Again...

This becomes relevant again.

Notre Dame, Watch ouT.

Fail

Tressel Family

Banner Update

Hobey X4

Hobey nets 4, #1 Michigan rolls to a 5-1 victory in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Tonight at 7, Michigan faces off against Clarkson for a Frozen Four berth. 4 more for Hobey?

DickRod Love

I just wanted to make a quick clarification, since I've gotten a couple of e-mails this week bashing me for not being on board with DickRod. I love DickRod. Think it was the best hire we could've made (yes, over Les Miles) and am ecstatic that DickRod is leading the ship and once he gets his guys in place, we'll be a better program.

That said, DickRod likes to talk to the media, which is news to everyone from my generation when it relates to the head coach of Michigan Football. So, DickRod's Words of Wisdom are here to stay.

Viva El Conquistador!

Drop the Puck

It's Tourney Time!

Here are some clips from the greatest NCAA regional ever.

DickRod pwns Boren

Nothing more needs to be said. DickRod tells it like it is.

Rodriguez would not discuss Boren's situation specifically, but said any claims that he, or his coaches, have compromised Michigan's values are simply wrong.

"Anybody who would make any comment about our values is way off-base," the coach told The News via phone Thursday. "The people who know the staff, who know what we're putting together here will tell you just the opposite as far as what's been reported. ... My players and my coaches are my family. They're coached that way.

"But we're not going to apologize for being demanding. We told that to the players. We also told them our job is to take them some place they can't take themselves, on the field and off the field, and I think the majority of our players understand that."

This reminds me of stories of 1969. The new coach, an outsider to the program and bringing a significantly different approach, finds his soft team decreasing in size. Players couldn't take it, left, and yet the program moves on.

Sorry, Justin Boren. Yesterday, I would wish you well and say best of luck to you much like I wish Ryan Mallett the best in Fayetteville. New coaches have attrition. It happens. One bitter, whiny day later, you and your family can piss off. I expected a little more out of a legacy. I now sincerely hope that you go to Ohio State. I know that you are a tremendous player. We will certainly miss your talent. But you are not bigger than the program. Michigan football will move on, championships will be won. Bo coined the "Those Who Stay Will Be Champions" phrase for a reason. So, cuddle up next to Cheaty McSweatervest, line up and protect Terrelle Pryor in 2009. I hope your daddy is in the stands when DickRod's second Michigan squad wins a championship at your expense. I hope as you hang your head in disappointment, both you and your daddy can hear DickRod and the new Michigan family singing The Victors in triumph as you board the bus back to Columbus.

Boren Context

So, you can chalk this up to "rumorz on teh internets," but I have a brief story to provide context on the Justin Boren transfer/quitting. If you believe me, that is, and hopefully you do. And if not, what do I care?

(Sidenote - I can show the email I sent to Peabody about this 1-2 months ago, for proof this isn't coming out of my arse just now)

Ahem. I am friends with a guy who has a brother on the team in a position to know Justin Boren; sometime before Spring ball but after some workouts began, he told me that his brother told him the players were working their tails off and it was rough. He even went on to mention Justin Boren by name as someone who might quit. He cited, anecdotally, that it was because of the intense training regimen, especially the running.

So why do I bring this up? Well, not to justify his quitting, but rather to show that from near day-one under Rodriguez/Barwis, Boren was ready to fold. He didn't quit from some recent tift; he just didn't want to do the training. His posturing about "family values" is gibberish spoken by somebody two years removed from high school when they want to take the moral high ground on something whilst sounding intelligent. I don't buy it; the "values" may be that the Carr regime had a more reasonable approach to fitness - which I am not mocking, by the way - but Barwis's "aarghFITNESS" training program is not founded on a lack of values. That's a poor choice of words.

Anyway, so that's that. Boren simply didn't want to do the work. The very, very intense work that most people would also not want to do. And hey, he should do what's best for him. I thank him for two years of hard work and pretty good line play.

Though I can't help but think that he'll have to live with being overlooked in the draft when he has to play on a MAC team after sitting out a year. I hear Eastern needs a left-handed center.

Those who stay will be champions.

(Pic borrowed from Michigan Football Saturdays)

DickRod's Words of Wisdom

DickRod on players leaving the program:

"Sometimes if a guy - and this is not related to guys we've had - but if a guy comes in and says my heart's not in it, I don't want to play football anymore, it's hard to talk him out of that. If you lose the love of the game, it's too hard of a game not to really love it to go through what you have to go through to play. Now if they say I've got to adjust to the system, my role, I'm not happy with my playing time, I'm homesick, I usually say give it a chance and try to talk through it with them. Usually those things pass.

"I don't know how many have left. A couple of the senior linemen chose to graduate. I didn't hardly talk to them. But we try to talk to those guys and tell them to give it a chance, and I think most of them do. But it's not for everybody."

DickRod is tremendous. Also, DickRod only talks about Michigan players. It's great to finally have a coach who will talk.

Jason Taylor is Smart

Jason Taylor is a smart dude:

While talking about what he would do if he were making the picks on draft
day, Taylor went in an interesting direction when he said he would trade the
Dolphins for Tom Brady.That's not trade playing for the Dolphins for playing
with Brady. That's a heads-up trade."I would trade our 53 for Tom Brady," Taylor
said. "I would trade our entire roster for Tom Brady."

That is probably the smartest thing an NFL player has said in a long time. I'm not gonna lie, I think most Dolphins fans have probably tried that on Madden.

In the ATL...

I may well need to fly to the ATL for this one. Seriously, this clinches it for me. Belichick NEEDS to get Pac on the squad. A Grey Goose party until 6 am hosted by Pac where ladies have an unlimited supply of vodka? Does it get any better? Pac, you're my guy.

Sometimes I Hate UMich

I can't help but rant right now. Sometimes anger and contempt get the best of me.

It's days like today that make me hate Ann Arbor and feel embarrassed that I graduated from the University of Michigan. Ann Arbor is a decent enough place to live. Nice town, no crime, great culture, somewhat prosperous economy and a wonderful university. Except for the hippies. The worthless, scumsucking, piece of shit hippies. Today I decided to walk over to Ulrichs to pick up a book for Civil Procedure. Simple enough, about a 3/4 mile jaunt through campus from my office on Main St. WALK. OF. HELL.

