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So glad Warde has another…

So glad Warde has another partner for fourth meal!  First priority for my AD is to not ruffle any feathers no matter what.  Go along, get along-even if it means being sanctioned, losing great coaches, and falling behind the rest of the elite programs.  As long as Warde has companionship for every event involving food each day, he's doing his job.

"Some people...were born on…

"Some people...were born on 3rd base.  Think they hit a triple, but they didn't."

Since I refuse to join the…

Since I refuse to join the cesspool now known as X, what are the current voting totals?  If ever there was a reason to create multiple accounts so I could vote NO on the contract extension more than once, this would be it.  

If he gets an extension, that means the Regents are happy with mediocrity and an occasional lightning bolt like this past football season.  They will tell all of us they don't care if we compete for championships, as long as we do everything the "Right Way"-for 1985.  

I hear the proposed extension includes all the fresh frogs he wants...

At this point, who knows? …

At this point, who knows?  Don't love that he's 60 and probably won't recruit much, and I immediately made a therapy appointment when I saw his approach compared to Don Brown's.  (THE SLANTS, THE SLANTS, SO MUCH BLOOD!!!)

On the other hand, he's an experienced guy with this defense, and sounds like he'll help us retain guys for next year and keep the same basic approach in the short term.

I just find myself not being able to get too upset about anything after going through the Bama UFR yesterday.  Go Blue!

Like this.  And much needed…

Like this.  And much needed after the past few weeks.  438 Preparation H Images, Stock Photos, 3D objects ...

For whatever it's worth-and…

For whatever it's worth-and it may be very little-I have a friend with a well-placed source inside the basketball program.  They tell me that Juwan has already been told by Warde he's coming back next year.  The heart surgery and McDaniel's academic issues were enough to buy him another year regardless of how the season ends.

Neg away if you want, I won't get into any more specifics because I don't want to burn the source.  I will tell you that I hope with every fiber of my being that I am 100% wrong.

In a long, long career in…

In a long, long career in public education and coaching, I've learned that very few people, including myself, are visionaries.  Visionaries see what could be rather than what is, and they are able to articulate that vision in a way that gets everyone else to buy in and work toward that "Could be" with great energy.  

Most people, by contrast, see what is, and execute that plan.  If they are really good, they constantly come up with ways to improve the process and make it run as well as it possibly can.  However, they don't offer radical changes, and they don't have the ability to see how an entirely different way could work exponentially better.  

I think Warde is in that second group.  We need someone in the first group. Of course that's a risk in itself-some visionaries are charismatic people who others will follow, but their vision of what could be turns out to be a disaster.  I like the OP's analogy of Warde being a 7-5 or 8-4 coach.  We need someone who might go 3-9, or might go 12-0. 

Well that's a giant kick to…

Well that's a giant kick to the head.

Warde:  "I promise you I am…

Warde:  "I promise you I am doing everything I can to get this man signed to a contract!"

Also Warde:  Yeah, not sure of the specifics, we were mainly dealing with his attorneys.

 

If you work with a person and you really, really want him to continue working for your company-you tell him that, often.  You check in with him regularly, ask him what's standing in the way of the new contract, and do your very best to resolve those issues. 

Especially if it's a really high profile job that brings massive benefits to your company that are probably way out of proportion to the actual importance of that job.  And the guy we are talking about is arguably one of the top 5-10 people in the world that can do this high profile and highly specialized job.

Even if you don't like that person, you do this-because having him work for your company is SO important that it MUST get done.  And if you are smart, you know that his accomplishments will reflect well on you.  You never have to have him over for dinner.  You never have to go on vacation with him.  All you have to do is act professional, say hi when you see him around the building, and bask in the reflected glory of what he does.  

Warde apparently was not capable of any of that.  His solution to every issue seems to be "Give it time, and maybe it will work out."  The one thing Valenti and Rico have said about Michigan football in the past few months I agree with is:  "How does Warde Manuel still have a job?"

 

Damn it!

 

https://www…

Damn it!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrbE1Xi7C34&ab_channel=BradGalli

We will always have this,…

We will always have this, perhaps the best 42 seconds in press conference history.  Perfect because:  Wojo asked the question, which I've never realized until now.  It's after a huge victory, so talk all the shit you want, Jim.  Jim knows what he wants to say immediately, but is trying to hold it back.  Then at the end, decides F' it, and lets it fly.  Then walks off.  

Ryan Day actually should have died immediately, so the fact he didn't actually gives me more respect for him.  Maybe he is tough, very tough, tougher than I thought.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrbE1Xi7C34&ab_channel=BradGalli

He won't be fired for this. …

He won't be fired for this.  I am not a Warde fan, at all.  I'm not sure what he does on a day to day basis that is in any way positive for the athletic department, and he's made some terrible moves and had several highly questionable decisions.  However, Jim leaving is on Jim, not Warde.  Could Warde have done more?  Possibly-but I'm sure Santa was pushing him to do everything he could.  I'll need a shower after saying this...but this decision had little to do with Warde, and I don't blame him for it.

