3/9/06- The Dog Days of the Off-Season

Doldrums: (noun) a part of the ocean near the equator abounding in calms, squalls, and light shifting winds.

Doldrums is a term popularized in colonial times to describe the placid seas off the west coast of Africa. When explorers sailed to Asia, they had trouble getting around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa because of the Atlantic Ocean’s calmness in that region. In order to get around the Cape, they would navigate further west into the Atlantic so they could gain enough wind to make it to the other side of Africa. On one occasion, the Portuguese went so far west they ended up discovering Brazil. The word doldrums can also describe a bout of despondency. Similar to what BlueFan is experiencing during the Wolverines off-season. Perhaps the above definition is arcane and unnecessary to describe the mood brought about by the off-season. But with all the free time in lieu of actual football, BlueFan, left to his own devices, opened the dictionary looking for a word to describe the feeling.

It’s already been a long off-season, and we’re only about a quarter of the way through. National signing day has come and gone, so what remains? There’s always basketball. No, thanks. How about hockey? Good, but not the same. Well…what then? BlueFan doesn’t like to look too far ahead, but each off-season seems to get longer and looooooonger. The summer is a great time, but BlueFan lives in the mortal Hades known as Arizona. The spring then? Birds are singing, it rains once (maybe) and the temperature is a comfortable 100 degrees (instead of 115)? Great, but nothing is better than a Saturday afternoon in the fall…especially in the Southwest. Wake up in the morning, wear shorts to walk the dogs. Most games start at 9 or 10 am (depending on daylight savings time in the rest of the country), so you still have much of the afternoon to do whatever it is the “normals” do with their weekends. Or you can hit UMGoBlue.com and commiserate (or argue) with your Michigan family in the event of a loss, or disagree with the same family about whether the players or coaches deserve a bulk of the credit, in the event of a win.

There are days BlueFan doesn’t even bother looking at UMGoBlue’s Football Forum. Opting instead for the distractions provided by the “Other Discussions” forums. Everything in context, but the thought of not keeping up-to-date in the Football forum is…well…unthinkable during football season. Often times, though, the Football forum is just a sad reminder of how long it’s been, and how long it continues to be, until the Maize and Blue strap on the pads and ready themselves for another season.

But after last year, should we really be looking forward to the up-coming season with such enthusiasm?

It’s been over two months since the season ended, but still the pain lingers. Changes have been made, but the team’s five-loss season is fresh enough in the minds of fans to temper much of the excitement that these changes should generate. Will the offense open up a little? Will the defense play more aggressively? It’s tough to say at this point, but absent these changes, neither question would be answered with a ‘yes’. At least there’s a chance of change with the new, er, different blood running the offense and defense.

BlueFan has found that the closer the summer gets, the greater the anticipation. Last year, the season could’ve started in June and it would have still been too long a wait. With the longing and anticipation already high, BlueFan can only imagine how bad the emptiness will have gotten by the time late August rolls around.

So, here’s to making this off-season count…

Go Blue!

Justin Mantell
 

Justin Mantell (screen name zjgm02). I was born and raised in Toronto, where the University of Michigan is the closest major college athletics program. I have seen Michigan football games on television as long as I can remember, so watching the team today is a reminder of where I came from. I’ve lived in many different cities across the southern and southwestern United States, but I’ve never been able to shake my obsession for Michigan football.