Signgate The Third
UFR tomorrow or Monday; bye week and there's been all… this.
The latest article. Washington Post article. New points of information:
- An "outside investigative firm" approached the NCAA with "documents and videos the firm said it had obtained from computer drives maintained and accessed by multiple Michigan coaches."
- The sources for this claim "spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about an ongoing NCAA investigation," which cool NCAA, just keep doing this.
- A "detailed schedule" of Stalions's plans was submitted with an annual cost of 15k.
Plenty of vague words the article, particularly "a computer drive maintained and accessed by Stalions as well as several other Michigan assistants and coaches." Unless an outside investigative firm was happy to take a case founded on hacking into Michigan servers, here is what this means, in all likelihood:
- One of Stalions's recruits flipped on him.
- He/she provided a link to a Google Drive or equivalent.
- That's where the documents came from.
So yet another piece of evidence that indicates Stalions is an idiot: he gave virtually unknown strangers access to his CommitCrimes.docx.
This article does clarify some things. One: the steady drip, drip, drip of one story after another that barely changes the overall picture is indeed the work of a firm hired to damage Michigan's reputation as badly as possible. Michigan is executing exactly zero PR in response.
One thing it does not clarify is what the nature of the "drive" is, a detail seemingly left blank intentionally to let people fill in the worst case scenario. "A computer drive maintained and accessed by Stalions as well as several other Michigan assistants and coaches" could be Jesse Minter reading CommitCrimes.docx and giving his enthusiastic approval, or it could be just another folder on a cloud drive that no one else goes into.
I could even assert that Stalions might have password protected his portion of the drive, or limited access, but no, that doesn't appear to be how this guy rolls.
I do think this might end up being wrong. I can't imagine Michigan has an internal shared drive that Stalions could give someone else permission to access, especially after the Michigan IT disaster this August. I mean, I guess I can because WHY NOT but surely at some point we will throw a stone and hit a reasonably professional individual. If this was a stand-alone google drive anyone inside the program who accessed it will be turbo-fired.
[After THE JUMP: oh good a manifesto]
Another latest article. SI, Richard Johnson. This one is sourced from "a then student at a Power 5 school who was looking to break into the college football industry" who texted back-and-forth with Stalions. Most of it is just the kind of stuff a mid-20s dude trying to impress someone would say(“I’m close with the whole staff", etc.) The two main bits of interest are thus. One:
“Pre-covid, stole opponent signals during the week watching tv copies then flew to the game and stood next to [then Michigan offensive coordinator Josh] Gattis and told him what coverage/pressure he was gettin,” Stalions continued.
This is doesn't excuse the hiring folks to watch games bits, but does provide some explanation about how Stalions managed to worm his way into the athletic department. The guy probably had some natural talent for figuring these things out.
Two:
Stalions, now 28, revealed that he was part of a small group of people—two of whom he said were at low-level positions on different college football coaching staffs—who were putting their heads together on a long-term plan to run the Michigan football program. Stalions claimed to have a Google document between 550 and 600 pages long that he managed daily, containing a blueprint for the Wolverines’ future. He referred the document as a movement more than a plan, dubbing it “the Michigan Manifesto.”
“Any idea you could ever have,” he wrote, “there’s a place where it belongs in the document. It’s super organized.”
Ah. So it's one of those guys. This bit makes me feel much—much—better about the idea Stalions was calling his own number, unencumbered by the idea anything he was doing was wrong. He is a lunatic.
What the hell, Warde? Obviously Jim Harbaugh should not be hiring lunatics off the street. But he is Jim Harbaugh, a supremely talented football coach who does things like hire lunatics off the street, or Shemy Shembechler. What in God's name is Warde Manuel doing? You are seriously not vetting Harbaugh's hires after the Shemy incident? The constant stream of embarrassing but ultimately inconsequential news is one thing. This is another.
This should be the end of his tenure as athletic director. Job one is fix all the shit Harbaugh's going to blow past. Job one.
What about the money? The Post article cites that spreadsheet claiming that the operation was going to cost 15k a year. This naturally leads to questions about where that money is coming from for a guy who makes 55k a year. I have one dollar that answer is "mom and dad."
Video posted publicly from the father of Connor Stalions shows Stalions and his father on the sidelines of Michigan’s 2017 away game at Indiana wearing sideline passes.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) October 24, 2023
Story on key questions of the NCAA’s probe into UM’s alleged sign-stealing operation https://t.co/Ynhx6nU8Q0 pic.twitter.com/LpMQwEh3e4
Sideline passes are hard to come by.
