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Date	Title	Body
1 hour 8 sec ago	According To A Few Articles...	According to a few articles I have seen anyway, the Magic are basically thinking either Burke or McLemore at this point. The Magic are looking for backcourt help, and their general manager has actually come out and said that they would like leaders and players who are "about the right things" (his words). That probably bodes well for Burke and the potential for him to go to the Magic, but much depends on what Cleveland does first and foremost as well as what the Magic think of McLemore, if indeed those are Orlando's primary choices. Burke actually is scheduled to work out for the Magic, and Nick Baumgardner reported that he might work out for anything up to four teams.
6 hours 7 min ago	Speaking Of That...	The Orlando Sentinel, just before his final season in Florida, published this article listing all of the players in Meyer's tenure at Florida to that time who had been arrested, their charges, and the team punishment. The most interesting aspect of it to me is the very inconsistent team punishments in several cases, but I suppose that was part of doing things "the right way". I suppose it burns him a little as well that, despite this mammoth effort, he still never beat Saban even in the Fulmer Cup standings, at least to my knowledge. No wonder he left the SEC.  The entire CBS interview (HERE) has a few questions on some of the changes he claims to have made to his approach, including his efforts to change his "overreaction" to various things in the day-to-day running of the program
9 hours 35 min ago	Future Visit...	I had thought there was an article a few weeks ago which stated that Hand as well as Juju Smith (who I believe is rated the #1 safety) were going to be here for the second edition of UTL this September. I know Hand was impressed when he was here in March and he really liked Mattison, from the sound of it. That in itself is encouraging.  As it is right now, this is already one of the better classes by average Rivals star ratings since they starting producing said ratings. Hopefully, the momentum continues upward.
10 hours 18 min ago	Early Peppers Announcement Thread...	...is gone because it was about 32 hours early. I am thinking that there may need to be a similar guideline for these threads to the one which already exists for the prediction threads during the season. 12 hours or so before - no sooner. More than likely, this one is not on the first page of listings when it is really time to tune in anyway.
13 hours 18 min ago	Here's One, I Think...	This is the post-game speech (or much of the portion you requested anyway) from a then-fledgling BTN, with some of the on-field stuff from ABC: Here is something else from the locker room, although the audio on this one isn't so great. Presumably, this was before the speech in the other clip, but I could be wrong.
22 hours 39 min ago	Not To Mention...	It was nice to see Jhonny Peralta doing some excellent work out there at shortstop. Morneau hit that one right on the barrel but Jhonny managed to nab it.
1 day 3 hours ago	In My Case...	I actually latched onto that particular post as well. In my case, that would leave me saying Griese, Brady and Henson, which is actually a really solid trio as Michigan QBs go, so I might very well run with that as an answer - along with Dilithium and Henne. In my time on campus, that trio of Griese, Brady and Henson went 3-1 against MSU and Ohio State, as I recall, and there was also the National Championship, the 2000 Orange Bowl and the Big Ten Championship in 1998. It was a most excellent time.
1 day 3 hours ago	Here Are Some Highlights...	Here's a video with some select highlights of Thomas. It's from earlier in the year, but as someone pointed out, it would be awesome to see what he could do in Beilein's system.  I liked the side story about how people around him did not think much of him as a basketball player a few years ago, so he set out to become a good player and has indeed become sought after. You have to admire that sort of drive to succeed in any kid. I think you want players coming in knowing there is room to grow and who want to be better even when they are good already.
1 day 4 hours ago	Great GIFs...	It's actually nice to see those swings presented in this way - I would think his mechanics are some of the best in the game right now if not the best period. It is certainly one of the most fundamentally sound swings that I have seen from any batter in my memory anyway. He fully extends his arms and basically covers the entire strike zone and then some. I believe Mike Lowell once termed it as "taking a direct path to the ball" (speaking to how he keeps his hands close and can adjust to just about any pitch), which Miguel Cabrera seems to do nearly every single time at the plate
1 day 4 hours ago	Late To This Party...	My weekend actually started today - we took the kids to Jungle Java in Canton and then to McDonalds for a lunch and some further play. We thought they would pass out, but they are now in the backyard playing. All the same, it was a fun outing.  Tonight, tomorrow and Sunday will basically be all about grilling, sports and the odd drink, interspersed with various visitors to the house to help me eat all the food I plan on making. There will, of course, be the Jabrill Peppers announcement on Sunday, so that is also part of the gathering then.  My wife actually works on Memorial Day, so I may take the kids to the neighborhood park, assuming they have mowed it and it is no longer the mosquito-laden meadow that it typically is. Otherwise, we'll just hang out at the metropark and I'll make them some hot dogs for dinner.
