Unverified Voracity Eats Ribs Or Raw Broccoli Comment Count

Brian

Ribs. Meyer and Hoke ate them.

bilde[1]

also via Mike Rothstein. For whatever reason, pictures of football coaches eating == MONEY

Those dudes look like they know what they're doing in re: making ribs. That's from the Sound Mind, Sound Body camp, which Ace attended and will have a report on later. One of the main themes of the day was "I can't believe this is legal":

Because the Sound Mind, Sound Body event is a charitable camp, college coaches are able to attend and provide instruction to the campers -- something that's outlawed at most public camps throughout the country.

As a result, Borges spent most the of the day giving pointers to Shane Morris. If that's legal, expect one of two things to happen: it's quickly outlawed or similar camps multiply like weeds.

Meanwhile, this seems cute given Michigan's lockdown on state of Michigan prospects whose fathers didn't play at State:

Michigan, especially under Hoke, has developed a reputation of having recruiting success in Ohio over the years. Now, Meyer says, it’s his aim to return the favor.

“I know this area real well," said Meyer, who once coached at nearby Bowling Green State University. "As for Ohio State ... we have some very good players from this area.

“If we have not, we will."

Good luck!

Not ribs. Via Blake Countess, poor Pee Wee and his grim salad of raw-looking broccoli and stuff:

2ec46a8eb5a311e18cf91231380fd29b_7[1]

It will all be worth it when you're ragdolling Alabama OL in fall. (Please.)

KYLE MEINKE IS GRIM. The AnnArbor.com reporter got screencapped by the youtubes looking like he's about to heroically tackle a terrorist or Mark Dantonio:

Also that's four minutes of Hoke talking to the media from Maize and Blue News. MGoVideo provides the entirety of Hoke's speech to the assembled campers:

If you don't want to watch the whole thing, the News and AnnArbor.com transcribed some highlights.

Cue the crack Free Press investigatory teams. Michigan has again claimed that unspecified academic performance is good and stuff:

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said last week the Wolverines registered the best "academic performance" in their history under first-year coach Brady Hoke last year. He didn't cite specific numbers.

The last time this happened the Free Press hammered at Michigan with FOIA requests until they scuttled the claim. Here's guessing that doesn't happen this time around.

UMass reinforced. You probably already know that Mike Cox transferred home to UMass for his final year. They've also added former touted ND recruits Deion Walker and Hafis Williams, a wideout and a DT. They still shouldn't be a problem now that Michigan has one of those defensive coordinator things.

Longsnapper rabble rabble 'Bama what? If you're still slightly peeved that Michigan expended a precious scholarship slot on a longsnapper this might make you feel better:

According to BamaOnline, Saban did something at last week's special teams camp in Tuscaloosa that he's never done in his 17-year career -- offered a scholarship to a long snapper.

Bakersfield, California prospect Cole Mazza is rated by 247Sports as the nation's top long snapper in the Class of 2013. …

"I snapped really good during the camp and Coach Saban told me in his office that they were going to offer a long snapper within the next two days after a staff meeting," Mazza told BamaOnline. "The next day I called him and he told me he was going to offer me."

I'm confused about how these guys are suddenly valuable enough to warrant scholarship slots, but apparently they are.

[HT: Holdin' the Rope.]

How can you do the divide. This from Orson's introductory course on bad sports rhetoric is a truly amazing screenshot from the World Wide Leader in having no idea what that slash thing under the question mark is for:

LeBronathon_medium[1]

Cram the data into your meme. The data doesn't fit? Yes it does.

NFL draft stuff. Michigan recruits feature in the United States Of Hockey's American top ten. Defenseman Jacob Trouba:

Michigan-commit Jacob Trouba is a bruising defenseman who showed what he can do with his big frame at the National Team Development Program. He also proved he can play above his head by his performance at the World Junior Championship. Some are considered Trouba relies on his physicality too much and that there might not be much offensive upside. However, for a physical defenseman, Trouba can skate well and has good agility. His hockey sense has vastly improved, even though he’s still prone to the bad decision now and again.

Sounds more like a Komisarek type than another Merrill-style puck mover.

