sign stealing scandal type substance
[Patrick Barron]

Big Ten Suspends Harbaugh Through OSU, Michigan to Seek Restraining Order Comment Count

Seth November 10th, 2023 at 4:48 PM

They waited until 3:50 PM (ESPN got a 30-minute advance), on the court holiday, on the Friday before the thus-far biggest game of the season. But the Big Ten is indeed going through with its plan to suspend Harbaugh, at least from the sideline, through the Ohio State game.

The Big Ten's servers are getting slammed right now but former student president Michael Proppe posted Tony Petitti's response to Twitter.

The letter includes some surprisingly recursive arguments:

  • It is unsafe for the players: "if you know what play your opponent is running, then you also know where your opponents' players will be on the field."
  • Signs are permanent: "Numerous coaches have informed me that signs and signals cannot be quickly or easily changed, and I find those statements credible."
  • It's okay if they have your signs though: "The Conference has not received any information that any other members schools engaged in impermissible advance in-person scouting."
  • Who needs evidence? "We impose this disciplinary action even though the Conference has not yet received any information indicating that Head Football Coach Harbaugh was aware of the impermissible nature of the sign-stealing scheme.

The "will be allowed to coach during the week" rider is interesting. Ohio State used this method to sorta-suspend Urban Meyer for enabling his staffer's spousal abuse in 2018, and Michigan did the same earlier this year for Harbaugh enabling his staffers' meal expense abuse. It's possible the Big Ten hoped Michigan would see this for a fig leaf and accept the punishment.

They will not:

Michigan will file a temporary restraining order in the next few hours, and almost certainly has a judge lined up to take it. The petty timing of this action might be enough on its own to win the injunction. Harbaugh is currently traveling to Penn State.

Comments

Blue Ninja

November 10th, 2023 at 6:07 PM ^

Seriously? They give it to a journalist first? That just shows they're trying to get ahead of it and get their story out first. Total political spin. B1G has just alienated the entire fanbase of one of their 2 premier teams, must feel safe with USC, Washington, Oregon and UCLA coming in next year. 

Joined: 11/17/2009

MGoPoints: 5759

Blue Ninja

November 10th, 2023 at 6:09 PM ^

I think that's the part that keeps making this a Catch22. If you bring up the argument that its not illegal to steal signs and use them everyone wants to go on about the video being illegal. But then when the focus is not on the video they keep spouting player safety which is one of the things the B1G put in their statement. So its ok to steal signs and know whats coming and that doesn't affect player safety, but taking a cell phone video and using that info makes it somehow more dangerous? The logic is taking a leap of tremendous proportions.

Joined: 11/17/2009

MGoPoints: 5759

GeraldFord48

November 10th, 2023 at 4:51 PM ^

It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine. While I am embarrassed to be associated with this pathetic conference, I am proud of our University for standing up for itself, for Coach Harbaugh, and for the team. Only thing left to do is WIN. THE. WHOLE. THING. Go Blue!

Joined: 07/24/2019

MGoPoints: 7923

YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

November 10th, 2023 at 6:33 PM ^

100%. UM has stood strong in a tough situation while the mob has lit their torches and lifted their pitchforks.

An over-eager Stallions tried too hard, ventured into a gray area, and earned his termination. Fine. Done.

The 100 players on this squad do not deserve this situation and no proof shows Harbaugh deserves it.  The program’s hard work and accomplishments are endangered by the BIG action. This is the very definition of irreparable harm. 

Joined: 11/01/2012

MGoPoints: 18049

stephenrjking

November 10th, 2023 at 4:52 PM ^

Guys who were around in 1973, is this worse?

It’s the worst sports injustice I’ve experienced as a fan. I say that acknowledging that Stalions has probably crossed a serious line; no matter. This is an outrage dogpile to get Harbaugh.

Nuke them.

(btw you can’t unring the bell. Even if they get the restraining order and Harbaugh misses no games, this causes material harm to the team and to the season. Right now Harbaugh has to set up a plan for being gone from the sideline. The players don’t know who is coaching them tomorrow. 

Dropping this at this time is malicious.)

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143880

JBLPSYCHED

November 10th, 2023 at 4:58 PM ^

I was a devastated 10 year old Michigan fan in 1973 after the conference AD's voted OSU to the Rose Bowl over us. Comparing my 10 year old self's feelings about that--they were incredibly powerful--to my 60 year old self's reaction this afternoon is difficult. I'd lean toward '73 being worse because we (Michigan) didn't even get to play the game. (Only 1 B1G team got to play in a bowl game per season back then.)

As of now I remain optimistic about getting a TRO and Harbaugh being on the sidelines tomorrow (and beyond). But regardless we get to play the game, even if it's without our coach. If it comes to that at least we've done it 3 times already this season and I really think the players will be even more motivated than they would have been anyway.

Go Blue Forever!!!

Joined: 11/27/2010

MGoPoints: 7441

MaizeGoBlue

November 10th, 2023 at 5:50 PM ^

I was at that game..it was my first Michigan game I was at that game I was 10yrs old and Everyone left that  game knowing  M was the better team. Even OSU fans left thinking M would get the Rose Bowl..Then MSU voted for Olieo St and was the deciding vote..I remember the bumper stickers that read send Burt Smith (MSU Ad) to the traitor bowl!

