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This is what I am talking about. Neutral site NCAA regionals simply do not draw that many fans. Hosting them in a bigger arena won't change that fact and makes for a far inferior environment for the fans that do attend.

Don't have any insight on…

Don't have any insight on why the location was chosen, but a small arena is much better than a large one. You're getting a couple thousand fans tops. Do you want them in a 4,000 seat arena or a 20,000 seat arena? And both those options or worse than higher seeds hosting, so yes the NCAA still sucks. 

His Iowa baggage is a most…

His Iowa baggage is a most likely a disqualifier. Feel free to google the details if you like, but short story is he had a player accused of sexual assault (who eventually reached a plea bargain deal) and his handling of the situation was not great.

There is documentary and it…

There is documentary and it is definitely worth checking out regardless of your interest in ultra running or not. 

(Watch The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young | Prime Video (amazon.com)

This hits the nail on the…

This hits the nail on the head. The team in question finished in last place in the conference, a 15-year employee left and told you the culture is shit and your response is to hire an outside firm to try and detail just how bad the culture is? As much as I love him, Howard needed to go before the season ended and Manuel needs to go NOW. 

I actually think the lack of…

I actually think the lack of spontaneity is a feature, not a bug. The fights that I remember the most all fall into the non-spontaneous category - Probert/Domi, Probert/McSorley (when McSorley was on the Pens and they fought for what seemed like 10 minutes).  

Furthermore, there are 9…

Furthermore, there are 9 players who rate as "year one starter". This is the perfect example of the biggest issue I see with draft evaluators (in all the sports). Missing on Brock Purdy and Zac Wilson is gonna happen. Perfection is not possible. But there's some basic math involved in player turnover of a given sport that should be considered. In a league of 32 teams each with 22 starters, you're gonna need more than 9 new starters from the draft.   

mediocre >>> abysmal

mediocre >>> abysmal

Oregon certainly is an…

Oregon certainly is an example where things have worked out thus far. However, ceding power to the wealthiest people in your fanbase is a recipe for disaster. I recall hearing Seth talk about this once, where he spoke with someone that covers an SEC school and the person commented on how lucky we were to have an Athletic Department that could keep the rich boosters from meddling in things.  

I think there is a lesson…

I think there is a lesson here that many people are missing. The type of information that gets shared by "insiders" - including this specific tweet - cannot be placed into the neat little buckets of "right" and "wrong". It is vague, undefined, and nuanced. "things are not great" could mean anything from a few employees are sad Jim is gone to complete dumpster fire. Add in the incentives for clicks, the motivations of sources, and the personal biases of the insider and it's very difficult to take this information with nothing less than an iceberg sized grain of salt.   

Perhaps Brian made a good…

Perhaps Brian made a good choice on doing that?  Just sayin'.

I have zero faith that this…

I have zero faith that this will result in anything from the NCAA, but it would at least be nice if the college football media-mafia would pick this up as the cause dujour.  

I think you got it backwards…

I think you got it backwards. The mandate is that it DOES NOT impact those with no culpability. This was best displayed in the NCAA's "punishment" of Tennessee, where per the letter of the NCAA punishment guidelines the committee that hands our punishment was required to have much harsher penalties but didn't, citing the desire not to punish the current players and staff for sins of the previous regime.

 

The simplest explanation is…

The simplest explanation is that the rest of the Big 10 hates Harbaugh. Why? First of all because he is not part of the "good-ol-boys-coaching-club". Perhaps the most insightful example as to how Harbaugh is not in "the club" was the whole James Hudson transfer situation. Every other coach in American is fine playing the game, checking the boxes, and signing their name to whatever is needed to make a transfer go through. Jim actually took the document seriously and said, no, I'm not gonna play that game. Based on all we know about Jim, this is most likely based on who he is. But to Luke Fickell (and every other coach) this was him being a dick. Combine this with the second fact - he's a really good coach of a really good team at a University that is universally hated by rivals and you get whole big pile-o hate from the other Big Ten coaches and ADs.        

If you want to criticize Jim…

If you want to criticize Jim for looking at the NFL that is certainly fair, but you're trying to make a distinction without a difference. It's not like Jim just showed up un-announced to Atlanta like it was some type of a job fair. 

"Stars Matter" - like many…

"Stars Matter" - like many issues that we engage in within the sports world - is not a black and white issue. There are definitely shades of grey in the debate and we'd all do well to acknowledge as much. That being stated, I do think Wasserman continues to make a massive error by using recruiting rankings to predict game outcomes. It is one thing to feel that teams that recruit the highest percentage 4 & 5 stars are the most likely to end up winning national championships down the road, but determining who is going to win at the start of the season (or in a given game) should be based on the quality of the play and players as evidenced by what has actually occurred on the field. The best example of this is something that Wasserman actually used in his article: the last play of the game. To paraphrase, he basically said given Alabama's 5 start lineman and 5 star QB going up against Michigan's lesser ranked D you should expect Alabama to score. Not only is the insane given how we all saw things play out for 60 minutes of regulation, we went into the game with plenty of information on all these players that told us this wasn't the miss-match that the stars tell us it should be. Put quite simply, Jenkins, Graham, Moore, etc. are BETTER football players than Alabama's O-line.     

