obvious a dose of sarcasm here in the original OP. Nobody in the NFL cared a bit about burger-gate nor sign-gate. JH got us a long-awaited NC, 15-0. Plus a QB likely to go into Top 5 now. He's getting 80MM/5 yrs, got to interview and decide who his boss was going to be at LAC. Plus, he got to live like hero Jim Rockford by the beach in an RV. Glad for him and glad for Sherrone.
It's clear the NCAA is waiting for a boring Friday afternoon in June to "close" these BS investigations with only a show-cause for JH (he's done with CFB anyway). I've learned that companies and governments like to announce "closure" on things like this on a Friday afternoon so it is out of the news cycle by Monday.
The population of Utah has doubled since 1990, almost 3.5MM now. We visited SLC for vacation in 2011, also driving and spending some time at national parks in WY and ID. Was a very nice town and quite scenic when you drive up to where Utah's CFB stadium is located.
If they kept the Jazz name from NOLA, then no reason not to keep the Coyotes.
Newton is definitely a good consolation prize if a better choice at DB doesn't drop down to our spot. I would love to get Cooper D from Iowa but figure he's going to cost too much in trade to move up.
Funny thing is the sleepover ended up being for a kicker who never fully lived up to the hype (Nordin had some big moments and other missed kicks) - only to miss a sleepover in Northville two years later where the best PK is all of UM history (Jake Moody) resided.
He will always be a champions player and coach here!
JH got us a title, 3 B1Gs, 3 wins over Ohio and 15-0. Plus 49-0 win at East Landfill. He deserved the right to go and shop around after all that - glad he's getting 80MM/5 yrs and got to interview candidates to be his boss at LAC.
Can't wait until we have him back for a game during an LAC bye week.
As the Stallions situation got really weird (the sidelines photos at CMU), I talked to a rational (yes there are some of them) MSU fan as well as a few other fans who felt it was a bunch of smoke and mirrors until the CMU photos. Paying two someones on your own dime to sit across the field during the IU-Ohio game and tape the signs on their phones - don't tell me that hasn't been done by our rivals, at least for upcoming big games. Little Tony P wimped out under pressure. My question is: what would Jim Devany have done?
I was at The Horror with a college friend and fellow UM ChE grad (who passed away 5 years ago from ALS). We scored first rather easily and then they hit the slant to the track star to tie. After that, Henne was pretty shaky. My friend told me in the 2nd quarter that it looked like Chad was hungover. It was a noon start - I doubted that since usually the team is under tight control but who knows? (Chad did have a great ending to his career with KC). After the game, Lloyd admitted that he pulled Mike a few times because he had stiffed up (back?) and wanted to give him a few breathers too.
The players may have farted around that week, but this 100% on Lloyd's assistants. Lloyd rightfully accepted the blame after the game, but we were totally unprepared in all three phases for this game - w/o Hart we would not have even been in a chance to win. Other than Fred Jackson, the entire staff got canned after the season and not a coach ever made it to a high level again (same happened to Hoke's staff except for the back-stabbing (twice!) Greg M)
I've witnessed too many examples where someone is being (or suspects being) cheated on and the steps they go through to find out more. This is what The Weiss situation seems like. Perhaps he suspected someone on the staff or in the Ath Dept of cheating on him. The FBI gets involved a lot more these days anytime there is hacking or illegal access to a public school network.
Mike Hart? Just hoping it was some physical and/or mental health issues that can lead his to good treatment and some time off.
As for Moore, others have already explained the (likely) situation. Whether he really needed to sit was questionable, but this was part of a compromise that was supposed to "free Jim Harbaugh" that the NCAA infractions committee, blinded by hater-tots toward JH, decided to renege on the 4-game deal.
He will not drop past #12 (Denver) so I doubt he'd experience an Aaron Rodgers or Will Levis moment. Maybe he just wants to hang around with his family and enjoy a BBQ day in the backyard.
It would have been great seeing the VIkes trade up to 5 to draft him and then have the Sharty and Bucknuts fans seethe in envy.
The only person actually convicted was Mark Fuhrman, who lied under oath about not using racist slurs but was then busted when his braggart tapes to a reporter were released. Once the Fuhrman story broke, most of us figured that OJ was going to get off, whether he was truly guilty or not.
Amazingly, the Lions won that game vs. Buffalo. OJ was literally 100% of their offense. Bills back-up QB (Gary Marangi) went 4-for-21 for 29 yards and a pick. That borders on the level with Russell Bellomy at Nebraska, but Russell wasn't on an NFL payroll.
Can't see us playing there - if nothing else, the networks will push for a game at Soldier Field or even Wrigley. Same for Ohio at NW this coming season. Too bad if the stands are 80% Maize or Scarlett.
