raleighwood

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Date	Title	Body
3 days 10 hours ago	Feel The Same Way	I think about tuning in to Mike and Mike every day on my way to work (maybe get some NHL info) and then I realize that all they're going to be talking about is NBA basketball.....and they'll repeat the same drama each day (I don';t care if Rose plays, I don't carry if Howard is selfish, I don't care if Carmelo won't pass....). Are you up in Raleigh?  I recently moved from there to Jacksonville, FL.  I use my TuneIn Radio app every day to listen to Raleigh sports talk on the way home.  It works out pretty well.
1 week 19 hours ago	Four Years?	Four Years?  I think that you're being generous.  Two of MSU's last four seasons were 7-6 and 6-7.  They pretty much had two years of relevance.....and it's over.
2 weeks 1 day ago	Local News	I live in Jax and saw Denard on the local news tonight.  He was talking about how important a four year college education is to him.  He'll be the first in his family to achieve this goal and he'll be a good influence on the rest of the family.  If he can do it, they can do it.....that sort of thing.
6 weeks 3 days ago	Good Information	That's good information.  I don't mind paying $300 for a ticket.....just not for a ticket with a face valueof $60.  I'll be able to make better judgements regarding "value".  At the end of the day, if I drive for 5 hours and get a hotel, I'll probably pay whatever I need to for a ticket.  Thanks!
6 weeks 3 days ago	Just Curious...	Is $200 the face value of each ticket?  I currently live in Jacksonville, FL and plan on meeting a friend from Raleigh, NC at the game in Atlanta, GA on Saturday. We've found tickets online for $300 each.  I'm assuming that tickets might be a little bit cheaper (or in better sections) if we look for them at the game.  I just wondered if $200 was the face value for a ticket in the 300 Level so I can plan my negotiation strategy before I hit ATL!
9 weeks 5 days ago	NFL HOF	How many former Michigan players are in the HOF?  Dan Dierdorf is....anybody else?  I would think that Hutchinson, Woodson and Brady will all be there soon.
10 weeks 4 days ago	Let Me Try Another Way	Let me try this another way (before the moron moderators get involved). I think that we can all agree that OSU is Michigan's biggest rival, right?  Why is that?  It's because they compete against each other for championships!  The Big 2 and the Little 8.  The 10 Year War.  Does any of that ring a bell? OSU and ND are national "brand" teams that Michigan plays on a regular basis.  That's what makes them rivals.  That along with an extended history.  Who's next in line for "brand" status in the B1G?  Here's a hint....Sparty is not on that list.  It's teams like PSU, Nebraska and yes, maybe even Wisconsin. I went to the MSU vs. UM game last year and was shocked, SHOCKED to hear sports talk radio claim that MSU was Michigan's biggest rival (or most important game.....they sort of interchanged the two).  Yes, they claimed that the MSU game was more important than OSU.  Go figure.  A lot of this was based on the fact that the two teams were in the same division.  So that makes NW, Purdue, Iowa... all more important games too, right?. Look, I understand that Ann Arbor and East Lansing are in the same state.  I understand that they play football in the same division (for now).  It's great that they can be big rivals in basketball and hockey.  I just don't subscribe to the notion that they are huge football rivals.  There's a reason that they've been called "little brother".  It's because they historically (last 40 years) have not competed at the same level.  Yes, we've seen the RR blip but that's not going to last.  MSU has had maybe three good seasons in the past 20 years (1999, 2010, 2011).  That's not exactly stuff to base your primary rivalries on....unless you're simply looking at geography.
10 weeks 4 days ago	Absolutely	Rivalries absolutely change over time (and in some instances according to who is doing well).  What about the Red Wings and Avalanche?  That was one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports in the late 90's.  It's nothing now.  What about Oklahoma and Nebraska?  That one changed too. My point is that MSU is not a "rival" simply because it is in the same state.  There's got to be more behind it than that.  Until the RR years, MSU never even beat Michigan in back-to-back seasons (going back to the start of the Bo era). Can you really have three "rivals"?  Can you have three "best friends"?  At some point, it becomes another game.  They only play eight conference games so they're all big.  Clearly OSU is the biggest "rival".  ND is a big game because of the national stage. MSU is another game on the schedule.  The only thing that makes it different than the others is geography.
