Latest updates from Balas
I'm skeptical of him as a reporter but I paid for a subscription to share with those who find him credible.
The rule the Big Ten is accusing Michigan of is advance scouting of a future opponent
Michigan is expecting a "season" suspension of Harbaugh"(not clear, if that means the remainder of season, or next year games as well)
A potential Harbaugh suspension would include College Football Playoff games as well.
If the injunction is denied Michigan can appeal immediately.
Connor Stallions was working on behalf of Central Michigan when he was on their sidelines. However, "he's still a Michigan employee advance scouting a future opponent."
He believes the sign stealing collusion against Michigan story will gain traction after coaches names are revealed. He doesn't know if the information was illegally obtained but sharing signs is against big ten rules.
He believes Ryan Day is not in the clear regarding the PI firm, the NCAA doesn't care about it and haven't investigated it. Michigan is adamant on gathering evidence and proving that he was involved.
ESPN requested 50 tickets to the Michigan -Ohio State game and he thinks Michigan will decline their request.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:34 PM ^
Not the first time. This has happened before in the SEC sometime around ten years ago and in the PAC 10 in the 90's. Our situation mirrors the PAC 10 vs U of Washington situation pretty closely actually, unfortunately for us. The good news is that we appear to be finally publicly and privately fighting back.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:34 PM ^
I think most of this sounds believable. I think the Ryan Day - PI Firm stuff is overblown. If he's not involved, it's a waste of time and speculation. If he is involved, it's embarrassing I guess and does open up a lot of questions about unspoken rules, but ultimately will have no bearing on how Stalions actions will be litigated. The biggest thing is the coaches involved in the collusion against Michigan.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:41 PM ^
How the information was obtained would be huge. I doubt the pi firm was hired just to see what stalions was up to. If it was obtained illegally, that’d be bigger than Michigan’s transgressions. Day being an accomplice to committing a crime in order to expose breaking a football rule would be nuts.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:44 PM ^
I agree if the information was obtained illegally, that has greater ramifications.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:02 PM ^
The PI thing is only relevant if a) hacking was involved or b) if OSU was behind leaks about something that it too was doing.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:44 PM ^
You're never going to find direct evidence Day hired the PI firm, because it probably doesn't exist, was most likely through a booster. But to suggest Day didn't know or potentially suggested to investigate the issue or had his brother give suggestions, I don't believe that. From doing internet investigating there's some things that make you go "Really NCAA, no "known" connections?"
November 7th, 2023 at 2:03 PM ^
What info do you have? Anything new? OSU has got to be connected in some way, albeit probably indirectly. A PI firm wouldn’t spontaneously choose to take this on; there has to be significant $$$ involved.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:11 PM ^
“Whoever invites you to the meeting, that’s your traitor”…. Whoever says that it is irrelevant how the PI firm obtained their information, or who paid for it, is a “traitor”.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:11 PM ^
Do a simple google search. Look up PI firms in Portsmouth, NH Christopher Day's place of location on linkedin, there's like two. Click the about information, and the history tab on that firm, do a linkedin search of the president of the company including the name of the company, view his profile you'll see profiles people were interested in that also viewed the CEO/Presidents page. Not making any accusations but really NCAA, no connections, that took me 15 mins.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:59 PM ^
That's pretty specious reasoning there. Unless you can see that those two people actually have a connection and not just that people on linkedin (like you) looked at both profiles, that says nothing about a connection.
November 7th, 2023 at 3:34 PM ^
When the firm has their HQ in Columbus, OH and a branch in the same area as Ryan Day's brother I get a little suspicious. Yes it's possible Christopher Day's name comes up because the possible hired firm does the same type of PI work as him. Or the results are being skewed because journalists are viewing both profiles trying to find a connection.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:34 PM ^
If Rutgers plays Maryland and then relays information obtained during that game to Northwestern (who is scheduled to play the Terps), Northwestern is guilty of a 11.6.1 violation if Stalions is guilty of one (putting aside the CMU game).
On another note, it will be hilarious if Stalions was working for CMU. But, fair is fair, and he should also be suspended for half a game per NCAA precedent.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:02 PM ^
On another note, it will be hilarious if Stalions was working for CMU. But, fair is fair, and he should also be suspended for half a game per NCAA precedent.
Is there a rule that says someone can't work for two schools at the same time?
