Unverified Voracity Bans UConn Comment Count

Brian

DraftStreet[1]Freeroll part II. Late last year we had a Draftstreet freeroll for anyone interested in testing out their daily/weekly fantasy games, and they've given us the opportunity to run a basketball-focused one that kicks off Thursday. Purchase a starting five with a set salary cap [insert Ohio State joke here] and score more points than anyone else in the pool to win some money.

Enrollment is free and there's $150 up for grabs. Hit the link to sign up, or log in to your existing account.

App status update. I thought the apps were kind of a niche product that a couple twitter mentions and board threads would adequately handle, and in this I was massively wrong. That's good and bad news for me: it's good that we have that kind of engagement and bad because I've annoyed a bunch of people.

Anyway, our status:

  • Android. The Android app works for reading. We are still working on getting logins going; hopefully that can happen within a week.
  • IPhone. Pushing iPhone apps is a more involved process and we are a little behind here, but reads work on the development copy and a blocking issue with logins has been fixed. We should be able to get an update up within a week or two.

Again, this is my fault for not realizing the test server originally intended to be the place where these apps were developed was still pointing to the main database until it was too late. By that point I'd blown up the kludged-together existing infrastructure. I thought the best course of action was to quickly forge ahead with the new stuff instead of wasting time restoring a system I didn't want to keep around; unfortunately some login issues slowed us down. This is one of the downsides of being a totally independent entity, but the upsides are significant as well.

APR with teeth. Cynics everwhere are surprised by the NCAA's decision to uphold UConn basketball's 2013 postseason ban for crappy APR scores. Power conference basketball outfits have previously gotten hit with scholarship reductions—OSU, Purdue, and Indiana all suffered—but no one has gotten the nuclear bomb of a postseason ban.

High level players are likely to flee at the prospect of not getting to play in an NCAA tourney. With Jim Calhoun's health increasingly an issue, not keeping up with their books seems likely to bust UConn's program status down for years. The UConn Blog:

This would be devastating news for any program, but it is especially crippling for UConn. It will almost certainly encourage any NBA prospects on UConn's roster who had even the slightest doubt about staying to leave for the pros. Recruiting will certainly be hurt as well. Most importantly, Jim Calhoun, who is currently out on medical leave, would have to coach well into his 70s to get the program back to a position of strength. Realistically if he wants to hand off his program in anything close to its usually strong state it would probably require him coaching through the 2014 or maybe even 2015, at which point he'll be 71 or 72.

While that's painful for Huskies fans it does provide the NCAA ammunition for anyone who suggests they won't hurt a power program. Here they even retroactively applied new standards to existing scores, preferring punitive measures over perfect fairness.

The dates! Spring practice dates:

Michigan's spring camp begins March 17, according to a team spokesman, and culminates with a public scrimmage on April 14.

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via umgoblue

Goodnight, sweet prince. Mike Comrie is calling it a career:

TORONTO -- Mike Comrie, who twice scored at least 30 goals in a season, retired from the NHL on Monday after a third hip operation in five years.

The 31-year-old center announced his retirement two weeks after his latest hip procedure, saying in a statement he was no longer able to "manage the rigors of NHL play." Comrie was limited to 127 games over the last three seasons.

My first year at Yost was also Comrie's first and the magic he worked with the puck was a major reason I fell in love with both Michigan hockey and 5'8" puck wizards. Here's to Comrie lighting it up at an alumni game in the near future.

This is not 'Nam… let's make it more like 'Nam. The NCAA would like to slash out various bits of their rulebooks to pave the way for college town Taj Mahals:

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Bring back athlete-only dorms with unlimited food. Let coaches talk publicly about their recruits. Allow transfers in all sports to immediately play.

Those are among the ideas being discussed as the NCAA tries to produce a slimmer and more efficient rulebook, according to documents obtained by The Birmingham News.

While I'm generally for athletes getting more freedom and money from the NCAA, I dislike the near-free-agency immediate transfers create. I'd love it if kids who got Sabaned could transfer immediately; for everyone else the one-year sit out seems appropriate. Even coaches who are taking advantage of the grad-year transfer rule like Izzo seem to think it's icky.

