Signgate The Seventh: It's All Bullshit
It's All Bullshit. Let us start with this: all of this is bullshit. Bruce Feldman is quoting coaches who think Connor Stalions was worth 21 points a game, Allan Haller is piteously moaning about how MSU players were in danger because Michigan may or may not know what plays they're running, and various Big Ten coaches are up in arms about the Threat To Competitive Integrity.
Bullshit. All of it.
This all came out, Stalions got suspended, everyone is fully aware that they should use wristbands against Michigan, and Vegas reacted by shoving all their Michigan lines towards Michigan. And nobody is using wristbands except the one school in the conference that has mastered Writing and is now able to build a library:
Notice JJ had to go to the wrist band.
— Due# (@JDue51) November 5, 2023
My anonymous source tells me that’s a reaction to *someone* sending Purdue video of our signs prior to the Big Ten Championship game last year.
Allegedly pic.twitter.com/mZZz0r2FDs
Haller's crocodile tears are doubly ridiculous since the only danger anyone was in in the M-MSU game was Braiden McGregor when he got speared in the helmet. And after a couple of drives of performatively having the quarterback get the call from the sideline, they just went back to signals. If it was really that dangerous, Haller should be fired for Endangering His Players. But it's not. It's bullshit.
If any of this was true, teams would not dare to signal in plays at all:
"People don't understand the seriousness of it," said another source. "How it truly impacted the game plan. To truly know if it's a run or a pass, people don't understand how much of an advantage that was for Michigan."
There was anger interspersed throughout the call, as one source described the sentiment as: "Every game they played is tainted."
Nobody in football really believes this gave Michigan the kind of material advantage that taints the season, not when Michigan has blown out every opponent on the schedule. But give James Franklin an opportunity to spout off anonymously in an attempt to placate the Penn State fanbase staring down another beatdown at the hands of Michigan or Ohio State, and he's going to take it.
This conference has an entire division failing the Brian Ferentz test. The other division has two of the worst P5 teams in America, Rutgers, a Maryland team that just lost to Northwestern, a Penn State team that can't move the ball against anyone with a pulse, and M/OSU. Maybe this conference's problems are not solely due to one low-level Michigan staffer with grandiose ambitions.
[After THE JUMP: rumor du jour.]
On to the rumor du jour. That would be that the Big Ten is fixin' to suspend Jim Harbaugh indefinitely tomorrow. This is ludicrous but I believe it. This post on the message board…
According to my source, Harbaugh will be suspended indefinitely on Monday. The university is preparing a lawsuit against the conference and asking for an immediate stay on the suspension. Grounds for the suit are violation of conference rules on investigations and irreparable harm from the timing of the suspension. My source works for the law firm representing UM in this case. The firm is working this weekend to determine whether to file the suit in local, state, or federal court as reaction time is critical.
This is about to get real.
…corresponds with a post Sam Webb made yesterday morning, and similar rumblings from Josh Henschke. There have been similar reports in the wider press. One bright side is that it seems like anything other than a Harbaugh suspension is not being considered:
There was talk, for instance, of any penalty not impacting players directly. A suspension of head coach Jim Harbaugh may be the most likely and “cleanest” penalty if one were handed down, one source said.
For 2023 it appears the fight is over Harbaugh and just Harbaugh.
UPDATE: I've been told the earliest this could happen would be Wednesday.
What then? As mentioned in a previous Signgate piece, Michigan has no intention of showing its belly to anyone on this. Santa Ono's letter to Petitti is polite but reads like an expensive lawyer went over it to lay out the various arguments Michigan will make to a judge in the event the Big Ten does something drastic:
"We, as would any other member of the Big 10, deserve nothing less. Our students, our coaches, our program — all are entitled to a fair, deliberate, thoughtful process. We are aware that other representatives of the Big10 are demanding that you take action now, before any meaningful investigation and full consideration of all the evidence. That is not something our conference rules permit. And we both know it is not what any other member would want if allegations were raised against their people or programs.