November 7th, 2023 at 2:09 PM ^
That's an excellent question. I doubt that such a thing is covered by the Bylaws or rules, but I'll try to find time this evening to look at that.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:17 PM ^
Thanks! I agree - it's highly unlikely that it's covered by the bylaws or rules (either Big Ten or NCAA) and I would bet that it's also not covered in the U of M employee handbook. If it's not, then this is all just basic agency principle stuff and - barring a direct tie back to Michigan's coaches (or CMU's now, I guess, too) - it's impossible to say that Stalions wasn't doing this all, on his own, as a side hustle. The CMU news strengthens that case. Truly, in the absence of a rule that says someone can't (1) work for two schools at once or (2) have their own side hustle, I'm not sure what basis they could hang "in person scouting" on, because if he's working for (someone at) CMU, he could be there in an (informal) analyst position, and not scouting for Michigan (which would - it should seem obvious - be required for it to be scouting).
November 7th, 2023 at 1:34 PM ^
A suspension for the rest of the season? Wow they're just trying to appease and reward the mob
November 7th, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
I’m surprised that they’d push for this given Michigan’s response and info shared the past 24 hours
November 7th, 2023 at 2:04 PM ^
By the B1Gs own rules, any suspension longer than 2 games or fine >$10K has to have further approval, and is not within the discretion of the commissioner. Pettiti can't even suspend Stalions for more than two games. Balas out his ass.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:16 PM ^
Could easily be a difference in basketball to football where you have a 30 he season vs a 12 game season. Average 30 games in regular season and 30/5=6 12/2=6.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:26 PM ^
Juwan hit someone in front of a national audience. That is a fairly rare occurrence, and one that should invoke a significant punishment. I don't think that is the hill the University wanted to die on. The football program is accused of violating a rather meaningless rule, and on top of that one that a fair number of programs in this conference are also violating/skirting. And they want it to cost Harbaugh his job, when by all accounts he wasn't even aware of the wrong-doing. Punishments should be proportional to the crimes.
November 7th, 2023 at 7:33 PM ^
Maybe they are waiting for the last two games...which includes "them."
November 7th, 2023 at 1:35 PM ^
If they're trying to suspend Harbaugh for anything more than the 2 games they're allowed to for minor bullshit, then the conference has lost their fucking minds.
Burn it down. All of it. Make it clean.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:39 PM ^
Maybe saying a full season is to make Michigan blink and accept a 2 game suspension? Santa is smart enough to see through that BS.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:43 PM ^
Doesn't the rule say no more than 2 games? Otherwise you need the approval of 70% or so of the university presidents/athletic directors?
November 7th, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
I want names and I want the manifesto
November 7th, 2023 at 1:57 PM ^
Names: John Jacob Jingleheimer Jones
Manifesto: The Manifest of Surrealism
Is that sufficient?
November 7th, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
Ryan Day isn’t in the clear and NCAA doesn’t care. Shocker of all shockers
November 7th, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
Yea the PI firm being from NH still seems very sketch to me. If it's not Day, it means some other team was pretty clever in making it look like it was him.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:47 PM ^
I mean, let's say my brother is a plumber, but for some reason I didn't want to hire him to unclog my toilet. (It really smells and he'd never let me live that down.) I might still ask him if he knows a plumber that's reliable.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:53 PM ^
Yeah I may have him ask around town, maybe the town on Christopher Day's linkedin. I aso wonder if there is a firm in that same town that has their HQ located in Columbus, OH.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:54 PM ^
Yea, but I figured if Day had hired the PI firm then the NCAA wouldn't be able to confirm he or his family have no ties to it. There are likely some other layers to any alleged relationship.
It'd be great if it was him, but no matter who it is - somebody still was so shook by M that they hired a PI firm and a PR firm, and those firms basically made us go thru 2 weeks of hell before the AP story broke and now we look way more badass because of the narrative they laid.
Once we figure out who was the person behind the firm and the leaks, we have the poster child for the crying. But really, the whole Big Ten is complicit since they were pushing for indefinite suspensions despite knowing....that they were doing this too.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:03 PM ^
More than that, plumbers work alone, PIs often share information with each other and have a "working relationship."
November 7th, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
I would leak everything we have on them the Monday before The Game.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:39 PM ^
Any affinity I have ever had for being part of the B1G is gone. This is a complete witch hunt, and if they are so desperate to not have to compete with Michigan, let's grant their wish going forward and look at other conferences. Good luck with your revenue sharing when that revenue drops significantly.