10 weeks 4 days ago	Rivals	Personally, I'd consider Wisconsin to be more of a rival than Sparty.  Wisky has won multiple B1G titles in the recent past.  MSU has had one three-way split in the past two decades.  Going forward, Michigan is competing against Wisky more than MSU......hence more of rival (even if they don't play every year).
10 weeks 6 days ago	No Banner For Second	Indiana is two games ahead of Michigan in the standings right now.  The game next weekend is fairly meaningless in terms of conference ranking unless IU loses to OSU this week (in Assembly Hall).  Since that's not likely, I'd take the B1G Tournament Championship over and undefeated season at Crisler.   Edit: Michigan can't do better than a tie (possibly four ways) in the B1G reagular season.  I'd prefer the outright tournament championship along with the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.  Honestly, I think that more weight will be given to that than regular season standings when the seeding comes out next week.
11 weeks 3 days ago	Yes....	.....but it's not going to happen.  The reality is that the team isn't as good as the hype has been.  At this point, they are 0-1 against IU, Wisky and Sparty.  They're 1-1 against OSU and the win came at home in OT.  They started off with huge deficits against IU, MSU and OSU on the road.  That says something about preparedness. They can't really "impose their will" on other teams with physical force and they don't really react well in adverse situations.  That doesn't detract from the good season that they have enjoyed.  However, this team isn't really a true contender for the B1G or National Championships.  By "true contender" I mean that they'll finish at least 2-3 games behind whoever wins the B1G. This might sound strange, but I expect them to be better next year without Trey Burke.  Walton should be competent at PG and Irvin will be a solid addition to the lineup.  More people will be forced to step up. On a related tangent.....why was Albrecht even in the game (let alone shooting a 3) with a few minutes left?  Where was McGary for most of the second half?  The lineup down the stretch seemed a bit unusual to me.
11 weeks 5 days ago	Geography	I’m not really sure how Boston and Florida (Miami) are both in the Central while Columbus and Pittsburgh are in the Atlantic.  You can practically spit in the Atlantic from the arena in Miami......well, a short drive and a spit.  Somebody at the league office has a problem with geography.
11 weeks 5 days ago	Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad	"Arizona beat Miami, NCSU, and Florida in the nonconference schedule." Arizona didn't play NCSU this season.  They did, however, beat them back in the 2010-11 season. I definitely think that Michigan deserves a 1 seed at this late point in the season.  That doesn't necessarily mean that I think they are a Top 4 team, just that they have a Top 4 resume at this point.  The Sparty game this weekend is HUGE.  If they win that game, it'll be hard to knock them off of 1 line.
12 weeks 5 days ago	Duke	Duke is a private school.  They don't receive funds from the State of  North Carolina and the NC Legislature wouldn't get involved if they wanted to leave. The B1G wouldn't take Duke (in a 16 team league) because the don't bring anything to the table in terms of football.....and that's what this is all about. You're probably right about NCSU and VT.  If the ACC folds (or loses members) they'll jump to the SEC if asked.
17 weeks 3 days ago	Say it ain't so!!!!	I'm moving to Jacksonville next week.  It can't be THAT bad, can it?  I don't know much about the downtown but between the beaches, Sawgrass and St. Augustine, I'm thinking that tourists can entertain themselves for 3-4 days.  I actually went there for NYE in 2010 when Michigan was playing in the Gator Bowl.  The riverfront area seemed nice enough....at least for one night. As someone leaving North Carolina....I'd throw my pitch in that Charlotte is actually a pretty decent bowl city.  It has an NFL stadium downtown within easy walking distance of lots of hotels, bars and restaurants.  The weather isn't great on NYD.....but it's not Detroit either.  Raleigh is missing some of the amenities needed for a top notch bowl game but the city pulled off the NHL All-Star game pretty well a couple of years ago.  The fans would definitely be welcomed. The biggest benefit to Charlotte is that it's driveable for most of the B1G footprint.  I would think that's a key deciding factor in bowl attractiveness.  Especially since plane tickets are purchased with short lead time.....during the Holiday season.  Denver just seems like a ridiculous place for a B1G bowl game.