Forward Boo Nieves:

…a 13-game stint in the USHL confirmed some of the concerns that Nieves struggles with the physical aspects of the game. The thing is, he has some filthy puck skills and a really nice 6-2, 185 frame. Nieves could have calmed concerns in a long USHL playoff run, but he had to return to Kent to finish his schooling so he could get into Michigan for next year. Still, those puck skills allude to some nice potential, but he’s still a likely mid- to late-second round choice.

Michigan's going to need scoring punch from him right away; hopefully he can deliver despite his issues in a short USHL stint.

In other hockey recruiting news, Michigan picked up a 2014 commit from Dexter Dancs, a BCHL kid from the same team that provided Michigan with Brendan Morrison, amongst others. Michigan used to make a habit of grabbing high-scoring forwards out of that league but hasn't taken a BCHL player in a while. College Hockey Prospective got a quote out of his coach that provides some insight into what kind of player Michigan's getting:

“Dexter Dancs is a big, young, raw power forward with an excellent skating stride and an equally as good set of hands and shot,” said Hengen.  “Dexter will as easily take the puck hard to the net, set up a play or drop his gloves to stand up for a teammate. Dexter will be another one of many Michigan Wolverines that they will develop to have a chance of playing pro hockey.”

Don't get too excited if Dancs puts up video game numbers next fall, as the BCHL is a notoriously high-scoring league.

Irish secondaries are thin. After recruiting defections and plenty of graduation, Notre Dame's secondary is a major concern this fall. It's one that just got more concern-y after Austin Collinsworth's availability next fall has resolved itself:

Notre Dame junior safety Austin Collinsworth has undergone shoulder surgery and is expected to miss a significant portion of -- if not the entire -- 2012 football season, ND director of football sports information Brian Hardin confirmed Wednesday.

Collinsworth suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder during ND’s wrap-up to spring practice, the Blue-Gold Game, on April 21. When the condition didn’t improve with rest, surgery was scheduled. Recovery time is projected to be four to six months.

Collinsworth was probably going to be the nickelback, possibly the starter if Jamoris Slaughter was forced to move to corner.

Etc.: MGoUser informs world that Michigan has acquired walk-on WR/TE Michael Jocz. Will Campbell takes the misdemeanor plea, obviously. Surprise: football recruit who commits without ever visiting is just using you as a placeholder. What everyone wants from a playoff.

Comments

Erik_in_Dayton

June 14th, 2012 at 12:53 PM ^

He scored 1683 points during the regular season but only 7 during the 4th quarter against OKC.  That means, according to Math, that he only gave a .00416% effort during the 4th quarter.  What an a**hole!

oriental andrew

June 14th, 2012 at 12:56 PM ^

You know what Saban was thinking when he offered that long snapper, right? 

"Crap, Hoke offered a LS a scholarship?  What does he know that I don't?  Gotta find an even BETTER LS and offer him!  I'm long snapping your a** into oblivion, Hoke!!!"

oriental andrew

June 14th, 2012 at 12:58 PM ^

he scored 23 in the first 3 quarters, but *only* 7 in the 4th.  He had 7 boards in the first 3 quarters, but only 2 in the 4th. 

ESPN is suggesting he finished slowly when, in fact, he was right on pace when it comes to points and boards, and even ahead of his pace in terms of FT.  The only area he fell off a little was raw shooting percentage. 

OmarDontScare

June 14th, 2012 at 7:24 PM ^

I think ESPNs point is that LeBron should dramatically raise his game in "crunch time" ala Kevin Durant (17 4th quarter points last night). When it mattered most he didn't take-over. Amirite?

Gulo Gulo Luscus

June 14th, 2012 at 10:54 PM ^

Your point is correct.  Durant hit his apex late in the game while Bron played on a plateau.  But if I remember correctly, they put a 4th quarter head-to-head stats graphic up at one point that was a much better means to represent the KD clutch >> LBJ clutch argument.  This screen cap is isolating LBJs 4th quarter stats from his own numbers in the first 3 quarters (presumably to suggest they are outliers).  To be fair to ESPN, the postgame crew was not particularly critical of Lebron's 4th quarter efforts, but that graphic is guilty as charged.

The FannMan

June 14th, 2012 at 1:04 PM ^

Do you think that the folks at ESPN just missed the math, or decided "screw it - everyboby loves to hate the guy.  Just go with it?"  I can't decide which option would be worse.

