Yard Dog

History

Member for

5 years 20 weeks

Blog

View recent blog entries

Recent Comments

Date	Title	Body
2 weeks 2 days ago	The list is	incomplete without Wayman Britt.  Guy just never quit against always taller competition.  Phil Hubbard was also tough as nails taking on Kent Benson and Co.  That 75 team defined grit. And Dave Baxter's afro was the most incredible hairdo in the sporting world in recent times, right up there with Gene Keady for sheer awesomeness and "How does he do that?"
3 weeks 5 days ago	2015 class was going to be hard to fill	from the start.  It is damn near impossible for Harbaugh, or anyone else for that matter, to create relationships in 30 days that match those which have been developing for several years.  JH will get what he can this year to move things forward, and make the 2016 class his first of many hallmark efforts.  He's also blessed with a ton of young talent coming back thanks to Hoke's previous recruiting work, so being slightly off the mark in 2015 is not catastrophic.
4 weeks 2 days ago	I guess the Chelios boys	weren't enough to move the needle in EL.
4 weeks 5 days ago	As the son of two educators , and friend	of many others, that analogy is spot on.
4 weeks 5 days ago	One thing these kids sometimes forget...	is that unless your parents have a healthy stash of cash, they will likely see you play once a year in person. I have seen this first hand, and it can be tough on the kid to never have in person support. Have no idea what the Clark family situation is, but distance can become a factor, and UM > UCLA in this case.
9 weeks 5 days ago	Most importantly from this post	is the fact that I still miss Billy Mays.  Dude was a giant.  Loved his commercials.
10 weeks 3 days ago	Schefter is just oozing NFL arrogance right now.	His credibility is also taking a hit with his baseless statements.  I realize everyone quotes the guy because he has inside contacts throughout the NFL, but he could actually improve his stature if he just came out and admitted that he doesn' t know what the hell is going on. He's also hurting the program by stating these falsehoods as lackeys around the country that don't know any better believe his drivel. Hopefully he shuts up soon, but not before taking a minute to admit he was wrong and knows nothing.
10 weeks 5 days ago	Wow, I'm an old fart, but here's my $0.02 worth.	I grew up on Michigan football in the 70's, which meant listening to Bob Ufer every Saturday and watching the Wolverines twice per year on TV, one of which was always the OSU game.  The Game was treated like a holiday by me, I never missed it.  When I entered UM in the early 80's, the good times continued.  One Mr. Harbaugh was our QB, and I even had an accounting class with him (smart dude and cocky as hell).  My first Rose Bowl was the 1987 scrum with ASU and their steroid fueled team.  That loss stung, but the Maize and Blue were always in the national conversation.  Bo, as much as I loved him, had a bad habit of dumping a game at the wrong time (Purdue 1976, Minnesota 1977 and 1986 come to mind), but once again, every Michigan fan went into every game thinking we would win, and likely dominate.  Even when we lost, we exacted a pound of flesh.  Heady times, to be sure.  It was just a blast to be a Michigan fan, and the state was ruled out of Ann Arbor. The last decade of Michigan football, save 2006 and maybe 2011, has been atrocious.  The swagger is gone.  The fear our opponents felt when Michigan was next up on the schedule has been lost.  It was decided by our leaders that the Michigan experience needed to be monetized, destroying the Michigan football experience in the process. I yearn for the days of Canham and Bo.  I'm stuck with much less than that.  It will take a major hire to turn this ship around.  Getting rid of DB was step one.  Hiring Jim Harbaugh is the second step in the recovery.  We need a return to attitude and swagger.  We need administrators, coaches and players who bleed Maize and Blue. With all that being said, I just hope the wrongs can be righted and we can return to our roots. Hail!
10 weeks 6 days ago	I agree	Les is very 4 years ago. Good coach whose time has passed to do a rebuilding job.
10 weeks 6 days ago	To quote Aaron Rodgers	R E L A X. Nothing is over until early February.  A top flight coach (ok, Harbaugh) will be able to get back in and see these kids in order to make an impression.  As has been mentioned many times, this class will be small, so he should be able to focus on a group of highly rated players and get solid commitments.  Note that a lot of these kids don't rule out Michigan, they just want to see who the next coach is.  If I'm a parent of one of these kids, I'm telling my son to keep his options open, it is the pragmatic thing to do.
