after an early snarky article about sign gate, the WSJ has had a series of even handed and even complimentary articles about M football, Harbaugh, and now Ono. nice to see that in the national press. I especially like the articles from Jason Gay who writes tongue I cheek stuff and is a Wisconsin guy.
I think Ono was such a great hire and so far so good
Many of those players were in the World Junior Hockey tournament in Sweden. That ended today with the USA winning in a good contest over Sweden. M skaters had a good showing and previously injured Rutger McGroary in particular had a nice outing, fittingly scoring team USAs final goal on an open net.
the M skaters should be good to go after they lose the jet lag
despite not putting numbers up I think Ms offence canbeexplosive when they want to be. I would say they limit turnovers by limiting explosive plays as a trade off and it has worked for them mostly
I very much enjoy these write ups. I had the pleasure of getting to know (my boss in Duluth , Minnesota)a Korean War veteran who was among the first landed at Inchon to do reconnaissance at night and hide in the day providing critical intelligence before the invasion by sea. like most WW2 veterans I have met (American and German) he would not say very much about his direct experience which was likely beyond awful..
telling these stories does not diminish the ultimate sacrifice of these American heroes but keeps their contribution alive and treasured.
that Michigan $200 million chart is quite instructive. I have come around from thinking 20 years ago - keeping the athletes strictly amateur to now - pay the man (men) for their efforts. all of them. what is clear about Universities is they are not especially good at mangling cost and are willing to spend money they don't have. Without any new revenue there is definitely room to pay a good base salary (for the haves like M) to all revenue sports athletes with some sound business management. NIL has become a great equalizer for places like Michigan who need to compete with under the table money. what will be impossible is to get the likes of Georgia, Bama, OSU etc and Minnesota, Iowa, Oregon State, Cal, Texas Tech etc to agree on a set of rules that work for everybody and don't create a structural disadvantage. Up to now - the lesser programs have gone along because of the $ leagues like the B1G have provided. it will be interesting to see this evolve.
20 years ago my family with young kids were in Munich at the Haufbrau house. (No beer for the children). a classic old fashion German Beer Garden
it was crowded. in comes an OSU couple with their young daughter. Mom and dad were proudly wearing their OSU garb. We had room on out bench so I offered space. When they were told we were M fans and alum - he said - we can't talk to you and literally turned their backs on us.
I know many of the type 1 OSU fans but the #2 fans really stink.
Nicely done Seth. And this is another reason I really like Joel Klatt. while I get he is the Fox featured mouthpiece he does so with real credibility and thus gave props to this response by Michigan to a really good game plan by PSU. the ESPN slappies not so much.
can we learn something useful from the purely professional leagues about governance? Or is the view these bodies are no better than the League of Nations / NCAA?
Yes interesting issue to ponder and some of these points already made above
one month ago I would not have thought this possible. Or desirable
edit - for football only
but clearly too many participants in NCAA football and likely too many in the B1G that don’t value what Michigan brings to the table and as a mob can be talked into - I’ll get those M guys for …. Whatever. but really for… being good at football.
traditional rivalries and mutual support have been eroding so much of college football and in the B1G. and with 4 more teams it gets worse. Clearly some / most others today DONT value What M brings. And with past presidents weak approach at M others think they can continue to be pushed around. Not any longer. And The days of a love / hate balance between Woody / Bo are long gone.
in the next few years and until the next, mega money contract - work within the system and the B1G to make it better. I have my doubts this will get very far as likely do many of you but worth the effort. We are in this at the moment anyway so make the best of it. The elephant on the table is Harbaugh. If we are lucky enough to keep him he will dominate and it may be impossible for others to accept an annual ass whipping from him just about every year. Why they can accept that from OSU I’ll never understand. Use that time to differentiate those you want in a longer play and those you don’t.
immediately also start thinking / talking as to the long game. Start talking about the super conference with the big dogs. Seperate it from the NCAA and the rest of the 125 that sponge off 25 or 30 teams that will make up the super conference. Let those left out of the big dogs conference make up their own league. Let them keep the NCAA. Start your own new traditions. Likely others are already thinking this way but there is surprising little press to that end.
be certain your rules of governance work for you so it’s clear what’s acceptable and what is out of bounds. Must have a workable governance body. Take best practices from the major leagues to understand what works in a highly competitive environment.