I remember watching full replays, with commercials, from two games in the 1980 season (Purdue at UM as well as Rose Bowl win over Wash). OJ was probably the first Black athlete to get a lot of positive vibes from mostly white America (Joe Louis did too but before TV ads). By 1980, he was flying like Superman in the Hertz ads, vs. his hurdling in 1978. He even said "I'm not Black, I'm OJ"
Hard to believe that the Chase is almost 30 years ago. Remember taking a nap after dinner and waking up expecting to see Rudy T's Rockets beating the Knicks, only to see a car chase.
Sorry - totally disagree. Caitlin was to Iowa like Iowa was to SC hoops. This was men's 1988 Finals, expect the better team (OU back then who lost, and SC who won this time) ended a title
Matt Prior was the 2nd pick behind recent HOF Joe Mauer in 2001 when the Twins worried they couldn't sign Matt. He was highly lauded too but burned out his arm and ended with 42 wins.
Prior was primed to be the winning pitcher too in the 2003 MLB playoff game that would have sent the Cubbies to the WS before the "Bartman" happened,
Bobby had a great agent when he signed with the Mets after 1991 season. As did Vince Coleman who got the Mets to give him a huge deal after 1990. The latter is known for throwing firecrackers into a crowd leaving a Dodgers game. The former for calling the press box to complain during a game about being charged with an error.
Ah yes, Sidd Finch. I was a senior at UM walking home from another long day as a ChE student from the Dow building on North Campus in April 1985 and dropped in for a six pack at the Blue Front on Packard St in A2. Saw this amazing article about Sidd in the latest SI and had to buy it. Only to find out his 150+ mph fastball was an April Fools prank!
Forget the UAW and Fain, MLBPA starting with Marvin Miller in the late 60s is the best at getting the best for its members. No one else gets this deal - I'm OK since I have a good minor league team in town where I can sit and watch BB for 10 bucks behind the visitor's dugout.
We should have learned what happened after his dad (Cecil) signed a huge long-term deal. Absolute money corrupts absolutely. I'm all for the ballplayer to be millionaires playing for billionaires. But Prince making 24MM/yr - thankfully we got the Rangers to take most of it off our plate.
That TD run was part of a game where we were unranked and beat a ranked BYU team. It took 6 more years before we finally reached major success but loved that guy for his work ethic.
John Wooden is about the greatest CBB coach ever (who can match him) but also a great guy who graduated from Purdue and was named national player of the year in 1932. Retroactively, the 1932 Purdue team is recognized as NCAA champs, before a tourney was around. His book "Pyramid of Success" is legendary too.
I'm friends with a PU grad who even pulled for us in 89 NCAA with Fisher. His wife is a MSU grad too. I'm certain he pulled for us vs. both Bama and Washington. FWIW.
Ryan Walter will be canned in two years. He's an LA guy who played at Colorado. Got a lucky break and will be proven to be trashed soon enough. Matt Painter = class act.
I worked with several Purdue Engineering grads prior to retiring from Dow a few years ago. Top notch people who also told me a hoops title was more important to them than a CFB title, thanks to John Wooden's legacy as a HOF player at Purdue.
All-in for Purdue. Matt Painter is a class act. Full stop. Ryan Walters is a Colorado "grad" under Gary Barnett - please STOP hating Purdue hoops because of a dickhead CFB coach who will be fired after two more 4-8 seasons.
I'm also in the "time for Warde to go voluntarily" camp but it won't happen unless he has something bigger to advance into - like Little Tony's B1G job.
What IS nice about this exit and Dusty's hiring is that both NIL and admissions have come into focus publicly, and not just on this blog. Warde is finally being forced out of the stone age - and probably feels the heat from Santa too - and HAS to do something for NIL.
Admissions? Maybe a few tweaks on the margins (which is not good enough but better than nothing). Unless things have changed since my student days in the 1980s, the Prez really doesn't have much control over the Schools of LSA, Engineering, etc. The Deans run their schools like fiefdoms. The faculty are fiercely loyal to the dean, as are the individual admissions offices. I don't see either Warde nor Santa going to war there to change things.
He's already coming to terms with his exit. Lots of good insight and I'm glad he did this interview. It probably helped him to begin putting this into the past and focusing on his future - I expect the NBA may be calling later this year but hope he doesn't come back until 25-26 for his health.
The game has completely changed with NIL and the portal. Just like Saban had enough, some coaches will decide it's time to leave. Dusty taking 25-35% of his time just managing the NIL and getting funding from rich alums and lots of smaller donations from other alums shows me he was a great choice across the board - not just as a coach, but also a builder.
I'm now hoping Jace stays and is a good locker room presence for his last year. He wasn't THE reason Juwan got fired, but the Sanderson stuff showed he must have thought he was too good to do what he was told. It has to be humbling to have your name out there again, and not in a good light.
Hopefully, in a few years, Dusty has us back in the Sweet 16 and large crowds are back in Crysler. It would be fitting to finally get the Fab Five back and re-hang those banners.
