RCMB: Ask a REAL Wolverine Anything about Michigan

Submitted by Gameboy on
I was quickly looking over at RCMB to see how things were imploding as the day of reckoning is approaching and found this little gem.
 
There is a guy named "Dizzo", who is allegedly a UM grad, who started an AMA thread to answer questions from suicidal Staee fans. Now, I am always suspicious of anyone who claims to be a supporter of a rival who always hangs out at said rival’s forums. As RollDamnTide has taught us, there is a lot of entertainment value in pretending to be someone that you are not. Reading through Dizzo’s answers, I highly doubt that he is much of a Michigan fan (I mean, what UM fan would choose that name for themselves?)
 
But I think the questions posed by Sparties are actually pretty interesting and are worth having a REAL Michigan fan answer them. So, I am volunteering my service.
 
Unfortunately, I do not have an account at RCMB, and is not about to create one, hence, I am posting my answers here. Hope you find my answers more in-line with typical Michigan fans.
 
tOfficial Ask a Wolverine Anything about Michigan Thread
 
Q DantIzzoNio>
Will Jeem go for two after every score? 
 
Is Wilton Speight good? 
 
Will your punter wear Stickum?
 
A> No, Yes, God I hope so!
 
Q Andrew Bell>
Colorado gave Um fits for a quarter; what did they do and how did UM adjust? Buffs look like a pretty solid team now, btw.
 
A> That 1st Quarter of Colorado is what happens when every break goes your way during a game. Colorado came out like a gangbuster with trick plays and got a sack/fumble/TD early in the first quarter that basically limited Speight’s accuracy for rest of the game. Colorado QB also threw a 50 yard bomb on his front foot with defender crashing into him. Stuff like this is going to happen every now and then. 
 
Michigan could have easily folded after such start, but even with Speight at less than 100%, the team methodically tore apart Colorado and ended up outscoring them 38-7 rest of the way (no real adjustments required). You also have to remember that this team is implementing a totally new defensive scheme and some mistakes early in the season is expected.
 
Q TVs Frank21789>
Would you say that most Michigan fans, even the pompous and Walverine-ish ones, think that the "J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach" is just a little bit much?
 
A> No, our alumni actually want their names attached to the program.
 
Q RandyWatson>
Do you think the Heisman hype for Peppers is justified? I'd argue that he isn't even the best player on his defense (Lewis), let alone in the whole country. Do you agree?
 
A> No I do not agree. Even draftniks’ like Kiper and McShay (and others) think Jabril is a transcendental talent. What he is doing with 7 – 11 different positions is almost unprecedented. You can argue that Heisman hype is not big enough.
 
BTW, Dizzy answered this question like this:
“I don't think it's justified at this point…”
Yeah, SURE, he is a Michigan fan…
 
Q stone farm 99> 
will you win 7 games next year after you loose your whole team to the draft? Will Harbaull go to the NFL?
 
A> You guys are confused by the fact that Michigan AD does not denote redshirts in class definitions (because Harbaugh believes the fifth year has to be earned). Yes, Michigan will lose a ton of starters to draft next year, but the team left will be more than sufficient to compete for the title next year (and they are getting a lot of PT this year).
 
Harbaugh is not going anywhere in any forseeable future. The best indicator is his parents. His dad was the earliest to note that Harbaugh would be amenable to coming back to Michigan (a year before he got fired). He also noted that Harbaugh will sign a contract with Michigan before any reporters did. 
 
His parents have also recently purchased a home in Ann Arbor and moved from Indiana. This is not an action of people who believe that Jim is moving any time soon.
 
BTW, Dizzy answered this question like this:
I think most fans would agree he could go back to the NFL at some point…
 
Q blackhorn>
Did you actually attend college in Ann Arbor or are you just a huge true blue fan?
 
A Dizzy> I graduated from Michigan (Ann Arbor specifically, just to avoid the next question about Flint) if that makes a difference. Three of my cousins graduated from MSU and are diehard Spartans. Two of my other cousins are also Spartan fans, but they didn't go to the school.
 
A Me> University of Michigan ’93 BSE Aerospace Engineering 
 
I don’t know of too many Michigan grad would answer this question without mentioning their major and their graduate year.
 
Q trash fire>
what is the malfunction with the posters at mgoblog?
 
A Dizzy> It's weird, but it seems every online community has some identity and attracts certain types of people. The Michigan Scout site during RR and Hoke was all sunshine and rainbow type people where anyone suggesting things sucked were harassed. MGoBlog seems to have attracted the correct-your-grammar crowd who like to argue about point out flaws with people posting. I read a lot of the content they put out and find it interesting, but can't read the message board part.
 
