Michigan's Hunwick is a Fraud

[Caustic Undertow]

We've all been duped.

When Shawn Hunwick came off of the Michigan bench to replace the injured Brian Hogan two years ago, he was a walk-on who never expected to play a full game in a Michigan uniform. Michigan fans and others lauded this "Rudy" story. What could be a better modern example of the walk-on who got to play?

Rudy is a real person, of course, but for most of us the name "Rudy" evokes images of Sean Astin practicing his guts out to a backdrop of dramatic music. The movie was another feel-good sports story by David Anspaugh, director of Hoosiers. Hoosiers is the story of a down-on-his luck basketball coach in a nowhere small town who rides his hot player, Jimmy Chitwood, to a state title. Anspaugh went for a different type of inspiration, and so his football movie had a different flavor to it. Rudy is the story of an undersized, talent-free, hard-working, earnest walk-on who loves the sport and works so hard he gets a chance to play.

Hunwick seems to fit the "Rudy" mold; he has a hobbit-like stature. He came to Michigan as a walk-on, following his much more talented brother Matt. He never expected to play. Brian Hogan was the starter, and first-round NHL draft picks were in the recruiting pipeline to continue a long Michigan tradition that has enshrined giants like Shields, Turco, and Montoya. "Rudy" seemed like a good analogy, a nice story to make Michigan fans feel better as their team inevitably finished a mediocre season by missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in 20 years.

But we got worked. Conned. Tricked. Hoodwinked. Recent events have made that clear.

Michigan did not miss the tournament. They rode a hot goaltender to the brink of the Frozen Four. The next year, "Rudy" single-handedly thwarted the best team in college hockey in the national semi-final and took the championship game to overtime. Now, with a young team, he has posted a .962 in the last ten games. People are whispering "Hobey candidate." Something fishy is going on here.

When Brian Hogan went down, coach Berenson motioned Rudy onto the ice. Overconfident forwards from Notre Dame, Miami, Boston College, and North Dakota took their shots, sure that this walk-on feel-good story would be unequal to the task. For two years the assaults came. Yet he never faltered, his will never broke. Bewildered, they assembled at the bench to plot in frustration.

Then he slowly removed his mask to take a drink. The fans recoiled in shock. The opponents hissed in rage. For the face revealed was not the innocent, hopeful face of Sean Astin that everybody expected to see. He is not Rudy.

He is Jimmy Chitwood.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

I care.

[Patronick]

We've all been duped.

When Shawn Hunwick came off of the Michigan bench to replace the injured Brian Hogan two years ago, he was a walk-on who never expected to play a full game in a Michigan uniform. Michigan fans and others lauded this "Rudy" story. What could be a better modern example of the walk-on who got to play?

Rudy is a real person, of course, but for most of us the name "Rudy" evokes images of Sean Astin practicing his guts out to a backdrop of dramatic music. The movie was another feel-good sports story by David Anspaugh, director of Hoosiers. Hoosiers is the story of a down-on-his luck basketball coach in a nowhere small town who rides his hot player, Jimmy Chitwood, to a state title. Anspaugh went for a different type of inspiration, and so his football movie had a different flavor to it. Rudy is the story of an undersized, talent-free, hard-working, earnest walk-on who loves the sport and works so hard he gets a chance to play.

Hunwick seems to fit the "Rudy" mold; he has a hobbit-like stature. He came to Michigan as a walk-on, following his much more talented brother Matt. He never expected to play. Brian Hogan was the starter, and first-round NHL draft picks were in the recruiting pipeline to continue a long Michigan tradition that has enshrined giants like Shields, Turco, and Montoya. "Rudy" seemed like a good analogy, a nice story to make Michigan fans feel better as their team inevitably finished a mediocre season by missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in 20 years.

But we got worked. Conned. Tricked. Hoodwinked. Recent events have made that clear.

Michigan did not miss the tournament. They rode a hot goaltender to the brink of the Frozen Four. The next year, "Rudy" single-handedly thwarted the best team in college hockey in the national semi-final and took the championship game to overtime. Now, with a young team, he has posted a .962 in the last ten games. People are whispering "Hobey candidate." Something fishy is going on here.