Everything else, whatever. The parade of secondary violations distracts from actually important matters. In a world where everyone has Facebook communication restrictions on phone calls and texting seem like laws prohibiting whipping your horse.

Nein, Doc Sat, nein. Hinton's suggestions for a four-team playoff:

  • Keep the BCS ranking system.
  • Put the semifinals at bowl sites.
  • Bid out the championship game a la the Final Four/Super Bowl, etc.
  • Restrict the field to conference champions (or Notre Dame)

He admits the first is likely to cause a spit-take; I think all but #3. It's unfortunate that many years the Rose Bowl will serve as a consolation prize for the second-place Big Ten team, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the prospect of home sites with real atmosphere for semifinals both as a person who will watch on TV and one who would attend any time Michigan makes it, home or road.

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this >>>>>>> bowl game

I've mentioned this before: I'm probably not going to Dallas this year because I can get a generic NFL stadium experience at many bowl games. If the game was in Tuscaloosa you could not stop me from going. If you shot me in the head, my zombie would rise up and hitchhike to Alabama. A playoff semifinal on the road in Austin or Baton Rouge or Tallahassee is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity far superior to any bowl game. And at home? Good god.

As far as conference champs only, I'm torn about that. Notre Dame remains a problem. If a one loss ND team gets in over a one-loss major conference team ranked higher than them because that team didn't win something ND doesn't even try to, that would be annoying. Given the state of college football it's a much lesser threat than, say, a team that didn't win its own division getting in ahead of an impressive one-loss conference champion.

Etc.: ESPN post asking you to vote on your most disliked Big Ten coach features Bielema, Dantonio, Hoke, and Meyer. If someone on that list seems out of place it's because three of them are likely to coach in a future Rose Bowl.

Comments

Bryan

February 13th, 2012 at 2:50 PM ^

If only UT students cared more...

And about Notre Dame, join a conference or get left out. 

I would have to go with Bielema as the most disliked. No one should zip their track jacket zipped up all the way, it's not normal. 

Hardware Sushi

February 13th, 2012 at 2:55 PM ^

Trollin trollin trollin! Saving it for the last line of the post - I love it:

"If someone on that list seems out of place it's because three of them are likely to coach in a future Rose Bowl."

imafreak1

February 13th, 2012 at 3:03 PM ^

One must consider the idea of allowing only conference winners seperately from the question of how to handle ND because they are seperate issues. If one thinks that allowing only conference winners is a good idea, and I do, then ND shouldn't change that. ND wouldn't be 'taking anyone's spot' that didn't win their conference because such a team wasn't eligible anyway.

Theoretically, it could be possible that ND could slide in through the back door by virtue of not playing a conference championship game but that type of thing is already happening--as with Michigan in the Sugar Bowl. Trying to legislate against such a rare occurance would cause more trouble than it would likely fix. In such a case that ND was not worthy for inclusion, they probably would not make it out of the first round anyway.

Besides, there does not appear to be any imminent danger of that happening with regards to ND.

wile_e8

February 13th, 2012 at 3:25 PM ^

 

ND wouldn't be 'taking anyone's spot' that didn't win their conference because such a team wasn't eligible anyway.

Yeah, but the reason that team wasn't eligible was because they didn't satisfy a requirement ND didn't even attempt to satisfy.

A good example of this would be the rankings this year, where only three of the top nine teams actually won their conference. If this happens when there is a four team playoff with only conference champs, and a two loss ND team is sitting at #10, they would get the fourth spot solely because they didn't even attempt to win a conference. Why should ND get a free pass on a requirement that might hold out other more deserving teams?

imafreak1

February 13th, 2012 at 4:48 PM ^

I understand the problem.

You either mandate only conference champions or you do not. It doesn't make sense to me to make that decision based solely on ND.

If you want to talk about this year we don't have to make up hypotheticals. We can talk about the rematch won by the team that didn't win their conference. That concerns me much more than a hypothetical, 'undeserving' top 10 ND team making a playoff.

