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Sure a lot of Michigan fans…

Sure a lot of Michigan fans are likely overestimating JJs NFL prospects. But every cfb fanbase does the same with their players. What's different is the level of hate towards Michigan from other fanbases, and that definitely skews those fans' perceptions of JJ in a negative way.

Connor Stalions will be…

Connor Stalions will be there too, in disguise. He'll be stealing lines off the teleprompter and feeding them to the Republicans.

As others have pointed out,…

As others have pointed out, this is one version of what happened. Sanderson probably could have handled it better as well. If there's already a spectacle going on, I'm not sure how yelling from 30 feet away is the best approach.  Why not go see what the issue is? Also, his adding "you're a student athlete " didn't need to be said and wasn't the best way to de-escalate (I have no problem with his saying the staff are professionals and should be treated as such).

No matter what, though, that's no excuse for the HC to act like he did.

I've not read through all…

I've not read through all the comments and don't know enough to say whether or not Michigan needs a new AD, but I do have a few possibilities that are making the football situation tricky for Warde and are not things he can control.

1. Looming NCAA sanctions may be scaring off prospective coaches. Who the hell knows what the NCAA will do and how that will complicate the job Michigan coaches will need to do?

2.  It's not a great time to be hiring college football coaches. Many have just signed new contracts or moved to new jobs.

3.  The head coach doesn't have much of a track record to go on nor the networking experience to entice a lot of coaches. Tie that to number one above and that makes the prospects that much trickier.

 

RIP. His death hits close to…

RIP. His death hits close to home.

One of my daughters had a service dog trained to bring her the landlines phone and lick her face when she had a seizure. We live in Oklahoma, and the service dogs were all named after famous Oklahomans. Her dog was Toby Keith, a Golden Retriever who died of cancer two years ago.

I'm battling cancer myself...have gone through the chemo and radiation and now am waiting for a date for surgery. 

Yeah, I'm not going to pay…

Yeah, I'm not going to pay to watch this either. I'm glad I didn't watch the Purdue game either.

Everybody on the team, the…

Everybody on the team, the team, the team, coaches and players alike, aspires to one day make it in the NFL. Harbaugh has been up front with the team about this. 

Too many seasons of BPONE…

Too many seasons of BPONE seems to be leading some to despair and expect the worst. 

 

I grow old... I grow old...

I grow old... I grow old...

I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

She's not as good as Friday…

She's not as good as Friday Evening, but she'll do in a pinch.

I learned from my first post…

I learned from my first post how negative votes and comments work on this board. I had the temerity to criticize Rich Rodriguez. 

It could be worse. Minnesota…

It could be worse. Minnesota fans are crowing about PJ Fleck  being 5-0 in bowl games, which is exceptional.  The only problem is which bowl games they were: 2 Quicklane bowls, Pinstripe,  Holiday, and Outback.

A Michigan coach would never reach 5 wins in those bowls because he would be fired long before he coached in his second Quicklane Bowl.

Day is obviously part of the…

Day is obviously part of the problem. But the officiating has changed as well. The blatant favoritism the officials showed the Buckeyes has shifted the past few years.

The Buckeyes used to play with a lot of confidence and were successful. I'm convinced knowing the refs have your back goes a long way toward playing loose and fast and having positive results.

Omaha hotdogs the best? Have…

Omaha hotdogs the best? Have you never had Koegel's?

Some families have longer…

Some families have longer than usual periods between the generations. My wife's aunt was born in 1951 and her grandfather's earliest memory was of his mother crying when she heard the news of Lincoln's assassination in 1965, so there was approximately 100 years between their births.

Unless they know who leaked…

Unless they know who leaked the information, there's no way to be sure the board didn't leak it. And, even then, there could be more than one source for the leak.

What did they do? Interview the board members, and they all denied being the source of the leak? 

Using "battle" as a metaphor…

Using "battle" as a metaphor for someone's experience with cancer seems apt to me. Lakoff's Metaphors We Live By is over 40 years old now but is an interesting read and helps show how common and powerful metaphors are and can be.

I have cancer and two weeks ago finally got out of the hospital after a 6 week stay as a result of a very bad reaction to chemo. It sure seems like a battle to me. I have family and friends doing what they can to help out, medical staff, people praying for me and my family, all allies in this battle. I have ongoing issues and the battle or battles are far from over. 

Right now I'm looking forward to my 3 children and son-in-law coming home to spend time with me and my wife and just enjoying life to the greatest extent I can. 

Seth, It is so good to see…

Seth, It is so good to see your son is doing well enough to be released from the hospital, and the toy program for young patients is not something I would have thought of without your post.

Hospital stays are confusing enough for adults; I can only imagine what it must be like for a child.

I'll look in on a few games…

I'll look in on a few games but not watch any intently. The team I'm most interested in watching is New Mexico State. One of my daughters has epilepsy, and I took an interest in Jerry Kill when he was coaching Minnesota. He retired from that job because of his epilepsy (stress and fatigue are often triggers for seizures).  He seems to have the seizures under control now.

