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Props to Braylon.

Also,…

Props to Braylon.

Also, Braylon works out at the Y?

Texas, by way of comparison,…

Texas, by way of comparison, is #34 in Total Defense (worse than 8 of our opponents).

The sound is inexcusably bad…

The sound is inexcusably bad. It (again) only comes from the north end zone board. It sounded like a New York subway car audio, if it were underwater. I'm really surprised that they'd fail so badly on the sound. Didn't they invest in an upgrade? Did someone think "more power = more better"? Was the band mic'ed? Or not mic'ed? Or mic'ed for some tracks and not others? I'm not sure I even heard The Victors after touchdowns (I'm in section 22). Is South Park's Kenny the new PA announcer?

The video board themselves? Huge, and any bigger would be almost absurd, but the A/V folks need a ton of help learning how to better display content (and display useful content in appropriate sizes/colors). The in-game stats on the left side rotate and include whatever you aren't looking for at the time you glance up. Want to see "Yards Rushing," "Yards Passing," and the other basics that used to always be visible? Well, keep looking up and you might catch what you want during another super long commercial break. Out of town scores take up about 5 times more space than necessary (and feature the games who aren't curious about). In general, it's a mess and I hope they take the time to see what went wrong and make (a lot of) changes.

At least the team is going to be great...but man, I was really hopeful that they'd at least have the sound issues resolved rather than going backward fast.

Maybe the word you're…

Maybe the word you're looking for is "realistic". Lions fans should remain realistic. Be happy if things go well, and have some sense of reality when anything "Lions" is involved.

Sorry, having not been born…

Sorry, having not been born yesterday, I put zero faith in the Lions. It'd be awesome if they finally turned it around and won a second playoff game (or, made it to the playoffs), but I don't know that anyone on this board will live long enough to see that happen. I've got nothing against those who spend their time thinking the Lions will actually do it, this time, but can't imagine wasting time caring about them until they prove it on the field.

It's the Lions, so I would…

It's the Lions, so I would imagine they will draft 3 WR's and 2 TE's....maybe a LB coming off 4 ACL operations with their first pick.

A worse M starter? 

I don't…

A worse M starter? 

I don't know about the last 10 years, but TWill makes me think of Anthony Wright - who also never saw a shot he wasn't salivating to take (and miss badly). That said, Wright wasn't the albatross that TWill is. Williams is lazy on defense, rebounds worse than our diminutive PG and thinks he's Kobe (Bryant) with the rock in his hands. I hate to rip on a young athlete, especially where he could be a plus player by simply playing hard and letting others create offense, but dude...Lazy plays, dumb plays, selfish plays - he has killed us this season. I bet we'd have 3-4 more wins if his minutes had been split between (anyone and anyone, even a student trainer) on the team.

My only beef with Nook is…

My only beef with Nook is playing TWill so many minutes. It doesn't matter if he's the best practice player in history, he gets in games and doesn't just play poorly - he plays selfish basketball full of mistakes. It only makes matters worse knowing that if he actually played with more effort and focused on boards/D, he could be a big help to the team. Instead - 4 turnovers, 2 bricked threes, poor defense and 2 less boards than our 5'9" PG. There's no reason to keep giving major minutes to a guy who is the team's biggest liability.
 

You mean you didn't like the…

You mean you didn't like the wide open brick from 3?
Or perhaps you had some issue with him leading a break and ignoring everyone else on the court?
Maybe his pressure-less turnover wasn't your thing?
You must not know about the big blackmail book he keeps on Juwan!

I'll beat the same dead horse b/c he's a minus player who makes selfish errors and doesn't give full effort. That said, if he were to focus on D, hustle and hard cuts on offense, he's going to wind up with lay-ups, steals and rebounds. He could be a big help, but (most games) is playing like a bad teammate at the CCRB.

TWill with 5 less rebounds…

TWill with 5 less rebounds than our 5'9" PG tells you all you need to know about the misguided emphasis of his efforts. As much as I think his play has been a massive drawback for the team, he could also be a part of our recovery if he would only focus on rebounds, defense and hustle. Instead, he chucks up threes, plays (terrible) hero ball and watches offensive players drive to the hoop like he's in a trance. I don't get it.

