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I think that the issue is…

I think that the issue is that professional athletes never have a phase of their life where they are making a modest living and learn how to save and make ends meet. Where the average person typically earns the ir compensation towards the end of their career.

Professional athletes go from living with their parents or college to making a huge sum of money for a period of 1-5 years (typically). They don't have the necessity of learning how to budget and save. And since they earn the majority of their income in these handful of early years, they've blow what could have been their savings. 

I was on campus for the…

I was on campus for the Moeller years.  There were a lot of players leaving for other programs.  Bowens and Pryce were the two most notable losses.  We would see these guys lifting in the IM weight room after they left the team.

Why would he stay if he felt…

Why would he stay if he felt that his boss hated him and was keeping language that would allow him to be fired for cause by a trumped up claim by the NCAA?  
 

ANY logical person would take the guaranteed option. Warde ensured that Harbaugh would leave. And then tries to cover his ass with the AD conceding on the language once it was far too late to keep Harbaugh. 

The optics of this would have been better to just say we couldn’t close the gap on the termination language. As opposed to showing it was always a possibility but we didn’t do it until we knew it was too late. 

This.

Warde effectively…

This.

Warde effectively fired Harbaugh with this process.  The way this played out was designed to ensure Harbaugh would either leave or give into the AD's demands.  And once the AD folded against the B1G and JH and the AD stopped negotiating the contract, this was over and done.  

Everything after the Ohio State game was pure propaganda from the AD to keep the ticket buyers from a full on revolt.

He's making a choice, he's…

He's making a choice, he's just not saying what he's doing.

The day Harbaugh announced that he's going to the Chargers, the AD sent out the notice about the increase in the seat licenses.  Massive increase for a lot of folks.  

The unspoken choice that Warde is making is that it is more important to channel the funds to the AD and not to the players.  

Warde should be given the same treatment he did to Harbaugh after 2020.  You aren't performing to expectations.  Your salary is cut in half and you need to perform.  For Warde, the standard should be that football makes the 12 team playoff and basketball reaches the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament.  Anything less, and you're welcome to find new employment elsewhere.

The fact that yesterday the…

The fact that yesterday the school is willing to concede on Jim’s contract terms says everything. They had the ability to get the terms but chose not to until it was far too late.  Warde has utterly failed on the single most important thing he needs to manage. That is fireable. Full stop. 
 

contrast Warde and Hackett — singular focus and deploying everyone associated with Michigan football to demonstrate the love. 
 

Warde doesn’t follow through on fighting the big ten. Warde pulls back on the contract negotiations that started before October. He treated the single most difficult to replace employee of the AD as if he was a mid level paper pusher. 
 

The behavior of Hackett and Warde couldn’t be more different. 

It's unfortunate that there…

It's unfortunate that there won't be time to find a new AD before hiring a new football coach. 

Warde has failed. It's that simple.  When Jim Hackett was the interim AD, he had a singular focus -- hire Jim Harbaugh.  Mission accomplished.  

Hackett demonstrated the love the school had for Jim in a number of ways.

Warde has demonstrated that he is indifferent to Harbaugh and this is the result.  

Warde failed his mission.  He needs to be cut loose.

Your take is incredibly…

Your take is incredibly short sighted.

Who would Michigan have hired that could have compared resumes with Harbaugh?  Change for the sake of change is an idiot's fallacy.  Unless Warde was going to hire Saban, Smart or Meyer (and open the pre-NIL bag that those guy would have required), there wasn't a better hire to be made.

Anyone who through that in one year a coach that had been massively successful everywhere he had been and resurrected Michigan football in a few short years had some how forgotten how to coach is brain dead.  

2020 -- our safeties coach never steps foot on campus.  All meetings are done through Zoom.  The season had been cancelled and then belatedly restarted.  

Yeah, that looks like a valid data point.  Systems produce noisy signals.  And 2020 was all noise, very little signal.

"The Killer's are becoming…

"The Killer's are becoming an old band now. "

Aren't Rolling Stones tickets going on sale tomorrow?

This release was done by…

This release was done by someone within the MSU structure.  It's one of two things. 

1. Someone who was in a minority view point among the MSU brass was upset that Tucker was going to get off too easy and wanted to let this out into the public to try and use public opinion against him.

2. The majority view is that they want out of the Tucker contract and this is the get out of (contract) jail free card they were looking for.  

I believe that Tracy didn't want this to leak.  I'm sure Tucker didn't want this to leak.  That leaves MSU senior folks.  And I see the two possibilities above as to why it was leaked.

 

I didn't realize that Cole…

I didn't realize that Cole was a high level recruit.  He's from my town.  Good luck, Cole.  Go Blue!!