I clicked through to scroll…

I clicked through to scroll the Ringer article and got through July before bailing. Good lord am I old and out of touch with "pop culture".

Man, I must be getting…

Man, I must be getting really old. The kids are mixing up Bowden and Spurrier.

I agree with OP completely…

I agree with OP completely. I was very annoyed that Klatt made it into a "close call". 

 

IMO instant replay is broken and I think this is a great example of why. We have totally lost sight of what the point of instant replay is: to correct major errors in officiating. What we have today is a system that thinks it needs to carefully parse through any call that is remotely close and re-make the call via the replay. Even though the talking heads on the broadcast always make the "clear and obvious visual evidence" statement, they always end by saying "I have this as a good catch" or "I have this as a touchdown". That is not what they are supposed to be doing per the FREAKIN RULES! It should be pretty damn simple: was there clear and obvious evidence to CHANGE the call? And if it takes showing 4 different angles of super slo-mo then it's not clear and obvious. FULL STOP. The end result is that my initial reaction on every big play is "don't get too excited yet. need to wait for the potential replay". It has made the viewing experience worse.     

 

I second your sentiments re:…

I second your sentiments re: "tough to follow". I always read the Neck Sharpies and try my best but I often find myself getting confused towards the back end of the article. And I bring this up only to say "don't feel stupid". I definitely don't want Seth to change a thing. This is the type of content that separates MgoBlog from other content available. 

Gonna go out on a limb and…

Gonna go out on a limb and say that this is the only college football message board post with the words "Amicus brief" in its title. Love this place. Kudos to you rym. 

Have 2 sons that played (one…

Have 2 sons that played (one still does on a college club team) in MI and you are 100% correct. IMO, the reason why there aren't "house" leagues is all parents. Everyone thinks their kid needs to play on a "travel" team and associations and leagues have no problem appeasing them. So you have 75% playing "travel" and 25% playing "house". It's all very silly, but at least in MI, the actual travel expenses aren't that much greater than house as you play nearly all your games in-state. AAA is of course different.

and I will also say . . . whatever the total cost was, best money we ever spent.      

Pretty sure this is a not a…

Pretty sure this is a not a HIPAA thing. 

Lessons from this whole saga…

Lessons from this whole saga . . . 
 

  1. There is 100% agreement amongst fans and media that the NCAA is a trash organization and should not be taken seriously.
  2. If the NCAA goes after a team I hate, then I can ignore #1
  3. If the NCAA being the NCAA gets our site clicks, then we can ignore #1 
Interested in what the…

Interested in what the MoGoLaywers have to say about regarding NIL, State Laws, and the NCAA. The NCAA is an organization made up of institutions that voluntarily join, and when joining agree to abide by the rules of the organizations. How can a state law supercede the rules of the NCAA? 

Holy shit. What a joke. Here…

Holy shit. What a joke. Here's a silver lining though, I no longer have to think to myself: "gee, one of these years I really need to get back to Ann Arbor and do the Alumni Band thing again"   

You are not wrong, but I…

You are not wrong, but I think what Brian pointed out is the real issue that everyone (including us fans) needs to focus on: 45 minutes of a 3 hour and 15 minute broadcast is commercials. I'll leave the math up to the smart people, but I think I can safely say that is horrendous.     

Asking for money to visit is…

Asking for money to visit is just another way that players are using to get some of the revenue that they are generating. There would be no need to prohibit this if the schools were actually sharing revenue in a defined way agreed upon by the players.

I just do Spectrum internet…

I just do Spectrum internet and YTTV. It's $85 for Spectrum and YTTV runs me about $80, but that includes HBO/MAX. 

Best Board post of 2023 is…

Best Board post of 2023 is here.

GO BLUE!!!

 

At the risk of driving the…

At the risk of driving the OT bus off the cliff . . . oh, what hell, here goes. I would say the "cringe" is simply using the term "Radical Inclusion" for what is described in their explanation. Welcoming and respecting the stranger ain't so damn radical. 

I'm just hear for the bang

I'm just hear for the bang

 

GO BLUE!!!

If there is one thing that…

If there is one thing that we all should have learned by now . . . never say "won't happen"

I read the article and while…

I read the article and while I don't know that you could say he got any one thing wrong in the article, what he did get wrong was not making a real argument. It was basically: (1) Rutgers was a terrible fit from the start (2) Rutgers has sucked at sports since they joined (3) Rutgers athletic department is losing money. Okay. Was joining the B1G supposed to make them better? How? Why didn't it work then? And how on earth do they manage to lose money? Because they are getting too much of it?  I came away with more questions than answers.

I too believe "streaming" is…

I too believe "streaming" is the next step, but I think it is key to define what we mean by "streaming". I take "streaming" to mean very simply that someone no longer has a cable TV subscription. But there is a separate - and more important (imo) - question: who is providing the content that you watch? People are ditching their cable sub, but many people are still getting traditional "TV Networks" as a part of their streaming purchases and for sports these traditional networks are still dominating the market. And until the NFL, NBA, SEC, B1G, and NCAA Hoops tourney ALL stop relying on these networks as the primary source for viewing no streaming service has a chance in hell of competing. 

