Unverified Voracity With Dorm-Wide "Yeah"
Reminder. Soccer liveblog starts at around 10:30.
Other soccer bits. AnnArbor.com has another story on Jeff Quijano and his journey from starter to backup and back. Quijano's the first Michigan athlete to cite Michigan Stadium's elaborate wave as a reason he came to Michigan:
“I know it sounds weird, but I saw the wave, all those people…it was like nothing I’d ever seen before,” Quijano recalls. “I was hooked.”
Everyone in the student section who does the arm-wave motion to cross the streams feels a tiny bit of pride about this. The Ultras have picked Buffalo Wild Wings as the gathering place of choice for those in the mood for compatriots. That's where I watched the USA-Algeria game, so hopefully we score the winner a minute into stoppage except stoppage doesn't exist in college.
The Daily actually makes a fairly good Miracle on Ice comparison; the US got blasted 10-3 by the Soviets before the Olympics, not unlike what happened to Michigan earlier this year. Like all Miracle on Ice comparisons it's still stretched.
Heisman back in the day. The Woodson presentation:
I still remember the dorm-wide "YEAH" that erupted. People who didn't care about football must have been mystified.
Blunt Brandon brandishes bludgeon. A brief interview excerpt from Sports Business Daily has some real talk about the NCAA investigation:
Q: What is more challenging, complying with NCAA rules or SEC [ed: Security Exchange Commission] rules?
Brandon: NCAA. I spent less time with lawyers doing a billion dollar transaction than I did with the recent NCAA case. The amount of resources and effort we used from something that started as a newspaper article was huge. If you aggregate the cost, it was between 1.5 and 2 million dollars in internal costs. My understanding is there are north of 80 to 90 cases currently in the NCAA queue. We’ve created a cottage industry that is stripping resources out of the athletic departments. It’s a broken system and needs reform.
That's to the point. I'm not sure what the reform would be, but we're heading towards an era with more enforcement, not less. He also says one of the things he's learned in the first nine months is "don't read blogs," which ouch. Pimp hand don't hurt me no more.
More maniacal bits. The Mississippi State defense against LSU:
I'm not sure how relevant that is against Denard, but it sure looks like they're going to damn the torpedoes and come after him when he throws. When Jefferson breaks contain early he's got acres of space.
We're going to have a mascot contest now. Red Cup Rebellion writes a love letter to Michigan and explains how important it is that we put down their MSU since the in-state situations are analogous:
Consider the following: our universities are flagships - meaning that they're the oldest, most well endowed, widely recognized, most highly publicized, and most readily associated with the famous and influential sons and daughters within our respective states. Our universities are liberal arts oriented institutions nestled in unique, quirky, and revered college towns. We revere and contribute to the arts and humanities. A significant portion of our alumni associations are attorneys who hate their jobs. Et cetera.
Undying loyalty is offered in exchange for victory, which I'll gladly take anyway.
Etc.: Bacon's latest is on the journey Red took from handing out tickets on State Street to playing in front of 100k. More on Mississippi State from BWS, with a season overview and analysis of how they held Auburn under 20 points. UMHoops previews the Utah game, starting in 1.5 hours. The HSR says Denard's melted bag of snow was a metaphor for the season.
December 10th, 2010 at 5:26 PM ^
Watching the 1997 Heisman presentation brings back good memories. I wonder if there has been another year where the candidates were all sure-fire NFL Hall of Famers.
December 10th, 2010 at 5:41 PM ^
And what also is crazy is that they are all still playing! It's been 13 years or so, which is a pretty long pro football career.
December 10th, 2010 at 5:44 PM ^
Sadly, he's not the biggest bust in the history of NFL. He's right up there though.
December 10th, 2010 at 9:29 PM ^
Oh, that's right. For some reason, I thought Ricky Williams was the 4th person.
December 10th, 2010 at 6:01 PM ^
I am still convinced that there is an awesome 30 for 30-style documentary in the 1997 Heisman finalists and their post ceremony trajectories once their collective careers finish. Each of the four is fascinating in their own right.
December 10th, 2010 at 8:07 PM ^
One of the things that stood out to me was Randy Moss wearing sunglasses. Really, dude? Sunglasses at the Heisman Trophy presentation? Typical Moss.