I'm not thrilled about all…

I'm not thrilled about all of this conference consolidation and the loss of the regional nature of the game that fueled so much of the traditions and passion that have created this beast.

The only thing that is giving me a glimmer of hope is that I ultimately see this ending up at two 20-24 team conferences.  We all know that doesn't work in terms of travel issues for any sport other than football.  What I think will end up happening is that there will be 4 divisions in each mega-conference based on reasonable geography and it will effectively take us back to where we were (less a few schools that weren't so lucky).

Let's look at a B1G example.  I expect that the conference will end up at 24 teams.  Throw in Cal and Stanford to geographically help our new west coast schools (and because academically the presidents love them) and add four schools associated with the ACC.  Pick four of the following: UNC, FSU, UVA, Clemson and ND.  (And if ND agrees, they will clearly be the first choice.)

West Division (Pac-6):

  1. USC
  2. UCLA
  3. Washington
  4. Oregon
  5. Cal
  6. Stanford

East Division (ACC Let's Play Lacrosse):

  1. Maryland
  2. Rutger
  3. North Carolina
  4. Florida State
  5. Virginia
  6. Clemson / ND

Great Lakes Division (Big Ten Good):

  1. Michigan
  2. Ohio State
  3. Penn State
  4. Michigan State
  5. Indiana
  6. Purdue

Plains Division (Big Ten Not So Good):

  1. Northwestern
  2. Illinois
  3. Wisconsin
  4. Iowa
  5. Nebraska
  6. Minnesota

And we spent 20 years and a ton of BS to sorta end up where we started.  Clearly, this is going to take twists and turns and I'm not arguing this is the perfect arrangement, I'm just guessing that it ends up something like this (move some names around, drop some and add others...) and maybe at the end of it we are closer to the thing that many of us grew up loving as opposed to what it is right now.  

Incredibly sad.  I hope he…

Incredibly sad.  I hope he has a good group around him at school to help him through this and keep after his goals and dreams.  

I had this same thought as…

I had this same thought as well, but he was apparently hated by the folks close to the program. 

A wealthy USC alum I speak with every few months indicated that he was hated by everyone around the program and Lincoln Riley was done dealing with him.  The alum suggested he was the "worst AD ever" to which I commented that USC has had a long line of really bad ADs lately, to which he agreed but suggested that even after hiring Riley, this one was still the worst.

Don't confuse youth and high…

Don't confuse youth and high school sports with D1 sports.  

While there are risks involved with all sports, the vast majority of players of youth and high school football take away a lot of positives with very low risk of lasting injuries.  

Every sport has its risks.  I played baseball, football and basketball.  I have one lasting injury and it is my shoulder from years of pitching.  No injuries (major or minor) at all from years of football.  I had a severe ankle sprain in high school playing basketball.  My oldest plays varsity soccer and he's probably been concussed at least once from playing a ball with his head.  There are countless blow knees and ankles from basketball and soccer.

Again, I'm not saying football is incredibly safe.  Rather everything in life has risks.  And don't compare the energy involved in collisions in Power 5 college and NFL football with future accountants and dentists bumping into each other in high school. 

100% agree with this.  I…

100% agree with this.  I hate the "Lady" moniker.  Seems to me as a method to devalue the women's teams at particular southern schools.

I've always believed that the women's teams are all Wolverines, just like the men's teams.

The NFL flirtations are a…

The NFL flirtations are a response to crappy behavior and rescinding verbal agreements from the AD.  It's the leverage he has, so he is going to use it.

The buyout number is…

The buyout number is irrelevant to an NFL owner.  Coaches get fired after one year and have a ton of remaining contract value.  They are billioniares with football businesses that are worth billions.  $10M is little more than a rounding error for these folks.  The buyout number is only relevant to other college athletic departments.

Harbaugh will stay or go based on how he views his situation an Michigan -- and how he is treated.

If the above narrative is true -- the AD is using the NCAA charges against him, rescinded on the originally outlined contract terms, etc., it isn't a surprise that Harbaugh is considering his options.  And he will do this EVERYTIME that the AD treats him like an employee instead of a member of the family.  

Harbaugh -- extremely…

Harbaugh -- extremely difficult to replace with an equivalent coach.

Warde -- probably below average AD.  All that needs to be done is avoid a Dave Brandon hire to upgrade the position.  

I think that I know which one I'd get rid of...

So Warde should only be a…

So Warde should only be a wise as the posters on a online fan site?  That's not a very high bar.  

Warde won a minor battle /…

Warde won a minor battle / skirmish by getting the BIG coach to take a pay cut and eliminate his buyout.  He saved a few million dollars there. For an athletic department that prints money.

