Seems the Lions moved up to get in early on a decent set of corners with a bit of size and a lot of athleticism. Wiggins was in that group, so is Iowa's DeJean and the guy with the nickname who played with Arnold.
It's good to move up and get your guy out of a group.
I don't understand the Fields hype. He was worth a sixth, maybe. He throws picks on more than 3% of his passes and he barely averages five yards per play on pass attempts/sacks - both those figures are below average for a competent backup, let alone a starter. He failed. The highlight runs were great, but he got sacked constantly and he could not move the ball upfield otherwise. I think nothing of Nix, but I think he has a better chance of starting in the NFL than Fields has of starting again.
I see Turner as a definite top ten talent, but the other defensive players fit into the first round, but not this high. But Penix and Nix... I think the Broncos and Falcons will regret that. And it's likely one of Daniels/Maye will flop, based on recent history.
Nabers is a solid pick there, but I really think the Giants blew it - sticking with Daniel Jones another year with no one coming up is basically admitting they can't compete.
I think he just takes his favorite OT. Why help Minnesota after the stuff that happened a year ago? And Denver and Vegas are in the division. Giants will get JJ.
A dome can be used for other events year-round. That's where the money to build something like this is going to come from (at $5 billion, more than half will need to come from the taxpayers). It's the difference between just a new stadium and an event center. Newer designs are moving away from the retractable roof concept, which is difficult enough in no-snow areas (Lucas Oil in Indianapolis is the only northern retractable roof, and the new complexes in Los Angeles and Las Vegas have fixed roofs).
Turf is a concern. NFL teams have been replacing slit-film turf in recent years (thicker and holds rubber pellets better) because it seems to generate more injuries, but the players say that's not enough and the studies seem to back that up. The question is whether more frequent replacement of turf also solves the problem. It's hard to maintain grass in the north - it wears down quickly in the winter. Indoor stadiums can use grass, but you need a system like the one in Las Vegas, where they keep it on a tray outdoors and slide it in for events. It seems unlikely there would be space for that in Chicago. Green Bay uses a hybrid grass/turf system.
It's a difficult argument. If they want a new money-making complex next to Soldier Field, it gets built because it's an all-year event center. But you have to deal with turf and if Caleb Williams goes down with a knee in the home opener in 2029, everyone's going to be angry. From a fan perspective, I don't think being outside in cold weather has as much charm for younger people as it did. If built, this will be a nice-looking center overlooking Lake Michigan. They'll undoubtedly use a lot of glass and take advantage of sight lines. And they'll have additional cell towers, for the young people who can't handle looking away from their smart phones for more than a few seconds at a time. Modern domes do not resemble the Silverdome. The new one in Minneapolis is quite nice looking.
The plan for Arlington is obviously dying. Seemed like a good one, but the Bears failed to get community leaders on board and fights about tax valuations apparently killed it. So they have 300 acres of prime land near highways and nothing to do there. That was going to be a domed stadium with lots of off-season event support as well.
There's still a long way to go before this new proposal can move forward - likely the same tax arguments, plus the increased cost of working in so small a space right off the lake. The fact they announced this the day before the Caleb Williams pick - obviously intentional, since there's a lot of excitement about that. But Bears fans have turned quarterback-hating into an art. Jim McMahon is the only past quarterback they accepted. The minute Williams becomes human, he'll be as hated as Jay Cutler ever was.
Recruiting for the Big Ten? I don't think it could hurt. The Big Ten would probably want to hold the championship game there, maybe permanently. They'll get Final Fours, probably a Super Bowl the year after it opens (if Chicago's leadership is smart, they'll insist on it right from the start). I don't think it will move the recruiting needle, but any time a $5 billion project is built, it brings positive attention to the area. If they can pull this off, it will immediately become the most important sports venue in the entire region.
We talk a lot about the NIL influence. It's impossible to assess the impact right now. The landscape changes almost weekly. Now, it looks like coaches might finally have a role to play in putting together NIL deals.
A few weeks ago, it was common to hear that when a player asked a coach about NIL, the coach couldn't really answer the question. Recruits come in and their AAU coaches are involved in the deals, but college coaches were forbidden to play a part.
We also forget that some states have laws about NIL, or laws preventing the NCAA from messing with NIL, and others do not. For the most part, the NCAA reacts to the laws, and changes trickle down to other states. But this seemingly changes weekly as well, and it will continue to do so until athletes are considered employees and there's some sort of CBA for each sport or all sports.
KBA must be navigating things fairly well, or she couldn't have pulled the 2024 class she did. Especially since the state of Michigan isn't exactly a leader in this fight-the-NCAA legislation.
But it would be naive to think that NIL didn't draw Phelia and maybe Evans off the team. Rather than blame them, to me it's just one more reason college sports kinda sucks right now - they would be leaders on a potentially great team next season, but that doesn't really matter any more.
In the end, 34-13, 27-20, 30-24. I'm still good. That'll work for a long time.
That's a difficult question. Adds a little front-court depth, which the team needs very badly. It's a complete mystery what she'll bring after missing an entire year with a knee injury. I wouldn't expect her to start, or I would see it as a bad sign if she did.
She grew up in the Grand Rapids area, made all-state teams, was in the top 100 nationally as a prospect, but didn't really pan out for BC. Apparently very strong academically. If she can contribute, that's terrific. It seems like a good use for one of many available roster spots.
I don't remember taking any job where I could expect pay before I did anything. There's always a contract, even for the fast food work at what was then $3.35 per hour.
I think this discussion illustrates the need for a CBA of some sort.
If you want to compare NIL money to a system where players are paid a specific amount for four seasons (five for first-rounders), I'm not sure what to say.
Hutchinson received bonus money up-front because that's how NFL teams work with a salary cap that increases a lot each year. If Hutchinson retired, for example, before he even played a down for the Lions, he would have to give that bonus money back. His NFL rights belong to the Lions. He can't decide next week that he wants to be drafted again or enter free agency.
I know nothing about his character. And in the short term, all of this is silly. In the long term, players will appreciate opportunity if they know the money works out if they stay.
Optimally, a system where players earn money based on how many years they've been in the program, combined with starts, makes this work better. That maximizes both impact and experience.
If the book on Michigan is that you receive NIL money after you've, well, done anything for Michigan, yeah, get at him.
I hope the NIL money is saved for those who have earned it. In the long run, Michigan comes out ahead. Seems to be a short-run world these days, but that won't last.
That would be interesting. If your starter goes down as the playoffs begin and your choices are:
A) The 47-year-old with seven rings who can't make all the throws anymore, but knows more about winning than anyone and can probably deal with the speed of the game.
B) A third-rounder from two years ago who missed his entire rookie season with an injury.
C) A backup in his ninth year who was drafted in the sixth round and has never won an NFL game.
Flacco was almost a decade younger. With the exception of the one Super Bowl season, he was an average starter in the league whose value as a backup was simply in being able to run a playbook that had some downfield in it, and only throwing twice as many interceptions as a good quarterback would. Which is why the Browns went out, 45-14, to a team that got smoked the following week.
