The apparently offensive photo is via Spawn of MZone. It shows graduating 5th year and two year starter Morgan Trent with stickers from other teams, including a buckeye sticker, on his helmet. It seems that leading up to the game the players trade these stickers for fun and to show some sportsmanship. It’s some fun that people 21-24 are having in one of the last football games where they will make an impact.

Maize & Blue Nation lives up to it’s reputation of any blog with “Nation” in its name (obvious a gross generalization. See Burnt Orange Nation) hoping that Morgan Trent fails in the pros.  The post on Spawn of MZone is less offensive but managed the same misplaced indignation. WLA as per usual has responded in their… unique… way.

I really can’t imagine that people actually care about stickers on Trent’s helmet.  Yes, Michigan does have the best helmet in college football; it’s an icon. But really?  It’s just Morgan having some fun with guys he’s meeting who have gone through a common experience.  I’ll bet most of the backlash is due to the fact that Trent gave up more big plays than any of us would have liked and wasn’t as good this year as he was last year.

Personally, I never understood disliking players that aren’t good.  There’s only so much a player can do in order to become good.  Sure working out, practicing hard, etc., make a difference, but a lot of it is god-given talent.  Some players just can’t become as good as we’d like them to be.  That doesn’t mean they aren’t working their asses off for their 4 to 5 years at Michigan.  The players that I tend to disregard more are those that have huge talent and don’t do what they need to.

I know we like to pretend that every opinion is a precious, unique snowflake, but that’s not true, especially on the Internet.  While WLA may make their point in a offputting way, that doesn’t change the fact that they’re right.  It’s not about controlling all thought on the Internet or propagating a particular message. It’s a difference between right and wrong, smart and stupid, fan of Michigan and Michigan Man™.  Trent worked his ass off for 5 years. Maybe he wasn’t the CB we wanted him to be or the WR he planned to be as a freshman, but it’s the journey not the destination that makes someone a non-ironic Michigan Man.  He’s earned that distinction and busted coverages and helmet stickers can’t take that away from him.