Mets Maize

Goodbye Mets Maize, Hello Maize Pages

2011-08-11T03:52:00.003-05:00

The only way I know how to say goodbye.

So Maize Pages "officially" launches today. I am wrapping things up over here at Mets Maize and will be exclusively posting on the new domain from now on. Real content begins next week but first, some transition notes (these are the exact same items listed over at Maize Pages right now):

Obviously, you can delete anything Mets Maize-related and re-subscribe to Maize Pages on the right hand side (you can be a "Follower"!). For those of you who use Google Reader or other RSS feeds, you can make the appropriate change.
Twitter: @MaizePages. I don't think you have to do anything; Twitter lets you change your handle and convert everything over without losing your followers.
The site is still very much a work in progress. If you catch any errors, please let me know. Check out some of the new tabs/links; I'll be throwing up more stuff, like offer boards, as we go. Also, if there's content you'd think would be interesting, please let me know. Suggestions are always welcome.
Other bloggers: I created a preliminary BlogRoll on the left side. If you'd like to be added (or removed, I guess), please let me know.

Finally, I guess I'll do a semi-sign off even though I'm not technically retiring from the blogosphere... yet. Mets Maize started pretty spontaneously just under 2 years ago with little direction and no experience. And though the initial goal was to simply get me to write more often and consistently, regardless of topic, it's grown into something much more substantial and personally gratifying. I still largely have no idea what I'm doing but I love doing it. And so the experiment continues.

Mets Maize also started off as an extension of the numerous texts and email chains I used to (and still have) with my friends; the blog became a forum for those discussions. My friends and family have been not only my most avid fans but also my most loyal readers and for that, I am eternally grateful. Along this journey, I have also made new friends, including fellow bloggers, who I hope to continue working with and exchanging ideas. Their generous links directed thousands of new readers who would have otherwise never found this random blog. And those readers are still pissed they were ever linked in the first place.

So thank you all. Please join me over at Maize Pages. GO BLUE!

Under Construction

2011-08-09T14:52:00.002-05:00

Clearly.

Thanks for your patience. You can check out my progress at maizepages.blogspot.com

Blog Update: Name Change!

2011-08-08T00:11:00.000-05:00

As the Mets' regular season winds down and Michigan's fall practice starts up, I have been re-evaluating the state of blog. It has been a pretty busy summer for me personally and therefore relatively quiet for the site. Hokeamania recruiting, to a large degree, has kept this bad boy afloat but--and you may have noticed for some time now--the Mets have been almost completely off my written radar. Not that I haven't been closely following the team, commenting on big trades like K-Rod and Beltran, or screaming at my TV every so often but none of this translated to posts on the Interweb. I seem to keep those tears in a different jar.

It makes no sense to call this site "Mets Maize" when I literally ignore half its name. The content is heavily skewed towards the latter. When I first started this blogging experiment just under two years ago, the goal was simply to get me to write more often and consistently. I chose Mets baseball and Michigan football as a starting point since they represent the two sports teams I cared most about and therefore would most likely write about. Turns out: the Mets not so much. Michigan football is what brings me to the keyboard. So I'm making a change. Without further ado:

Maize Pages

oooooooooooooo aaaaaaaaaaahhhh (there's no logo, sorry)

When I first solicited some advice from Brian @ mgoblog in 2009, he told me to find my niche. Mets and Michigan is admittedly a pretty random combo but it doesn't exactly attract new readers (I've met a lot of Jews from Long Island though). While there are literally dozens of blogs dedicated solely to Michigan football, and a constant rotation of which ones stay active, I'm going to throw my hat into the ring and keep on truckin'. At least for another season.

In the meantime, the blog will obviously go under some major construction over the next few weeks, including a domain name change (www.maizepages.com). I have to work out the logistics but updates will be posted frequently and I'll set a date for the big jump. Hopefully everything will be ready before the season starts. As far as vision/content, the goal is to provide a centralized resource for Michigan football-related content but specifically from Michigan blogs since that is what I believe drives a lot of the conversation and opinion. What does this mean exactly? I'm not quite sure yet. But in addition to basic information--roster, season stats, schedules--I'm going to try to create dedicated pages or sidebars to other Michigan blogs of particular subjects. For example, want to read all the "Hello" commitment posts about TE A.J. Williams? I'll have links from MGoBlog, MGoRecruit and The Wolverine Blog so you can read varying opinions on how he'll project. Editorial content will remain largely the same, except the breakdown will look more like this:

70% Michigan football
10% college football in general, Mike's pick 'em
10% Michigan hoops, Mets
10% Jets, Nets, Devils and spontaneous rants

To those who actually did find this blog through the random combo of Mets and Michigan, thank you for all of your support. You'll still see Mets posts on here from time to time so I hope you continue reading and checking back. To everybody else, especially close friends, thanks for riding the rollercoaster with me. I know I'm not the best writer nor have the most well-thought-out opinions but this is still fun for me and I'm going to keep doing it until I get either too bored or too busy.

More updates to come in the following days/weeks. Fall practice starts today. Season opener, 26 days.

Go Blue.

Recruiting By The Numbers 2004-2012: Debt Ceiling Edition

2011-08-02T10:54:00.002-05:00

In honor of the US finally ~~reaching~~ stumbling to debt deal before the August 2nd deadline, I decided look back at Michigan's past 8 recruiting classes, by the numbers, on this day. We already know how impressive Hoke has been on the recruiting trail--both in terms of quality and quantity--but exactly how unprecedented has this summer been compared to Rodriguez and Carr? Let's find out.

Below is a compilation of all the "verbal commits" before August 2nd of their respective year from 2004 to this year's 2012 recruiting class. A few warnings/caveats: 1) The stars/ratings (and therefore class averages) are from Rivals only, insert bias/disclaimer; 2) I am lazy and blogger incompetent so what you see are actually screen images; 3) Along those same lines, get ready to scroll a lot; final analysis at the end; 4) In transition years, credit is given to the coach who started that summer; 5) Save 2012, the stars/ratings are retrospectively finalized, meaning what you see is how they finished on NSD. This obviously differs from the current class' stars/ratings which are subject to change, not to mention verbals dropping altogether. In reverse chronological order:

2004 - Carr

#: 7 (5.7571)

2005 – Carr

#: 7 (5.7429)

2006 - Carr
#: 6 (5.8333)

2007 - Carr
#: 8 (5.6875)

2008 - Carr
#: 12 (5.8167)

2009 - Rodriguez
#: 7 (5.8000)

2010 - Rodriguez
#: 15 (5.6400)

2011 - Rodriguez
#: 6 (5.6333)

2012 - Hoke
#: 21 (5.7524)

You should have this memorized already but here.

BY THE NUMBERS: Well it's simple: Hokeamania does exist! At this time of the year, compared to the last 8 recruiting classes--5 from Carr, 3 from Rodriguez--Hoke's 21 verbals is by far the most. A distant 2nd place goes to Rodriguez's 2010 class with 15 commits and 3rd to Carr's 2008 class with 12. The average of the classes previous to Hoke is 8.5 recruits; Hoke has doubled that number and then some. At no point in recent Michigan Football history, under 2 different head coaches with varying level success on the field, have we seen so many kids pick Michigan this early. Carr's 12 came off of an 11-win 2006 season. Rodriguez's 15 came off of a treacherous 3-9 campaign after which he probably spent Christmas in Florida trying to get the right guys for his system. The fact that it's Hoke's first year as head coach makes high numbers in a transition year that much less likely and therefore that much more impressive.

BY THE RATINGS: I'm not that much of a create-a-chart kinda guy but here we go. I'm doing it, Harry, I'm really doing it!

Not too much to see here. Hoke ranks near the middle between Rodriguez's precipitous drop over the last 2 years and some of Carr's best (2006, 2008). Again, these numbers reflect pre-August 2nd rankings and not how the classes eventually finish. The quality is certainly up there though, especially considering the consistency from 21 verbals as opposed to much smaller sample sizes. However, this does reinforce the fact that Michigan, as TomVH has pointed out in the past, is unlikely to finish a top 3 nationally ranked class as currently projected. There is still room for improvement, yes, but a few other schools should pass us and will likely push us near the 5-7 range. WTF Hoke?

FINAL THOUGHTS/NOTES: Not much except it's sort of spooky seeing the level of attrition in some of Rodriguez's early commits. He also landed 5 WRs in that 15-(pre August 2nd)-member 2010 class including Dileo as the 5th. Rodriguez:WR::Hoke:OL. Fun to see some random items from Carr's classes: James Rodgers listed as an ATH (!), Zoltan in there early with 3-stars in 2005, Brandon Graham starting the 2006 class off with a bang. Sad to see Kellen Jones, the last pre-August 2nd recruit of the 2011 class, already gone; there are 3 DEs right before him too. With Wormley's commitment as this year's 4th DE, it probably goes without saying that there will be some serious competition at SDE and WDE, as well as position changes to 3-tech or LB.

Introducing Hoke (To The Rest Of The World)

2011-08-01T18:32:00.003-05:00

EDIT: Uhhh... I thought I put this post up over the weekend. Apparently not. Sorry this seems late.

ON THURSDAY, the rest of the world got a glimpse of what we've known for 7 months now.

If Hoke were allowed to invent a word, he would totally combine legacy and tradition for the sole purpose of saving time when asked to describe Michigan. Didn't you know? Michigan Football is all about its legaditions. We weren't born yesterday: most wins in college football history, most Big Ten championships, most wins against Ohio State. And if you ask him obvious questions (obvious to him, at least), he will give you obvious answers. What I do I think about my players and coaches? They are tremendous. Why don't I add "State" after "Ohio"? Because I just don't. Why has recruiting been awesome? Because it's Michigan. It speaks for itself.

The swagger is certainly back: arrogant and unapologetic. Not even the lingering stench of Rodriguez or anxious questions surrounding another major offensive and defensive overhaul could bring Hoke down. The man exudes confidence. And can you blame him? Since he's taken over, literally everything has gone his way. The only reason he hasn't proven himself the field is because he hasn't figured out a way to fast-forward time... yet.

I'd normally caution against such lofty rhetoric but what else do we have to lose? So much of this off-season has been righting the wrong: uniting the base, changing the culture, fixing the attitude. And if this stuff works (apparently it does on recruits), then why not use it? I used to think the call-them-Ohio-not-Ohio-State thing was petty, but if it heightens the mindset and motivation of the players, I'm all for it. Even Denard doesn't say "State" anymore. I guess it's time we get on board too.

Hoke is setting the stage. By raising the stakes, he's leaving himself zero room for excuses, little wiggle room down the line. But he does convey a seemingly lost sense of accountability, no matter how egregious the cards were stacked against the last guy. Rodriguez has chimed in a couple of times this off-season, claiming he was only a year away from his great breakthrough. And though he may be right, Hoke is saying the breakthrough is happening now. Under his watch; It starts and ends with him. And he'll either be ridiculed for his lack of humility or give you one of these bad boys:

That's a satisfied man right there.

20

2011-07-25T17:46:00.003-05:00

@TomVH, reporting out of a Best Buy (the dedication!):

The numbers first. Siona Houma is 5-11, 210 lbs and becomes Michigan's 20th member of the 2012 class. The news comes as a bit of a surprise; Houma has gone largely unnoticed not only by Michigan fans but also by the recruiting sites, receiving a 2-star nod by Scout but unranked by the other recruiting sites (though FBs never get a higher rating than 3-stars). Ace @ TWB already threw up the immediate reaction here. Commitment posts by MGoRecruit and MGoBlog to be linked later. Video here:

I have to admit: my first reaction was more about Dunn than Houma. Given the limited number of scholarship spots and OSU being recently let off the hook (great post by Chris @ BWS), it would make sense if Dunn reaffirmed his commitment to the Buckeyes and Hoke re-opened the FB/RB spot. But the FB position being prematurely labeled as an optional scholarship spot is probably more from fan reaction to Hokeamania than the actual needs of the coaching staff. While some may subscribe to the belief that all FBs should be walk-ons, I don't mind having a scholarship FB on board in what will be, one day, a completely converted Pro-Form offense. If you recall, Hoke tried to take a 2011 FB last year but ran out of time so it's completely reasonable for him to take one in the 2012 class, while keeping a spot open for RB. Dunn is still attending the Big House BBQ this weekend after all.

It's hard to get excited for a FB but I like Souma's video. One thing that sticks out is just how low he can get in his stance, his explosiveness coming out and the way he maintains his balance with a low center of gravity--all perfect qualities for a FB. Plus the dude's Samoan (from Utah?); that's got to count for something. In the end, this is still a nice pickup for Michigan despite some diluted feelings from Hokeamania. As strange as this sounds, Souma is first offensive skill position commitment in the 2012 class (not counting TEs), symbolic of the type of football Hoke wants to play.

Denard's Season Openers

2011-07-24T23:48:00.003-05:00

The unhealthy rate at which I think about Michigan Football is steadily increasing as the season draws nearer. So it randomly dawned on me today just how unique and special Denard's season openers have been and will continue to be at Michigan. Then I thought, "Man, I should write a post about this". And then, well, sup.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2009 - WESTERN MICHIGAN

Yeaaaa... doesn't get much better than a 43-yard TD run--botched snap and all--to open your Michigan career. It was a fitting introduction to "Shoelace"--a nickname that grew more irritating as the season went on because it was the only thing announcers would mention about him. While Tate maintained his starting role for that season, it was clear that Denard was going to be something special. Despite being completely underdeveloped in the passing game, he was simply too explosive on the ground to keep off the field, leading the Wolverines in rushing yards--11 carries for 67 yards--to a 31-7 victory. Think about that: A true-freshman, in the season opener, leading his team in rushing... as the backup quarterback.

But this play wasn't only our introduction to Denard, it was also our first real introduction to Rodriguez's never-fully-realized vision of his spread offense. With 2008 being an absolute mess at the quarterback position, Denard showed us the true potential when combining his talents and Rodriguez's playbook. We saw Denard sporadically for the rest of the season, but it was this play and this game many people pointed to during the off-season to help justify him to be the eventual starter in 2010.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2010 - CONNECTICUT

*I didn't know Ace @ The Wolverine Blog had his own YouTube channel. Now you know too.

Known only for his legs in 2009, Denard's improved passing abilities were on full display during his sophomore season opener. It was, in every way, his coming out party: 19/22 passing for 186 yards and 1 TD, 29 carries for 197 yards and 1 TD--leading the team in both passing and rushing yards to a memorable 30-10 victory. The one-trick pony became a one-man spectacle, an offensive juggernaut. It was a performance that sprung him to the Heisman Trophy candidate leaderboard.

I remember traveling to Chicago Labor Day weekend specifically for this game and actually being nervous during the drive. The last two season were unbearable and so many eggs were put into the 2010 season. No more excuses for Rodriguez; it was win or bust. We know how the story ends--I don't need to retell it--but it was this game that really set the stage for a season's worth of offensive spectacles, enough so to even lure Johnny @ RBUAS out of hiding. Denard officially established himself, dreadlocks and all, as the new face of Michigan Football.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2011 - WESTERN MICHIGAN

So there was this off-season...

Think about this from Western Michigan's point-of-view: Back in 2009, your first glimpse of Denard was the back of his jersey as he dodged, dipped, ducked, dove and dodged his way into the end zone. 2 years later, here he is again--just as fast, athletic and lethal. But wait, whaaaaaat?!?

If 2009 Western Michigan represents the start of Denard, 2011 Western Michigan will be, in many ways, his rebirth. As the Hoke era officially kicks off, Denard will be tasked to run a very different-styled offense, while doing his best to maintain last year's production. 2 season openers, 2 years apart, under 2 different head coaches with 2 very different offensive philosophies; Western Michigan is the only constant in the equation. It's interesting that the Broncos will see the same quarterback under polar opposite circumstances. Hopefully, they'll only find that Rodriguez's Denard and Hoke's Denard differs very little when it comes to the scoreboard.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2012 - ALABAMA (in Arlington, TX)

80,000 seats: still not as big as the Big House.

It really doesn't get much better than this: finishing your senior year at Michigan with a nationally-televised season-opener. In Cowboy Stadium. Against the Crimson Tide. And with Alabama 4:1 favorites to win this year's National Championship, Denard would be the first face Saban sees. The magnitude of the game speaks for itself; this will be, by far, the biggest Week 1 matchup, perhaps all of non-conference play, which should not only dominate off-season headlines, but also have lasting implications on how the SEC and B1G shakes out. Denard and Michigan will be working out the kinks on the field this year but if they establish themselves going into the 2011-2012 off-season, they can really make a splash by pulling off this game. After that, all bets are off.

Romanticizing Professionalism: A Beltran Appreciation

2011-07-22T22:08:00.004-05:00

Hi guys, I'm Sam. I'm a rising sophomore at UM, and a huge Mets fan. I talked to Jeff back in the spring about contributing stuff for the blog. Obviously that hasn't happened; summer work and ennui got in the way. But I've finally been moved to get off my butt and write something by the imminent departure of Carlos Beltran. Here it is.

---

Within the next week, Sandy Alderson will make his first major move as general manager of the Metropolitans. Carlos Beltran’s imminent departure is fraught with symbolism. The Beltran signing was Omar Minaya’s biggest and most successful act as GM. The Beltran trade will be the potential first step in the dismantling of the millennial Mets editions that thrilled and disappointed and exasperated by turn. The future beckons, one ruled by cost-benefit analysis and inefficiencies exploited instead of “oh, he’s a second baseman of course he’s gonna bat second.” But this is not about the economic and on-field realities facing the front office, or the fresh faces that will come back as Beltran is shipped to the West Coast or the American League. This is goodbye, to one of the greatest players ever to button up Mets across his chest.

Carlos Beltran has never been beloved by the hoi polloi. For every Beltran jersey, there are ten Reyes jerseys or David Wright VitaminWater posters or little leaguers imitating Frankie’s histrionics. They booed him when he struggled that first year, cheered him when the going got good, and largely ignored him when the team treaded water at .500. Talk radio callers complained about his attitude, blamed him for his injuries. He doesn’t try hard enough. We pay him too much. And, of course, there was that Adam Wainwright curveball. So it goes, in New York. So it went for six seasons.

The nice thing about sports is that there’s always a next year. And in this particular next year, Carlos did what he’s always done. Call it a contract push, call it an awesome player being totally sweet at playing baseball, Beltran carried the team. He shut the haters up during the preseason before there could even be a center field controversy by volunteering to move to right. He smashed three homers on a rainy Thursday in Colorado. He hit a ball off the Shea Bridge. When Ike Davis, then David Wright, then Jose Reyes all went down, he kept the team afloat. He started the all-star game. His ending with the Mets wasn’t necessarily his best. But it was consistently great.

Beltran has made a hall of fame career out of being consistently great. As his time in Flushing comes to an end, sabermetricians and beat writers alike have sent plaudits his way, but he’s never been a media darling. He hasn’t left any singular moments to remember him by, only six years of all-world play. As the team collapsed around him in 2007 and 2008, he kept hitting. He destroyed the postseason, at least until that curveball. He made it look too routine, and you only noticed at the end of another .300/.400/.550 season.

New York said goodbye to Carlos Beltran on a sweltering Thursday during a matinee. At least, the part of New York that really wanted to get in on the SpongeBob promotion regardless of the fact that the air was on fire. He got “polite applause.” He went 0-for-3 with a walk. The Mets flailed against Jake Westbrook. Half the fans left early. And really, that’s as fitting a way to go out as any. The Cardinals ended one of the best Mets seasons ever in 2006. The Cardinals won to a collective “meh” on Thursday, and we send Carlos off with should’ve-would’ve-could-have-beens. A double off Wainwright, being carried off to Detroit all the way to the parade would have been great. I’ll settle for having had Beltran in center for seven years.

Carlos Beltran welcomed Mets fans back through seven Aprils, and he thrived under the lights in October. The baseball summer, though, is for workmen, and this summer we say goodbye to one of the best. I bear no love for the Giants and Red Sox, and the Braves and the Phillies are the Braves and Phillies. But if Carlos wins one of them a title, well, that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

The Other Side

2011-07-19T00:30:00.003-05:00

With fall practice fast approaching and recruiting numbers on the rise, the expectation of attrition is becoming more and more of a reality. Guys we're used to seeing on the sideline, perhaps even on track to be starters under Rodriguez, will be, in some form or another, kindly shown the door. It is everybody's hope that this is done with the best intentions; some players will naturally want to play for a different coach/offense, others may realize future playing time is unlikely given how the depth chart shapes up. Red-shirt juniors--Terrance Robinson, Mike Cox, Brandon Moore--may not get fifth years if Hoke is desperate for spots. This is the other side.

