I think we are at a huge disadvantage if the metric is recruiting 5 star talent or having an easy transfer process to navigate. But I don't think that is a huge impediment to overall program success. I think maybe we agree because you say we need to hire a system not a coach. That is the key, IMO. There are probably dozens of teams every year that win 20+ games and perform well in the tournament without a single 5 star player on their team. Grab a coach with a vision and the plan to achieve that vision. And then most importantly, recruit and seek out the correct players to execute the vision. If you build that culture and work on player development you can turn 3 and 4 star players into players that are more productive at the college level than 5 stars.
That wasn’t very appealing. But I guess I would say that the only schools that did it well enough to affect Michigan’s chances were Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, and maybe Miami, Florida and FSU for awhile. So I think I would say that while the system wasn’t great before (speaking only as a Michigan fan and certainly not as an athlete) I think the system is worse right now. Again, my hope is that this is just a short period of adjustment and things work themselves out but I think what is going on right now is terrible for fans
I think this comment was directed to me. I think they were compensated. I know it is not in line with the revenue generated but folks that leave school with 200k in debt might think a free education, meals, and the best shot possible at hitting the lotto with a professional sports career is at least decent compensation. And like I mentioned, I don’t fault the players for taking advantage of these new opportunities, but I feel like the idea of 18-22 year old kids being free agents every year and for 30 days after a coach leaves makes it less enjoyable because I personally think all of the player movement takes away from the ability to build a cohesive roster that fans can get familiar with and watch develop over time. I also think football is the ultimate team sport and I don’t like that the current system will Inevitably reward the skill position players more than non skill position players simply because they are typically more marketable. I hope it all evens out in a few years, but right now, yeah, I don’t love it.
I agree that Saban benefitted tremendously by taking advantage of "the way it used to be". However, in this case I agree with him, no matter what his motives are. I am not suggesting that I have a problem with transfers and players making as much money as possible. They deserve that opportunity. I am suggesting that, as of right now, that new model is diminishing my interest in college sports. Maybe I am in the minority but I know that I am not alone.
Agree 100%. Is there evidence that he significantly misplayed the game with the specific strengths and weaknesses of the players he had? Only if someone with knowledge tells me that he was doing "X" all of the time despite it being obvious that he should be doing "Y" would I be upset. I am going to trust that the dude will be able to look at our talent, look at what we've been doing, and try to keep it going. Who knows, maybe some tweaks will help keep our rivals from catching up to what we've been doing.
Yup. I have no money cannon, maybe a money peashooter, and the last thing I am interested in is giving money to kids who play football for Michigan. That is one the things that makes me chuckle when I read comments about how bad Michigan's NIL program is. It probably does suck, but I bet most of the complainers are not contributing much. The complainers seem to be under the impression that we have NIL funds and that we don't use them properly. Is that true? Maybe the funds aren't there at the level of the schools that these complainers think have a "good" NIL program.
Yup. I have no money cannon, maybe a money peashooter, and the last thing I am interested in is giving money to kids who play football for Michigan. That is one the things that makes me chuckle when I read comments about how bad Michigan's NIL program is. It probably does suck, but I bet most of the complainers are not contributing much. The complainers seem to be under the impression that we have NIL funds and that we don't use them properly. Is that true? Maybe the funds aren't there at the level of the schools that these complainers think have a "good" NIL program.
The problem, as usual, is social media. Historically, the non-answer would have not been news. Now, she fairly reported a non-answer because there is a platform where you can fire that off in 10 seconds. Non-answers evoke negative feelings because they’ve also been a way to avoid telling the truth. But that isn’t always true. Nobody is wrong here, I just wish nothing was shared until the final decision.
My "maybe" hot take. If Jim leaves and I was choosing between Sherrone Moore as HC or David Shaw as HC with Sherrone Moore as OL coach/OC, I would want Shaw as HC with Moore in his current role. It's damn near impossible to have sustained success a Stanford. I think if Shaw was motivated and interested, he'd be a very solid fit at Michigan.
I am not really anti-Juwan but I don’t think anyone can dispute that the program is in significant decline at this point. Maybe this is just a low point and we’ll improve, but the unfortunate consistency of the past two years doesn’t exactly inspire hope.
I enjoy watching and supporting this team. They seem like a great group of unselfish players. You just have to know that we will crap away every game that is even remotely close. We either won’t box out, we’ll start missing free throws, or we’ll play the craptastic defense that we’ve been playing all year (or all three!) Basketball in the last 3-4 minutes of a tight game is completely different in terms of the need for focus, concentration, and attention to detail. You can tell this coaching staff is lax on all the details and that is when it is really revealed. Hopefully, Juwan will move on or retool the staff and bring in some detail oriented coaches, especially on the defensive side.
It isn’t about opportunity to play for lots of these guys, or opportunity to compete for a championship. The system is now in place where if you have a solid year and you are not a sure fire NFL prospect, you can fund a solid retirement account by going to the highest bidder once or twice. E.g. I suspect Day wanted McCord to stay and McCord would prefer to stay. But he and his family probably said they would like $1.5M for this season from the collective and were told no. In this way, the fans have a huge effect on the team because they partially fund the collective. It would suck to have to try and manage a roster now.
