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Date Title Body
1. Austin Powers (I've only…

1. Austin Powers (I've only seen a few Bond flicks and none stuck out to me)

2. Neo from the Matrix

3. Jim Harbaugh as portrayed by the NCAA, Big Ten, and every talking head, two-bit journalist or know-nothing influencer.

4. Not sold on the hokey-pokey being what its all about but 100% sure that knowing is half the battle.

Indeed, Go Blue!

Thanks for sharing. I was…

Thanks for sharing. I was really hoping someone would make a video like this. The original has stuck with me over the years. I even thought about making my own version to celebrate the national championship. But since it would take a lot longer than I want to spend on it, my football life is now content.

A lot of people go to…

A lot of people go to college for 7 years...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOsQ2epsI2M

But NINE?!

Nothing in their pockets.

Nothing in their pockets.

Rings on their fingers.

?

That's probably overdoing it. "Nothing in their pockets" creates such a great image in my mind. The only sad thing about a shirt like that is that only our fellow mgobloggers would understand. I'd still wear it though and wouldn't mind explaining it to every single person that asked about it.

I'm still not sure if I have…

I'm still not sure if I have figured out what I'm feeling. I suppose this may come as more of a confession. I've been watching since my dad took me to a game at the Big House when I was probably 6 or 7. I was in high school when the 97 team brought home the trophy. I tried not to wake up our infant by screaming at the TV during the first Under the Lights. Now we have two girls but they don't seem too interested in football. Some years ago I tried to give myself a little distance from Michigan football. I realized that the final score of a football game was affecting my mood too much for too long each week. Plus it seemed to take up so much time. So I started watching recordings of the wins and not worrying too much about the losses. I started to wonder about Harbaugh during the Covid year. Even the next year when they lost to MSU I had thoughts that maybe Jim was just cursed or there was actually some conspiracy to keep him down and this would be Michigan football for the rest of my life. I was a little tired of being good but always trying to avoid the inevitable BPONE.

And then Hutchinson and Haskins and the apparent blizzard finally pulled out the big win. My dad and I even caught the end of the game on TV live. I was so happy. Maybe not for myself but for Jim and the players and all the fans that never gave up and were still so invested. I didn't even watch the recording of the Georgia game. Same for the TCU game the next year. I was actually a little glad that I was away from a TV doing something else during the game but I can't remember what. It seemed like Harbaugh figured out how to beat OSU but they just couldn't compete with the elite programs. Or even TCU in a bowl game.

But then this year. Something seemed a little different. Sure, the schedule was pretty weak most of the way. But this team executed and blew teams off the field. No goofing around and squeaking by MAC teams like years past. Sure, suspend the head coach. Twice! Half the dadgum regular season if you want. The rest of the staff is still smart and focused. The players are still tough and driven. You could see how much they cared for each other. They were unselfish. They had one goal.

And this is what worried me. I couldn't stomach the level of disappointment such a good group of guys would experience if they came up short. And then I nearly gave up all hope. Saban and his championship rings. Alabama and their SEC 5 stars. The gol-darn ROSE BOWL. I started to tell myself that it was a good season no matter what happens, just to soften the disappointment. I thought we had a chance but wasn't convinced Michigan could overcome all of that PLUS the psychological post season hurdles.

But they did.

This team was built different. They were so easy to cheer for. They were so fun to watch. They let every disappointment and distraction fuel them. They handed out turkeys and toys. They were good at football. But most of all, they were a team.

And there was only one team left to play. I had a little more hope against Washington. There weren't as many stars (up or down) on their chart as Alabama. And one talking head pointed out that Michigan was built to beat the passing attack of OSU. But McCord is no Penix I told myself. Don't get your hopes up too high.

I should have realized sooner that it was destined. So many storylines. So many previous disappointments that the laws of the universe eventually have to average out. So many amazing individual players that fit together so well. So many high level coaches and representatives. Even the refs seemed to understand.

So, as for feelings... Joy for the players, coaches and fans. Is there an opposite of schadenfreude? Relief that there is no disappointment this time. Is "basking" a feeling?

