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Gitback

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Date Title Body
2 weeks 5 days ago all I can say is

I love that "#winteriscoming" is in that pic.

5 weeks 4 days ago I was at both of those

...miserable. But for my money, nothing was worse than Purdue1995.

6 weeks 3 days ago Poop.

Disappointing.

6 weeks 3 days ago Anyone actually WITNESS this?

I'm not finding a single local news source corroborating this and, frankly, those pics and that video could be from anywhere. On Facebook they show a different pic and link the Daily, but all the Daily said was that it was a quiet, tame celebration. Might be wishful thinking, but could we be looking at a hoax?

6 weeks 3 days ago Fire Bielien!!

We suck!!! Wait... What just happened? I haven't watched since the B1G tournament.

7 weeks 4 days ago Two encounters

Two encounters is a pretty small sample size to draw sweeping conclusions about a "fan base" as a whole. Personally, I've had the exact opposite experience where the Buckeye contingent went out of their way to be jerks while the Spartans were good natured. Depends on the nature of the individuals at issue. I've run into jerks and nice people representing every rival fan base, as well as many Michigan fans who were complete assholes to visiting fans as well as other Michigan fans. In the end, I believe that all fan bases have pretty much equal proportions of all types with some perceived variation due to commonly held beliefs that are perpetuated by the media. You'll notice Nebraska fans being nicer because they have an established rep for it; same with Michigan fans being arrogant and Buckeye fans being a bit too "extreme." This corroborates what you've "heard" and you tend not to notice the other variations. We think MSU fans are classless, but that's not an opinion that the MSM has perpetuated, so it's not a universally held perception, just a regional one. They're status as always being in Michigan's shadow is well known, but that's nothing unique; see Texas/Texas A&M, Oklahoma/Oklahoma State, Alabama\Auburn... Personally, I have this perception that OSU fans are the absolute worst despite the fact that I grew up in Lansing and have seen much more atrocious Spartan behavior. It doesn't make much sense.

8 weeks 4 days ago Wait, wait, wait...

I thought our coaching staff sucked at coaching defense?  

#Wolverine_in_Columbus  #TheGhostofYost

 

I thought this team was just mediocre and not worth the time to watch?

#jasonmkeith

 

I thought they were a collection of pathetic losers, chokers and quitters?  "All of that talent and nothing to show for it."

#exmtroj

 

I thought GRIII was a spoiled brat who could care less?

#MichiganMan2424

9 weeks 5 days ago We need 2 post game threads.

This has probably been suggested before, but I'd really like to see TWO threads started after games, a RANT thread and a SERIOUS DISCUSSION thread.  That way all of you DB's who are bagging on these kids now (but LOVED them all after the OSU and MSU wins) can have your own little place to be pathetic reactionists while the rest of us actually have a place to voice rational critique and discussion.  This would allow the mods to simply direct RANTERS to the RANT thread when they take the time to post how they "don't have time to watch" losers, instead of handing out down votes and deleting comments and all that.  

There are so many good questions and comments in these threads, but they get drowned out by the noise coming from the kiddie table.  Let's give the kiddie table their own thread.

11 weeks 6 days ago The point is...

Theses kids don't "owe" any of us a goddamn thing. They're not loafing on defense because they're lazy and think its fun to screw with fans, it's just that the college game is still moving pretty fast for them and they're clearly not fully understanding all of the concepts, assignments and switches being thrown at them on D, but their offense is coming along. Ripping them like they're an insult to the sport is as asinine as it is counter productive.

12 weeks 8 hours ago I don't think we should be asking if this was a "flop"

Describing this situation with the term "flop," to me, diminishes the nature of what were talking about here.  Its one thing to try and draw a conventional charge call by initiating contact and then exagerating the impact to maximize effect.  It could be debated that this is "part of the game" but is usually labelled "floping."  If this Sheehey play is what it appears to be (from the circumstantial evidence) this isn't a flop; its way beyond that.  Its flat dirty.  

This is not a regular, run-of-the-mill charge/blocking foul situation.  This is about a rule that has been implemented for player safety which, if the implications are correct, was used to bail out a team in a "no hope" situation.  Getting two shots and another possession was just about IU's only hope there, and the only way to accomplish that was to deliberately place a players face at elbow level of the opponent so that contact would be likely, resulting in a review and possible flagrant foul call.  Furthermore, given the apptitude of some of these refs, its not exactly a shot in the dark.    