This is a 100% valid comment. I think two huge factors are: (1) Is the 3-star someone we grab at the end of the cycle just to fill open spots or is he someone we have identified and targeted and would take early in the cycle. I feel a lot better about the latter. (2) I am starting to get convinced that NIL going to highly rated players before they have demonstrated their value to their teammates and the coaches is something to avoid due to potential toxicity in the locker room. If I am right, and if the staff agrees, then we may be out of the picture for more 4 and 5 star recruits than we used to be. And I am fine with that. If you tell a kid there is NIL money but only if they come and prove they deserve it, I think you have put in place a system where you will miss out on some top tier guys but you also greatly reduce the risk our getting guys who feel entitled. The players we want are the highest-ranked, hardest working guys, who are willing to bet on themselves. And if I had to start compromising on those three traits, I compromise on the ranking.
I was more concerned that we would win the TRO than lose it. Prevailing on the TRO would not mean the B1G can’t punish us. It means the B1G can’t punish us now. If the NCAA found a violation, who knows what Pettiti would have done. If we got an agreement that this suspension resolves the issue based on what is currently known, then I am super happy about this. It also takes pressure of the NCAA to do anything additional. I suspect Michigan thinks the NCAA will just say, “Minor violation, time served under the head coach responsibility rule.”
I would defer to someone with specific expertise but I have been assuming this is some version of a contract dispute. To resolve it, you have to read the terms of the various agreements between Michigan and the B1G and determine if either side is either breaching specific terms of the contract or acting in a way that is inconsistent with the general concept of good faith and fair dealing that is implied in most contracts. I have not read the actual contracts but it is pretty clear the B1G will argue that Michigan has violated the generic sportsmanship clause and that Michigan contractually agreed that the Commissioner has the unilateral power to take this action. But, where the B1G shot themselves in the foot is their fairly explicit statement that the "violation" that forms the basis on the suspension is a violation of an NCAA rule. In my opinion, by doing so, and since the B1G has no rule (i.e. no binding contractual language addressing in-person scouting) then the B1G must await a determination by the NCAA. Because the B1G could never take the position based on the existing contract alone, that in person scouting that complies with the NCAA rule is unsportsmanlike. That is why I think an injunction is so appropriate. If the NCAA does not find any violation of the rule, then I feel the B1G suspension is a presumptive breach and if I was the B1G attorneys I would be advising them that if they are wrong on this, there could be a lawsuit with enormous ramifications. I also think it is important that the punishment in no way remedies (or is even pertinent to) the alleged misconduct, which, to me makes it even more egregious. If the B1G really thinks that we had a competitive advantage, they needed to decide what type of advantage, how big was the advantage, did the advantage end once it was disclosed, or is it ongoing, etc. And the punishment needed to at least attempt to address that finding. But the B1G was pressured into acting now, and there is no way to objectively determine whether the "misconduct" had any effect. And, logically, folks with any common sense know that there is no future advantage once it was disclosed because it is very easy to adjust your signs. You don't even need to change them, you just need to convert the sign into a different play, and wristband will accomplish that. Therefore, the B1G was put in a position where if they thought we still had an ongoing competitive advantage, they likely needed to end our season so our "advantage" could not affect the seasons of the remaining opponents. I believe the B1G knows no such competitive advantage continues to exist and, more importantly, canceling our games cost the B1G millions and exposes them to lawsuits from Fox, Penn State and Maryland (who had home game revenue) and provides Michigan with a huge financial damages model. Critics called the B1G action a slap on the wrist, but their hands were tied. More extreme action put the conference at risk of breaching a number of other contracts.
This is a great situation for all involved. Kansas is better with Dickinson and Michigan is better without him. That is rare and I am happy it turned out that way. I watched Dickinson with joy in my heart last night because he played well and because I don't miss him on our team. Go Blue!
Agree 100%. I am a lawyer but not a judge. Having said that, if I was a judge, my discussion with the B1G attorney would go something like this:
Judge - Your submission asserts that Michigan engaged in unsportsman-like conduct, right?
B1G - Yes.
Judge - And what conduct was that?
B1G - They did in-person advanced scouting.
Judge- Does the B1G have a rule that Michigan could read to see what constituted permissible scouting versus impermissible scouting in order to ascertain what would be unsportsmanlike?
B1G - No.
Judge - Hmm...
B1G - The NCAA does - and they are investigating it right now!
Judge - Did the NCAA decide Michigan violated that rule?
B1G - No.
Judge - So your punishment for unsportsmanlike conduct relates to no violation of B1G rules and relates to them violating an NCAA rule, but there has been no finding that they actually violated an NCAA rule yet?
B1G - It relates to that, but we can make our own determination that any conduct was unsportsmanlike.
Judge - It sounds like the B1G has no written rules or guidelines regarding the alleged conduct. Meaning if the NCAA rules did not exist, there would be no basis upon which the B1G members could ever determine what type of in person scouting is permissible versus impermissible. Therefore, the B1G does not have a position that there are any forms of in person scouting that are impermissible. And since your entire argument that their conduct was impermissible relates to your belief that they violated an NCAA rule, and it is possible that their conduct did not violate said NCAA rule, your suspension is premature and your use of the B1G sportsmanship policy is arbitrary and capricious.
This UFR made me feel really good about the OSU game. If we don't turn the ball over and Johnson contains Harrison we win, right? Other than arm punts to Harrison turning into TDs or PI's, how do they beat us?
I do not want to use money from our NIL consortium to pay for unproven talent. That is a recipe for a toxic locker room and the team will eat itself from the inside out if we have that. I don’t blame any kid for taking the money (I would do the same) but if this is a situation where other schools are offering him a lot more money than we are, then he can leave and I am 100% fine with that. Just find a smart, accurate QB who has plus mobility. That has proven time and time again to be the recipe for success. I’d pay a transfer every year before I would pay a high school kid. At least the rest of the team can look at that person and see that they have earned whatever it is we are paying them. Although not identical there is some precedent for what is happening with NIL that I think we can learn from. In college hoops the one and done heavy teams have really struggled to win championships. There have been some good ones, and they are talented, but is is very clear that they do not have the experience or commitment level (because you cannot deny that they are essentially looking forward to the NBA from the day they step on campus.)