But also a touch of mellow sadness. One, that I didn't reach the ecstasy I would have in my youth. Two, that it's over and I don't think there will ever be a team like this again. Three, that the master clickbaiters tried to create a narrative that somehow would discredit the accomplishments of such a great team. Not because I care. But because none of the players deserve that.

Is that a bit of apathy? Maybe it will fade. I'll still watch. But maybe just recordings. I'll still cheer. But maybe just internally. The lows won't be so extreme. But does that mean the highs won't either? Harbaugh can go coach pee wee football tomorrow and I'll wish him the best and be genuinely thankful for what he has done. The rival fans can say whatever they want. College football can continue to become pro football. The CFP committee can realize that they decided football games don't really matter and declare Georgia to be the champions. Connor Stalions could turn out to be a Russian spy. I won't care. I saw Michigan beat PSU in Happy Valley. I saw Michigan beat OSU and win a conference championship for the third year in a row. I saw Michigan beat Alabama in the grandaddy. I saw Michigan win a national championship game by three touchdowns. I saw Michigan lift the trophy. I will remember that forever. I am satisfied. 

 

How does the NCAA not…

How does the NCAA not already have a public database with this information? Did they have a hotline that schools called to see if coaching candidates had any violations?

Also, while I'm asking questions, is it true that ESPN only broadcast the Rose Bowl in 720p? If so, can they be sued for crimes against humanity?

Earlier today I realized I…

Earlier today I realized I've been a member of this site for over 14 years.

Since about the time that weird highlight video came out. I am one of the fanbase that still loves that video. I still use the line "Sometimes when you're on..." when something good happens. I just spent 45 minutes watching live versions of Better Son/Daughter on youtube because I don't know what to do with myself. With this column and the Punt/Counterpunt and getting older, and the destiny we just witnessed, I feel like there is... I don't know. Something remarkable but hidden. Like some kind of circuit of hope has been completed in time and space. I'm so grateful, but don't have the words to explain exactly why.

Thank you to you all. Hail to the Victors.

Can confirm. Well, I don't…

Can confirm. Well, I don't know if it is the same site as before. I just joined this year.

Search "ten yard tracker" on your favorite search engine and it should come up.

You have to have an account.

Thanks for all the work that…

Thanks for all the work that goes into these posts! I remember a time when I (like many fans, I'm sure) thought running the football was as simple as "big guys block, fast guy find a hole" but the Neck Sharpies series has really increased my appreciation for the strategy and tactics of football. I usually don't catch it live but it is really interesting to see why things work or don't work.

I wondered about this too. I…

I wondered about this too. I remember in his halftime interview he said there were "things going on that aren't right" and I never heard what he was referring to.

Not bad as far as uniformzz…

Not bad as far as uniformzz go...

But it seems like Hawaii has worn this exact design before.

I just logged in to ask the…

I just logged in to ask the same question. With kids playing sports I don't know how many games I'll be able to watch live.

Requesting Help:

I just got…

Requesting Help:

I just got home and realized that Comcast here in northern Indiana isn't showing the game? All the BTN channels are showing the IU game. I'm currently streaming on Fox Sports. Will I be able to watch a replay on Fox Sports if I don't watch the whole thing tonight?

Also, what is the best way to tell Comcast or BTN I think this is not ideal?

Edit: Nevermind. I'm an idiot. Well, actually all the Comcast guide shows the IU game on every BTN channel but one of them is actually showing UM.

To this day if something…

To this day if something unexpected or good happens I say to myself, "Sometimes when you're on..."

I would also love an updated version to watch over and over. I can do some basic video editing but I wouldn't have the time for another week or two.

I heard about a site called…

I heard about a site called ten yard tracker. Apparently they have torrent files for football games.

Good points. There seems to…

Good points. There seems to be a lot of fighting between the Bitcoin and Ethereum communities but I think they both have their purpose.

I haven't explored DeFi much yet. Do you recommend a certain site or project? Is it basically earning interest for storing your crypocurrencies there, like proof of stake? I see there are places promising huge annual yields but there has to be some risk right?

Another interesting thing that Ethereum (and now other projects) makes possible is "CryptoArt." Artists can create Non Fungible Tokens through the smart contracts and basically say that there is only one copy of their digital art that is authentic. You can think of it like buying a real life painting that has a certificate of authenticity which gives the painting value.

Anyway, there have been millions of dollars worth of cryptoart (and other kinds of NFTs) bought and sold. I hope to mint some more of my work soon. OpenSea is a site where you can find NFTs from a lot of other platforms, including the bigger CryptoArt platforms.

Hey how's everybody doing?

Hey how's everybody doing?

Wait----

Is there a game tonight?!??

Nice work.

Does anyone keep…

Nice work.

Does anyone keep track of recruiting rankings of just the players that see the field for a team? A way to look at what kind of recruits actually make it into the two deep?

For example, this year if we took the average recruit ranking of the guys that play tonight against Wisconsin it seems like it would be really low compared to the guys we had playing a few years ago or even last year. It would be interesting to compare those rankings to other teams and to previous years. It would be really interesting this year with all the opt outs and quarantined players to see which teams still have a bunch of highly rated recruits on the field.

Our kids (3rd grade and…

Our kids (3rd grade and Kindergarten) are going back. The choice was easy for us since I already teach there and my wife started teaching there this year. Our students had the choice to go full time in person or all virtual. One problem with this approach is the extra load on the teachers.

A bigger decision for us was to send the Kindergartner or wait until next year. We, my wife especially, didn't want the first experience at this school to be sit in a desk all day with no sense of fun or social interaction.

I will say I am comfortable with the plan our school is following: social distance when possible, desks 6 ft apart, masks when moving through the school or closer than 6 ft, sanitizer at every door, no mixing of classes at lunch, recess, etc. Even the kindergarten classes I've observed have done well with the masks and distancing. I don't think it is completely perfect but it is about the best you could ask for. Even with all the precautions, most everyone is still thinking that it is just a question of when we will go virtual. Hopefully (to be selfish) because our county numbers are too high instead of an outbreak in our specific school. And don't even ask about the county health department fiasco just before school started.

I would have been fine going virtual for everyone to begin with, especially when thinking about older teachers and those with health issues.

Maybe this has happened…

Maybe this has happened already and I missed it but I wouldn't mind reading an article about the history of Mgoblog. How it started, problems faced, hiring, how the content gets made, day in the life of the staff members, etc. Hopefully some embarrassing pictures from years ago could be included.

Also, a complete review of the current season and preview of the next season of College Football Risk?

There's a storm comin' that…

There's a storm comin' that the weatherman couldn't predict

I remember as a kid I used to

I remember as a kid I used to think the logo was a red cactus. Even now, after living in Indiana for over a decade, I'm still not exactly sure what a Hoosier is... but I'm 99% sure that it is not a red cactus.

on a positive note:

Harbaugh is only 3 plays from being 4-1 against the rivals...

Okay, that doesn't make me feel any better but I say let him have a couple more years just to be sure we really don't want him.

Pre-game experiences?

My friend (first time to the Big House) and I will be at the game tomorrow. It's been a few years since I've been there. It looks like the MMB march to the field happens at 2:30. From Elbel Field? If I remember right, the band on the field and banner are just before kickoff.

Does anyone have any recommendations about other pre-game activities other than tailgating? Is the Fan Fest worth seeing? What time/place do the players arrive?

Thanks for any advice!

I've used the C button a few

I've used the C button a few times to keep track of scores. It is pretty awesome. I like how the "Last" button shows me multiple channels to make it easier to flip back and forth between games. I'll have to try it with the scoreboard.

Thanks! Good to know.

Thanks! Good to know.

xfinity

Has anyone tried the "auto extend" feature on the newer Xfinity DVRs?

We're back with comcast for football season and there are some nice new features. Not sure if I can trust the auto extend yet. I'll be watching live today but in the future I don't want to miss the end of a game.

Bowl Bound!

I still have Bowl Bound on my laptop which I dust off once in a while. It fills the recruiting void since I gave my brother back his xbox 360 years ago. I love the rectuiting aspect even though it seems a little clunky compared to NCAA on the consoles. I picked the worst school (Idaho) and built up a decent program and won the conference title a few times. Then I got invited to join the Big Ten. I don't win many games now but haven't simmed enough seasons to tell if I can compete with the big names. Still a long way to go.

A few questions:

How hard would it be to create a college football text simulator like Bowl Bound? Creating something like that has always intrigued me but I lack the time and skills to even get started. If there is any kind of Kickstarter with this idea, somebody let me know.

How is there not a college football game already for iOS and Android? I know you wouldn't be able to use the college names and/or mascots. Maybe you couldn't even call it "college" football. But I think a dynasty type game where you get to build a program and recruit players would be awesome.

I'm just north of Goshen.

I'm just north of Goshen. It's actually a relief for ND to lose. I was worried they would somehow sneak into the playoff and I would have to become a hermit or move to a different state...

Interesting...

I guess I can see where he's coming from... But does that mean if the Dutch quit wasting talent in speed skating they would have a better basketball team?

Maybe we should get a chart to compare the salaries and fame of football players and speed skaters. Then he could see why a lot of young men "waste their talent" with such violent activities.

I would probably watch more speed skating if Denard was on the ice though.

well...

at least you didn't loose your mind!

There's a rest of the season?!?!?

Aw crap...

A lot of good ideas so far

If you want my ideal mgoblog, I would like a magazine/feedly style layout mentioned above. Maybe something like digg only with a column or a few boxes dedicated to the content that is currently in the sidebars. But I would also make it responsive. Something like Mashable which changes the layout for different screen sizes. I haven't used the apps much but there seem to be some limitations so I'd prefer a well designed responsive site.

Maybe we should have a contest for the best Mgoblog layout design since the last banner contest never crossed the finish line. (But I'm sure Brian has or knows people that are way better at this kind of stuff than the average mgblogger.)

speaking of stale and lame...

When are these kids going to get with the times? US Dollars?! Show us your bitcoin balances!

Sounds like a great project

Has anyone ever done a comparison of Denard and other Michigan quarterbacks? It would be pretty cool to see where he ranks in things like BCS/Rose Bowl wins, rivalry wins, stats in big games, game winning drives, and some of the other more common QB stats. It seems like I've seen something similar before but can't find it.

I caught a few minutes of the win vs. OSU on BTN replay a couple days ago and at one point Denard was something like 13 of 16. I feel like I've heard so often that Denard was such a terrible quarterback that I forgot that he had some really good/respectable games.

Question:

Are you telling me that if ND takes the place of an ACC school in one of the ACC bowl tie-ins they don't have to share the payout with the rest of the ACC conference?

Thanks guys

Thanks for the feedback guys! I'm happy I could finally contribute something worthwhile to MGoBlog.

Final Four! I'm still not sure I believe it!

thank you sir!

justingoblue,

You can go ahead and do it if you like. I was just going to make the text size smaller so the words didn't wrap down to the next line. But I'm not even sure how to do that! Your posting skills are probably far superior to mine.

Maybe it's easy enough to read as it is? I'll look into the new options but I'm going to eat with my wife first.

Thanks again!

thanks russale2012!
Sorry

thanks russale2012!

Sorry about the hard to read formatting. I pasted from notepad and it wrapped each line in div tags. I was going to try to clean it up and make the text size smaller but I don't know a simple way to do that. Maybe I'll try to repost it in a little while.

Adding to the Lore

Inspired by Brian's post "Exponent Time" and the surreal events of last night I started typing out a poem along the lines of Casey at the Bat. I needed something to do after the game because sleep was unlikely. It's been done before, I'm an amateur when it comes to poetry/writing and this version needs some more work. But I present you with the MGoBlog version of

Screw Mudville

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Michigan squad that day:
A contest in the JerryDome which last was a poor display.
And the Jayhawks with their giants and all their fans that came,
Thought for sure, without a doubt, that they would win the game.
 
"The michigan shooters won't make their shots in such an open space,
And the lack of height and quality depth brings a smile to Withey's face."
"For Michigan to win this game, they'll need a Big House full of luck."
"And the Big Ten is over rated," said our favorite analyst, Chuck.
 
And as the game began, McGary's dong received a punch,
The worst imaginable omen now for the souls of the Mgo- bunch.
As the game progressed it seemed quite clear that nothing could be done,
At the half Hardaway had only 5, while usual-hero Burke had none.
 
Down only 6 at the break some said "We haven't played our best,
If we get our stuff together we may yet win this contest."
But as the 2nd half continued every bounce went KU's way,
The Jayhawks pushed the lead to 14 with under 7 left to play.
 
"The Liveblog is no use this time, our boys have given up,
GR111 is gassed, Stauskas is off, McGary is still a pup."
The free throws clanged off iron, the triples did the same,
It looked as if there was no hero to help Michigan win this game.
 
Finally Robinson tipped a pass and raced ahead to slam it through,
And Burke clamped down before half court to get the ball back from KU.
The next play he drove the lane and dished to an open McGary,
With dong of steel and balls of brass, "This Withey kid ain't that scary."
 
And at the other end Mitch spied Releford driving through the lane,
So he stopped him cold but was called for a foul, the ref is clearly insane.
"Kill him, kill the ref!" shouted all the maize and blue so loud,
The commentators agreed, "All ball," they mumbled with the crowd.
 
After two free points for Kansas, Burke  dribbled around the arc,
Withey stepped out, Trey stepped back, his triple hit the mark.
As the clock dipped under a minute, the Jayhawk hands began to pound,
But Morgan cut off McLemore and pulled down a defensive rebound.
 
At the other end Hardaway misfired, but Morgan dove along the floor, 
Robinson snagged the loose ball and dipped under Withey for the score.
The lead was trimmed to three but less than 30 seconds remained,
All around the arena and beyond Jayhawk faces became quite pained.
 
After trading points, the lead still three, Johnson drew a foul,
"He shouldn't even be on the floor!" Michigan fans began to howl.
Just a point would surely mean that the Wolverine season is all but done,
But Johnson commits a basketball sin, missing the first of a one and one.
 
Timmy pulls down the rebound and quickly hands to Burke,
No timeouts, down by three, with 12 seconds with which to work.
So many options for this team, full of shooters one and all,
But there's no doubt who will have it last, it's time for Hero Ball.
 
Burke dribbled to his left around the space where McGary fell,
Back 30 feet or 30 miles it was really hard to tell,
Practically from the stat table, no defender could reach him there,
He picked up his dribble and raised his arms clutching that leather covered air.
 
And now Burke lightly holds the ball and now he lets it fly,
This shot could be the deciding point of how we view this guy.
March Madness holds it's collective breath as the arc tears through the dome,
And a wave of maize explodes forth as the ball finally rattles home.
 
With only a few seconds left and the comeback now complete,
The Wolverines have pulled off an unbelievable tourney feat.
Onward, Michigan made their shots in an intense extra frame,
Kansas though they tried so hard, couldn't quite do the same.
 
Kansas fans felt the final dong punch in a karmic twist of fate,
Mitch, Tim, Trey and the boys are all headed to the Elite Eight!
Great or Greatest? will be the choices as we look back and debate,
But now there seems to be no doubt, Burke is no longer "merely great."
 
And somewhere couches are burning, and somewhere subs are had,
And somewhere Wisconsin mutters that the backboards must have gone bad.
And the liveblog lives forever, and muppets can be seen,
And no matter where or when, it's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!
 
 
I was going to do one of those cool picture posts but I have a sick kid and I don't have the time. If someone else wants to do it, feel free.
Thanks, and good point

 

Thanks for the article guys. Always good to read about Denard. I love that he wants to graduate on time and accomplish his goal. It's interesting to see how many prospects drop out when they must be so close to getting a degree. I'd like to know what percent finish their degree on time, finish early and just completely drop out. To the Googles!

MGoCombs, I suppose you're probably right. It just seems like I hear about so many different events that would pull them away from their school work. And I guess I envision these things as a larger time commitment than they actually are.

seniors and NFL?

 

I know a lot of NFL prospects are college seniors. Are they still finishing their education? How do all these workouts and pro days and the combine affect their senior year academics? 