Harbaugh will show everyone…

Harbaugh will show everyone who is boss, and cut Bosa at the opening press conference.  /s

Head Coach Moore will have…

Head Coach Moore will have everyone's support, hopefully including Warde and Ono.  I think hiring him is the best way to try to hold on to as much of the culture, and as many of the players, as possible.  He might be the next great head coach in college football, and let's hope that's the case.  He deserves the chance to try.

I do really hope people are prepared for a fall off next year.  Not a TCU fall off, but 9-3/8-4 seems about right given our personnel losses and schedule.  If we go undefeated again, I'll eat a lemon...tree.

It could easily go that way,…

It could easily go that way, and I really hope it does.  I'm just emphasizing that we need to cut him some slack for the first year or two as he finds his way as a head coach.  He'll probably want to do some things differently than Jim did, and obviously he's not Jim in terms of personality, etc.  There are always some growing pains with a new coach, especially one who's never done it before.  Hopefully they are minimal and short-lived.  

 

Jim came back, which wasn't…

Jim came back, which wasn't ever close to a sure thing.  Then he lost his way for a couple years.  Then re-evaluated everything and everyone, including himself-which most people don't have the capacity to do.  Then found his guys, went back to Harbaugh football, and spent the last three years going 40-3 and capping it off with a National Championship.  He's more than earned the right to leave, and I will have nothing but good feelings for him forever.

I do think hiring Moore as the new HC is the right thing to do, though to expect him to be as good a coach as Harbaugh immediately is beyond stupid.  Big difference between a coordinator and head coach-success at one doesn't guarantee success at the other.  See Weis, Charlie.  Sherrone will make mistakes, the best we can hope is that he only makes the big ones once, then learns from them and doesn't make them again.

He'll have my total support-which I'm sure is a great relief to him-and I think he's earned the chance to take the reins.  Next year I expect a good but not great season with 2-4 losses.  He'll get 3 or 4 years to make his mark and prove himself, and hopefully will have 15 or 20 years as our head coach.

People just have to remember that 40-3 isn't a realistic expectation.  Based on our history, it's a once in 50-year run.  I think 1971-1974 was probably the last period that approached those numbers.

"When they lose a game..."

"When they lose a game..."

Wait, sometimes college football teams lose games during the season?  Weird.  Mine didn't this year.

THE DON!

THE DON!

Risk/reward.  Risk is that…

Risk/reward.  Risk is that your school is on the hook for $125 million dollars over 10 years, and your coach can't coach for any of those years.  (Ridiculous example, maybe he's not coaching for one of those years if the NCAA is extremely vindictive and goes above and beyond with punishment.)  Are you telling me we don't have donors that can and will cover that easily?

Reward would be that the football team's success over the past three years has probably been worth an added value north of 500 Million dollars to the University as a whole.  I am no financial expert, but have a good friend who an admin at Alabama who tells me they figure the last 15 years of football success has a value to the school of well over 2 Billion when you factor in increased donations, merchandise, all the other extras-and most importantly, a massive increase in applications.

This has allowed them to increase enrollment while at the same time raising the academic profile of each class, and therefore the school.  Prestige, endowment, cash-all because Nick Saban is a great football coach.

Pay the man.

In solidarity with so many…

In solidarity with so many of our beloved players, I will also be declaring for the NFL draft.  Age 59, low motor, highly averse to contact. Bad knee, could still probably beat my 92 year old father in a 40.  Do not take this as a guarantee!  In tremendous shape, as round IS a shape.  Team guy, will cheerfully accept never playing a down-in fact, that's my only chance for survival.  Serious offers only!

I'm assuming you mean Juwan…

I'm assuming you mean Juwan's name is the one he keeps mentioning?  Or is it Warde?  Either way, it's a take shared by many people on this board. 

For me, the way basketball is trending over the past few years and also the way they are playing this year raises serious questions.  If the season finishes as it started, I would be in favor of moving on from Juwan after this season. Basketball has a very Hokeian feel to it right now. 

As for Warde, I think he's meh as an AD.  Yes, football is humming, but he seems to be reactive rather than proactive on most things.  Personally, the inaction on Pearson and hazing until it was exposed and he was forced to act bothered me a lot.  As did the Xavier Simpson in Warde's car late at night thing.  Both kind of felt like he wanted to just let them slide/cover them up.

I don't think either of those viewpoints is racist, if that's what you are insinuating about the other poster with your comment.