When Brian Hogan went down, coach Berenson motioned Rudy onto the ice. Overconfident forwards from Notre Dame, Miami, Boston College, and North Dakota took their shots, sure that this walk-on feel-good story would be unequal to the task. For two years the assaults came. Yet he never faltered, his will never broke. Bewildered, they assembled at the bench to plot in frustration.

Then he slowly removed his mask to take a drink. The fans recoiled in shock. The opponents hissed in rage. For the face revealed was not the innocent, hopeful face of Sean Astin that everybody expected to see. He is not Rudy.

He is Jimmy Chitwood.

I read this twice and still can't figure out what your trying to say, but bravo, you magnificent bastard. This is a troll for the Hall of Fame.

[MUhawks628]

Hobey Hobey Hunwick!


It sounds so adorable!!!!!!

[Wol4ine]

If he is Jimmy Chitwood, how come we didn't see his greatness before he started to play? Unlike the whole town of Hickory that knew Chitwood was the key to winning.

[Spartanforlife4]

And how can he be Jimmy when he didn't go to the University Board meeting to defend the new coach that only skated four players?

[streaker]

I read this twice and still can't figure out what your trying to say, but bravo, you magnificent bastard. This is a troll for the Hall of Fame.

Caustic nails it again. Of course many of you don't know that this is a sarcastic National Lampoon style campaign from a Michigan fan. "We're not gonna stand for it anymore" is whispering in my ears (as I whistle the Star Spangled Banner.) Delta House lives.

Of course, it won't make a difference come April if Hunwick doesn't survive getting run over every week.

[wooderson]

/thread gets body-checked by three other CCHA threads

[Caustic Undertow]

I forget that many people don't remember who Jimmy Chitwood is. Am I actually old now?

[Biddco]

I forget that may people don't remember who Jimmy Chitwood is. Am I actually old now?

Yes. I had to look it up...

[Twitch Boy]

Grantland is over that way, Bill.

[manurespreader]

Grantland is over that way, Bill.

just so everyone can sample who Grantland was here's a quote.

Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.

[Twitch Boy]

just so everyone can sample who Grantland was here's a quote.

Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.

I was making a joke comparing him to Bill Simmons. Simmons established a sports/pop culture website called Grantland, which he and a bunch of his buddies write for.

[Terrier520]

I always thought hunwick was the second spitter, too!

[beersong]

http://i.usatoday.net/sports/gallery...horizontal.jpg

[Scarlet]

I loved Hoosiers. That scene when Gene Hackman and the team walk into the huge arena for the state championship and he has them measure the free throw line and the height of the basket and then says "Just like our gym back home." Awesome. I need to watch that again. For those of you who haven't ever seen it, I implore to you to rent it. Even if it is about bouncyball, it's still one of the best all time movies ever.

[streaker]

I loved Hoosiers. That scene when Gene Hackman and the team walk into the huge arena for the state championship and he has them measure the free throw line and the height of the basket and then says "Just like our gym back home." Awesome. I need to watch that again. For those of you who haven't ever seen it, I implore to you to rent it. Even if it is about bouncyball, it's still one of the best all time movies ever.

Hackman could make "Roadhouse" a good movie. One of the five actors I'd like to meet if it was a bucket list wish.

[LynahFan]

I read this twice and still can't figure out what your trying to say, but bravo, you magnificent bastard. This is a troll for the Hall of Fame.

My condolences. I couldn't really get through it once - had to skim a bit.

Thread drift: My aunt lives in Indianapolis and knew one of the kids who was one of the players on the team (can't remember which one), so she went down to be an extra in the crowds. She said it was a blast - they didn't have enough people to fill the arena, so they had to keep moving the crowd from section to section to film from different angles.

[DaveStPaul]

Grantland is over that way, Bill.

No kidding. I hope the OP is a promising high school sophomore who hasn't figured out yet how to not write like everybody else.

[TimU]

I loved Hoosiers. That scene when Gene Hackman and the team walk into the huge arena for the state championship and he has them measure the free throw line and the height of the basket and then says "Just like our gym back home." Awesome. I need to watch that again. For those of you who haven't ever seen it, I implore to you to rent it. Even if it is about bouncyball, it's still one of the best all time movies ever.

Have you ever seen a replay of the actual game on which the movie is based? It'll change your perspective a bit.