December 10th, 2010 at 5:28 PM ^
don't worry, brian, he meant other blogs. not this one. he LOVES this one.
December 10th, 2010 at 5:42 PM ^
Yeah this isn't a blog. It's a movement, yo.
December 10th, 2010 at 5:55 PM ^
Red Cup Rebellion, best team specific SEC blog. EDSBS being more national.
December 10th, 2010 at 6:00 PM ^
with his elbow to get up. I had not noticed that before, nice touch by Randy.
Best CB in pro football history, one of the best QB's ever (top 7) and one of the best WR's when his game was on. Nice year!
December 10th, 2010 at 6:44 PM ^
December 10th, 2010 at 9:17 PM ^
The final three were Woodson, Manning and Leaf. Moss finished fourth.
December 10th, 2010 at 6:19 PM ^
Why don’t universities “just say no”? The NCAA is a voluntary membership organization. Their authority comes from their members’ willingness to comply. They’re not the Justice Department. If a few high-profile institutions simply said, “We’re not doing this any more,” that would be the end of it.
There is a precedent for this, for those old enough to remember. The NCAA used to limit TV appearances to five games every two years. When I attended Michigan (1978–83), there were years when even the Notre Dame game wasn’t televised. You always got Ohio State on TV, and then one or two others.
Eventually, a couple of schools (Oklahoma being one of them), simply told the NCAA to f___ off. It went all the way to the Supreme Court, and the NCAA lost.
December 10th, 2010 at 6:21 PM ^
True story: when non-computer people say "blogs," they almost always mean "message boards."
December 10th, 2010 at 7:07 PM ^
For the record, this comment is so simple yet deadly accurate, I wish I could +50 it. This is absolutely my experience.
December 10th, 2010 at 6:32 PM ^
Peyton's stone-faced, obviosuly-pissed clapping right when Woodson is announced at 8:30 is priceless.
December 10th, 2010 at 7:05 PM ^
December 10th, 2010 at 7:09 PM ^
Michigan was facing Western Michigan at Yost at the same time as the ceremony and it was on a very tiny TV in the old press deck. We saw three people raise their arms in triumph and the crowd then began chanting "Char-les Wood-son". It was an excellent day.
December 10th, 2010 at 9:36 PM ^
for me...
<br>
<br>Had hockey season tix that year - had no idea why I skipped the game, as I clearly remember watching the heisman from my apartment on S Forest.
December 10th, 2010 at 8:40 PM ^
11:25 is even better.
December 10th, 2010 at 6:39 PM ^
can we figure out a way to clone Woodson...I am thinking Star Wars cloner farm that way all of our skill positions on OF and D would be solved permanently.
December 10th, 2010 at 7:44 PM ^
I remember watching the Heisman special live. Up until Woodson won, the whole thing was just a Peyton Manning love fest. They saved his interview for last. He was the only candidate to have childhood home movies shown. He was the only candidate to have his current coach AND his high school coach interviewed during the special. Woodson, Leaf and Moss got about half the screen time Manning did. It was so nauseating. I remember saying to the TV screen, "just give Manning the trophy, already!"
When Woodson won, I had to pick my mouth up off the floor before I could cheer. I was already on high after watching the basketball team beat #1 Duke...for the third straight year.
Words cannot express how great that day was.
December 10th, 2010 at 9:53 PM ^
I don't like the idea of ratting out a private conversation with David Brandon, but this can be done in the nicest way possible.
I can say, with some backup, that when he says, "Don't listen to radio, don't read blogs," he didn't mean it totally literally.
When I had the privilege of talking to him last, I asked him if (I think this is a nice little indicator) if he had seen the beautiful nighttime aerial photos of the Big House with the new lights turned on, as they had been posted on MGoBlog. He said, without the slightest hesitation, "Yeah, they are great. I think they are up on our [www.MGoBlue.com] site now; if they aren't up yet, they should be."
Uh, folks; our Athletic Director does read MGoBlog. Like, last week he was reading.
I think I understand exactly what he was saying about 'don't listen to the radio and don't read blogs.' And if you think a guy like David Brandon doesn't have a lot of time to waste, reading board-threads about Lloyd Brady, or kittens, or about what Michael Wilbon, Michael Valenti and Michael Rosenberg all had to say -- you're right.
