Unverified Voracity Wears Silly Things Comment Count

Tim

I, for one, welcome our Nike overlords. After two straight years of using The Game to prove even Ohio State can look more ridiculous, Nike will strike again this fall, outfitting Michigan State in their Pro Combat line of jerseys for the October 15th tilt against the Wolverines. (Yeah yeah, those in glass houses and whatnot).

In fairness, going to Pro Combat might be an improvement from the OMG MODERN FONT look straight out of Any Given Sunday that Michigan State switched to last year:

MSU-ugly.jpg

...as opposed to going away from the classic look of Ohio State's traditional jerseys (/immediately feels dirty, showers).

We live in an age where the apparel companies are going to do what they do in search of the almighty dollar. Methinks it's best to just to just accept it and move along. It certainly doesn't hurt that I'm not nearly as "get off my lawn" about Michigan's night game jerseys as is Brian. We'll see if Adidas plans to make frequent use of cash-grab alternates, like Nike is doing.

[Ed-M: As Michigan fans, however many headaches we've had to suffer thanks to Adidas's neon-ish idea of "maize" is made worth it when we see our rivals come to school looking like their colorblind mothers got lost in the kids section at Target.

For those wondering why they don't just go with the classic 1960s thing, MSU's official site rules out the obvious Duffy-era look because they rocked that for ND in 2006 -- not that anyone noticed. You can't really do too much damage with MSU since they've had 9 significant uniform changes since 1993, but they already have a home alternate, so either they're scrapping that, or State will play just three games all year in their "home" jerseys. Oregon indeed.

Futzing with Ohio State's classic helmet disco ball covered in bird poop for Michigan week is the kind of thing that can make the football gods remove their favors.]

Speaking of ill-advised Spartan doings. Justin Abdelkader jokes that he wishes to bomb Michigan Stadium:

This is INCONTROVERTIBLE PROOF that all Spartans are terrorists. Look it up.

Barbecue snobs are certain to clarify this is merely a "cookout." As you've likely noticed, Wednesday Recruitin' has been a little calm over the past two weeks, after a whirlwind late spring/early summer parade of commitments to Ann Arbor. A slow period should transition immediately into another action-packed (though not necessarily commitment-packed) period coming up soon, with next weekend's "Barbecue at the Big House" recruiting event.

Much more about it in next week's Recruitin' post, but if you need your fix now, Tom has an ever-evolving list of visitors up in the Diary section. Those not already committed to Michigan are of the greatest interest to us because, you know, they could commit. All this and MUCH MORE next Wednesday (they call that a tease, kids).

Why would anyone want to leave that state? Also regarding the barbecue, Eleven Warriors calls Kyle Kalis and Tom Strobel "Ann Arbor's new favorite couple," but it is not supposed to be a gay joke - except there's no other way for it to realistically be intended. They could be Purdue commits for all I care, but what century are we living in where "hurr hurr u r gay" is still an OK insult?

If you Google "Kyle Kalis ACL," the first infinity results are of Ohio State message boarders wishing injury on a 16-17 year-old kid. Kalis has gone into (mostly) radio silence since his commitment, for fear of backlash. Ohio State fans bashing him for "poor morals" because he decommitted from a school that's about to get hammered for lying to the NCAA? Irony reading: high.

I'm not trying to pick a fight with Eleven Warriors here, but come on dudes, hold yourselves to a higher standard - which, to be fair, they usually do.

Godzillatron will be ours. Updates on the scoreboards? Updates on the scoreboards. Pictures can be seen at Michigan Stadium Aerials (also with updated photos of the hoops Player Development Center), and if you're into the "paint drying" thing, you can watch the assembly live on the internet at MGoBlue.  

OK, so it's not quite as impressive as the mega-boards at places like Texas and... Minnesota... but it's certainly an upgrade over the recent past.

The QB my friends, is blowin' in the wind. Tate Forcier was told "thanks but no thanks" by Hawaii, of all schools, because his transcript is really that bad. The official mgoblog position is "hope he gets his life in order," but uh, is anyone still second-guessing David Brandon's alleged refusal to schedule a meeting with QB5?:

"I needed a certain amount of credits. The incompletes, I took care of those. Dave Brandon still wouldn't let me stay. He refused to even meet with us."

If Hawaii isn't even going to meet with you, Dave Brandon proooooobably wasn't in the wrong here. It sounds like you have more than "a few incompletes" to take care of.

Etc. The Big Ten goes in the wrong direction by going from 3 to zero teams on its preseason media ballot. Men's lacrosse picks up a top offensive coordinator - and tons of solid 2012 commits - including a football teammate of Erik Magnuson. Big Ten schools gettin' that paper, yo. Rest in peace, Jimmy Maddock.

Comments

Mr Mackey

July 21st, 2011 at 2:36 PM ^

Loved reading you give it to 11W on twitter. They seemed so clueless, like 'c'mon Tim how could you have thought we were making a gay slur by saying "Ann Arbor's new favorite couple"??

