August 28th, 2018 at 9:23 AM ^
I vote for an animated gif of JH eating steak with a tall glass of milk
August 28th, 2018 at 10:22 AM ^
I vote for a new user-submitted banner contest. We did these like 8 years ago and it was actually really cool to see how talented and creative our community is. That was much more fun than say... oh, I don't know... Draftegeddon?
Speaking of, Draftegeddon is basically a typed out version of a podcast no matter how it's tweaked or condensed. Although full of really good info and some funny one-liners, it reads like a god damn sitcom script.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:24 AM ^
Who goes on it? You can't really put Shea up until he does something. Maybe after the ND game you put up Brown, Harbaugh and Shea with Winnovich and Gary on the ends.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:28 AM ^
I vote leave players off the banner altogether... Michigan has plenty of iconic images / locations / buildings / scenery / moments that could be used without having to go with cheesy photoshopped players.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:31 AM ^
this a million times this. at some point its not 1998 anymore
August 28th, 2018 at 1:35 PM ^
and that point was in 1999
August 28th, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
Wasn't someone organizing a camping trip while painting a mural with the team wearing armor and stuff? If it's finished, I vote for that.
August 28th, 2018 at 12:42 PM ^
You didn't go on the camping trip? It was a blast.
August 28th, 2018 at 1:37 PM ^
It was pretty much me and my lonely chair-RobF and XM stood me up. I had a sub ...it was crazy.
August 28th, 2018 at 2:21 PM ^
stood up? SB, that is my back yard you camped in!
August 28th, 2018 at 3:53 PM ^
It's not camping if it's in someone's back yard.
August 28th, 2018 at 4:41 PM ^
we live up north. our yard is a little bigger than SE michigan/suburban types, and you might encounter deer, bear, coons, eagles, and any other such wildlife while you're visiting.
August 28th, 2018 at 3:07 PM ^
But can we at least have the GIF of Don Brown motivating players in the locker room?
August 28th, 2018 at 9:58 AM ^
Just Don Brown's mustache and nothing else
August 28th, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
Isn't there a song about that?
Don Brown’s mustache makes opposing coaches shake!
Don Brown’s mustache makes opposing coaches shake!
Don Brown’s mustache makes opposing coaches shake!
His defense marches on!
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, Hail the Victors! Glory, glory, Hail the Victors!
Glory, glory, Hail the Victors! His defense marches on!
August 28th, 2018 at 2:57 PM ^
Great. Now that'll be in my head the rest of the day.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:26 AM ^
Yea, I agree. New banner time. Why not just a pic of the actual banner the player touch while running out of the tunnel? M club supports you. That would be nice.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:37 AM ^
it's been 8 years since the last banner contest?! man time flies (or i blotted out the RR/Hoke years)...
maybe time for a need contest!?
August 28th, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
I'm still mad the Carlos spicyweiner banner with Brian's head photoshopped on did not win.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:32 AM ^
I know, why not make the header customizable to each user so everyone can see whatever they want on their computer/phone/tablet. That way we never have to hear people complain about this again.
FFS it's a picture!
August 28th, 2018 at 9:36 AM ^
I hear you, but I get the other side too. People want the site to look and feel professional.
I'm always on mobile (for the most part), and never see it anyway.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
This is 100% not a hill to die on. I've just watched this site's users lose their collective shit for the last few months because it's not all things to all people. Problems with pictures, problems with background... I don't know, maybe I'm just one who doesn't typically complain when I still find the content to be way better than anything else out there.
Like I said, it's a picture. If you don't like it, use your phone or scale your screen to get rid of it.
August 28th, 2018 at 12:34 PM ^
First there were problems with the background, and I did not speak out, because I was fine with the background.
Then the upvotes didnt work, and I did not speak out, because I didnt care about points.
Then the banner looked bad, and I did not speak out, because I like the goofy banner.
Then the user content suffered, ---and there was no one left to speak for me.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^
Kate Upton deserves a section.
August 28th, 2018 at 11:28 AM ^
My section is ready for that.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:42 AM ^
Brian's admitted lack of interest and apathy towards Michigan football and college football in general leads me to believe that he really couldn't care less about the banner. And perhaps deep down he really doesn't even care about this site and why it was created. I realize that covering Michigan athletics is his job, but for the rest of us Michigan athletics is a release from our normal day to day life. The reason we come here is to learn, read, discuss, and speculate on a common interest we all have. Ever since the South Carolina game Brian has changed the whole vibe and feel of this site's culture. If it wasn't for the message board I probably wouldn't continue to even come here. It's too bad the Owner/Editor in Chief of this site probably cares the least out of any of us who visit this page.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:52 AM ^
I don't know Brian from Adam, but I am willing to bet that he cares a hell of a lot more than we give him credit for. It's easy to shoot at the guy who continually refrains from stepping in and defending himself, but the amount of content he puts out, the team that he continually works to support and assemble and keep around despite a myriad of personal health etc issues should not be overlooked.
Look, if you can honestly say that Michigan football has not made you despondent for the last 5+ years, then I suppose that speaks more to your overall moral character than to mine. I can attest to feeling great apathy for Michigan football. It capital F FEELS like they should be better than they are. The product on the field has not been good. And that has been for so many reasons that it doesn't make sense to go into it here.
I just think that you and others who continually call Brian out are wrong. Feeling apathetic to the outcome on the field does not equate to apathy to the program as a whole. This is his life and his livelihood. His overall body of work deserves WAY more credit than he gets.
AND ANOTHER THING...
Let's just say you invested a good chunk of money into making the thing that is your livelihood a better product than the thing you had before. And lets just say that the people who frequent your site shit all over that investment and say that they hate it and in general are rude as fuck about it. Would you maybe, possibly, feel a twinge less enthusiastic? I'm just saying that the people who run this site are in fact people, and not just machines who pump out Michigan content.
END RANT
August 28th, 2018 at 10:36 AM ^
Thank you for being the voice of reason. You nailed it.
August 28th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
From what I have read, I think that Brian had unrealistic expectations of what Harbaugh could do with this program in the time that he has had so far. From as far back as the Rich Rod hire, it has seemed like he has wanted or expected nothing less than Michigan as a perennial national power without any competitive comparable in the BIG, save Ohio State. The Deathstar, so to speak. What I think you are seeing now, and at the end of last year, is the impact that last years setbacks had on how he perceives the program, and almost just as importantly to him, how other people perceive the program.
I think the strides made in the first two years under Harbaugh left him unprepared for how poorly the team looked last year. To him, that kind of stuff was over and Michigan had re-asserted itself as this team and program that was "a notch above" others and was clear of other programs he views as middling, particularly teams like Michigan State and Penn State. I think he really believed that Michigan was going to turn those teams into "also rans" and seeing what transpired instead kind of scrambled his understanding of where the program was headed, and when.
He is certainly not the only one. I cannot think of one loss as humbling as the Michigan State game last year. It did not even enter my mind that we would lose to Michigan State last year. It did not even enter my mind that we would lose to Michigan State at halftime of the Michigan State game. And then to have that followed up by schlacking at the hands of PSU after a full off-season of James Franklin jokes, I think it very truly caused a "glitch" in his matrix. That is what lead to the "Mattress talk" column after that game, he could not write a serious column about that game that did not completely undercut his belief about the program up until that time.
As for the other stuff you are talking about, yeah, the complaints about the new site are misguided. The new site is good and never crashes, the Board took some time to get used to but it is like old-hat now. The stuff that I think needs to go is the constant swipes about the moral makeup of other programs in columns that are supposed to be addressing what happened on the field (Fighting Larry Nassars, etc. that is an inappropriate shot at MSU players), and the dismissive nature of the columns he writes after losses. If you look on other blogs, losses are covered with the same depth as are wins and are not chalked up to Mattress Talk or Whatever. I am not saying he needs to be "professional" all the time to have a sports blog, but those columns are a really bad look.
August 28th, 2018 at 11:57 AM ^
This seems to sum it up perfectly. Thanks for taking the time!
Oh and please get rid of the banner. Appearances matter.
August 28th, 2018 at 12:04 PM ^
I would actually generally disagree about the dismissive columns after losses. I think that the post game write-ups after losses (the ones that immediately follow a loss) are meant to be mostly fan-fodder -- a hot take of how he or whoever pens it feels at the end of a game.
However, the post-loss UFR analysis is, I think, typically pretty good. He gives the same level of content, the same analysis as a win. Maybe I'm misremembering? It's been awhile since the last football game.
I will grant you that it sucks when we lose to OSU and then don't get a UFR. I do want that no matter what.
August 28th, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^
With all due respect, some of us post comments that suggest improvements to the site without being nasty. Brian has chosen Mgoblog as his business and if Mgoblog loses users that is obviously not a good thing.
August 28th, 2018 at 6:43 PM ^
On top of Michigan's struggles, we suffered through the Dave Brandon era, and our rivals have been as shitty as possible from an ethical standpoint without suffering much on the field. Our main rival to the south also has (and probably still is) cheated to maintain an advantage, which is to say nothing of their prominent off the field scandals. MSU has a culture which somehow makes PSU look reasonable in contrast, and that's even including having a freaking Paterno on the BOT.
August 28th, 2018 at 10:37 AM ^
Sounds like this more about you than Brian.
August 28th, 2018 at 10:41 AM ^
I've switched over to Maize n Brew mostly. I'm kind of getting tired of the bullshit on this site.
August 28th, 2018 at 11:10 AM ^
Kbai then.
August 28th, 2018 at 11:29 AM ^
Wow, had never really been to Maize n Brew before, but is that what sports blog website is supposed to look like? How did HUEC or whatever the company was mess up this site so badly.
August 28th, 2018 at 11:40 AM ^
Maybe it’s what it’s supposed to look like, but the writing is vastly inferior to MGoBlog. I’ll take the great writing with inferior aesthetics, thank you very much.
August 28th, 2018 at 12:38 PM ^
Well, MnB is part of SBNation which is a considerably larger organization than MGoBlog. It's not surprising their webpage is more highfalutin
August 28th, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
Fair fair. I mean, I love the content - it's why I read MGoBlog, but I just wonder if spending so much time and money transferring accounts and and points was really worth it. I mean, starting a blog on Wix is pretty easy. I SAY THIS THOUGH, not having a clue about how a high traffic website runs.
August 28th, 2018 at 12:58 PM ^
I mean, starting a blog on Wix is pretty easy. I SAY THIS THOUGH, not having a clue about how a high traffic website runs.
That point is crucial. This site's volume would destroy a WIX blog. During high tide, there could be a dozen posts with 300-500 comments on it. That doesn't account for the non-posting traffic. I would actually be really curious to know what the site traffic count is for unique users during or after a football game. I think the # would shock a lot of folks.
Bottom line, while Drupal may not be my cup of tea, it is the brand that was picked for this here blog. New site rollouts ALWAYS encounter challenges. Constructive criticism IS welcome as Seth and the others have stressed (see his comments in the bug Sticky post if you don't believe me).
I just find the overall backlash mostly absurd for a site you don't have to pay for. If they were making us pay, different story.
August 28th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^
Or it could be because Brian has a toddler. As someone who has gone through that 4 times, it does tend to overwhelm your day.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:43 AM ^
You really want a new banner right now?
A vast expanse of a snowy field interrupted only by a desolate two lane highway and a single pair of tail lights. It's quiet except for the ceaseless wind and drifting snow. A tree stands in the foreground with the word "MGoBlog" scratched into the thick bark in Comic Sans font. Blood drips until it freezes beneath each letter.
August 28th, 2018 at 9:49 AM ^
I found a pic of the new banner:
August 28th, 2018 at 9:52 AM ^
I kid, I kid! I love you my blue, furry friends. Hoping you beat the Irish.
August 28th, 2018 at 12:39 PM ^
You should trying beating unemployment because anyone who has time to troll rival blogs clearly has no job.
August 28th, 2018 at 3:01 PM ^
Yet Wolverine Devotee finds himself posting on this blog.