"Michigan State initially warned the Big Ten it might consider not playing Saturday’s game out of concern for health and safety for its players"
Michigan football facing allegations of sign stealing - The Athletic
"Michigan State was approached by the league as a forewarning ahead of this weekend’s matchup between the rivals in East Lansing. According to a source briefed on those conversations, upon learning of the pending investigation, Michigan State initially warned the Big Ten it might consider not playing Saturday’s game out of concern for health and safety for its players. On Thursday morning, MSU confirmed it will indeed play the game."
October 19th, 2023 at 3:48 PM ^
"Just here to scout signs and eat burgers"
October 19th, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^
A vast network. That is about as tinfoil hat brigade as it gets. "We did bad so they must be cheating"
Fuck em all.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
The Blue Wall ® strikes again!
October 19th, 2023 at 3:18 PM ^
a "vast network"? You mean like the one that the NCAA should have but proceeds to do very little with? Holy shit, I mean: Alabama, Ole Miss, etc. get away with all these things like outright paying players and Alabama in particular, because of it, rises to prominence out of nowhere in the past decade. Funny how the NCAA looks away at the SEC golden children but chooses to persecute Michigan for every little breadcrumb that it possibly can. You can't make this shit up.
October 19th, 2023 at 3:29 PM ^
A vast winged-helmet conspiracy.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
That's the funniest and dumbest thing I've read in a while.
October 19th, 2023 at 3:21 PM ^
I'm fully expecting MSU to play up the drama surrounding this story this weekend.
Instead of 3 guys signaling on the sideline, there will be 10. They will install curtains on their coordinator booth.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
Why is the BIG sharing any information with Michigan State? Nothing has been proven. And now the NCAA and the BIG are coordinating? What if Michigan State refused to play the game and Michigan had actually not done anything improper. So, would State then forfeit the game?
This stinks to high heaven. The allegations are such that even if they aren't true they are designed to taint the program's reputation and are of the sort that cannot really be "disproven." The only proper institutional response right now is for the AD to openly call this harassment by the NCAA.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:55 PM ^
agreed. Warde should be clamoring for any evidence of any wrongdoing, and rightfully declaring this to be harassment by the NCAA is they can't provide anything. Show us any credible accusation, and whatever information that accusation is based on, because at this point it seems like this is all just based on bullshit posted by SomeFan123 on various rivals' message boards.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:56 PM ^
Yes. He should be at the podium right now asking for any evidence of this to be made public immediately.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
He wont do shit like always
October 19th, 2023 at 2:01 PM ^
I actually think he is going to this time.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:21 PM ^
Ummm no. He should be very careful about public declarations and demands.
He should submit adamant requests for all evidence to appear at his desk, however, so he can assess these claims.
He doesn't truly know what anyone's been doing or what evidence the NCAA claims to have. Also, I'm a bit for pause if the NCAA is officially warning MSU. That sounds like there's something - maybe a cheeseburger maybe larger...
Only one person in America has elevated his standing by repeatedly shooting himself in the face with claims of witch hunting and demands for evidence and calling authorities liars and he doesn't seem poised to survive those claims a whole lot longer.
Warde is not a politician to the fringe. He will not similarly benefit.
Play it smart. Don't call the bluff until you are sure. And when you are sure, sue until it hurts. And sue until a small forest ceases to exist.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:28 PM ^
I disagree. They have credible evidence but they share it with MSU and not Michigan? This IS a witch hunt and I think it should be called out as such.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:36 PM ^
They didn't share with Sparty. They warned them. There's a big difference.
Sparty using it to a PR clip saying they thought about pulling out of the game for the safety of their student athletes is laughable.
But they were not provided with evidence.
Reading comprehension! It's a skill, folks!
October 19th, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^
Might want to reread; the article says:
The league approached Michigan State on Wednesday, ahead of this weekend’s matchup between the rivals in East Lansing, with what it described as “credible evidence” that the Wolverines have successfully stolen signs called by opposing teams’ coaches this season.