But we have an information omnivore as our AD. A very, very smart information omnivore. He's reading. Let's try to make him proud, when he might occasionally visit MGoBlog.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:00 PM ^
I saw his comment differently. I didn't take it to mean that he didn't read mgoblog, but that he was dismissive of its content. With all due respect to other Michigan blogs, if Mr. Brandon reads Michigan football blogs, he reads MGoBlog.
But what's Mr. Brandon's problem the blog? It's fair to disagree with Brian, especially when you have firsthand knowledge of all the answers, but it doesn't seem fair to be dismissive of Brian's opinions, as that comment made it seem. I can think of two reasons why he was such a jerk.
First, I wondered if his comment was more of a 'MGoBoard'/off the cuff thing than anything else. Especially during NCAA compliance times, Brian's impassioned reason was amongst the most reasonable stuff out there (and I don't know who would beat him out), especially considering the knee-jerk talk radio stuphph get got lumped with.
Second, especially given your response, is that he sees MGoBlog as an entity that diverts from University football revenue streams. This also seems to fit in with the ridiculous clamp down on 'shoelace' shirts. Don't get me wrong, I think this is assinine, but maybe the CEO-mentality creeps in here.
Last, I think it might be his way of keeping control of a 'message.' He has no control over Brian, and Brian is especially 'dangerous' because he's smart and growing connections. Perhaps this is another CEO-artifact.
December 11th, 2010 at 12:04 AM ^
And I won't argue them with you. Just personally, I didn't get the feeling that Brandon was so automatically or comprehensively dismissive of this blog, and as I say I don't take him literally because he clearly does read...
December 10th, 2010 at 10:06 PM ^
I know I'm not the first person in this thread to say it, but fuck Payton Manning, and fuck everyone who still can't wrap the chunks of concrete they use for brains around the fact that Charles Woodson could have POSSIBLY been a better choice for the trophy.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:19 PM ^
video is a classic.Charles Woodson was just a beast,i watch Woodson play that year,never been a better player in my mind since then!!!.I hope Woodson wants to coach at Michigan one day.GO BLUE
December 11th, 2010 at 9:53 AM ^
In watching the NFL with some of their odd rule interpretations, I've been thinking for a while we would eventually see teams with lawyers on the sidelines to help teams argue whether it's a catch or not. Law and football are both so American that it seems inevitable.
However, I think I was looking in the wrong place. The lawyers are already in football but it's the college game instead of the NFL. As a collective entity, the NFL and its member teams have relative few and less complex disputes. College, on the other hand, is loaded with disputes and clashes over off-field issues (player eligibility, poll voting, access to bowl games, etc). College football is the perfect embodiment of our competitive & litigious culture. I expect that we will see more involvement with attorneys in the future as the stakes continue to be raised.
The politics of college football is probably more fascinating than the actual games. I'm kin of excited about this trend but for those fans who view football as a respite from the rigors of the "real world", they might want to look elsewhere or find a different hobby.
December 11th, 2010 at 2:43 PM ^
... the dorm "yeahs." I remember actually getting in trouble for it because it was during "quiet hours" and people had finals coming up. Classic.
December 11th, 2010 at 10:14 PM ^
That's the second time I have seen you write: "damn the torpedoes."
Isn't it "man the torpedoes?" I hate when I get stuff like this wrong, b ut I always thought it was man.
December 11th, 2010 at 10:24 PM ^
"Damn the torpedoes, Full speed ahead!"
Admiral David Glasgow Farragut (1801-1870). Aboard Hartford, Farragut entered Mobile Bay, Alabama, 5 August 1864, in two columns, with armored monitors leading and a fleet of wooden ships following. When the lead monitor Tecumseh was demolished by a mine, the wooden ship Brooklyn stopped, and the line drifted in confusion toward Fort Morgan. As disaster seemed imminent, Farragut gave the orders embodied by these famous words. He swung his own ship clear and headed across the mines, which failed to explode. The fleet followed and anchored above the forts, which, now isolated, surrendered one by one. The torpedoes to which Farragut and his contemporaries referred would today be described as tethered mines.
December 12th, 2010 at 11:32 PM ^
kicked more field goals in one game than our kickers kicked all year.
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