I should've known that things would be bad when I was handed a flyer by a vegetarian telling me I am cruel when I knock down 20 bangers of McNuggets. No worries, vegetarians- while quite annoying- are generally harmless and I have a soft spot for animals anyways. Ignore and move on. Then I start to hear shouting. I cross William onto State and it gets louder. As I approach the Diag, I see it. Right there. A mass of hundreds of worthless, pieces of shit human beings. The hippies. A full-scale protest was going on. Signs, chanting, the works. Right in my path. Turns out the GEO is on strike. Well, apparently this was ground zero for these d-bags, since they started breaking off into small groups, chanting "WE ARE THE UNION, THE MIGHTY MIGHTY UNION." I started to twitch. I read the signs. They were bitching about wages and lack of health care. You know who doesn't get health care? STUDENTS!!! Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE &*$#@*& STUDENTS!!! Maybe the undergrads should go on strike, too. OMG!!!PSYCH111ISSOHARDIWANTBENEFITSTOO!!!! Their signs whined and complained about "living wages." Shut the hell up. You're students who happen to teach. $700/mo is fine for you.

I let that go. I bit my lip, walked past the morons, even as 15 broke off in my direction, and went to the bookstore. As I came back, I realized all of these jackasses were picketing in front of the U buildings, blocking the entry for the undergrads. When I spotted a picket sign reading "IT'S EASY TO FUND FOOTBALL" I had enough. I systematically entered EVERY building in the Diag, just to cross the picket line and lay into these clowns. With any foresight, I would've snagged a dozen Bic razors and tossed 'em out to the hippies. Both the men and women. I hate these whiny people with the power of 1,000 suns. Shut the hell up and do your job. You don't like it? Quit. You have a cushy job at a top 20 school, where you get a free (or close to it) education and a living stipend. Piss off. Get used to not making any money, because you aren't employable. Anyone spending more than 5 minutes with you will immediately become annoyed at your sense of entitlement and not hire you. You know who needed unions? Coal workers in 1910. Not PhD candidates in Life Science teaching a section of Chem 101 who may have to drink only 6 Starbucks this week.

Trying to cool off a bit on my walk back, what do I encounter on Liberty? More people with nothing at all to spend their afternoon doing, standing in front of the Post Office with anti-war signs. A couple of antagonizing "McCain '08!" chants and a fist pump later, I was through and on my way back to work. SCREW. HIPPIES.

NCAA Tournament Picks

The NCAA Hockey brackets were announced on Sunday. Expected to head to Madison and play in the Midwest Regional, Michigan got sent to Albany where we’ll be playing in the East. Here are the brackets, as well as my picks:

Albany (East)
No. 1 Michigan
No. 2 St. Cloud State
No. 3 Clarkson
No. 4 Niagara

Colorado Springs (West)
No. 1 New Hampshire
No. 2 Colorado College
No. 3 Michigan State
No. 4 Notre Dame

Madison (Midwest)
No. 1 North Dakota
No. 2 Denver
No. 3 Wisconsin
No. 4 Princeton

Worcester (Northeast)
No. 1 Miami
No. 2 Boston College
No. 3 Minnesota
No. 4 Air Force

Initially, I heard some outrage from Michigan fans on going out east. Personally, I couldn’t be happier with our bracket. As the tournament’s #1 overall seed, having to play a Badger team in Madison would suck, even if they do have a losing record. Niagara is a good team and can put the puck in the net with the best of them, but the road to the Frozen Four is pretty east for Michigan. My regional picks:

East: Michigan 5, Niagara 2; Clarkson 2, St. Cloud State 1; Michigan 4, Clarkson 1. MICHIGAN ADVANCES TO FROZEN FOUR
In this region, Michigan is head and shoulders above all. Niagara has a decent offense and an atrocious penalty kill. Michigan’s top power play line should be able to put a couple in the net and skate away with a W. Look for an early goal by the maize and blue. Clarkson has a solid goaltender in Dave Leggio and should be able to pick up a W behind him if they can stay out of the penalty box and keep St. Cloud’s WCHA leading power play off the ice. St. Cloud is 0-6 all-time in the tourney and will be 0-7 come Friday. In the regional final, Michigan’s depth and offensive prowess should be too much for Clarkson. I look for Leggio to keep the Golden Knights in the game for a while, but Michigan to take control late.

West: UNH 4, Notre Dame 1; Colorado College 5, Michigan State 1; Colorado College 3, UNH 2.
COLORADO COLLEGE ADVANCES TO FROZEN FOUR
The west is easily the deepest region in the tournament. UNH and CC are easily the top two teams playing in Colorado Springs, defending champ Michigan State is an underachieving third seed and Notre Dame is the best 4 in the tournament. I really don’t see UNH having any problem with the Irish. Jeff Jackson will have his team ready, but I like Hockey East player of the year Jeff Reagan in net combined with a formidable offensive team led by Matt Fornataro and Mike Radja to advance rather easily. In the other game, Colorado College is playing on their home ice and that life should allow the Tigers to smoke Michigan State. MSU hasn’t looked good in a couple of months and the Spartans’ only hope is if goaltender Jeff Lerg can stand on his head and steal one for the team. That’s a tall task against Chad Rau and the Tigers in Colorado Springs. CC pours it on late and sends MSU home in round one as a disappointing title defense ends early. In the regional final, the Tigers get retribution for 2003 when they were the #1 seeded team at the regional at Yost, yet faced a fired up Michigan team and were sent packing. This has the makings of a great game, and I see the Tigers prevailing with a late goal in front of their home crowd to win 3-2.

Midwest: North Dakota 4, Princeton 0; Wisconsin 2, Denver 1; North Dakota 3, Wisconsin 2.
NORTH DAKOTA ADVANCES TO FROZEN FOUR
The midwest will be the talk of the tournament when sub-.500 host Wisconsin takes down Denver in the opening round. The Kohl Center will be rocking this weekend, and for #1 seed North Dakota, it will be like playing 2 road games, as the crowd is certainly going to be anti-Sioux in the first round. There is no reason that this should not be the North Dakota regional, however, since the Sioux are absolutely loaded. TJ Oshie and Ryan Duncan lead the offense and Jean-Philippe Lamoreaux is a rock in net for possibly the most scary team in the nation. The Wisconsin crowd won’t be enough to get the Badgers past North Dakota, though. The 3-2 score in the regional final will be courtesy of a late Badger goal that fills the Kohl Center with false hopes of a comeback.

Northeast: Miami 3, Air Force 1; Boston College 4, Minnesota 2; Boston College 4, Miami 3 (OT).
BOSTON COLLEGE ADVANCES TO FROZEN FOUR
The northeast is really the only region where I can see a different team advancing. Either BC or Miami really is good enough to come out of Worcester. Miami has consistently been one of the nation’s top 3 teams this year alongside Michigan and North Dakota. The RedHawks have a strong goaltender in Jeff Zatkoff as well as offensive firepower behind Ryan Jones and Nathan Davis. I don’t expect Air Force to challenge Miami. The Eagles of Boston College lean heavily on junior Nathan Gerbe. Despite really relying on one line, and freshman goaltender Jon Muse’s shaky tendencies, BC should have little problem taking down an atypical Minnesota team that finished seventh in the WCHA this season, despite a late run by the Gophers. The Miami-BC game should be the best game of the opening weekend. I’m counting on it going to overtime and the BC-partisan Worcester crowd leaving in ecstasy after Gerbe nets the winner sending BC on to Denver.

