Regrets?

That one hurt... really, really bad... my stomach hurt all night... I tried to take it away with this..

Official vodka of LB

It didn't help.  Neither did the beer I followed it with.  However, after a night's sleep and some much needed play time with the kiddos, I felt a little better.  I tweeted that night I might never get over that loss... starting this post the next morning (no hangover, thank you, Baby Jesus), I have no idea whether or not that will be true.

For my boo

I've been lucky enough to experience a lot of titles in my day, and can remember all of the following:  1989 Michigan hoops, 1989-1990 Bad Boys titles, all 4 Red Wings Stanley Cups, the 2004 Pistons, and maybe most fondly, the 1997 Michigan football and 1998 Michigan hockey titles (both my freshman year of college).  I vaguely remember the 84 Tigers as a kid, too.  

However, in sports as in life, we always, ALWAYS, remember the losses more... my personal list of gut wretches includes Kordell Stewart to Michael Westbrook (side note - Fah's first text to me asked if last night was worse than that... uh, yea, way worse...); the 2006, 2012, and 2013 Tigers teams (gotta love setting a record for errors by pitchers in a World Series in 2006, then losing to eventual champion Red Sox in 2013 as a prohibitive favorite); adding in the wife, we have the 1997 Flyers (doubles as a win for me, though), and the 2004 Eagles (your QB puking on a final drive... you can't make this shit up, I love hate love hate love sports).  

Hours... it was ours

Last night tops them all.  That was the first time my stomach hurt for hours after a game.  I mean, hours.  I'm not sure if that loss tops the Flutie Hail Mary or the Stanford/Cal kickoff return into the band, but I know its gonna be in the highlight real for the rest... of... my... life... Quick question, is 8:56 AM too early to hit the official vodka of LB?  No?  Oh well, Army/Navy is in a couple months.

Enough venting, time to get to the bigger question. Quick background... the fam and I were at an engagement party the day of the game, watched the whole thing there.  She left the room before the 4th down play to get the kids in their pajamas for the ride home, assuming the game was over.  She had the luck of missing watching that disaster live.  On the ride home, we spent the hour drive debating whether it was better for me to have witnessed it live or for her to have missed it.  It continued after we put the kids down, and is still being debated here in LB land today.

Having watched the whole game to that point, I obviously do not regret watching the end.  What we are still debating is, do I regret watching the whole thing, i.e., if I could take it back, would I?

Need a ride?

Here's my quick list of the benefits from having watched the game:

- Michigan can and will be able to compete with the best teams in the country for the foreseeable future, including competing for Big 10 and National Titles.

- Harbaugh is here to stay and already making a difference, on and off the field.  The week before Michigan/Michigan State, two top rated RBs for 2016 decommitted from Ohio State to look at Michigan (both) and Michigan State (one of them), among others.

- The threats to our punter over social media are absurd.  He was our best player for most of the game, for God's sake.  MSU went for 3 different 4th and longs inside Michigan territory, all where the punt had pinned them back.  At least one of those drives is points if he didn't kick as well as he did.  No way we were in that position without him.  All this did was fuel the "Wal Mart fan" fire some more, and quite frankly, it shows why the stereotype holds.  I wish they could all be charged with harassment.

- With Michigan now being able to contend, the Big 10 has solidified itself as a conference that can get teams to the playoff, maybe even multiple teams.  We have a lot of 2nd tier teams that have been ranked this year, 2 in the Top 10 (would have been the case if Michigan won, too), and a couple programs with potential to be Top 10s (uh, can we get our s**t together, Penn State, Nebraska, and Wisconsin?).

UM's QB next year is doing this in the spring

- With about 5 minutes to go, my 24-23 MSU pick was looking really good...

- Whether we won or not, we were 1-2 wins better than I thought we would be this year, and I would have still thought we were 2 years away from contending (Rudock is sooooooo bad...).

Given my chose profession, its very easy for me to put things like this into perspective, the ultimate 1st World Problem.  Having thought and written about this, of course I'm happy I watched it.  I think... I don't know, I'm so confused.  All I know is we are going to be a 21 point favorite in East Lansing next year.

Other interesting tidbits from the day that make me pretend its okay...

- The kids were asked to be in the wedding we were at the engagement party for.  ARG is especially excited to walk down the aisle throwing flowers in the "princess wedding," though she did say she "needs to find a prince there."  I'm calling the convent next week to get her enrolled.

- I tried to convince the wife to walk around the house topless that night to cheer me up.  She politely declined.  You'd think she'd understand.  So selfish...

- No Michigan coach has beaten MSU in their first try since like 1953.  Weird.

- Of the over 100 meetings between Michigan and Michigan State, this was only the 17th time both were ranked.  Got a feeling that number is going way up over the next decade.

- T**e, my bestest Sparty friend and newest regular to the blog, wasn't responding to my texts all game.  Next day, he sent this - "sorry, phone died.  Game was redic.  They both suck."  If you know him, then that analysis both fits him and sums that game up pretty damn well.

- The punter was our best player most of that game.  Don't blame him.

- We lost for very simple reasons:  1.  Stupid penalties.  2.  A vastly inferior QB who missed way too many open guys.  3.  MSU was experienced and kept their poise.  Michigan doesn't have big game experience... until now.  (watch out, Ohio State...)

Ugh, this still sucks.  I'm never getting over this.  I don't care, though, it was worth it.  Next time you see us, Mojo is taking over the blogosphere with his take on running.  Congrats to my Sparty fans, I hope you go undefeated and we smoke Ohio State for you.  Take care, and Go Blue.  Hasta.