Biff, the Michigan Wolverine

Last updated
Biff, the Michigan Wolverine
Team University of Michigan football
University University of Michigan
Conference Big Ten Conference
First seen1920s
Last seen1930s

Biff was a wolverine who served as a team mascot at University of Michigan football games and was later kept in a small zoo at the University of Michigan in the 1920s and 1930s. In the mid-1920s, before the acquisition of a live wolverine, the University of Michigan used a mounted and stuffed wolverine, also named "Biff", as the team mascot.

Contents

History

Biff and Bennie in cage at Michigan Stadium, circa 1927 Biff and Bennie.jpg
Biff and Bennie in cage at Michigan Stadium, circa 1927

In 1923, after seeing the University of Wisconsin football team carry live badgers at games, University of Michigan athletic director and football coach Fielding H. Yost decided to procure a wolverine. [1] Despite writing letters to 68 trappers, Yost was reportedly unable to find a wolverine. The best he could do in 1924 was to obtain a mounted and stuffed wolverine from the Hudson's Bay Company. [1] [2] The stuffed wolverine was named “Biff” and was featured on the cover of a 1925 game program, along with team captain Robert J. Brown straining to hold Biff on a leash. The caption to the photograph read: “Capt. Bob Brown and Biff: The Wolverine Mascot of Michigan Athletic Teams Is Noted for Its Ferocity and Gameness in Battle, a Characteristic of Every Team that Wears the Maize and Blue.” [3]

Then, in 1927, the Detroit Zoo acquired ten wolverines from Alaska. During the 1927 season, Yost struck a deal with the zoo to have two of the wolverines transported to Ann Arbor on football Saturdays. [1] [2] The two wolverines were nicknamed “Biff” and “Bennie” and were paraded around Michigan Stadium during football games. [1] Biff and Bennie’s first appearance came on dedication day for Michigan Stadium in 1927. [4]

A living wolverine (not Biff or Bennie) Wolverine on rock.jpg
A living wolverine (not Biff or Bennie)

The University of Michigan Athletic Department reports that Biff and Bennie “grew larger and more ferocious,” leading Yost to conclude, "It was obvious that the Michigan mascots had designs on the Michigan men toting them, and those designs were by no means friendly." [1] Accordingly, the practice of bringing Biff and Bennie into the stadium ended after just one season. One of the Wolverines, Biff, was put in a cage at the University of Michigan Zoo. [1] National Geographic reported that "Yost had not accounted for the rapid growth or the ferocity of the animals, and when his players were no longer willing to carry the wolverines around the stadium, one live mascot, 'Biff,' was turned over to the University of Michigan Zoo so that the students would be able to visit—and be inspired by—him." [2] Though some sources report that Biff and Bennie were paraded in cages around Michigan Stadium for only one year, an article from the Bentley Historical Library states that the two live wolverine mascots were brought to the stadium for “a number of years.” [4] The Bentley account also states that both Biff and Bennie lived for a time at a small zoo near the Natural History Museum, "but eventually became too vicious to remain on campus and were moved to the Detroit Zoo." [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fielding H. Yost</span> American football player, coach, and administrator (1871–1946)

Fielding Harris Yost was an American college football player, coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at: Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Nebraska, the University of Kansas, Stanford University, San Jose State University, and the University of Michigan, compiling a coaching career record of 198–35–12. During his 25 seasons as the head football coach at Ann Arbor, Yost's Michigan Wolverines won six national championships, captured ten Big Ten Conference titles, and amassed a record of 165–29–10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Stadium</span> Football stadium on U.S. state university campus

Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the American football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third-largest stadium in the world, and the 34th-largest sports venue in the world. Its official capacity is 107,601, but it has hosted crowds in excess of 115,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benny Friedman</span> American football player, coach, and athletic administrator (1905–1982)

Benjamin Friedman was an American football player and coach, and athletic administrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Wolverines</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Michigan

The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisional Collegiate Water Polo Association. Team colors are maize and blue, though these are different shades of "maize" and "blue" from those used by the university at large. The winged helmet is a recognized icon of Michigan Athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bennie Oosterbaan</span> American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach (1906–1990)

Benjamin Oosterbaan was an American football end and head coach for the University of Michigan. He was a three-time All-American college football player, a two-time All-American basketball player, and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the Michigan Wolverines. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players in Michigan history. He was selected by Sports Illustrated as the fourth greatest athlete in the history of the U.S. state of Michigan in 2003, and one of the eleven greatest college football players of the first century of the game. As a head coach Oosterbaan won a national championship with the 1948 Michigan Wolverines football team, by way of the Associated Press.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferry Field</span> American multi-purpose stadium

Ferry Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the opening of Michigan Stadium in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000. It is currently used as a tailgating space for football games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Wolverines football</span> Football team of the University of Michigan

