I was of age for that season, so I’m aware of that year, and you’re right to call it out for basketball purposes, but my understanding is this is when the overall animosity started:
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Ah yes, I remember now. Another article on the subject.
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LOL…so the whole thing can be traced back to their athletic department shooting themselves in the foot specifically to spite their own leader because he came from Michigan. That’s hilarious.
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The “rivalry” still feels manufactured to me. To hate a school now because their coach had a beef 35-40 years ago? And yeah, maybe that '89 game stings, but there was nothing controversial about that game, it was just a classic that went down to the wire and we made the last shot.
I think it’s more that they see Michigan as an aspirational peer and want a rivalry with us. Everyone wants a piece of Michigan.
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Illannoys rival is Missouri, at least in basketball.
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I won’t opine on “manufactured” but I would definitely agree that it doesn’t feel real on our side… I do think it’s real on their side, and your theory for why is as good as any. I’d even go a step further to say (in typical arrogant Michigan fan manner) that they haven’t achieved that aspiration, which probably feeds it.
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This may be a piece of it, but I lived in Illinois for a year while my wife began her first tenure-track job at Illinois State University. The dislike is seated in good old-fashioned resentment for a better school, with a cosmopolitan (liberal) reputation, and perceived Michigan arrogance, which if we’re honest does exist.
Illinois is a good school of lesser stature, and annoyance about this trickles down to the state’s largely rural population. I used to go to a family-owned restaurant and bar near my home in Gridley, IL to watch Michigan football. I often felt dislike for Michigan, the school, even as people were cordial to me. The other B1G schools (Northwestern apart) are anchored in an ethos of democratic populism; MI a little less so at this stage. Others’ mileage may vary, but that was my sense.
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I think it’s easy to see why Illinois won last night. It’s important to take a look back and remember why good teams lose, too. I don’t think that Illinois is praying they don’t see Rutgers in the Dance. I think Michigan took the Illini’s best shot last night and will learn from it and be better prepared as a result.
On to the next. Time to crush an angry elf and raise a banner.
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It’s carryover from the ok state game
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Click into the link if you’re an Office fan…
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Thanks! Showed it to my wife, and she said, “Yuh. And a lot of my sympathies are with the guy in the orange suit!” She’s a Florida grad. . .
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