Not meant to thread-jack. Just something I've always wondered and this seems like a good spot.

thanks for this thread

 

Seriously, thanks for starting this thread.

I've got a little experience writing blogs but I'm always looking for advice too. I can't really add much to what's already been said. Narrow your focus, do something to stand out, use the social media... it all sounds good to me.

I started reading the post you linked but got bored and skimmed through the rest, probably missing your main point. If I were writing the article I might have started with "the top 10 reasons a committee wouldn't have chosen ND to play in the championship game" (maybe a little humor?) or made up a nice graphic with the matchups for your proposed system. Something short but attention grabbing.

One of the blogs that I write has become a sort of service. I sort through a couple hundred (small niche) blogs and pick out the top posts of the month for this small niche and just link to them. Sort of like a human edited news feed. I just recently posted a list ranking the top 10 blogs of this niche for the past year which gave me a sizable spike in traffic. I've also got ideas for infographics and research projects and hopefully a few other posts that will make me stand out in this niche.

I don't know if you could apply any of these ideas to your blog... Does anyone else have interesting ideas for creating content?

M-23
O-15

M-23

O-15

Interesting

Do you guys think there has been a mindset/culture change over the past few years? When I helped coach a middle school cross country team that was really dominant the head coach made sure to let all the coaches and runners know that when we heard the team results we would clap a little and cheer mildly but not jump around like idiots because we expected to win.

With a few rough years recently do you think the guys on the team don't expect to win like Michigan teams in the past? Maybe this is part of the reason they get so excited after winning a close game and forget? to shake hands.

For the record, I like to see the guys shake hands with the other team before heading over to celebrate. Act like you've been there before. Act like you expect to win.

Great game

I'm glad I DVR'd it. This is one I can go back and watch again. Maybe tonight if there aren't any other good games on. Of course I'll have to explain to my wife why there is another game on there when I still have the ND and OSU games from last year...

JV?

Can we just have Verlander throw left handed? I think I'd take that over our bullpen.

I say the Tigers just get their bats going and build up a double digit lead by the 9th inning.

I'm with you

I bought Bowl Bound College Football by Greydog Software years ago. It is more like what you're talking about I think. I loved that it had more depth than the console games but there were a few things that seemed a bit off. I loved the recruiting, and hiring coaches and some of the other coaching duties. Even the graphics were decent for a text sim. But after going through a few seasons it seemed to get a little old. And it was hard to take the bottom feeders and turn them into conference champions, which is usually what I like to do with football games.

I've always thought that with all the talented people on this site, if we could get organized, we could make an incredible simulation for college football.

Thanks

Thanks for the reply. I'll see what I can find out with the tattoo search.

Looking for a little guidance...

Hey guys (and gals?),

I'm looking for a little help regarding logos and trademarks and what can/can't be used.

In my free time I make wheelthrown pottery. Recently, I've been working on putting logos on mugs. My brother said I should make some Michigan mugs. What are the rules? I suppose I could make one for my brother with a big block M or any way he wanted but what if I want to sell them at some point? I've been to this page: http://www.logos.umich.edu/usemarks.html

What does "Trademark" mean exactly? Do I really need permission to write the word "wolverines" on a mug or is that only if I'm selling it as a Michigan mug? Is it hard to get permission to use certain phrases or images? Could I offer a block M mug and let the customer pick the colors so it wouldn't explicitly be a Michigan mug? Maybe someone would like a Missouri mug? I just remember the logo contest on this blog and some shirts were pulled because of some legal issues.

I see products like this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/90584558/michigan-wolverines-ready-to-hang and I wonder if I could add similar things to my pottery without getting in trouble down the road. Does it matter if I sell them as individually unique pieces?

Just to be safe I've started to come up with phrases or words that are "Michigan" but aren't on the trademark page above. A few ideas: The Team, Beat Ohio, Michigan Man, certain jersey numbers (with no names!), This is Michigan Fergodsakes, Hail, Touch the Banner...

Any other ideas?

Also, if there is a good resource concerning these issues that isn't too hard to understand let me know. I think some of this has been discussed but I couldn't find the relevant thread. I suppose I suppose I could do some internet research but I trust the users here more than other sites.