Movie Review: Invincible **1/2

As fans of sports and movies, Americans never seem to grow tired of Cinderella-type underdog stories. The formula is standard: the hero emerges from the gutter to reach the heights of professional and financial success. Horatio Alger became famous as an author by writing over 100 novels with this exact plot. The farther down in the gutter he starts and the higher he climbs, the better. Football is our favorite game in America and every fan dreams of playing in the NFL, maybe even as a walk-on. Amazingly, a man named Vince Papale walked on to play three seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1970s. Not only did he walk on, he did so at age 30, having not played college football. In the movie, he drives a clunking car, works as a part-time bartender, his wife just left him and her parting note told him he would never amount to anything. At the outset, then, "Invincible," the story of a real man living the Horatio Alger dream, has every element of a good and even a great movie. Mark Wahlberg apparently engaged in some sleight-of-hand by lying about his fictional college football playing days in order to get this role. He saw a good part and did not want to let anything get in his way. A determined star is always an asset to an underdog movie. Greg Kinnear does a pretty good job as Dick Vermeil, who was coaching his first NFL season after a successful stint at UCLA. Unfortunately, the writing, editing and directing leave some to be desired.
When sports fans watch movies, they want to feel as though they are on the front row of a game. The speed and finesse of a running back, the impact of a hit, and the thud of the ballcarrier hitting the ground are all features they enjoy. This is the experience that "Miracle" offers its viewers. In that movie, they filmed real hockey players doing real hockey plays and almost never used slow motion. In "Invincible," Mark Wahlberg's lack of a football carrier did not hurt his believability because anyone could have played Vince Papale in this movie. The frequent use of slow motion and the multiple cuts during scenes will leave you convinced that you have never seen one play all the way through. Even in movies, the viewers want to see feats of athletic prowess, which we do not see here. The script is unimaginative - I do not believe that a coach would chide a player, "I stuck my neck out for you," because that attitude leaves the coach much too vulnerable. In a number of respects, the makers seem to have just let the script write itself around their plot formula and ended up with an unremarkable product. There are some good training scenes and for their sake "Invincible" is worth seeing once, but it is not destined to be a classic that people watch on an annual basis.

Victory in Najaf

In Najaf, a militia attempted to attack the site of the holiest Shiite mosque during Ashoura, the most sacred Shiite festival and the Iraqi Army troops held them off successfully. American air and armored support contributed, but all of the infantry were Iraqis. At the cost of five IA soldiers and two American servicemen, who died when their helicopter crashed, the Coalition held the city and killed 200-250 hostile militiamen, among them 30 Afghans and Saudis. By any standard, this battle was a victory. The apocalyptic militant sect Jund al-Samaa (Soldiers of Heaven) was nearly wiped out, but more importantly the Coalition killed their leader who claimed to be the long-awaited Mahdi. The IAs stood their ground, the casualty numbers were almost incalculably skewed, so of course the New York Times came out with the headline "Missteps by Iraqi Forces in Battle Raise Questions." This would be the equivalent of raising questions about Stonewall Jackson's competence after First Manassas, where he "stood like a stone wall," except that he lost more men in proportion than did the Iraqi Troops. The Times justified its pessimistic headline by remarking that American forces had aided the Iraqis more than was previously disclosed. That is BS, plain and simple.
We've known at least since the New York Times tipped off the terrorists on how they could protect their finances from us that our "paper of record" wants the United States to lose this war. This is a personal vendetta at the Times: the war in Iraq is Bush's war and Bush is Hitler, so there is no such thing as good news. When good news materializes in defiance, it is to be edited out or covered up, as was the case with this story.
Make no mistake about it: this is a milestone for the IAs. In one of their first major tests of will and fighting ability, they passed and protected a holy site, which they failed to do less than one year ago in Samarrah. Hua.
By the way, The New York Times has also just reprimanded their chief military correspondent, Michael Gordon, for speculating that the new troop surge might enable American forces to win the war. I kid you not.

Free Speech Saved from/by the Senate!

