I have done 23/30 and hope to get to the Mets, Padres, Oakland, and Seattle this year. Just would have Texas, Miami, and Colorado left. Full disclosure: I am a Tigers fan and would place it in the Top 10.
Top 5
Dodgers (if you can get past the parking)
Pirates (great views)
Giants (see above)
Braves (the Battery is a model for all other stadiums to follow)
Cardinals (best fan energy of any stadium I've been to)
Bottom 5
White Sox (boring stadium, unable to walk all the way around the stadium)
Yankees (I know this will make some mad, but there is literally nothing interesting/memorable about the stadium)
Brewers (tailgates outside are the only cool thing about going to a game)
Angels (somehow in a terrible location in Southern California)
I started lurking during the Rich Rod coaching search. I only created an account during SignGate. Brian, Seth, and team - appreciate all you do here! I spend way too much of my free time on this site.
Favorite on field memory of 2023?
I saw Kenneth Grant’s parents walking up the ramp in the stadium in Houston. I asked them if KG was going to run down anyone tonight. Got a laugh and I told them that him running down the PSU running back was my favorite play of the year. I said that I couldn’t believe that the biggest guy on the field was that fast.
On field moment that angered you of 2023?
Probably the interception that was called back on JJ’s first throw of the Rose Bowl. BPONE and PTSD flashbacks instantly came to mind.
Biggest surprise player of 2023?
Trente Jones. Not only is he a very talented tackle, he showed resilience that I don’t think I’ve ever seen from a player over the last year and a half. He didn’t pout or turn into a toxic teammate for not getting the starting job. He put his head down to be a great teammate and extra lineman. When his time came after the Zinter injury, the line actually became better! We have a lot of lovable players on this team, but Trente may be my favorite.
Favorite feature of MgoBlog?
Brian’s post-game summaries. He perfectly encapsulates the mood of the fanbase after each game. We’ve had some great times recently but also some really rough times going back the last 15 years. Reading his summary honestly has somehow helped me cope better with difficult loses.
42-28 Michigan with a late UW touchdown to bring it within 2 scores. This has 2021 OSU vs Michigan vibes all over it. Let Penix get his yards, but no TDs, while Corum runs it down their throats like Haskins did. Now just need to see Corum hurdle a fool in the 4th quarter…
Anyone know if the Allstate Championship Tailgate will still happen or be moved inside in the very likely event of continued rain and storms? I haven’t seen anything posted online or the socials about contingencies yet.
Went to Fan Fest tonight at the convention center. Seemed like 50% Michigan fans, 25% UW fans, and 25% locals who just wanted to have a fun time at the event.
Looking to surprise the wife with 2 tickets. Don’t care section, but like many others, looking to avoid paying outrageous fees to the colluders and their partner brokers (StubHub, VividSeats, etc.).
’08 LSA grad and ‘11 Rackham grad
I can promise that we will scream as loud as we can the entire time Washington has the ball. I usually lose my voice the next day after games.
Thank you for posting this! It was pretty cringy to see others criticize Isaiah in other threads recently.
If you actually listen closely to what he says, he always tells you what he knows and doesn’t know, gives appropriate caveats, tells you what kind of source it is, etc.
If you aren’t listening closely or just taking lazy talking points from others, please just keep your mouth shut on any criticisms of someone working tirelessly through signgate to give us the inside info we so desperately want.
That vocal minority doesn’t represent the majority here.
It seems that way to me. Especially after learning that a TRO granted after midnight will last us through the OSU game and render the restraining order meaningless.
Petitti can still show the other coward Big Ten schools that he went to bat for them and tried to get him suspended, knowing full well the TRO will be granted. And Michigan can use it to motivate the team and coaches further, while be the final straw before releasing the binder of dirt on all the other schools.
Perhaps looking at this another way. Is it possible that Pettiti coordinated with Michigan the release of this punishment plus the severity of it less than 24 hours before our game?