FROZEN FOUR: Michigan, Colorado College, North Dakota, Boston College

Semifinal #1: Michigan 4, Colorado College 3
MICHIGAN ADVANCES TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Playing CC in Denver is less scary than playing CC in Colorado Springs. Just slightly, though. There are only two teams in this tournament that scare me. CC is one of them. But, CC likes to play Michigan’s style. CC is an offensive team, that likes to play up and down the ice. While the Tigers have been able to rely on freshman goaltender Richard Bachmann for the majority of the season (he earned WCHA player of the year honors) even the best young goaltenders have had shaky Frozen Four performances (Al Montoya…damn Gophers.) The Wolverines’ hopes ride on Billy Sauer. If Sauer plays like he did Saturday night at the Joe, he’s one of the best in the nation and the team will probably not get beat. If he plays like he did Friday night, letting in a couple of soft goals and forcing the offense to put 4 or 5 on the board out of necessity, Michigan will get bounced. I think Michigan is a deeper team than CC and should be able to take the pressure off of Sauer with an early goal or two, and stave off a late comeback attempt.

Semifinal #2: North Dakota 4, Boston College 1
NORTH DAKOTA ADVANCES TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Nathan Gerbe won’t be enough to beat the Sioux. North Dakota’s two most recent losses were at the hands of red hot goaltending. BC will need Muse to stand on his head to have any sort of a chance in this game and I think that the Eagles will parallel the Michigan teams of 2002 and 2003 which expended a lot of energy just to get to the Frozen Four in front of a partisan crowd, only to run into a buzzsaw of a team on a mission. I’d like to pick BC here to setup a 1998 rematch, but logic defies me. North Dakota smokes ‘em.

National Championship Game: Michigan 3, North Dakota 2 (OT)
MICHIGAN WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
The thought of playing North Dakota almost makes me wet my pants. The Sioux are good. REAL good. Plus, I don’t know if I have the trust in Billy Sauer to pick Michigan. North Dakota has ended our season the past two years in the first round of the tournament. In 2006, they crushed us 5-1. Last season, we opened the first period AND second period with a pair of goals in the first minute- 4 goals just in the first minute of those periods. Yet we lost 8-6. It was probably Sauer’s worst game. It’s reasons like this that it is increasingly more difficult to pick Michigan to win this game. Forcing myself to have that Sauer trust. Can he outplay Lamoreaux? Logic tells me to pick North Dakota. But this Michigan season really defies logic, no? Picked to finish 4th in the CCHA, the Wolverines have won everything this season. College Hockey Showcase? Check. Great Lakes Invitational? Check. CCHA Regular Season? Check. CCHA Tournament? Check. Sometimes, there are teams that just manage to find that intangible and ride it to a magical season. Without a doubt, a victory in the NCAA tournament would cap the most amazing Michigan hockey season ever. Kevin Porter is a lock to win the Hobey Baker this year, and since this seems to be the season of karma for Michigan, we’ll go with a 3-2 overtime score (channeling some of that ’96 and ’98 karma) as well as the perfect ending- Porter’s Brendan Morrison moment, scoring on a one-timer off of a two-on-one with Kolarik in the first overtime.

College Football Needs the New York Giants

I’ve been meaning to write this for a while, but each time I sit down to actually type up the post, I can’t muster the ability to do so. You see, I’m still quite bitter and angry over the Super Bowl. For the most part I’ve moved on and am focused on 2008, where it appears the Pats will again be the favorites to snag that fourth Lombardi trophy in Tampa. But still there are those subtle reminders of TDTNH (the day that never happened) that allow me to harbor contempt and bitterness a month and a half later.

It’s important to preface this opinion by stating that I don’t hate the New York Giants. I know- I should. I’m certainly not a fan, nor are they a team that I really pull for when they're on television. When flipping between non-Pats games on the Sunday Ticket, the Giants have never really been a big draw for me. Sure, Dallas-New York can be interesting, but in general, the Jets’ big brothers were just another insignificant team playing ball in the JV conference. I was always ambivalent toward the franchise, bouncing between not caring and passively hoping that they lose because of the influx of douchy Giants fans in Ann Arbor (times ten after the Super Bowl. Memo to the girl in Uggs that tried to talk smack to me on South U the day after the Super Bowl: the guy’s names are T-y-r-e-e and P-l-a-x-i-c-o, not Thomas and Plastica.) Anyways, setting aside the New Jersey supahfans, I was able to come to the realization that the Giants were a pretty likeable champion despite crushing my hopes and dreams. Plaxico may be an evil Sparty (who kept a ring off of my finger in 1999) but it’s tough to hate the guy. He works hard, plays hard, and played the Super Bowl in excruciating pain. I respect that. Eli Manning rebounded to play tremendously in the playoffs after nearly being run out of town by the aforementioned douchy fans. Ditto Coughlin. Since I can taste the vomit, I think the quick summation here is that the Giants were pretty easy to pull for if you were an impartial observer watching that game. They’ve reminded me more and more of the 2001 Patriots as I think of that specific year. (Although their antics at the parade were bush league.)

So what does this have to do with college football? Well, quite a bit. I was reading some articles on The Wolverine recently about spring ball, DickRod’s new offense and some of the adjustments being made. In general, I like what I’ve been hearing. But, even with all of the changes, it’s tough to muster up the enthusiasm that I’ve had for the bulk of my life coming in to a Michigan season. I don’t deny that I’m about as blind a homer as it gets when Michigan football is concerned. Blind faith and blue Kool-Aid are served heavily at tailgates in the fall. My expectations are generally sky high and when the season begins, I always can envision situations where Michigan is playing for the national title. But not this season. Don’t get me wrong, I still think this can be a very good team. The schedule is easy and even with the lack of experience under center and new system; a 9-3/8-4 season is easily doable. Yet, when 9-3 is your ceiling, a national title is unrealistic.

With that realization, I’ve now come to the place where most of the college football world lives- the land where playing in the BCS title game is just unreasonable. I’ve long been a fan of the bowl system. I reluctantly accepted the BCS because it did give us better games and as “real” a champion as the system would allow despite the butchering of the traditional Rose Bowl. The thought of college football playoffs and large scale change like that scared the crap out of me. I love the tradition and pageantry of college football, the things that are the essence of the game and make it such a great sport. Even after being left out of the title game two years ago, I didn't waver in this belief.

