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With most Michigan fans…

With most Michigan fans neurotic is what we do best. I saw people worrying and complaining *the day after* we won the national title. I mean, if you can't be happy then, when can you be happy? 

Michigan will be fine. I really like Moore. I really hope we can retain Hart. I think that the culture started to really shift with Poggi, Hart, Bellamy, and Moore, and that is the key to our success. I love guys like Grant Newsome. 

We do have to be realistic. We lost a ton of offensive talent and don't know what the future holds for kids. Strong chance we lose a few games next year between loss of talent and increase in the challenge of the schedule. But if we can hang on to what we have, and keep recruiting more to culture than necessarily talent, I think overall we have a bright future. I like this hire. 

 

I thought I heard reported…

I thought I heard reported that he was already the highest paid S&C coach in college? 

Still a valid question though. From what I've read S&C in the Pro's aren't  nearly as involved as S&C in college. 

Did you get consent first? 

Did you get consent first? 

I thought that Harbaugh…

I thought that Harbaugh wanted a 3 person panel to handle violations? 

From what I've heard we had a good chance at getting the TRO, but decided not to do it. 

I do think that Harbaugh wanted to go to the NFL, and honestly I'm fine with it now. I'm glad we stuck with him. But too many times our relationship with him just seemed to not back the guy when we should have. The pay cut was a slap that wasn't needed after a Covid season. The way the U rolls over to the NCAA and now the B1G when they were being egregious this year drove me nuts. And if I were him, I'd be thinking 'Yeah, I just got you 3 B1G titles and you don't have my back, you don't have an assumption of innocence.'. I'd probably be out too. 

In State, thank God. 

In State, thank God. 

We have a new Wolverine!

We have a new Wolverine!

Now I just need to figure out how to pay for it...

She, in her words, ugly cried. 

We have a new Wolverine!

Double post. Sorry. 

Seriously. My daughter and…

Seriously. My daughter and her friends are *way* too stressed out over this. 

I do feel bad for her. She's got above a 4 point and a ton of extra curriculars. She's tried to point her CV to UM. But it's so uncertain. 

I'm a graduate from '96 but no way UM even looks at '91 JFW today. 

You were at Houston! That's…

You were at Houston! That's awesome! Glad you saw Buda too. He's a great guy. 

Love to bump into you as well. Next time I head down I'll give you a heads up. :-)

Clicked on a link and saw a…

Clicked on a link and saw a familiar face! Dear God you look no different! And what a fantastic story! 

-whall

Too often Michigan seems to…

Too often Michigan seems to have an unrealistic view of what it is, and how much draw it has. 

Playing coy with the contract like that to me is like them rejecting Stanford credits. 'You should be happy we consider you good enough to be here.'

It's a nice thought but we aren't all that. And when dealing with someone of Harbaugh's caliber and influence it's laughable. Maybe you can do that to Hoke, but not Harbaugh. Jim's pay cut was a slap in the face that didn't have to happen either. But hey, why be cool when we can be petty. 

Brian is probably correct. I remember thinking after we won that this was it, and, to be honest, I was okay with it. He got us to the top, and now he wants the other crown. I'm okay with that. I'm also a big fan of Moore. He's young, and he not only gets, but is a source of, a great culture.

I just feel like too many times Michigan shoots itself in the foot with hubris. 

 

100%. When they aren’t…

100%. When they aren’t playing the Lions. Jim did what he came to do. I’m thankful he did.

FWIW we haven’t had a heavy…

FWIW we haven’t had a heavy winter like that in TC in years. Sadly. 
 

but it does get overcast 

I’ve lived in traverse city…

I’ve lived in traverse city for over 20 years now. Great area. Beautiful, close to the big lake and a million little ones. But housing prices are insane now. 

Questions to think about:

Public or private schools?

Are you okay with rural? Lack of diversity? What about your kids?

Many lake areas are beautiful. But many also have small town politics. 

I cannot afford lake front. I’m in a small penninsula with lake access and it works for me. But for “affordable” lake front you might have to go more rural. 
 

I personally love Lake Huron. Prices are better there. And I summered there as a kid at my grandma’s cottage. 
 

But do check the surrounding area and see if you can live with it. 
 

Another thing to check might also be river front. My brother had frontage on the Huron in Brighton and loves it. 

I don’t mind power running…

I don’t mind power running. In fact, I like it. What I don’t like is we aren’t getting the consistent 3-6 yards between the tackles like we used to with Corum, and Edward’s seems to go down really easily. I’ll be counterintuitive and say we really need a more consistent running game vs OSU.

