November 16th, 2023 at 11:05 PM ^
This is an absolute joke if true.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:14 PM ^
How could Jim have possibly agreed to this, if true? Are the regents really willing to alienate him, destroy the football program, destroy the reputations of countless alumni, and do irreparable harm to the future of the institution as well? Honestly, this sounds so insane that I'm ready to just dismiss it out of hand.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:43 PM ^
He was a party. Pretty sure they can’t dismiss on his behalf.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:56 PM ^
Being a separate party they can’t on his behalf. He would have had to agree to dismiss his claims as plaintiff.
November 17th, 2023 at 1:23 AM ^
What if it was Jim’s idea? Maybe after he went off about wanting to testify, Mars sat down and had a good long talk with him about what fighting this would really entail, and his chances of winning (and winning before OSU week). Maybe he’s seen first hand the distraction and uncertainty in practice this week and wanted this in the rear view mirror so he and Sherrone can focus on game planning.
It would actually neatly explain this - if it were a decision from Harbaugh, that would explain why the regents didn’t involve their counsel. Jim is weird, and one guy, so him making the decision on his own would explain us not hearing any other rumblings.
The alternatives don’t make a lot of sense to me - why would the Regents let it get this far (and actually vocally supported it in the case of Acker at least) if they intended to hang Ono, Warde, and Harbaugh out to dry?
Not saying this is definitely true, but I think it’s plausible.
November 17th, 2023 at 6:11 AM ^
If that is true, Harbaugh could have gotten more out of it. A lot more. Louder and more constant and more unambiguous stand-alone statements from the University and the Big Ten that:
- Harbaugh was not involved and is indeed falling on his sword for the good of the team.
- Sherrone Moore was not involved.
- Jesse Minter was not involved.
- This is not an admission of guilt further than Connor Stalions. The Big Ten does not have "something else" on Michigan.
- Clarification about the rule that was actually broken:
NCAA Bylaw 11.6.1 was a minor administrative rule that was implemented in 1994 to cut costs for small schools, not prevent competitive advantage. The NCAA has said itself in writing that in-person scouting provides no material advantage when they tried to rescind the rule during 2021 rule modernization efforts, because it was obsolete.
No more "SIGN STEALING!!" "MASSIVE SCANDAL" bullshit narratives.
And then ALL parties message this consistently. All those media leaks now have this message.
That should be the price he extracts.
November 17th, 2023 at 8:22 AM ^
What if Minter or Moore were involved? By no means am I saying that they were, but we also don't know what the NCAA investigation or "evidence" they have. What if that evidence included information that more of the coaching staff were involved or knew about it? If that evidence does exist, it would have come out during the hearing, which would have only brought more attention to all of this and more attention to the coaching staff. Again, I AM NOT saying that evidence exists, or that anyone on the coaching staff had any idea about what Stalions was doing, but IF that evidence exists, avoiding the hearing and taking the 3 game ban makes sense. It is, of course, only one possibility among several reasons why they accepted the 3 games.
**Edit**
Well after seeing the other post about how no new information came out, and nothing implicates any of the other coaches...no idea why Michigan dropped their case. Why go through all the trouble of releasing scathing statements and having attorneys work on the TRO for a week just to drop it less than 24 hours before the hearing. Something isn't making sense.
November 17th, 2023 at 9:36 AM ^
I don't know whether or not this is true, but your hyperbole is a "bit" extreme. Nothing is destroyed by this settlement. I may not like it any more than you, but...
November 16th, 2023 at 11:07 PM ^
Michigan Football needs to secede from The University of Michigan.
November 17th, 2023 at 7:46 AM ^
I'm holding out hope that there is an ulterior motive that Michigan leadership decided on and is keeping close to the chest. Maybe UM was okay with the precedent being set that head coaches can be held responsible for any violations. Next step is to release the evidence that they have on OSU either before The Game or in the off-season to get Day suspended for the game/this postseason/next season. Surely swapping signs with other teams, giving money to recruits/players, paying for the PI that started this, etc. is worse than a violation for one staff member organizing a way to get the same information that every team has?
November 16th, 2023 at 11:10 PM ^
I'd like to slap them all consecutively
November 16th, 2023 at 11:19 PM ^
Not only that but one right after another!
