I mean honestly, we're doing it right. We're giving money to people who actually need something and building a community along the way. I am 100% for paying players, but that money should go through the Athletic Department. It should be cut of their revenue. I pay to go to games, watch them on TV, buy tshirsts, and so much more. I shouldn't ante up more because of fear that my team will lose for a $100mm business.
Michigan should pass a law like Virginia's and get on with it.
That's obviously a lot of money, but between the cost of living and taxes, it's likely similar to the take home that he would have had in A2. All to say, this was about the NFL.
I think our heavy rotation hurt us here the most. I am "ok" with it, but I really hope we tighten rotations and try to win some hardware (we've been saying this for weeks though).
I think the process has been messed up, but I think suspending Harbaugh is the right outcome. We got an unfair advantage, however small, and we should have a punishment that equates that out. One game seems more reasonable on the face of it, and the language should be that Harbaugh is responsible for the activities of his staff.
This doesn't account for what has happened in other instances of players getting paid or anything of that nature, so I can't benchmark the action. All to say, all leaders except Harbaugh should be fired for their idiocracy.
The whataboutism and conspiracy theories of Michigan fans and MGOBLOG have gotten cringey as shit. Do I think that the other side is having a reasonable response, no, but it's really frustrating that some of the most public voices of our athletic teams can't bring any nuance to this discussion.
We did something against the rules, but it wasn't a university ploy. Other teams seem to have the same outcomes (steal our signs) in a different process. These are not the same, but I am also of the belief that failures lie at the feet of leadership. Thus, a small punishment is reasonable, and I would love for MGOBLOG to go back to good analysis rather than deranged rants.
In related news, Warde should be fired, and it seems like Petitti should be too.
What's up with the deluge of non-game injuries to quick twitch athletes? If it was a systemic issue, I'd expect more WRs to be out too, but this is strange seeing such a high concentration with a specific type of athlete on our team.
What is the most profitable way to support you? I prefer the ebook because I want less physical things, but y’all having money to keep doing this is my first priority.
Best school I applied to, I wanted to something in environmental science (SEAS is a top 3 if not the top program), and my parents wanted me to stay in the midwest. I also had a filter of wanting to go to a sports oriented school that was bigger than my high school (~3000 students) so I was already filtering down to state universities.
To be fair, success has a much wider range of outcomes in Basketball than Football, and one loss doesn't end a season. Completing/winning one of the following can make a season a success even if other elements aren't perfect: Big Ten regular season, Big Ten tourney, making the elite 8. 2015/2016 is a great example of this - super mediocre year, but we on the BTT and it ended up being pretty solid!
Echoing what's been said by others if you're actually going to read this. Been reading and listening to you all for 10+ years now, and you are all wonderful writers and a trusted source. Know that we're here to support you, and you are always welcome/deserving to ask for help. It's a privilege to be able to help others in times of need, and you should know that it's ok to ask us. I was really proud of Ace to acknowledge what he was going through and ask for help in a time of need, and it was an honor to support him as it would be for you if ever needed. On that note, you all have taught me a lot outside of sports that I want to appreciate. Your journey as a father, interest in local politics (fuck NIMBYism), reflections on the pandemic, and just your general musings have expanded my perspective, and I appreciate all of that.
Take care of yourself, thank you again, and we're always here if you need help.
I literally had no idea this was the purpose, and I am now buying one because of it. I would advocate you putting this out there more prominently because I want this website to continue and the writers to live a comfortable life (you entertain/manage quite the group of donkey-butts). Thanks for being transparent and take my money.
Here's my two cents as a Michigan undergrad alum and Cornell graduate student.
The ivy league network is real. The floor for a non-Cornell Ivy League degree is seemingly investment banker at top banker or management consultant making ~$85k+. The floor is seemingly the ceiling at Michigan in Ross and Engineering. Additionally, most ivies grade inflate making it somewhat easier to complete the program (which is seemingly the opposite of Michigan engineering which weeds people out during Freshman / Sophomore year).
Michigan is absolutely amazing and the network has honestly been more powerful than my Cornell network, but I am lucky. Without a couple lucky breaks in undergrad I think that my life would be very different than it is now. I don't think these lucky breaks are as necessary at an Ivy League.
Congratulations either way! You should be extremely proud!