That "win" appears to have alienated that same coach who is among the best in college football.  And his minor win has results in continued losses at the end of last season and this season.  

Even in 2020, there was no better coach for Michigan than Harbaugh.  History of massive success at every level and a deeply rooted history with the program.  He didn't forget how to coach in one year.  So to risk losing that to "win" a minor battle is dumb.

Matt Campbell -- that's really funny.  His record at Iowa State (https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/matt-campbell-1.html)

  • 2016 3-9
  • 2017 8-5
  • 2018 8-5 *
  • 2019 7-6 *
  • 2020 9-3 * (he has a big year during covid, as did Northwestern)
  • 2021 7-6 *
  • 2022 4-8

* Brock Purdy is his QB, starting 10 games in 2018 and 12+ in 2019-2021

How exactly did Warde handle…

How exactly did Warde handle the Harbaugh situation well in 2020? 

The coach that got the football program off of the mat has ONE bad year, which also happened to be a year where the season was cancelled, then not cancelled.  At least one member of the coaching staff was trying to coach via Zoom.  So Warde basically tries to push the guy out after that one season.

How is this handling the situation well?  It's idiotic.  Warde should have been let go while everyone was celebrating on the field after The Game in 2021.  

Warde is just a run of the mill AD.  He has zero value above replacement.  Harbaugh is FAR more valuable than replacement, as we learned from RR and Hoke.

What if Harbaugh wants Warde…

What if Harbaugh wants Warde out?  Warde is the jackass that screwed him after 2020.  And didn't fix the situation after 2021.  

Maybe Harbaugh knows what we have all known for a while... Warde needs to go.

I think someone must be on…

I think someone must be on the younger side...

Wheatley and Biakabatuka... yeah 1994 was "a pretty solid backfield"

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/michigan/1994.html

Probably because the details…

Probably because the details have been worked out with Warde and Santa and all that's left if for the regents to approve the contract.

I've been to the last three…

I've been to the last three Games in Columbus and all of the one in AA.  And I've been to the B1G Championship Game last year and the Semi-Final this year.

The games played in NFL stadiums don't come anywhere close to the atmosphere of The Games played in AA and Columbus.  Everything (other than the Rose Bowl in 1998) is a cheap replica of The Game.

I completely agree with you…

I completely agree with you. 

He got eff'd by Warde two years ago because he didn't negotiate a favorable contract ahead of that time.  This time he has someone to drive the terms he should want with favorable protection (and what ever else floats his boat).  

The other thing I don't think people appreciate is the time it would take to approve a new contract (if its in the range of $8M-$10M per year).  I suspect that the regents will need to approve the contract.  There is probably some time required to get Santa up to speed on the details and then socialize the plan with the regents.  And this is all happening during the holidays.  

Better than the camera folks…

Better than the camera folks were the opposing marching bands when they would walk by before and after half.  The sound of a marshmallow hitting the drum was a lot of fun, but better yet was seeing how many marshmallows could be thrown into the tubas before the tuba player realized what we were up to.  

This whole thread is on…

This whole thread is on point.  

I'm a rather chill person, but people who have no concept of how to drive cause me more anger than I should admit.

I have a HS senior who is in…

I have a HS senior who is in the application process for UofM.  After he visited campus, the thing he talked about most was the dorm cafeterias and the availability of "unlimited swipes" at Michigan.

He's been to a lot of schools and I assume that at some point, all of the schools of a certain caliber are very similar on most of the really important characteristics, but that a few specific things standout at one particular school versus the others.  

Touchdown Manningham…

Touchdown Manningham happened probably 15-30 minutes before the Bush Push.  I watched TD Manningham from Section 24.  By the time I got to the Grey Lot (the parking lot that surrounds the baseball field and Yost), I was walking by a post-game tailgate in the Grey Lot, I watched the final USC drive, which culminated with the Bush Push.  

Given my disdain for ND at the time, and lack of insight into the rampant cheating at USC, I was delighted with the two game results I had just witnessed.

$45.23 Donated.

Go Blue!!

Thanks for posting the link.

$45.23 Donated.

Go Blue!!

F*ck Cancer

You're comment is correct,…

You're comment is correct, but the track record of the coach getting the $95MM, is vastly different than the coach at Michigan.

Last season's drama during…

Last season's drama during the offseason was 100% not Harbaugh's fault.  If your boss cuts your pay in half and basically opens the door for you to leave, you're going to consider other options at the next opportunity.

Last offseason's daliance with Minnesota was Warde's fault.  You're chronically short sighted if you don't see that.  

