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My teenage daughters

I beat the 16 year old 12-8 on one on one basketball yesterday. Then after a 10 minute break I beat my 14 year old 15-11. It was a great day.!

Coach Beilein and Coach Hoke

Right before Beilein turned the basketball program into a BIG 10 champion, people on the radio and on the blogs were calling for him to be fired. Dave Brandon said "if I replace Coach Beilein, I've got to find another John Beilein." As it turned out, sricking with a good coach and a good person kept good kids coming to the program and he soon turned it around. Football would be the same way. Losing programs are the only ones who replace their coach every 3-4 years. We've got to support the team and the program and see this transition through. Coach Hoke knows what he is doing. We just have to let him see it all the way through!

This idea was floated on MGoBlog on March 16, 2012

I read this website multiple times a day. I rarely post. But on March 16, 2012 I suggested an idea similar to this. The topic was Michigan/ND 2012 on the scoreboards. I thought that the idea could be improved by making it a family movie night. Apparently Dave Brandon liked the idea but tweaked it by offering it only to season ticket holders.

I wish I was one! I think it is a great idea but it would be a better idea as a fundraiser for the community.

Yeah, I'm just wanting to take a little credit for this.

Yes. Yes. Yes..

Yes...yes...yes...yes...

Oh, wrong team. But I'm just getting ready for beating State too.

What if the guard was your relative?

And not just some random security guard in a video? I don't have too much sympathy for Jayru. He was the offender and the guard was victimized. I have worked in a school and it's tough to not respect these guards. I hope Jayru gets counseling help, but a free college ride seems a bit generous at this point.

Keep staff intact for another season

I live on Lansing. Last year, the MSU fans were fed-up with their team. And again this year, when I went to an early season MSU game the fans were down on the team (booing, calling radio shows, etc.). They are obviously happy now!
Last year, MSU averaged 19 pts on offense and gave up an average of 16 pts. on defense. They were 6-6 going into a bowl game. Michigan, by comparison in 2013 is averaging 34 points on offense and giving up 32 points on defense. We have a 7-5 record. We are actually a better offensive team and a worse defensive team than MSU. But all the fuss has been about the offense!
Clearly, consistency in coaching on both sides of the ball can make a difference as MSU has shown by developing lower rated talent.

Our future talent is great, but we We have been an INCONSISTENT TEAM this year. I hope another year of consistent coaching helps us to grow our talent and become a much improved team next year!

Go Blue Sky writing over MSU today

I live in Lansing. Driving down US 127 I was able to capture a picture if someone sky writing "GO BLUE" over MSU stadium. I love our fan base. On a related note I am starting to see a lot of Michigan fans like me in Lansing these days!

How's this?

Ohio, you have a problem!

Purdue's Arena

I like how the announcers said that there is not a better facility in the country than Purdue's.  Then he corrected himself and said "except maybe Nebraska."  i thought that was odd since I heard the announcers say the same thing about Crisler Center on Sunday.  Are they just being nice to their hosts or are these facilities really better than our newly remodeled one?

The wrong player...again.

I don't care who they pick or how high he is on someone's board.  I don't care if the experts say they took the right guy or if they had a great draft.  Whoever they take will not work out and will not help them.  They are hopeless.  But I will watch them anyway.

I missed you BKFinest. Glad you are well.

But all the kids nowdays are going by III and not Jr.  I would name your new one BKIII.  Skip "Jr."  No one will know.

Brandon Inge

I just looked up to the TV and saw he was up to bat.

"He stinks!" I said out loud.

The next pitch he hit a 2 run homer!  A fluke, right?  491 feet to Right Center.  Tigers up 3-1!

Brandon Inge

I just looked up to the TV and saw he was up to bat.

"He stinks!" I said out loud.

The next pitch he hit a 2 run homer!  A fluke, right?  491 feet to Right Center.  Tigers up 3-1!

Green Bay

The football players there ride kids bikes to and from practice all the time during training camp.  I'm sure some kid would break out his parent's twosy to get a 1st round pick left tackle on his bike.

If you immediately think of Tom VH

when you see the Batman logo.  One more point...

If you respond to this post

so that someday you can get to 100 points and be able to start your own thread.

Does Duke realize

that Trey Burke is the Big Ten Rookie of the year and Trey Ziegler is...well...not?  Different Trey's.  Not all Trey's are made alike!  I'll keep the one we've got.

If this is a series of equals

Shouldn't Ohio play Oregon?  They both cheat.

