Football, Fandom, and Faith in the System

Currently I am unemployed.  This has two large effects on my life.

First, I have no source of income and am living off an ever lessening line of credit and an almost depleted bank account.  So it goes.

Secondly, all the free time with which I should be focusing on finding gainful employment ("You don't go out looking for a job dressed like that?  On a weekday?"  "Is this a...what day is this?") I have poured into my ever growing obsession with the University of Michigan football team.  This doesn't put food on the table, but I find it satiating in its own right   albeit a little masochistic at times.

The Wolverines were the only team I ever really loved.  Part of this is probably due to my childhood spent rooting for the Lions   talk about masochism   but most of it traces back to my father.  He got his masters degree from UM Flint while doing custodial and mantience work at a nearby community college.  Every Saturday he watched the Wolverines take the field or listened along on the radio, which meant that I was indoctrinated with maize and blue mythology from a young age.  The Victors, winged helmets, the Big House, and all the great Wolverines of the 90's.  As I become more of a football fan I gravitated more to the team, and when it came time to choose a college there was really no choice at all.  I went Blue and never looked back.

In my time as a Michigan fan I have seen the highest highs and the lowest lows, and my devotion to the team has not once wavered.  Things have been increasingly difficult these last couple years, but the adversity has only strengthened my love of the team.  

I am lucky to be part of what I consider the most devoted and thoughtful online community of college football supports in the country (thanks to MGoBlog).  I am an unabashed fan and supporter of Rich Rodriguez as well as deeply thankful for the years of service of Lloyd Carr.  If there is such a thing as a Michigan Man, I would hope that I would qualify, and I certainly try to act accordingly.

And so I begin this Blog project.  I don't mean to replace the contributions of the many other wonderful Michigan Football bloggers out there, but merely add my own voice and hopefully come up with a few interesting thoughts along the way.

The season is days away, a season that will very likely decide the trajectory of the program for the better part of this next decade.  It's gonna be a helluva ride.  I'm just glad to be part of it.

It's easy to grin when your ship comes in and you've got the stock market beat. But the man worthwhile, is the man who can smile, when his shorts are too tight in the seat. 

Lets just hope by the end of the season we can grin a little easier.