↵Somewhere in this country there is a man with ragged VHS tapes of seemingly every Michigan game since the invention of television who spends his time clipping together highlights of every Michigan win since time began. His nom de internet is Wolverine Historian and he is much loved in Michigan fandom. Asking “Why?”? Here’s five minutes of him more suited to a general audience:↵
Thirty Years Of College Football Intros Are Awesome
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↵↵Now you, too, can track the state of the art in computer graphics, pregnant pauses, and good ol’ Americana from 1978 to the modern day. Depending on how old you are and how fondly you remember the mid-90s, you may have a primal fear/joy reaction to the ABC mid-90s music. Since the ABC promo music invariably introduced the most terrifying moments of my teenage years, I am currently writing this post in an odd state of terror that the #1 Penn State Nittany Lions are going to smash Michigan’s undefeated season. Your mileage may vary. ↵
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↵The big leap forward came in 1989, when the quality got about as good as Hockey Bear destroying Earth is today. By 1990, the presentation had taken on a feel not too much different from what you'll get this fall save for the merciful exclusion of things like Kenny Chesney, Big and Rich, and Dave Mathews Band. ↵
↵↵Items from the old school left in the dust:↵
- ↵↵⇥Generic Quarterback throwing to Generic Receiver.
- ↵⇥Generic Cheerleader cheering them on.
- ↵⇥Stills from the Four Horseman era.
- ↵⇥The funk (1978 only).
↵↵↵Modern era features:↵
- ↵↵⇥Computer generated ribbons like whoah.
- ↵⇥Players as an abstract background to the magnificent corporate logo..
- ↵⇥Wooshin’. Lots of wooshin’.
↵↵↵Drum cadences, Keith Jackson, and all-caps renditions of “COLLEGE FOOTBALL” remain popular throughout the 30-year span covered. If you are now looking at the calendar and saying “oh God… it’s May,” you are not alone.↵
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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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