A quick glance at MGoBlog's Depth Chart by Class and Touch the Banner's 2011 Eligibility Count shows 18 available scholarships for the 2012 class, which already has 19 verbals (excluding greyshirt S Jeremy Clark, who will be counted towards the 2013 numbers once he earns his scholarship). Hoke has mentioned he's looking for a 25/26-member class, which puts the attrition value at -7, at least. That's 7 players who will not be part of the team between now and National Signing Day, many of whom will leave after fall practice/start of the non-conference play given the aforementioned reasons. Some departures will be more unexpected due to academic, medical or off the field issues. Attrition, as we've seen, can come from anywhere and for a myriad of reasons.

On the field, strictly speaking, the scholarship numbers suggest attrition will come outside the trenches. Michigan returns just 10 on-scholarship offensive linemen in 2012, 4 of whom will be seniors, and 10 on the defensive line: 3 tackles and 7 ends. That number is even overvalued a bit given the switch from 3-3-5 to 4-3 under. Other notable factors include Rodriguez's notorious love affair with slot ninjas, which is being replaced by a bevy of TEs recruited under Hoke, and all the spur/bandit/deathbacker/spinner hybrid guys who will likely have to find their niche and choose an actual position sometime this fall. And though Rodriguez did address his own attrition and bad luck of injuries in the secondary via recruiting, the current underclassmen may or may not be up to Mattison/Mallory's likings or standards (see: Vinopal and Christian).

This isn't exactly a fun topic; it's essentially trying to predict scrubs. But it's the off-season and it's worth speculating, IMO, who's on the receiving end of this highly-praised 2012 class. Here are some (gulp) names, in no particular order (I'm excluding red-shirt juniors because they are obvious choices for a different reason):

1. WR DREW DILEO - From mgoblog's commitment post: "Okay, so Dileo is a 5'9", 170 pound slot receiver from Louisiana. He's white." Dileo saw some time as a returner under Rodriguez but sort of represents the under-sized player Hoke does not associate with "Midwestern" football. Dileo was the 5th wideout in his recruiting class and though he picked up an offer from Stanford late in his recruitment, he was not rated by Scout or Rivals. He is a true sophomore this year, playing behind Roundtree, who isn't going anywhere, and sharing a spot with Jeremy Gallon. The coaches have said good things about Dileo but I can also see Hoke confusing him for the waterboy.

2. LB JORDAN PASKORZ - Not trying to pick on the white guys here, really, but Paskorz does fall into category of "ex-spinner now forced into the SLB position". He's 6'4", 230 lbs and has exactly zero chance of seeing the field this year. Cam Gordon is the starter and will be backed up by J.B. Fitzgerald and spring-star Jake Ryan; Paskorz and Frank Clark will be battling for the 4th and 5th on the depth chart. Paskorz wasn't highly recruited, received some mediocre offers (including Pitt!) and could be taking his talents elsewhere once he sees the RJS/Ross/Bolden coming his way. Paskorz just seems to be in no-man's land, squeezed from both ends.

3. CB TERRANCE TALBOTT - The one thing Hokemania hasn't been able to escape is Angry Michigan Secondary Hating God. Like Christian/Vinopal, Talbott saw significant playing time last year and probably shouldn't have. His recruitment came as a pair with his brother, Terry, so it's questionable whether they'd part ways. However, Talbott is another tiny corner (5'10", 175 lbs) and like Paskorz, is sandwiched between the depth chart--4th CB behind Woolfolk, Avery and Floyd--and 4 incoming freshman DBs vying for nickle/dime time. I just have a feeling that Angry Michigan Secondary Hating God is not done yet and Talbott is unfortunately a candidate.

4. DE KENNY WILKINS - Another deathbacker tweener. But this time listed as a SDE, which one could argue is a position of need with only RVB and Rock there. At 6'3", 225 lbs, Wilkins, a consensus 3-star with offers mostly from Big East schools, was an early commit in the 2009 class under RR. He's known more as an athlete than anything--"raw" coming in that needed a lot help with technique, not to mention settling into a position. He'll be a red-shirt freshman, still very early in his career, who could look for an exit if he doesn't develop quickly enough to make Mattison's two-deep. Note also there are DEs coming in by the half-dozen in 2012.

I want to reiterate this is pure speculation. In no way is this post meant to put down great kids who had faith in a coach through losing seasons and still decided to go Blue. But the reality is that through any head coaching change, a higher percentage of players, on average, leave for PT-related or "this isn't the coach I signed up for" reasons (This is better! Just kidding... sort of.). Hoke has done a superb job minimizing attrition so far; every 2011 recruit is on campus. But fall practice will change some dynamics that could end up with a few kids leaving. Will we be totally upset? Possibly not given this monster coming our way. But we certainly wish them well. It's the nature of the beast.

We Need A QB

2011-07-15T05:17:00.006-05:00

Jordan Diamond, come on down!
You're the next contestant on Hokeamania!

If you're like me, you probably spent most of last Sunday with an ear-to-ear smile (unless you are Mike who spent it locked in his room, lying in his bed, giggling like a schoolgirl--which was the reason he told me he couldn't pick up the phone), texting buddies fun quotes from OSU message boards. Perhaps a celebratory debate about who will fill the remaining 7 scholarships for a 26-member class, assuming players like Dunn, Diamond and Pipkins are just a matter of time. The ideal class just got more ideal. And this, I imagine, is how most picture the finish line:

1 WR = Aaron Burbridge? Jordan Payton? Dwayne Stanford? Jehu Chesson? Pick one.
1 RB = Bri'onte Dunn. Dunn deal, right? Despite being technically still committed to OSU.
1 OL = Jordan Diamond. 6th OL, most likely compared to remaining offers. 7th OL?
1-2 DE = Chris Wormley, Adolphus Washington. Will take both if they come knocking.
1-2 DT = Ondre Pipkins, Dan O'Brien. Aziz Shittu possibly?
0-1 FB = Whatever, especially if Dunn comes.
0-1 QB = ???

There's your 7 (bolded). And a pretty cocky 7 at that but welcome to the good life we call Hokeamania. A buddy of mine, who had a similar 7, even said "I could live without Washington if Peat/Banner/Garnett went on board with Diamond." This is not a sentence anybody could have even imagined saying, say, 2 months ago. But here we are.

Gardner enrolled early to learn RR's playbook. So much for that.

Like FB, left off the board for the 2012 class is the quarterback position, which has taken a "if one comes around" backseat to allow room for more players in the trenches. The thinking is simple: we have this guy named Denard and 2013 mega-recruit Shane Morris. But the bridge that connects them is only 2 scholarship players wide: (possible medical) red-shirt freshman Devin Gardner and incoming Russell Bellomy. Michigan swung and missed on KY QB Zeke Pike earlier in the year, but a handful more of prospects like OH QB Maty Mauk, FL QB Bennie Coney and IN QB Gunner Kiel have recently either committed somewhere or kept pretty quiet on Michigan, leaving Tim @ mgoblog with this:

"If the Wolverines can't land a top pro-style quarterback, they have three other options: 1) take a lesser-rated pocket passer, 2) pass on a 2012 QB, or 3) take a dual-threat guy, with the option of moving positions down the road."

Given the limited number of scholarships remaining and highly interested talent still left on the board at other positions, Michigan could easily go for Option #2 but I think it would be a mistake. Obviously, Option #3 and taking a guy like NJ ATH/QB Devin Fuller who could switch positions would be ideal. But realistically, Michigan is searching for somebody less recognized who isn't intimidated by Morris down the line No top pro-style quarterback? Very Un-Hokeamania.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Whether Denard is in the shot or not, what worries me most about this year (and next year) is the possibility, even likelihood, of injury. Yes, Denard's run attempts will decrease considerably, and therefore theoretically his chances of getting hurt. But neither changes his unenviable size for a B1G quarterback: 5'11"-ish, 190 lbs and an admirable but foolish knack for staying in bounds and trying to get the extra yard. All you need is one bad hit. Denard missed significant chunks of several games last year with a range of injuries: ankle, shoulder, knee, concussion-like symptoms; people forget Forcier and Gardner accounted for 25% (94/385) of Michigan's pass attempts in 2010.

While the excitement surrounding Michigan Football continues to build this off-season via recruiting, let's also not forget that back in January, when Hoke brought in Borges and his West Coast offense, some predicted Gardner would be the starter by year's end from Denard either having trouble adapting to the new system or getting injured. This is not meant, at all, to jinx next year. But Brian @ mgoblog re-mentions, understandably, the all-important offensive question of this off-season: What the hell will meeting halfway look like?:

"it will be interesting to see how that breakdown [half under center, half shot] moves as the season progresses. If the under center stuff is less effective (and Borges prefaced the above quote with a fairly ominous sentence or three about how different dropping back from under center is from taking a shotgun snap) how far is Borges willing to depart from the pro-style approach?"

Say Denard does struggle. Gardner didn't exactly look, well, comfortable under center in the spring game either. And though Bellomy will be fresh in the mix, both were high school dual-threats, neither recruited by Hoke [correction: Bellomy was a last-minute Hoke recruit] (though Gardner received praise for his arm, wonder if Hoke would have recruited him?). Either way, they aren't prototypical pro-style quarterbacks, born and bred for Borges' playbook.

All eyes on Shane Morris aka The Future

There's a lot of "ifs" built into the nightmare scenario I described--I get that--but if there's any position on the field you want to be sure of, it's quarterback. Denard could very well give us 2 glorious years and seamlessly hand the ball off to Morris having a Henne-like true freshman year. Nothing would make me happier. But if Denard can't stay healthy and is backed up sporadically by 2 quarterbacks equally maladjusted to this hybrid-ish offense, Hoke will regret not taking a QB in this class as he impatiently taps his feet, waiting for Morris' arrival. A QB in the 2012 class would be worth it for this alone--at the very least, one more depth chart fail-safe to prevent the Denard-to-Morris transition from having a year's worth of head-burying moments.

A lot of this will depend on fall practice too. As Hoke steers his red-hot recruiting ship into the season, he and Borges will also get a 2nd and 1st look at Gardner and Bellomy respectively. Their comfort level with the backups will likely dictate how aggressively they pursue a QB in the fall, with fleeting scholarship spots in mind. I'll defer that football judgement to them obviously, but fall reports on Gardner/Bellomy's performance should indicate on how confident Hoke feels moving forward or perhaps whether Borges wants to use his entire playbook sooner rather than later.

I rather be safe than sorry. Two years from now in the summer of 2013, when Denard will have graduated and Morris enters his true freshman season, Michigan will probably have a collection of quarterbacks who have started exactly zero games. To have a 4th quarterback on scholarship, likely a red-shirt freshman by then, specifically recruited by the coaches on the back end of a major offensive transition is not such a bad idea. A red-shirt junior Gardner or red-shirt sophomore/junior Bellomy may very well be capable by then. Or Morris could live up to the hype and blow us all away. But I rather make sure this incredible 2012 class has a more-than-capable signal caller to make a legitimate run at what I hope will be a continuation of more B1G championships.

19

2011-07-10T12:46:00.002-05:00

Kyle Kalis, Wolverine.

I could do this all day.

5-star OH OL Kyle Kalis, ex-Buckeye, has officially committed to Michigan. Here are the numbers: Kalis marks Hoke's 19th commitment for the 2012 class, including 9th from Ohio. If you ever wondered what Hokeamania + NCAA violations will do, this is Exhibit A. Kalis should round out the offensive line as the 5th member but with so many other players on the board and a strong need for that position, Hoke will likely take a 6th. I mentioned this the other day:

"But given the fact that Hokeamania exists, it's more likely Hoke will have his 5th OL verbally committed before the first snap. A Kalis decision, rumored to happen very soon, would not only nicely round out the offensive line but also make that last scholarship both highly-prized and weary, considering the talent they'd be joining--a problem I don't mind having."

Still don't mind having this problem. Some have speculated that this will push Jordan Diamond to Wisconsin but Diamond has refuted depth as an issue for him. The last OL scholarship spot will certainly be reserved for a top-flight recruit but Michigan really only has been targeting big names anyway. Diamond has a long recruiting history--longer than Austin Peat or Joshua Garnett--with Michigan, as does Zach Banner. I'm sure a few might be turned off but Diamond isn't going to shut the door on Michigan because of somebody else's decision. In fact, it could accelerate it.

As for Kalis, well, he's a 6'5", 302 lb monster--a Scout 5-star, Rivals 4-star (6.0, #18 nationally), ESPNU 150 (Score of 80, FWIW). Most sites project him to be a tackle, but Jack over at The Wolverine Blog makes a pretty good case for guard given his natural athletic ability and comparison to Michigan's 4 other OL recruits. Does it really matter right now? Probably not. But these are the new fun things we get to debate.

In terms of Hokeamania, the sky is truly the limit. You want to talk about state or border recruiting battles? Out of Hoke's 19 commitments, 16 are from either Ohio or Michigan, putting a huge dent in both Sparty's and the Buckeyes' recruiting efforts. For Ohio State specifically, this weekend has to sting. Not only are you shamefully self-imposing sanctions on your corrupt program but you are literally watching Ohio's best walk to Ann Arbor while singing this. Jarrod Wilson and Kyle Kalis live in Columbus' backyard and Hoke is bagging them (in pairs!) like a Mexican drug lord. And as if there wasn't already enough evidence that momentum matters:

So, who's next? Go Blue.

18

2011-07-08T15:07:00.000-05:00

Via @TomVH:

Just an hour ago, consensus 4-star OH S Jarrod Wilson confirmed what most Michigan fans had hoped and anticipated for some time. Wilson marks Hoke's 18th* commitment in the 2012 class, 8th (Hi Buckeyes) from the state of Ohio, 4th in the defensive secondary and our one and only true safety--arguably Michigan's most important position left to be filled.

What can I say? This is a big get--one of many--for Hoke and his staff. Between the awkward parting of ways with S Wayne Morgan and *Jeremy Clark's grayshirt, you could sort of sense that Hoke and Mattison were angling towards Wilson, putting a lot of eggs in his basket. Tim @ mgoblog reported earlier this week that had Wilson not chosen Blue, Clark would have been offered a 2012 scholarship. But Wilson's commitment pushes everybody down a spot, giving Michigan more bodies to compete for a crucial position and Mattison/Mallory more time to see who they have to work with. This also sort of unofficially makes Clark the 2nd member of the 2013 class, after QB Shane Morris.

Commitment posts from mgoblog and mgorecruit went up almost immediately following Wilson's announcement, confirming most people felt Hokemania had this one in the bag too. Links are always available in the "Michigan Recruiting" tab up top but I'll front-and-center the full class below to recap, and emphasize once again, Hoke's class thus far without yet having head coached a game for Michigan:

Class of 2012

updated (7/8/11)

OL Ben Braden (Rockford, MI) ------------------ mgorecruit | mgoblog
OL Caleb Stacey (Cincinnati, OH) ------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
LB Kaleb Ringer (Clayton, OH) ----------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
LB Royce Jenkins-Stone (Detroit, MI) -------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
TE Devin Funchess (Farmington Hills, MI) --- mgorecruit | mgoblog
TE A.J. Williams (Cincinnati, OH) -------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
LB Joe Bolden (Cincinnati, OH) ---------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
LB James Ross (Orchard Lake, MI) ----------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
DE Mario Ojemudiia (Farmington Hills, MI) -- mgorecruit | mgoblog
DE Pharaoh Brown (Lyndhurst, OH) ----------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
DT Matt Godin (Novi, MI) -------------------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
CB Terry Richardson (Detroit, MI) -------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
S Allen Gant (Fremont, OH) ----------------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
CB Anthony Standifer (Crete, IL) ---------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
DE Tom Strobel (Mentor, OH) --------------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
OL Eric Magnuson (Encitas, CA) ---------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
OL Blake Bars (Nashville, TN) -------------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog
S Jarrod Wilson (Akron, OH) --------------------- mgorecruit | mgoblog

Waiting for Superman

2011-07-08T03:59:00.008-05:00

I can't stress how incredibly boring offseasons are--to the point where I hope somebody does a follow-up on this MGoBoard post every day (that's a lot of jerseys) until September 3rd. But it's late. I'm a blogger. So I'll keep ginning up stuff to talk about for the blogosphere's version of a 24/7 news cycle.


Kalis decommitted from the Buckeyes June 21st.

Seventeen is the new number after latest addition TN OL Blake Bars. Because I'm getting tired of shouting "Hokeamania!" to random strangers on the street, I'll refrain here. Bars, projected to be a guard with Caleb Stacey, represents our 4th OL already so there's reasonable speculation that Hoke and his staff are prepared to take as many as 6, which is fine by me. Kyle Kalis and Jordan Diamond are the obvious hot names reserved for the last 2 spots but Michigan is still heavily involved with other top-flight OL recruits like Andrus Peat, Zach Banner and Joshua Garnett. Given the fact that these guys have offers from everywhere, it's reasonable to assume that Michigan could and probably should swing and miss on a couple. But given the fact that Hokeamania exists, it's more likely Hoke will have his 5th OL verbally committed before the first snap. A Kalis decision, rumored to happen very soon, would not only nicely round out the offensive line but also make that last scholarship both highly-prized and weary, considering the talent they'd be joining--a problem I don't mind having. Also, not that Ben Braden or Caleb Stacey are anybody to yawn over per se, but way to get on the train early.

OH S Jarrod Wilson is the only tangible news to look forward to as he's scheduled to announce his decision Friday, July 8th at 2:30pm ET. That's in under 12 hours and yes, I'm waiting. He's deciding between Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State but Jeremy Clark's grayshirt makes me think that Hoke/Mattison saved the coveted safety spot just for Wilson, and likes their chances. Completely out-of-my-ass, but worried Michigan fan + 20% Hokeamania bonus prediction? 65% + 20% = 85%.

Terrelle Pryor and Jon Gruden DIEEEEE. Gruden's QB Camp series already makes me want to watch the WNBA so you can imagine how I feel when you combine the two. As Kevin Neghandi explained on SportsCenter, Pryor reached out to Gruden to do an extra series just for him, likely to gain some publicity and be put on the same stage with other quarterbacks who happen to not dick over their alma mater slash get drafted non-supplementary style. ESPN requested a separate interview but Rosenhaus smartly declined; Pryor would melt. Gruden did fire a few questions about Ohio State though which Pryor awkwardly deflected with memorized phrases that I can just picture Rosenhaus drilling 24 hours prior. Fun revelations in the full-hour special (taking after LeBron!) include: A) The quarterback Pryor idolizes is Tom Brady which thanks but no thanks, go ahead and pick Peyton next time; B) He no longer (did he ever know?) remembers the words to the fight song of the school he repeatedly claims to "feel heartfelt" for; C) Gruden calls Pryor a "Dodo" which score 1 for Gruden.

"Or perhaps we'll learn that Pryor is still just all about himself." - DocSat

Obvious bias alert but I really freakin' hate Terrelle Pryor. Yea he's young (just turned 22), kids make mistakes, etc. but he's a thug--no better word to describe him. Just something about the way he glosses over his rehearsed words of "heartfelt" regret combined with a smug attitude of entitlement. He got away with murder in Columbus yet feels he deserves the lottery in the NFL. When Pryor answered Gruden's first question, "Who is Terrelle Pryor?", he rambled incoherently for awhile before claiming to give all of his money to the homeless. Gruden's last question was "What do you want NFL teams to know about you?" and Pryor hung his hat on character. REALLY? You're going to go with money and character? Two things you're known for--for all the wrong reasons. Regardless, some GM/coach will give him a shot in the NFL--everybody gets one--but if I were Rosenhaus, I'd preemptively enroll Pryor in the Tony Dungy Mentorship Program right now. Otherwise, lawyer up kid.

Why does this keep happening? So I read Maize N' Brew pretty consistently and enjoy a lot of their content but I just don't understand the point of Dave's post. To be fair, it is the off-season and well, I'm here jabbering about nothing as well. But this type of hand-holding--a sort of unsolicited pat on the back for Brandon's "bold" decision without results--for some reason irks me. Dave's tone feels like a trap: the subtle edge of a sword poking at once-upon-a-time RR supporters to see if any are still alive after slaying the spread dragon. Saying "I told you so" can come in many forms and this feels like one of them. So I'll push back a bit.

There's nothing factually wrong with what Dave says. In fact, I agree almost entirely. But while he seemingly offers both sides to the argument, he also leaps to a strongly subjective conclusion that Brandon made "the bold choice", retrospectively citing all that is Hokeamania:

"Irrespective of how you felt about Rich Rodriguez, one thing remains fairly clear. Terminating a coaching staff before it completes its fourth year at the helm is a dangerous proposition....

...Supporters point to the potentially planet crushing offense that was set to reign hell-fire on the Big Ten as a reason Rodriguez should've stayed. Detractors point to the soul crushing defensive failures over Rodriguez' tenure as a reason he deserved the axe. Supporters point to the steady improvement in the wins column as proof the coaching staff was on the right track. Detractors point to the three straight blowout losses to legitimate teams to close the season as proof the track Michigan was on had derailed. No matter your position on whether Rodriguez and his staff should've been let go, there are arguments for and against...

