7-5; losses to MSU, Iowa, Neb., OSU.
7-5; losses to MSU, Iowa, Neb., OSU.
No, that's not a summary of 2010. Substitute "Loss at home to Nebraska," for "Loss at home to Wisconsin." It's a prediction for 2011. Not my prediction; I don't do predictions and I'm not very good at them.
It's the long-winded prediction of one "Jon Machota" who is apparently a "Special Writer" for the Detroit Free Press. I think "Special Writer" means, "Guy from whom we can get some occasional page-filler, without keeping him on the payroll and enrolling him on the Freep Blue Cross policy."
Anyway, to fill up nearly an entire page of the largely content-free Sunday Free Press sports section, they asked Mr. Jon Machota (who seems to drift between the Dallas Morning News and the Free Press and wherever else in between that he can sell his stories) to do a "Future Watch" consisting of a game-by-game rundown of the 2011 season. It is a silly exercise, regurgitating every one of the common 2010 myths about every team on Michigan's upcoming schedule, and of course defining in precise terms a Michigan team that nobody, I'd suppose, knows much about, yet.
The Freep sports editors had the chutzpah (or the self-effacement) to say this about the Machota feature:
So clip and save, because you read it here first:
Now, I am not going to worry about a season's worth of predictions, almost a year in advance, and I recommend that you don't, either. Who knows what will happen? But what got me was the way the guy ended the predictive-summary of the OSU game. It was essentially the last paragraph of the article. I've added my emphasis in the block quote:
Prediction: Pryor and his buddies are not returning for their senior years so that U-M can end its seven-game losing skid to OSU. Even at the Big House, Hoke's gang won't have enough for a Bo-like first-year upset. This will be a closer game -- only a nine-point difference -- than in the last few years. Despite the same 7-5 record as 2010, the U-M fan base will feel energized and like the defensive progress.
"Energized," eh? And the metric for our feeling "energized," is what, exactly? As ever, "Michigan," as the topic of the day, just rules for the Freep. It's mo-ney. Cover stories, complete sections, in-depth analyses. They pulled in a half a dozen writers for the five-and-a-half full pages that they devoted to the Hoke-a-mania hiring day in the Sports section, not including Michael Rosenberg's column that occupied the paper's front page below the fold -- only because the Hoke-a-mania headline occpied the space above the fold.
Anyway, here's to 7-5, and losses to MSU, Iowa, Nebraska, and OSU. With the "Michigan Man" who is now beloved by our favorite local newspaper. Oh, and feeling energized, too.
In the hope that no one will feel the need to look up the Machota story at Freep.com and give them the page-click that they want from us (you really won't be missing anything), here is the rundown on the Machota 2011 Prediction:
Western - W
Notre Dame - L
Eastern - W
San Diego St. - W
Minnesota - W
Northwestern - W
Michigan State - L
Purdue - W
Iowa - L
Illinois - W
Nebraska - L
Ohio State - L
January 16th, 2011 at 10:19 PM ^
And with 7 whole freshmen joining the team this year we won't be any better the next year : (
January 16th, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
Seriously, keep this going. It's not yet old.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:27 PM ^
Not that I really care, but I could seriously pull past you in points yet tonight.
January 17th, 2011 at 10:20 AM ^
You made a good run at. Surely it won't be long before you pass this guy up... especially if he banhammer comes calling his name.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:30 PM ^
I don't have a ton of points but I'm going to negbang all of your post until I have no points left to sacrifice.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:33 PM ^
I'm with coco.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:33 PM ^
I support your journey and here is another point to assist you in your noble cause.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
My +1 will assist your cause.
January 16th, 2011 at 11:43 PM ^
THis should help. Well done. Even Brian isn't blaming Hoke for the recruiting mess.
January 17th, 2011 at 1:04 AM ^
It's dangerous to go alone, take this! (+1)
January 17th, 2011 at 10:53 AM ^
Outstanding! Now if I can just get that dam tune out of my head...
January 17th, 2011 at 1:41 AM ^
January 16th, 2011 at 10:36 PM ^
Maybe it's time for an avatar change. Charles Woodson would slap you upside your head for your comments this week.
January 16th, 2011 at 11:46 PM ^
And a name change, you don't deserve hisdudeness anymore.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:54 PM ^
Yes, very undude.
But seriously, I still feel like RR wasn't given a fair chance and still have some bitterness about DB's "process." But at some point you have to work through those stages of grief and come to acceptance.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:45 AM ^
Just wanted to let you know that i lol'd
January 17th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
January 16th, 2011 at 10:25 PM ^
Pull yourself together, man. I'd hate to see you go out like this.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:25 PM ^
The way your posts are going lately, I hope you have a nice spot picked out in Bolivia. It's almost as bad as the "FIRD DICKROD NOW!" posts.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:25 PM ^
"His Dudeness" has jumped the shark.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:32 PM ^
I hate to agree but fcuk...
January 17th, 2011 at 12:41 AM ^
Awesome reference to 70"s & 80's sitcom enders. Much impressed.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:26 PM ^
needs to get laid...
January 16th, 2011 at 10:28 PM ^
When did you become such a whiny fucktard? Furthermore, why are you even on a Michigan board if you will only support one coach, and he doesn't coach here anymore?
January 16th, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^
Good use of fucktard....one of my all time faves.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:29 PM ^
I haven't been able to comment on here in a while, been busy. What happened to you?
January 16th, 2011 at 10:29 PM ^
this year's class will suck, but we won't feel that til 2013. In 2012 Denard will be a senior and all the much maligned DB group that shouldn't have had to play this year will either be 1.) starting with three years of experience or 2.) beat out by 4 star sophomores.
2012's schedule is tough, but we'll be better by then too.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:33 PM ^
His Dudeness -- the rest of us are going to have a Posbang in order to earn back all the points that we're losing by negging you.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:44 PM ^
Dudeness is not being very dude like.
January 16th, 2011 at 11:31 PM ^
We lose points by negging someone? So we're basically negging ourselves, aren't we? Why?
January 16th, 2011 at 11:47 PM ^
The intent is to limit negging to comments that are actually inappropriate, rather than opinions you disagree with. Also, if you neg someone and respond to the post to point out why you negged them or provide an additional comment, the points will even out. I believe Pos-Bangs are still worth 2 points by the way.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:42 PM ^
that I can net you only one time for that comment.
This is old and juvenile and unfounded.
I wish it would stop. It's this shit that causes this board to have lost significant quality and you need to grow some balls and stop it.
January 17th, 2011 at 2:30 AM ^
Edit: please post reasons fro negs, i'd like to know. thank you.
January 17th, 2011 at 8:40 AM ^
January 17th, 2011 at 8:44 AM ^
for use of the word "faggotry" as an insult. Slurs don't sit well with me
January 17th, 2011 at 10:21 AM ^
Seconded.
No place for it here, ever.
January 17th, 2011 at 9:03 AM ^
I don't know what's sadder -- (1) your thinking that it's totally cool to toss around the word "faggot", or (2) once negged, you couldn't realize that might be the reason for it.
January 17th, 2011 at 10:18 AM ^
My apologies, didn't mean to offend anyone. Didn't use it because of the word "faggotry", however. I just thought the picture was funny. I'll replace it with a happy kitten!!!
January 17th, 2011 at 9:13 AM ^
You mean this?
January 16th, 2011 at 11:32 PM ^
ED: Wrong spot. sorry.