Mark Snyder

[Ed-M: Bumped because I'm still laughing]

Upper Peninsula can’t be sure it’s staying in Michigan

BY MARK SNYDER
DETROIT FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

The Upper Peninsula said all the right things.

It said it would “definitely” be back next year.  After all, it is geologically attached where it is, and already has the Mackinac Bridge connecting it to the rest of Michigan.

But the UP will investigate other options.

Once caught in the middle of a Michigan-Ohio recruiting war over Toledo (who later proved to be one of the largest busts in history), the UP was lured away from Wisconsin with the promise of being part of an actual state.  Things in Wisconsin have changed since then, however, and the UP may find the attraction of a living, breathing NFL team, as well as Bret Bielema’s musky man-scent, to be too powerful to resist. 

The UP has been a valuable asset to Michigan.  Once a source of lumber for paper mills and the iron that eventually fed Detroit’s automobile industry, the UP has recently put together an impressive collection of Indian casinos and even taken a Hollywood turn in “Escanaba in da Moonlight.”

However, the presence of Mackinac Island on its southeastern border has become an irritant.  The overwhelming odor of horse feces and fudge can be a powerful repellent, and may push the UP toward the greener pastures of Green Bay.

The UP said Sunday it will be back.  It was understandably emotional.  It has since been unreachable for comment, as the invention of the telephone has not yet progressed that far north. 

I believe, as of now, it will return to Michigan.  When it makes the decision official, Michiganders can exhale.

Until then, even the UP can't be certain itself.

Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com.

Editor's note: A previous headline on this story named the Upper Peninsula a part of Canada. This version is correct.

Brady Hoke comments (in MGoBlog's Favorite Newspaper) on Tressel:

http://www.freep.com/print/article/20110309/SPORTS06/110309037/Michigan-...

Regular version, in case the Print one expires:

http://www.freep.com/article/201103091350/SPORTS06/110309037

His remarks seemed too unrehearsed and off-the-cuff for my taste.  Just saying Tressel is a "good man" (however preposterous that might be to some) and a "good coach" (much more supportable) would be fine.

But adding "... they'll fight through that situation ..." and then "... I don't know that situation ..." is, at best, awkward.  Why say anything like that?  Certain other coaches at UMich have been tattooed for being "unpolished."

One wonders what Corporate Guy Brandon (who would not be expected to shoot from the hip) thought when reading that.

Oh dear oh dear oh dear.  I am trying so so hard not to hate the Free Press these days, plus I know a growing segment of the Mgopopulation hates any mention of the paper, but I had to mention this...using Tim's awesome notes from the hallway press conference we get this question regarding Mike Shaw:

"What is Michael Shaw's eligibility status?

Well we're still waiting on some - we don't comment on our guys' academically, and they still have two weeks of summer school left. Uh, which for some of our players, uh, we'll keep in touch with them."

Here is the top of the page headline on Freep.com right now:

U-M's top rusher, Michael Shaw, not yet eligible

While this may or may not be true, leave it to the Free Press to cast the information in the worst possible light.  Is Shaw our leading rusher by yardage, yes, but was he the most liklely #1 choice at RB this year, probably not from the information I have seen...plus maybe he is eligible right now, but his current grade could drag him under the limit who knows...I just don't understand why the Freep continues to show every bit of U-M information in the worst possible light, its nuts.

Aug

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/9381/best-case-worst-case-rewin...

Slightly painful to recap the pitfalls of this season but it would be interesting to hear what people believed at that point in the season to now. I don't know if I've just been broken down by the past two seasons but a mediocre/bad/missed bowl season still would not get me to my neighborhood pitchfork and torch store. Not even because I drink the RR-Kool Aid but just that I don't believe coaches can win and just simply fall on their faces for 3 years straight. Fall into mediocrity? Absolutely. Go from BCS to bowl-less for 3+ years? No.

Anyways, I had to shift the post away because I accidentally reposted old info so I thought this would open the floor to something productive.

What is one thing you're almost positive on for next year? Tate starting all season? A position shift for the city's Fastest Man? Etc.

It appears that the much beloved Ruffin McNeill, the former DC and Interim Head Coach for Texas Tech, has been fired by the new Tuberville regime. He was apparently also their LBs Coach.

http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/mcneill_ruffin00.html

Would love to get him in the mix for LB Coach consideration as possible. He appeared to be beloved by the players who had supported him to replace Leach after the Alamo Bowl win. He seems like a players coach would also likely give us more recruiting chops/connections in TX and the South.

I've been talking with Adam Rittenberg this morning about the Mark Snyder rumor. For those that haven't heard, there was a rumor that Mark Snyder has interviewed for the void in the coaching staff left by Jay Hopson.

Rittenberg told me today that Snyder HAS interviewed for the position. He doesn't know much more yet, but should know more later today. One of their guys is at the coaching conference, and is having lunch with Snyder today.

I'll let you know if I hear more.