A couple of years ago there weren't a whole lot of Michigan sites out there. No. Really. You could count them on a single hand. With the notable exception of MGoBlog, your options were fairly limited outside of the various Rivals and Scout Message boards. Yet, between October of 2005 and March of 2006, somewhere between 7 and 4.6 million Michigan Blogs appeared on the horizon. One of those Blogs was the MZone. And it immediately became one of my favorite places on the internet.
Their "War Eagle" spoof on Auburn is one of the funniest college football farks ever made. Somehow Yost and the guys always found a way to inject humor into circumstances where a laugh was so desperately needed. Their reaction to the Appalachian State game forced us to laugh in spite of ourselves.
Their reactions were never muted. They approached football and even plagiarism with the same eardrum splitting volume. When the not-so-good folks at the world wide leader ripped off their "revised Wonderlic test," they fought back with determination and ferocity that Bo would've been proud of. As a result of fighting the good fight, they got an on-air apology from the credentialed media and their site plugged on a national radio program.
By last fall, my team of fellow MZone bloggers has dwindled down to just yours truly, which is no great surprise as running a daily blog can be a grind at times. That's why I have such respect for the many fellow bloggers I've gotten to know during the course of running the MZone who do it and do it so well.
He's not kidding. Writing on a daily basis, while maintaining a day job and a healthy social life, is a far greater challenge than can be adequately described in print. But it is because of this grind that I was always so impressed with them. Quality content was always available and they always made me laugh. This is no small feat when you've got bills to pay.
I've always felt a little bit of comradere with Yost and the since silent writers of the MZone. Not just because they're Michigan guys, but because simply seemed to have so much fun. From time to time I've tried to emulate their writing, to mixed success. Bluntly I'm not as funny as they are. But God I wish I was.
Though we've never met in person, I consider Yost a friend. Through emails, GChat and postings, we've gotten to know one another and I've come to appreciate the great voice he has offered the to Michigan fan. Over the past two-plus years MZone's made me laugh, made me cringe, and has offered some wonderful insight into the deranged psychosis that is Michigan fandom.
To Yost and the MZone crew, good night sweet prince, Godspeed, and thank you.