It seems to be a rare occasion when the Legislative Branch saves us from its usurpations of power, but yesterday was one such time. Thanks to an ammendment by Senator Bennett (R) of Utah, a restriction on political speech failed to pass along with the new ethics bill. Both houses of Congress have been touting the new standards of ethics that they will champion in this new congress, so the classic busy-body notion took effect: if a little ethics reform for Congress was good, wouldn't a lot of ethics reform for everyone else be even better? This notion, ladies and gentlemen, is one reason why our founders protected the right to bear arms.
Section 220 of the ethics bill, S1, provided for the regulation of all broadcasters, bloggers, preachers, grassroots interest groups, and political communicators of every kind with an audience of 500 or more. If they ever called on their readers or listeners to call Congressmen and advocate for or against a bill, they would be classified as lobbyists and have to report their financial transactions to Congress for oversight. Failure to report to Congress would result in fines of $100,000 and 10 years in prison. In other words, this blog that you are reading would be subject to federal scrutiny if the audience ever ecclipsed 500 people. If I refused to take time out of my day to report my financial transactions, I could be put in jail and fined. This is tyranny, plain and simple. There should be no barriers blocking our right to petition Congress. When I was in Iraq, I emailed several Senators on a few occasions and our founders wanted the right to petition the government to be unabridged as the cornerstone of consensual government.
Thankfully, Senator Bennett (R) of Utah proposed an amendment that struck the offending section from the bill. His amendment passed 55-43 with two abstentions. Seven Democrats crossed the aisle to vote for free political speech: Baucus of Montana, Bayh of Indiana, Conrad and Dorgan of North Dakota, Landrieu of Louisiana, Nelson of Nebraska and Salazar of Colorado. Guess who voted for government regulation of speech like this blog you are reading? JOE LIEBERMAN (D) of Connecticut. Do not be deceived: he is a dyed-in-the-wool Big Government Liberal on everything but the War. For the moment, our speech is free. I shall advise when the next threat arises.

Al Qaeda Down III

As President Bush has always made clear, the War on Terror is a global one to be fought on many fronts against all terrorist enemies who mean us harm. Any organization linked to Al Qaeda will find itself in American crosshairs or under fire from our allies. Abu Sayyaff, the Filipino terrorist group allied to Al Qaeda, has taken some lumps this past week. On Wednesday, they netted one of the biggest fish available. Abu Sulaiman, a militant wanted by the United States for kidnapping a number of tourists and beheading American citizen Guillermo Sobero, met his end fighting Filipino Special Forces troops 60 miles south of Manila. Last Saturday, Filipino forces also killed Judnam Jamalul, an Abu Sayyaff terrorist wanted for other attacks on American tourists. The last seven days have yielded seventeen Abu Sayyaff scalps. Hua.
Currently, there are four fronts where the fighting in this war is hot on a daily basis: Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and the Philipines. Tellingly, American lives are only at risk on the former two fronts. Our troops in Djibouti are training the Ethiopian Army to fight the Somali terrorists, which they have been doing effectively, and our Special Forces operators in the Philippines have enabled the armed forces there to gain the upper hand on Abu Sayyaff. Who says America has no allies? Whoever says that is lying. The truth is, we are unpopular in the increasingly impotent Western Europe, while Eastern Europe - Poland and Ukraine for example - supplies us in the Middle East with troops. In the Pacific, the Philippines, Japan, and Australia provide us key strategic allies. In view of these recent developments in the Philippines and Somalia, coupled with our freedom from terrorist attacks for five years, President Bush will etch his place in history as a successful fighter against terrorists worldwide.

Veterans to be Forgotten in New Jersey

The New Jersey legislature has passed a bill unanimously that will remove the requirement that schools teach about Veterans Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Commodore John Barry Day. Commodore Barry was a Revolutionary War naval hero. All of our servicemembers have volunteered to do their duty to protect Americans from the enemies that would attempt to kill us. Veterans have by definition taken one more step and gone into harm's way, possibly risking their lives and enduring the trials of family separation. In return, veterans do not ask anything more than recognition three times a year on Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Veterans Day, and the honor of having their coffins draped with the flag for which they have served, fought and in many cases, died.
This action by the New Jersey legislature reflects the liberal worldview built on white guilt. Under this interpretation of history, white people, especially Americans, have caused all of the hardships of the last several centuries and abused all other racial groups. Columbus Day and Thanksgiving honor some of the earliest pioneers who began the process by which this land became the United States of America. To our friends on the Left, these were two of the saddest days in history. By withdrawing official recognition from two days honoring veterans, the liberals who govern New Jersey are setting the stage for teaching their kids that war is never necessary and all soldiers are either blood-thirsty war-mongers or the stupid dupes of an exploitive government.
We know that veterans by and large are patriots worthy of honor and respect - that they serve at the call of our government and that the overwhelming majority of them have done so honorably. No one loves peace more than a soldier, but he has offered his services to the country at her hour of greatest need. Commodore John Barry, father of the American Navy, who captured twenty British prizes, taking some time off to fight on land in the battles of Trenton and Princeton, can now testify with many heroes that all glory is fleeting.