...As it turned out, initially it wasn't a popular one. But over time fans and alumni have started to see why he made that choice. The hiring of good football coaches. The embracing of Michigan's traditions and history. The outreach to former players and degree to which many have returned to the program. The recruiting, oh good God the recruiting. Thus far, Brandon's choice to move on has proven prescient...

...As a result, Michigan's athletic director was left with the unenviable task of making the difficult, final call on Rodriguez and his staff. Play it safe and stay the course or make the bold decision to move on, arguably without a successor lined up. He chose the latter."

And concludes:

"It wasn't the easy choice. It wasn't the one everyone agreed with. It was the Bold choice. And only wins and losses will tell for sure if it was the right one."

I bolded the bold choice. I guess my main beef is that his last line could be argued with Dee Hart in last year's class, Devin Fuller in this year's and Rich Rodriguez still as head coach in line for a double-digit win season. Again, depending on your perspective. The truth is the second the clock hit 00:00 after the Gator Bowl, Michigan Football was at a major crossroads. No matter what the decision--action or inaction--bold was the default. Every word coming out of Brandon's mouth was scrutinized and extrapolated; people wanted direction, their opinions heard. Brandon had fire coming from all directions and short of Jim Harbaugh marching to Ann Arbor, murdering RR himself and going Harbaughmania on the recruiting trail, somebody was likely going to be unhappy. My point is this: given the growing level of hate aimed at Rich Rodriguez, the anti-Michigan Man, the bold choice could have just as easily been to retain him. Action does not equal bold, especially reverting back to something you are more familiar with. Finding a Michigan Man to snuggle with is, in some respects, the safest thing you could do.

But what we've learned, at least so far, is that safe isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it's been pretty sweet. Until proven right or wrong on the field, safety has brought comfort. And comfort brings agreement, acceptance, unity and perhaps most importantly, momentum. Only time, as Dave correctly points out, will tell whether any of it will translate on the field. But for now, we're left with measuring success through tangential things like recruiting. But crediting these positives as justification for what would have been an inevitably bold choice does not match up. Again, this is not to say the choice was wrong. As we all know, Hokeamania can do no wrong. But bold/safe and right/wrong are not mutually exclusive; they live in separate worlds constrained by hypotheticals and time respectively.

All I know is this: What has happened over the last 7 months--hell, the last 3 years--is a blur that nobody will truly understand. But starting with the hire of Greg Mattison, things have gone literally as well as any one could have imagined. Michigan fans are finally starting to celebrate, albeit in front of their computers reading Dan Wetzel stories instead of in the stands circa 2003. I want to move on. But as a former RR supporter, posts like this make me feel like I should still be punished for straying from the light. Whether or not Dave Brandon made a bold choice is irrelevant, or at the very least unverifiable right now. Rich Rodriguez, Brady Hoke, Clark Kent: I don't care who saves me on Saturdays. I just want to be saved.

(Very Late) Stanley Cup Wrap-Up

2011-06-27T01:37:00.000-05:00

I know: it's been like 2 weeks since the Stanley Cup Finals ended but I'm not doing anything else besides going wooooo in my head to Kalis decommitting (update: Hello, Blake Bars). And I can't see any more pictures of Jeremy Clark shirtless.

Horton suffered a severe concussion from this hit.

First a quick thought: the violence inherent in sports and attempt to manage/minimize the injuries that come with it is a trending topic debated among experts far more knowledgeable than I. Whether it's the NFL's updated concussion protocols, MLB's requirement to wear safer helmets or the NBA's hardened stance on flagrant fouls, major sports leagues have all at least--and correctly I might add--attempted to curtail the unnecessary violence without ruining the integrity of the game. I will remember a lot of things about this year's NHL playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals but this particularly sticks out, both as a series momentum changer and scary reminder just how cruel the game can be. Yes, vicious hits are a part of hockey but I honestly don't know what to do with that. As an outsider to the game, I'm left with little choice but to hesitantly accept it as a seemingly inevitable part of hockey and its culture. But still something has to change. Because even my most salacious appetite for physicality and competition rejects that sort of unbridled violence. The storyline thankfully shifted from Rome's ugly hit to real hockey after Boston evened the series with a dominant Game 4 performance. But the NHL--I'm looking at you, Bettman--needs to make sure that crap does not define the game moving forward.

In blog tradition (and by tradition I mean we've done it twice now), Mike and I have been doing playoff picks -- 1st round, 2nd round and conference finals -- before each round, spitting out ridiculous arguments I seriously hope nobody took seriously. Though we recognize nobody cares about our opinion, for completeness sake after 3 rounds, I was up with an 8-6 record, Mike trailing 6-8. We both picked Vancouver to win the Cup. We both were wrong, reinforcing he fact that you should probably find your insider betting tips elsewhere. I did technically win though, hopefully not a lap dance this time.

Anyway: As many of you know, I am not a hockey guy. Never have been. Sure, I can appreciate the sport but having never played it nor grown up in an area where it was ever popular, I never fully understood its appeal; Canadians and Russians slapping a puck around on ice that's A) hard to find and B) occasionally went in, seemingly at random. This year, I made a conscious effort to watch a lot more hockey, especially playoff hockey, which is noticeably more intense (and therefore more fun to watch) than the regular season. Every change, every faceoff, every minute actually seemed to matter, building a unique kind of suspense. The hate between teams is visible, even palpable: when you can tell it means a lot to the players, it all of a sudden means a lot to you too.

If you didn't know who Zdeno Chara was, now you know.

Not that I studied the game but I did pick up on some things throughout the course of the regular season and playoffs. For example, playoff hockey is the time--I can tell, even as a casual fan--when coaches really make their money. Because seeds mean less in hockey than any other professional playoffs, teams rely and embody the attitude and charisma of their coach for better or worse. An NHL coach has more direct impact, both on and off the ice, on a team's ability to bounce back than people give credit. Similarly, the mental aspect of the game is more closely tied to the physical aspects because of the, well, acceptable level of fighting; teams have opportunities to send "messages" down 4-0 with the clock winding in the 3rd period. Those minutes matter and often carry over to the next game. Lastly, home ice can mean everything (Stanley Cup Finals save Game 7) or nothing (rest of the NHL playoffs); you rarely know what you'll get from your goalminder on any given night (see: Luongo, who may or may not be dead right now). All of these contributing factors, the randomness I once took for granted, has heighten my experience as a fan this year.

Having said that, I'm not completely sold. Don't get me wrong, there have been some great moments, especially after watching all the rounds leading up to the Stanley Cup: Kings/Sharks Game 3, Canucks/Hawks Games 6 & 7, Bruins/Habs Game 7, Canucks/Preds Game 2, Wings/Sharks Game 5, Bolts/Bruins Game 7 (which Roloson was ridiculous in, despite losing the game). But round after round, the NHL always squeaks by, never more, either lacking storyline-making matchups or having uncompetitive series altogether. I know this happens in every sport but hockey has less room for error. Had the Bolts not stormed back in Games 4 and 6, the conference finals would have been pretty stale. During the conference semifinals, the East was locked up extremely early with a pair of sweeps; the Wings pushing the Sharks to the edge for a Game 7 saved that round from being irrelevant. Many criticize the NHL for allowing more than half the league (16 teams) into the playoffs but the first round was by far the best! Lastly, and perhaps worst of all, games--important games--are played on the most random days at the worst hour: nothing says "do not watch me" when the puck drops for a pivotal conference finals noon on a Saturday.

Nice Luongo jersey!

To top it off, the Vancouver riots ended up overshadowing what should have been the NHL's leading headline: the Bruins, an Original Six team who hadn't won since 1972, finally bringing Lord Stanley's Cup back to Boston after a gutsy Game 7 performance on the road. Nope. In a year when the NHL's 2 biggest stars--Crosby and Ovechkin--made little noise due to injury and an early playoff exit respectively, Bettman, who was booed relentlessly during the Cup presentation, takes yet another big step backwards with riots as the lasting image of the NHL going into this off-season. Not exactly the best impression of your league.

I want to love hockey but Bettman and the NHL are literally giving me every reason not to. I'm willing to try everything twice though. So I'll be back for more next year, perhaps joining the chorus the boo's. It is afterall the unofficial right of passage for any true NHL fan.

Selling The Dream

2011-06-14T10:01:00.004-05:00

Hostile territory seem less hostile with sanctions attached.

Lost in TresselDOOM over the past 2 weeks has been (surprise!) more recruits verbally committing to Michigan, including S Allen Gant, CB Anthony Standifer and this past weekend's pair: DE Tom Strobel and OT Eric Magnuson. Not that there is a direct correlation; Hoke has been reeling in recruits well before Columbus was set on fire. But as if Hokeamania needed any more matches, the apparent dissolution of Ohio State's football program clearly benefits Michigan, and specifically Hoke, the most. In a recruiting year when the Midwest is absolutely loaded with talent, the timing could not have been better. Hoke can now comfortably plant a Michigan flag on the Horseshoe's 50-yard line, handing out candy to any high school senior who still dares to take an official at Ohio State.

The reviews of the most recent recruits are in (links to commitment posts by @mgoblog and @mgorecruit). More defense. More 4-stars. More Ohio players. And more commits coming in pairs. In an already astonishingly large class--not only for June but also for any head coach transitioning in his first season--Michigan continues to rake, now jumping to 16 (!) recruits, at least double any other B1G school. The fact that verbals from guys like Standifer and Strobel have diluted my excitement is a testament to what Hoke has accomplished thus far and the strength of this year's class already. And with other highly-touted recruits like Wormley, Pipkins, Washington/Stanford, Diamond, and Dunn having Michigan either leading or in their top 5, it's hard not to expect more good news.

So have Michigan fans gone from desperate to greedy?

Yo, Mark, I'mma let you finish.
But Brady Hoke had the best off-season of all time.

What amazes me the most over these last 5 months is how much a single off-season can change the energy of a team, a program and its fans. Without having stepped onto the field yet as Michigan's head coach, Hoke is, in every way, selling the dream. And everybody is buying in--from the recruits on the other end of the phone to the media/fans eating up whatever he regurgitates back to feed our obsession. If off-seasons had records, Hoke would be 12-0 playing in the National Championship Game again Mark Cuban's ego right now. I mean, seriously: Michigan fans went from worrying about Denard transferring to debating how many different ways we can fit 5 DEs on the field at the same time in 2014. The focus of fall practice has unofficially shifted to attrition. Like, rooting for it. Will anybody miss Ray Vinopal when Jarrod Wilson faxes his NLI?

Greed isn't necessarily a bad thing. And I guess if any group deserves a taste, it's probably us Michigan fans who have endured a lot over the past few years. But now that Hoke's momentum has carried him this far, he's also earned the right to be greedy, or at least selective. We saw it in a parting of ways with once silent commit Wayne Morgan and most recently Armani Reeves for that coveted safety position. We're seeing it in the fine line between how aggressively we chase O-linemen yet limit our offers and visits. And we'll see it in how Hoke handles the Washington/Stanford situation and others on the "I'll make room for you no matter what" list. If there's any indication how well Hoke has been selling the program, just look at how players are changing their personal recruitment timelines, taking earlier visits and pulling the trigger faster to snatch one of Michigan's fleeting scholarship spots. It turns out playing for an academically strong, traditionally winning, national program in the Midwest who is not being pooped on by the NCAA is appealing.

"What the hell was that?!"

Will or should this shift expectations? Certainly for 2012 and beyond, given the talent that's coming in, but next season will be as much of a toss-up as we've seen in the B1G for some time. Ohio State may have fallen the furthest, but perennial contenders like Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State and (eh) Michigan State have also suffered significant losses via draft and graduation (Is newcomer Nebraska the favorite at this point?). In the X number of years Hoke/Mattison figure to be in Ann Arbor, their toughest coaching assignment may very well be next season, figuring out a way to maximize performance from a grab bag of players accustomed to executing a wildly different offense and possibly dumber after running last year's defense. Lost in the dream is the reality that next year features the same players who looked fairly confused in a sloppy spring game. Where will that Michigan team fit considering the circumstances of conference expansion, new divisions and OSUpocalypse?

Nobody knows but one thing is for sure: Every time we set the bar for Hoke, Hokeamania seems to clear it yawning and rolling its eyes. So why not set these: Can Hoke sign his ideal 25-member class--a perfect combination of attrition and addressing depth on both lines with 11-12 recruits? Can he maneuver to reserve spots for standout recruits while minimizing decommits? Can he sustain his momentum and close a nationally-ranked top 5 class on NSD? And most importantly, on the field, is it out the question for Michigan to compete for a B1G title immediately, as well as consistently over the next few years?

For the latter, Hoke has already convinced 16 young men the answer is yes. For the former few, he's given every reason to believe it's all within reach. Hokeamania has redefined what's possible; any thing that can go right will go right. If this is the dream Hoke is selling, I'm sold.

What I Hate Most About Tressel

2011-06-03T09:25:00.008-05:00

Browsing a few dozen post-Tresselpocalypse articles, I've noticed a lot people taking a more big picture, even philosophical, approach after having a few days to digest what went down in Columbus. When a story this (relatively) big drops, there is always a reaction to the Reaction and Tresselgate is no different. Though college football scandals have become more of the rule than the exception, people for some reason still act surprised and try to figure out why, as if this time is different. It's not. Tressel is just the latest example in a well-documented pattern of corruption that exists--in some form or another--among college football's elite programs. His downfall reminds us once again why we ought to be cynical, suspicious of success. I laugh at Ohio State but there is a certain sadness in confirming nothing is as good as it seems anymore.

GregGoBlue, a personal friend and blogger at OTE, got me thinking about Tressel's dominant 9-1 record against Michigan and what the last couple days have meant to me personally, both as a Michigan fan and blogger. MetsMaize is barely a year old but the reasons for its inception date back much further. As a freshman in 2003--my now most underappreciated year of college--Tressel is all I've really know in terms of Ohio State. I had just proudly become part of greatest rivalry in sports and before I realized it, this--excuse my language--douchebag has ruined it for me every year after. The hate towards Tressel has been brewing inside me ever since, amplified with each passing loss.

Rodriguez's tenure at Michigan will forever be influenced by Tresselgate.

Roughly midway through the 2009 season, right before Penn State, I started the blog partly because of my frustrations towards Rodriguez, partly because I thought he deserved a defense given some of the ridiculous circumstances keeping him from succeeding, but mostly because the passion we know as Michigan Football had outgrown, at least for me, the numerous texts, email chains and ranting phone conversations I conducted at an unhealthy rate. I needed a forum to express both the good and bad--mostly bad--about the team I so desperately wanted to see win, especially on what I suspected would be another doomed late November Saturday. Tressel was essentially the proverbial wall I banged my head against so many times that it actually caused me to start a blog. And here I am.

Michigan is officially (for now) 1-9 against Tressel but I am personally 1-7, including 7 straight losses; the blog 0-2. These are the records that are relevant to me and yes, I often remind myself of them. Now that there's a (growing) list of ineligible players we can attach certain games to, most Michigan fans are pissed, and rightfully so, that a competitive advantage went unchecked all these years. We're not even talking about third-string wideouts either; these are star quarterbacks--Troy Smith 04-06, Terrelle Pryor 07-10--among several other impact players that should have been suspended for those games, if not kicked off the team entirely. SI reported 28 players--22 more than the university has acknowledged--involved in Tatgate, including an additional 9 current players beyond the 6 already suspended. That Tressel not only lacked moral discipline but also withheld information and attempted to cover it up is the reason he's in this mess and deservedly so. But that's not even what I'm most upset about. On the field, between the lines, Carr and Rodriguez had their chances with their players and Tressel beat them with his, even if most were ineligible. You can keep the 9-1 record, Buckeyes, if that's how you want earn it. I'll even uphold mine.

Quick: Find the ineligible players.

But no matter how hard the hammer drops on Jim Tressel and Ohio State, no amount of sanctions or erased games off the record books can erase the memories of the past. Michigan's 1-9 record (1-7 personally and 0-2 for the blog, never forget) is etched in time. In that sense, Tressel is a thief; he robbed the experience of The Rivalry from me as I know it. For 8 games, 32 quarters, 480 minutes, my eyes never blinked and none of what I was watching, in a sense, was pure. I can swallow losing memories--that's part of being a sports fan. But knowing, win or lose, that I didn't get the full value of my ticket--that's what I hate most about Tressel.

You see, I hate Ohio State as much as any other Michigan fan but I can at least--sometimes barely--appreciate legitimate losses. Not to get too philosophical but Tressel in a way stole the game from me. Michigan is the reason I love college football. Ohio State, in a much different way, is also the reason I love college football. In my conversations with alumni and friends over the years, I've come to view The Rivalry as more than a game; it's a tradition unlike any other (thanks Jim Nantz). It means so much to so many different people and when the sanctity of The Game gets tarnished, nobody wins.

Don't even try and point like you Brady Hoke

Jim Tressel cheated for a decade and will now probably leave Ohio State in another decade's worth of disarray. The NCAA will dole out its punishments and try to make everything seem fair, but they can't change the past nor what I hope to be a dismal future for Ohio State. Even so, that's 20 years Tressel will have negatively influenced The Rivalry, 20 years of defrauding the majesty of The Game. Ohio State's existence, though grotesque to me, is unfortunately 1/2 of a whole. So while I'm eating popcorn watching the white guy finally die first in this movie (Gene Smith, Hokeamania is coming for you too buddy), I also know that this type of demise takes away what I love most.

The other day Mike told me that Michigan fans need to celebrate when they can (he popped champagne on a Monday morning). Jim Tressel got what he deserved and deserves whatever more is coming his way. The juxtaposition between his former squeaky-clean image and the dirt we're rightfully piling on his grave is uncomfortably satisfying albeit proper justice. But there's no justice in the legacy Tressel leaves behind on a game he's no longer worthy of pointing out 310 days in advance. His biggest lie is pretending it means as much to him as it does to the rest of us. So today I celebrate the end of Jim Tressel not only as a fan of Michigan but also as a true fan of The Game.

Celebrations All Around

2011-05-31T19:48:00.004-05:00

One last hockey post for the year and one last video to get you pumped up.

What a weekend. The Vest is done and while I would have liked to have gotten one more shot at him in November, yesterday felt like the closest thing to big victory Michigan has had in years. While that may show how low we have gotten that we are celebrating the Vest getting fired, if the last ten years has taught us anything it is that we need to celebrate when we can.

In terms of the Stanley Cup Final, either Vancouver or Boston will have a long awaited celebration of their own. The matchup will be two contrasting styles that should entertain much like the first three rounds have been great to watch. The one great part about winning the Stanley Cup is the cool and crazy things the players get to do with it after they win it. I can't imagine the weird things the creepy Sedins will do with it back in Sweden. On with the picks...

Jeff: Bruins/Canucks - Canucks in 7
Well, I got the Stanley Cup Finals I wanted: 2 prominent teams who haven't raised Lord Stanley's Cup since the early 1970's. And I have to admit, 2 improbable paths to get here. Though the Canucks had a 117 point season, many people, Mike included, rightfully wondered if they could even past the 1st round, especially with Luongo's shaky play. For Boston, they had to overcome their own 7-game series in the 1st round against the Habs and then mentally get over last year's collapse against the Flyers, which they did pretty well with a sweep. In the end, these are very different teams that either win by overwhelming their opponent (Canucks) or piss them off enough to get by (Bruins). The most obvious X-factor will be the special teams and the power play: The Bruins can't score at all (5.4%) and the Canucks can't score enough (28.3%). This could be neutralized by Tim Thomas, who pitched a shutout in Game 7 when he needed to but I just think this is the Canucks' season; the way Kesler and the Sedin brothers are firing on all cylinders just seems unstoppable. In order to stay in the series, the Bruins will have to shake things up, play really physically (piss off Kesler), not take dumb penalties and score first early. I actually think this will be over in 5 or 6 but I'm hoping for a Finals Game 7. C'mon Bettman, I'm begging you to fix this.

Mike- Bruins/Canucks- Canucks in 6
Jeff is right, I have been a Vancouver hater all season. I thought they were soft and Luongo was a head case. Well they certainly aren't soft and Luongo is four wins away from shedding the choker label. This series reminds a lot of Vancouver versus Nashville in round 2. Boston plays tough defense, has a great goalie and gets goals from a bunch of different players. If Boston can lock up the Sedins like the Preds did then they will have a shot. Ultimately this comes down to how spectacular Tim Thomas can be against the Canucks offensive onslaught. Now that Malhotra is back, I think it will be too much for Boston.

Either way, some random Michigan fans that root for either Vancouver or Boston are going to have one great summer. Enjoy the hockey

Day 84: Tressel Resigns

2011-05-30T20:01:00.006-05:00

I was originally just going to post something like this but I need to air some of this out.