BlueVoix

July 21st, 2011 at 4:30 PM ^

Isn't it "amusing" because the idea of two men being a couple is hurr hurr funny?  Why would calling two men a couple be amusing otherwise?

11W would be fine if they just would have said "Ann Arbor's favorite two commits" or "Ann Arbor's favorite two traitors blah blah they're from Ohio."  Instead they try to get humor in a much cruder, dumber way.  It's cheap and out of line.

SirJack

July 21st, 2011 at 4:46 PM ^

I'm not picking on you, BlueVoix, but I think US culture is like this:

Tons of uptightness/laws about drinking....and tons of binge drinking.

Tons of anxious concern not to offend any particular group of people....and tons of hateful bigotry and "othering" of others.

Tons of subtle strictures on sexual mores....and tons of pornography.

Etc.

BlueVoix

July 21st, 2011 at 4:56 PM ^

I don't disagree with you at all, on any of those.

But I do think people in public (which, I guess the internet is public, maybe) shouldn't be stoking people's enjoyment of gay jokes.  I think you understand where Tim and others are coming from here.  It's not really homophobia.  It's just kind of dumb on their part to make that joke.  They should say it was in poor taste, apologize, and move on.

wlvrine

July 21st, 2011 at 9:58 PM ^

I thought it a bit of a contrast to say on one hand that gay jokes are base, low brow, dumb and in poor taste and then have a signature that would appear to be making light of swinging dicks.  Are not dick jokes, fart humor, sexual innuendo, and gay jokes all pretty vulgar forms of humor?

Six Zero

July 21st, 2011 at 2:38 PM ^

"Our student-athletes are very excited about being involved in this unique experience," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "Nike has done a remarkable job of creating a uniform that clearly speaks to the Spartan football tradition with a modern-day look and feel."

So then, we're obviously talking about bib overalls in prison stripes, right?

readyourguard

July 21st, 2011 at 2:43 PM ^

I hate MSU as much or more than any middle aged Catholic man should, but I liked their uniforms last year.  I will now go slam the closet door on my foot repeatedly for admitting as much.

As far as combat uniforms, yeah it's a money grab.  But today's youth loves them.  My 17 year old son digs the throwback/historical/retro/under-the-lights uniform.  He has known nothing but Michigan football since he was born, yet his opinon (and the opinion of a lot of kids his age) is that our "traditional uniform" is boring and needs new life.  (I verbally assaulted him after he made that comment).  Uniforms are the most visible aspect of a team on TV.  Kids respond to it.   See: Oregon and Arizona State.  It's not my opinion, but it's a reality among the youth of today.

Now get off my lawn.

M-Wolverine

July 21st, 2011 at 3:35 PM ^

Ok, not really. But as I was showng what the uniforms would look like to some friends on my phone, and everyone was aghast, one's son (like 10) came up and saw them and thought they were awesome. So we know who the target audience is.

TrppWlbrnID

July 21st, 2011 at 4:03 PM ^

but did nike incorporate a gold trim around the numbers on jerseys? i understand that once upon a time there was a little gold in the msu uniform, but really not in the past 50 years. could you imagine how UM would freak out if adidas wanted to put a scarlett shadow under the wings? that is the kind of stuff that leads to "and here come the spartans in their all gold pants, jerseys, shoes and helmets!!!" in five years.

Zone Left

July 21st, 2011 at 2:44 PM ^

Nike says the uniforms incorporate the school's rich heritage. I, for one, hope that means a bright gold outline of a classic Spartan set of armor including a scaled gold skirt for the top half of their pants.

Six Zero

July 21st, 2011 at 2:55 PM ^

I've heard plenty of the senior leadership around here defend the enemy blog and their brand of journalism.  I even took some heat a month or two ago for badmouthing it.

Gotta tell ya... I just spent about five minutes over there giving them another fair shake, and I just don't see it.  The view from 11W seems just as fanatical, ridiculously biased, and in denial as the rest of the damn Buckeye fan base.

This nonsense about Kalis is just a smoking gun, as far as my opinion is concerned.

coastal blue

July 21st, 2011 at 2:59 PM ^

11W lost their reasonable perspective. Before that I enjoyed the site, as much as a Michigan fan could enjoy a OSU blog. Now its just full of hypocritical spite over recruits that dont want to go to a school soon to be hit with sanctions, eye-rolling sob stories about Tressel and extremely delusional defensive pieces about how their scandal "wasn't that bad". 

imafreak1

July 21st, 2011 at 4:17 PM ^

I totally agree. I go to that site every now and again and since the Tressel stuff went down they've gone right over the edge. All this St. Tressel and his trips to visit orphans in the hospital why won't the media just leave him alone stuff is not impressing me.

They had a bit the other day collecting all these quotes from talking heads who think that OSU will get more sanctions from the NCAA and then announced that they were all just stupid dum dum heads. OK thanks for that.

elaydin

July 21st, 2011 at 5:28 PM ^

To be honest, mgoblog hasn't been the bastion of college football enlightenment since the Tressel scandal.