2:51

I like the subliminal dig at Urban Meyer in this.  At 2:51, read the ESPN scroll along the bottom of the screen.

He denies having an interest in the OHIO job!  I wonder why we call him Urban Liar around these parts.

I saw this in a thread

yesterday and immediately thought this would be a great idea.  I bet Brandon gets to work on this right away.  He knows the interest would be there. 

 

My idea to modify it would be for him to open the field to fans so they could come with their kids with blankets and chairs.  It's at night, so it would be like a big outdoor movie night for families and fans to take in the game.

 

Keep ticket prices really cheap...maybe donation only.  Instead of calling it Under the Lights, they could call it Under the Stars.  It would be a great event! 

Can we have this argument

EVERY YEAR?!!?

 

I love Hoke, but by his standards this football season failed to meet expectations.  His goal is to win B1G championships.

I guess Beilein aspires to the same goal as that was the players chant coming out of breaks all year long.

So according to the coaches, I would say Basketball was the more impressive season, but the football season surprised ME more.

GO BLUE!

Last year vs. this year

What a difference a year makes. Early last year, I can remember fans calling into WTKA saying that we needed to get a new coach.  Brandon stated that if he got rid of Beilein, he'd have to find another Beilein to replace him; and he gave him his full support.

Last year, of course, ended well and Beilein had all of our support at the end.  Now this year, he coaches his team to a B1G championship.  Congrats, Coach.

What a difference a year makes.  I guess us fans are prone to overreaction.

Kozan

I guess that means Kozan to Auburn, right?  Just had to be the first one to put that out there for ridicule!

 

So, Jordan Diamond was able to keep this

announcement a big secret for AN ENTIRE YEAR right up until 3 hours before it was time to announce his decision.  Then, ooops, he let it slip to Pee Wee--who has already leaked an earlier announcement for Garnett.

Yeah, I don't know who/what to believe, but I am not believing anything until Diamond says it himself one way or the other.

I am thinking that if we can pull one more offensive linemen in this class we should call them the "Quintessentials" (5 essential recruits for 2012).

Best Player from this class

  • Best Player from this class (next year): Erik Magnusson

     
    • Best Player from this class (5 years from now): I like Joe Bolden...he will be a steady and smart linebacker.  But Pipkins gets the nod.

       
    • Sleeper from the 2012 class (3* or lower, per Scout.com): Ben Braden-our first 2012 commit.  I wish him well for showing the way to the rest of the 2012 recruits!

       
    • Late Bloomer from the 2012 class (aka Stevie Brown, Prescott Burgess, etc. - player doesn't come on until late in career): BWH
    •  
    • 1st Round Draft Pick(s) from this class: Pipkins.  An active big man, so I hope he stays healthy.  Remember how scary our d- line was when Martin was injured last year?

       
    • Best Offensive Player from this class (5 years from now): Shane Morris....oh wait, he is next year's class.  Amara Darboh 

       
    • Best Defensive Player from this class (5 years from now): Pee Wee Pipkins

       
    • Your Favorite Offensive Player: Amara Darboh--Great Name, Great Story, Great Michigan Man.

       
    • Your Favorite Defensive Player: Pee Wee Pipkins--I am bias to the guys with good nicknames. 

       
    •  Your "I Told You So" Player from this class: Jeremy Clark will play both ways in his senior and junior year (Wide Receiver & DB)
    This thread.

    I keep waiting for some more good news to get posted before tommorrow's NSD.

    Okay, what are Posbangs?

    I thought they were a quick 5 points, so I posted something quick.  But then I saw I was only given 1...

    I am still trying to figure this out.

     

    Yeah

    We won! 

    After reviewing the replay, the impartial referees called it

    an incomplete pass.  Therefore it was an incomplete pass.  Once that happened, it no longer mattered what the receiver thought, what the coaches thought, or what we thought.  Once that decision was made, it was and always will be an incomplete pass.

    It can be disected every which way, we can break out the rule book, and we can study the nuances of NFL/College Football catches.  But it is still an incomplete pass.

    Last year, my 12 year old son was playing Little League baseball.  Late in the game with our team up by one run, some 17 year-old first base umpire called an opposing batter safe at first base.  From where I was sitting, he looked out.  Our coaches thought he was out and went on to argue incessantly with the 17 year-old kid about how he blew the call.  (yeah, it was a disgrace).  Our players were all distraught because the coaches insisted this 17 year-old umpire was a moron.  Because of this upheaval, we went on to walk a couple of batters and that first runner eventually scored the game winning run.  On the way home, I told my son how outraged I was about our coaches acting up like they did and arguing with a 17 year old kid about the call.  My son was insistent..."He was out, Dad!"