The First Black Oscar Winner

On this day, when we remember a leader of the Civil Rights movement, it pays to take note of the first major barrier that African-Americans broke down in 1939. Hattie McDaniel won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Gone With the Wind," an epic film about the fall of the Old South and the struggle of one family in Georgia for survival during Reconstruction. Many of the Civil Rights leaders of today wish that "Gone With the Wind" had never been made and they marvel at the complicity of several black actors and actresses in the making of such a film. The movie depicts owners with kindly attitudes towards slaves and portrays three slaves out of a full plantation who choose to stay with their owners after the war. Historically, it is true that some slaves stayed with their former owners, although it is not PC to admit it. When asked why she played a number of roles as a maid, Hattie McDaniel retorted, "I'd rather play a maid than be one."
"Gone With the Wind" was a pioneering film in another way. Although not the first epic about the Civil War - that distinction belongs to "The Birth of a Nation," a silent film made in 1915 - "Gone With the Wind" was one of the first films in which all of the actors and actresses playing black characters were actually black people - not white people in black face. The answer to the question about the performers' complicity in playing slaves and carpetbaggers is simple. "Gone With the Wind" provided employment for a host of black actors and actresses near the end of the Great Depression. Rest assured, if you were to ask any of the performers at the time, they all would express their sincere appreciation for a movie with so many roles for them. Hattie McDaniel, Butterfly McQueen, (as the unforgettable Prissy) and the actors who played Pork, Uncle Peter, and Big Sam, as well as the extras playing field hands and carpetbaggers all benefitted materially from the making of this movie.
The controversy surrounding "Gone With the Wind," which stresses the indignity of the portrayals of black characters, would place the hypothetical dignity of the community above the material financial benefits for real members of the community. Fitting as it is to note, those actors and actresses who chose the indignity of playing slaves in order to gain employment showed exactly the same spirit as Scarlett did when she chose repeatedly to profit at the cost of her dignity. Scarlett's vow could speak for them all, "I'll never be hungry again!"

14 Card-Carrying Carterites Jump Ship!

14 prominent Democrats have resigned from the advisory board of the Carter Center in Atlanta. Among the resigning parties are Michael Coles and Cathy Steinberg, both of whom ran spirited races for Congress against Republican incumbents in the 1990s. President Jimmy Carter, Iran's favorite object of ridicule, has written a book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, which, has attracted a great deal of negative attention to the Carter Center. As the title suggests, Mr. Carter blames the Israelis for the 60-year strife in Palestine/Israel and accuses the Israeli regime of establishing an Apartheid-like society treating Palestinians as second-class citizens. By Carter's recollection, every problem that the Israelis and Palestinians have encountered was somehow the fault of the Israelis. The Palestinians have elected Hamas to power, a party that vows the total destruction of Israel as a Jewish state and uses suicide bombers to kill women and children in market places, but Israelis have sometimes searched Palestinians for weapons at the border and thereby inconvenienced them. In view of these two tactics, some observers would say that the side which does the bombing is the bad side. The letter of resignation is here: http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110009510
Carter has built his post-presidential reputation on helping Habitat for Humanity, attacking Ronald Reagan and defending the legitimacy of Banana Republic elections. (ie. third world elections that MIGHT have been rigged inasmuch as the incumbent candidate got 99% of the vote) Now, he justifies his detractors who criticize him for opposing American support for democracies around the world. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East (Iraq and Afghanistan are working on it.) so we support her efforts and the right of Israelis to live. In order to side with the Palestinians fully, as Carter appears to do, one must support or overlook their incendiary rhetoric and their complete rejection of compromise solutions to their disputes with Israel.
Please do not start asking, "Is Carter an anti-Semite?" That question is as irrelevant as it is unprovable. Truly, it does not matter what the state of his heart is. We Conservatives hate being called "racist, bigot, homophobe" every time we make a statement against Affirmative Action, so slinging incendiary labels at our opponents is the wrong tactic for us to employ. It is sufficient to say that Carter is wrong on this issue. His facts concerning the history of the conflict are incorrect, his perspective clouded, his impression of the benevolence of Hamas naive. In short, he makes an inept Unofficial Assistant Secretary of State for Peace in the World and I wish with all of my heart that he could be fired from his current self-appointed position. 14 of his former advisors now agree with me.