Sad Jim Tressel #1

So Jim Tressel's resignation this morning sent shock waves through the college football world, capping off a glorious Memorial Day weekend for us Wolverine fans. Him leaving Columbus marks an end to both an entertaining 84-day circus, dating back to when Dan Wetzel at Yahoo! Sports broke the story that Tressel essentially knew everything, and a dominating (and now damning) era for Ohio State football over the last decade. Though this shouldn't really be taken as terribly surprising news, the shock value remains; the timing curious. It's no secret that Tressel has been swimming through a pool of shit ever since the story broke in early March. But it's his shit. And I don't feel sorry one bit, especially not today.

Sad Jim Tressel #2

At this point, punishment is inevitable but the degree is still debatable. That will largely depend on how the NCAA distinguishes between and assigns blame to the two sides: Jim Tressel and Ohio State. Tressel's resignation marks the first step of separation that should theoretically ease whatever is coming towards Ohio State. But Gene Smith will have to answer some pretty tough questions himself, having mishandled not only the past few months when the floodgates of embarrassing information rushed out but also the last decade when he turned a blind eye to Tressel's well-documented operation. Smith will have you believe that this "resignation" was mutual and in the best interest of Ohio State, but the fact is he backed a corrupt coach for the sake of winning and only encouraged him to resign when his hand was forced. I've actually heard Tressel being praised for having too much loyalty to his players in some forums and Smith applauded for his loyalty to Tressel; let's see where their loyalties lie when the NCAA starts handing out sanctions. Somebody is going to get thrown under the bus.

Sad Jim Tressel #3

Ultimately, that's what this is about: Jim Tressel and Ohio State officials sitting at different tables instead of the same once the NCAA Committee of Infractions calls upon them to testify. With a much anticipated SI story coming out (leaked tonight) that's supposed to pour even more gasoline on the fire, Ohio State finally realized that the force from the hammer needs to be split between two nails, not one, when it drops. That Smith failed to realize Tresselgate would only get worse before it gets better sort of helps me forgive any misgivings I had over Dave Brandon's "The Process". In a weak attempt to play both sides--"backing" his coach yet dishing out laughable slaps on the wrist--Smith ended up getting burnt on both sides, revealing his--and therefore Ohio State's athletic department's--true colors and priorities. If you recall, it was Ohio State who joked about hopefully Tressel not firing President Gee at what should have been a very serious presser; it was Ohio State who doled out an ill-advised, measly 2-game suspension before pushing it to 5 games after public backlash; it was Ohio State who sat quietly through more negative headlines about Thaddeus Gibbson getting a free car or Ray Small selling Big Ten title rings all while allowing Tressel to run spring practice uninterrupted. When Brian @ mgoblog said "Fire Jim Tressel" on March 10th, well before some of these new stories surfaced, I agreed but suspected the Ohio State brass would do everything in their power to hold on, at least through this season or until the dust settles. But something happened. And you can bet the timing of these decisions is no accident. As you can see from Brian @ GS's incredibly thorough timeline (originally posted on Friday, great timing), Ohio State convienently released their "own" report a day after Wetzel's story was published. It's no coincidence that Tressel decided to resign today a day before the SI story was scheduled to be published. I can't wait to read that sucker.

Of course, Michigan fans, myself included, welcome the news with a smile ear-to-ear. Though none of this erases the memories of those late November Saturdays dating back to 2003, it does help rationalize, even if a little bit in our heads, that we weren't going crazy all these years; that the white knight Senator, the flawless Sweatervest systemically skirted the rules by playing ineligible players and therefore gaining a competitive advantage, all while the media, fans and quite honestly the NCAA bought it hook, line and sinker. There is a certain amount of evil, not overzealous loyalty, in how Tressel ran his program so my joy today is admittedly sprinkled with a bit of vengeful satisfaction. The witch is dead.

This picture comes up if you Google Image search "Jim Tressel sad" and so, well, obviously.

Moving forward, this off-season just got that much more interesting. Even with Luke Fickell taking over the reins as interim head coach, there will still be plenty of negativity surrounding the program. Tressel's departure doesn't change the fact that all the players cited in these reports are his players, Pryor particularly, and it's clear that the"smoking gun", if you will, that connects all the dots is still looming. This is, in many ways, just the beginning. As a Michigan fan, I couldn't care less about Tressel's personal future except in terms of how it relates back to the way Ohio State, as an institution, gets punished. If he ever coaches college football again, Tressel will likely carry his own sanctions to whichever school decides to hire him. But the sanctions levied against Ohio State University are more relevant to Michigan fans. And I hope the NCAA doesn't give OSU the credit they think they deserve for firing Tressel this late in the game, when it was their last and only option.

On a lighter note, HOKEAMANIA man. Like for real. I was sort of kidding before about Hokeamania but I'm seriously considering buying gallons (are they measured in gallons?) of Play-Doh and making a super creepy shrine with like 50 fingers just pointing everywhere. If Hoke spat on me, I'd thank him and expect something sweet to happen in my life. I always try and stress that Hoke hasn't coached a game yet but, like, this is getting ridiculous. Addition by subtraction: since Hoke became Michigan's head coach, virtually every circumstance outside the lines that would help put Michigan in better a position to win have all gone his way. And in a big way, in like a "Oh how do we beat Ohio State?"-"Get rid of Tressel" way. Who would have guessed: Michigan AND Ohio State will both enter the 2011 season with new head coaches. Expectations no longer apply. But if there's any indication that this off-season is your "end of an era, start of an era" moment, this is it.

Where We Stand

2011-05-19T14:43:00.010-05:00

Don't worry: I didn't turn the blog over to Mike or anything. At least not yet.

Richardson at the Michigan spring game

Another commit, what else is new? The anticipated announcement that Cass Tech's 4-star DB Terry Richardson would likely commit to Michigan has held up, making him Hoke's 12th (!) verbal commitment in the 2012 class that is undeniably impressive for, you know, having not yet taken the field as Michigan's head coach. Terry's commitment to Michigan--over Alabama, USC, Notre Dame, and LSU no less--not only completes "The Detroit Trio", which includes top in-state prospects of LBs James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone, but also marks Michigan's 7th in-state recruit (all 12 are either from Michigan or Ohio). 9 have Michigan State offers (suck it, Sparty), 7 have Scout 4-stars (already 2 more than last year's class) and 5 have Rivals 4-stars, 4 of which made the Rivals 250 List. Is that my boner or yours?

Also, unless Terry gains 8" and roughly 100lbs over the next year to become Matt Godin's size, he'll sadly break Michigan's random streak of receiving commitments in pairs at the same position. It's a streak I'm willing to see let go though, recognizing the bigger picture and more relevant message: hail the power of the all-knowing magical recruiting beast we now call Hokeamania. Hell, Hoke even picked up a likely 4/5-star QB in Shane Morris for 2013 to get things started for next year. If Michigan Football was a religion, which is probably not that far off for many of us, Hoke is our God. For now.

Mattison introduced at Carr's HOF Michigan gala dinner

As Brian @ mgoblog pointed out briefly last week, what has happened over the course of the last few months, perhaps starting specifically from the Mattison hire, nobody could have seen coming. Through any head coaching change, there's always a level of uncertainty with a hint of hope that maybe some of the chips will fall our way. But it seems whatever karma we were due from the RichRod era, Hoke has had no trouble cashing in and then some. Simply put: since Hoke has taken over the reigns, he can apparently do no wrong. He's minimized attrition while maximizing recruiting. Alums have come out of the woodwork in support and the media showers him with praise. In a weird twist, Michigan hoops had a better season than Sparty's and Tressel is all but out the door, not before leaving some pretty hefty sanctions for OSU to deal with for the next 5-10 years. Even as a once-upon-a-time RichRod supporter, it's hard not to recognize the shift in culture and momentum that Hoke has been able to nurture and sustain that RichRod never enjoyed. The only kick he got was the day he was unceremoniously shown the door out of Schembechler Hall, days after a disastrous bowl game loss. While Brian pegs the last few months as Hoke "not screwing up", I'd go a bit further and give credit to him for pushing all of the right buttons, some of which were proactive as opposed to just avoiding pitfalls.

HOKEAMANIA: I point, it happens.

So where do we stand? On the recruiting front, atop of a mountain--"And there's going to be flutes playing, trombones and flowers and garlands of fresh herbs. And we will dance. 'Til the sun rises." For a class that's just about half full now, and positions of LB and TE thoroughly met, Hoke/Mattison will likely get back to work where it all started: in the trenches. That they've secure much of the Midwest talent will help create and sustain pipelines Michigan has enjoyed in the past, while opening up opportunities to pluck from the talent pools of CA, TX and FL. Astonishingly, before fall practice has even started, Michigan can afford to be slightly selective from here on out. My personal concern remains on the offensive line, where a Michigan target J.J. Denman recently announced his commitment to PSU. But with a stroke of Hoke's wand, maybe Jordan Diamond, Zach Banner and Eric Magnuson will come knocking to join Ben Braden and Caleb Stacey. It doesn't seem that far fetched given recent events.

But in attempt to bring things down to Planet Earth, I still have and stand by my reservations and Hoke literally cannot change them unless he somehow convinces the NCAA to let him start the season 8-0 or something. As I've said before, I will gladly ride Hokemania to wherever his recruiting train steers me. The positive energy in Michigan Football and its future, largely because of the work he's accomplished thus far, is palpable. But I'm a results-oriented guy who wants to see wins in the immediate future, particularly against rivals in "red-letter games", in addition to the long-term future that good recruiting generally (Charlie!) promises. While I'm dreaming of an impenetrable LB corp of Ross, RJS and Bolden in 2014, I can't help but wonder how Hoke will translate this, if any of it, on to the field next year with a grab bag of relatively talented, somewhat experienced and questionably healthy guys. Yes, I'll be conscious of transition issues along the way, the same considerable generosity and flexibility I gave RichRod, but Hoke technically hasn't given me anything to stand on during Saturday afternoons; he was 0-0 on January 11th the same way he's 0-0 today as Michigan's head football coach.

Again, this is not Hoke's fault. How can it be? There's something called time that is getting in the way. And though the incredibly big splashes in recruiting cannot be ignored and has certainly perked up my eyes and ears, my feet are still standing where they were a few months ago: anchoring shaky knees, nervous about what to expect THIS fall.

Something Has to Happen

2011-05-13T18:54:00.003-05:00

Here is your video you to go with the garble.

After my team got bounced in the first round I thought the playoffs would ease up but that Sharks/Wings series reminded me that the playoffs, much like Chili Cheese Fritos, are good for the soul. Just maybe not for your heart.

Game 7 was everything you want as a hockey fan as both team just killed each other for every inch of ice and the superstars stepped up and played like we expect them to play.

Prior to round 2 I predicted that the East Final would be the Caps versus the Flyers because God hates me. But I was so shortsighted I forgot the fact that while he may not like me, he sure as hell hates Philly and Washington fans. Their fanbases have suffered and their suffering was really all I had to root for once the Pens got bounced.

Well now both those teams are dead and gone and I have no real emotional horse left in the race. For the past three Springs, I have been spoiled with May and June's of emotional swings as either my team or in last years case with the Blackhawks, those around me were involved in watching every moment of every game. This year, that won't happen as the only person I know still with a rooting interest is a displaced Yooper living in Florida. The thing is none of this really bothers me because of just how well hockey is doing right now.

The product on the ice is better than ever as teams can comeback from multiple goal deficits and just about every other game goes to overtime. Hell, even someone at ESPN wrote about how awesome the playoffs have been. The NHL Playoffs are living proof that marketing matters because just because the product is great doesn't mean it has reached its full potential. (Yes everyone is looking at you Bettman.) Just like Fritos, just market it to fat Americans that like a good time and Canada.

No matter, this final four will be great despite the lack of familiarity. On with the picks...

East:
Jeff: Bolts/Bruins - Bruins in 7
After sweeping their respective series, the Bolts and Bruins have been patiently waiting for the West to catchup . By trucking through Washington and Philly respectively--Mike is so happy--neither team can play the momentum or extra rest card. Still, the extra layoff probably gives a slight edge to the Bolts, having won 7 straight in 12 days--against the Pens and Caps no less--and getting a better chance to steal a game in Boston early. The offensive depth from the Lighting outside of St. Louis and Stamkos, guys like Lacavalier and Bergenheim (I love hockey names), versus Tim Thomas will be the key matchup. I think a Game 7 in Boston, where Thomas plays much much better, gives the final edge to the Bruins though.

Mike: Bolts/Bruins- Bruins in 6
I have picked against Tampa this whole way and I don't plan on changing now for Boyle's sake. Despite Victor Hedman being really good, I don't like the rest of the Bolts blueline. The blue print for the past few years to win the Cup has been an elite defense. The Bruins, on the other hand, might have the best defense in the league. Zedeno leads the way but they are deep and should be able to stop the big names of Tampa. The key will be if they can stop them on the power play.

West:
Jeff: Sharks/Canucks - Canucks in 6
First things first: holy crap, what a series. I hosted a bunch of depressed Wings fans during Game 4 on what seemed to be a pointless win for a series that would eventually be done in 5 or 6. After losing what seemed like heartbreak OT loss after OT loss, the Wings showed some serious guts to push this thing to 7 but simply ran out of gas. The Canucks took care of business in what was at the time the most competitive series in the West. I just can't see the Sharks being emotionally ready for a very talented and rested Vancouver team coming their way. Plus, hockey might literally melt and/or Bettman will have a stroke if there is a Tampa Bay vs. San Jose Stanley Cup Finals. Give me the other.

Mike: Sharks/Canucks- Sharks in 7
At the beginning of the playoffs I thought the Sharks were the best team and I went away from them last round. Now I have to go back to them. Vancouver is good but Luongo still scares the hell out of me. Neimi has shown he can deliver in the clutch deep into the playoffs. Plus the second and third lines of the Sharks are dominating right now and I am not sure Vancouver can shut them down when it matters most.

Enjoy the games. One more month of hockey and then its gone. Enjoy it while it is here.

Hokeamania Keeps on Truckin'... Over Osama Too

2011-05-03T11:52:00.005-05:00

I was extremely busy last week but clearly a lot of stuff has happened over the last few days.

I'd be remiss not to mention the death of Osama Bin Laden first. I was watching the Mets/Phillies game on ESPN before a buddy of mine messaged me that Obama was scheduled to speak in 15 minutes. I glanced over at my clock and wondered: what could possibly be so important that needs to be announced to the nation at 10:30pm ET on a Sunday night? As I logged onto Twitter, it became quickly apparent it was significant news. More details leaked, like when CNN reported it was "national security" related, and I immediately prepared for the worst. And finally the surprisingly good news came: Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Special Ops forces.

I've been fascinated by this story on multiple levels but mostly because it hits close to home. I won't go into details but as negatively as that September morning has affected me, I can't even imagine what it has been like for some of my personal friends who lost loved ones. I grew up less that 10 miles from New York City, used to work in Manhattan, along with the rest of my entire family, and I can tell you that it remains a very personal subject to us as we continue to support and check-up on those affected in our community. To come full circle nearly 10 years after the most horrific tragedy imaginable, there's an understandable wave of relief, perhaps even satisfaction, that has swept the nation. I'm not one to dance on a dead man's grave, no matter how heinous he was, but his demise is one step closer to a freer, safer and more tolerant world, and that is something worth celebrating. I'll never forget Sunday night the same way I'll never forget that Tuesday morning.

On a lighter note, I also can't get enough details of just how badass this "surgical" military operation was conducted. A helicopter raid dropping off 79 Navy SEAL commandos to shoot Osama in the head, recover his body and stealthy return under the cover of darkness? It sounds like straight from a video game. I thought Hokeamania just applied to college sports, like sweeping MSU hoops or taking down Tressel, but this dude has some serious pull! Speaking of Hoke...

Do you need a linebacker? Because we have 4 now and you can't have any. This is relatively old news but LBs Joe Bolden and James Ross recently became Michigan's 7th and 8th members of the 2012 recruiting class, and 3rd and 4th LBs respectively (full list here or "Michigan Recruiting" link up top). Their announcements were a week apart but it maintains this odd trend of Michigan picking up players in pairs at the same position: 2 OL, 2 LBs, 2 TEs and now another 2 LBs. I'll take it.

The consensus that 4-star LB James Ross, rated as the #2 MLB in the country by Scout, is this class' best recruit thus far has shifted the conversation to just how effective Hoke/Mattison have been on the recruiting trail. And credit should be given when credit is due: they have been killing it, especially in the Midwest. Having come off a semi-awkward coaching change, Hoke has been effectively and successfully selling Michigan Football to these young men and has gained considerable momentum. Terry Richardson, part of the Detroit Trio (along w/ RJS and Ross), now seems to be a virtual lock. Current TE commit Devin Funchess has two highly-touted and talented teammates, WR Aaron Burbridge and DE Mario Ojemudia, that he's actively recruiting--the latter being more likely. And then we have the TE Ron Thompson and DT Matt Godin--both heavy leans--announcements on May 11th and 12th respectively. Michigan is potentially looking at a class of 10-12 members by the end of the month, a majority of which are 4-stars that should push this class to Top 10 nationally. And Zeke Pike didn't want to come...

All of this adds up to more Hokeamania. Though I've joked around about it often, it is stunningly real. I am still reserving my judgement of Hoke and his gameday coaching ability until the fall but one can't ignore what's he accomplished thus far. He has done exceptionally well on what's in front of him, on what he can control right now. And that is recruiting. If that means more 4- and 5-star recruits under the banner of Hokeamania, sign me up. I'll go along for the ride for now.

Pens=Barbaro

2011-04-28T20:04:00.003-05:00

Here is another video if you just want something good and don’t want to read my garble.

That was from the 24/7 recapping the Winter Classic. That was the beginning of the end for my Pens. They peaked too early, got hurt and eventually couldn’t score goals. I also found out that Boyle owns my sports teams so I was doomed from the start. With no vested interest in any teams I am thinking of really getting into the Triple Crown and becoming a degenerate gambler like Peterson. Either that or become a huge Portland Timbers fan. (F the Sounders!)

But, no one really cares about my feelings. The first round was epic and had some great series and there are some really good matchups this round as well. The top story will be the top seeds “exorcising demons” by winning in the first round. Now that may be true but winning in the first round should be expected, this is when these teams need to show what they are made of. On with the picks

East

Jeff- Bolts/Caps - Bolts in 6
Well I'm literally writing this about 30 minutes after watching the Bolts close Game 7 in Pittsburgh (sorry Mike) so maybe I'm riding off their high a little bit. Mike alluded to the importance of the power play in the last series and I think it will carry over; St. Louis was extremely impressive--4 goals (3 PP), 4 assists--against the Pens. Him and Stamkos will be able to generate much more offense than the Rangers. 2 years ago, it would be hard to imagine a team going through both the Pens and Caps on the road to the conference finals but Crosby is out and the Caps are prone to choking. Time to get weird.

Mike- Bolts/Caps- Caps in 6

The Lighting power play obliterated the Pens and it will give the Caps fits but there are two story lines to watch here. Outside of its top line, the Bolts got little production from its other lines. They don’t have the depth to match the Caps. The other storyline has nothing to do with Demons, it is the goalie matchup. Roloson was great for the Bolts in round one and he will go up against the kid in Michael Neuvirth. Neuvirth has won a few Calder Cup trophies and understands the playoffs and might be the key to this series. If he can keep his head on the PP, the Caps will wear down the Bolts.

Jeff- Bruins/Flyers - Flyers in 7
Both teams are coming off crazy 7-game series--this first round has been ridiculous--and ironically closing on home ice where neither team could buy a win earlier in their respective series. Briere has been a monster for the Flyers, scoring 6 goals against the Sabres, and Boucher gave 2 solid performances when they needed him the most. I hate myself for this pick but I just think Pronger et al. have the experience and grit to keep on trucking past a still-injured Boston team. Both teams have been involved in a ton of close games, get this: 9 1-goal games, 5 of which were in OT. This series is screaming 7 games and close the whole way.

Mike- Bruins/Flyers- Flyers in 7

Both of these teams are schizophrenic. The Flyers will continue to rotate goalies because that is what they do. The Bruins have to deal with the fact they blew this series last year. The key to this series will be which team can get their PP going. If Pronger can continue to get healthy, he will lead Philly back to the conference finals. Plus, God hates me so he wants a Caps/Philly final.

West

Jeff- Predators/Canucks - Canucks in 5
In short: offense vs. defense. If Nashville defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter thought the Perry line was a handful, wait until they get a hold of the Sedin twins. Vancouver got over the proverbial hump in probably the best Game 7 of the first round. With the regular season they've had, all signs point to a "wake-up call" effect and skating by the Predators with ease. I like the way Nashville plays but I just think there's too much talent in Vancouver, especially if they start settling into a groove.