Lionsfan

June 14th, 2012 at 2:26 PM ^

I'm gonna go with the second option. What are most people going to watch, ESPN saying "Yeah Lebron played pretty well actually" or go with the established meme that "Lebron can't give a 4th Quarter! What a loser and that's why he'll never be as good as Michael Jordan, or Magic, or Larry Bird. Because those guys won all by themselves"

jshclhn

June 14th, 2012 at 1:18 PM ^

The real reason that people should be down on Lebron's fourth quarter performance is that Kevin Durant scored 17 in that frame.  If you want to be the best of your generation, you have to do more than just your average when the game is on the line.

DonAZ

June 14th, 2012 at 1:28 PM ^

Call me a sentimental sap ... but I rather like the image of Hoke and Meyer being civil and friendly with each other off the gridiron.  It's an echo of the old Bo / Woody relationship.  And it speaks well to both and to the message they send about competing with all one has yet maintaining class and integrity throughout.  +1 to both Hoke and Meyer.

I want me some of those ribs.

FrankMurphy

June 14th, 2012 at 1:31 PM ^

It looks like they're hanging out in an alley behind a restaurant kitchen and shooting the breeze with the staff or something. 

In any case, I like the picture. It's kind of pleasing in a bizarre sort of way. I can't explain why. 

chitownblue2

June 14th, 2012 at 1:47 PM ^

I like how Urban seems to be sort of picking at his rib, and Hoke is scanning the tray for his next one.

Two Hearted Ale

June 14th, 2012 at 1:55 PM ^

The Michigan coaching staff frequently claims that they don't pay attention to stats but other comments and actions say they pay very close attention to stats. On virtually every fourth down last year Hoke called for the statistically correct play when many times conventional wisdom said to do the opposite. I think this coaching staff is into advanced metrics though they won't likely admit it publically.

I think the Michigan staff has discovered that there is more value -over-replacement -player of a long snapper than a depth player at other positions. Perhaps a long snapper with a 95% perfect snap record results in five more points per season than a long snapper with an 85% perfect snap record (completely made up numbers for illustration purposes). It would take reels of game film and a lot of time (graduate assistants) to figure this out but that's what major college programs have.

I suspect certain specialists will earn scholarships in the future that those who came before them did not.

MGoShoe

June 14th, 2012 at 2:06 PM ^

...that Brian is disappointed that the Freep likely won't FOIA Michigan's academic results. It's such a shame that Hoke gets off so easy.

Speaking of Michigan teams that are performing well according to an academic metric, the NCAA announced that men's basketball, women's basketball, men's tennis and women's tennis all earned APR Public Recognition Awards for achieving a multiyear APR score inside the top 10 percent of their sports. This is the first time ever that Michigan MBB has achieved this award. Congrats to the entire program, coaches, administrators and students. 

jmdblue

June 14th, 2012 at 3:34 PM ^

Seems to me Brian's comment on the academic claim is the sort of coaching staff compare/contrast that we've been methodically (and thankfully) moving away from. I'm frustrated by Brandon for a thousand reasons, but I doubt he'd make the claim unless it was both true and easily verified. 

Section 1

June 14th, 2012 at 5:06 PM ^

L. O. fuckin' L.

No, the point isn't to pick on Brady Hoke or Dave Brandon.  No, the point isn't to suspect Michigan of cooking the academic books or otherwise attacking the program.  Michigan, by just about all acoounts, has been an okay academic/football program for as long as anybody can remember, and I don't suspect that it has ever changed all that much, although the Free Press probably had a different message in mind, when Rich Rodriguez was the Head Football Coach.

The point is to compare the disparate treatment given to Martin/Rodriguez versus Brandon/Hoke, by the Detroit Free Press.

Actually, I sort of suspect that if Mark Snyder now calls Dave Brandon for some clarification, Brandon won't take his calls.  And that's as it should be.  So bring on the FOIAs, Free Press, if you want to impress your readership with equal treatment.  (I'm with Brian; I don't think the Free Press cares anymore; it only wants to impress the Gannett executives with page-hits; it isn't concerned with impressing anyone locally with 'fairness.'  It never did before.