However, starting the year with Brady? Not a good idea. The speculation is only interesting in the exact situation Flacco was in.
With all the variance in when quarterbacks with a first-round grade are selected beyond the first couple of spots, it becomes the story of the draft if you slip a few spots. Who needs that?
There are three teams clearly looking for a year-one starter and three that have someone in place, but want or should want a new quarterback who can start in the league. While it seems likely JJ will go in the top ten now, he might not. As for Penix and Nix, who could be first-rounders but just as likely might not, I don't see why they'd even consider being there.
Teams also know that drafting a quarterback in the first round is a crap-shoot, no matter how glowing the scouting reports. There is no way to know how a quarterback will react to the much faster game at the NFL level. Who would take Young over Stroud today? Who would consider Manning/Leaf to be a legitimate debate over 1/2? How's JaMarcus Russell doing in the league?
I don't see the issue. If he wants to remain on the team, it's likely he's grown from the person who had that issue over training. Kids make mistakes. Why not give him the benefit of the doubt? And, especially, why feel any animosity toward the Howard family? I'm sure Juwan genuinely wanted to bring championships to Ann Arbor.
On3 (which tracks this stuff) indicates that it's a complicated mix of social media follows, news stories (top football recruits like Dylan Raiola are borderline $1 million) and, who knows... I'm sure there are marketing experts here who could offer more insight.
There are a couple of Michigan names in their top 100 - Will Johnson (54) and Donovan Edwards (98). Vladislav Goldin comes in at 56 - no idea what that's all about.
Anyway, there are five women's names in the top 100, which includes only athletes with eligibility remaining. Four basketball players, including the Cavender twin who didn't "retire", and one gymnast who comes in at number three and even those of us who have zero exposure to social media have probably read many stories about her daily life.
Phelia is #33 among women's basketball players, which seems great. But I look at the list, and aside from LSU and Iowa teammates of this year's big names, it seems like a function of social media.
This suggests to me that perhaps Michigan could gain from (or already has) hiring a few social media experts who exclusively work with athletes. That might be a more organic way to get some NIL momentum.
The Caitlin Clark numbers are phenomenal. But that was a boon for ABC - the media rights were a fraction of the men's media rights.
Will that change? Probably a little. But I wouldn't want to be the conference president walking up to the networks expecting a bidding war. For the most part, women's games still get just a fraction of the viewers. Look at the Michigan/Michigan State game from February 18 - a Sunday 1pm slot on the Big Ten Network. This was an important game for qualifying for the NCAA tournament (both teams eventually got 9-seeds). Take a guess on viewership.
Women's basketball is growing, and the Clark phenomenon will help. But there isn't a single program in the country that made money. UConn never has, and they're usually the ratings leaders.
3/7: (Round of 12): Nebraska/Purdue - BTN, 128,000
3/7: (Round of 12): Penn State/Wisconsin - BTN, 94,000
3/7: (Round of 12): Michigan/Minnesota - BTN, 91,000
3/7: (Round of 12): Maryland/Illinois - BTN, 56,000
The first-round games aren't even in the list, which goes to 10,000, I believe.
These are solid numbers, but they only become significant revenue when Iowa is added to the mix. I get that athletes are employees now, and I agree they should be paid. But I think a women's basketball player - even a really good one like Phelia - will be disappointed to find that true NIL money related to her ability as a player is quite limited. There just isn't a formal "let's pay them a salary" thing yet. I don't know that we can get there for non-revenue sports.
Some schools may find a way, through boosters, to throw some money around. Maybe Phelia can get some of that. But the expectation that Warde can or should reach into a drawer and pull out an envelope... that's not how it works.
I hope she returns. But, frankly, in a world where good starters can be purchased like that... it's not going to grow the sport and Phelia is not the next Caitlin Clark.
Not so much fights as either getting punched in the stomach or knocked out. He wasn't exactly a skilled fighter. That's what made the show different. On the show, he sustained so many major concussions that if he were a real person, he would have been permanently incapable of concentrated thought by the end of the first season.
But in real life, the actor did his own stunts, and messed up his back so badly that it ultimately led to the show ending after six seasons, when it was still successful.
These days, it might take Harbaugh's current salary to afford living in a trailer at a California beach. That was some nice real estate, even then, for $200 a day plus expenses.
Lauren Hansen 963 (graduate school, 5-9 guard - out of eligibility)
Elissa Brett 850 (graduate school, 6-0 guard - out of eligibility)
Chyra Evans 731 (sophomore, 6-2 forward - portal)
Cameron Williams 608 (senior, 6-3 forward - portal - still has COVID year)
Elise Stuck 306 (senior, 6-1 swing - portal - still has COVID year)
- Greta Kampschroeder 293 (junior, 6-1 guard)
Taylor Woodson 280 (freshman, 6-0 forward - portal)
Taylor Williams 274 (graduate school, 6-2 forward - portal - still has COVID year)
- Alyssa Crockett 200 (sophomore, 6-2 forward)
- Macy Brown 121 (freshman, 6-0 guard, didn't make rotation)
- Whitney Sollom 75 (senior, 6-4 forward - still has COVID year, but has never made the rotation)
Down to five players on the roster, assuming Sollom didn't receive the handshake. That's 1678 minutes returning from 34 games (49.4 per game), Hobbs being the only player with starting experience last season (she started all 34 games).
What was looking like a team that could challenge for the Big Ten title lost two starters today and a key reserve a few days ago. Hopefully, the top recruits aren't answering the phone right now, because other coaches must be sensing an opportunity.
We talk about teams making the jump to serious national threat. Michigan seemed to have that opportunity, but without Phelia and Evans back, obviously that's not happening.
People who whistle in public. There's a reason headphones and earbuds exist. No one wants to hear your shitty music - especially your loud shitty out-of-tune take on your shitty music.
Having just visited Japan, I couldn't agree more. Staff takes a lot of pride in providing good service, and tipping would be viewed as an insult. It simply makes more sense. We're happy to pay a few dollars more for a good meal, and know that it's up to the restaurant to hire people and make sure good workers are paid well. Even though I can't speak a word of Japanese, the customer service everywhere was far better than in the US. Restaurants, hotels, stores, transportation.
Meanwhile... now, every time I get take-out food, I have to decide, right in front of the cashier, to change the default tip to 0 because I have no idea what it is I'm supposed to tip for. The food's all packaged up - I don't know if it was properly prepared or even if it's the right meal at all. Or who I'm tipping - could be a corporation CEO across the country for all I know.
It was such a relief to go out in Japan and not feel like I was an unwelcome interruption to an important streaming of TikTok videos every time I needed to interact with someone.
The Final Four ratings are mind-boggling. I think less the LSU "incident" - which seemed more a media creation than reality, at least to the players and coaches. Clearly, in the rematch last week, the players were focused, played well (Angel Reese tweaked her ankle, and that might have turned the game) and there didn't seem to be any bad blood. I think more the Harlem Globetrotters half-court shots and scoring records, plus Iowa being one place where women's basketball has been important for a long time.