Until the New York Giants came along. See, the Giants finished 10-6, were an inconsistent team at best and were given little to no chance in the playoffs. In fact, when the Pats played in the Meadowlands in week 16, I was a little nervous about the game. I got the following message from a friend who is a Cowboy fan, laughing at my nerves:

Pats kill the overrated Giants, unless they start the practice squad.
Eeeeeeeeelllllllliiiiiii sucks.

The Giants gave the Pats a game and used the momentum to springboard three straight road wins in the playoffs as well as three straight wins against teams that were 14-2, 14-3 and 18-0. Probably the greatest and most improbable run in NFL history.

If the Giants were playing in the NCAA, their fans would’ve been looking forward to the Chic-Fil-A Bowl and ESPN would’ve been hyping Pats-Cowboys.

Now I understand that there is no direct comparison between the NFL playoffs and the NCAA. There are 4 times as many teams in division one football and the logistics of a playoff would be exclusionary anyways. A 10-6 college football equivalent would not make an NCAA playoff. I’d like to see some sort of hope though for teams coming into the season. Losing one or two games should not eliminate a team from contention. At the end of last season, USC was playing as well if not better than eventual champion 2-loss LSU and runner-up Ohio State. I’m still convinced that the 1998 Buckeyes were one of the greatest football teams of my lifetime. In the first four years of the BCS alone, I counted at least 14 teams that I would’ve given a 50/50 shot to beat the national champion that season (98: OSU, KState, Arizona, Florida; 99: Michigan, Alabama, Nebraska, KState; 00: Miami, Washington, Oregon State, VT; 01: Oregon, Colorado, Florida.) The case here isn’t that these teams were better than the champion; it’s that they didn’t have a chance to prove it based on a mathematical equation. Again, the 2007 Giants would’ve been watching the Pats-Cowboys Super Bowl in an NFL BCS system.

There has to be a line drawn somewhere, I’m just not sure where. I can think of nothing better though than DickRod’s 2 loss Wolverines coming on late in the season, fighting an epic battle in Columbus and using that as a springboard into run in the playoffs and a rematch with OSU on college football’s biggest stage. Perhaps an inexplicable escape by young Justin Feagin tossing up a prayer that Daryl Stonum catches with his helmet to set up a winning score? In that world, fans in Starkville, Fayetteville, Westwood, Eugene, Iowa City, and College Station have hope every year.

College football needs the New York Giants.

Where's the Camera When You Need It?

Banner Time

Time for two great college hockey programs in the state of Michigan to raise up some banners honoring the accomplishments thusfar in 2007-08.

DickRod's Words of Wisdom

Today's edition of DickRod's Words of Wisdom. Beware the boiled egg.

The climax was the boiled egg eating contest. If I get mad I'll turn it on, because it was not a pretty sight, but it was still fun to watch."

Again, these words get the Cornrowed DickRod Seal of Approval.

Where's Sparty?

DickRod's Words of Wisdom

I've decided to start a new feature here on MATW. In honor of out tremendous new coach and the SPREADOFFENSEJESUSTOUCHDOWNS!!! that he's going to bring us en route to 9 national titles, we're going to accept his word as gospel. Who better than DickRod to provide you with wise sayings that the Chinese are sure to pilfer and insert into fortune cookies throughout the midwest?

Anyways, welcome to "DickRod's Words of Wisdom." Today's inaugural entry? DickRod on praise:

"I don't like to pat guys on the butt, because they'll turn around and crap in your hand".

Tremendous. That gets a thumbs-up from CornrowedDickRod!

Sieve!

SIEVE! SIEVE! SIEVE! SIEVE! SIEVE! SIEVE! SIEVE! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!

Cheers to MSC

I'll say it. Our school's President can be a major ass-kicker, and I've got total faith in her. At first, I was skeptical of her. Not because she was replacing a pretty great leader in Lee Bollinger, but because she came from the University of Iowa. Despite overcoming that obvious obstacle, she has maintained a solid record.

(And of course, I'm speaking about sports here. She has done well for the rest of the school, I'm pretty sure, but whatever. Sports blog.)

She always seemed like an ardent supporter of athletics, which is all well and good, but this past year she's come into her own. Her prowess showed during the coaching search, where it at least appeared that she bailed Bill Martin's ass out. There was no mention of her until after the Les Miles/ESPN/Sailboat fiasco, and when her name was dropped, she was landing Rich Rod-fucking-riguez. Not a bad haul. More recently, she fired back at the bogus Ann Arbor News non-story about academics and the athletic department. Check it out here. A choice excerpt:

"When the Provost's office was alerted that The Ann Arbor News had an interest in Professor Hagen, there was another investigation by the LSA and by the Executive Committee of the department," Coleman said. "In both cases, it was that he followed all the rules and everything was fine. And I believe that. I think that he's a distinguished professor and I don't think there's any evidence that he's done anything wrong."

Not only did they see the AA News article coming from a mile away (most people did), but she pro-actively got her shit together, got everyone's shit together, and said "screw 'em, we're OK." Meanwhile, Jim Carty (and others, but mostly him) spent four months hunched over his laptop as a non-Woodward/Bernstein, digging for anything to make the article better since the murmurs came in about an article that would cause major damage to the athletic department. All of this just so he can be the guy at a cocktail party with dip on his fingers who uncomfortably tells your wife's friend that he "exposed" a psych prof. Everyone will be uncomfortable.

The mere fact that the AA News denied Coleman's offer to answer questions via email (where her responses can be documented, and measured) speaks to the article's flimsy premise and Coleman's tact. And, you know, probably their fear of her eviscerating their claims and their obligation to publish said evisceration. So here's to you, Mary Sue Coleman, for doing a fine job for the school.

Now just promise to throw a party at the President's house on campus when Michigan wins the national championship in football or hockey, and your reputation will be forever cemented.

First Reaction to the AA News Article

It's good to know that no matter how tough life might seem, I don't have to wake up and think: "Oh shit, I'm Jim Carty. Still!"

Next on the Ann Arbor News' docket: Underage Drinking: The Shocking Hidden Underworld at the University of Michigan

Pryor to OSU

This blog has learned that all-world QB recruit Terrelle Pryor will be signing with Ohio State. While Pryor has come under scrutiny lately and some people are scared off because of his "baggage," count this guy in as one who thinks OSU is getting a hell of a player and would have loved to see TP do his thing in the maize and blue. Baggage or no baggage, Pryor is a hell of an athlete and not getting him sucks.

So, I guess it's time to start hating him. To hell with Ohio.

