Academic PR Fumble at the Goal Line
The Toledo Blade publishes a snarky article about UM’s academic standards and if they put UM at a recruiting disadvantage compared to other schools as Harbaugh has eluded.
Their FOIA request for the SAT/ACT scores for athletes (rollup, not individual) was denied, essentially because they are not required to provide this info. Ohio State provided the information and went into further detail about exemptions/leeway given to athletics. Either there is no higher standard or this was a poorly conceived response. If UM has Stanford like requirements it could have been a recruiting win. IMO it comes off as being less transparent than needed and they squandered an opportunity to boost the university’s profile. If the test score are higher than the competitors, publicize that....seems simple. I’d love to know what input the AD had on this decision, every opportunity for a competitive advantage should be publicized. Instead, the snarky little article eludes there is more to hide that the General Studies major that was previously brought to light.
It was a well publicized story that Justin Fields takes online classes. When jokes were made a professor made it clear that these courses are no joke. The way it was handled was a PR win for OSU, why can’t we respond in any other manner than “you can’t make us tell you that”.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:21 PM ^
It’s like they’ve never encountered UM’s FOIA office before... It’s notoriously evasive.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:53 PM ^
I generally think not giving more information than required is a good thing, heck almost always. However, when being more transparent is a win for the school, you take it every time. It would not set a precedent, you can still refuse all future requests you are not required to give, even if you made an exception to this one.
To me it’s the equivalent of missing a layup, big it did make me curious what the decision making process was. They requested an extension so I am assuming it was discussed internally, but who had the final say? An administrator? The AD? I could see the AD pushing to release it but being overruled by an administrator looking at it through a different lens. It it happened, it would have been a fun exchange to listen to. Any impact regardless of the response would be negligible at best, but take the opportunity for even the smallest W any time you can get it.
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:29 AM ^
No one will remember this three days from now.
October 2nd, 2019 at 4:30 AM ^
Remember what?
October 2nd, 2019 at 7:28 AM ^
Why am I reading this?
edit d bag alert
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:19 AM ^
Evasive. I see what you did there. I'm not one to elude a sensible chuckle.
October 2nd, 2019 at 1:28 AM ^
Are you alluding to eluding?
October 2nd, 2019 at 8:45 AM ^
It's all an illusion
October 2nd, 2019 at 7:39 AM ^
So is Ohio State’s. Remember the trouble ESPN had trying to investigate Tattoo-Gate? I’m rather shocked they shared any information.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:25 PM ^
This is not high on the totem pole of priorities for Michigan football. Beating Ohio State on the field would do wonders for the reputation of the athletic department. Besides, everybody assumes that Michigan’s standards are higher, so why release information that may not support this as strongly as we would like?
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:15 AM ^
Good point, I hadn’t considered the results may be less supportive than the already strong academic perception. Makes total sense tho if there is less to gain. I was thinking more along the lines of the legal team not seeing the big picture and not responding to non required data based on policy.
October 2nd, 2019 at 6:09 AM ^
The bigger issue is that you read an article in the Toledo Blade.
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:58 AM ^
Because lets hypothetically say Michigan Football's average ACT were a 26 - an average that would be 2.8 points higher than OSU.
Articles would be FAR more likely produced talking about how awful it is that Michigan Football team's average ACT is a full 7 points below the average for the university (2019 class has a mid 50 percentile of 32 - 35).
It would have a much higher chance of being used to portray the University negatively than positively. People love outrage articles about Michigan football and this would just add the the pile of content.
October 2nd, 2019 at 1:23 AM ^
Great point.
October 2nd, 2019 at 2:44 PM ^
I wouldn't give any information to the Toledo Blade because fuck the Toledo Blade. Given my observation of the press, they are more likely to twist that information to a narrative of their choosing. It is just the nature of that business. The best thing to say to the press is nothing.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:26 PM ^
We won’t admit our colors are Maize & Blue without a court order.
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:28 AM ^
You're damn right! Make them WORK for every scrap. We're the Wolverines? Prove it in a court of law. We're located in Ann Arbor? Never heard of it.
October 2nd, 2019 at 11:17 AM ^
Well there was that adidas period when we went incognito with blue and "what in the world is that color?!?!"
October 2nd, 2019 at 9:24 PM ^
I believe the official colors were Midnight Blue and Highlighter Yellow.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:28 PM ^
So you were the one who read today’s Toledo Blade. No one in their right mind reads that mess. It isn’t even large enough to paper a rabbit cage.
yeah, I’m from metro Toledo.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:37 PM ^
Same. I was under the impression it was now all AP stories only.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:29 PM ^
Because sandwiches.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:38 PM ^
Thanks for the article, troll. Your asocial behavior is a text book example of an inferiority complex. Please turn off your computer, get out of your moms basement, and go to your job delivering pizzas.
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:40 AM ^
Chuckle... What do you want to bet that OP thinks his use of Columbus' airport code with "CFB" appended as a username is clever and subtle!
October 2nd, 2019 at 1:21 AM ^
Atticus you may want to google subtle, it doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Would DTW mean Detroit? insanely hidden and “subtle”. CFB is the literal acronym for college football. You cracked the code, Einstein, go grab a participation trophy, but you can’t call it subtle, it’s literally my username lol.
