Locked On Wolverines: Michigan changed its own signs because signs stolen in 2017, 18, etc.

Submitted by Swayze Howell Sheen on October 20th, 2023 at 12:28 PM

I enjoyed listening to this discussion of the NCAA and its BS agenda:

https://youtu.be/RUayj__tD-M?si=_rk5MuIUkpFyVpTA

The most interesting part to me was when the guy discussed - with pretty certain knowledge it seems - that Michigan was a victim of sign stealing in the past, in particular during the Game in some past years (like '18). Thus, Michigan, according to this guy, Michigan has gotten a lot better at concealing what it's doing.

(fyi: I have nothing to do with the Locked On Wolverines pod/youtube - I just listen to it occasionally)

CMHCFB

October 20th, 2023 at 1:47 PM ^

You get there is a difference between legal, in game sign stealing and the allegations that are being made, right?   For the B1G to get involved and advise upcoming opponents, they must have seen evidence.  They wouldn’t do that just based on allegations.  

It can’t be overstated how important the handling of this by Warde and Harbaugh is to the eventual impact on the program.  If they lie to the NCAA and it’s proven, things will get dark.  Harbaugh appears to have engaged Tom Mars, now he needs to shut up and let Tom work.  I think it’s likely there was illegal sign stealing,(opinion), but Tom Mars is elite and isn’t a fan of the NCAA.  If anyone can make this go away, it is Tom Mars. 
 

Hensons Mobile…

October 20th, 2023 at 2:17 PM ^

they must have seen evidence.  They wouldn’t do that just based on allegations.

This is so naive and misguided.

I’m not saying they don’t have evidence. But you have no idea what they have either. And your assumption that people only operate in logical and ethical fashion, well, like I said. Naive.

Logan88

October 20th, 2023 at 4:40 PM ^

Why do you keep pretending to be a Michigan fan (or at least sympathetic to Michigan), when you are nothing more than a troll?

(Probably an OSU fan based in Columbus, Ohio, thus the CMH, the call letters for the airport in Columbus, in your handle)

CMHCFB

October 21st, 2023 at 10:56 AM ^

Logan, are you serious?  My username is literally the airport code for Columbus and initials for college football. Of course I’m an OSU fan, the name makes it obvious.  Why am I sympathetic?  That’s mostly due to the B1G being more relevant when OSU isn’t carrying all of the water for the conference.  If this is proven, UM will likely face sanctions (Harbaugh’s to the NFL regardless) and I don’t trust the athletic department to not hire another Rich Rod or Hoke and wander in mediocrity again for the next 15 years.

 Do you not agree that Harbaugh needs to shut up, stop tweeting and lawyer up?????

Clarence Boddicker

October 20th, 2023 at 3:07 PM ^

The only music I wanted to listen to in the early 90s was Public Enemy. In that spirit:

"Caught, now in court 'cause I stole a beat
This is a sampling sport
But I'm giving it a new name
What you hear is mine
P.E. You know the time
Now, what in the heaven does a jury know about hell
If I took it, but but they just look at me
Like, hey I'm on a mission
I'm talkin' 'bout conditions
Ain't right sittin' like dynamite
Gonna blow you up and it just might
Blow up the bench and
Judge, the courtroom plus I gotta mention
This court is dismissed when I grab the mike
Yo Flav
What is this?"

goblu330

October 20th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^

One thing I thought of, if this Stalions character is still on staff, and what he is doing is not against the rules, is he going to keep doing it?

Blue Texan

October 20th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^

That is what I was thinking. Did this assistant really break the rules? He wasn’t paying people to record videos, which is what the NCAA rule prohibits. The rule was intended to help poor schools from having to pay scouts. We didn’t pay the scouts, they just volunteer to send us video. I don’t think we broke the rule, technically, or the spirit of the rule. 

joeyb

October 20th, 2023 at 1:17 PM ^

The rule doesn't say anything about paying people to do it. It just says "Off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents (in the same season) is prohibited, except as provided in Bylaws 11.6.1.1 and 11.6.1.2." Those exceptions both start with "An institutional staff member", which isn't defined in this section. It is however defined under 10.6 Unethical Conduct: "Unethical conduct by a prospective student-athlete or student-athlete or a current or former institutional staff member, which includes any individual who performs work for the institution or the athletics department even if the individual does not receive compensation for such work". So, the people that he sent to games to scout for him become staff under the definition of the rule.

IndyBlue

October 20th, 2023 at 2:37 PM ^

I would agree but only if the situation was that someone on staff requested the person do so. If a friend of a friend or just a die-hard fan wants to volunteer scouting they've done, how is the university supposed to stop that person from doing so? They aren't acting at anyone's direction in that scenario.

BroadneckBlue21

October 20th, 2023 at 5:44 PM ^

It is still unethical and, thus illegal, to use that video to scout because of the rule. Nothing in that rule says it has to be requested to be unusable—so a broad interpretation is that any outside resources of that form are unethical. 

I really hope Stalions didn’t do any of that—and is just really good at film study. If he did use friends, etc., to send him stuff and then play it off with Harbaugh as “I’m just really good at watching film,” then that sucks for the program and the stench will linger no matter if JH or anyone on staff knew outside of Stalions.

Plausibly, because the dude loves Michigan so much he wanted to impress his boss and come off as a savant, he could’ve hidden his actions away in all of his film studying. And if it were something like that, the head coach will still be responsible.

Hopefully, this is a case of bitter opposing coaches, and maybe they who do this shit themselves, and the NCAA clears Michigan and Stalions of wrong doing. As a a huge fan of JH and M, I hope this last scenario is the case. 
 

 

Colt Burgess

October 20th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^

"The NCAA is shaping public opinion."  Yep. 

What is so hilarious is that the ostensibly heinous act of in-person scouting was made illegal as a cost cutting measure! No one ever said it was an unfair advantage. It cost too much.