Unverified Voracity Finds A New Hope Comment Count

Brian

All The Bork That's Fit To Bork. Hagelin makes the new York Times, and if you were one of the people on the perimeter of the giant Swedish flag you may have as well.

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The LA Kings can eat this:

“Carl had the speed, but there wasn’t much to him,” said the Rangers’ chief scout Gord Clark, referring to Hagelin’s 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame. “But when they told me he committed to Michigan, it changed everything. Red Berenson plays an up-tempo system. It often doesn’t work out this way with a prospect because N.H.L. teams don’t have control, but Carl could not have gone to a better place to develop.”

Hagelin has 8-8-16 in 28 games and has likely ended his stay in the AHL permanently. Billy Powers is looking for more Swedes, as well:

“We’re trying to be active in Sweden,” Powers said. “I love going to Stockholm. I just haven’t been able to convince any top players to choose us over the hope of playing in the Elite League. Maybe Carl’s success will open some doors. He set a bar for student-athletes at Michigan that’s going to be tough for anyone to match, no matter where they’re from.”

Amen to that.

Movin' on up. Scot Loeffler is the man chosen to fill the big, wacky shoes of Gus Malzahn:

“Scot is a rising star who has worked with some very good quarterbacks, and has achieved a tremendous amount of success,” Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. “He is a tireless worker, is an outstanding recruiter and knows the rigors of competing in this conference. We’re very excited to have Scot join our staff and we welcome him to the Auburn family.”

It's interesting how Michigan fans' perception of the various assistants who scattered to the four winds when Carr retired have generally to have been borne out by their landing spots. Campbell, Loeffler, and English were generally well liked. Loeffler's steadily moved up in the world, Campbell has been turning middling recruits into assassins for Iowa, and English was hired at a relatively analogous job (DC at Louisville) before becoming the most successful EMU head coach in a million years.

The assistants Michigan fans didn't like have been shuffled off to makework NFL jobs, mostly. Mike Debord was assistant (to the) Seattle OL coach for a couple years and is now a tight ends coach in Chicago. Andy Moeller got an analogous job with the Ravens; FWIW Baltimore is high up in Football Outsider's possibly-not-very-meaningful OL stats. (A point in FO's favor: Detroit finished 31st at run blocking.) Before that Jim Herrmann shuffled off to another NFL positional job. Mike Gittleson got really mad that when you search for "Mike Gittleson Wikipedia" you get Mike Barwis but doesn't appear to be coaching.

The main exception appears to be Steve Stripling, who was well liked after defecting from Michigan State in time to pilot Branch, Woodley, Taylor, et al. in 2006. He took a year off and resurfaced at CMU; he's now the Cincinnati DL coach.

[Not mentioned: Fred Jackson, for obvious reasons. Vance Bedford since no one had much time to get a new opinion on him during his one-year return. Steve Szabo was supposedly at the tail end of his career; he kicked around some small schools before abruptly resigning from NIU a couple months after being named there. He had only a couple years to establish a reputation at Michigan.]

Never fear. Lloyd Carr has said some stuff in favor of Loeffler that Auburn fans and Orson have either expressed trepidation or stifled laughter about, depending on their general desire to see Auburn win. But it's not that bad. Here it is:

"Scot is a team guy -- one of those coaches who will call a game with the mindset of doing whatever it takes to win," Carr said. "Some days it may be to protect the defense, and some days to light it up."

This is the nicest thing Lloyd Carr can think of to say about someone intimately involved with something as salacious as passing, and should not negatively reflect on Loeffler.

But seriously folks, failing to rehabilitate Tim Tebow's throwing motion should not invalidate his work with Brady, Henson, Navarre, and Henne. Especially Navarre, who went from statewide whipping boy to secretly good to All Big Ten over the course of his starting tenure. A specialized cadre of NFL experts still can't get Tebow to throw more accurately than Joe Bauserman. If Loeffler secretly chafed under Lloydball he'll be a fine hire for Chizik and his tire-fire defense.