I don’t really agree with part of this take. If the situations were reversed and this was OSU I wouldn’t be that upset. At first I would have been, but once I learned that sign stealing is legal and that we had their signs too and had shared them with other opponents, I like to think I am rational enough to say, “Why did we waste all this time and energy trying to pretend that how they got some signs decoded affected the games when it clearly did not.” Ryan Day knows this had no effect. Their goal has always been to try and create enough of a mess that Harbaugh just leaves rather than putting up with it. This has never been about remedying any actuaL competitive disadvantage. Most people who have football expertise outside the B1G coaches and AD’s have downplayed the significance of this activity, just like the NCAA did when they considered abolishing the rule against in person scouting.
Thank you for putting "allegedly" in quotes. I still get frustrated when I hear that we've admitted to violating the in-person scouting rule and the only issue is the timing and degree of punishment. Our initial response to the B1G had a specific section dedicated to the possibility that using 3rd party videographers (even if given tickets by Stallions) is not a violation - especially if no one in the program reimbursed Stallions for the tickets. There is no "spirit" of the rule violation when sign stealing is permitted and the rule articulates the exceptions. Any "loophole" is fair game. Stallions may not have known it, but he may have stumbled into a huge loophole and I would never give that argument up - especially since we have evidence that other schools were using a different, and perhaps more advantageous loophole of using the other coaching staffs as advance scouts.
A TRO like this is extraordinary relief. I think it should have been granted immediately because the potential harm is obvious and all the reasons the B1G have for “needing” to take action now are not remedied at all by the suspension. So on balance, we had a very strong position. However, taking a step back, if this Judge isn’t a huge football fan, she probably looks at this dispute and says, “what’s the big deal? They still get to play, which would only be the truly “irreparable” damage the B1G could inflict. So I am not going to make a one sided decision on a few hours notice and I going to hear from both sides before I make a decision.” And a part of me appreciates that.
Didn’t Connors play football for Michigan? He had to recuse himself, but it’s too bad because I am quite confident he would have said, “Hmmm…a penalty based entirely on an “improper advanced scouting scheme”? Does the B1G have a rule that provides enough details to an institution that it should be able to discern what does and does not constitute acceptable behavior in that area? No??? That’s weird. Why do you say it was impermissible Mr. P? Oh, because the NCAA does. Did the NCAA say Michigan violated that rule? Oh, not yet? Weird. Then your suspension is premature at best and perhaps arbitrary and capricious. And by the way, the punishment doesn’t even attempt to address your stated concern and I had to chuckle at the idea that a football staff member watching a sideline and game intently means they have an advantage over their opponent! TRO granted. You all can figure this out later.
I have never been able to get over this very basic fact, either. If I was in charge of a governing sports body, I would immediately eliminate any rule that suggests teams cannot watch, film, etc. what an opponent is openly doing in front of the entire stadium.
You do realize that all big programs have “fans” that film opposing teams signs and send the video to the coaches as a way around this rule, right? When sign stealing is legal, there is no “spirit of the rule” violation. You read the rule as written and you are free to do anything that isn’t explicitly prohibited. That is the entire point of allowing sign stealing. Stalions effed up and committed a violation if he was at the MSU CMU game. But if he paid out of his own pocket for people to go to games and film the sidelines, that is not explicitly prohibited, which means it is allowed. When sign stealing is allowed, one should not have to interpret clearly written rules to mean more than what they mean on their face. This whole “scandal” is a joke.
A lot of the OSU fan base knows they are likely to lose to Michigan, perhaps badly…again. They are calling for Michigan to be banned from completing the season and are already saying that they can’t win because we have gained such a tremendous advantage over the past three years. Apparently, they can’t possibly change their signs because it would take an eternity and there just isn’t enough practice time. It is hilarious that they don’t know that everyone knows their signs are being stolen (because it is completely within the rules) and everyone takes measures to address it.
I am long past caring about the NCAA’s rules. If we can send people to opponent’s games and just by watching/filming/taking notes, determine what they are doing offensively and defensively, then good for us. Gathering information that is being openly shared in front of tens of thousands of strangers should never be considered “stealing”. I just found out the NCAA limits of the number of fall baseball games so a doubleheader would count as two of your allotted games but you can play one 18 inning game.
A lot of unknowns in this group but I am more excited about the potential of these QB’s compared to what the B1G has had recently. Also, if Tagavaloia can be drafted 3rd round or later, I’d be ok with the Lions drafting him (unless it is clear Hooker is the real deal)
Since I work for Toyota I feel compelled to make sure everyone knows that Toyota does not support dealers charging a premium over MSRP just because the market demand is what it is. But the dealers are not owned by Toyota, they are independent businesses, and they have a lot of autonomy. Of course, they also have to live with the decisions they make in their respective markets. So to the extent there is greed, it is specific to the dealer and not the company that designs and builds the vehicles. It is always unfortunate when the dealer experience is negative because it does reflect poorly on the OEM, since the customer’s experience with the OEM is through the dealer. I wish you luck with your vehicle decision. There are lots of great cars and trucks out there, and more powertrain options than ever before, which is a good thing.
