BlueHills

History

Member for

2 years 28 weeks

Blog

View recent blog entries

Karma

Current value

2

Recent Comments

Date	Title	Body
3 weeks 14 hours ago	I would have watched Lions	I would have watched Lions games only to see Denard play again. But as a Denard fan, I'm glad he's not a Lion. And it's good to see him achieve his dream of becoming an NFL player.
6 weeks 5 hours ago	What a year for Trey and	What a year for Trey and UM!
6 weeks 3 days ago	Class guy all the way. Maybe	Class guy all the way. Maybe he deserved better than to play with the Lions all these years, but I'd bet he'd say he enjoyed it and felt lucky to be with a single team that long.
6 weeks 4 days ago	I love watching big time	I love watching big time college sports. But after a while it's the same crazy stuff, year after year, and it's getting harder to swallow. And it's not just about the Miamis, the SEC or "football factories" like OSU or PSU; there were problems at institutions like Michigan with the basketball program in the early 90s that we all know about, point shaving scandals at Northwestern around the same time, repeat problems at USC, etc. On other words, this stuff happens at schools that have good academic reputations, too. There's too much pressure on the coaching staffs for them not to be tempted to break the rules, too much money at stake for the institutions to want to really look under the rock, etc. So everything is glossed over if possible and left at the doorstep of the NCAA to worry about. College athletics is fairly rotten, and we all know it and make excuses for it.  I don't know if 110,000 people would turn out to watch students in Michigan uniforms who were not on athletic scholarship play in something like the Ivy League, or not. Probably not. All of the big time conference schools have put themselves in a position where they have to feed the monster of their athletic budgets, and sustain their building programs, and can't face the reality that these are professional teams, and the "student athlete" moniker is just window dressing. Schools simply can't go back to Square One and do what the Ivy League did banning athletic scholarships now. Imagine Michigan Stadium with 30,000 people a game instead of 110,000, and all those empty luxury suites. But banning the athletic scholarship is the only way to kill the disease. Have real students play real students in sports. It might be entertaining. But it won't fill the Big House.
6 weeks 5 days ago	The ball throwing is an	The ball throwing is an assault and battery. This coach is out of control. Either that, or he's plain nuts. How does Rutgers' allowing this to happen not constitute a lack of institutional control? I wonder if Delany has been on the phone with Pernetti or someone higher up in that school, and read him or her the riot act yet?
9 weeks 3 days ago	Actually, somewhere I read	Actually, somewhere I read that there are more MSU grads in Chicago than there are in any city in Michigan.
9 weeks 5 days ago	Watching that bowl game	Watching that bowl game footage against a good SEC team reminds me of the caliber of teams that Lloyd Carr used to turn out when he was at his peak. Hutch, Brady, Streets, A-Train, Backus, Foote, Gold, Hensen. James, Jansen, Dhani Jones, Marcus Knight, Marcus Ray, Seymour, Sword, Terrell, Tuman, Mo Williams, and others who were NFL caliber players. Brady Hoke is a great guy, and I wish him well in his quest to build a powerful team; he's off to a good start. But there's still quite a way to go.
10 weeks 6 days ago	If Michigan wins, I say,	If Michigan wins, I say, "Exciting game. Fun to watch." If M loses, I say, "Your guys played really well!" Guys who gloat remind me of running into my friend who went to Harvard during winter break my freshman year at Michigan. When I saw him, he said, "How's the party school?" I just laughed, and said, "Great."
11 weeks 5 days ago	He didn't play particularly	He didn't play particularly well in the MNC game against Alabama-caliber talent; the NFL is going to be even more difficult. That's why the most awesome team on the planet, the Detroit Lions, will probably take him. He'd be a great fit for a defense that always looks like bowling pins going down when a running back attacks up the middle, and doesn't get stopped until he reaches the secondary.
11 weeks 6 days ago	I am so with you on	I am so with you on that. Maybe there's a magic Lion repellent that Denard can employ, like wearing garlic around his neck, or holding up a silver cross, or carrying a wooden stake in case he finds the coffin of WC Ford during the day...
12 weeks 4 days ago	Even Ermann has tweeted that	Even Ermann has tweeted that he didn't say NC was coming to the B1G, though he insists they have an offer. I really don't see this happening. It might be fun if it did, but no.
12 weeks 5 days ago	Something about this NC to	Something about this NC to B1G deal feels like an unsubstantiated rumor to me. The internet is abuzz over a tweet. Various websites and forums are repeating the tweet, and it's as though an announcement from the school and the Conference were made. It may be that I'm wrong but it just doesn't have the feel of real news.