I literally just started screaming "Fuck" over and over when I was admitted. The value of the degree has seemingly only gotten more valuable over time. Extremely appreciative of the opportunity and experience.
Currently doing a research project over in Kenya and I am trying to figure out how to watch the game (Hulu Live won't work, NCAA Streaming won't work). Anyone got any ideas?
This allows them to focus their efforts and resources on studet actua it. It kind of is a progressive tax system in some ways (which is a bad thing in some people's eyes) but does focus more resources on the poor...
Unfortunately only really well-off schools can do this but it great when they actually do. It actually helps the people that need it rather than the people that don't.
That is always the argument against free college education, I won't throw my opinion in here, in that the students who can afford school benefit more than the students that cannot afford school.
I hope Michigan can one day do this but in the meantime I will focus my donations to Financial Aid for students.
From a morality and business perspective this was the right move and I can respect that. It is one of the reasons that I keep coming back here and supporting the site even if / when I don't fullly support everything. There is a level of transparency / loyalty that you don't see many placees anymore!
Lets not pretend they don't. So if the system is going to pay them no matter what, because that is going to happen, would you rather that happen on the surface or underground (keep in mind that as one of the richest universities in the world we would probably benefit from it being on the surface).
pretty much every school has bagmen and has some sort of "illicit" benefits tied to the program. I'd rather just be open and honest about it and pay the players then pretend that what Ole Miss is doing is explicitly bad...
I really want to hear from the recruiting insiders if there is any more information on this. If the rumors are true, we had plenty of time to make a change and I personally would not be ok.
I'll give it a bit of time to play out, but there needs to be some explanation on what is going on.
They are nice, though I don't really know how to handle them because I became a Michigan fan in 2009 when I attended as a freshman...so things haven't been so nice (at least on the football side...things were real nice on the bball side - Beilein is nice!)
He "steered" Harbaugh to Michigan over taking a run at him for the Dolphins. I mean if we go by the schedule that John U set up that's not possible but it is still pretty entertaining to read.
I couldn't be happier with the coaching and more optimistic about this team, but I think we need to slow down a bit. We need to show that we can win on the road and have some lucky breaks go our way if we want to get there.
Also, with current version of Ruddock, I think we lose 2 more games. I think we are just as likely to pull one out against MSU / OSU as we are to lose another game against a different team. All that is to say though that I am extremely happy with how this team looks and how much better they look on a week to week basis.
Just give it a little time and I think we will be there, just probably not this year.
At least we're not playing Directional MU. Army pretty consistently goes to bowl games and has name recognition compared to Directional State University. I wouldn't mind a power 5 game or two and then home games against teams like Tulsa, Army, Navy, Houstan, UCONN, Temple type programs. Solid teams that would compete at the bottom of the B1G but are beatable.
Just like 2 years ago there were allegations that Adidas clothing was made in inhumane conditions. There were multiple petitions to get rid of them as a sponsor. I am not saying that this isn't reasonable, but many times companies like this try as they might (at least from a Supply Chain perspective) but it is nearly impossible to control.
As to the bribery allegation, I would be extremely disapointed (Nike pretends to play by the books and combine social good with profitability) and it would be quite a step back from them. From their perspective though it probably makes sense. Soccer is the most universal sport and Adidas basically has a semi-strangle hold on the market in many countries with other players getting in internittently. Nike is definitely playing from behind here so they might have tried to cheat their way ahead.
Can we just take the World Cup and continue it on in a new organization and dissolve FIFA?
It is $14.8 M in profits. All of those expenses are part of the cost? Also, THEY are the revenue makers. They are the ones that we go to watch.
Look, it is like you are arguing for a company town where we provide them with food, housing, water, and health but nothing else and that is equal and fair. How many company towns were equal and fair? How many of them exist today?
Also, I am so cool for going back to my comments...I just like to have these discussions and just don't totally understand the opposition so it is fun / depressing to see what it is.
About 3 years ago Michigan football made $14.8 M in profits. Let's say we spread across 100 players (including walk-ons...) and you get $148,000 in profit per player. That is after all of the buildings, coaches, support staff, and everything else that goes into football. Now, do you want to really argue that Denard Freaking Robinson, who sold thousands and thousands and thousands of jerseys, didn't make $400,000 in profits...that's silly. Sorry, this is literally a perfect example of why the football players are getting a raw deal.
They need representation and their needs should be at the forefront of the football program.