Disclaimer - I work for Toyota. For most people, plug-in hybrid is probably the way to go. You get the EV range you need for most daily commutes and you don't need to have range anxiety. And, most importantly, the battery industry isn't yet clean. The mining is filthy, then almost all the refining takes place in China so you are using fossil fuels to ship the materials for refining, then ship them to their next location. The battery you need to have 300 miles of range is heavy and oversized for most daily drives, which means, for most people, 80% of the battery is rarely used. The same resources that go into that one battery, could create several plug-in hybrids, or perhaps dozens of regular hybrids, thereby maximizing the use of those natural resources, and the benefits those resources can provide. I'd prefer the OEMs continue to focus on the creation of green hydrogen since we've already proven that we can build an internal combustion engine that runs on hydrogen and the infrastructure to move from gas to hydrogen is much easier than developing a power grid that can handle the charging requirements of an all-EV future.
Portillo isn’t bad, but he isn’t winning us games. I don’t see him making any greater number of difficult saves than the other goalies we’ve faced this year. This defense is prone to some serious gaffes that give up very high quality looks. The fix needs to be there, but when those happen, that is when your goalie can save your ass and, to me, Portillo isn’t likely to do that. As to whether anyone else on the roster can, I have no idea.
They lost a ton of close games and one of their two most dominant players, Brennen Parachek, missed a few games with a knee injury. And all three D1 players were on offense and the defense was not great. It would not have taken much for them to have only 2 losses.
They lost a ton of close games and one of their two most dominant players, Brennen Parachek, missed a few games with a knee injury. And all three D1 players were on offense and the defense was not great. It would not have taken much for them to have only 2 losses.
I also live in Dexter and have kids in high school. Cabana is an impressive player. We’ve been watching the offers pile up and it is cool to see. He’s got excellent vision and speed. I do question whether he can be big enough and durable enough to be a primary back in the B1G. But he catches the ball well (returns punts) and could be trouble as a third down back. His teammate Brennen Parachek is the tight end who is going to MSU to play football and baseball (he throws 90+ already. And one of the lineman was either offered or committed to Kansas. Kind of crazy for what I would call a rural suburban school.
What???? The NBA players might not play anymore? I used to support police brutality, and animal abuse, and human trafficking. But now that they didn’t play games yesterday and might not for the rest of the playoffs, I see the error of my ways. Give me a break.
I think they should take a few years off. Tell the rest of the professional athletes to follow suit.
I don’t know. I’ve been here quite awhile and I think the majority of folks would be critical of a UM player who publicly opposes the movement of players taking action to protect their medical and financial interests.
I am confident 3-4 of our losses are wins with him in the lineup. When his absence was only affecting our seeding it was frustrating but now that we will miss the tourney (let’s be honest, we are not winning against MSU and not recovering from 4-8 in conference) it is really heartbreaking for both the team and the fans
I don't comment much, but I think this is an appropriate time. A regular refrain on this blog seems to be that Harbaugh did something to turn Jake Rudock into something he previously was not. And furthermore, that people are surprised that he hasn't been able to recreate that phenomena with any of the successor QBs. I believe Jake Rudock has an open invitation to attend Michigan's medical school. His brother is a surgeon. His Dad is a partner at a national law firm and tries high exposure civil cases. I suspect Jake's development under Harbaugh was simply the result of Jake taking a few weeks to learn the playbook and build his understanding of what Harbaugh and Fisch were trying to accomplish. There really isn't any mystery here. Jake was just smarter and more accurate than any of the QBs we've had since that time. If you want to be critical of Harbaugh for his QB recruiting or development, I can understand that. But please don't think that there was some magic Harbaugh had with Jake that he hasn't been able to recreate. By the way, I've never really looked at Jake's college stats (until now) but it looks like he just continued the upward trajectory that he was already on before arriving at Michigan.
Airedale Terrier. 60-100 pounds. Amazing with kids and other dogs and they look like stuffed animals. So squeezable and lovable. We’ve had 3 and they are amazing. They also don’t really shed which is nice.
All I think you can do is hope for a kid that has superior athletic traits for whatever sport they enjoy playing and hope that they are very competitive. If you get that, then your job is to challenge him or her, be supportive, and be prepared to pay a boatload of money to give them the training and opportunities they need.
Easy choice. Elk Rapids. Water options include inland chain of lakes or GT bay which are all significantly warmer than Lake Michigan. Also feels really small but is close to Traverse City
If I was Juwan and was getting this job I would have told my nephew to commit elsewhere. Neither of them need a family relationship to navigate with a high profile coach/player relationship.
I stick by a comment I made awhile ago. Poole and Matthews leaving will improve the team offensively. Matthews was a bad offensive player and efforts to run sets for him were a waste. Poole is a highly skilled offensive player who showed flashes but sets for him were equally inefficient. He should not be a primary ball handler and creator. He is terrible at it. His handle is super loose, he would make about 5 moves that created zero space for himself and were not at all directed at getting teammates open, and then he would take an ill-advised shot or pass the ball back to Z, who can't shoot, and would then have 8 seconds left on the shot clock to do something. The team's incredible defense (of which Matthews was a HUGE part) resulted in two very, very successful years. So I would never say we would have been better without them or say that they were not valuable contributors. And Poole's flashes were absolutely impressive and entertaining. But the team certainly can improve in his absence. If Poole gets it together defensively, I could see him having a decent NBA career - lofty ceiling would fall somewhere short of Ray Allen.
Although he will make more money than most, I highly doubt he will be more successful than 99.999% of Wonderlic takers. Unless, of course, your definition of success focuses solely on money.
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If that's the best he can do, then I'm not sure we'll miss him that much.