The Speaker's First Scandal

We are told that the gavel of the Speaker of the House is now in the hands of The Children. Nancy Pelosi proclaims that everything she does is for The Children, who now have an advocate who can claim the impressive credentials of mother and grandmother. As is the case with everything else, the approaching minimum wage hike is for The Children, whose parents work for minimum wage to feed and clothe them. The Children will eat better food and have warm clothes and reliable shelter everywhere in America and in our territories. Everywhere, that is, except one territory. Somehow, although the North Mariana Islands are covered under this minimum wage increase, American Samoa alone is exempted. I guess The Children don't live there.
Actually, two companies with major interests in American Samoa have their headquarters in Nancy Pelosi's district. Del Monte, which makes canned fruit, and Starkist, which produces canned tuna, both have interests in American Samoa and Representative Pelosi is doing them a favor by exempting their territory from this minimum wage hike. So, the Speaker's new motto is: "This gavel is in the hands of The Children, unless they are the children of the employees of my constituents."
The story on Foxnews.com said that the lowest-paid workers in America will get their first pay raise in a decade. This is not true. If any worker who started at minimum wage ten years ago is still earning minimum wage, he probably has an incarceration or a history of misconduct to blame for it. 0.6% of our workers make minimum wage - most of them teenagers working their first jobs. As a result of this bill, all of us will face higher prices at fast food restaurants and retail stores - anywhere with employees making minimum wage. Companies will face an across-the-board increase in costs of production because labor is one of their biggest costs - usually THE biggest. Consequently, there will be fewer jobs available to teenagers because employing them just got a lot more expensive. This minimum wage increase is a favor to the Labor Unions that have contracts coming up for renewal this year. As the minimum wage for unskilled labor goes up, they will make lofty demands for increases in their skilled workers' wages. Thus, we'll have higher prices everywhere. As they begin by fixing the price of unskilled labor, this Democrat-led Congress is en route on a project of detriment to the American economy. Drug price-fixes are next.

Strike in Somalia

A raid in Somalia by an American AC-130 gunship (one of the deadliest air-to-surface weapons in existence) attempted to kill the Al Qaeda leader Fazul Abdullah Mohammed. Although he was not killed, other Al Qaeda operatives likely were. Fazul Abdullah Mohammed occupies the FBI's Most Wanted List as the chief suspect for the mid-1990s bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. (Remember those terrorist bombings that President Clinton ignored?) The U. S. Air Force conducted this raid in Somalia with the full cooperation and permission of Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi, which is a positive sign in at least three areas.
First, it is good to know that President Bush has maintained his resolve to kill Al Qaeda leaders wherever they may hide on the face of the earth. Understanding Al Qaeda to be international enemy #1, he saw no reason to delay this attack for the sake of another game of asking the UN for permission and being told to grab his ankles. Second, it is extremely encouraging that a Muslim such as Mr. Gedi would allow Americans to conduct these strikes in his country. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan is often much more critical of American activities. Third, it is clear that President Bush has avoided the pitfalls of politically correct warfare that hamstrung Bill Clinton's campaign in Somalia. The AC-130 was the specific gunship that General Garrison requested for his Mogadishu operation in 1993. President Clinton denied his request, explaining that, like armored vehicles, the AC-130 would, "send the wrong message" to the Somalis. The Somalis, of course, only interpreted a message of weakness when American forces went into battle unable to clear streets from the air.
The only message that the U.S. military ever needs to communicate to other nations is this: You can make no better friend - you can pick no worse enemy. Hua.
On the grand scale, Somalia is slipping out of the grasp of the Islamists who shelter Al Qaeda operatives. The United States Armed Forces have trained the Ethiopian Army, which has recently driven the Islamists out of Mogadishu and the other major cities of Somalia. Not only have our advisers prevented Al Qaeda from establishing another safe haven, but they have done so without the loss of American lives. Our next president will be hard-pressed to prosecute this Global War on Terror as effectively as has President Bush. W clearly grasps the concept of a global front involving the sea and the air as well as land. Read Shadow War by Richard Miniter for details.

