Contradictory Kovacs Condition Conclusions
In Brian's Purdue game column, he says:
I sort of had the Kovacs information but it was only one unconfirmed source so I held it and hoped it was not true. Now that it is obviously true I can tell you a couple things about it: It is supposed to be an MCL sprain, which means he can barely move his leg at the moment and will be out a few weeks. When the coaches say he's "questionable" for Iowa they're in all likelihood… …lying their boo-boos off. Kovacs did not practice Tuesday but no one noticed this because they threw Matt Cavanaugh out there in #32.
But in today's Detroit News, there's this article:
As for Michigan's injuries, safety Jordan Kovacs, who missed the Purdue game with a knee injury, is "day-to-day," Hoke said. But the junior did run around a bit in practice Sunday. "I know he'll be back this week," said senior defensive lineman Ryan Van Bergen. "He was running around looking pretty good (on Sunday). The doctor said he wasn't going to play (against Purdue), but if you asked Jordan, he was going to play. We'll have him back."
This sounds considerably more promising. Hopefully his injury isn't as bad as Brian's information.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:01 PM ^
Grit speeds up the recovery process.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:15 PM ^
That was probably the problem to begin with, too much damn grit. Builds up in the joints.
November 1st, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
recent photo of Kovacs, you may be on to something.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:02 PM ^
Coaches have shown this season they are not willing to divulge information about significant injuries. Barnum hasn't played in awhile, but has just been "He's doing better.. just banged up."
I am not expecting to see Kovacs this week.
October 31st, 2011 at 6:08 PM ^
Barnum played the the bulk of the LG snaps in the first half before hobbling off sometime in the third quarter I believe....
October 31st, 2011 at 4:03 PM ^
I get that Brian isn't always right, but there is no reason to be smug about it. Besides, no one really knows when he'll be back except maybe the team doctor.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:07 PM ^
October 31st, 2011 at 4:07 PM ^
I seem to be missing the "smug"...
Was there an edit?
October 31st, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^
. Hopefully his injury isn't as bad as Brian's information.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:14 PM ^
Oh, I see now... That sentance could be interpreted as "hopefully his injury is not bad. By the way, you know what is bad? The information Brian reports." That was not my intent. I was trying to say "hopefully his injury isn't as bad as [we were lead to believe it was based on] Brian's information".
October 31st, 2011 at 4:20 PM ^
Yeah, based on the context of the post the other possible (smug) interpretation didn't even occur to me.
October 31st, 2011 at 9:27 PM ^
Brian relies on random email contacts for most of his info. He is hardly an insider. He can poke fun at members of the traditional media for their lack of math skill and questionable writing ability but at least they put their pants on and get out of the house to get information.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:12 PM ^
No smugness intended. Just noting a big difference between "can barely move leg" and "ran around a bit", and hoping that that translates to a faster return.
October 31st, 2011 at 5:02 PM ^
My fault for that interpretation. Move along.
October 31st, 2011 at 5:38 PM ^
True enough. It's also probably true that the coaches shouldn't be accused of lying based on information that may turn out to be faulty.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:53 PM ^
Coaches "lie" all the time, especially with injuries (e.g. see Bill Bellicheck's injury reports). I don't think Brian was really accusing them of lying about something major, especially when most people know you won't get the full truth from a coach regarding injuries.
October 31st, 2011 at 6:29 PM ^
Although the OP has made it clear he wasn't trying to be smug, I wouldn't have seen the problem if he did so purposefully. Brian's insider info has been off-the-mark more than it has been right recently.
October 31st, 2011 at 8:32 PM ^
I hope Brian doesn't take any stock tips from his insider source knucklehead.
October 31st, 2011 at 11:28 PM ^
There are two things going on here: One is that Brain says that he had (valid, it turns out) infor that Kovacs would be out for Purdue. Brian tells us why he didn't post it; it was not confirmed to his satisfaction. (And it appears that the coaches were doing the bes fakeroo they could possibly execute.)
Now the Second thing is how bad is Kovacs now? And what are the prospects for Iowa and Illinois in successive weeks? And based on one story in the News (I do adore you, Angelique; you know that) people are all like "Kovacs is coming back yay!"
This story hasn't been written yet. Brian basically said he thinks Kovacs is likely to be out for a while. Let's see what happens. I don't think that even the lovely and charming Angelique is going to report that "Kovacs will be in the game in Iowa City" until she gets it from Hoke (don't hold your breath) or she can see it and report herself.
I don't understand where this credibility-beatdown on Brian comes from. With all due respect to Ryan Van Bergen. And with not so much respect to you, butterfield.
November 1st, 2011 at 1:12 AM ^
So trust Ryan Van Bergen, a kid who sees Kovacs daily and witnessed his mobility on Sunday and went so far as to say he could have played against Purdue, or trust Brian's anonymous source who says Jordan is out long term. With all due respect to Brian, I'm going to believe a quoted player over an anonymous source. We all know how accurate the anonymous source was related to Kaleb Ringer, a very bad error that was never redressed on the front page as far as I can tell.
November 1st, 2011 at 1:29 AM ^
That's the difference between us. You've concluded that Van Bergen has foretold a quick return for Kovacs. All I am saying is that I'll wait and see. Sometimes players get it wrong, or they say the wrong thing.