Michigan's stipend was estimated at $2,054 for last year. That is obviously probably not realistic for this year but it is really not that much. The highest in the Big Ten was a little less than $5000 an academic year. That's not bad money, but that's nothing insane either. Also, these are freaking athletes who work out 3 times a day....I spent around $80 a week on food and i am not Peppers.
Secondly, for all you who are saying I don't feel bad about someone acting like their not getting their due, lets put it in perspective, Let's say you were a salesman responsible for around $1,000,000 in sales a year for a profit of like $400,000 after COGS. Then your business came around and said you, the guy making the sales, are really not that important so we are going to only pay you $40,000 and use the other $360,000 to build nice offices and pay our bosses who are actually important.
That is literally the cost structure of the NCAA. How pissed would you be knowing that you are responsible for $400,000 in profit but only getting $40,000.
While it might be annoying that people seemed to be offended by everything these days, it is not our place to judge what others find and don't find offensive. It is always best to be as nice as possible, and, if you make a mistake in someone else's eyes (even if not in yours), it is better to make ammends.
So props to Jim for having the awareness that even though he might not agree with something, he at least is willing to meet with the offended parties to hear them out. That is way more than the vast majority of people are willing to do.
Recent Comments
I mean honestly, we're doing it right. We're giving money to people who actually need something and building a community along the way. I am 100% for paying players, but that money should go through the Athletic Department. It should be cut of their revenue. I pay to go to games, watch them on TV, buy tshirsts, and so much more. I shouldn't ante up more because of fear that my team will lose for a $100mm business.
Michigan should pass a law like Virginia's and get on with it.
Charity Bowl Donations >>> NIL Donations
That's obviously a lot of money, but between the cost of living and taxes, it's likely similar to the take home that he would have had in A2. All to say, this was about the NFL.
Regardless, it's time to fire Warde.
Great to see you back. Wishing you good health and happiness!
This was beautiful. There’s no other way to describe it. Thanks to the entire crew for a great season. Go Blue!
Go Blue! I love you all.
I think our heavy rotation hurt us here the most. I am "ok" with it, but I really hope we tighten rotations and try to win some hardware (we've been saying this for weeks though).
I think the process has been messed up, but I think suspending Harbaugh is the right outcome. We got an unfair advantage, however small, and we should have a punishment that equates that out. One game seems more reasonable on the face of it, and the language should be that Harbaugh is responsible for the activities of his staff.
This doesn't account for what has happened in other instances of players getting paid or anything of that nature, so I can't benchmark the action. All to say, all leaders except Harbaugh should be fired for their idiocracy.
The whataboutism and conspiracy theories of Michigan fans and MGOBLOG have gotten cringey as shit. Do I think that the other side is having a reasonable response, no, but it's really frustrating that some of the most public voices of our athletic teams can't bring any nuance to this discussion.
We did something against the rules, but it wasn't a university ploy. Other teams seem to have the same outcomes (steal our signs) in a different process. These are not the same, but I am also of the belief that failures lie at the feet of leadership. Thus, a small punishment is reasonable, and I would love for MGOBLOG to go back to good analysis rather than deranged rants.
In related news, Warde should be fired, and it seems like Petitti should be too.
Fully expecting to be negged to oblivion.
Brian, it’s great to see you happier, and I hope Michigan continues to bring all of us joy.
What's up with the deluge of non-game injuries to quick twitch athletes? If it was a systemic issue, I'd expect more WRs to be out too, but this is strange seeing such a high concentration with a specific type of athlete on our team.
Love it - I listened after work during the day, and it was great! Thanks for all you do!
What is the most profitable way to support you? I prefer the ebook because I want less physical things, but y’all having money to keep doing this is my first priority.
It may be a little dumb, but I genuinely love seeing Michigan dominate for a good cause. Great job everyone.
LIMIT COMMERCIALS...that's how you make the game better.
Best school I applied to, I wanted to something in environmental science (SEAS is a top 3 if not the top program), and my parents wanted me to stay in the midwest. I also had a filter of wanting to go to a sports oriented school that was bigger than my high school (~3000 students) so I was already filtering down to state universities.
Thank you for doing this, Ace! It's great to see WBB get more airtime!
Did you forget the /s??
To be fair, success has a much wider range of outcomes in Basketball than Football, and one loss doesn't end a season. Completing/winning one of the following can make a season a success even if other elements aren't perfect: Big Ten regular season, Big Ten tourney, making the elite 8. 2015/2016 is a great example of this - super mediocre year, but we on the BTT and it ended up being pretty solid!
Echoing what's been said by others if you're actually going to read this. Been reading and listening to you all for 10+ years now, and you are all wonderful writers and a trusted source. Know that we're here to support you, and you are always welcome/deserving to ask for help. It's a privilege to be able to help others in times of need, and you should know that it's ok to ask us. I was really proud of Ace to acknowledge what he was going through and ask for help in a time of need, and it was an honor to support him as it would be for you if ever needed. On that note, you all have taught me a lot outside of sports that I want to appreciate. Your journey as a father, interest in local politics (fuck NIMBYism), reflections on the pandemic, and just your general musings have expanded my perspective, and I appreciate all of that.
Take care of yourself, thank you again, and we're always here if you need help.
Awesome idea! Really like the design too.
This is my favorite picture.
I literally had no idea this was the purpose, and I am now buying one because of it. I would advocate you putting this out there more prominently because I want this website to continue and the writers to live a comfortable life (you entertain/manage quite the group of donkey-butts). Thanks for being transparent and take my money.
Read dem Fancy Stats to me reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeallllllll slow...oh yeah.
Literally giggled by myself like a crazy person while I was walking to ball. Great job Ace!
Here's my two cents as a Michigan undergrad alum and Cornell graduate student.
The ivy league network is real. The floor for a non-Cornell Ivy League degree is seemingly investment banker at top banker or management consultant making ~$85k+. The floor is seemingly the ceiling at Michigan in Ross and Engineering. Additionally, most ivies grade inflate making it somewhat easier to complete the program (which is seemingly the opposite of Michigan engineering which weeds people out during Freshman / Sophomore year).
Michigan is absolutely amazing and the network has honestly been more powerful than my Cornell network, but I am lucky. Without a couple lucky breaks in undergrad I think that my life would be very different than it is now. I don't think these lucky breaks are as necessary at an Ivy League.
Congratulations either way! You should be extremely proud!
I literally just started screaming "Fuck" over and over when I was admitted. The value of the degree has seemingly only gotten more valuable over time. Extremely appreciative of the opportunity and experience.
Thanks for highlighting this!
Currently doing a research project over in Kenya and I am trying to figure out how to watch the game (Hulu Live won't work, NCAA Streaming won't work). Anyone got any ideas?
Go Blue!
Please ignore all incriminating evidence provided!
We once had such a large party destroying disco records that the game was cancelled!
Some of our fans got so drunk they decided to start a fight with the Royals first base coach.
I have worked with so many amazing Denison grads and they have nothing but good things to say about the school. Congrats!
I feel like everyone said he would be a GREAT D-Line coach. Hoke couldn't scheme worth a crap but he could develop D-Lineman.
So no, I never thought he would be a good coordinator, but dude is a northern version of Ed Ogeron.
This allows them to focus their efforts and resources on studet actua it. It kind of is a progressive tax system in some ways (which is a bad thing in some people's eyes) but does focus more resources on the poor...
Unfortunately only really well-off schools can do this but it great when they actually do. It actually helps the people that need it rather than the people that don't.
That is always the argument against free college education, I won't throw my opinion in here, in that the students who can afford school benefit more than the students that cannot afford school.
I hope Michigan can one day do this but in the meantime I will focus my donations to Financial Aid for students.
From a morality and business perspective this was the right move and I can respect that. It is one of the reasons that I keep coming back here and supporting the site even if / when I don't fullly support everything. There is a level of transparency / loyalty that you don't see many placees anymore!
It was great seeing him and Devin at the game though they deserved sooooo much more. Just imagine Devin with Harbaugh for 4 years...
Lets not pretend they don't. So if the system is going to pay them no matter what, because that is going to happen, would you rather that happen on the surface or underground (keep in mind that as one of the richest universities in the world we would probably benefit from it being on the surface).
pretty much every school has bagmen and has some sort of "illicit" benefits tied to the program. I'd rather just be open and honest about it and pay the players then pretend that what Ole Miss is doing is explicitly bad...
I am fainting cause it's so hot in here!
I really want to hear from the recruiting insiders if there is any more information on this. If the rumors are true, we had plenty of time to make a change and I personally would not be ok.