I'm definitely in a much happier place regarding our men's hoops program compared to exactly one month ago. The guy had some tough shoes to fill at a one-time basketball power (Hank Iba days 1940s into 1960s, Eddie Sutton 1990-mid 2000s). The NCAA BS, for which he had NO direct involvement, certainly hurt him at a time the B1G 12 was growing into a tough league (Tex Tech, Baylor, etc.)
Bo's line of attack was on the "limited" scholarships ("down" to 95). I read a CFB annual magazine from the early 80s where he was griping about how much it was "ruining" the game. When, in fact, it helped balance the playing field. Instead of having guys like Anthony Thompson playing 2nd string RB for UM, they started for IU.
BO was also sexist toward women reporters when he was the Tigers Prez - the 1990 interview with a woman reporter and Jack Morris (at least Jack later apologized years later for his comments). Bo's response was the mens' locker room wasn't for women.
Even in the mid-80s, as I was finishing up at UM, the gay jokes, typically pointed at males (using the F word), were commonplace, especially at all guys gatherings like going to a bar to watch a game. Some guys also commented that some of the women athletes were probably lesbian (using the D word). Thankfully, as my daughter has told me, for the most part, LGTBQ are fully accepted for who they are amongst their age group and friends. Some of their parents have evolved to a better way of thinking.
What makes me proud of Carol H as our long-time softball coach is that she found a way to succeed in spite of working for a guy (Canham) who felt softball was a waste of money. I remember watching womens' hoops (when the networks actually shared their games) in the 80s and seeing teams like USC (Cheryl Miller) and Tennessee and La Tech win titles while our women's team went through back to back 4 win seasons and no support. Proud of the job KBA has done with our hoops team!
I was in MMB Fall 1981 and was stunned to find out that women had not been allowed as recently (1971) as 10 years before my FR year. It seemed that the band had more men than women in '81 but not like 80/20, perhaps more 65/35. And I don't recall any of my '81 bandmates being snotty toward women in the band, but we didn't have many people of color. I hope that's better these days.
I was a student from Fall 1981 to Fall 1985. I had the same opinion of another here that (at that time) I felt an exception should have been made for FB. Some years later, I changed my mind and felt they should be equally divided 50/50 on scholarships and support. Societal norms influence us more than we know, especially when we are under 25. It's not until other people challenge the norms that you can ponder why things should be as there are and not to benefit all.
Also, I've shared the same thing with my daughter who is a grad school at UM that the 1970s and even 1980s had a very entrenched attitudes towards LGTBQ, women, minorities, etc. It wasn't pretty and sometimes was very public. I had a lot of those attitudes back then but started to change my mind when I was out of school and working in my mid-20s. It sure took time but I'm a lot more open minded today than ever before.
Cudos to Prez Ford for making the tough but right call. I also wouldn't fault Johnny Orr for his views in 1975. I'm sure as he aged and saw that Womens' successes didn't mean he couldn't be successful in his own right. I doubt Canham every changed his views, but many of us have on Title IX, etc.
What I liked the most about the May hire and his 1st press conference was the mention of having an offense pleasing to the fans' eyes. Something with rhythm. Something with purpose. Something to motivate recruits to come here and learn an effective system.
The last few years, the offensive gameplan was brutal. Then the D fell apart this year.
Plenty of good possibilities out there. Please, no more 1 and dones.
As much as I love JJ and JH for who they are and what they accomplished, I don't think any front office is buying into Jim's hype. Minn gets him at #11, which would be great and still a huge payday.
My dad had a client in the electrical business in Detroit who did work for the Tigers, mainly selling and servicing electrical equipment like motors used to open doors at Tiger Stadium. The owner had season tickets behind the visiting dugout, just a few rows off the field. Got to go with my dad many times to games when the owner gave him the tickets for that game.
The owner got to know a lot of the players in the 60s and 70s. McLain had already been heavily involved in after-hours gambling (speak-easies with high stakes poker games). In early 1970, SI ran a story about McLain's foot injury in 1967 that resulted in a winless September and an ERA of about 9 (Tigers went 1-4 in his starts and ended up 1 GB BoSox). The injury was alleged to have been done by a thug sent by a gambler whom McLain owed money to but refused to pay. Later on, my dad told me that the business owner knew some details in late 1967 (told to him by a Tigers rep). At the time, a lot of players took off-season jobs, selling cars, insurance, etc. The Tigers rep told him under no circumstance to hire McLain, who was known to be quite charismatic but a louche. The Tigers tried to keep it under wraps for 1968 because they knew a healthy McLain (not suspended by associating with gamblers) to finally win the AL Pennant.
The whole Farmer Peet (FP) thing is tragic. I'm retired from a big company and living off my pension (covers some expenses). I can't imagine if it went belly-up. I believe FP actually advertised on his radio talk show prior to his acquiring the company.
Dan Snyder was perhaps the worst combination of person/owner/GM (he called the shots on draft day) in sports history. The cheerleaders scandal, toxic workplace, coaching hires, etc. were a disaster.
