B1G: Football Media Days are two weeks away - any stories to follow
As the countdown to the season opener continues, and teams prepare for Fall Camp - the B1G Media Days are two weeks away. They'll be held in Indy on July 26th and 27th.
This will be the last year that the B1G looks like it does - with UCLA and USC joining for the '24 season.
Each coach has 15 minutes with the media - Coach Third Base ends the media session on the first day (Tuesday, July 26th) - and Coach Harbaugh end the media session on the second day.
Here's the link to the B1G page: https://bigten.org/sports/2023/4/3/FBMD23.aspx
Are there any predictions, or things you're expecting to see, or hear?
My guess is - the media will pick the Buckeyes to win the B1G, again. And, there will be a fair amount of general discussion about the conference structure for the '24 season.
I wonder if a coach is going to break down the meaning of OSKEE
Our Success Equals (the) Knowledge
The First E stands for: Effort
And the Second E stands for: Energy
Tim Beckman ---- he was a fool, but at least he wasn't boring.
I feel like 98% of the coaches at Big Ten Media Days are boring.
and who, pray tell, will be the sacrificial lamb/coach for NU
I was listening to WTKA yesterday and Sam and Ira made a great point about this. If I'm Northwestern, I don't dare send any players to media day. Even if you have some well-spoken, upstanding team captain, you never know which of them were involved and if one of them might have an accidental "slip of the tongue" that ends up making this five alarm firestorm even worse.
If I'm Northwestern, I send the Athletic Director and that's it. Putting out this fire is his job. That's what he was hired for. I don't think I'd even send any coaches or staffers unless Northwestern somehow makes an external hire before media day. I suppose then you could bring him along because at least then he won't have to field any questions about "What did you know?"
Totally disagree. This is an opportunity for leaders to emerge, for Northwestern football to begin down the path to whatever their new future is.
In July 2012, there was the debate as to whether Penn State would send players to Big Ten Media Days. Media Days were 1-2 weeks after the Freeh Report/NCAA sanctions, at a time where PSU players could transfer anywhere and were being openly courted.
PSU sent players. The players who went (and voiced their committment to the program) wound up being the leaders that the team coalesced around when they over-achieved during the 2012 season (8-4 record, which wasn't spectacular but most were expecting worse).
Nature abhors a vaccum. Northwestern WILL field a football team in 2023 (and beyond): whatever that looks like, let it start to form its new identity.
In my opinion, apples and oranges, pal.
I know you are partial to Penn State and I appreciate that, but Penn State could afford to send players to Media Day in 2012 because you could near certainly assume those guys were not involved in the Sandusky scandal, nor could they have had any real knowledge of having happened until the story broke. Sandusky hadn't been involved with Penn State for quite a while up to that point.
Those player's only "crime" was that they played for Penn State. Yes, I'm sure they had to answer questions about how the scandal affected them, how they were going to cultivate a new culture going forward, but I can't imagine any of them ever had to be asked about what they knew. Those guys were never treated as potential suspects or questioned as such, beyond just the ratholes of random internet message boards.
With Northwestern, as of now we really have no idea which player(s), current or former, have been involved in or facilitated the hazing. Do you really want to risk sending guys up to the podium that we all find out later are some of the current ringleaders in all of this? Because then the story will evolve into "THOSE GUYS are your chosen team leaders? How could you send garbage like that to represent our school?" And then what if they get up there and accidentally admit to something they did or something that they knew?
It's just continued bad PR for Northwestern. I err on the side of risk management on this one. Northwestern's brand is already stained by this, and I don't know who all is involved in what happened yet. I don't want to risk making things exponentially worse by sending the guys to Media Day who are conducting this hazing, and presenting them to the world as my program's leaders.
That will make things go from bad to worse very quickly.
I think your recommended conservative approach makes the most sense but the wildcard there is the major dysfunction going on at NU. Their AD is relatively new and the school Prez is even newer; they handled the initial communication/messaging about the investigation, results and consequences terribly and there's no reason to think they'll suddenly become more effective in that regard. Buckle up and stay tuned.
I 100% agree. There is very little to gain and a whole lot to lose if they pick players to represent them that were hazers and not hazee's. And they also run the very real risk of having what's almost certainly going to be litigation significantly muddied if someone says the wrong thing.
huge risk if a 'hazee'/victim goes, too. kid(s) goes off on that issue and you just guaranteed that story is getting front page coverage for virtually every newspaper in the country.
