[Reminder that posting anything from Rainer Sabin is an insta-ban]
Harbaugh and players acknowledge that Ryan Osborn, an analyst, was directly coaching players — a violation akin to what Harbaugh once called out Ryan Day about.
[Edited @10:35 am:
NO RANIER SABIN!
I removed the link, we're not giving Sabin clicks on a poorly-researched hit piece.
https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/moderator-action-sticky-2021
...read this instead, Seth's OP to the Mod Sticky thread expressly warns against linking anything from Sabin. - rob f]
[edit @ 2 pm to add MGoBoard FAQ:
August 19th, 2021 at 10:17 AM ^
Who cares?
August 19th, 2021 at 10:19 AM ^
This right here. I don't really consider this cheating and even if I did, who cares? I'm glad we're pushing the boundaries b/c the boundaries are being crossed everywhere.
August 19th, 2021 at 10:23 AM ^
Heaven forbid we try to improve the abilities of student athletes who came to UofM to grow as football players. Shame on us!
August 19th, 2021 at 10:19 AM ^
Also, wasn't this before they hired Clink?
Also, isnt Sabin a twatwaffle? Not sure.
August 19th, 2021 at 10:24 AM ^
It was before they hired Clinkscale, but while Linguist was still on staff.
Yes.
August 19th, 2021 at 10:21 AM ^
Let’s please not click on this story. A hit piece by the Freep. Do not give this outfit clicks.
August 19th, 2021 at 10:51 AM ^
The guy might not like Michigan but lol at calling something that is almost certainly true a hit piece
August 19th, 2021 at 11:01 AM ^
I think a big problem is in the framing of the article.
It could have been titled in any number of ways, such as "Michigan Coach Admits to Improper Use of Analyst". But this asshat had to use it to take a jab at Harbaugh: "How a new Michigan staffer strayed outside NCAA rule book, exposed Jim Harbaugh's hypocrisy".
JMO
August 19th, 2021 at 12:41 PM ^
Reminder: Authors do not always write their own articles' headlines.
August 19th, 2021 at 2:30 PM ^
Reminder: Authors almost never write their own articles' headlines.
August 19th, 2021 at 1:28 PM ^
But it did expose Harbaugh's hypocrisy. You're ducking that part.
August 19th, 2021 at 2:02 PM ^
I get the frustration with the contents and the headline. However, Harbaugh has been very vocal about cheating and quick to point the finger and call out others. I believe it was Washington, an analyst for OSU, last year that Harbaugh called out for being hands on and coaching. Then one of his own analysts is doing the same thing. Sabin does have an axe to grind. But this is not the article to call him out on it. He hasn't reported anything that is not true in the article. It is an extremely minor violation. Nothing is going to come from it. But calling for Sabins credentials over this article is ridiculous. Be more mad at Harbaugh and the analyst for putting themselves in the situation to be ridiculed. UM is under a microscope right now with Anderson and Harbaugh supposedly being on the hot seat.
August 19th, 2021 at 2:55 PM ^
Yeah, I never called for Sabin's credentials over this. And maybe I missed it, but I don't see where anyone else is doing it either.
August 19th, 2021 at 6:36 PM ^
I should have noted that I have seen it elsewhere, on the Freep and on twitter. Like I said, I understand the frustration with the wording in the article...but it is true. And there are an awful lot of people who are way to upset over it and trashing Rainer...which he has earned that from previous articles hands down. As I said, he does have an axe to grind. But his article was factual. And is he wrong for saying Harbaugh is a hypocrite? In this sense no. I can't agree that the article being discussed is a "hit piece" as many here on the blog have liked to call it. A hit piece is spreading false information to fit a narrative. If this article was about Mel Tucker and MSU or Ryan Day and OSU everyone here would be praising Rainer.
August 19th, 2021 at 11:08 AM ^
It's absolutely a hit piece. Alabama invented using analysts as coaches when Rainer Sabin was working as a Saban shill. He knows better than anybody what's standard practice.
It's worse because the thing sets Nebraska apart is they cheated COVID protocols, endangering the lives of players and staff in the Big Ten, as well as the Big Ten's season, just to get an edge.
The Freep's not being fair-minded; it's being pretentious, and it annoys the hell out of me.
August 19th, 2021 at 11:46 AM ^
But everything in the "hit piece" is accurate, so it's only a "hit piece" because you don't like it. Or don't like "the framing." Pretty broad standards for a ban. Michigan broke the rules -- one Harbaugh has called out when it comes to other teams. Harbaugh admits same. He clearly has been hypocritical. A reporter reports this, but you call it a "hit piece." That's some circular logic, Seth, and you've really boxed yourself into a corner. Hit pieces are fair game if they're accurate. You're basically banning critical journalism -- something you purport to support.