But if you thought LSU/Alabama was how it should be then you don't need to invoke ND to say you don't think a conference championships matter.

wile_e8

February 13th, 2012 at 5:12 PM ^

No one is basing this solely on ND. It's mostly based on the rematch won by the team that didn't win their conference. Invoking ND has nothing to do with saying I don't think conference championships matter, it just a pointing out a particular flaw that needs to be taken care of if conference championships are a requirement for playoff teams.

Mr Miggle

February 14th, 2012 at 10:35 AM ^

I wonder how much hate there would have been for the rematch around here had 2006 not happened? A conference champions only requirement gives a significant, systemic advantage to schools from weak conferences and ND/BYU. The more teams in the playoff, the greater that advantage becomes. I'll take the occasional rematch instead. Honestly, I don't see it as much of a tradeoff. Doesn't anyone really believe that Alabama wasn't one of the top four teams? I don't have much of an objection to the rule if we keep our de facto two team playoff system. The tradeoffs are different.

Hardware Sushi

February 13th, 2012 at 4:43 PM ^

Sorry guys, that probably was disappointing.

Here's the sexting interview I'm guessing you guys may prefer? And the standard hot one.

I've also included "remember why girls wear makeup" and "I'm the same age as her although now I remember why this topic was creepy just a few years ago" links to further your disappointment in me.

Space Coyote

February 13th, 2012 at 3:15 PM ^

I mean, it would be funnier if it had more truth to it though.  As much as I hate Dantonio, and Bielama, and Meyer, all of them have a chance to make a Rose Bowl.  MSU was a dumb-shit penelty (a rightfully called penelty, but still) away from going this year.  Wisc. has to pretty much beat OSU (besides next year when they don't even have to do that) to go to the BTCG.  And OSU is loaded with talent.

I like where Michigan stands and think they will be there soon as well, so, while I get the attempted joke,  the reality is a little different.

Also, just to piss everyone off more, I wouldn't mind the BCS being the poll that determines the top 4 teams to make a playoff or whatever.

 

Hardware Sushi

February 13th, 2012 at 3:30 PM ^

The humor of the joke is in the history of MSU not going to the Rose Bowl for longer than anyone save Indiana and Minnesota and not even making a BCS game in their best two-year run since the 60s, rather than Brian believing Dantonio can never actually make it to a Rose Bowl.

I think it's funny to imagine MSU never making a Rose Bowl - especially because this comment is like teasing a 5-year old about having a girlfriend and knowing exactly what his reaction is going to be. Then again, the humor is sort of gone when someone goes and elaborates on why a joke is funny, so I digress...

Stephen Hawking

February 13th, 2012 at 4:06 PM ^

The joke is in reference to Brian's earlier assertion that if a 4 team playoff comes to fruition, the Rose Bowl will become the consolation prize for the 2nd place Big Ten team. In other words, Hoke doesn't belong on that list not only because he's obviously the kewlest (nobody could hate him), but also because he's not likely to win any Rose Bowls since UM will be qualifying for the 4 team playoff year after year.

ESNY

February 13th, 2012 at 3:41 PM ^

I dont understand why playoff proponents keep clinging to the notion that playing the semi-final games at a bowl location one week (presumably NYD) and then the title game one week later is a good idea (esp if they do the annoying thing and make the game on a Monday night).   Can they really expect a lot of fans showing up at both games?  or are they just banking on the title game becoming a bland corporate affair. 

Assuming you aren't within easy driving distance from the bowl location, either fans will skip the semi-final bowl game and go all in on the title game or go to the semi-final bowl game and not to the title game.    Its a little more manageable if the games were New Years Day and then the 2nd Saturday night after (unless the original game on NYD was a Saturday).

bigmc6000

February 13th, 2012 at 4:12 PM ^

Since I live a mile from Jerryworld but there aren't a whole lot of situations that would get me to Tuscaloosa.  (Free tickets + free hotel room).  I'm sorry but I just don't consider college towns to be vacation-ish destinations (AA excluded as I've obviously got an inherit interest in that).  If I'm going to go to a game that isn't in AA I'd rather it be somewhere that I could qualify as a vacation and bum-f#ck Alabama isn't such a place.