JJ's best landing points are likely Denver or Minny - hoping the Vikes even though they are a division rival. JJ is also a great guy to build around in the locker room too.
I think that might be some smoke being put off by Washington to get Minny to offer a huge haul, and then use some of the picks to end up at 5 and take Maye anyway.
In the end, I think Minny trades up to 5 and drafts JJ as the 4th QB in the top 5. JH then has a lot of 1st and 2nd picks to draft guys like Odunze, Kris Jenkins, etc.
I'd imagine Warde will clear things up with the NCAA, since their hatred was focused against the current LAC coach. Little Tony P is going to find that the PAC4 teams expect some love and he can't only butt-kiss Ohio. Never thought I'd miss Devany, until TP came along to wipe Ohio's butt.
Agreed on Juwan hiring. We were in a bad spot and didn't have the cache of mid-major choices like May, Medved, Byington, etc. Juwan hopefully takes a year off to recover his health and then get back to NBA as an assistant (and maybe a HC someday).
I've had my frustrations with Warde over the years (not firing Juwan after the slap, Mel, slow NIL, etc.) but figured we could do a LOT worse (Joe Roberson, Goss, Brandon) - personally, I think he aced the latest events this year (hiring Sherrone instead of "shopping around" which could have destroyed the team culture, firing Juwan (I didn't expect this until next year), sweeping in to get Dusty). Harbaugh was going to leave once he won a title. Jim delivered and then got to "interview" and approve the hiring of his boss for LAC (plus 80 MM over 5 years).
He is clearly respected by BoR and now NCAA (CFB Prez). Barring a scandal of his making, I see him retiring from here. Hopefully, Dusty's hiring prompts a better NIL and smoother admissions.
And, yes, the personal attacks on weight, etc. are middle schoolish
I've done more than my share of Job Performance Reviews (JPRs) over the years too. One red flag I always coached my team about was using the "I" vs. "we" or "the team" when it came to accomplishments. I was OK with and preferred to use "I" when referring to things that could have been done better.
Warde's rant was filled with a lot of "I" - a sign of a guy who is finally being challenged by a boss (Santa) after the bumbling Schlissel.
I agree on Martin. Remember we also had the Ed Martin scandal still swirling over the hoops program plus having to deal with a new security world post 9/11. He definitely left the program (financially) far better off than he found it. I thought the Amaker hire was a great move - and still feel he was the right guy at the right time. He just couldn't get us over the hump into the NCAA. I was furious when Les was left hanging while Bill couldn't figure out his new boat on Ross' yacht. And thought RR was a great 2nd choice. Lesson learned from RR is if someone wants to leave their alma mater that bad, something is not OK. And, well Les???, at least we'd have a lot of attractive blondes around the program. Les cost Jeff Long his cushy job at Kansas.
Of course, JB will always be the shining star for Bill.
The feisty tone of his interview clearly shows he IS aware of everything said about him here - which is quite pleasing and amusing.
Warde basically reported to himself for the first 6 years. He may have been hired by Schlissel, but Mark never gave a hoot about sports except replacing Brandon with Hackett in his 1st year. Going five years without any formal performance review confirmed what we thought about Mark's aloofness toward our sports programs.
Santa is the most engaged Prez we've had when it comes to being at our games and showing support for our teams. In short, Warde finally has a real boss who cares about sports!
As for Mel/Juwan and the incidents in 2022, Warde was still his own boss as Mark got forced out in early 2022 and Mary Sue was only a caretaker who wasn't going to do anything of consequence. Santa finally came in Fall 2022, well after the smoke had blown over. Warde did what any average guy making 1.1 MM/yr would do when faced with controversies - don't rock the boat and just pretend it didn't happen.
The old saying "addition by subtraction" (subtracting a negative is like adding a positive) may apply here. I did hope he'd find a place and learn his trade, but it looks like he is simply sucking oxygen out of the room.
His team got smoked by 33 in the final PAC12 tourney, while he scored 20 of the 57 points. Seems like a guy playing 1 on 5. Opponents are more than willing to let him isolate himself on the court from his teammates.
He really did have a solid SOPH year as a transfer. 2:1 ASST/TO ratio. "improved" FT% from 44 to 62. Team made NCAA and advanced to round of 32.
Meanwhile, I'd be happy if GWIII comes back, even if just to be a role player helping spell the guards in Dusty's 3-G offense.
Recent Comments
obvious a dose of sarcasm here in the original OP. Nobody in the NFL cared a bit about burger-gate nor sign-gate. JH got us a long-awaited NC, 15-0. Plus a QB likely to go into Top 5 now. He's getting 80MM/5 yrs, got to interview and decide who his boss was going to be at LAC. Plus, he got to live like hero Jim Rockford by the beach in an RV. Glad for him and glad for Sherrone.