A Me> What is the line for Dizzy actually being a Michigan grad?
 
Q 85Grad>
What does it mean when your coach offers a scholarship to a high school kid?
 
A> It means that if you apply yourself and progress and improve as expected (always be competing), you will have a place at University of Michigan. UM fans do not have problems with rescinding offers. The problem last year was the timing (too close to signing day). That problem seems to have been resolved this recruiting cycle.
 
Q Big John Studd>
How much Christian compassion does Coach Harbaugh have in his heart regarding the final score this weekend?
 
A> Ask Rutgers…
 
Q Crazy Jim9>
Did you think that Harbaugh would turn it around this quickly? 
 
Did you think that MSU would fall so fast? 
 
A> Yes, if you look at his previous stops, it usually takes him 2 or 3 years to turn it around with absolutely no talent around. That was not the case here. Hoke may not have been a good coach, but he recruited well and cupboard was not bare.
We all expected MSU to take a step back since losing a great QB and NFL OL is hard to recover from, but we did not expected 5 loses in a row under Dantonio, who is a good coach.
 
Q Green Goomba>
Why is there a basketball player on your team's football jerseys?
 
A> Because he is a GOAT and pays us ridiculous money to do so.
 
Q has been>
I think Peppers is a damn fine football player - a great athlete, NFL prospect, and one of the best in the country. 
 
What's the over/under on the number of graphics that will show all the positions he can play? 
 
It sounds like I'm a jealous has-been, but it is tiresome to tune in for a few minutes of michigan football only to have the announcers anoint the guy as an all-american at 22 different positions about every 2 minutes.
 
A Dizzo> I agree there will be too many graphics. It's really annoying that the media treats every game like people are watching for the first time and give the same info over and over. Watching Michigan basketball games the last few years you could guarantee at some point the announcers would talk about Spike Albrecht scoring a bunch of points against Louisville in the title game. 
 
If I had the power, I'd be willing to trade the announcers not talking about Peppers at all if it meant they wouldn't talk about the punt at all or show the replay.
 
A Me> This guy is not even trying at this point…
 
Q I have alopecia>Why is Peppers on the Thorpe Award list if he's a linebacker? 
 
He has 0 interceptions and 0 passes defended.
 
A> He is Peppers, Destroyer of Worlds, and Wrecker of OC’s. The question is why he is not on the list of every position awards list (other than OL).
 
Q Banks2Mason> How did Desmond Howard and Jalen Rose get out of UM without learning how to speak English?
 
A> Don't be so proud just because every MSU grad who can speak English IS working in broadcasting (that is not a typo).
 
Q Cosmo_Kramer>
Will Jabrill ever get an interception?
 
A> Not when opposing QB’s are turtling instead of throwing ducks.
 
Q Gob_Bluth>
What do you think about Trey Burke's recent comments about his time at Michigan?
 
A> I don’t think you will see too much push back from UM alums that football and basketball athletes deserve more benefits
 
Q 277Gunson> Do you think your fanbase has turned into a cult-like fanbase worshiping at the feet of Jimbo? There is no doubt that he can coach, but he is the strangest man in college football and it is scary how he is looked upon by media and u-m fans. Do level headed and intelligent u-m fans (grads) grimace at things he does?
 
A> Coach Harbaugh has done nothing but represent the university in the highest respect. His methods may not be typical, but he has made it clear that he will do anything and everything that benefits student athletes and the university. You cannot help but love this guy.
 
Q mdtizzle> Excluding the MSU-Alabama game, which win meant the most to you last year?
 
A> Citrus Bowl showed what a healthy team with a full year in a Harbaugh's system is capable of.
 
Q SpartanRocky>
What's going on with Kenny Allen? He's handling punts, kickoffs and FGs and doens't seem to be particularly great at any of them. Outside of Peppers, seems like ST has taken a sizeable step back from last year. Your O/D are good enough to where i'ts probably a moot point, but wondering if you had any insight into the (relative) struggles in that area.
 
A> Kenny Allen is suffering from too much responsibility. It is not good to have a single kicker do everything. Kenny is actually having a very good punting year. It would have been nice if freshman kicker Nordin could have picked up some slack, but he has been injured all year.
 
Q Notorious GiB> Is your trailer a single wide or double wide?
 
A> Interesting that MSU fans are quite obsessed with trailers when many UM alums probably don’t even know what single wide or double wide is.
 
