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Definitely not my suggestion…

Definitely not my suggestion.

McNeese was the best team I saw live and seemed extremely well coached.

But not suggesting UM hire him.

Not ever.

I made other suggestions

 

Great stuff as usual Alex.

Great stuff as usual Alex.

You and David do A plus work in covering UM hockey and I appreciate it.

Yes, this is thoughtful.

Yes, this is thoughtful.

Something has to change in the program and maybe dumping Juwan is the right idea.

Certainly, Juwan needs to do something to instill some life into this corpse of a program, but I don't think Warde will be happy getting rid of an icon or near-icon, especially if he feels some kinship to his coach. I talked to Bill Martin after he fired Tommy and he said his "heart was breaking" and that it was the "hardest thing" he ever had to do as AD. I got it. I talked to TA a lot and I can't say enough good about him. It pained me when he was fired, as much as I had to admit Bill made the right decision.

I have some of the same feelings here, though I don't know JH nearly as well. But I have interacted with him some over the years---including a long conversation in TA's office many years ago---and he is a very warm man, to say the least. 

So, I have some bias. But I wasn't speaking to this. I just feel Warde isn't quite ready to make a change, yet. It feels out of his nature. At the least, it is a lot harder to fire "one of your own," as opposed to Rich Rod or Brady Hoke. In this, I was speaking to what I thought would happen, not what should happen. I know if Ed Cooley had JH's history at UM he would be gone at the end of this year.

Recall that Beilein revamped his staff---bringing in LaVall and Bacari---and before that he had a limited ball screen game. These young coaches changed what UM was doing and it worked. Then JB brought in "defensive coordinators" (Donlon, then Yaklich) and this worked, too. But JB was a much more cutthroat guy than Juwan, IMO.    

If Warde retains JH, the coach is going to have to do "something" to make the program more functional. I know this isn't a plausible roster. It may be as bad a team as I have watched since 1966, though the '66 team (IIRC) was completely dreadful. There is no coach, not Red Auerbach and not John Wooden, who could win many more games with what they have. But what this "something" is, aside from a better roster, I just don't know. Right now it looks like there are at least three scholarship spots open. My guess is he will need to make some sort of a splash there---probably in the portal---and probably jettison an assistant to retain any fan interest.

It is fair to question my judgment. I thought this team would not shoot it but might paper over that by good defensive play and at least breaking even on TOs and ORBs. Well, the only competence the team has shown has been in shooting.

 

 

Correct. Just my opinion.

 …

Correct. Just my opinion.

 

Warde doesn't talk to me.

Yes.

He was in my niece's…

Yes.

He was in my niece's classes and he was a serious student (and a nice person) according to her. 

After the NCAA tossed him and he made millions in the NCAA draft he was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune, where he said he would rather be in school than the NBA. I don't have a link to it right at the moment.

 

 

 

I hope I never said Harbaugh…

I hope I never said Harbaugh was "unhappy" at Michigan. I don't think that and I don't think JH was unhappy. I have never thought he was unhappy here. So, if I said that, I am confused. 

I think it is certain, now, he wanted to go back to the NFL. Seems like that's been on his horizon for a while. 

If Mr. Spock was so smart,…

If Mr. Spock was so smart, why wasn't he Captain of the Enterprise?

I concede to being off base…

I concede to being off base a lot.

But.

I know the lawyers.

I know the judge.

 

Ernis.

WTKA should hire you…

Ernis.

WTKA should hire you and fire me.

CR

 

 

Thank you. 

I was not…

Thank you. 

I was not trying to say (but maybe did) that UM was trying to put an immunity clause in the contract. I don't know, exactly (of course) what the language of such a provision looked like. Before I can have a real opinion I would like to see the exact terms.

But here, if you really wanted to keep JH, seems to me (aside from money) they would not have been throwing chairs in the way of a deal. Make an offer w/o such a clause. Say nothing about NCAA violations. As I got it JH wanted a three person panel, and not Warde, to decide on sanctions for such violations. Fine. Agree. Reasonableness is always a standard of merit.

Forget about buyouts. To me they are unconscionable most of the time.  

I could be wrong---often I am---but it sure feels like UM could have been more aggressive in trying to retain him. 

Still, Brian is most probably correct--he was out the door once the LAC job was on the table for him. Maybe, well before.

If I were AD I would have told JH some time ago to write the/his own contract. "What do we need to do to retain you?" And then go from there.

Thanks, elm for your comments.