If this were a different program, you wouldn't ban the article.
Also, I have no idea whether Sabin is or is not a "troll." But maybe you should document some evidence before banning everything written by the Michigan beat reporter for the state's largest news outlet. You're a journalist. Do journalism. I humbly ask you to list multiple example of the Freep guy reporting clear falsehoods or wildly irresponsible claims and then you win.
August 19th, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
Sabin is a troll. It’s as obvious as the nose on my face. One would reach that conclusion merely by reading anything he writes. To deny that, you out yourself as a troll.
August 19th, 2021 at 6:20 PM ^
And, what does a troll desire?--reaction, and in the internet era, clicks (and don't lie--you clicked).
If he-who-shall-not-be-named read this thread, his thoughts would be, "mission accomplished."
August 19th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
Exhibit #2: "Dr. Anderson was at Michigan for decades. So where are all the photos in U-M’s archive?"
This is an article from August 5. Now ask yourself what the fuck photos in the UM archive have to do with anything? He's implying that Michigan is trying to cover up what everyone knows: that Anderson was at Michigan for decades.
August 19th, 2021 at 12:18 PM ^
The Free Press is a shadow of its former self, which was already a joke. They can't even cover the Detroit City Council anymore, and its staff is a bunch of 20-somethings in their first job, all coming out of journalism programs that are full woke. If they report something true it's an accident.
August 19th, 2021 at 3:02 PM ^
"full woke"
that says far more about you than the Free Press
August 19th, 2021 at 12:20 PM ^
Had to LOL when you said Seth boxed himself in a corner. Hyperbole?
August 22nd, 2021 at 3:46 AM ^
Love me some Wondermark, not least because the author’s wife was, and may still be, a writer for Robot Chicken.
August 19th, 2021 at 1:23 PM ^
Bru!!!!
August 19th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
One thing you notice about living in the south is the local papers will bend over backwards to protect their football team. You would think the Knox News Sentinel is an authorized UT Football media page.
The Freep makes it their mission to get digs in on Michigan, not sure of any other major program that has to deal with that as often as UM does.
August 19th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
So do you think the press exists to protect "their" teams? Or do you think it's the press's job to speak truth to power? I'm pretty sure the press in this country is meant to ask uncomfortable questions and think critically. Otherwise it's just state-run media.
And it's just so fucking homerish to view the Freep or any other outlet as relentlessly critical of Michigan. It clearly isn't. Most of its coverage is just down the middle. It's the same argument Sparty fans make about the Freep, which they accuse of favoring Michigan and hating MSU. It's just so childish.
August 19th, 2021 at 12:21 PM ^
Dude if this is your take on the local dailies you are still living in the 1980s.
August 19th, 2021 at 12:25 PM ^
This is a stupid hill to die on macbru
August 19th, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
The press exists to make money. It has a moral duty to inform. You are falling into the fallacy that the only ways to cover something are to be FOR the subject or AGAINST the subject. Being critical does not mean thinking critically. Thinking critically does not mean being critical. Independent thinking does not mean you're correct, and unpopular thinking does not mean you're correct. Reality is its own thing.
And the reality here is that Sabin is trying to drag Michigan for a four-month old story because Nebraska is in the news for getting caught right now. You're trashing me right now when I've been one of the only people in Michigan media consistently telling people that Michigan breaks this rule, and that everybody breaks this rule.
I'm not talking about the Freep. I'm talking specifically about Rainer Sabin, whose job as he sees it is to warp reality to damage Michigan. The Freep damages its credibility by having Sabin under their header because that generates clicks.
Stop being such a baby about your post coming down. I didn't ban you, though I am close to now. I'm warning others not to make your dumbass mistake.
August 19th, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
I am very much looking forward to mackbru's riposte.
August 19th, 2021 at 2:33 PM ^
"The press exists to make money."
Yes, absolutely.
"It has a moral duty to inform."
Nope. It has a fiduciary duty to make money.
August 20th, 2021 at 9:34 AM ^
Threatening banning someone over that response is a bitch move. You know it. I know it. And most everyone else here knows it. If you can't take criticism, that's a good way of showing it.
August 19th, 2021 at 2:16 PM ^
Truth to power?! WTF, are you a leftover hippie from the 60's?
August 19th, 2021 at 3:56 PM ^
I have zero problem with honest critical reporting. A lot of the papers in the SEC reek of fanboy journalism.