It's mostly:

- Ohio people are stupid, look at this! (80 beavis and buttheads agreeing) 

- Man, I hate it here in Ohio.  The people are subhuman!

- Gene Smith sounded stupid in his twitter!  He could barely write more than 2 sentences!

- Tressel is evil

- TP is the worst human being on the planet

- TP this, TP that

- Ohio is awful

- Ohio is stupid

- OSU will get a 17 year bowl ban!

- Every player since 2002 is on the take

- People who don't seem to know anything about the NCAA infractions process chiming in with opinions (despite going through this process last year)

- People bashing Mandel (and I guess Rittenberg), but agreeing with Futiak and Dodd

This, to me, doesn't look any different than the Scout or Rivals message boards.

So granted, an Ohio State site might not be the best place for a "reasonable" perspective on the Tressel issue, neither is a Michigan site.

Maybe the whole affair is a much needed spark to the rivalry, but it has certainly caused some lost civility.

elaydin

July 21st, 2011 at 6:02 PM ^

I mostly read Ramzy and Jason, and I don't recall them writing anything outlandish.  Maybe it's in the eye of the beholder.

The recruit bashing, if it is happening, is definitely lame.  However, I'm not a big fan of over the top TP or Boren bashing either.  Kids will be kids (just don't drink and drive or beat up your girlfriend or worse)

There's ground for reasonable discourse regarding the seriousness of OSU's violations.  I don't see an issue with those articles.   I also don't see any harm in some of Ramzy's fluff pieces about Tressel ("The Man Who Wasn't There").  That's just red meat for the masses.  It's like Barwis pr0n. 

Zone Left

July 21st, 2011 at 9:53 PM ^

The Boren bashing is definitely old. He basically said some stupid shit on the way out the door--probably because he was bitter. Everyone needs to just get over that one.

Pryor is just so bizarre. Brian's quasi-joke about him being a sociopath almost makes sense. I actually feel pretty sorry for him. I don't think he has any idea what he's doing.

The Barwis Effect

July 21st, 2011 at 6:12 PM ^

Let me just start by saying I'm sorry.  There's probably no way to ask this without offending, but I just have to know: did you possibly grow up an OSU fan?  I'm sure you're probably just trying to play devil's advocate on an obviously Michigan-centric blog, but I've read a lot of your posts and it almost seems like you have a soft spot in your heart for the Buckeyes.  

M-Wolverine

July 21st, 2011 at 7:54 PM ^

Since Columbus HAS become a subhuman environment, over the last decade and a half. It used to be there was a dislike, but a great respect, started from Woody and Bo. But the Cooper years unhinged something down there, and now it's a vile environment. One I literally wouldn't take women and children into. And the retort always is "it's like that everywhere". But it's not. Even where they really hate Michigan, it's not that violent an atmosphere. And it's not even just Michigan. Talk to fans with no horse in the race, like Texas fans, and they'll say they've never experienced anything as crass as the Horseshoe. It's universal. It's just worse when it's Michigan. Ohio State fans want to stop being treated like cave men, they have to stop acting like it, and call out those that do. Consistently.
<br>
<br>And I don't hate TP; love him. Keep up the good work big guy!

elaydin

July 21st, 2011 at 8:55 PM ^

So that was probably it
<br>That being said, I've always thought that once you get out of Ohio/Michigan, the relationship between UM and OSU fans is pretty good. Personally, I'm always excited to meet any Big Ten football fan (except for Badgers, those guys suck). I think this is because once you move away from Ohio (and stay out of the south), college football isn't as big. It's nice to get a slice of home and talk college football with someone.
<br>Of course, there's also the fact that all these people are college graduates and professionals, so that cuts downs the wackiness considerably.
<br>
<br>Columbus is a big city, and the rest of Ohio's teams suck, so I'm sure there's a sizable element of crappy fans. However, out in the rest of the world, it seems a lot more civil.

MGoCombs

July 25th, 2011 at 10:11 AM ^

But I agree that it changes when you leave the state.  Having moved to Maryland, where surprisingly they don't know as much about the latter portion of "crab cakes and football" as Wedding Crashers would like you to believe, it is nice just to run into someone to talk Big Ten football with no matter who they like.  It seems like exports from MI/OH out here are passionate fans but tend to lose that annoying over-the-top hatred that I think being in the two states brings out of you.

M-Wolverine

July 21st, 2011 at 3:43 PM ^

My views on 11's not so subtle homophobic jab falls in line with Dirty Harry in Magnum Force: "Tell you something. If the rest of you could shoot like them, I wouldn't care if the whole damn department was queer."
<br>
<br>(Excuse him...it was 1973. And it's not to say that the players in fact are....NTTAWWT. Just to use it as a slur is ridiculous, because as long as they can play, get good grades, and stay out of trouble, I couldn't care less what they do in their personal time).

Farnn

July 21st, 2011 at 2:58 PM ^

I don't really see that 11warriors thing as being so bad.   It doesn't read to me as calling them gay to insult them, more just saying they are a pair of recruits Michigan stole from Ohio, and therefore fawned over more than usual for recruits.