Mike- Predators/Canucks- Canucks in 6

I want to pick Nashville, I just don’t have the balls. The Preds are physical and as Jeff mentioned, they have the defensive pairing to piss off the Sedins. I just don’t think Pekka Rinne played that well versus Anaheim. Granted I only watch 5 mins of the series but he will have to be lights out in order to win. Like Gigure lights out

Jeff- Wings/Sharks - Wings in 6
Mea culpa and lesson learned: don't pick against the Wings. They'll sweep the series and make you look like an asshole. I have to say, I was surprised at how much offense Detroit poured on Phoenix, scoring at least 4 goals in all their games. And they did it without Zetterberg, who's expected to return for this series. The Sharks have shown an ability for instant offense too, providing one of the best comebacks in NHL playoff history that pretty much sunk the Kings in Game 3. Niemi looked a little shaky letting up some cheap goals in the series so a healthier Wings team should spell trouble.

Mike- Wings/Sharks- Wings in 7

This is the best series of the 2^nd round and I can’t wait for it. I still think the Sharks are the best team top to bottom but you can say that just about every year. The key to this series will be the blue line. The Sharks have to keep Datsyuk from dominating like he did against the Coyotes. The Red Wings blueline is old but they got to rest this past week but must deal with the travel. Why is Detroit in the Western Conference?

That is it from me. I head down to Louisville to run a half marathon on Saturday. I may not make it back so this might be the last you hear from me. Go Timbers!

NHL 1st Round Recap

2011-04-28T11:11:00.003-05:00

No extra magic from the Habs this year.

EAST
CAPS-RANGERS: Caps in 5
Jeff: Caps in 5
Mike: Caps in 6

FLYERS-SABRES: Flyers in 7
Jeff: Sabres in 6
Mike: Sabres in 7

BRUINS-HABS: Bruins in 7
Jeff: Bruins in 7
Mike: Bruins in 6

PENS-BOLTS: Bolts in 7
Jeff: Pens in 7
Mike: Pens in 6

As if the LA Kings fans needed to see their team lose again at home.

WEST

CANUCKS-HAWKS: Canucks in 7

Jeff: Canucks in 6

Mike: Hawks in 7

SHARKS-KINGS: Sharks in 6

Jeff: Sharks in 5

Mike: Sharks in 6

WINGS-COYOTES: Wings in 4

Jeff: Coyotes in 7

Mike: Wings in 6

DUCKS-PREDS: Predators in 6

Jeff: Ducks in 5

Mike: Ducks in 5

Luongo wins award for Most Relieved

Pretty great start to the NHL playoffs with 4 Game 7's in the 1st round--2 of which went to OT and 1 giant penalty kill defending a 6-on-4 with just under 2 minutes left in regulation (sorry Mike). In the end, the top 3 seeds of both conferences advanced and the 4/5 swapped, setting up a pretty strong conference semifinals.

I think I watched more postseason hockey games in this 1st round than I have all of the playoffs in the past few years. Sharks' 4-goal comeback over the Kings in Game 3 (6-5 OT) and Canucks/Hawks Game 7 (2-1 OT) were by far the most exciting of the quarterfinals. Oh and there was also this:

As you can see up top, Mike and I tied at 4-4 in first round predictions which means we can't even beat coin flips. The NHL playoffs are a crapshoot though and mediocrity is what we're about so onward (Mike will post picks). Enjoy the 2nd round.

Monday Musings: Raining TEs, Cullen, Tressel

2011-04-25T13:11:00.001-05:00

*This is not the start of a series. I just had no idea what to call this post.

A.J. Williams

First things first: TE explosion. Apparently Michigan can only recruit in pairs as TEs Devin Funchess and A.J. Williams became Michigan's 5th and 6th members of the 2012 class over the weekend. Borges can't go 2 sentences without mentioning how they want to mix in more TEs and given the obvious need at that position, Michigan was probably looking to take 2 or 3 this year. Williams is listed as 6'5"-6'6" and 260/270 lbs, which resembles more of an offensive lineman so if he keeps getting bigger he may end up outgrowing the position. Either way, Michigan is still eyeing a 4-star TE Ron Thompson, who is currently a Michigan lean that I don't think they'll turn away if he comes knocking. Resume Hokeamania!

(For those of you who think I won't stop defending RichRod and don't give Hoke his due credit, recruiting is going well. Not better, just well. Whether it's true or not, a lot of potential recruits are echoing former players with quotes about about how 'Michigan is back' or 'Michigan has a different feel'; as long as they feel it and commit, bring on the hype. As always, fully updated 2012 list available here.)

Getting over it. Speaking of RichRod, Angelique at Detroit News has a great piece about how everybody, including myself, should just move the hell on. Posts like this and this probably detract from that message. I generally agree, though I also think this is your usual off-season, post-spring game, pass-the-time type of talk that inevitably surfaces from lingering emotions through any head coaching transition. 90% of this goes away when there's actual football being played.

Lasting image of Cullen?

Cullen to Pitt. Rumor confirmed, same destination as Vinopal. Somebody give Brian $10 million. Cullen didn't crack the 2-deep this year so the impact is minimal in the short-term. Still 4-star secondary transfer ARGH. While Hoke has admirably held attrition to a minimum, this is Exhibit A on what happens when you prematurely redshirt players, especially those who are unwilling to wait for PT. Cullen (along with just about everybody from the secondary) had no business being on the field last year but was thrown into the fire with the rest of them. With Woolfolk returning, he would have to wait until his junior year for a shot to crack the 2-deep when he should actually be a RS freshman this year. Despite our lack of depth and debatable talent in the back end, Cullen simply got too old too fast. The move is understandable. You may resume closing your eyes any time the ball travels further than 10 yards.

"Mistake". He Who Shall Not Be Named is talking a bit more. Won't get into it but as Mike told me over the weekend, "well, duh, I'm surprised he's not saying... 'that was a freakin' disaster.'"

Tatgate, Step 2. The NCAA "Notice of Allegations" is public and Jim Tressel--surprise!--does not come out looking very good. More unflattering headlines about the Senator and Ohio State keeps the smile on my face every morning. There's really nothing unexpected in the letter: the NCAA pretty much agrees with everything that has been reported slash leaked over the last two months. The plot thickens a bit as Tressel reportedly contacted an FBI agent and Columbus attorney Cicero, along with Pryor's shady mentor, when he first received the emails. Compliance was never contacted. Tressel knew and lied, plain and simple. Rittenberg does find some upside though:

"The NCAA's notice doesn't include serious charges like "failure to monitor" or "loss of institutional control" that can bring the most damaging penalties for a school. This is definitely setting up for Ohio State to vacate games from the 2010 season in which the ineligible players participated, but I don't know how much further the punishment will go if nothing else surfaces. Probation is very likely and perhaps scholarship losses, but is a postseason ban warranted?"

More information will come out but the debate now moves to whether it is ultimately worth it for Ohio State to keep Jim Tressel. OSU has until July 5th to respond and then August 12th to appear before the Committee of Infractions. The NCAA will undoubtedly tack on more sanctions but will Ohio State refusing to fire Tressel induce the hammer? At what point do those stiffer, perhaps crippling, sanctions become too much to keep a guy like Tressel around for the sake of the program? I have a feeling Gee/Smith will cling to Tressel come hell or high water though.

Citi Field Deserves More

2011-04-21T11:55:00.005-05:00

Summer 2008

A few years back during Shea Stadium's final summer, I remember looking over the left field wall, past the Delta scoreboard and watching Citi Field slowly rise with each passing game. The Mets were losing of course, but the thought of having a legitimate ballpark gave me at least something tangible to look forward to. No longer did I have to sit in a neon-bright covered, cement-block carved, cylinder-shaped stadium decorated with uncomfortable seats and atrocious amenities. I had suffered enough and I remembered thinking: if I have to watch the Mets lose, I might as well watch them lose sitting comfortably.

Like any Met fan, I was still sad to see Shea go. Strangely, I don't remember my first Met game but I do remember watching Todd Pratt, Robin Ventura, Edgardo Alfonzo, Mike Hampton, Bobby Jones, John Franco, Mike Piazza and fuck it even Benny Agbayani (part of the strangest World Series team ever in 2000 under Valentine) over the years. Probably more bad memories than good memories but memories nonetheless. And no matter how decrepit the stadium had became, a big part of me also at least appreciates its history. This is the stadium that welcomed and hosted the Beatles (1965), The Who (1982), the Rolling Stones (1989), Pope John Paul II (1979), the Army-Notre Dame football game (1965), and oddly the Jets-Raiders AFC Championship game (1968) in which the Jets ended up advancing and winning Super Bowl III against the Colts. This was the stadium home to both the 1969 and 1986 World Series Champions. Game Six. And most recently for me, the stadium of a team, along with the Yankees, helped heal a city when Mike Piazza hit that homerun a week after September 11th.

I do, however, remember my first game at Citi Field. It was Memorial Day weekend 2009 and Josh Johnson unceremoniously mowed down the Mets through 7 innings giving up only 2 earned runs. David Wright didn't even play. We lost 7-3. While I was pissed about the loss against division rivals (at the time, the Mets actually looked to be in contention but finished 4th that season), I remember most walking around and taking in every bit of the new stadium: the beautiful red brick, the Jackie Robinson rotunda, the nice scoreboards, the fancy press boxes, the bigger seats, the wider walkways, the bridge in right-center, the food (oh yes, the food -- Shake Shack), and of course, the homerun apple that appears so rarely. Citi Field is really a beautiful ballpark and I'm not just saying that as a Met fan. It is built for baseball, if that makes any sense, and you get a welcoming feeling that makes you truly appreciate watching a game and enjoying yourself and nothing else.

Of course, that fleeting feeling goes away after you see the product on the field. Over the last few years, the Mets have done very little to be worthy of its own stadium. And this year could be the worst.

Nobody in their right mind had high expectations for this team coming into this season. The Mets were transitioning in the front office without transitioning on the field with their hands tied from multiple bad contracts. Owner Fred Wilpon found himself desperately searching for capital this off-season as he lost roughly $500 million in the Madoff Ponzi scheme and MLB had to loan $25 million just to keep the team afloat, which I guess beats a complete takeover. We started the season without our best pitcher and best outfielder, gave away $36 million to a player we ended up releasing and cut Luis Castillo in favor of Brad Emaus, who by the way is now also cut. And then the pitching, oh the pitching. R.A. Dickey, our knuckballer, currently leads the staff in ERA at a stellar 4.10. The bullpen is flat out embarrassing. And our overpaid closer is more known for beating women than he is saving games. It's bad. Don't believe me? Check this out:

ERA: 5.18 (29th in MLB)
Quality Starts: 4 (30th in MLB)
WHIP: 1.59 (30th in MLB)
BAA: .284 (30th in MLB)

With those numbers, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Mets also lead the league in giving up the most runs, 98. While only 10% of the season has been played, we are already in dead last and 6.5 games back, most in the majors. We are 1-9 in our last 10 game, worst in the majors. And we are 1-8 at home, you guessed it: worst in the majors.

Recently, the Times wrote a piece on just how cheap seats have become, still unfilled, as the Mets continue to sink. Tickets face valued at $134 behind home plate are struggling to be sold at half price. StubHub has seats available for $3, making the service charge a considerable amount of the overall price. All of this points to the obvious: the Mets are horrible, I know. But for a ballpark deserving of a competitive team, it makes it all the more depressing.

Zeke Pike to Auburn

2011-04-20T14:06:00.000-05:00

See? Twitter agrees.

This blog doesn't do much actual breaking news reporting but I'm free right now and bored so here it is: 5-star KY QB Zeke Pike picked Auburn over Michigan, Arkansas and Purdue. I've been following Pike's recruitment pretty closely and was excited after he named Michigan his leader a few weeks back. Then he went on a tour of the SEC and bumped his announcement to today, much earlier than expected, which typically doesn't bode well for the school he was furthest away in contact with. That and whatever sum of money he got paid by Auburn. Kidding. Well, sort of.

Losing a 5-star pocket passing prospect that fits nicely with Borges' west-coast offense hurts but it's not the end of the world. Michigan still has plenty of time to pick up another good quarterback in this class to develop behind Gardner, medical red-shirt or not. The focus remains offensive and defensive line with dab of outside WR given what we saw in the spring game. Should we get another kicker too? I want 3 on scholarship. This is not a joke.

As @TomVH and @MGoRecruit reported last week, Michigan does have its 5th silent commit, expected to announce sometime next month. Until then, I expect it to be pretty silent on the recruiting front unless OH LB Joe Bolden pulls the trigger to be the 5th member and 3rd LB of the 2012 class. For the updated list with mgoblog and mgorecruit "Hello" posts, click here or the tab above.

You may go back to not working.

Michigan Is Not Back

2011-04-20T12:16:00.008-05:00

Braylon even points like Hoke does

So after reading yesterday's DocSat post, complete with Braylon et al. quotes, I was all ready to write a mini-rant today but it appears Brian @ mgoblog beat me to the punch (and probably in a more thorough and entertaining way). For those who complain about the Rich Rodriguez Defense That Never Dies, I want to echo Brian's disclaimer at the end of his post: "This is not a defense of Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez should have been fired. It is not a criticism of Brady Hoke." As Michigan football crawls forward, it's not like talk about the past is coming unprovoked. The post-spring game buzz will naturally have comparisons to The Coach Who Shall Not Be Named, especially when players specifically comment on him. And for those of us who thought he received a raw deal in Ann Arbor, we're going to respond accordingly. Don't villianize those who supported Rich Rodriguez through the thick and thin because they wanted to see Michigan win and a good guy succeed even if he wasn't born in Michigan Stadium at halftime of an Ohio State game. You are not the Tea Party and we are not taxes.

Having said that, Hinton's and Rittenberg's posts yesterday share the same overreaching, premature sentiment: Michigan is back. This is apparently undoubtedly true because former players say so: TE Bennie Joppru is happy to "know the guy that's here", because that's the only way he'll apparently support the program, and WR Ron Bellamy generously speaks for the rest of the alumni when he says they are "excited a Michigan man is back on the throne." Nice to know that former players love their ego more than they claim to love Michigan. This is perhaps most revealing in RVB's moment of unfiltered honesty:

"You know, it's just kind of unsettling that there's … it's great that they're back, but it's kind of, where have they been the last two or three years? We've still been wearing the same helmets since they were here. It's good to have them back but at the same time, it's new all of a sudden, which is a good thing. It's good to have alumni back supporting us."

He caught himself but I wish he had finished his original thought.

This way!

I think what frustrates me most about all of this is that it's ultimately a good thing coming from an unnecessarily bad place. Hoke bringing back 250 former players last week for a "team meeting" to talk about Michigan's tradition is exactly what this program needs. The positive effect of having enthusiastic ambassadors of the program will be immeasurable, from recruiting to player development to booster donations. This is what Hoke brings more than anything, and what Rodriguez failed to accomplish. But that does not mean it was because of lack of effort. While Hoke can more easily play the tradition card having been here before, Rodriguez never shied away from embracing it or at least trying to. And it is the height of hypocrisy for former players, who never lifted a finger to meet him halfway, to criticize him during an alumni football game that he created. This sacred connection with Michigan's history and past players is a 2-way street, and the "sudden"--as RVB puts it--180 reveals which side wasn't reciprocating. Now you tell me who wanted to win for Michigan more in those 3 years: Rodriguez or the unenthusiastic alumni?

Here are two quotes that got less attention in the articles, with an emphasis on the bold:

MIKE HART: "I think guys just chose not to come back. … I can't tell you why, but I think it's because he didn't value the tradition like coach Hoke does. RichRod let you come back, but he never really valued the tradition of Michigan. Coach Hoke is all about tradition."
DENARD (re: countdown clocks): "Oh yeah, oh yeah, you're ready for that... Coach Rod took an approach like that, too, but you can't compare those two coaches."

That way!

Left out in Hokeamania is the acknowledgement that Rodriguez did a lot of the same things. The doors to the facilities were always open to alumni, the countdown clocks were always ticking. He may not have had the players shout out "132" or "42" during practice but he internalized Michigan's tradition in his own way. What's become clear this off-season is that it's not good enough for neither fans nor former players. The overt hatred of Ohio is what we crave; want stories of Hoke never wearing red and then giggle and stand in line to be touched by him.

But make no mistake: nothing has happened. No real games have been played and a messy spring game further proves we have no idea what to expect come September. Hoke can talk all he wants about the abysmal 3-15 record in "red-letter games" over the last 3 seasons, but that just means I will be the first one knocking if he drops one himself. And so should you. Our collective, relentless expectations and attitudes towards the Michigan head football coach should ultimately be judged on what happens on the field and the overall quality of the program. Rodriguez didn't win games and his lack of passionate coachspeak exacerbated the situation that ultimately led to his firing. Hoke has convincingly proved he has the latter, which provide great sound bites now, but only time will tell if he backs them up.

So no, I don't think Michigan football is back under Hoke the same way I don't think Michigan football ever really left that much under Rodriguez. Michigan football is winning football; give me that and I'll give you credit.

And... Begin

2011-04-13T12:22:00.003-05:00

dreads under center... weird.

With hockey in the books, there is some obvious and somewhat cruel disappointment in how Michigan ends its 2010-2011 athletic season. Sure each team had its bright spots but they were almost always and seemingly inevitably followed by a crushing blow in some form or another. For football, it was an uncompetitive bowl loss that put the season, and RR's tenure in Ann Arbor, to a screeching halt. For hoops, it was a Morris floater unfairly hitting back iron away from pushing Duke to OT and a chance at the Sweet 16. For hockey, it was an overachieving team surviving a 120-minute gauntlet of superior competition before succumbing to a 3-2 OT loss to a team you'd otherwise cheer for had it been against anybody else. It has been emotional and exhausting to say the least. And it has been the life of a Michigan fan.

Even as we bring ourselves to recharge for next year, we also know there's little time. Michigan Football is a year-round sport for us and there's already plenty of talk heading into the spring game this weekend. Being idle is not in our nature, especially for us bloggers, so the lack of real news combined with pure speculation equals a heavy dose of posts that say virtually nothing. As Brian @ mgoblog explains: "...we get very very bored and therefore try to parse anything we can out of the faint whisper of the ghost of a tiny fraction of tea leaf that wasn't very large to start with." The "5 Questions" posts have already started about a game that won't actually be a game. I will be jumping into the abyss shortly.

On the recruiting side, Michigan is looking to double its 2012 class with a pair of linebackers starting with OH LB Kaleb Ringer. Ringer was set to announce this Friday but apparently his commitment has been leaked by the Dayton Daily (Classy, Ohio. Nice way to show up a kid on the most important announcement of his life thus far). Michigan is also a heavy lean for OH LB Joe Bolden, who could announce shortly after the spring game. This presents a mini-problem that I don't totally mind having: with big-time, in-state recruits like LBs James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone in the wings, can Michigan actually afford to selective? The focus for this class has always been both lines, and most project a need of only 2 LBS, but I'm sure we'll make room if either come knocking. Either way, new toys for Greg Mattison.

As for the spring super practice, I'll be watching less for certain positions filled and more for which individual players stand out in the new schemes. And I'll be taking everything in with a grain of salt. All eyes will be on Denard, Campbell and whoever emerges from our stable of backs, and rightfully so, but players that interest me are Gardner, Avery and Furman--guys that could crack the starting lineup by mid-season. I mention Gardner because while Borges has already named Denard the starter and a majority of the talk has correctly been about how he'll translate taking snaps under center, it's hard to tell how close the QB competition truly is and what could happen if Denard struggles early under the new system. I'm not saying this is likely but would it REALLY surprise you if Gardner was our QB by the end of the season? Avery and Furman are also guys who I could see taking starting jobs away from a J.T. Floyd (not playing next week) or Kovacs as the secondary is still very much up for grabs.

So here we are: starting a new year before digesting the last. Nothing stops, for better or worse. Hoke almost pulled us through 2 sports he's not even responsible for coaching; hoops and hockey have been pleasant distractions post-"Process". It's time to see what Hoke can bring on the field.

Let the Hate Flow Through You

2011-04-11T23:23:00.013-05:00

Hockey playoffs are here. Before you do anything, watch this video. In fact, you really don’t have to read anything beyond here if you don’t want to since I won’t be able capture the intensity of the playoffs that the video did. But we will march on anyway.

After a crazy final weekend the bracket is finally set. After the Masters I actually watched the entire Wild and Stars game and it somehow was exciting. Because of the Stars losing the defending champion Blackhawks snuck in after a rather crappy regular season. Vancouver, on the other hand, had the only real standout regular season of any team in the NHL and now they are rewarded by playing Chicago. The Blackhawks have bounced Vancouver out of the playoffs the last 2 years and there is serious bad blood between these teams. (Although Andrew Ladd is no longer on the Hawks, part of the post cup purge)

That bad blood and hate is what makes the NHL playoffs so great and what separates it from other post seasons. While other sports have rivalries and certain disdain for one another, nothing quite matches the 2 months of hockey that is ahead of us. There is something personal about each individual series that will cause your blood to boil over and grow to hate a team you rarely play or further your hate for a rival. (Example here) The familiarity of playing the same team every other day wears on you as each round goes on because the closer you get to the cup, the more you want it.