So from the AA.com comments pages was this one from a reader who self-identifies as "SEC Fan":

 

 SEC Fan

2:17 PM on 6/13/2012

Per The Bootleg (standford.scout.com), Michigan's graduation rate in 2011 for football was 72%. which is not the best in Michigan's history.



In 2008, it was 73%.



last 6 years:



2006: 68%

2007: 71%

2008: 73%

2009: 70%

2010: 71%

2011: 72%



Maybe Mr. Brandon defines "academic performance" as meaning something else besides graduation rates? 

 

In reply to by Section 1

MGoShoe

June 14th, 2012 at 6:46 PM ^

...Sherlock. My point was it seems that Brian almost seems to bemoan the deferential treatment the AD/football program appears to be receiving. I'm positive Brian doesn't really want that kind of outsized and unfair scrutiny, but one could read that sentence as an expression of sour grapes.

Section 1

June 14th, 2012 at 7:16 PM ^

And my point is that it is pretty easy to see that Brian was merely observing the disparate and unfair hate-war that the Freep had waged in the past, compared to the present.

I'm pretty sure that if the Freep continues its Michigan lovefest, Brian won't complain.  I am also pretty sure that nothing that the Freep does now or in the future will ever change his mind about what the paper did to the program beginning in August of 2009.  I hope that Brian won't forget, or forgive.  I know that I won't.  I doubt that Dave Brandon will either, although he has PR responsibilities that none of us do.

The actual academic numbers don't even matter, and they never did.  It's not as though anything that Rodriguez said about academics ever mattered; he casually included a throwaway line about GPA's based on something that someone in the Athletic Department gave to him.  The Free Press, in turn, did exactly what you'd do if you were an oppo-researcher working against an opposing political campaign.  It doesn't matter which party, of course.  But you take an opponent's statement (no matter how casual), you research it, disprove it in whatever way you think will work, and then launch a counter-story.  If a determined newspaperman wanted to do that to Brady Hoke or Dave Brandon, now, he surely could.  (Not that I'd do it, or that I'd like to see anybody do it.)

This really isn't any big deal.  It is just another chance to beat up on the Free Press, and there can never be too many of those.

909Dewey

June 14th, 2012 at 2:26 PM ^

the slash thing under the question mark and you get:

 

stat             1-3 avg         4th

points         7.7                7

FG                50%             33%

FT                 80%              75%

rbds              2.3                 2

Worse in every category - looks like "not finishing how he started" to me.  What if the data doesn't fit your lolmsm meme?  Yes it does.

j-turn14

June 14th, 2012 at 2:37 PM ^

If he had  hit the one ft in the 4h that he missed and grabbed one rebound that one of his teammates grabbed instead, it would have been higher in almost every category... and the Heat would have lost by 10 instead of 11...

MichiganExile

June 14th, 2012 at 2:43 PM ^

Not sure what you are implying. Are you saying that the LeBron table is correct and that he sucked in the 4th quarter? Or are you being sarcastic? Had one of LeBron's missed FG in the 4th quarter instead been made, not only would his FG% have been the same but he would have finished with a  higher points per quarter. Basically the graphic is implying that by missing one basket he was way off his pace throughout the rest of the game, when in reality his performance in the fourth was pretty much EXACTLY like his pace throughout the rest of the game. The minor differences are statistically insignificant.

oriental andrew

June 14th, 2012 at 3:02 PM ^

You could say that Lebron finished much stronger than he started.

In the first quarter, he had 4 points on 1/5 shooting (20%), hit 2/2 FT's, and had 2 rebounds.  So yeah, he sure finished strong!

By quarter:

Points: 4, 10, 9, 7

Rebounds: 2,2,3,2

FG%: 20%, 57%, 67%, 33%

FTs: 2/2, 2/2, 0/1, 3/4

So really, it looks like he started and finished slow, and had a great middle! 

The point is that to say he finished slow because he had slightly lower numbers in each of those 4 categories is absurd. 

Decatur Jack

June 14th, 2012 at 2:57 PM ^

BRADY HOKE SAID "OHIO STATE"!!

WAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHTTTT!!!!

(in the Ann Arbor.com video clip, a.k.a. Kyle Meinke is Grim)

Why aren't more people talking about this!?