If only someone could've imagined that giving 17-21 year olds access to an open bidding market for their services would have unforeseen consequences...
It's a very strange phenomenon in which I support NIL 101%, yet can't deny these effects are diminishing my interest in the sport.
When I took writing classes, one thing the professor emphasized was exclusion of "presumed" knowledge... in other words, if a person was reading a political article, it could be assumed that you didn't have to specify "United States President Joe Biden" or even "President Biden." Just "Biden" would be enough for anyone reading that article.
So imagine believing you need to go into that level of detail about Michigan's NCAA troubles for anyone reading a MSU recruiting website?
I'm on record myself believing that college football is on the downturn.
If it has to die, I can think of no better parting shot than a Michigan national title that causes rivals and people like Doyel crippling sadness in perpetuity.
Like you're a Sparty? "Coach was a bad boy and has to go to time-out (or The Tucker Zone)."
The technical wording:
In the NCAA, a show-cause penalty is an administrative punishment ordering that any NCAA penalties imposed on a coach found to have committed major rules violations will stay in effect against that coach for a specified period of time—and could also be transferred to any other NCAA-member school that hires the coach while the sanctions are still in effect. Both the school and coach are required to send letters to the NCAA agreeing to abide by any restrictions imposed. They must also report back to the NCAA every six months until either the end of the coach's employment or the show-cause penalty (whichever comes first). If the school wishes to avoid the NCAA penalties imposed on that coach, it must send representatives to appear before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions and "show cause" (i.e., prove the existence of good reason) as to why it should not be penalized for hiring that coach.
The NCAA has a raging... attraction to Harbaugh. I'll personally miss him, but he's gone now, and hopefully the silver lining can be a return to being treated like every other cash cow.
Failing that, the entire association should go the way of the dodo bird by 2030 or so.
Some Penn State fans are joining the parade. I've been promised rampant vacation (vacating?) of anything from the national title to Harbaugh's entire tenure.
Cast aside the irony of PSU fans making these claims, etc., because it's nothing compared to their looks of surprise, disappointment, etc. when I inform them on that off-chance, I wouldn't feel much differently.
Is the NCAA planning to vacate my memories of stomping OSU three times in a row? Wash my mind clean of the Rose Bowl? Use the Men in Black neuralyzer to erase the National title game?
It's not as if the trophies sit in my house.
I just love that the NCAA has become the knights in shining armor for at least two fanbases that detested that organization to no end before anyone knew the name Stalions.
This one got me too. Sounds like you might've been a little closer to the family or knew someone who was, but any "struggles" they had were concealed very effectively from Kobe, his friends, teammates, advisors....
Kobe liked Michigan. That's legit. Our high schools played one another, and my older teammates were friendly with him to the point we'd see him socially at times. I know I saw him wearing Michigan t-shirts, etc.
But from what we knew, he was never seriously looking at colleges, let alone Michigan.
If I remember, he officially declared he was NBA-bound around this time of year. For about 2-3 months leading up to the announcement, it was the worst-kept secret in the Philadelphia area.
The big story locally (I grew up in the school district next to Lower Merion, but two years behind him in school) was that Kobe was going to play at La Salle, where his dad was an assistant coach. That... clearly didn't come to pass.
In the years since, the consensus became that college was never a real consideration for him. I suppose he'd have gone to Duke, but that's like saying I'd wear a blue shirt if I went on a date with Shakira.
A friend of mine (no ties to Michigan whatsoever) knows a prominent member of the 2007 team well. He kids him about Appalachian State frequently, and this player corroborates the "team wasn't taking it seriously" up to and including players going out multiple nights that week (he says they went out the night before the game, I'm leery of that claim) and a couple off-field incidents leading up to the contest.
Don't know all the specifics, and that App State team was proven to be legit, but given the way they followed up vs. Oregon the following week, I'm guess Lloyd knew it was time to get out.
I half-agree with both of you. For some really stupid reason, I particularly enjoy sitting by the beach and watching the Stanley Cup playoffs on a 60-degree evening. Makes zero sense, but watching the Wings win the Cup while on Senior Week years ago is a special sports memory.