Pettiti is trying to thread the needle between Michigan the rest of the angry mob Big Ten. He wants to show them that he’s taking serious action while letting Michigan have the time to prepare for the appropriate legal response to ultimately overturn this (which the Big Ten likely expects). From what I understand, the timing of this makes it more like a temporary restraining order is granted (so close to a game). He probably privately told Michigan exactly what he planned to do, so we can lawyer up and get our proper filings ready.
This is what I would do if I were Pettiti, to win on both sides and keep my job.
Stalions knew what these other teams were up to with sending people to record games. I might even argue Stalions was smarter about it to get randos to do it instead of actual football staff. He thought it was the norm, though, for teams to do this.
Sounds like Third Base didn’t do his due diligence to check with his sign stealer guy that his house was in order before releasing this info to the media about Michigan. This is going to be supremely embarrassing for them and the rest of the pearl clutcher coaches when they see what their sign stealers have been up to behind closed doors.
That’s a bingo! It’s don’t ask, don’t tell on how these sign stealers are so good at their jobs. You just give me what the opponent signs are, and I don’t care your methods.
Hopefully the narrative will shift from Stalions being a sick criminal ruining the integrity of college football, to just another sign stealer guy doing what sign stealers do. We just were unlucky enough to have enough haters out there to turn this into the “biggest scandal in sports history”.
I think my predictions are coming to fruition, that other schools have just as much dirt when it comes to sign stealing. The next drop may be that there is video evidence of our signs being recorded by these other schools.
This is exactly what I’m thinking too. Even if there are details that are not germane to the motion, they are probably included in there.
I completely agree about this being a PR tool to reset the narrative, as much as it is a legal tool.
The Big Ten angry mob better be careful of what they ask for here… You may temporarily win the battle (Harbaugh suspension) but lose the war (narrative shifting strongly in Michigan’s favor).
If there is a motion for TRO or PI, what does that mean for any NCAA gag orders on the school/staff?
I would assume that Michigan’s motion would be public record and contain some juicy details we may not have been able to receive otherwise because of the NCAA gag order.
The MGoLawyers can correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think there’s anything that would now prevent Connor from speaking publicly about these allegations. This is not a criminal case, and NCAA gag orders likely wouldn’t apply to a resigned former employee.
I would suspect that Connor is not done telling his story. Given that he has put out a press statement with his resignation, I’m sure he has already fielded countless requests for interviews.
I am on the lookout for an article or interview in the coming days with his full side of the story, which address things that we probably don’t know yet. This is probably to both help clear his name, so he is not blacklisted from future jobs, as well as to help his one true love, Michigan football, in its darkest hours.
I am of the belief that Connor’s “scheme” looked too idiotic to be taken at face value. So there’s something we don’t yet know. This is a guy who went to a great school, the US Naval Academy, and has a strong military background. Someone with that education and military background likely doesn’t create a scheme like that. There is a missing piece to the puzzle here, that I think/hope will help clear his name and explain why he did what he did.
I have speculated already about what that missing piece could be. In short, I think Connor is not alone in the Big Ten with recording signals. This would explain how some teams are so good at sign stealing, especially right from the jump. There is no way that teams are only stealing signs within the game and instantly decoding them after a couple drives.
I’ve posted this theory in another threads but will repeat it here.
Theory: Connor Stalions is one of Isaiah Hole’s insiders and has given the truth that will set us free here. Other Big Ten teams have sign stealers that likely have videos of other teams’ signs, just as Connor has.
Evidence: 1) Isaiah said in an early sign gate podcast that he knew Connor and it can be inferred that he was likely using him as a “source” already.
2) Isaiah posted a story about a week and a half ago that a Big Ten source described in detail that sign stealers from the Big Ten meet every Sunday and trade signals. Who would know that detail other than Connor? It’s likely Isaiah didn’t get that from another Michigan staff member who didn’t know about what Connor did, and it’s likely he doesn’t have sign stealer sources at other Big Ten schools.
