Unverified Voracity Gets A Major Award
[ED: been slightly crazy around here recently, so UFR delayed. Look for both halves tomorrow. Not that they'll tell you anything you didn't already know.]
continuing this week's theme
The response. Brandon on the emails:
"I don't read blogs so I think it's nonsense. … I'm here to get an award tonight, so I appreciate you showing up, but that's not why I'm here."
Would you describe this award as… major?
Also, from former CSG president Mike Proppe:
I've had multiple conversations with Dave Brandon. He has talked about @mgoblog before. So...yeah.
— Michael Proppe (@mikeproppe) October 29, 2014
Doesn't seem to be working. You know it's bad when the Alumni association publishes a piece titled "Alumni React to Lower Football Student Ticket Prices" and this is the nicest thing in it:
"If the students are not part of the Athletic tradition, then it becomes just a business and commercial venture."
It's nice because it says "if." Other choice excerpts:
"I come to Ann Arbor to remember the days that I lived there, that I went to games with friends, that I remembered cheering for MY team. If I wanted a corporate culture, I'd just go to an NFL game."
"The athletic department procedures have emptied the cupboard of alumni support over the last several years and it will take a significant change within the department to bolster the level of support and fervor that existed then."
"It's appalling that the students are the ones being seen as just one more "market" to be considered...without student support of the University, you will eventually lose alumni support."
The comments are another continual carpet-bombing, including this comment left by Steve Strinko:
Our 1974 Football team is being honored at Homecoming and we did get 1 complimentary ticket, however, I am bringing the allotted three guests at a cost of $75 per ticket. Seem crazy to pay $225 for my family to join me at this event. Oh well, the state of Michigan Athletics, or at least football.
Strinko was the starting MLB on the 1974 team.
This is from the alumni association! When you've lost the alumni association, who do you have left?
This was made a month ago. Sometimes marketing does help, because how did no one see this until 11W?
Ripped from the headlines.
Mr. Brandon’s emails and @mgoblog made an appearance in today’s Business Comm class. pic.twitter.com/crjnXe0TXw
— Ben Fidelman (@TMDFidelman) October 29, 2014
@DrewCHallett @mgoblog To directly quote my prof: “Don’t be a dick to alums that could donate to the department.”
— Ben Fidelman (@TMDFidelman) October 29, 2014
Hope Brandon's taking this pass/fail.
It could have been much worse. In general, football games that feel like Michigan's latest outing aren't close. They are even less close than 35-11. Bill Connelly:
2x
In the end, even with State's late touchdown, the final score of Michigan State 35, Michigan 11 was kind to the losing team. The Spartans doubled the Wolverines on a per-play basis (6.6 yards to 3.3) and more than doubled them up in total yardage (446 to 186). And the game was played at a snail's pace, too (125 total plays) -- even an average pace would have resulted in a Spartan win of 30-plus points.
Finally, a justification for being the slowest team in the country.
I… I can say nothing. Here is an Indiana blog talking about football, and landing body blows.
I, an Indiana football fan, feel bad for you.
Welcome to the Big Ten Underworld, Wolverine fans. The days are long, the nights are filled with six-touchdown losses to Ohio State, and one in every 5-7 seasons ends in a post-Christmas bowl in Detroit. Your program is now on a comparable level to a partly-incapacitated Indiana.
Well, at least I…
crap
Nevermind.
If you are interested in Indiana football, though. Here's a terrific blog with weekly film breakdowns. From their take on the IU offense under Zander Diamont:
By my count, Diamont only kept it on a zone read one other time. Given the state of the quarterback position, I imagine Diamont was under fairly strict instructions to hand the ball off to Coleman early and often. Probably for the same reason, we also didn’t see Diamont running any speed option or QB draw. He looked mobile on a few rollouts and he did a decent job of running for his life when Sparty put him under pressure.
To sum it up, as we discussed last week, expecting anything out of Diamont in this game was unrealistic. If we define “expecting nothing” as expecting Diamont to account for zero yards rushing or passing, well…somehow Zander failed to meet expectations. In non-garbage time, Diamont threw for -2 yards and ran for –12. While the numbers are troubling, I was more concerned with the way he missed a number of somewhat simple throws. He missed all four of the 5-7-yard hitches/outs he attempted, and three of the four weren’t close. His two attempts to get the ball downfield to Wynn missed badly.