I'm rapidly closing in on the age where I believe it's fair and expected to be "stuck in my ways". Nowhere does this make me happier than following sports.
The Big 10 should have 10 teams, unless we can somehow boot MSU and get away with nine.
The MLB playoffs are four teams, playing a pair of seven-game series to culminate in a World Series that ends well before Halloween.
March Madness... actually, it's fine, I think the play-in games are unnecessary, but that's a minor nitpick and they're easily ignored.
And the NHL has the Patrick, Adams, Norris, and Smythe Divisions. Top four make the playoffs, setting up a genuine Wales/Campbell conference championship.
So I'm with you, but it isn't too complicated. Top three from each division, next two in the conference regardless of division. So it's possible (and has happened) for a division to get five teams. But you'll have at least one cross-divisional first-round matchup.
This was a fun way to realize the Jets drafted a person named Roger Vick (no relation) as a 1st round fullback in 1987 with several Pro Bowlers (Harbaugh among them) still available.
What a franchise, when this doesn't even register as a first-round blunder.
As a young kid (late 1980s), I would get Woody Allen and Woody Hayes confused whenever people would mention either. This, of course, led to several hilarious mix-ups about various news stories that included either name.
This has nothing to do with anything, but neither did the OP.
Love the Fab Five and always will, but I think damaging the school's relationship with the group takes a back seat when 20% of said group is directly responsible for this predicament.
As a senior in high school, I was "hand-timed" at 4.97, which seemed to make my coaches quite happy. I was above-average fast for a 180 lb. senior, but by no means a burner. That was probably the best shape of my life, and I'm led to believe laser timing would add a good 0.2 to my time.
No way I'm getting within a country mile of 5.5 today.
It's funny because I see this dude on the Lions who's built like him, has a lot of his traits, and seems to know Aidan's family. That guy is turning into one of the more well-rounded defensive ends in football.
But all my OSU friends tell me Aidan was a wasted pick, so I'll go with him.
Is there just zero faith that based on our AD that we'll be able to field a competitive team moving forward?
Possibly. There isn't much faith in the AD, period, based on this board. College football will not resemble the same sport within 3-5 years, and Michigan's not exactly known for quickly embracing change. Add "Warde Manuel" to that equation and you may be onto something.
Dumbest story ever: where I grew up, college football is not big. The people who watch mostly do so as an add-on to their NFL fandom, and their favorite teams are either the local school or (ugh) Notre Dame.
I went to Catholic elementary school. One of the nuns/teachers was an enormous Notre Dame fan. I largely became aware of college football during their 1988 title run, and swore I'd be a fan of the team - any team - who beat them.
You probably know the rest. Michigan came the closest in 1989 (the Ismail game), a heartbreaking loss for me, someone who at that time didn't even really know where Michigan was. Miami (YTM) finally broke the Irish's winning streak later that year, so that was my team until I was at a friend's house for the ND/Michigan game in 1991.
You know this one: whole place rooting for ND, Desmond makes the TD grab on 4th and 1, pandemonium in the Big House.
Three months later, a group of freshmen take on Duke (think Notre Dame, but basketball) while I'm at ANOTHER friend's house. Once again, I'm the only one who doesn't root for Duke, Michigan takes them to OT. Finally had a common link, which was enough for me to throw The U overboard for the maize and blue. 33 years later, I'm still here.
Thanks for the writeup. Wietfeldt will need to be the difference if Michigan wants to pull the upset or hang as tough as they did in Charlottesville last season. LaSalla could be UVA's biggest loss anywhere on the field, but the Hoos are a no-doubt Top 3 team coming into the season.
For anyone looking to fill the void created by the... discouraging basketball results, can't recommend college lacrosse strongly enough. Michigan not only has a blossoming program but to me, has the profile of a team that could pull an upset on any given Sunday (Saturday, in college lax) with a top faceoff man, a goalie who can get HOT, and a streaky top scorer in Boehm.
Excited for the first look at Pederson and Tiernan (Lehigh attackman) in maize and blue.
Used to concoct excuses why I had to work from home on this day every year. Now it has next to zero significance at all.
I don't think it happened on NSD proper, but the RoJo saga was my unofficial introduction to the madness of college football recruiting.