So, maybe I'm just getting…

So, maybe I'm just getting too old. I graduated in '96. 

But the media stuff has gotten me to the point where it's borderline not fun anymore. 'What station is on? Do I have to pay for another one? What is it on next week? Why did I buy the B1G network only to have to get Peacock now too? Now that I found it and paid for more stuff I have to suffer through more commercials...."

Hell, last weekend I went to listen to it on the radio because I had to get some work done and was left with... nothing. The station listed by MgoBlue.com for Traverse City was like 93.7 and just gave me static. So I looked it up on SirusXM, and it gave me channel 195. My Sirus radio then said that was invalid. 

The frustration coupled with the sense of constantly getting fleeced makes me want to just say 'Bag it' once my son graduates and moves out. I'll just get updates from Siri and go for a hike or a paddle. Until of course they start charging for those. 

I never thought I'd be here. 

I guess I don't let Urban…

I guess I don't let Urban bug me. He's a Buckeye partisan and always will be. His other choices bug me more. 

His thoughts? I could see Iowa winning the west. I'm actually kind of excited to see how Iowa does offensively next year with a bit of a talent infusion. They won't be a barn burner but I have alot of faith with Cade in that system. If Brian Ferentz can call a good game he's got a QB that can run a really efficient offense. That with their defense is a winning combination in the B1G West. Hell, a tire fire of an offense and that defense was competitivive in the West.

Texas? Not so sure. 

Marvin Harrison Jr. is a bit scary.  

What on earth is 'new muscle…

What on earth is 'new muscle' and how does your body know the difference? 

I'll check it out. Strength training is something that has a ton of fads, and alot of core truths. Stick to the core truths and experiment with the fads to move forward.

I started lifting just after nautilus, went through plyometrics, manual resistance, olympic lift training and core strength training, pilates, etc. It's all good, don't get me wrong. But each at the time was the Next Big Thing Going To Revolutionize Everything!. In reality it's alot of tweaking to old knowledge and adjusting the balance of what you do. 

So don't be afraid to try new stuff, but don't be too quick to abandon the old to get to the new. I doubt you're going to see colleges back off too much on adding 'new' muscle to the incoming freshman OL. 

I have a '94 Miata. The…

I have a '94 Miata. The Stick makes the car. 

There is something about rowing your own gears that puts you that much more in tune with the machine. 

I wouldn't do a stick all the time. If I had a hellcat or something similar I'd take the slushbox. But a stick has it's place. 

I hate those too. I'm not…

I hate those too. I'm not sure how widespread it is. I helped coach youth (up to 8th grade) football for a few years when my son played, and we were really careful about safety in contact drills. The head coach was fantastic in setting the tone. Of course, that doesn't mean that it doesn't happen in other places. 

I don't think it's a…

I don't think it's a buzzkill. I can understand that position. 

Each parent has a choice to make, and each kid's situation is unique. 

My son loves football. It's unlikely he'd play D1 ball. He is also dealing with severe anxiety and football helps him with that. He likes the kids, he likes the sport, he has fun with it. When he plays, he's happier and healthier. The lockdowns didn't do him and his buddies any favors when it came to mental health (I'm not arguing against them, just that they had consequences we had to deal with). So, for him, I see it as a net gain, and that's okay. Heck, I remember reading about a neurosurgeon and another neurology expert who viewed it the same way. But if you are in a different situation, I totally get not wanting a kid to play football and would support your decision. And if my son was good enough to play D1 my concern would ratchet up.  You have to look out for your kid.  

As for D1 ball... I think alot of these kids know the risks going in. I think it's on adults to try to mitigate that risk as much as possible. The game can offer them alot, and certainly offers us alot. but we as fans and alums can do our best to ensure the players have the best safety and access to healthcare they can. I think UM is pretty good about that (though I'm not connected with the program, I'm just basing that on what I see). 

I live in TC and while I…

I live in TC and while I love it here, Frankfort is a great idea. Beautiful town. 

I live in Traverse City. You…

I live in Traverse City. You're about 3.5 - 4 hours to AA from here, 3 hours to Mackinac Island, 4 hours to pictured rocks. 

***My $.02***

With a 6 and 9 year old I'd either go to Mackinac and stay there for a bit (hotels, horses, swimming) or Traverse City (more food choices. Great Wolf Lodge, Swimming. Beaches). Pictured Rocks is cool but I don't see a 6 and 9 year old digging it. 

