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Date	Title	Body
56 min 35 sec ago	Additional Information...	Here is Eastern Michigan's official announcement - (LINK): The entire description for the $5,000 donation level: "Skydive with Coach English! If we hit or exceed our overall goal of $60,000 in fundraising efforts (between our IndieGoGo campaign and Golf Outing), Coach English will be skydiving and you can join him! You'll be able to ride with him from Ypsilanti to Skydive Tecumseh, compliments of LaFontaine Buick GMC of Ann Arbor and spend the day and jump with coach! Your on site training, jump and equipment is all included and you'll get to ride in the plane and jump out of it with Coach English. In the event we don't reach the $60,000 goal, you'll still get to ride with the coach to Skydive Tecumseh, spend the day with coach and participate in the skydive. " Skydive Tecumseh is a pretty cool experience, to be fair, so there is that if nothing else. Beautiful view of Ann Arbor from 18,000 feet too. Here's his indiegogo.com site (LINK)  - with 22 days left, the campaign has managed $100.
12 hours 10 min ago	Tribute Video...	This is the tribute video that Jim Nantz made for Ken Venturi's induction into the World Golf Hall Of Fame this year actually...great video and very appropriate now as it highlights Venturi's career on and off (but really still on) the course. One thing that I did not know - Venturi had the longest career as a lead analyst of any broadcaster in any sport.
16 hours 54 min ago	Stories With Some Quotes...	The Chicago Tribune had a direct quote from Alex Bars (HERE): "I thought about it real hard for like the last month," Bars told Irish Illustrated. "Pressure started coming on and spots started filling up. I just realized that was the school for me." The ESPN blog (HERE) has a little more too. Bars had said that he knew about a week ago, but his parents encouraged him to wait and make sure he was going where he really wanted.  Best of luck to Alex Bars.
18 hours 6 min ago	Taped Coverage...	If you're like me and not near a TV at the moment, per the Sporting News (HERE) and confirmed by a quick search of the ESPN listings, the Combine will be aired on ESPNU at 4 AM and 9 AM tomorrow as well with three further re-airings this coming Wednesday.
20 hours 56 min ago	Nice To See...	This is pretty good news even if it is ESPN really, and it is interesting that it should come now that I am working on a diary about recruiting rankings. I've been using Rivals data, but the last two classes (2012 and 2013) have the average recruit at 3.5 stars or better, which is far above the conference mean. Right now, the average for 2014 is at 3.44 stars, but that's with only nine commits to date.  Within the conference, even Ohio State has not strung together three straight years at 3.5 or better in my own research, so it would be great to be the first to do that. It's also a good situation when your seven remaining targets are all in the Top 100 per their list anyway.
22 hours 28 min ago	Great Story...	Detroit Western really does have some great people behind their program. Juan Sanchez has been a large part of efforts to build better baseball facilities and promote the sport in southwest Detroit, and it is great to see baseball start to make this sort of resurgence in Detroit (I had no idea it hadn't been since the 80s that someone from the PSL had signed a letter of intent - the PSL has churned out MLB talent in the past).  This is a great story and thanks for sharing this, Raoul. From the sound of it, he has an incredible work ethic which will serve him well regadless of his path, whether it is Michigan or the pros. I believe Hector Gutierrez pitched an 18-strikeout game against King last month too - there was a spread about that game in the paper then.
1 day 48 min ago	On The Flip Side...	There is this entry from ESPN on ACC bowl tie-ins moving forward (LINK). Right now, the ACC has eight tie-ins even with the expansion to 14 teams, and due in part to the agreement with Notre Dame, they've apparently been looking to expand the number of tie-ins to as many as ten. Over the past several seasons, they have averaged eight eligible teams and would have hit this number last year if not for the issues at UNC and Miami.  So, if John Swofford has a say, Notre Dame and the ACC will be accommodated somehow.
1 day 12 hours ago	And We're Tied....	DON!  A rather nonchalant breaking pitch finds its way to the seats. We are tied 1-1.
1 day 13 hours ago	Granted, This Is Gene Smith....	One ofthe linked articles had an interview with Gene Smith (HERE).  Obviously, this talk about a division with different legislative guidelines is vague at this point, but in the interview, Smith points to his theory that "60-70 schools" (presumably, the most successful half of Division I, by and large) are different in nature. He specifically mentions recruiting, pointing out that it is a very different thing at his school versus, using his example, Middle Tennessee. Of course, the gripe would seem to be that you have the schools from lesser discussed conference voting on any legislation with the same relative power as a Big Ten or SEC school.
1 day 19 hours ago	The Marchex Blog...	The full results are here in their blog - (HERE) The study also looked at the most curteous and least curteous states, and indeed, Ohio again ranks among the bottom five in courtesy as well.  No specific rankings are given for the state of Michigan, but according to the graphics, we are "occasionally profane" and "usually courteous".
