text:
have you?
Martha Stewart officially destroys tailgating
My wife might have a different opinion than I do.
I suppose I should specify that not ALL women officially ruin tailgates. Just some.
Opinion to which part of that statement? That you had sex or were with a woman? /s
a woman? Yikes
This thread has spawned my creation, thanks!
From now on, my creator will deploy this account to track posts and/or comments that make statements which are distasteful and/or alienate members of the MGoCommunity on the basis of race, sex, gender, orientation, nationality, veteran status and disability. Offending posts will be noted, suggestions to improve discourse will be offered, and points will be tallied by username in two categories: the Creeper Cone of Shame and the Upstanding Citizen's Cup. The Cone will be bestowed biannually to the poster with the most offenses, and the Cup will be given to the user with most positive contributions to making all feel welcome.
You are so getting coal for Christmas.
Worst joke ever.
Edit: Apparently I needed to be a bit more clear. In context, the above statement was quite comical. It's just that "coal" jokes are all too prevalent in my life. If you are confused, please refer to my username. If confusion STILL arises, Cole... coal... ha.... Why am I posting this? I do not know. Joke = funny. Moving along.
do you feel better now?
You are justified in your frustration
is a real drag.
Someone should make an NHL version of this captioned "In Before the Lockout"
Buffalo Wild Wings
I logged in just to upvote this. I guarantee this is going to be the best post on this thread.
it is.
tailgating is a whole different game down south.
Second, as a woman, I am offended.
Third, I think with much work, we could find you a nice woman, Blazefire. Don't give up hope.
Also, as an English major, I commend your use of "prattling". Good one.
edit: I see you have a wife. We can set up a support group for her. at a tailgate. with fine china.
"Second, as a woman, I am offended."
But as a Michigan fan, you whole heartedly agree with meand will adopt the spirit of the season? Or... no?
Just to note, I am married to an awesome woman. Article made me laugh at how on point it was to my life, though.
a fancy tailgate with "activities" would creep me out. But I do enjoy a large supply of different appetizers (may or may not be from PInterest), a main dish (can be hot dogs) and some great desserts. No activities or fine China! And no warm beer! cold beer, whiskey sours, and maybe Bloody Mary's for a noon game. I pass on the Wine for a tailgate. Sangria is OK.
The bloody mary is the most criminally overlooked beverage in existence. Most people seem to love them, yet they rarely order them. Whenever I'm in Vegas I'm usually ordering them and I couldn't count the number of people near me who always say, "Wow, that sounds really good. I'll have one too!" It's a unisex drink too which improves its utility at a party.
+1 to you for realizing its usefulness at a tailgate.
try the Bloody Caeser's they serve poolside at the Bellagio.
I am currently in the area for work and am intrigued by this...but just for the sake of saying it wouldn't a Bloody Caesar be more of a Caesar's Palace kind of drink?
Canada's contribution to cocktails, and damn, they're good.
see our neighbors to the north get a plug
And i have a bloody mary recipe that I thought I'd share, passed down from my late stepfather, a UM B-School grad. This is a relatively mild spice load so you may add more to suit your taste, but follow the basic ingredients.
1 half-gallon jug of Clamato Juice
1 teaspoon tabasco
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons worcester
2 teaspoons horseradish (not the creamy kind)
After you mix the jug, you can pour some off and replace with vodka, so it's all ready to go.
Serve over ice of course, and top it off with a splash of beer. it adds a nice bit of effervescence and cuts the viscousness of the tomato juice.
Isn't that a Bloody Caesar to a T?
But now that you're married, you can just tell her to go to hell if she bothers you when you're trying to watch football.
RIght, because that wouldn't end up killing your changes to enjoy the rest of this football season and probably the next three as well . . .
I mean, are you married? It turns out that, by the time somebody likes you enough to marry you, she will put up with being told to go to hell during football games every once in a while. I was a little surprised, too, but it works. Just don't let anybody put anything about paying attention to anyone during fall Saturdays into your vows and you're good.
I must have forgotten to attach that rider to my marriage license. Or my wife didn't tell me about it. Likely the latter.
She's just being sneaky. It took 25 years for my wife to finally realize that no matter how hard she tries, she's never going to mold me into the imaginary man she wishes she'd married.
I'll bring the salmon rillettes and make some themed cocktails.
I was going to rant about "wtf is a rillette, GTFO" and then I googled:
"Rillettes is a preparation of meat similar to pâté. Originally made with pork, the
meat is cubed or chopped, salted heavily and cooked slowly in fat until it is tender "
and, YES PLEASE
I suppose I have only myself to blame.
you do. but I will give you a +1 anyway.
In what sense is tailgaiting a whole different bowl of boiled peanuts?
Haha, my GF is from Georgia, and I've been to many a southern tailgate. Food is awesome, but I'm curious what you're pointing to specifically.