My nephew played for him at Michigan- he can’t say enough good things about Red including his advice for life after university hockey. My nephew is an orthopaedic surgeon now.
i would say travel hockey is very expensive as well as other top end competitive sports even at the youth level
but house league hockey in hockey hotbeds (across Canada, Buffalo, others) and high school hockey not necessarily. My son played many years house league and one year travel in Alberta. As you can get great used equipment at year end swaps the annual equipment cost was modest. The few travel tournaments were largely offset by fundraisers and sponsors. This was a lot like my own experience in high school sports in Michigan in the 70s. Small town in central Michigan
travel teams are a very different story as others have said. I know a few parents with children on track for Olympic sports in Alberta - costs and time commitments are breathtaking and their number one priority in life. Seems like most Uber competitive sports are not that different from each other.
Well articles like this piece from the WSJ - if proven INaccurate - should have consequences. I am a subscriber and have already written to one frequent WSJ author I have corresponded with in the past. I indicated to him that if the story proves to be a hit job (and pointed out no source named for the story so it has that look) I will drop my subscription and will encourage others to do so. Not going to name my guy yet as he seems to be a good guy (a well known Canadian Expression). I would encourage others of a like mind to let contacts they know or have at these publications to act likewise. I pointed out the lack of a named source is as damming to the story as anything else. We shall see…
Edit - well I have heard back from him - he says the story is legit and passed scrutiny - I don’t really know and asked - do headlines matter? If they do I say likely inaccurate
So far this 2023 team looks both talented and deep. DB injuries so far have been managed and some depth created. None of these other teams have been able to get backups in mid- late Q3 like these guys have. A virtuous cycle allowing more depth and less chance of a key injury. To some degree lighter competition (so far) has allowed that but this level of depth is a first in theHarbaugh era and no one would dispute there is depth everywhere sans QB. But even QB backup is also quietly getting reps out scoring the last opponent 14-0. We likely have 4 or 5 Uber talented guys that are irreplaceable against elite talent so keeping them injury free is critical down the stretch. But you can’t compare the cake until it’s baked.
last year Blake was on a heisman track until injury. This year his Carrie’s to date are way down by design and lacking the need - and RB3 and RB4 look very promising on limited snaps. And Donavon my yet break out in addition to his elite pass catching skills. Defences have schemed to slow the dominant running attack and M has adjusted accordingly.
with an elite running AND passing attack this team arguably is unique and injury is likely the only barrier to reaching their goals
I think once a lions fan always a lion fan despite decades of disappointment.
I was lucky enough to have 3 direct lion experiences that were memorable.
in the 1980s I met a lion from the 1950s - a tight end type guy Cloy Box. Read his history he was definitely a guy that did more with less in football and in Business
In the 1970s Another Lion Great Charlie Sanders. Someone asked him if his coach was really as tough as his reputation. His memorable comment - I may be a football player but I am not that dumb (as to answer THAT question)
I saw Bart Starr, packer great play one of his last games in old tiger stadium on a cold, snowy December day. There were numerous fires in the bleacher section for people to warm themselves. Not sure who won that game (1969 I think?)
all memorable and many other great memories of Lions past despite their lack of playoff success
1) 7 times out of 10 Georgia wins this. For OSU to win must pick up / balance run game; run vs pass equally on 3 and short; go for td vs fg even when 3rd and 4th and long. Pass the ball in the middle of the field And most importantly run Stroud. Best chance in shoot out. The OSU D is the weakest link on the field. As someone posted I think Georgia gives 75% of its effort to OSU prep which is good for M. Look for OSU to move the ball between the 20s. Who wins the contested 1:1 in the end zone? Georgia TE vs OSU 5 star wide outs.
