Unverified Voracity Consoles The Bereaved Comment Count

Brian

I'm sure you do. Youtube search feed scouring turned up something better than ads for illegal internet streams today:

Tate Forcier highlights set to Hell's Bells! Posted by… TateForcierHighlight (1 video). TateForcierHighlight thinks this about Tate Forcier:

Highlight complication of Tate Forciers 2 year career with the University of Michigan wolverines football team. He is in my opinion a under looked quarterback that is yet to prove him self.

ARGH TATE WHY DIDN'T YOU GO TO CLASS.

You are psychic, guy on facebook. The "representative comment" for the anti-Outback-uniformz faction mentioned in a previous UV asked "what's next a dubstep Victors?" Uh. Dammit, guy. Prepare for this next year:

[ED: DO NOT CLICK PLAY MGOBLOG CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CARPETS, PETS, OR GRANDMOTHERS WRETCHED UPON AS A RESULT OF CLICKING PLAY]

nimnim2500, your evil is galaxy-spanning.

[HT: Stephen Nesbitt.]

The bereaved. Michigan State did not acquire one year of services from Jabari Parker, yesterday. Some guy at the LSJ hit "publish" on the wrong story, though, leading to the internet producing this:

A-paOiLCIAATccR[1]

source unknown

Parker is kind of a big deal—the #1 recruit in the 2013 class—and MSU is currently without a 2013 recruiting class despite having two open spots after missing on a variety of other targets. So it's not good. But is it worthy of having a sleepover and reassuring Izzo that people really actually like him?

RT @intrpdtrvlr: People are trying to organize a gesture of support for Coach tomorrow. Let's make it happen. #StandingOforIzzo

Let us come together in this time of trial when Tom Izzo only projects to have four McDonald's All-Americans on his 2013-2014 roster who kind of underperform expectations and are regarded by the NBA as poison.

This is ridiculous for a few reasons. Patrick Hruby details the extent to which Ohio State is monitoring their players now that Pryorgate has dropped:

In the wake of a tattoos-for-memorabilia scandal that violated National Collegiate Athletic Association amateurism rules and left this year’s undefeated Buckeyes squad bowl-season ineligible, the school has increased its annual athletic department compliance budget to more than $1 million and upped the size of its corresponding department to 14 full-time employees -- four more people than are on the football squad’s coaching staff. Where are the money and manpower going? Toward background checks on the 4,000-some people who receive free game tickets from football players, the better to sniff out agents and other undesirables. Toward investigating license plate numbers jotted down during regular surveillance walks through the players’ parking lot. And toward hiring a former NCAA investigator whose job, according to the New York Times, is to “educate local businesses -- like barbershops, nightclubs and tattoo parlors -- on NCAA rules.”

Rule No.1? Apparently, it’s start snitchin’.

At least all this has made the flow of money from booster to Buckeye a more annoying process. Slightly, anyway. As with most OSU waves towards legitimacy, it's designed to look good without actually doing anything. Until this thing called cash is banned, it'll still happen, but don't worry, the NCAA is working on this:

Michigan Compliance@umichcompliance

Awards received by student-athletes from a bowl game may not be sold, exchanged or assigned for another item of value.

Most bowls give out the equivalent of cash by deploying gift cards, because if they actually gave out cash they would have to stamp "NOT LEGAL TENDER" on it, and I don't think that's legal. BAN CASH.

That's one half of the brain—this is basically an unsolvable problem. The other half is: why is this a problem? Man with lots of money would like to give some of it to man without money. Man without money sees that his activities are so popular that he is overseen by man with lots and lots of money. I'd like people to follow the rules, but mostly because Michigan does, and level playing field and all this nonsense.

Aside from all the fairness reasons, your selfish Michigan fan reason to want NCAA amateurism to die in a fire is because it'll let Michigan do what plenty of other schools already do and collectively cannot stop doing.

Aw man. Kovacs's NFL prospects are not shiny:

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. said recently that Kovacs has a shot to become a late-round pick in April's draft. But it could be a long one.

ESPN slots Kovacs as the No. 29 safety and projects him to go undrafted. Sixteen safeties were selected last year

CBSSports.com is higher on Kovacs, projecting him as a sixth- or seventh-round selection. He's ranked the 214th player overall, and the No. 6 strong safety.

I get it. I also think there's a decent chance he carves out a role for himself anyway.

HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY WHAT IS GOING ON. I both agree with and dread the implications of this statement from Mitch McGary:

"I just think I need to slow down a little bit, I'm moving too fast," McGary said. "A couple games here and there, I knew what I was doing, but my body was just moving too fast."

Also!

"Coming in here, I had never really lifted a weight," McGary said. "Being as big as I am, I'm still just trying to transition into the college format. I'm just learning the offense, learning all the footwork."

He's at least a couple years from being an NBA type player but in the long term, it's probably better for Michigan that he's the #20-ish guy instead of #2.

What I am talking about. The instachuck three from Stauskas is #2:

That is contested but it's up so quick and even falling away a little that it does not matter. [Via Five Key Plays at UMHoops.] If you can do that at 6'6" you are unguardable even without the handle.

