Posted on Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 2:46 p.m.
Columnist Rick Reilly says Michigan is 'Dean Wormer of the Big Ten'
By AnnArbor.com Staff
ESPN columnist Rick Reilly has fun today welcoming Nebraska to the Big Ten and outlining what the Cornhuskers can expect from each of their new league opponents.
Among his lines on Michigan: "It's the Dean Wormer of the Big Ten. It's fun to mess with Michigan."
Reilly also writes, "They have very cool helmets that have nothing to do with their nickname, the Wolverines, which is about as indigenous to Michigan as the fairy penguin."
Comments
adam
Sun, Jul 24, 2011 : 12:14 a.m.
I missed the article with the reasons why I care what Rick Reilly writes. I'm sure the quality of their columnists has nothing to do with their declining sales.
tim
Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 11:32 a.m.
Wolverines are/were indigenous to Michigan. A reference was published years ago that said wolverines weren't natural here and nobody bothered to questioned that. Wolverines bones have been found and Biologist no longer question that they were living here in Michigan's past
rightmind250
Sat, Jul 23, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
You are right Tim. There are quite a few "fairy penguins" walking around Ann Arbor. Rick reilly is right also. It is fun.
kidmich
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 8:36 p.m.
Where was Reilly when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
discgolfgeek
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.
I liked the article, it was moderately humorous and an easy read. People can be too thin-skinned, he didn't say anything too terrible about the team. Are we so holy that people can't joke or say bad things about us? The whole "This is Michigan" & "Michigan Man" thing just invites potshots. I think Nebraska will do well next year. I also expect Michigan to have a big bounce-back from the previous 3 years.
Bogie
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 4:02 p.m.
Makes sense to me. Wormer always thought he was in charge, even though his wife was hanging out at Otter's (who was from OHIO!). LOL!
Mumbambu, Esq.
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 12:52 p.m.
That doesn't even make sense. Rick Reilly is like a small cucumber.
Matt Phillips
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 7:55 a.m.
Reilly is a University of Colorado fan, he's hated UM ever since they kicked their butts in 2 games and were beating them until the miracle Kordell Stewart pass in a 3rd game. I've been to Boulder, if you want to listen to people talk non-stop about how their new skis with the adaptive camber are going to really help them attack the moguls this year, or how they're going to ride their new carbon-fiber bicycle year round, or how they recycle better than their neighbor, go to a CU football game, i sat behind two CU "fans" yacking away for the whole game about all of these topics and nothing related to the game. Similar conversations were overheard at area bars and restaurants as well.
adam
Sun, Jul 24, 2011 : 12:07 a.m.
Maybe the residents of Boulder should make out of towners wear big red floppy hats so they know when to keep quiet.
mmppcc
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 11:33 a.m.
Wow! You're saying folks in Boulder care about more than just football? No wonder Boulder has such a bad rep. What an awful town!
1st Down
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 4:29 a.m.
Intelligence is about as indigenous to Rick Reilly as are boobs on a bull.
Engineer
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:24 a.m.
No credibility at all. We do have Wolverines in this state. All he had to do is check with the DNR. This guy is a clown.
Bogie
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 3:59 p.m.
ya, one. came from canada. you must have went to the harvard of the huron.
Terry Star21
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 1:16 a.m.
"Reilly has been voted NSSA National Sportswriter of the Year eleven times". I didn't know they had a 'comedy writing division' for the NSSA ? Geez, I always believe when someone writes a article like that, knocking college footballs number one team historically, it means one thing - they or their favorite team has been humiliated historically by Michigan Football (I'm always right on this one believe me). If Mr. "Blutto" Reilly is writing a comedy or fiction, hey - I can laugh. But if he is serious - he is a poor excuse for a sports writer, sadly ! Hey "Blutto" Reily - Dean Wormer is gonna expel you back to grade school.
DonAZ
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 1:07 a.m.
If we're going to make "Animal House" references, then it seems to me Michigan is more the Eric 'Otter' Stratton character -- smooth ... a touch arrogant ... thinks he's above it all. The Dean Wormer character is more like Wisconsin. Ohio State is the Neidermeyer character. Michigan State is the Flounder character -- he's trying really, really hard to be liked. The Belushi character -- Bluto -- is reserved for LSU and Les Miles.
sedroc98
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 11:19 p.m.
Wow guys dont be so offended. He took a shot at our team, so what. You cant be blind to how the program looks from the outside looking in the last few years. Besides the bulleton board material hoke gets, the better. We need guys like him to kick the sleeping dog while it lyes.
David Vande Bunte
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:59 p.m.
I would just like to point out that Michigan became known as the Wolverine state, and thus, the University of Michigan Wolverines, because of either the legendary Michigan-Ohio War, aka The Toledo Strip War, in which Ohioans proclaimed that the Michiganders were as vicious and bloodthirsty as Wolverines, or that the native Indians named Michigan settlers Wolverines because of the way they attacked the land for food. (I have heard it both ways, not 100% sure which is the most accurate) Either way, the term Wolverine came about because of something other than the local indigenous populations. Kinda like Spartans, or that long lost colony of Trojans that settled in SoCal. Rick Reilly needs to do some research.
catfishrisin
Fri, Jul 22, 2011 : 2:22 p.m.
The Toledo War happened between 1935-1936 during the Great Depression leading up to the Great Gettysburg War after which we fought the revolution. I love history.
David Vande Bunte
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 7:38 p.m.
The Toledo War events occurred in 1935-1936, a good 28 years prior to Gettysburg.
Tom Teague
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 5:40 p.m.