and the other difference - which coach is a better even strength game prep coach? So Id say it’s Georgia wins it 45 to 28
2) it’s all been said about M vs TCU. TCU - scores hard fought 32 points. M- 48. Likely will be a slobberknocker as teams will want to be physical and the team with the least injuries to their difference makers at QB, DB, RB wins as both teams lack elite depth here. Running your qb 15 times plus is an injury waiting to happen. Likely one or two important guys get targeting ejections because of style of physical hits (not necessarily from dirty play) Expect a lot of defensive holding to slow down M OL. Tall TCU receivers lots of catches and yards
add to that injury watch TCU linemen as Ms linemen depth is a huge advantage in both rotation and losses due to injury. Can TCU match 7-8 Oline and physical TEs? That might be the key to the game. One of the two QBs don’t finish the game due to injury. Look for both teams to limit others defensive substitution and create a real advantage in a given drive especially in the second half and late second quarter
3) Georgia vs M. Almost like playing same teams twice in one season. Pickem if M can get into the game with everyone relatively healthy. Potentially a much more interesting and close game than most national observers suggest
I was thinking along the same lines. Watching Mel on the sidelines - it’s clear his MO in anything Michigan is anger which is a step away from violence. People have a right to be angry if they choose but these types of outcomes are the direct results. And anger is the enabler that leads to violence by his players. His apology and principles cited are pure BS if you replay his demeanour on the sidelines and thus the culture he continues and creates. Dantanio was not really any different but way more subtle. He was also an angry man when it came to Michigan and condoned behaviour that went over the line in theMichigan interactions. Ironically that worked for Dantanio (until it didn’t) and it’s clear that Mel has adapted that MO as a way to equalize performance vs M. And it’s had its success on the field.
How did Harbaugh respond to Tucker? When the game was out Of hand he tried to complete long passes on the Sparty secondary. What does that tell you about his level of disrespect for Tucker? When did you last see that against any opponent from Harbaugh? The culture of anger arguably is a direct result causing this tunnel event. Going forward I expect a coordinated and sustained response from Michigan in the media, with the B1G. And the results won’t be limited to MFB.
my take is also there are likely M guys suggesting this legal response to the Green family. Expect to get full support of the M AD for the outside lawyers. It will be interesting if the new M president will be visible in this matter - clearly he will be in it behind the scenes. Sparty has no problem with this behaviour as you can look back at their treatment of over the line mfb and mbb issues over the past decades. The selection of their next president will tell you a lot.
As with the Nasser case and Anderson at M these universities do understand $100 million plus dollar liabilities and negative national press. Some don’t understand or more likely don’t care that angry people create an unacceptable culture and I fully expect this legal effort could / will get to be very significant in profile. I think you can see from both Harbaugh and Manual they won’t let this one slide by and it will be interesting to see if they indirectly call out this culture of anger that both Dantanio and now apparently Tucker promote.
It is different , in my opinion, at Ohio State.I had the chance 10 years ago to work with the Ohio State business school in a new MBA program a friend of mine was putting together. Over about a 5 year period I guest lectured in my business specialty and help create the cirriculum for the program. As a grad from that school up north I was teased a little but had ZERO negative interaction from faculty, students or any other party in my interactions. The difference at MSU - there are a lot of angry people (faculty, students, fans etc) who resent what Michigan has - and have made it their personal value to hate the university and thus condone behaviour that many times is over the acceptable line. Yes some fans are in that category of “the worst” but you will find that everywhere. It is instutionalized at MSU
It’s interesting the national media types have mostly played it down so far we shall see if it continues as a national thing or a regional thing.
We were there Janus last week - I t bought to my self I’m surprised Maurice’s is still open a ladies clothing store. Well it looks like its gone now. Very tragic but could have been way worse as it’s very busy area
Well I made that same transfer in 1976 as a mechanical engineering student. My 2 years at MTU transferred to 2.5 years at M. But I suppose it largely depended on the program. No Advance placement credits in either cases. I had friends at MTU in the technology program that would not get transfers credits to an engineering program. The comment made earlier about matching up courses directly was accurate in my situation. As a side bar for me I thought I received a better basic undergrad education from MTU as there was way less drama from professors who thought it was beneath them to take questions from undergrads. But it made you prepare way better for the method these guys gave help. If you were lost on something you were mostly screwed.
