NCAA Clears RR, But 3rd Year of Probation Added (via DetNews, revised update of earlier story)

Submitted by Huckleby4Heisman on

An updated version of Angelique Chengelis' story, with the information about an additional year of probation added. Sorry for the repetition/overlap with my earlier post, but the revisions seemed important and I'm unfamiliar with the proper protocol on consolidating threads:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20101104/SPORTS0201/11040412/Source--NCA…

swamyblue

November 4th, 2010 at 3:13 AM ^

Thank you o'hating gods for your mercy on this day...may we have more?

Wish list:

  • How bout Courtney Avery steps up this weekend as a true freshmen and makes a few salient plays.
  • And Mike Martin unleashes the beast after being out a couple of weeks!

So say we all!

Feel free to add to the wish list.  (Think positive!)

saveferris

November 4th, 2010 at 9:38 AM ^

Just a couple of things...

  • Adamantium plating of Mike Martin's skeleton is successfully completed.
  • Courtney Avery is accidentally exposed to an overdose of gamma radiation, turning him into The Incredible WoodsonHulk
  • Will Hagerup assumes all kicking duties and proves himself to be AWESOME!

On a more serious note....beat Illinois....beat Purdue....wish list complete.

briangoblue

November 4th, 2010 at 3:17 AM ^

"Our long, national nightmare is over." One extra year of filing compliance reports to the NCAA with no loss of scholarships is a win. It's not like they wouldn't be compliant anyway, with those sleuths from the Freep snooping around for clues of a free jockstrap while three drunk Spartan players are outside tipping his car over.

vigo the carpathian

November 4th, 2010 at 10:21 AM ^

i'm actually happy about that extra year. it means that we played this just right with our self-imposed sanctions. you want to find the sweet spot in punishing yourself where you go relatively easy on yourself but not so easy as to incur the wrath of the NCAA (e.g., USC). it looks like we hit that sweet spot.

if the NCAA didn't add anything to our self-imposed penalties, i'd have a strong feeling that we were too harsh on ourselves.

BlueGoM

November 4th, 2010 at 5:21 AM ^

If RR had not been cleared of that charge, what little support he has now would have went up in smoke.

No changes to scholarships is big, very big.

The extra year of probation is a "hey we're here" note from the NCAA, but utlimately shouldn't affect things... right?

T

November 4th, 2010 at 7:56 AM ^

I certainly don't think that the extra year of probation negatively affects things.  If anything, I'm kind of glad for the additional monitoring of the CARA forms and such.  After hearing the particulars of the demonstrated incompetence of the university's compliance process, I still don't trust those guys very much...

tlh908

November 4th, 2010 at 5:59 AM ^

Glad to get some news once, RR is cleared and we only have to do a year of extra paperwork.  Now if only we could translate this good news into victories.

NomadicBlue

November 4th, 2010 at 6:36 AM ^

I'm not sure what to do with this or if I even even trust it.  In fact, it is making me uncomforable.  can we please go back to the the "our defense sucks, so, who/what do we blame?" meltdown posts?  I'm not willing to give in to optimism so easily. 

Yostal

November 4th, 2010 at 7:01 AM ^

One of the posters here stated that they felt Michigan knew it was going to get three years probation for this, but it said two so the NCAA had the room to add the third so it could look like it was doing "something" instead of just nodding and saying Michigan's punishment was "perfect".

It would appear to me as well that Michigan was thereby also able to convince the NCAA that its "repeat offender" status was not a valid assertion, but I will wait to see what the released documents say.

Tater

November 4th, 2010 at 8:13 AM ^

It's always wise to give authority figures some room to throw their weight around in a way that doesn't hurt.  Sandbagging at two years so the NCAA could add another was perfect.  The situation is still a joke, but under the current paradigm, everybody wins here.

Except, of course, Michael Rosenberg.  He has to be thinking, "I sold out my alma mater for THIS?"  I hope he'll be one of the first budget cuts as the Freep slides further down the crapper.

maizenbluenc

November 4th, 2010 at 9:01 AM ^

Well that must not have been the Navy, because I spent a lot of face time with the XO as a Communications Officer because my 18 year old Radiomen (some of whom did not have a high school degree) misspelled words here and there as they typed messages in to the communications systems. (This was before PCs were deemed secure enough for word perfect to find it's way into the Radio Shack.)

But yeah, we left the NCAA room to tack on something for good measure - maybe even with their agreement.

It will be good for the coaching staff and team to get this off the table in finality, and just focus on fixing football issues ...

Yostal

November 4th, 2010 at 8:47 AM ^

Not to harp on this point, but Rosenberg won't care.  He already has got something he wanted out of the entire thing, he's an SI.com contributor now.  If the Free Press dries up, well...

