100 Years of Moe's

Back when I started this humble blog in 2007, I had no idea what it would eventually become. And even today, it's still evolving. Sports blogs sometimes get a bad wrap for a variety of reasons, but mainly it stems from the idea that we're just a bunch of fanboys living in our parent's basements. While I can't speak for all of them, I can tell you that it has been my experience that the various blogs that cover Michigan football, at least the ones that has been around for a while, are run by some of the best dudes (and sports writers) you'll ever meet.

(I say "dudes" because I have yet to meet a female Michigan blogger. Now there's an untapped market!)

I was first contacted by Rishi Narayan, owner and operator of Moe Sport Shops in Ann Arbor in the summer of 2010 about doing some advertising on my site. At first I was excited about the opportunity to partner with such a great local company which is basically an institution around Ann Arbor. Anyone who's ever spent any significant amount of time around town knows of Moe Sport Shops and probably has a shirt or sweatshirt from there...after all, they did help create the collegiate apparel business. So back in 2010 when we were just getting started with Moe's, Rishi learned that my wife and I had just become brand new parents. He didn't hesitate to send over my son Jack's first ever piece of Michigan apparel, a maize & blue onesie.

I knew right then, that this was going to be a special partnership.

Since then Moe Sport Shop/Underground Printing has been a valuable part of this site and a few other independent Michigan blogs...MGoBlog, MVictors and UMHoops. They truly know what it means to embrace the Ann Arbor / U of M community in a way few other local businesses can. Aside from their ads on this site, they also sponsor our regular season and bowl pickem leagues which we've been doing for a few years now. Their partnership lends a ton of legitimacy and credibility to this site and the others they work with, that really helps break the stigma that goes along with independent sports blogs.

I am forever grateful to be just a small part of their story...and also grateful that they're such a big part of ours. So much so that I am writing this little post without any solicitation from Moe's or UGP. They're just a bunch of good folks who run a great local shop. Sure, there's other places you can go for your Michigan gear, but there's no place that can match the history or tradition of Moe's.

MGoBlog's weekly radio show on WTKA aired live from Moe's original North University Avenue location this week, and Brian had a chance to interview Rishi and Bud, the owners of Moe's to talk about the history of the shop and their involvement with the campus and community. And of course, they talk about Jim Harbaugh because how can't you?! That audio can be heard right here.