It's clear the NCAA is waiting for a boring Friday afternoon in June to "close" these BS investigations with only a show-cause for JH (he's done with CFB anyway). I've learned that companies and governments like to announce "closure" on things like this on a Friday afternoon so it is out of the news cycle by Monday.
The population of Utah has doubled since 1990, almost 3.5MM now. We visited SLC for vacation in 2011, also driving and spending some time at national parks in WY and ID. Was a very nice town and quite scenic when you drive up to where Utah's CFB stadium is located.
If they kept the Jazz name from NOLA, then no reason not to keep the Coyotes.
Newton is definitely a good consolation prize if a better choice at DB doesn't drop down to our spot. I would love to get Cooper D from Iowa but figure he's going to cost too much in trade to move up.
Funny thing is the sleepover ended up being for a kicker who never fully lived up to the hype (Nordin had some big moments and other missed kicks) - only to miss a sleepover in Northville two years later where the best PK is all of UM history (Jake Moody) resided.
He will always be a champions player and coach here!
JH got us a title, 3 B1Gs, 3 wins over Ohio and 15-0. Plus 49-0 win at East Landfill. He deserved the right to go and shop around after all that - glad he's getting 80MM/5 yrs and got to interview candidates to be his boss at LAC.
Can't wait until we have him back for a game during an LAC bye week.
As the Stallions situation got really weird (the sidelines photos at CMU), I talked to a rational (yes there are some of them) MSU fan as well as a few other fans who felt it was a bunch of smoke and mirrors until the CMU photos. Paying two someones on your own dime to sit across the field during the IU-Ohio game and tape the signs on their phones - don't tell me that hasn't been done by our rivals, at least for upcoming big games. Little Tony P wimped out under pressure. My question is: what would Jim Devany have done?
I was at The Horror with a college friend and fellow UM ChE grad (who passed away 5 years ago from ALS). We scored first rather easily and then they hit the slant to the track star to tie. After that, Henne was pretty shaky. My friend told me in the 2nd quarter that it looked like Chad was hungover. It was a noon start - I doubted that since usually the team is under tight control but who knows? (Chad did have a great ending to his career with KC). After the game, Lloyd admitted that he pulled Mike a few times because he had stiffed up (back?) and wanted to give him a few breathers too.
The players may have farted around that week, but this 100% on Lloyd's assistants. Lloyd rightfully accepted the blame after the game, but we were totally unprepared in all three phases for this game - w/o Hart we would not have even been in a chance to win. Other than Fred Jackson, the entire staff got canned after the season and not a coach ever made it to a high level again (same happened to Hoke's staff except for the back-stabbing (twice!) Greg M)
I've witnessed too many examples where someone is being (or suspects being) cheated on and the steps they go through to find out more. This is what The Weiss situation seems like. Perhaps he suspected someone on the staff or in the Ath Dept of cheating on him. The FBI gets involved a lot more these days anytime there is hacking or illegal access to a public school network.
Mike Hart? Just hoping it was some physical and/or mental health issues that can lead his to good treatment and some time off.
As for Moore, others have already explained the (likely) situation. Whether he really needed to sit was questionable, but this was part of a compromise that was supposed to "free Jim Harbaugh" that the NCAA infractions committee, blinded by hater-tots toward JH, decided to renege on the 4-game deal.
He will not drop past #12 (Denver) so I doubt he'd experience an Aaron Rodgers or Will Levis moment. Maybe he just wants to hang around with his family and enjoy a BBQ day in the backyard.
It would have been great seeing the VIkes trade up to 5 to draft him and then have the Sharty and Bucknuts fans seethe in envy.
The only person actually convicted was Mark Fuhrman, who lied under oath about not using racist slurs but was then busted when his braggart tapes to a reporter were released. Once the Fuhrman story broke, most of us figured that OJ was going to get off, whether he was truly guilty or not.
Amazingly, the Lions won that game vs. Buffalo. OJ was literally 100% of their offense. Bills back-up QB (Gary Marangi) went 4-for-21 for 29 yards and a pick. That borders on the level with Russell Bellomy at Nebraska, but Russell wasn't on an NFL payroll.
Can't see us playing there - if nothing else, the networks will push for a game at Soldier Field or even Wrigley. Same for Ohio at NW this coming season. Too bad if the stands are 80% Maize or Scarlett.
I remember watching full replays, with commercials, from two games in the 1980 season (Purdue at UM as well as Rose Bowl win over Wash). OJ was probably the first Black athlete to get a lot of positive vibes from mostly white America (Joe Louis did too but before TV ads). By 1980, he was flying like Superman in the Hertz ads, vs. his hurdling in 1978. He even said "I'm not Black, I'm OJ"
Hard to believe that the Chase is almost 30 years ago. Remember taking a nap after dinner and waking up expecting to see Rudy T's Rockets beating the Knicks, only to see a car chase.
Interesting how HALF of the league (7 teams) have made it to the finals, only UM twice.