Read my post history, all of it, not just the last week when I referenced the Speilman post or Cooper record. I’m not a troll and never ha e been, that’s just a lazy take. Take any post I have, posts about the recruits from Chicago and how UM had made great inroads building relationships there, posts arguing the receivers are playing well, it’s Shea who isn’t finding them, posts about recruiting news and visitors to UM and show where I’m a troll. You’re mad I disagree that UM could have got better PR by responding to the FOIA request?
Given you think a username LITERALLY showing where I am from AND reference college football is like deciphering the Dead Sea Scrolls I’d love to hear an original thought from you on how you’d have handled the request and why. Or since this is a football blog, let’s hear a single original thought from you on this year’s team, the program in general, how YOU would handle crossing routes. I’d love to hear insight from the amazing mind who cracked the code. Lol wow.
October 2nd, 2019 at 1:41 AM ^
Yeah, you were cool until that last paragraph. You let your real personality slip out.
October 2nd, 2019 at 11:49 AM ^
talk about a f-u-m-b-l-e!!!
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:46 PM ^
What do you have against pizza delivery boys? That is shameful.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:42 PM ^
If you're such a big fan of OSU's academic standards, you might be happier on an OSU blog.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:54 PM ^
Take a look at his post history. I’m guessing he spends plenty of time on OSU boards.
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:42 AM ^
Take a look at his username... "CMH" is Columbus' airport code... Clever, eh? /s
October 1st, 2019 at 11:58 PM ^
Sorry comrade, I missed the part where I was a fan of their standards? If you need help with the big words I’ll walk you through the article and my comments. Unfortunately I can’t do anything about your antisocial personality.
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:36 AM ^
Antisocial personality? Look here fella...
Vlad Putin is a bare chested man of the people. A statesman on horseback. The world's wealthiest human and has two girlfriends whose combined ages do not equal his. He can speak Russian in five other languages. He always runs with scissors. Never waits 30 minutes to get in the pool after eating.
October 2nd, 2019 at 7:25 AM ^
I never thought about it this way before, but your post made me realize that Putin, love him or hate him, is actually the most interesting man in the world. Someone should notify Dos Equis. He makes characters like Branson and Musk look boring.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:49 PM ^
Hey OP, soon it will be legal for Michigan to pay players, like your buckeyes have for a long time. The talent gap won’t be able to be bought anymore.
October 2nd, 2019 at 8:09 AM ^
I’d give you 9E9 points to help you out, but I only have +1 to give.
October 1st, 2019 at 11:58 PM ^
UM's FOIA office (and they approach toward compliance) is notorious for being awful. Brain chronicled how ridiculous it was some time ago during the great David Brandon Email Debacle. It's shitty how they responded but, I'll be honest, the Blade shouldn't have been surprised.
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:06 AM ^
I’ve never read the Blade before, I caught it on a news aggregator site. I am surprised and the over the top snark from the author, that obviously an editor approved, but that may be because I’m not familiar with that rag.
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:43 AM ^
"Brain".
I chuckle every time.
October 2nd, 2019 at 7:44 AM ^
Brain’s dead. Got killed on that bridge when he was trying to get out of Manhattan with Snake Pliskine.
October 2nd, 2019 at 8:11 AM ^
Brain is Scotts for Brian
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:13 AM ^
If you have ears, that are capable of capturing sound, and those sounds are words of other humans, and your brain is able to process those words into thought, you might understand the difference between Michigan athletes and Theee OS joke of a U paid temps.
October 2nd, 2019 at 1:26 AM ^
Look at my pants,
With the eyes in your face,
My legs are covered,
In outer space.
Space Pants!
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:26 AM ^
I don't recall Harbaugh alluding to Michigan's academic standards putting U of M at a recruiting disadvantage. Because of this misrepresentation (intentional or not) on your part, OP, you get my negvote.
I do recall Harbaugh (while Stanford's HC) expressing concerns about Michigan funneling football student-athletes toward general studies. The column the OP linked makes mention of it.
Gordon Gee was one of those quoted by the columnist. Gordon Gee as judge of Michigan's academics? Geez. A whole lot of shit happened on his watch at OSU, as I recall. Not at all credible, IMO.
October 2nd, 2019 at 8:16 AM ^
I resemble that remark, I’ve got a BGS from our favorite institution and I also know a lot of acronyms like VOIP, STEM, and AFIB.
I was heavily recruited for corporate opportunities until I started posting on MGB,
/s
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:40 AM ^
Digging up all of the academic information, averaging it out, then giving that to a couple OSU fans is probably something Michigan does not want to do. And it doesn't matter if the info is good, either. Do those douches even publish the article if it doesn't confirm their hypothesis?
There's really no point or way for Michigan to win this situation, so them declining is incredibly fair.
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:42 AM ^
All you alum burn those degrees.
Ross give back your billions.
Highly qualified surgeons stop saving lives.
Some ass clown wants athletics to be more important.
October 2nd, 2019 at 1:30 AM ^
A non story. Gene Smith's horseshit, tone-deaf take on California's latest bill passed "an uneven playing field" is the story that everyone is eating up.
October 2nd, 2019 at 6:22 AM ^
It's about time we learn to use the phrase, "You can't make us tell you that."
Stretchgate, Fab 5,
October 2nd, 2019 at 12:46 PM ^
We did that in the first Fab Five investigation (1997). It was the second one - when the FBI got involved - where we really got caught.