November 16th, 2023 at 11:11 PM ^
Absolutely not surprising. Not exactly a brain trust there, even the cool guy everyone likes because he also likes to tweet about football.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:23 PM ^
Cool guys has been radio silent all day for the 1st time in like 3 weeks
November 17th, 2023 at 1:42 AM ^
who is this in reference to?
November 17th, 2023 at 5:14 AM ^
Jordan Acker I believe
November 16th, 2023 at 11:13 PM ^
If true and we lose Harbaugh over this I am done with Michigan sports. At least the Lions are good now...
November 16th, 2023 at 11:43 PM ^
Give it time...
But seriously i do appreciate the Lions acting and playing like an actual competitive team
November 17th, 2023 at 3:54 AM ^
Would absolutley hate to lose Harbaugh. He has reset this program, and that's underselling it. But I just can't quit M. Stayed with the program through Rich Rod and Hoke. Sadly, I can't quit you!
November 17th, 2023 at 6:47 AM ^
RR and Hoke had poor teams, and Hoke apologized to MSU, but otherwise the university never didn't support them.
In this case, the university has completely dumped the entire program into the cesspool they've been made out to be living in. If you can support that, have at it...
November 16th, 2023 at 11:13 PM ^
If true there is no way Harbaugh sticks around after the season. Especially if they win the championship. Can't trust the University he works for.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:13 PM ^
It will probably come out in the next few weeks what the point of this was. It seems like we really want to appease the NCAA and Big Ten. First, we gave the NCAA 4 games for burgergate and they didn't want that but we gave them 3 games anyways. Then, the Big Ten came back for three more games in the heart of our season and we gave them that. Now, everyone's just going to be happy after the OSU game? These organizations will go after schools that comply. They won't go after Kansas or Tennessee for much worse things. The Big Ten didn't go after OSU, Rutgers, or Purdue. At some point you've got to put your foot down.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:23 PM ^
We're playing checkers while Kansas, Tennessee, LSU and etc. are playing chess. We're fucking dumb. Fuck our superior moral high ground.
FUCKING DEFEND YOURSELVES ASSOLES!!!
Edit: I said in another thread, and I'll say it again...today, I'm ashamed ASHAMED to be a Michigan alum. Spineless cowards.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:36 PM ^
Cool your jets buddy. You still don’t know what happened and no need to buy what a message board poster is telling you. No need to be on the message boards at all for that matter. Go have a chocolate milk
November 17th, 2023 at 12:36 AM ^
Two things we know with certainty:
1) Neither NCAA nor BIG has found any evidence against Harbaugh in his involvement to signgate.
2) We agreed to the BIG's three game suspension of Harbaugh the day day before our injunction court hearing. And we gained nothing from this agreement.
With all the talk about how everyone is in unity pursuing for justice and fighting for Harbaugh to walking this back and caving to Petitifuck is beyond fucking embarrassing.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:14 PM ^
Wasn’t Harbaugh (and his counsel) a separate party to the suit? So he would have had to been involved in any decision to withdraw?
November 16th, 2023 at 11:18 PM ^
Was about to say the same thing. It’s possible Harbaugh wasn’t willing to continue with his complaint without university backing, but I don’t think the regents could unilaterally withdraw the complaint.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:48 PM ^
If this post were to be true, what choice does Harbaugh have? He was forced. You think he would agree to withdraw after his press conference about how much he's looking forward to "speaking" on Friday and his Judge Judy and A Few Good Men reference? Give me a fucking break. Harbaugh ain't happy about this and this probably is the straw that breaks the camel's back. I don't blame him if he bolts. Fucking cowards.
November 17th, 2023 at 12:03 AM ^
Harbaugh would never have been doing any speaking at that hearing.
November 17th, 2023 at 12:19 AM ^
You realize that's not the point. It's his sentiment.
November 17th, 2023 at 12:04 AM ^
Maybe that’s why they pulled the plug. Harbaugh’s rambling oratory style doesn’t exactly play well in court.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:17 PM ^
I'm so fucking disgusted with this University.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:19 PM ^
I won’t blame the Regents for protecting the income stream for the next 7 years and keeping their ego out of it. They’ve probably already spent the TV revenue.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:26 PM ^
One would hope they didn’t spend all of that revenue. The NCAA and the conferences are about to be in a legal battle for revenue share with the athletes.