That’s saying they showed staee the evidence, not that they told them they had evidence
October 19th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
I'm still going to go with a no - and a suggestion to read deeper with more effective comprehension. They approached them with credible evidence means you might describe what you claim to have in general terms. It is not emailing them evidence or popping it in the mailbox.
The NCAA is dumb. But never overestimate the stupidity of your opponent. They called up MSU as soon as they felt something was amiss and described their concerns.
That's not sharing the evidence. That's warning that you have reason to believe - so be careful. That's all.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:57 PM ^
"Be careful" of what? Something that is not even against the rules? "We think Michigan knows other teams signs so change your signs." That would be affirmatively going out of their way to help Michigan State. Which is completely improper.
I can't tell if you are playing devils advocate just for the sake of doing it or not but you are on the wrong side of this one.
October 19th, 2023 at 4:23 PM ^
I'm an alum and my "side" is not in question.
That being said, there's a reason lawyers are paid to handle these matters and not passionate MGoBloggers.
Your "side" rants are precisely why no one here is paid to run the ship.
You will not find a wise leader who would ever use this moment to bloviate like a windbag claiming witch hunt right off the bat.
Yes, there is one who does this quite publicly with some measure of success as his one and only play. But wise he is not. Crash and burn, he is.
Circle your wagons and lie patiently in wait for the right moment to strike. It will arrive for the experienced hunter. You're a fucking Wolverine. Or a Boa. I'm not so sure but just as deadly when you're smart.
Don't respond like a brainless wind up doll who is so easily triggered into a typical, immature response every time someone tugs your cord - aka attacks your favorite program.
That's what opponents are supposed to do. Attack. Legitimate or petty.
So relax and take a trip to Venice. Flaunt your typical M arrogance and mock the futility of others. Enjoy your day and carry the fuck on. Everything is fine, and lots of people getting paid a lot of money are defending your keep.
To ironically quote Kevin Bacon in multi-layered comedy that an army of truck drivers from Ohio could never understand, "All is well!"
October 19th, 2023 at 5:48 PM ^
Edit: nevermind, replied to wrong post
October 19th, 2023 at 3:07 PM ^
You’re inventing interpretations that mean something other than what the words actually say, and yet are lecturing others about reading comprehension?? Kinda rich, but you do you
October 19th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
At this point I think it is more than 50/50 that Michigan State does not play the game. They are going to get destroyed in this game. This gives them an out and is the way to effect maximum damage on Michigan.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:58 PM ^
I disagree. It's a home game which is millions of dollars badly needed. Bailing now when you don't know how the investigation will play out - and may come to nothing - will wreck administrators' careers by making them and the school look like the ultimate cowards. Finally, there is no recent precedent to compare such an absurd decision as to back out of a contest due to being warned of potential smoke in a sport with a long and storied history of worse.
October 19th, 2023 at 3:01 PM ^
I hear 'ya. But that doesn't mean Warde can't stand up at the podium and forcefully tell everyone that Michigan always operates within the rules and will challenge any allegations to the contrary. That way, he's sending notice to the NCAA that we're not going to roll over like we usually do and slap ourselves in the face. I think that's what all of us are tired of - the wishy-washy public response that only encourages more bullying from the NCAA. If it takes him a few days to pull together the facts, so be it. But get in front of it SOON.
October 19th, 2023 at 4:30 PM ^
It's a big assumption to claim the NCAA bullies us. I get the grievances. However, it's only the proletariat who keep screaming cheeseburgers without having a shred of inside knowledge regarding recent cases and findings. It may have happened that M has played matters very favorably considering unknown facts.
Try not to scream out like a Sparty troll who just saw a Wolverine every time someone attacks your team.
Lawyers are never going to respond like you do and Warde's statement was written by his army of lawyers and perfectly devoid of actual information. It was done correctly no matter how much people may cry out for an impassioned defense devoid of critical information regarding the matter.