And now a strange reason to root for Auburn. College football provides an ever-shifting set of motivations and Michigan fans just got a powerful desire to see Auburn's offense blow up. Loeffler's 37 and if he does well will be a hot coaching candidate in five years; in ten or so Hoke is likely to retire. If Loeffler's a good candidate maybe we can skip the three years of civil war.

One thing we do know: he's got the lingo down pat.

“at the end of the day, it’s our job to score football points.”

Well…

Must not make obvious comparison. Er. This is the picture people are passing around about the infamous Dantonio interuppting cow moment:

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I just don't even.

BTW, the look on all people facing the camera says all you need to know about the way this went down.

Moving on up, or down. ESPN's latest 2012 basketball rankings see Mitch McGary slip to #21; Glen Robinson III rises to #26 and Nik Stauskas gets a slight bump to #79. GRIII is now on the cusp of a fifth star at ESPN and a recent Rivals mailbag named him as the most likely player to pick up a fifth star when they redo their rankings.

Overall that's a win if it keeps McGary in school a bit longer. Michigan's recruits other than the ineligible McGary were "nominated" for the burger game, but that's is an honor on the level of being on a preseason watch list: 600 kids were nominated.

Just moving down, thanks. BCS attendance is plummeting:

In 2005, the last season before the addition of that title game, the Fiesta, Orange, Rose and Sugar bowls had a total announced attendance of 319,936, averaging 79,984 per bowl. This past season the announced attendance for those four bowls had dropped to 293,247; an average of 73,311 per bowl.

While there was a slight increase in 2010, this year's attendance numbers were 8 percent lower than the 2005 figures.

Keep in mind these are announced numbers that bear a strong relationship to reality when things sell out and none at all when arenas are half-empty. The real decline is likely greater. Also the Rose Bowl is still a guaranteed sellout, so the effects on the other three bowls are larger still.

At this point the only bowl that brings something worth keeping around to the table is the Rose.

Wolves, Barwis, etc. Michigan's departing seniors have all chosen to get back with Mike Barwis in preparation for the NFL draft:

"He's the best, hands down," said center David Molk, who is recovering from surgery to repair a ligament rupture in his right foot suffered during Sugar Bowl preparations. "If you want to get ready for a combine, you want to get ready for a season, you want to be the best you can be, you go to Mike."

Some credence for the eeee Barwis meme there; if we never saw it on the field it was probably because Michigan never had enough upperclassman to look strong or conditioned. Also, here's another GET IN THE CAR IT'S MIKE MARTIN picture:

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Daniel Mears/Detroit News

Yes this. I promise this is the last word on the Paterno thing. It's hard to pass up something that summarizes the whole cultural thing in two sentences:

The most salient example of this phenomenon is the recent push by Penn State alumni to oust their board of trustees for the perceived sin of succumbing to a witchhunt against Paterno, of not allowing him to retire with dignity. That's the essence of Paterno's legacy: creating an unthinking paternalistic monolith that valued complete fealty to his cult of personality beyond all else.

That's On The Banks. There are also takes from the Hoover Street Rag and Our Helmets Have Wings.

Our non-megalomaniac. This bit is about Bo, so promise kept. Paul Campos writes on Bo's departure from Michigan:

In 2004, I watched the Michigan State game with Bo in the Michigan Stadium press box. The ratty old press box featured a few private booths from which retired athletic department employees could watch the game; it has since been replaced by a phalanx of dreadful luxury suites — referred to by the euphemism-addicted university administration as “enclosed seating” — which are rented out by persons of quality for $80,000 per season, game tickets not included.

By then, it was clear Bo was not in good health – he was suffering from degenerative heart disease and diabetes – but his mind seemed as sharp and funny as ever. I asked him, among many other things, if he had ever regretted quitting when he did, and he said he had, many times. But, he added, if he had in fact quit too early, that was still “a damn sight better than quitting too late.” And then he laughed.

In the end, the worst thing Bo ever did to the program he built was die. Given how many people of his stature go out, that's something.