Oh yeah, look for a fancy press conference within a week.

On to the Joe

On to Joe Louis and the CCHA semifinals for the #1 Wolverines. Hobey and Co. swept the UNO Mavericks this weekend at Yost, welcoming back Chad Kolarik with a thrilling 10-1 win on Friday and then finishing off UNO with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. The Wolverines look to bring home the CCHA playoff title and secure the #1 overall spot in the NCAA tourney with wins on Friday and Saturday.

In other games, in East Lansing, the MSU hockey team managed to finish off a weekend of underachievement in style, losing in OT to the NMU Wildcats 3-2 last night. The Spartans are now eliminated from the CCHA tournament and have failed to reach the Joe. Just typing that makes me laugh. Combine that with some incredible whining about Big Ten basketball referees being the reason their also-underachieving hoops squad was bounced from the Big Ten tournament and it's been a weekend of tremendous unintentional comedy from our friends in the EL. MSU hockey replica CCHA PARTICIPANT ribbons go on sale at Spartan Corner today.

More Haiku

Michigan Football
2008 Rebuilding?
We'll still beat Penn State

Basketball season review...in Haiku

Big Ten Tournament
Ends the frustrating season
Better luck next year?

Nine wins is a joke
So many narrow defeats
So much bad shooting

Turnovers abound
Field goal percentage is low
Recruit more one-stars!

Western Kentucky
Harvard, Central Michigan
Penn State, Northwestern

Have faith in Beilein
He deserves some time to build
Tommy screwed this team

Manny lights it up
Please don’t declare or transfer
You’re our only hope

Grady is lightning
But frequently looks confused
Better than I thought

DeShawn is puzzling
Should be a dominant force
Get back in the paint!

Udoh is a beast
Rules the lane with block parties
Teach him how to score

Coleman to Iran?
Josh Moore can be his teammate
Never improved here

CJ Lee passes
He’s afraid to shoot the ball
Scrub mentality

Merritt showed some skill
Of course, injuries derailed
Damn, traitorous knee

Zack shot forty treys
One third of his total shots
He needs to just dunk

Jevohn is not good
Missed over half his free throws
I hate Canada

Jerret and K’Len
Both went bye-bye this season
Nobody noticed

Some hope for next year?
LLP is a good get
And we can’t be worse

Penn State: Bitter AND Jealous

Well, it appears as though Kyle’s post got the collective panties of Penn State nation all up in a bunch. I’ve gone on and on before about how much better we are than Penn State on the football field (as if 11 years and counting since their last win over us wasn’t proof enough) but apparently PSUers want to claim some sort of faux superiority when it comes to recruiting ethics. Why? Beats me. I guess when you’re working on an 11 year drought against one of the two premier teams in your conference; you hang on to whatever you can. Chiefly, the PSU concerns revolve around Michigan “stealing” Penn State recruit Michael Shaw. The PSU claim centers around DickRod being some shady character coming into the BigTen and taking recruits from other teams. Hey Kettle, your shoes aren’t the only thing that’s black.

The natural counter to this argument is the Anthony Morelli issue. Penn State lost out on Chad Henne who they recruited instead of Morelli when both were top ten recruits in 2004. Henne committed to Michigan, where he proceeded to never lose to PSU. Morelli committed to Pitt. Imagine the surprise on signing day, when Morelli’s letter of intent was signed for Penn State. In the comments section of Kyle’s post and in discussions with PSU fans, I’ve heard it referenced that Morelli magically changed his mind with no calls or visits from Paterno. That seems plausible, right? We all know top recruits don’t want to see any love and that every other school in the nation was honoring Morelli’s commitment to Pitt. Especially Penn State. Paterno just got lucky when that fax surprised him. He would never have to confirm that there was still a scholarship available or that Penn State even wanted Morelli. Signing day is a magical time at Penn State. Coaches just watch the fax like the lottery, hoping random decommits come through. Reasonable enough. Rivals.com ranked the top decommits of 2004. Here’s the list:

Top 10 de-commitments
1) Anthony Morelli – Penn State – Going from Pittsburgh to Penn State on signing day, combined with it being the nation’s No. 2 quarterback makes for big
drama.

2) J.R. Bryant – Florida State – Was one of Miami’s early commitments and did a flip-flop when he ended up picking Florida State. Rare that you see Miami allowing one to get away – especially to in-state rival.

3) Andrew Johnson – Miami – Another signing day shocker by going from Pittsburgh to Miami. The news was kind of overshadowed by Morelli’s move but still was big
news.

4) Jesse Mahelona - Tennessee – Was committed to Oklahoma and flipped to Tennessee. A big hit for the Sooners and a big gain for the Vols.

5) Michael Brown – Florida – Was committed to Georgia but that didn’t stop Ron Zook from getting the four-star defensive tackle to switch. Big time recruiting
victory over a bitter rival makes this an even more compelling story.

6) Pierre Brown – Texas A&M – Was a long-time Oklahoma commitment, but flipped to Texas A&M on signing day and was a big boost for the Aggie class. What’s amazing about it is that he didn’t tell a soul about his decision – not even his coach
or mother.

7) Mike McIntosh – Florida – Losing him as part of the Clemson class certainly stung the Tigers, and getting him as a Gator was sweet for Zook.

8) Isaiah Cook – Oregon State – He was originally committed to Kansas State, then to Oregon State and then he went back and forth for almost a full week before eventually picking the Beavers.

9) Lance Leggett – Miami – With all of the success that Zook had at stealing commits away, he lost out on this one when the five-star receiver flipped to Miami.

10) Josh Johnson – Georgia – Does anybody get the feeling that Johnson was playing everybody all along when he committed to Miami but then switched to Georgia?
Have to wonder if he knew what he was doing the whole time.

That #1 decommit? He visited Penn State two weeks before signing day. I’m sure that Paterno just took Morelli out for a cup of Peachy Paterno ice cream on that visit and did the right thing and told the kid that he needed to honor the commitment he made to Pitt.

Morelli aside, the interesting thing is that the list above doesn’t show the name of Chad Henne. Penn State fans have some crazy idea that at some point in time Henne actually was a PSU commit. Henne never was a PSU commitment. Here’s an article from the PSU Daily Collegian about Henne’s decision. Notice the absence of decommitment talk? If a recruit who was once committed to a school held a press conference to announce signing with another school? That is something newsworthy and would be reported. Much like in the Morelli articles. One would also think that Rivals would list Henne on their top decommit list as well, since he was also a top ten recruit. Of course, that would’ve required a commitment to PSU being something other than Nittany Lion Lore…

Finally, since Snake Oil DickRod seems to be the only problem for those with blue and white glasses on, I am left wondering where the outcry was when Lloyd Carr had recruits stolen from under him? Where was the PSU outcry over that Snake Oil Salesman Terry Hoeppner when Jerimy Finch decommitted from Michigan to IU last year? Or Snake Oil Salesman Kirk Ferentz when John Weinke decommitted from Michigan to Iowa last fall? Nothing? Wait, you mean Indiana and Iowa haven’t beaten Penn State every year since the first term of the Clinton Administration?