3) Connor’s leaked texts indicate that there is a fraternity of sign stealers that are looking to break into the coaching ranks, and possibly doing whatever they can to rise in their careers.
4) This Big Ten source that Isaiah used (likely Connor himself) asked Isaiah to again repeat that story about the Big Ten sign stealers sharing signs with each other. Like any good movie with a plot twist, there are breadcrumbs to look for, and this is an important one. This source wants this story amplified for a reason. Isaiah would not repeat it if it wasn’t an important detail that leads to the truth.
5) Isaiah has said that in time he would reveal the identity of his source for “the truth will set us free”, and that everyone would know this person. Of course, everyone would know Connor if he is this source. Probably less likely an average fan, or rival fan, listening to the podcasts would know most/any position coaches who could be sources, or other Michigan staff members
6) Trading signs is much more effective with videos, than it would be with written descriptions or drawings of them. They would all benefit from having videos.
7) The gag order has prevented Connor from speaking this truth.
My conclusion: Connor has told Isaiah that other Big Ten sign stealers are aware of, and possibly support, Connor’s “in-person scouting” efforts. Given the fraternity of young staff members looking to break through, and that their career interests are more important than their allegiances to their Big Ten schools, it’s likely they all agreed about this gray area in the NCAA rules, and wanted to take advantage of it. This may not eliminate any forthcoming penalties, but would absolutely change the narrative here such that it implicates most other Big Ten schools too.
Please poke holes, or neg away, if something is way off base here.
I think the Big Ten and NCAA will still get their pound of flesh. But it would certainly change the narrative if it’s found that other teams knew about this for years and/or recorded signals themselves.
This theory fits what Isaiah has said about how these sign stealers work together. My guess is that the coaches just leave the sign stealers to their own devices (don’t ask/don’t tell). It’s entirely possible that they all knew about this gray area in the NCAA rules related to in-person scouting with non-staff members, and all exploited it to advance their careers.
Big appreciation for insiders like Isaiah who have put in the overtime the last two weeks, and are always working to get down to the truth.
Speaking of the truth, I think it’s clear that Isaiah believes the truth here will ultimately make this all go away (outside of minor program or coach punishments).
I have a theory that I shared in the other Isaiah thread, connecting the dots of the facts we know so far. I think the sign stealers often work as an independent community outside of the purview of their coaches. What Connor did may be supported or also done by other sign stealers. Their trading of signs probably only works if you have recordings to share vs. written descriptions or drawings.
First-time poster, long-time lurker. Want to throw out a theory after watching the last couple week’s of Isaiah’s podcasts and reading his articles.
He has consistently said that the “truth will set us free”, without being able to offer much more detail about what that means. He also has put out something new last week about how the Big Ten school sign stealers trade signs every Sunday. In one of his recent shows, the source who gave that intel asked him to repeat that information. It seems important that the source wants that information out there and then repeated.
From the description of how these sign stealers work together, it’s a brotherhood among them. They seem to be young guys interested more in breaking through the coaching ranks than their allegiances to any particular school they work for (besides Connor). See: Connor’s leaked texts with other aspiring coaches.
Connecting the dots to Isaiah saying “the truth will set us free”. I can’t think of much that could exculpate us here, other than two things:
1) The other Big Ten sign stealers do exactly what Connor did. It is easier to share signals with recordings than it is to share written descriptions of signals.
2) The other Big Ten sign stealers were aware of what Connor did, and possibly supported him. They valued his work to record the signals of all teams to make it easier for them to do their jobs. They could have paid him or he did this ground work as a favor, hoping it’s returned to him somehow in the future as they each advance their coaching careers.
This “truth” would certainly set us free, and would frankly be embarrassing to other Big Ten schools who have acted holier than thou about sign stealing.
Recent Comments
I have done 23/30 and hope to get to the Mets, Padres, Oakland, and Seattle this year. Just would have Texas, Miami, and Colorado left. Full disclosure: I am a Tigers fan and would place it in the Top 10.