Etc.: Loeffler's introductory press conference. Key moments from the Arkansas loss. More on the infamous Dantonio interrupting cow moment. Gasaway on the three point shot.

Comments

Erik_in_Dayton

January 24th, 2012 at 1:10 PM ^

I think he's just saying, "You have to be this tall to be recruited by Michigan State."  Or maybe he was trying to make Hecklinski levitate to impress the high school coaches with his powers.  Hard to tell. 

Six Zero

January 24th, 2012 at 1:08 PM ^

His skin isn't even remotely green. WTF?!

If a less informed fan happened to come upon this picture, they would think he was a mere mortal man and not at all bombarded with gamma rays.

Or trained by a gravel-voiced trainer that rabid wolves submit to with humble fear.

bacon1431

January 24th, 2012 at 1:11 PM ^

Always loved John Navarre. Most of the outrage over him was because he was not Drew Henson. Kid had a rought time, but came out on top. Partially because of Loeffler I'm sure. Lefty seems like a very hard working coach and I would welcome him back to A2 any second if Al retires.

Michigasling

January 24th, 2012 at 1:43 PM ^

The NY Times has been called and e-mailed to correct the misspelling of your son's name.  In case they don't trust the MGoTypo Squad, I referred them to the Athletic Department website.

M-stache

January 24th, 2012 at 1:44 PM ^

I spoke to a H.S. varsity FB coach who was there. I asked him what happened and if the media was making a bigger deal out of it than it was.

Not even close, he said. Dantonio "is an asshole," said this coach. He said Dantonio came in unprepared, seemingly unaware of what the purpose of the panel was. Either that or he mailed it in. Meanwhile, Hecklinski was very prepared, actually talked about recruiting and had a Powerpoint presentation. Dantonio was sitting there fuming and finally couldn't take it anymore, got up and bullied an assistant. An assistant coach, even from a rival program, isn't going to take on a head coach. You might need a job from him someday.

That's the amusing (for us) part. The slightly bad news is that he doesn't think this will really affect MSU recruiting in a negative way. Most coaches already know Dantonio is a tad abrasive. So it's not new to them.

This is from a H.S. coach who rarely sends players to Big Ten universities, so he has no real ties to either U-M or MSU.

 

saveferris

January 24th, 2012 at 2:34 PM ^

How I wish next season's Michigan / MSU game will end...

Michigan enjoying a comfortable 14 point lead over MSU with under 30 seconds to go and possession of the ball lines up in the victory formation.  Denard then steps back, takes a signal from the sideline and audibles into a play formation.  Denard takes the snap from the shotgun, takes a 5 step drop and then guns a picture perfect deep ball to Jehu Chesson running a perfect go route.  Game ends with Michigan winning by 21.

Dantonio races out to midfield, clearly miffed that Hoke has run up the score exclaiming, "Hey Brady, what the hell was that?!"

Hoke responds, "What?  That last score?  That was for Jeff Hecklinski.  Don't ever fucking interrupt my coach again, Mark."

It'll never happen, but a fella can dream.

kevin holt

January 24th, 2012 at 6:26 PM ^

Related to this story: that MLive article (http://www.mlive.com/sports/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/01/michigan_statemichigan_rivalry.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WolverinesSports+%28Michigan+Wolverines+Sports%29&utm_content=Google+Reader)

seems to be almost too neutral, to the point where it makes me angry and actually seems to favor Dantonio. The writer obviously doesn't want to pick sides or show bias, but he takes it to the point where he defends Dantonio and Hecklinski and says neither of them is completely in the wrong.

Though I wasn't there, and though I am only getting the story from one side (as the writer states), it isn't exactly the writer's job to make such a judgment. He can't say that there are "no losers" in this situation, because that in itself is choosing a side (even if that side is in the middle, if that makes sense). Instead, write the facts and let the reader decide. The facts in themselves are horrendously negative for Dantonio and defending him is ridiculous.

