"80% of teams steal signs" -JJ McCarthy via X
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:15 PM ^
What does the other 40 percent do?
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:16 PM ^
They call Yogi.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:17 PM ^
Go to history class.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:43 PM ^
Speaking of history class JJ might need to take one.
"We actually had to adapt because in 2020 or 2019 when Ohio State was stealing our signs, which is legal. We had get up to the level that they were at, and we had to make it an even playing field.”
We didnt play them in 2020.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:47 PM ^
He said or.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:00 PM ^
He's growing older!!!
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:39 PM ^
Yeah JJ wasnt on campus until 2021 and well... if ever there was a year that would fork with your notion of time, it'd be **2020**
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:00 PM ^
No, we didn't play them.
That doesn't mean they weren't stealing our signs that yeah.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:18 PM ^
They could have been stealing our signs. They didn't know that they weren't going to play us.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:14 PM ^
OSU steals or trades for our signs before they play us, so technically they were stealing our signs in 2020.
January 3rd, 2024 at 3:33 PM ^
Exactly. Does anyone think OSU and Rutgers gave Purdue our signs out of the goodness of their hearts? They and everyone else were getting our and other teams' signs through horse-trading on the assistant coaching back alley--just like teams used to trade game tapes before everything went online. I have to believe this is the way it's been long before 2020 or whatever. We had other team's signals and they had ours, and theirs were better because it was put together from professional coaching staffs, not high school coaches with an iphone in the stands. Michigan gained no competitive advantage on the field.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:23 PM ^
Just because they ended up not playing in 2020 doesn't mean that ohio state wasn't stealing their signs based on other games played.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:48 PM ^
They adapted in 2020 by not playing
January 3rd, 2024 at 3:40 PM ^
And you may need a reading course.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^
40? I could be missing a joke too...
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:16 PM ^
90% of the posts are serious, the other half are jokes.
January 3rd, 2024 at 3:07 PM ^
Percentages are always calculated in base 12 math.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:21 PM ^
The other 40% take "Stealing Signs for Dummies" online class so they can join the other 80%.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:33 PM ^
They lose!
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:51 PM ^
Sign-stealing is equated with cheating in the public mind. Critical to disentangle the two concepts every time that you address these issues--say "We know that sign-stealing is legal. It's unfortunate that people don't get this." Nothing wrong with what JJ said, but it would have been helpful if he had underlined the distinction first.
JJ speaking freely about this suggests a kind of candor that's important--helps demonstrate that this isn't a bunch of people sneaking around breaking the rules. OTOH, would be nice if someone high-ranking, like Harbaugh, gave a definitive defense for Michigan sometime soon.
Hopefully, some strong journalist is putting together a history of cheating and sign-stealing in college football--maybe football in general--that puts some of this poop in perspective.
January 3rd, 2024 at 3:12 PM ^
Call up Rutgers and Ohio State and ask for a copy of their notes
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:17 PM ^
Watch this get spun to 'JJ admitted Michigan ILLEGALLY stole signs and concocted the most nefarious and egregious cheating scandal in NCAA history'
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:21 PM ^
It took seconds for buckeyes to jump all over it. All it shows is that reading and reading comprehension are not their strong suit.
Go Blue!
Beat Huskies!
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:02 PM ^
Why any Michigan fan gives a flying f*ck about anything Ohio State related this week is beyond me. None of them are worth a second of our time, especially the circle-jerking dumbasses that litter their message boards. They’re like a bunch of 8-year-olds that still laugh when someone says “booger.”
They’re entitled brats that have become more obsessed with excuses than accountability or introspection. And their leader has fooled a gullible fanbase into believing advance scouting is the reason their obnoxious reign is over.
We should let them be. They’re ironically helping us. The more they desperately try to convince themselves someone, anyone cares about Connor Stallions, the more they are avoiding the hard reality of their own on-the-field demise.
Ryan Day forever!
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:36 PM ^
I hate to break it to you, but the world has changed. Most 8-year-olds these days are already vaping - especially in Ohio.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:51 PM ^
Or voting.
January 4th, 2024 at 9:50 AM ^
This. No one has done more to help Michigan look better, than Ohio State and MSU fans massively overplaying their hands. Yes, Connor Stalions broke a rule (an outdated one, the elimination of which was already being considered before this) and has paid for it, he will never be around college football in any professional capacity ever again. If the NCAA determines Harbaugh knew about it, or had any way he should have known about it, Michigan likely will pay some penalty as well (though I'm pretty sure even if that happened, vacating three seasons would remain the Columbus / EL pipe dream that it is). Screeching about how what he did was worth multiple scores every game, it's the only reason Michigan's any good, and acting like it's basically up there with paying off officials or bribing opposing players to shave points, makes them look ridiculous and actually helps Michigan in the eyes of more objective observers. But haters are blinded by their hate, so, OK, fine, Michigan goes 0-12 the last three seasons if not for an analyst (that's right, not "coach") with an iPhone.