The hate will hit close to home for me this week as my Pens play the Lightning. I just happen to know the only Bolts fan in the world in Boyle. And while our teams did play in a Super Bowl earlier in the year, I made it clear to him that this is different. This isn’t a may the best team win and I respect your franchise type of postseason matchup. This is I hate you and I hope Steve Stamkos gets hit by an truck covered in AIDS type of series.

The other thing the NHL Playoffs brings to the table is the uncertainty. It’s not so much uncertainty as it is just plain chaos. Much like March Madness Jeff and I are going to try to predict what will happen in these series but our effort is basically futile. We will point to one or two things of why this or that will happen and these teams are the best and I am sure in 6 weeks Nashville will be playing Buffalo in the finals and blow our predictions out of the water. (Good luck marketing that Finals Bettman. “It’s like Butler vs VCU on skates!”) But that is what we sign up for as hockey fans; if we wanted certainty we would just go watch the Lakers vs Celtics every year. On with the predictions….

EAST

Jeff- Caps/Rangers: Caps in 5.
For all the early season talk about Ovie having a "down" year--32 goals, 53 assists--he still managed to lead the Caps atop the East. They claim to be more defensively oriented and mentally mature after last year's first-round collapse, losing to an 8th-seeded Habs after being up 3-1. Not sure if I buy that but they should be able to skate by the Rangers, especially after NY just lost their 2nd leading goal scorer in Callahan to injury just last week. Caps in 5.

Mike- Caps/Rangers: Caps in 6. All eyes are on Ovie, Bodreau and the Caps. This is actually a good opening for them because the Rangers will play grind it out hockey similar to the Habs last year. Problem for the Rangers is the lost Ryan Callahan last week and unless Marion Gaborik decides to show up, the Rangers won’t be able to generate any offense. Caps in 6.

Jeff-Flyers/Sabres: Sabres in 6.
My level of hate towards the Flyers reached a new level after last year so naturally I hope paybacks a bitch for this 2/7 matchup. If momentum means anything, Buffalo is entering the playoffs 8-1-1 while Philly has struggled at 3-4-3 over their last 10 games. If Pronger isn't 100%, the Flyers could see themselves in an early hole. I'm hoping a hyped home crowd puts this away early. Sabres in 6.

Mike- Flyers/Sabres: Sabres in 7.

Same old story for Philly; really talented but a huge question mark in net and their consistency. The fact that they didn’t run away with the East with Malkin and Crosby out makes no sense. Pronger’s injury is huge not only because of his skill but because he is such a perfect athlete for the city of Philly. No one owns being a dick like him, his attitude can lead the way. Buffalo is dealing with the Ryan Miller injury but the rest of their team has been playing great. Vanek will score some big goals and lead them to victory. Sabres in 7.

Jeff- Bruins/Habs: Bruins in 7.
It should be a rule that Original Six rivalries always go to 7 games. The Habs certainly have some magic in them after last year's improbable run to the East's finals but I just don't think they have enough offense in them to make another run, especially with Tim Thomas in the net. Boston is 2nd in the league in Goals Against (2.3) thanks to him and that should be the difference when its do-or-die. Bruins in 7.

Mike- Bruins/Habs: Bruins in 6.

Watch this hit. If that happened to any other person other than a hockey player he would be pronounced dead on the spot. This series will be entertaining as always. The Habs usually get the best of the Bruins but I think Boston is the best team in the east. They are the most physical, have a great blue line and Tim Thomas in net. I am sure they will get swept now but I am sticking with my guns. Bruins in 6.

Jeff- Pens/Lightning: Pens in 7.
Thanks to reseeding, I'm glad we are going round-by-round because I can see the Pens getting knocked out now or making it to the Stanley Cup. The Crosby factor is huge; Mike informs me he'll skip the first round and skate the 2nd, which means the Pens will collectively have to weather a very dangerous Stamkos. Crosby has missed enough games where the Pens have learned to win without him though, and then we'll see if he pulls a Kyrie Irving or a... errr... Sidney Crosby 2011? Pens in 7.

Mike- Pens/Lightning: Pens in 6.

This series will come down to the power play. The Pens are jeckyl and hyde. When on the power play they have no direction and are lost without the Gonchar/Crosby/Malkin trio. It is painful to watch. However, when the Pens are short handed they are the best in the league but they will be without their best penalty killer in Matt Cooke. The Bolts have all the offensive talent so if the Pens take dumb penalties then the Bolts will wear them down and just outscore them. I think the Pens win just because they have been playing in one goal games for 40 games now. When the superstars went out the Pens became the Eastern Conference version of the Predators with all defense. In the words of Bylsma, the Pens will “grind these bitches down.” Pens in 6.

West

Jeff- Canucks/Hawks: Canucks in 6.
Mike's been yapping in my ear all week about how the Hawks have Vancouver's number and apparently Scott Burnside agrees. Having said that, the Canucks didn't truck through the regular season with 117 points for no reason. The Sedin twins are having by far their best season together and anchor the league's best line. Playoff hockey can get weird but I'm playing the percentages. Canucks in 6.

Mike- Canucks/Hawks: Hawks in 7.

Jeff is right, I have been blabbing about this for a while. The Canucks, especially Luongo, have just been blasted by the Hawks the past 2 years. Vancouver is the deeper team but they have been plagued by injuries in the second half. The good part for the Canucks is they get to find out right away whether this will be a special spring and summer or just more despair for Canadian pro teams. More sadness. Hawks in 7.

Jeff- Sharks/Kings: Sharks in 5.
Just what I want: an all-Cali playoff matchup, hockey with palm trees. The Sharks are a scary team though with multiple lines that can score. 6 different players have more than 35 assists, led by Thornton and Pavelski with 49 and 46 respectively. On the flip side, the Kings, like the Rangers, just lost a key player in Kopitar, team points (73) and assists (48) leader, to injury 2 weeks ago. This could be over quick. Sharks in 5.

Mike- Sharks/Kings: Sharks in 6.

About a month ago the Kings were going to be my horse in the playoffs. Then all the injuries hit and the Ducks emerged so, just like last year, the Kings will be bounced in the first round. The Sharks have been the best team in the second half and have a Stanley Cup winning goalie now in net in Niemi. I think they are the favorite in the West but we have a long way to go, one round at a time. Sharks in 6.

Jeff- Wings-Coyotes: Coyotes in 7.
Oh, the Wings, arguably the most talented team in the league for years yet something always seem to trip them up. They draw a playoff rematch in the Coyotes, who started this season 4-10 before clawing their back into the wild West playoff hunt, 1 of 5 teams between 97-99 points. Phoenix has relied heavily on their goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov, who is not only worth 1000 points in Scrabble but has kept them in a lot of games Michigan boys will hate me for this pick but I think Phoenix will return the favor with a Game 7 road win. Coyotes in 7.

Mike- Wings/Coyotes: Wings in 6.

Not a bad pick by Jeff. The Wings haven’t really done anything in the second half but they actually looked alive on Sunday though. Phoenix has been able to playing through the fact they might be moved next year. They play a borning style that will keep them in games but unless Jimmy Howard flops on his face. If Zetterberg and Pavel are healthy I think the Wings just have too much talent. Wings in 6.

Jeff- Ducks-Preds: Ducks in 5.
I don't follow hockey as closely as other sports but Corey Perry kept coming up on SportsCenter when ESPN actually decided to show hockey highlights. He is two months older than me and has 98 more points--50 goals, 48 assists--than I will ever have. The Ducks are among the muddled bottom playoff teams of the West but I'm pretty sure nobody wants to play them. The Predators boast a top 5 defense and power play kill but I think they get surprised and overwhelmed early. Ducks in 5.

Jeff- Ducks/Preds: Ducks in 5

Ah yes, Nashville vs Anaheim. 2 great hockey markets. Literally no one will be watching this series. If a hockey series happens and no one watches, does it happen? In terms of the actual hockey, it will actually be pretty good. The Ducks have been the best team in the League coming down the stretch and no one plays better defense than Nashville. I like the Ducks and they will be a tough team to deal with in the West if they get out of this round. Ducks in 5.

So that is it for our picks. I am sure we will look back on them in 2 weeks and laugh. Enjoy the games and let your cup runneth over with hate.

50 Minutes of Fear

2011-04-08T10:15:00.006-05:00

Don't forget to practice your 2 period penalty kill, kids.

You know the story: Ben Winnett (4th goal of the year) cleans up a shot off the iron by Jon Merrill at the 13-minute mark of the 1st period. Then HUNWICK. Like seriously, HUNNNNNWIIIICKKKK. This is basically the only reaction I've seen across Twitter and the Michigan blogosphere over the last 12 hours. And it's the only possible reaction: the Muppets were released (Fear Edition), it made a lucid Ace @ TWB incoherent, and YostBuilt to thankfully put up a 1am post for me to read after an unplanned extended stay at the bar. This is what happens when your former walk-on, senior goalminder saves 40 shots for his 5th and most important shutout of his life in the men's college hockey national semifinals.

I admittedly know very little about hockey so you won't find any in-depth analysis here. I do know that when your opponent doubles your shot total it typically ends poorly, especially in the 2nd period where North Dakota outshot Michigan 11-3. A few minutes into that period, I remembered turning to my buddy and saying "we're in trouble" as North Dakota came out with their heads on fire probably fresh off a chewing in the locker room. Michigan was literally scrambling on defense for the entire first half of the 2nd period and somehow stalemated North Dakota through a combination of timely blocked shots, deflections and HUNWICK.

It also wasn't hard to see how good North Dakota is--a ton of guys with speed, size and superior puck handling ability. They dictated tempo virtually the entire game, and as Puck Daddy says, "NoDak produces with distressing frequency, as the bigger, stronger, faster, skillsier Sioux dictated pace and tone from the outset." Michigan had to fight off plenty of penalty minutes in the 1st period which I think strangely gave them some quiet confidence they could defend even short-handed. This assurance came back and helped during the 3rd period when an untimely holding call under 10 minutes put Michigan on "one last stand" mode. Also, HUNWICK.

Lastly, my remaining thoughts on the game can be summed up by this tweet:

I don't know what it is about hockey but watching it gives me ulcers. It is constant anxiety, "blind terror", tension and misery all balled up into one and tossed around seemingly casually on the ice. Football and hoops have their moments but hockey is on a different--not necessarily higher, just different--level. I freak out when the puck isn't held in their zone long enough, I really freak out when a deflection doesn't go our way between the blue lines and I'm basically this guy when the puck is anywhere close to our net:

... massaging the headache that I can literally feel forming as I'm watching. Maybe it was the nature of this particular game that made me poop my pants like 17 times but I'm thankful I have today off to rest before tomorrows final. I'm going to need it. Go Blue.

Blog Update: Summer Contributor

2011-04-07T12:16:00.004-05:00

7:30pm ET, ESPN2

WOOOOO a lot happening on the ground like scoreboards and schedules; Lion Kim in the Masters and Frozen Four; Borges' shotgun quotes and LEVITICUS PAYNE. While the Frozen Four is a legitimate reason to be excited tonight (and I hope you are watching the Masters for reasons other than Lion Kim), the unscratchable itch remains college football. I'm twiddling my thumbs like you probably are.

In the meantime, I know this off-season will have its usual mix of questionably relevant news: recruiting, Hoke MANquotes and other various Michigan football items that will cause me to twitch post. The Tressel stuff, as most of you can see, really intrigues me not only because it has to do with Michigan's biggest rival, but also because it features a battle between two monster institutions and their egos: the stubbornness of Ohio State to keep Tressel and lost-soul-but-I-may-get-pissed-and-drop-the-hammer complex of the NCAA Committee of Infractions to twist their arm enough to fire him. I hope the latter wins.

Posting should remain light and sporadic throughout the summer which I am told is the worst idea ever to keep a blog up and running. So I'm asking for a summer contributor (email: metsmaize@gmail.com), like what Mike does in the fall, who's interested in writing for the blog. This should hopefully be a good way to keep the volume at a decent level. As far as content, I'm open to suggestions, but it should center mostly around baseball and/or college football. Of course, random rants and thoughtful comments on major headlines across sports are always welcome. You do not have to be Asian like Mike (he's actually white, it all makes sense now) and I.

I realize there is very little direction to this blog but I plan on continuing half-assing this thing until it becomes something or nothing. In the meantime, thanks for reading, really. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Go Blue.

Will The Real Champions Please Stand Up?

2011-04-04T16:05:00.003-05:00

They are right in front of you.

Tonight's winner are National Champions. Period.

The National Championship Game tonight features two highly unlikely opponents who had to break a bunch of records just to be there. This is true because I've been reading about them all day via Jay Bilas' tweets: no #1 or #2 seeds since before you were born (guaranteed!), most combined losses (18) in a championship game, most losses by the eventual champion (9)--all of which basically can be summed up into: "OMG these teams somehow made it which is sweet because it proves how unpredictable and exciting this tournament is--we love that, let's be clear--but I can't get rid of this evil feeling that they aren't truly the best teams."

Death to ankle, by Kemba Walker

This overreaction has sparked some quiet debate about ways to improve the best tournament in all of sports, as if an outlier year provides sufficient evidence to shake up the entire system. Suggestions like reseeding, which would completely ruin the bracket concept, and even a BCS-like system, because everybody loves that, have been thrown into the mix. This is what happens when too many brackets have been busted and your annoying friend goes: "well if Kansas/Duke/Pitt/Ohio State played each of these teams like 10 times, they'd like win at least 7 times dude."

What we preach--scratch that, demand--so often from college athletes is consistent excellence. And then we place them in a world where consistency is so often out of their control, where static results are manipulated by the dynamics of perception. Through the course of any long season, whether it be a 12-game football season or 30-some game basketball season, so many factors come into play that can either increase or decrease the value of a win or a loss. For example, you have fans rooting for the most random team in the most random conference only because they are three degrees away to bump your RPI or make your quality win that much better from a game that mattered little at the time. To teleport that win into the present, without regard to team chemistry, momentum, injuries and a myriad of other factors, speaks to how easily rating systems can misjudge teams. Neither UConn nor UK were the same teams when they played each other back on November 24, 2010. Do you think we've been watching the same VCU team who lost to a 12-19 Georgia St. on January 3rd? Shelvin Mack shot 19% from behind the arc through a 5-game stretch in January. Disqualify him!

Matt Howard wants it more than you do.

What teams can control is what's directly in front of them: 40 minutes of hardwood against a singular opponent and no excuses. We demand that the best basketball be played in March and that is exactly what UConn and Butler (and UK and VCU) have done. To criticize their worthiness in a championship game because of less consistent regular season play is the height of hypocrisy as fans. This is exactly why a post-season tournament was created: to seed teams based on the regular season yet put every team in a position to win it all if they give us their best basketball NOW. Whoever wins tonight has accomplished that mission to perhaps its most absolute and purest form, and should be celebrated for doing so as unquestioned national champions.

OMG The Mets

2011-03-31T14:56:00.008-05:00

Well this is awkward. I hope you enjoy the pictures at least.

Aside from my Cliff-Lee-to-the-Phillies-DIEEEE post a few months back, I've basically ignored not only the Mets, but all of sports outside Michigan athletics. I've sort of come to realize that my blogging priorities, or whenever I have something to say, remains mostly relevant to Michigan; not to mention my readership falls into 2 distinct categories: close friends and a decidedly larger group of MGoUsers who accidentally, and perhaps regretfully, click on Brian's generous links. And though my rooting interests go 1A Michigan football, 1B Mets followed by some weird combo of Michigan hoops, Jets, Nets, Devils, Tiger-related golf, tennis majors and yes, NASCAR, I know nobody truely gives a shit about my teams.

So even on Opening Day, I feel pretty ambivalent. And slightly depressed. Is this what it's like to be a Pirates fan? Even if Wright stays motivated, Pagan stays healthy and Reyes puts up 2006 leadoff numbers, an "overperforming" Mets team will still probably land somewhere between 3rd and 4th place in the NL East. I mean, Brad Emaus is our 2B and that's only after Luis Castillo was cut during spring, and then again by the Phillies. I'm so glad he hit in our 2 spot for like 3 years.

Anyway, there are some interesting things to watch for this season. Jason Bay and Johan Santana, two of the highest paid players on the roster starting the season on the DL, will try to bounce back after season-ending injuries last year. Carlos Beltran's knee may decide to function properly--you never know. Obviously under new management, GM Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins will have a different feel to how the team is run. The ongoing Madoff Ponzi scheme settlements from owner Jeff Wilpon's bleeding bank account should provide a nice backdrop throughout the season. And of course, Mike Pelfrey, RA Dickey and Ike Davis are all looking to build on their surprisingly positive performances last year.

If you think about it, like really really hard while ignoring reality, there is upside to this team. In fact, one can argue there is nothing but upside as expectations--even for the Mets--are at an all-time low. On paper, this team has a chance to compete if healthy. Then again, we've been great on paper for years and none of that has translated on to the field. But the Mets do have a dangerous lineup that can score some runs: great speed at the top in Reyes/Pagan/Wright, potential switch-hitting power in the middle in Beltran and if Bay gets going, and some youth--Ike Davis will hit 6th after hitting cleanup most of last year--to round out the bottom. Just, you know, don't look at the pitching staff or anything.

As for posting, I'm sure I'll chime in slash rant about the Mets at some point during the dog days of summer but topics will continue to be heavily concentrated on Michigan. If this trend continues into next football season, the blog name will change into something different. Something fancy. Like really fancy. You'll see.

Sooner or Later

2011-03-28T13:10:00.002-05:00

It's the off-season so I'm allowed.

Via Detroit News

Rich Rodriguez will find another job in college football. It clearly won't be this year, that's what being fired on January 4th will do to you. But any defensive coordinator who has coached against Rodriguez, and has therefore probably woken up sweating in the middle of the night at some point, can probably vouch for him as an offensive genius. If you vet him a bit further, you'll find that he received a raw deal in Ann Arbor and all signs still point to him being a great coach. The man has played and coached college football for just under 30 years now. So it's not that surprising when he shows up at Oklahoma's spring practice next to Bob Stoops wearing Crimson and Cream.

While many of his assistants have found jobs elsewhere, Rodriguez has kept a low profile since getting canned by Dave Brandon. He made a quick television appearance on National Signing Day, during which he had to awkwardly talk to Brady Hoke about a class he helped put together, but has been largely absent otherwise. Meanwhile, Hokeamania is in full effect in Ann Arbor. I mean for all that Rodriguez hasn't been able to accomplish against Ohio State, Hoke has taken down Jim Tressel without ever having to even play him on the field!

With Michigan picking up 2 football recruits, 2 basketball recruits and a spot in the Frozen Four this weekend, things certainly seem on the upswing for Michigan athletics--if not, by default. Tressel's debacle epitomizes the importance of timing: What if Tatgate had been caught sooner and those 5 ineligible players, including Pryor, had been suspended for the Michigan game? What if Rodriguez picked up an 8th regular season win and finally got over the Ohio State hump? What if, what if, what if.

Use your head Rodriguez! You have to mindfuck Tressel.

Rodriguez is no longer associated with Michigan anymore but that doesn't mean he's not still on the radar for many fans, including myself, at least until the Wolverines hit the field again. Even considering the "what ifs", I ultimately agree with the decision to fire him minus "The Process". The one major lesson I've learned from the Hoke hire is that seemingly superficial qualities like coachspeak and lineage matters at Michigan, for better or worse. If you don't believe in this, you are fighting an infinitely tall uphill battle that will eventually lead to having your Wolverinism questioned. The "intangibles" as prerequisites for a Michigan coach are real, as Brian @ mgoblog vents:

"This is a real skill the last three years have shown is way more important than you'd think. It's a relief when every press conference is Hoke being gently tickled on the belly and fed peeled grapes, and telling everyone you're establishing a mindset of toughness is fine. It's something that will help the program in the long run.

As long as you don't believe yourself. It won't help as much as winning a crapton of games, and even if the defense gets vastly better the best way to do that next year is to have an offense that puts up points, and the best way to do that is to very gently shift the offense towards your long term vision while still keeping Denard in the Heisman race."

I think the culture at Michigan will change eventually but it will take a few more examples of successful hybrid offensives deployed in the Midwest and a lot more bowl losses. What Meyer has done with Tebow, Brown with Young, or even Chizek with Newton has proven that you can't ignore overwhelming, dual-threat talent at the most important position in all of sports. These players exist, whether you like it or not, and until you adapt your offensive playbook to match their potential, they will give you ever reason to do so by, you know, scoring on every possession. Michigan was not ready for Rodriguez the same way Rodriguez was not ready for Michigan; the shock value in that amount of change requires a few more wins and a lot more patience to be considered a success. But with Denard around for two more years, Hoke/Mattison have an opportunity to transition Michigan (and Michigan fans) and show what can happen with one foot down on defense and the other foot adjusting to the personnel that led the nation in 10 drives of 85+ yards for TDs.