Alot depends on what you guys like to do as a family. If the kids love to swim and eat, then find an air B&B or hotel close to the water in TC that is walkable to downtown. You can hit Clinch Park beach, grab snacks at the pavilion, walk on main street, and chill. You can rent kayaks by the water. If you are well healed you can rent a pontoon or power boat one day on one of the nearby inland lakes, or even the bay (though if you aren't normally a boater I would stick to a lake like Long Lake). 

If, however, you and the kids are more the outdoors type, find a place more in the woods, either on the east side, or a bit farther south. Sometimes you can rent a cabin on or near a lake, though obviously this isn't super cheap in the summer. Or hit Mackinac island and bike around the island 

Happy to answer any more specific questions. 

I love that the kids have…

I love that the kids have options in the portal. But sometimes I really hate the portal as a fan. I like watching kids stay and develop and take their place in the tradition.

I struggle a little bit with…

I struggle a little bit with the claim that recruits don't follow college football. My son is 14 and his buddies are all absolutely nuts about CFB. Some play, some don't. I find it hard to believe that kids who actually seriously play the game and have an eye to the future aren't keeping their thumb on the pulse of the college game. 

A) Is anyone at all…

A) Is anyone at all surprised that Michigan is slow to get NIL? Alex says it's the football program but it sounds higher than that. The University just seems allergic to anything so gauche as student athletes getting coin, though that sounds like it's changing. I've also read that our admissions team is harder than other schools, unnecessarily so. Heck, my cousin had a hell of a time transferring in because they loved to gleefully cancel credits. 

B) We have one of the biggest, and I have to believe one of the more wealthy, alumni groups in the nation. We also have a world class B school. We have all the horsepower we need to be dominant in this area. 

Hopefully the lack of kids in this class won't kill us. 

At this point they remind me…

At this point they remind me of the loud mouthed, thin skinned guy at the bar "You gotta problem? Huh?" They are incapable of any meaningful introspection and engage in whatabout-ism and denial. All their issues are, according to them, based on actions by UM. It's pretty convenient. 

We really need to drop them. 

 

"And we all know how that…

"And we all know how that recipe tastes."

Someone posted a list of the last 6 top 5 teams that went in there, and the 5 upsets that resulted. We *should* win vs. Iowa at Kinnick, but that doesn't mean a damned thing. I 100% agree with your take. They needed this. JJ needed this. He's still young. The O line needed this. The defense still bugs me. 

 

We're Michigan fans.

Having…

We're Michigan fans.

Having co-coordinators is bad because we think it will slow things down and we hate that, so we hate them. 

Then when we have one person calling the plays some of them won't work so clearly we'll hate that, and then hate them. 

And social media experts who stand to gain from clicks will tell us either way that our playcalling is bad, and we'll soak that in without any prudential judgement and thus think we are being robbed of a national championship caliber point-a-half-second high flying offense, and we'll hate that. 

And that's how we'll be happy in rooting for our team. 

"I won't claim to know which…

"I won't claim to know which plays were called by Harbaugh vs Gattis - this board LOVED to attribute unproductive rushes to Harbaugh and productive passes to Gattis"

Running isn't bad. Power running isn't bad. Minnesota played their run game beautifully against MSU. Too many people think it is though. The way some people I speak to talk I wonder if they get offended every time we recruit a running back. 

Michigan has had boneheaded runs, but not when Harbaugh seemed more involved. When he was part of the offensive triumvirate when they first came here the running game was effective and complex with Devon Smith. When Pep and Gattis got involved we had more boneheaded runs and it was more predictable. Then when first Warriner, then later Moore and (we think?) Harbaugh got more involved last year it got better. 

A) To those booing Cade,…

A) To those booing Cade, just pack your $hit up and leave for awhile. To you UM must stand for Ungrateful MF'ers. JJ wasn't ready last year. He is now, and I wish him the best. But Cade, whatever happened the last two games, was a hell of a QB last year and a great leader who won the respect of his team. All the mewling people made up because he didn't do it the way you wanted ('but he didn't rrruuuuuunnnnnn') makes you look foolish as he leads the team to beat OSU and win a B1G title. You made a stupid selfish move and you should be ashamed. $ to donuts Cade leaves and ends up starting, and radically upgrading, the QB position somewhere else. 

