Previously:

June 2006

July 3 - Monday

The month starts off with a July 4th break.

July 5 - Wednesday

Penn State preview. They went 11-1 the previous year; their only loss came from Michigan. However, the biggest concern is going to Anthony Morelli at QB. Brian predicts 8-4. They would finish the year at 9-4.

July 6 - Thursday

Unverified Voracity: Ack Math. Brian immediately warns mathophobes to stay and away, so I’m hesitant to comment too much on this post. He looks at a Smart Football article, the gist of which is that a balanced offensive attack should be viewed with a weighted value on pass plays. The conclusion is the Texas Tech had a balanced attack.

July 7 - Friday

Blogpoll memberships for the upcoming season is opening up. There is some criteria this year about who can get in.

Unverified Voracity: SI for Kids Rules because that publication has ranked Michigan #2 for the upcoming season. Also, Pat Fitzgerald has become Northwestern’s new coach, and NCAA Hockey is requiring more boarding calls.

July 10 - Monday

Illinois preview. They went 2-9 in their first year under Ron Zook.

By the midpoint of the season the only people watching Illinois games were pissed-off Florida fans, who traded tapes of the debacles and watched them intently in pitch-dark rooms full of unpleasant, familiar noises best left unspeculated upon.

And not much hope of improvement is available. However, a certain freshman QB named Isiah Williams is mentioned and a sophomore running back named Rashard Mendenhall is on the team. Brian predicts 3-9. They finish the year at 2-10.

July 11 - Tuesday

Unverified Voracity: Orange Seizure. I think I have seen this stat in recent years, but something called “I Blog for Cookies” came up with this:

That's right ... in the last 6 years, we are more likely to lose a game than to win it if we go into the 4th quarter with a small lead.

Incredible.

Hello: Manny Harris. This is a great improvement over recent recruiting news (Reed Baker and Zach Gibson), but there is a concern that there won’t be enough roster spots left, specifically for another Michigan high school guard, Laval Lucas-Perry.

July 12 - Wednesday

Hello: Steve Watson, a recruit about whom not much is known, but he has decent offers so who knows.

July 13 - Thursday

Wisconsin preview. Lots of uncertainty here, starting with a new coach. Bret Bielema was the youngest coach in the country...until Pat Fitzgerald was hired. They return QB John Stocco and LT Joe Thomas, but not too much else. New starters are expected to be RB P.J. Hill and LB DeAndre Levy. Also, I didn’t remember that there was another Randle El.

Randle-El proves the old maxim "Mothers, don't name your younger son 'Marcus' when your older son is a ridiculously exciting mobile quarterback because he is guaranteed to be a knucklehead if you do."

Brian predicts 9-3. They would finish 12-1, only losing to Michigan.

Unverified Voracity: Z Agrees. Minnesota has worked a deal with TCF Bank for naming rights to a new stadium that is being planned.

The corporate naming of stadium has always been a mystery to me, as whenever I hear something like "Comerica Park" I make a little note to myself to never, ever bank with Comerica. I can't be alone in this, can I?

July 14 - Friday

A collection of videos of the Zidane headbutt. Most of them work!

At the invitation of another blogger, Brian participated in a “commissioner for a day” post. His ideas:

1. Eight team playoff.

2. No I-AA games.

3. No more than one guarantee game per year.

4. Drop the Sun Belt to I-AA.

5. Tweak OT.

6. Fix the fumble-out-of-endzone rule.

7. Add a flagrant pass interference foul.

8. Implement NFL-style challenges.

9. Crack down on this facilities ridiculousness.

10. Assign Mark May and Lou Holtz to the WNBA.

Of course he elaborates more on all of these.

Unverified Voracity: Auburn College-like Substance because Auburn has found a way to make school very easy for their athletes. Also, the Kings have signed hockey prospect Trevor Lewis before he could even reach Ann Arbor.

July 17 - Monday

Unverified Voracity: Diamond Dallas Page. A Nebraska blog is incorrectly trying to prove east coast bias in CFB balloting, as compared to computer voting. Also, Georgia Tech has its players doing “commando yoga” with a former pro wrestler.

Brian addresses an email about Michigan’s talent advantage. Allegedly, a common complaint at the time was that ‘M’ had superior talent, but the coaches were not that good. He works through several theories and looks at NFL draft data. Little did anyone know how soon this (raw skill vs. getting coached up) would become an even bigger issue.

July 18 - Tuesday

A ranking of the top 50 “Most Loathsome People in Sports.” This post is 50-41. Coming in at #50: Brian Cook, #49 Bill Simmons, #44 Colin Cowherd, and  #42 Sean Avery.

July 19 - Wednesday

Surprise, surprise Alex Legion has committed again.

Unverified Voracity: Piref Edition: HHYYAAAR. Apparently a referee worked in CFB for five years with only one eye...and no one knew about it. Further, his performance reviews improved. Also, Pat Kane might go to college and it will either be ‘M’ or BU.

July 20 - Thursday

Unverified Voracity: More NCAA with reviews of the NCAA ‘07 game. After evaluating these, Brian has decided against purchasing it.

July 21 - Friday

Penn State blogs/fans have taken umbrage at Brian’s preview, so he responds to their emails in this post. Alan Branch would make this statement prophetic:

A night game at the Beav will be Edmonton-Stanley-Cup-Finals insane, granted, but the game is still played on the field. On said field, I think the Michigan defensive line will give PSU all kinds of problems.

A few recruiting notes about Toney Clemons, Steve Watson, and Donovan Warren (some in his family want him to go to Ohio State, but he seems destined to go to USC).

July 24 - Monday

The next installment of loathsome people (40-31). Highlights include: #40 Jason Whitlock, #39 Jacques Lemaire, #37 The Sun Belt Conference, and #33 Lou “Holth”.

Unverified Voracity: Apocalypse. Bill Martin says that the basketball team needs better facilities. Donors might be hard to locate.

July 25 - Tuesday

Iowa preview. Big concerns in the secondary and the receiving corps, but they have Drew Tate and a favorable schedule, so expectations are high. Brian predicts 11-1. Unfortunately...all is not well, and they finish 6-7.

July 26 - Wednesday

Unverified Voracity: Bird of Frank Thomas. Ryan Mallett is looking decent at Elite 11, and Brian takes a look at some of his old sports cards.

A panoply of Lindros cards... thanks for nothing, Eric! You and your stupid concussions cost me some "clams" or "bones" or whatever you people call them! Don't get me started on your stupid "knee injury," Pavel Bure!

Also, Mallett won the EA Sports NCAA ‘07 title, so that has to be a good sign right?

July 27 - Thursday

Brian is preparing to head out to Las Vegas to participate in the World Series of Poker.

Unverified Voracity: Dragon Up. Apparently, there used to be a Disney cartoon called American Dragon: Jake Long (IMDB). This has to mean good things for our offensive line.

July 30 - Sunday

Update from the WSOP. Brian is still alive, but only seems to be just surviving.

A second WSOP post, this in much greater detail. Brian describes his experience in Vegas…

Percentage Of Professionally Hot Girls Who Would Actually Be Attractive In Something That Covered, Say, 60% Of Their Bodies

Hovering at about 30%. But that 30% is impressive. Also: irritating. I think it's worse when an impossibly hot girl is showing obviously fake enthusiasm towards you for money instead of the usual scoffing. I pointedly ignore them.

...and gives specifics about each of his hands during the game.