Fair enough, no problem with the disagreement. But the "pal" comment comes of as condescending there. Maybe not your intent, but it reads that way IMO.
I find it inviting...
I know "third base" is your favorite nickname.
...but it's weak.
Actually, it’s pretty great. It’s 10x more high-brow humor than many of your co-fans are fond of using, I certainly except you from that. And it fits into the narrative. Day is probably a good dude and I’m sure he’s a good coach, but there is no doubt that as a relates to the job at your place he was born on third base.
I think it’s awesome that the Buckeyes Marching Band’s signature Script Ohio was actually introduced to them by the Michigan Marching Band.
It’s so mature for the state of Ohio to block out the letter “M” in various billboards and displays.
Having bomb sniffing dogs delay Michigan’s entrance into the locker room at the Shoe.
Using basketball officials for The Game in Columbus is an ideal example.
Running Herbstreit out of town with threats to his family… pure Scarlet and Gray.
The fact that Michigan has been victorious with a less talented roster the past two years reflects culture, character, and execution.
Oh, I do apologize for the weather a couple of years ago. I could only track the football from about 140 yards away. The visibility and conditions were.. hmmm, November weather. And, of course, the sun was too bright and temperature too warm for last season’s contest in Columbus.
Day has never had to "build" anything at OSU. He's never had to gain "buy-in" or sell a vision for his program, because all of that was already in place. He was handed the keys to a fully loaded Ferrari and given the simple task of "just don't run it into a ditch."
Which, to his credit, he has not done so far, but the foundation for OSU's success was already there when he showed up. It had been there for two decades. Built by Tressel and refined by Meyer. He didn't have to build a roster. He inherited the most talented roster in the country outside of Tuscaloosa, and just like Braxton Miller with Meyer, Day had a QB tailor-made for his system (Justin Fields) essentially fall right into his lap the day he took over.
Day may be able to build a program all on his own, but the point is he's never had to prove he can. He's only had to sustain what others built before him. That's not his fault, but its an honest assessment of his program.
Nothing against the guy personally. I'm sure in his heart of hearts he's a good guy, and I applaud his commitment to mental health awareness within his program. In a lot of ways, that is exponentially more important than football. But he has not had to bring a program back from the depths of disgrace like Harbaugh has had to do. Day has been a caretaker of the throne. Harbaugh has built his own throne.
No weaker than the scUM and Hairball comments you all have been throwing around for years, and yet I'm sure you all think your jabs are effing hilarious.
I personally don't have an issue with any of it, but I don't think you should either when your opponent finally has a chance to throw it back in your face. Its sports, man. Trash-talking is part of the game and what we all sign up for. As long as it never gets personal, everyone just needs to laugh it off and roll with the punches. Michigan fans, included.
I'm not your pal, chief
I'm not your chief, buddy
I'm not your buddy, brah
Fair enough! And definitely no condescending or #disrespekt intended with the "pal" comment. Sometimes I just add stuff like that in for no particular reason, but I can see how it would be read that way.
Penn St. didn't send Sandusky up there.
Using your comparison...that is the only equivalent.
maybe they send rgard and his two sons....
Did you figure out how to post iPhone photos? I’m assuming that picture is from your monkey farm where you raise monkeys for delicious monkey burgers and monkey steaks. (Isn’t it interesting how we casually eat chickens, lambs and cows, but someone suggests we eat monkeys or horses or bats and all hell breaks loose.)
i believe you can get your hankering for monkey meals in various places in asia. short of being on the actual edge of starvation/death, would not consider. still laughed at your post though.
and no, i am too stupid to know how to make my iphotos into jpeg and haven't corralled one of the kids to show me. you are a champ to ask/remind me.
You forgot the best part - chilled monkey brains for desert:
You're right NU should be cautious. But that probably means NOT sending the AD*, who's getting heat himself, for how this has been handled, not to mention the brewing scandal-lite of the baseball coach.
If I were in charge—heaven forfend—I'd send one of its famous acting alums, preferably so famous that all the questions would be about their movies or asking what's the secret to their success or what their diet's like.
* I hadn't realized that the AD was the second choice after the insider candidate got picked—over 3 qualified women—and then turned out to be a scandal himself.
Sadly, Ann Margaret is not available.
I think Nothwestern's best bet is to send David Braun and the other 4 new coaches. Braun can speak to his experiences at a championship program at North Dakota State, and getting the most out of low or unranked players. All the new coaches can testify to the work being done to reform/reset the culture in the football program.