14 weeks 5 days ago	The Lions have only been	The Lions have only been rebuilding since 1957; give them a little more time. Then you'll see them "restore the bore." Uh...roar. Their MO has always been to rely on one or two stars, like a Barry Sanders, or a Megatron, or a Billy Sims, surround that player with mediocre talent, and hope like hell to make the playoffs and be one and done. This is not a new strategy. They've never built the nucleus of a great team since Ford has been the owner.  They don't know how. I don't expect them to figure it out during what remains of my lifetime.
14 weeks 6 days ago	It's the Lions. They have	It's the Lions. They have cancer, TB, heart disease, diabetes, ringworm, yaws, elephantiasis, leprosy, and they are owned by a zombie. Other than that, they have a lot of potential.
15 weeks 6 hours ago	Never underestimate the power	Never underestimate the power of the jurisdictional battle that will take place before the merits of the case are reached. A settlement might be reached based on that outcome alone. The ACC will have to show irreparable harm in order to enjoin Maryland's move to the B1G. They'll never be able to do that, since they also have to argue that the the 52 million exit fee is in fact reasonable compensation. There is ample precedent that money damages do not constitute irreparable harm. They can't walk away from that issue without walking away from the entire case. So Maryland will be a B1G member in 2014 come hell or high water. There will be no injunction. By the time the case reaches trial, there will be numbers on the ACC's actual damages, because Maryland will be gone by then. The conference would have to show that its exit fee is reasonable based on those numbers and projections based on the numbers. It won't be able to do that, all the schools will be making more money under the 2012 extension of TV rights. 52 million will be very hard to justify and will appear to be a penalty. If it is clear from those numbers that the ACC will suffer no loss at all, then Maryland wins or gets out on the cheap. This might be dangerous precedent for the ACC. I wouldn't bet on the ACC in this one, and that's why it'll be settled. It would be very interesting to see the projections that were given to Louisville to encourage their ACC membership.
15 weeks 4 days ago	Just for the sake of	Just for the sake of discussion, let's imagine a scenario where the ACC would be just fine if Virginia and Georgia Tech stay. I think that could happen even if Florida State/Clemson were to leave and join the Big 12. In the long run, it remains to be seen whether the money will be hugely better in the B1G, because much depends on the cable markets in NYC and DC, and as I understand it, those things are still to be negotiated. I realize that the projections are what they are, but sometimes things don't work out as planned. It's possible that Va and GT will be just as well off staying put, and certainly more competitive in the ACC than they would be in the B1G. I haven't seen any reports that they are in dire financial shape, like Maryland and Rutgers. If those two schools stay in the ACC, where does the B1G go to expand further? Kansas is locked into a Grant of Rights with the other Big 12 schools. Missouri is unlikely to leave the SEC. Texas isn't coming, and they're not worth the politics and headaches they bring (the Texas legislature is now considering a bill mandating an annual Texas-A&M game, for example). I'm not going to assume that every school along the East Coast wants to be in the B1G. Maybe they do, maybe not.
15 weeks 4 days ago	I like the idea of Michigan	I like the idea of Michigan in the West with Nebraska and Wiscy for better balance. In any case, I worry about Michigan (or OSU for that matter) leaving it all on the field in The Game, and then playing in a CCG only a week after the most mentally and physically exhausting game they play all season. Does this create an inherent disadvantage or greater injury risk? I'm not saying it does, but maybe it is a concern worth thinking about.
16 weeks 6 hours ago	I agree. We're just learning	I agree. We're just learning about the brain damage. I will say that blowing out your knees isn't great, either.
16 weeks 7 hours ago	Gosh, I really feel for	Gosh, I really feel for Hoard. And I think the NFL ought to be doing more for its former players. When I was fresh out of law school a long time ago, my firm represented one of the former Lions O-Linemen who'd started on their 50s championship teams. This was in the early 70s, so he hadn't been out of football for more than 15 years or so. He'd been a star. By 1975, he couldn't walk without two canes or a walker. I remember being shocked to see one of my heroes in that kind of shape. He certainly couldn't do much in the way of work, and in those days pro ball didn't pay what it does today. So he needed our help. Of course the Lions, being the Lions, denied him any workers' compensation. And it had to be litigated. I remember being disgusted with the team, yet somehow remained a football fan, and thought, "Well, that's football." Honestly, I'd like to see some safety reforms, because I'm beginning to feel like an ancient Roman at the gladiatorial games - where incidentally, the vast majority of fights were not to the death (gladiators and their training were too expensive to waste). We see some pretty serious injuries, and it seems like they happen with nearly every game. We accept it. I dunno why.
16 weeks 12 hours ago	I don't know Charlie, but	I don't know Charlie, but Meryl's parents are lifelong friends, and I've known Meryl since she was a baby - in fact, my daughters babysat her. She is a down-to-earth, wonderful young woman. I'm proud she is part of the Michigan family. Ice dancing requires tremendous athleticism and the training is incredible, as with any world-class sport. Some of the comments here are a little questionable.