    "No son, the second that the umpire called him safe, he was safe.  It did not matter what you thought, what our coaches thought, or what I thought.  Heck, it did not even matter what the 17 year-old umpire thought...once he called him safe, that was the call and that is what happened." "Okay, I get that," he said.  "but he was out."  Again, I had to explain to him that he was not out.  He was safe because that was the call.

    The replay official's decision was was impartial and was based on what he saw.  Once he made that call, that pass was and always will be incomplete! Great outcome for us! 

    I wonder if Hoke will take his shirt off on national TV?

    He is being interviewed at College Game Day inside the stadium post game.  Didn't VanBergen say that he would take it off if they won?!?

    In the post game celebration, he said he did the stutter step

    all night.  He said that his timing was off.  I saw him do it on one other occasion.  I kept thinking it was a false start.

     

     But the mods should delete this thread so the VT fans don't use it as evidence to whine.

    Nice trophy presentation.

    I'm just a 40 year old guy sitting on my sofa watching my favorite team.  I love the emotion displayed by Junior Hemingway.  It shows you how deeply these guys wanted to prove themselves and show us fans what great Michigan Men they are.  We are proud of this entire team--our coaches, our seniors, and all our players.

     

    What a great way to end the season.  I will miss watching football for the next 8 months, but I am glad to have been left with these memories!

    4:00 minutes to go

    This may as well be 4 quarters to go.  Every one seems to think that when the clock winds down under 5:00 minutes, the opposing team will be in hurry-up mode.  That is an eternity in college football.  The most important thing now will be to get them off the field in 4 downs.  If we do that one time, we win the game.

    I love Jake Ryan.

    He has been making plays all year long--ever since the Spring scrimmage.

    That defensive series actually looked respectable.

    I can live with field goals if we score crazy touchdowns.  Seriously, though, why did everyone make such a big deal about the third string kicker?  That guy is pretty good.

    Smiling

    I cannot stop smiling.  This game is hilariously entertaining.  It is not well played...but it is fun to watch.

    A win is better than a loss.

    I'd love to have a win no matter how we get it.  But if we are looking for national respect, we won't get it if we win the game and play the second half like we did the first.  The pundits will just say we did not belong in a game of that caliber.

    I haven't been drinking

    and don't.  But I think I was.  That end of the first half was mind numbing.

    Circus uniforms

    With that lob pass from Denard and the fake field goal play, I'm thinking that the circus uniforms would have been appropriate.  But, oh well, I will take a 10-6 lead after the half that we just had.

    This is a crazy game.

    No way should we be leading at half-time.  But I will take it. 

    Nice defense

    Finally, something to cheer about.  I can't believe we are only down less than a touchdown.  We have been on defense all night.

    Looking rusty

    If this canned phrase could ever be used, it surely can be used now.  They just look out of sync.  That throwback pass to V. Smith has been money all year long.  Denard left it short this time.

    Can we have their 4th string kicker?

    With two nice looking kicks from their 3rd string kicker, I think I'd like to have their 4th string kicker kicking for us!

    Edit:  Except his kick-offs haven't been that good.

    Michigan State keeps Nike Pro Combat helmets

    I cannot start a thread, but I thought everyone would like to see this...apparently the Michigan State players were already given the gloves and jerseys worn during the UM vs. MSU game this year.  Now they are getting the helmet for their bowl gift.

    No big deal, but I like what Brian Linthicum says about beating Michigan four times in a row was a "once-in-a-lifetime" happening.  Glad to know that even they don't think this will ever happen again!

    From Lansing State Journal 12/21/11 :

    "Fifth-year senior tight end Brian Linthicum agreed.

    "That's probably the most exciting gift," Linthicum said. "Gift cards are gift cards. We get them every year. The helmet we thought we were getting right after the game. We got the gloves, jersey, everything but the helmet.

     

    "The helmet, it represents so much. It's like a piece of you, especially when you're playing. The jersey we wanted, but the only thing other than that we wanted is the helmet. It's something you're going to keep forever. You're going to put it up in a case, let your kids look at it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing for MSU. It's exciting to be a part of that, especially the senior class, beating (Michigan) for the fourth time." 