Other than Purdue (I don't hold anything against Matt Painter because the FB coach is a douche), I was happy to see all of the other teams lose.
Sorry - totally disagree. Caitlin was to Iowa like Iowa was to SC hoops. This was men's 1988 Finals, expect the better team (OU back then who lost, and SC who won this time) ended a title
Matt Prior was the 2nd pick behind recent HOF Joe Mauer in 2001 when the Twins worried they couldn't sign Matt. He was highly lauded too but burned out his arm and ended with 42 wins.
Prior was primed to be the winning pitcher too in the 2003 MLB playoff game that would have sent the Cubbies to the WS before the "Bartman" happened,
He might still be, but starting to wonder if we should have just kept Matt Manning in the bigs and not paid Maeda 24 MM for 2 years.
Just hoping Max Clark is in the bigs in 2+ years.
Bobby had a great agent when he signed with the Mets after 1991 season. As did Vince Coleman who got the Mets to give him a huge deal after 1990. The latter is known for throwing firecrackers into a crowd leaving a Dodgers game. The former for calling the press box to complain during a game about being charged with an error.
Ah yes, Sidd Finch. I was a senior at UM walking home from another long day as a ChE student from the Dow building on North Campus in April 1985 and dropped in for a six pack at the Blue Front on Packard St in A2. Saw this amazing article about Sidd in the latest SI and had to buy it. Only to find out his 150+ mph fastball was an April Fools prank!
Forget the UAW and Fain, MLBPA starting with Marvin Miller in the late 60s is the best at getting the best for its members. No one else gets this deal - I'm OK since I have a good minor league team in town where I can sit and watch BB for 10 bucks behind the visitor's dugout.
We should have learned what happened after his dad (Cecil) signed a huge long-term deal. Absolute money corrupts absolutely. I'm all for the ballplayer to be millionaires playing for billionaires. But Prince making 24MM/yr - thankfully we got the Rangers to take most of it off our plate.
He can thank the late Marvin Miller, first major MLBPA union Prez in the 1960s. He made it where players cashed in on big deals.
That TD run was part of a game where we were unranked and beat a ranked BYU team. It took 6 more years before we finally reached major success but loved that guy for his work ethic.
John Wooden is about the greatest CBB coach ever (who can match him) but also a great guy who graduated from Purdue and was named national player of the year in 1932. Retroactively, the 1932 Purdue team is recognized as NCAA champs, before a tourney was around. His book "Pyramid of Success" is legendary too.
I'm friends with a PU grad who even pulled for us in 89 NCAA with Fisher. His wife is a MSU grad too. I'm certain he pulled for us vs. both Bama and Washington. FWIW.
Go Blue!
Ryan Walter will be canned in two years. He's an LA guy who played at Colorado. Got a lucky break and will be proven to be trashed soon enough. Matt Painter = class act.
I worked with several Purdue Engineering grads prior to retiring from Dow a few years ago. Top notch people who also told me a hoops title was more important to them than a CFB title, thanks to John Wooden's legacy as a HOF player at Purdue.
All-in for Purdue. Matt Painter is a class act. Full stop. Ryan Walters is a Colorado "grad" under Gary Barnett - please STOP hating Purdue hoops because of a dickhead CFB coach who will be fired after two more 4-8 seasons.
I'm also in the "time for Warde to go voluntarily" camp but it won't happen unless he has something bigger to advance into - like Little Tony's B1G job.
What IS nice about this exit and Dusty's hiring is that both NIL and admissions have come into focus publicly, and not just on this blog. Warde is finally being forced out of the stone age - and probably feels the heat from Santa too - and HAS to do something for NIL.
Admissions? Maybe a few tweaks on the margins (which is not good enough but better than nothing). Unless things have changed since my student days in the 1980s, the Prez really doesn't have much control over the Schools of LSA, Engineering, etc. The Deans run their schools like fiefdoms. The faculty are fiercely loyal to the dean, as are the individual admissions offices. I don't see either Warde nor Santa going to war there to change things.
He's already coming to terms with his exit. Lots of good insight and I'm glad he did this interview. It probably helped him to begin putting this into the past and focusing on his future - I expect the NBA may be calling later this year but hope he doesn't come back until 25-26 for his health.
The game has completely changed with NIL and the portal. Just like Saban had enough, some coaches will decide it's time to leave. Dusty taking 25-35% of his time just managing the NIL and getting funding from rich alums and lots of smaller donations from other alums shows me he was a great choice across the board - not just as a coach, but also a builder.
I'm now hoping Jace stays and is a good locker room presence for his last year. He wasn't THE reason Juwan got fired, but the Sanderson stuff showed he must have thought he was too good to do what he was told. It has to be humbling to have your name out there again, and not in a good light.
Hopefully, in a few years, Dusty has us back in the Sweet 16 and large crowds are back in Crysler. It would be fitting to finally get the Fab Five back and re-hang those banners.
