I was elated last night when U of M’s captain Mike Sainristil returned an interception 80 yards to the Washington 8 yard-line to secure the CFP National Championship last night. With four minutes remaining in the game, I texted Michigan’s assistant coach Fred Jackson and told him to order the biggest ring he can. The players and coaches earned this national championship.
I am not ashamed to admit that in the fall of 2020 in the Covid shortened season when Michigan finished 2-4, I felt that Michigan football needed a major overhaul, starting with Jim Harbaugh. I was right about the overhaul. Fortunately, Harbaugh decided that it was his coaching staff that needed the overhaul. Harbaugh let go of most of his coaching staff and replaced them with younger coaches who the players could relate to better and who believed in smash mouth balanced football that was won and lost in the trenches of the offensive and defensive line. Under this new leadership, the Wolverines became stronger, tougher, faster, deeper, and adjustable. Most of all, the players and coaches trusted and believed in each other. They also put their individual ambitions second to the team’s ambitions.
The common thread has been team and family. For team 144 team and family have been one in the same. It has truly been all for one and one for all. No matter the difficulty and adversity this team faced, they had a next man up philosophy. Most importantly, the team knew that the next man up would do his job and that his teammates would have his back. Think of Blake Corum’s touchdown run on the first play after All American Zak Zinter was carted off the field with two bones in his leg broken against OSU. Next man up did his job.
There is so much we can learn from how team 144 performed since their disappointing loss to TCU in last year’s CFP semi-final. Rather than blaming it on the refs, poor coaching, bad teammates, etc., they all looked in the mirror and committed to making themselves and their teammates the best they could be. They believed those who stay will be champions. The Wolverines get my Orchid of the Day
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After Michigan went ahead 31-13 yesterday with four minutes left in the game, I was hoping that University of Washington would concede the game was over and replace starting quarterback Mike Penix with their backup QB. I could not stand to see Penix suffer one more hit by the relentless rush of Michigan’s defensive line. By this time in the game, Penix appeared to be in great pain as he hoppled back to the huddle limping on one leg and holding both sides. Penix had taken a beating all game and it looked like his body was broken.
Penix, has been a gifted QB during his four years at Indiana University and his two years at the University of Washington. Unfortunately, he has struggled with multiple injuries. The thought of him getting hurt one more time was not something that I wanted to see happen. Penix showed tremendous fortitude and strength as he kept getting back up after getting knocked down on nearly every pass play. Some of the pundits will say that Penix had an off day yesterday. To me, Penix showed more character in yesterday’s game than he showed in his previous wins over Texas and Oregon where he lit up the stats sheet. Penix gets my second Orchid of the Day
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I was disappointed when I read an article today in the Detroit News that former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers from Brighton is endorsing the former president for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. I have been a fan of Mike Rogers because I found him to be pragmatic, centrist, and willing to work across the aisle to develop solutions in the best interest of the citizens. Unfortunately, he seems to have lost his way as he seeks the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
Per the Detroit News, Rogers who positioned himself as a rational, independent Republican during a brief presidential run last year and in his current Michigan U.S. Senate race, is expected to announce Tuesday he is endorsing Donald Trump for president.
The announcement by the former Republican congressman from Brighton will surprise and likely disappoint some of his supporters, who saw him as a centering force in a party pulled to the extreme right by the former president and his supporters.
It also reinforces the reality of how tight a grip Trump has on the Republican Party.
This is a tremendous disappointment to me.
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In 2018 the citizens of Michigan approved the formation of the independent commission to redefine Michigan’s congressional and state legislative districts. The panel finished their work, but recently a three-judge panel declared the Detroit-area districts must be redrawn by Spring because the panel determined that race was a primary factor in the drawing of the Detroit-area districts that denied Black voters’ proper representation.
Unfortunately, the commission has been overcome with infighting and the recent departures of three commission members. The infighting is so bad, that one member of the three-judge panel, questioned whether the commission could meet its obligations and redraw the districts as required by Spring.
Per Bridge Michigan U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney on Friday had a seemingly simple question for Michigan’s redistricting commission: What is the confidence level that members can put aside differences and redraw 13 metro Detroit legislative districts deemed illegal?
The response was hardly reassuring: It’s “impossible to say,” the panel’s attorney, Patrick Lewis told the court.
“A more comforting answer would be 100 percent,” Maloney retorted.
I have supported the creation of the commission since it was first proposed. Although they have had their struggles, I am steadfast in my belief that the voting districts drawn up the commission are much better for the citizens of Michigan than the “gerrymandered” districts drawn up by the political party in power. The charge of the commission was challenging at best. It is important the commission put aside their differences and get the job done in a timely manner. We cannot go back to the old way of having the ruling legislature drawing up districts nor do we want politically affiliated judges drawing up the districts.
I will continue to follow this issue closely.
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Quote of the Day: “Business if finished” Blake Corum after U of M’s victory last night. For the entire season, Corum and QB J.J. McCarthy said they came back this year to address unfinished business after losing in the CFP semi-finals in the two previous years.
Orchid of the Day: The Wolverines
Second Orchid of the Day: Washington QB Mike Penix
Question of the Day: Was yesterday’s win, Jim Harbaugh’s last game as the coach of Michigan football.?
Video of the Day: Donovan Edwards doing his thing in last night’s game.
PIH 30 for Prospects (youtube.com)
Breaking down Donovan Edwards’ 2nd long TD for Michigan | The Pat McAfee Show (youtube.com)