trackcapt

History

Member for
2 years 37 weeks

Karma

Current value

Recent Comments

Date Title Body
1 year 9 weeks ago ugh, vikings

Brian, I have to assume you watched the game on regular TV.  Because if you're like me and you watched the streaming online version--"Visigod TV"or whatever it's called--sponsored by Capital One, you'd be so sick of Vikings you would've HAD to choose some other visual.

Also, I hope the denouement features some type of warning to the team not to let their heads swell upon hearing the prognostications that have already hit the internet, which say they're going to challenge for the Big Ten title next year.  Seems that sort of hybris afflicted the '09-'10 team.
1 year 9 weeks ago one observation

Your seedings/pairings make sense to me, all except the positions of Miami and BC.  Why would the committee make a 3-5, 4-6 set up, sending BC to St. Louis and Miami to Manchester, when they could have the natural, 3-6, 4-5 set up and keep BC (Manchester) and Miami (St. Louis) in their home regions and increase fan attendance?  Moreover, if you're one of the top 4 seeds, wouldn't you get preference to stay in your home region over lower seeds?  And this just so we don't have any intraconference matchups?  That seems like a worse trade-off to me.  So you get two (potential) intraconference matchups in the second round in Michigan-Miami and BC-Merrimack--who cares?  And it's really only net one more (potential) intraconference matchup, as Miami-ND goes away.
1 year 20 weeks ago This still saves RR's job

So instead of 12-0 we would've been 9-3?  I'm guessing those 3 losses would've been the three co-Big 10 champions, MSU, Wisconsin and OSU.  If that had actually been the case, NO WAY does RichRod get replaced.  All this talk on the internet and talk radio and TV isn't even happening.  I'd say that's significant.
1 year 21 weeks ago p.s. on Roh

He had HALF A SACK this year.  I know we all love him but you have to stare that stat in the mirror.  I'm sure no one's more disappointed in it than he.
1 year 21 weeks ago Huh?

This team gives up the most yards in the history of Michigan football and every position save FS and PR get passing grades?  I guess one could give them some benefit of the doubt if these grades are somewhat foreward-looking, but I think you gotta drop more than one of these groups down.  DE...what plays did these guys make even with Roh as a true edge guy?  Not nearly enough IMO.  LB...OK Demens looking like a pretty good player but after that, what have we got?  Oh and Cam, WRAP YOUR DAMN ARMS FOR ONCE.  SS...I can't give Kovacs too much credit, I mean, unless your team gives up a TD every play, someone is going to rack up a bunch of tackles when the other team averages 73.5 plays a game and your D-line is mostly just occupying blockers.
1 year 27 weeks ago not apples to apples, though

While I do agree the 85 D was better, it didn't have to face a Heisman winning QB with a 1st rounder at RB (Beanie Wells) and WR (Tedd Ginn) in an offense that could and did run pro or spread.
1 year 27 weeks ago how sad of a panda?

Less sad than if we had none of that stuff and were 5-7 every year, I'm guessing.  Of course I'm exaggerating a bit for effect, but look at the correlation between size of athletic department budget and on-field success.  It's sobering but it's reality.  As long as we don't get to the point of thinking, "this national championship for UM was brought to you by Ford Motor Co.," I'll be OK.
1 year 27 weeks ago observation or paranoia?

Brian, marketing does not have to equal corporate sponsorship ads all over the place.  Marketing simply means doing a better job aligning your product, its placement and its promotion (and its price if you want the full b-school "four P's" treatment) to your customer base.  As part of this, any good marketing person would try to avoid a lot of visible, corporate logos on everything because s/he knows the consumers that are Michigan fans are going to be turned off by this, maybe to the point of boycotting the sponsors' products.  (Assuming you did before, are you now going to buy fewer roast beef sandwiches, curly fries or jamocha shakes from Arby's because you're disgusted with their logo on the Big Chill t-shirts?)  This said, it's going to be hard to get corporations to invest in UM athletics if their presence isn't visible.

Leading to the second point: I agree with poster Mgobowl, that I believe he was tailoring his message to the publication/reader.  If Brandon was asked in a press conference what his job as CEO of UM athletics was, I don't think he'd simply talk about the balance sheet and cash flow statement.  Even so, if making money isn't the central purpose of his role, it is at least undeniably the biggest facilitator of that central purpose, IMO.  If the athletic department can't make money, not only can't it reinvest that money into providing a better on-the-field product and/or a better experience for students (athlete and non-athlete alike) and fans, but also it is a drain on the university's ability to provide better academic and research opportunities for students, faculty and staff.  And while bringing the product to market better isn't necessarily always about making money, it is always about influencing someone's choice.  90% of the time that choice is a purchasing choice.  The other 10% is political. (Unfortunate but necessary disclaimer: these are not real stats based on any research whatsoever, just my hyperbole based on observation.)
1 year 30 weeks ago They have a library now?!?

;)
1 year 32 weeks ago It's not THAT hard

Heck, Auburn's QB has been running a LOT of midline this year, along with QB iso and the stretch play, and he's a first year player.  You look at that throw back to the TE we did for our first TD last week--that was something we hadn't done all year but they inserted it in practice, ran it dozens of times there, and put it in the game successfully.  It's not like Denard needs tons more reps to get better at the stretch zone read.
Theme provided by Roopletheme; sidebars adapted from Chris Murphy.