Top 5
Bottom 5
I started lurking during the Rich Rod coaching search. I only created an account during SignGate. Brian, Seth, and team - appreciate all you do here! I spend way too much of my free time on this site.
Favorite on field memory of 2023?
I saw Kenneth Grant’s parents walking up the ramp in the stadium in Houston. I asked them if KG was going to run down anyone tonight. Got a laugh and I told them that him running down the PSU running back was my favorite play of the year. I said that I couldn’t believe that the biggest guy on the field was that fast.
On field moment that angered you of 2023?
Probably the interception that was called back on JJ’s first throw of the Rose Bowl. BPONE and PTSD flashbacks instantly came to mind.
Biggest surprise player of 2023?
Trente Jones. Not only is he a very talented tackle, he showed resilience that I don’t think I’ve ever seen from a player over the last year and a half. He didn’t pout or turn into a toxic teammate for not getting the starting job. He put his head down to be a great teammate and extra lineman. When his time came after the Zinter injury, the line actually became better! We have a lot of lovable players on this team, but Trente may be my favorite.
Favorite feature of MgoBlog?
Brian’s post-game summaries. He perfectly encapsulates the mood of the fanbase after each game. We’ve had some great times recently but also some really rough times going back the last 15 years. Reading his summary honestly has somehow helped me cope better with difficult loses.
I drove because of this. 19.5 hours each way without stopping. But I didn’t risk missing the game or work afterwards due to weather delays.
I only saw another 3-4 Michigan cars drive down like me.
42-28 Michigan with a late UW touchdown to bring it within 2 scores. This has 2021 OSU vs Michigan vibes all over it. Let Penix get his yards, but no TDs, while Corum runs it down their throats like Haskins did. Now just need to see Corum hurdle a fool in the 4th quarter…
Anyone know if the Allstate Championship Tailgate will still happen or be moved inside in the very likely event of continued rain and storms? I haven’t seen anything posted online or the socials about contingencies yet.
Went to Fan Fest tonight at the convention center. Seemed like 50% Michigan fans, 25% UW fans, and 25% locals who just wanted to have a fun time at the event.
Looking to surprise the wife with 2 tickets. Don’t care section, but like many others, looking to avoid paying outrageous fees to the colluders and their partner brokers (StubHub, VividSeats, etc.).
’08 LSA grad and ‘11 Rackham grad
I can promise that we will scream as loud as we can the entire time Washington has the ball. I usually lose my voice the next day after games.
(7-three-four) eight-9-zero 1-seven-3-five
Thank you for posting this! It was pretty cringy to see others criticize Isaiah in other threads recently.
If you actually listen closely to what he says, he always tells you what he knows and doesn’t know, gives appropriate caveats, tells you what kind of source it is, etc.
If you aren’t listening closely or just taking lazy talking points from others, please just keep your mouth shut on any criticisms of someone working tirelessly through signgate to give us the inside info we so desperately want.
That vocal minority doesn’t represent the majority here.
How nervous do all the other Big Ten sign stealer guys have to be right now that their dirty laundry is about to be aired?
*insert monkey looking away pic or Jordan Peele sweating gif*
It seems that way to me. Especially after learning that a TRO granted after midnight will last us through the OSU game and render the restraining order meaningless.
Petitti can still show the other coward Big Ten schools that he went to bat for them and tried to get him suspended, knowing full well the TRO will be granted. And Michigan can use it to motivate the team and coaches further, while be the final straw before releasing the binder of dirt on all the other schools.
Perhaps looking at this another way. Is it possible that Pettiti coordinated with Michigan the release of this punishment plus the severity of it less than 24 hours before our game?
Pettiti is trying to thread the needle between Michigan the rest of the angry mob Big Ten. He wants to show them that he’s taking serious action while letting Michigan have the time to prepare for the appropriate legal response to ultimately overturn this (which the Big Ten likely expects). From what I understand, the timing of this makes it more like a temporary restraining order is granted (so close to a game). He probably privately told Michigan exactly what he planned to do, so we can lawyer up and get our proper filings ready.
