Isaiah Hole Appreciation Thread
I'm sure I'll get negged for this, but I don't care. In Isaiah Hole's podcast today, he talks about how disheartened he was to go onto a thread on mgoblog recently to see people trashing him. He said that he expects that behavior from rival fans but not from Michigan fans.
I too have been upset seeing people on this board trash him. If Isaiah Hole is reading this, I hope he knows that he is appreciated!
For me specifically, his podcasts helped me not freak out over all the constant bad news from the sign-gate stuff. He always had a more positive outlook and helped me feel that everything was going to be ok. And all he's been doing is relaying what he's heard from insiders. I for one appreciate him giving the inside scoop, even if it doesn't always pan out the way his insiders say.
Keep doing what you're doing Isaiah, and ignore the haters! Go blue!
November 29th, 2023 at 11:01 PM ^
Isaiah.....you are appreciated!
November 30th, 2023 at 7:47 AM ^
Comrade Isaiah, you kept so many of us sane during the darkest days of Signgate. I posted your stuff to the board many times for that reason. Thank you!
November 29th, 2023 at 11:03 PM ^
We love you Isaiah. Enjoy your podcast. Keep doing what you are doing.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:04 PM ^
As an outside observer not privy to his “insider” knowledge it’s hard to tell if what he was saying was for real or just for the clicks. I can understand why people are upset.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:53 PM ^
He's upset because folks called him out for producing a big steaming pile of clickbait throughout the period when Michigan briefly went on the offensive over the signs allegations. He'd offer long teases about how "the other shoe will drop" and "the story will turn in Michigan's favor." He never offered any evidence or real reporting. It was all just... "I can't say, but trust me." Well, the other shoe never dropped. Things actually got worse for Michigan. As it stands now, his "reporting" strongly appears to have been slappy BS. Prove us wrong, Mr. Hole. Until then, why should any trust you?
November 30th, 2023 at 12:14 AM ^
I personally enjoyed his podcasts and they did make me feel a bit better about the situation. Why did you listen to him in the first place? If you don't agree or support don't listen. To come on to this forum and say things about someone who was only trying to inform and help is ridiculous. Leave the guy alone or don't watch.
November 30th, 2023 at 12:14 AM ^
I'm guessing that the insiders thought that things like OSU / Rutgers / Purdue sharing signs would have a bigger impact in our favor than they did. They did not count on the utter insanity and unprofessionalism of Tony Pettiti's blind vendetta against Jim Harbaugh.
November 30th, 2023 at 11:19 AM ^
If we're being honest, why did we think that? Because it made sense from an ethical standpoint? Good ole equity? Stop
For the B1G and the NCAA to invite multiple other programs to our hot seat for the world to see, doesn't advance their intere$t$ in any way.
Do we really think they wanted this headache from an overall brand perception/quality standpoint? While Bawse Hawg Hank from Ocala and them good ole boys laugh at us even more? Doubtful.
Based on how poorly the B1G handled it, it's hard not to think they wanted to bring us down for some reason, but I think we all know deep down that they would've preferred none of this to come out, ever.
Therefore, it makes perfect sense that they didn't decide to double down on the growing notion that their conference's football results are somehow tainted, by bringing other teams into this mess. Wrong or right.
I say all that to say Isaiah does his best, but he's biased as shit just like most of us. And maybe sometimes logic gets clouded by hope that things will turn in our favor.
How was he to know that the Jose Canseco move we tried to pull wouldn't work? Doesn't mean he wasn't right about us having some ammo, however weak and untimely it may have been presented. Doesn't mean 3rd party sign stealing actually matters all that much either.
The B1G aren't the ones who ever so surgically set this up. They didn't apply media pressure to themselves FerGodsakes! That pressure changed things in a hurry.
A lot of you seem to not get that when you have certain sources, even revealing what (let alone who) was told to you could expose someone. By virtue of the content of the information!
Sometimes these people are close to you, or trust you in like, real life. Not superfan blog world.
So Hole has to speak vaguely, because 1. He's not a fortune teller, and 2. Whoever is telling him this stuff would probably be fucked if it was revealed that they went and told blogger Isaiah Hole some top secret shit! Just so you'll believe him and are able to sleep at night!