Even if Hecklinski got confused and started talking about baseball instead of football, it's not the other coach's job to stand up and be a dick. Also, telling two coaches whose players are Big Ten recruits that they should go in the corner and talk alone? What. The. Fuck. Maybe he secretly wants to play in the MAC and forgot he's in this conference too, but that would make me blacklist state if I were a coach.

M-Wolverine

January 24th, 2012 at 1:47 PM ^

MGoBlog had a positive opinion of....

The worst thing Bo ever did was die, but the best thing he might have done was retire.  He didn't let himself get to the point where he didn't feel like recruiting 18 year olds anymore. Didn't become a figurehead coach (like Mo and Carr offered to have him do back in '89....just be the MAN and they'd do all the work).  Let our team evolve, at least somewhat, to more modern standards.  And most importantly, didn't keep riding to the point he'd died in the saddle, and probably prolonged his life by ten years, minimum, without that burden on his shoulders.  And while he could have had all those coaching records (he was ahead of Paterno when he retired), I'd rather have had him around for longer, involved in Michigan Football, and be able to remember him well.

Caesar

January 24th, 2012 at 1:53 PM ^

The parallel between Bo's exit and that of other coaches, including Paterno, isn't something I considered. I appreciate you pointing it out. But I especially appreciate you doing it subtly. Thanks a bunch, meign.

HAIL 2 VICTORS

January 24th, 2012 at 1:54 PM ^

  • "Every word that I utter is recruiting you faster and deeper, and faster and deeper, into a deep, peaceful state of comittment."
  • "And the deeper you go, the deeper you are able to become Sparty. And the deeper you go, the deeper you want to become Sparty, and the more acceptable the experience of Sparty becomes."

bjk

January 24th, 2012 at 2:17 PM ^

opportunity:

That's the essence of Paterno's legacy: creating an unthinking paternolistic monolith that valued complete fealty to his cult of personality beyond all else.

Weinreb appears to feel differently about all this (blah blah "one of us" blah blah), but I haven't read anything worthwhile by him since at least the Sugar Bowl. I suppose that's understandable under the circumstances.

El Jeffe

January 24th, 2012 at 2:13 PM ^

I have what you might call a passing familiarity with hockey, which essentially means that I know more, but not much more, than the average American fifth-grader.

So, with that disclaimer, why do points in hockey get reported as goals-assists-total when a goal and an assist are both worth one? Why don't you just say "8-8" instead of "8-8-16?"

I blame Canada.

CRex

January 24th, 2012 at 2:53 PM ^

Heard this at dinner last week with some grad students (from a friend of my wife):

So this Korean grad student is teaching her first ever class at Michigan, in 2002, and low and behold one day she is contacted by the Athletic Department to see how the two football players in her class are doing.  She tells Athletics they're doing okay.  Not that great, homework is a little sloppy, they've missed a few classes, they don't talk a lot, but they're on pace to get a C+ (assuming they don't blow an exam).  She is well aware of the dumb jock stereotype and figures everyone is going to assume a C+ is passing so all is well.

The next class she's up there talking and she notices suddenly the two football players go rigid.  The one carefully slides the newspaper he had on desk out of sight and opens up his notebook.  The other starts contributing all of a sudden.  She has no idea what is going on.  She keeps on talking.  Turns around and finds some old guy glaring through the little window in the door.  Said it almost gave her a heart attack.  She assumes though she is the one being checked up on (by some prof in the department).

A couple days later she's talking to another grad student and mentions it.  The other student says "No, random old profs don't come and stare through windows to monitor you.  If it happens again you should call DPS or something."  No one ever puts the football players acting strange together with the weird old man at this point.  

Of course it happens again.  She steps out of the lab, into the supply room, and calls DPS.  Two cops show up promptly to find it is Bo staring through the window and he is busy giving the players a death glare to make sure they pay attention.  Bo apologizes for scaring her, the cops explain who he is, and all is well.