I would expect a regression to the mean, but I think there has been a fundamental change. Maybe the NIL and the fact that any men's player with serious NBA potential is gone in one or two years has people giving the women's game a longer look.
It's a real shame about Phelia leaving. I hope it isn't NIL. But I hope it's not any number of things related to the program itself. She's from Cincinnati, so it's unlikely to be a homesickness issue like you'd expect with SEC or former PAC-12 country. And the Big Ten is a competitive, top conference - not that distant from SEC level.
Sure. And she is giving it a third try in WNBA training camp, just a few months after the Porter incident. Her father died just before she graduated from West Virginia. She could still turn it around. But the way she left Michigan right before the WNIT (which Michigan ended up winning) indicated significant maturity issues.
We live on the edge of totality (the projected line passed through our next-door neighbor's house), and decided to make an afternoon of it and go further into the zone.
Figuring there was less chance of clouds going further west, and it was better to stay on country roads, we found a nature preserve about 30 minutes away (Rittman, Ohio) where the local chamber of commerce was hosting an event. It was supposed to have a food truck and music, but that was canceled (probably for the best). A local artist carved some Christmas ornaments commemorating the day - really nicely done.
About 100 people showed up. Most of us went to the top of a hill - not to be closer to the sun, but to see the preserve and the surrounding town on all sides. It was a partly cloudy day, but the type of clouds that didn't interfere with viewing.
Up until about ten minutes before totality, even when seeing the sun down to a crescent through the glasses, we wouldn't have known it was going on without the glasses. Then it gradually got darker, like a storm was approaching.
It never got that dark, even during totality. But seeing the sun disappear with the glasses, then taking them off just as the "diamond ring" popped - that was memorable. I'm sure CGI could do all sorts of things on film, but seeing that naturally and knowing what was happening and how rare it is - I'm glad we went, glad we made a big deal of it.
At totality, looking around at the preserve and the town, orange sunset at the horizon in all directions. That was new, too. We had 2:49 of totality, then the ring reappeared on the other side, glasses back on.
Having stayed in Michigan for the 2017 eclipse, it just doesn't compare. It's somewhat cool to know that the sun is being eclipsed, but that's about it. I remember it being really cloudy that day, and not even being motivated to spend more than a minute or two outside.
I know there was a huge gathering in downtown Canton, yesterday, at 99.9%. That makes no sense to me. Maybe that's an Ohio thing. We've lived in Ohio almost five years now, and a lot of things still make no sense.
Woodson made no sense. This makes even less sense. There does seem to be a story going on that we'll probably never hear. Until the last week, I don't think KBA had lost anyone who could have been saved. Kysre Gondrezick was immensely talented, but her issues were obvious. As a #4 overall WNBA pick from 2021, she still hasn't appeared in a game.
I hope this doesn't translate into losing anyone from the incoming class. Without Phelia, it's a complete rebuild.
We ended up driving a half-hour to a nature preserve - 2:49 of totality instead of the 20 seconds we would have had at home. It was great. Partly cloudy day, but clear where it mattered during totality. Not what we expected. We thought it was worth the hype.
It's reflexive to root for Big Ten teams, but everything is changing so quickly. Adding Maryland and Rutgers was weird, but picking up four real west coast powers makes it more like rooting for an entire conference in the NFL. This really feels like the last year of everything college. 34-13 made it a great ending.
Tomorrow (Monday), we celebrate three months of 34-13, and its close friends, 27-20, 26-0, 30-24 and 24-15. As I view the scores (not the games) in this tournament, I think more that Purdue is an old friend that I haven't heard from in a long time. A whisper of nostalgia, perhaps? But I don't think I care about tomorrow's game at all.
Even stranger, it's not even on broadcast. I'm not sure when they stopped televising the Final Four, but I have zero temptation to pay $100 a month for a streaming package for it (and sit through the seemingly endless commercials). And that apparently doesn't even get you Peacock. I guess fragmentation makes sense as more and more people who don't care for sports have realized there's almost no reason to pay for cable or the streaming bundles that look and cost more and more like cable every day.
Now that I've had three months to bask in the championship, I feel a whole lot better about sports. I still have the Michigan blood in my veins, so I follow online. But it feels nicer, calmer. I'd kind of like to see the Frozen Four, but it's OK that I don't have access to it. I'll look in on the net and on the thread here.
I remember that Beaubien, who had great control, hit a lot of batters (86 career HBP, 181 walks, 32% of free bases). This is the same ratio as the team's current ratio, and probably just about leads the nation.
I don't think it's a control issue. I think they throw inside more than other teams. Most umpires won't even call it if a batter is hit by a pitch and the pitch would otherwise be a called a strike. It's like Barry Bonds with the giant elbow armor with some players.
Honestly, I don't think they head-hunt. Getting hit hurts, but it's a bigger ball, so the impact is spread out more than a baseball, plus it's going about 30 mph slower, plus as far as I know, teams don't get angry about stupid stuff. Home run hitters dance around the bases and do organized plate celebrations, and it's just part of the game.
I think it's a conscious coaching decision to tell pitchers it's OK to hit a lot more batters in order to mitigate the advantage of a batter trying to take away the inside pitch. It should probably go hand-in-hand with getting on umpires every time an opposing batter leans over the plate.
I was just looking at another interesting stat about Michigan pitching. They're downright mean. Maybe too mean.
Going into the weekend, they were fifth among the 296 Division I teams with 38 hit batters. The leader, Pitt, had 42. They plunked another seven batters this weekend. So, 32% of their free passes come with a bruise. That's a lot of unnecessary baserunners.
Interestingly, WHIP (which isn't as violent as it sounds) does not include hit batters. I think this has been a Michigan problem for a long time - I remember Beaubien brushed back far too many in her day.
The NCAA selection committee relies heavily on RPI and you need low 40s for an at-large bid.
It's not a stretch to say that the Big Ten might not get any at large berths. Penn State (28th) and Northwestern (40th) were the only two league teams in position entering the weekend, and RPIs tend to drop during the conference schedule because there are a lot of weak teams.
Michigan played a weaker non-conference schedule than usual, which is why they're lower than last season despite more wins. I think they need to win the league tournament to get in, and I don't think they have the pitching to do it. Derkowski is a solid #2, but you need an ace to carry you through in that all-or-nothing format.
The next week or so (there's a second mid-week game against MSU a week from Wednesday) is important in getting a good seed for the tournament. The back end of the schedule is tougher, with series against Nebraska, Penn State and Ohio State. Remarkable how short the schedule is.
Nebraska probably would be running away with the league if not for losing Jordy Bahl in the season opener. As it stands, they're off to a solid start in the league. They mercied Penn State today to move into second place behind Northwestern.
(an amateur astronomer - but a very well-credentialed one - uses information that the sun is a bit larger than previously studied to recalculate the totality path)
Net result here: we thought we had 34 seconds of totality. But the new data suggests we only have 20 seconds, and will only see Bailey's Beads at totality if we stay on our back patio. Our next-door neighbor gets a second or two more - and "real" totality.