Joined: 07/20/2021

MGoPoints: 2628

25dodgebros

November 10th, 2023 at 6:21 PM ^

I was in Section 33 as a freshman.  Everyone in the stadium believed we were going to the Rose Bowl.  The funniest event after that horror was in the BigTen Championship Basketball game (UM and Indiana tied in the regular season) Michigan won at Assembly Hall and the Michigan fans chanted "Wayne Duke take a vote."  Hilarious. 

Joined: 01/06/2011

MGoPoints: 1630

crg

November 10th, 2023 at 5:01 PM ^

Any claims by others that Stallions crossed some kind of "line" is absolutely disingenuous... and they know it.

Teams will throw millions of dollars at recruits (through boosters and other illegal means, prior to NIL), they will build literal amusement parks on campus for just the players, pay coaches hundreds of millions to work for them... and to *stop* working for them, proliferate the newest and untraceable PEDs, cover up crimes committed by both players & staff which might jeopardize a season, create fake classes and fake departments, and even leak plays & playbooks to other teams... yet they would *never*, *ever* have someone go watch the game of a future opponent and take notes or similar actions.

Joined: 04/30/2015

MGoPoints: 75054

WestQuad

November 10th, 2023 at 5:22 PM ^

100% agree.   

1. Sign Stealing is legal.

2. Recording of other games is legal.  No in person scouting took place.

     a.  If it was Stalions at CMU, then the rule was broken, but that has not been proven and even then, how much is Stalions really involved in game planning. 

We are accused of breaking the spirit of the rule, which yeah.  Probably.  But that isn't a huge line.

Joined: 07/22/2011

MGoPoints: 31146

grumbler

November 10th, 2023 at 8:44 PM ^

We cannot be accused of breaking the spirit of the rule because the spirit of the rule is "no big-money team can conduct scouting that small-money teams cannot afford."  There isn't a D1 team that cannot afford $15k/year for tickets and costs to have someone film 4 games/year like CS did.

Joined: 08/17/2011

MGoPoints: 14112

maquih

November 11th, 2023 at 9:47 AM ^

He did cross a line of personal integrity and he should be fired for cause but this is like suspending the head coach because a player got a friend from his hometown to write his final exam.  Yes, expel that cheating player from the school but what are we gonna do, start suspending head coaches because low level staffers on 55k salary get too many parking tickets when scouting recruits?  Anytime anyone breaks any rule during a football related activity?

Joined: 11/04/2010

MGoPoints: 1774

rainking

November 10th, 2023 at 5:02 PM ^

I agree that the timing is malicious but I would like to think the coaching staff had prepared for this possibility and that the players know who is going to coach them.

Michigan has among the best coaching staffs top to bottom in college football.

May that fact be made crystal clear in the next three games.

The best revenge is to win it all.

Joined: 09/08/2008

MGoPoints: 3606

M-Dog

November 10th, 2023 at 5:09 PM ^

This is worse. 

1973 was a one-time event that could kind of sort of be argued had a rationale (Franklin was injured).

But this is not a one-time event.  This has no end.  This kind of take down of a Big Ten member institution by a mob of other Big Ten member institutions on a trumped up charge, can happen over and over again.

It won't end here.

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 257507

umchicago

November 10th, 2023 at 5:16 PM ^

i would say that legally this was worse, but1973 was horrible in that the big ten had an unwritten rule that in case of a tie, the team that hasn't been there most recently gets to go to the rose bowl. they broke precedent. there was no injury rule. that's just plain stupid and wrong. no vote was needed. the rule was already in place.

Joined: 02/05/2009

MGoPoints: 33628

Team 101

November 10th, 2023 at 5:34 PM ^

1973 was worse - The team was 10-1 and their season was ended due the venom of a handful of men in suits.  There are Michigan football alumni who went 30-2-1 and never went to a bowl game over a three year period.  It was so unfair the rules were changed.

It was 50 years ago and it still eats my craw and impacts by allegiance (or lack thereof) to other B1G program.  It was also back room and to this day the official results were never made public and our knowledge is based on unofficial evidence.

The suspension of Harbaugh does not deprive the players of the season and all of their goals are still ahead of them.

What is the same is the venom.  The other schools in this conference (save and except Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota) do not like us and will leap to screw us when they have a chance.  Ohio State pays professional salaries to players for 20 years and they sit silent.  Now they have Revsine and Denardo on TV giving the Commish a blow job.

I won't be around 50 years from now but for those who will you shouldn't forget about this.

 

Joined: 04/15/2013

MGoPoints: 38000

Maximumblue

November 10th, 2023 at 6:43 PM ^

In the vain of not ending here, put the banners back up, awesome timing for something that should have happened long ago. No doubt they figured UM would lay down for this, as we have before. Don’t get me started on, “stretchgate”. Little off topic but it still burns my ass to this day, might as well get that out there. 

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: 321