What I do have a problem with is disingenuous spin to push a false narrative as was done in this article.
The title of the article tells you the author has a negative agenda to push. Later in the article he claims Harbaugh was “moaning” about an in-game call, not exactly neutral reporting language.
What “hypocrisy” was exposed? Harbaugh has been a vocal proponent of following the rules. He learns an analyst potentially has overstepped his allowable activity and makes correction to address it. To me this is consistency of a position. Contrast Harbaugh’s response of “we have made corrections” to Day’s response when he was caught red handed with on field instruction during a dead period of “worry about your own team” and “we are going to hang a 100 on them”
If this were a sincerely neutral article you would not see the loaded headline and language used throughout. In my opinion this guy is clearly using the polarization that Harbaugh currently has to push clicks. Which is fine, but don’t stand on some ethical soapbox about neutral critical reporting on “facts” when those “facts” are used to spin a false narrative.
I think we probably disagree on this one. Which is also cool. We agree on wanting to see Michigan succeed so I end with Go Blue!
August 19th, 2021 at 1:44 PM ^
That's a stretch don't you think???
August 19th, 2021 at 11:50 AM ^
I didn't read the article so if there is false information in there then sure. But the guy being pretentious, having a bone to pick, and not writing articles about the same issues nationally doesn't make it a hit piece.
A hit piece is spreading false or wildly misleading information. Not liking that someone is choosing to publish true information doesn't make it a hit piece and the fact that Rainer would do it solely because he dislikes Michigan makes him a bad journalist. But calling something that is true a hit piece is usually a defense mechanism for someone that just wants to bury a story and I think its pretty shitty to do that. The answer can be literally everyone does this, its a nothing burger and Rainer is a trash journalist. Calling it a hit piece is implying you think its false or an inaccurate portrayal of what happened, which isn't the case.
And I guess the reason I feel the need to push back on this (and recognizing this is an internet blog so need is a ridiculous word, I'm just bored at work) is because so much of this blog operates in a world where they believe Michigan doesn't do stuff like this. That this is the stuff that Bama and OSU do that make it impossible for a good clean program like Michigan to compete. And its crap because Michigan absolutely does this, and helps players identify easy classes, and provides impermissible benefits, etc. Michigan isn't clean. Its not seemingly problematically dirty in terms of dangerous coverups, but they play in the mud just like every college football program in the country.
August 19th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
It is a hit piece. When Harbaugh found out about it, he stopped it. When Ryan Day was called out, he didn’t acknowledge his error. How hard is this to figure out?
August 19th, 2021 at 2:38 PM ^
I mean just repeating something over and over doesn't make it true. Rainer can be a useless troll and the article can still be accurate in its contents. The reaction of Harbaugh and Day is nice and all and also completely immaterial as to whether this is a hit piece.
August 19th, 2021 at 7:38 PM ^
Changing after getting caught, or changing and not admitting wrongdoing, What an amazing differentiation, that changes everything.
August 19th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
Found Sabin's burner account...
August 19th, 2021 at 12:28 PM ^
I think the pushback is that this is basically written as some sort of huge exposé of some deep-seated hypocrisy and corruption within the Michigan football program. Dude spent almost 2000 words on this.
They got a bunch of comments from March/April, but nothing since then. I'm inclined to believe that this has been addressed since the last time (4 months ago) any such comments about Osborne surfaced.
That said, I have no illusions that ANY football program, including Michigan, doesn't cut corners here and there. In the grand scheme of things, this is a pretty minor infraction. Per a previous article on the topic related to a couple of KU analysts found to have performed coaching duties:
Institutions found guilty of Level III penalties often self-impose penalties. These penalties include suspension, limiting the amount of contact a staff member can have with players or limiting staff duties.
The Kansas administration suspended Coaxum and Ducote for two weeks last fall, according to the NCAA.
August 19th, 2021 at 1:39 PM ^
You feel the need to push back because you're a f'in sparty troll.
August 19th, 2021 at 10:21 AM ^
Death penalty!
August 19th, 2021 at 10:34 AM ^
Bolivia to the OP for linking a Rainer Sabin hit-piece!!!
August 19th, 2021 at 10:45 AM ^
Agreed. It's the latest in a long list of offensive posts.
August 19th, 2021 at 10:43 AM ^
Just once, PLEASE can we tell the NCAA to fuck off and dare them to do something about it instead of admitting wrongdoing and begging for forgiveness while self imposing sanctions? Literally everyone else in the NCAA has figured out how to deal with this except Michigan.
August 19th, 2021 at 11:00 AM ^
It would suck for EMU but if you want to make an omelet you gotta break some eggs