"For four years you could type Grantland.com into your browser without having any idea what you could expect other than the fact it would be worth your time."
If you're going to take the myopic view that this one play lost the game, (kidding - it actually did in this case) why all the punter hate? It's the shit snap that got that whole mess of a play going. I'm not saying blame the long-snapper either, but it was the snap that was really the problem, not what Puntin' Aussie did or didn't do.
I have learned so much about the mainstream sports media during this search. As someone who has watched the internet grow up for more than 20 years, I've always been fascinated by the rise of "new media" over the last decade, especially blogs and community-driven sites. I was also a huge fan of ESPN and the explosion of the 24-hour sports cycle in the 1990s and early 2000s - the Sunday night "Big Show" with Dan and Keith was must-watch TV. I've followed this coaching search obsessively on Twitter, this site, and elsewhere.
Seeing so many people who I used to respect either making up information, spouting uninformed opinions (yes, I know that's the basis of sports radio), or repeating made-up stories without bothering to verify any information has been very educational. People who are completely inside the NFL scene and have wrongly reported this search and hire at many points along the way, and reported as fact, is very distressing to me. Whether it's because they're trying to create clickbait, as many other observers have said, or for some other reason, doesn't matter. I knew long ago that journalism at ESPN was largely dead, but I had more respect for Mort and Schefter for some reason. Oh well.
All's well that ends with Harbaugh as our coach, as they say.
I have three and eight year-old girls, and this resonates with me. The older one has been to a few games, but I want her to understand the intense atmosphere of a competitive rivalry game that we win. The younger one yells "Go Blue" every time (any) football is on TV, so she's on the right track as well.
I can't wait for them to share the excitement of our first Harbaugh Championship!
Afternoon drivetime sucks over here. We have to choose between idiot Huge, who at least gets some good interviews, and Belligerent, who spends all his time telling us how he got everything right X months ago even though all the haters hated.
I'm not one to get too sold on any one recruit, but he's past the point of being a recruit - he came into the family. If this is true, I fear it could indicate something inside the program that even a Hagerup letter can't overcome. Crap.
In one of those clips, he says something along the lines of "I've learned that we'd better have our ducks in a row before we communicate something."
A guy with his experience as a CEO, and his AD tenure up to now, and he's just learning this? If he is truly just learning this, that illustrates the fact that he operates in a bubble without consideration for the impacts of his decisions.
If he's just using that as an excuse to cover the fact that they handled the whole communication/PR part of this terribly, well, there's your fact right there.
They're whiting it out with random band noise blasted from the speakers this year. At least the "you suck" at the end that the rest of the stadium says.
It does make me chuckle, but why do we do it after a third down in the red zone where the other team is about to kick a field goal? Seems us allowing the team to get in field goal position means it's more us who is sucking in that situation. It probably would be best reserved for forced three-and-outs.
Using it on every opposing fourth down is kind of like the way that Seven Nation Army was played the previous two years.
I was initially quite excited about the idea of Brandon as AD based on his history with the University and his success in the world of business. Then:
He hired a CMO for the Athletic Department. Michigan Football does not need a Chieft Marketing Officer - the football team, its traditions, and its stadium were all the marketing needed to fill the biggest stadium and sell the most jerseys.
He implemented a loyalty program for student athletics attendance. I work in marketing for a living, and any decent marketer knows you have to understand the motivations of your customer, which he clearly did not in that case.
He hired Brady Hoke. From the moment we started reading rumbles about Hoke being the favorite for the job, I was displeased that we'd consider a guy whose overall record was sub-.500 with mid-major programs. Like many others, I was quickly swayed by Hoke's initial press conference, first-year performance and quick recruiting wins.
The seat cushion fiasco before last season, under the guise of "security." Again, a clearn misunderstanding of customer needs, and an insulting reason for the obvious money grab. If the original intent had actually been a security requirement, they never would have backed down mere days later.
Considering all of these things happened prior to the messes of the last few weeks, you can probably guess where my evaluation of Brandon lies. There've been a few recent examples too that are outside the big points everyone is talking about:
Prior to the App State game, Michigan sent an email that contained information about avoiding heat stroke on hot gamedays. Part of that email mentioned that free water is available from all concession stands with beverage dispensers. During the blazing first-half heat, where we watched several people from our area drop, we were denied free water from two separate concessions. Both times, I pushed back and mentioned the University's email just the day before, and both times, they said "We're sorry, several other people have mentioned it as well, but we've checked with Stadium personnel and they said you can only get free water from the Absopure stations - they said we don't do that anymore." I emailed the Stadium staff following the game and was told that free water was indeed supposed to be available.
I'm surprised there hasn't been a thread here about this (and I can't start one yet), but they're piping in loud band-based white noise from the loudspeakers to drown out the "You suck" that the crowd says on opponent fourth downs. I though I was hearing it at App State, but confirmed it last week vs Minny.
The part of the video that makes me wonder about all this is the part where the official looks at the Michigan sideline and barks "Do you want a timeout?". That doesn't seem to jibe with "they said I couldn't" and "there wasn't time because Shane was already on the field".
Regardless, I think competent coaching requires you to take the timeout anyway since the QB with no helmet was moving the team better than the injured QB had all game long. Why save a timeout in that situation?
with this guy. Mark Helfrich is doing a pretty good job at Oregon and we might be able to lure him away with big money and the easier competition in the B1G.
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Solomon definitely left for the locker room. Walked right by us with a trainer on his way there.
I love great old clips like this with the higher field and toilet paper raining down. It takes me back!
"For four years you could type Grantland.com into your browser without having any idea what you could expect other than the fact it would be worth your time."
This.
If you're going to take the myopic view that this one play lost the game, (kidding - it actually did in this case) why all the punter hate? It's the shit snap that got that whole mess of a play going. I'm not saying blame the long-snapper either, but it was the snap that was really the problem, not what Puntin' Aussie did or didn't do.
I have learned so much about the mainstream sports media during this search. As someone who has watched the internet grow up for more than 20 years, I've always been fascinated by the rise of "new media" over the last decade, especially blogs and community-driven sites. I was also a huge fan of ESPN and the explosion of the 24-hour sports cycle in the 1990s and early 2000s - the Sunday night "Big Show" with Dan and Keith was must-watch TV. I've followed this coaching search obsessively on Twitter, this site, and elsewhere.
Seeing so many people who I used to respect either making up information, spouting uninformed opinions (yes, I know that's the basis of sports radio), or repeating made-up stories without bothering to verify any information has been very educational. People who are completely inside the NFL scene and have wrongly reported this search and hire at many points along the way, and reported as fact, is very distressing to me. Whether it's because they're trying to create clickbait, as many other observers have said, or for some other reason, doesn't matter. I knew long ago that journalism at ESPN was largely dead, but I had more respect for Mort and Schefter for some reason. Oh well.
All's well that ends with Harbaugh as our coach, as they say.
I have three and eight year-old girls, and this resonates with me. The older one has been to a few games, but I want her to understand the intense atmosphere of a competitive rivalry game that we win. The younger one yells "Go Blue" every time (any) football is on TV, so she's on the right track as well.
I can't wait for them to share the excitement of our first Harbaugh Championship!
MFYes. Squared.
Clearly
You.
and educational:
the spreadsheet, like its owner, learned much this past fall.Thanks for sharing your bits, Brian.
Thanks, but I don't think I can until I hit 100 points. No green arrow for me yet!
Afternoon drivetime sucks over here. We have to choose between idiot Huge, who at least gets some good interviews, and Belligerent, who spends all his time telling us how he got everything right X months ago even though all the haters hated.
It shall be referred to as [ ] because it shall be repressed in favor of our improved lot at that time.
Well, Harbaugh IS going to need a DC....
Of course.
Does anyone believe we could pry him away from Auburn with coaching cash?
After that pick, the broadcast showed him on the sideline trying to walk past Nussmeier - DG didn't want to hear from him either.
Please be wrong. Please be wrong.
I'm not one to get too sold on any one recruit, but he's past the point of being a recruit - he came into the family. If this is true, I fear it could indicate something inside the program that even a Hagerup letter can't overcome. Crap.
Link at the top works, link at the bottom has some random text appended to the end of the URL.
Link
In one of those clips, he says something along the lines of "I've learned that we'd better have our ducks in a row before we communicate something."
A guy with his experience as a CEO, and his AD tenure up to now, and he's just learning this? If he is truly just learning this, that illustrates the fact that he operates in a bubble without consideration for the impacts of his decisions.
If he's just using that as an excuse to cover the fact that they handled the whole communication/PR part of this terribly, well, there's your fact right there.
They're whiting it out with random band noise blasted from the speakers this year. At least the "you suck" at the end that the rest of the stadium says.
It does make me chuckle, but why do we do it after a third down in the red zone where the other team is about to kick a field goal? Seems us allowing the team to get in field goal position means it's more us who is sucking in that situation. It probably would be best reserved for forced three-and-outs.
Using it on every opposing fourth down is kind of like the way that Seven Nation Army was played the previous two years.
I was initially quite excited about the idea of Brandon as AD based on his history with the University and his success in the world of business. Then:
Considering all of these things happened prior to the messes of the last few weeks, you can probably guess where my evaluation of Brandon lies. There've been a few recent examples too that are outside the big points everyone is talking about:
..this would certainly get one. Poke Brandon + Simon Pegg = POSworthy.
The part of the video that makes me wonder about all this is the part where the official looks at the Michigan sideline and barks "Do you want a timeout?". That doesn't seem to jibe with "they said I couldn't" and "there wasn't time because Shane was already on the field".
Regardless, I think competent coaching requires you to take the timeout anyway since the QB with no helmet was moving the team better than the injured QB had all game long. Why save a timeout in that situation?
with this guy. Mark Helfrich is doing a pretty good job at Oregon and we might be able to lure him away with big money and the easier competition in the B1G.
It was on the ESPN homepage all morning as the third of the content blocks below the main image, one of those sections with several stories.