I'll give it a bit of time to play out, but there needs to be some explanation on what is going on.
They are nice, though I don't really know how to handle them because I became a Michigan fan in 2009 when I attended as a freshman...so things haven't been so nice (at least on the football side...things were real nice on the bball side - Beilein is nice!)
Highly respected the guy, seemed like a great fit, and, most importantly, seemed like a genuinely good person who cared for the people around him.
Hope he finds health and hapiness in retirement.
He "steered" Harbaugh to Michigan over taking a run at him for the Dolphins. I mean if we go by the schedule that John U set up that's not possible but it is still pretty entertaining to read.
I couldn't be happier with the coaching and more optimistic about this team, but I think we need to slow down a bit. We need to show that we can win on the road and have some lucky breaks go our way if we want to get there.
Also, with current version of Ruddock, I think we lose 2 more games. I think we are just as likely to pull one out against MSU / OSU as we are to lose another game against a different team. All that is to say though that I am extremely happy with how this team looks and how much better they look on a week to week basis.
Just give it a little time and I think we will be there, just probably not this year.
Saturdays can be devoted to football, this is just a cruel tease.
At least we're not playing Directional MU. Army pretty consistently goes to bowl games and has name recognition compared to Directional State University. I wouldn't mind a power 5 game or two and then home games against teams like Tulsa, Army, Navy, Houstan, UCONN, Temple type programs. Solid teams that would compete at the bottom of the B1G but are beatable.
Just like 2 years ago there were allegations that Adidas clothing was made in inhumane conditions. There were multiple petitions to get rid of them as a sponsor. I am not saying that this isn't reasonable, but many times companies like this try as they might (at least from a Supply Chain perspective) but it is nearly impossible to control.
As to the bribery allegation, I would be extremely disapointed (Nike pretends to play by the books and combine social good with profitability) and it would be quite a step back from them. From their perspective though it probably makes sense. Soccer is the most universal sport and Adidas basically has a semi-strangle hold on the market in many countries with other players getting in internittently. Nike is definitely playing from behind here so they might have tried to cheat their way ahead.
Can we just take the World Cup and continue it on in a new organization and dissolve FIFA?
It is $14.8 M in profits. All of those expenses are part of the cost? Also, THEY are the revenue makers. They are the ones that we go to watch.
Look, it is like you are arguing for a company town where we provide them with food, housing, water, and health but nothing else and that is equal and fair. How many company towns were equal and fair? How many of them exist today?
Also, I am so cool for going back to my comments...I just like to have these discussions and just don't totally understand the opposition so it is fun / depressing to see what it is.
It is amazing. Thank you Garrick Sherman!
About 3 years ago Michigan football made $14.8 M in profits. Let's say we spread across 100 players (including walk-ons...) and you get $148,000 in profit per player. That is after all of the buildings, coaches, support staff, and everything else that goes into football. Now, do you want to really argue that Denard Freaking Robinson, who sold thousands and thousands and thousands of jerseys, didn't make $400,000 in profits...that's silly. Sorry, this is literally a perfect example of why the football players are getting a raw deal.
They need representation and their needs should be at the forefront of the football program.
Michigan's stipend was estimated at $2,054 for last year. That is obviously probably not realistic for this year but it is really not that much. The highest in the Big Ten was a little less than $5000 an academic year. That's not bad money, but that's nothing insane either. Also, these are freaking athletes who work out 3 times a day....I spent around $80 a week on food and i am not Peppers.
Secondly, for all you who are saying I don't feel bad about someone acting like their not getting their due, lets put it in perspective, Let's say you were a salesman responsible for around $1,000,000 in sales a year for a profit of like $400,000 after COGS. Then your business came around and said you, the guy making the sales, are really not that important so we are going to only pay you $40,000 and use the other $360,000 to build nice offices and pay our bosses who are actually important.
That is literally the cost structure of the NCAA. How pissed would you be knowing that you are responsible for $400,000 in profit but only getting $40,000.
While it might be annoying that people seemed to be offended by everything these days, it is not our place to judge what others find and don't find offensive. It is always best to be as nice as possible, and, if you make a mistake in someone else's eyes (even if not in yours), it is better to make ammends.
So props to Jim for having the awareness that even though he might not agree with something, he at least is willing to meet with the offended parties to hear them out. That is way more than the vast majority of people are willing to do.