I had one instructor interrupt our final exam and offer “who will take a B on this exam” about 30 minutes into a 3 hour exam. One guy took him up on it. He was not the only drama guy but was the best at it.
Great article and many (most) thoughtful comments. I like many of you are on 2021 cloud 9. With me - 62 year following the team (since I was about 5and can remember) I have been an unwavering fan of the program through mostly good times and some not so good. And by the way in my reading of Stephen King is one of the best posters on this and all other sites I visit. Being an unwavering fan does not make you agree with everything and then when you don’t have it right you should be big enough to create space to change your mind. There has been a lot of things not to like about the program Since Lloyd but there were things I didn’t like about Lloyds program either. Observations are different than criticisms but as fans we are entitled to our own ideas right or wrong and mostly this creates informative debate - at least the ones that are meaningful to me as a reader. Personal attacks go over the line as being destructive and take the program down - I’m personally not interested in that path and the negativism it brings. Doesn’t mean you may want a change but much of the extreme criticism has hurt the program. Seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face to me. Likely some came from opponent fans masquerading as M fans. But not all.
I make a point to not visit many of our opponents sites - only when there is something that I want to find out something that likely affects Michigan. The few times I visit them It is a good reminder of why I don’t want to be them who ever they are.
JH deserves all the praise that he’s getting for what he’s done the last 18-24 months yes even including a poor record in 2020 which has directly led to the underlying changes in player and coaches performance in 2021. Most coaches would have quit. It’s unlikely 2021 happens without the other and that is likely an unpopular view. He does deserve some of the criticism of what happened in 2018 and 2019 that led to 2020 and he has taken that and gotten better. In my view that all reset with his new contract and some of the scrutiny that went with it.
Like a huge number of M fans I like it back here on 2021 cloud 9 and I’m happy to be here with the range of folks that didn’t think it possible in 2021, and the folks who thought we only had a punchers chance, and the few who saw it as M’s year. And I would only finally add cloud 9 in not just reserved for the perennially top 4 who make the playoffs 8/10 years. A lot of those guys are miserable with 12-1 records because - well they don’t define success in a sustainable way and that is not enough to get them to cloud 9.
I am reminded about a famous german quote -in making sausage and politics judge the result, but expect to be turned off by the process. I guess the saying gets NIL added to it
for years and years we hated the bagmen - bring it above the table and those who want to compete can choose to compete. oh and only some of the bagmen go away
charities pay salaries to all kinds of people - I expect these are taxed if they are income and I expect the IRS won't be charitable so like what other do or not this is real. and for the sake of the players I hope they include income tax preparation for these guys.
and anyone who has made sausage knows it is not a pretty process.
Recent Comments
Go blue
after an early snarky article about sign gate, the WSJ has had a series of even handed and even complimentary articles about M football, Harbaugh, and now Ono. nice to see that in the national press. I especially like the articles from Jason Gay who writes tongue I cheek stuff and is a Wisconsin guy.
I think Ono was such a great hire and so far so good
go blue
And McGroarty had a Gordie Howe hat trick in the last game so there is that
Many of those players were in the World Junior Hockey tournament in Sweden. That ended today with the USA winning in a good contest over Sweden. M skaters had a good showing and previously injured Rutger McGroary in particular had a nice outing, fittingly scoring team USAs final goal on an open net.