(if you're planning on traveling to Ohio, a commissioned map of expected travel flows, based on number of potential visitors to the state)
Net result here: expect gridlock on the north-south highways near totality - plan your travel path ahead of time, arrive very early, don't expect to get out right away. Think about parking - the metroparks will fill up fast, which means the roads leading to them might have issues with people parking on the sides of the road. This isn't a spur-of-the-moment thing - plan ahead.
Yes, of course, use glasses with eclipse filters (if you happen to be a welder, I guess that's not necessary). You can do permanent damage to your eyes in just seconds.
If you have glasses with filters from the 2017 eclipse, DO NOT use them. Apparently, the plastic degrades enough that you might not be protected. Get ISO-certified new ones. They're cheap.
Do not use glasses filters with cameras or telescopes. They require a slightly different and stronger filter. Don't even use a camera, telescope or binoculars with just a glasses filter in place.
https://blend.mdl.nws.noaa.gov/graphics.php
(expected sky cover is included among these maps - looks really good for Indiana and western Ohio now - 48 hours out, the models should be fairly accurate).
You can't tell with the seniors these days because the COVID year exception made it very easy to start grad school with a boost. Two of Michigan's starters this year came from the portal, as did Taylor Williams.
This is unexpected. Woodson was playing her way into increased minutes and it seemed like a given she'd be starting or first-off the bench in the front court next year.
I don't think I'd say WBB is on an upward trajectory. KBA has already taken it to a new level. She is so far and away the best WBB coach Michigan has had that Michigan's national reputation has changed completely.
She has access to better recruits now, and the next challenge is to build to a Final Four and a real national title threat. Can she take that next step? It's possible. She has won 20 every year here, except for the second COVID year, when they made the Sweet Sixteen after a short season. This year was her seventh NCAA bid with Michigan, but the first time she has lost in the first round.
Woodson was a top-100 player, with a very good group coming in. But it's a process. What's surprising is that with Phelia back for a senior year and all the talent coming in, Woodson was in a great place to be part of something.
It just doesn't make sense for her to leave. I'd be interested to hear why.
You were a year ahead of me. Definitely when it comes to gay rights in particular, the change from 1980 to about 2000 was enormous. I'll maintain that there are attitudes many undoubtedly hold today that, 20 years from now, will be viewed as despicable. And we likely can't even predict which ones.
But I point out gay rights because that was often used as weapon against women's athletics at the time. There was a small, but strong community in Ann Arbor. The status quo worked within that small community, even though it certainly wasn't fair and they were quite aware of that. The reason why Title IX was so important at the time wasn't the universities. It was for all the younger girls who didn't stick with sports after junior high because they would be accused of not being feminine enough otherwise.
Growing up in Ann Arbor, my father was a professor there, going to Michigan, I can remember at the time thinking I was exposed to the cutting edge of liberal ideology, feeling good about that in a way that makes me cringe today because so many flaws seem so obvious in hindsight, including how girls were pressured into giving up sports. Getting older makes me so much less certain about values and so much less trusting of the endless enthusiasm of feeling righteous, however that manifests.
Michigan was definitely behind most of the Big Ten in welcoming women's athletics. Women's basketball was basically a club sport even with Diane Dietz leading some decent teams in the late '70s and early '80s. They made their first NCAA tournament in 1990 (two years after Canham retired).
I tried writing a story on women's sports at the university a couple of years before he retired. After meeting with the women's athletic director (Phyllis Ocker), I realized there wasn't even any acknowledgement that things could be different. They were going to spend the minimum and that was that. It didn't occur to anyone that they could invest in excellence. No one was interested. No one was behind the scenes pushing anything. I ended up killing the story - why stir up something when no one was stirring?
They hired a 25-year-old to assist part time with softball in 1983, elevated her to head coach in 1985. The transition was slow, but steady, and what happened with Carol Hutchins bringing excellence to Michigan women's sports was really just one person with a vision. IIRC, the swimming teams were often quite good as well.
The times I talked to Canham, he was laser focused on building the brand, and often talked about George Steinbrenner (baseball was a lot bigger then). When it's written that he opposed Title IX - it was undoubtedly true (I never asked him about it). It was such a small thing at the time - the focus was the cost of the scholarships and they were going to comply and do nothing else.
I'm surprised Johnny Orr wrote what he did. His wife was a legendary figure in the high schools as a PE instructor.
Post-Naz has been a trial, but at least the team keeps winning 20, and KBA keeps building the brand.
Rather amazing chalk in the first round - yesterday's 11-6 Middle Tennessee St. upset (Louisville) was the only game with a lower seed winning. Michigan was the only team to lose in overtime, and probably should have pulled that one out. Favorites (including 8-seeds) were 31-1.
I did not expect the reaction here. Thought the strongest of it might be that she probably wasn't a good CC anyway. A relatively young woman with three young kids just had to prepare them for an unthinkable outcome.
I was born in England, but can't say I understand the royal fascination. Dumb or not, many of them take their roles leading charities and being an example of something quite seriously. Can't say I'd want to trade places, even with all the money attached.
Regardless, when I think of a 42-year-old battling cancer, that scares me. All the other stuff seems rather trivial.
Given the forecast and the closeness of Oakland, they moved the home opener up a day.
Home runs from Conway and fellow freshman Ava Costales (making her third start of the season) led the Wolverines to a 2-0 victory. Derkowski threw a three-hitter and struck out seven.
For last week's performances, Conway was named Big Ten freshman of the week.
College sports is becoming a lot like a bunch of people crammed into a slow-moving Volkswagen Bug. This may be working for Big Ten and SEC football for now, but all this change is beginning to suffocate everything else.
The money's so big now that the path seems inevitable, but I worry that the fallout is going to affect the 99.9% of college athletes who don't play major college football.
What will college sports look like ten years from now if we don't separate major college football from everything else?
Recent Comments
Seems the Lions moved up to get in early on a decent set of corners with a bit of size and a lot of athleticism. Wiggins was in that group, so is Iowa's DeJean and the guy with the nickname who played with Arnold.
It's good to move up and get your guy out of a group.
Young and raw, but so much talent to still be on the board. He might struggle this year, but long run it seems like good value.
I don't understand the Fields hype. He was worth a sixth, maybe. He throws picks on more than 3% of his passes and he barely averages five yards per play on pass attempts/sacks - both those figures are below average for a competent backup, let alone a starter. He failed. The highlight runs were great, but he got sacked constantly and he could not move the ball upfield otherwise. I think nothing of Nix, but I think he has a better chance of starting in the NFL than Fields has of starting again.
Fourteen in a row to the offense. OK, now the Edge rush starts. I can't think of another offensive player who belongs in the top 20.
I see Turner as a definite top ten talent, but the other defensive players fit into the first round, but not this high. But Penix and Nix... I think the Broncos and Falcons will regret that. And it's likely one of Daniels/Maye will flop, based on recent history.