I also recall a great deal of hand wringing over (McGuffie??) not sending his LOI until after dinner time the night of National Signing Day. Seems very quaint by current standards.
I live in an area where NFL is a MUCH bigger deal than college football, and I've often chided my friends for "rooting for laundry" (not a Jerry Seinfeld fan, but that lines rings true).
Rooting for Michigan (or any school) felt like you were rooting for something more than a corporation. It represented you in a way, whether you attended the school, grew up in the area or felt some other type of connection. Professional teams simply set up shop in the area where you lived, or maybe you liked a particular player as a kid who's long since retired, etc.
Now it feels like college football is every bit as bad in that regard.
2023 doesn't mean the end of my Michigan fandom, but I do feel the erosion of what made college football different or special.
But I was born in 1979... my dad said the same stuff around the turn of the century when the BCS came in. Hopefully the next generation finds some enjoyment in it.
I think it's more of a "watching for entertainment" perspective.
Example: in the past, I viewed everything with a "how does this help Michigan WIN?" eye. I hear people now talking about the idea of Orji at QB with a backfield of Mullings/The Don and running a Wing-T style power running game... and I'm intrigued.
The idea of the team attempting ~10 passes a game in 2024 and asserting their will physically would've scared the hell out of me a decade ago.
Now? It's something new to see, it's intriguing. We aren't topping 2023 from an accomplishment/drama/happy ending standpoint... now I just want to see new things.
Finally! I can complain when college athletes don't perform up to standards or expectations, along with the other 110K fans in the Big House. Been waiting patiently for this day.
Most memorable (non-obvious category): Football 2003 vs. Oregon. As I recall they led 21-6 at halftime and melted down in the second half in a perfect storm of special teams errors, poor coaching, and shaky officiating.
Worst non-Michigan memory: Being at the last game at Veterans Stadium when Ronde Barber and the Buccaneers recorded the first franchise victory in a game under 40 degrees (?) to beat the Eagles in the NFC Championship.
For me, the Horror was the logical conclusion of a long, sometimes subtle but then sudden slide... however, they did beat MSU, PSU, and Florida that season. At this point I chalk it up to Michigan taking the game lightly, and ASU treating it as their "one shining moment." Kudos to them.
2016 at OSU is probably the most devastated I've felt as a fan in my adult life. 2018 was just icing on that cake.
It depends on where you live. Some states (like mine) do not allow/offer odds on such speculative wagers. I also can't bet on individual college players.
Why is it so difficult? Is there anyone who wouldn't understand a statement like:
"I'll always love the University of Michigan and I treasure the time spent as a coach and our accomplishments.
It's very rare in life that you get to go out on top, and on your own terms... and with my lifelong dream of winning a Super Bowl still unfulfilled, I will be stepping down to pursue that opportunity with the [name of NFL team] where i hope to coach many former Michigan players in the future. Go Blue!"
OK, in all seriousness, every player from the 2023 Wolverines has what I call "Janice Rossi Status" (think GoodFellas, with Henry and Jimmy beating on Henry's mistress, yelling "Janice can do whatever she wants... GOT IT??")
BUT, I am legitimately surprised this time as Trente seemed prime to emerge into a top option next year.
Now we've got to settle for "shattering their confidence, reducing 3B to a broken man, and forcing them to emulate Michigan's player retention strategy."
Recent Comments
If only someone could've imagined that giving 17-21 year olds access to an open bidding market for their services would have unforeseen consequences...
It's a very strange phenomenon in which I support NIL 101%, yet can't deny these effects are diminishing my interest in the sport.
When I took writing classes, one thing the professor emphasized was exclusion of "presumed" knowledge... in other words, if a person was reading a political article, it could be assumed that you didn't have to specify "United States President Joe Biden" or even "President Biden." Just "Biden" would be enough for anyone reading that article.
So imagine believing you need to go into that level of detail about Michigan's NCAA troubles for anyone reading a MSU recruiting website?
I'm on record myself believing that college football is on the downturn.
If it has to die, I can think of no better parting shot than a Michigan national title that causes rivals and people like Doyel crippling sadness in perpetuity.
Upvoted because there's another Islanders fan here!