"The Big 10 has not informed us of any investigation of its own, as would be required under conference rules. And, to be clear, oral updates from NCAA enforcement staff do not and cannot constitute evidence, nor do we think the NCAA would ever intend for an oral update to be given that meaning or weight.
"The best course of action, the one far more likely to ascertain the facts, is to await the results of the NCAA investigation. But if you refuse to let the NCAA investigative process play out, the Big 10 may not take any action against the University or its players or coaches without commencing its own investigation and offering us the opportunity to provide our position. That is not just required by our conference rules; it is a matter of basic fairness."
Raj has some concerns that the commissioner doesn't actually have to have an investigation, but he's also the one who dug up the actual bylaws, and while the language is vague it seems like interpreting the part where they say the commissioner has the discretion to "pursue, or choose not to pursue" an investigation as "the commissioner can hit you with the ban stick without an investigation" is like the various Michigan lawyers who have gone over the NCAA rules with a fine-tooth comb in an effort to exonerate Connor Stalions as the world's greatest loophole exploiter. IMO, anyway. I am not a lawyer.
It seems like it would be enough to sue with, in any case. Webb has a piece up that interviews a Law-Talkin' Guy about said Ono letter and how it applies:
"You have to show that there's a likelihood the moving party will prevail on the merits. Now, this is the most important thing about what Ono did. In my view (it was) a very smart thing. He said, ‘look, you're not following your own procedures if you act.’ That's really a good hook to argue… that it's a good reason to preserve the status quo in terms of prevailing. Because it's unprecedented.”
Joe Simon, the law-talkin' guy, also brings up the fact that if there is a lawsuit both parties will have to go through discovery. This means everyone gets to ask everyone else for relevant documents and depositions, which will be extremely annoying, time consuming, and costly. And if Michigan's gone through their stuff and is confident the paper trail ends at Stalions, that's all upside for them.
A united front. Sounds like this isn't happening if Schlissel is still around, and that Michigan is unified in their opposition to being handed an in-season punishment for penny-ante crap:
I don't know if there is anything I am more proud of professionally than bringing @SantaJOno to Ann Arbor. #goblue
— Jordan Acker (@JordanAckerMI) November 5, 2023
Michigan on the offensive. The other piece of the story has been bubbling up in obscure references from insiders on Twitter and in pretty-much-as-obscure posts on the paysites. It seems clear that Michigan has some… stuff. They're going to start releasing that stuff. What exactly that stuff is not fully known, but if this guy who runs a reasonably successful independent college football site and just happens to be an OSU guy is aware of who the firm is…
I know exactly who the firm is. I know it isn't day's brother, and I don't know (and feel reasonably confident that none of the Michigan message board reporters know) who they signed an engagement letter with at all.
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) October 29, 2023
…a dollar says Michigan does too. And maybe they have something that would tie that firm back to OSU. As Dan Wetzel points out, none of that would do anything with Michigan's case with the NCAA. It might help with the Big Ten since the sturm und drang from the conference is so extreme and looks set to suspend Harbaugh (or at least attempt to) based on no investigation at all. Live by the vibes, die by the vibes.
I've been as critical of Michigan as anyone.
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) November 3, 2023
But the idea 13 ADs get to sit on a call with the commish (and 13 coaches before them) and call for an unprecedented ruling, with no real investigation, without Michigan being allowed to defend themselves?
Absolutely ABSURD
Two other things that have been hinted at: one is that Stalions got hacked and CommitCrimes.docx, amongst other things, were obtained illegally. Two is that Michigan may have evidence that someone taped their practices. Circumstantially, Michigan put up a privacy screen around their outdoor practice facility this summer.
Josh Henschke has another two or three things that he "knows" Michigan has evidence of, and a little bit of it is outside the paywall. Isaiah Hole has also been asserting that Michigan was going to start releasing stuff.
