Michigan State Spartans and the 100th Rose Bowl

Posted on by farlane

UPDATE: The top-rated Spartan D dug deep when it counted and stopped Stanford to seal a 24-20 victory in the 100th Rose Bowl and #3 or better ranking! View a photo gallery from the game via the Lansing State Journal’s Green & White section.

1954 Rose Bowl Game

1954 Rose Bowl Game, photo courtesy Michigan State University Archives

This afternoon at 5 PM the #4 Michigan State University Spartans will take the field against the #5 Stanford Cardinals to represent the Big Ten for the 100th Rose Bowl.

Wikipedia’s page on the Rose Bowl where you can see a pic from the very first Rose Bowl says (in part) that the game is usually played on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It was first played in 1902, and has been played annually since 1916. As the oldest bowl game, it has earned the nickname “The Granddaddy of Them All”.

MSU has been to the Rose Bowl four times and has won three: the 1954 game pictured above, 1956 and their last appearance in 1988. MSU’s article on the Spartans and the 2014 Rose Bowl says (in part):

Big Ten Champion Michigan State (12-1, 8-0 Big Ten) will make its first-ever Bowl Championship Series appearance on Jan. 1, 2014, when the Spartans play Pac-12 Champion Stanford (11-2, 7-2 Pac-12). Winners of nine straight, Michigan State recorded its school-record 12th win of the 2013 season by defeating second-ranked Ohio State, 34-24, in the Big Ten Championship Game.

MSU ranked No. 4 in the final BCS Standings – its highest ranking ever. The Spartans are ranked No. 4 in the latest Associated Press and USA TODAY Polls. It marks MSU’s highest ranking in the AP Poll since Sept. 18, 1967.

The Spartans finished their Big Ten regular-season schedule with a perfect 8-0 record for the first time in school history and claimed their second Legends Division title in three seasons. Michigan State became the 14th Big Ten team to post an 8-0 mark in league play. The Spartans are the first Big Ten team to win all eight of its conference games by double-digit points since the league went to an eight-game schedule in 1971. In addition, MSU is the first undefeated Big Ten team to win all of its league games by double-figure points since Michigan in 1943 (6-0 record).

The 100th Rose Bowl Game marks the first time since the “Game of the Century” in 1966 (No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Michigan State) in which MSU will play a top-five AP team while also being ranked in the top five. No. 5 Stanford is also the highest ranked opponent MSU has played in a bowl game since the 1966 Rose Bowl (UCLA finished the 1965 regular season ranked No. 4 in the final AP Poll).

Mike Downey put together 100 facts about the Rose Bowl. Most surprising to me was that 1925’s coaching matchup was Knute Rockne vs. Pop Warner.

The Michigan State University Archives says that the photograph above captures the action of the 1954 Rose Bowl game of Michigan State College versus UCLA in which the Spartans defeated the Bruins 28-20. View it bigger and check out some cool memorabilia in their Rose Bowl slideshow.

And oh yeah, Happy New Year & GO GREEN!

What’s ahead for 2014?

Posted on by farlane

Unknown

Unknown, photo by Mike Lanzetta

Probably my favorite thing about the New Year is the sense that anything and everything is possible. For myself, I’m happy to close the door on 2013 which has been a tougher than usual year and looking forward to new opportunities in 2014.

I hope that whatever you’re feeling about the year that’s gone that the year to come brings you everything you hope for and some wonderful surprises that you weren’t expecting. Happy New Year everyone!

View Mike’s photo bigger and see more in his train slideshow.

PS: Thanks everyone for the great comments and kind words yesterday!

Today is Michigan in Pictures 8th Birthday!

Posted on by farlane

eight

eight, photo by caterpillars

I started Michigan in Pictures on December 30, 2005. In the 8 years I’ve been doing this, I’ve posted 2,494 photos of and from the Great Lakes State.

This is far and away my favorite web project of all time, because every week I learn new things about the people, places, history and natural world of the state that is my home. I’m so grateful to the photographers who have shared and continue to share their photos with me and an audience who keeps showing up for more of Michigan.

Thank you!

View Laura’s photo on Flickr and in her slideshow. You can also click for more photos from her along with some actual caterpillars!

Underwater vibe at Belle Isle Aquarium

Posted on by farlane

Belle Isle Aquarium

Belle Isle Aquarium, photo by MichellePhotos2

Dan Austin of HistoricDetroit.org has an incredibly comprehensive history of the Belle Isle Aquarium. He writes, in part:

Clarence M. Burton, in his history on the city of Detroit, attributes the idea of an aquarium to Rep. David E. Heineman, who had visited Naples, Italy, and studied that city’s Anton Dorhn Aquarium.