Good luck Marshall!
Like you're a Sparty? "Coach was a bad boy and has to go to time-out (or The Tucker Zone)."
The technical wording:
In the NCAA, a show-cause penalty is an administrative punishment ordering that any NCAA penalties imposed on a coach found to have committed major rules violations will stay in effect against that coach for a specified period of time—and could also be transferred to any other NCAA-member school that hires the coach while the sanctions are still in effect. Both the school and coach are required to send letters to the NCAA agreeing to abide by any restrictions imposed. They must also report back to the NCAA every six months until either the end of the coach's employment or the show-cause penalty (whichever comes first). If the school wishes to avoid the NCAA penalties imposed on that coach, it must send representatives to appear before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions and "show cause" (i.e., prove the existence of good reason) as to why it should not be penalized for hiring that coach.
The NCAA has a raging... attraction to Harbaugh. I'll personally miss him, but he's gone now, and hopefully the silver lining can be a return to being treated like every other cash cow.
Failing that, the entire association should go the way of the dodo bird by 2030 or so.
Some Penn State fans are joining the parade. I've been promised rampant vacation (vacating?) of anything from the national title to Harbaugh's entire tenure.
Cast aside the irony of PSU fans making these claims, etc., because it's nothing compared to their looks of surprise, disappointment, etc. when I inform them on that off-chance, I wouldn't feel much differently.
Is the NCAA planning to vacate my memories of stomping OSU three times in a row? Wash my mind clean of the Rose Bowl? Use the Men in Black neuralyzer to erase the National title game?
It's not as if the trophies sit in my house.
I just love that the NCAA has become the knights in shining armor for at least two fanbases that detested that organization to no end before anyone knew the name Stalions.
This one got me too. Sounds like you might've been a little closer to the family or knew someone who was, but any "struggles" they had were concealed very effectively from Kobe, his friends, teammates, advisors....
Kobe liked Michigan. That's legit. Our high schools played one another, and my older teammates were friendly with him to the point we'd see him socially at times. I know I saw him wearing Michigan t-shirts, etc.
But from what we knew, he was never seriously looking at colleges, let alone Michigan.
If I remember, he officially declared he was NBA-bound around this time of year. For about 2-3 months leading up to the announcement, it was the worst-kept secret in the Philadelphia area.
The big story locally (I grew up in the school district next to Lower Merion, but two years behind him in school) was that Kobe was going to play at La Salle, where his dad was an assistant coach. That... clearly didn't come to pass.
In the years since, the consensus became that college was never a real consideration for him. I suppose he'd have gone to Duke, but that's like saying I'd wear a blue shirt if I went on a date with Shakira.
A friend of mine (no ties to Michigan whatsoever) knows a prominent member of the 2007 team well. He kids him about Appalachian State frequently, and this player corroborates the "team wasn't taking it seriously" up to and including players going out multiple nights that week (he says they went out the night before the game, I'm leery of that claim) and a couple off-field incidents leading up to the contest.
Don't know all the specifics, and that App State team was proven to be legit, but given the way they followed up vs. Oregon the following week, I'm guess Lloyd knew it was time to get out.
Noticed the same, and it was happening two weeks ago as well.
One play away. But our guys seem to be losing their footing/completely fanning on the puck a LOT.
I half-agree with both of you. For some really stupid reason, I particularly enjoy sitting by the beach and watching the Stanley Cup playoffs on a 60-degree evening. Makes zero sense, but watching the Wings win the Cup while on Senior Week years ago is a special sports memory.
I'm rapidly closing in on the age where I believe it's fair and expected to be "stuck in my ways". Nowhere does this make me happier than following sports.
So I'm with you, but it isn't too complicated. Top three from each division, next two in the conference regardless of division. So it's possible (and has happened) for a division to get five teams. But you'll have at least one cross-divisional first-round matchup.
This was a fun way to realize the Jets drafted a person named Roger Vick (no relation) as a 1st round fullback in 1987 with several Pro Bowlers (Harbaugh among them) still available.
What a franchise, when this doesn't even register as a first-round blunder.
Any shot we can mutually agree to move Sunday's game to LCA and avoid the atrocious ice in Maryland Heights?
