ESPN Seems to Be Changing Its Tune on the "Sign Stealing" Scandal
Didn't see this posted, but it looks like ESPN is starting to spin this as a "harmless, fun" scandal and that Michigan should just lean into it. My how times have changed.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:00 PM ^
Weird. They had an article like this three days ago. No new info, but want to keep the clicks going.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:14 PM ^
It is hard to say much without knowing the facts, particularly which (if any) coaches Scalions talked with and if the information was even used, but depending upon the answers, I might be a bit concerned about defamation and damage to the brand.
Of course, there is also the question of who else may have done the same thing or worse.
ESPN seemed like the judge, jury and executioner without knowing the facts. Perhaps its legal department read one or both of the filings that went to the B1G yesterday and the lawyers got a lump in their throats.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:01 PM ^
"Michigan staffer blatantly broke a BUNCH of rules" Fuck you ESPN, what a bunch of hosers.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:03 PM ^
Might have broken one obscure rule that nobody knew about at the start of this season.
FIFY ESPN
November 10th, 2023 at 3:08 PM ^
If you had polled college football fans and ESPN loudmouths in August and asked "what are your thoughts on sending staff from one team to go watch other teams in person?" 99% of people would have been like "isn't that what scouting is?"
November 10th, 2023 at 3:12 PM ^
I don’t listen to Colin Cowherd all that much but he made a great point when all this started coming out a few weeks ago.
you can’t get upset about a rule allegedly being broken that you didn’t even know existed“
November 10th, 2023 at 3:22 PM ^
Ignorance is 9/10th of the law, or something like that.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:05 PM ^
This is how I feel.. please describe the rule(s) that were broken?
Dinich talks about the same thing - and, my question is.. “which rules”?
It’s like the movie Amadeus when Salieri (the protagonist) says “too many notes”… Ok, which one(s)?
November 10th, 2023 at 3:15 PM ^
The comment was being passed along from Emperor Joseph II.
I don't want anyone defaming Salieri.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:19 PM ^
One of my favorite movie scenes ever.
The look on Mozart's face after that comment is priceless. He just created a masterpiece and then was handed completely useless and uninformed feedback from a buffoon.
I have often thought about that very moment many times in my own career. (Not that I'm comparing myself to Mozart, just the situation of getting crap feedback like that after working hard on something.)
November 10th, 2023 at 3:16 PM ^
I used to respect Dinich. She actually reported on college football (and really got to understand the ACC teams). Now she's turned into just another ESPN click-seeking, fact-less opinion spewer with no reporter ethics. SAS has dragged that network down from a legit sports network to an on-line gossip tabloid. Unfortunately his bluster drew an audience and now everyone else on that network thinks that's the way they should behave.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:09 PM ^
Funny how these sports journalist say CS sign stealing is the reason M has won so many games the last 2 seasons . Totally ridiculous!
November 10th, 2023 at 3:14 PM ^
If you haven’t watched the clip where Desmond Howard explains the situation behind Michigan’s improvement to Stephen A Smith and changed his mind on it, give it a look. You’ll be impressed. By Desmond’s explanation and also by Stephen A’s willingness to listen to it.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
I think Stephen A. is aware, after all the recent evidence has came out, that he was spitting BS, and he knew what Desmond conveyed to him was his ticket off the Michigan smear train. Now he gets to just claim ignorance of Michigans improvement instead of showing everyone he doesn't know college football.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^
Petitti is such a bitch. Can’t believe he’s actually taking the whole day
November 10th, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^
I don't think he knows what to do. He's completely in over his job in this job.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:30 PM ^
He dug his own grave when he first opened his mouth.
I’m sure he got an earful from all the coaches and presidents that thought they could get Harbaugh taken out already this season and went along with it without too much thought. Now he’s in so deep, he either backs off and pisses off the whole conference or fires on Michigan and gets a nuke in return.
Dude’s days are numbered and probably in the low double digits at best.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^
Double post.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:12 PM ^
He's going to wait until about 5:45 and issue a statement that they are deferring to the NCAA.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:29 PM ^
This is his only out. “The B1G conference leadership values the role of the NCAA and has requested that they conduct an investigation into this matter - and, expedite the associated activities, if possible. The B1G will provide the NCAA with all the factual information our activities have yielded thus far.”
An empty Manila folder (with a Post-It that has “help us find something, please.. Tony”’ - is then FedEx’d to the NCAA offices in Indianapolis.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:14 PM ^
Waiting until end of the day Friday when the team is already on the road to a game is such a dick move. They're acting like this crap is a national security emergency
November 10th, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^
Not giving ESPN more clicks. No thanks.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:07 PM ^
Exactly - I'll be real, I will turn on ESPN/ABC to watch an actual game but nothing else. I already replaced the ESPN app with the Fox Sports App.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^
Interesting. I just looked at the Detroit Free Press home page (freep.com). When I looked an hour or two ago, it said Big Ten action expected today on Michigan sign stealing scandal. Now there is nothing related to this. (c:
November 10th, 2023 at 3:03 PM ^
I posted a screen grab of the two stories in the Biff Poggi thread. Certainly seems like they're trying to dial down the flame. 
November 10th, 2023 at 3:04 PM ^
ESPN, like "the internet" is not a person, it is a collection of people. Those people all have their own opinion, agenda and those change over time.