Until it gets back to the department chair, who is horrified to hear some graduate student called the cops on the legendary Bo.  So he calls the student in for a meeting, asks Bo to come, and then the chair proceeds to start chewing the student out in front of Bo and telling her to apologize.  He gets about three sentences out before Bo just rips into the chair.  Starts swearing at the chair, telling the chair how the girl did the right thing to call the cops when she saw some unknown old dude staring at her classroom, how she did the right thing to protect her class.  He just destroys the chair in his own office.  Before he stalks out he gives the girl his phone number and says to contact him if she has any more problems over this and he'll straighten it out.  Bo was apparently so steamed he went right to a Dean and made sure the Dean went over and continued the chewing out where Bo left off (and to make it clear that the girl was not to be blamed for this).  

The girl of course was a junior grad student who had yet to even take her prelims and just wanted to sink into the wood work and never be noticed again.  Now that she has her PhD she can laugh about it, but for awhile there she was afraid the faculty would hold a grudge because she had Bo questioned by the police.

jmdblue

January 24th, 2012 at 3:16 PM ^

Go ahead and rip the shit out of me for this...I don't care.  I grew up hearing stories like this about Bo (and the ultimate evil Woody as well for that matter).  Moved into South Quad and heard some more from a couple players living/hanging out on our floor.  RR was never gonna be that guy.  Brady Hoke will be.  I'm not saying (only hoping) that Hoke will be as successful as Bo.  I am saying that if he is, there will soon be stories like the OP about the legendary Coach Hoke.

El Jeffe

January 24th, 2012 at 3:29 PM ^

Hmm... I like Brady Hoke and he seems to be a good coach and a better judge of talent, but I don't see him lurking about lecture halls checking up on his players and chewing out department chairs for shoddy treatment of grad students. That's not really a criticism of Brady, mind you, just that I don't get that same fire and brimstone vibe from Brady as I did from Bo.

saveferris

January 24th, 2012 at 3:54 PM ^

Brady may not have Bo's whithering stare, but his point can be pretty intimidating.

10 or 15 years from now when he's turned over the reigns to the next coach and he's enjoying his semi-retirement as a professor emeritus with the Athletic Department, he'll need to find something to keep himself busy.

M-Wolverine

January 24th, 2012 at 5:47 PM ^

But he is lurking around lecture halls, checking in on his players...

http://annarbor.com/sports/um-football/what-does-michigan-football-coac…

 

 

Part of coaching, he said, is following through on the players' academic progress. "During the season, I don’t get out as much because of my schedule," Hoke said. "So, when I have some time, I like to be on campus and like to see what guys are learning. "I think that’s part of the obligation we make to the guys we recruit — about the education and supporting them and being there."

The class included about "eight or 10" football players, Hoke said. Only, they weren't told their coach would be there. One of those players, apparently, was freshman defensive end Chris Rock. "Coach Hoke is around campus sitting in our classes," Rock tweeted Thursday. "#coachoftheyear for many years to come.”

Though the funny thing about the story is that Bo wasn't even a coach in 2002. But he was still checking up on them.  :-)

saveferris

January 24th, 2012 at 2:45 PM ^

Liked the take from Our Helmets Have Wings.  The point that Penn State's legacy is all Joe Paterno is well-taken.  Given that all PSU fans have in terms of their legacy is Joe Paterno, I guess it makes sense that they are fighting so passionately to try and minimize the scandal in the wake of his death.  I don't condone this mind you, but I suppose I understand the mentality.  Still, the lack of empathy and remorse the Penn State community has exhibited with regards to the whole Jerry Sandusky scandal is going to make me enjoy the inevitable fall of the Penn State football program all the more.

NRK

January 24th, 2012 at 6:33 PM ^

Thanks. 

I was thinking about recruiting pitches for future football players there. There's very little which would encourage anyone to attend the program in the next few years. Sure, maybe O'Brien wins in the next few years (I'm not of that impression), but I just can't see this program ever being the same.

Perhaps 5-10 years from now there will be some attempt, but there's still open wounds then.