So the legend I heard -- that Custer coined the nickname by calling "Come on, you Wolverines!" to the Michigan Brigade (1st, 5th, 6th and 7th Michigan Cavalry) at the Battle of Gettysburg -- is not true? Or did the nickname pre-date that?
Blue Marker
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 10:10 p.m.
But doing research would take away from his opinion based writing. And we couldn't have that. Great stuff by the way!
Lorain Steelmen
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:13 p.m.
I remember when Penn State came in the league...the last 'new-be'. Of course, they thought they were going to run all over everyone in the leaguie. The usual crap....the league even gave them five years of 'byes' before they played osu and UM....and they stuill stunk up the joint. Now it big bad Nebraska....We'll see how 'Bo Polacki' handles losing to teams, he's suppsed to beat. Welcome Huskers....but nobody around here is impressed.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 3:42 p.m.
It's also worth noting that PSU has played OSU EVERY year since it entered the conference in 1993--EVERY YEAR. So much for the Big 10 giving PSU "five years of 'byes' before they played osu and UM." Good Night and Good Luck
Meangoblue
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:04 p.m.
We all know this gal named Lorraine, The ressurection of Bo is his claim to fame, Kept in check by Edward M Ghost, lorraine's ideas are turned to toast, Mancrushing RR remains her only boast. MEEEEEEEEEEEEANchigan football will return from the murky muck, If y'all don't believe this GOOOOOD Night and GOOOOD Luck!!!
Jimmy McNulty
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 12:56 p.m.
ERM's Ghost- thank you for clearing that up. Lorain is obviously in some type of UM holier-than-thou stupor.
Terry Star21
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 1:26 a.m.
mmppcc - "Big Ten is Ohio State and the Gang" ? Please - there are no other teams in the Big Ten that cheated for ten straight years, all for winning. ohio state never was, never existed for those seasons !
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 11:29 p.m.
"the league even gave them [PSU] five years of 'byes' before they played osu and UM....and they stuill stunk up the joint. Sorry--no. PSU's first season in the Big 10 was 1993. Michigan played them in 93, 94, 95, and 96. And in 1994, its second season in the league, it went 12-0, #2 in the nation, and won the Rose Bowl. This is stinking up the joint? Good Night and Good Luck
burton163
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:34 p.m.
Wow, talk about laying down the gauntlet. It will be interesting to see how Nebraska's game translates to the B10. Most in the media are calling for them to contend for the B10 title right out of the gate. They got a lot of talent...but I don't think too many B10 teams are gonna roll over for 'em. It'd be fun to see them win their non conference games and then get their azz handed to them a few times in B10 play.
mmppcc
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 9:34 p.m.
I disagree. The Big Ten has turned into Ohio State and the Gang. Now that Ohio State is sinking, Nebraska might be in a position to dominate the conference in football. I mean, who is going to challenge them?
mmppcc
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 8:53 p.m.
I'm not sure I totally get his Wormer reference, but he's right that it is fun to mess with Michigan. They just seem to take themselves so seriously, when they're just another face in the crowd to the rest of the country: University of Insert state name here / we play football.
mmppcc
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 7:44 p.m.
Ugh, Simon! That lie is so bad it's almost nausiating. The Chinese must really be thrilled Ann Arbor is so close to where The Flintstones grew-up who played for MSU, huh? I traveled Europe, which is a lot closer to America, culturally, than China, and no one, I mean, no one had ever heard of U-M, except for a few academic types who knew nothing about sports. Everyone asked me where I lived compared to NYC or LA. Some of them had heard they should be scared of Detroit but didn't know where it was.
Simon
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 2:15 p.m.
Actually....mmppcc, if you're talking about the name recognition of Michigan sports, people in China do know. I'm chinese, when I was accepted to UofM and told my uncles back in China, they all instantly recognized Michigan as the school that the Fab Five went to. Combine that with Michigan's overall brand as an institution, yes Michigan is very recognizable in the world.
mmppcc
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 1:54 p.m.
...in the world? Yes, I'm sure Chinese national television is broadcasting all the Michigan football games. There is a difference between being arrogant and being delusional.
Terry Star21
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 1:20 a.m.
I agree with Blue Marker.....and also anyone that loves to mess with Michigan, has typically been humiliated by Michigan Football and most likely loves to play with a fire - good luck.
Blue Marker
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 10:20 p.m.
It's true, we Michigan fans do take ourselves (and our football) too seriously. But what fan base doesn't? However, we're hardly a "face in the crowd" as you put it. Despite the troubles of the past 5 years Michigan is still one of the most recognized teams in all of sports...not just college football. Play the fight song and people who watch 5 games in their whole lives know it. Show the helmet and people who don't know the difference between a field goal and a home run have seen it. Love them or hate them Michigan is still one of the "it" sports programs in the world.
blueiniowa
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 7:28 p.m.
I read Reilly a couple of times on espn's website. I don't think it's a coincidence that espn doesn't provide a comment section on Rick's material. The guy is kind of a buffoon, who thinks he's funny, but is pretty unclever and uninspired. I now avoid his articles because I don't want my clicks adding to his legitimacy. It's kind of ironic that an out-of-touch has-been (assuming he can be called a "has-been." I never read him much during his SI days either,) such as himself calling anything Dean Wormer
Tom Teague
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 7:01 p.m.
We should put him on double secret probation!
A2comments
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 : 11:39 a.m.
"I hate those guys".
81wolverine
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 11:33 p.m.
Very good! "I'm going to get those guys!"
81wolverine
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 : 6:56 p.m.
Michigan is the "Dean Wormer of the Big Ten"? Rrrriigggghhhttttt. Reilly probably shouldn't quit his day job to become a comedian.