The funny thing is that while I was watching the game, when this happened, everyone in the room exclaimed AT THE SAME TIME "did that dude just put his face into the guy's elbow on purpose?!?"  It appeared incredibly purposeful, and the replay made it seem even more so.  We were all skeptical but, I'm not going to accuse someone of something like that without more to go on.  

Now you take into account the timing of the TO, the clip of what Crean appears to be doing during the TO, that this occured directly after the TO, Crean's immediate reaction to the incident (screaming for a review without a moment's hesitation) and the implications are pretty strong; not conclusive, but pretty strong.

Calling this a "flop" is a slap in the face to honest flop artists everywhere.  

This is dirty, bushleague, "hurts the integrity of the game" type stuff.  Again, if true...

12 weeks 10 hours ago Torn...

While the Michigan fan part of me loves to see a rival fall flat with a hire, the SEC hater in me wishes MSU would've done something BOLD.  This is somewhat analogous to Wisconsin losing Bielema to Arkansas.

From a conference perspective, MSU is one of those schools that has GOT to elevate itself if the conference is ever going to compete "top to bottom" with the SEC.  The Big Ten needs it's "middle teir" teams, i.e. MSU, Iowa, (I can't believe I'm saying this... but) Northwestern, Illinois to get stronger if the league is ever going to develop the cache that brings consistent five stars to the top tier teams year in and year out.  This notion that exists with many recruits now; that the SEC as whole is a higher level of competition week in and week out, and will therefore prepare you better (and more quickly) for the NFL, doesn't come solely from the success of Florida, Alabama and LSU.  It's also largely a result of the (perceived?) success of South Carolina, Auburn, Georgia and Arkansas.

Arkansas needs an upgrade at HC so they go steal Wisconsin's coach.  MSU needs an upgrade at OC and they hire... THIS GUY.  I mean, not everyone can just go out and get an Urban Meyer or a Greg Mattison, but Jim Bollman?

12 weeks 1 day ago ads blocking text...

anyone else having trouble with the some of the Mgoads blocking the text while using Chrome?

14 weeks 6 days ago Gittleson

Would have DESTROYED this kid. I'm not sure how the current staff "acts" about this kind of thing, but Gittleson would pound you into oblivion for simply wearing a red or green shirt in the building.

16 weeks 10 hours ago or...

link to Patrick Stuart, who gave a rousing speech at the Big House at half time of the Indiana game on November 11, 2006 in which he commanded that we should go to Columbus and beat the Buckeyes and then proclaimed "make it so... NUMBER ONE!!"  He then conducted the band.  

...Then Bo died and we lost.  But up till then it was awesome.

16 weeks 10 hours ago BAM.

It all comes back to space.  Bitches.

16 weeks 10 hours ago Still in all...

I'm glad the guy isn't bitter and bashing Michigan and Rich Rod and everyone else... which he could be doing.  Its nice to see that he isn't making excuses or pointing fingers and is just saying "it was a tough situation and I'm looking ahead."  He's not being a Kiffin about it at least.

16 weeks 3 days ago Mike Elston

Also would have been a dominant OLB in the mid-90's but a shoulder injury kept Jim out. He had all the tools. His injury and Scott Driesbach's are two that I wish I could just erase. Two great guys with great potential.

16 weeks 3 days ago Rasheed Simmons

Guy was an absolute man/child specimen coming out of high school. His wingspan... My God... He would be sitting down with his hands on his knees and then stand up, and his hands were still on his knees. He was a prototype pass rusher who just couldn't put the mental aspects together. Kerwin Waldrop was another.

16 weeks 3 days ago Sort of reminds me

Of Rawls run early last year. You're thinking "maybe this kid's got something," then... not so much...

16 weeks 3 days ago It wasn't Falk...

It was just one of the usher type guys who is assigned to keep that area clear and credential people and what not.  Falk is WAY too busy before games to be out greeting the other team.  Besides, Jon Falk probably wouldn't be treated that way by any opposing coaches.  He's well known throughout the country and is pretty much buddies with everyone (even though, or maybe because, he's the dirtiest, and funniest, old man you've ever met).  

I've never met Dantonio myself, but the anecdotal evidence which supports his doucheholery is pretty substantial.