15 weeks 4 days ago	Larry Foote	I can see Larry Foote's point, I've had the same thought the last few years.  We recruit kids with 4/5 star talent, but they lack the edge you see other teams (see OSU, MSU, etc.) possess.  I'm not saying they are bad kids, Hoke has just attracted kids with immense talent that lack the killer instinct on the field.  A few off the field incidents might be seen as contradicting this statement. I guess you could say worse things than "we have nice kids on our team". To address Brian's point, I do think some of this attitude is present prior to them arriving in Ann Arbor.  Once they arrive, nothing is done to help change that.
17 weeks 3 days ago	Used to love hearing the announcers	including my avatar (but only too briefly), refer to Don Bracken's home town. Just a great punter. And it sounds like an even better guy.
17 weeks 5 days ago	Need to keep a focus on Weber	I know he's visiting MSU, but MSU has Madre London as a redshirt and a commitment from Larry Scott for 2015.  Weber will have heavy competition for carries at MSU.  Even with Isaac coming on board, the other backs haven't shown anything to date, so Weber's chance to play seems much better with the Maize and Blue.  Hoke and Co. need to double the efforts with Weber, no matter their coaching future.  Now about those blocking issues...
17 weeks 5 days ago	I don't think your last possibility is that far fetched.	There are several interview examples I've heard where celebrities/famous people/executive types admit they have email and social media accounts in their names that they do not personally monitor.  DB strikes me as a guy who might assign some low level lackey to do that type of work for him.  I wouldn't be surprised at all if that type of response comes of the UM PR machinery.  Could it be true?  Who knows?  Even Brian has had to make several assumptions on the way to claiming these are from DB.  There is no 100% certainty. In the end, regardless of who sent them, DB needs to go.
17 weeks 5 days ago	We used to call guys like that	NGBs.  Nice guy, but... Hoke definitely fits that category.
18 weeks 5 days ago	I think	one of the DTs missed their run fit on the long run by Coleman.  It appeared that McDowell got knocked out of his gap.  Could be wrong, but I think that is what allowed the long run.
18 weeks 5 days ago	Good analysis of the first half vs. Purdue	I wasn't surprised to see Purdue adopt what Oregon had done vs. the MSU defense.  In fact, EMU and Wyoming also did some of these same things, they just did not have the athletes to get it done consistently. The second half vs. Purdue was a different story (or at least the 3rd quarter and the first part of the 4th).  I believe if you look at the film, you'll see 45 (Harris) taking a different angle to the bubbles and swings, which basically got shut down.  Also, MSU began applying better pressure on the QB, making him hurry the read and subsequently the throw.  I'd be surprised to see MSU cover these formations the way they did in the 1st half vs. Purdue.  I don't think Narduzzi is that stupid.
19 weeks 2 days ago	Yep	Firing the AD is a huge move. Schliss may have the view that if DB is willing to address some of the issues that are causing the ire, this will go away and we can move forward with DB in place.    I couldn't agree with this more.  To me, it seems to be the most likely scenario.   Plus, Stephen Ross' money & influence > all of mgoblog readers money & influence It's just the Golden Rule in action:  He who has the gold makes the rules.
19 weeks 3 days ago	What a luxury	to have two point guards of this caliber.  The play at the PG alone will have us winning our fair share of games.  Very interested to see Walton's progress, I anticipate him making a big jump this year.
19 weeks 3 days ago	I hate to say this...	but I think both Brandon and Hoke are back next year.  I just don't think Schlissel will fire DB at this juncture, he will want longer exposure to the situation and time to evaluate.  I expect the following: Schissel to provide DB a comprehesive list of items that need to be improved going forward. DB to impose further changes on Hoke's staff after the season to improve performance (goodbye Funk, move Manning to LB's, etc.). A bunch of posturing about how this was just an anomaly and we are "this close" to turning things around. This is obviously a guess on my part, but I don't think either the Regents or the fan base are going to move our new president just yet.  I doubt he evens knows who his actual allies are at this point.  Tough to pull the trigger when that is the case. Also, DB has too much ego to admit failure in regard to Hoke, so on he continues.
19 weeks 4 days ago	Everyone needs to watch this clip	I don't want to rain on the parade, because Mr. Brandon should be let go (or at least "asked" to resign), but I'm not sure Denise Ilitch actually says anything about DB really.  She seems to be alluding more to the issue with Shane Morris and the concussion protocol, IMO. I'd like to hear what others have to say after viewing the clip.  I think it is shows something different than what is being assumed.
3 years 19 weeks ago	Martin	I'm worried that Mike has an undisclosed injury.  He's typically disruptive in one on one situations, and usually very stout at the point of attack versus double teams.  I couldn't believe how poorly he played compared to his normal self.  I did not see anything obvious with him, but I have to think there is something hindering his play. I've also got to say I'm becoming a big Countess fan.  The kid is confident on the field, and with more experience, we'll have a lockdown corner on one side, and soon.  Glad to see him becoming a player.
3 years 21 weeks ago	SMB Video	I typically detest all things Spartan, but the Amazing Grace video was just that, amazing.  A classy move by SMB, no matter what school they attend. And as an alum who gave up season tickets years ago due to conflicts with my kid's own sporting schedules, I appreciate DB offering partial ticket packages so I can now resume going to games.  I don't dig the shakedown letters to stay on the ticket list, but I do like the fact that I don't have to buy a season's worth of tickets.
3 years 50 weeks ago	Thank you to M Dog	for posting my exact sentiments.  I loved the Fab Five for shaking things at UM up, and for once, making UM the "cool" team to root for.  It was fun while it lasted, and even though the banners are down, the memories live on. And while I'm no longer a Chris Webber fan, I hope everyone that did not have strong memories of his UM playing days got a chance to observe what an athletic freak he was during the highlights that were shown.  My 22 year old son was marveling at the things Webber could do on the court while watching Fab Five with me.
4 years 4 weeks ago	My kids actually bought me tickets for this game...	for my birthday.  I'm pumped to go, but I'm also bracing for the traditional "Asshole" chant upon entering Breslin.  My only saving grace will be my youngest one, who is a freshman at the hole by the Red Cedar.  May the shitty Sparty gear he dons give me some rest. GO BLUE.
4 years 5 weeks ago	This is simply a great hire.	When I heard Mattison's name come up, I thought there was no way we could secure his services.  Now that he's signed, I'm really pumped.  Mattison's pedigree and cache as a successful college and NFL coach are second to none.  While I was not high on the Hoke hire, this is the kind of staff hire that really makes me think Hoke has the stones to get the job done.  Hoke is obviously secure enough in his ability that he can bring in a top flight DC and not worry about someone looking over his shoulder. Well done Coach Hoke.
4 years 5 weeks ago	Best wishes to Tate.	I'll miss the excitement of Tate coming into the game and giving us some "oooh" and "aaah" and "oh shit" moments.  He certainly kept it interesting, and I always thought he left it all on the field. That being said, I hope he can straighten out whatever issues he has and find success.  I will be openly rooting for him wherever he lands. I do have one question, though - why have all three Forcier brothers now transferred from their original school?
4 years 6 weeks ago	Great recap of each group....	and I'm proud to admit I'm a member of Cotton Pickin' Blues, with a little bit of Bo Clan peeking through.
4 years 6 weeks ago	Go Blue	Its all about the team at this point, which I think Hoke gets.  I've got tons of concerns about Hoke, his record and his ability to lead a premier program, but we've got to get behind this hire and see if he can make it go.  To me, Hoke clearly understands the Michigan tradition and expectations, but we will have to wait to see if he can deliver.  We will only truly be able to evaluate DB at this same point in time, when some results are put forth on the field. I truly believe RR will land somewhere and do a good job.  Watch out for him being at Clemson in 2012, a place he knows and where he could find success again.  Good luck to him and his staff, they were in a tough spot and in the end, did not deliver the hoped for results.
4 years 8 weeks ago	The Big Lead	has some pretty damn good sources in the sporting world, so I take whatever Jason McIntyre has to say seriously.  If he is hearing rumors that Harbaugh is waffling, it has some weight with me. That being said, I refuse to believe Brandon has committed the same mistake as Bill Martin.  DB strikes me as a cool customer with way too much savvy to be caught with his pants down.  If the Harbaugh deal does not somehow come to fruition, you can be sure he has a solid backup plan already formulated.  I have a lot of (blind) faith in DB and his decision making skills.

more