The Broncos panicked rather than accept that between Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, they didn't have a complete disaster on their hands.
Sorry, Sam Darnold... it's not going to be your year.
Odunze to make Caleb very happy?
Penix... that's just a head-scratcher. I guess you get the guy if you're sure he'll be a winner, but I don't see it.
Wow. I did not see that one coming.
I think Bowers doesn't get past Rodgers and the Jets... Rodgers will know how to make him doubly dangerous.
I don't see Atlanta going QB - they just invested $180m in Cousins, and he's good enough.
Nabers is a solid pick there, but I really think the Giants blew it - sticking with Daniel Jones another year with no one coming up is basically admitting they can't compete.
Now we have some opportunity for trading up.
I think he just takes his favorite OT. Why help Minnesota after the stuff that happened a year ago? And Denver and Vegas are in the division. Giants will get JJ.
A dome can be used for other events year-round. That's where the money to build something like this is going to come from (at $5 billion, more than half will need to come from the taxpayers). It's the difference between just a new stadium and an event center. Newer designs are moving away from the retractable roof concept, which is difficult enough in no-snow areas (Lucas Oil in Indianapolis is the only northern retractable roof, and the new complexes in Los Angeles and Las Vegas have fixed roofs).
Turf is a concern. NFL teams have been replacing slit-film turf in recent years (thicker and holds rubber pellets better) because it seems to generate more injuries, but the players say that's not enough and the studies seem to back that up. The question is whether more frequent replacement of turf also solves the problem. It's hard to maintain grass in the north - it wears down quickly in the winter. Indoor stadiums can use grass, but you need a system like the one in Las Vegas, where they keep it on a tray outdoors and slide it in for events. It seems unlikely there would be space for that in Chicago. Green Bay uses a hybrid grass/turf system.
It's a difficult argument. If they want a new money-making complex next to Soldier Field, it gets built because it's an all-year event center. But you have to deal with turf and if Caleb Williams goes down with a knee in the home opener in 2029, everyone's going to be angry. From a fan perspective, I don't think being outside in cold weather has as much charm for younger people as it did. If built, this will be a nice-looking center overlooking Lake Michigan. They'll undoubtedly use a lot of glass and take advantage of sight lines. And they'll have additional cell towers, for the young people who can't handle looking away from their smart phones for more than a few seconds at a time. Modern domes do not resemble the Silverdome. The new one in Minneapolis is quite nice looking.
The plan for Arlington is obviously dying. Seemed like a good one, but the Bears failed to get community leaders on board and fights about tax valuations apparently killed it. So they have 300 acres of prime land near highways and nothing to do there. That was going to be a domed stadium with lots of off-season event support as well.
There's still a long way to go before this new proposal can move forward - likely the same tax arguments, plus the increased cost of working in so small a space right off the lake. The fact they announced this the day before the Caleb Williams pick - obviously intentional, since there's a lot of excitement about that. But Bears fans have turned quarterback-hating into an art. Jim McMahon is the only past quarterback they accepted. The minute Williams becomes human, he'll be as hated as Jay Cutler ever was.
Recruiting for the Big Ten? I don't think it could hurt. The Big Ten would probably want to hold the championship game there, maybe permanently. They'll get Final Fours, probably a Super Bowl the year after it opens (if Chicago's leadership is smart, they'll insist on it right from the start). I don't think it will move the recruiting needle, but any time a $5 billion project is built, it brings positive attention to the area. If they can pull this off, it will immediately become the most important sports venue in the entire region.
We talk a lot about the NIL influence. It's impossible to assess the impact right now. The landscape changes almost weekly. Now, it looks like coaches might finally have a role to play in putting together NIL deals.
A few weeks ago, it was common to hear that when a player asked a coach about NIL, the coach couldn't really answer the question. Recruits come in and their AAU coaches are involved in the deals, but college coaches were forbidden to play a part.
We also forget that some states have laws about NIL, or laws preventing the NCAA from messing with NIL, and others do not. For the most part, the NCAA reacts to the laws, and changes trickle down to other states. But this seemingly changes weekly as well, and it will continue to do so until athletes are considered employees and there's some sort of CBA for each sport or all sports.
KBA must be navigating things fairly well, or she couldn't have pulled the 2024 class she did. Especially since the state of Michigan isn't exactly a leader in this fight-the-NCAA legislation.
But it would be naive to think that NIL didn't draw Phelia and maybe Evans off the team. Rather than blame them, to me it's just one more reason college sports kinda sucks right now - they would be leaders on a potentially great team next season, but that doesn't really matter any more.
In the end, 34-13, 27-20, 30-24. I'm still good. That'll work for a long time.
That's a difficult question. Adds a little front-court depth, which the team needs very badly. It's a complete mystery what she'll bring after missing an entire year with a knee injury. I wouldn't expect her to start, or I would see it as a bad sign if she did.
She grew up in the Grand Rapids area, made all-state teams, was in the top 100 nationally as a prospect, but didn't really pan out for BC. Apparently very strong academically. If she can contribute, that's terrific. It seems like a good use for one of many available roster spots.
Yes, I see the kneed for that. I eagerly anticipate your analysis - especially relevant for plays run from the victory formation.
It's too bad Dennis Norfleet can't get a COVID year.
I don't remember taking any job where I could expect pay before I did anything. There's always a contract, even for the fast food work at what was then $3.35 per hour.
I think this discussion illustrates the need for a CBA of some sort.
If you want to compare NIL money to a system where players are paid a specific amount for four seasons (five for first-rounders), I'm not sure what to say.
Hutchinson received bonus money up-front because that's how NFL teams work with a salary cap that increases a lot each year. If Hutchinson retired, for example, before he even played a down for the Lions, he would have to give that bonus money back. His NFL rights belong to the Lions. He can't decide next week that he wants to be drafted again or enter free agency.
I know nothing about his character. And in the short term, all of this is silly. In the long term, players will appreciate opportunity if they know the money works out if they stay.
Optimally, a system where players earn money based on how many years they've been in the program, combined with starts, makes this work better. That maximizes both impact and experience.
Yawn...
If the book on Michigan is that you receive NIL money after you've, well, done anything for Michigan, yeah, get at him.
I hope the NIL money is saved for those who have earned it. In the long run, Michigan comes out ahead. Seems to be a short-run world these days, but that won't last.
Wrong portal.
That would be interesting. If your starter goes down as the playoffs begin and your choices are:
A) The 47-year-old with seven rings who can't make all the throws anymore, but knows more about winning than anyone and can probably deal with the speed of the game.
B) A third-rounder from two years ago who missed his entire rookie season with an injury.
C) A backup in his ninth year who was drafted in the sixth round and has never won an NFL game.
Flacco was almost a decade younger. With the exception of the one Super Bowl season, he was an average starter in the league whose value as a backup was simply in being able to run a playbook that had some downfield in it, and only throwing twice as many interceptions as a good quarterback would. Which is why the Browns went out, 45-14, to a team that got smoked the following week.