I'm definitely in a much happier place regarding our men's hoops program compared to exactly one month ago. The guy had some tough shoes to fill at a one-time basketball power (Hank Iba days 1940s into 1960s, Eddie Sutton 1990-mid 2000s). The NCAA BS, for which he had NO direct involvement, certainly hurt him at a time the B1G 12 was growing into a tough league (Tex Tech, Baylor, etc.)
Great add for Dusty!
Good luck to him - hopefully, he shows some academic maturity and gets his degree.
Bo's line of attack was on the "limited" scholarships ("down" to 95). I read a CFB annual magazine from the early 80s where he was griping about how much it was "ruining" the game. When, in fact, it helped balance the playing field. Instead of having guys like Anthony Thompson playing 2nd string RB for UM, they started for IU.
BO was also sexist toward women reporters when he was the Tigers Prez - the 1990 interview with a woman reporter and Jack Morris (at least Jack later apologized years later for his comments). Bo's response was the mens' locker room wasn't for women.
Even in the mid-80s, as I was finishing up at UM, the gay jokes, typically pointed at males (using the F word), were commonplace, especially at all guys gatherings like going to a bar to watch a game. Some guys also commented that some of the women athletes were probably lesbian (using the D word). Thankfully, as my daughter has told me, for the most part, LGTBQ are fully accepted for who they are amongst their age group and friends. Some of their parents have evolved to a better way of thinking.
What makes me proud of Carol H as our long-time softball coach is that she found a way to succeed in spite of working for a guy (Canham) who felt softball was a waste of money. I remember watching womens' hoops (when the networks actually shared their games) in the 80s and seeing teams like USC (Cheryl Miller) and Tennessee and La Tech win titles while our women's team went through back to back 4 win seasons and no support. Proud of the job KBA has done with our hoops team!
Go Blue!
I was in MMB Fall 1981 and was stunned to find out that women had not been allowed as recently (1971) as 10 years before my FR year. It seemed that the band had more men than women in '81 but not like 80/20, perhaps more 65/35. And I don't recall any of my '81 bandmates being snotty toward women in the band, but we didn't have many people of color. I hope that's better these days.
I was a student from Fall 1981 to Fall 1985. I had the same opinion of another here that (at that time) I felt an exception should have been made for FB. Some years later, I changed my mind and felt they should be equally divided 50/50 on scholarships and support. Societal norms influence us more than we know, especially when we are under 25. It's not until other people challenge the norms that you can ponder why things should be as there are and not to benefit all.
Also, I've shared the same thing with my daughter who is a grad school at UM that the 1970s and even 1980s had a very entrenched attitudes towards LGTBQ, women, minorities, etc. It wasn't pretty and sometimes was very public. I had a lot of those attitudes back then but started to change my mind when I was out of school and working in my mid-20s. It sure took time but I'm a lot more open minded today than ever before.
Cudos to Prez Ford for making the tough but right call. I also wouldn't fault Johnny Orr for his views in 1975. I'm sure as he aged and saw that Womens' successes didn't mean he couldn't be successful in his own right. I doubt Canham every changed his views, but many of us have on Title IX, etc.
What I liked the most about the May hire and his 1st press conference was the mention of having an offense pleasing to the fans' eyes. Something with rhythm. Something with purpose. Something to motivate recruits to come here and learn an effective system.
The last few years, the offensive gameplan was brutal. Then the D fell apart this year.
Plenty of good possibilities out there. Please, no more 1 and dones.
As much as I love JJ and JH for who they are and what they accomplished, I don't think any front office is buying into Jim's hype. Minn gets him at #11, which would be great and still a huge payday.
I don't think anyone trades up to #5 for a QB.
I believe the closest anyone has come to 30 is Steve Carlton in 1972 and Bob Welch in 1990 with 27 wins.
My dad had a client in the electrical business in Detroit who did work for the Tigers, mainly selling and servicing electrical equipment like motors used to open doors at Tiger Stadium. The owner had season tickets behind the visiting dugout, just a few rows off the field. Got to go with my dad many times to games when the owner gave him the tickets for that game.
The owner got to know a lot of the players in the 60s and 70s. McLain had already been heavily involved in after-hours gambling (speak-easies with high stakes poker games). In early 1970, SI ran a story about McLain's foot injury in 1967 that resulted in a winless September and an ERA of about 9 (Tigers went 1-4 in his starts and ended up 1 GB BoSox). The injury was alleged to have been done by a thug sent by a gambler whom McLain owed money to but refused to pay. Later on, my dad told me that the business owner knew some details in late 1967 (told to him by a Tigers rep). At the time, a lot of players took off-season jobs, selling cars, insurance, etc. The Tigers rep told him under no circumstance to hire McLain, who was known to be quite charismatic but a louche. The Tigers tried to keep it under wraps for 1968 because they knew a healthy McLain (not suspended by associating with gamblers) to finally win the AL Pennant.
