Football team culture? The Daily isn't doing Michigan any favors.
With high profile things such as Smith's gun charges and All going scorched earth on the way out the door, there's been lots of debate on the interwebs about the culture of the program. I was kinda surprised to see this from the Daily.
Among all things Michigan that I'm proud of, I've been proud of the Daily and the (perceived I guess) standard its upheld over the years as the longest running college newspaper. I hope this tabloid take is an isolated incident -- but this is also the paper that gave us Drew Sharp (hmmm). Regarding the "culture" discussion however, this certainly doesn't do the University any favors.
Where there's smoke there's fire... but out of the Edwards, Smith, Simpson, Pearson examples cited, I think Pearson's is the only one which holds water -- and the only thing Warde is, ahem, guilty of is potentially waiting too long to get all the facts to make and informed decision about one's employment.
My posting history clearly illustrates I'm not a shill for Michigan (#BoKnew)... just as many others in here are not. But the author of this piece is conflating accountability for sensationalism.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:13 AM ^
And by linking his article you will have given him more traffic on his post than ever before.
Just teaches him to do it again. This is how Sharps are created.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:18 AM ^
Yup. Everytime this shit gets posted, a “journalist” gets their wings.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:34 AM ^
Trolling Michigan fans is a tried and true business model.
Viewership down? Just insult Michigan and watch the clicks POUR in.
It's not just Michigan fans clicking. By insulting Michigan, you ALSO get the rival fanbases, and people who are desperate to create a negative narrative around Harbaugh personally.
December 7th, 2022 at 11:08 AM ^
perfect example
See Paul Finebaum...he does it very often for those reasons.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:58 AM ^
This article is a perfect example of "dog bites man" journalism. Out of 1000s of student-athletes that have come to UM, played, and left, this person can come up with a few cases to hang his coat on. I wonder what percentage of UM's regular students had similar issues during the same time period.
The search for clicks is destroying journalism, if you can call this hit piece journalism. As "mbrummer2" says, we should not encourage this form of journalism.
December 7th, 2022 at 3:22 PM ^
The phrase you are fumbling around for is "man bites dog."
December 7th, 2022 at 4:02 PM ^
"Man bites dog" means something remarkable has happened. He is saying, because this is unremarkable, it is the reverse ("dog bites man").
December 7th, 2022 at 2:27 PM ^
Fact!
I never would have known anything about it without your dissemination Bo...🤷♂️
December 7th, 2022 at 10:14 AM ^
I don't think it is ironic that everyone is coming out of the woodwork to bash Michigan while they are absolutely dominating. Always going to have haters trying to leech off of huge success stories.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:47 AM ^
They’re eating their hater tots.
December 7th, 2022 at 11:15 AM ^
The writer is a massive Michigan fan himself. Don't believe me, check out his Twitter. Just because he mentioned a few bad things about people we like, including Edwards, doesn't mean he doesn't support them.
Pretty interesting how everyone's reaction to seeing someone who has anything negative to say is to label them a troll. How close-minded do we have to be to believe that people can't simply hold differing values in these instances?
Not everyone has an ulterior motive for everything they say.
December 7th, 2022 at 1:32 PM ^
This has nothing to do with being a fan or not. I think it is a piece written to gather as many clicks as possible -- dog bites man type. It did not uncover anything and did not provide any new insights. It just reminded us of a few unrelated cases.
I agree with having a balanced investigative piece that uncovers negative issues with UM's sports culture. Rather than mixing a bunch of unrelated issues from different periods, I wish the author had focused on one or two important and related ones that reflected a problem that could be corrected.
For example, Edward's tweet is entirely unrelated to Mazi's issue. Edward had the right to post that stupid tweet. He did not break any law and later apologized. What does he expect Warde to do? Suspend him? Mazi's case was poorly handled, and it was rightly criticized by many.
December 7th, 2022 at 12:52 PM ^
Including the recent moral panic over our tunnel.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:18 AM ^
The only thing this will do is give him more page traffic and thus more incentive to do whatever it is again. Same concept as boosting a twitter troll.
December 7th, 2022 at 11:00 AM ^
Wouldn't be shocked if the OP is actually the author of the Daily article, pulling himself up by his own bootstraps.
December 7th, 2022 at 1:04 PM ^
No conspiracy needed here. There is nothing factually wrong in the OP or the article. Who has it better than us?
December 7th, 2022 at 10:21 AM ^
Hater-tots, dude
December 7th, 2022 at 10:30 AM ^
Don't forget the drinkers of hater-ade, too.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:48 AM ^
Speaking of this... I haven't had tater tots in years. I could really go for some nice crispy salty tots covered in melted shredded cheese with some chopped bacon sprinkled over the top. Dip that shit in some ranch and I'm good to go. Damn I'm hungry. lol
December 7th, 2022 at 11:14 AM ^
There's a bar near me that does reverse loaded tots - the tots are about twice as big as a normal tot and stuffed with bacon and cheese. Not an every day treat, but pretty good.
December 7th, 2022 at 11:40 AM ^
If you’re in the Petoskey area head to Tap 30 and enjoy some loaded Taters with a great selection of beer.
if you’re in East Lansing (yeah… I know) head to Crunchy’s for a burger, taters and a beer.
Good Taters are hard to find.
December 8th, 2022 at 9:28 AM ^
If I am in East Lansing I have made a wrong turn.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:21 AM ^
Enjoy your negbang
December 7th, 2022 at 10:21 AM ^
#dontclick
December 7th, 2022 at 10:22 AM ^
The piece ("Don’t let winning distract you from the athletic department’s failures") reads like an op-ed or column. I'll extend grace to college kids trying to figure out their craft -- whether they're athletes or writers. I certainly remember reading occasional stuff in the Daily and thinking, "That's crap." (But I was also an overly confident undergrad at times.)
I've so enjoyed the resurgence of the football program. But part of the culture of Michigan to me is the occasional sense that the standards of the university are higher than others', and sometimes in ways that don't make sense to folks at a distance. So the hope/expectation that Michigan's athletes are supposed to be superior physically, academically, and ethically isn't a big shock to me.
There are some things that should indeed change. Transfer credits need to be handled better, and while I have faith that Michigan will figure out NIL, there's certainly concern that the Michigan sense of what's right is going to limit what we do. But the way this AD is handling student incidents isn't going to end the world.
TL;DR: the column, as the kids might say, is mid.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:57 AM ^
The piece ("Don’t let winning distract you from the athletic department’s failures") reads like an op-ed or column
That's because it is. And while I may not entirely agree with the author here, I think it's fair to bring up these topics up for discussion. The Daily's job isn't to be a propaganda machine for the university but to report/discuss the issues facing it.
December 7th, 2022 at 11:26 AM ^
Sorry, I wasn't implying it was bad because it's a column. In my head I was thinking back to the days of physical newspapers, and how I'd blanch if opinion snuck into a news item toward the front instead of remaining in the back. With the internet (what's "the front page"?) and the grey area of some "analysis" pieces, it can sometimes be tough to tell who's a columnist and who's a reporter.
The author is absolutely doing their job to look at these recent events and make arguments based on them, even if I feel Michigan athletics generally does ok in spite of mistakes.
December 7th, 2022 at 11:16 AM ^
I blame Mitch Albom. He was so good at this opinion/news/color mix for so long that everybody thinks they can do it, and most can't.
I'm sorry I clicked through. I'm all for taking a critical look at UM sports, but this article is hot garbage.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:22 AM ^
I think it’s fair to call out the Michigan’s athletic department for how they handled the Mazi Smith situation.
the athletic department was making it seem like a simple paper work misunderstanding, while it is now known Mazi was going twice the legal speed limit in a residential area carrying ammo in his pocket.
it doesn’t mean Mazi isn’t a good kid who fucked up, but frankly I think he acted in a manner that is very dangerous and should’ve faced consequences of a suspension. It wasn’t smart, and I’m sorry but these mgoblog posters wouldn’t be hand waving Mazi’s actions if he was wearing Green and White, or Scarlet and Grey.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:26 AM ^
So what you're saying is that he should have been suspended for a speeding ticket?
