Hockey Healing

Phil reminded us in a comment today that, if any time deserved - nay, required - a healing pic (or more), it's right after losing the hockey national championship in OT

So while this won't erase The Pain, we humbly offer the photos below as but as a first step in the road to recovery.

Michigan vs. Minnesota-Duluth National Championship Open Thread

HEARTBREAK

OT FINAL: Michigan - 2, Minnesota-Duluth - 3

GO BLUE!

Michigan - 2, North Dakota - 0

wow, Wow, WOW!

Shawn Hunwick - a former walk-on whose story will go down as one of the great Michigan sports stories of all time in any sport - stops 40 shots as Meeeeechigan advances to the NCAA hockey championship game against Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday.

What a game!  What a team!

GO BLUE!

Hail Hunwick!

Oh, and to this jackhole...

Your team lost and you have to go back to North Dakota. Ouch.

Bottom pic HT: @EDSBS

Vada Wallpaper

God Bless Vada Murray and his family. Rest in Peace.

If you have not already viewed the Vada Murray tribute video by WolverineHistorian, you should do so. I was a young 2nd Lieutenant stationed at Camp Pendleton in the fall of 1989 when the Michigan Wolverines came into the Rose Bowl to play UCLA. I made the drive with my new Marine buddies who both went to small schools and had never attended a big college football game. The one play that sticks out in my mind was the perfect onside kick (recovered by none other than Vada Murray) that kept Michigan's comeback hopes alive. We won 24-23 in one of the most exciting games I have ever watched. There was no band (they didn't make the trip) so, when it was over, we sang "The Victors" without assistance and it echoed throughout the stadium. To this day, after 6 attempts, it is the only time I have ever walked out of the Rose Bowl stadium a happy man.

Edit: Here is a link to the first Vada Murray wallpaper I did in 2008. After I posted it, I got a nice email from his wife (Sarah) telling me how much they all loved it.

RIP Vada Murray

Sad news to report:

Former Michigan free safety Vada Murray passed away Wednesday after a long battle with cancer.  He was 43 years old.

Murray played for the Wolverines from 1988-1990 and then became an Ann Arbor police officer.  He is survived by his wife and three children.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

UPDATE:  Great article on Vada by Michael Rosenberg in the Freep.

Is Tressel staff member now voting on hoops, too?

Remember the story of the "miscommunication" between Tosu coach Jim Tressel and some assistant who allegedly took it upon himself to change The Vest's USA TODAY Coaches' Poll ballot?

To recap: at his media luncheon leading up to the September 2006 showdown between top ranked Texas and second ranked Ohio State, The Vest told reporters he had voted Texas #1 on his USA TODAY ballot.  But he was exposed as being, shall we say, "less than accurate with the facts" when USA TODAY revealed Tressel's ballot actually had the Buckeye's #1, not Texas.  That's when Tosu's Director of Player Development came forward and said he took it upon himself to change his boss' ballot and put Ohio State in the top slot.  You know, because that's what Directors of Player Development do.

Well, lo and behold, the Buckeyes again find themselves in a controversial Coaches' Poll balloting situation, this time on the hoops side.  But apparently no Tosu coaches were involved, or so we're to believe.

As you all know, Monday night UConn won the NCAA basketball title in a contest even uglier and more deserving of mass walkouts than a Charlie Sheen one man show in Motown.  But when the final USA TODAY Coaches' Poll ballot was released on Tuesday, UConn only garnered 30 of the 31 possible first place votes.

So who got the lone non-UConn first place vote?  You guessed it: THE Ohio State Ugottabekiddingme.  The same OSU team that lost not in the championship game, not in the Final Four, not in the Elite Eight, but in the Sweet 16 - a number slightly larger than, well, 1.

But this time Tressel and his staff have an alibi: Northern Arizona's coach, Mike Adras, claimed he voted the Bucks #1 on his ballot "based on their entire body of work during the season."  As of press time, the MZone is checking into Adras' medical condition and looking into whether or not he has any tattoos.

HT: SiC

This is no April Fools Joke

Check out the urban camouflage designed helmet Ohio State is wearing for spring football. The official word from the Athletic Department is they want to honor "the military".

According to the press release: Ohio State players will be wearing the specially commissioned helmets throughout their 2011 spring practices. Following the Spring Game, all but 25 helmets will be sent away to be repainted in the traditional Buckeye silver. Each of the 25 remaining "camo" helmets will be individually numbered, autographed by Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel and then sold, with the sale benefiting the Ohio National Guard Family Readiness and Warrior Support Program, LiFE (Learning in Fitness & Education) through Sports Program and the Ruth and Jesse Owens Scholars Fund. These helmets will be sold off-line on a first-come, first-served basis for $1,000.00/helmet (limit one per an individual). Each helmet will come with a special Certificate of Authenticity, which will include the purchaser's name, helmet number and OSUDA signature authenticating the item of purchase.

There is no truth to the rumor the school is taking a proactive "on the offensive" approach by selling their gear before the players can get their hands on it and trade it for new ink.

As someone who actually served in "the military" -- I'd like to make a suggestion to the fans and administrator's of THE Ohio State University. One of the best ways to honor the military might be to require integrity and honor from the leaders of the organization.