November 30th, 2023 at 11:45 AM ^
tl;dr
November 30th, 2023 at 12:38 AM ^
Its completely fair to levy criticism for all the reasons you just laid out. No one is entitled to praise just because that person represents the team we like. His job is to report out accurate information that takes us within the halls of Schembelcher hall (even if that information is not positive) and if the information that he chooses to share is misleading or inaccurate then he deserves all the criticism that went his way.
For instance, compare how Hole reported on this scandal to how Sam Webb reported on it. Sam Webb is a huge homer but he never pumped sunshine in vague allusions that never materialized. The information he reported was not always positive but it was accurate, specific and clearly well sourced.
November 30th, 2023 at 12:43 AM ^
It is your right to not trust him. Sometimes it is ok to let things be and not have to challenge everyone and everything.
He is one of us and that is enough for me to trust him. But there is no need to call him out. Just let it be. Leave the calling out to buckeyes.
November 30th, 2023 at 1:31 AM ^
I came out strongly in support of Isaiah when I saw him unjustly getting trashed on the last MGoBlog post.
But let’s just realize that Isaiah doesn’t need to care about any uninformed overly emotional idiots on a fan site that want to completely ignore the broad support he has for his credibility, including Sam and the leaders of MGoBlog, by people who actually know what the heck they are talking about. It goes with the territory these days.
That “in-the-know” support should have been more than enough for any intelligent fan to be patient. And if not, then we are talking about the same couch surfing hot bags of air that tend to scream for coaching and other changes when Michigan loses a game or two.
It’s not difficult to notice that (yes there were always skeptics) many turned on him when Michigan caved on the legal strategy. We were all severely disappointed. No one could have predicted it. But there are always some people that want to take their depression and disappointment and blame someone else for it.
The above may sound harsh and it is intended to be. Because if I am picking a side based on character, integrity, and having his heart in the right place, then Hole is it.
November 30th, 2023 at 9:29 PM ^
It’s not difficult to notice that (yes there were always skeptics) many turned on him when Michigan caved on the legal strategy.
He was perhaps the most prominent media member saying that Michigan would fight the charges and be vindicated by the truth. Instead they “settled” by accepting the full punishment that the B1G originally proposed.
I’m not accusing him of anything, but what you describe as fans turning on him I would describe as fans holding him accountable when he told them exactly what they wanted to hear and it turned out not to be true.
November 30th, 2023 at 7:48 AM ^
I think your point overall is fair, but some of it is left to view interpretation. I took it like this...
- He genuinely thought they'd get the temporary order before psu. I think that was genuine and what insiders did tell him based on the fact harbaugh and assistant coaches said they thought he'd be coaching until an hour before the game.
- He did seem caught off guard about the partridge issue. Balas was more on that one.
- Hole has said the biggest proverbial "shoe to drop" is around the PI. He has also said that shoe "could be weeks, months, or years" and he maintained that pretty early on.
To me, the biggest thing he has put out there is that UM may have broken the spirit of rules and may get punished but there is "is no there there" or some big issue that is hidden that will bring the program down. Of course, he could be wrong, but he's been pretty steadfast to support the team and university because this is 100% not some huge conspiracy where they are doing a lot of the things osu fans claim (hacking practice film, bugging locker rooms, etc. etc)
November 30th, 2023 at 9:21 AM ^
Hole has said the biggest proverbial "shoe to drop" is around the PI. He has also said that shoe "could be weeks, months, or years" and he maintained that pretty early on.
IMO, that is the kind of statement that unnecessarily gets his credibility in trouble. If you can't get more specific than could be weeks, months, or years, because nobody really knows, or your source won't allow you to reveal it, then it's best not to say anything. Or just say that people are earnest looking into the PI origins and leave it at that.
Don't tease it in a click bait fashion and say enticement things like "shoe to drop". It makes you look unnecessarily foolish and untrustworthy if nothing actually happens. Fill up your hour with something else.
