Michigan's Legend Jersey Program — which gave us such glorious images as a No. 98-clad QB disparaging a running back legend's number with copious amounts of interceptions — is no more.
From Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com.
ANN ARBOR -- The "Legends" jerseys are officially gone, and Michigan's six honored football numbers are now back out of circulation.
The athletic department announced the news Tuesday, closing the program former athletic director Dave Brandon started after four seasons.
Additionally, Michigan will retire the numbers 48 (Gerald Ford), 87 (Ron Kramer), 11 (the Wistert brothers), 98 (Tom Harmon), 47 (Bennie Oosterbaan) and 21 (Desmond Howard) in an official ceremony prior to the team's home game against Ohio State on Nov. 28.
They just can't get rid of Dave Brandon's glorious policies fast enough, can they?
Also of note: Michigan's No. 1 and No. 2 aren't being donned by Wolverine players right now, but they're not set for enshrinement either.
UPDATE (1:59 p.m.): From the official release, here's a telling quote from Michigan's top interim-henchman:
“During the search process for our new football coach, I had a meeting with the Michigan Football team and they expressed their feelings associated with wearing these legendary jerseys,” said Jim Hackett, U-M’s Interim Athletic Director. “At one end of the spectrum they are awed by the legacy of the men who wore them and at the other end of the spectrum, and as part of a team sport, they wondered why we would call attention to one of our team members. I brought this issue to our new head coach Jim Harbaugh. He agreed with me that it needed a review. I then talked to the families of these great Michigan players. I called them directly and laid out the paradox of seeing players as a team and the due respect to these individual great players.
“The right plan is to retire them and display them in Towsley Museum which is connected to Schembechler Hall,” added Hackett. “Because we don’t have the display area inside the stadium, we have found an area on the concourse where fans can see and honor these retired jerseys.”