the M skaters should be good to go after they lose the jet lag
USA hockey wins gold over team Sweden. M skaters had a good tournament as all were prominent in play and scoring. Final was 6-2 in a spirited game
for Sure McGroarty came close to a Geordie Howe hat trick
best of luck to the M skaters the rest of the way
despite…
Good observation
despite not putting numbers up I think Ms offence canbeexplosive when they want to be. I would say they limit turnovers by limiting explosive plays as a trade off and it has worked for them mostly
yes Klatt is the best despite him picking Bama
Nicely done Seth as always
USA beats Latvia 7-2 today. to move to semifinals on Thursday. Canada eliminated by Czechia. USA v Finland
M skaters having a great tournament each with 5 to 8 points. very competitive hockey
well done- go blue
non withstanding the war vs football discusion
I very much enjoy these write ups. I had the pleasure of getting to know (my boss in Duluth , Minnesota)a Korean War veteran who was among the first landed at Inchon to do reconnaissance at night and hide in the day providing critical intelligence before the invasion by sea. like most WW2 veterans I have met (American and German) he would not say very much about his direct experience which was likely beyond awful..
telling these stories does not diminish the ultimate sacrifice of these American heroes but keeps their contribution alive and treasured.
I am listening on the varsitynetwork/feed on the internet
from Alberta
Go blue
or listen to m radio on thevarsitynetwork.com/feed for friendly radio voices
I like the way you think
a…
one of the good guys.
a cosmic prirate
Well I would prefer a cloudy 60 degree day to my cloudy +12 F here in Alberta today.just sayin
that Michigan $200 million chart is quite instructive. I have come around from thinking 20 years ago - keeping the athletes strictly amateur to now - pay the man (men) for their efforts. all of them. what is clear about Universities is they are not especially good at mangling cost and are willing to spend money they don't have. Without any new revenue there is definitely room to pay a good base salary (for the haves like M) to all revenue sports athletes with some sound business management. NIL has become a great equalizer for places like Michigan who need to compete with under the table money. what will be impossible is to get the likes of Georgia, Bama, OSU etc and Minnesota, Iowa, Oregon State, Cal, Texas Tech etc to agree on a set of rules that work for everybody and don't create a structural disadvantage. Up to now - the lesser programs have gone along because of the $ leagues like the B1G have provided. it will be interesting to see this evolve.
Seven years wasted
wow - interesting turn of events
I loved you so much but we have since grown apart (after Michigan)
GO BLUE
chaos ensues. its great
I saw that - that guy is a Texas grad - right?
I like how you think
yes Carter caught that pass; and Corso caught the pass before it. a memorable event to see live. all those years later
welcome sir to the B1G
Go Blue
works for me
regarding OSU fans that are #2 (pun intended)
20 years ago my family with young kids were in Munich at the Haufbrau house. (No beer for the children). a classic old fashion German Beer Garden
it was crowded. in comes an OSU couple with their young daughter. Mom and dad were proudly wearing their OSU garb. We had room on out bench so I offered space. When they were told we were M fans and alum - he said - we can't talk to you and literally turned their backs on us.
I know many of the type 1 OSU fans but the #2 fans really stink.
Nicely done Seth. And this is another reason I really like Joel Klatt. while I get he is the Fox featured mouthpiece he does so with real credibility and thus gave props to this response by Michigan to a really good game plan by PSU. the ESPN slappies not so much.
Brilliant piece and great tie in
can we learn something useful from the purely professional leagues about governance? Or is the view these bodies are no better than the League of Nations / NCAA?
Yes interesting issue to ponder and some of these points already made above
one month ago I would not have thought this possible. Or desirable
edit - for football only
but clearly too many participants in NCAA football and likely too many in the B1G that don’t value what Michigan brings to the table and as a mob can be talked into - I’ll get those M guys for …. Whatever. but really for… being good at football.
traditional rivalries and mutual support have been eroding so much of college football and in the B1G. and with 4 more teams it gets worse. Clearly some / most others today DONT value What M brings. And with past presidents weak approach at M others think they can continue to be pushed around. Not any longer. And The days of a love / hate balance between Woody / Bo are long gone.
in the next few years and until the next, mega money contract - work within the system and the B1G to make it better. I have my doubts this will get very far as likely do many of you but worth the effort. We are in this at the moment anyway so make the best of it. The elephant on the table is Harbaugh. If we are lucky enough to keep him he will dominate and it may be impossible for others to accept an annual ass whipping from him just about every year. Why they can accept that from OSU I’ll never understand. Use that time to differentiate those you want in a longer play and those you don’t.