Even If Rosenberg felt like he had done the wrong thing, if he felt like he was wrong, even if the evidence and findings disagree with him, he will never admit it because there is nothing to gain from it.  Those who dislike him for this business will likely not change their minds because he said he was sorry, and if he did admit he was wrong, it would reflect poorly on him as a journalist.  Then again, you can completely make up events in a column and win the 2010 Red Smith Award from your colleagues for "outstanding contributions to sports journalism."  So, you know, who knows?

profitgoblue

November 4th, 2010 at 9:38 AM ^

I know a former MI state representative and he told me a story about his "run-in" with Rosenberg after that whole story was published:  The two ran into each other in a restaurant and Rosenberg actually asked the guy what he thought about the article.  Having been prompted, my friend said "if you really want to know, I think its a load of crap."  He said Rosenberg was completely surprised and my friend continued on to explain why its a bunch of crap.  I doubt they'll be talking again any time soon!   Hahahaha.  F- Rosenberg.

coachclen

November 4th, 2010 at 7:24 AM ^

Driving into work this morning, 97.1's Tony Ortiz said that Rich Rodriguez scored a "major victory" with the NCAA.

Regardless of whose fault, etc., etc., when Rod was hired three years ago, I never dreamed that it would take three seasons to get his first "major victory" and that victory wouldn't even come on the playing field.

emGeauxBleu

November 4th, 2010 at 8:24 AM ^

gave some good insight into a defense that sucked a year ago. Illinois was (almost but not quite) as bad as us on defense last year, but this year they're something like 15th in the country. Now, I don't know the specifics and schemes and whatever made them better, but this is proof that a defense CAN actually improve. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Webber's Pimp

November 4th, 2010 at 9:23 AM ^

It's amazing. Even now the Freep appears to be sowing the seeds of sabotage. Why is it necessary to continually cite clauses in RRod's contract which call for a possible "firing for cause"?? 

Bottom line: our coach has just been absolved. We have been vindicated after 15 months of a smear campaign,  irresponsible reporting and rampant speculation...

One last thing, Sam Webb made a great point this morning. Had Rrod actually failed to "promote an atmosphere of compliance" is there any reason to think the University of Michigan wouldn't have fired him immediately (i.e. back when the allegations first surfaced)? If the rules infractions were so bad you'd think the University would have stepped in to protect the student athletes. Folks this was a witch hunt from start to finish!

lilpenny1316

November 4th, 2010 at 9:39 AM ^

Those guys don't always get the respect for the time they put in on these cases, but they deserve some love this time around.  Me thinks that they wouldn't want to touch the USC case and taint their record.

bronxblue

November 4th, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^

Good news.  Figured the 3rd year was tacked on because it made the NCAA look like it did something and recognize that really, REALLY minor violations did occur, and it is good to see others agree.  Let's see if the team follows suit this weekend and blows out Illinois.

Chunks the Hobo

November 4th, 2010 at 10:44 AM ^

A Freep analogy:

1. Loudly accuse someone of murder

2. Instigate an investigation

3. Discover the accused has a couple unpaid parking tickets but nothing more

4. See the accused receive appropriate punishment for unpaid tickets and nothing more

5. Smugly try with editorial tricks to reconcile #3 with #1 as best as possible in an effort to minimize how effing stupid you look to the whole world

eth2

November 4th, 2010 at 8:15 PM ^

Caught part of the official press conference this afternoon streaming on WTKA.   Rosenberg was one of the reporters allowed to ask questions (which really chapped my ass, btw).   Of course, he immediately zeroed in on the most negative language in the report.   A bit later he actually asked a follow-on question and again rehashed that same piece again.   

It all felt a bit desperate, like he was looking for something to point to and say, "Look, I told you so!"   

Here's to you Rosenberg....

 

[email protected]

November 5th, 2010 at 4:03 AM ^

Oh, the horror, the horror! 

That was what Rosenberg et al. were hoping Michigan would be saying at the end of the Practice-gate jihad.  Well, I hope the Freep can kiss good-bye any thought of another Pulitzer prize!  Let us just remember the Freep publisher/editor relishes to troll for trash against Univ.of Michigan sports, and relish the fact there are alternatives such as the Detroit News and even sometimes AnnArbor.com.

I love the smell of napalm in the morning!

Let light our own fire of disdain and delight.  We have many talented recruits on offense, and many of the young defensive recruits are promising, but a little green yet for the field.  A couple more good freshman classes can reload the ranks of our defense, and a new DC & coaching staff, who can keep a discrete silence, and tell the reporters to go to hell would be welcome.  Let's rebuild the defense that can shred Offensive lines, and stick like glue to receivers and tailbacks.    

We have seen the apocalypse of 2008 and the apocalypse of now - time to move on!