Sad Future for Taco Pants?
Looking ahead toward the future of UM's passing game, I fear a dramatic reduction in the utilization of Taco Pants. The Mythical 8 foot tall receiver has benefited from the abundance of slot ninjas on the roster and DRob's inaccuracy as a passer, especially when nursing injury.
Two factors will likely reduce the utilization of Taco Pants in the passing game:
1. Quarterback Play - A fully healthy DRob with two full years in Borges's system will likely fell less compelled to seek out Taco Pants as a second or third option. Devin and Shane are widely believed to be more accurate passers than DRob. While Taco Pants may be an attractive target during times of transition, Devin and Shane will likely be better prepared that the wave of freshmen who took the reigns over the past several years.
2. Receiving Target Recruiting - While Junior Hemingway was often able to snatch passes intended for Taco Pants with his leaping ability, no other UM receiving target has capable to challenging Taco Pants for passes thrown high. Hoke seems to have sent out a directive to recruit taller receiving targets. Jaron Dukes and Jake Butt have the height necessary to come away with passes intended for Taco Pants.
While his contributions have been many. I fear that Taco Pants may fade from our awareness as he is utilized less often.
February 24th, 2012 at 10:57 AM ^
Has Ace (or Tim, previously) ever written a Hello post for Taco Pants?
February 24th, 2012 at 10:57 AM ^
and i thought this thread would be about Chad Henne's job prospects...
February 24th, 2012 at 10:58 AM ^
Taco Pants has infinite eligibiity. He took a break after the 2005 season, then re-emerged stronger than ever recently
February 24th, 2012 at 4:40 PM ^
In addition to the infinite eligibily at Michigan, he is also able to play for different teams, sometimes even at the same time. For example, I saw him appear in two games on Saturday, one at 12 noon (ET) on the east coast and another on at 10:30pm (ET) on the west coast. He may not play much for Michigan this coming season but I'm sure he'll still get his playing time somewhere else.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:32 AM ^
When TacoPants shows up in a Blockahms strip, my mind will ASPLODE
February 24th, 2012 at 2:10 PM ^
He likely already has. Made of dreams, remember?
February 24th, 2012 at 11:02 AM ^
Is Taco Pants eligible to declare for the draft? Denver might be an attractive NFL destination.
February 24th, 2012 at 2:05 PM ^
Whenever he has a big game we'll just hear that it was because of the "high altitude" and "thin air." I'm so sick of that "the ball travels farther because the air is less dense" excuse. Taco pants needs to be in New York, with Sanchez.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:07 AM ^
Everytime I hear about taco pants, I get this nasty image of an individual with brown taco meat dripping from his pants. Is it a metaphor used to stand in for shitting oneself?
Genesis in this post per the FAQ:
http://mgoblog.blogspot.com/2006/03/roundtable-21.html
February 24th, 2012 at 4:25 PM ^
The true genesis of TacoPants (although he was not named) was in Brian's piece on John Navarre for the Every Three Weekly:
http://web.archive.org/web/20071114231052/http://everythreeweekly.com/a…
February 24th, 2012 at 11:06 AM ^
At 6'5", Dukes may take some of his playing time. But I have to believe he'll see the field plenty going forward.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:09 AM ^
Mythical characters created by obsessed sports fans tend not to go away all that easily. Witness AIRBHG: http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2012/1/11/2697932/marcus-coker-iowa-football-and-running-back-attrition
February 24th, 2012 at 11:13 AM ^
I think Taco has indicated that he wants a position switch to DE. Maybe we can red shirt him this year and by 2013, he'll be using that height to knock down opposing QB passes.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:15 AM ^
Yes and strangely I'm not disappointed.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:20 AM ^
He has too much experience to just take him off the field. He may have to share some of his success to our new studs, but a player like Taco Pants will always get his catches.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:20 AM ^
Only one "Taco" is allowed per team, in a little-known quirk of NCAA rules. Once Taco Charlton is enrolled, TacoPants will be transferring. Ohio appears to be in the lead for his transfer, after their obvious need for him last year.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:37 AM ^
I dont have enough points yet so consider this a +1 sir
February 24th, 2012 at 11:38 AM ^
that Tacopants was related to the Borens.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:23 AM ^
Cmon, Tacopants will always be featured at Michigan. No matter how good of a quarterback we have and how much we try to throw to our other recievers, he always manages a few catches per game.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:26 AM ^
Tacopants tweeted that he might be going to Pitt.
link:
@T-pants: big news coming for T-pants??!! Is that a Panther roaring in my ear, or are you just happy to see me?!!
February 24th, 2012 at 11:33 AM ^
You cannot simply get rid of him. Whenever you need an eight-foot-tall receiver, he will be there. Whenever you throw an ill-advised jump ball, he will apear, Whenever you need a player to wear tacos as pants, he will be there in all his glory...You cannot kill a legend.
(post to be read in the voice of Antonio Banderas)
February 24th, 2012 at 11:42 AM ^
Was awesome. That is all.
February 24th, 2012 at 11:49 AM ^
Not "apear."
February 24th, 2012 at 11:35 AM ^
Awesome...
February 24th, 2012 at 11:46 AM ^
Tacopants will always be here. He's been here since John Navarre and hasn't left since. He's been our most productive receiver (although Braylon gave him a run for his money), and it will be very hard for anybody to replace his production.
February 24th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^
You know what would be sick? If somebody actually backtracked through all the games over the past ten years and totalled up Tacopants' number of receptions, yardage, etc.
And depending on where he ranks, we could debate the merits of him wearing the #1 jersey.
February 24th, 2012 at 3:29 PM ^
....I assume the value of my son's MGoStore Taco Pants t-shirt will go up in value?
BTW, my son wore it to school for the first time last week. It caused much confusion and consternation in his 2nd grade classroom ('specially since most of his classmates are Wisconsin Badger fans). My son has problems truly understanding what "infinite eligibility" means, and I assume he used those exact words when explaining Taco Pants to his classmates.
A last Taco Pants-related tidbit: We were playing NCAA '12 on the PS3, and Denard got injured. Devin came in and immediately air-mailed a deep ball. My son replied "maybe Taco Pants could have caught that pass!". I was so proud. I paused the game to wipe the slight wetness accumulating in the corner of my eyes.
EDIT: Corrected Tacopants to Taco Pants. I feel so shamed to have lazily typed it as one word.
February 24th, 2012 at 12:29 PM ^
If there is a 'Parent of the Year' award, I hereby retire it in your honor. Well done.
February 24th, 2012 at 12:41 PM ^
I thought he was 11 feet tall?
February 24th, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^
Isn't tacopants 11ft tall...
February 24th, 2012 at 12:52 PM ^
to OSU, watching thier QB, he seems to like to throw to 11 ft. tall (and taller) receivers.
February 24th, 2012 at 1:23 PM ^
MKThanks..
February 24th, 2012 at 2:45 PM ^
I think his brother Burrito Pants plays for EMU as I saw quite a few plays that seemed to be designed for him and noone else.
February 24th, 2012 at 4:18 PM ^