This is what I would do if I were Pettiti, to win on both sides and keep my job.
Double post
If they try to suspend him for tomorrow, I vote for Harbaugh going Leo from Wolf of Wall Street and telling them that he isn’t going anywhere.
Not like the police are going to intervene to remove him from the sidelines to follow some stupid Big Ten ruling.
That’s what I’ve been saying for a week!
Stalions knew what these other teams were up to with sending people to record games. I might even argue Stalions was smarter about it to get randos to do it instead of actual football staff. He thought it was the norm, though, for teams to do this.
Sounds like Third Base didn’t do his due diligence to check with his sign stealer guy that his house was in order before releasing this info to the media about Michigan. This is going to be supremely embarrassing for them and the rest of the pearl clutcher coaches when they see what their sign stealers have been up to behind closed doors.
That’s a bingo! It’s don’t ask, don’t tell on how these sign stealers are so good at their jobs. You just give me what the opponent signs are, and I don’t care your methods.
Hopefully the narrative will shift from Stalions being a sick criminal ruining the integrity of college football, to just another sign stealer guy doing what sign stealers do. We just were unlucky enough to have enough haters out there to turn this into the “biggest scandal in sports history”.
Santa…
Do it for Connor.
Santa says Ryan and Pete are on the naughty list.
Ryan Day stands when he wipes.
Pete, stop trying to make fetch happen.
If you come for the king, you best not miss.
Well well well… how the turntables…
I think my predictions are coming to fruition, that other schools have just as much dirt when it comes to sign stealing. The next drop may be that there is video evidence of our signs being recorded by these other schools.
This is exactly what I’m thinking too. Even if there are details that are not germane to the motion, they are probably included in there.
I completely agree about this being a PR tool to reset the narrative, as much as it is a legal tool.
The Big Ten angry mob better be careful of what they ask for here… You may temporarily win the battle (Harbaugh suspension) but lose the war (narrative shifting strongly in Michigan’s favor).
If there is a motion for TRO or PI, what does that mean for any NCAA gag orders on the school/staff?
I would assume that Michigan’s motion would be public record and contain some juicy details we may not have been able to receive otherwise because of the NCAA gag order.
The MGoLawyers can correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think there’s anything that would now prevent Connor from speaking publicly about these allegations. This is not a criminal case, and NCAA gag orders likely wouldn’t apply to a resigned former employee.
I would suspect that Connor is not done telling his story. Given that he has put out a press statement with his resignation, I’m sure he has already fielded countless requests for interviews.
I am on the lookout for an article or interview in the coming days with his full side of the story, which address things that we probably don’t know yet. This is probably to both help clear his name, so he is not blacklisted from future jobs, as well as to help his one true love, Michigan football, in its darkest hours.
I am of the belief that Connor’s “scheme” looked too idiotic to be taken at face value. So there’s something we don’t yet know. This is a guy who went to a great school, the US Naval Academy, and has a strong military background. Someone with that education and military background likely doesn’t create a scheme like that. There is a missing piece to the puzzle here, that I think/hope will help clear his name and explain why he did what he did.
I have speculated already about what that missing piece could be. In short, I think Connor is not alone in the Big Ten with recording signals. This would explain how some teams are so good at sign stealing, especially right from the jump. There is no way that teams are only stealing signs within the game and instantly decoding them after a couple drives.
I’ve posted this theory in another threads but will repeat it here.
Theory: Connor Stalions is one of Isaiah Hole’s insiders and has given the truth that will set us free here. Other Big Ten teams have sign stealers that likely have videos of other teams’ signs, just as Connor has.
Evidence: 1) Isaiah said in an early sign gate podcast that he knew Connor and it can be inferred that he was likely using him as a “source” already.
