Blue Balls Afire

January 3rd, 2024 at 3:33 PM ^

Exactly.  Does anyone think OSU and Rutgers gave Purdue our signs out of the goodness of their hearts?  They and everyone else were getting our and other teams' signs through horse-trading on the assistant coaching back alley--just like teams used to trade game tapes before everything went online.  I have to believe this is the way it's been long before 2020 or whatever.  We had other team's signals and they had ours, and theirs were better because it was put together from professional coaching staffs, not high school coaches with an iphone in the stands.  Michigan gained no competitive advantage on the field. 

 

Joined: 12/17/2013

MGoPoints: 8129

MGlobules

January 3rd, 2024 at 2:51 PM ^

Sign-stealing is equated with cheating in the public mind. Critical to disentangle the two concepts every time that you address these issues--say "We know that sign-stealing is legal. It's unfortunate that people don't get this." Nothing wrong with what JJ said, but it would have been helpful if he had underlined the distinction first.

JJ speaking freely about this suggests a kind of candor that's important--helps demonstrate that this isn't a bunch of people sneaking around breaking the rules. OTOH, would be nice if someone high-ranking, like Harbaugh, gave a definitive defense for Michigan sometime soon.

Hopefully, some strong journalist is putting together a history of cheating and sign-stealing in college football--maybe football in general--that puts some of this poop in perspective.

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 47648

MGoMike19

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:17 PM ^

Watch this get spun to 'JJ admitted Michigan ILLEGALLY stole signs and concocted the most nefarious and egregious cheating scandal in NCAA history'

Joined: 11/13/2015

MGoPoints: 2459

Billy Ray Valentine

January 3rd, 2024 at 2:02 PM ^

Why any Michigan fan gives a flying f*ck about anything Ohio State related this week is beyond me. None of them are worth a second of our time, especially the circle-jerking dumbasses that litter their message boards. They’re like a bunch of 8-year-olds that still laugh when someone says “booger.”

They’re entitled brats that have become more obsessed with excuses than accountability or introspection. And their leader has fooled a gullible fanbase into believing advance scouting is the reason their obnoxious reign is over.


We should let them be. They’re ironically helping us. The more they desperately try to convince themselves someone, anyone cares about Connor Stallions, the more they are avoiding the hard reality of their own on-the-field demise.

 
Ryan Day forever!

Joined: 02/04/2012

MGoPoints: 9218

flashOverride

January 4th, 2024 at 9:50 AM ^

This. No one has done more to help Michigan look better, than Ohio State and MSU fans massively overplaying their hands. Yes, Connor Stalions broke a rule (an outdated one, the elimination of which was already being considered before this) and has paid for it, he will never be around college football in any professional capacity ever again. If the NCAA determines Harbaugh knew about it, or had any way he should have known about it, Michigan likely will pay some penalty as well (though I'm pretty sure even if that happened, vacating three seasons would remain the Columbus / EL pipe dream that it is). Screeching about how what he did was worth multiple scores every game, it's the only reason Michigan's any good, and acting like it's basically up there with paying off officials or bribing opposing players to shave points, makes them look ridiculous and actually helps Michigan in the eyes of more objective observers. But haters are blinded by their hate, so, OK, fine, Michigan goes 0-12 the last three seasons if not for an analyst (that's right, not "coach") with an iPhone.

Joined: 08/04/2013

MGoPoints: 9070

Kevin13

January 3rd, 2024 at 2:27 PM ^

Most rationale fans who understand the game think this whole UM sign stealing crap is just stupid and way overblown. Hell many coaches have even rolled their eyes about it as it happens all across the board.  People point fingers at UM and calling them cheaters need to get off their high horse and check their own house 

Joined: 01/26/2016

MGoPoints: 16040

flashOverride

January 4th, 2024 at 10:05 AM ^

The only people still endlessly harping on it are OSU and MSU fans, and at this point even they know it's overblown, it's just their coping mechanism for dealing with the fact Michigan has risen to the top tier of the game. It's more painful for Ohio State fans, who are still in disbelief that Michigan has taken what they believe to be their birthright position, and it's more delusional for MSU fans, who had convinced themselves 2008-15 was the entire history of college football and that somehow the pendulum was never going to swing back to the actual historical norm of Michigan being the superior program to their joke dumpster fire.

The funniest part is their pretending their "concern" is about the integrity of the game. No it isn't, you don't give one shit about that, you care about a run of success being taken away from Michigan and its fans. If you cared about the integrity of the game, you'd follow through on the promises you all keep making, that you're "done with college football," which I, we, and especially yourselves know is laughable bullshit for 99% of you.

Joined: 08/04/2013

MGoPoints: 9070

charlotteblue

January 3rd, 2024 at 2:52 PM ^

Question asked, question answered. The problem is that the full response from both JJ and Mason are buried in the article. If you only look at the X/Tweet you won't see it.

Players need to realize that the media, even the seemingly "frendlies" really aren't, they still want clicks. Link to full article is below.

JJ McCarthy suggests '80%' of CFB teams steal signs, accuses Ohio State of stealing signs in 2019-20 - On3

Joined: 02/12/2019

MGoPoints: 5366

Gustavo Fring

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:23 PM ^

Yeah we all know this, we know the idiots are going to come up with the technicality that "yes but you did it illegally" even though the NCAA itself said it confers no advantage.

JJ said nothing wrong but honestly I'd rather they just give this no oxygen at all and just say "I'd prefer to discuss the game."

Joined: 09/29/2009

MGoPoints: 5175

mGrowOld

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:29 PM ^

Exactly right.  Good case in point was last week when Moore was asked about whether he thought race played a role in O'Brien suggesting Milroe move from QB to RB.  Moore's answer "I dont see color" bothered a lot of black guys I follow on Twitter.  What I wish Moore would've said was:

"I have no idea but the guy who hired O'Brien is Nick Saban and he's standing right over there.  That's a question you should be asking him, not me."

A better answer from JJ would've been "I have no idea what other schools do.  I just know Michigan coaches are very concerned our signs have been stolen in the past."

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 212943

AFWolverine

January 3rd, 2024 at 2:15 PM ^

Respectfully, no. "Colorblind" is not what we should be striving for. We're not colorless. Our different shades of melanin are what makes us each unique and stronger as humanity. I'm not a person of color myself and I don't like Moore's answer, though I don't think he was aiming for how many people took it. 

Joined: 01/11/2011

MGoPoints: 7168