Daily Brews: A Thanksgiving address to Michigan fans, MnB readers

Dear Michigan fan/Maize n Brew reader,

I had thought about taking the day off from this post with the Thanksgiving holiday and all, but I decided not to because there’s something that I wanted to get off my chest ahead of Saturday’s game against Ohio State, which figures to be another classic edition of The Game.

Today is a day of reflection, as many holidays are this time of year. It just so happens to be the one that’s built around giving thanks. Having the opportunity to run and operate this site allows me to wake up and be thankful every day, but rarely do I sit back and reflect on it. Since taking this over full-time in August after 5ish years of being a part of the MnB/SB Nation family, I have nothing but the sincerest thanks and gratitude to give for the opportunity to have a voice on this platform, as well as help cultivate other voices.

So pardon me for a few while I get sappy and share some of the things I am thankful for today.

First and foremost, I am thankful for my family and my friends. A lot of people sit back and say, “Wow, what a dream gig. You get paid to write about sports and work either from home or in Ann Arbor all the time. That must rule.” It does, and I love that. But the flip side of that is a lot of long days, late nights, computers at family functions, checking phones, seeking dog-sitters for when I’m gone, etc. Again, that’s part of being an adult, but whenever something needs to be accommodated, they understand and they also help. Nobody I’ve surrounded myself with in my personal and private life has ever asked “why?” when I’ve shared personal goals with them. It’s always been “What can I do to help?” and extremely supportive of projects I’ve been working on. Thank you for your eternal patience and also understanding why when that laptop closes, I’m just about finished talking about Speed and Space and defending crossing routes for the day!

Next, I am thankful for my peers in the industry. I have to be honest with you guys. Prior to this year when I was just doing this part-time, I would be intimidated going into a media room or press setting because I still felt like an outsider with one foot in the door. I have two feet in the door now, but some of those feelings are still there! There are a ton of terrific and established people in those rooms and it used to be scary to be in a setting with so many people you’ve read, heard and respected over the years, especially when you’re the guy who just grew up a fan of their work and now run a blog that has a beer reference attached to the title. I’ve learned over the years that those feelings of intimidation should not exist because there are terrific people down there that I’m lucky enough to call friends and colleagues. Thank you for your continued kindness and setting a professional example of how I still strive to be.

To my staff, I am thankful for the blood, sweat and tears that you put into your work and the soul that you pour into being a part of this site. We have been through a lot together and are still working every day on delivering a product we can be proud of and that people respect. It’s not hard to do when most everyone has a full-time job outside of here, but you make it so incredibly easy (most of the time) to put the pieces in the place they need to be to where I can just sit back and watch you grow. One of the great honors of this position is being able to see people flourish creatively and I have no doubts that will continue moving forward.

Lastly, you, the readers and commenters. Yes, I’m even thankful for you guys. Thank you for making us part of your daily routine and sticking with us as we continue to find our footing since I took over full-time in the summer. I consider you part of this family and your voice matters to me, so the discussions we have on-platform in the comments, off-platform on social media, meetups in person, etc. mean a lot. Your voice and your feedback matter to me, so never hesitate to reach out with suggestions or comments to how we can make this a better experience for you.

This football season has taught me great patience both personally, professionally and also with the actual dang team that we cover here. Take things one day at a time and be the best that you can be on that day. When you stack all of those good days in a row and have more of them than not, you set yourself up for something special when there is a goal that you set for yourself. That’s the attitude the Michigan Wolverines have taken on when things got tough this Saturday and now they have a shot to do something they’ve been told all season they have no business doing. Take care of your business today, and then tomorrow, and then the day after that and do not let speed bumps or sidetracks deter you from your goal.

Have a blast this weekend. We do not get much college football and then once it’s here, it’s gone. There are two games left to play this year already. Enjoy them if you can.

That’s it for me. I’ll share a few fun links below, but wanted to make sure you knew how loved and appreciated you all are. Please do me the honor of filling your gut with all of the turkey, ham, sides, whatever you can today.

Gobble gobble,

Anthony Broome, Team Site Producer

Maize n Brew

Other Brews

• Michigan basketball plays No. 6 North Carolina in the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday afternoon from the Bahamas. Check out our game preview for that contest here.
• Here were the takeaways from Franz Wagner’s debut and more in Michigan’s win over Iowa State on Wednesday.
• Yesterday’s MnB podcast featured interviews with Dhani Jones and Jim Brandstatter ahead of Saturday’s game. It was a ton of fun and we look forward to having those guys back on at some point.
• Quarterback Shea Patterson is ready for another shot at the Ohio State Buckeyes after the way things went last season.

What are y’all thankful for today? Share in the comments below!