He is undeniably a great…

He is undeniably a great football coach and has done a great job here.  I was one year behind him at Michigan, he was my quarterback, and I absolutely want him to stay and so appreciate your effort.  Ultimately it will be Jim's preference that will rule the day-success has brought him NFL opportunities, and if he wants to try for a Super Bowl he will have that chance.  

When he first took the job, many of us thought he wouldn't stay 9 years.  Maybe 5 at the outside, but we knew he'd leave the program in good shape and good hands.  If he stays, I fully expect the success to continue, though 40-3 over the last few years might not be sustainable.  If he leaves, thanks for the memories, no hard feelings, and Sherrone or someone else will hopefully pick up the baton and turn out to be just as good if not better.

To be clear-YES, I WANT JIM TO STAY!  Just think it depends more on what he wants than what we want.

Not

Currently

At

All…

Not

Currently

At

All relevant

:)

I enjoy this feature, as…

I enjoy this feature, as long as it reinforces my belief that the Maize and Blue will win tonight.  Reading it got me two minutes closer to gametime, so there is that.  Compared to some of the "Content" we've seen this week from posters, this is gold wrapped in platinum.

We have seen situations…

We have seen situations where Stafford has not risen up to where he needs to be.  I am hoping this is one of those.  Don't hate the guy, but he is not a Brady/Montana/Bradshaw kind of quarterback where he finds a way to win.  He found a way to win. Once.  With some great players around him.

Yep, I'm right in the sweet…

Yep, I'm right in the sweet spot between optimism and sheer terror.  We SHOULD win-but there are definitely a lot of scenarios where we could lose.  LET'S GO BLUE!

I'm more concerned about…

I'm more concerned about what happens when the Sun burns out in a couple billion years.  That event will probably have a negative effect on college football, I would think.  I'll probably skip watching the game on Monday night so I can run some more scenarios.  /s

I say we run the Touchdown…

I say we run the Touchdown Play, over and over again.

"Big Ten refs, F-ing up…

"Big Ten refs, F-ing up games since 1979!"  Wouldn't shock me at all, XM.  They haven't really improved much in the intervening 45 years.  For everyone not of my...vintage, you can clearly see the ball out under his left hand, and he is just crossing the 2-yard line.  Oof.  And apparently my picture pasting skills need work as well.

Thanks for posting!  My dad…

Thanks for posting!  My dad and I went in 1979 when I was 14.   I met Bob Hope and Bob Ufer, and saw a crushing Michigan loss to USC on the Charles White phantom touchdown.  (He fumbled at the 2, somehow no ref saw it.)  Still great memories, though.

I'm curious-who was the certain someone sitting in front of you that we can't zoom in on?  :)

1.  Juwan should go, but let…

1.  Juwan should go, but let's wait for the season to play out.  No reason to pull the trigger now.  

2.  The Rose Bowl was one of the most gut-wrenching games to watch ever, and one of the sweetest endings.

3.  I am drinking on Monday night.  Probably a lot.

4.  It's unlikely I'll be reporting to work Tuesday.

5.  Took me a long time to switch from liquid to Tide Pods, but I think they work just as well.

Dooley's in the 80's is now…

Dooley's in the 80's is now Scorekeepers-or Skeeps, as the kids say.  For an 18 year old kid in 1982, Dooley's combined a relaxed attitude to checking ID's with cheap beer...and that made it the best place ever!  I did hear that the relaxed attitude toward checking ID's is one of the main reasons they had to sell out, but that isn't my problem.

This meant we won two bowl…

This meant we won two bowl games in one calendar year, at a time when winning bowl games was a mark of distinction for your program.  My dad, who was a dentist, made a display for his office that involved roses and a stick of butter, which hung around (no pun intended) for 5 years or so.  It was awesome, don't judge.

How dare you besmirch the…

How dare you besmirch the name of "ROADHOUSE"!?  Yes, I put it in all caps because that's what it deserves.  The brilliance of a 30 year old Sam Elliott playing a 60 year old tragic hero.  Kelly Lynch, stunning in that dress she made from a tablecloth and totally believable as a doctor.  The otherworldly fitness and grace of Swayze, combined with a personality that's half murderous psycho and half zen master (Murderzen?).  The deeply nuanced and multifaceted villain played by that one guy.  

I am so offended, so deeply scandalized by your slander, that I did the unthinkable.  I gave you a downvote.  May it sting with the pain of a thousand broken beer glasses, or the knife in that guys boot.

Fred, thanks for posting…

Fred, thanks for posting this.  I was lucky enough to drive across the state yesterday and watch the game with my 92 year old father, who was the one that fueled my love of Michigan football by getting season tickets in 1978 when I was 14.  From our seats in Section 10, we were there for the big moments over the next four years, when I went off to Ann Arbor and my little brother took over my spot.