As a young kid (late 1980s), I would get Woody Allen and Woody Hayes confused whenever people would mention either. This, of course, led to several hilarious mix-ups about various news stories that included either name.
This has nothing to do with anything, but neither did the OP.
No deal, Giants gotta throw in free lunches at Liebman's Deli for a year.
Love the Fab Five and always will, but I think damaging the school's relationship with the group takes a back seat when 20% of said group is directly responsible for this predicament.
Apologies for my rusty/lacking HTML abilities above.
This sport is flippin' absurd with the frequency, length, and reasoning for reviews.
…
I watched last night's game
Against my better judgement
Sure hope hockey wins!
As a senior in high school, I was "hand-timed" at 4.97, which seemed to make my coaches quite happy. I was above-average fast for a 180 lb. senior, but by no means a burner. That was probably the best shape of my life, and I'm led to believe laser timing would add a good 0.2 to my time.
No way I'm getting within a country mile of 5.5 today.
Drink every time Pete names a source?
We'd all end up as designated drivers.
I said something similar below, but yours is more clever. +1
In all seriousness, we need to quantify a bust. Braylon doesn't qualify in my mind, he was just disappointing given his draft position.
But David Terrell on the other hand...
No question, Aidan Hutchinson.
It's funny because I see this dude on the Lions who's built like him, has a lot of his traits, and seems to know Aidan's family. That guy is turning into one of the more well-rounded defensive ends in football.
But all my OSU friends tell me Aidan was a wasted pick, so I'll go with him.
Yes, Blake Corum will be drafted, my guess is toward the end of the 3rd round.
Where? If you can figure it out, let me know because I'll take an immediate interest in that team.
This guide is super helpful, many thanks.
At first glance, looks like Friday was a solid 8 out of 10 in terms of desired results.
Jonny answered the others, but:
Possibly. There isn't much faith in the AD, period, based on this board. College football will not resemble the same sport within 3-5 years, and Michigan's not exactly known for quickly embracing change. Add "Warde Manuel" to that equation and you may be onto something.
Any chance of this turning into a full-time role?
Edit: I see I was beaten to this above, so I'll revise to say I hope this doesn't interfere with his groundbreaking work in the area of NIL.
Dumbest story ever: where I grew up, college football is not big. The people who watch mostly do so as an add-on to their NFL fandom, and their favorite teams are either the local school or (ugh) Notre Dame.
I went to Catholic elementary school. One of the nuns/teachers was an enormous Notre Dame fan. I largely became aware of college football during their 1988 title run, and swore I'd be a fan of the team - any team - who beat them.
You probably know the rest. Michigan came the closest in 1989 (the Ismail game), a heartbreaking loss for me, someone who at that time didn't even really know where Michigan was. Miami (YTM) finally broke the Irish's winning streak later that year, so that was my team until I was at a friend's house for the ND/Michigan game in 1991.
You know this one: whole place rooting for ND, Desmond makes the TD grab on 4th and 1, pandemonium in the Big House.
Three months later, a group of freshmen take on Duke (think Notre Dame, but basketball) while I'm at ANOTHER friend's house. Once again, I'm the only one who doesn't root for Duke, Michigan takes them to OT. Finally had a common link, which was enough for me to throw The U overboard for the maize and blue. 33 years later, I'm still here.
Thanks for the writeup. Wietfeldt will need to be the difference if Michigan wants to pull the upset or hang as tough as they did in Charlottesville last season. LaSalla could be UVA's biggest loss anywhere on the field, but the Hoos are a no-doubt Top 3 team coming into the season.
For anyone looking to fill the void created by the... discouraging basketball results, can't recommend college lacrosse strongly enough. Michigan not only has a blossoming program but to me, has the profile of a team that could pull an upset on any given Sunday (Saturday, in college lax) with a top faceoff man, a goalie who can get HOT, and a streaky top scorer in Boehm.
Excited for the first look at Pederson and Tiernan (Lehigh attackman) in maize and blue.
Used to concoct excuses why I had to work from home on this day every year. Now it has next to zero significance at all.
I don't think it happened on NSD proper, but the RoJo saga was my unofficial introduction to the madness of college football recruiting.
I also recall a great deal of hand wringing over (McGuffie??) not sending his LOI until after dinner time the night of National Signing Day. Seems very quaint by current standards.
I live in an area where NFL is a MUCH bigger deal than college football, and I've often chided my friends for "rooting for laundry" (not a Jerry Seinfeld fan, but that lines rings true).
Rooting for Michigan (or any school) felt like you were rooting for something more than a corporation. It represented you in a way, whether you attended the school, grew up in the area or felt some other type of connection. Professional teams simply set up shop in the area where you lived, or maybe you liked a particular player as a kid who's long since retired, etc.
Now it feels like college football is every bit as bad in that regard.
2023 doesn't mean the end of my Michigan fandom, but I do feel the erosion of what made college football different or special.
But I was born in 1979... my dad said the same stuff around the turn of the century when the BCS came in. Hopefully the next generation finds some enjoyment in it.
I think it's more of a "watching for entertainment" perspective.
Example: in the past, I viewed everything with a "how does this help Michigan WIN?" eye. I hear people now talking about the idea of Orji at QB with a backfield of Mullings/The Don and running a Wing-T style power running game... and I'm intrigued.
The idea of the team attempting ~10 passes a game in 2024 and asserting their will physically would've scared the hell out of me a decade ago.
Now? It's something new to see, it's intriguing. We aren't topping 2023 from an accomplishment/drama/happy ending standpoint... now I just want to see new things.
Finally! I can complain when college athletes don't perform up to standards or expectations, along with the other 110K fans in the Big House. Been waiting patiently for this day.
Most painful: Basketball 1993 vs. UNC
Most bitter: Football 2016 vs. OSU
Most memorable (non-obvious category): Football 2003 vs. Oregon. As I recall they led 21-6 at halftime and melted down in the second half in a perfect storm of special teams errors, poor coaching, and shaky officiating.
Worst non-Michigan memory: Being at the last game at Veterans Stadium when Ronde Barber and the Buccaneers recorded the first franchise victory in a game under 40 degrees (?) to beat the Eagles in the NFC Championship.
After the Sweet Sixteen run in 2022, I remember a brief dalliance with Juwan/Lakers coaching opening.
Ultimately, he stayed at Michigan.
The ensuing two seasons are the "make-up" for the close call with moving on from Harbaugh after the 2020 campaign.
For me, the Horror was the logical conclusion of a long, sometimes subtle but then sudden slide... however, they did beat MSU, PSU, and Florida that season. At this point I chalk it up to Michigan taking the game lightly, and ASU treating it as their "one shining moment." Kudos to them.
2016 at OSU is probably the most devastated I've felt as a fan in my adult life. 2018 was just icing on that cake.
Absolutely rooting for him/them, to whatever extent I care about the NFL/LA Chargers.
Not seeing a Super Bowl as likely within five years. however.
Celebrating a national championship?
It depends on where you live. Some states (like mine) do not allow/offer odds on such speculative wagers. I also can't bet on individual college players.
The NFL: where "Mike McCarthy is a better option to coach our football team than Jim Harbaugh" is a perfectly realistic outcome.
Why is it so difficult? Is there anyone who wouldn't understand a statement like:
"I'll always love the University of Michigan and I treasure the time spent as a coach and our accomplishments.
It's very rare in life that you get to go out on top, and on your own terms... and with my lifelong dream of winning a Super Bowl still unfulfilled, I will be stepping down to pursue that opportunity with the [name of NFL team] where i hope to coach many former Michigan players in the future. Go Blue!"
Yeah, we NEVER had to play these "will he leave for a great NFL job?" games when Hoke was coach.
Yeah, how selfish of him...
OK, in all seriousness, every player from the 2023 Wolverines has what I call "Janice Rossi Status" (think GoodFellas, with Henry and Jimmy beating on Henry's mistress, yelling "Janice can do whatever she wants... GOT IT??")
BUT, I am legitimately surprised this time as Trente seemed prime to emerge into a top option next year.
So be it. Janice Rossi status and all...
Now we've got to settle for "shattering their confidence, reducing 3B to a broken man, and forcing them to emulate Michigan's player retention strategy."