November 30th, 2023 at 8:51 AM ^
Isaiah has been clear from the start that he is just passing along what his sources say. Everything changed when Partridge broke the rule on speaking about an ongoing NCAA investigation. He's dropped hints multiple times on things that have come to pass (like Alex Yood being the leak), but since this issue involves an NCAA investigation, revealing sources or detailed knowledge would probably cause a lot more problems.
November 30th, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
November 30th, 2023 at 9:27 AM ^
He's upset that people don't like that was basically a clickbait podcast? He choose to be the one making cryptic tweets and say he knows what's really going on. No one is saying he is a terrible person, just a bad podcaster imo.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:00 PM ^
Pretty sure this was on The Solid Verbal, but in response to a reader question about should they have covered signgate differently, one of the hosts basically said they cater to analytics which said that people wanted to hear about signgate, so they wrote and talked about signgate.
Essentially, whether they cared about it or not, whether they thought it was nothing or not, they focused on it because money, job security, etc.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:06 PM ^
I like Isaiah and his podcast. I would tell him not to get disheartened about getting trashed on an internet board - its a complement that people are talking about him.
There are plenty of other Michigan football podcasters that have never been mentioned once on this board.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:38 PM ^
I do not see it as a compliment. Most aren't saying great things. I think he really damaged his "brand" (I loathe that term) through this ordeal.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:07 PM ^
I like him, but it's time for him to stop the fan dance and deliver on his promises. Or stop making them.
If you have sources that won't let you reveal anything then you don't have sources. So don't bring it up.
He kind of built up our hopes, but at the end of the day, the worst thing that could have happened is what happened. Everything was NOT OK. The head coach got blamed and then suspended during the most crucial part of the season. We were lucky to get through it.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:20 PM ^
Well said.
No hard feelings Hole, just posters offering honest opinions. That said, appreciate all your efforts.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:46 PM ^
…and his contract hasn’t been renewed which might cause him to bolt and CP got fired, so yeah, it’s been pretty fucking bad
November 30th, 2023 at 1:54 AM ^
Hi Magnum. Are you any good?
Asking for an administration...
November 30th, 2023 at 12:47 AM ^
Stop making them? Wow. That is his livelyhood. No need to listen if you don't like it. Do we have to pile on our own?
This is my last comment on this thread. Not worth it. People are who they are.
November 30th, 2023 at 12:51 AM ^
Pretty sure he was saying stop making promises you can't deliver on, not stop making podcasts.
November 30th, 2023 at 9:27 AM ^
Thank you. Yes I was saying stop making promises you can't deliver on, not stop making podcasts. I thought that was obvious.
November 30th, 2023 at 6:49 AM ^
Yeah I am sure Isaiah is a good dude, I am sure he has good sources as credible people vouch for him, but when you're in the 'insider' game you can't lean that hard into optimism, be wrong, and not expect to catch some flack.
It's tough being an insider because maybe Michigan felt super optimistic about the OSU-Rutgers-Purdue in person scouting ring or about their legal odds and that's what Hole was reporting but that didn't come to pass so selling optimism ends up sour when it doesnt come to pass
More measured guys like Webb and JUB ended up looking better through this, Balas (who was catching flack during this, including from me) with his 'negative' reporting was probably closest to being the most accurate amongst the insiders leaking intel
November 30th, 2023 at 8:45 AM ^
“If you have sources that won't let you reveal anything then you don't have sources.”
I tried listening to one of his podcasts but gave up after 15 minutes of meandering, vague pronouncements with no concrete evidence to back up anything he said. Why anybody would give him money for that stuff is a mystery to me, but I’ve never paid a nickel for any sports content (other than MGoBlog).
November 30th, 2023 at 8:50 AM ^
Isaiah has been clear from the start that he is just passing along what his sources say. He's dropped hints multiple times that have come to pass (like Alex Yood being the leak), but since this issue involves an NCAA investigation, revealing sources or detailed knowledge would probably cause a lot more problems.
November 30th, 2023 at 10:31 AM ^
"Just passing along what sources say" despite accuracy of sources is the main contributor to the PR blowup that was this "scandal".
I agree we should be better than OSU regarding personal insults to him, but I don't feel bad at all about UM fans turning away from his content due to inaccuracies or a feeling of fan-fic.