Meanwhile 95% of the time there's an article in the newspaper about how This 25 Year Old Bought A House In A City there's a paragraph that says "mom and dad are loaded." A lot of Stalions backstory makes more sense in that context. My dude can drive back to Ann Arbor when Navy is on the road because he doesn't have to care about money. Devin Gardner remembered him as the guy at every road game:
Devin Gardner on Connor Stalions for the @michiganinsider podcast:
— Jim Weber (@JimMWeber) October 23, 2023
"(Connor Stalions) used to be just a fan. He would be at every away game we went to. Like when we got off the bus, go in the hotel, he would be there waiting, just cheering us on. I was like, 'This dude is so… pic.twitter.com/sEFYPMcq9e
Gardner was at Michigan from 2010-14. Stalions would have been 15-19 in that span. One doesn't show up at every Michigan road game for a period of four-five years as a teenager unless your parents are well off. There is literally a post on MGoBlog from 2012 in which a "cstalionsuofm" says Frank Clark gave him his gloves. I don't think Stalions was saying "hello dad I need money for Crimes"; I do think it's likely the prospect of a parental backstop is all but mandatory if you're going to live your life like Stalions apparently was.
Noise. If you've been on Twitter the past week you've probably noticed various Ohio State fans breathlessly relating facts like "Stalions stood next to the defensive coordinator" and "Michigan knew a pass was coming on third and goal from the four and then gave up a touchdown." All of this is meaningless. Yes, obviously Stalions was the sign-stealing guy. Therefore he got put next to the people who wanted to know about signs. You're allowed to steal signs. All that matters is Stalions going outside the bounds of the rules to steal said signs. Not one thing an OSU fan has posted is evidence of anything other than Stalions being the sign-stealing guy, which no one denies.
Silver lining. Hoo boy, some of these quotes coming out make OSU's program sound dumber than dirt:
Former Ohio State OL Dawand Jones says the Buckeyes suspected that Michigan had stolen their signs and made some changes, but “couldn’t change everything.” pic.twitter.com/Md2aCT4fey
— The Silver Bulletin (@tSilverBulletin) October 25, 2023
You mean to tell me that you thought Michigan had your signs in 2021 and didn't have a plan for 2022? That you were caught off guard for the freakin' Game? That you couldn't just use wristbands? At some point it's on you, right?
Also, obligatory:
Young guys take note. This is how you fire through a guy! ( via @aidanhutch97 ) pic.twitter.com/fjwCVtLZ5P
— Europe's Elite (@EuropesEliteEE) December 11, 2021
October 26th, 2023 at 2:19 PM ^
Occam Razor's is that the independent firm could have been hired by the NCAA to investigate Michigan's Cheesburger incident, with M's permission. The timing, and reporting structure (directly to the NCAA), would fit - more so than someone illegally hacking into the system.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:42 PM ^
Yes, but they might have to boil the ocean to find CS's stash. Don't investigations tend to be focused?
- - -
Something on which I'd bet a lot of money if it was OSU-instigated: There will be no clear ties to the football program or school and the PR firm. Rather, there will be some layers between it and Day. OSU will completely disclaim responsibility for the booster's actions and may even pontificate about how something like that would be beneath them. This general idea was suggested in another thread.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
You are forgetting that Stalions likely named this file Evidence to Create a Mega-Scandal.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:03 PM ^
+1 for that. :)
October 26th, 2023 at 9:23 PM ^
100%. Day would be an absolute fool if he didn’t create plausible deniability.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:42 PM ^
Your razor needs sharpening. This is not related to Weiss and it's not related to cheeseburger investigations. All of the chatter was that the NCAA was blindsided by this.
Occam's Razor is that this came from the OSU camp.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:57 PM ^
October 26th, 2023 at 3:01 PM ^
Agreed. Isn't the most likely scenario that a school who was aware that Stallions was Michigan's sign decoder (I believe multiple schools, including OSU, claimed to know this as of last year) saw that he purchased tickets in their stadium and sent stadium security (or someone from the investigative firm posing as stadium security) to check out those seats? If they found one of Stallions's "assistants" in that seat filming the game, they could ask the assistant to come with them and intimate that the assistant was in serious trouble if they did not cooperate. Either not appreciating that he/she was not really in that much trouble (WaPo suggested that the assitants included students) or not wanting to be bothered any further, the assistant might have cooperated and given them access drive where the video was to be uploaded. Given that Stallions and his buddies were already sharing the "Michigan Manifesto" as a Google Doc, it is clear that he was maintaining a Google drive, and it seems likely that he would have asked his assistants to upload the video there. Based on everything that has come out, this just seems like the simplest explanation to me.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:19 PM ^
I agree this makes sense. I was thinking someone in a stadium saw odd recording and told security. They may have then checked to see who bought the tickets. Then from there went with more in the investigation. Just my theory. I like yours more.