1 day 19 hours ago	Here's The Press Release...	The Big Ten's press release is here, and it contains some information on the formula going forward. It certainly doesn't excuse the 2014 home slate, but it helps to explain it, at least in part.  (LINK) It seems like 2014 and 2015 are essentially being considered transitional years between the addition of Maryland and Rutgers and the run-up to the 2016 start of the nine-game conference schedule. The essential formula is that a given team will play the other six teams in their division plus two from the other for 2014 and 2015, and then that will expand to three teams from the opposite division in 2016. I believe that confirms what we suspected anyway.  Here's where you can find everyone's schedule - (LINK). As for our 2014 home slate, Indiana on the day after Halloween somehow makes me think of Charlie Brown saying, "I got a rock."
1 day 21 hours ago	Brand Equity...	I would agree. I don't think Brandon left a significant possibility that this would happen, given how he phrased this. He definitely realizes that, above any other portion of the uniform really, the winged helmet is perhaps the most significant contirbutor to brand equity for Michigan football. Actually, and Brandon touches on this, it really goes beyond that in the sense that the helmet is also identified with the university itself on some levels, so there is also that consideration. Michigan actually gets specific mention in a lot of brand management studies as an example of, by and large, "doing it right", and I would assume Brandon knows this too. Beyond the numbers in 2011 and the Outback Bowl matte helmet, I would think anything more drastic would be a long, long discussion, if anything came of it at all.
1 day 23 hours ago	Pretty Amusing Interview...	I had to chuckle when he opened by saying that he almost didn't call, but he didn't want to "chicken out". I really thought his answers about the ND-Michigan rivalry were great - he seemed quite genuine in his disappointment, and using UTL's atmosphere as example of what it could be worked well to illustrate that.
2 days 11 hours ago	What Gus Bradley Said...	"Asked after the session whether that makes Robinson a “quarterback” or a “Wildcat” option, coach Gus Bradley laughed and said, “We don’t have to tell you,” according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union" I assume that, even in Jacksonville, the starting QB job would be Gabbert's to lose despite the numbers, but you can't blame Gus Bradley for trying to figure out how many volumes he can add to the offensive playbook because of Dilithium. It really would be fun to see him take some snaps as an NFL quarterback in addition to his other duties, even if it is purely situational.
2 days 17 hours ago	Rather Unfortunate...	It's sad to see these stories of players with quite a bit of promise and NFL potential ending up with either extremely short careers, all the while embroiled in problems. He won a few conference and national honors in his time at Alabama - I think he is only one of two Crimson Tide players to win the Butkus Award actually.  I wonder if we'll hear about a comeback attempt somewhere down the line (three credited seasons in the NFL Pension Plan, but I believe he wouldn't be able to collect until 55), but even then, it is unfortunate for McClain that any second shot will be substantially more unlikely than the shot he just gave up.
2 days 18 hours ago	Purely Informational...	I was sitting here listening to the game and perusing StatSheet (fitting in some work around these things) and saw that the Tigers, as of today, are the top team in the MLB for batting average (.284), hits (385), runs (201), and RBIs (197) while being 17th in home runs. Interestingly, they are in the Top 10 for extra base hits too - 10th in doubles and 8th in triples.  They are also first in WHIP (1.19) and strikeouts (374) and 3rd in ERA (3.37).
2 days 19 hours ago	The Rationale...	I didn't see it in the thread, but 247Sports had a little bit about the rationale behind setting the date as he did (HERE).  According to his coach, he simply doesn't want his choice to be a distraction going into their summer practices and then into his senior year. In all the material that we've posted here, you get the sense that he's a very driven, focused kid, so that makes complete sense really.  Peppers would be a phenomenal get, of course, and for anyone who hasn't seen his highlight reel (that would be very few here, I am sure), it is highly recommended.
2 days 21 hours ago	Spectacular Dunks Indeed...	Seeing Darryl Dawkins get in on this was particularly awesome, and I can only imagine what nicknames Dawkins would give to some of Ryan's dunks. "Rim Wrecker" and "In Your Face Disgrace" were taken over the years, but surely there are some as-yet unspoken names.
2 days 23 hours ago	Maybe Some More Information....	I haven't seen that the SI story is out yet, but the Times-Tribune (Scranton's paper, I think) provides some information about what might possibly be in there (LINK). There is some discussion apparently of Tim Bream's actions: "But the allegations against head athletic trainer Tim Bream were perhaps the most damning in the article. Several unnamed sources told SI that Bream administered several drugs to players -- the anti-inflammatory Voltaren -- without physician approval. Bream does not have a medical degree, according to the report. In addition, former walk-on receiver Garrett Lerner told SI that he suffered to burns on his right leg when Bream misused an electrical stimulation machine while treating him." It also mentions that there have been investigations into the allegations against Bream for some time, but the conclusion of those interviews and inquiries reportedly did not find evidence or reports of overstepping the bounds of care.