However, starting the year with Brady? Not a good idea. The speculation is only interesting in the exact situation Flacco was in.
With all the variance in when quarterbacks with a first-round grade are selected beyond the first couple of spots, it becomes the story of the draft if you slip a few spots. Who needs that?
There are three teams clearly looking for a year-one starter and three that have someone in place, but want or should want a new quarterback who can start in the league. While it seems likely JJ will go in the top ten now, he might not. As for Penix and Nix, who could be first-rounders but just as likely might not, I don't see why they'd even consider being there.
Teams also know that drafting a quarterback in the first round is a crap-shoot, no matter how glowing the scouting reports. There is no way to know how a quarterback will react to the much faster game at the NFL level. Who would take Young over Stroud today? Who would consider Manning/Leaf to be a legitimate debate over 1/2? How's JaMarcus Russell doing in the league?
I don't see the issue. If he wants to remain on the team, it's likely he's grown from the person who had that issue over training. Kids make mistakes. Why not give him the benefit of the doubt? And, especially, why feel any animosity toward the Howard family? I'm sure Juwan genuinely wanted to bring championships to Ann Arbor.
On3 (which tracks this stuff) indicates that it's a complicated mix of social media follows, news stories (top football recruits like Dylan Raiola are borderline $1 million) and, who knows... I'm sure there are marketing experts here who could offer more insight.
There are a couple of Michigan names in their top 100 - Will Johnson (54) and Donovan Edwards (98). Vladislav Goldin comes in at 56 - no idea what that's all about.
Anyway, there are five women's names in the top 100, which includes only athletes with eligibility remaining. Four basketball players, including the Cavender twin who didn't "retire", and one gymnast who comes in at number three and even those of us who have zero exposure to social media have probably read many stories about her daily life.
Phelia is #33 among women's basketball players, which seems great. But I look at the list, and aside from LSU and Iowa teammates of this year's big names, it seems like a function of social media.
This suggests to me that perhaps Michigan could gain from (or already has) hiring a few social media experts who exclusively work with athletes. That might be a more organic way to get some NIL momentum.
The Caitlin Clark numbers are phenomenal. But that was a boon for ABC - the media rights were a fraction of the men's media rights.
Will that change? Probably a little. But I wouldn't want to be the conference president walking up to the networks expecting a bidding war. For the most part, women's games still get just a fraction of the viewers. Look at the Michigan/Michigan State game from February 18 - a Sunday 1pm slot on the Big Ten Network. This was an important game for qualifying for the NCAA tournament (both teams eventually got 9-seeds). Take a guess on viewership.
Women's basketball is growing, and the Clark phenomenon will help. But there isn't a single program in the country that made money. UConn never has, and they're usually the ratings leaders.
Answer to the above question: 74,000.
Now, viewership for the conference tournament.
3/10 (Championship): Iowa/Nebraska - CBS, 3,021,000
3/9 (Semifinal): Iowa/Michigan - BTN, 1,075,000
3/8 (Quarterfinal): Iowa/Penn State - BTN, 1,040,000
3/8 (Quarterfinal): Michigan/Indiana - BTN, 454,000
3/9 (Semifinal): Nebraska/Maryland - BTN, 357,000
3/8 (Quarterfinal): Ohio State/Maryland - BTN, 196,000
3/8 (Quarterfinal): Michigan State/Nebraska - BTN, 195.000
3/7: (Round of 12): Nebraska/Purdue - BTN, 128,000
3/7: (Round of 12): Penn State/Wisconsin - BTN, 94,000
3/7: (Round of 12): Michigan/Minnesota - BTN, 91,000
3/7: (Round of 12): Maryland/Illinois - BTN, 56,000
The first-round games aren't even in the list, which goes to 10,000, I believe.
These are solid numbers, but they only become significant revenue when Iowa is added to the mix. I get that athletes are employees now, and I agree they should be paid. But I think a women's basketball player - even a really good one like Phelia - will be disappointed to find that true NIL money related to her ability as a player is quite limited. There just isn't a formal "let's pay them a salary" thing yet. I don't know that we can get there for non-revenue sports.
Some schools may find a way, through boosters, to throw some money around. Maybe Phelia can get some of that. But the expectation that Warde can or should reach into a drawer and pull out an envelope... that's not how it works.
I hope she returns. But, frankly, in a world where good starters can be purchased like that... it's not going to grow the sport and Phelia is not the next Caitlin Clark.
Not so much fights as either getting punched in the stomach or knocked out. He wasn't exactly a skilled fighter. That's what made the show different. On the show, he sustained so many major concussions that if he were a real person, he would have been permanently incapable of concentrated thought by the end of the first season.
But in real life, the actor did his own stunts, and messed up his back so badly that it ultimately led to the show ending after six seasons, when it was still successful.
These days, it might take Harbaugh's current salary to afford living in a trailer at a California beach. That was some nice real estate, even then, for $200 a day plus expenses.
…
By total minutes played:
Laila Phelia 1160 (junior, 6-0 guard, portal)
- Jordan Hobbs 989 (junior, 6-3 guard)
Lauren Hansen 963 (graduate school, 5-9 guard - out of eligibility)
Elissa Brett 850 (graduate school, 6-0 guard - out of eligibility)
Chyra Evans 731 (sophomore, 6-2 forward - portal)
Cameron Williams 608 (senior, 6-3 forward - portal - still has COVID year)
Elise Stuck 306 (senior, 6-1 swing - portal - still has COVID year)
- Greta Kampschroeder 293 (junior, 6-1 guard)
Taylor Woodson 280 (freshman, 6-0 forward - portal)
Taylor Williams 274 (graduate school, 6-2 forward - portal - still has COVID year)
- Alyssa Crockett 200 (sophomore, 6-2 forward)
- Macy Brown 121 (freshman, 6-0 guard, didn't make rotation)
- Whitney Sollom 75 (senior, 6-4 forward - still has COVID year, but has never made the rotation)
Down to five players on the roster, assuming Sollom didn't receive the handshake. That's 1678 minutes returning from 34 games (49.4 per game), Hobbs being the only player with starting experience last season (she started all 34 games).
What was looking like a team that could challenge for the Big Ten title lost two starters today and a key reserve a few days ago. Hopefully, the top recruits aren't answering the phone right now, because other coaches must be sensing an opportunity.
We talk about teams making the jump to serious national threat. Michigan seemed to have that opportunity, but without Phelia and Evans back, obviously that's not happening.
She has apparently removed the tag now.
People who whistle in public. There's a reason headphones and earbuds exist. No one wants to hear your shitty music - especially your loud shitty out-of-tune take on your shitty music.
Having just visited Japan, I couldn't agree more. Staff takes a lot of pride in providing good service, and tipping would be viewed as an insult. It simply makes more sense. We're happy to pay a few dollars more for a good meal, and know that it's up to the restaurant to hire people and make sure good workers are paid well. Even though I can't speak a word of Japanese, the customer service everywhere was far better than in the US. Restaurants, hotels, stores, transportation.
