lilpenny1316

November 30th, 2016 at 11:56 AM ^

As much as I love tradition, sometimes I wish the administration would say FU and bolt to another conference or go independent and get a sweetheart deal like ND.  

I understand the logistical issues, just speaking from the heart on this one.

mjv

November 30th, 2016 at 1:57 PM ^

If Michigan and Ohio State decided it was time to leave, probably 40% of the B1G dollars would follow M and OSU.  

I have been of the opinion that the top 12 or so Blue Chip schools with rabid fan bases (M, OSU, Bama, Texas, ND, Florida State, etc.) are driving the vast majority of the value of college football TV deals.  If these top schools left their conferences and form an alliance whereby each player 3-4 games against other alliance members and filled out the rest of the schedule with a blend of middling P5 and G5 teams, that would pull in a large portion of the TV revenue. And these programs could drop out of the NCAA set the rules that they want to follow -- compensating players, whatever.

Honestly, there is zero TV value in Purdue, Indiana, Iowa State, Washington State.  And once the cord cutting hits critical mass, the Rutgers and Marylands won't have any value either.

Cali's Goin' Blue

November 30th, 2016 at 3:01 PM ^

What keeps colleges from leaving the NCAA? The obvious answer to me is that all the other colleges are associated with it and it would be difficult to be the university to branch out and leave first. I'm sure there are many other factors, including financial ones, but can someone who has more knowledge of the system explain it to me? What would it take to bring the NCAA down? Honestly I'm just curious

UMAmaizinBlue

November 30th, 2016 at 12:11 PM ^

The more they stay the same. 

 



MGoQuestion for the posters who were alive for Bo's coaching days (I wasn't): were people as critical of Bo for calling out refs and yelling at them on sidelines as they are of Harbaugh? All I've heard this week in my office is how Harbaugh needs to cool down during games and stop yelling at refs, and these are people old enough to remember Bo's coaching.





My take - Harbaugh defends his players, his team, his university, and the game of football itself. IMO, everything he does is for the benefit of those three things, and I think his "antics" are just fine, and blown way out of proportion. I'll hang up and listen.

1VaBlue1

November 30th, 2016 at 12:18 PM ^

Bo did the exact same things Harbaugh has done on the sidelines.  And broadcasters/writers made great fun of explainnig what he was doing.  Woody was the same way, if not even more volatile.  I've seen many a ref not come within 5 yards of both of them when expaining a call they didn't like...

But back then, the coaches were considered to be right.  Today, the refs seem to be right - every time, all the time.  It's a different world...

MGoGrendel

November 30th, 2016 at 1:59 PM ^

that the ref's in a Rose Bowl admitted that they screwed Michigan just because of Bo.  It may have been his last game there.

I was alive when Bo coached (BSME '82), but we didn't have this much access to media back then.  I listened to more Rock & Roll than sports talk radio (then and now).  ESPN was broadcasting Australian Rules Football back then.

Chaco

November 30th, 2016 at 12:21 PM ^

Bo was coach when I grew up and for my 4 years at UM. In general I think they were less critical of that kind of behavior/intensity and just sort of saw it as who he was. You have to remember that compared to people like Woody Hayes he seemed like Prince Charming (who wasn't favorable in that comparison) and coaches were more likely to go ballistic on the sideline than you typically see these days. Given that Coach Harbaugh played for Bo and Ditka I don't think it's surprising he has the same intensity

mGrowOld

November 30th, 2016 at 12:24 PM ^

Neither suffered fools gladly and Bo would let both officials and his own players know when they made errors and like Harbaugh, the more egregios the error the more Bo lost it.  Go watch a clip of him melting down in his last game as a coach when the crooked PAC10 ref stole the Rose Bowl from him.  No different than what you saw with Harbaugh on Saturday.

As far as the B!G goes I've said and I'm going to keep saying it.  All Harbaugh would have to do is ask the media ONE question and then it would be off to the races on an investigation.  

"Why were those particular officials selected for the game last Saturday and under what criteria where they selected?"

There HAS to a system in place - what is it?  And if the B1G just followed whatever system they normally use this whole thing gets put to bed fast.  It's only if there's a system in place and they didnt follow it (for some odd reason) that this thing gets ugly.

Based on last night my strong suspecision is that Harbaugh, our Athletic Department and maybe even this blog itself has been warned to cool it on the officiating talk and let things run their course.  

lilpenny1316

November 30th, 2016 at 12:24 PM ^

If not, that could just be jealousy or hate.  Woody Hayes got away with a lot more stuff and was a complete jackass on the field.  Bo would let the refs have it, but he wasn't that bad for the most part.  

Harbaugh just has a bigger than life personality so everything gets magnified with him.  And there's nothing else for people to talk about right now.  Thing is, he needs to amp it down because referees are some thin-skinned people.  I don't disagree with much of what he said after Saturday's game, but he needs to deal with those guys every fall.  And I don't put it past them to have a vendetta.

LSAClassOf2000

November 30th, 2016 at 12:55 PM ^

You know, for a group that has to take so much abuse - some of it deserved, some of it admittedly gratuitous - you would think that officials would have developed a nice, big callous when it came to these sorts of situations, but no, it's "unsportsmanlike" and you get fined by the conference. There's a lot that isn't right about this, in my own opinion. 

DowntownLJB

November 30th, 2016 at 2:54 PM ^

The guy I work for is a complete neutral party, he's an NFL fan but has no college team he follows, but he knows how I feel about Michigan so he keeps an eye on how the team does, and watched the first 2-3 quarters on Saturday.  We're based in NY, so truly no horse in this game.  He told me that he found himself very turned off by Harbaugh through the part of the game he watched.  Considered him a poor role model for his athletes and a poor representative of the university for his "kindergarten" behavior on the sideline.  It was an interesting perspective for me to hear.