And it would be wise for USC, UCLA, UO and UW to consider very carefully whether they want to follow through with their decision to join the B1G. What if they are the next targets, because they are just too good at football?
November 7th, 2023 at 1:43 PM ^
Nothing to worry about. None of them are good at football. Football, you see, includes this thing called “defense” which is considered mythical west of Iowa.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:48 PM ^
Oregon looks pretty good this year.
I have been thinking of this - there are likely some schools sympathetic/freaked by M, who, even if they aren't a majority, can consider splitting off with M to a new league. The Pac2 existing is rather convenient at this juncture, and I've got to imagine an M-centered TV deal can get games on the CW and like apple TV for a year at a decent enough price while they figure out something more long term.
M, the Pac 2, and any other disaffected members. Or M to the ACC/B12/SEC. The former may be harder because M has ground for leaving without an exit fee, while the others do not.
This is a fever dream tho. Most likely, the Big Ten will back down. If they go to court though, I don't think it's that crazy.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:39 PM ^
I am growing doutbful of Balas' credibility. Just last week he thought news was dropping that was going to make Harbaugh's contract extension unlikely. He just seems like a doomer and it doesn't line up with the fairly optimistic takes of guys like Webb, Hole, and Henschke
But if he is right, the Big Ten has lost its mind. They're gonna try to suspend Harbaugh for a season? It's insanity. Especially with the other news bits dropping in the last 24-48 hours
November 7th, 2023 at 1:45 PM ^
He 100% is a doomer
November 7th, 2023 at 1:47 PM ^
I'm not sure he's wrong on that front yet. Michigan has to wait and see how this plays out. If the Big does try the suspension, and is not granted a TRO, they unfortunately have to start looking at replacement options (I think this would be a terrible precedent FWIW).
EDIT: If Michigan is not granted a TRO*
November 7th, 2023 at 2:07 PM ^
Balas is an absolutely bad reporter. His doomsday report on Thursday, which suggested Michigan was folding after receiving bombshell news, has already been proven to be largely false. You can now feel him trying to smooth over and walk back stuff without acknowledging what he got wrong. He reported that Harbaugh was leaving for the NFL. He's had a dozen other "reports" that turned it to be at least partly inaccurate. And btw there's no way the commish can hand Harbaugh a "season" suspension -- not without a vote by the entire B10 panel, which evidently has not met on the matter.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:12 PM ^
He is hit and miss. I think he is right literally half the time, I read his stuff, but with a grain of salt most times
November 7th, 2023 at 2:30 PM ^
Hit and miss = bad reporter.
A good reporter can on rare occasion get something wrong. A reporter who does half the time should not be a reporter.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:37 PM ^
agree. reporters report facts. opinion makers write opinions. he's the latter.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:39 PM ^
Why are the names of the coaches being withheld?
November 7th, 2023 at 2:04 PM ^
Drip, drip, drip...
November 7th, 2023 at 1:40 PM ^
The funniest part is if Michigan ignores the suspension for the playoffs, the championship still counts. The Big Ten does not regulate the committee nor does the NCAA.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
I doubt anyone has ever defiantly refused a suspension. I don’t think I’m doing the wacko thing and suggesting Harbaugh just show up and coach anyway. But, even if it were a Big Ten game, what on Earth is the enforcement mechanism? It obviously can’t be game cancellation given that we are The TV Conference. For an away game, I suppose the cops could come because “he’s not invited to our private place.” In the aftermath, I suppose it could be a vacated win. Ok, stream-of-consciousness found me the answer.
Adjacently, it seems the Big Ten has chosen confidence that we neither will play hardball nor even know how.
November 7th, 2023 at 2:39 PM ^
any reasonable judge should grant a stay. hell, the ncaa gives 90 days to respond to an infraction notice, and that hasn't arrived yet.
November 7th, 2023 at 1:40 PM ^
It is kind of crazy that with evidence of other teams sharing signs they still want to suspend Harbaugh for the season. Like other coaches know they used that information, and now its out there, and they are still saying "lets keep going".
Hopefully they are going to release something bigger later today becasue the first one didn't work apparantly.
They need to release the name of the PI firm and the internet will pretty quickly determine if there are any ties to Day.