Spring Practice Insight
I realize news out of the fort has been scarce. For those of us clamoring for any tidbits, I found the following articles on Go Blue Michigan Wolverine. As Brian has said, they display some "rough prose" over there but beggars can't be choosers.
http://gbmwolverine.com/2014/03/07/michigan-football-2014-thoughts-part…
http://gbmwolverine.com/2014/03/07/michigan-football-2014-thoughts-part…
http://gbmwolverine.com/2014/03/07/michigan-football-couple-quick-posit…
Keep in mind this is one man's opinion. He says he watched two practices in shorts. As always, Spring Practice means very little once the fall arrives.
The guy with the handle MaizeMan over there--who authored the articles linked to above--provides some excellent insight and tidbits. I'm surprised they don't get more traffic than they do because of it. He's pretty balanced in his assessments.
He used to post on Scout years ago until some huge blow up between MaizeMan, Eroc, and coachBT which resulted in MM getting banned and Eroc/coachBT moving on. Betting dollars to donuts that the name "GBMW" was their way of thumbing their noses at Scout's "GBW."
I'll never forget their 2008 spring analysis, claiming how dominant the secondary would be based on their observations. Guh.
"I'll never forget their 2008 spring analysis, claiming how dominant the secondary would be based on their observations. Guh."
I've got all of MM's analysis from 2008 - god bless gmail - and he did not say anything of this sort. The closest is this:
"A) Safety. As of right now we have S. Brown who has to be a starter in order for this team to be good. Why? He is our best athlete at safety. Atheticsm at safety has been a weakness at UM for quite a while and should be addressed by new staff. Chambers is a good—not great athelete. Stewart is a physical kid with limited athletic ability. Harrison is fast---but has shown limited football instincts. Williams (who knows)---has not practiced and seems very small when you look at him. Smith (incoming frosh) has a real opportunity to make the 2 deep his frosh yr. Conclusion---UM needs Brown to stay healthy, gain needed confidence—and perform at a very high level. He is the key IMO---without him---we just lack any speed at all at safety position.
B) CB. One of the strengths in terms of starters. But depth is a huge issue. And rumors are coaches want to really play press coverage. First question is can Trent play press coverage—something he has not shown an ability to do at UM. But assuming Trent and Warren are your starters---who are the back-ups. You have Woolfork who has shown a great willingness to work hard and could make a big push this yr. Rogers who is a great kid---and has shown some ability to make transition to CB. And you have Boo-boo coming in as a frosh. Not a ton of depth---and a big drop off after you starters."
Your memory is faulty.
Huh, interesting. I've been reading their message board off and on for about a year or two, so I don't know all the history. They talk regularly about having attended practices, and some of the info seems pretty darn specific. Most of it is pretty general, though (e.g., "Godin looks bigger and has a motor").
They hyped up Bellomy big time during spring 2012, and I caused a little fracas over there by calling them out after his historic Nebraska coming-out party.
I guess I find it hard to believe that somebody would put years and years into cultivating a lie like that. Pretty sad, if true.
I don't know what to believe anymore!
What is your lie? Or was that a lie? Who am I?
I don't think his avatar is actually a picture of him.
That is absolutely Magnum P.I.
...Why?
That guy shouldn't be taken seriously and single-handedly guarantees that that site will never be respectable outside its little niche following.
Same thing happened to me. I was like "erm...and...I'm outta here."
I have tried a couple times to read the posts but I just can't anymore.
I think it's more of a cult than a site
Enjoy the opacity; transparency is overrated. The more access people have, the more it is abused by people like Snyder, Rosenberg and Carty. I don't mind info being scarce. I hope Brady Hoke controls every piece of information that comes out of the program.
I would have missed these and they are worthy.
The last article actually points out something that, if true, probably would be a good sign. The author said that, in the current 2015 class as it would be now, he couldn't see anyone making the two-deep. I would tend to agree with his assessment that this would be a sign of growing stability in the program as well as a sign of growing depth in positions where we need it and, most of all perhaps, some consistency.
Seems pretty positive overall. Wasn't quite sure what he was saying about Gedeon - he seems to be calling out Mattison's evaluation of Gedeon vs Morgan. Can't say I'm trusting him over Mattison there. But... interesting, I guess.
And you guys insult their writing and analysis. Kind if does... reeealllyl....
I went to spring practice last yr with maizeman. He does have access. The two practices I saw last yr, Ross was playing awesome and was the best defensive player on the field. I got to see Countess doing drills and knew last yr was going to be rough as a man corner for him. Offense, Darboh and Chesson looked better than Funchess....and you didn't see Gallon do anything. Jake Ryan was on crutches and he was everywhere encouraging the defense and lbers....
