The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/362774
BY JOHN BORTON M ichigan's incoming football freshmen, and potential future Wolverines dropping by for a visit, can't possibly miss the message. A two-story wall of footballs, specially labeled with the scores of each U-M win dating all the way back to 1897, looms in a suspended array at the new Schembechler Hall. That's far from the only reminder of the expectations in the $9 million renovation, but it might be the most eye-catching. A look around the vastly revamped Towsley Museum reveals interactive displays bringing Michigan football history to life. Touch-screen video outlets give visitors instant access to some of Michigan's greatest football seasons. They can view All-Americans, title teams, award winners and more. In short, the museum section of the remade Schembechler Hall seeks to immerse visitors in the glory of 13 and a half decades of Michigan gridiron efforts. Of course, an eight-foot-tall bronze statue of the man for whom the building is named stands watch over the entrance. The statue has become a magnet for picture takers visiting Schembechler Hall. There's much beyond what the public can access. A team lounge offers four large HD television screens, lounging furniture for oversized athletes, a Michigan football pool table, a jukebox and a massage table. A revamped team meeting room includes the following quote by Chinese military general and philosopher Sun Tzu: "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win." Team position rooms deliver a nod to the past, and an unspoken underscoring of expectations. Murals outside of the doors to those rooms feature some of the most outstanding performers Michigan has ever produced. For instance, when the Wolverines' offensive The old blends with the new, inside the refashioned Schembechler Hall. Here, a mounted Wolverine dem- onstrates the competitive ferocity kindled through hard work. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN