Unverified Voracity Wishes This Wasn't So Apt
![tate-forcier-terrelle-pryor-punchout_thumb[1]](file:///C:/Users/Brian/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles71EED30/tate-forcier-terrelle-pryor-punchout[3].jpg "tate-forcier-terrelle-pryor-punchout_thumb[1]")
Via the Shredder.
No worries, but you'll still worry. These days there are many emails I get that fit neatly into categories. One category: "oh noes Devin Gardner!" All I can tell folk concerned that Gardner might decommit is that he is asked about the strength of his commitment every ten seconds and has not yet deviated from strongly endorsing it. Two more examples, one from MGoBlog recruiting analyst Tom VanHaaren on the twitters:
QB Devin Gardner told me tonight that the Florida rumors going around are not true. Everyone take a collective sigh of relief.
Gardner says "I'm listening to what they have to say, but I'm still solidly with Michigan" in another article from The Sporting News that notes he has no plans to visit anywhere else. As long as that remains the case, you should not panic. If he does visit, panic.
This will not dissuade hardcore worriers, but there's literally nothing short of signing a LOI—it appears that Gardner will not enroll early, unfortunately—that will do that.
HE MUST BE PUNISHED SEVERELY. I'm normally pretty libertarian when it comes to arbitrary restrictions imposed because we must Think Of The Children and care zero percent about the various MIPs and assorted citations that football players pick up when they do what everyone else in college does. Live and let die, man.
However, in this case I recommend no less than a one-game suspension:
Terrelle Pryor! At a bar! He's 20! Someone arrest him at the state line. Do it for your country.
What's with the jerkery? At this point we're forced to confront the fact that Rich Rodriguez going bust after four—or even three—years is a real possibility, so the actions of one Jim Harbaugh at Stanford are of considerable interest. You're probably aware that Stanford has just finished beating Pete Carroll's head in, causing this terse postgame exchange to occur:
"What's your deal? What's your deal?" Carroll said, according to two sources near enough to hear.
"What's your deal?" Harbaugh retorted, and that was that.
Ah, the You Can't Do That On Television defense. Excellent work after thoroughly sliming the opponent. Carroll could have been referencing any number of things, but the "go for two up 48-21, miss it, get it back, and score again" sequence was probably the reason Carroll became verrrrry un-Dude in the aftermath. If Rodriguez does indeed flame out, Harbaugh will be the first name on many lips, and he will be a deeply strange candidate to consider.
On the one hand: Harbaugh turned around a non-scholarship I-AA program, took Stanford from the 1-11 Walt Harris debacle to 7-3 in year three with consecutive wins over Oregon and USC, and has a family coaching tree a mile long. His 2009 recruiting class finished 20th nationally according to Rivals, the first time in forever that Stanford has peeked into the top 25. Walt Harris's last class was #50. Assuming continued progress on the Farm—likely since his quarterback is a redshirt freshman—he's going to have a hell of a resume.
On the other hand, he's a kind of a big jerk. When he got to Stanford he immediately pissed off Pete Carroll by suggesting he was headed for the NFL—twice. He then trashed Michigan's academics and caused this site to pen a bombastically-titled post called "Destroy Harbaugh." He also picked up a DUI in 2005. Then there was the two-point stunt last weekend. These are not isolated incidents.
Are the items in the latter group enough to disqualify a guy who is almost certainly going to be a, if not the, grade A candidate? I don't know. Probably not something to consider seriously until we get a verdict on Rodriguez.
Warren departure? As expected, Donovan Warren is definitely going to look at his NFL options after the season:
“Definitely I’m going to look into it as far as where I stand,” Warren said. “If it’s the best thing to do for my family then I’ll just have to decide that. But if it’s not then I’ll definitely be here helping Michigan.”
Definitely. If Warren projects as a mid-round pick, as an NFL scout who talked to AnnArbor.com claimed, that would probably mean a return. Caveat: I think Warren's better than that and the scout did not break down his film, he just offered an off-the-cuff appraisal.
Etc.: Hey, guess what: Forcier isn't transferring. Duh. Chait also rips Wilbon.
....Terrelle stiff armed her?
...I don't think we have a clue as to what Warren's draft status will be, other than that is definitely not first round. It doesn't seem there is enough substance there for an NFL team to go earlier than Round 3, but who knows.
You mean a shut down corner who can come up and help in the run game isn't a first round lock? Your crazy! If Marlin Jackson can go in the first round Warren is a lock. There are on average about 4 corners picked in the first round. Can you name 2 DBs that are better than Warrne outside of Berry?
I think Warren is as good as gone because in the 2011 draft, draftees will have a cap on signing bonus. Getting picked 20th this year might be more than the 8th pick in 2011.
I found it strange that Harbaugh would do this, given the fact that Woody Hayes went for two against us in the 1968 game when he was up 48-14. After that game, bump elliot was fired. Do you think Harbaugh was trying to make some sort of ironic pleading to the old school Michigan people?
Not sure it works because the next year Bo Schembechler, a man from outside of the program was hired and in his first home game against Ohio state, beat the buckeyes.
In Rod I Trust,
Because he did inherit a pile of rust
With instructions that read:
On 4th and 4 punt from the buck's 39
when 4 yards would give you a win for the times
You won't keep your job
Cause I kept mine
Hey adverseVillain, don't you realize that Harbaugh couldn't learn the meaning of Irony because the Michigan coaches wouldn't let him?
In Rod I Trust,
Because he did inherit a pile of rust
With instructions that read:
On 4th and 4 punt from the buck's 39
when 4 yards would give you a win for the times
You won't keep your job
Cause I kept mine
That Pete Carroll is crying about someone running the score up? When they played Arkansas a few years ago he was still passing the ball up like 60-something to not very much. I hate the whole "I'm just a cool guy trying my best to point these kids in the right direction" persona that Pete Carroll is all about, and Just Love seeing him get a spoonfull of his own medicine.
I still think Rodriguez is going to get us back on top. But if he doesn't, why wouldn't Les Miles be a, if not the, grade A candidate for the job?
The University of Michigan Football. All time.
not been at that level since Iowa. Not sure why.
And opponents have not shown the fear they normally attribute to a first round CB. I think he still projects as a late 3rd at best - assuming his times are better than most expect.
Barwis is his biggest hope for a high level draft status.
...but his play seems to have tailed off a bit since that play in the PSU game where he was pushed into Junior Hemingway on the punt return.
In addition, the coaches have moved him around (to safety, for example), which probably puts him out of his comfort zone.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-recruiting-grades-lineba...
I've noticed that Warren is often positioned waaay back, as if he supposed to be helping out the safeties (which wouldn't surprise me at all, given the condition of our safeties.) This has to be a coaching compromise, but as a result he's given up a lot of easy stuff underneath.
...or at least that's what he said at Monday's press conference (http://mgoblog.com/content/monday-presser-notes-11-16-09). I thought I recall him playing corner too, maybe they're mixing it up.
Before the Purdue game it looks to me like He's dinged up a bit, but they don't have anyone to give him a break as we know.
I bet Carroll wanted to know about Harbaugh's buy-out clause on his new contract, and Harbaugh wasn't going to tell him unless Carroll revealed what percentage of profits from USC's apparrel contract with Nike he got.
Why, that looks like a great example of. . . .of. . . . family values!
I'm honestly glad we didn't get Pryor. Tate and Denard are both Michigan Men off the field. Neither of them seem like they intend on getting in any sort of trouble. Pryor, on the other hand, can't keep his mouth shut or learn where he should and shouldn't be. He's probably going to get arrested before his senior year.
New Blog Project: Ovation Oration
http://ovationoration.wordpress.com
I don't want him here at Michigan after he tryed calling out our program like he did. He can stay at Stanford for all I care.
The truth is sometimes painful. Jim is an ass, but some of his comments regarding our program aré accurate. Our graduation rate isnt very good.. Specially among african american players.
Just because it is true doesn't mean I should go to parties and point it out to everyone. So yes, he is an ass and maybe he has no designs on ever being a candidate here.
Even though he may be a great coach, and able to turn around a program that really needs some help, I'm not sure I'd want him here either. There really is something to say for being a Michigan Man - or someone who understands that a coach is more than just the record. Yes, the record is important, but the players are people who are in very formative years and need someone to look up to, someone to help them become better men. I don't think Harbaugh would really be able to set that example.
"At this point we're forced to confront the fact that Rich Rodriguez going bust after four—or even three—years is a real possibility"
If someone had posted this, they would have been torn to pieces. Now, going into OSU...
...I have shown him...a man without hope...is a man without fear...
yesterday i said i was "curious" to see where the rumors went because i couldnt see someone as nationally recognized as wilbon throwing out rumors that were completely unsubstantiated. sharp yes, rosenburg, yes. but those are mere peons in the game of sports journalism.
after watching both around the horn and PTI (a show hosted by wilbon himself) and not hearing a SINGLE MENTION of the news (either the RR piece or the weis bit) i knew right then that he, and this story, was full of shit.
i am sorry.
lloyd was better.
You Can't Do That On Television defense? I don't know what you mean by that.
Dammit.
If there is another world, he lives in bliss. If there is none, he made the best of this.
- Robert Burns
I don't want Harbaugh here. However, I've read some troubling things about the financial woes within Stanford's huge athletic department. I wonder if those conditions make leaving Stanford more attractive than it might be otherwise. Not that I think football risks cuts, but the football staff might feel a lot of pressure to increase revenue--which I suspect is one of those things Stanford/Harbaugh has always blissfully been "above" in the past. Plus it's just plain demoralizing to know those budget issues are touching most of your colleagues in the department.
If he comes to Michigan people would expect him to put his money where his mouth is. 100 history majors on the roster, baby. I'll look forward to MGoBoard discussions that start "Forget UFR, check out that 40,000-word article in The American Journal of Historiography that Professor Blouin assigned Wednesday night--no wonder the O-Line were dragging ass against MSU..."
I made the mistake a couple of weeks ago of quickly conveying a rumor on Scout about Charlie Weiss being fired. The report suggested Weiss' firing was as a decision already made by ND.
Since I carelessly assumed the report was a cut-and-paste from a real link, and did not know how flimsy the source was, and since I usually think twice about conveying such rumors, I was unprepared for the results. Within an hour or two, I estimate, over 100 responses appeared on the board.
From this response, I learned first hand about the power of conveying negative rumors. This was perhaps the dumbest post I have made here. And for a journalist with absolutely no talent, I thought, rumor-mongering has got to be the easiest possible way to get high circulation. I remember Carty of AA News laughing at the people who criticized him for reporting unsubstantiated rumors about RR at WVU, saying that the more negative responses there are, the better it is for him.
Here on this board, I got some well-deserved negative points for reporting a rumor. But, journalists rarely seem to get enough meaningful "negative points" to outweigh the undeserved reward for such reports.
This is important here, since the rumor mill from such sources has adversely affected UM in general and RR in particular. Just look at the timing now--an NCAA rumor the week of the ND game, now the leaking of related negative rumors the week of OSU.
I am not sure what to do about this predicament. But I hope that the new AD makes PR for UM a top priority. I do not feel it has been handled very well so far--from Lloyd Carr's last few years to the present.
michelin
...they are now mainstream media...anything for a headline.
Negs for journalists aren't so obvious to us, unless there's a firing or suspension. Sponsors not advertising and people not subscribing are the real life negs and may take longer to show their effects.
Cover coughs and sneezes.
Its funny the whole perception vs reality thing works. Harbaugh by all accounts is a huge dick. But everyone thinks of him as a saint because he went to Michigan and is now winning games at Stanford. Everyone assumes RR is a dick and cheat because well, I don't know why.
I'm not saying Jimmy H wouldn't make a good coach at Michigan. But all other things being equal I would probably rather have a guy being nice and saying aww shucks than a guy that spouts off about every little thing just to make himself look better and basically be a huge ass at the same time.
Harbs is the quintessential competitor, be it as a player or coach. He's the "new kid in school" and he's gonna seek out the BMOC and challenge him to a fight. So far, he's 2 for 3.
It's a tough racket, leding 100+ 18-22year old kids. There's a fine line between being cocky and being an asshole. You have to demonstrate to your kids that you aren't afraid to make a claim and back it up. This is the same guy that guaranteed a win against Ohio State, for God's sake. In my opinion, his actions (going for 2) and his little verbal squabble is working to his advantage in the eyes of his players, recruits, and Cardinal fan base. "We aren't your bitch and we refuse to cower before you."
It's a formula that works..........until you start losing. THEN you cross over to just being an asshole.
FWIW, I don't think he comes to Michigan. I think he's young enough and has gotten off to the kind of start that legacies are made of. Just my 2cents.
Those Who Stay Will Be Champions
..might put up a very convincing case for the ND job if he gets a chance.
http://midnightmaize.blogspot.com/
I was wondering about that after the Stanford-USC outcome. They'll be looking for a giant slayer with some kind of collegiate background. I like him at ND more than Brian Kelly. It would definitely ramp up the UM-ND rivalry.
Warren is rated as the 2nd best junior CB. But, of course, it's Mel Kiper who has rated him this. If I had to guess, Warren would be ranked somewhere between the 5th to 10th best CB. Is that mid round? Who knows.
