Digg ThisBreaking news: ESPN is reporting that during the taping of the “Big Ten Ticket” show at a television studio in Detroit, Michigan, Bo Schembechler, former coach for the University of Michigan football team, collapsed and died this morning. He was 77.
Tomorrow’s game aside, this is a sad day for college football — not just for Michigan.
Tomorrow’s game aside, he was a class guy, a nasty opponent, a great teacher, and the consummate college football coach. He will be missed. Having been through the loss of Woody Hayes, I feel for Michigan fans.
Tomorrow’s game aside, this will have an impact on tomorrow’s game, the Big Ten in general, and NCAA football as a whole.
But tomorrow’s game is just that: tomorrow’s game. The stakes may now be higher for Michigan, but tomorrow’s game is just tomorrow’s game.
Good sportsmanship requires many things, but today — and tomorrow — it requires a few more: I would exhort Buckeye fans not to boo Bo Schembechler when his death is announced at tomorrow’s game (and it will be) — respect the man and his accomplishments because he is as much of Ohio State’s tradition as he is of Michigan’s; I would exhort Jim Tressel to understand (and he will) and communicate to his team (and he will) that tomorrow’s game is still strictly business — they have the better team, they’re playing at home, and they can best deflate Michigan emotionally by playing solid football.
And the single, most respectful thing the Buckeyes can do tomorrow afternoon is to soundly whip the Michigan Wolverines and send them home 10-1. For Woody — in Bo’s memory.