B) Good for JJ. Man, he looked great. Just remember people: He's human. He's only a sophomore. He'll do something stupid in the future. It might even cost us a game. Just accept that and then if/when it happens you'll understand people make mistakes, the world doesn't owe you an undefeated season (nor does JJ) and JJ's still a good QB. 

C) Related to (B). When JJ does make a mistake, don't go looking at Davis Warren and start the same crap we've seen with every QB since Harbaugh got here with the exception of Ruddock. I can hear echoes of some relatives who screamed for JJ last year and pointed to a play he screwed up, then salvaged, as the sign he should be thrown into the frying pan right away. 

 

This is nice and all but…

This is nice and all but when do we start discussing the current guys behind JJ so we know who to scream for when we don't instantly win a national title under JJ? I'll feel lost if I don't have a backup quarterback on whom I can claim rests the *real* hope for the future. 

I really like him. He just…

I really like him. He just has to find a better way to keep his cool; because we can't have this again. And I worry a bit that other teams will try to piss him off now, even if just to get him ejected at a crucial time. 

I really like him. He just…

I really like him. He just has to find a better way to keep his cool; because we can't have this again. And I worry a bit that other teams will try to piss him off now, even if just to get him ejected at a crucial time. 

I went with my son in…

I went with my son in January for the Maryland game. Yup, they had people checking Vax cards and masks when I was there. It truly wasn't a big deal. Enjoyed the game with my son immensely. 

"Harbaugh’s gone, they hire…

"Harbaugh’s gone, they hire Gattis, and he does fine, because Harbaugh left a solid foundation. But that’s just a guess; coaching situations can get really hairy, as most of us recall."

Gattis has a bad game. People start BPONEing and calling for Campbell. UM ignores structural components needed to stay competitive in modern college football. Fans pretend like it doesn't matter and take to twitter. 

Whatever. With the treatment the guy has gotten I wish him and his family well. We'll stay dysfunctional and I'll still root for the team. 

Daniel Day Lewis. 

He's a…

Daniel Day Lewis. 

He's a little old; and we'd have to wait for him a bit because he'd somehow become a college head coach for a bit first, but the man can play anything. 

I think it depends on the…

I think it depends on the sport and the age. 

I did Judo for years and while I trained with women their was (not sure about now) sex differentiated competition. Typically they had a problem with men unless the technique difference was huge. 

I help coach middle school wresting and I've seen girls do well; with the caveat it's mainly lighter weights and they do have a physical disadvantage. It gets harder for them as they go into higher weight classes and as they age and puberty takes a firmer hold. 

My daughter played Volleyball for years and did *not* like playing with the boys because she felt the physicality was waaaaaay too much for the girls team. 

I realize al this is ad hoc. 

What isn't is the fact that men have real physical advantages over women. There is some overlap in that venn diagram but it's not huge. Sexual dimorphism is a thing and even tends to assert itself over hormone therapy if it's post puberty. 

Look at stuff like this: 

Record Book | Girls Track & Field | MHSAA Sports

Record Book | Boys Track & Field | MHSAA Sports.

I honestly don't know what to do with MTF trans athletes. I want to be fair. I love athletic competition for kids. But from what I've read so far it doesn't sound like a great idea if you are a girl who wants to compete on an even playing field. The only two caveats to that would be pre-puberty athletics (I've seen elementary girl wrestlers clean up with greater technique and coordination), and possibly middle school/HS athletics if the MTF athlete has been on puberty blockers since before puberty. 

I realize this is yet another cross to bear if you are a trans person. And I realize that sucks. But there are other things that person can do. Sports are just one form of expression. Not the only one. We have limits for a reason. If a kid can't make a certain weight we don't let him wrestle. If a kid couldn't make the pop warner weight we didn't let them play. I've stopped impromptu matches between kids if one is too damned big or the other too damned small because I don't want to see someone get hurt. 

So, for going MTF; I wouldn't want them in sports that have traditionally been segregated by gender due to performance concerns: weight lifting; track; basketball; some State's wrestling programs; any combat sport with striking. For sports already co-ed (like wresting) have at it. You aren't creating a competitive advantage that isn't already there. And for FTM have at it. Going in with the disadvantage you just risk losing, not hurting someone else or taking an opportunity from them due to biology. 

My $0.02

 

 

 

One of my favorite football…

One of my favorite football players period. 

I had a buddy who kept…

I had a buddy who kept getting shit from the admissions office when he was transferring from UM Dearborn to UM Ann Arbor. They kept having issues with his paperwork. Finally, he sent it certified mail. They acknowledged it but gave him a stern talking to about how 'They don't do that'. This was in the early 90's. 