Too many people in every fan base are always more concerned with sounding loud than sounding smart.
This is a time for sounding smart which is why we will hear nothing from M for a while.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
Yeah the article claims that the Big Ten has the proof. Time to show it
October 19th, 2023 at 2:31 PM ^
All the NCAA has officially said is that they are opening an investigation into Michigan sending in-person scouts to upcoming opponents games, which, if true, is against the rules.
That's all the NCAA has officially said.
Everything having to do with sign-stealing per se has come from journalist's anonymous sources. That stuff could have been leaked by the NCAA, but it hasn't been put out there officially by them.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:57 PM ^
Except we all know Warde is probably more concerned about the massive ketchup and mustard stains he got on his shirt from hogging down his lunch.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:10 PM ^
He's definitely a REAL MAYO guy...
October 19th, 2023 at 1:52 PM ^
Michigan is about to hang 100 on them. Holy shit.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:52 PM ^
Michigan is about to hang 100 on them. Holy shit.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:57 PM ^
So 200 then?
October 19th, 2023 at 1:58 PM ^
Precisely :)
October 19th, 2023 at 2:01 PM ^
you can say that again
October 19th, 2023 at 1:53 PM ^
Well, on the one hand - you could think this would make Jim want to leave.
On the other hand, I can also see it having the opposite effect with a guy like him. Staying around just to say a big fuck you to the NCAA.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:56 PM ^
Just remind Jim that if he leaves, the NCAA wins.
If he stays, he will likely see the NCAA fizzle out of all relevancy in a matter of years.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
Unless Warde takes a stance, we should have no qualm with Jim leaving. Man should be tired of NCAA. Let us see what Warde does and what evidence the fucking NCAA presents.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:54 PM ^
Sounds like they wanted to troll us for the COVID year
October 19th, 2023 at 1:54 PM ^
I 100% believe the NCAA has decided to make going after Jim a personal thing. Not sure how smart driving away one of the best coaches in football is when your position is already so tenuous, but it's clearly about sending a message.
Also, LOL@MSU. Sure, it's your players who are in danger, not the ones who were actually assaulted last year.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:15 PM ^
They said as much, no? Didn't they say they were trying to make an example out of Jim?
October 19th, 2023 at 1:54 PM ^
repost, I am ashamed.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:54 PM ^
This has to be very close to the stupidest thing I have ever read that didn't involve a Toby.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:55 PM ^
Sleezy unsubstantiated allegations and insincere claims about health & safety concerns.
... Must be msu week.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:55 PM ^
What a bunch of pussies. This will be their copium when they get their asses kicked on Saturday.
But tehy new r signz!
October 19th, 2023 at 2:34 PM ^
There are a plethora of side-splitters posted on this thread, but this one got me involuntarily laughing. Well played...and also the plain truth!
October 19th, 2023 at 2:36 PM ^
Well, at least we know Mork's plan now.
October 19th, 2023 at 1:56 PM ^
the quote in that article that Michigan is using a "vast network" to steal signals just makes this even more ridiculous.
The coaches accusing them have to be MSU. They wanted the story to come out this week as a distraction. They planted this story, sent the NCAA on a fishing expedition, and are now like "oh maybe we shouldnt play these cheaters, but I guess we will because we are the noble good guys."
edit: Also, the fact that the accusers keep referncing "halftime adjustments" is further leading me to believe that Michigan is reading the "tipped pitches" of the opposing team during the game. If you're stealing signals, you just do it right in the 1st quarter, get a big lead, and then have a stress free game. Why let them move the ball in the first half if you already know all their plays?
The more I think about this the more annoyed I am. Why would you let OSU take a first half lead last year if you knew all their signs. Youre on the road, you need to win to make the playoff and you know everything they are about to do but you let them score a few times in order to pull off the ol rope a dope? It just doesn't make sense.
October 19th, 2023 at 2:19 PM ^
Gary Schiano & Rutgers reported as one of the accusers.