M-Wolverine

February 13th, 2012 at 4:25 PM ^

A home destination has all sorts of atmosphere that professional stadium with corporate motif doesn't have.  If it's for the Bowl Game atmosphere, well, that's the reason I haven't been able to justify going to this game either. I can't see paying more to go to downtown Dallas with everything spread out than I paid to go to freakin New Orleans, with a million things to do, and everything within walking distance.  Yeah, the Stadiums in New Orleans, Orlando and such places aren't any better than Jerryworld, but the stuff around them is loads better.  The Rose Bowl falls into the same big city trap, but the difference is THAT stadium is one of the greatest places to play a football game anywhere, and almost assuredly one of the most beautiful.  So you make up for not being near anything by getting to play on New Year's Day in that place.  New Orleans was a blast. Dallas is very meh.  More exciting than anywhere in Alabama, I'm sure, but at least there you get to play in a historic venue in front of a wild fanbase.

bigmc6000

February 13th, 2012 at 4:29 PM ^

There's no reason to stay in Downtown Dallas - yes, the hotel rates are awful.  It takes maybe 30-40 mins to get from downtown FW to downtown Dallas so, at least to me, that's not that spread out. Yeah, you have to drive to get there but once you're there (both Dallas and FW) you don't have to drive from place to place. That is especially true of FW as it is all right there but it's just a personal preference so to each their own!

WolvinLA2

February 13th, 2012 at 4:29 PM ^

Although I don't disagree with your point, the reason most people like playing games on the campuses is because half the fans don't have to travel anywhere. Presumably, if Michigan played in Tuscaloosa, then Alabama would also play in Ann Arbor.

bigmc6000

February 13th, 2012 at 6:22 PM ^

Now that I think of it, it's not that I'm partial it's just my POV.  I'd be more likely to go to, say, Indianapolis for a UM-'Bama game than I would Tuscaloosa.  At least there are a few things to do in Indy.  If you want a full comparison to Dallas I'd be more likely to see UM play Bama in Poenix before Tuscaloosa.  I just don't care that much about the college town atmosphere outside of AA.

Needs

February 13th, 2012 at 6:52 PM ^

Honestly, what would you expect to do in Indy? I mean, I hear there's a good steakhouse. And everyone marvels that everything's close together. But if everything's close together but you've never heard of anything, what's the point? 

At least in Tuscaloosa, you could learn about another schools' traditions. I don't know anything about Alabama's game day traditions apart from Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer (and I'd hope not to hear that), but I'm sure I could wander around the tailgating area and learn a lot more and have a much better time than in a place where everyone's wandering around with no idea where anything is.

wolverine1987

February 13th, 2012 at 4:56 PM ^

1. Play the four major bowls using the pre-BCS traditional conference matchups

2. 5 Conference Champions (sorry Big East) and three highest ranked at large teams via BCS rankings would comprise the four major bowl games.

3. All Major Bowls played on Jan. 1

4. The 4 bowl winners are then seeded and the two seminfinal games are played at the home of the highest ranked team.

5. Championship game bid out.

I think this may be the best plan in the universe.

Ok maybe not. But it would salvage the traditional bowls, and at one stroke make them incredibly meaningful. And ensure that the semifinal games afterward would have no problem with attendance. And preserve the meaning of the regular season. And have a true champion.

itauditbill

February 13th, 2012 at 5:01 PM ^

I think it's a lot easier for the NCAA to hurt a "power" program in UConn in basketball. It makes them look tough but they're not. Perhaps if only Mr. Calhoun had given out free tats for grades... or some such thing...

mel11

February 14th, 2012 at 12:38 PM ^

I was a freshman with Comrie and also spent that year mesmerized by him (and the rest of that team and the Yost experience).  Too bad his NHL career wasn't as amazing!