UMAmaizinBlue

November 30th, 2016 at 2:59 PM ^

But silly perspective. Harbaugh sets an example for his players in a million other ways than when he's on the sideline. Next time, ask him what's worse - defending your team and players and all their hard work by yelling at refs, or bitching out Speight to basically man up and essentially molding him into a hard-working young man who is the starting QB for the #5 team in the country? I'm sure he'll gloss over the positives and focus on Harbaugh's "childish" behavior in either scenario. Sorry, but your boss can stick to the NFL.

DowntownLJB

November 30th, 2016 at 4:08 PM ^

I'm with you - I explained to him that a) he's a product of his coaches like Bo, Ditka and b) that his players see him as having their backs, while also not being the kind of guys who throw a fit on the field themselves, so he's obviously teaching them there's a time/place for those reactions etc.

But, I thought it was interesing for a casual observer, someone who doesn't know those things about Harbaugh, doesn't know how he is with his players, and just had a couple quarters of game action where Harbaugh was regularly the focus of the camera... he came away with a sour taste in his mouth.

ijohnb

November 30th, 2016 at 12:43 PM ^

people have become very accustomed to Michigan being pliant and obediant.  Rich Rod mostly toned down was could be a pretty hot temper because he was already disliked by a good portion of the fan base and did not want to add "hot head" to the list and Hoke was very apologetic to and for the refs because he was in over is head and was merely happy to have the job.  He was also not nearly as in tune with what was taking place on the field and I think was genuinely puzzled as to what, exactly, he should be complaining about.

Consequently, we got walked on for about 8 years and didn't say anything about it.  We laid down like an obediant puppy for OSU, MSU, the BIG, and the refs.  Harbaugh is simply asking for equality, but he is having to ask for it very loudly, and for quite a bit longer than even he anticipated.  I don't really think he even expects to get a "fair" whistle on the road in a hostile environment, he is practical, he understands that being a ref in Ohio Stadium during The Game is a difficult job.  I think, like us, he was so outspoken regarding this because the refs did not merely have a home team "slant" but were actively biased and influenced the ultimate outcome of the game down to the every last play.

Many people have just become accustomed to Michigan taking its quiet spot in the corner and are not used to our coach or the fan base being this assertive. But look back to just Lloyd Carr.  Yes, mild mannered Lloyd would absolutely rip into a referee(sometimes to the point of being "restrained" by assistants) if thought we were getting a raw deal.  He actually had a pretty red hot temper himself if you pushed the right buttons.

In reply to by ijohnb

UMAmaizinBlue

November 30th, 2016 at 1:06 PM ^

You make some points I never considered, mainly about our recent history. Interesting view, and it could have an impact as you siggest. As for Lloyd, one of my fav pics of all time:



Image result for lloyd carr bo ref

 

Get him, boys!

ijohnb

November 30th, 2016 at 1:37 PM ^

he would get red hot.  His reactions were not typically as "explosive" as Harbaugh until he got the refs ear but then he would go into some classic baseball manager type of tirades.  Eventually the refs would at least have to give him an explanation because he would follow them up and down the sidelines if they didn't.

(That ref above appears to be running away because he believes himself to be in actual danger of a physical attack.  Classic.)

In reply to by ijohnb

JMK

November 30th, 2016 at 1:08 PM ^

This is a good comment. Not to draw a basketball comparison (because basketball refs should not be calling football games, amirite?), but all good coaches work the referees strategically. "Good guy" coaches like Coach K and T to the Izzo bitch up a storm. If they don't, they get walked on. I see Harbaugh doing the same thing, though it seems like it might be backfiring somewhat. (Love your description of Hoke.)




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ijohnb

November 30th, 2016 at 1:29 PM ^

don't think that it is (backfiring).  I don't think you will see Michigan get abused by the refs to that extent again while he is Michigan.  That was going to happen sooner or later, he was going to call them out publicly and he picked the right time to do it.  Both rivalry games are at home next year and will bet you a beer that we get a fair whistle. 

In reply to by ijohnb

AlwaysBlue

November 30th, 2016 at 1:31 PM ^

Lewis, Glasgow, etc. all chose Michigan because Hoke was just happy to be there and didn't know what he was doing? Come on, man. A better, even if inaccurate, explanation is that Harbaugh is a polarizing figure and some refs itch for the opportunity to knock him down a notch.

ijohnb

November 30th, 2016 at 1:36 PM ^

said he coudn't recruit, I said he coudn't coach.  I think Oregon would agree.  And I don't think that you noticed but we did not not just start getting screwed by the officials under Harbaugh, it was taking place before that, but we sucked so it was the least of our concerns.

ole luther

November 30th, 2016 at 12:54 PM ^

saw Harbaugh throw that pass........ yeah, that one.

social media now is incredible.

the pressures come quicker and heavier from all angles.

the money involved is fantastic.

this time and era are nothing like it was 30-40 years ago.

absolutely uncomparable.

Harbaugh is doing just fine considering the time, place and world in which he must live/work.

maizenbluenc

November 30th, 2016 at 1:17 PM ^

The boo birds came out on 1st down up the middle plays for two yards, and the cheers and people yelling "you tell 'em Bo" were very loud when he went to town on the refs. Woody was notorius for ref chewing too, so don't let any Bucknuts tell you how Harbaugh should behave.

I wonder how much heat Harbaugh took from Jon Falk for breaking his "Ram" headset?