A Pioneer in College Football

Tim Tebow, the backup quarterback for the University of Florida, who scored one touchdown and passed for another one last night against Ohio State, comes from a minority group that gets a very small share of attention. Tebow was home-schooled through high school, but still managed to get recruited by a prestigious Division I-A team. He was fortunate to live in Florida, where the law allows home-schooled students to play on public school squads. The parents who choose to educate their own kids at home pay the same taxes that parents of public-schooled students pay. Home schoolers have a right to reap some benefits for the taxes that they pay.
Sixteen states give home-schoolers equal access to public school sports programs, and the Alabama legislature recently considered and tabled (postponed indefinitely) a law that would have made the count 17.
The NCAA is notorious for refusing to grant home-schooled students academic eligibility. A gymnast in the mid-'90s applied and got accepted to a college in Illinois, but the NCAA refused to recognize any of her high school work. They made her take the GED, but she persevered and managed a 4.0 GPA for her first year of college. I'd say she was a few notches above illiterate. Jason Taylor currently plays Safety for the Miami Dolphins. He was home-schooled, but played football in the public school system and got accepted to the University of Akron. The NCAA revoked his scholarship over the academic credit issue, but after some litigation the organization relented and permitted him to play. Now, he makes a living playing football.
The transformation by which home-schooled students can gain recognition for academic work and gradually near a state of equal footing with their public-schooled counterparts will continue to be slow and cumbersome, but Tim Tebow has just given us an excellent icon that everyone will recognize. Hua.
I can't resist: one more story. My best friend in high school applied to Berry College in Rome, Georgia, with a deadly SAT score, (1400+) but the school refused to recognize his high school work and made him take the GED. He graduated from Berry four years later as the VALEDICTORIAN of his class. Obviously, not all home schoolers reach such heights, but those who can do so seldom get the benefit of the doubt.

Movie Review Superman Returns ***

I found the latest installment of the Superman franchise entertaining and action-packed - well worth seeing. All such long-range sequels face at least three daunting challenges: casting actors who can equal the original stars, developing a new plot that increases the depth of the characters, and if possible, adding new special effects that the originals did not include. In all three challenges, "something new" is the imperative for the creators. In all three areas, "Superman Returns" delivers.
The new Superman, amazingly, lives up to Christopher Reeve's standard. Brandon Routh makes no changes at all to the character of Superman and the director clearly arranged several scenes to mimic the previous movies. Perry even says, "Great Caesar's Ghost!" which was his favorite expression from the old TV series. Kevin Spacey is a villain equal to Gene Hackman in both charisma and sense of humor. Jarel is only a voice among the crystals, so the late Marlon Brando manages to reprise as Superman's father. Kate Bosworth was less-than-inspiring as Lois, but she was the cast's only weak link. Having seen only the first two Superman movies, this film picked up where they left off and never attempted to do too much with action, characters or effects.
The basic plot involves Superman's arrival on earth after a five-year disappearance. Naturally, Lex Luthor has a new diabolical scheme that is, amazingly, bigger and more sinister than any he has tried before. The personal tensions between Superman and Lois over his abandonment of her without explanation gets some treatment, but avoids tedium, which is extremely important for an action movie. The sudden re-appearance of Clark Kent after five years goes unexplained, which is the only real weakness in the plot structure. On the other hand, he is so unremarkable to his co-workers that no one really notices him, so the few brief words of "welcome back" that his fellow journalists say are understandable.
Finally, the special effects in "Superman Returns" are spectacular. The scenes of Superman using his X-Ray vision look exactly as I would imagine X-Ray vision and provide the new feature for which sequels always strive. When he flys, he uses his arms to steer himself, which makes his flying more dynamic and realistic than were flying scenes in previous movies. The typical earthquake/explosion/storm effects seem routine now, but the creators did them all very well also.
On the moral front, it is definitely 2006. In this world, people date, but don't necessarily get married, and have children with or without plans for marriage. The film also communicates a positive message about self-sacrifice. Lois questions whether the world needs a "savior" and Superman daily risks his life to save the world. His climactic self-sacrificial deed is not one you will want to miss.

