal, and the hockey band was anyone who showed up carrying an instrument. By the time I left Ann Arbor in 1990, Michigan had reached respectability, and the next decade and a half would prove wildly successful.

As I said at the outset, Michigan has more national titles than anyone else. Michigan dominated the early days of the NCAA tournament, winning 7 titles from 1947 to 1964. The next 25 years were the dark days of Michigan hockey, punctuated only by a runner-up finish in 1977. That season marked Michigan's only appearance in the NCAA tournament from 1965 to 1991. 1983 saw the hiring of Gordon "Red" Berenson, a former star at Michigan who also starred in the NHL. Under Berenson, the team began a slow but steady climb from perennial doormat back to prominence as a national power.

It would take 6 seasons of frustration, but from 1991 to the present, Michigan has reached the NCAA tournament every season. Over that span, Michigan has won 8 regular-season CCHA titles and 7 postseason CCHA tournament titles, never finishing lower than 3rd in the conference. Michigan won the 1996 and 1998 NCAA titles, and made it to the Frozen Four six additional times. Along the way, Yost Ice Arena has become one of the most intimidating venues in all of college sports.

But history is the province of old fogies like me (quick - how many Michigan alums does it take to change a light bulb? Nine - one to actually change it and eight to talk about how good the old one was). Today, Michigan hockey is ranked at the top of the national polls, and is two wins away from clinching the 9th regular season CCHA title of the Berenson era.

Coming up this weekend: a "road and Joe" series with arch-rival Michigan State. Friday night's game will be at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing; Saturday night's game will be at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. If you've been waiting to check them out, there are plenty of tickets still available for Saturday night's game at the Joe. You can find ticket information here.

That's enough for this intro. Look for a preview of this weekend's series on Thursday! Thanks again to Austin for inviting me to join this endeavor, and bear with me as a figure this blogging thing out.

Go Blue!