    Bill Frieder

    Avoid any comparisons between him and Bill Frieder (I know, he went to ASU not Arizona).

    I am a huge Michigan fan

    but you may notice that my avatar is a picture of Kirk Cousins.  That is because I am a huge fan of his and of many players on the Michigan State Football team.

    About this time last year, a 40 year old friend of mine was beginning to lose his fight against brain cancer.  Through some associations, I was able to put the word out to Kirk that it would mean a great deal for my friend to meet him.

    The next day, Kirk personally called my wife and arranged for him, his brother, and some of his teammates meet with my friend and his family.  These guys came over that day and talked with them, prayed for him, and spent time with his boys.  It was a selfless gesture from a bunch of guys we had never met.

    I agree with bronxblue and some of the other posters that it is fun to have a rivalry, but it is also good to remember that we are all people. Therefore I have no problem cheering for many of the Spartan players knowing that they do so much in our community.

    No One and Done's

    I would rather cheer for a program that has moderate-to-good success in the B1G and keeps their kids around for 3-4 years.  One and Done programs lack continuity and long-lasting appeal.  Even the great Duke teams and UNC teams from the past had players that stuck around for 3-4 years.

    These3-4 year players become part of the community and the community becomes a part of them.  They return to the community when their playing days are over and offer support for various charities.  When playing, they are fun to cheer for and it is even more exciting when they accomplish something you did not expect (for example our 2010-2011 men's basketball team).

    I could care less who used to play for Memphis 3 - 4 years ago.  But I will probably remember the name Grant Hill, Zach Novak, or Glenn Robinson forever because of their longevity to their program, their determination, and their class.

    If we land Gunner Kiel

    It is because he is as good as we think he is.

    I see the scenario playing out like this:

    Denard Robinson starts and plays reasonably well as a QB in 2011 (his third year of eligibility).  However, after listening to trusted advisors and NFL scouts, he accepts a new role in the offense for 2012 and plays at multiple skilled positions and wins the Heisman Award.  He is drafted in the 1st round of the NFL draft in 2013.

    Devin Gardner plays some meaningful minutes as back-up in 2011 (his second year of eligibility) and as a primary signal caller in 2012 & 2013.  He is denied his medical redshirt from 2010 and enters the NFL draft.  But because of the promise he showed in two years at U of M, he is drafted in the 1st round of the NFL draft in 2014.

    Meanwhile, Gunner Kiel commits to U of M and enters school for the 2012 season.  He redshirts in 2012 and plays sparingly in 2013.  However, he gains meaninful experience as an underclassman before being thrust into a leadership role.  Note that successful football programs still do this with their talented QB recruits!  In 2014, he is a true leader and performs well. But he forgoes the temptation to enter the NFL draft in 2015 in order to gain another year of experience and a chance to win the national championship.  He dominates the B1G and all of college football and leaves for the NFL draft one year early in 2016.  He becomes a 1st round draft pick because is is as good as we think he is.

    While all of these scenarios are playing out, Shane Morris commits to Michigan in 2013.  He redshirts this first year.  And like Gunner before him, he gains experience as a back-up and wins the respect of his teammates in 2014 and 2015.  Then, in 2016 and 2017 he takes over as a starter and leads the team to a national championship in 2017.  He too will leave for the NFL (in 2018) and become yet another 1st round draft pick.

    Finally, because we had 4 quarterbacks leave for the NFL and become 1st round draft picks, Michigan no longer needs to give schollies to the nations quarterback prospects.  Instead we offer "preferred walk-on" status to the nations elite QB's and once again earn the reputation as the QB factory for the NFL.

    And with the extra scholarship that wethen have each year, we will award a second scholarship to an elite kicker or punter so that we can build one national championship season after another!

    Hoke's Punishment

    http://mgoblog.com/category/user-tags/hoke 

     

    I remembered reading this at one time.  Sounds like Hoke is implementing his own method of discipline.  Let's hope that it is a meaningful deterrent for him and keeps him from doing something like this again.  Not only while he is a Michigan football player, but also for the rest of his life.

    Tom asked,

    Did anything stand out?

    Rather than say, "Yeah, Coach Hoke seems very genuine.  He definitely made a big impression on me,"  he says he got a phone call.

    Again, maybe I'm becoming spoiled, but I want these kids to tell me how much they love Michigan and our coaches whenever they get the chance.  When I hear that, then I know a "Hello" post is coming soon!