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Yeah, natto smells like…

Yeah, natto smells like dirty socks, but it's an acquired taste that you get used to. (I eat it several times a week over rice, usually with raw egg - irradiated, so they are considered safe in Japan). 
There's a Japanese idiom about having to try a food three times to know whether you really like it or not, and that was certainly true for many people and natto,

Be careful of the Golden Gai…

Be careful of the Golden Gai area though. Some places are nice and friendly, but some will rip you off; and that's IF they let you in (there are quite a few places, especially the smaller ones, that won't let you in if you don't speak Japanese).

Can connect with fellow…

Can connect with fellow Wolverines on FB group:
Wolverines in Japan

Depending on where and when…

Depending on where and when you are visiting, get a bento (boxed meal) and sit outside. Went to a baseball game and horse race track with family members last season. Prices are normal - no gouging.


As hard as it is to find a really good meal most towns in the world, in Tokyo and many cities in Japan it's really hard to find a bad one.

Getting one week rail pass…

Getting one week rail pass or two?

I'd recommend going further if you have time such as Hiroshima and Kyushu, including Nagasaki (probably the most beautiful city in Japan).

Moderately priced restaurants? There are a lot. And chains that are cheap, but still pretty good.

Most restaurants (in Tokyo at least) have limited lunch menus that are really inexpensive ($5-$20), and remember NO tipping, ever.

college kids who always have…

college kids who always have short term goals ahead of long term ones 

I think this is at the heart of the matter (and it's been the problem with shareholder capitalism in the U.S. for decades). I think Saban (and other coaches) are sincere in their concerns and do have a point. Yes, Saban benefited more than most from the old system (including bag men he may have/not known about), but at least he was able to get kids to trust their coaches and programs and buy in to their long-term development plans that they were going to be so much better off in the long-term with many positive results.

Saban is not the only coach bemoaning this, and it's not only or mostly about the lack of control or power coaches have over student-athletes in this brave new world. (Yeah, Harbaugh wants that SB ring, and the NCAA investigations play their part, but the changing landscape of recruiting and retention and development surely also played a part in his decision to leave for the NFL).

I believe many, if not most, college coaches really do care about the long-term development of the person as well as the player (but unlike most teaching jobs, poor results by your students will get you fired), and both the process and benefits take time to develop, most especially in a difficult sport like football (or education as well). One of the greatest problems coaches face is to teach patience to kids and a culture which demand instant gratification.

 

I don't think Michigan beat…

I don't think Michigan beat OSU, Alabama and won the National Championship because they had an easy OoC schedule in the early season. I think they won partly in spite of it, as no one really knew how good they were till November. But there are advantages and disadvantages to anything happens to a team, including early season losses, coaching suspensions, injuries, etc. Team 144 had the proper constitution to persevere and overcome obstacles and minor setbacks and band together to make them stronger and forge a sense of confidence and air of invincibility.

A further (de)evolution to…

A further (de)evolution to NFL Lite (with unlimited free agency).

A 3-minute warning would be better, actually.

Moved to Ann Arbor when I…

Moved to Ann Arbor when I was 4 or 5, and my father finished his training at the UofM Medical School. I think I went to a couple games before that, but I remember our Cub Scout troop was supposed to go to the Wisconsin game in '68, and I was very excited. But because it was raining that morning, the troop decided to cancel going to the game and just have a TV watch party at the den mother's house instead. I couldn't take it. I was livid, so I ran home in the rain to the crappy black and white TV we had in our living room to watch Ron Johnson run for 5 TDs and 347 yards . 

I was so pissed at the Cub Scouts for being such p*ss**s, I quit and never went back. Never missed another Michigan home game for the next dozen years, though.

While they played with…

While they played with courage and confidence all year, in the second half of the championship game it seemed to finally hit the Lions with where they were and what they were on the verge of, and they were suddenly best by the Imposter Syndrome, the drops, the poor tackling, etc. 

It will be a difficult road to get back there, but this should make the team stronger, so that next time there will be no doubt.

yeah, i agree, though i…

yeah, i agree, though i think they were being confident they could get the TD on 3rd down and if that got stopped (or they've called a pass and been sacked) they had already made their mind up that rather than rush 4th down and get no points, they wanted to make sure they came away with at least some points...

Stanford didn't fall off…

Stanford didn't fall off much when Harbaugh left and David Shaw took over. Hopefully that pattern will be repeated. (Maybe even reach out to Shaw, if the Harbaugh doesn't take him with the Chargers).

Not unexpected...it was…

Not unexpected...it was bound to happen sooner or later - just wish it had been a couple of years later. If you've ever had a hot gf who eventually leaves you for somebody with greater resources who can promise her more than you could reasonably give, this is a familiar feeling. Can't blame them too much I guess, but it hurts, and I can't honestly say I can wish him well at the moment. What kind of message does it send to the players.

As those who lived in San Diego at one time and rooted for the Chargers, just one more reason to hate Spanos.

I'm not so sure. Whereas…

I'm not so sure. Whereas Harball's offense takes time off the clock reducing the time spent by their defense on the field (and with constant subbing) keeping everybody fresh, RichRods offense was a more high risk/high reward approach and exposed the defense to more snaps. 

Yeah, the second half of the…

Yeah, the second half of the season we all dreaded the day that a team with multiple talented receivers burned Josh Wallace - PSU, Maryland(?), OSU, Alabama, Washington - and it never happened. He held up (like Michigan's OTs versus OSU and Bama's supposedly frightening edge rushers), and as much as anything else, I think those were the keys to winning the National Championship.

I believe Vance Bedford when…

I believe Vance Bedford when he says not many coaching staffs can really teach it and not many players can learn it fast enough for college. 

I would like to believe that Michigan players are a bit smarter than your average Div 1 athlete, and can handle more. So attempting to keep the schemes too simple (as Rich Rod, etc. may have done) in order to rely on superior athleticism to try to win most of Michigan's games was selling them short and made them too easy to scheme against.

Thanks for that.
BTW for the…

Thanks for that.
BTW for the longest time The CMOS - the go-to style manual for most publishing (alongside the AP Press Stylebook for news)  - was printed at Edwards Brothers printing in Ann Arbor.

As much as everybody else in…

As much as everybody else in the country complained about Michigan's 2023 schedule (at least the first 3/4 of the regular season), the '24 schedule is going to be brutal: 2/3 of the other playoff teams, pus Oregon, USC, and of course MSU and OSU (not to mention, Fresno State is not bad either). That's at least 7 tough games to get through, before any possible post-season. (No soft West division foe to beat up in the B1G championship game, more likely a rematch if we can get there).

With a new QB, new components on the OL, possibly new coaches (and possibly new head coach) as well as that huge target on their backs with everybody pointed at them, closer to 6-6 is honestly more likely than 12-0. While optimistic, I'd say 9-3 is likely with them on the cusp of the playoffs, is the most likely scenario, and I'd be pretty happy with 10-2 and one of the 10, 11, 12 playoff spots, depending on how it all plays out in the rest of the conference and country.

Wouldn't argue with any of…

Wouldn't argue with any of the names on this list as it is.

There are probably more that should be on the list, though I don't know how they stack up with these specific criteria, which seem to be rather arbitrary; there are others we might consider - such as records, revenue, TV ratings, brand name recognition, recruiting rankings.

Given the changing nature and relative strengths the various conferences over the years, the number of conference championships (30) also seems rather arbitrary.
FSU and Penn State might be arguably on this list (or very near) and they were independent for many of their glory years; and leaving out ND from this list (with no conference championships would be absurd. 

As far as the "smell test" Tennessee, LSU, Washington, and Georgia are some of the names that come close

Couldn't part of the problem…

Couldn't part of the problem be, if they were to grant the football coach such immunity, might it not open themselves up to charges of hypocrisy or suits by other former university employees who were dismissed for violating some rule or another?

I grew up in Ann Arbor (but…

I grew up in Ann Arbor (but been away for most of my adult life) so I really don't get it either. But maybe that's because I don't have to work with or deal with any obnoxious Sparties on a regular basis.

I also don't relish MSU being called out and punished for any malfeasance, as I realize (as hard as it may be for us to accept) that most of the people I come in contact (outside the state of Michigan) often confuse the two schools, so any stain on one tends to be a stain on both.

Ohio State is Michigan's (athletic rival)...maybe Northwestern (and probably soon to be UCLA) are Michigan's academic rivals. Notre Dame is kind of second or third in both categories.

In Seattle after a noon(?)…

In Seattle after a noon(?) game in Ann Arbor!

Anytime, anywhere.

On the beach in Thailand…

On the beach in Thailand with peace in my heart and some people staring at the most beneficent smile on my face - all angst and doubt and pain of decades washed away. (They probably assume I am stoned out of my mind...this is better)

Thank you Brian, thank you Michigan Football Team 144 and all who came before and all who will come after. Pure bliss.

It's become a thing too. It…

It's become a thing too. It's a combination of factors: louder sound effects and movies, soft or mumbly acting styles, the fact that the actors and directors and sound guys and editors have the scripts and know what is being said, we the audience don't.
One thing to do is make sure you are not using the 5.1 surround sound setting unless that is the listening setup and environment you actually have.

When they change or…

When they change or interpret the rules, it tends to be in favor of the offense. Also can't discount the possibility that, to speed up the game (and get to the next commercial!) the replay officials are in their ear about that stuff, maybe even sneaking a peak at the TV broadcast and the unofficial yellow line, and if it's close at all, they'll give it to the offense.

The holding that gets called…

The holding that gets called is more often grabbing of the shirt than bear hugs. In either case, it only gets called when the official sees it and in his determination it reasonably had an effect on the play, generally at or near the point of attack on a run play, or in preventing a sack, or in pass coverage. The rest, they ignore.

True, that was egregious;…

True, that was egregious; though we scored on that drive anyway, with less time remaining on the clock, so in the long run it worked out.

Yeah, I think Herbie has…

Yeah, I think Herbie has always had a kind of begrudging respect for Michigan; that's one of the things that pisses off Buckeye fans. I think a part of him still identifies with the Rust Belt, the Big Ten, and the rivalry.

One cool tradition at…

One cool tradition at Japanese Japanese football games that I love: after the game, the captains go to the opposing sidelines and bow to the opposing team and fans. Then they go back and join their teams, who go to the sideline and bow to their entire section of supporters, no matter how large or small.

Poor play by the QB, Punt…

Poor play by the QB, Punt Returner, Punter & Holder and still winning at the start of the 2nd half?
I'll take it. 

..still nervous as hell, though.

Good results on the first couple of drives will feel real good.

#58 (Sewell), #68 (Decker),…

#58 (Sewell), #68 (Decker), and then #70 (Skipper) all approached the official (Allen), (whether that was to confuse Dallas players or coaches or what, I don't know), who seemed in a hurry to escape them.. Presumably Decker said "I'm reporting as eligible" and Allen (from fatigue?) lost concentration and thought that it was Skipper who said he was reporting eligible, as he had apparently done before in the game.

Then the Lions lined up in an unbalanced formation (how the broadcast crew missed this point), with no TE or SE outside of Decker, and a wing off the LOS, while Sewell and Skipper were both covered.

Glasgow having a terrible…

Glasgow having a terrible game...missing a lot of blocks. Injured?

 

yeah, but he still is fully…

yeah, but he still is fully aware of Michigan's offense and defensive playbook, checks, etc.

the intent of the offense…

the intent of the offense was to keep things from happening, not to make anything happen

unfortunately this has been the case too often veor the years, to point where many are concerned that Michigan's offense has the capability to make things happen when they need to

Most blitzes can be read pre…

Most blitzes can be read pre-snap (though there is a possibility of bluffing, but if you are sign-stealing you are screwed if you miss that bluff sign anyway).

Besides relying on sign-stealing, rather than on proper alignment, reading your keys, and executing your assignment, is a a sure way to get confused and lose.

Actually, the funniest part…

Actually, the funniest part of that scene he referenced, is what happens immediately after the line Eisen quoted:
"Here are your winnings sir."
"Thank you."

 

To counter, I wish Eisen…

To counter, I wish Eisen would have brought up:

  • Michigan transfer QB (Cade McNamara) saying he was telling Iowa teammates and coaches everything he knows about Michigan's offense and defense
  • ex-Michigan LB coach hired by Nick Saban two weeks for the game (and presumably telling Bama coaches everything he knows about Michigan's offense and defense) less than ten months after being on the Michigan staff
  • the shared data-base and other information by other B1G staff

all of which trump any possible effects of any possible information gleaned from shaky video from hand-held i-phone recorded images from hundreds of yards away

If "most deserving" is not a…

If "most deserving" is not a consideration, why is the SEC considered deserving of an automatic spot in the playoff?

They may have been great in the past, but the SEC was not very good this year.
From next year, they will have multiple teams in the field every year.

 OSU just isn't going to…

 OSU just isn't going to have a clear path like they used to

In some ways, it will be easier for them. They don't have to go through PSU and Michigan, they can afford to drop one or two of those games and get into a 12 team playoff, especially with the consolidation. Next year, they just have to win two out of three versus Michigan, Penn State, and Oregon and  beyond that, just beat Iowa and the rest of the fairly easy schedule and they are in.
(Michigan's schedule is far more daunting).

One thing several of the…

One thing several of the Ohio State blogs and media are right about: Michigan has been built to beat Ohio State, whereas Ohio State has not, and is possibly better suited to winning playoff games. (Until Michigan starts doing better in the postseason, that take might not wrong.

Going forward, with the expanded conference and abolition of divisions and the expanded playoffs, Ohio State will benefit, probably more than Michigan. The Game simply will not matter as much as it has until now, as both teams will probably regularly be in the playoffs, and could face each other two or three times in a year.

Nah, if he has to hand over…

Nah, if he has to hand over the trophy he'll just say what a great game it was, what a great conference it is and how it's going to be even better, hardly even acknowledging Harbaugh or Michigan. 
For all we know in his mind after the NCAA investigation, vacating or forfeiting wins is still a possibility, so he's likely to hand over the trophy with an undercurrent of, "Here you go,,,for now."

That, and Michigan went…

That, and Michigan went through more than a decade of having a broken starting QB by the end of the year because of injuries. While McCarthy may not be 100%, he's in much better shape than the Michigan QBs who preceded him since the mid-90s.

And they don't have the …

And they don't have the "well, we're the better school" argument to fall back on.

For close to two decades…

For close to two decades they won almost every year. They expected and felt entitled to winning, and claiming superiority, in football at least. They will do whatever they can to try to explain away the turning of the tables before accepting anything close to reality.

It's a great opportunity for…

It's a great opportunity for Mike Hart to at least interview, on somewhat familiar turf. He'd be a fool not to interview for it and indicate some mutual interest. He knows the program, its limitations (and whatever advantages). 

It's also an indication to me that Indiana had some respect and acknowledgement for Tom Allen and the culture and staff he had there, and are looking to take it further, especially with the help of some Michigan-Harbaugh know-how thrown in the mix.

FWIW Ryan Day has thus far…

FWIW Ryan Day has thus far won 89% of his games - that's a higher percentage than Meyer (85%), Knute Rockne (88%), and just about any other coach in history.

[Mount Union legendary coach Larry Kehres and current coach Geoff Dartt each won 93% of their games, but they're Division III]

Even Zach Smith gets that…

Even Zach Smith gets that the current Michigan program is not the Michigan program that Meyer faced.

And if Michigan has a…

And if Michigan has a reputation of having a guy who's "really good at stealing signs" wouldn't you be more inclined to change up who the live and who the dummy signal caller is, use wristbands, etc. and switch them at half-time, making much of the first-half information gleaned irrelevant?

 

I literally cried tears of…

I literally cried tears of joy as I watched the fans rush the field (which got me in trouble with my wife, who said that I looked even happier than I was at our wedding 🤣)

I think the defense has to be something along the lines of, "Different kinds of tears. Contained within those tears of joy at the long-awaited victory was the release of so many years of pains and suffering; whereas you my time with you is not of pain and suffering - it is has been (and for me shall always be) bliss and pure joy."

Coaches at power programs…

Coaches at power programs found a workaround: hire experienced coaches as “analysts,” meaning they can watch film and shape strategy but aren’t allowed to coach during practice or teach skill development. How this serves “student-athletes” is a mystery. 

A school can pay one coach $12 million, but it can’t pay 12 coaches a total of $1 million.

The contradictions and hypocrisies are great. Seems to me if whatever governing body needs to sit down and rewrite the rule-book. Either anything goes, or put a strict limit on the budgets of whole programs...or something in between. But this hodge-podge of rules and outrage at one violation while looking the other way on something else doesn't serve the sport or most of it's participants very well.