My dad can't really hear much anymore, so I helped out last night by screaming whenever something good or bad happened just to clue him in.  :)  He broke out the bottle of wine, which isn't common for him, and I brought some Manhattans just in case that wasn't enough.  It wasn't, for either of us.  

Watching the game with him just made it more special, though I usually prefer to watch solo on games like this.  Like your dad, he keeps his feelings close and just gets on with it-which is probably also a generational thing.  That's changed a bit since we lost my mom 18 months ago, and I'm incredibly fortunate to still have him around to tell him how much he's meant to me.  He even took me out to his favorite restaurant for breakfast, and to my mind it's tough to beat Bob Evans first thing in the morning.

Thanks again for posting, GO BLUE!

*Has a short PTSD episode. …

*Has a short PTSD episode.  Realizes it's not THAT Brandon.  Goes back to celebrating.

So far in this thread we…

So far in this thread we have Pathces instead of Patches and plants instead of pants.  Start drinking and get out of bed?  

If you read 11 Warriors this…

If you read 11 Warriors this morning-don't worry, I'm about to go shower-they are screaming for Day's head on a pike.  No imagination, not prepared, are we seeing the future when we don't have 5 stars at every offensive position-it's glorious.  I'd love to bottle it so I could drink it all year!

Edit:  Beaten by a second or two-it's still glorious, though.

stephen, I'm certainly…

stephen, I'm certainly hoping we are seeing the start of that period of mediocrity right damn now!

You know, I almost did feel…

You know, I almost did feel bad for them during the 90's, thought "This is barely a rivalry anymore, we just beat them every year."  It's possible the 2000's were my fault.  Never again-if we beat them a hundred times in a row I will still savor #101.

Outside of a Michigan…

Outside of a Michigan victory, there is nothing sweeter than watching Ohio State flail for 60 minutes and get pounded by vastly inferior talent.  You do NOT hate to see it!

You do. You do...  You do…

You do. You do...  You do...hate to see it.  

Now I'm confused.  This is…

Now I'm confused.  This is in the middle of the field.  I thought tunnels were what caused fights?

I've seen comparisons…

I've seen comparisons between 3, 4, and 5 star recruits coming out of high school and what they've gone on to be in college and the NFL.  Seems like the more players you include in the sample size, the more true to star ranking their performance is.  Take a random 3/4 star and compare them to a random 5 star individually and you could end up with Derrick Green and Blake Corum.  

Take all 5 star running backs over the past 15 years and compare them to all 3 and 4 star backs and the 5 star backs as a group clearly perform better.  (As would every other position, I imagine.)

Does Michigan's current approach of getting guys who want to be here and then rewarding them work better than the Texas A and M model?  How much does team culture factor in?  What about our outstanding coaching staff?  How much of a talent differential can coaching and culture bridge?  That question, at least, will be answered on January 1st.  

That's my new favorite gif. …

That's my new favorite gif.  A cross between Saturday Night Fever (squirrel edition) and a very tiny but extremely enraged kangaroo.

I think you did everything…

I think you did everything correctly except for wording your title.  "Out fully of eligibility" is...an interesting choice.

Totally agree with your take and reasoning.  This would set a terrible precedent, time to get back to 5 years of eligibility including a redshirt year.  Covid season was three years ago, let's get back to the new normal.  I don't blame him for trying to get a last bag on the way out, though. 

Please give Warde a golden…

Please give Warde a golden parachute and pay him to go away.  Hire either a pro-Harbaugh guy or someone who's willing to learn to be who has morals, ethics, and some experience as an AD/leader going forward.  If Warde doesn't take the golden parachute, fire him into the sun as he won't have a golden parachute to slow his trajectory.  

This isn't an anti-Warde post per se.  I don't know the guy, have never met him, he might be good at 90 percent of what an AD at Michigan does.  However, BY FAR the most important thing an AD at Michigan does is support the football program and coach, and at that Warde is at best less than average.  Jim Brandstatter has some free time....

A successful football program at a school like Michigan adds a huge degree of value to all aspects of the school.  You get a far higher number of applications, which allows you to be even more selective and boosts your academic profile. Your donors are excited, and they give not only to football and athletics, but also to the University at large. 

I think I've posted this before in comments, but our University of Alabama rep says they figure Saban has been worth well over $100 million a year since they hired him because of everything I mentioned above, possibly up to $250 million.  So yeah, he's making 10-but he's vastly underpaid. 

For my money, dejected Ryan…

For my money, dejected Ryan Day walk is better than Urban Meyer sad pizza golf cart.  

He isn't tough enough to…

He isn't tough enough to play at Ohio State.  And he's a better dancer than Day, that's not allowed.

So I guess I'll keep posting…

So I guess I'll keep posting from my laptop, and when it dies-so do I.  Virtual death is not to be feared!