16 weeks 1 day ago	Pelini's a good coach, but he	Pelini's a good coach, but he seems to be unable to control his temper. The irony is that the kid had originally committed elsewhere and Pelini flipped him to Nebraska. It has to be frustrating to reel these guys in, and have them change late in the game, but they're kids. Kids do that, and moreover, they need to be free to do that because it's all about their lives. I respect the young man for calling the coaches. He got a really unfortunate response. The Nebraska AD really needs to have a sit-down with Pelini and set him straight.
16 weeks 1 day ago	I feel really good about this	I feel really good about this young man! Welcome!
16 weeks 2 days ago	Tom Brady was a late-rounder,	Tom Brady was a late-rounder, and turned out fine. Denard will be OK. He'll work hard and reward the team that adds him to the roster, he's just a bit raw right now.
16 weeks 4 days ago	I am proud of Harbaugh as a	I am proud of Harbaugh as a Michigan player, a Michigan Man, a winner, and a coach. But sometimes I wish he'd STFU.
16 weeks 6 days ago	I was at that game; it was my	I was at that game; it was my freshman year at Michigan. I believe those scoreboards were around for quite a while after that as well. I don't remember them changing during my time at Michigan (graduated in '71). You have to remember that in 1963 or 4, Navy was the #2 team in the country. Roger Staubach quarterbacked them. It really was another era; Navy was a very good football team. And 72,000 in attendance seems about right for that time period. Michigan drew big crowds, but didn't sell out very many games. Usually the sellouts were MSU and OSU. Ron Johnson was definitely a campus hero, but that was the era that Michigan students used to shrug and acknowledge MSU as the "football school."  It seemed as though the campus didn't get fired up for football the way they are now until late in the 1968 season, when Michigan went into the OSU game with a chance to go to the Rose Bowl, and came up woefully short. Also part of that era-no freshman were allowed to play. The big schools could afford freshman teams, and that changed when the smaller schools that couldn't afford to have a freshman team in addition to a varsity team pressured the NCAA for changes.
16 weeks 6 days ago	Say all you want about Jim	Say all you want about Jim Harbaugh's personality quirks, but he was an outstanding player for Michigan (I think at one point was a Heisman finalist), a solid NFL player who took the Colts to a conference championship - and while he was a pro QB worked as an unpaid assistant coach at Western Ky. for his father, to firm up his coaching chops. He did great things at Stanford, and at SF took a 6-10 team to the NFC championship game in his first year, and the Super Bowl in his second year. However butthurt we Michigan fans are that he decided not to coach at UM, he's one hell of a coach and Michigan man. I wish he'd keep his mouth shut a little more.
17 weeks 8 hours ago	You'd be surprised how	You'd be surprised how difficult arts curricula can be. Plus there are still the usual academic requirements.
17 weeks 8 hours ago	I got to know Jim Hermann a	I got to know Jim Hermann a few years back, during a summer at the UM alumni camp, Michigania. Jim played for UM and loved Michigan with a passion, loved the Team, and was really proud of being a Big Ten assistant coach. He told me (rather convincingly I might add) that it's not easy to build a program that wins consistently in the Big Ten. I know we sometimes look at the teams that don't win often and think, "easy out," but the fact is that a ton and a half of work goes into getting that "out" and maintaining the program's winning ways. He is great fun to be around. There is no "typical Jim Hermann fashion" that's late. He's a great guy, and an excellent coach. I wish him every success.
17 weeks 6 days ago	Kiffin's just not a decent	Kiffin's just not a decent guy. His coaching record the last two years is only one loss worse than Hoke's, so I doubt they'll fire him soon unless he has a repeat of this year's underachievement.
18 weeks 2 days ago	That's fine; Ron Kramer	That's fine; Ron Kramer didn't win the Heisman; Gerald Ford didn't win the Heisman; Oosterbaan didn't either. He and the other Legends probably predated it. Manziel won it last year and his team didn't win a championship. In Denard you have Michigan's all-time leader in offense. He set the FBS rushing quarterback record. He was a great team guy. He led some miracle finishes. Think of the games where he put the team on his back and literally willed a victory. I'd suggest to you that to his team's success, he was more important than Ford or Kramer. I suppose reasonable people can reach different conclusions; I, for one, hope his Jersey becomes a Legend, and I think one day it will when his contributions to his team over the past few years have a little time to be savored. As for the comparison to Harmon, I'm not sure one can fairly do it. All players went both ways in the pre-free substitution days, and he was on a very strong team. When I compare him to Harmon and the others, I'm comparing them in terms more of the respect I have for them. But I'd submit it isn't Denard's fault that Michigan as a team wasn't strong enough to win a title.

more