Back to Haller. Repeat after me: Michigan State is the most shameless athletic department in America. There's chutzpah and then there's this:
The most powerful message, according to sources familiar with the call, came from Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller. He mentioned the alterations Michigan State needed to undergo in order to prepare for its Oct. 21 game against Michigan after receiving a call Wednesday of that game week about Michigan having Michigan State's signals.
Haller worried about players potentially getting hurt because Michigan players, in theory, knew where they'd be going on plays.
He also referenced last year, when he said the Big Ten forced Michigan State to suspend numerous players after the tunnel incident in Ann Arbor before the league finished investigating the incident. He pointed out that it was hypocritical that this year, with Michigan under investigation, the league is now waiting for an investigation to unfold.
This last paragraph is a flat-out lie. Michigan State suspended the tunnel players. The Big Ten did not act until a full month after the assault, when they fined MSU 100k and suspended Khary Crump for the first eight games of 2023. That month-long investigation was about eight Michigan State players being filmed ganging up on two Michigan players in full view of multiple cameras.
It is probably true that the Big Ten asked MSU to suspend the players, but they were not forced to. In MSU's case getting the suspensions out of the way for a season that was already a 3-5 debacle in the hopes that 2023 would be better was the logical thing to do in any case; the Big Ten was doing MSU a favor. Michigan can point to this as an example of the procedures the Big Ten followed just last year, and surely the suspension of eight players including starters was much more relevant for the teams on MSU's schedule than the fact that they should just frickin' use wristbands is for the teams on Michigan's.
Etc.: It's frosty out there.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:02 PM ^
Support the team by going to the games, buying merchandise, watching the games.
See you all at the PSU game and wear your Vast Network shirts purchased from the mgoblogstore.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:52 PM ^
Is all this noise from teams about getting rid of harbaugh as competitition for their teams, creating excuses for michigans domination and to gain a recruiting advantage on Michigan?
this sign stealing thing is the biggest alternate reality narrative I have seen in sports.
November 5th, 2023 at 11:05 PM ^
"Victim Theater" its where someone does you harm of about a 1 or a 2 on a scale of 10 and you comeback with a full 10 and justify it. Someone watches your coaches on the sidelines with 100,000 other fans with phones and a televised audience? You tear that program to the ground!!!
November 5th, 2023 at 7:04 PM ^
As an attorney, I suggest Michigan salt the Earth.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:48 PM ^
Can someone review Isaiah Holes creds? Who is this guy and what's his background to lead us to believe he's credible?
November 5th, 2023 at 8:03 PM ^
I'm still looking into Brian's creds so I'm a little busy. Maybe someone else can do Hole though?
November 5th, 2023 at 8:07 PM ^
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!
November 6th, 2023 at 7:40 AM ^
A Wisconsin-based reporter looked into Brian years ago and determined that he reports unverified voracity.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:08 PM ^
Oh, he is definitely credible. He runs the wolverineswire.com blog and also does a podcast.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:11 PM ^
Isaiah used to be the photog for 247 (Michigan Insider) and would record the weekly pressers. Then they had some layoffs and he founded his own site which I think was absorbed by some sort of USA Today network?
Dude is very credible but I wouldn’t put any more faith in reporters than I would Sam and Brian/Seth. Everyone else may be quite good (Josh Henschke used to be at 247 as well IIRC so he’s solid, but Rivals has a “meh” history) but have had some misses.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:37 PM ^
Seth says he's legit. Said he is as plugged in as Sam.
November 6th, 2023 at 12:22 AM ^
That would be impressive. I think Sam has direct access to Jim Harbaugh and Jack Harbaugh, as well as Warde Manuel and Santa Ono.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:28 PM ^
I agree and like the way you shoot blanx.
November 6th, 2023 at 11:49 AM ^
Billy Blanks would like a word with you.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:29 PM ^
I agree with this as well whatever you have on any other team you "leak" it daily at 7:00 PM and don't stop till you've reached Zach Smith levels if ridiculousness.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:05 PM ^
To paraphrase some other guy: “It’s all ass, my dude.”