3 days 11 hours ago	Regarding The Pinstripe Bowl Anyway...	"The New York-based Pinstripe Bowl also appears certain to join the Big Ten’s lineup.The bowl’s current agreement matches the Big East (renamed American) with the Big 12. That bowl likely will pit the Big Ten against the ACC at Yankee Stadium." When the Pinstripe Bowl was conceived, as I recall, the Yankees' management envisioned a bowl for at least one team within a few hours drive of NYC. When it was started, that was easy enough in the old configuration of the Big East. It's interesting that conference realignment may have first put this bowl potentially in jeopardy when it came to feasability and fan accessibility, but then realignment has also come along and helped to save it really, if the Big Ten and ACC in their soon-to-be configuration will face off in this bowl.
3 days 12 hours ago	Strangely Enough...	It has an entry on UrbanDictionary.com - (HERE) According to this, it is a derogatory term for Michigan and and Michigan fans, although I admit that I had honestly never heard it until this thread. If this blog turns out to be largely unfamiliar with it, then it can't really be all that needling as insults go. Well, actually, it is pretty stupid regardless.
3 days 13 hours ago	Single Draws...	BTN has the list of single draws for the entire conference (HERE).  Iowa gets a pair of games against Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin, but a single draw with Purdue, Nebraska, Penn State and Indiana. That sounds sort of brutal for them if they face the 2nd through 5th place teams in this past season's standings twice.
3 days 15 hours ago	The Jumps...	If you use the data in the USA Today database, the jumps in revenue for Alabama's athletic department are rather substantial. Overall, from the final year of Shula and through the first five years of Saban, there was 45.6% increase, with two years of decreases but three years of 20%-plus growth in department revenue.  Interestingly, scholarship expenses are up 44.16% in that same period, and money spent on coaching staff is up 45.18% too. Profit from rights and licensing is up 53.97% since Saban as well.
3 days 19 hours ago	With That Addition....	I think this now makes for six commitments for Kansas for 2013 - 3 five-stars and 3 four-stars per Rivals, if I remember the rankings correctly. Not a bad haul for Kansas at all - they've jumped from  having the 29th-ranked class (I believe that's what it was in 2011) to the #2 class in two years by Rivals rankings. Wiggins also had an offer from Ohio State apparently, although in reading through articles, there likely was not much danger he would have been a Buckeye.
3 days 23 hours ago	Addendum To This...	Courtesy of MWolverine.com, we also find that Leach, Henson and Henne combine for a 2-2 record against Notre Dame (this is more for historical note, considering the current state of that rivalry) and 8-1 versus Michigan State. Some great names, and per the MLive story, Morris will keep the number when Gardner moves on.
4 days 13 hours ago	It Has Been Fun Indeed...	"They're still gonna play Michigan State, they're gonna play Purdue, but they don't want to play Michigan," Hoke continued. "I don't know how they made that decision ... I really do ... But anyway, that's a great national rivalry game. It's a great game." - Brady Hoke, in the article I suppose Notre Dame will always have these two stalwarts of the Big Ten, and to think that they'll be able to add Wake Forest or perhaps Boston College more often now. Maybe they can alternate Purdue and Indiana so they can have a real scare once in a while.   If there is any interest in these numbers, now that the alliance is in place, ND is 84-32 against the ACC lifetime - the only two teams that they have losing records against are Florida State (2-5) and they lost the only game they played against NC State. In the Big Ten, they have losing records against three teams - Michigan (16-23), Nebraska (7-8, although all those were played when Nebraska was in the Big 12) and Ohio State (2-5).  PS - I am truly sorry, WolverSwede - your post, hilarious as it was, precipitated an HTML nightmare. Multiple attempts at fixing individual replies weren't working, so I had to delete the post and reply chain to fix the thread. Feel free to post it again though.
4 days 23 hours ago	Good Luck To Mike...	MGoBlue lists Mike Jones as a resdshirt senior, which would mean potentially that he is in a position to graduate this spring and has one year of eligibility left, if he wanted to play (and start grad school) somewhere else. Regardless, hopefully his Michigan degree grabs him some success and best of luck to him in the future.
5 days 2 hours ago	What They Apparently Get...	"We will send a pizza to Michigan's football offices if you win again. Wait, wait, isn't that sending coals to Newcastle, sir? Oh, not when Brady Hoke's around." - from the initial EDSBS article for this year's Charity Bowl Everybody definitely wins in this scenario, if they'll be getting free pizza down at Schembechler Hall. Good work, Wolverines!
5 days 2 hours ago	Best Of Luck To Him...	As I recall, Marvin Robinson started UTL in 2011 and put together a pretty good performance with seven tackles and five stops. He also had his first fumble recovery against Ohio State last year, so in his limited time on the field, he has come through. We will always have those moments, of course. Best of luck to Marvin Robinson in his future.
5 days 12 hours ago	Interesting Data...	If I went through this right, the average base salary for Big Ten presidents is just a little north of $550,000 and that accounts for an average of 76% of the total compensation, and this is excluding the peculiar situation with Graham Spanier. In essence, it averages about a $770,000 or so per year job in our conference. For comparison, as it has been discussed here - the Minneapolis Star-Tribune ran an article last month with reported salaries for basketball coaches, and the Big Ten average here is $2.13 million for the known salaries (not all schools report data), and this is before their bonuses for tournament appearances and the like.

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