Meanwhile... now, every time I get take-out food, I have to decide, right in front of the cashier, to change the default tip to 0 because I have no idea what it is I'm supposed to tip for. The food's all packaged up - I don't know if it was properly prepared or even if it's the right meal at all. Or who I'm tipping - could be a corporation CEO across the country for all I know.
It was such a relief to go out in Japan and not feel like I was an unwelcome interruption to an important streaming of TikTok videos every time I needed to interact with someone.
The Final Four ratings are mind-boggling. I think less the LSU "incident" - which seemed more a media creation than reality, at least to the players and coaches. Clearly, in the rematch last week, the players were focused, played well (Angel Reese tweaked her ankle, and that might have turned the game) and there didn't seem to be any bad blood. I think more the Harlem Globetrotters half-court shots and scoring records, plus Iowa being one place where women's basketball has been important for a long time.
I would expect a regression to the mean, but I think there has been a fundamental change. Maybe the NIL and the fact that any men's player with serious NBA potential is gone in one or two years has people giving the women's game a longer look.
It's a real shame about Phelia leaving. I hope it isn't NIL. But I hope it's not any number of things related to the program itself. She's from Cincinnati, so it's unlikely to be a homesickness issue like you'd expect with SEC or former PAC-12 country. And the Big Ten is a competitive, top conference - not that distant from SEC level.
Sure. And she is giving it a third try in WNBA training camp, just a few months after the Porter incident. Her father died just before she graduated from West Virginia. She could still turn it around. But the way she left Michigan right before the WNIT (which Michigan ended up winning) indicated significant maturity issues.
We live on the edge of totality (the projected line passed through our next-door neighbor's house), and decided to make an afternoon of it and go further into the zone.
Figuring there was less chance of clouds going further west, and it was better to stay on country roads, we found a nature preserve about 30 minutes away (Rittman, Ohio) where the local chamber of commerce was hosting an event. It was supposed to have a food truck and music, but that was canceled (probably for the best). A local artist carved some Christmas ornaments commemorating the day - really nicely done.
About 100 people showed up. Most of us went to the top of a hill - not to be closer to the sun, but to see the preserve and the surrounding town on all sides. It was a partly cloudy day, but the type of clouds that didn't interfere with viewing.
Up until about ten minutes before totality, even when seeing the sun down to a crescent through the glasses, we wouldn't have known it was going on without the glasses. Then it gradually got darker, like a storm was approaching.
It never got that dark, even during totality. But seeing the sun disappear with the glasses, then taking them off just as the "diamond ring" popped - that was memorable. I'm sure CGI could do all sorts of things on film, but seeing that naturally and knowing what was happening and how rare it is - I'm glad we went, glad we made a big deal of it.
At totality, looking around at the preserve and the town, orange sunset at the horizon in all directions. That was new, too. We had 2:49 of totality, then the ring reappeared on the other side, glasses back on.
Having stayed in Michigan for the 2017 eclipse, it just doesn't compare. It's somewhat cool to know that the sun is being eclipsed, but that's about it. I remember it being really cloudy that day, and not even being motivated to spend more than a minute or two outside.
I know there was a huge gathering in downtown Canton, yesterday, at 99.9%. That makes no sense to me. Maybe that's an Ohio thing. We've lived in Ohio almost five years now, and a lot of things still make no sense.
Woodson made no sense. This makes even less sense. There does seem to be a story going on that we'll probably never hear. Until the last week, I don't think KBA had lost anyone who could have been saved. Kysre Gondrezick was immensely talented, but her issues were obvious. As a #4 overall WNBA pick from 2021, she still hasn't appeared in a game.
I hope this doesn't translate into losing anyone from the incoming class. Without Phelia, it's a complete rebuild.
We ended up driving a half-hour to a nature preserve - 2:49 of totality instead of the 20 seconds we would have had at home. It was great. Partly cloudy day, but clear where it mattered during totality. Not what we expected. We thought it was worth the hype.
It's reflexive to root for Big Ten teams, but everything is changing so quickly. Adding Maryland and Rutgers was weird, but picking up four real west coast powers makes it more like rooting for an entire conference in the NFL. This really feels like the last year of everything college. 34-13 made it a great ending.
Tomorrow (Monday), we celebrate three months of 34-13, and its close friends, 27-20, 26-0, 30-24 and 24-15. As I view the scores (not the games) in this tournament, I think more that Purdue is an old friend that I haven't heard from in a long time. A whisper of nostalgia, perhaps? But I don't think I care about tomorrow's game at all.
Even stranger, it's not even on broadcast. I'm not sure when they stopped televising the Final Four, but I have zero temptation to pay $100 a month for a streaming package for it (and sit through the seemingly endless commercials). And that apparently doesn't even get you Peacock. I guess fragmentation makes sense as more and more people who don't care for sports have realized there's almost no reason to pay for cable or the streaming bundles that look and cost more and more like cable every day.
Now that I've had three months to bask in the championship, I feel a whole lot better about sports. I still have the Michigan blood in my veins, so I follow online. But it feels nicer, calmer. I'd kind of like to see the Frozen Four, but it's OK that I don't have access to it. I'll look in on the net and on the thread here.
I remember that Beaubien, who had great control, hit a lot of batters (86 career HBP, 181 walks, 32% of free bases). This is the same ratio as the team's current ratio, and probably just about leads the nation.
I don't think it's a control issue. I think they throw inside more than other teams. Most umpires won't even call it if a batter is hit by a pitch and the pitch would otherwise be a called a strike. It's like Barry Bonds with the giant elbow armor with some players.
Honestly, I don't think they head-hunt. Getting hit hurts, but it's a bigger ball, so the impact is spread out more than a baseball, plus it's going about 30 mph slower, plus as far as I know, teams don't get angry about stupid stuff. Home run hitters dance around the bases and do organized plate celebrations, and it's just part of the game.
I think it's a conscious coaching decision to tell pitchers it's OK to hit a lot more batters in order to mitigate the advantage of a batter trying to take away the inside pitch. It should probably go hand-in-hand with getting on umpires every time an opposing batter leans over the plate.
I was just looking at another interesting stat about Michigan pitching. They're downright mean. Maybe too mean.
Going into the weekend, they were fifth among the 296 Division I teams with 38 hit batters. The leader, Pitt, had 42. They plunked another seven batters this weekend. So, 32% of their free passes come with a bruise. That's a lot of unnecessary baserunners.
Interestingly, WHIP (which isn't as violent as it sounds) does not include hit batters. I think this has been a Michigan problem for a long time - I remember Beaubien brushed back far too many in her day.
The NCAA selection committee relies heavily on RPI and you need low 40s for an at-large bid.
It's not a stretch to say that the Big Ten might not get any at large berths. Penn State (28th) and Northwestern (40th) were the only two league teams in position entering the weekend, and RPIs tend to drop during the conference schedule because there are a lot of weak teams.
Michigan played a weaker non-conference schedule than usual, which is why they're lower than last season despite more wins. I think they need to win the league tournament to get in, and I don't think they have the pitching to do it. Derkowski is a solid #2, but you need an ace to carry you through in that all-or-nothing format.