Q dubie7006> What is General Studies? Can we get some concrete examples? 
iii. Since you seem to be one of seemingly very few totally sane um fans, what % chance are you thinking you come away with the win? Please don't use the rivalry emotion in this, but rather actual meaningful gameplay things. 
 
A> General Studies is just a LIBERAL Arts degree without a major. And we go by numbers; S&P predicts 98% chance of winning. We like numbers.
 
Q Lunchables> Why are you pussies no longer complaining about the conference schedule being @OSU/@MSU now that MSU is a dumpster fire? 
 
A> Because MSU is a dumpster fire…
 
Q SpartanRocky said>
FWIW, you guys are giving up 10 yards/punt return, on 10 returns. That's in the 100s nationally. That's why I asked. Also, your kick-off average is way down, though I see Peppers is averaging 30 yards/return on only 5 attempts. So your net punting is down, and returns are down. 
 
A> I think punting is just fine. Kenny Allen has a very strong leg and can kick beyond coverage. And the fact that we are no longer spread punting is hurting the numbers a bit, but I think Harbaugh would rather have this then repeat what happened last year (punt protection is much better). Would UM be interested in perhaps hiring Dave Warner as their new OC for Saturday?
 
Q SpartanRocky> Would UM be interested in perhaps hiring Dave Warner as their new OC for Saturday? 
 
A> If we switched coordinators for this week, I don't think it would make much of difference in the outcome this Sat.
 
Q Big John Studd>
In a somewhat kinda related note, which, if any UM assistants are candidates for head coaching jobs?
 
A> The guy who is most likely to leave is Jedd Fisch as he could get interest from both NFL and NCAA. Don Brown is not going to leave as his chances of becoming a head coach is probably behind him. Drevno is probably another 2 to 3 years away. The bigger question is how many positional coach may get poached. It would not surprise me to see Wheatley or other positional coaches get coordinator positions.
 
Football

Comments

HAIL-YEA

October 27th, 2016 at 1:03 AM ^

doesn't fucking matter, his point still stands. The largest alumni base is stil under 1m living people..you aren't on national tv if that is all your viewership. Nike is not paying you, no network money.. UM would have roughly the benefits a D2 school does. You sure as hell don't have their money for Harbaugh without the non alumns. Without the non alumns this website doesn't generate enough traffic for Brian to have the staff he does. 

 

Joined: 07/15/2009

MGoPoints: 10810

mgowild

October 26th, 2016 at 12:41 PM ^

Crazy that we're arguing who has the right to call themselves Michigan fans during HATE WEEK. I understand that a Michigan degree means a lot, and alums have a deep sense of pride for their university. I don't understand why they would look down on others who support the university as well. The whole "you're not a true fan if you didn't attend Michigan" argument is dumb, unless those using that argument have never rooted for a team outside of the city limits in which they reside. Since you can't be a real fan if you've never even lived in that city/state.

Joined: 08/10/2016

MGoPoints: 1631

Blue Koolaid

October 26th, 2016 at 4:26 PM ^

I don't really get the hate for non-alum fans. I grew up a die hard Michigan fan, I wanted to attend Michigan but I made bad choices and didn't go to college until later in life and chose a school that fit my situation at the time. After growing up loving Michigan am I supposed to stop being a fan the moment I realize I'm not going to be an alumni? Seems weird to me.



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Joined: 04/11/2013

MGoPoints: 1228

Michwolverinefreak

October 25th, 2016 at 7:08 PM ^

I thought it was hilarious that they would try to take a swipe at mgoblog when they often complain about their mods not banning people during game threads for being generally terrible people. They throw around a lot of personal insults and a shocking amount of rape references.

Joined: 02/04/2015

MGoPoints: 2843

Minus The Houma

October 25th, 2016 at 7:58 PM ^

Dizzo is a member of Wolverine 247 and posts on the board their quite a bit. It says he has been around 65 months, so I would figure he is a Michigan fan. Just about all of us would have different answers to selected questions so it doesn't seem to do any good to postulated on him not being much of a fan.

Thank you for taking the time to do this.

Joined: 09/04/2011

MGoPoints: 3413

AZBlue

October 26th, 2016 at 12:52 PM ^

What Minus said re: Dizzo.

Also - I don't think it is odd for a M fan to believe that the Peppers Heisman talk is premature or overblown. He is the type of player that is capable of doing things that could win the award but has not yet done enough (IMO) to be seriously considered.

He is a great story for the media to break up the monotony of QB/RB in Heisman discussions and is the best (or best suited) player on the #2 team in the country, which is why he is getting so much run. With a few splashy plays against OSU, Iowa etc. he could easily make the ceremony in NY. There are not any clear finalists outside of Fournette and the two QBs but Pep would have to win the OSU game single-handed to have any real shot at the award IMO.

Joined: 09/14/2008

MGoPoints: 16855

mgoblue0970

October 26th, 2016 at 11:45 AM ^

Completely misplaced scorn...

I would think the person responsible for this is Brandon.  He made the title of head coach a sponsorship opportunity.  There's only so many things on campus which can be named... and his revenue streams must keep flowing.

By the way, using your logic, is Ross a self-impressed pinhead too?  Perhaps, but he did give $300MM to the University and if you, I, or anyone else had that kind of scratch and were feeling generous toward the institution we all love, we wouldn't balk for a second at having our name on the wall

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 18648

MadMonkey

October 26th, 2016 at 11:54 AM ^

likely, it was their well-intentioned children who endowed the coach's position with the unfortunate moniker as a tribute to their parents.  

I like to think of J. Ira Harris as Eugene Levy's character in the American Pie movies.   

 

EDIT:  Yeah, this is total bullshit.  I just googled J. Ira Harris, it looks like he got Brandoned into doing this.

Joined: 04/08/2010

MGoPoints: 8934

KWest17

October 25th, 2016 at 9:36 PM ^

I am also a premium member at 247 and Dizzo is indeed a real Michigan fan who is pretty active on our board.  A member of RCMB named SpartanRocky, who is one of the few levelheaded folks at RCMB (and, as you can imagine, gets killed for it), came on the Wolverine247 board to politely answer our questions prior to the game. Dizzo attempted to return the favor by doing a similar feature for them. It went as you'd expect. Just a little background for you guys.

Joined: 11/05/2013

MGoPoints: 118

Bando Calrissian

October 25th, 2016 at 9:48 PM ^

It should also be clarified that the General Studies major is not just a liberal arts degree without the major--it's a liberal arts degree without the LS&A language requirement. That's the reason a lot of students, particularly (but not just) athletes, go for that option.

Athletes have surprisingly small windows to take classes, particularly during their respective seasons. General Studies, for all its faults, frees them up from having to take classes that eat up TONS of class time during a good chunk of the week.

Back in the 90s, there was that oft-quoted tale that athletes that did need to take a language were the ones filling up the Ojibway courses...

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 68123

MichiganStudent

October 26th, 2016 at 10:09 PM ^

I don't get why people think general studies isn't a real major? Can you make it full of easier courses? Of course. However, you can also tailor it and create your own degree program as well.

Bottom line to me is that it's definitely not worse that many of your standard LSA degrees.



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Bando Calrissian

October 26th, 2016 at 11:46 PM ^

Sure it's a real program. Never said it wasn't. But at the same time, it seems the majority of the time it's used to "create a degree program" for athletes, or for people who are stuck in between majors or requirements and need to cobble something together to graduate, or for people who don't want to take a language. No one comes to Michigan because they're itching to major in General Studies.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 68123

Owl

October 26th, 2016 at 3:34 AM ^

I'm a Michigan alum, and I generally agree with most of what he said. I disagree with many of your answers. I'm getting frustrated with people assuming their views represent Michigan fan/alum orthodoxy and anyone who disagrees is a troll.

Joined: 04/14/2012

MGoPoints: 1059

Walmart Wolverine

October 26th, 2016 at 4:47 AM ^

Yeah, that was a bizarre claim.  I don't know of anyone who runs around stating their bonafides like Name, Rank, Serial Number.

I only rarely mention that I did my undergrad at UM since my professional degree (at a different university) is much more relevant to my career.

~

I read Dizzo's thread in realish time and thought it was fine.  Not sure why Gameboy has a bone to pick here

Joined: 08/25/2008

MGoPoints: 468

mgoblue0970

October 26th, 2016 at 11:27 AM ^

Ditto... did my MS at CU but don't have an iota of loyalty there.  It wasn't even a question to have any rooting interest for the Buffs earlier this year.  I tell people I went to Michigan. 

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 18648

Walmart Wolverine

October 26th, 2016 at 1:10 PM ^

Maybe it's a recency thing.  As decades pass my identity is much less tied to UM than it once was.

When people ask me where I went to school, it is almost always code for "where did you get your doctrate", and prelude to by what degrees we are separated.  No one would particularly care that I got my undergrad 25 years previously at UM.

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MGoPoints: 468