Unverified Voracity Features First Time Bath Comment Count

Brian

Sponsorship note! This is going to be ironic given the crabbing a bit later about excessively corporate bits, but we've landed a sponsorship from a new book titled "For Michigan Fans Only" that will run over about the next two weeks. Check it out, see if you're interested, buy a copy or three, and discharge any lingering guilt you may have about not supporting the site.

Podcasting. I put in an appearance on The Michigan Man podcast to talk about the Purdue game, and talked some more new media stuff with Dan Levy of Press Coverage. And yes, we taped a podcast this week that should be up today or tomorrow. It is the angriest podcast.

Defense: we had it. Wolverine Historian's tribute to the mauling '85 defense:

Football with defense now seems like a bizarre anomaly that requires changes to your gameplanning.

burnsiebath_thumb

via MVictors

Footie V. Congratulations to the men's soccer team, which won its first Big Ten title in 11 years of existence by stomping Penn State 4-1. MGoBlue has video highlights. Soony Saad's goal was a bit of a gift but Meram's two were sweet, and he would have had a hat trick but for a Penn State player pulling a Suarez. The BTN mics picked up the defender incredulously exclaiming "are you KIDDING ME, sir" after the guy had bashed away a certain goal with his forearm—even Rasheed Wallace thinks that's a stretch. BTW, Saad is now the nation's leading scorer with 18 goals.

The NCAA soccer tournament is a 48-team affair where 16 teams are seeded and receive byes; Michigan is the #10 seed and will play the winner of South Florida-Central Florida on Sunday at 2. The game is in Ann Arbor, so pack the place out. If they advance the third round will be at South Carolina or at home if SC is upset by the Coastal Carolina/Duke winner.

From national award winner thing to person at South Carolina. Your unbreakable faith in David Brandon's pimp hand has been further strengthened by the departure of compliance head Judy Van Horn for a job at South Carolina that seems identical to the one she's departing.

Van Horn only appears in the infamous CARA documents occasionally, mostly to gently spar with Draper. Whatever her offenses were they weren't public, and I plead not enough data if you're asking whether or not she should have been gently shown the door. I will say that I am enjoying the public announcements that Person Has Acquired Job You Don't Care About because they remind me of that scene in The Wire where deposed mayor Royce whispers sweet nothings to Clay Davis about staying in line or getting nothing. Don't go against the family.

Horrified Kafkaesque potato-man interlude.

 

bigpotato

 

via two seam fastball [Ed-M: That's Samara's livejournal account, Tiger fans.]

In other Brandon. The Crain's Detroit Business article on Brandon has been kicked around on the message board already but a couple opinion type objects follow on from this:

As part of dealing with the infractions, Brandon plans to operate the athletics program much like he did the corporations he ran for more than two decades, Ann Arbor-based Domino's Pizza Inc. and Livonia-based coupon marketer Valassis Communications Inc.

That includes creating a business plan and bolstering the image. The athletic department is conducting a national search for its first chief marketing officer, and Brandon is looking at where money should be spent on promotion.

"The first thing you need to do is resource properly against the areas that are very important. This is a department that's been under-resourced in terms of marketing muscle and expertise," he said, noting that just three people worked on marketing for UM athletics. The new CMO will add more staff.

"(We will) craft the message a little better in the media in terms of who we are, what's going on here and why it ought to be attractive to people," he said.

I guess that's fine and after the NCAA business it seems like a thorough reshaping of the athletic department is in order, but I'm a bit leery of the direction things have gone so far on the marketing front. I'm not buying a Big Chill shirt because it's got an Arby's logo on it. I'm extremely disappointed that David Brandon's pimp hand has so far spared Special K and his awful, generic gameday music.

The whole point of college athletics these days is a lack of the generic corporate moneygrab that makes professional games sterile experiences—have you been to a Wings game in the last ten years? Part of marketing the program is being actually different. Eroding the wall between Michigan's fusty, old-timey feel and your average AHL game brings a short-term Pavlovian response but hurts the development of long-term obsessives that allow Michigan to avoid two for one Subway promotions even when they're not doing that well.

This is a statement I don't like:

"My job as the quote-unquote CEO of Michigan athletics is to make sure that (the profit and loss statement) is healthy, that we're doing a good job of growing our revenues, that we're managing our costs," he said. "It operates very much like every business I've ever been associated with from the standpoint of what we do and what we need to do to be successful."