Rodriguez obviously won't be part of Stoops' staff for the 2011 season (though it's intriguing because following the departure of Kevin Wilson to be Indiana's new head coach, Stoops promoted Josh Heupal and Jay Norvell as co-offensive coordinators instead of an outside hire), but it sure wouldn't hurt to pick his brain or add few wrinkles to the playbook. Rodriguez is and should be still respected among college football coaches. People know it's only a matter of time before another program snatches him up to run the reins. He probably will have a chance in 2012 to coach a Big East or ACC school--a more "comfortable fit"--but I hope he takes another shot at Midwest football. Michigan may have returned to something we're more comfortable with, but Rodriguez could challenge himself to make the splash he never got the chance to make in Ann Arbor. Don't get me wrong: I hope Michigan never loses to Rodriguez but something tells me we'll see him again on the opposite sideline. And when that day comes, Michigan will either be glad of what we've left behind or find out what we're truly missing.

The Trifecta

2011-03-25T19:51:00.001-05:00

What a way to start the weekend for Michigan fans:

Michigan Football picked up their first 2012 recruit: 3-star OL Ben Braden. He was also offered by Wisconsin. This is good.
Michigan Basketball picked up a serviceable big man, their 3rd 2011 recruit: 6'8" Max Bielfeldt. Think a taller Zack Novak. Bielfeldt chose between Michigan and Illinois, FWIW.
Michigan Hockey just won their first round game against Nebraska-Omaha, 3-2 OT after literally a 10 minute review by officials on the final goal. Thank god they took their time because they made the right call.

As always, thank you Brady Hoke for everything.

RAGE.

This Is What Happens When A Full Blown Cover Up Gets Blown Up

2011-03-25T14:52:00.001-05:00

Nod if you think Jim Tressel should be fired.

OH NOES Gene Smith, buts he did! That's what accidentally nodding in the affirmative (doh!) before being interrupted and citing "ongoing investigation" (or in Ohio State's case, a 3-hour chat at Gee's house) does to you. And according to DocSat, "A little more than two weeks later, the Dispatch has the answer [of who Tressel forwarded the emails to] through open records requests." That man is none other than Ted Sarniak, father, mentor, glassmaker extraordinaire and convenient Corvette owner.

As Brian @ mgoblog points out, this "doesn't help any case they're [Ohio State] going to try to make about the emails not being credible or Tressel not taking them seriously or forgetting about them." Tressel knew what was up, including and especially the gravity of the situation. As it turns out, he DID let somebody know only that it wasn't his boss or his boss' boss or a compliance officer or a lawyer (after all, it was a "federal, criminal drug-trafficking case"). And now the million dollar question: If Tressel claims to have not wanted to "interfere with a federal investigation", then why did he privately forward the email to perhaps the only man who could unofficially influence Pryor, and thereby interfering with the case, to stop what he's doing or at least make sure none of this falls back on Tressel and the program.

What seemed to be an isolated incident about a couple of players wanting to make a few extra bucks has officially erupted into a complete full blown cover up, starting all the way at the top: Tressel. At this point, Tressel literally has nowhere else to hide. His now-empty comments over the last few weeks, whether it be at the original press conference on March 8th, the alumni/booster speaking events he has done or his "public apology" and feeble request for an extended suspension, have made this all the more hypocritical and damning. As it turns out, The Senator is indeed a politician, digging himself deeper with each lie.

Each headline Jim Tressel makes has been worse than the last. If he's looking for an out, there's only one more to make: his resignation.

Hoops, Tressel and Vinopal

2011-03-24T13:45:00.001-05:00

you are this excited I am back

Welcome back to me, though posting will continue to be fairly light until football--games, not practice--rolls around. I can only talk so long about subjects I'm vaguely familiar with. Maybe I'll do a hockey preview for this Friday. OK, maybe not.

(I'm also still debating whether I will even mention the Mets this summer. You know: the team that supposedly half this blog is dedicated to and is actually part of the blog name. Ollie!)

HOOPS. I finally got around to reading some of the post-tourney reactions and I'm generally in agreement: it's as comforting of a loss, or "moral victory", as you'll see. Hanging with a #1 Duke team that is older, taller and just flat out better at every position is pretty incredible considering this team was tied with a 1-6 Indiana for last place in the Big Ten not too long ago. The "Baby Blues" certainly went through growing pains this season but all those tough non-conference games helped them mature quicker to make an improbable 9-4 run to finish the Big Ten season. Duke was essentially the 5th time Michigan played a "#1 team" (Kansas, Ohio State x3) and Beilein, who had to fight off hot seat talk mid-season, has proved he can coach up a team to outperform.

After watching the last play, I heard some criticism thrown at Morris for not kicking it to Stu in the corner or Hardaway Jr. on the far-side; that's stupid. Granted, down 2 with potential looks for a 3 to beat #1 seed Duke in regulation and get to the Sweet 16 is probably the better play but you can't fault Morris for taking that shot. He made a much tougher layup just a possession before and Duke was playing soft to avoid the foul. It was an open look and I rather see a shot go up than Stu fumbling it or something as time expires. A bit ironic that so many of Morris' layups dance above the rim before falling; he didn't deserve to have that one hit back iron.

As for next season, a combination of expecting this team to take the proverbial leap and the rest of the Big Ten seeing their players either graduate or declare for the draft has Michigan projected to contend for a Big Ten title. Certainly many signs point to that, and there's hasn't been a Michigan team in awhile where I've been this excited to see them all return, but there are a lot of good coaches in the Big Ten who are capable of pulling a Beilein next season: Hummel is coming back for Painter, Izzo won't have back-to-back seasons like last, and Bo Ryan continues to be underrated no matter how far he takes Wisconsin. Michigan will be expected to win a lot of games next year and that mentality is much different, not to mention something we haven't experienced for some time. Next season will hinge on 3 things, IMO: 1) avoiding injuries 2) Morgan's ability to stay out of foul trouble 3) Smotrycz's development at the 4. Of course, THJr. and Morris need to continue to improve but Michigan does not take the next step as a team until the front court can matchup with other bigs. I mean, this needs to stop at some point for us to see the Sweet 16:

hands up!

TRESSEL. Again, old news: Tressel "voluntarily" added 3 more games to his suspension to match his ineligbile players and explained, and I quote: "Like my players, I am very sorry for the mistakes I made. I request of the university that my sanctions now include five games so that the players and I can handle this adversity together.” This may sound warm and fuzzy but to me Tressel is equating what he did to what his players did, which are not even close to the same thing. Coaches should and will always be held at a higher standard. Not only did Tressel tolerate his players' infractions but covered them up to the NCAA. There is a hierarchy at work here putting the head coach of a major program at the same level as his player doesn't exactly scream "institutional control".

something, something, standards, something

I think the thing that bothers me most about this is the way Ohio State is blatantly trying to reframe the violations, or sweep it under the rug altogether. As a Michigan fan, I'm laughing at their stupidity but as a college football fan, I'm blown away at how poorly it has been handled. The presser was hastily put together (backlash) and Tressel's attempt correct it by upping his game-day only suspension by 3 games (more backlash) seems transparently naive. The NCAA Committee of Infractions will rule based on the bylaws themselves but I'm hoping it takes the multiple slaps to the face by OSU into consideration. Bruce Pearl just got fired for similar, if not lesser, offenses. Ohio State needs to decide whether they should cut Tressel loose and mitigate the institutional damage or roll the dice with Tressel and take everything that's coming. It seems Gee/Smith have decided the latter, but when they cry foul to the public of what will inevitably be harsh penalties from the NCAA, they will be hard pressed to find sympathy.

VINOPAL. Gone, sadface. [Insert multiple jokes here].

Let's be honest: when Mattison was hired, there were a couple of GERG starters we knew had the most to lose and Vinopal probably tops that list. With Woolfolk back healthy, Carvin/Marvin/Furman in the mix and Vinopal's limited physical abilities, the position would have been a wide-open competition this spring. From a performance standpoint at FS next year, I don't think losing Vinopal matters much. You can't even count last year as "experience"--experience at being a bad player on a terrible defense?

Having said that, it's both sad and fitting to see Vinopal go. He did what he could under the circumstances and wore the winged helmet with pride, and for that I will be forever grateful. He'll always have that tackle against Illinois or that pick against BGSU, which Brian @ mgoblog called something to the effect of the best play a Michigan FS has made in years. Truth. But Vinopal leaving is also another notch on Hoke's belt to rid whatever RichRod left behind, representative of their polar opposite philosophies and approach. Vinopal was a 2-star "find" from Ohio; we called him "gritty" and hoped for the best. This is not a good approach to defense. Do you think Vinopal would have gotten gotten the time of day with Hoke/Mattison on the recruiting trail? Him leaving, and more to follow this spring, symbolizes a shift back to Michigan being Michigan, for better or worse. This is the type of attrition nobody really complains about, perhaps rightfully so, but RichRod would have heard something even if he lost a water boy.

=]

2011-03-19T23:23:00.000-05:00

Still traveling... but just checking in.

Hi.

Wooo, Balls, Huh, Jalen

2011-03-14T01:00:00.000-05:00

I'm just going to...

So, to recap:

Illinois win - wooo!
OSU loss - balls.
8th seed - huh?
Fab Five - Jalen!

... keep putting up ...

There's really no point in re-hashing Illinois and Ohio State; Michigan proved themselves to be a solid 4th-5th place Big Ten team, consistently losing to the conference elite (0-6 against OSU, Purdue, Wisco), splitting Illinois and sweeping former bubble teams (4-0 against MSU, PSU). I was skeptical that the Big Ten would manage to get 7 teams but Penn State's unlikely run to the conference championship put their resume on par with MSU and Illinois. Who knew Michigan would be the least likely to sweat it out among the 4 9-9 conference record teams on Selection Sunday?

... Fab Five photos.

Previews against the Orange Jacket will probably start popping up as soon as Tuesday. I don't mind the matchup but how the hell are we an 8th seed? I think neither us nor the Vols have seen a team like the other in conference play. Obviously, Tennessee's length and athleticism is a cause of concern but you can say that about pretty much any team Michigan goes up against. File this matchup under discipline vs. talent, if you want. Let's hope Bruce Pearl does something stupid.

Lastly, I don't think I need to remind anybody who reads this blog to watch ESPN's 'Fab Five' documentary. I'm a huge fan of the 30 for 30 series and obviously this one caught my eye when the promos started a month ago. Bias aside it was, in a word, badass. Other words include engaging, entertaining, thoughtful, emotional, educational and not overstated. Chris Webber's absence was certainly noticeable though, and unfortunately put director Jason Hehir at a considerable disadvantage to cover all the angles and topics to really bring it home. Still, it met the hype--Jalen especially with some well-delivered lines and great perspective. Best part for me was when Jimmy and Jalen described their feelings on Grant Hill, Christian Laettner and Duke in general. Suck it, Duke.

All and all, a great weekend for Blue. I will be traveling this week so posting will be a little lighter. I'm sure I'll chime in some time before Friday's game (12:40pm, truTV). I may or may not, but probably will, be drunk.

Behind the Scenes in Columbus

2011-03-11T10:22:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Day 3 of the Columbus Circus!

Michiganzone.net

So not much is happening on the ground, officially at least. No response to the debacle presser, no fun Terrelle Pryor tweets (<3 Wetzel) for his always-entertaining, never-helpful opinion. This means Ohio State probably realized they do more harm than good to themselves by opening their mouth. That doesn't mean, however, that the plot hasn't thickened over the last 72 hours with more leaked news: a former Buckeye player tipped off Tressel in April (oops), all the emails are out and Ohio State officials initially considered suspending Tressel for the spring and then said, "NAHHHHHH". Here's to you, NCAA Committee of Infractions.

Naturally, this has been incredibly entertaining to watch unfold as a Michigan fan. If you want a more behind the scenes look, just check out MZone's exclusive first draft of the OSU letter to the NCAA and Off Tackle Empire's documented conversation between Smith, Gee and Tressel. Having a little fun at OSU's expense is what it's all about.

On the more serious front, Brian @ mgoblog opined and we listened. The most damning part of all this, if you are Tressel, is not so much Tatgate itself, which alone warrants heavier sanctions than what Ohio State self-imposed, but his previous 375 cases now in full view, ready to be re-investigated and thrown back into the public eye. This was more than just an isolated incident, it was systemic failure. And now there's documented proof that Tressel didn't just tolerate violations, he orchestrated them himself. As Chris @ BWS points out, "Tressel finally got caught with his hand in the cookie jar he's so frequently dipped into."

Where do we go from here? This is about to legal real fast. Off Tackle Empire has a great post breaking down some of the legal issuesTressel will inevitably try to skirt when the NCAA comes knocking. Though eleven of twelve coaches who violated the same bylaw Tressel did either resigned or got fired, you can bet Gee/Smith will hang on to him for dear life. Most agree that this has been a gross and egregious miscalculation on the part of Ohio State officials and more sanctions are coming. But how much further will the NCAA go? My guess/suggestion, after all the appeals:

Wins Vacated: 11. All of 2010. Big Ten title and Sugar Bowl with ineligible players, namely their QB.
Games Suspended: 5. Match the players. If there's any justice, more than 1 Big Ten game.
Years of Bowl Ban: 1. Payback for Tressel explicitly allowing his players to play in the bowl.
Years of Probation: 3. Arbitrary but this has to be somewhere north of 2.
Scholarships Lost: 5. For 2-3 years. Something tangible to tack on through the probation.
Additional Fines: $0. NCAA doesn't want to focus on money when Tressel makes $3.5 million/year.

Last but not least, take a bow Brady Hoke. Since coming to Ann Arbor, you have now successfully taken down MSU hoops and OSU football. And you haven't even held a single practice! I can't say this with certainty yet, but I'm pretty sure Michigan is about to win every National Championship in every sport for the next 14 years. Make it 15, for Greg Mattison's 75th birthday.

O-H, HELL-NO

2011-03-09T12:44:00.006-06:00

This is far from over.

So this happened and I'm no expert but I don't think it was received as well as they had hoped. In response to recent allegations, Ohio State hastily put together a press conference yesterday to address whether Jim Tressel did in fact know about the gear scheme back in April. Following Standard Operating Procedure of any big time program, they brought out the brass to show just how serious they were about any potential NCAA infractions: complete with president Gordon Gee, AD Gene Smith and of course head coach Jim Tressel. When it started, I was expecting a steady stream of generic and empty statements--maybe some vague acknowledgement that possible violations had occurred, an uninspiring declaration of an internal investigation, full cooperation with the NCAA (as if there was any other kind), and so on and so forth. Basically, saying all the right things and hoping people will eventually forget. None of this happened.

what? no sweater vest?

Instead, Ohio State went for the jugular and boy did they miss. They moved swiftly yet overaggressively to "self-report" violations that Charles Robinson and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports already reported the day before. If you squint really hard, you can maybe see why they would choose such a bold course: control the issue from the start, gain credibility by seeming proactive, exude confidence in their ability to handle the situation, show support for their beloved head coach, expel any rumors of termination, calm the masses. But none of these things came through. They were, in a word, unapologetic. Gee appeared insincere, Smith seemed weak and Tressel... well, Tressel pretty much talked himself into circles until, perhaps unknowingly, admitted even more wrongdoing. Cap it off with a not-so-well-thought-out punishment of a 2-game suspension and a $250,000 fine and you have perhaps one of the least successful press conferences ever. I can't help but think Ohio State just did themselves more harm than good by holding one at all.

When it finally finished, 3 things immediately stood out to me:

Gee/Smith have grossly underestimated the severity of this violation.
Tressel was ill prepared to handle questions, more evidence this was rushed.
Damn you "The Process" but holy crap, thank you Dave Brandon.

I mean, this doesn't exactly scream "thorough":

Ohio State president Gordon Gee said he and Tressel had discussed the violation at Gee's house for 3 hours one night. Gee also said he had not considered dismissing the Buckeyes coach. "No, are you kidding?" he said with a laugh. "Let me be very clear. I'm just hoping the coach doesn't dismiss me."

3 hours? You talked for 3 whole hours, slept on it, self-imposed a few sanctions and called it a day? This is your idea of investigating what the NCAA considers perhaps the most serious violation any coach can make? How could you "consider" dismissing Tressel, there wasn't enough time! And laughing, yes, laughing it off helps: making a joke is exactly what the NCAA wants to hear or see when dealing with a cover up. The president of the university is more worried about being fired by the head football coach--hahaha--good one. What a great example of leadership and university priorities.

Tressel sure takes care of his players

As for Tressel, he was apparently "scared" like the Boogieman was after him. Don't worry though, he choked up (I really wish he held it for 30 seconds like A-Rod) so you better not question his sincerity. Except for the fact that he knowingly allowed players cited in an investigation to play the entire 2010 season. If you thought allowing Pryor and company to play in the Sugar Bowl was bad when the story first broke in January, what do you think of Tressel now? All that bull about suspending 5 players for 5 games to "teach them a lesson" by forcing them to come back--like that's not self-serving or anything--looks that much worse now. Knowledge is power and Tressel abused it, pure and simple.

It gets worse. That he "didn't know what to do" is hardly an excuse and quite frankly in direct contradiction of any head coach's most fundamental responsibility (just ask Bruce Pearl). That's a response maybe acceptable for a graduate assistant, not the leader of an entire program. Tressel is employed specifically to always know what to do, or at least who to contact. How about that compliance team you speak so highly of? Or a 2L would have done it too. Instead, Tressel was more worried that sitting eligible players would raise a "whole new set of questions." You mean the whole set of questions being asked now? And there's more coming.

For Michigan fans, it's obviously hard not to compare how RichRod's ordeal was handled to whatever this is, and then be immediately thankful that Dave Brandon exists. In the aftermath of a wildly biased and inaccurate article by the Detroit Free Press, Michigan was found guilty of stretching too much. But Dave Brandon, like any good athletic director should do, showed tremendous leadership by taking the reins and guiding Michigan through a 6-month investigative gauntlet. He answered questions like a political ninja, hired a third-party independent firm to couple with an internal investigation, and reported back to the committee of infractions with a comprehensive review and self-imposed penalities in line with the violations and precedent. This was for stretching. The NCAA ended up adding 1 measily probation year and agreed to take away some of the most damaging charges--something unheard of in terms of appeal. Gordon Gee had a 3-hour chat (was Smith present during the chat at least?) and came away with "Tressel should sit Akron and Toledo next year".

I can't help but wonder what the hell Gordon/Gee/Tressel are thinking this morning but their arrogance at the presser suggests they may not know what's up the creek. Tressel is looking at having all of his 2010 wins taken away, possible suspension for at least half of next season, multiple years of post-season ban and several more for probation. And this seems to be the baseline that most analysts, like Bruce Feldman who graded Ohio State with an F, are suggesting. If 5 players get 5 games for taking part in a scandal, how does it make sense for the coach covering up the scandal to get less? If Tressel is naive enough to think this will and should go away, he deserves what's coming: the hammer.

Bubbling

2011-03-08T11:48:00.013-06:00

If you haven't already done so, go visit Dylan @ umhoops and check out this must-read bubble talk interview with Crashing The Dance's Andy Cox. It pretty much goes over everything you need to know in terms of Michigan's tourney chances, including relevant and interesting historical perspective. Until Illinois this Friday, we are reduced to watching mid-major conference championships unfold and hoping that only a few bids get stolen. It happens every year but the more available at-large bids, the better.

I thought Dylan's best questions pertained to how the committee compares in-conference head-to-head matchups, of which Michigan has done well going 4-1 against the other 3 9-9 teams (Michigan State, Penn State and Illinois) for a #4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, to the superficially important Top 50 RPI "signature" win category that only includes Harvard, RPI #35. The last question is both painfully ironic and telling of just how precarious Michigan's position is:

Q: Michigan lacks the top 50 wins – just Michigan State (2x) and Harvard – but the Wolverines have beaten a number of teams on and around the bubble. How many “good” top 100-ish wins does a team need to make up for the lack of signature wins?

A: When I added having 7 or more RPI top 100 wins to the above criteria, the result was 24 total teams, 18 of which were at-large selections. The problem with binning win/loss totals into 1-25, 26-50, etc. is that it loses some of the subtlety that the committee certainly investigates, especially with the last few at-large teams. A win over RPI #55 goes into the same bin as a win over #95, but it’s obviously a better win.

That also explains some of the odd movement you’ll see in the model. This actually happened from Sunday to Monday with Michigan. Michigan State was just inside the top 50, so Michigan’s two wins over the Spartans counted as top 50 wins. On Monday, the Spartans slipped just a few spots outside the top 50, which cost Michigan two of its three top 50 wins. For bubble teams, that could make all the difference.

Oddly enough, this is exactly why we were rooting for Michigan State against Iowa just a week before: so they can tread above the top 50 RPI, even if momentarily, until Saturday's game against us. Now that we've season-swept Sparty, it seems we've also hurt their resume enough so to come back and hurt ours. Sweet.