I think we are at a huge disadvantage if the metric is recruiting 5 star talent or having an easy transfer process to navigate. But I don't think that is a huge impediment to overall program success. I think maybe we agree because you say we need to hire a system not a coach. That is the key, IMO. There are probably dozens of teams every year that win 20+ games and perform well in the tournament without a single 5 star player on their team. Grab a coach with a vision and the plan to achieve that vision. And then most importantly, recruit and seek out the correct players to execute the vision. If you build that culture and work on player development you can turn 3 and 4 star players into players that are more productive at the college level than 5 stars.
That is pretty funny. I would like to job shadow that team for a week just for shits and giggles.
That wasn’t very appealing. But I guess I would say that the only schools that did it well enough to affect Michigan’s chances were Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, and maybe Miami, Florida and FSU for awhile. So I think I would say that while the system wasn’t great before (speaking only as a Michigan fan and certainly not as an athlete) I think the system is worse right now. Again, my hope is that this is just a short period of adjustment and things work themselves out but I think what is going on right now is terrible for fans
I think this comment was directed to me. I think they were compensated. I know it is not in line with the revenue generated but folks that leave school with 200k in debt might think a free education, meals, and the best shot possible at hitting the lotto with a professional sports career is at least decent compensation. And like I mentioned, I don’t fault the players for taking advantage of these new opportunities, but I feel like the idea of 18-22 year old kids being free agents every year and for 30 days after a coach leaves makes it less enjoyable because I personally think all of the player movement takes away from the ability to build a cohesive roster that fans can get familiar with and watch develop over time. I also think football is the ultimate team sport and I don’t like that the current system will Inevitably reward the skill position players more than non skill position players simply because they are typically more marketable. I hope it all evens out in a few years, but right now, yeah, I don’t love it.
I agree that Saban benefitted tremendously by taking advantage of "the way it used to be". However, in this case I agree with him, no matter what his motives are. I am not suggesting that I have a problem with transfers and players making as much money as possible. They deserve that opportunity. I am suggesting that, as of right now, that new model is diminishing my interest in college sports. Maybe I am in the minority but I know that I am not alone.
There goes our shot at Dusty May
Agree 100%. Is there evidence that he significantly misplayed the game with the specific strengths and weaknesses of the players he had? Only if someone with knowledge tells me that he was doing "X" all of the time despite it being obvious that he should be doing "Y" would I be upset. I am going to trust that the dude will be able to look at our talent, look at what we've been doing, and try to keep it going. Who knows, maybe some tweaks will help keep our rivals from catching up to what we've been doing.
Yup. I have no money cannon, maybe a money peashooter, and the last thing I am interested in is giving money to kids who play football for Michigan. That is one the things that makes me chuckle when I read comments about how bad Michigan's NIL program is. It probably does suck, but I bet most of the complainers are not contributing much. The complainers seem to be under the impression that we have NIL funds and that we don't use them properly. Is that true? Maybe the funds aren't there at the level of the schools that these complainers think have a "good" NIL program.
Yup. I have no money cannon, maybe a money peashooter, and the last thing I am interested in is giving money to kids who play football for Michigan. That is one the things that makes me chuckle when I read comments about how bad Michigan's NIL program is. It probably does suck, but I bet most of the complainers are not contributing much. The complainers seem to be under the impression that we have NIL funds and that we don't use them properly. Is that true? Maybe the funds aren't there at the level of the schools that these complainers think have a "good" NIL program.
The problem, as usual, is social media. Historically, the non-answer would have not been news. Now, she fairly reported a non-answer because there is a platform where you can fire that off in 10 seconds. Non-answers evoke negative feelings because they’ve also been a way to avoid telling the truth. But that isn’t always true. Nobody is wrong here, I just wish nothing was shared until the final decision.
My "maybe" hot take. If Jim leaves and I was choosing between Sherrone Moore as HC or David Shaw as HC with Sherrone Moore as OL coach/OC, I would want Shaw as HC with Moore in his current role. It's damn near impossible to have sustained success a Stanford. I think if Shaw was motivated and interested, he'd be a very solid fit at Michigan.
I am not really anti-Juwan but I don’t think anyone can dispute that the program is in significant decline at this point. Maybe this is just a low point and we’ll improve, but the unfortunate consistency of the past two years doesn’t exactly inspire hope.
Agreed. I could not believe that. But I did make some money off it!
I enjoy watching and supporting this team. They seem like a great group of unselfish players. You just have to know that we will crap away every game that is even remotely close. We either won’t box out, we’ll start missing free throws, or we’ll play the craptastic defense that we’ve been playing all year (or all three!) Basketball in the last 3-4 minutes of a tight game is completely different in terms of the need for focus, concentration, and attention to detail. You can tell this coaching staff is lax on all the details and that is when it is really revealed. Hopefully, Juwan will move on or retool the staff and bring in some detail oriented coaches, especially on the defensive side.
It isn’t about opportunity to play for lots of these guys, or opportunity to compete for a championship. The system is now in place where if you have a solid year and you are not a sure fire NFL prospect, you can fund a solid retirement account by going to the highest bidder once or twice. E.g. I suspect Day wanted McCord to stay and McCord would prefer to stay. But he and his family probably said they would like $1.5M for this season from the collective and were told no. In this way, the fans have a huge effect on the team because they partially fund the collective. It would suck to have to try and manage a roster now.