The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its distinctive winged helmet, its fight song, its record-breaking attendance figures at Michigan Stadium, and its many rivalries, particularly its annual, regular season-ending game against Ohio State, known simply as "The Game," once voted as ESPN's best sports rivalry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tad Wieman</span>

Elton Ewart "Tad" Wieman was an American college football player and coach and athletics administrator. He played football for the University of Michigan from 1915 to 1917 and 1920 under head coach Fielding H. Yost. He was a coach and administrator at Michigan from 1921 to 1929, including two years as the school's head football coach. Wieman served as a football coach at the University of Minnesota from 1930 to 1931, Princeton University from 1932 to 1942, and Columbia University from to 1945, and as an athletic director at the University of Maine from 1946 to 1951 and the University of Denver from 1951 to 1962. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regents Field</span> Former football field in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ferry Field was the home field for the University of Michigan football team from 1893 to 1905. It was located along South State Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Schembechler Hall stands today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Hatch</span>

W. Henry Hatch was the equipment manager for the University of Michigan varsity sports programs for 43 years from 1921 to 1964. For many years, he lived with his wife and daughter in a house on the grounds of Michigan Stadium and was considered a legendary figure in Michigan sports history. The Hatch-Falk Award is named in his honor, and he was posthumously inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1992. Hatch is responsible for the tradition of retiring Michigan Wolverines football jerseys and is part of the lore of the Little Brown Jug.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles A. Baird</span> American athletic director (1870–1944)

Charles A. Baird was an American football manager, university athletic director, and banker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1925 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

The 1925 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1925 Big Ten Conference football season. The 1925 season was Fielding H. Yost's 24th as the head football coach. Michigan compiled a 7–1 record and outscored opponents by a combined score of 227 to 3. The 1925 team won the Big Ten Conference championship and was ranked second in country behind Dartmouth in the Dickinson System rankings.

The 1926 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1926 Big Ten Conference football season. In the team's 25th and final season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan compiled a record of 7–1, outscored its opponents 191 to 38, and tied with Northwestern for the Big Ten Conference championship. Michigan's only loss was to an undefeated Navy team that was recognized as the national champion by several selectors. At the end of the season, Michigan ranked third in the country under the Dickinson System, trailing only Stanford and Navy. One selector, Jeff Sagarin, has retroactively named Michigan as a 1926 co-national champion.

The 1934 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1934 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth season under head coach Harry Kipke, the Wolverines compiled a 1–7 record and finished last in the Big Ten. Prior to the 1934 season, the Wolverines had compiled a 22-game undefeated streak dating back to October 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1928 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> American college football season

The 1928 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1928 Big Ten Conference football season. The Wolverines compiled a 3–4–1 record, tied for seventh place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by their opponents by a total of 62 to 36.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1927 Michigan Wolverines football team</span> University of Michigan football team

The 1927 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1927 Big Ten Conference football season. The 1927 season was Michigan's first in its new stadium, Michigan Stadium. It was also the first under new head coach Tad Wieman following the retirement of Fielding H. Yost as head coach. Michigan shut out its first four opponents before losing to 1927 Big Ten Conference champion Illinois and later to Big Ten runner up Minnesota. Michigan compiled a record of 6–2 and outscored its opponents by a combined score of 137 to 39. The team was ranked No. 7 in the nation in the Dickinson System ratings released in December 1927.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Gilbert</span> American football player (1906–1987)

Louis Matthew Gilbert was an American football player. He played at the halfback position for the Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1925 to 1927. He was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten Conference player in 1927 and was selected by Fielding H. Yost in 1941 as the greatest punter of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Michigan Wolverines football in the Yost era</span>

The History of Michigan Wolverines football in the Yost era covers the period from the hiring of Fielding H. Yost as head coach in 1901 through Yost's firing of Tad Wieman as head coach after the 1928 season. The era includes the brief head coaching tenures of George Little and Tad Wieman. Wieman was head coach during the 1927 and 1928 seasons but contended that he had never truly been allowed to take control of the team with Yost remaining as an assistant coach and athletic director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Michigan Wolverines football in the Kipke years</span>

The history of Michigan Wolverines football in the Kipke years covers the history of the University of Michigan Wolverines football program during the period from the hiring of Harry Kipke as head coach in 1929 through his firing after the 1937 season. Michigan was a member of the Big Ten Conference during the Kipke years and played its home games at Michigan Stadium.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Greg Kinney. "The Wolverine". The Regents of the University of Michigan. Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  2. 1 2 3 "Wolverines: Beast of the Boreal". National Geographic. June 2002. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Yost Wants a Real Wolverine, Dead or Alive". M Victors.com.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Michigan Stadium Story: Dedication Day, Oct. 22, 1927, UM vs. Ohio State". The Regents of the University of Michigan.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.