General

Moment of the Decade: Sucks to Be Sauron

Dec 28, 2009, 8:30 PM UTC

â†µ Lloyd Carr Today at TSB, we're each giving our personal moment of the decade in sports.â†µ

â†µâ†µI think these are usually happy or something, but if we’re reallyâ†µlooking for my defining moment of the decade, it’s not the Oilers’â†µremarkable run to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals or watching theâ†µPistons obliterate the Lakers for an unexpected third NBA title. I loved bothâ†µof those teams for their oddness, loved how energized Edmonton andâ†µDetroit were during the brief window when everything was just terrificâ†µfun without attached expectations. Sports has bestowed on me some funâ†µmoments in the last 10 years.â†µ

â†µâ†µBut from a Michigan fan’s perspective the story of the aughts is oneâ†µof decline. Michigan literally started the decade off with a win overâ†µAlabama in the Orange Bowl. They ended it with two consecutive bowllessâ†µyears and an NCAA investigation. They haven’t beaten Ohio State sinceâ†µ2003. To top things off, the basketball team has resumed theâ†µincompetence that’s been its watchword since 1998, and the hockey programâ†µis on pace to miss its first NCAA tournament in 20 years. Decline andâ†µfall. â†µ

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â†µâ†µThe defining moment, then, is the fall, the moment when violenceâ†µspilled into the streets and the buildings caught on fire. Theâ†µHorror is that moment. That’s the half-joking lingo I use on â†µMGoBlog whenever this particular game isâ†µbrought up. I probably don’t even have to explain it further, but, yes,â†µwe are referring to the 2007 season opener against Appalachian State.â†µ

â†µâ†µMichigan’s expectations that year were no less than a national title.â†µChad Henne and Mike Hart entered their senior years; Mario Manninghamâ†µand Adrian Arrington were at wideout; Jake Long would be the #1 pick inâ†µthe NFL draft. Michigan was a top five team in the preseason. And theyâ†µlost to a I-AA team because the defensive coordinator never brought aâ†µsafety into the box against a team that couldn’t throw and a fifth-yearâ†µsenior screwed up his block on the game-salvaging field goal with noâ†µtime on the clock. â†µ

â†µâ†µChaos reigned in the aftermath. I replaced my blog with aâ†µ“please stand by” signal and on Monday -- Labor Day -- returned byâ†µrecasting the blog in pink and putting up pictures of kittens. Whenâ†µactual service resumed I posted the default mushroom cloud and declaredâ†µthat when Carr retired at the end of the season, Michigan must set off inâ†µa different direction entirely since they’d clearly lost whatever it wasâ†µthat made the program good. â†µ

â†µâ†µThey did. It hasn’t worked out so far. The last two years, and reallyâ†µfour of the last five, have been hard to take, but nothing tops that oneâ†µday, the football equivalent of a hobbit walking into Mordor andâ†µsticking a ring in the right fire. Sucks to be Sauron*. â†µ

â†µâ†µ*(NEEERRRRRRRD!)â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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