 

 

Hey, I was ready to roll--to…

Hey, I was ready to roll--to the extent that doesn't imply a lot more juice than I own---with incredibly incoherent analogies to Rudolph Vurchow. But no show. No one told me, either. So it goes, Billy Pilgrim.

Thanks for being disappointed.

Indeed he is.

 

Indeed he is.

 

Indeed he is.

 

Indeed he is.

 

I think three are in the…

I think three are in the portal. Aren't they?

Sorry. Will do better next…

Sorry. Will do better next time.

Not possible, unless I am…

Not possible, unless I am being lied to. He was privy to all discussions.

He has never lied to me and there is no reason to here.

He authorized me to release the information.

 

Makes no sense to me, either…

Makes no sense to me, either.

I am completely mystified.

And pissed.

This is a fact.

At the…

This is a fact.

At the least, local counsel was not consulted.

You smell a rat? Well, I get it.

You don't know what you don't know and I sure have questions. 

Here's what I know.

The…

Here's what I know.

The Regents settled with the Big Ten and went around both their counsel and local counsel. Local counsel was completely blindsided by the capitulation and definitely did not agree to it.

Best possible source.

 

 

Just such brilliant writing…

Just such brilliant writing.

Thanks, both.

Pre roundtable I suggested…

Pre roundtable I suggested this and expressed concern. Brian told me to not bring it up until after it happens. He was/is right but it doesn't mean I don't have some worry.

Erik. My head is fuzzy at…

Erik. My head is fuzzy at the moment. I feel like I have been kicked in the head by a horse.

But, yeah, IMO the Soviets were most responsible for winning WW2.

Not that others did not have significant roles.

But maybe you are asking me something in code, since this is very enigmatic.

Brian is probably right.

Brian is probably right.

His judgments on these sorts of things have been better than mine.

However, I don't trust the NCAA. I don't trust our AD to have a coherent plan in dealing with the issue.

Caution? Paranoia?

 

 

yes, i recall that story.

yes, i recall that story.

check the Michigan Daily from that period.

All online.

 

 

 

To me, "contrarian" means…

To me, "contrarian" means just having a different view for the sake of it. That's not my nature.

I thought Haskins would be a fine player at UM despite his low rankings, after looking at his tape. Same for Ronnie Bell. I saw nothing special in the highly regarded RBs who came to UM---Green and Walker. These weren't contrarian views. They were just views. Same deal for Caleb. I watched 3/4 games he played in Europe and they were brutal. While I thought he had some ability, it sure wasn't in shooting the ball---something like 10/52 from 3 and I wasn't nuts about his mechanics. I loved Kobe Bufkin's game and was humblified by that view---until I wasn't.

I loved Semaj Morgan when I saw him. I liked the tape of Fred Moore. I talked up Ben Hall before the spring game. We will see how these guys do, but I felt all were well undervalued. 

I have also been wrong on many things, of course. I was skeptical of R. Benny as a DL---I felt he was better as an OL when I saw him. I thought Donovan Edwards was a great athlete but not a great RB--though at the time I said the NFL would love his ability to catch the ball. Probably wrong there. I likely undervalued him.

I am sure I have been wrong about many things that you can recall.

Being on a show like the RT I can either keep my opinions private or just risk being wrong to some significant degree. I have chosen the latter and, for you at least, that has placed me on the "margins of terrible." That's OK. No beef from me. At some point, if my views are routinely idiotic or just aggravating, I suspect Sam and Ira will get rid of me. And that's OK too. I have never been under the delusion that my views are particularly prescient or important. Mostly, I just like being a part of it and getting to interact with Michigan fans because of it.

you, of course, can have…

you, of course, can have what i have w/o paying me.

remind me

 

cr

 

Not trying to be contrary.

Not trying to be contrary.

I thought Indiana had some defensive ability and they showed that for a quarter. My recall is that I picked UM by 35 or 40.

But I was wrong to have some worry about them, conceded.

I picked UM 34-10 against MSU but believe MSU is competent,

I hope I am wrong again; nothing would make me happier than a complete blowout. 

 

Hell BV I would have given…

Hell BV I would have given you one.

The second book, Search for the Unified Field Theory, I think is better but I have no control over it and no copies.

I hope you didn't pay very much.

 

 

Yeah, they stink.

But they…

Yeah, they stink.

But they did play OSU and Louisville tough.

Their offense is a cipher but they have shown some defense.

It will rain and there will be an eclipse.

But the line seems about right.

 

 

 

yes, brian plays left handed.

yes, brian plays left handed.

That was incorrect info. My…

That was incorrect info. My bad. Looks like the game opened at 36 and is now 36.5.