November 1st, 2011 at 11:01 AM ^
I think they are all full of crap when it comes to injuries, players included. You don't think Hoke would jump all over him if he told reporters that JK would be out a couple of weeks? How many weeks has the same song and dance about Cam Gordon and Brandon Herron going on? Cam has been getting some special teams action the past week or two, but every since Western Hoke has made it sound like Herron and Gordon were fine and would be back any day.
November 1st, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^
When responses include more detail than even the interviewer is asking for, I tend to believe the responses. The fact that RVB added that Kovacs was moving well and could have played v. Purdue is enough to make me believe it. If he was simply following the company line, I would guess his answer would have been more along the lines of "Jordan looks a lot better" without specifying he was running on Sunday, etc.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:04 PM ^
M-Rob's injury wasn't really discussed until Hoke shortly mentioned concussion like symptoms.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:08 PM ^
October 31st, 2011 at 4:08 PM ^
that Kovacs rubbed dirt on his injured knee; the ultimate Gritty McGritterson cure.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:10 PM ^
October 31st, 2011 at 4:19 PM ^
October 31st, 2011 at 4:21 PM ^
It's cool, I talk to myself all the time too, I just don't do it in print form
October 31st, 2011 at 4:27 PM ^
October 31st, 2011 at 5:09 PM ^
you seemed kinda smug.
(one of you anyway)
October 31st, 2011 at 4:16 PM ^
Interesting...if it's a bad MCL sprain, I can say that he might be done for the remainder of the regular season. I'd definitely say for a month from when it happened (which I assume is last week).
There's a difference between running, which he could probably do after 2 weeks...and playing D1 football at the level "the position demands" as the coaches always say.
However, RVB doesn't seem like a guy to lie...if it was bad, I'd assume he just wouldn't answer the question or say "I don't know enough and that would be for the team doctors."
So I tend to believe a guy who's right there and make he just tweaked his knee pretty good. Maybe out for Iowa...questionable for Illinois, back for Nebraska.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:33 PM ^
Have said that Kovacs was in a good mood during the game, not upset or angry. He'll be back.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:16 PM ^
The Fort is Fully Functional.
October 31st, 2011 at 4:49 PM ^
I'll be stunned if he plays before Nebraska
October 31st, 2011 at 5:01 PM ^
and run him in practice? That's a pretty elaborate deception if true. Interesting. Who was there to even see such a deception, and how did they not recognize him as not Kovacs?
I will say, I actually liked very much the way that Troy Woolfolk looked against Purdue. Troy was so banged up when we played Northwestern, it was pitiful. The guy should not have been on the field. I felt sorry for him. He looked 1000% healthier against Purdue.
October 31st, 2011 at 5:27 PM ^
I barely recognized him out there without his club on his arm.
October 31st, 2011 at 5:10 PM ^
Ok I know I'm low on the list of people you guys who give out the amazing info so forgive me cause im going to get " where's your link" I'm from right outside Oregon and I'm buddies with a bunch of people that go up with jordans parents to the games. I just talked to one of the guys that was actually with Jordan after the game and Jordan said he could have played but the doctors wouldn't clear him cause of his past. He felt fine and he is expecting to be 100% this week. I know that's the worst thing to do is a friend of a friend crap but that's what I have for you fine gentleman.
October 31st, 2011 at 5:41 PM ^
Hope your information is right, and depth is never a bad thing to have on a defense so good to see Troy performing well too!
October 31st, 2011 at 6:20 PM ^
I had a pretty mild MCL sprain a few years ago; I was pretty well hobbled for anything above a brisk walk for about 3 weeks. HOWEVA, some might call me a bit of a...
October 31st, 2011 at 6:26 PM ^
Even a broken clock is right two times a day, Brian. With the whiff on Kaleb Ringer and the seeming whiff on Kovacs, you're due for a good guess here soon.
October 31st, 2011 at 6:38 PM ^
I don't think there is any coincidence between us giving up our longest touchdown of the season against Purdue and Kovacs being out with an injury.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:14 PM ^
There are a lot of players that I'd blame before I blamed a safety in regards to defending a middle screen poorly. That's a play that needs to be blown up at the point of attack, once it gets rolling there is a good chance even the best safety is going to get wiped out by the pack of oncoming blockers.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:13 PM ^
The long touchdown had nothing to do with safety play, just a simple numbers game. Mattison brought the house with a 3rd down blitz and Purdue called a middle screen, when the receiver shakes countess Purdue has 6 blockers downfield and we have just 2 defenders.
November 1st, 2011 at 10:01 AM ^
But Kovacs would have been back deep where Woolfolk was no? And that has been his specialty, making sure those 15 yard first downs, don't go for 50 yard touchdowns.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:11 PM ^
playing hockey and was in a knee immoblizer for a week and didn't skate again for couple months. Would have to say Kovac's must have a very mild strain.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:59 PM ^
And being at UM (or any other D1 program), he has access to some of the best treatment/rehab available.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:35 PM ^
Will Def need Jordan back for these next few games if we expect to win them, I don't see Troy flying up the box and lay the hammer down like jordan does so that really hurts our run D with him out.
October 31st, 2011 at 7:35 PM ^
My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Jordan limping or maybe running at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious . . . or not.
November 1st, 2011 at 10:53 AM ^
had to make an account just to help you all out. Kovacs will be back this for 100% against Iowa. He could have played against Purdue, however, trainers basically shut him down.