Illinois used stolen signals against Michigan football in 2022, Ohio State accused too
I'm sure Ryan Walters has a very plausible defense that requires due process....
November 6th, 2023 at 4:12 PM ^
His blow-by handshake speaks for him.
November 6th, 2023 at 5:38 PM ^
He was mad because Michigan went to wrist bands and he couldn't steal signs.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:21 PM ^
Read the article. He is a hypocrite because his school last year was involved in a multi-school signal sharing/stealing scandal.
Illinois staffer confirmed, and shared spreadsheets and texts as proof.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:35 PM ^
I don't get why Walters comments are a big deal or offensive. All I've seen is he said we stole his signals, and then he repeated it when asked.
He literally stated that he believes Michigan staff were at Purdue games, which violates the NCAA bylaw for in-person scouting. There is, of course, no evidence that any Michigan staff associated with the football program actually attended any of those games other than ticket purchases on Connor Stalions' card. And he couldn't have been at those games if he was on the Michigan sidelines "stealing signs" or whatever. It's pretty clear that he had other people not associated with the football program go to the games.
There is just way too much misunderstanding of the actual bylaw and noise around "stealing" signals.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:51 PM ^
Stealing signs is legal first off. He said "it's not like a big deal" in reference to him telling the "truth" not that what Michigan did wasn't a big deal.
He's definitely one of the coaches and ADs pushing the conference to punish Michigan. Also the guy blew by Harbaugh for the handshake because he felt like disrespecting him. People have a problem because he pretty much said Michigan cheats and that's why we might play bad against them and then doubled down after being a dick and getting blown out.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:11 PM ^
Do you suppose Michigan wants the Big Ten to suspend Harbaugh so they can sue and get Discovery? My my, then everything Ohio State and the rest of those jackals have done gets aired in court.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:11 PM ^
This sucks. I was expecting some actual damning evidence. As we’ve been saying all along “stealing signs isn’t illegal.” We all know everyone steals signs, we need some evidence of those signs being deciphered illegally before we can say “gotcha.”
November 6th, 2023 at 4:25 PM ^
This isn't the approach we should be using. A large part of the reason this story caught on is that the general public hears "stealing" and thinks "cheating". The tenor of the music becomes a lot different when laymen realize how seedy this whole business is, and that Michigan was at most pushing the envelope as opposed to clearly cheating.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:27 PM ^
Yes we all know that, but the media and social media are making it out as sign stealing in general is illegal. And that is the hill other B1G coaches are defending when talking to B1G to defend suspending Harbaugh indefinitely.
November 6th, 2023 at 5:44 PM ^
Passing it forward to other teams is not legal, though: that amounts to in-person advance scouting. A no-no. And also hrm hrm spirit of the rule something something
November 6th, 2023 at 11:36 PM ^
It doesn’t have to be damning, it only has to highlight the rank hypocrisy and ridiculousness of the outrage by providing a point of comparison about something that seems equally shady. I’d say conspiring amongst other teams to single out one opponent is pretty turgid stuff, at least as bad as in-person scouting. It also highlights the absurd discrepancy between what is legal and what is not especially if this is all about sportsmanship. Because I wouldn’t call colluding and conspiring against a single common opponent as being very sportsman-like. I’d call it gamesmanship, which at worst is exactly what you could say about about us considering unlike the conspirators our coaches did not actually sanction said actions whereas theirs allegedly did.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:12 PM ^
Waiting for the authoritarians to join the thread and pedantically inform everyone that there are legal and illegal ways of getting signals. Never mind that the difference in spirit is negligible. There's a difference in letter and you have to follow the rules, no matter what.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:17 PM ^
A bit disappointed that the source is an Illinois staffer; however, I wonder if ESPN will be willing to run with it, since their standards are so low. This would at least justify a Pete Thamel Breaking News Update. " A reliable source has informed me...."
November 6th, 2023 at 4:21 PM ^
Old Michigan: you have to follow the rules, no matter what.
Santa Ono's Michigan:
We even got it sponsored.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:45 PM ^
You mean the people who care about reality instead of vibes lol? Look we broke a rule, it's not a huge rule and people are blowing it up way too much, but acting like there isn't any difference is just as dumb as the people saying Harbaugh must have known.
Now it looks like other schools might have broken a rule too my sharing info, so that's definitely something to look into and play up that it's pervasive, but it doesn't mean we didn't do anything, just that the rule is dumb
November 6th, 2023 at 4:12 PM ^
If we are going to fight back in the PR battle, going to need more national outlets running with these stories vs just websites with "wolverine" in the title
November 6th, 2023 at 4:15 PM ^
We also need something more than “other teams were doing something that isn’t against the rules.”
November 6th, 2023 at 4:12 PM ^
https://apnews.com/article/michigan-sign-stealing-452b6a83bb0d0a3707f633af72fe92ac
This is starting to make the rounds too...perhaps a little more impactful.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:16 PM ^
It's beginning. Don't call it a comeback.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:14 PM ^
Good, start the shit flinging.
Expose the hypocrisy.
Burn it all down!
November 6th, 2023 at 4:30 PM ^
Dick move
Richard
November 6th, 2023 at 4:38 PM ^
Bolivia beckons you.
November 6th, 2023 at 4:44 PM ^
Walter's is a punk! Shame guys like that are leading young men. WTF!!
November 6th, 2023 at 5:13 PM ^
I am on board with this. I am going to launch my social media presence on the back of this issue and start posting nonsense du jour. Hell, I may post every day!
November 6th, 2023 at 5:38 PM ^
The people here who are arguing that what Illinois is accused of in this thread is legal, are missing the point. The general public and dumb sports media members need to see as much as possible that sign stealing is very common in order for the narrative to change from "Michigan are a bunch cheaters" to "Meh, I guess sign stealing just happens everywhere, I'm bored of this story."
November 6th, 2023 at 5:46 PM ^
Also: it seems not legal to pass the info forward—that would seem to be in violation of the ban on in-person advance scouting.