Morris and Hardaway received Big Ten All-Conference Awards this week

Resumes are always filled with rankings and statistics and numbers, but it's important to remember--or at least hope--that the committee will dissect quality wins (or quality losses) more carefully than just lumping records into large categories. As Andy points out above: "The problem with binning win/loss totals into 1-25, 26-50, etc. is that it loses some of the subtlety that the committee certainly investigates, especially with the last few at-large teams." Michigan is currently the definition of "the last few at-large teams", so let's hope the committee recognizes Michigan's 8 wins against RPI top 67 teams than, say, casually considering 9 wins over RPI top 100 teams.

The bottom line is that everybody is trying to answer an unanswerable question this week, much like the one being asked during football's off-season: "Brady Hoke + Denard = ???" That is: Does Michigan need to beat Illinois to get in? Trying to answer that on a Tuesday is silly, the same way it's pointless rationalizing how Denard will fit into a new offensive scheme without watching a single practice. We do know that, generally, winning helps. Beat Illinois and Michigan should breathe easier. Lose and we deserve to sweat on Selection Sunday.

We R Who We R

2011-03-06T18:20:00.006-06:00

That's right. Ke$ha. Dollar sign and everything.

I have no idea where to put my finger on this team and I don't really care. In fact, I kind of like it. I can't remember a time when I was so nervous before a game yet laughed almost the entire way through. Novak to the hole? BLOCK hahaha. Stu breakaway layup? BLOCK hahaha. Smotrycz coast-to-coast? BUCKETS hahaha. Vogrich grabbing a board? NO PROBLEM hahaha. Oh and somewhere in there, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 2nd half points to make sure Michigan came out on top, 70-63. Obviously, Brady Hoke deserves a ton of credit.

What can you say? Michigan just got it done. Somehow, some way they got it done. That doesn't exactly make up for the last uhhh 2-13 years (?) but it's certainly refreshing to see. The fun side of me wants to concentrate only on season-sweeping Sparty (and maybe trash talk a little about moving the needle away from our bubble and closer to theirs). But the more serious side of me is trying to make sense of what the hell just happened over the last few weeks. This used to be a 1-6 Big Ten team, spiraling out of control and screaming "YOUTH" the whole way down. Whispers of whether Beilein was the right man for the job grew louder by the day. Then, and now in hindsight almost fittingly, Michigan faced the Spartans at the Breslin Center. We were supposed to be their stopper. As it turns out, they were ours.

The rest, as they say, is history. Michigan went on to win 8 out of their next 11 games and none bigger than yesterday's victory to really cap it off. Call it what you want--full circle, redemption--but this Michigan team is not the same team that started the season. It's not even the same team that played Michigan State on January 27th. Throughout the course of this improbable run, the thing that stood out most was how quickly the "Baby Blues" embraced their youth and grew up together. And all of it was on display yesterday: Smotrycz taking ownership of his new role at the 5, the emergence of Tim Hardaway Jr. (showing why he won 3 consecutive Big Ten freshman of the week awards), the leadership (and left hand) of Darius Morris, Morgan's ever-important paint presence and, well, Novak being Novak--some things don't change. For such a young team to hang their hat on defense and grind out a win is extremely impressive. Don't forget that Michigan never trailed; the team always responded. Boy, that's fun to say.

So now, after weeks worth of constantly re-lowering expectations back down to the NIT and pessimistic people, myself included, throwing caution in the wind, Michigan has officially earned a .500 record in the nation's best conference. They may have not won the "Race to 9", if you will, but they completed it. Perhaps most importantly, Michigan is one of the few Big Ten bubble teams actually finishing their season strong; sweeps over Penn State and Michigan State have helped Michigan jump from a 7 seed to a 4 seed in the Big Ten tournament, which includes a first round bye. Tourney talk is officially legitimate and warranted.

No extensive recap of the game today except for a few notes: 1) Outside of Kalin Lucas, Michigan State is not very good. As fun as this win was, we still haven't beaten anybody good. 2) Stu had a rough game, especially rotating on defense, but all is forgiven since we won and the huge 3 he made against Sparty earlier in the year. 3) OK, Who had Smotrycz as Michigan's leading scorer going into the half? He heat-checked himself! You know things are going well if Smotrycz is heat-checking himself. 4) Lucas vs. Hardaway Jr. was so fun to watch in the 2nd half. 5) Michigan still scares the hell out of me on the free throw line and during end-game situations, especially in-bounding the ball.

I will say that the biggest series in the game happened with 5 minutes left when Michigan State pulled within 2, 56-54. Hardaway Jr. and Morgan executed their once-a-game, wide-open, pick-and-roll dunk. Lucas came down and got called for a blatant push-off foul (as Mike put it: "you are not Jordan") on Vogrich and Hardaway Jr. went back down the court, attacked the rim and muscled his way for another 2. 4 points, lead back up to 6, 60-54, and Michigan regained the breathing room to play loose for the final few minutes.

With Ohio State beating the crap out of Wisconsin and Penn State edging out Minnesota today, which is more relevant since that makes 4 9-9 Big Ten teams, the Men's Tourney Bracket is officially set and has been released. Here it is:

We have the rest of the week to talk about all the scenarios that can and will affect Michigan's tourney chances: the biggest question being whether we can afford a loss to Illinois and still get in. It's always important to remember that upsets in mid-major conference tournaments greatly influence how many bubble teams end up getting bids. For now, let's enjoy that we're in the conversation and appreciate how the youngest team in the Big Ten ended up finishing 4th in the conference. Who knew? As Ke$ha would say: "we're dancing like we're dumb."

.500

2011-03-05T15:23:00.002-06:00

9-9 CONFERENCE NEVER FELT SO GOOD!!

First, a tribute to a 6'4" white boy who somehow managed to get Draymond Green fouled out:

And of course, do the Dougie:

WOOOOOO GO BLUE!

Go Blue, Wear Maize and YELL A LOT

2011-03-03T13:04:00.007-06:00

gem from 2007

As most of you can tell, I've abandoned football over the last few weeks since there is literally no news worth reporting or commenting on until spring practice starts. Most of the speculation regarding the impact of weight changes or position switches is exactly that: speculation. The truth is Hoke/Mattison have no idea what they are dealing with until these guys hit the field in practice, which starts in just over 2 weeks on March 19th. And if they don't have a clue, us fans and bloggers certainly don't. But we still like to swing our imaginary bats in the air. It's what we do.

If you are scouring for opinions, you'll find that the RichRod Debate That Won't Die won't die. I like Maize N' Brew a lot and read it consistently, but I just don't see the point of an extensive series on rehashing Rodriguez's tenure. The rest of us on the sidelines have taken the bait because, well, it's the off-season and football is always on our minds. As a once-upon-a-time RichRod supporter, even I'm done with it until he gets a job and is back on the college football landscape. Blogs dedicated to his defense like In Rod We Trust (who I really hope will start a new blog called "Hoke Eternal Spring") have put the issue to bed. It's time for the rest of us to do the same.

In the meantime, something tangible and real is happening: Michigan State vs. Michigan this Saturday. I'm sure you'll find an extensive preview by Tim @ mgoblog and Dylan @ umhoops tomorrow that I probably can't add much more to. A Maize Out has been scheduled. The game is sold out. It is a big deal. So the only thing I have to say is...

GO BLUE
WEAR MAIZE
AND YELL A LOT

If you are anywhere within driving distance of Ann Arbor, try to get tickets and go to the game. Go Blue, Wear Maize and YELL A LOT. If you can't get tickets to the game, pregame with people who are going to the game. Go Blue, Wear Maize and YELL A LOT. If you can't make it to Ann Arbor, get a group of friends and go to the bar. Go Blue, Wear Maize and YELL A LOT.

GAME ESSENTIALS:

Michigan State Spartans
(17-12, 9-8 Big Ten)

vs.

Michigan Wolverines
(18-12, 8-9 Big Ten)

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

2:00pm ET
CBS

Go Blue, Wear Maize and YELL AT LOT. That is all.

Big Ten's Soft Bubble

2011-03-02T01:54:00.000-06:00

Though Michigan is idle all week, it certainly doesn't mean our bubble status will stay put too. As the rest of the Big Ten rounds out their regular season schedules, those games will directly and indirectly affect our candidacy. Though the overwhelming focus should be on Michigan State this Saturday--win that game and we're in very good position--these other games do matter in terms of positioning (and posturing).

Both Big Ten matchups tonight went about expected: #1 OSU beat PSU, 81-62, and #6 Purdue survived a brief Illinois scare, 75-67. According to Tim @ mgoblog's daily Bubble Watch Rooting Guide, the results don't hurt Michigan but they don't really help either. What does it do? Continue to soften the Big Ten's bubble:

Big Ten

W-L

PCT

W-L

PCT

STRK

Michigan State	8-8	6.5	.500	16-12	.571	L1
Illinois	8-9	7	.471	18-12	.600	L1
Michigan	8-9	7	.471	18-12	.600	W1
Penn State	8-9	7	.471	15-13	.536	L1
Minnesota	6-10	8.5	.375	17-11	.607	L3

So. Much. Mediocrity.

man crush

Despite having 10 conference losses, Minnesota still technically lives on the outside looking in. Many people, including myself, thought they had the easiest schedule to finish their season, but the Al Nolen injury really took its toll; Minnesota has now lost 8 (!) of their last 9. They play NW tomorrow and then finish the season with Penn State, but I'm pretty sure they're dead in the water no matter what. Michigan has split season series with NW and Minnesota this year, so rooting interest is slightly siding with NW, if only to put the final nail in the coffin.

The other matchup tomorrow is Iowa @ Michigan State, which would normally serve as a tune-up but given how Sparty has been playing as of late, the Hawkeyes certainly shouldn't be overlooked. Michigan has season swept Iowa and has already beaten Michigan State at the Breslin Center so there's no clear rooting interest. However, as Tim @ mgoblog points out, we should suck it up and root for Michigan State: "You want them to be a top-50 team, so Michigan can get 2 wins over them." This sets up an even bigger matchup at Crisler, and Michigan State doesn't have enough games left to play themselves out of the dance, like Minnesota has.

MAIZE OUT THIS SATURDAY

With Lunardi keeping Michigan in his "Last Four In" and re-upping the Big Ten teams to 6, it remains a 4-way race for a 9-9 conference record. That leaves 3 spots. Illinois and Penn State finish their seasons against Iowa and Minnesota respectively. As it turns out, Michigan's come-from-behind 65-62 road victory over the Nittany Lions on February 6th is probably one of the biggest wins of the year. If both teams end up 8-10, Michigan will hold a season sweep over them if the committee allows a 6th Big Ten team. That gives us a leg up head-to-head, but it could also end up nullifying both teams and reducing the Big Ten down to 5 bids since Michigan lacks a big win all year. ARGH.

In the end, the softest Big Ten bubble in recent memory will make any decision by the committee extremely difficult. But with 68 teams this year and the rest of the country sucking, Michigan is still very much in the hunt. Teams like Alabama, who got killed tonight by #14 Florida by 27 points (and lost earlier this season at Purdue by 19 points), are still somehow in most brackets. Though we can keep telling ourselves a deep run in the Big Ten tournament will save us, there is no doubt that Sparty this Saturday will fittingly have the most significant influence on Michigan's tourney hopes. And for it to be a season-defining, bracket-busting game at home against our in-state rivals, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Novak's Full Circle

2011-02-27T15:01:00.002-06:00

Michigan kept the dream alive yesterday, beating a spiraling Gopher team at the Barn, 70-63. It was a hard-fought victory for an unexpectedly resilient team, thanks to some maturity and leadership from "veterans" like Zack Novak. His stat line--6 points, 5 boards, 3 assists--may not reflect an outstanding game, but the way he battled showed a lot of heart and character for a young team looking to respond mentally after, you know, Gasser Death.

It was fitting, really, the way Novak started the first half and ended the second--sort of a microcosm of his season. Ever since being moved to the 4, he's been on a horrendous shooting slump. Against Iowa, he fouled out entirely on blocking calls. So when Novak came out nailing an early 3 and then finished with a huge, shot clock-expiring 3 just under 2 minutes left in the game, it was nice to see his efforts finally rewarded. Somewhere in between those shots, he looked like a ragdoll being thrown around the trenches; Mbakwe absolutely posterized him with a scary dunk on a post (!) move. But Novak admirably kept battling. He may have looked absolutely ridiculous boxing out a 6'10" Iverson, but he helped keep Michigan within single digits of the rebound margin against a team that starts 1 guard.

sadface

BOLD FIRST SENTENCES:

Live and die by the 3. After a deflating Wisconsin loss and then going back on the road, it would be completely understandable if Michigan came out sluggish. So what do we do instead? Start the game 6/6 from 3-point land, jumping out to an immediate 18-10 lead. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way hitting 4 of those 3's and finished with a game-leading 22 points off 7/11 shooting. Still, Michigan ended up cooling off, as any 3-point shooting team does, finishing the1st half 0/6 from deep and allowing the Minnesota to make their run. This is life on the 3-point line.

Strange first half. It felt like a pick-up game with both teams pushing the ball up hard and having plenty of opportunities for transition buckets. You could argue Michigan was falling in love with the 3, but they had wide-open looks that you couldn't and shouldn't pass up. Minnesota looked visibly winded by the 5 minute mark. And strangely, no timeouts were called with under 4 minutes until there was 1 second left in the half. With a pace so fast and lax, runs happen quickly which is how the Gophers finished the half 10-0 to cut the lead down to 2. At halftime, I said to myself: "what the hell just happened?"

Mbakwe is a monster. Michigan really had no answer for Mbakwe the entire game. I just kept repeating, "he's going to be a problem, he's going to be a problem." For some reason, Minnesota got away from him a little in the 2nd half. I'm not sure why Austin Hollins was firing up 3's off the bench without first giving Mbakwe a chance to set up in the post. Mbakwe led his team with 14 FG attempts but that number should have probably been even higher given Michigan's undersized front court.

Darius Morris still team MVP. Lost in the Tim Hardaway Jr. hype has been Darius Morris' critical role on this team, not just as the PG but the go-to guy when Michigan falls into these 5-6-7 minute scoring draughts. Morris' combination of ball-handling skills and size paralyzes defenses, and his jumper has improved enough where he can either weave in for a layup or pull up for a 10-foot J. 17 points and 7 assists is another day at the office for Morris, but there's no question he had all the key buckets that kept Michigan in the game during the 2nd half. THJr. may be Michigan's most versatile scorer but Morris is our best run-stopper scorer, if that makes any sense at all.

Horford looks like a string bean. Beilein was forced to go "big" at times, but quickly found out he prefers Christian and McLimans over Horford. I like Horford, but he's a ways away from being a front court bench contributor in Big Ten games. And why did he shoot a 3??

Great defensive effort by Morgan. I didn't follow Morgan too much since he was quiet offensively but he did some work against the Gopher trees in the paint, finishing with a team-high 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. Morgan picked it up offensively a little bit in the 2nd half, but he knew his primary job was to box out and let the shooters have their day. Can you imagine this team if he got hurt? (knock on wood). Cringe.

Well, that was fun. The bubble will certainly remain interesting and very fluid for the rest of this week, even when Michigan has no games scheduled until we host Sparty in 6 days. I woke up this morning with texts pointing out that Lundari has us in his "Last Four In", which yea is nice but can change even when we don't play a game all week (He also reduced Big Ten teams from 6 to 5). Sparty just got spanked at home by 20 (!) against Purdue. They do have a chance to regather themselves mid-week against Iowa before traveling to Ann Arbor. Fittingly and expectantly, a lot will rest on that game.

In the meantime, I'd like to throw more caution in the wind. Michigan's bubble status remains hazy and dependent on other team's performances. Beating Michigan State and not getting embarrassed in the Big Ten tourney should put us in the driver's seat, but that's still a ways away. For now, consistent with the "Race to 9" and "must win 2/3" theme, Michigan is still technically alive and hanging by a thread like it has been since this 7/10 winning streak started. There is still a big ugly 9 in our Big Ten loss column and that won't look any better until we have a 9 in the win column to match it. More later as the Big Ten heads into its final week of the regular season.

RichRod Invented Backboards

2011-02-24T09:52:00.003-06:00

I haven't figured out how yet, but I'm pretty sure he's responsible.


He strikes again!

For obvious reasons, I'm not going to thoroughly recap the game. Neither team led by more than 5 points and everything boiled down to one last, eye-stabbing possession. We can gripe all we want about Gasser's improbable game-winning bank shot (warning: that's the video), but that's an extremely low percentage play that happened to not go our way. I'm surprisingly not upset about that. The real story is the lack of defensive rebounding and missing free throws down the stretch--empty possessions that come back to haunt any team and almost always if you play Wisconsin, even if in nightmare fashion.

I have no issue with the end-game strategy either. In fact, Michigan played strong defense for the final 3 minutes, keeping the Badgers essentially scoreless and committing smart fouls on the last possession. Down 2 at home, I would have liked to seen a defensive scheme that 1) doubles Jordan Taylor first and then 2) takes away any shot from behind the arc second, before allowing a semi-contested 2 that ties the game and taking your chances in OT. Even when Taylor received the in-bounds with 5 seconds and held the ball for another 2, Novak and Morgan were stuck under the basket. Stu tried his best to recover from the double team and force a 28% 3-point shooting Gasser to fire one off-balance. I can live with that pass and shot attempt. I guess.

When it happened, I immediately wondered if Morris, who shoots a comparable 27% from 3, would have ever made that shot at the Kohl Center. Then, I was like you are stupid. That shot goes in 100% of the time for Wisconsin and 0% for Michigan. For one reason or another, Michigan just can't seem to get over that hump this year, youth considered. We can look so frustrating and encouraging at the same time. But Michigan generally played well at home against a superior opponent which in some ways is better than playing poorly on the road against a bad team, despite the performances not reflecting the results accurately. Would picking up this Wisconsin win been worth losing against Iowa just a few days ago? Maybe, maybe not.

There's no denying that it was a heart-crushing loss though--another blow to an already shaky bubble status. For the "Baby Blues" to lose a 1-point game at home when they shot better from the field and behind the arc will either be mentally crippling or motivating for the rest of the season. But for now, very little has changed. As I've said before, a win over Wisconsin would have immediately and tremendously improved our resume but isn't as relevant as head-to-head matchups against Minnesota and Michigan State, especially if both teams continue to play their way out of the dance. While most predicted that Michigan needed 2 out of their last 3, Wisconsin was generally not considered one of them. Up next is a slumping and Al Nolen-less Gopher team on the road, who have now lost 5 of their last 6. Considering how the rest of the Big Ten bubble has been performing, Michigan is in no way out of the tourney picture just yet.

Wisconsin: Where We Have No Idea Where The Bubble Is Anymore

2011-02-23T10:26:00.004-06:00

Badgers tonight. Donde esta bubble?

They are better. Want proof? Proof:

But let's not talk about that. Instead, let's totally skew our perspective in efforts to get excited for tonight and help justify that we should be competitive. So what if they are #12 in the nation, 20-6 (10-4 Big Ten)? I present to you... a limited view of all (and only) their road games:

Nov 20. @UNLV. L 68-65
Dec 11. @Marquette. W 69-64
Jan 2. @ILL. L 69-61
Jan 11. @MSU. L 64-61 OT
Jan 23. @NW. W 78-46
Jan 29. @PSU. L 56-52
Feb 9. @IOWA. W 62-59 OT
Feb 16. @PUR. L 70-62

HEY-O, 3-5. So 5 of the Badgers' 6 total losses came on the road (the other loss was to Notre Dame at a neutral location). And as Kenpom points out, their conference SOS ranks dead last in the Big Ten since a majority of those away games are against bubble teams or bottom-feeders. Still, Wisconsin has been pushed to OT twice (including Iowa, which we just went through) and lost to the likes of Illinois and PSU--both bubble teams. Even UNLV and Marquette are bubble teams in their respective conferences. As great as the Badgers are at the Kohl Center, they are a different team on the road and struggle against mediocre competition.

Mediocre! That is exactly who we are!

Throw in a few of these...

...and we have a shot tonight.

In all seriousness, a home win against Wisconsin wouldn't necessarily guarantee a bid, but it would be a big step towards helping us find where we are on the godamn bubble. @MINN and MSU are way more relevant but neither would tremendously and immediately improve our resume the way Wisco can, especially that nasty little "0-6 against RPI top 25 teams" hole. The downside in all of this is that Jordan Taylor is the best athlete on the floor and Keaton Nankivil is a 6'8" forward who shoots 48% from 3. They also never miss free throws.

The Wolverines should come out hype for tonight's game though. How far can we ride the Tim Hardaway Jr. train? Let's hope for at least 3 more games. As always, This Is The Most Important Game Of The Year Until The Next Game.

PS: Novak blocking foul called-to-drawing a charge ratio: 2.5. Over/Under?


C'MON!

PSS: Do you think if Novak got a crew cut and didn't have beautiful, flowing, golden wavy hair he'd get more calls? I'm being serious.