The whole Farmer Peet (FP) thing is tragic. I'm retired from a big company and living off my pension (covers some expenses). I can't imagine if it went belly-up. I believe FP actually advertised on his radio talk show prior to his acquiring the company.
Gibby's 8th inning 3-run HR off the Goose Game 5 1984 WS. Right after the fans sang "Goose"-busters when he entered the game in the 7th.
Dan Snyder was perhaps the worst combination of person/owner/GM (he called the shots on draft day) in sports history. The cheerleaders scandal, toxic workplace, coaching hires, etc. were a disaster.
JJ's best landing points are likely Denver or Minny - hoping the Vikes even though they are a division rival. JJ is also a great guy to build around in the locker room too.
I think that might be some smoke being put off by Washington to get Minny to offer a huge haul, and then use some of the picks to end up at 5 and take Maye anyway.
In the end, I think Minny trades up to 5 and drafts JJ as the 4th QB in the top 5. JH then has a lot of 1st and 2nd picks to draft guys like Odunze, Kris Jenkins, etc.
I'd imagine Warde will clear things up with the NCAA, since their hatred was focused against the current LAC coach. Little Tony P is going to find that the PAC4 teams expect some love and he can't only butt-kiss Ohio. Never thought I'd miss Devany, until TP came along to wipe Ohio's butt.
Agreed on Juwan hiring. We were in a bad spot and didn't have the cache of mid-major choices like May, Medved, Byington, etc. Juwan hopefully takes a year off to recover his health and then get back to NBA as an assistant (and maybe a HC someday).
I've had my frustrations with Warde over the years (not firing Juwan after the slap, Mel, slow NIL, etc.) but figured we could do a LOT worse (Joe Roberson, Goss, Brandon) - personally, I think he aced the latest events this year (hiring Sherrone instead of "shopping around" which could have destroyed the team culture, firing Juwan (I didn't expect this until next year), sweeping in to get Dusty). Harbaugh was going to leave once he won a title. Jim delivered and then got to "interview" and approve the hiring of his boss for LAC (plus 80 MM over 5 years).
He is clearly respected by BoR and now NCAA (CFB Prez). Barring a scandal of his making, I see him retiring from here. Hopefully, Dusty's hiring prompts a better NIL and smoother admissions.
And, yes, the personal attacks on weight, etc. are middle schoolish
I've done more than my share of Job Performance Reviews (JPRs) over the years too. One red flag I always coached my team about was using the "I" vs. "we" or "the team" when it came to accomplishments. I was OK with and preferred to use "I" when referring to things that could have been done better.
Warde's rant was filled with a lot of "I" - a sign of a guy who is finally being challenged by a boss (Santa) after the bumbling Schlissel.
I agree on Martin. Remember we also had the Ed Martin scandal still swirling over the hoops program plus having to deal with a new security world post 9/11. He definitely left the program (financially) far better off than he found it. I thought the Amaker hire was a great move - and still feel he was the right guy at the right time. He just couldn't get us over the hump into the NCAA. I was furious when Les was left hanging while Bill couldn't figure out his new boat on Ross' yacht. And thought RR was a great 2nd choice. Lesson learned from RR is if someone wants to leave their alma mater that bad, something is not OK. And, well Les???, at least we'd have a lot of attractive blondes around the program. Les cost Jeff Long his cushy job at Kansas.
Of course, JB will always be the shining star for Bill.
The feisty tone of his interview clearly shows he IS aware of everything said about him here - which is quite pleasing and amusing.
Warde basically reported to himself for the first 6 years. He may have been hired by Schlissel, but Mark never gave a hoot about sports except replacing Brandon with Hackett in his 1st year. Going five years without any formal performance review confirmed what we thought about Mark's aloofness toward our sports programs.
Santa is the most engaged Prez we've had when it comes to being at our games and showing support for our teams. In short, Warde finally has a real boss who cares about sports!
As for Mel/Juwan and the incidents in 2022, Warde was still his own boss as Mark got forced out in early 2022 and Mary Sue was only a caretaker who wasn't going to do anything of consequence. Santa finally came in Fall 2022, well after the smoke had blown over. Warde did what any average guy making 1.1 MM/yr would do when faced with controversies - don't rock the boat and just pretend it didn't happen.
The old saying "addition by subtraction" (subtracting a negative is like adding a positive) may apply here. I did hope he'd find a place and learn his trade, but it looks like he is simply sucking oxygen out of the room.
His team got smoked by 33 in the final PAC12 tourney, while he scored 20 of the 57 points. Seems like a guy playing 1 on 5. Opponents are more than willing to let him isolate himself on the court from his teammates.
He really did have a solid SOPH year as a transfer. 2:1 ASST/TO ratio. "improved" FT% from 44 to 62. Team made NCAA and advanced to round of 32.
Meanwhile, I'd be happy if GWIII comes back, even if just to be a role player helping spell the guards in Dusty's 3-G offense.