…The firm of Nettleton & Kahn drew up the plans for the buildings. The building’s price tag: $165,000 (about $4.06 million today). At the time of its opening, the aquarium was among the six largest in the world. Its high-tech equipment allowed for the keeping of both seawater and fresh-water marine life and the keeping of the right water temperatures in the tanks. The water was recycled through the tanks because, it was said, that fish survive better in water they’ve been in before. Originally, a 8,531-gallon center tank with a railing around it occupied the center of the building. It was topped off with filtered water that snaked through 5 miles of pipes.

Kahn outfitted the interior with sea-green glass tiles to give visitors the feeling that they were in an underwater cavern. Forty-four tanks filled with critters from the Great Lakes and the world’s oceans line the walls. Combined, the tanks contained 5,780 gallons of water. Magnificent pillars and other details compliment the soaring arched ceilings, as high as three stories in the center of the building. A classroom sits near the main entrance.

The front of the slender, brick building features an elaborate Baroque entrance with carvings of dolphins and a grotesque of Neptune, the Roman god of water. In the center is the city’s seal showing the two maidens and the Detroit motto, “Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus” — “We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes.” Below that, the word “aquarium” is carved in capitalized, bold letters. The intricate details are sometimes masked by robust ivy that covers the front of the building.

When opening day finally came on Aug. 18, 1904, Detroiters were champing at the bit to take a peek. By the time dawn rolled around, the line numbered into the thousands and stretched from the aquarium’s front door all the way, across the bridge, back to East Jefferson Avenue. More than 5,000 people visited on the attraction’s first day. Some half a million would gaze into its tanks its first year.

Read on for much more that takes you through nearly a century of operation as one of the largest freshwater collections, decline in the latter part of the 20th century, shuttering in 2005 and re-opening in 2012. Definitely check out his gallery of Belle Isle Aquarium photos too!

Today the aquarium is run by the Belle Isle Conservancy and open on Saturdays from 10 AM – 3 PM with free admission and parking.

View Michelle’s photo bigger and see more in her Detroit slideshow.

PS: The Kahn above is of course noted Detroit architect Albert Kahn, and Michigan in Pictures has a great shot of the same room at the aquarium in 1905.

Winter Wonderland at Tahquamenon Falls

Posted on by farlane

winter, upper tahquamenon falls, michigan

winter, upper tahquamenon falls, michigan, photo by twurdemann

twurdemann writes that this winter wonderland at Tahquamenon Falls State Park is created by freezing spray/mist from the adjacent waterfall and that the brown color is from tannins in the water. One second exposure in the Upper Peninsula. View his photo bigger and see more his awesome winter slideshow.

There’s lots more about Michigan’s largest waterfall on Michigan in Pictures!

It doesn’t get more winter than this

Posted on by farlane

Fresh Winter snow on a historic Michigan Farm

Fresh Winter snow on a historic Michigan Farm, photo by Michigan Nut

John writes: We were treated to 8 inches of new snow in lower Michigan over the last two days. This farm is a couple of miles from us here in Montcalm county. View his photo bigger and see lots more in his Winter slideshow.

More barns on Michigan in Pictures.

Christmas Wishes

Posted on by farlane

November 27th

November 27th, photo by dudesitsgabby

Today is Christmas for me and my family. I hope that whatever today is for you & yours, your life is filled with warmth and love.

View Gabby’s photo background bigtacular and see more in her slideshow.

Don’t look back, winter might be gaining on you

Posted on by farlane

IMG_9393

Untitled, photo by JerryPHD

Check Jerry’s photo out background bigilicious and see more in his slideshow.

More winter wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.

Slam Dunk for Old Man Winter

Posted on by farlane

Icy Michigan Morning

Icy Michigan Morning, photo by daveumich

Much like Uncle Drew, Old Man Winter brought his A-game over the weekend, creating havoc across much of the state. The Freep reports that this weekend’s ice storm knocked out power for over 300,000 people. An interesting fact I learned from the article is that a quarter of an inch of ice is the equivalent of 500 pounds of weight on a span of power line. WLNS adds that thousands of people might be out of power through Christmas – here’s hoping that’s wrong!

View David’s photo from Lansing background big and see more shots of the storm in his slideshow.

There’s more ice on Michigan in Pictures, and mLive has a nice gallery of photos from around the state too!

One year after the End of the World

Posted on by farlane

Mayan Calendar---Weather Edition

Mayan Calendar—Weather Edition, photo by katerha

In addition to marking a full year of surviving the expiration date of the previous Mayan calendar, the winter solstice happens at 12:11 PM today. EarthSky has a guide to everything you need to know about the Winter Solstice that has all the details.

The weather outside is frightful though – stay safe and take care!

Check Kate’s photo from Cedarville out background bigtacular and see more in her winter slideshow.

Time to update your background to winter? There’s 7+ years of Michigan winter wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures!