Here's how we can thank Blake!:
I'm a lifelong fan who wanted to get involved, but have been on sidelines up until now. I finally feel like the right NIL cause has been created: this "One More Year" fund is the most clear & obvious way to help the team by getting our own players who have really earned it to return to UM.
https://www.onemoreyearfund.com/
Feels like we can really have an impact here: Zinter, Keegan, and C Johnson could all return.
I did donate, but even if you're not sure about donating, please click the link and just read the comments. They're truly inspiring. Real fans, just like us. $10, and $20, and $250's...I even noticed a Wistert on the donation list (though you can donate anonymously as well).
Go Blue and thanks again Blake!!!
January 9th, 2023 at 3:50 PM ^
Thanks for posting.
Donated $45.23
January 9th, 2023 at 4:30 PM ^
I donated also.. i saw that a few guys donated $45.23 and it took me a minute to figure it out... what a dumbass i am!! --- lol
go blue!
January 9th, 2023 at 7:09 PM ^
Nice. I donated the MOON game amount, but I wish I could donate the 45.23 instead
January 9th, 2023 at 3:52 PM ^
He did an M go blue podcast with Jon Jansen today. His commitment to accomplishing his goals at Michigan and leaving a legacy are so inspiring. The guy has already accomplished so much and has already left an incredible legacy, but he wants to leave an even larger impact. I am confident that he will. I admire this young man so much. I am inspired.
January 9th, 2023 at 3:52 PM ^
Zinter and Keegan look like twins in that graphic.
$63K at time of this comment.
January 9th, 2023 at 5:06 PM ^
Where do you see the live total? I'd love to track it over the next few days.
EDIT: You can see it in the donate link. Up to $69k now.
January 9th, 2023 at 6:03 PM ^
Nice
January 9th, 2023 at 7:45 PM ^
$74k rn!
January 9th, 2023 at 3:56 PM ^
I donated over the weekend. With the Blake news, I consider it money well spent :)
January 9th, 2023 at 3:59 PM ^
I donated!
January 9th, 2023 at 4:06 PM ^
I dunno. This feels a little too much like the old slush funds that boosters used to pay recruits. The point of NIL is that players have the right to the use of their name and likeness for promotions and such. If someone wanted to point me to a restaurant that Corum had done an ad for I'd definitely be up for a visit. This is a little too direct.
January 9th, 2023 at 4:12 PM ^
Really? Thank goodness most don’t think that way
January 9th, 2023 at 4:20 PM ^
Personally I find it much more compelling to compensate guys with (a) proven contributions to the team, and (b) demonstrated pro options that come back, over shelling out money to recruits looking for the highest bidder (as many schools are doing) so this seems much better to me.
January 9th, 2023 at 4:22 PM ^
Except it is a new slush fund that boosters used to pay recruits and it's legal now. You're correct that the point of the NIL was to allow players to profit from their name, image and likeness but for good or bad, that's changed. The SEC teams in particular are using these funds to buy recruits and make no aplogies in doing so. We're taking a slightly different approach and seem to prioritizing our funds towards existing players, not recruits.
If it makes you feel more comfortable giving you can rest assured no cheeseburgers will be purchased and the monies will go straight to Blake. Because if i've learned anything these past few days it's $180,000 recruiting trips to Texas are A-OK in the NCAA's eyes but two unreported cheeesburgers in Ann Arbor need to have someone punished and punished severely.
January 9th, 2023 at 4:54 PM ^
Touché
January 9th, 2023 at 4:23 PM ^
You know what else is direct, CTE. Pay the men.
January 9th, 2023 at 4:34 PM ^
KSmooth,
you have a point. But it won’t help Michigan win anything. The more M fans that feel like you articulated, the more the program is held back as fans at other schools clearly don’t agree.
At the very least there is still an avenue for fans who feel like you do. Go to the MDen. Buy the jersey/t shirt/card/autographed piece of any player and then you are truly supporting their NIL as intended. That will help M show recruits more lucrative options.
January 9th, 2023 at 4:55 PM ^
Fair enough.
January 9th, 2023 at 5:08 PM ^
And? Who's the victim here?
January 9th, 2023 at 5:35 PM ^
You? Your friends and family? Your wife/significant other? Anyone out there who might not have a full scholarship and the fame of playing major sports and the prospect (however slim) of playing in the NFL who might benefit from you spending that money on them instead of a football player?
January 9th, 2023 at 5:52 PM ^
I'm not negging you for this comment, but your standard of what's appropriate seems a bit outdated at this point. Yes, this is bag money, plain and simple. But it's legitimate and within the rules as per the University itself. If we're not contributing to sanctioned collectives like this one, our boys aren't going to stay at Michigan.
My only concern in all of this is the sources of these funds are for the most part zero-sum, meaning, what a donor puts into a collective is going to mean reduced funding to the department or the UM general fund.
That is, with the exception of a donor like me who's never given the UM a nickel -- I always figured the massive endowment was enough that my pittance of charitable giving could stretch further elsewhere. But now, with the opportunity to pitch in to a collective, I'm happy to do it.
January 9th, 2023 at 6:10 PM ^
You are paying him for his name image and likeness to suit up in a Michigan uniform one more season. Im confused? You are having him represent your football team for up to and god willing 15 football games. "That is too direct" is the strangest thing I may have ever heard. You want slush fund hands getting in there? A few more made up admin positions to make sure the fan/alumni money gets back to a zero balance by years end? John Malcovich from Rounders put it best-
"Pay that man his money"
January 9th, 2023 at 7:06 PM ^
I didn't expect to be love bombed when I wrote this. I can only imagine what I would have gotten if this had been an OSU or MSU board. I got negged a bit but not too bad. Comments have been thoughtful. I think that's a credit to Michigan fandom in general and this board in particular.
I don't think this is a very good use of money, but as long as you don't put your whole kid's college fund into it probably no major harm done. The real harm is that this whole thing is one more way that college football is turning into pay-for-play. But those are the rules that the NCAA set up. Can't expect folks not to play. I might question your priorities, but I spent at least $300+ bucks to go to the Conference Championship two years in a row, so...could be worse...at least it's not going into politics!
I don't blame anyone who decides to contribute. I do blame the NCAA for bowing to the almighty dollar too many times, and for being so lazy about enforcing the rules, that we've reached the point where "Teddy KGB" has become a model of integrity and common sense.
January 9th, 2023 at 7:48 PM ^
You’re good my dude. A difference of opinion is what makes the side board interesting IMO.
You just happen to be wrong. Happens to all of us from time to time.😉
January 9th, 2023 at 7:18 PM ^
I'm not at all opposed to it on principle. But whenever I'm considering donating money I think about the charities I probably ought to spend it on...
January 9th, 2023 at 8:31 PM ^
When it comes to "true market value" (i.e., the system defining everyone's income, at least in the democratic west), the directness or indirectness of the payment is irrelevant. Utterly so.
Your and my incomes are the same way, it's just that our booster slush funds are likely limited to "holiday checks from parents and parents-in-law."
January 9th, 2023 at 4:18 PM ^
Done
January 9th, 2023 at 4:19 PM ^
I've donated enough to the U of M. But I appreciate everyone who's contributing. I will still enjoy cheering for the Maize and Blue!
January 9th, 2023 at 4:21 PM ^
I just answered the call. $50. Small price to pay to feel like a stakeholder in next years team. And let me publicly declare, I will promise another $50 pledge per player that comes back in addition to Blake (CJ, Keegan, Zinter are the 3 being promoted by this NIL pledge).
Edit: Gemon not included in the photo / promo. I hope that Valiant Management Group fixes this and adds him to the photo and as a recipient.
January 9th, 2023 at 6:57 PM ^
I'd rather donate to players than to the athletic department or ticket master.
January 9th, 2023 at 7:02 PM ^
I think a certain MSU player or two are going to be funding GG directly...
January 9th, 2023 at 4:35 PM ^
I donated yesterday. Glad to check today and see it’s TRIPLED in 24 hours.
January 9th, 2023 at 4:54 PM ^
Donation made
January 9th, 2023 at 5:04 PM ^
I didn't donate, but I'm a pretty bad guy with no conscience.
January 9th, 2023 at 6:12 PM ^
You must be stopped!
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a post is a good guy with a neg.
January 9th, 2023 at 5:04 PM ^
not to be a dick, but lets say the 68k gets to 100k.. and 100k is a lot of money for anyone, especially college kids. i get that. But, forget taxes briefly... 25k per player for established stars (3 of them) and a WR who did big things for us late in the year.
Does this really move the needle compared to what other schools are giving/getting? Again, its not meant to be a jerky question, but.. feels like we're playing minor league ball with this.
Why are established Michigan players out there not getting way more than this at this point.
I like the point someone else made - maybe we don't pay as much up front, but would be great if stars, like JJ, Edwards, OL, Mason Graham, really reap the benefits as they continue and a slush fund for 25k each doesn't seem like a lot.
January 9th, 2023 at 5:27 PM ^
I think we can get a lot higher than 100k but who knows. These guys are going to make more money then just this. This is just something extra, I assume they will have other "oppertunities"
January 9th, 2023 at 5:57 PM ^
The big money doesn't come from individual fans. It's the mega donors at Michigan and other universities that pay the big dollars. This is surely not Blake's only compensation. I believe he told someone last year he was making 6 figures.
I do think funds like this may mean more to the players. I would think that a bunch of random people I'd never met donating their money as thanks for the contribution I made to the Michigan football team would mean more than money from a wealthy donor.
January 9th, 2023 at 6:21 PM ^
It’s the most heartfelt $25,000 they ever got. It’s just more personal than the other stacks of cash.
January 9th, 2023 at 6:02 PM ^
Good point, but if I could raise $10,000 for a teammate who was unlikely to pull that in otherwise, that'd be a big deal to me too.
January 9th, 2023 at 5:12 PM ^
Donating 45.23 has a nice ring.
January 9th, 2023 at 5:37 PM ^
Those who stay
January 9th, 2023 at 5:43 PM ^
PAY HARBAUGH!!
January 10th, 2023 at 8:50 AM ^
Then donate $51.45
January 9th, 2023 at 5:49 PM ^
The link is not working for me. It says "The connection was reset."
January 9th, 2023 at 6:20 PM ^
CoJo is already returning.
January 9th, 2023 at 6:29 PM ^
I’m in.
January 9th, 2023 at 6:54 PM ^
Does ordering a Corum jersey count?
January 10th, 2023 at 8:51 AM ^
If you ordered it from the MDen, then yes...
January 9th, 2023 at 6:54 PM ^
Bit off topic, but I was in the NFL subreddit game thread when Damar Hamlin's injury happened. While we were all waiting in shock and feeling helpless, social media discovered and then shared his pre-existing gofundme for charity (community toy drive).
When I first checked it that night, maybe half an hour after the injury, it had gotten to around $150k - the original target was $3k. By midnight it was in the millions I think; now it's at $8.6 mil.