November 5th, 2023 at 7:06 PM ^
The greatest conjuring of my lifetime. Painting an honest and admirable man as scandalous. He has done nothing wrong.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:51 PM ^
To quote an Ace of Base song: “No one's gonna drag you up to get into the light where you belong.”
The rest of the B1G is just gonna try and drag Harbaugh down.
November 6th, 2023 at 7:41 AM ^
Impressed. That song works on so many levels.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:08 PM ^
STOP WITH THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES, BRIAN!
/s
November 5th, 2023 at 9:37 PM ^
Stop it; we aren't doing that!
November 5th, 2023 at 7:11 PM ^
Do the OSUs, MSUs, and PSUs of the world really want a system in which you defeat your opponents with PI firms, media campaigns, and whining? Is that going to turn out well for them over the long run? I expect this level of horse**** in politics. I am not going to have much interest in sports if we find it there too.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:20 PM ^
Athletic departments will need to budget an extra $1-2 million for investigation/surveillance teams.
November 5th, 2023 at 10:20 PM ^
But no advance in person privates investigating of future opponents
November 5th, 2023 at 11:05 PM ^
MSU is having a hard enough time with privates over the telephone
November 5th, 2023 at 7:32 PM ^
Yes, to answer your question, especially Ohio State. Losing three times in a row to us is the worst possible scenario for them, even worse than being found to have orchestrated this whole mess.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:51 PM ^
Not to mention the loss they would've taken if they had faced Dan Villari in 2020. They lucked out.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:14 PM ^
Honestly, to their fan base they will be looked at as hero’s for this debacle. Day may have bought himself a contract extension with this crap.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:25 PM ^
He's managed to make many of them buy that he's only lost because of cheating and they don't give a shit about the fact that it makes him look like a soft loser to investigate Michigan.
But when he loses for the third straight time, that good will may not hold up.
November 6th, 2023 at 8:34 AM ^
Remember when some Michigan player accidentally took out Charlie Weis on a tackle and he tore an ACL or something? I hope that happens to Day this year. Fuck that guy.
November 5th, 2023 at 10:23 PM ^
It will backfire after he loses to Michigan a 3rd straight time.
Also, no matter what the B1G or NCAA does, even if somehow Harbaugh got a suspension that lasted a year, (which I don't think would ever happen) Michigan will lock him up long-term.
And as long as Harbaugh is at Michigan I think Michigan stays ahead of Ohio State. OSU faithful believe this too, obviously.
November 5th, 2023 at 11:06 PM ^
A Ryan Day contract extension is a best possible scenario for us
November 5th, 2023 at 11:15 PM ^
Ryan day is John Cooper without the ethics or backbone
November 5th, 2023 at 7:46 PM ^
Yes, 1000x this, and I hope Michigan hammers this point home to the Big Ten and NCAA.
It is an overlooked part of this story, but it is way more important than the actual "crime" that was committed. I hate politics with a passion. I don't want that level of mudslinging to infect sports. That's what's so infuriating about this story - it has been a PR hitjob designed to maximize outrage, and somehow it's working.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:26 PM ^
It's working because one side has framed the argument to be about "sign stealing". This issue is not about sign stealing since there is no where in the NCAA rules that indicates it is illegal. By using the narrative sign "stealing" it is being painted as illegal regardless of the NCAA rules. This is intentional to create an emotional response. Inserting stealing into the argument, implies an illegal act whether that is the case or not.
This is about impermissible in person scouting of opponent games. That is all! There is no circumstance in the NCAA rules that indicates teams can not decipher opponent signals and use that to their advantage.
November 6th, 2023 at 1:42 AM ^
That's why the Buckeye blogs and YouTubers have moved on to the term "cheaters" as in "the worst cheating scandal in the history of college football," insisting that all games from the last 2-1/2 years be forfeited.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:47 PM ^
They always work (for awhile at least) - that's why people do it!