Michigan actually played…

Michigan actually played some defense and was able to break Iowa"s press. Granted Iowa isn't the most athletic team out there. Still, it was nice to see Michigan play well in two areas that have been a weakness for the team.

Back in the earlier Bo years…

Back in the earlier Bo years especially,  Michigan had no indoor practice facility like there is now. Also, fans used to make a big deal about the Rose Bowl having a grass field and Michigan having artificial turf. There was also the whole wide-eyed tourist feel for many Michigan players visiting southern California for the first time.

In more recent times, the Michigan brand allows the team to get onto better bowls with better competition.

1984 was a bad year for Michigan football, finishing 6-5, but when the issue of BYU "not playing anybody" that year someone always mentions "they did beat Michigan."  I remember Bo complaining bitterly about Michigan defenders being held all game, leaving a clean pocket for the BYU QB.

Iowa City:

kirk Ferentz…

Iowa City:

kirk Ferentz introduced his new offensive coordinator at today's press conference, and it's none other than his wife, Mary. As Ferentz put it, "Choosing Mary was a no-brainer. She hosts the Ladie's Football Camp every year, and soaks up knowledge about the game from listening to me and Brian. She understands the importance of punting and time of possession.  Who better to continue the success that Brian had in that position than the woman who birthed him."

Team captains and leaders were so excited by the news that they were left  speechless and so had no comment.

It's not 3 yards and a cloud…

It's not 3 yards and a cloud of dust; it's 1 yard and a cloud of pellets.

Nebraska did have a long pass for a TD, though.

Iowa had 2 short FGs blocked.

Iowa had 2 short FGs blocked.

Thanks to everyone for the…

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and well wishes. 

Happy Thanksgiving to…

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody! It is nice every once in awhile to stop and think how many things most of us have to be thankful for. My three children are grown, healthy, independent, and successful. 

I've had some health challenges but should be able to go home from the hospital Monday and get strong enough to handle the 3rd phase of my cancer treatment: surgery.

The hospital food isn't all bad. They actually have a decent slice of turkey breast on the menu. Wha sucks is their instant mashed potatoes and canned gravy, so later today my daughter is going to bring me some mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and sweet potatoes.  It's amazing how carb heavy many of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes are.

My wife is half Lithuanian…

My wife is half Lithuanian. The main Lituanian dish I recall her family making is kuglis, a potato and bacon dish, always with sour cream on the side.

Thanks for asking.

 Btw I…

Thanks for asking.

 Btw I posted a comment about my condition in the Hoekstra family thread you created. For those of you who haven't seen it, it's pinned to the top of the forum and relates to a gofundme for a family struggling with medical costs. I encourage you to help out if you can.

I was close to being released but developed sepsis, so that set me back. I am now being transported to and from the hospital for radiation treatment, so I finally have that restarted. My last treatment is Tuesday, then I should be released: to home if I'm strong enough, to a rehab facility if I'm not.

 

Good timing for him to go…

Good timing for him to go out on a winning note. The days of the 4th (or worse) best team playing in the conference championship game are over after this year.

He can get creamed in the Big 10 championship game and maybe win the mediocre  bowl game the Hawkeyes get invited to one last time.

 

I think I heard it said that…

I think I heard it said that Michigan prepared all week with the expectation that Harbaugh would be back on the sideline.

This was definitely a trap game, sandwiched between PSU and OSU.

The injuries to the Oline and JJ seemed gimpy as well likely played a role in the play calling. The game plan seemed to include making sure JJ didn't get hurt.

There's an article out…

There's an article out listing Sparty's worst coaches ever. Tucker is nowhere on the list. Maybe he would make their best coaches list.

Steve, I just made a small…

Steve, I just made a small donation. I have one bit of advice for you based on my experience: be sure to take care of yourself.  The stress on a loved one of someone going through a serious medical situation is tremendous and sometimes results in the loved one developing medical issues.

I retired last year to care for my wife. She has had various medical issues for a few years now. I was running from work to the hospital to visit her and not exactly ignoring my own health issues, but not being as proactive as I should have been.

Less than 2 months after I retired I had emergency surgery that saved my life. This year I developed cancer. I went through the IV chemo just fine, was doing oral chemo and radiation when after 20 of 28 sessions I was told I needed to go to the emergency room. I've had severe reactions to the chemo and have been in the hospital now for 4 weeks (11 days ago I developed a blood infection and got sent back to the MICU unit. Now I'm in a step-down unit and might be able to go to a rehab facility in a few days, but they won't allow cancer patients in any of the rehab facilities so I will have to wait until I can walk again to go home (the PT in this hospital sucks and I've been stuck in bed sometimes for several days before PT comes by). 

While I've been in the hospital two of our kids have come home in sequence to care for my wife. They all live out of state. Now we have a hired service to help her out, but it's still out of pocket to the tune of $1500 per week. Fortunately we are in a position to be able to afford that for the time being. 

Enough about me. Take care of your lovely wife and children, but don't forget to take care of yourself!

I would like to see JJ and…

I would like to see JJ and the receivers (including TEs and RBs) unleashed against Maryland just to shut up some of the idiots who think Michigan is a one dimensional running team only.