Don't know where I found the 30 point idea.

My apologies.

 

 

Brilliant. Wonderful. Let's…

Brilliant. Wonderful. Let's get that serve going.

Really interesting stuff…

Really interesting stuff. Thanks.

Hey. I have a very, very bad…

Hey. I have a very, very bad haircut. If you call it that.

I don't have any sports jackets.

No university president will talk to me.

But I agree with you.

 

 

 

I went to my first Browns…

I went to my first Browns game in 1953. I went to every home game from1956 through 1966----when I came to Ann Arbor, and went to many games in Cleveland thereafter. I remained a Browns fan--suffering--until Manziel. I was dispirited that they drafted the guy, especially after the idiotic Weeden choice. Then came Watson. I became a Lions fan and plan to never look back.

Alas, skeptical.

Alas, skeptical.

I sure don't believe UM is…

I sure don't believe UM is or should be a huge favorite against OSU this year at this point. I hope I didn't say so. I don't think UM's program is better than OSU's, but with the current states of coaching I think it is reasonably close.  I just don't think the games the last two years represented any sort of an outlier or weird result. UM was just better in those games.

I like this guy right away…

I like this guy right away since he graduated from my school, Low Brow U.

Here's a bit more, BV.

The…

Here's a bit more, BV.

The UM staff was not 100% sold on Hart.

One or two thought he was well too slow.

LLoyd loved him though, and made the decision.

 

 

Wow.

Justin.

Too Kind…

Wow.

Justin.

Too Kind. Please stop by for a beer if you are ever in AA for game day.

 

Craig

cross@comcast.net

 

Scanner:

     I admit my…

Scanner:

     I admit my value added is very problematic---awful references and strained allegories, aside. 

Craig

 

     

 

Not sure why the BT should…

Not sure why the BT should care more about the Cape Cod League than its own interests, regardless of the current relative merits of the leagues. The argument is simple. Play baseball in the summer not the winter. 

BU was a lot faster than I…

BU was a lot faster than I was. You were faster than I was. 

Seth works hard and is…

Seth works hard and is terrific, but this is Alex's article.

On another board several…

On another board several fans are hammering Syler. Really, pretty nasty.

Glad to see none of that here.

Styler had an incredible run and was one point (one bad call?) away from a NC.

Combined, Men's and Women's tennis had their best year ever. Next year the women should be stronger. The men will decline, losing Styler, Fenty and Maloney. They still have several very good players, but the depth won't approach this year, absent some pretty remarkable infusion of talent.

 

 

bB/others:

   I think your…

bB/others:

   I think your view is about the same as most UM fans. One of my best friends wrote me.

Craig, you are wrong about Shemy. You aren't on social media. It's a big deal. It makes UM look like morons. It will be used against them. 

 Well, I began to waffle during the show but it still feels fairly inert to me. I might completely fall on my sword but for the first time in 40 years my wife agreed with me about something.

I wish the AD would say, "Harbaugh hired this moron and didn't ask for our opinion. When the news about his  twitter posts became known to us we fired him immediately. We can't countenance such attitudes. And we apologize for our negligence in not reviewing his social media activity. Cowboy days are over for us, in this regard. Unlike certain dinosaurs in the old-world media or kinda-media (Craig Ross) we need to pay attention to social media."

  Is it a big deal then? Is it any different? I dunno. I still don't see it as some major scandal. I wish the AD was more open about events. 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

100% agree.

A favorite of…

100% agree.

A favorite of mine that I haven't rewatched in 10 years.

 

Thanks for bringing this up…

Thanks for bringing this up.

I was in college and attended that game.

One of the worst weather games, ever.

Cold, wet/ice. There were no more than 2,000 people there by the end, in my recall/estimation.

Johnson was the only player on the field who seemed to be able to stand up for more than a step or two, in my memory. 

He set the NCAA record of 347 rushing yards in that game (I hope this is right) but I am now suspicious since it seems like Heston must have rushed for more in the point a minute years, though no one might have been keeping track. One of these days, I will go through the old Dailies and see what can be pieced together.

Again, IIRC, that record was broken by another Big Ten back not long thereafter. Mike Adamle?

Yeah, I want to see this one again, too.

 

 

Terrific article, Alex.

All…

Terrific article, Alex.

All right on the money, in my opinion.

 

Note that Bob Mann and Len…

Note that Bob Mann and Len Ford were other great black players on the 1947 team. Both played in the NFL and Ford is in the NFL HOF. He and Gino Marchetti were considered the dominant defensive ends through 1970 in the NFL.