So, while you all accuse them of knowing nothing I can vouch for them not that it means anything as I don't personally know any of you all. But, everything i saw fit to what happened last season. Run game sucked, interior oline just wasn't what I thought it would be and the dt's were a work in progress.
Honestly last season I was fooled by the nd game though. I thought they would lose that game and end up with 10 wins losing to either Osu or Nw as the other loss opposite nd. I thought nd was better than what they showed in that game.
Ross was not close to the player he showed in spring, Darboh's injury really hurt, oline burzynski's injury really hurt. Bosch was the best technically of all the tr fr and rs fr oline, however Braden was physiclaly awesome and starting at LG all spring. That was last yr...
So, reports on spring practices remember, they are practicing against their own team and get used to the calls of the other side of the ball and the player infront of them. So, you have to take it with a grain of salt and realize the reports are just that. Mixed opinions of what they see. I was at practice and had some disagreement maizeman's analysis. But that is also why I try to put what coach bt says along with maizeman and come up with what's in the middle. Both attend practices, both know the coaching staff far more than you guys would like to admit. So sit back, enjoy your beer threads, btw, bells two harted, madtree gnarly brown and guiness are still the best beers on the planet!
This is all so fascinating to me. Who are you? I mean, who are you such that you are able to attend spring practices? Who is MaizeMan? Do you have friends on the staff? Do you work for the athletic department? Are you just making stuff up? I'm always curious who these self-proclaimed insiders are.
game that OSU should have been in the NC over a one loss SEC champ becuase the SEC is overrated and the B1G was just as good as the other BCS conferences.
Like I said, many of the posters and mods over there think that it is 1997 and football has not changed a lick. Differing opinions are wholly unwelcome.
I stated an undefeated osu should have been in over a 1 loss sec team. That I stated, that I believe of any bcs team. If you are going to post my thoughts at least know them.
I stated the sec is over rated in that 1 loss sec teams deserve to be in the title game over undefeated teams. Get your head out of your tail about my thoughts.
All I can tell you is I have been to spring practice with maizeman, know him and he does work for the athletic department which is how he is in. He expresses his views from what he see's.
Coachbt, he is a hs coach from the toledo area that attends every coaches clinic and also gets to attend a couple practices as a result.
Eroc, knows maizeman and has gone to many practices via maizman.
They all have developed relationships within the athletic department.
I have met many other posters that attend the coaches clinic, that have ties to the athletic department via friendships of ad employees, former players, coaches and boosters. Know a couple that are big boosters.
Am I an insider, not remotely. But as I stated last yr I did go to a couple practices with maizeman and know very well he has access to the staff, players and practices as it isn't a claim it is a fact.
The guys that want to insult my writing, wgaf what you think, I shared something I have actually seen, know and witnessed. You, you bitch and complain about others who shared and wasn't trying to charge anyone money for doing so. So, wtf ever
I salute your love of craft brews, as I share it, but Founder's Centennial is better than Two-Hearted. In fact I like CJ's Vat 33 IPA better than Two-Hearted, and most people have never even heard of it.
Never heard of CJ's, right now way to many craft brews out to try them all. Being from Cincy I am trying to get through all the local breweries that have popped up as well as some of the top national craft brews.
Bells, Centennial, 3 Floyds, Michigan is well represented nationally..., I have heard there are a few more to try that arent national.
Cincinnati has,
Madtree, 50 west, Rivertown, Rinegheist, Mt. Carmel and a few others that are just excellent breweries!
Still, I always find my way back to Sam Adams Boston Lager and Guiness.......
From the little bit of what we have seen in games, Gedeon looks way more athletic than Morgan and was a pretty quick study.
I'm still a Morgan skeptic. It's not quite at Pat Massey levels of "Why do they play HIM?!?!" but I don't see him as having the ability/intangibles to help make our defense elite.
Looks like there are a few 5th graders on the board tonight.
I vaguely remember there being a thread late last fall (novemberish) about Gardner being nonchalant or joking around during practices. I think the poster's source was a student trainer or manager.
Zero fun, sir.
He never smiled. He knew how serious we are about frivolity.
I read about 5 sentences and came back. That is some awful writing.
Maybe writing is not his thing.
can't the blogs just get along? i read here about their "lack of prose" and "vague, useless analysis". I go there and read bout "overanalysis and graphs from nerds who don't understand a thing about the game and the Borges offense". jeez
...whose opinion of Borges has been forcefully vindicated