Anyone who read Bacon's book about the Harbaugh coaching hire will recall the portion where he referenced the passing interest Brandon showed to JH, I think he had a third tier lackey contact JH instead of doing the job himself.  And JH assumed he wasn't really wanted and didn't put any more thought into pursuing the Michigan job.  Same deal last year.  AD shows zero interest in keeping him.  JH looked at other options.  Treat employees like employees instead of family, they treat you like a paycheck.  Very simple.

Supposedly, the athletic…

Supposedly, the athletic dept will know the section for the tickets on 12/21, according to the email.

That would probably be the…

That would probably be the single most hyped college football game in history.  Even ESPN would be hyping it without an SEC team in it.

^^^^^^ Truth.

Hartline is…

^^^^^^ Truth.

Hartline is the secret sauce on the OSU staff.  

The way I worded that…

The way I worded that comment was too harsh.  Stokes isn't Corum.  Corum (a Heisman finalist) makes that cut and gains30+ yards.  Stokes left some yards on the field.

This is the thing that…

This is the thing that jumped out at me.  There were two plays where the line blocked it up and Stokes blew it.  And if Stokes gets that cut the entire tenor of the game changes.

The early 1990s squirrels…

The early 1990s squirrels were definitely plus sized, but nothing like the critter at the top of the page.  Even back then, the squirrels had zero fear of humans as so many students fed them.

Very attractive page layout…

Very attractive page layout.

I assume that all of the student papers are entirely digital at this point.  If this assumption is true, when did the Daily and the other student paper that was around in the early 1990s stop printing physical papers?

It's nice to see that they…

It's nice to see that they found work for Baker Mayfield.

The Michigan Ohio State game…

The Michigan Ohio State game is simply The Game, not the Big Game.  That is Stanford Cal.

I'm a former pitcher, I…

I'm a former pitcher, I would be very opposed to eliminating the warm up pitches between innings.  Those five pitches were a chance to get the arm loose again and to get dialed back into the feel of the mound. And throw each pitch at least once before the inning starts.

The act of pitching is violent on the elbow, shoulder and back.  A few throws to get warmed up is worth it to avoid injuries.  

This is incredibly short…

This is incredibly short sighted.  Brady and Henson overlapped in Brady's 4th and 5th years in the program.  Henson in his first and second.  Brady was better and definitively closed the competition with the PSU comeback in Happy Valley.  But it was clear that Henson was going to be special.

Henson gets a foot injury (as I recall) in camp leading into his junior season and Navarre fills in and I think he blows a game at UCLA and is in the process of losing the season opener at Illinois.  Henson comes in in relief at Illinois and performs (and we get bailed out by a questionable non-call of an Athonly Thomas fumble -- foreshadowing disaster about to come).  

In the season when Henson was the undisputed starter, he was outrageous.  It has been stated on MGo that it was the best season of QB play at Michigan since the start of the Carr era.  The general belief was that when Henson came back for year 4, he was going to win the Heisman and be the #1 overall pick.  These last two points were never in play for Brady.

Then came George Steinbrenner and the Yankees.  

Yes, Brady is the GOAT and on straight up merit should have been the starter those two years.  But Henson was the prodigy and looked the part when he had the experience.  And as much as we can look back on specific aspects of the Carr years and question certain decisions, if the requirement to get an elite QB recruit on campus was some promise of playing time early, it wasn't a bad call.

That's throwing a lot of…

That's throwing a lot of shade at blogs.

each team should just have…

each team should just have one protected rivalry.  Stop making the schedule a mess.  We take the Game and MSU can choose between PSU or the Jersey Shore.

I'd rather play ND annually than MSU.  

While there may or may not…

While there may or may not be some "A2 Arrogance" involved in the OP, the quote from the second paragraph of the article, written by ISU states:

"While the university's core values have not changed since joining the association in 1958, the indicators used by AAU to rank its members have begun to favor institutions with medical schools and associated medical research funding."

Denard was a lot of fun to…

Denard was a lot of fun to watch, but isn't is the conversation.  

Woodson is probably the GOAT post-Bo.  

During the Bump, Bo and Mo eras, I'd go with Dennis Franklin ahead of Anthony Carter and Tyrone Wheatley.  His stats aren't going to amaze anyone in this day an age, but as the starting QB for '72-'74, Franklin's record of 30-2-1 says everything.  It was the most dominant period of Michigan football since the '30-'33 run under Kipke.

There are a lot of choices for the Yost to Oosterbaan years.  I'm too young and not well enough versed in those eras to have a well informed opinion. 

This is a pretty shitty…

This is a pretty shitty comment.  If you can't recognize that politicians from both sides of the aisle -- representing Real Americans or Coastal Elites -- are thieves then you're just blind or are intentionally ignorant.