His job as the quote unquote CEO of Michigan athletics has zero to do with money. Money is a vehicle via which to graduate students and acquire wins, and in some cases I think the athletic department is sliding too much towards money. I thought the same thing under Martin, FWIW.

Hockey bits. A fuller exploration of what's going on with the hockey team will have to wait until football's over but, man, it's looking like a slightly less nerve-wracking version of last year. Michigan has avoided the ugly .500 start and is sitting at 6-3-3, but they're a last-second goal against Ferris State from splitting every weekend they've had this year save a sweep of Bowling Green. Michigan lost to a terrible version of BG last year so this is some progress. It's a far cry from the rampage they went on at the end of last season.

Making things a bit worse was how the Notre Dame series went down. Michigan was run out of the building Friday in a depressing game where they were outshot badly. This never happens. On Saturday they got down and then got a flood of freaky goals:

Michigan Hockey Net chalked the win up to puck luck and it's hard to disagree when Michigan's last three were some variety of bizarre. Langlais's invisible hockey player job is possibly the weirdest goal I've ever seen.

A lot of people have been muttering about a repeat of last year and it's not hard to see the similarities. Michigan does not have a lot of skill in the forward corps and has to rely on bombs and deflections too much. Only Hagelin brings a consistent look-at-that-guy presence on every shift. The goaltending is okay but not great, and the team seems to lack a shut down defenseman in the mold of a Mitera or a Komisarek.

At least they haven't lost to an awful team yet, and it looks like their schedule has been tough out of the gate—ND and Alaska are 1st and 4th in the league right now and Ferris is okay; even BG is 5-7 overall. UNH is 5-1-3. That Mercyhurst tie is going to rankle all year, though.

Cheese it! The cops! Penn State fans are still convinced that an epic refereeing conspiracy exists to prop up Michigan, and after watching this I'm convinced:

/commits seppuku because of the dishonor

Etc.: The Mathlete has us 50-50 to get to an eighth win before the bowl. Quite a coinflip coming up. Mets Maize on the Purdue game. John Clay might miss the Michigan game, but it won't matter since Wisconsin has two other fine backs.

Comments

M-Wolverine

November 16th, 2010 at 12:36 PM ^

Call that, and you're calling a penalty on every play.

I think this is part of the reason for the meltdown after the PSU game....internet PSU fans are such total whack jobs, we wanted to give them something to really complain about for the next 3 years.

CarrIsMyHomeboy

November 16th, 2010 at 12:59 PM ^

If the O-line is set before pseudo-illegally moving the ball presnap, then there is no advantage gained by doing this. [Unless of course you think Molk did this early-ball-moving to draw PSU offsides, in which case you are kinda dumb.] After all, the offensive line is already rooted on its side of the LOS in this video and the ball still has to head back behind the line to DR at the start of the play. From this perspective, the presnap sitting ball only serves the purpose of aiding in OL/DL assembly about the LOS, which wasn't tainted here. I propose that, next year, we put magnets in the ball and surgically insert a NMR-intensity one-Tesla magnet into the palmar surface of Molk's hand just so as to, against the Nits in 2011, allow the refs to let the lines get set about the LOS, then run the ball downfield (WAY downfield) after the lines properly set, and finally let Molk tractor beam the thing from across the field with a finger snap so he can hike it to Denard. PSU fans would love that.

umchicago

November 16th, 2010 at 2:17 PM ^

i'm quite certain that EVERY center moves the ball a bit when they grasp it upon getting set.  now if he were to lift it again and set it down; then complain.

raiola has been called for a few illegal snaps the past few weeks.  i would like to see video of those for comparison.

zlionsfan

November 16th, 2010 at 5:29 PM ^

almost like he was going to snap the ball and suddenly realized he had the count wrong. But it wasn't at all like in the "conspiracy" video, more like everybody on the line was set and then Raiola lifted the ball and put it down again: more snap-like than adjustment-like.

The others I recall aren't ball-related. I think you're right, they're lower-body movement instead.

Kilgore Trout

November 16th, 2010 at 12:14 PM ^

They ALL do that, almost every play.  (excuse the caps, but it felt right)  From my vantage point in the stadium (section 22, halfway up) we get a good angle right down the line of scrimmage quite a few times a game.  There are a few things that just seem to be unwritten things that refs let go, because we have been seeing them multiple times a game for literally 20 years.

