Harbaugh Pressures Pipkins to Retire
Should be interesting going forward. It is one side of the story, but we have seen these instances (OSU had a similar situation a few months ago I believe).
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13154115/ondre-pipkins-s…
"I don't want to sign the form. I wanted to play for my seniors and for the team. Coach Harbaugh said, 'I recommend you take the medical.'"
"College football is a business. New coaches have to win games. They want to go with guys they think can win. If I'm a victim of making room, so be it. But if there is no concrete reason to disqualify a player. He should have the right to keep playing."
"I feel bad I wasn't able to complete this journey with my classmates," Pipkins told ESPN. "I feel I am healthy and without pain. I believe Michigan wanted to free up the scholarship. I felt I was practicing well and could compete at a high level at the nose tackle and tackle positions."
"All I want to do is play football," Pipkins said. "I tried to finish my career at Michigan but I wasn't given the chance."
"Schmidt told me, 'Call it quits. Hang it up.' He said, 'You've had a good run'," Pipkins said of the Wolverines' head athletic trainer.
"I need you to sign this," Pipkins said Harbaugh told him of the medical form. "It's not fair to your teammates. Let's get it done."
EDIT: I am 100 percent wrong.
Jhonny Williams or another transfer since there were rumors we were looking at wide receivers. You can't only look at the current roster because it could be holding up other developments.
I'm not saying the medical is right or wrong because we won't have enough information to know.
Does something if you're trying to bring in a 5th year transfer or if you wanted to take a DE transfer from Notre Dame.
I think this is a good point, but my understanding is there are other medicals to be announced. So they will have room for the ND DE. Also, with Pipkins saying he is going to transfer, they do have room for him. Yet, they told the ND DE to look elsewhere. I don't think that is the move you make if you really want to take him (so badly you are forcing more than 1 player out of the program)
Yeah I'm really not sure, just throwing an idea out there. I did read the part about the DE being told no. Could be that Harbaugh just doesn't think he'll ever be healthy enough to play. Who knows for sure though. We've heard one side of the story at this point and I don't know if we'll hear anything from the other side.
This could make sense when you consider that... Not saying that it is really the case or not but what Pipkins said does have some say on this coming summer roster.. Not sure when this discussion took place (if it is true)... But at the end, it is an one-sided story in my view
Maybe you know something I don't, but it looks like the Dpeth Chart Tab has all the transfers included and we aren't over 85. Is there someone coming in that isn't included in there?
(There could always be someone we haven't heard about coming in- which could certainly raise the worry with this move- but I haven't heard anything yet)
But we could be if ever give scholly to walk ons... But again, I doubt JH would be over 85 still... That was the point... As I stated,we could if JH wants to give out to all walk-ons but that is not the case nor are we over
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The guy has been hurt and dinged up. Obviously cant get healthy. I've been there and it sucks but this isn't shady, this is football. These athletic trainers and coaches know what they are doing. You would be foolish to question that. It's too bad Pee Wee's feelings are hurt. Hasn't this blog been talking about this guy for like two years already? This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
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Whether true or not, we all thought this might be going on, and to hear it from a player sucks.
I actually didn't think it was going on and still don't.
Why is it so hard for people to believe that harbaugh was concerned for the guy? He was still going to graduate from Michigan. Did it free up a scholly? Ofcourse. Do we automatically have to assume that our coach (who we all think is the man) is Saban-esque? Do you expect a young guy like Pipkins to just accept that he is DONE with football? I guess people interpret things differently but, I didnt see anything "damning" in that article.
I was wondering why he was left out of HTTV. I guess he was one of the supposed potential medical redshirts and Brian left him out because of it?
How would Brian know that?
Sources, man. Sources.
Interesting point, I hadn't thought of that. There isn't much in the way of a benefit to not letting him finish his last year, if he is indeed healthy enough.
Or Harbaugh could be doing something shady. Tough to know since his side of the story is going to be limited.
You could save another kid on the team $15K in tuition actually so there is a benefit. We have 3 walkons who are key contibutors and an open scholarship could reward them.
Yeah, I don't get it. UM is coming into this season under the limit anyway right? And Pipkins is a senior so they don't need him to quit now to make room for the next class. Unless this all happened in the spring and they were still trying to get another transfer in?
edit: I'm dumb and don't understand scholarships
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I don't really care about this... we dance around the issue all the time but this has become a businesss of winning and doing what it takes to win. I know its not popular but if I am being honest I just want to win and win big and if it takes some corner cutting to do so, I won't complain.
Before everyone breaks out the pitch-forks.. obviously there is a line that can be crossed. I just don't think this is that line.
Doesn't really help you that much does it? It just lets Michigan reward someone else on the current roster, presumably a walk-on.
Makes room for a 5th year WR transfer
That's been rumored for a while, but it's nearly July now. Are there still 'free agents' floating around out there who would help Michigan in any significant way. Furthermore -- do they really not have room otherwise?
It could explain the weird situation with Williams,where they had him visit and then told him there was no room for him. Perhaps their expectations with Pipkins changed, or perhaps they anticipated a spot opening up at a later point through stuff like this.
Yep, nevermind.
The "everyone else is doing argument" is incredibly weak. Win, and win right. We don't know the full story here, but if what Pipkins says is true, that's pretty unacceptable.
And I assume you meant line that *can't* be crossed
So when Saban and Urban do something like this, we call it "dirty" and "classless", but when Harbaugh does it, now it's the "business of winning".
Got it.
Yes. Exactly. Do you not yet know that this is how sports fandom works?
I think oversigning is a joke that could easily be removed so i find it annoying... as for the rest, I'm very "meh" about all of that because if it got me a National title, i'd be happy.
If it was a younger player I'd agree with you but it's not. Urban did it to a freshman early enrollee. That kid was cleared by James Andrews and transferred to Auburn. Pipkins staying doesn't open a scholarship for an over signed player like Urban and Saban do. Big difference.
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Michigan over the magic 85 number currently? Pipkins leaving would help in getting UM back to the 85 number come fall. From strictly a "numbers" standpoint, this is exactly the same thing that Urban did with Jamel Dean except that Pipkins is a senior and Dean a freshman.
Nope, they're either at or under right now.
You beat me to the punch- I tried to edit after seeing the story on the front page.
No, they are under for the class Pipkins Scholarship would effect (2015), even with the transfers.
look hard enough and one can almost always find a distinction that allows a justification
It's a matter of degrees. Saban does this approximately as often as the rest of the SEC combined. This is the first for Harbaugh at Michigan. One incident does not a trend make.
but mostly because he was a victim of bad timing. Like Saban, Meyer, and the others, Harbaugh is setting a precedent. Players at 'Bama have no room to complain now if they're pushed out, since everyone knows that's what 'Bama does. I see it coming to that at Michigan, but at this stage Pipkins is clearly a victim of the transition.
Let's be honest with ourselves though, this is what college football has become. Michigan can either be squeaky clean and keep getting dominated by OSU, or they can choose to roll with the big boys. There is no middle ground.
We need a witch doctor to clear up the bad juujuu following us around. My god, I need a drink...
.....
Shit