18 weeks 3 days ago	Not About The Players	I don't think that the former players from Ole Miss are much of a draw.  I think that it's the game day traditions and the women.  Game day is supposed to be something special.  It's definitely high on my "to do" list (along with Baton Rouge and Lincoln).  I've already been to Starkville, MS for a Mississippi State game.  Nice enough....but not really impressive.
19 weeks 3 days ago	Under Current Conditions	These are my goals (under current conditions): 1.  Win the Leaders 5/10 years. 2.  Win the B1G 3-4/10 years 3.  Beat OSU 50%+ of the time.  Bo did it.  Mo did it.  Lloyd was doing it until the wheels fell off the wagon from 2001- 2007.  He should have retired two years earlier and kept the 50%+ streak going. 4.  I'd include Notre Dame but they don't really matter anymore. 5.  Beat MSU 70-80% of the time.  UM only lost once in the 70's, twice in the 80's and three times in the 90's.  Three losses should be the limit for any decade. 6.  Play in NYD bowl games (Gator or better) in 7/10 seasons. If you throw all of those things together, you're probably looking at primarily 9-3 or 10-2 regular seasons most of the time.  I'll always "take" 11-1 or 12-0.  Four losses are OK for "rebuilding"  years.  It's hard to call five or more losses a "good" season.  2012 was only the third times they've lost five or more games since the Bo era began (excluding the RR years) along with 1984 and 2005.
21 weeks 6 days ago	South Carolina	JT is from South Carolina so I'm sure that he REALLY hates missing a game against his home state team.
21 weeks 6 days ago	Agree	I'm not sure how the Lewan situation really makes much of a difference since the 2013 class isn't "competing" with him.  They will most likely all redshirt (if Kalis redshirts....almost everyone will). From a 2013 perspective, the competition goes up by 20% if you go from 5 to 6 recruits.  That's definitely something that a recruit would have to consider.  It looks like all current recruits are more highly ranked (or more versatile) so they might not be too concerned with the addition. Obviously, it's ultimately the coaches job to round out the roster as they see fit
22 weeks 4 days ago	Millions Of Reasons	Les Miles has 3.75 million reason$ why this is a good job.  In addition, LSU has won two MNC's in the past nine years (and played in another MNC game).  That's really all you need to know about the quality of the job.
23 weeks 2 days ago	Penn State	I live in ACC country and know a bunch of Penn State people.  Obviously, these are just fans but a lot of them would like to be in the ACC.  I realize that PSU covers the entire state of PA but from a Philly perspective, BC, Maryland, UVA, and VA Tech (and now 'Cuse and Pitt) are all closer than any B1G campus.  UNC, NCSU and Duke aren't far behind. One of them something to effect of "We have 10,000 alumni in the Carolinas.  We have 50 in Iowa". In addition to all of that, they CONSTANTLY feel screwed by the B1G refs.  This is just natural fan whining....but it's part of the equation. In the end, PSU is more culturally aligned with The B1G than it is the ACC.  They'll be around for a long time and be a great contributor to the conference (after they've paid for transgressions).
24 weeks 6 days ago	Bigger Better	I checked the team's websites and came up with the following: Stauskas     6' 6"  190 lbs Wood           6' 6"   169 lbs (sounds light....but that's what it says) Morgan        6' 8"   250 lbs Howell         6' 8"   257 lbs   Those numbers look pretty close to me.  I realize that Howell has had a good start to the year but he's REALLY foul prone and tends to make bad decisions during the game.  I think that Morgan can hold his own here.  Michigan can roll more effective big men on the floor so Howell's foul trouble could be the key to the game.