There is a definite hive mind mentality in the press, but they are all still individuals doing what they perceive as their job.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:12 PM ^
ESPN has a centralized leadership that 100 percent sets the agenda.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:12 PM ^
Agenda-driven reporting is a thing. There was a very identifiable moment, around the second week of this story, when nearly all ESPN analysts suddenly took a harsh anti-Michigan stance. There is no way that was coincidence.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:26 PM ^
Pardon the Interruption has been the lone exception on ESPN in terms of dismissing the scandal as dumb and saying everyone steals signs.
Rittenberg and TomVH have been more straightforward in their reporting.
Thamel was just a straight mouthpiece for Ryan Day's PI and--unprompted--hammered the Big Ten bylaws and gave Petitti the false impression that he should, and could, do something.
Finebaum (and someone else said McAfee) had his first response as, "This is piling on Harbaugh" and then quickly--despite no new allegations--called his defense of Harbaugh the biggest mistake of his career and called the scandal "sleazy and disgusting," which was basically in line with what all the other talking heads said.
Desmond Howard, before today, was permitted to give his 30 second takes on Saturday mornings where all his cohosts then proceeded to ignore him and talk amongst themselves about how many postseasons exactly should Michigan be banned from.
Meanwhile, Cowherd (Fox) came to Harbaugh's defense and the rest of Fox was pretty mild in its criticism, with the exception of Feldman, although even he was too mild for ESPN.
It's pitiful how obvious the networks have been with their agendas.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:21 PM ^
They have their own opinion, but I heard on the Dan Patrick show that the producers assigned people positions to argue. They would know because Dan and one of the Danettes used to work there. It’s all theater designed to attract eyeballs and appeal to the lowest common denominator.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:04 PM ^
Taking a page from Iowatch, this should be the "sign" "stealing" "scandal".
November 10th, 2023 at 3:04 PM ^
There seems to be a delay in B1G decision! I wonder if calls are being made to other AD if the suspension is to go forward starting this week or starting next week? Hopefully UM has things ready to file an injunction!
November 10th, 2023 at 3:07 PM ^
Starting right now, shouts rhymes with Frames Janklin
Naw, next week! Says soft and flavorless mush tOFU
November 10th, 2023 at 3:05 PM ^
This AM, the leak was to hear BiG at 1:00 today. Maybe they meant Central since Chi HQ, but it’s 3:00 and 🦗. I guess they meant Pacific?
November 10th, 2023 at 3:11 PM ^
Yeah May be 1Z GMT time!
November 10th, 2023 at 3:06 PM ^
FUCK THEM too little too late
November 10th, 2023 at 3:09 PM ^
I hope there’s a judge on call in Hawaii…
November 10th, 2023 at 3:09 PM ^
Sorry bro appreciate you posting but I'm not clicking anything ESPN. That is 100% what they want from all this crap
November 10th, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^
^^^@ the 8:28 mark, Dan Orlowsky and Harry Douglas completely destroy the idea that Michigan's success over the past couple years was due to sign stealing, which Paul Finebaum and Heather Dinich was trying to argue.
That's what happens when you give a voice to actual informed football minds instead of just hacks.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:17 PM ^
Yes, totally agree.. the information / evidence / facts the B1G has gathered in this case are immeasurable. Hopefully, I’m using this accurately.
A question, I guess.. is “zero” - the absence of anything.. a void.. actually measurable? I mean if it’s nothing.. What is it? It’s non-existent - so it can’t be anything.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:14 PM ^
Fuck ESPN. I hope when game day shows up for the OSU game that they can't be heard because of all the boo'ing.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:15 PM ^
Pete, Rece, and Paul can still fuck right off.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:15 PM ^
Because when "greatest scandal in college football history" turns out to be just some random psycho vacuum refurbisher doing this on his own, what other option do you have?
November 10th, 2023 at 3:16 PM ^
I’m beginning to wonder if the Big 10 will just not issue a punishment or make a statement…
just leave us hanging,
hour after hour still waiting,
day after day still waiting,
game after game still waiting,
week after week still waiting,
month after month more waiting for the axe to drop.
Only it never does, leaving us in limbo to think up all kinds of punishments and scenarios…
November 10th, 2023 at 3:19 PM ^
ESPN’s top notch reporting on display once again.
Maybe they’ll release something at 4:59 CST this afternoon.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:23 PM ^
So after jumping to rash conclusions based on hearsay and second hand information without investigation, or context, let alone due process, some chucklehead so called "journalists" are slowing their roll on what the actual facts are ? Good, and good for them.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
To my everlasting shame, I am watching ESPN today largely because I'm packing for a move and don't want to keep checking MGBlog every 5 minutes--when it's up, and it's been intermittent today.
I haven't watched ESPN since this all began, so my baseline is incomplete, but yeah, I'd say the tone is changing there. Des's defenestration of the prevailing ESPN narrative (personified by Finebaum) this AM was masterful.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
Generally, 5 o clock on Friday is the time to announce something you want no one to pay attention to. When I worked at an auto company, that was when we tried to announce all recalls. A little different here because Saturday is such a big day for the Big10 and it is going to get lots of attention no matter what - but I still think the timing means they aren't happy about whatever it is they are going to say. If they wanted a lot of coverage, they'd call a big-ass news conference in the middle of the day with lots of notice so it could be live on ESPN.
November 10th, 2023 at 3:30 PM ^
I noticed this the other day. Feldman was on RE show (Susie was in for Rich) and he started showing examples of how the NCAA blew this kind of thing off with other schools. Wake Forest IIRC.
The narrative shifted once people seem to get a grip over the outrage.