Then you have Ezeh as his 4th best junior ILB and Schilling as the 4th best OG, behind Boren at #2, according to Kiper.
edit: Then you have McShay and his group of 'evaluators' ranking Warren as the 44th best overall prospect, ahead of BG at 47. Umm, no.
might sign DW to a minor league baseball contract and send him to C-bus.
Okay, not that worried.
One of these clouds must have a Maize and Blue lining ...
I guess McShay is using the semi-finalist lists for the postseason awards to inform his decisions.
transferring from Michigan.
Markusr2007
http://www.maizenbrew.com/
Excellent analysis. Thank you for providing detailed insight into this topic. Your use of evidence, may that be statistical data or anecdotes, has really convinced me that this is a possibility.
We don't need fate, we have five.
I'm pretty sure you can say you're worried about whatever you want without showing that your worries are justified. Note there's no claim that anything is or is not going to happen.
I'm worried that Tate is going find Jesus, transfer to ND, and proceed to win 3 consecutive Heismans and MNCs.
I'm not saying I don't like Markus, but he knows better. He runs a fantastic blog, so he knows all about providing context. People don't read his blog because he writes single line posts, they read it because he provides excellent analysis.
We don't need fate, we have five.
So, you say "im worried about x." Now what? If you don't provide any context or justification, then you haven't added anything to the conversation. What you've done, essentially, is just added noise. We don't post comments just to create noise, we should try to add value. There is enough noise on the internet.
This is kind of the whole basis for this blog's existence; to create signal through all the noise that's out there. Comments like "LOL Brandon Graham is so good he's going to clobber tO$U" don't fit here. Either do random thoughts. We're trying to grow intelligent conversation here, not just wild speculation.
So yes, you can say you're worried about whatever you want. But you shouldn't. Unless you're gonna add something worthwhile in addition. So instead of "I worried about x.", you say "I'm worried about x, and here's why..."
We don't need fate, we have five.
Is this a serious concern?
I haven't heard anything about him being unhappy, and given that Gardner is almost definitely going to redshirt I'd imagine that Robinson will keep splitting time with Forcier, especially if he can get the "throwing" part of the job down.
As far as I can tell, there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Robinson is considering transferring, especially at this point. People are just assuming things and throwing out wild guesses. You have to keep in mind that he wanted to play quarterback, and Michigan was one of the only schools who said they would keep him in that position. For him to transfer would likely mean no longer being used as a quarterback, or dropping into a much less competitive area.
Not that I'm advocating for the hiring of Harbaugh, but why is the fact that he may be a jerk necessarily a bad thing? Lloyd's grandfatherly charm aside, I don't really see a problem in a coach being a bit dickish, so long as he cares about his players and his program.
but i do care that similar "dickish" antics conducted by RR, such as getting Roundtree at the last minute from Purdue, screaming at players on the sideline, etc. are brought up as reasons for why RR doesnt fit as a "Michigan Man." Such bullshit.
The [Michigan] secondary has played like part of the hospital burn unit - Chris Martin BTN
Harbaugh is a MICHIGAN MAN. It makes sense he has special ability. Hiring him will obviously do the following:
1. Give Obi Ezeh the ability to tackle and defense the pass.
2. Give Jonas Mouton the awareness to not over run everything.
3. Give Mike Williams some ability in the area of pass coverage.
4. Lower Kovacs 40 time to sub 4.4.
5. Cure the Big East myth of "Freshman mistakes"
6. Eliminate turnovers for anyone wearing maize and blue.
7. Make sure M never accepts another 3 star recruit.
8. Stop--and reverse--global warming.
9. Cure feline aids.
10. Eliminate the "rookie holdout" by giving a salary structure to 1st year players in the NFL.
11. Change the public perception of the Big11Ten to a "power conference"
Am I missing anything?
He doesn't need to cure feline AIDS.
If he could just teach those motherfuckers how to spell for crissakes, I'd be on board.
This team is under construction. We thank you for your patience.
Suddenly turn all Ann Arbor coeds into the hottest poon in all of the NCdoubleA, including our smart set of cheerleaders. Florida and USC can suck it.
he's no Mic Jagger.
Infinity can only happen once. Think about that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwGXMryTbwE
Think his wristband says? "I am gr.." Great? Greedy? Grammatically Incompetent?
Maybe its just a statement of intent or action. I am grabbing her boob.
"Green" Pryor is a rabid environmentalist.
glut·ton (glŭt'n) n.
1. A person with an inordinate capacity to receive or withstand something: a glutton for punishment.
2. See wolverine.
"Coach Tressel says..."
and the other side says
"I am granting no more interviews"
Its a reminder.
I am graciously throwing another interception.
sgtwolverine.com