chase pietila
Election Day in Ann Arbor. Various offices are decided today because Ann Arbor is a one-party town. One last plug for the ol' endorsements if you haven't voted yet. Polls are open until eight and all reports from polling places is that there are no lines—a ton of people voted absentee. Michigan now has same-day registration.
Here we are. A solid majority of college football fans think the season should be canceled or postponed:
New Data: #MLB's coronavirus struggles have football fans wary about the upcoming season:
— Alex M. Silverman (@AlexMSilverman) August 4, 2020
30% of college football fans believe fall sports should take place as planned. 58% say no.
32% of #NFL fans believe the 2020 season should begin as scheduled on Sept. 10. 51% say no. pic.twitter.com/qGlCqy2d8D
I assume the 30% are the veterans of the posting wars who will ghost through this world purposelessly without football. Or the Wraparound Shades While Sitting In My Car twitter people.
[After THE JUMP: we continue on as if the above does not exist, because what choice do we have]
Content supplies are critically low. BTN had some Northwestern memories on deck a few days back. They were extremely Northwestern.
they are running Clayton Thorson-themed Coronavirus PSAs pic.twitter.com/HTMCPtMhaJ
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) May 13, 2020
More on Eastern. Brendan Quinn has an article on a whirlwind couple of days in the portal:
According to a source, Eastern and Michigan coach Juwan Howard spoke on Wednesday night.
By Thursday morning, Eastern’s decision was made.
He confirms that Eastern is not immediately eligible, which may be for the best. A year off for Eastern to attend the Zavier Simpson School Of Adequate When Unguarded Shooting could make his year at Michigan more productive. Meanwhile the 2021-22 roster will lose Smith, Brooks, Livers, and maybe Wagner.
That team is likely to be very young, and if Howard is able to secure a big-timer next year Eastern fits more neatly next to a high-usage teammate. Purdue was able to paper over his offensive deficiencies when Carsen Edwards was around; not so much after Edwards left for the NBA. Edwards's ORTG against Tier A and B opponents (top 100 adjusted for location) dropped from 110 his sophomore year to 85 his junior year. There's a reasonably efficient low-usage offensive player in Eastern if he's in the right context. That is admittedly a narrow one.
In other transfer news, Michigan is not listed amongst the schools who have reached out to sit-out Georgetown transfer Mac McClung.
[After THE JUMP: Jacobi brain good?]
More roster tea leaves. Livers made a BTN appearance to talk about his NBA status. What it will take for him to go:
“Honestly, a guaranteed contract,” Livers said Friday. “Just all the right words from the teams, whoever I talk to is basically all I’m going to go off of. The situation right now, I don’t know if they’re going to push stuff back or if I won’t be able to work out with teams or if they’re just going to go off what they think of this player and go off on a whim and draft."
That means the top half of the second round if last year is any indication. The back half of the second is increasingly a place that makes little sense to get drafted. Livers would have to get a guarantee from a team, otherwise he's headed back. Given the current state of draft boards that points to a return. Never say never, Poole, etc.
We're currently monitoring the Isaiah Todd social media deletion spree that this thread sums up ably. Doesn't look great given the extent of the changes.
[After THE JUMP: it was over when he cut the floppy hair]
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