Unverified PHELPS PHELPS PHELPS

Ouch. Or seeya. Some injuries and departures of note:

• Illinois defensive tackle Sirod Williams, a starter for them, tore his ACL and is done for the year.
• Michigan State lost two safeties yesterday, including the projected starter at free safety.
• Notre Dame wide receiver Richard Jackson is the sixth member of Weis's 2006 class to transfer from ND.

Speaking of that 2006 class, it's on its way to being about as overrated as the vaunted 2005 Iowa class. A seventh player (Bartley Webb) saw his career end due to injury, and an eighth (Darrin Walls) is currently dealing with "personal issues" -- at Notre Dame usually code for "should be academically ineligible but we'll shuffle him off to a community college for a while." That's six of the twelve four-star-plus recruits from the class, and four of the remainder are offensive linemen who apparently suck hard. Touted upperclassmen on the roster who play elsewhere: Raeshon McNeil and apparently overrated James Aldridge.

Oh, yeah: if you have Comcast, you now have the Big Ten Network. And hilariously cynical commercials claiming "no one covers the Big Ten Network like Comcast!" Do they think sports fans can't remember anything that happened more than 15 minutes ago? I remember Tyrece Butler, bitches, you can't fool me.

Channel 65; channel 255 for HD. Don't watch it today unless you want to watch the infamous Anthony Thomas football game. This is inadvisable unless you want to pretend that New Michigan is wearing purple uniforms and battling Old Michigan, except hopefully New Michigan's defense stayed at home and was replaced by oompa-loompas.

More stadium pictures. You've probably seen pictures of Michigan Stadium a million times since the renovations started. If you want to see more go here or here or here or here. It's all basically the same except there's some more metal.

I'm more interested in the possibility that the stadium's new configuration is driving locals bats:

"We call it `The Shadium,"' Stacie Steils said Thursday, looking through the windows of AAA Michigan at the iconic sporting venue. "It's just so big."

What?

$50 Bowling! Michigan's holding a benefit for Brock Mealer. From the diaries:

The team will participate in a "Bowling for Brock" charity next Wednesday to raise funds to help ease the medical costs for Brock Mealer , the brother of freshman lineman Elliott Mealer .

The Mealers were involved in a car accident last Christmas Eve as they traveled to church. Mealer's father, David , and Elliott's girlfriend, Hollis Richer were killed. Brock Mealer was paralyzed, and Elliott Mealer suffered a shoulder injury, and likely will be redshirted this season.

The bowling and autograph session is at the Colonial Lanes (1950 South Industrial Highway, Ann Arbor) from 4-6 p.m. Admission is $50 for adults, $25 for children, and all proceeds will go toward Mealer's rehabilitation costs at the U-M Medical Center.

The revenge tour continues. Michigan basketball's quest to let everyone who feels wronged by the program a shot at vicious stabby humiliating revenge continues apace:

On Dec. 22, FGCU [Florida Gulf Coast U] will travel to Ann Arbor to face Michigan as part of a two-game road swing that will also include a third meeting with NCAA tournament team Butler on Dec. 20 in Indianapolis.

FGCU lost to Butler 79-65 in Indianapolis two seasons ago and fell 78-66 to the nationally ranked Bulldogs at Alico Arena last season.

The Michigan contest also will mark the return of former Bishop Verot High School guard Reed Baker to Michigan after his transfer from the Wolverines to FGCU last season. He had to sit out a year following his transfer.

The Rainmaker will make us pay.

God, I hope not.

He eats, he sleeps, he eats he sleeps he eats. Amongst the MICHAEL PHELPS MICHAEL PHELPS MICHAEL PHELPS stuff going on in China was this surreal expose of Phelps' eating habits featuring Middle Kingdom, Prickly Pear, Maize 'n' Blue Deli, and some diner I'd never heard of named "Benny's":

I'm shocked there was a story about someone eating 10,000 calories a day in Ann Arbor that didn't involve Blimpy Burger.

Also, it's really weird to be watching NBC and see the nice old man from Middle Kingdom. Hey, I know that guy! Hey! I've been to that restaurant like twelve times! Hey, this is national television! Hey, I sound like that guy at hockey games who used to scream "HEY HEY HEY" whenever he thought there was a penalty, which was every ten seconds!

Sidenote: can Bela Karoyli please be on TV all the time? Can we replace Paul Maguire with him?

Yeah, this is a weird year. You are probably aware that we are playing Utah in the opener this year. You are probably not aware that some Utah fans outright expect the Utes to win. This is from Block U's "worst case scenario":

Something goes wrong against Michigan. Maybe it's Johnson who goes down, or Asiata sprains his ankle tripping over the serving cart on the flight to Michigan, only to fall on Mack's leg, breaking it. Maybe it's just the Wolverines are that much better than Utah, but for whatever reason, they do not leave Ann Arbor with a victory. It hurts, but is it the end of the world?

"For whatever reason" you leave Ann Arbor without a win is usually "you are a team not getting a return game playing Michigan." But now everyone's sizing Michigan up. Yeah, well, our walk-on quarterback is going to shut you up.

Etc.: Zach Putnam waited until the deadline, but he signed. Frown.