SIAP: Surprisingly decent take from ESPN on today’s game/Signgate

Submitted by Murder Wolv on November 11th, 2023 at 11:46 PM

 

Written by David Hale

So after a season in which Michigan's first nine games were little more than batting practice before Saturday's showdown with Penn State, this should feel like something significant, an official announcement that, in spite of any schedule-based skepticism, Michigan is a championship contender.

But no. The story is about Harbaugh, a story written in court filings and message board furor and breaking news alerts.

It was a story told through Sherrone Moore, working as interim coach Saturday, sobbing (and dropping a few curse words) in his postgame interview. It was, depending on your perspective, an emotional catharsis or yet another moment of Michigan victimizing itself.

It's a story that will be shrouded in mystery, such as where Harbaugh will spend game days from now through the showdown against Ohio State. We assume he spent Saturday in his underground lair, perfecting the space laser he's designing to blow up the moon, but really, anything is possible.

It's a story that will be adjudicated -- by the Big Ten, by fans, by media, by courts, by Connor Stalions' vacuum company investors -- with only a passing nod to due process, objective truth or reasoned context.

After all, it's OK to discern the opponent's signs from TV copy, or the all-22, or to call up former graduate assistants to dish on their old team, but it's not OK to buy a ticket, sit in the stands and watch. Whether that makes sense might be a worthy question, but the only issue at hand is whether Michigan broke a rule -- a literal written rule and, perhaps, the unwritten rule in which gamesmanship is OK unless it's overly convoluted, entirely stupid and executed by a guy with a hilarious name. 

 

---------------

[Edit @ 1:35am: ESPN link removed because ESPN. 

While it still might be OK to summarize things from ESPN, it's definitely not in our best interest to provide links that serve to generate income for them.  Whenever and wherever possible, I'll be removing ESPN links from the MGoBoard.  -rob f

 

MGoBoard
Football

MGlobules

November 12th, 2023 at 5:14 AM ^

We're boycotting ESPN here, and we need to be having conversations about how to make that stick, and hurt. The B1G has conspired with a failing commercial enterprise that has built up the SEC and downgraded it for a decade, very stupidly. I think that we could probably make a boycott register; I'm gone back to CBS Sports for basic reference, and that's working fine. Increasing their traffic in measurable ways while ESPN's slips might be one way to make a boycott felt. I'm interested in what other people have got, and have questions, too. For example, if I check into a an ESPN game that's being carried on YTTV, am I really watching ESPN, or is there some clear difference? I don't mind ignoring the Alabamas and Georgias of the world for a little while. . . 

Joined: 11/17/2008

MGoPoints: 47676

JHumich

November 11th, 2023 at 11:51 PM ^

Read to the end. Totally disagree with the assertion that Signggate will be the main story of our season, even if we win it all. And it's largely ESPN's fault that it's even a story. 

And Michigan proved against Penn State that neither the weak schedule nor the Mr. Bean-level spying were the underpinnings of its success. But that's the story that will be remembered from the 2023 season, no matter where things go from here.

The Wolverines can keep winning, and the scandal will likely follow them as far as they're able to go.

Joined: 02/18/2017

MGoPoints: 52970

The Homie J

November 12th, 2023 at 12:21 AM ^

Do people talk about Clemson players popping for PED's during the CFP?  No they don't.

It's becoming apparent to everybody but Sparty and Ohio State fans that Signgate has no effect on how this team has played, and so nobody will care when the season is over.  All that's left is to win the whole damn thing

Joined: 01/11/2018

MGoPoints: 17408

huntmich

November 12th, 2023 at 12:19 AM ^

ESPN was on at the local indoor driving range and the headline read something like "If Michigan wins national championship would it be tainted?"

 

I was irrationally angry for so long after just seeing that one passing headline. For so many reasons. Is the Bama 2020 championship tainted because they had months more practice time than teams in the Big Ten? Fuck no, they won.

 

ESPN is dead. Don't support it even with a link click.

Joined: 10/18/2015

MGoPoints: 18173

Humen

November 11th, 2023 at 11:59 PM ^

We should be talking about ESPN’s potential antitrust violations 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-antitrust-law-1235607852/amp/

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 11731

Humen

November 12th, 2023 at 12:06 AM ^

I bothered to read the article. You must not have, or you’re a troll. It’s another hit job. It calls the season tainted. It says Michigan doesn’t want to play the SEC. Delete this garbage

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 11731

mgobleu

November 12th, 2023 at 12:11 AM ^

I don’t care.

They took our rivals at their shady ass word and helped create a narrative that confirmed their own biases, and ultimately is doing real damage to people that don’t deserve it. Some might deserve punishment, but this is a total horseshit overreaction by the B1G and they fueled it. 

Now after creating the salacious story, they get to double and triple dip writing piece after piece about their own story, all the while acting as if they’re some voice of reason now because this dude has a softer stance than Thamel?

They can shove their surprisingly decent take up their surprisingly decent ass.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 38428

skatin@the_palace

November 12th, 2023 at 12:14 AM ^

David Hale is a fucking hack and a schmuck who carries water for the ACC. He was talking up the ND QB as the best in the country way longer than anyone because he was a Wake Forest guy. The guy is quite honestly a dogshit CFB writer. He was funny on Twitter but I've been off of there for some time. That guy more than anyone else on their editorial/analysis side, is the one who I think is the most undeserving of being given a voice about the sport. He's as bad as Dinich and Thamel. Chumps the lot of 'em. 

Joined: 09/07/2019

MGoPoints: 3078

JacquesStrappe

November 12th, 2023 at 12:27 AM ^

Not really, they just want to want to back off so they don’t look like fools now that it has become clear that Michigan hasn’t been winning because of Signz, but because they are actually good. They would have been better criticizing us for our unimpressive schedule as being the predominant reason for our good record but instead they choose the lowball sore-loser “they cheat” excuse. 

They also don’t want to lose the entire Michigan fanbase from watching their content because they know how big the audience is. Guaranteed this will turn out to be the highest rated game this week. They are disingenuous dirtbags.

Joined: 04/19/2019

MGoPoints: 4994

kyeblue

November 12th, 2023 at 12:51 AM ^

The last paragraph is a total bull bullshit. Big Ten has no authority interpreting NCAA rules and NCAA rule said nothing about third party video taping. 

Joined: 09/18/2009

MGoPoints: 5340

CRISPed in the DIAG

November 12th, 2023 at 6:06 AM ^

That passage didn't read as empathetic to me. If anything it was slightly mocking. It used the old journalistic method of making the accusation by writing it as a question. Whatever you need to do, espn. I was done with you years before all this. 

Joined: 11/08/2010

MGoPoints: 47486