immediately also start thinking / talking as to the long game. Start talking about the super conference with the big dogs. Seperate it from the NCAA and the rest of the 125 that sponge off 25 or 30 teams that will make up the super conference. Let those left out of the big dogs conference make up their own league. Let them keep the NCAA. Start your own new traditions. Likely others are already thinking this way but there is surprising little press to that end.
be certain your rules of governance work for you so it’s clear what’s acceptable and what is out of bounds. Must have a workable governance body. Take best practices from the major leagues to understand what works in a highly competitive environment.
hypothetically speaking
Great info - I wondered if he likely has a Michigan connection. I saw he was a yahoo author and wondered but his wiki resume is pretty impressive.
his piece is a great appeal to reason and hopefully this moves from the tribal state it’s in to common sense if that’s possible
Michigan - keep up the PR campaign.
Talent is one thing but nobody touches Michigan in player development and JH is unmatched in that ring
Don’t forget Bert
My nephew played for him at Michigan- he can’t say enough good things about Red including his advice for life after university hockey. My nephew is an orthopaedic surgeon now.
i would…
Interesting topic
i would say travel hockey is very expensive as well as other top end competitive sports even at the youth level
but house league hockey in hockey hotbeds (across Canada, Buffalo, others) and high school hockey not necessarily. My son played many years house league and one year travel in Alberta. As you can get great used equipment at year end swaps the annual equipment cost was modest. The few travel tournaments were largely offset by fundraisers and sponsors. This was a lot like my own experience in high school sports in Michigan in the 70s. Small town in central Michigan
travel teams are a very different story as others have said. I know a few parents with children on track for Olympic sports in Alberta - costs and time commitments are breathtaking and their number one priority in life. Seems like most Uber competitive sports are not that different from each other.
Santa…
Agree with the above
Santa is very likeable
supports the team visibly
stick with the facts and due process
pay the man
Well articles like this piece from the WSJ - if proven INaccurate - should have consequences. I am a subscriber and have already written to one frequent WSJ author I have corresponded with in the past. I indicated to him that if the story proves to be a hit job (and pointed out no source named for the story so it has that look) I will drop my subscription and will encourage others to do so. Not going to name my guy yet as he seems to be a good guy (a well known Canadian Expression). I would encourage others of a like mind to let contacts they know or have at these publications to act likewise. I pointed out the lack of a named source is as damming to the story as anything else. We shall see…
Edit - well I have heard back from him - he says the story is legit and passed scrutiny - I don’t really know and asked - do headlines matter? If they do I say likely inaccurate
I am also and have learned to pull for all the thumb schools if mine is eliminated. Go farmers and go Harbor Beach
So far this 2023 team looks both talented and deep. DB injuries so far have been managed and some depth created. None of these other teams have been able to get backups in mid- late Q3 like these guys have. A virtuous cycle allowing more depth and less chance of a key injury. To some degree lighter competition (so far) has allowed that but this level of depth is a first in theHarbaugh era and no one would dispute there is depth everywhere sans QB. But even QB backup is also quietly getting reps out scoring the last opponent 14-0. We likely have 4 or 5 Uber talented guys that are irreplaceable against elite talent so keeping them injury free is critical down the stretch. But you can’t compare the cake until it’s baked.
last year Blake was on a heisman track until injury. This year his Carrie’s to date are way down by design and lacking the need - and RB3 and RB4 look very promising on limited snaps. And Donavon my yet break out in addition to his elite pass catching skills. Defences have schemed to slow the dominant running attack and M has adjusted accordingly.
with an elite running AND passing attack this team arguably is unique and injury is likely the only barrier to reaching their goals
I think once a lions fan always a lion fan despite decades of disappointment.