This is a 100% valid comment. I think two huge factors are: (1) Is the 3-star someone we grab at the end of the cycle just to fill open spots or is he someone we have identified and targeted and would take early in the cycle. I feel a lot better about the latter. (2) I am starting to get convinced that NIL going to highly rated players before they have demonstrated their value to their teammates and the coaches is something to avoid due to potential toxicity in the locker room. If I am right, and if the staff agrees, then we may be out of the picture for more 4 and 5 star recruits than we used to be. And I am fine with that. If you tell a kid there is NIL money but only if they come and prove they deserve it, I think you have put in place a system where you will miss out on some top tier guys but you also greatly reduce the risk our getting guys who feel entitled. The players we want are the highest-ranked, hardest working guys, who are willing to bet on themselves. And if I had to start compromising on those three traits, I compromise on the ranking.
I was more concerned that we would win the TRO than lose it. Prevailing on the TRO would not mean the B1G can’t punish us. It means the B1G can’t punish us now. If the NCAA found a violation, who knows what Pettiti would have done. If we got an agreement that this suspension resolves the issue based on what is currently known, then I am super happy about this. It also takes pressure of the NCAA to do anything additional. I suspect Michigan thinks the NCAA will just say, “Minor violation, time served under the head coach responsibility rule.”
I would defer to someone with specific expertise but I have been assuming this is some version of a contract dispute. To resolve it, you have to read the terms of the various agreements between Michigan and the B1G and determine if either side is either breaching specific terms of the contract or acting in a way that is inconsistent with the general concept of good faith and fair dealing that is implied in most contracts. I have not read the actual contracts but it is pretty clear the B1G will argue that Michigan has violated the generic sportsmanship clause and that Michigan contractually agreed that the Commissioner has the unilateral power to take this action. But, where the B1G shot themselves in the foot is their fairly explicit statement that the "violation" that forms the basis on the suspension is a violation of an NCAA rule. In my opinion, by doing so, and since the B1G has no rule (i.e. no binding contractual language addressing in-person scouting) then the B1G must await a determination by the NCAA. Because the B1G could never take the position based on the existing contract alone, that in person scouting that complies with the NCAA rule is unsportsmanlike. That is why I think an injunction is so appropriate. If the NCAA does not find any violation of the rule, then I feel the B1G suspension is a presumptive breach and if I was the B1G attorneys I would be advising them that if they are wrong on this, there could be a lawsuit with enormous ramifications. I also think it is important that the punishment in no way remedies (or is even pertinent to) the alleged misconduct, which, to me makes it even more egregious. If the B1G really thinks that we had a competitive advantage, they needed to decide what type of advantage, how big was the advantage, did the advantage end once it was disclosed, or is it ongoing, etc. And the punishment needed to at least attempt to address that finding. But the B1G was pressured into acting now, and there is no way to objectively determine whether the "misconduct" had any effect. And, logically, folks with any common sense know that there is no future advantage once it was disclosed because it is very easy to adjust your signs. You don't even need to change them, you just need to convert the sign into a different play, and wristband will accomplish that. Therefore, the B1G was put in a position where if they thought we still had an ongoing competitive advantage, they likely needed to end our season so our "advantage" could not affect the seasons of the remaining opponents. I believe the B1G knows no such competitive advantage continues to exist and, more importantly, canceling our games cost the B1G millions and exposes them to lawsuits from Fox, Penn State and Maryland (who had home game revenue) and provides Michigan with a huge financial damages model. Critics called the B1G action a slap on the wrist, but their hands were tied. More extreme action put the conference at risk of breaching a number of other contracts.
This is a great situation for all involved. Kansas is better with Dickinson and Michigan is better without him. That is rare and I am happy it turned out that way. I watched Dickinson with joy in my heart last night because he played well and because I don't miss him on our team. Go Blue!
Agree 100%. I am a lawyer but not a judge. Having said that, if I was a judge, my discussion with the B1G attorney would go something like this:
Judge - Your submission asserts that Michigan engaged in unsportsman-like conduct, right?
B1G - Yes.
Judge - And what conduct was that?
B1G - They did in-person advanced scouting.
Judge- Does the B1G have a rule that Michigan could read to see what constituted permissible scouting versus impermissible scouting in order to ascertain what would be unsportsmanlike?
B1G - No.
Judge - Hmm...
B1G - The NCAA does - and they are investigating it right now!
Judge - Did the NCAA decide Michigan violated that rule?
B1G - No.
Judge - So your punishment for unsportsmanlike conduct relates to no violation of B1G rules and relates to them violating an NCAA rule, but there has been no finding that they actually violated an NCAA rule yet?
B1G - It relates to that, but we can make our own determination that any conduct was unsportsmanlike.
Judge - It sounds like the B1G has no written rules or guidelines regarding the alleged conduct. Meaning if the NCAA rules did not exist, there would be no basis upon which the B1G members could ever determine what type of in person scouting is permissible versus impermissible. Therefore, the B1G does not have a position that there are any forms of in person scouting that are impermissible. And since your entire argument that their conduct was impermissible relates to your belief that they violated an NCAA rule, and it is possible that their conduct did not violate said NCAA rule, your suspension is premature and your use of the B1G sportsmanship policy is arbitrary and capricious.
This UFR made me feel really good about the OSU game. If we don't turn the ball over and Johnson contains Harrison we win, right? Other than arm punts to Harrison turning into TDs or PI's, how do they beat us?
I do not want to use money from our NIL consortium to pay for unproven talent. That is a recipe for a toxic locker room and the team will eat itself from the inside out if we have that. I don’t blame any kid for taking the money (I would do the same) but if this is a situation where other schools are offering him a lot more money than we are, then he can leave and I am 100% fine with that. Just find a smart, accurate QB who has plus mobility. That has proven time and time again to be the recipe for success. I’d pay a transfer every year before I would pay a high school kid. At least the rest of the team can look at that person and see that they have earned whatever it is we are paying them. Although not identical there is some precedent for what is happening with NIL that I think we can learn from. In college hoops the one and done heavy teams have really struggled to win championships. There have been some good ones, and they are talented, but is is very clear that they do not have the experience or commitment level (because you cannot deny that they are essentially looking forward to the NBA from the day they step on campus.)