1 day 13 hours ago	Weis' "Golden Parachute"...	So, if the payments for Weis' buyout are going to sit around $2 million or so and he makes about $2.5 million at Kansas (from what I can find), that would mean two schools paid Weis well over $4 million to go 1-11 at Kansas last year.  As I recall, Weis had barely had a chance to sit down in South Bend when they extended his six-year deal to a ten-year deal, hence the 2015 end date for these payments. The extension alone was worth nearly $40 million, I believe. Part of the schematic advantage must have been getting what turned out to be something of a golden parachute up front before he even had a chance to rack up 3-9 and 6-6 seasons. On a somewhat related note, I am sure that whoever wrote "The New Gold Standard", which was a book about how Weis was supposed to be the one to return ND to glory, feels very confident in future sales of their psychological thriller, as this is what the book must now be.
1 day 23 hours ago	Very Telling...	"That's what ESPN and the SEC Network are about. You have the extraordinary coalescence of the premier brand in sports combined with the preeminent conference in intercollegiate athletics." - Paul Finebaum, in the article In other words, this is the coalescence of something that already suffers from some uninformative, homer-heavy programming with Paul Finebaum. This speaks well for the quality of the shows that are bound to appear on the SEC Network.
2 days 3 hours ago	Perhaps A Few Of These...	Looking at FBSchedules.com, the nearest open slot appears to be 2017, where Cinicinnati is the only non-conference opponent locked up. 2018 and 2019 have the home-and-home with Arkansas and then 2020 and 2021 have the home-and-home with Virginia Tech. Like others, I actually find the idea of rotating some of these teams intriguing with the limited non-conference space that will be available starting in 2016 with the expansion to nine conference games for us. In 2018 and 2019, for example, with an SEC team already booked, it would be interesting to go with USC or Stanford, and then maybe in 2020 and 2021, perhaps someone like Texas.  If not a continuous series, then setting up a rotation with a few teams where most Michigan teams will see some of the better major conference opponents at least once in their Michigan careers might be interesting. If I have to choose just one, then probably USC with Texas as a backup.
2 days 6 hours ago	Nassib's Review...	Ryan Nassib's comment had me laughing admittedly:  "Once I finished my Milk Duds, I got knocked out."
2 days 10 hours ago	As I Recall...	As I recall, and I might be misremembering this, but in an article a few weeks ago, Peppers talked about how Mattison compared him to Charles Woodson quite a bit. I believe he also said that the Michigan staff has discussed using him in offensive packages as well.  I thought that it was interesting that he reminded you of Reggie Bush, but given the description and the highlight reels that have appeared here, that's really pretty apt. That, and a combination of Reggie Bush and Aeneas Williams (the CB you chose) would be a nice thing to have in the arsenal.  Thanks for sharing this, Magnus.
2 days 11 hours ago	Great Story...	That is a great story and hopefully Kaiba makes a full recovery.  I believe 3D printing is also known as "additive manufacturing" - it's been used in some fields, such as automotive engineering, since the late 1970s, I believe. The biomaterial application is relatively new, from what I understand - basically, the idea is to be able to build living systems in successive layers using inkjet techniques.  Here's a story from the BBC on how they used the technique by layering cells in a sugar medium to study the possibility of building organs - (HERE). Awesome possibilities, and it is good to know a child will live because of these techniques.
3 days 1 hour ago	Hoke Talked Some About It...	Brady Hoke was actually on "The Huge Show" today (I caught it online) talking about what he felt made Green stand out from other freshmen running backs he had seen in the past actually. He talked quite a bit about Green's physicality and running ability, as well as his ability to cut and accelerate. He was very complimentary of everyone who was in the mix at RB, and said it will be a "great competition".  As I recall, Derrick Green had two seasons in high school where he rushed for over (well over, I believe) 1,000 yards and scored at least 20 TDs. It will be very intriguing to see how his already apparent skill plus development in Ann Arbor combine in the college game. If he can continue that level of productivity in college, even if it is not as a freshman, that would be awesome all the same.
3 days 3 hours ago	For Another View...	Grantland had an intriguing viewpoint on the subject of introducing "game show" stylings to the Pro Bowl (HERE). My favorite part of it concerns the suggestion of incorporating elements of "Legends Of The Hidden Temple": "There are plenty of directions this could go, but the one in which I’m interested involves Olmec-sanctioned temple runs following all touchdowns. What’s the biggest issue with the Pro Bowl? It’s too easy to score. How do we fix that? By placing a huge, obstacle-filled maze in the end zone. It’s pretty simple — if you don’t finish in the time allotted once you cross the goal line, you receive no points." It seems to me that if we can find some analogous to Double Dare's "Physical Challenge" events for, say, two-point conversions, we might very well be onto something.
3 days 7 hours ago	The Tribune Piece...	Not unexpectedly, the Chicago Tribune wrote a rather nice tribute to Urlacher - you can read it here (LINK).  One thing of note: 12 seasons and 1,353 tackles (1,037 of which were solo tackles)  per ESPN's stats would place him at a solid 11th on the all-time list for tackles between Ronde Barber and Junior Seau - not bad company at all.