I’m led to believe that the bottom line is that Penn State fans are just angry and upset. They should be. Penn State has a great football tradition that is being run into the ground. Thirteen years and only one conference title. Ouch. I would probably have a jealous hatred of Michigan, too.

Oh, PSU comments? We DID lose to Appalachian State. Kudos, Moutaineers. But we still beat you.

Dwayne Jarrett Sucks at Life

I last saw this asshole when USC was trouncing us in the 2007 Rose Bowl Game. He was taunting Morgan Trent (good job!) and simultaneously having his manparts massaged by Brent Musburger's bourbon-soaked tongue. If you're wondering why it's been over a year since I've seen him, it's because he only caught six passes on a bad NFL team. Anyway, when I saw this I felt oddly redeemed as a Michigan (and football) fan, until I realized that Dwayne Jarrett could have murdered somebody.

Yup, that bag of douche got a DUI. I hope the Panthers cut him and the Lions sign him. That's what the prick deserves. That or, you know, a suspended license, a fine, AA meetings, and public service. And yes, everyone makes mistakes. But when you're so clearly a jerk, I have no sympathy for you.

Good to see he peaked when he ran past sophomore Morgan Trent. Oh, hubris, will you ever learn?

By the way - and maybe Marshall can ask around - how freaking drunk does one have to be to get a DUI in North Carolina?!? They must really hate the guy there.

Second to Penn State?

I felt compelled to take a break from my posting hiatus in order to rant about a subject that is very near and dear to my heart: being better than Penn State.

With the recent news that Michigan settled it's dispute with the veteran's group that was complaining about the lack of wheelchair seating, everything seemed to be good. The renovation is underway, and the biggest obstacle was settled.

Until now.

The Michigan Daily noted that since the wheelchair accessible seating takes up more than 10 times the amount of space that a comparable amount of regular seating, the capacity of Michigan Stadium will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 106,201, down 1300 seats from previous years.

That doesn't sound like a big deal, until you consider the following:

That will make Michigan Stadium the second-largest football stadium in the country after Penn State University's Beaver Stadium, which holds 107,282.

University officials said they don't know what the stadium's capacity will be after the expansion project and said they don't know whether it will again become the biggest. The project will add a total of 5,100 seats, but some of the stadium's existing seats will be removed to make room for the addition.

They don't know if the stadium will still be the biggest? Seriously? One point of pride in Michigan football for years now has been hearing the announcer thank the fans for being part of the largest crowd watching a football game. It in our identity...biggest, best. By sacrificing that, we lose a piece of our image and pride, no matter how small. There should be no question that upon the completion of the renovation, Michigan Stadium is returned to it's proper place as the largest football stadium in America.

It's not like tickets wouldn't sell...there is a waitlist of over 10,000 people clamoring for tickets. Find a way to tack on another thousand seats...it shouldn't be that hard. Wrap the new seating along the endzones if you have to, just make sure that Michigan Stadium is atop the list.

What's almost as disturbing here is that we are ceding the crown of Largest Stadium to Penn State.

Penn State?

The same school that Michigan hasn't lost to since Clinton's first term in office?

The same Penn State that hates us with a such a passion that they routinely break into choruses of "Hail to the Motherfuckers" at the bars on non-game weekends*?

The same program that has been nationally relevant once in the last decade, yet still wants to bill itself as next best thing to USC?

We're giving them a piece of ammo, by letting them claim the mantle of largest football stadium in the country?

There is no way to get around the next two years, as the increased wheelchair seating goes into effect immediately. However, if Michigan Stadium isn't returned to it's proper place as the largest stadium in the country in 2010, every person in the athletic department should be fired, and regent who approved the plan should be voted out. There is no reason to spend even one more minute in second to Penn State than necessary.



*Don't doubt that one. I've been there and seen it in the middle of April when there is no Michigan provocation whatsoever.

12 Year Old WVU Coaching Hopeful

West Virginia had a 12 year old apply for their head football coaching position. For real. Citing a unique ability to “make up new plays to fool defenses in local sandlot games” and stating that the publicity would be tremendous for WVU even though “I understand this would be a move more suited for a team like Temple.” 12 year old Joshua Irizarry really did apply to WVU.

It’s pretty clear why they didn’t hire the kid. I mean, just by writing out a coherent letter, looking up the address and mailing it, that kid instantly skyrocketed to the top 1% of all West Virginians in intelligence. As a public university, West Virginia has a duty to relate to EVERYONE, not just society’s elite. Also, from the information in the article, the boy’s mother was interviewed and not also labeled as his wife, mother-in-law, or aunt. Given how the hillbillies have reacted to Michigan savior coach Rich Rodriguez’s departure from Morgantown, the administration would be hard-pressed bringing in another coach with a significantly higher moral and social standing than the masses who follow Mountaineer football.

There was no word on if Irizarry prefers Grizzly to Skoal.

dook Sucks

Because we hate dook.

Go Heels, beat dook.

Pain

I never thought I'd agonize over a couple of inches in sports so much as I did when viewing this photo in January of 2005:























So, that pretty much ended this afternoon when I saw this photo. This was the first time I've seen a still photo or replay of how close 19-0 really was. It definitely hurts more. The photo is mesmerizing. Just staring and wondering how the ball somehow wasn't caught. Jumping a half-second later. Stretching just one inch higher. Ugh. Inches. I guess XLIII will just be that much sweeter now. Teams frequently dedicate seasons to "2 more minutes" etc. when they suffer crushing defeats ending the previous year. I propose 2008 is the Year of Levitra for the Pats. 2 more inches.

Content

Yeah, so we've been slacking with content this week. While I think of some crap to write, here is a Friday morning photo. Cheerleaders with hot dogs.

Tampering

My man Peter King brings up a great issue this week, one that ProFootballTalk has been all over as well. Tampering. It’s pretty amazing that all these multi-million dollar deals, with all of the t’s crossed and i’s dotted are able to be completed merely hours after the start of free agency. So amazing, that it’s borderline impossible.