To each his/her own, but if…

To each his/her own, but if I can spend $2k to eliminate 99% of my gas station "fill-ups" count me in. 

Roadtrip to Vegas, eh?

Roadtrip to Vegas, eh?

While it is nice to reflect…

While it is nice to reflect on how the tables have turned and smile, I can't help but think that articles like this are why MGoBlog (and a few other blogs) exist. I suppose that in a world where Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Dungeons and Dragons the movie exist I shouldn't be surprised that the same sports storylines get recycled too, but man give me some original content. 

Indeed it was. You may even…

Indeed it was. You may even say that it was so good, a person could use the experience as an inspiration for a message board name years later.

I realize that there is…

I realize that there is probably some amount of trolling going on in your post so you are laying it on a little thick. However, the reality is that swimming is quite different from other sports and the idea of hiring someone based completely on their success as a competitor - even when combined with best-in-class-name recognition - is not a great idea. Maximizing the performance of any individual swimmer requires the best training regimen possible. Every single swimmer knows this and no one with aspirations (and options) for being competitive at the D1 level is going to go to a school if they don't have the utmost confidence in the coach of the program to design and implement a world class training regimen. Yes, Michael Phelps will be able to get an in-home visit with any potential recruit. That will count for very little. Ultimately recruits must be convinced that he knows how to design and implement an elite level training program. And if the answer is "well, I have never done it before but I swam for coaches that did it so I will figure it out" then all the best swimmers are going to opt for the coaches that have actually done it before. To put it more succinctly, when it comes to coaching, Michael Phelps coach carries MUCH more weight than Michael Phelps. 

Outstanding idea. Suggestion…

Outstanding idea. Suggestion for games:

OSU in '88, '91, and '94

'89 Rose bowl 

Notre dame in '91

and if you have to do a loss, MSU in '90. That was a crazy game for many reasons. 

 

Excellent post. I think this…

Excellent post. I think this is by far the best analysis I've seen on this subject and I really appreciate you taking the time to do this. I do have one thought that I am wondering if you considered. Rather than looking at just "was a player drafted", could you look at where they were drafted? What I am envisioning is using the data to determine expected overall draft position by recruiting ranking and then seeing whether a school overperformed against the expectation. Been a while since I had my last stats class so I could be talking out of my ass, but, hey thought I'd ask.

Curious about the "major…

Curious about the "major connections with Cincinnati" regarding Bidunga. Just how big of a deal are the "connections"?  Does this mean there is a 99% chance he signs with Cincinnati?  90% chance? 50%??? And I'm more curious from the standpoint of understanding the overall college hoops scene, versus "should I get my hopes up as an M fan" perspective. I get that connections matter, but are they so important that they will completely dictate where a kid goes?   

Indeed you have stumbled…

Indeed you have stumbled upon one of the inefficiencies in the recruiting industrial complex. I believe all the services say this the way they do it. It explains how guys like Blake Corum and Denard weren't 5 stars out of high school. Not NFL sized. Not an obvious NFL position - you won't be a 5 star no matter your physical skills. Another good example is O lineman. When Michigan is pulling 250lb 6'6' dues playing TE in High School you shouldn't worry that they 3 or 4 stars. A lot of the ranking is just because they currently are undersized.

I read through the article…

I read through the article and I still don't understand how they came up with their grades. They use some type of point system that wasn't explained very well and there is no breakdown of the scoring. I wish somebody would just take the time and calculate what the expected draft position is based on recruit rating (e.g. a .9500 rating is expected to be drafted with the 61st pick in the draft). Everything I see is looking at star rating with no distinguishing amongst ALL 4 stars, and Draft Round with no distinguishing before the 1st and last picks in a round. Perhaps this is a good off season project for Seth???

I haven't started a…

I haven't started a spreadsheet to do the "maths" on this to determine that $1.25 Bill makes sound financial sense, but I think you've hit the nail on the head with "a lot of people in this world that have a shit ton of money". Combine that fact with another thing we know all too well: there's a lot of people obsessed with the athletic careers of their children and I think you have the basic logic for this deal may make sense. 

100%. I was a student for Bo…

100%. I was a student for Bo's last years and while it wasn't the main offensive set, he would always bring it out inside the 5 yard line. It felt like it was unstoppable. With the O line, Boles, Hoard, and Bunch in the backfield and Taylor under center. Damn. LOVED IT.

Matt Judon

Matt Judon

My 2 questions: (1) was…

My 2 questions: (1) was Okudah from Ohio?  and (2) if so what % of HS players from Ohio that got drafted in 2020 were offered by OSU? 

You are correct on the …

You are correct on the "unlimited". Technically it is not DVR, which probably has pluses and minuses, I guess??? You are not recording/storing shows to a physical hard drive that sits in your home. Basically YTTV "does it for you" and so the content resides somewhere in the googleverse. Perhaps there's a techie insider here that knows the details of how it work. I had dish in the past and have YTTV now and I like YTTV a lot more.