I don’t really agree with part of this take. If the situations were reversed and this was OSU I wouldn’t be that upset. At first I would have been, but once I learned that sign stealing is legal and that we had their signs too and had shared them with other opponents, I like to think I am rational enough to say, “Why did we waste all this time and energy trying to pretend that how they got some signs decoded affected the games when it clearly did not.” Ryan Day knows this had no effect. Their goal has always been to try and create enough of a mess that Harbaugh just leaves rather than putting up with it. This has never been about remedying any actuaL competitive disadvantage. Most people who have football expertise outside the B1G coaches and AD’s have downplayed the significance of this activity, just like the NCAA did when they considered abolishing the rule against in person scouting.
Thank you for putting "allegedly" in quotes. I still get frustrated when I hear that we've admitted to violating the in-person scouting rule and the only issue is the timing and degree of punishment. Our initial response to the B1G had a specific section dedicated to the possibility that using 3rd party videographers (even if given tickets by Stallions) is not a violation - especially if no one in the program reimbursed Stallions for the tickets. There is no "spirit" of the rule violation when sign stealing is permitted and the rule articulates the exceptions. Any "loophole" is fair game. Stallions may not have known it, but he may have stumbled into a huge loophole and I would never give that argument up - especially since we have evidence that other schools were using a different, and perhaps more advantageous loophole of using the other coaching staffs as advance scouts.
A TRO like this is extraordinary relief. I think it should have been granted immediately because the potential harm is obvious and all the reasons the B1G have for “needing” to take action now are not remedied at all by the suspension. So on balance, we had a very strong position. However, taking a step back, if this Judge isn’t a huge football fan, she probably looks at this dispute and says, “what’s the big deal? They still get to play, which would only be the truly “irreparable” damage the B1G could inflict. So I am not going to make a one sided decision on a few hours notice and I going to hear from both sides before I make a decision.” And a part of me appreciates that.
Didn’t Connors play football for Michigan? He had to recuse himself, but it’s too bad because I am quite confident he would have said, “Hmmm…a penalty based entirely on an “improper advanced scouting scheme”? Does the B1G have a rule that provides enough details to an institution that it should be able to discern what does and does not constitute acceptable behavior in that area? No??? That’s weird. Why do you say it was impermissible Mr. P? Oh, because the NCAA does. Did the NCAA say Michigan violated that rule? Oh, not yet? Weird. Then your suspension is premature at best and perhaps arbitrary and capricious. And by the way, the punishment doesn’t even attempt to address your stated concern and I had to chuckle at the idea that a football staff member watching a sideline and game intently means they have an advantage over their opponent! TRO granted. You all can figure this out later.
I have never been able to get over this very basic fact, either. If I was in charge of a governing sports body, I would immediately eliminate any rule that suggests teams cannot watch, film, etc. what an opponent is openly doing in front of the entire stadium.
You do realize that all big programs have “fans” that film opposing teams signs and send the video to the coaches as a way around this rule, right? When sign stealing is legal, there is no “spirit of the rule” violation. You read the rule as written and you are free to do anything that isn’t explicitly prohibited. That is the entire point of allowing sign stealing. Stalions effed up and committed a violation if he was at the MSU CMU game. But if he paid out of his own pocket for people to go to games and film the sidelines, that is not explicitly prohibited, which means it is allowed. When sign stealing is allowed, one should not have to interpret clearly written rules to mean more than what they mean on their face. This whole “scandal” is a joke.
A lot of the OSU fan base knows they are likely to lose to Michigan, perhaps badly…again. They are calling for Michigan to be banned from completing the season and are already saying that they can’t win because we have gained such a tremendous advantage over the past three years. Apparently, they can’t possibly change their signs because it would take an eternity and there just isn’t enough practice time. It is hilarious that they don’t know that everyone knows their signs are being stolen (because it is completely within the rules) and everyone takes measures to address it.
I am long past caring about the NCAA’s rules. If we can send people to opponent’s games and just by watching/filming/taking notes, determine what they are doing offensively and defensively, then good for us. Gathering information that is being openly shared in front of tens of thousands of strangers should never be considered “stealing”. I just found out the NCAA limits of the number of fall baseball games so a doubleheader would count as two of your allotted games but you can play one 18 inning game.
A lot of unknowns in this group but I am more excited about the potential of these QB’s compared to what the B1G has had recently. Also, if Tagavaloia can be drafted 3rd round or later, I’d be ok with the Lions drafting him (unless it is clear Hooker is the real deal)
Since I work for Toyota I feel compelled to make sure everyone knows that Toyota does not support dealers charging a premium over MSRP just because the market demand is what it is. But the dealers are not owned by Toyota, they are independent businesses, and they have a lot of autonomy. Of course, they also have to live with the decisions they make in their respective markets. So to the extent there is greed, it is specific to the dealer and not the company that designs and builds the vehicles. It is always unfortunate when the dealer experience is negative because it does reflect poorly on the OEM, since the customer’s experience with the OEM is through the dealer. I wish you luck with your vehicle decision. There are lots of great cars and trucks out there, and more powertrain options than ever before, which is a good thing.