Etc.: EDSBS on the uniformz. Why Illinois won't implode this time. (My reason Illinois won't implode this time: that was a –3 STDEV event.) Roundtree fluff. RIP Bob Derleth. Beard bullets. From Rod Beard, not about Elliott Mealer. Don't play CODBLOPS drunk. Michigan showing interest in a 6'7" wing from Shane Morris's school. Trey Burke annihilating WVU.

Comments

sundaybluedysunday

December 21st, 2012 at 4:24 PM ^

There is a downside and upside to that I suppose.



Downside: All elite athletes should be lifting weights. I personally lifted weights in high school...for swimming.



Upside: He's going to get way, way better over the next few years.

Optimism Attache

December 21st, 2012 at 5:16 PM ^

I know it is primarily for cosmetics and self-preservation, but Ohio increasing its compliance budget to $1 million makes me happy for two reasons. 1) I'm sure it does have some impact in deterring violations, keeping them on a level playing field with us, and 2) they have to blow their department money on this because they were bad, haha.

m83econ

December 21st, 2012 at 6:00 PM ^

If players enter Spartyyland with NBA potential, the longer they are coached by Izzo the lower their ceiling is perceived to be.  Who is having the most success in the NBA right now?  That's right - one & done Zach Randolph. 

Logan88

December 21st, 2012 at 6:10 PM ^

...upped the size of its corresponding department to 14 full-time employees -- four more people than are on the football squad’s coaching staff.

Aren't CFB coaching staffs limited to 9 coaches? 14-4 = 10. 10 > 9. Violation? Probably just incompetence on the author's part...but seeing as how it's OSU...

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

December 21st, 2012 at 6:30 PM ^

TBH I can't bring myself to be convinced that Ohio's compliance efforts are cosmetic only.  I mean, it would be like the kid who goes through more effort getting out of a chore than the chore would've taken, except there's a million bucks involved and grownups don't do that with a million bucks.  If they do that stuff for a couple years and then slack it off again?  Sure, OK, I'll buy it then.

True, the existence of cash is the NCAA's analog hole.  But the problem with allowing football players to freely trade stuff for cash is that it's one step away from the $5,000 jockstrap.  It's not the shining principle of amateurism that's being protected, it's any semblance of competitive balance; which is to say, it's not a good idea to turn one team or another into insane juggernauts just because some really really rich guy once graduated from that school.  Recruiting should not be a competition of "whose boosters are the richest?"

NoMoPincherBug

December 22nd, 2012 at 1:57 AM ^

Staukis has the prettiest jumper in a Michigan uni since Glen Rice. 

Tate really had something going for at least a little while.  Now he is left with memories.

Who the hell is Mel Kiper?

MIdocHI

December 22nd, 2012 at 3:59 AM ^

With all the talk of tradition, uniformz, matte helmets, etc.- I was wondering when we would begin to talk about changing the Victors? I mean, nobody is now alive who was born when Michigan was "Champions of the West." We are in the Eastern time zone. At best, we are Midwest. Shouldn't we update the fight song? "The kids will like it." Right? Isn't that what is important these days? Supposedly, that is what is driving all these changes. That and money.

Well, screw that. The University has a 7 billion dollar endowment. Every student could attend for free, and it would not dent it. The athletic department is the second most lucrative in the country, so desperation cannot be the reason for whoring-out the football team and tradition. All we get are lame excuses and rationalizations. I am one alumnus that is fed up. My family, which include many alumni, is similarly angry. This short-term money grab has got to stop.
/rant

BlueGoM

December 22nd, 2012 at 3:23 AM ^

We aren't still pining for Forcier, are we?  I mean it would have been great to have him around, but he apparently either didn't go to class or didn't realize that some college classes actually require you to you know, study and stuff.

 

 

Leonhall

December 22nd, 2012 at 8:11 AM ^

I needed to see on that Forcier video was Iowa kicking our ass 28-7, that was enough for me to not click. I try to avoid all or most videos of the RR era...that was horrible. Although, I have wondered a time or two how Tate would have done in hoke's offense...oh, he was a head case....I hope he has success.

BluCheese

December 22nd, 2012 at 11:28 AM ^

The video hit me with one other sad reaction.  Stonum.  He was a large part of these highlights.  What if he could have followed the rules of his probation.  No DG experiment at wide receiver and then who knows what happens when DR goes down.  Sigh...

BILG

December 22nd, 2012 at 10:25 PM ^

1) If he had gone to class...

He would have started under Hoke/Borges and DRob would have been a WR, Cornerback, or transferred to another school

2) If he had gone to another school where you don't have to go to class (OSU, SEC)...

Would have had a moderate to successful college career and get picked in the later rounds of the NFL draft 

3) If he had been born in Utah...

Would be a Mormon who played for BYU

 

Blerg

December 23rd, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^

Sooo... I just found out that the creator of The Victors dubstep song, nimnim2500, is a close friend of mine. I'll treat him accordingly until he realizes the error of his ways.