1. I think I wish the NFL would, once and for all, get serious about enforcing
tampering. I bring to your attention a Jan. 31 memo from the league that I
obtained, reminding teams to lay off players from other teams until the opening
of the free-agency period, which began Friday at 12:01 a.m. ET.
The memo read, in part: "You are specifically reminded that any contact -- direct or
indirect -- by one club with players under contract to another club, about
potential future employment, is not permitted. Such contacts could potentially
interfere with the employer-employee relationship of the second club. Further,
any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in
another club's player to the player's agent or representative, or to the news
media, is a violation of the Anti-Tampering Policy.
"These rules are in effect at all times that a player remains under contract; the anticipated expiration of a player contract at the beginning of the upcoming League year (that is, a player's expectation that he will soon become a free agent) does not
excuse impermissible contact prior to such contract expiration.''
And so I see all kinds of agents talking to teams at the scouting combine in
Indianapolis. I see teams agreeing to terms with players as they do every year
in the first hour of free agency (as Miami did with a guard, Justin Smiley of
the 49ers). And, by the way, how did I know the Eagles would be the leaders in
the clubhouse for Asante, including details about the money in the deal, nine
days ago? We've got to stop pretending this doesn't exist, and the league
has to stop selectively enforcing some rules and not others. If there's an
anti-tampering rule, the NFL must enforce it the way it enforces other rules.

Teams tamper with players, and it is a known fact. Much like teams steal signals. The selective enforcement of NFL rules is foolish. King, who is tapped into the league’s pipeline, knew that Patriot CB Asante Samuel would sign with the Eagles days before it happened. Yet Samuel signed the first day of free agency. That doesn’t add up, does it? So, I’m fully expecting that Eagle fan and douchebag extraordinaire Senator Arlen Specter will launch a full-scale investigation into the Eagles’ negotiations with Asante and justify his interest with the NFL’s anti-trust exemption. Where you at, Senator?

So Long, Brett

Brett Favre is retiring from the Green Bay Packers. This is somewhat surprising to me, as I never thought he'd go out with his last pass being, well, what kept them from the Super Bowl. Regardless, Favre had a great career, was a good dude, and went out with a strong final season. But he still can go eff himself for Super Bowl XXXI. So Long, #4.

Give Pacman a Chance?

This post isn’t going to win a popularity contest but it’s an intriguing possibility. The Tennessee Titans have given suspended troublemaking CB Pacman Jones permission to seek a trade. I’d post Pacman’s rap sheet, but I don’t want to bump the other articles on the front page. Pacman is a problem. But Pacman is also damn good on the football field. At some point, probably this season, Roger Goodell is going to give Pacman a second chance. So, why not….wait for it….have that second chance come in Foxborough?

It sounds crazy, but on its face makes a heck of a lot of sense. First, the cost to get Pacman is going to be insanely low. A 5th round pick would probably land him. Now that you’ve got him on your team, you need to control him. Easier said than done- but what better place to straighten him out than the Patriot organization? The Pats have a knack for policing their own and running a straight ship. If he doesn’t work out, you cut him and all that is lost is a 5th round pick. The way the roster stands right now, that player probably isn’t making the squad (only 2 of last year’s draft choices made the squad.) To give it a shot, you put Pacman’s locker right next to Rodney Harrison’s (Rodney would also be given a large wrench. Pacman acts up, he gets hit with the wrench.) Seriously, though, if Pacman is ever going to succeed in the league, it would be in a situation similar to this, coming into a locker room filled with veterans on a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Rodney, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour, Vince Wilfork, Tom Brady and Randy Moss wouldn’t let anything fly. That strong core of leaders is just what this kid needs to make his last chance work.

It’s a win-win. Pacman gets the support he needs to revive his career and the Pats get the talent they need at the cornerback position. Plus, people pretty much hate the Pats now anyways. So you’re not looking at a whole lot of PR damage and if Belichick can rehab Pacman, they scratch off the “Lombardi” on the trophy they’re handing him next February and just engrave “Belichick” right there on that bad boy.

Josh Moore Hates UM...The Feeling is Mutual

Former UM basketball "player" Josh Moore has a blog. It's really quite a hilarious read. Under the handle "Big J," Moore discusses his experiences at Michigan and is really quite bitter. Well, the feeling is mutual Josh, because you sucked. You didn't just suck, you FUCKING sucked. In fact, you and Avery Queen taking the court at the same time was basically the only proof ever needed that suck does indeed come in all shapes and sizes. If you don't remember Josh Moore, don't worry. You didn't miss much. He was recruited to UM for one reason- he was 7'2". Basically, Moore's only "talent" was that he was tall and that Shaq is his cousin. His forgettable college career consisted of averaging 4.4 and 5.7 ppg in his 2 seasons at UM. Yeah, he was that bad. When you're 7'2" and playing the type of schedule post-Ed Martin UM bball plays, you should be able to get 10 points a game just for being tall. You almost have to try and suck as bad as Josh Moore was at Michigan. Regardless, I digress. Moore's recent blog entry is a dig at Tommy Amaker's alleged improprieties at Harvard. Some highlights:

Michigan’s men’s basketball program is honestly somewhat of an enigma, even since the days of Glenn Rice, my former teammate, they have been accused of flagrant NCAA violations, with the most popular being the money in the cake story that every Michigan athlete has heard.

OK. As if Shaq as your cousin isn't a big enough claim to wannabe-fame, Moore is really calling Glen Rice "my former teammate?" Rice was a Clipper for 3 months in 2003-04, when Moore technically was a Clipper, spending the entire season on IR before being shitcanned for sucking.

Like many other recruits I was duped and off balance from my first day in Ann Arbor. I was sold a history that was paid for or fairytale and that wasn’t fair. Sometimes I wish I was better prepared to take the previous year of basketball off before attending Michigan, but then again I thought I would get an opportunity to catch up. Oblivious to me, we had a coach that was on the hot seat and desperate to win, and my opportunity to catch up consisted of six games.

Shocking. Big time college sports programs expect recruits to contribute. Newsflash: Josh, maybe if you didn't suck so badly, you would've found the transition to be easier. One of my friends at Michigan during my college days, Ron Bellamy, was a pretty big football recruit. During his freshman season, we had some depth issues on defense, and Ron switched positions and played some cornerback to help the team. I don't recall Ron ever whining or crying about some non-fulfillment of a fairytale, or that he needed a year off to catch up. Anyone want to guess why not? Because Ron didn't suck.

College fans are all a bunch of jihadists that ride for a cause they know little to nothing about, which is why even after hastily being thrown out of school and aggressively attacked by immature degenerates (i.e. E-Thugs), I manage to still enjoy Michigan football and following the careers of guys I had training table with.

