Unverified Voracity Tasers It Some Emu Comment Count

Brian

Wonder what Jimmah Clausen did on his bye week? Wonder no more!

Taser ends emu scamper on Pennsylvania Turnpike

It’s not fall if college football players aren’t getting tasered in hilarious places. Listen not to suggestions this was a “bird native to Australia” that got loose. It’s a all a diabolical coverup, I say.

TheTruthIsOutThere

Aw, come on now. Marcus Witherspoon isn’t going to play for Michigan because of Clearinghouse issues he claimed he did not have. This is irritating, but there’s little Michigan can do in this situation; it’s down to the high school and the NCAA.

So I would normally find this dubious:

Looks like Spoon might have got a raw deal. He didn't find out about his ineligibilty until July 28 - although it's not uncommon for the NCAA Clearinghouse to take until mid-August sometimes to determine if a student-athlete can compete.

The way Spoon's father talks, it looks like Michigan dropped the ball and something could have been done a lot sooner.

…except last year we found out that Artis Chambers was ineligible four games into the season and the kid had to sit out the rest of the year because someone in Michigan’s athletic department screwed up. This year, Michigan loses a highly-rated player who could have been the edge-rushing defensive end they badly need.  What’s going on?

Practicing. Five minutes of stuff from practice:

Not useful or anything, but I watched it. For some reason it’s deeply interesting.

Ach nae goot. Guy comes to America from Scotland, falls in love with college football, compares it to Eurosport:

There is, in that sense, permanence to college football that is comparable to European soccer or rugby. True, sports teams in Europe have owners, but their sides are held in trust, beholden to the supporters and the communities that hold them dear. It is all but unthinkable that their teams could be moved as a result of an owner’s whim. Even in an age in which sport has become big business, there’s an identity and belonging that endures, rooted in a keen sense of place. College fans know this feeling, because it is their feeling too.

I’ve suggested this before during my periodic justifications for my (largely international) soccer fandom, and co-sign with this guy. BONUS: He misspells “Weis” as “Weiss”!

DOUBLE BONUS: Awesome comment in the, uh, comments:

It's no surprise that a Scotsman took to college football. It's as close as spectator sports gets to highland clan warfare.

I’ll take that as a compliment, thanks.

Buried in a must-read piece by Orson on the decrepit glory that is Miami is a paragraph I found bizarrely relevant:

To someone like us, watching this from any number of houses in stops around the Sun Belt, Miami was a truly compelling beast: a program seemingly carved from nothing and featuring players recruited from what we now know as some of the poorest, most violent, and dead-end neighborhoods in Florida: Pahokee, Belle Glade, Liberty City..even when they beat Florida, and oh holy hell, have they beaten Florida in numerous, painful variations, it was impossible not to respect the anger, the rage, the bone-shattering violence their football teams played with: Ray Lewis, who played football to erase the records of his absent father; Warren Sapp, who barreled his way out of BFE Apopka to the U; Michael Irvin, who before he was a punchline was an indestructible receiver across the middle who came from the bowels of Fort Lauderdale and was one of 17 children; Ed Reed, who came from St. Rose, Louisiana, who put his heart in this shit, man.

Pahokee and Apopka have contributed four players to Rodriguez’s first two recruiting classes: Martavious Odoms, Brandin Hawthorne, Vincent Smith, and Jeremy Gallon. Three of those players are lightning dwarves, the fourth an outside linebacker.

Michigan isn’t going to turn into Miami—none but Miami can be Miami—but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think the culture of the program is changing. Whether for good or bad is yet to be seen; it’ll probably be both.

Orson brought up Pahokee and the Muck earlier this year when US Sugar sold the land to the government and pulled up stakes, stripping the already poverty-stricken region of its primary industry, claiming that people would drift away and football in the Muck would lose it’s heritage.

A couple days ago I brought this up to a guy who covers high school football in the area, and he dismissed it, saying “they’re too poor to move.” Culture shock ho. Odoms, at least, seems to be fitting in well enough to tell his former teammates to go north, you men.

It was ugly, but we’ll take it. Wolverine Historian recaps last year’s Illinois game:

Here’s to ugly victories. May there be several this year.

Etc.: MVictors has a different take on Rodriguez from Larry Lage, the AP guy who got to go all-access before the season; games are shorter this year; the effect is about half of the 2006 rules.

Comments

helloheisman.com

September 4th, 2008 at 6:41 PM ^

We had so much talent on that team...how we never won a NC with that group I'll never understand.

Carlos Brown looked great.  He should definitely be ahead of the frosh on the depth chart.

Arrington and Manningham as seniors would have been probably the greatest receiver duo in Michigan history.  I really think Arrington had so much upside on top of what he had already shown his Junior campaign.  Add in Greg Mathews, the premature death of Kirk Herbstreit so we land Les Miles, and M is a contender again this year.

Arg.

Ellipses Man

September 4th, 2008 at 7:55 PM ^

On the Illinois reel, Henne's pass play at the video mark of 4:46 is sorely missed. To the fans from other universities who doubt why University of Michigan,"Alumnus,"Chad Henne is playing Sunday football at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. I would say just watch the velocity and accuracy on that one pass. at the 4:46 mark. Similar play to the infamous Penn State td.

Ellipses Man

September 4th, 2008 at 8:10 PM ^

Wow, the Minor run after the pass at 4:46 was scary. For one it was almost the same fall that caused the fumble in the Utah game if I am correct. He almost slams the ball into the turf with his right arm on both runs. I wish I had the video of the Utah fumble to compare but they look quite similar.

Ellipses Man

September 4th, 2008 at 11:01 PM ^

Given time, RR and Co. will build a monster. Much like this Illinois team faced in last years Rose Bowl. Michigan slid nationally and to get it back you're going to need time and a coach who takes risks to win games. Watch this USC highlight reel before Saturdays Michigan game and ask yourself,"If you knew in 4 years Michigan was gonna shred this well and be as good. Would you chill out and just enjoy the process?" I would, will and am.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t-f-39A4fs&feature=related