17 weeks 4 days ago Any open forum

has it's share of overzealous posters and this one is no different.  We overreact a ton around here, that's part of fandom.  The percentage of "facepalm" comments here is certainly less than most places, and we have safeguards and a culture which usually prevents troll comments from turning into a flame war.  That's what makes this site among the very few I go to.  We're not MLive, or RCMB and that's a good thing.  But we'll never stamp out people who live their life by the "ready, fire, aim" philosphy.  And I'm glad we're a community that doesn't tolerate baseless accusations (things like "Hoke manages the roster specifically to force out certain players").  We don't stand for crap like that; not because you're being critical of a coach (god knows we're PERFECTLY FINE with that) but because its an asinine statement.   

17 weeks 4 days ago This...

...this just... it's like Swarbrick lost a bet with Barney Stinson or something.

17 weeks 4 days ago Not quite...

I call it stretchgate because that's a generally accepted term for that incident.  OSU's scandal is "Tattoo gate" and PSU's scandal is "The Jerry Sandusky thing."  It's not a means of trivializing it, but, at least on this board, that's become one of the generally accepted monkers for it.  I guess I could have said Freep Jihad, or "that thing where we got busted for practicing too much and not keeping very good records..." but I think "stretchgate" does the job.

Further, even the MSM thought that "stretchgate" was pretty trivial, and many thought that the OSU players exchanging trinkets for tattoos was "eh"... it was the Tressel lies that really caught everyone's attention.  The point was that, in the world of "major college sports scandals" our incident was pretty tame by any objective standard, and yet the administration still expressed significant remorse and regret.  OSU, in what was without a doubt a much bigger deal, stayed largely defiant until the criticizm was too much to overcome.  Only THEN did they display any real contrition.  ...and then, while the matter is still fresh on everyone's minds, Tressel gets invited back as a hero.  

17 weeks 4 days ago I agree... to a degree...

Watching the Bucks hoist Tressel up on their shoulders a few months ago, all I could think was "this would never happen at Michigan."  Our culture is VASTLY different than theirs.  We love winners, but we loathe embarrassment more.  

Ohio State doesn't really seem to feel shame as keenly as we do.  Just the way we reacted to stretch gate is evidence of that.  OSU was defiant, and to this day cleary doesn't think that getting free services for memorabelia, or the head coach keeping mum about it, is that big of a deal.  They merely point to Penn State and say "see!  now THAT'S an issue.  Our thing?  Pft.  That was nothing."  Michigan could have done the same thing with the Freep Jihad.  The athletic dept. could have gone all Allen Iverson and been like "We're talking about STRETCHING here guys!"  But instead they immediately went to "a rule is a rule, we screwed up, we'll pay the price and learn from it."  Two very different ways of doing things.  

Now, I'm not making a judgement as to which position is "more correct" but there is certainly a difference.  I mean, Gary Moeller had a few too many and got belligerant with the cops and we couldn't run him out of town fast enough; three straight Big Ten titles, a Heisman Trophy winner and a Rose Bowl win be damned.  He was persona non grata for the better part of 15 years.  Tressel was being HONORED AT HALF TIME within a year and a half.

17 weeks 4 days ago I'd frame the question differently...

To me, the question isn't "are we sane?" it's "are we intellectually honest?"  The answer, quite often, is "NO."

we say Bo never would have let Sandusky slide, but the same was thought of Paterno, which is why people defend him to this day.  "The Joe I know would have never let Sandusky get away with that kind of thing if he knew about it!"  That's what we think of Bo.  Bo had the fortune of never having to face a sitution like this... so far as we know... so we really don't know with certainty what he would have done if something similar involving one of his most trusted assistants, say Moeller, or McCartney, or Hanlon, had occurred.  He was a straight arrow, but he was also absolutely loyal.

Human beings are horribly flawed when it comes to logic and reason.  Even now those who hate ND or just love to celebrate someone's downfall are digging in their heels about the fact that Te'o was in on the hoax from the get go.  But if you look at the evidence that's coming out, it really is starting to look like Te'o was duped.  Even my theories, that he was duped but played up the relationship way too much, seem to be off the mark.. and I'll admit that.  Based upon what's coming out from Tuiasosopo, his acquaintances, and from Te'o himself, it does sound like Te'o thought she was real, cared deeply for her, embellished some things to cover up the "on line" nature of the relationship but, overall, really did get played.  Never-the-less, those that hate "all things ND" will never give him the benefit of the doubt; just like Domers were behind him 100% even when the whole thing was looking very bad for him.  

