Meta: What happened to our insiders?

Submitted by NashvilleBLUE on November 12th, 2021 at 1:44 PM

Back when I joined the blog in 2016 I came here in search of inside info for the quarterback race. There was so much good info that I stuck around and I’ve been here ever sense. 

I’ve noticed that this year especially, and starting last year to a certain degree, the main insiders that genuinely have good reliable info have either completely stopped posting or post very infrequently.

So I guess what I’m asking is, does anyone have any inside info on the inside info providers?

An example of some excellent info was given on 9/2 by ghostofJermaineGonzalez:

”

When the players huddle up on D its Ross and Hutch who are the leaders, they seem to be taking their roles very serious, and are constantly coaching up the backups.

I have not seen Dax play anything other than S

Michigan hoping to run for 300+ yards Saturday

EALL is a monster

They are rotating the entire DL after 2 plays, hard to tell who is legit on the inside

Special Teams will be a strong suit for Michigan all season

Don't be surprised if you see JJ and DE in the end zone by NIU game latest

Jake Butt hanging around schem, Yes please!

Hart is the players favorite, I could see Gattis not being here next year

Cheers”

 

I’ve checked weekly since then craving that next hit and there’s nothing.

 

Mike Damone

November 12th, 2021 at 2:17 PM ^

I have found in my experience that most people who call themselves "Insiders" are 1) not, and 2) assholes.  Similar to anyone describing themselves as "Serial Entrepreneurs"...

Joined: 09/02/2017

MGoPoints: 24254

WindyCityBlue

November 12th, 2021 at 2:18 PM ^

Outside of this blog, I had 2 really good "insiders" that would feed me some good, sometimes juicy, tidbits.  They told me that Harbaugh was going to be hired back in 2014.  They also told me that Dax Hill was going to re-commit to Michigan (after de-committing from Michigan and committing to Alabama).  And a bunch of other things.

With that, while I still have decent contact with them, the information has dried up.  Different times I guess.

Joined: 07/23/2008

MGoPoints: 41280

bronxblue

November 12th, 2021 at 2:41 PM ^

Most weren't really "insiders" as much as either "scoured paywalled message boards and used rumors to make some shit up" and "knew someone who was involved with UM football and just repeated what they heard."  Like, there was a guy who had been some type of coach to one of the RBs a couple years ago so he generally would just post stuff like "team is pissed after a loss, Harbaugh should be fired!" or "running back room mad about X, blames Y" or "offense is happy they scored a bunch".  

Even the comments above are incredibly generic or based on posts I saw on 24/7 at various times.  "Players like Hart" leading to "Gattis might be gone" is pure message board prognostication, as is "I think UM wants to run for a bunch of yards against WMU" being treated as "insider info" when the coaching staff had been saying for months they wanted to be a run-first team.  

I think there are really insiders who post here but they do so judiciously and with consideration of their sources.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171931

StephenRKass

November 12th, 2021 at 2:51 PM ^

Back when I found mgoblog a long, long time ago, there was more inside info, and more coaches and players giving insight. I've definitely noticed that it is much more painful and a waste of time to read through many posts.

As an example, there was a post yesterday asking about injuries, and which players might see the field Saturday. (Link:  https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/what-previously-injured-wolverines-will-play-week.) More than half the posts in the thread are supposedly witty/snarky/smartass comments, with zero content. There are a total of 60 threads in that post. Doing a quick scan, it looks like maybe 3 - 5 have content. The rest are either smartass quips or speculation. I think the improvement of cell phones makes it easier for more people to post whenever and wherever.

I regret the loss of insider info. Tom VanHaaren was a great source of information. Sometimes Magnus provided good content. Ace also. There also were several more guys on the board who had a coaching background.

I still come to mgoblog regularly, but I have calibrated down my expectations. I guess my only request would be for board users to really ask, is my witty smartass snarky comment REALLY that witty and humorous?

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 23105

BursleysFinest

November 12th, 2021 at 4:16 PM ^

I think it mostly boils down to those sources are usually based on a quid pro quo, where I give you this info, but you have to spin it to make my guy/interests look good, and Brian has explicitly stated he avoids all that type of noise to keep the site impartial and able to criticize freely, (i.e. I don't rely on the program/sources for my content, so I don't have to please the program/sources at all). 

I remember it being a big deal for the site on whether to get Heiko a Press Pass a few years ago since it was a step in that direction

Joined: 08/24/2011

MGoPoints: 6468

MGlobules

November 15th, 2021 at 12:59 PM ^

As a former journalist, I can tell you that there are many other reasons why relationships of trust develop with sources. Sports is absolutely not investigative reporting, and Schembechler Hall isn't called The Fortress, etc. without reason. But not cultivating sources so that you can retain a critical stance doesn't go together. 

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 48032

Phaedrus

November 12th, 2021 at 10:47 PM ^

Snark is the idiot's version of wit and we're being polluted by it.
 

I enjoy wit even when it lacks substance. Snark is just annoying.

I think you’re suffering from a bit of the golden age fallacy. The quality of discourse on this board has aways ebbed and flowed. Usually this correlates to the state of the program. For example, the board was pretty toxic around the time Rich Rod was fired and Hoke was hired.

I think the expectation of substantive conversation sometimes hinders the board more than it helps. This is, after all, just a sports blog. 

Joined: 09/02/2019

MGoPoints: 6588

Sllepy81

November 12th, 2021 at 3:00 PM ^

Insiders=I'm friends with a team manager.

 

I fit this for the Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr era of basketball. I know a lot of personal crap about the players back then, signed balls in my house and understand why Beilein left the game. I know what players are good people/teammates, which ones are selfish dicks. I tried not to say much at all until after it was over. 

Joined: 01/02/2013

MGoPoints: 7976

Sllepy81

November 12th, 2021 at 5:43 PM ^

Nah, they're adults now. 3 guys I'll give good vibes to are Burke, Hardaway and Morgan. Burke was a team leader, he and Hardaway butted heads young about how they played but as Hardaway matured they fixed that. Hardaway walked away thanking my family member(team manager) for all the practice dummy help over the years. Jordan Morgan worked his butt off his last 2 years to get better behind the scenes. 

Joined: 01/02/2013

MGoPoints: 7976

PM

November 12th, 2021 at 3:02 PM ^

Considering he was dressed last week, are we assuming Eric All is good to go?  We could really use his blocking this week given PSU's ends, not to mention the pass catching.

Joined: 11/23/2008

MGoPoints: 1435

LSAClassOf2000

November 12th, 2021 at 3:20 PM ^

The insiders largely left for greener pastures, or so it was advertised. 

Some simply left, others were marginal at best and their sources, as far as I know, are no longer in Ann Arbor or no longer employed by the University. 

To be fair, I am sometimes on university property, but usually only to look at very specific things in or near active construction. 

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130722

rob f

November 12th, 2021 at 10:17 PM ^

Ahh yes, the  Wolverine Liberation Army revolt. That rebellion was squashed back around the time I went from being a registered lurker to an active poster on the MGoBoard.  

Though I don't know the origins of the WLA, as I recall it ended with the first major purge of MGoMembership.

Joined: 11/11/2010

MGoPoints: 195295

JamieH

November 12th, 2021 at 4:08 PM ^

There is something out there about his Dad confirming he is out, but I have no idea if it is true.  Seems likely that he won't play this weekend, and if so then there is no sense in playing him till OSU.  

His speed and balance are his weapons--no sense in playing him on a bum ankle.

Joined: 09/05/2009

MGoPoints: 28331