2) Isaiah posted a story about a week and a half ago that a Big Ten source described in detail that sign stealers from the Big Ten meet every Sunday and trade signals. Who would know that detail other than Connor? It’s likely Isaiah didn’t get that from another Michigan staff member who didn’t know about what Connor did, and it’s likely he doesn’t have sign stealer sources at other Big Ten schools.
3) Connor’s leaked texts indicate that there is a fraternity of sign stealers that are looking to break into the coaching ranks, and possibly doing whatever they can to rise in their careers.
4) This Big Ten source that Isaiah used (likely Connor himself) asked Isaiah to again repeat that story about the Big Ten sign stealers sharing signs with each other. Like any good movie with a plot twist, there are breadcrumbs to look for, and this is an important one. This source wants this story amplified for a reason. Isaiah would not repeat it if it wasn’t an important detail that leads to the truth.
5) Isaiah has said that in time he would reveal the identity of his source for “the truth will set us free”, and that everyone would know this person. Of course, everyone would know Connor if he is this source. Probably less likely an average fan, or rival fan, listening to the podcasts would know most/any position coaches who could be sources, or other Michigan staff members
6) Trading signs is much more effective with videos, than it would be with written descriptions or drawings of them. They would all benefit from having videos.
7) The gag order has prevented Connor from speaking this truth.
My conclusion: Connor has told Isaiah that other Big Ten sign stealers are aware of, and possibly support, Connor’s “in-person scouting” efforts. Given the fraternity of young staff members looking to break through, and that their career interests are more important than their allegiances to their Big Ten schools, it’s likely they all agreed about this gray area in the NCAA rules, and wanted to take advantage of it. This may not eliminate any forthcoming penalties, but would absolutely change the narrative here such that it implicates most other Big Ten schools too.
Please poke holes, or neg away, if something is way off base here.
I think the Big Ten and NCAA will still get their pound of flesh. But it would certainly change the narrative if it’s found that other teams knew about this for years and/or recorded signals themselves.
This theory fits what Isaiah has said about how these sign stealers work together. My guess is that the coaches just leave the sign stealers to their own devices (don’t ask/don’t tell). It’s entirely possible that they all knew about this gray area in the NCAA rules related to in-person scouting with non-staff members, and all exploited it to advance their careers.
Big appreciation for insiders like Isaiah who have put in the overtime the last two weeks, and are always working to get down to the truth.
Speaking of the truth, I think it’s clear that Isaiah believes the truth here will ultimately make this all go away (outside of minor program or coach punishments).
I have a theory that I shared in the other Isaiah thread, connecting the dots of the facts we know so far. I think the sign stealers often work as an independent community outside of the purview of their coaches. What Connor did may be supported or also done by other sign stealers. Their trading of signs probably only works if you have recordings to share vs. written descriptions or drawings.
First-time poster, long-time lurker. Want to throw out a theory after watching the last couple week’s of Isaiah’s podcasts and reading his articles.
He has consistently said that the “truth will set us free”, without being able to offer much more detail about what that means. He also has put out something new last week about how the Big Ten school sign stealers trade signs every Sunday. In one of his recent shows, the source who gave that intel asked him to repeat that information. It seems important that the source wants that information out there and then repeated.
From the description of how these sign stealers work together, it’s a brotherhood among them. They seem to be young guys interested more in breaking through the coaching ranks than their allegiances to any particular school they work for (besides Connor). See: Connor’s leaked texts with other aspiring coaches.
Connecting the dots to Isaiah saying “the truth will set us free”. I can’t think of much that could exculpate us here, other than two things:
1) The other Big Ten sign stealers do exactly what Connor did. It is easier to share signals with recordings than it is to share written descriptions of signals.
2) The other Big Ten sign stealers were aware of what Connor did, and possibly supported him. They valued his work to record the signals of all teams to make it easier for them to do their jobs. They could have paid him or he did this ground work as a favor, hoping it’s returned to him somehow in the future as they each advance their coaching careers.
This “truth” would certainly set us free, and would frankly be embarrassing to other Big Ten schools who have acted holier than thou about sign stealing.