Note: We pause now from our daily bashing and factual corrections of all things yellow and blue
to offer our commendation to one Michigan athlete who behaved correctly, who never acted like
an arrogant ass, or filled himself up with so much self-loving pride that he became a chUMp.
(We will return to our regularly-schedule programming after this article!)
The Michigan Men's Basketball team is losing a great student-athlete in Michael Joseph "Spike" Albrecht. We have watched him compete against our team for the past three years and have been very impressed with his attitude, his teamwork, his effort, and his dignified style of play. We know he has hurt us on the floor during games, but he has never shamed his school through the rampant misbehavior for which his teams have become notorious over the decades.
Spike Albrecht is the consummate college athlete. Outsized, but never out-hustled. Out-played, but never out-smarted. Defeated, but never beaten.
Albrecht had one scholarship offer before signing with UM, from Appalachian State. He had no business playing basketball in Division One, much less in the B1G Conference, especially not on a winning team. And while his team had a losing record last season, Albrecht played a key role in the previous two years making his perennial middle-of-the-pack Wolverines look like champions for a short period of time.
We laughed at his nickname and mocked him for his stature in his early years, but we grew to respect him over time for the ways he did things, and for the ways that he did NOT do things.
We laughed at his nickname and mocked him for his stature in his early years, but we grew to respect him over time for the ways he did things, and for the ways that he did NOT do things.
Albrecht scored 18 points in his last game against MSU at the Breslin Center, almost single-handedly forcing an overtime session in a game that should not have been very close. He was tied for second-highest scorer for UM in the rematch at Crisler.
We would like to say CONGRATULATIONS TO SPIKE ALBRECHT for his work-ethic and commitment to team-values, and for his personal drive to become the best he could be against the odds every step of the way. If all student-athletes at the University of Michigan played and carried themselves outside of the game as Spike Albrecht has done, there would be no need for this web site.
Albrecht is a "class act", and we wish him the best in the future.
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Very well stated, SM82. We grew to respect him because he earned it.
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