Cleveland Imam Deported

The story is that an Imam from Cleveland, OH, Fawaz Damra, was convicted of a crime in 2004 and has now been deported to Palestinian territories. For those of you in Metter, GA, an Imam is a Muslim religious leader. Now, why do you suppose and Islamic leader would be deported? If you just thought, "he had ties to terrorist groups," you need sensitivity training for your Islamophobic racism. (You say Islam is not a race? details, details.) You are correct, of course: when he applied for American citizenship in 1994, Damra lied about his ties to Palestinian Islamic Jihad. His indictment specifies multiple Palestinian groups that he had failed to disclose on penalty of perjury in his naturalization paperwork, as well as an assault charge from 1991 that he witheld. The US State Department has listed the PIJ as a terrorist group since 1989. A tape of Damra's 1991 speech in Chicago calling on all Muslims to kill, "the sons of monkeys and pigs, the Jews," also gained prominence recently. Incidentally, he had also signed his paperwork on penalty of perjury claiming that he had never incited violence for reasons of race, religion, code or creed. Convicted of perjury in 2004, Damra has now been deported.
Damra had worked previously at a mosque in Brooklyn, New York, and his successor, Abdel Rahman, is a man you might have heard of. Abdel Rahman now sits in prison convicted of plotting to blow up New York City landmarks in 1995. That mosque in Brooklyn is a very wholesome civic institution.
Ironically, this deportation happened on the day our first Muslim Congressman, Mr. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, took the oath of office with his hand on a Quran. Interestingly, his biography at his website makes no mention whatsoever of his Islamic faith.

The Most Powerful Woman

The most powerful woman in America today is Oprah Winfrey. Nancy Pelosi may hold the top post in the House of Representatives, but ask yourself how many people actually pay close attention to what goes on in Washington. Oprah, by contrast, motivates her audience to action on a daily basis. There are two women in this nation who can produce best-selling books with 100% reliability: Ann Coulter and Oprah Winfrey. Coulter hits the best-seller lists with every book she writes, but Oprah enjoys far more influence. Every book Oprah publicizes in her book club hits the best-seller lists. Her endorsement has turned several authors from obscure people into best-selling successes. That is real power, ladies and gentlemen.
Due to the popularity of her show and the loyalty of her viewers, Oprah is very wealthy, but she neither boasts about her wealth nor lectures all of us about how greedy we are. A generous philanthropist, Oprah simply walks the walk of giving to those in need and leaves most of the talking to the pundits. You don't see her going on everyone else's show to plug for causes. She advocates causes on her show and puts her money where her mouth is. I don't have to agree with everything she says to admire her ethic.
Recently, Oprah has invested $40 million into a school for girls in South Africa. This academy provides excellent living facilities, a good education and encouragement for girls to excell academically in a nation troubled by rampant AIDS. Into a hopeless place, Ms. Winfrey is introducing hope for poor girls out of her own pocket. I only learned of this project when Americans raised objections on E-News last night. "The facilities are too nice, they don't need this much space," some were saying. With smaller facilities, they could accomodate more students, etc. The comments at Hip Hop News ranged from the cynical to the hysterical: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.4767/title.oprah-builds-40-million-school-in-south-africa
Instead of applauding her generosity, Oprah's critics question her methodology, or complain that she spent the money over there instead of over here. Oprah counters that she wants to give these South African girls the best education and assistance in growing up that she can. Her critics think they can tell her better ways that she can spend her own money. When they make $40 million, they will be free to decide how to spend it.
The betrayer Judas once criticized a deed of generosity because he was a thief and envied the loss of wealth. What motive do you suppose animates Oprah's critics?

Victors in Defeat

The Michigan Wolverines have completed a very difficult season. Counting the Rose Bowl, Michigan's record of 11-2 is respectable, although well short of the hopes of the players and fans of the Maize and Blue. Southern California, coming off of an annoying defeat at the hands of UCLA, had the motivation to dominate the game.
In another way, this season has proven emotional and disappointing to the Michigan community. On their helmets for the Rose Bowl, Michigan players wore a decal inscribed with the number "48" over the name "Bo." President Ford, whose number 48 Michigan retired, died the week before the Rose Bowl, the big game in which the Wolverines hoped to make their case for a #2 final ranking. The legendary Coach Bo Schembechler, who coached Michigan to several Big Ten titles and one undefeated season in 1963, died earlier this season the week before undefeated Michigan challenged undefeated Ohio State. Thus, both of Michigan's losses came after the death of a man significant in their storied history.
Michigan's loss caps a disappointing bowl season for the Big Ten. Even after Ohio State wins the National Championship next week, the Big Ten will have a record of 3-4. I expected Iowa to lose, but Purdue and Michigan both performed well below their expectations. Minnesota yielded to a record-setting comeback by Texas Tech. As a conference, the Big Ten needs to give a better account. Next year, I predict that the Big Ten will not repeat the mistake of finishing its regular season by Thanksgiving weekend. Several teams looked stale and played with less brilliance than they had displayed earlier. Michigan is supposed to have one of the best defenses in the NCAA, but they showed little justification for their reputation last night. Mike Hart will return next season, so Michigan will still have a good running game. We'll wait for next year eagerly.