24 weeks 6 days ago	NC State	I live a mile from NC State's arena and have seen them play several times (although not this year).  I can tell you that the two teams match up reasonably well on paper. Burke vs Brown    Slight edge to Michigan.  Burke is awesome but Brown is good (and taller) Hardaway vs Purvis     Slight edge to Michigan.  Hardaway has been great this year but don't sleep on Purvis Stauskus vs Wood     Slight edge to NC State.  Wood is a senior with much more experience.  Stauskus can be more explosive. GRIII vs Warren      Push.   Two great freshmen. McGary vs Leslie       Edge to NCSU.  You never really know what you're going to get with CJ Leslie. Morgan vs Howell      Push.  However, I think that Michigan has the ability to bring in Horford to add a little depth at "big man".  This gives an overall edge to Michigan. NC State can be VERY good if they keep their heads in the game.  I don't know how likely that is for this game.   Michigan's depth and home court advantage should be the difference.  Michigan wins 72 - 66.
25 weeks 6 hours ago	Off Topic?	How is this "off topic"?  It's a direct response to points made in the immediately previous post.  It included facts and historical perspective to Michigan football.  Whoever took it down.....you're a moron. Now, go ahead and remove this one, too.
25 weeks 7 hours ago	Huh?	Michigan had seven (or more) four-loss seasons from 1969 -2007.  That's seven times in 39 seasons!  That's pretty close to a "handful".  More to the point, if they lose the bowl game, that will make it a five loss season which was pretty unprecedented in the pre-RR era.  And no, that's not a bitch about RR, it's just a clear dividing line in the Michigan program. It's a serious stretch to call this a "good" season.
25 weeks 18 hours ago	Different Perspective	This was a pretty bad season by "normal" (pre-2008) standards.  Michigan only lost four games a handful of times from 1969 - 2007.  I think that they only lost five or more games twice (1984 and 2005) but that's just from memory.....no research.  A loss in a bowl game will put them in that category. They lost to every good team that they played and won a couple of prayers against MSU and Northwestern.  This season was two plays away from being a train wreck. I'm proud of the guys on the team and all that they have been through.  We have a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the future (I see no reason why the 2014 and 2015 teams can't be as good as ND and Stanford right now).  Calling this a "good season" is a pretty big stretch.  I'd feel disappointed if anybody on the team would call this "good".
25 weeks 18 hours ago	Different Perspective	This was a pretty bad season by "normal" (pre-2008) standards.  Michigan only lost four games a handful of times from 1969 - 2007.  I think that they only lost five or more games twice (1984 and 2005) but that's just from memory.....no research.  A loss in a bowl game will put them in that category. They lost to every good team that they played and won a couple of prayers against MSU and Northwestern.  This season was two plays away from being a train wreck. I'm proud of the guys on the team and all that they have been through.  We have a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the future (I see no reason why the 2014 and 2015 teams can't be as good as ND and Stanford right now).  Calling this a "good season" is a pretty big stretch.  I'd feel disappointed if anybody on the team would call this "good".
25 weeks 1 day ago	Earth To Al....Come in Al	What's Al Borges thinking?  Devin Gardner is converting something like 75% of his third downs and he doesn't play 3rd or 4th down (which was dumb) in the first series of the second half and then he doesn't play on 3rd down in the second series.   I LOVE DENARD....but he shouldn't take any 3rd or 4th down snaps for the rest of this game.  The offense is waaaay too limited when he's at the helm.  Gardner opens up all kinds of opportunities. It's not over so play (and coach) smart.  This can be done.
25 weeks 6 days ago	Data	I don't have actual data (although it's probably available somewhere).  I just remember reading that BTN received something like $0.88 per subscriber.  I'm not really sure how that works but it's pretty clear that's why they are exploring the markets that are involved. I live in Raleigh and pay $5.95 per month for a "sports tier" package that includes BTN.  I don't know how much BTN gets out of this but I think that it's the primary network (along with some regional channels). Personally, I don't think that BTN market expansion is a good enough reason to grow the conference.  I think that the B1G is fine the way that it is and I probably wouldn't expand unless it was to hit a "home run" (think Texas, ND....).  Hell, I'd rather get Kansas (fits B1G geography, Top 5 basketball program...) than any of the schools that have been mentioned but that's not the way it works.  It's all about generating revenue.
26 weeks 1 hour ago	That's Correct	But I think that GA Tech can generate enough interest, particularly in the HUGE Atlanta market to get BTN onto local cable packages.

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