December 7th, 2022 at 10:28 AM ^
Come on now, we're better than this.
Even in the most charitable of readings, the Mazi Smith situation is not simply a speeding ticket.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:32 AM ^
He had completed all the right channels to get his conceal and carry and was heading to a firing range. Yes he should have waited the two days until he got his license. If he would have had the gun in a case there would not be an issue, but the overwhelming concern in this situation is that he was doing 50 in a 25.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:35 AM ^
A lot of words to get to the fact that while he was speeding in a residential area, Mazi also had a Glock and a lot of ammo while the paperwork was still pending.
I'm not saying it's as bad as, say, your average Sparty fan says it is. Yet we don't have to wave it all away and reduce it to a speeding ticket because he's in blue.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:42 AM ^
Why should it matter if he had one round or one hundred with him? One doesn't purchase bullets individually.
December 7th, 2022 at 12:30 PM ^
I guess ask the families of the victims of the 611 mass shootings reported in the US this year? Mazi Smith could have been going to the shooting range. He also could have been speeding to commit a violent crime.
I'm sure the football staff knows Mazi better than most people would. If they feel he's a good kid who made a mistake, they're likely right.
Here's the problem, in my opinion. Coach Harbaugh believes: "The unmotivated player; the out-of-shape player; the hurt player; and the bad player; all look alike." There's truth to this (whether Ace believes it or not.) It's also true that when a male in his 20s is driving 50mph down a residential road and is found by police to also be carrying on his person an unlicensed weapon and a large quantity of ammo, he could be going to the shooting range; He also could have nefarious intentions; to the cop who pulled him over, they look alike. When the administration gets news of this happening and keeps a lid on it, they could have investigated and found no cause for worry; they could have been allowing the judicial process to play out; they could have been covering things up to protect the player and the program: they all look alike.
I would say that avoiding the appearance of impropriety is important. Not as important as avoiding impropriety itself, but important nonetheless. Otherwise, how do we know there isn't improriety?
After Chris Jones shot up a bus in a University of Virginia parking garage, stories began to emerge of previous legal troubles. The inevitable question followed: "how was he still part of the UVA community after all this?"
To quote Brady Hoke, "This is Michigan, for God's sake." The standard is higher for students, athletes, faculty, and staff. We're all human. We all make mistakes. Not all mistakes are equal. So when one of ours fails spectacularly, we shouldn't and musn't look the other way or make excuses. That's not to say that Donovan Edwards and Mazi Smith must be loaded into a cannon and fired into the sun. The hockey team had a great run last season and the football team is playing their asses off. It's hard to look critically at a team and a place you love. Still, you should do it. Be better and demand better. The hypocrisy shown by so many on this board is exhausting.
Congrats if you read this far. Go Blue.
December 7th, 2022 at 12:57 PM ^
It's called a "Jump...to Conclusions Mat". Get it?
December 7th, 2022 at 3:05 PM ^
It's pretty clear at this point none of you own guns or have been to a shooting range. That's not "a lot" of ammo. That can be fired off at a range in the span of 10 minutes. Enough with the pearl clutching over a completely normal amount if ammo thats transported to gun ranges on a very regular basis.
December 7th, 2022 at 8:52 PM ^
Families of the 611 mass shootings. Those are the only people allowed to have an opinion on gun related matters? Do all 611 families count, or just families of half of those mass shootings where there was at least 1 death?
He was not carrying an unlicensed weapon. He was transporting a firearm illegally. Without a CPL, it's supposed to be unloaded, and either in the trunk or locked in a case. Ammunition should be in a separate location, glovebox if it's loose ammunition. If you have a CPL, it can be transported like that, or it can be concealed and on your person, and does not need to be unloaded.
He did not yet have a CPL, although he applied for one and has his paperwork.
He has his CPL now.
To summarize, he was transporting a firearm illegally on the interim period before he received his CPL. If he did the same thing today, his only crime would be speeding.
December 7th, 2022 at 11:05 AM ^
Relax
December 7th, 2022 at 12:39 PM ^
Can we just admit that we don't know "the Mazi Smith situation"?
We've heard several facts thrown out and then disputed to include how fast he was really going, the status of his permit, gun loaded or not, etc.
I'm personally glad that cooler heads are letting this play out in the legal system rather than worrying about whether it's "a bad look."
December 7th, 2022 at 10:30 AM ^
Dude, do you understand how dangerous it is to go 50 miles an hour in a residential area? Like, christ, the speed limit is 25. He wasn’t going 30-35.
He also had a gun and ammo in his pocket, which is EXTREMELY unwise. Not in his glove compartment like we all thought.
Just because he scores well on UFR doesn’t mean it wasn’t reckless. Also, imagine how much less shit the athletic department would be in if he was suspended for IU and MSU for “violation of team rules”, and then it comes out? Sure, some schmucks would still use this to shit on Michigan, but it would’ve been the right thing to do. Again, you wouldn’t be saying this if it was Marvin Harrison JR or Jacob Slade
December 7th, 2022 at 10:38 AM ^
Going 50 in a 25 is the biggest safety concern here. In regards to the weapon, his mistake was not having his permit finalized. If he was already in possession of his permit, then carrying a loaded pistol on his person, with ammunition, is not a serious issue.
December 7th, 2022 at 11:14 AM ^
Thank you. Spot on.
Mere possession of a firearm and ammunition does not make one evil or dangerous.
December 7th, 2022 at 12:39 PM ^
True. But you have to admit, it's a bad look for the program when a high profile member of the team is speeding through a residential area with a loaded gun and lots of ammo. Whether it's fair or not, outsiders to the program and its fanbase will cast Michigan in a poor light. For that, he should face consequences. The AD should have dealt with this more decisively when it happened. Now, they're stuck in between a rock and a hard place trying to minimize the damage.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:42 AM ^
No, I would assume MHJ or Slade have received speeding tickets in the past and don't fucking care because I'm not searching for an excuse to suspend them.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:43 AM ^
So here's the thing........ Nothing happened. Yes, going 50 in a 25 is stupid. Yes, the gun thing is stupid. However, if we're going to start suspending these kids for instances where something bad "could have happened", then good luck.
December 7th, 2022 at 10:52 AM ^
This is a dumb take, especially in the context of traffic violations. Should we also let drunk drivers off scot-free as long they didn’t hit anyone?
I don’t think Mazi should have been suspended, but the issue is a lot more nuanced than “no harm no foul”
December 7th, 2022 at 11:45 AM ^
Apples and oranges my friend. He wasn't driving drunk. He was speeding. Big difference
December 7th, 2022 at 1:10 PM ^
Apples and oranges? They're literally both illegal for the same reason...because society has determined that they present an unacceptably high risk of harm to bystanders (and the drivers themselves).
December 7th, 2022 at 11:13 AM ^
OK, I have something to add here. I lived at the intersection where he was pulled over for more than a decade. Not in the neighborhood, not near there, but right at that intersection. Now, if he was traveling 50 mph on the side street, that was horribly reckless. But if he was traveling on King George at 50, which I assume he was, that’s a lot different. King George in that area is a really wide two lane road with few or no parked cars. It’s not a narrow curvy side street with lots of kids biking and playing in the street. By all rights, it should be a 35 mph speed limit there, but it’s not. And yes, I believed that when I raised two little kids there.
I have no comment on the gun issue, but knowing the context well and personally, and assuming he was traveling down King George, 50 in a 25 is not as bad as it sounds in this case.