Yeah, a boycott just means…

Yeah, a boycott just means there will be more Buckeye fans and fewer of the more passionate Michigan fans. 

Wonderful photos! I'm glad…

Wonderful photos! I'm glad it wasn't a night game whiteout.  Those seem like they would be quite intimidating.

Petitti seems to be putting…

Petitti seems to be putting a lot of weight on player safety with no evidence that player safety is compromised.  " Think of the kids!"

In addition, since sign "stealing" is allowed and widespread, why does the manner in which the signs are discovered so damned important? Doesn't the fact that teams are actively seeking out and figuring out other teams' signs a danger to player safety?

Yes, being without the head…

Yes, being without the head coach on the sideline adds extra duties and stress to the other coaches which puts Michigan at a disadvantage.  That's punishing the entire team, including the players.

 

 

 

 

 

Is it possible the court…

Is it possible the court will grant the TRO and Harbaugh is allowed to coach oneor both games only to have it lifted and he not be allowed to coach the championship game? I really want that asshole Petitti have to look Harbaugh in the eye and hand him the trophy.

As others have pointed out,…

As others have pointed out, the priority is to win the game. I hadn't really thought about protecting JJ until others pointed it out, but the last thing the team needs is an injured JJ. I  agree with you on the TV timeouts when watching a game live. It's especially bad when you're at a game by yourself.

One issue for me is if…

One issue for me is if having another team's signs is such a health hazard to the student athletes, why is it legal to do it at all? Other teams have Michigan's signs, but that’s ok. Michigan having a other teams' signs, it's the worst scandal ever!

It's legal to "steal" and use other teams' signals, but suddenly Michigan is endangering players?

You mean like the Michigan…

You mean like the Michigan vs Youngstown st open thread?

I was afraid something like…

I was afraid something like this would happen. Petitti decided to go with the mob rather than a reasoned and impartial decision. Having the mob with him is far easier than standing up to them.

And, in another cynical thought, I'm guessing this decision will drive up the number of viewers tuning into the game. As a former TV executive, this would be right up his alley.

As others have pointed out,…

As others have pointed out, this decision will go a long way in defining Pettiti's tenure. What worries me is that he may feel bending to the howling mob of multiple schools might be better in his best interest than a just and equitable decision.

Yes, this is similar to what…

Yes, this is similar to what happened to Tom Brady with "deflate gate". The facts supported Brady, but the commissioner had the power to make decisions however he wanted so no outside legal authority was going to wade in.

I stayed in Clearfield in…

I stayed in Clearfield in 2008 and had a great time at Denny's Beer Barrel Pub with two minor kids. We split the 2 lb burger and it was great. I was glad we had a refrigerator in our room because we had leftovers. The thing about the 2 pounders and above is they're like a very beefy meatloaf. There is some kind of minimal filler to help hold the burger together but it had fantastic flavor and the bun was really good too. They are known for their huge burgers and burger challenges, eating the 2 pounder, 3 pounder, or 6 pounder in a certain amount of time. They even have a 15 pound burger challenge for two. They have a lot of items on their menu and a decent beer selection. I don't do mixed drinks, so I can't really comment on those.

I never was as pessimistic…

I never was as pessimistic about this year's team as the experts. They were all looking at last year's team on paper and what great players were being lost. But last year's team in reality was mediocre at best. And Dug and Reed were already showing how good they were as true Freshmen. Last year's team fell below expectations. I'm hoping and believe this year's team will exceed the experts' predictions.

Back in September 2013,…

Back in September 2013, Thamel was the lead author for SI on a heavily promoted series alleging all kinds of misconduct and NCAA infractions at Oklahoma State University. I think it was by the 3rd installment they had to start delaying the releases because there were so many errors. It seems they depended heavily on two disgruntled former players who were really pissed at Gundy and the university who didn't mind playing fast and loose with facts and reality. One claimed to be a graduate but was not. Both had huge holes in their stories. The whole thing gave SI a black eye.

 

This is the kind of game…

This is the kind of game last year's team sometimes found a way to lose. They'd let the other team close the gap then just collapse the last 2-3 minutes.

It is interesting to note…

It is interesting to note that even with this defense seemingly designed to stop an offense like Michigan's, Michigan still scored 41 points which was far more than what was needed to win.

I live in Oklahoma and two…

I live in Oklahoma and two of my kids are OSU grads (the oldest was a National Merit Scholar and was able to use that to get a full ride to MSU), so I know what kind of intense dislike can develop. The local media coverage is far more unbalanced than it is in Michigan. It's not slanted against OSU (of course neither is it slanted in Michigan). It's just that for every story about OSU there are probably 2 for OU, but the fans and those eager for the news about their favorite football team are probably divided about 2 to one as well. That's what drives the numbers, not some sort of favoritism. 

Edit: I should also add for those of you with kids starting college: if they're planning on grad school it doesn't matter how crappy the undergrad school is if they're smart enough to get into a good grad school. The one OSU grad has a master's in EE from Purdue. The other has a master's in Hispanic linguistics from UNM. The Sparty has a PhD in chemical engineering from NCSU. Nobody cares about their undergrad degrees.