November 30th, 2023 at 10:44 AM ^
As been discussed around here, these guys don't have any inside sources. They want to, they want to said like they are in the know, but Michigan has always been a submarine, and Hole isn't in the navy so he doesn't know anymore than anyone else.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:11 PM ^
Michigan fans have been pretty stressed out lately, and stress has a way of getting folks worked up. I bet a lot of the frustration expressed was general anger at the situation rather than anything personal at Isaiah.
I think most folks here value everyone who works to get info about the team out to us fans. I certainly appreciate the time and effort spent to get us info from "the inside," even if some of it isn't 100% accurate. It's a tough business.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:14 PM ^
Most of what I have seen here has been reasonable. Folks seem to agree that Isaiah was honestly passing along what he had heard, but that this situation sort of proves that even the “insiders” are simply not privy to every detail, especially in a situation as unpredictable and volatile as this. I haven’t seen many suggesting that Hole fabricated information for clicks. I think this is just one of the hazards of being a so-called insider - when you get it wrong, people will be upset, even if it isn’t your fault it was wrong.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:20 PM ^
Reasonable people don't think he fabricated information. And it's not really even the case that he got things blatantly wrong.
It's that he over-promised based on what he actually had, or what he had that he could reveal in any reasonable timeframe.
The whole "Sleep soundly my little Wolverines, I have information that says that everything will be OK, I just can't reveal it yet" did not age well.
November 30th, 2023 at 3:31 AM ^
The old adage of "promise less and deliver more" comes to mind. But that's doesn't deliver clicks and profits.
We are in an unprecedented age of news. Information and journalism that is testing all the old norms.
November 30th, 2023 at 6:52 AM ^
He should understand the words " Trust me " just don't work anymore. People want verifiable facts not " sources I can't reveal ".
November 30th, 2023 at 7:40 AM ^
Well, you might want verifiable facts, and I might want them too, but a lot of people that either disdain or simply haven't been subjected to serious scholarly rigor, often don't get the importance of accuracy and are more than happy to just be told what they want to hear. Unfortunately, if you're in the media today, that's where the clicks and subscriptions and money are.
November 30th, 2023 at 2:35 PM ^
Yeah, I get it. That's the problem.
November 30th, 2023 at 7:24 AM ^
Reading your comment another way, these “insiders” are really just a disguised PR arm of the program. So when Sam says “even insiders don’t know”, that means the program knew it didn't control its destiny/narrative, and may get cooked, which it did.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:15 PM ^
Isaiah Hole seems like a great person. I found his podcasts over the last month to definitely be the most calming as everyone’s hair was on fire. That cannot be an easy job.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:16 PM ^
Being an ‘insider’ can be tough. Everything he has said could have been true but at the 11 hour things could change. Or he and others could just be saying what fans wanted to hear. We will never know the truth
November 30th, 2023 at 8:55 AM ^
He's had enough of his hints come true that I trust what he says, but I think Partridge talking about the investigation was something that nobody could have predicted and changed everything. I can see Michigan waiting until the offseason to release all of the information they have so there's time to investigate, plus now the precedent is set that the HC can be held accountable for university missteps. I'm still optimistic about the information that UM has on OSU (and potentially other universities).
November 29th, 2023 at 11:27 PM ^
I appreciate what he says and take it at face value. It actually feels like he bends over backwards NOT to over promise. Take it how you will, but if you get over invested, that's on you.
—jnhtnal on YT, if you're wondering, Isaiah.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:32 PM ^
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November 29th, 2023 at 11:32 PM ^
I can't help but like Isaiah Hole, but he needs to find some better sources.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:34 PM ^
the fact that we believed this guy's so called insider information only embarrassed us more
Beating OSU saved us
November 29th, 2023 at 11:34 PM ^
Isaiah is the man! He seems like a great dude. From his faith, to his delivery, to his sense of humor, he makes his podcast a great listen. Like you said OP, his positive outlook really helped during the height of signgate. If you see this Isaiah, stay strong brother! You have plenty of fans out here!
November 29th, 2023 at 11:37 PM ^
I enjoy Locked on Wolverines and he seems like a decent guy. Plus he rolled with the Butt-Hole jokes when he had Jake Butt on.