The next week or so (there's a second mid-week game against MSU a week from Wednesday) is important in getting a good seed for the tournament. The back end of the schedule is tougher, with series against Nebraska, Penn State and Ohio State. Remarkable how short the schedule is.
Nebraska probably would be running away with the league if not for losing Jordy Bahl in the season opener. As it stands, they're off to a solid start in the league. They mercied Penn State today to move into second place behind Northwestern.
(an…
Some relevant links:
(an amateur astronomer - but a very well-credentialed one - uses information that the sun is a bit larger than previously studied to recalculate the totality path)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2024/03/31/15-places-in-the-us-that-just-lost-their-total-solar-eclipse---while-texas-gained/?sh=105c0bb03f66
(the totality path recalculated)
http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/xSE_GoogleMap3.php?Ecl=+20240408
Net result here: we thought we had 34 seconds of totality. But the new data suggests we only have 20 seconds, and will only see Bailey's Beads at totality if we stay on our back patio. Our next-door neighbor gets a second or two more - and "real" totality.
(if you're planning on traveling to Ohio, a commissioned map of expected travel flows, based on number of potential visitors to the state)
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/7855595bd0aa41318cc57d47394e3861
Net result here: expect gridlock on the north-south highways near totality - plan your travel path ahead of time, arrive very early, don't expect to get out right away. Think about parking - the metroparks will fill up fast, which means the roads leading to them might have issues with people parking on the sides of the road. This isn't a spur-of-the-moment thing - plan ahead.
Yes, of course, use glasses with eclipse filters (if you happen to be a welder, I guess that's not necessary). You can do permanent damage to your eyes in just seconds.
If you have glasses with filters from the 2017 eclipse, DO NOT use them. Apparently, the plastic degrades enough that you might not be protected. Get ISO-certified new ones. They're cheap.
Do not use glasses filters with cameras or telescopes. They require a slightly different and stronger filter. Don't even use a camera, telescope or binoculars with just a glasses filter in place.
https://blend.mdl.nws.noaa.gov/graphics.php
(expected sky cover is included among these maps - looks really good for Indiana and western Ohio now - 48 hours out, the models should be fairly accurate).
You can't tell with the seniors these days because the COVID year exception made it very easy to start grad school with a boost. Two of Michigan's starters this year came from the portal, as did Taylor Williams.
This is unexpected. Woodson was playing her way into increased minutes and it seemed like a given she'd be starting or first-off the bench in the front court next year.
I don't think I'd say WBB is on an upward trajectory. KBA has already taken it to a new level. She is so far and away the best WBB coach Michigan has had that Michigan's national reputation has changed completely.
She has access to better recruits now, and the next challenge is to build to a Final Four and a real national title threat. Can she take that next step? It's possible. She has won 20 every year here, except for the second COVID year, when they made the Sweet Sixteen after a short season. This year was her seventh NCAA bid with Michigan, but the first time she has lost in the first round.
Woodson was a top-100 player, with a very good group coming in. But it's a process. What's surprising is that with Phelia back for a senior year and all the talent coming in, Woodson was in a great place to be part of something.
It just doesn't make sense for her to leave. I'd be interested to hear why.
You were a year ahead of me. Definitely when it comes to gay rights in particular, the change from 1980 to about 2000 was enormous. I'll maintain that there are attitudes many undoubtedly hold today that, 20 years from now, will be viewed as despicable. And we likely can't even predict which ones.
But I point out gay rights because that was often used as weapon against women's athletics at the time. There was a small, but strong community in Ann Arbor. The status quo worked within that small community, even though it certainly wasn't fair and they were quite aware of that. The reason why Title IX was so important at the time wasn't the universities. It was for all the younger girls who didn't stick with sports after junior high because they would be accused of not being feminine enough otherwise.
Growing up in Ann Arbor, my father was a professor there, going to Michigan, I can remember at the time thinking I was exposed to the cutting edge of liberal ideology, feeling good about that in a way that makes me cringe today because so many flaws seem so obvious in hindsight, including how girls were pressured into giving up sports. Getting older makes me so much less certain about values and so much less trusting of the endless enthusiasm of feeling righteous, however that manifests.
Michigan was definitely behind most of the Big Ten in welcoming women's athletics. Women's basketball was basically a club sport even with Diane Dietz leading some decent teams in the late '70s and early '80s. They made their first NCAA tournament in 1990 (two years after Canham retired).
I tried writing a story on women's sports at the university a couple of years before he retired. After meeting with the women's athletic director (Phyllis Ocker), I realized there wasn't even any acknowledgement that things could be different. They were going to spend the minimum and that was that. It didn't occur to anyone that they could invest in excellence. No one was interested. No one was behind the scenes pushing anything. I ended up killing the story - why stir up something when no one was stirring?
They hired a 25-year-old to assist part time with softball in 1983, elevated her to head coach in 1985. The transition was slow, but steady, and what happened with Carol Hutchins bringing excellence to Michigan women's sports was really just one person with a vision. IIRC, the swimming teams were often quite good as well.
The times I talked to Canham, he was laser focused on building the brand, and often talked about George Steinbrenner (baseball was a lot bigger then). When it's written that he opposed Title IX - it was undoubtedly true (I never asked him about it). It was such a small thing at the time - the focus was the cost of the scholarships and they were going to comply and do nothing else.
I'm surprised Johnny Orr wrote what he did. His wife was a legendary figure in the high schools as a PE instructor.
Post-Naz has been a trial, but at least the team keeps winning 20, and KBA keeps building the brand.
Rather amazing chalk in the first round - yesterday's 11-6 Middle Tennessee St. upset (Louisville) was the only game with a lower seed winning. Michigan was the only team to lose in overtime, and probably should have pulled that one out. Favorites (including 8-seeds) were 31-1.
I did not expect the reaction here. Thought the strongest of it might be that she probably wasn't a good CC anyway. A relatively young woman with three young kids just had to prepare them for an unthinkable outcome.
I was born in England, but can't say I understand the royal fascination. Dumb or not, many of them take their roles leading charities and being an example of something quite seriously. Can't say I'd want to trade places, even with all the money attached.
Regardless, when I think of a 42-year-old battling cancer, that scares me. All the other stuff seems rather trivial.
Given the forecast and the closeness of Oakland, they moved the home opener up a day.
Home runs from Conway and fellow freshman Ava Costales (making her third start of the season) led the Wolverines to a 2-0 victory. Derkowski threw a three-hitter and struck out seven.
For last week's performances, Conway was named Big Ten freshman of the week.
Big Ten starts this weekend.
College sports is becoming a lot like a bunch of people crammed into a slow-moving Volkswagen Bug. This may be working for Big Ten and SEC football for now, but all this change is beginning to suffocate everything else.
The money's so big now that the path seems inevitable, but I worry that the fallout is going to affect the 99.9% of college athletes who don't play major college football.
What will college sports look like ten years from now if we don't separate major college football from everything else?