3 days 10 hours ago	From The Article...	Here is a sampling from the associated picture gallery: Supposedly, Burress plans to expand into bow ties, cuff links and belts too.
3 days 12 hours ago	Depending On Where You Are...	Depending on where you are and which cable provider you have, it is possible that you could get the game on the BTN2Go. If your work computer (assuming it is a desk job) allows streaming media, you might be able to catch it online. If you have a capable phone, the app works on iOS and Android.  The list of current providers who can utilize the BTN2Go site or the app is here - http://www.btn2go.com/btn2go/FAQ.jsp
3 days 13 hours ago	Here You Go....	Here's the welcoming committee... Supposedly, per a Raiders blog, they lined up this welcome before he actually signed as a demonstration of the support Woodson could expect from them. He didn't arrive at the Raiders' offices until the middle of the afternoon, but they were apparently ready.
3 days 22 hours ago	So, If I Read This Right...	In those three years, Ole Miss was ranked either 2nd or 3rd in both the AP and Coaches' poll, so it is based on some combination of these and/or other polls. I am shocked that they don't claim 1955 because, using Massey's algorithm, they would have been the best team that year based on historic statistics. Surely Freeze is aware of these things, right? Incidentally, the major polls of the day would have put Syracuse on top in 1959, Minnesota in 1960 and USC in 1962.
3 days 23 hours ago	Could Be Wrong...	At last report, the most likely order would be Magic, Bobcats, Cavaliers then Suns for the first four. If I am not mistaken, the lottery actually has not been won by the team with the worst record since 2004, when - oddly enough - the Magic used this pick on some dude named Dwight Howard.
3 days 23 hours ago	Per A Quick Web Search...	Per a quick perusal of the Internet, Adidas apparently has 71 facilities which do work for them in the United States, with major ones being located near Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Fayetteville (North Carolina) and a few in Florida. If it was one of those facilities, not only are they not from Ohio, they were made well away from Ohio. I admit to having disagreements with Adidas, but facilitating the addition of this entertaining dimension to the rivalry would not be one of them.  Your move, Columbus.
4 days 2 hours ago	Congratulations!	Congratulations to you and your wife on becoming MGoParents! Hopefully the little ones are out of the NICU and you are home as a family soon. If I may also say it, I really like the names.
4 days 4 hours ago	Regarding The Second Point...	When Rutgers and Maryland joined the conference back in November, the purely hypothetical figure that was discussed in the unlikely scenario that the BTN should get into all 15 million available homes in the DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and NYC belt was about $200 million to the conference. That would also take into account a subscription fee which would be as high as $1.25 per month.  Obviously, it likely will not be in 100% of homes in those markets, especially to start, possibly because there is little about Rutgers, for example, that says, "I must write my cable provider and demand the Big Ten Network." Even if it is a $100 million windfall, it's still enough to sustain the projected payouts for schools literally zooming towards the $40 million mark over the next few years between this and the renegotiation of the ESPN contract. In time, I imagine that the increased exposure and the benefit of enhanced resources probably changes Maryland and Rutgers athletics for the better, but it will take several years to come to fruition, I would think.
4 days 5 hours ago	This As Well...	"Robinson’s captivating debut featured the following stat line: 11.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 57 percent shooting from the field. His offensive rating of 128.4 was ranked 10th nationally per KenPom.com (regardless of possessions used). " Looking at his season averages as well as his drive to be even better this season makes for a situation that is awesome to contemplate really since Robinson will likely get even more chances to score. Some of the potentially overlooked items from his work last year - Robinson accounted for almost 1/5th of the rebounds and had the highest effective FG% among starters, as well as an assist-to-turnover ratio that, as I recall, may have been second only to Burke.
4 days 7 hours ago	What Might Make It Interesting...	One thing which could make this move interesting is that part of the Big Ten's heavily revised approach to bowls is that the conference has rescinded the independent authority of the bowls to make independent selections, giving the conference a say in who goes where. They also plan to stipulate that non-BCS bowls select different teams (five different teams in a six year period was the proposal, I believe). If that goes into effect, the matchup for the No Longer Little Caesars Bowl could at least occasionally be intriguing.
4 days 7 hours ago	As A Sidebar...	Related to this point and as a sidebar to the diary I posted yesterday, I actually did Notre Dame's before and after attrition Rivals star averages, and the 2012 class alone went from 3.53 to 3.18, which is huge and does weigh on their recent average considerably. Actually, with attrition, Notre Dame has lost about half of its 5-stars and slightly over 20% of its four-star haul in the last 5 classes. Eventually, that has to hurt - they only signed 2 DL recruits in 2012, I think, so losing Vanderdoes poses a huge problem for them.

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