Punt John Punt, it's called. Never say I didn't do anything for you, Jamie.
THE SMOKING GUNNNNNN. I feel confident in asserting this gentleman has a beard, on his neck.
Something nice. Basketball will hold an open practice on Wednesday from 6 to 7. Not today. Next Wednesday.
A blast from the past. A USCHO poster has unearthed and scanned in a program from the 1983 Michigan Tech-Michigan series—the last time M traveled to Houghton.
Quite an artifact.
[HT: SBN CH]
You may not be doing this right. I've seen a few different message board threads stating that Doug Karsch said that he's talked to two sources in the Brandon camp who are "bracing for a change"—same language in multiple places, so I thought it was pretty legit. So I wander over to 97.1's podcasts page and find that the only item posted today is…
…bzzzzt.
Etc.: Brandon emails dramatically performed by Drew & Marc. HSR gets emails from everyone. Bring Your Champions! Berenson on Marek vs Wyshynski
John Gasaway on offensive rebounding and how you shouldn't totally ignore it in favor of transition D. Michigan is classified as a team that "de-emphasizes" OREBs, FWIW, and is not exhorted to crash the glass. Northwestern is.
October 29th, 2014 at 4:49 PM ^
I vote to give Brian the week off from UFRs after his great reporting.
October 29th, 2014 at 4:56 PM ^
Or just UFR the 2002 UM-MSU game instead. UM 49, MSU 3 has to make for a happy UFR.
October 29th, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^
Or UFR Niners games for the rest of the year! :)
October 29th, 2014 at 5:40 PM ^
I'll save Brian the trouble.
October 29th, 2014 at 5:46 PM ^
Still waiting on the OSU one from...some year and the some year before that.
October 29th, 2014 at 4:55 PM ^
Love how DB acts like he's God's gift to athletics administration.
"I'm here to win an award, that I won."
Something tells me we're gonna see this guy in early January running on stage to steal the CFB Playoff trophy from Saban or Jimbo like this guy...
October 29th, 2014 at 5:08 PM ^
Eats pieces of shit like you for breakfast.
He eats pieces of shit?
October 29th, 2014 at 6:08 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 29th, 2014 at 5:00 PM ^
50% mediocre sports talk, 50% Xanga poll question.
October 29th, 2014 at 6:29 PM ^
but I really do like Doug Karsch. He needs to tread lightly during this turmoil.
October 29th, 2014 at 5:08 PM ^
And like the "major award" lamp, Brandon's UM career will end up shattered and buried in the backyard, with the sound of "Taps" being played.
That's the story TBS ought to run continuously on Christmas Eve.
October 29th, 2014 at 5:12 PM ^
Who could possibly be in the "Brandon Camp"? Talk about sticking to their guns.
October 29th, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^
His agent, his lawyer, and (giving him the benefit of the doubt here) his dog.
October 29th, 2014 at 9:43 PM ^
He charges his dog rent.
October 29th, 2014 at 9:49 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^
Remembering the Bo, Mo and Lloyd year's. Hope Indiana level will not be around for to long.
October 29th, 2014 at 6:30 PM ^
end soon!
Fire Brandon!
October 29th, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 5:19 PM ^
That guy is major idiot. Not thinking he has played many competitive sports in his life, based on how he described receiver going out for pass.
FSU clearly talked to the refs about the first half touchdown and the ref was on the lookout for receievers who are not even going to act like they are going out for a pass. The outside receiver curled around the outside DB to ensure he could not get into coverage. The fact the pass is not out of QB's hands is meaningless, he would have picked up the flag if a running play. He was zeroed in on WR's setting picks/roadblocks.
This assclown just made it even more clear in my mind.
It was the right call.
October 29th, 2014 at 6:15 PM ^
I heard some guy on the radio arguing about the legality of the call. It wasn't clear what he was saying, but now I get it. He thought the pass was behind the line of scrimmage. Given that any idiot could see that it was thrown well past it, it didn't even occur to me at the time that was what he was arguing. This clears it up. Whereas I don't want my refs trying to peer into the future, I feel comfortable letting them assume that the continuity of physical laws of the universe apply.
Also, one of the most monumental games ever? I'd say it's one of the big games of the year, sure.
October 29th, 2014 at 6:33 PM ^
As an official (as I am, albeit at the high school level), you are taught to make a number of assumptions when offciating. Sometimes these are based on down and distance, sometimes based on the point of the game, or sometimes based on keys that you are reading.