 

17 weeks 5 days ago but

there's another, more plausible angle to that.  He didn't visit her, EVER, on her deathbed or otherwise, not because he knew she didn't really exist, but because they really weren't that close. She was an internet friend/flirtation.  They probably had some deep exchanges about life and god and religion on occassion, but he never visited her because she wasn't THAT important to him.  She only became important when the "Star ND Player's Girlfriend Dies" story started increasing his visibility.  

17 weeks 5 days ago *cough* *Cough*

Manti:  Seriously baby?  Should I come out there?  I mean, you don't sound so good.

Lennay:  *cough* No, I'm fine, that's just the effects of the chemo and the fact that I'm in and out of a coma.  And I'm still recovering from the car accident.  *cough*

Manti:  Ya.  Okay.  Damn, I wish I could have visited you back in the summer when the accident happened.

Lennay:  No!  No honey.  *cough*  It's okay, you were busy with, you know, all the stuff that's going on in South Bend in the summer and stuff.  *cough* It's alright.

Manti:  Okay, well, I gotta get to practice so that I can honor you by playing really good.

Lennay:  Good.  Now, you promise me Manti, if anything happens to me, you just keep playing your sport.  *cough*  Don't even think about coming here to try and lift my spirits or, if the worst should happen, coming to my funeral to pay your last respects to our undying love.  I don't want you to miss any football practice on account of our devotion toward each other.  I LOVE YOU!

Manti:  You're the love of my life honey.  I wouldn't dream of missing practice to be with you, since, you know, that's kind of your dying wish and all.  I mean, I have to honor a dying wish, right?

Lennay:  Right.  God bless you Manti.  You're a saint for not coming here to be with me. *cough*

Manti:  Right.  Well, off to practice!

17 weeks 5 days ago this

only lends more credence to the theory that he was "playing up" the Lennay angle after the death, but wasn't really involved in some elaborate hoax that was, apparently, a year or more in the making.  She went from "this chic I'm tight with on line" to "love of my life" after she "died" and the media ran with it.

 If he wanted to perpetrate a hoax that he had this longstanding, deep, spiritual, meaningful relationship for months and months with some online girl, he wouldn't have been all over campus with various co-eds.  "Lennay" didn't become important until she died, he dramatized its effect on him, and this caught the attention of the MSM.  He then perpetuated it.  Again, THEORY.

17 weeks 5 days ago People keep saying

that he needs to justify "going on line" to get a woman... I think that's misplaced.  He didn't meet this chick on the Mormon equivalent of J-date or E-harmony or something.  The story is that they basically met over social media via mutual acquaintances and kept up with each other via twitter and what not.  That's not the same as resorting to some kind of online dating service to "meet".  The relationship was "online" in the sense that this is how they primarily communicated given the distance and her supposed medical situations, but this isn't the same as saying he "went" on line to meet women.  Most of the under 25 set these days have a social circle comprised of "face to face" acquaintances and people they know in a strictly cyber context.  That, in and of itself, isn't strange to me.  Now, star athlete claiming an undying devotion to an online chick and not one of the flesh and blood girls that are throwing themselves at him on a daily basis?  Yes, that I find less plausible.  I think we'd all gravitate towards the flesh and blood co-ed you can actually spoon over some cyber hottie that apparently only has three pictures of herself.

17 weeks 5 days ago Not sure how you can be so certain

without having some personal involvement.  The "information" we have can be be interpreted a few ways.

Now me, I have my own theories, but I'm not positive about anything at this point.  If Tuiasosopo comes out and fully admits to everything, says everything Manti is claiming is true, that he did fully dupe him, that they did have an intimate cyber relationship all under the guise that he was a girl, that they did exchange words of love and devotion and committment, then, I'm sorry but Te'o  walks away fairly clean in my book.  I'm not going to start screaming "coersion!" without proof of it just because it doesn't comport with what I may WANT the story to be. 

Now, I don't see it happening quite this cleanly, of course, but I remain open to the possibility.  It seems clear, right now at least, that Te'o is guilty of embelishing the relationship and perhaps exploiting the situation... but I'm not absolutely "convinced" of any one answer.  Most of the evidence that people are pointing to to claim that he was "in on" the hoax is actually just evidence that he was exaggerating the depth of the relationship.  Those are not one in the same (although they may be equally bad).  

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