November 17th, 2023 at 6:24 AM ^
This take is similar to something my son said. His response was the regents don’t want profit sharing and Harbaugh is a financial threat, in a sense. The NIL has a tertiary impact on revenue but not to the level of profit sharing.
So they are squeezing him out to stave off the profit sharing conversation.
I minimized it but maybe there is something there…
November 16th, 2023 at 11:22 PM ^
The guy who’s headline was something like “It’s all about the brand” had his post taken down, but this explanation makes the most sense. They really yanked the rug from under Harbaugh. One minute he’s getting ready to argue his case, the next they’re telling him it’s over. Sit down. He’ll probably never talk about how he really feels, but this has to be hard to swallow. I thought he was going to leave before this, but now? All it’s going to take is an NFL offer.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:24 PM ^
Why would local counsel need to agree to the settlement? Aren’t they representing the Regents in this just so you have attorneys admitted to the State Bar of Michigan?
November 16th, 2023 at 11:25 PM ^
Well CR is Craig Ross so I tend to trust this info, but I don't get it at all.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:50 PM ^
Is that for sure true? Changes how I see this info I guess, he probably knows regents, right?
November 17th, 2023 at 12:02 AM ^
Yes it's for sure him and he is undoubtedly well connected. In the comment chain he presented this as directly from a source privy to the conversations, who has never lied to him previously, and who authorized him to release the intel. So I'm sure there's a bigger story here but have little reason to doubt something went down with the regents going rogue in some respect.
November 17th, 2023 at 1:14 AM ^
It could be “true” but heavily spun and missing a lot of context. Seems like someone is pissed they were cut out of the decision loop and/or disagreed with the decision and are now venting about it. Leakers always have an agenda.
November 17th, 2023 at 1:17 AM ^
I'm not familiar with his credibility/connections, but the comment doesn't make much sense to me. Local counsel's role is minor. They are basically there to satisfy state rules for the pro hac admissions, the actual legal work is done mostly or often entirely by the out-of-state counsel. So the bit about local counsel being "blindsided" and "not agreeing to it" is just strange.
November 17th, 2023 at 6:22 AM ^
I don't live in Michigan. Are UM Regents an elected position?
If so, I know how I'd vote next time.
Wouldn't be a bad idea to remind them of that right now. They can't hide in secret, they need to explain themselves right now.
November 17th, 2023 at 7:04 AM ^
Yes, they are elected positions in Michigan. Unless I hear some rationale for why they did this that makes sense, I will not be voting for any incumbent U-M regents again.
November 17th, 2023 at 10:36 AM ^
Yeah, they better be prepared to either explain this completely and fully or lose their elected offices.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:26 PM ^
If the Regents of the University would hang their president, athletic director, football coach, players, and distinguished alumni of the media out to dry like that... then they don't deserve to sit on the Board of Regents to begin with.
I don't know whether or not Regents weild the kind of unilateral power to just shut down a case that it appeared the entire UM admin was prepared to fight.. but I also know these are very powerful people, so anything is possible I suppose.
If that is the case they should just know, their decision to sweep the rug out from under their president on down makes UM leadership look like sniveling jackasses.
The narrative will be Michigan is both weak and guilty. They played chicken with the B1G and lost, because they are pussies and cheaters. Pettiti took egregious and unprecedented measures to punish our coach and program before due process was complete. And he is now emboldened to do it again whenever he pleases.
Unless some new information came to light less than 24 hours before the hearing that would look very bad for Michigan under the microscope of a legal investigation, then the board just gaslit the entire university related to a very public and emotionally explosive set of circumstances. That would be truly unbelievable and inexcusable.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:27 PM ^
Who am I to argue with Craig Ross?
November 16th, 2023 at 11:27 PM ^
There's a bunch of board "insiders" sharing very contradictory scoops in all the longer threads. I don't even know up from down after reading the board today 🤷
November 16th, 2023 at 11:36 PM ^
We have a Regent in Jordan Acker that appeared to have his sleeves rolled up and ready for battle in this situation based on his social media posts. No idea what in the heck happened to reverse course here.