January 5th, 2024 at 5:38 PM ^
Yeah, I saw a comment the other day about how Michigan's D was signaling each other "pass" against Alabama. "SO THEY MUST'VE STOLLEN THERE SINES!"
As if there was literally NO OTHER WAY they could possibly have any clue whether 'Bama was looking to pass.
The stupid. It hurts.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:28 PM ^
I’m not sure of the context on how this came up but it probably would have been better to not even comment. It’s only going to give this ridiculous story more legs.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:29 PM ^
I agree with 93Grad. This will only get spun in a negative way for Michigan.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:26 PM ^
Yes and no. I don't disagree that it was somewhat impolitic of JJ to (truthfully) discuss the whole sign-stealing (non)story, but if it wasn't his quote generating more Thamelbation it would've inevitably been something else.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:26 PM ^
This is honestly my main concern with his quote.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:27 PM ^
Most rationale fans who understand the game think this whole UM sign stealing crap is just stupid and way overblown. Hell many coaches have even rolled their eyes about it as it happens all across the board. People point fingers at UM and calling them cheaters need to get off their high horse and check their own house
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:37 PM ^
^ The accuracy of this post cannot be understated. Former/current players and coaches overwhelming response to Thamelgate has been fart noise, wanking motion.
January 3rd, 2024 at 3:25 PM ^
Most rationale fans who understand the game...
Well, those two criteria eliminate about 98% of the population!
January 4th, 2024 at 10:05 AM ^
The only people still endlessly harping on it are OSU and MSU fans, and at this point even they know it's overblown, it's just their coping mechanism for dealing with the fact Michigan has risen to the top tier of the game. It's more painful for Ohio State fans, who are still in disbelief that Michigan has taken what they believe to be their birthright position, and it's more delusional for MSU fans, who had convinced themselves 2008-15 was the entire history of college football and that somehow the pendulum was never going to swing back to the actual historical norm of Michigan being the superior program to their joke dumpster fire.
The funniest part is their pretending their "concern" is about the integrity of the game. No it isn't, you don't give one shit about that, you care about a run of success being taken away from Michigan and its fans. If you cared about the integrity of the game, you'd follow through on the promises you all keep making, that you're "done with college football," which I, we, and especially yourselves know is laughable bullshit for 99% of you.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:18 PM ^
I'd prefer no comment this week, but whatever.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:11 PM ^
yeahhhh... why even talk about it. Don't add to the noise please, and thank you.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:19 PM ^
Not sure why he would even say a thing... why now?
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:24 PM ^
he and Mason Graham were on a teleconference today and was asked about it.
“But, you know, I just feel like it sucks just because like Mason said, we do work our butts off.” McCarthy said. “
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:52 PM ^
Question asked, question answered. The problem is that the full response from both JJ and Mason are buried in the article. If you only look at the X/Tweet you won't see it.
Players need to realize that the media, even the seemingly "frendlies" really aren't, they still want clicks. Link to full article is below.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:20 PM ^
60% of the time it works every time.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:22 PM ^
theWolverine shouldn't have even published this. No good would come from it
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:37 PM ^
Clicks!
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:52 PM ^
I think it was a broad teleconference. Not just the Wolverine on with them.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:23 PM ^
Yeah we all know this, we know the idiots are going to come up with the technicality that "yes but you did it illegally" even though the NCAA itself said it confers no advantage.
JJ said nothing wrong but honestly I'd rather they just give this no oxygen at all and just say "I'd prefer to discuss the game."
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:29 PM ^
Exactly right. Good case in point was last week when Moore was asked about whether he thought race played a role in O'Brien suggesting Milroe move from QB to RB. Moore's answer "I dont see color" bothered a lot of black guys I follow on Twitter. What I wish Moore would've said was:
"I have no idea but the guy who hired O'Brien is Nick Saban and he's standing right over there. That's a question you should be asking him, not me."
A better answer from JJ would've been "I have no idea what other schools do. I just know Michigan coaches are very concerned our signs have been stolen in the past."
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:40 PM ^
I don't believe Moore said anything wrong. If people want to find a way to be offended, they will. That's just the internet for you.
January 3rd, 2024 at 1:41 PM ^
I like Moore’s answer. That is what we should all be striving for.
JJ’s on the other hand… needed a no comment there.
January 3rd, 2024 at 2:15 PM ^
Respectfully, no. "Colorblind" is not what we should be striving for. We're not colorless. Our different shades of melanin are what makes us each unique and stronger as humanity. I'm not a person of color myself and I don't like Moore's answer, though I don't think he was aiming for how many people took it.