1.  The center moves the ball on almost every play.

2.  I would say someone on the kicking team is offsides at least 75% of the time.  Not sure I've ever seen it called.

3.  Defensive linemen line up offsides all the time.  There is almost always someone with their head well across the LOS and frequently someone has their hand down right even with the ball.

4.  I've said it before, but Taylor Lewan either has the best reflexes ever, or he moves early a lot. 

joeyb

November 16th, 2010 at 12:35 PM ^

This. This.

They move the ball because the ball is on its side when they pick it up and they put it on the point when they hold it. I was watching this during the game to make sure he wasn't committing a penalty. He was, but by about 3 inches. This is beyond ridiculous to be criticizing this.

maizenbluenc

November 16th, 2010 at 3:19 PM ^

My son plays center, and they are allowed to move the ball when they line up over it to get the laces in the right place and the point down, etc.

If this had been well after the point where Molk lined up over the ball, then I could see it as an attempt to draw the defense off sides, but this is just addressing the ball ....

Didn't Penn State win that game? Seriously ....

Greenwood_Slumdog

November 16th, 2010 at 12:14 PM ^

He should be kicked off the team for committing such a heinous offense.

Oh wait, no. I wouldnt be surprised if almost every center in the nation does this. Thanks PSU-fan-with-too-much-time-on-his-hands!

Tony Soprano

November 16th, 2010 at 12:16 PM ^

Obviously, the center has to pick up the ball each time in order to get a hold of it so that he can snap it.  He never moves it out of the neutral zone and doesn't simulate the start of play.  The fact that there haven't been many off-side calls against the opposing defense is proof that this has no real effect on the game.   Complainers want to complain.   

kevin holt

November 16th, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^

I know someone already said "This." to a different comment, but this contains the phrase "neutral zone" which is key. The ball does not leave the neutral zone. Also, the fact that he has to snap it to another player negates any advantage he would have, and in fact makes it take longer to get the ball to the QB, so it gives penn state the advantage.

So maybe WE should be complaining to the NCAA! Oh noes! /s (Also, WE LOST not them so why are they so up in arms over this shit?)

 

AND NOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT OTHER THINGS

st barth

November 16th, 2010 at 12:17 PM ^

I completely agree about the money aspect of the athletic department under Martin and am slightly worried about it with Brandon.  Hopefully, though as a former football player maybe Brandon will be able to temper his CEO instincts.  Looking good so far, but we'll see...

NateVolk

November 16th, 2010 at 12:25 PM ^

A couple thoughts on the Penn State video:

--Have to see the tape to verify if it was done every play. Maybe someone could weigh in on that.

--on this video it looks like Molk moves it back slightly then slides it forward which could  mean that the neutral zone isn't violated. Although I admit it looks like the ball ends up slightly further than it's original spot in this video.

-- The officials surely saw this being they have line judges working the games.( Especially if it was being done every play) Maybe it is possible that they saw no distance advantage being gained.

--It is also possible that this is so widely done, that it is sort of like traveling calls on a drive to the basket in the NBA where it is just not called.

--If it does help gain an advantage, we should have done it on the first drive on that third and 1 as an actual play. Saving the Vincent Smith dive play from the evil I-formation for never.

 

 

ish

November 16th, 2010 at 12:27 PM ^

i'm of two diametrically opposed opinions on the money thing.  on the one hand, it isn't like we have shareholders to pay if we make money, so there's no sense in maximizing profit.  on the other, you can reinvest whatever money you make in making the athletic department more enticing for recruits, which should increase winning, and providing better academic help to the student athletes. 

now that i've laid out the two competing arguments and have no idea which i favor - head asplode.

M-Wolverine

November 16th, 2010 at 12:33 PM ^

Complaining about the Athletic Department shifting too much towards the money while starting the post with a sponsorship note.

It's all about the money.

Because, no, you're the man, and that's the problem.