October 26th, 2023 at 4:01 PM ^
That does make sense, but every school that was aware (or even suspicious) of the sign-stealing then has no claim of harm if they didn't make any attempts to mitigate the damages. It is like getting your credit card stolen, knowing about it, and hoping that it gets maxed out so that the offender gets a harsher punishment. They have the power to change signs, methods, use decoy signs, etc. It can't be widely known and also hugely impactful.
Unless OSU knew they were about to get wrecked on the field, and just wanted ways to excuse being soft and unable to compete. Getting your opponent DQ'd would be a lot easier than actually blocking and tackling.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:04 PM ^
They have the power to change signs, methods, use decoy signs, etc.
That is apparently not one of OSU's powers.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
As noted before, most NCAA investigations start as something small and unrelated then turn into something bigger. NCAA absolutely could have been investigating recruiting violations, asked to see other staff member's computers, and come across this. CS was ostensibly in the recruiting department so it would make sense to turn over his laptop as part of any investigation.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:36 PM ^
If this was the result of a different NCAA investigation into Michigan, wouldn't that be super easy for an insider to verify? If we find out that a firm hired by the NCAA was scanning through the AD's shit, it should be very easy for the UM side to corroborate that. But the UM side seems like they had no idea they were being looked into for anything but Burgergate, which would point back to a third party private investigator
October 26th, 2023 at 3:41 PM ^
Both can be true, no? M was being investigated for recruiting violations, and also they could be totally surprised by this being uncovered because no one knew (ostensibly) it was happening.
October 26th, 2023 at 7:03 PM ^
The NCAA doesn’t have the resources to hire a third party to run a secret black ops investigation into a football program they suspect of wrongdoing. Their MO is to ask directly for information and then lay on penalties if their investigation is obstructed. They don’t need to be secretive because they are the authority. All they need to do is ask for what they want up front and the school is obligated to comply.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:50 PM ^
That's not how these investigations work. It isn't exploratory surgery.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:19 PM ^
that last clip of Aidan Hutchinson trucking the OSU tackle is PROOF that he stole signs!!!!!
(that is sarcasm. That clip is only proof that no matter what play you run if Aidan Hutchinson was on the field during that game the play was likely getting blown up or severely impacted).
October 26th, 2023 at 2:41 PM ^
lol. Kind of like how we basically told them we were running the ball the entire 2nd half. Meanwhile Haskins still ran for 4 TD's in the half.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:19 PM ^
exactly - this doesn't show the 4-0 sack differential but they couldn't get a stop whenever we ran it
October 26th, 2023 at 4:13 PM ^
10 penalties committed is a natural result of someone stealing your signs.
October 26th, 2023 at 4:24 PM ^
WE ONLY RAN 61 PLAYS HAHAHA. We barely needed a play per minute to hang 42 and that's WITH a terrible Cade INT
October 26th, 2023 at 3:04 PM ^
That was the "Fall on your ass instead of blocking" play, duh.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:38 PM ^
I sent that gif to my buddies who were giving me shit and said, "what sign did we steal on this play? was the play call for Munson to be tossed into the first row of the stands?"
I shit you not, my buddy responded verbatim, "he clearly benefited from being signaled the play called and the blocking scheme beforehand."
I have no response for this line of thinking.
I then sent a gif of Cornelius curling away from that initial tackle to score our first TD and asked, "what was the sign we stole here? was the playcall for the DB to blow a tackle that would have ended a drive on 3rd down?"
He responded, "if he knew what the coverage was he would know which way to turn away from the DB."
two losses have caused their fan base to lose their fucking minds.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:52 PM ^
Tell them that OSU knew every play we were running during the 2nd half of 42-27 (Haskins thru their soft front seven), and they still couldn't stop it
October 26th, 2023 at 4:04 PM ^
There's no reason to argue with someone when it's pointless. There is only one solution, and that's Michigan winning The Game.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:41 PM ^
You need new buddies
October 27th, 2023 at 3:42 AM ^
So, OSU's blocking scheme was called "Don't?"
And, uh, I don't think that's how coverages work. I mean, I guess I wish they did? So if you turn in the right direction, free touchdown? Half of Michigan's passes would result in scores.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:19 PM ^
Disclaimer that I hopefully might eventually have to eat crow on my second point, but:
Dave Branding sucked donkey farts as an AD because of his actions.
Warde Manuel is sucking donkey farts as an AD because of his inactions.
Time is a flat circle.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:51 PM ^
I will say this. Brandon's contempt for the NCAA was a positive and what would be needed right now. In his press conferences and statements about Stretchgate treated the whole thing dismissively as it should have been. Unlike Warde, he wouldn't take this laying down. That would be welcome right now.
Brandon's problem is that contempt also applied to, like UM students and fans. Which is no-go for an AD.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:21 PM ^
Why do we keep hearing about the 21 game? Wasn’t Stallions hired in June of 2022? And osu already said they changed up their signs for the 2022 game. So what are we even talking about?
October 26th, 2023 at 2:28 PM ^
Because OSU fans/media are lying.
Michigan destroyed that program into paying millions to a law firm who then paid people to give them stuff on Michigan.
You can't make this stuff up.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:35 PM ^
Stalions was volunteering for the program at the time. I think that's why it's being brought up.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:38 PM ^
He was unpaid until 2022 and then started to be paid (55k/yr)
October 26th, 2023 at 2:53 PM ^
Seems if OSU knew that Michigan knew their signs in '22, it would advantage OSU. Not only would they know to change their signs for the M game, but change them in such a way to directly fool Michigan. To use Michigan's knowledge against Michigan. So yeah idk how they would be at a disadvantage at all
October 26th, 2023 at 6:17 PM ^
Seems if OSU knew that Michigan knew their signs in '22, it would advantage OSU. Not only would they know to change their signs for the M game, but change them in such a way to directly fool Michigan. To use Michigan's knowledge against Michigan. So yeah idk how they would be at a disadvantage at all
Maybe they were using Vizzini's logic about the goblet with the poison.
But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy's? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me. - Vizzini in The Princess Bride
October 26th, 2023 at 3:12 PM ^
And osu already said they changed up their signs for the 2022 game.
Not quite. They said they tried to change their signs for the 2022 game but they couldn't actually get the job completely done even with a year's notice.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:34 PM ^
I call bullshit.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:48 PM ^
What, you don't think that they tried to change their signs, were too stupid to understand the new signs, so had to go back to the old ones?
October 26th, 2023 at 4:05 PM ^
The guy whose job it was to turn all of the signs into crayon drawings that the team could understand was not available. Ate too many crayons, most likely.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:07 PM ^
I'm finding it hard to believe they were ever able to implement a signaling program in the first place. They miss Urban even more than they realize.
October 26th, 2023 at 4:53 PM ^
Yep, I assume once a few signs get changed then you kinda have to scrap the rest of your assumptions. The "we couldn't change everything" sounds like copium
October 26th, 2023 at 4:51 PM ^
That will go down in history as one of the all-time greatest self-owns, regardless of how this all shakes out for M.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:03 PM ^
They ran out of green crayon and couldn't figure out where crayons come from.
October 26th, 2023 at 6:26 PM ^
They had the throw the ball to Marvin Harrison sign but they didn't know if they should make one for throw the ball to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:24 PM ^
Stallions has been volunteering with the program for years. If he says he was standing next to Gattis, that means he started this in 2021 at the latest
October 26th, 2023 at 2:21 PM ^
I'm more convinced than ever that the practice of giving preference to people with money or legacy is the root of 99% of all the issues Michigan has been having. Stop hiring crazy people or letting them on your sidelines just because they've got money to donate or a name you recognize.
October 26th, 2023 at 2:24 PM ^
NIL donors has entered the chat.......
October 26th, 2023 at 2:37 PM ^
I agree with you to an extent, but it appears Stalions was actually bringing some value with his sign decoding (whether the coaching staff knew what he was doing is still up in the air).
Should Jay Harbaugh not be an assistant because of his name/nepotism hire? All evidence points towards him being a good coach, so there are definitely exceptions to the rule.
October 26th, 2023 at 3:39 PM ^
So you are saying that money or fame get you extra privileges? That definitely could only happen at a place like Michigan.
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