I was lucky enough to have 3 direct lion experiences that were memorable.
in the 1980s I met a lion from the 1950s - a tight end type guy Cloy Box. Read his history he was definitely a guy that did more with less in football and in Business
In the 1970s Another Lion Great Charlie Sanders. Someone asked him if his coach was really as tough as his reputation. His memorable comment - I may be a football player but I am not that dumb (as to answer THAT question)
I saw Bart Starr, packer great play one of his last games in old tiger stadium on a cold, snowy December day. There were numerous fires in the bleacher section for people to warm themselves. Not sure who won that game (1969 I think?)
all memorable and many other great memories of Lions past despite their lack of playoff success
Hofhbrauhaus Munich classic beergarden
Rathensburg(sp) we stayed at a place they played Elvis music all weekend
Munich generally
1) 7 times out of 10 Georgia wins this. For OSU to win must pick up / balance run game; run vs pass equally on 3 and short; go for td vs fg even when 3rd and 4th and long. Pass the ball in the middle of the field And most importantly run Stroud. Best chance in shoot out. The OSU D is the weakest link on the field. As someone posted I think Georgia gives 75% of its effort to OSU prep which is good for M. Look for OSU to move the ball between the 20s. Who wins the contested 1:1 in the end zone? Georgia TE vs OSU 5 star wide outs.
and the other difference - which coach is a better even strength game prep coach? So Id say it’s Georgia wins it 45 to 28
2) it’s all been said about M vs TCU. TCU - scores hard fought 32 points. M- 48. Likely will be a slobberknocker as teams will want to be physical and the team with the least injuries to their difference makers at QB, DB, RB wins as both teams lack elite depth here. Running your qb 15 times plus is an injury waiting to happen. Likely one or two important guys get targeting ejections because of style of physical hits (not necessarily from dirty play) Expect a lot of defensive holding to slow down M OL. Tall TCU receivers lots of catches and yards
add to that injury watch TCU linemen as Ms linemen depth is a huge advantage in both rotation and losses due to injury. Can TCU match 7-8 Oline and physical TEs? That might be the key to the game. One of the two QBs don’t finish the game due to injury. Look for both teams to limit others defensive substitution and create a real advantage in a given drive especially in the second half and late second quarter
3) Georgia vs M. Almost like playing same teams twice in one season. Pickem if M can get into the game with everyone relatively healthy. Potentially a much more interesting and close game than most national observers suggest
I was thinking along the same lines. Watching Mel on the sidelines - it’s clear his MO in anything Michigan is anger which is a step away from violence. People have a right to be angry if they choose but these types of outcomes are the direct results. And anger is the enabler that leads to violence by his players. His apology and principles cited are pure BS if you replay his demeanour on the sidelines and thus the culture he continues and creates. Dantanio was not really any different but way more subtle. He was also an angry man when it came to Michigan and condoned behaviour that went over the line in theMichigan interactions. Ironically that worked for Dantanio (until it didn’t) and it’s clear that Mel has adapted that MO as a way to equalize performance vs M. And it’s had its success on the field.
How did Harbaugh respond to Tucker? When the game was out Of hand he tried to complete long passes on the Sparty secondary. What does that tell you about his level of disrespect for Tucker? When did you last see that against any opponent from Harbaugh? The culture of anger arguably is a direct result causing this tunnel event. Going forward I expect a coordinated and sustained response from Michigan in the media, with the B1G. And the results won’t be limited to MFB.
my take is also there are likely M guys suggesting this legal response to the Green family. Expect to get full support of the M AD for the outside lawyers. It will be interesting if the new M president will be visible in this matter - clearly he will be in it behind the scenes. Sparty has no problem with this behaviour as you can look back at their treatment of over the line mfb and mbb issues over the past decades. The selection of their next president will tell you a lot.
As with the Nasser case and Anderson at M these universities do understand $100 million plus dollar liabilities and negative national press. Some don’t understand or more likely don’t care that angry people create an unacceptable culture and I fully expect this legal effort could / will get to be very significant in profile. I think you can see from both Harbaugh and Manual they won’t let this one slide by and it will be interesting to see if they indirectly call out this culture of anger that both Dantanio and now apparently Tucker promote.