November 6th, 2023 at 1:40 PM ^
Yes, it’s a PR hit job. A recent president was impeached for asking the president of Ukraine to announce an investigation into his likely opponent. There was no investigation and nothing to investigate but the recent president didn’t care. The announcement of one was the key. Too many people leap without basis from an investigation to certainty of wrongdoing. They rationalize that the investigation is smoke and where there is smoke there is fire. The PR folks know, though, just like our recent president did, that where there’s smoke there may be nothing more than a fog machine. By then, the damage to the opponent is done.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:54 PM ^
That’s all msu will ever have. I think they have nothing to lose and would wholeheartedly say yes
November 5th, 2023 at 10:49 PM ^
God…..that is so well said. Peach my dude. Preach
November 5th, 2023 at 7:12 PM ^
Can we start investigating leaving this conference. I'd prefer the ACC with it's academic quality and some semi-close teams and east coast presence.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:23 PM ^
I'd be cool with an annual game with ND and adding a new rival in FSU.
November 5th, 2023 at 7:35 PM ^
Can we just fucking stop with the “We’re gonna leave the B1G” rhetoric? Just stop. It’s not going to happen and adds nothing to further an opinion or argument.
Yes, we all hate the B1G at the moment and Pettiti is coming dangerously close to becoming a spineless puppet in his first year on the job but this insane solution is the equivalent of packing up your baseball trading cards and finding some new friends.
Fight the bullshit suspension, respond with your own allegations if you must but don’t expect one of the most profitable brands in all of sports to leave its conference because they don’t agree with a possible ruling as if it’s as simple as a phone call to another conference commissioner. Come on, people… You're smarter than this!
November 5th, 2023 at 7:37 PM ^
So you are saying we shouldn't leave the BigTen?
November 5th, 2023 at 11:10 PM ^
I don't think we should leave, because I don't think we should run. Just win. Win on the field. Win in court. Win until they're sick of losing. Let them all run to ACC or SEC if they can't coexist.
November 6th, 2023 at 2:14 PM ^
If it was a different situation, I'd agree with the "not running". However, this is not running. It's brand survival. Imo, there has been a long standing bias towards Michigan, but now this is straight up blatant bias. If you really think this will be over, suspensions/investigations or not, the partnership has been absolutely tarnished by allowing the rest of the B1G to try to decide Michigan's fate without Michigan's involvement or an investigation. There's no way coming back from this.
November 5th, 2023 at 8:30 PM ^
This is a bad take. Leaving has to be on the table. 13 coaches and ADs were allowed to meet with the Commissioner without Michigan present to campaign for suspensions and worse. It is not a healthy system. It would never happen to Clemson or Alabama. Never. So why not look elsewhere?
November 5th, 2023 at 10:51 PM ^
If Michigan threatens to leave, then Fox Corp will start swinging its weight around. Fox cannot afford to have the #1 or #2 brand of the B1G conference walk away. They will certainly ramp the pressure on the B1G administration to back the fuck off of Michigan.
Michigan has many metric tons of leverage at its disposal here.
November 5th, 2023 at 11:17 PM ^
Broadcast rights are locked up. I don’t know if there
os any credible legal argument where we can take our broadcast rights with us for cause.
November 6th, 2023 at 12:43 AM ^
If there's a credible legal case that the Big Ten broke its obligations to Michigan by doling out punishments without a proper investigation of any semblance of due process, then there might also be a credible legal argument Michigan can rescind its reciprocal obligations to the Big Ten (i.e. the TV rights).
That said, I do agree that any move would likely have to wait until 2030 after the current TV deal is done. But that doesn't make the threat of leaving any less powerful -- I guarantee you Fox, NBC, and CBS are want to have Michigan's TV rights for many years beyond the current contract. And the lame duck period could maybe even work to our advantage. It would give us time to explore more creative options aside from just going to the SEC like going independent, or maybe even creating a new conference with the more valuable ACC schools.
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