"the way that went down also…

"the way that went down also must have changed the power dynamic." We put him on waivers. We made sure he felt unwanted and the athletic department wasn't *quite* sure that he was worthy of them. We had BPONE here and clickbait in the press and our own fanbase downloading the criticism of the internet at large. He caught hell on twitter for *taking his son to a basketball game* (Shouldn't coach be prepping for the OSU game?). He's had people suggest he has CTE. 

We treated him shabbily. Sure, he got paid. But he turned a program around from losing seasons to what, 3, 4 top 15 finishes? And we just negged the shit out of him all the time. 

If I was at a company and got paid,but badmouthed and had my chain yanked all the time despite great performance, leagues beyond the last 2 guys in my chair, I'd be looking for an out with a hearty 'F*ck you and your ego' queued up for the exit interview. 

"Cade barely takes sacks …

"Cade barely takes sacks (same with JJ except he can turn a broken play into a positive)"

JJ is much more of a mixed bag. He has great athletic talent, but sometimes that talent is highlighted because he uses it to get out of situations *he made*. 

Look, I wish Cade had a higher ceiling; but the floor on JJ is pretty damned low and right now the people who want him to play are kind of in wishful thinking mode that once he gets in, and D's get a chance to get some queues and film on him, that he wouldn't be pressured into making alot more mistakes. 

I like what they are doing with him. I think giving him the reins right now is really premature. 

 

I'm not sure the difference…

I'm not sure the difference. And, it's very possible that I may be confusing my own attempt at trying to be more positive and reject BPONE utterly because it's silly with a difference in the team, but....

...I think this team is different, and better than I have seen in years. They seem more on board with each other. Harbaugh himself seems more happy. It's great to see. 

 

So it basically looks like a…

So it basically looks like a dual rotor drone type 'drive train' (fly train?). 

It's... interesting. I don't know it's going to change the industry though, anymore than a hovercraft would. 

For my own part, I always wanted something like a Hammers Slammers tank. 

Saturday I saw the main bowl…

Saturday I saw the main bowl filled.... but the Student Section was empty towards the top. 

I think you have a point. It just seems to be the trend nowadays. Adding seats isn't a wise choice. The only thing I could think of is *not* adding capacity but adding space; so more rows and more bleachers (or even seats) but the same amount of people. Just make it more comfortable. 

Why is college football attendance dropping across NCAA? - Sports Illustrated

Honestly, and I know that it…

Honestly, and I know that it's heresy to say this, I'm hoping for two things:

A) That our run game is good enough to eat clock and keep OSU's offense off the field and

B) the Defense, now without Don Brown's calls downloaded, doesn't get utterly pantsed; maybe have the waste band catch around mid thigh. 

There is no version of this offense or offensive personnel which has us winning a shootout against OSU very often. Their Crazy Scoring guys are better than our Crazy Scoring Guys. So having us go full spread with JJ at the helm won't help. In fact, it's playing to their strengths and away from ours. I really like this defense and am impressed with Mcdonald. But man, I just don't see our corners being able to stop OSU. 

But keeping their offense off the field and just being enough of a speed bump defensively might give us a chance; at least to not get embarrassed. 

Ugh... with a good O line…

Ugh... with a good O line and a good running game I hope to very rarely ever see a scramble like that. That's a broken play, not a good one, and most times bad shit happens. 

To me if JJ was consistently more accurate with his throws and kept the ball on the read more often and made plays on a planned run option that is far more upside than running around risking a huge yardage loss or a fumble while he's trying to make something happen. 

I think if Cade beats OSU…

I think if Cade beats OSU the Debbie Downers will happily dine on crow. For 95% of them that's all they want. 

That's a great point. This…

That's a great point. This team, and this offense, can beat most teams in college football. 

But OSU/Bama/Georgia are at different levels this year (and OSU/Bama are most years). Could we beat them? Maybe. That's why games are played. 

But there isn't some secret sauce to scheme or starting players on our team that can have us walk into a game with those three with a consistent expectation of victory. 

Ugh. I honestly would love…

Ugh. I honestly would love for a QB to do more stepping up into the pocket. I don't see as much of it as I used to. 

For all the talk of not going for the run read when our QB's have a chance.. I wouldn't mind a Navarre guy honestly. No running, but will step up in the pocket and deliver a great ball.