 

(BTW, if Chris Rock's face wasn't a clue, NSFW)

Mgobowl

November 16th, 2010 at 12:31 PM ^

I agree with you on the purpose of the Atheletic Department should be athletes first. However, Crain's is a business magazine, so I wonder if his comments where influenced by the audience that will be reading the interview.

jatlasb

November 16th, 2010 at 12:34 PM ^

was awesome.  I really loved how the ref obviously knows where the puck is and just watches, waits, and blows the goal despite every other player on the ice thinking it was caught up in somebody's pads.  

kevin holt

November 16th, 2010 at 12:54 PM ^

I saw the puck bounce to the side and thought OH HERE IT COMES

but I was also thinking DONT BLOW IT DEAD DONT BLOW IT DEAD

I think more than puck luck, we got extreme luck that the refs didn't blow this dead immediately or the one that flew up in the air off the ND defensemen. They get really quick with the whistle on us

ecormany

November 16th, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^

at least one of the officials didn't know either, because you can hear somebody yell "move! move!" as they typically do when there's a scrum over the puck.  the ref behind the net did figure it out and make the goal call immediately though, so good on him. (does anybody know who that ref was?)

UAUM

November 16th, 2010 at 12:35 PM ^

I hope DB doesn't sell UMich out.  It scares me that he "looks to" osu for athetic department guidance.  If you walk around and of osu's athletic facilities, its like watching a million commercials all at once.  Their stadium, which is otherwise littlered with ads, even has a Honda sponsored pavilion.  Not that I dislike Honda, but that's just gross.  Could you image a Ford fountain at the Big House?

I'm all for a better perception of the University and its athletics, and more money to fule those things, but keep it classy Dave.

Magnus

November 16th, 2010 at 12:37 PM ^

Technically, what Molk does in that video is illegal.

HOWEVER, it's a commonly accepted practice by referees.  Every team does it, and it's not that big of a deal as long as he's not obviously trying to draw the defensive line offsides.

OHbornUMfan

November 16th, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^

I am convinced that a conspiracy about _________ exists, so I will comb footage and find something obscure and relatively unimportant, and then edit create a video showing an example of the nefariousness.  THEN you will know that the whole team is nothing but a band of cheaters whose only chance at victory is the total obliviousness of the refs. 

This, and not phantom defensive holding calls.

OldBlue74

November 16th, 2010 at 2:06 PM ^

I believe the center will check with the umpire before the first snap of the game to make sure he's OK with adjusting the ball (rotate to align laces, etc.).  Then he's good to go for the rest of the game.

Has anyone looked at the PSU offense to see what adjustments their center made when he approached the ball?

MGoShoe

November 16th, 2010 at 2:06 PM ^

...causal, not strange. Meram could have been the place kicker, but he chose to concentrate on soccer, >>> +1 Soccer team, -1 Football team.

It's been said on the board that he's exhausted his soccer eligibility this year but can play football next year. I don't know if that's accurate, but that would be nice. I suppose it depends on if he gets any sniffs from MLS.

Brian

November 16th, 2010 at 4:47 PM ^

He does have a year to play football for the same reason Kelvin Grady is a redshirt junior in football--not playing one of those years counts as a "redshirt." If he's still going to be in school they should obviously take a look.

Maize4Blue

November 16th, 2010 at 12:50 PM ^

took me 3 minutes:

"Unless moved in a backward direction, the movement of the ball does not start a legal snap. It is not a legal snap if the ball is first moved forward or lifted."

2014

November 16th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^

The CMO is either a good thing or a bad thing. If the CMO is being hired to manage the Michigan Brand vs. make money, this is a very good thing.

I think a lot of people view marketing as essentially used car salesmanship. It certainly can be. But as a marketing professional who has spent 15 years in the industry (including an MBA from Ross), my preferred definition of Marketing is "bringing your product to market".

It would be difficult to argue at this point that the Atlhetic Department has done a good job bringing the collective Michigan brand to market over the past few years...

I'm optimistic that DB gets this nuance...

TG7782

November 16th, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^

Someone could go find a video of their center doing the exact same thing but we aren't that pathetic and obsessive over such trivial minutia to put that effort in.

 

Penn State fan's only hobby is complaining about Michigan.

harmon98

November 16th, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^

forgive my naivety with regards to finance but how do we plan on competing with the OSUs of the world outside of corporate sponsorships at some level?  don't we have to sell some mgosoul to finance all of these shiny new facilities such that 18 year old recruits "be like dang" when they have their on campus visit?  that being said, I'm all in favor of maintaining the culture we all love and support.  it just seems like something's got to give if we're going to have our cake and eat it too.

trackcapt

November 16th, 2010 at 3:48 PM ^

While I do agree the 85 D was better, it didn't have to face a Heisman winning QB with a 1st rounder at RB (Beanie Wells) and WR (Tedd Ginn) in an offense that could and did run pro or spread.