Cool, cool. You're willing…

Cool, cool. You're willing to overlook his play in 98% of his minutes because he (in your opinion) "carried our ass" during 8 minutes of one half last year (and rebounded well in the round of 32 last year). Ok, no argument. Let's assume that's 100% correct.

Still, that has nothing to do with his poor performance this year. Has nothing to do with his lack of effort on D, his bad decisions on O, his terrible (and frequent) shooting from 3. Look, I'm not saying he's a bum, a bad person, etc. I'm just saying that he shouldn't be starting and should instead be a hustle player focused on D and boards. Stats don't lie - he's the biggest negative player on the court this season, and his selfishness on the court certainly doesn't help.

I think a small child, in…

I think a small child, in Okemos, was injured when that last TWill 3-point attempt flew out of Breslin and across town before hitting the child in the nose. Medical reports indicate the injury was limited to a broken nose, though medical professionals cautioned against TWill doing anything on a basketball court other than rebounding. 

I don't mind a cocky player,…

I don't mind a cocky player, though I don't think he's cocky. He's not good enough to be cocky. He takes bad shots and misses most of them. He jacks them up like he's running at the CCRB. Cocky? No. Selfish momentum killer? Yes.

As for "never shoots" - He's taken more 3's than everyone on the team except for Jett and (barely) Kobe. At the same time, his 3-pt % is lower than 9 players on the team. He averages less steals than every starter. He averages (far) less assists than every starter. He is, however, 2nd on the team in rebounds. So - focus on that. Play hard. Rebound. The rest will come. Otherwise, Juwan won't be able to remain patient much longer. If he wants to shoot so much, he better start making them (or at least coming moderately close). Generally, if your shot is as likely to hit an usher as it is the backboard, shooting isn't your cup of tea.

How's that for a cleanup? Your dude is an albatross on the court because he refuses to focus on the one thing he's good at.

He was -14 on the game.
He…

He was -14 on the game.
He was indeed WIDE open on that 3. He missed by about 17 miles. Good shooters don't miss by so much, and that's not a fluke for TWill. He misses, badly, with frequency. What's the problem with focusing on D and boards, and slowly allowing his offense to come into play?

What do you think he's…

What do you think he's saying, "I hope I don't miss this shot too"?

The guy misses wide open shots all over the place that he jacks up regardless of shot clock or open teammates. That late three he missed was a game killer. He got burned (again) on defense. He turns the ball over. He boards about the same as Dug. What's he add on the court? He should be a 10 rebounds and 4 points type of player and would be a great value to the team if he were.

TWill isn't just the worst…

TWill isn't just the worst starter on the court, he's even worse because he thinks he's the best. You know he was screaming, "KOBE!!!" in his head when he bricked that wide open late three off the side of the football stadium. He's getting 2nd most minutes on the team and our only good runs came with him on the bench.

I like Juwan. I trust Juwan. And still I can't fathom what he's seeing in TWill as a primary starter. He's a hustle player and could be a great one, but he's playing selfish basketball on O and slipping on D. Hell, Joey Baker missed all his shots, but at least they looked close - and he had more boards (in less than half the minutes).

That was a fun game to watch…

That was a fun game to watch and love seeing Dug's speed change our entire offense.

One concern for me is possible gambling within the team. It seems pretty clear that TWill and Gregg Glenn have some sort of side bet on who can take (and badly miss) the worst shots on the court. GGIII was definitely excited to get in the game last night and give TWill a run for his money.

I'd like to see Juwan replace Williams with Jace so that TWill can see how hard work and hustle plays can (eventually) lead to the points he so badly wants. Only one player on the team has shot more 3's than Williams (and 8 have better 3pt percentages). He's a momentum killer. Hopefully the coaches can convince him to focus on boards & D for the time being without killing his confidence.

You aren't wrong, there's no…

You aren't wrong, there's no doubt our problems are bigger than one player (whether he thinks himself the role player he's a good fit for or the Kobe he will never be). I'd be happy to see more intensity and defense from most of our team. It's early on, so at least there's that.

You aren't alone in being a…

You aren't alone in being a fan of his, but I don't see it. Free throws? He's a forward who hasn't gotten to the line in 3 of our 4 games. His rebound per minute rate is nearly the same as Dug's. You don't think he was jacking up shots until we were down 20? I don't buy it. Watch his eyes when he touches the ball; his focus is fixed on scoring, not making team plays. He's looking to shoot every time he touches the ball, no matter where he is on the court, no matter where his (open) teammates are.

He's not a + player. In fact he's a -3.2 so far this year. He has 0 blocks and 4 assists on the season. In about half the minutes, Joey Baker (an actual shooter) has 3 assists and 2 blocks. Can he become much better? I think so. I just believe he needs to focus on effort plays and let the offense come later. 

I think the team will be in…

I think the team will be in a better place once Juwan introduces T. Will to the bench and keeps him there until he learns that he's not Kobe. T Will should be a hustle player - D and rebounds - but he doesn't seem particularly interested in either. His decision making on offense is terrible and is a momentum killer. Maybe, with a focus on the grind, his offensive game will eventually become more consistent, but start with and stick with the effort plays for now.

Given Llewellan's (I know, I can't spell his name) less than stellar player, we're playing 3 on 5 when those two on are the court. I'm much rather see Dug and Jace take those spots as we'll at least see better effort and not as many terrible shots.

I know that lots of folks …

I know that lots of folks (and Juwan) seem to love T Williams, but his bad shooting and worse decision making have been obvious for a long, long time. I don't think we've had such a brick-risk since Anthony Wright. Every time TW touches the ball, he's looking to score (spoiler alert - he's gonna miss, badly, and destroy momentum), when instead he should focus on D and boards. Hustle, hustle, hustle. The scoring will come if he focuses on what he might be good at. In the meantime, introduce him to the bench, and let anyone else take his minutes.

Having both TW and Llewellyn (who maybe will get comfortable but sure isn't now) on the court at the same time, puts us at a massive 3 on 5 disadvantage. JL seems like he wants to hide in a corner and TW seems like he's screaming "KOBE!" in his head all game long. I'm not terribly concerned about one game, but it'll get worse if Williams continues getting superstar minutes with IM results. Jace can also score 4 points in 27 minutes - and he'll play with much more effort.

Signed.
Almost up to 8000

Signed.

Almost up to 8000

They pick which remix of "Who

They pick which remix of "Who Let the Dogs Out" to play during timeouts?

Mods...?  Ummm?  I seem to be

Mods...?  Ummm?  I seem to be stuck in Bolivia despite having a positive point total.  My posts only appear to me and would love to contribute.  Please help.  Many thanks,

Long thread...

Long thread...

Not sure about all of the

Not sure about all of the regents, but I can promise that at least one (a family friend) feels the same way that nearly all of us do.

Excellent insight!  +1 to you

Excellent insight!  +1 to you dahblue!

(still unsure about that iphone)

For some reason, my posts are

For some reason, my posts are only visible to me so I'm going to entertain myself here...

"Self, how do you feel about Hoke these days?"

-Well, I have been a big supporter and I'm disappointed.  Hard to defend the product on the field (at least the offensive side.  oh, and special team...also hard to defend."

"Interesting.  So, self, are you going to get the new iphone?"

-Don't know.  Seems big and I don't really need it.

Well, State certainly has

Well, State certainly has done very well with some lesser regarded kids (something that Michigan has never done...what's that you say?  Jordan Kovacs? Ryan Glasgow? The immortal 3-star Mike Hart?) but don't buy the hype:

Gholston 5*

Lewis 4*

Bullough 4*

Baker 4*

Norman 4*

Sims 4*

Caper 4*

Treadwell 4*

Thomas 4*

etc, etc. etc

Look, Izzo was able to build a program due to the problems in A2.  Is Dantonio doing the same?  Maybe, but pretending that it's all 3* kids ignores some of the reality of the more highly regarded recruits they were able to pickup during the RR years.

As Saint Dantonio might say,

As Saint Dantonio might say, "What's the problem? The kid's a playmaker!"

What?  A suspension for being

What?  A suspension for being offensive, but no punishment for rape?  

"Pedestrian" is pretty kind

"Pedestrian" is pretty kind way of putting it given narrow escapes from UTSA (which might be a tennis academy) and Nevada.

Butt played against ND?

Butt played against ND? That's news to me.

As for Miami, I watched the game last night (after watching in person) and we looked better than on first glance. Yes, the 3 turnover stretch was terrible but we otherwise dominated as we should have. Multiple receivers looked good. Green looked good. The D looked good. This could have been Akron or UConn but it wasn't.

After last week, we know we aren't a great team but after this week I think it's clear that we are better than last year. If we continue to improve, I'm good with that...especially given all the talent and depth we've been building.

Maybe done at OSU, but drug

Maybe done at OSU, but drug tests aren't a big deal at MSU. Besides, we're talking about a playmaker, right?

Well, I got an email from

Well, I got an email from Adidas offering customized "Big House" sneakers and offering $50 tickets for the games against Miami, Utah and Minnesota.  Yes, Adidas is now selling discounted Michigan tickets.  I really don't like Dave Brandon who had the "foresight" to understand that building a team takes time, but not the vision to realize that you shouldn't jack ticket prices until that team is built.

Arizona played the United

Arizona played the United States Tennis Association and nearly lost?  Oh wait...UTSA...what the hell is that?

I'm surprised that the first

I'm surprised that the first game wasn't in South Bend so that they could take that homer and then cancel the second game.

#FuckND

A line for that game is

A line for that game is almost impossible to get right.  I think it's just as likely that State wins 20-17 as they lose 49-21.

Logsitics likely played a

Logsitics likely played a large role in the appearance of the student section.  Last year was the worst I've ever seen and that can be explained 100% by Dave Brandon's amazingly stupid seating policy.  

When you have to funnel ticket holders through multiple checkpoints, and then squeze them, seat by seat into numerically ordered rows...it's going to look empty in the higher rows that aren't yet full.

On the flip side, if you don't treat students like dogshit and let them sit where they want  (or where tickets indicate), you end up with students fairly spread out over the rows.  I sit on the visitors ~20 and the student section looked good, but I'm sure that there was plenty of space (just like in my section).  It's just a matter of having 30 completely empty rows (easy to see on TV) vs random empty seats all over the place (difficult to notice on TV).  Too bad Brandon didn't have someone in his crew explain the basics of event production last year; we wouldn't have lost so many future season ticket holders.

I think it's awesome that

I think it's awesome that someone was able to get the fat kid from Wilcats into that Vine!  Kids and technology...where will the wonders cease?

Number of years of Michigan

Number of years of Michigan football:  135

Tiny sample size:  5

I feel it moderately

I feel this a good place to counter the "Hoke can't develop talent" nonsense with a reference to Brian's notes above on Ramon Taylor and Channing Stribling.

Unknown walk-on brothers

Unknown walk-on brothers Glasgow turned into starters?  I thought Hoke couldn't develop talent?

The easiest thing DB could do

The easiest thing DB could do would be to let the "legends" numbering begin to disappear.  He doesn't have to make an announcement; he doesn't have to do anything and his jersey-cluttering stunt can be forgotten in time.  Who knows, maybe a current player will become a legend in his own number.

I.  I.   I let the dogs out.

I.  I.   I let the dogs out.

All part of the "Wow Factor"!

All part of the "Wow Factor"!

I know he's not going to be

I know he's not going to be the feature back, but I sure want to see Wyatt do some damage out there.

A big difference would be the

A big difference would be the reported "hatin'" done by Urban.  Seems it would feel a little "uncomfortable" to hear a coach repeatedly ripping another program that you like.

Personally, I'd love it, but

Personally, I'd love it, but I don't think it's a workable idea for a stadium that can't even get it together to properly vend bottles of water.  Think about it...no matter how hot and sunny, there are barely any (if any at all) in-seat water vendors.  For an AD obsessed with squeezing every penny of revenue, you'd think they could sell more efficiently, but they don't.

If...that's a big if...they could operate concessions properly, there would still be the problem of carding.  There will be tons of under-21 adults trying to buy and most concessions are staffed by children who aren't allowed to sell booze.  Of course, we could always hire an adult concession crew and sell beer, but it'd be a change from the "community" approach.

As a guy who sold booze for a living, I think you'd probably see an uptick in drunk assholes but maybe a slight lessening of the super-drunk falling down assholes as people wouldn't have to rush the drunk so quickly before the game.  I also think it'd be safe to estimate $12/head for drink sales (roughly $1.4 million is sales) per game.  That's a lot of money and maybe enough to deal with the headaches and staffing changes that would be required.  Nearly $10,000,000 per season might even make an AD think twice about neutral site games in generic NFL cities.

In that NBC clip, I think one

In that NBC clip, I think one of the anchors (second person from left) said "Go Blue" during the brief post-segment banter.  Don't know who he is, but was cool.