It is different , in my opinion, at Ohio State.I had the chance 10 years ago to work with the Ohio State business school in a new MBA program a friend of mine was putting together. Over about a 5 year period I guest lectured in my business specialty and help create the cirriculum for the program. As a grad from that school up north I was teased a little but had ZERO negative interaction from faculty, students or any other party in my interactions. The difference at MSU - there are a lot of angry people (faculty, students, fans etc) who resent what Michigan has - and have made it their personal value to hate the university and thus condone behaviour that many times is over the acceptable line. Yes some fans are in that category of “the worst” but you will find that everywhere. It is instutionalized at MSU
It’s interesting the national media types have mostly played it down so far we shall see if it continues as a national thing or a regional thing.
Say it ain’t so. The Lions I mean
Go Blue from Calgary Alberta Canada
We were there Janus last week - I t bought to my self I’m surprised Maurice’s is still open a ladies clothing store. Well it looks like its gone now. Very tragic but could have been way worse as it’s very busy area
Well I made that same transfer in 1976 as a mechanical engineering student. My 2 years at MTU transferred to 2.5 years at M. But I suppose it largely depended on the program. No Advance placement credits in either cases. I had friends at MTU in the technology program that would not get transfers credits to an engineering program. The comment made earlier about matching up courses directly was accurate in my situation. As a side bar for me I thought I received a better basic undergrad education from MTU as there was way less drama from professors who thought it was beneath them to take questions from undergrads. But it made you prepare way better for the method these guys gave help. If you were lost on something you were mostly screwed.
I had one instructor interrupt our final exam and offer “who will take a B on this exam” about 30 minutes into a 3 hour exam. One guy took him up on it. He was not the only drama guy but was the best at it.
Great article and many (most) thoughtful comments. I like many of you are on 2021 cloud 9. With me - 62 year following the team (since I was about 5and can remember) I have been an unwavering fan of the program through mostly good times and some not so good. And by the way in my reading of Stephen King is one of the best posters on this and all other sites I visit. Being an unwavering fan does not make you agree with everything and then when you don’t have it right you should be big enough to create space to change your mind. There has been a lot of things not to like about the program Since Lloyd but there were things I didn’t like about Lloyds program either. Observations are different than criticisms but as fans we are entitled to our own ideas right or wrong and mostly this creates informative debate - at least the ones that are meaningful to me as a reader. Personal attacks go over the line as being destructive and take the program down - I’m personally not interested in that path and the negativism it brings. Doesn’t mean you may want a change but much of the extreme criticism has hurt the program. Seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face to me. Likely some came from opponent fans masquerading as M fans. But not all.
I make a point to not visit many of our opponents sites - only when there is something that I want to find out something that likely affects Michigan. The few times I visit them It is a good reminder of why I don’t want to be them who ever they are.
JH deserves all the praise that he’s getting for what he’s done the last 18-24 months yes even including a poor record in 2020 which has directly led to the underlying changes in player and coaches performance in 2021. Most coaches would have quit. It’s unlikely 2021 happens without the other and that is likely an unpopular view. He does deserve some of the criticism of what happened in 2018 and 2019 that led to 2020 and he has taken that and gotten better. In my view that all reset with his new contract and some of the scrutiny that went with it.
Like a huge number of M fans I like it back here on 2021 cloud 9 and I’m happy to be here with the range of folks that didn’t think it possible in 2021, and the folks who thought we only had a punchers chance, and the few who saw it as M’s year. And I would only finally add cloud 9 in not just reserved for the perennially top 4 who make the playoffs 8/10 years. A lot of those guys are miserable with 12-1 records because - well they don’t define success in a sustainable way and that is not enough to get them to cloud 9.
I am reminded about a famous german quote -in making sausage and politics judge the result, but expect to be turned off by the process. I guess the saying gets NIL added to it
for years and years we hated the bagmen - bring it above the table and those who want to compete can choose to compete. oh and only some of the bagmen go away
charities pay salaries to all kinds of people - I expect these are taxed if they are income and I expect the IRS won't be charitable so like what other do or not this is real. and for the sake of the players I hope they include income tax preparation for these guys.
and anyone who has made sausage knows it is not a pretty process.