Like the poster above said, you can always pick up a flag. Sometimes a flag will be thrown on intentional grounding when the ref thinks the ball doesn't pass the LOS or that the QB was out of the pocket, but then is later picked up after officials confer. If that pass hadn't gone past the neutral zone, the officials could have picked up that flag (or if they didn't, he'd have an argument).
I find it silly that he points out a rule at the beginning, which is later broken, and shows this as the smoking gun simply because of when the ref threw the flag. His argument is: Sure, we broke that rule, but it wasn't 100% broken when the ref threw the flag. Not that the rule wasn't broken.
So is he arguing that the refs were looking for a penalty (that was actually committed)? I don't see why that's a problem.
October 29th, 2014 at 6:39 PM ^
one of the dumbest things I've seen this month, but also one of the funniest.
October 29th, 2014 at 8:48 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
. . . having a sweater with a loose thread that you pull & before you know it . . . you are playing with a ball of yarn.
October 29th, 2014 at 5:37 PM ^
Nice try, Hooskers, but Indiana never played in the Motor City/Pizza/Oil Change Bowl.
October 29th, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^
and Les Miles was a second string guard with a perpetually pulled hamstring and a fondness for combing his mullett while admiring himself in a mirror.....any mirror..
I knew them both well, Mike Kenn, too. Not surprised Kenn went on to big things, still find it mind blowing that Les is a legendary coach himself.
October 29th, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^
# 59 Steve Strinko.
Great middle linebacker.
October 29th, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 5:48 PM ^
a leg lamp at? Not that my girlfriend would like it, but I think it's awesome. Plus the director of that movie went to my alma mater...I know...cool story bro.
October 29th, 2014 at 10:06 PM ^
As you might imagine, anything that iconic having to do with Christmas can be bought, now that there is internet commerce.
I don't know how long this site has been available, but a work friend of mine got one of these a few years ago (the desktop version, not the $230(!) four foot tall(!) version). Fun was had by all when he brought it in.
October 29th, 2014 at 5:51 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 6:23 PM ^
A corporate person should be able to see the impact and anticipate the moves three steps ahead. He should know his "customers". He would know that General admission doesn't mean sit in the order you entered the stadium. Either he is dictatorial and surrounding himself with yesmen or can't properly assess the impact of his decision but. I don't think you can chalk it up to him having a corporate background. Any CEO that made this many bad decisions would've been cast out a long time ago.
October 29th, 2014 at 6:32 PM ^
at the time.
He has continually disappointed with great regularity.
October 29th, 2014 at 9:59 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 5:57 PM ^
A Christmas Story win the past week. Fra ra ra ra raaaa...
October 29th, 2014 at 6:00 PM ^
Flick? Flick who?
October 29th, 2014 at 6:04 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 6:13 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 29th, 2014 at 6:27 PM ^
just for the name "Punt John, Punt!"
Brilliant.
October 29th, 2014 at 6:35 PM ^
was an Indiana football coach. So, Punt John Pont also works.
October 29th, 2014 at 7:07 PM ^
Did that guy really make a three minute video to argue that an obvious call was wrong because the flag was thrown a split second before the infraction was concluded?
October 29th, 2014 at 7:28 PM ^
I can't stop laughing at the dramtic performance from Drew & Marc! This is absolutely hillarious. The best part is that they aren't making this up. I still can't believe that our AD responds like this. There is a HUGE delete button for a reason. In addition, don't we have a massive budget to emply someone to filter out the antagonizing messages. At the very least there's got to be an intern.
If this was happening to any other University, I would was to print shirts that read "quit drinking and go to bed." Awesome and so sad at the same time.
October 29th, 2014 at 8:14 PM ^
That Smoking Gun guy needs to get a painting show on PBS. I wouldn't even care if his paintings suck...which odds are probably would. I need to to hear that voice say "Happy little trees."
October 29th, 2014 at 8:23 PM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 8:48 PM ^
Geico commercial quite the same again. Painful!
October 30th, 2014 at 11:07 AM ^
October 29th, 2014 at 8:59 PM ^
"I don't read blogs so I think it's nonsense. You whippersnappers get off my lawn! I don't want to hear about your newfangled interwebz."
October 30th, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
That "days since Indiana won at Michigan" counter gives me a very uneasy feeling
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