“The player development is the main thing I like (about Michigan),” Williams said. “You can see that they develop their players. They get them in the gym and they work them hard. And their hard work pays off.”
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BoyBlue
History
- Member for
- 5 years 31 weeks
Recent Comments
| Date | Title | Body |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years 12 weeks ago | This is going to be a |
This is going to be a historically bad draft, very few if any sure fire NBA players. Irving and Williams look great, but after that there is very, very little. It would be a shock if Morris doesn't make the first round. If it were any other year Morris would be a 2nd-rounder. |
| 3 years 26 weeks ago | White Stripes "Death Letter" Under the Blackpool Lights |
60 or so comments and no love for Jack White? |
| 3 years 29 weeks ago | Big 10 signing day rules |
Is it possible that the Big 10 signing rules (whatever they are, ESPN mentioned them in that piece), could keep Miles from cutting kids? He wouldn't be allowed to go outside those rules. |
| 4 years 7 weeks ago | Anybody else laugh with the |
Anybody else laugh with the line: "...the Carr offense excelled in the 0-3 and 10-20 yard ranges" ? |
| 4 years 15 weeks ago | Lalota |
Lalota came in nowhere near the 6'6" 250 lb. that the recruiting websites had him listed at. I believe he had significant elbow/shoulder injuries. He definately needs time to physically mature. Banks is becoming a very good backup to RVB. Big Will is in fact big and makes plays strictly because of his size even if the techniques are raw. Sagesse can fill in behind Will. Martin is an animal, altough a short one. Simply due to being older and physically more ready Watson likely plays more than Lalota. Same with Patterson, who wows you briefly then disappoints. |
| 4 years 17 weeks ago | SS the key |
In many ways the SSs are the hardest positions to fill in the 3-3-5. Like you said they are LBs against running teams and have to cover slots against spread teams. Fortunately we don't face too many primarily pass spread teams (Purdue, Notre Dame) where SSs can be victimized by quicker slots. I don't know how they are doing this spring, but Kovac's and William's strong suits are tackling and run support so they would suit us well against the running teams. |
| 4 years 17 weeks ago | Versatility |
I hope these slides show the versatility of the 3-3-5 to some disbelievers. Against old school teams like Wisconsin you have 8 players within 4-5 yards of the line of scrimmage. There is your 8 men in the box cliche. Against spread teams like Northwestern you have 5 db's on the field to combat multi-WR sets. This is done without personnel changes. |
| 4 years 19 weeks ago | Dates |
Practice Dates: The three days in a row on April 8-10 coincides with the Coaches Clinic. |
| 4 years 20 weeks ago | LIES! That is what all girls |
LIES! That is what all girls say, they are looking for a sense of humor. From all the "I consider you more as a friend" replies I get from girls whom I make laugh, I have found this to be a massive lie. |
| 4 years 21 weeks ago | Forgot a couple |
Bell is a ILB too if I remember correctly. Also Leach didn't light the world on fire, but his play was good enough to take Ezeh's job away. ILB Depth: I am not saying moving Ezeh has to be done. I am arguing that we shouldn't be too quick to dismiss the idea. In many ways it makes sense to me. |
| 4 years 21 weeks ago | Campbell |
Yes, he made some plays. But, IIRC, he didn't start nor played starter's minutes in that game. Everyone, including myself, wants him to be a beast this year. Remember that he is very young and to be a starter and a dominator as a true sophomore is difficult to do. |
| 4 years 21 weeks ago | Condensation and MLB |
"Regardless, you'd be condensing five starter-level players (Van Bergen, Roh, Martin, Sagesse/Campbell, Ezeh) into four defensive line positions" That's debatable. We don't know for sure that Campbell/Sagesse are ready for starter level minutes. I sure hope so, but neither of them were commanding more minutes with their performances last year either. I guess my main point is that Ezeh struggled so much that Leach took his job after 30 (or so) straight starts. That is hard for me to forget. To me Ezeh has more upside as a Quick. It depends which of these two choices you prefer: Quick- Roh If Campbell is ready and Ezeh turns competent I am all for it. Quick- Ezeh Campbell isn't ready and one of the backup MLB's turns competent. Overall: The lack of a quality MLB can kill a defense. I have more faith in the improvement of Fitz than I do with Ezeh at MLB. |
| 4 years 21 weeks ago | Ezeh as DE |
I think general consensus around here sees the D-Line next year with RVB moving to DE, Martin being a 3 tech, Roh staying as the quick, and the nose taken by Campbell and Sagesse. I think moving Ezeh is an interesting possibility. Ezeh, based on all accounts, is a fast and strong athlete but doesn't grasp the mental aspect of the game. A move to the quick may help because it is an easier position to grasp mentally. Ezeh as the quick, Roh to DE, RVB stays at 3 tech, and Martin is the nose. Campbell, Sagesse, and Banks fill in at 3 and nose. Banks plays some DE as well and hopefully Lalota or Jibreel Black help at DE. Suddenly D-line depth is fantastic and walkons aren't relied on so much. Some people may hate this idea because they don't want to move Roh. I think with an extra 15-20 pounds Roh is a great DE. I guess it depends on how different the jobs of the quick and DE are. According to my limited knowledge they are quite similar. For me this hope that "the light will come on" with Ezeh is optimistic, but is very unlikely to happen. What makes people think that after 30 or so starts that at start 31 the "light comes on"? I know the changes in schemes and coaches haven't helped, but LB instincts can't always be coached. Some LBs have it, some don't. I would be more optimistic that Fitzgerald, Demens, or Bell would make that big leap forward at MLB. |
| 4 years 23 weeks ago | Kudos to Big Boutros on the |
Kudos to Big Boutros on the Heat mention. Cops and robbers with Pacino chasing De Niro and intense drama throughout. It has to be my favorite movie of all-time. Now this may make me a huge nerd, but #2 on the list has to be Donnie Darko. Incredible movie. |
| 4 years 25 weeks ago | Somebody has to want the 2nd pick |
Trading down sounds like a good idea, but somebody has to want to trade up. Really the only reason that anybody trades up as high to #2 is to get a "franchise" QB or LT, other wise trading up means you have to spend too much money on a position that teams don't spend that much money on. You have to hope that Bradford and Clausen start to test through the roof in hopes of trading down. Right now it doesn't look good. |
| 4 years 25 weeks ago | LT |
That is because he isn't a number 1 back anymore. LT's 3.3 yard/carry was less than Kevin Smith's 3.4. Throwing any money at a free agent back at this point would be a waste. Older free agent RBs rarely work. RBs who can contribute can be found later in the draft. Jets got Shonn Greene in the third. First two picks go to DL/OL, McCoy then Bruce Campbell?. Grab a RB later on, like Hardesty in the 4th. LeGarrette Blount can be had in the middle rounds and has the size/speed to contribute as long as he doesn't lose his mind on the field. Between Smith, Brown, and rookie mid-round RB there maybe an NFL back in there. |
| 4 years 27 weeks ago | Third Party |
I went ahead and threw my vote away and voted for a third party. |
| 4 years 27 weeks ago | Football Players and Track |
Denard is obviously not the first to do both. Braylon was successful at both as well. When Braylon was running track Lloyd's only rule was that it wouldn't take time away from his football activities. Braylon still did the football workouts and spring practice, but obviously still had the time to go to track as well. I don't think this has changed under Rodriguez. |
| 4 years 27 weeks ago | Why the secrecy? |
Why the secrecy? |
| 4 years 30 weeks ago | Primadonna or not |
Even if the James kid is a primadonna a coach is in the wrong for locking him in a shed and not allowing him to sit down. You can't lock kids in sheds for hours, regardless of the reason. |
| 4 years 30 weeks ago | Easy to Understand |
I think the story is easy to understand. James is viewed as a non-contributer with attitude problems by the coaching staff. This is obvious from the emails by former coaches and some players. James shows up to practice with a diagnosis of a mild concussion. Leach, completely frustrated by James' prior efforts and latest injury, decides he doesn't want James at practice. He doesn't want the malcontent to be a distraction. Leach then makes the kid go in the shed, and the press conference room/electrical closet during practice so he doesn't have to deal with him. There are reports of an assistant that makes sure that James doesn't leave or sit down. TexTech finds out about the situation. Leach refuses to apologize to the James family or admit he might be wrong. Leach is suspended. Then Leach files lawsuit so he can coach in bowl game. Leach is then fired for not showing any sort of regret for locking a player in a shed and then media room/closet and then defiantly filing a lawsuit. Personally I feel like the whole thing could have been avoided by sending James to his dorm or to the trainer's room. The coach doesn't want an injured player being a distraction to others just has to send him home. Then the next day you meet with the player and tell him why he was sent home and how he can fix the issues. If the player doesn't improve on his issues you boot him off the team. |
| 4 years 32 weeks ago | PS3 Madden and NCAA |
I only played NCAA for years because Madden games were too arcadey if that makes sense. It was way too easy to put up points and star players (or players with 99 speed) dominated games. Then I played last year's NCAA and it sucked. This year's NCAA they attempted to fix some things, but I was still disappointed when I played it. Finally this year I heard good things about Madden turning into a more realistic football game. I bought Madden for the first time in 6 years. I actually prefer Madden to NCAA this year. The movement thing is something to get used to, no one can simply cut on a dime like they did in the previous generation's games. NCAA and Madden move similar in that way. Play-calling is a big part of being successful. On run plays don't use the sprint button until you have picked the hole you are going to run through. It is really hard to move side to side if you are sprinting. Be patient then when the hole opens up sprint through it. How many games have you played? It could take more than a week to get used to the game's mechanics. If you don't like Madden then I wouldn't get NCAA. The only advantage to NCAA is the larger amount of playbooks can be kind of fun to run, but even then the plays seem kind of broken. The zone read or QB choice has never felt good on NCAA. It seems like a crap shoot if you will be successful or not. |
| 4 years 32 weeks ago | Awkward looking |
Guys with that much musclulature just look awkward when throwing a punch. His kicks were incredibly tough, but when he tried throwing punches while standing it looked like old Bob Sapp fights. He will have to lose some of that muscle up top and get some flexibility back before he can beat anyone that can match his size/weight. They put a guy in there 50 lbs. less than him and it went they way it was expected. Highlight of the fight was the ref tackle of Pudzianowski when he tried to pull him off the other guy. |
| 4 years 33 weeks ago | Stars and Douche Fans |
Fans who throw a kid under a bus because the recruiting experts don't like them are idiots. Sure the recruiting sites are a helpful tool because there is a relationship between high ratings and all-americans or whatever, but the bottom line is simple. The coaching staff at Michigan saw the video of a player and decided they wanted him. That should be good enough for the fans. Who do you trust more, the Michigan coaching staff or a recruting site? A bad report from a recruiting site makes Rodriguez and co. wrong? I for one don't think so. I for one trust the coaching staff. Welcome Carvin, Vinopal, Dileo and anybody else who get treated poorly on fan sites. Hit the books hard, let Barwis do his work, trust your coaches and you will be champions. GO BLUE! |
| 4 years 33 weeks ago | Eligibility |
No they do not lose a year of eligibility nor does it count as a redshirt year. I am not sure why, but since they never had an opportunity to compete in a game they don't lose eligibility. In essence they get a head start on the rest in their class by getting a semester of academics in and a spring practice as well. |
| 4 years 33 weeks ago | "backdate" |
I think you got caught up in the part where they said you can't backdate a player who isn't enrolled in that academic year. But an early enrollee IS enrolled in the 2009 academic year as the winter '10 semester counts towards the 2009 academic year. This is not then "backdating." So a class of 28 is allowed because of the early enrolling of at least 3 (Pace, Robinsons, White, Miller, Others, I am not sure). HOORAY! Now it appears we don't have to Peace or Barnes a kid, and I hope we don't. Subject to academic reasons this class should be huge and talented. |
| 4 years 33 weeks ago | 205 |
Jon Jones looked awesome, but there are numerous guys at 205 ahead of him right now. He won't get a title shot for a while, but he is extremely young. Shogun Rua might beat Machida when the rematch happens. Winner of Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva might get the next shot. Little Noguiera just joined UFC and is likely to get a shot before Jones. Does Rampage return? Couture just dropped back down to 205 and even though he is well past his prime the UFC loves giving him title shots. The Kimbo fight did suck. Both guys tired easily. However, one of the highlights of the night was the Kimbo throw, he dropped Alexander on his head and nearly ended the fight there. Although I don't know how that judge gave the first round to Kimbo, maybe because Alexander was running away too much? Overall a decent, not great night of fights. I can't wait for Penn vs. Sanchez though. Penn is a killer at 155 and Sanchez is just crazy enough to attack him. |
| 4 years 39 weeks ago | Fanaticism vs. Rationality |
I don't think "rationality" and loyal Michigan fanbase can ever coexist. I was at the game this Saturday for my first Rich Rod era experience and the grumbling amongst the fans was excessive. Everyone in the stadium hates the play-calling all the time. As a high school football coach (I know it isn't the same as being a coach at U of M) it amazes me how many people think they can do the job. The truth is these coaches spend an incredible amount of time with these players put them in what they think is the best position for them to be successful. They know the player's ability more than any fan does. What I saw Saturday was a UM offensive line (who sorely misses Molk) that got beat up a bit by a better than advertised Penn State D-line and UM's paper thin secondary get shredded by the returning first team all Big 10 quarterback. Sometimes a coach can call the perfect play and opposing talent can and will trump that call. Regarding the "sloppiness" and turnovers: it is a residual effect of an aggressive offense with young players. It is possible that we wouldn't turn the ball over so much if we had Denard under center and we ran zone left Debord style. But we all saw how much of a waste of talent that can offense can be. We lost at home to what could be a top-ten team by the end of the year. Deal with it, and know that a 7-5/8-4 record means growth. |
| 4 years 44 weeks ago | PS3 |
I have a playstation 3 and love it. Also Xbox 360s fail a whole lot more than ps3, and ps3 online play is free. An article on system failures: If you don't want to read it, here is the jist. Xbox 360 failure rate 23.7%, PS3 10%, Wii 2.7% |
| 5 years 7 weeks ago | Agree |
I accept it more now than a year ago, especially when Rodriguez talked about only recruiting those who LOVE football. It appears that O'Neill didn't love football enough to put all the work in, so wish him luck and Mich football will be fine without him and all those unwilling to put in the effort required. |