Why Braun hasn't been named interim coach is beyond me. Which is why anyone in the NU administration should be kept far away from B1G press days. They should all be chained down at the Medill School taking mandatory courses in crisis communication.
Send the ENTIRE team.
Pat who?
I feel bad for the players (not any involved in hazing, though. They should've known better than to participate in that). I don't know if they thought they were going to be better this year but now they know having even a decent season will be a sisyphean task.
When a coach gets fired the players get a 30 day window to transfer without sitting out at their new school. I wonder how many NU players will take advantage of that opportunity to leave a sinking ship? Probably fewer than one might expect b/c of the desire to play "us against the world," but some will presumably head for the exit.
The issue though is that most schools are only a few weeks away from Fall camp. If this happened back in April or May I think we'd be looking at a potential mass exodus, but who can reasonably transfer out right now, find a new school, transfer in and be ready to go by September? Maybe they can, but it seems like a very difficult task right now.
My guess is that after this season, Northwestern is going to see a lot of guys transferring out, especially younger guys who have a few years left of eligibility. Whether its not meshing with the incoming coach's schemes/philosophies, wanting a fresh start, or simply not wanting anymore to be associated with what is now a very tainted Northwestern brand, I'm betting we will see a lot of guys walk out the door the day the season ends.
Any poachable players there we might be interested in?
Bring AJ back. Good vibes guy and special teams player.
We are entering the transfer portal
-The ENTIRE team
I feel particularly awful for AJ Henning, because we know he had absolutely nothing to do with it, and he just transferred into an absolute dumpster fire that a few weeks ago had minimal chance of contending this Fall, but now has 0% chance. Its probably too late to transfer anywhere else at this point.
The one positive for him, though, is that he's going to have a Michigan and Northwestern degree, and that is about the best darn hand you can play to potential employers.
IF AJ is enrolled at Kellogg (the business school at Northwestern) - and, has a combination of a Michigan undergrad and a Northwestern MBA - I'd say he would have a fantastic educational foundation that prepares him for a constructive career / life.
Wishing AJ well.
I'd be surprised if they picked OSU this time. New QB, a trip to Ann Arbor - and a sense that Ryan Day might not be all that.
Your points are fair - and, I agree with. It will be interesting to see what the B1G Media thinks.
In a way, I like it when they favor the Buckeyes and Michigan is the underdog - just adds fuel to the fire.
I hope they pick OSU though. We've had plenty of success being the underdog the past two years, and I'd love to keep that going...
I'd guess a 50/40/10 split. OSU still the slight favorite, then the good guys, the a small contrarian contingent who pick PSU.
FWIW, I am not buying the PSU hype. Franklin puts a hard cap on how good PSU can be.
I think this is a good take. OSU is still the reflexive pick; need to win a 3rd year in a row to make the typical sports writer rethink their default position.
Can't wait for Pat Fitzgerald to walk up to the podium and pronounce,
Now I'm booking a ticket to Big XII basketball media days ..........
In no particular order, I expect them to discuss:
- The NW situation.
- OSU being picked to win the conference, UM picked second and both being picked to make the playoffs.
- Harrison Jr. will be the preseason POY candidate.
- Harbaugh and Day will make subtle digs at each other.
- Franklin will talk about PSU as a team to keep an eye on winning this conference and the media will buy into it.
- A bunch of new faces in the West will lead to some interesting talking points about the future of programs like Wiscy, Nebraska, and Purdue, your reigning (!) West champion.
- Lots of discussion around USC/UCLA and what 2024 looks like.
I don't see how a rational person could pick OSU to win the conference given what UM has coming back at key positions and the home game vs OSU. UM will be favored in that game right? Not sure if any odds are out yet.
i think plenty of rational people could pick ohio to win that game. we have as good of a chance to beat them, maybe even better than the last two years, but there is no denying the exceptional talent they have. stars matter. we have overcome that deficiency against them these last two years with coaching and character, but that's far from a guarantee of a three-peat vs. the poisonous nuts.
Yeah. Another way to put it is that we've been maximizing our talent the past two years, whereas they've underachieved, especially against us (watch that UGA game and tell me how confident you are we could have beat them if they played like that against us...). If they actually hit their potential (at least as per recruiting rankings), they'd probably be considered to have the talent advantage at most positions on the field, so it's not crazy to bet on that and pick them...