Nice analogy there, Josh. Now, I won't defend the idiots who sent this dude hate-mail or messed with him on a personal level. There's one thing if you want to claim a dude sucks (especially if, like Josh Moore, they really, really, really suck at basketball) but it's another thing to go out of your way to harass the person. That's lame. Now, for Moore to claim that college sports fans know little to nothing about the game, well, as someone who's been on both sides of the fence both in college sports and behind the scenes in the NFL, that is flat out stupid. In fact, fans tend to know and understand what the game means more than a lot of players.

I was a loyal Michigan football guy until Lloyd Carr went, because as a freshman I walked into Coach Carr’s office and he had a 30 minute conversation with me in the middle of a plain day. That’s the type of stuff I respect. But now they have a guy that has basically said that no matter how shady the athlete is, as long as he’s eligible and a good player, he’s Michigan worthy, which in my humble opinion is not good for business.

I'm curious as to who specifically Josh is referring to that isn't "Michigan worthy?" Furthermore, Moore bashes the administration and coaches who tossed his shitty ass out on the street yet wants to decide who is "Michigan worthy?" Please. Not to mention that Rodriguez has done nothing at Michigan to warrant any criticism of yet. His issues with WVU and the contract are of little concern to us (especially given the WVU reaction.) When he does something to be questioned while in Ann Arbor, he can be questioned and labeled. It's hardly the place for basketball players who got shitcanned from the program to determine who is capable of coaching our football team.

The athletic director Mr. Bill Martin’s idea of doing his job consists of stealing every West Virginia coach, so how about this, why don’t the president of Michigan just steal West Virginia’s athletic director and call it a day? Rants like that aren’t “ill-will” it’s reality, like my college transcript and the lack of banners at Chrysler arena because of Ed Martin who I heard about every day during my college career. The biggest mistake I ever made in my life was attending the scandal filled, divided, cesspool known as the University of Michigan and I have no problem with publicly saying that. I will never get over the fact that I was expelled for no reason, totally without merit but as I get older and the turbulence passes so will the justifiable jaded feelings.

Yeah, it was your biggest mistake coming to Ann Arbor. Trust us, we all wish you hadn't. Watching you awkwardly stumble about the floor, 7'2" of sissy, afraid to play with any force or aggression in the paint was painful for all 200 people in Crisler.

I hope this new academic scandal at Michigan that’s about to hit the presses quickly pass and doesn’t ruin any lives, other than the S.O.B’s that screwed me over, not bitter just honest.

Multiple times you mention getting "screwed over," expelled "for no reason, totally without merit" and that just makes me laugh. People who think the world is out to get them, and then fight back with insults, name-calling and absolutely no personal responsibility for their actions are pathetic. Here's an article regarding Moore's dismissal. I love this quote:

"I've read 'War and Peace,' " Moore said. "I can battle intellectually with anybody."

Hey Josh, if you could battle intellectually with anyone, you would've been smart enough to pay attention in class and do what was necessary to be eligible for college. 30,000 other Michigan students manage to do that every year.

The bottom line? If people like Josh Moore think that Michigan is doing something wrong, I'm even more convinced things are going well.

Preach It, Randy

Randy Moss on top of his game announcing his re-signing:

"I want to take time out to thank all of the fans for their support and for wishing me well in my return to New England," Moss says. "I'm ready to get back. We have some unfinished business to take care of."

F*** Yeah! Why can't the season start this weekend? Oh, probably because the draft still has to happen. My man crush on Vernon Gholston's pipes continues...please be there at #7, please be there at #7, please be there at #7...

Done Deal

Well, the money was a little off, but MATW was correct in that Randy Moss signed today with the Pats. From NFL.com, per Adam Schefter:

Patriots, Moss reach agreement on three-year contract

By Adam Schefter NFL.com
The Patriots and free agent wide receiver Randy Moss agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract on Monday. The two sides are reviewing the contract, which is expected to be signed today. Moss, 30, was an unrestricted free agent after the Patriots elected not to designate the 10-year veteran as their franchise player.
In his first season with the Patriots in 2007, Moss set the NFL single-season
record with 23 touchdown receptions, while catching 98 passes for 1,493 yards.

Nice. We're 1/1 in the "breaking news" department. Thanks to my source. You rule.

Randy Back.

While this is far from a news site, I have reason to believe that the Pats have re-signed free agent WR Randy Moss to a 5-year deal worth over $50 million. He's reported to have $25 million in guaranteed money in the deal.

Hello XLIII...

MSU= Comedy Gold

So, I'm driving back from Lansing this afternoon and on 96 East I see this beauty.

















Yes, that's a proud Spartan fan. MSU license plate, and no State stickers, decals, flags or other general decorum. Nope, this Spartan has but one focus: BIG BROTHER. Most notably, the fact that a certain I-AA school can do what kid sis hasn't been able to do since 2001. I shouldn't be surprised, since I still see Appalachian State shirts for sale in East Lansing, but it's still funny.

(note: camera phone, highway, therefore that's the best quality that we get.)

Michigan Coach Meltdown!

This is a first for many things. Just as soon as I post about Don West, I see this over on a national blog usually devoted to politics under the heading "Michigan Basketball Coach Melts Down." I thought Beilein openly pleaded to go back to WFVU, but I was pleased to see that it was Kevin Borseth, Women's Basketball Head Coach, who went apeshit during his press conference. I'm thinking the same thing you are: we have a women's basketball team? And they have a coach? It's apparently true! Check the video:



(Embed works for this! Huzzah!)

Anyway, this is a first post on Women's Basketball, a Michigan coach melting down at a press conference, and a Michigan sports item being found on a political/entertainment blog (The Huffington Post, if you care). You can bet we won't use these tags again on our posts anytime in the near future.

Now, given that this is a first for MATW and also Michigan athletics, I wouldn't be surprised if Bill Martin slips a "you do this again and I'll cut your f**king face off with a dull pencil" post-it on Borseth's desk. This isn't exactly the modus operandi of a Michigan Man.

Unless...

It's the MO for Michigan Women! Histrionically throwing down a paper stack at a press conference? Getting overemotional to the brink of tears over something in the past that cannot be changed?

No. No, no. I think the MO for Michigan women would be to handle things the same way that the Michigan men do, but with better fundamentals.

Update: Apparently I missed this story being a big deal while I've been on-call at the VA. And apparently Borseth's a good guy. Still funny.

Re: Nostalgia

That video was great, but I couldn't help but think of this. I don't get this new Will Ferrell backlash from "Semi Pro." Plain and simple, he's always funny. Especially as Don West.

(Wait through the advertisement. I'm not sure how to embed AOL Video and I can't find it anywhere else. If anyone has a solution, let me know.)

Win.

Michigan hockey: Predicted 4th in the CCHA. Last night at Yost, the trophy was given to Hobey.





















Oh, and MSU? The defending national champs can pick up their 2008 award as well: