Unverified Voracity Is Almost A Black Hole Comment Count

Brian

Denser than a neutron star. SI's draft profile of Jonas Mouton:

 image

That is a very dense 239-pound human, or it's Terrence Robinson. I'm just amazed someone took a picture of Robinson holding the ball—he's got one career catch.

Not so much. According to GBW's Bret Osburn, hockey forward Jacob Fallon won't return to the team next year($). We haven't seen confirmation anywhere else but the addition of Sinelli could be construed like a kind of a "whoah, we need a guy" thing. He'd be Michigan's 14th forward if Fallon does come back, and while you want a couple extra guys around forward #14 can probably come from the club team. (Krikor Arman say what.) More than next year it's the jam adding Sinelli creates in the next two years that make his addition seem kind of like an either/or with Fallon.

The most convincing possible argument against the BCS. Everyone likes Andy Staples. He writes interesting things, thinks advanced stats might have some merit, and is willing to get in twitter fights with SBN bloggers without being condescending to them. But there is no greater reason to like Andy Staples than his admittedly half-cocked BCS implosion scenario. Specifically, this bit:

The Fiesta, after missing out on Big Ten No. 2, takes Pac-10 No. 2 and matches it against Notre Dame. Every year. Because Notre Dame equals ratings and sellouts.

That's right, Notre Dame: "after missing out on Big Ten No. 2". /Degeneration X entrance in your face

The mouths of babes part XXI. In a Sam Webb article on OH LB Joe Bolden, Bolden drops some super secret future plans:

"They are definitely up there on the list," Bolden said of the Wolverines. "The facilities are impressive. Both indoor fields are as long as the outdoor grass and outdoor turf fields. Then you just walk into the Big House and look from side to side — 115,000 people are screaming for you on a Saturday. There is probably no feeling like it. They told me that they were going to add about 6,000 seats. That's definitely an impressive thing."

Those would presumably be more rows in the endzone, but how that works with new scoreboards is undetermined. Do they flank the scoreboards? Would they move their  grand spanking new boards? Do they set one back or something? Someone interview another recruit so we can find out.

The past! Um… was anyone allowed at Wisconsin's spring game? This is a somewhat sincere question. They won the Big Ten, the weather was nice, and most of the shots in this video feature zero (0) spectators:

While you can see some people in the endzones they could be parents or something.

In other news, zero touchdowns were scored, all of Wisconsin's quarterbacks are terrible and they'll spend the next four years going 3-10,000 because they don't play Michigan. Sorry, Wisconsin. We don't make the schedule, we just doom everyone who doesn't play us. We don't like it either.

(HT: EDSBS.)

Tatgate warp. I guess the NCAA has been working on OSU's case since at least December but even so they've pounded out a Notice of Allegations against Tressel & co in record time. When Michigan got their version of that during the Jihad I did an email interview with the Bylaw Blog that tried to get a sense of how final all this was. The answer was "pretty final":

A major violation case, once it gets to this point, rarely is argued back down to a secondary infraction. To get to a Notice of Allegations, especially in this case, the enforcement staff and Committee on Infractions would have worked very closely to decide if there were major violations, ultimately the COI's decision.

Individual major violations are sometimes downgraded to secondary violations during the response and hearing. In the Kelvin Sampson case at IU, one of the original five major violations--that Sampson and assistant coach Jeff Meyer gave Derek Elston a backpack and t-shirt and recruited him during a camp--was found to be only a secondary violation. Of course, the COI can add too, like the failure to monitor charge that came after the committee hearing.

Expect all or almost all of the allegations in the NOA to stick. They are:

  • Seven different players sold or exchanged memorabilia.
  • Tressel "knew or should have known" two of these players were ineligible but played them anyway.
  • Jim Tressel lied about this—the dread almost-certain-firing bylaw 10.1 violation.

…and that's it. So much for delicious rumors of point shaving/something much worse/Ohio nuclear apocalypse, at least for now.

Not that the above doesn't constitute something close to Ohio nuclear apocalypse. The Dispatch's article has some raw numbers that are alarming for OSU fans: 13,385, 500, and 6000. The former is the amount of money the seven players got. The latter are the amounts Troy Smith and a basketball recruit got in the recent past. The first is pretty big; the second two expose OSU to repeat violator status. While Michigan was technically a repeat violator when the Jihad started, their eventual infractions were major in name only and had nothing to do with Ed Martin; here this seems like the continuation of a pattern.

As far as Tressel himself goes, the email trail is even more damning than previously known. The Dispatch:

After Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel was alerted that some of his players had traded memorabilia for free tattoos from a suspected drug dealer, he exchanged numerous emails, phone calls and text messages with the tipster, his star quarterback Terrelle Pryor and Pryor's mentors.

Documents obtained by The Dispatch also show Tressel called an FBI agent within days of getting the first email warning the coach of the potential NCAA rules violation and a federal drug investigation.

But OSU records don't show a single call or email from Tressel to the Ohio State compliance office in which he could have reported his players' apparent violations of NCAA regulations.

(Some OSU spokesman claims the dozen extra emails between Tressel and Sarniak were "inadvertently omitted" from previous document releases.) Michigan fan disclaimers and all that but I can't see how anyone can construe that as anything other than a deliberate decision to not suspend players known to be ineligible. The text of that email to Sarniak:

"This guy, Chris Cicero, is a criminal lawyer in town. He played here when I was an assistant coach in the early 1980s. He has always looked out for us. jt"

If anything justifies a we-have-to-fire-you show cause it's this case*. I mean, right? I'm betting OSU vacates last season, gets a bowl ban for this one, and gets a show-cause on Tressel. Scholarship penalties could be in the offing but I'm guessing they won't be severe unless the NCAA justifies it with that "repeat offender" status.

*[Um… other than trying to frame a murdered player of yours as a drug dealer.]

wilkins-bombed

Spring extrapolations. Magnus picture-pages the Cox touchdown from the spring game and comes away with some conclusions: no Wilkins this year (he was obliterated by two walk-ons), not so much on Herron, Marvin Robinson is highly inconsistent.

Etc.: Rodriguez says going to Michigan wasn't the best decision he's ever made, which… yeah. Depressing headline. Pete Bigelow claims Cullen Christian's exit doesn't "make for another cornerback crisis," and he's right: it continues and deepens a secondary-wide crisis that has been raging at various levels for going on ten years. Soon pirates will start appearing off the coast of the Michigan secondary. UMHoops scouts a bunch of 2013 targets. Christian transfers to—surprise!—Pitt. Someone owes me ten million dollars. Penn State's first coach is Guy Gadowsky, previously of Princeton.

Comments

Bryan

April 25th, 2011 at 11:30 AM ^

This is what would make sense, especially since they need new foundations. 

Can't wait to hear, "You are part of the largest crowd watching a football game anywhere in America today, today's attendence is 118,189"

Wolverine In Exile

April 25th, 2011 at 11:43 AM ^

gadowsky is a GREAT pick-up for Penn St hockey. Guy knows how to build a program, has done it multiple places, and likely will be able to energize and recruit Pennsylvania hockey recruits. He's also young enough to see them through the bad years and cultivate an at least mediocre hockey program. I'd say ceiling on Penn St hockey with this hire and their situation is probably a Ohio St like performance... average to middling with a serious tourney team every 3 years or so. Things looking up for the Nittany Lions On Ice. 

Still.. LOL Sparty.

the legend of …

April 25th, 2011 at 11:59 AM ^

Haha, he has his own wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krikor_Arman

 

It needs to be edited to state that in 2003 he was trying to play Intramural Ice Hockey under "Arman Gary" and all he did was fight kids...which, not so much in IM hockey.  I was in charge of the league and he is, to my knowlege, the only player to ever receive a lifetime ban.  Which, if his wikipedia page is correct, means he better not be playing while in Med School. 

He remains, to this day, one of the most arrogant people I have ever met; can't imagine he will have the best bedside manner. 

 

Michiganguy19

April 25th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^

I know him, and he might be a tad arrogant but he isnt that bad of a fellow. His family/brother own the Quickie Burger at the corner of State and Hill.

His picture is on the wall there doing a hockey stop... So if you are in there in the near future check out the picture. He also occassionally works there during busy weekends, like home football games. 

Touchdown... N…

April 25th, 2011 at 12:44 PM ^

While Kriks Arman might be serving a lifetime ban for IM sports due to his player conduct on the 2003 SAE IM hockey team, it was actually his younger brother Varj that was using his ID. I was on that team and yes things got a little rough on the ice.

Kriks has always been known as the more mild mannered Arman, so I am sure whatever opinions you have of him are a case if mistaken identity.

the legend of …

April 25th, 2011 at 2:50 PM ^

I just remember it was a ridiculous situation and one which did not get better. It may have been possible that his brother carried it out all the way through, but the utter lack of respect that the individual holding himself out to be Arman Gary had for the program, the policies, the institution and the individuals charged with administering the program left little choice but a lifetime ban.
<br>
<br>I guess I cannot stereotype this individual based on my one meeting with him, but it was enough that 8 years later I still knew the name (although I couldn't recall why initially) It is, if nothing else, notorious.

oakapple

April 25th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^

Michigan has four incoming freshman cornerbacks. They aren’t even on campus yet, and Cullen Christian was already third string. It’s likely that at least one of the freshmen (say, Blake Countess) would out-perform him, pushing Christian even farther away from seeing the field this year.

Under this set of circumstances, Christian’s departure can fairly be called “good attrition.” When you lose a third-stringer on the Big Ten’s worst defense (last year), at a position with good depth coming up behind him, there’s a pretty good chance that the scholarship you free up will be more productively be used in the next class.

joeyb

April 25th, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^

I have a hard time classifying any freshman or sophomore as good attrition. He could have redshirted this year and another full year of practice in this new system could be what he needs, then he might have 3 really good years ahead of him.

That said, he is the type of player that gets cut from my roster after I've over-recruited by 15.

WolvinLA2

April 25th, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^

I don't know, if he's being passed by Tony Anderson as a rising sophomore, I don't think there's a big chance he does much any time soon, and redshirting a player after he didn't redshirt his first year is asking for a transfer (unless it's for an injury).  Even then, he'd be battling a lot of guys for 2 spots, when almost none of the guys on the roster are older than him, eligibility-wise. 

The writing was on the wall and he left.  This happens, and is usually mutually beneficial.  Good luck to him, good luck to us.

Michigasling

April 25th, 2011 at 2:53 PM ^

while he's backing up guys already here only to see others with talent on the horizon, he's probably making the best decision for himself to sit out a year somewhere else where he sees more chance for future playing time.  Fortunately now we also have other options.  WIsh him the best.

mackbru

April 25th, 2011 at 12:16 PM ^

So somewhere in the NCAA bylaws is an asterisk denoting infractions that are "major in name only"?

If the NCAA hadn't deemed M's infractions major, the NCAA would have deemed them "secondary." 

M-Wolverine

April 25th, 2011 at 12:19 PM ^

They're offense didn't look all world in the spring game? They're doomed, I tell you, DOOMED. (Though I do think the not playing us thing pretty much will drop them to the bottom of the Big Ten for 4 years until they get back on the schedule just as Alvarez takes them back over and they win the Big Ten).

And maybe the pirates circling will be friendly pirates.

 

Or really friendly pirates...

http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr183/dyno-byte/sexy-pirates.jpg

panthera leo fututio

April 25th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^

There's been some recent economic noodling saying that pirate operations actually work best in something just north of completely failed states (i.e. there're more Johnny Depps in Cambodia than Sierra Leone).

Which means that a robust piracy operation might actually be a positive sign for Michigan's secondary.

bryemye

April 25th, 2011 at 12:27 PM ^

God. The Baylor Scandal doesn't get enough play. Seriously, how freaking messed up was all that? And the whistleblower is now black-balled from the profession.



Really amazing.

Isaac Newton

April 25th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^

The NCAA seems to be trying to figure out if Rife can be considered a booster.  If they find that, yes, he should be; the outcome of this will be all the worse for OSU.

saveferris

April 25th, 2011 at 1:19 PM ^

Well, as of now, the NCAA is not considering him a booster since they didn't slap OSU with "Failure to Monitor" and "Failure of Institutional Control"  in the notice of allegations that came out.  If Rife was factoring more in this investigation, those charges would've been included.

Isaac Newton

April 25th, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^

The NCAA asks OSU to include, among other things:

"A statement describing Rife's relationship to the institution and its intercollegiate athletics program.  In that regard, please indicate whether Rife has (1) participated in or is a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate athletics program; (2) made financial contributions to the institution, its intercollegiate athletics program or an athletics booster organization; (3) a personal relationship in any manner with any current or former members of the institution's athletics programs; (4) been involved in any manner with the recruitment of a prospective student-athlete; (5) provided benefits in any manner to any enrolled student-athletes, prospective student-athletes or their families; or (6) been involved in any manner in the promotion of the institution's intercollegiate athletics program.  Also, please indicate if the institution believes Rife to be a representative of the institution's athletics interests and, if so, the date he became a representative."

saveferris

April 25th, 2011 at 1:46 PM ^

Is that once the NCAA comes out with the Notice of Allegations, their investigation is essentially over, right?  For them to be still asking questions with the NOA already delivered to OSU is a bit confusing.  I mean, if the NCAA isn't looking into these questions themselves and expects OSU to be forthcoming with answers during the hearing, then do they really expect to get anything resembling the truth?

iawolve

April 25th, 2011 at 12:43 PM ^

That has to be like the worst 40 for a person that transitioned from safety-to-linebacker. Now I definitely know why he did not stay in the secondary. I would have never bet he ran that slow. 

cutter

April 25th, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^

Last fall, I spoke with Robert Soderstrom, author of  "The Big House:  Fielding H. Yost and the Building of Michigan Stadium" about further stadium expansion. 

His informed opinion would be that the bowl on the south side of the stadium would be further extended and work in concert with the new scoreboards being built at the stadium.  Keep in mind, David Brandon had only mentioned that he wanted new scoreboards at the time, so we didn't have a good idea of their actual size, although we knew it would be bigger.

The south side of the stadium makes some sense since there's more vehicle traffic on that side than the north.  It's also where the fans of opposing teams sit, so it probably makes sense to "move them up" in the stands or to provide more seating for visitors (especially now that Nebraska's in the conference).  I assume that once this is done, that side will be "bricked up" so that it meshes with the structures on the east and west side.

I had heard that 10,000 additional seats was a possibility--this is the first I have heard about 6,000 seats.  When the renovations to the bowl are complete, the stadium's attendance number will go to the 108,000 level because some seats will be lost in that area--it's currently at 109,901.  If this renovation is completed, then we're looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of a seating capacity from 115,000 to 118,000.  Michigan had a couple of games with over 113,000 in atttendance (113,090 against Connecticut and 113,065 against Michigan State), so with 6-10,000 seats, the announced attendance in the future could go conceivably go over 120,000.

That leaves the north side of the stadium in an unfinished state and I believe Brandon has said it's something that would be done after he's completed his tenure as Athletic Director.  Will they add additional seats to that end as well?  Perhaps an atrium like at Lambeau Field (which was modeled after Michigan Stadium)?  

We'll have a better idea of the scope or scale of any renovations once the scoreboards are in place.

lexus larry

April 25th, 2011 at 2:52 PM ^

This isn't the first time I've seen the number 115,000 bandied about, but I'd always dismissed it as hyperbole from an overly enthused individual selling U-M a bit too hard.  Now we have some details on the number, I'm liking it.  I like the idea of the perimeter being completed without notches, etc.

Where does the proposed 6k put us compared to Kim Jong-Il?  As Michigan fans, it's always satisfying to hear that we're part of the largest crowd in the country watching a football game...some stadiums may (someday) have larger capacity, but filling it, and filling it consistently, is something we should all be proud of...

Evil Empire

April 25th, 2011 at 4:10 PM ^

Sampson and Senderoff show up a lot more in the infractions report, but Jeff Meyer was involved in a bunch of the problems cited by the NCAA.  I'm assuming this was discussed at the time.  Was Meyer cleared?

goldenmug8

April 25th, 2011 at 5:28 PM ^

In regards to the RichRod article...I don't think it was a mistake for RichRod to take the job, I think it was in fact a mistake for UM to offer him the job.  AD Martin, IMO, F'ed up the situation and should have known he wasn't the 'right guy' for UM.  He should have known the fan base would seperate, which I feel from day one doomed RichRod.  I fully supported RichRod and would have liked to give him one more year just based on his MAJOR improvement in the offense. Oh well, Hoke I think will do just as well.