Disclaimer - I work for Toyota. For most people, plug-in hybrid is probably the way to go. You get the EV range you need for most daily commutes and you don't need to have range anxiety. And, most importantly, the battery industry isn't yet clean. The mining is filthy, then almost all the refining takes place in China so you are using fossil fuels to ship the materials for refining, then ship them to their next location. The battery you need to have 300 miles of range is heavy and oversized for most daily drives, which means, for most people, 80% of the battery is rarely used. The same resources that go into that one battery, could create several plug-in hybrids, or perhaps dozens of regular hybrids, thereby maximizing the use of those natural resources, and the benefits those resources can provide. I'd prefer the OEMs continue to focus on the creation of green hydrogen since we've already proven that we can build an internal combustion engine that runs on hydrogen and the infrastructure to move from gas to hydrogen is much easier than developing a power grid that can handle the charging requirements of an all-EV future.
Portillo isn’t bad, but he isn’t winning us games. I don’t see him making any greater number of difficult saves than the other goalies we’ve faced this year. This defense is prone to some serious gaffes that give up very high quality looks. The fix needs to be there, but when those happen, that is when your goalie can save your ass and, to me, Portillo isn’t likely to do that. As to whether anyone else on the roster can, I have no idea.
Rumor is she had 60K offers from both FSU and OK.
They lost a ton of close games and one of their two most dominant players, Brennen Parachek, missed a few games with a knee injury. And all three D1 players were on offense and the defense was not great. It would not have taken much for them to have only 2 losses.
They lost a ton of close games and one of their two most dominant players, Brennen Parachek, missed a few games with a knee injury. And all three D1 players were on offense and the defense was not great. It would not have taken much for them to have only 2 losses.
I also live in Dexter and have kids in high school. Cabana is an impressive player. We’ve been watching the offers pile up and it is cool to see. He’s got excellent vision and speed. I do question whether he can be big enough and durable enough to be a primary back in the B1G. But he catches the ball well (returns punts) and could be trouble as a third down back. His teammate Brennen Parachek is the tight end who is going to MSU to play football and baseball (he throws 90+ already. And one of the lineman was either offered or committed to Kansas. Kind of crazy for what I would call a rural suburban school.
What???? The NBA players might not play anymore? I used to support police brutality, and animal abuse, and human trafficking. But now that they didn’t play games yesterday and might not for the rest of the playoffs, I see the error of my ways. Give me a break.
I think they should take a few years off. Tell the rest of the professional athletes to follow suit.
I don’t know. I’ve been here quite awhile and I think the majority of folks would be critical of a UM player who publicly opposes the movement of players taking action to protect their medical and financial interests.
I am confident 3-4 of our losses are wins with him in the lineup. When his absence was only affecting our seeding it was frustrating but now that we will miss the tourney (let’s be honest, we are not winning against MSU and not recovering from 4-8 in conference) it is really heartbreaking for both the team and the fans
I don't comment much, but I think this is an appropriate time. A regular refrain on this blog seems to be that Harbaugh did something to turn Jake Rudock into something he previously was not. And furthermore, that people are surprised that he hasn't been able to recreate that phenomena with any of the successor QBs. I believe Jake Rudock has an open invitation to attend Michigan's medical school. His brother is a surgeon. His Dad is a partner at a national law firm and tries high exposure civil cases. I suspect Jake's development under Harbaugh was simply the result of Jake taking a few weeks to learn the playbook and build his understanding of what Harbaugh and Fisch were trying to accomplish. There really isn't any mystery here. Jake was just smarter and more accurate than any of the QBs we've had since that time. If you want to be critical of Harbaugh for his QB recruiting or development, I can understand that. But please don't think that there was some magic Harbaugh had with Jake that he hasn't been able to recreate. By the way, I've never really looked at Jake's college stats (until now) but it looks like he just continued the upward trajectory that he was already on before arriving at Michigan.
Airedale Terrier. 60-100 pounds. Amazing with kids and other dogs and they look like stuffed animals. So squeezable and lovable. We’ve had 3 and they are amazing. They also don’t really shed which is nice.
All I think you can do is hope for a kid that has superior athletic traits for whatever sport they enjoy playing and hope that they are very competitive. If you get that, then your job is to challenge him or her, be supportive, and be prepared to pay a boatload of money to give them the training and opportunities they need.
Easy choice. Elk Rapids. Water options include inland chain of lakes or GT bay which are all significantly warmer than Lake Michigan. Also feels really small but is close to Traverse City
If I was Juwan and was getting this job I would have told my nephew to commit elsewhere. Neither of them need a family relationship to navigate with a high profile coach/player relationship.
I stick by a comment I made awhile ago. Poole and Matthews leaving will improve the team offensively. Matthews was a bad offensive player and efforts to run sets for him were a waste. Poole is a highly skilled offensive player who showed flashes but sets for him were equally inefficient. He should not be a primary ball handler and creator. He is terrible at it. His handle is super loose, he would make about 5 moves that created zero space for himself and were not at all directed at getting teammates open, and then he would take an ill-advised shot or pass the ball back to Z, who can't shoot, and would then have 8 seconds left on the shot clock to do something. The team's incredible defense (of which Matthews was a HUGE part) resulted in two very, very successful years. So I would never say we would have been better without them or say that they were not valuable contributors. And Poole's flashes were absolutely impressive and entertaining. But the team certainly can improve in his absence. If Poole gets it together defensively, I could see him having a decent NBA career - lofty ceiling would fall somewhere short of Ray Allen.
Although he will make more money than most, I highly doubt he will be more successful than 99.999% of Wonderlic takers. Unless, of course, your definition of success focuses solely on money.
That is certainly possible. If true, and I was a GM, that would cause me even more concern than the low score.