I will say this, girls in the south can actually sit and watch a football game (thank God, my gf is so understanding of my CFB addiction.)
I will say this, girls in the south are just better generally.
/shots fired
//War of Northern Aggression Round 2
I hear Southern women dress up for tailgating? No? Although I did buy myself a cute pair of maize cords yesterday.........Oh, God, someone help me!!!!
ya! Sundresses for the games... pledges (and most guys) where suits. It's a big deal. Wearing Jerseys are frowned upon.
They have an unfair advantage over us and that is- weather! 90 degrees every Saturday down south....perfect for Sundresses. Sorry for the guys that have to wear suits, though.
And no way in hell am I wearing a dress...shorts and flip flops for football, and most everything (non work) else.
to you
An oxford, a blazer, and a tie does not a suit make.
I know what 1 out of those 3 things is. I'm a bloody savage, aren't I?
I'd like to add "throwing a football" and "finding somewhere to pee between cars" to the list of acceptable tailgate activities.
I support this ammendment.
The latter is both acceptable and necessary in order to maximize one's enjoyment at a tailgate
it does.
Also drinking games. If that isn't covered by drinking
Generally, i think the whole snide comment picture thing is played out... but this is down right hilarious. Thanks for giving me hope.
Can't you just be thankful that you are at a tailgate... which also implies you should be thankful that you are going to a game?
To be so lucky!
One of the comments in the replies to the story included something that I can definitely imagine at Southern Tailgates...
"100-300 arguments ensue over ACC quality. GF argues that Duke's WR's could 'torch' WVA's dbacks. Since she went to Alabama she will of course know their names and hometowns."
Actually, the whole comment thread for the article is pretty funny.
I went to college in the South. I wore a dress to every tailgate. Only a complete brute of a man would show up to a tailgate without coat and tie.
That scenario probably has Big Ten folk aghast, but on the plus side there was often very good bourbon available.
What has me aghast is the implication that you have to dress up to drink good bourbon.
What has me aghast is the implication that you have to
dress up be dressed to drink good bourbon.
<--- Big big fan of scotch whisky, have yet to find a bourbon that I really enjoy...
Looking for reccomendations to better acquaint myself with the joys of bourbon. Any suggestions?
of the widely available ones, I always enjoy Woodford Reserve (always neat). The current rise in micro distilleries keeps things interesting, too. Happy hunting.
Mint Julep Jelly Shots (yeah, you can't count after a few of them)
The Macallan 18 is my favorite spirit of all time. I like Bourbon, too, and Irish whiskey for good measure. I'll take just about any barrel-aged, distilled spirit from grains. The flavors of vanilla, oak and caramel are always high on my list.
Went on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail just this week, in fact. Stopped at Four Roses and tried their three whiskeys sold here in the U.S. (yellow label, small batch and single barrel). I was fairly impressed.
is my favorite scotch. It is distilled in the Highlands in Tain.
I like Buffalo Trace, smooth and really good for the price, no so damn 'spensive.
name of Barney Stinson is wrong with dressing up to drink?
I encourage proper dress, in fact. After all, one does not want to be mistaken for a slovenly hobo while drinking outdoors.
Just don't ask me why it's so important that I get the signal in for the noon games when we're going to a live game at 3:30. And more importantly, don't glare at me when you're trying to chat me up about new landscaping ideas and I respond with a grunt and a comment on WVU's defense.
I've been to a Clemson game in September. If you think its anywhere close to being fair that girls can wear airy dresses while guys have to wear a stiffling coat and tie then you've got another thing coming. The girls in the South are outstanding but the guys are clearly all idiots.
I'd rather be kicking it in the the above picture than the below picture.
The above picture looks sensual.
The below picture looks boring.
For me... so long as it's tasty and I don't have to do any work other than lifting it to my mouth, that's perfect tailgate food.
Capitalizing it makes it sound like an unwholesome sexual act. NTTAWWT.
I would direct it.
I'm not so sure what's wrong with all this. Once you get past "mandatory" flag football or Bacci ball (oh, and I'll concede the decorations sound terrible), you have:
- Cheese quesadillas (with guacamole and sour cream)
- Veggie platters with dip
- Chips and salsa
- Make-your-own-fajita station
- Hot chocolate
That doesn't sound terrible to me. The food is pretty much in line with what I would expect to see at a backyard family tailgate, although none of my drinks of choice are represented. Maybe I'd prefer some more barbeque, but if the alternative is fajitas you won't hear any complaining from me.
Please return yours.
If I'm at the game I'd rather be eating brats and burgers (actually I'd rather be eating some kind of pork, but whatever), but I'm not sure how fajitas and quesadillas suddenly got less manly because it's a fall Saturday. Also, if you don't like chips and salsa or some vegetables and ranch...I don't even know, man.
Right up until "make your own fajita station." At that point, I had visions of white coated waitstaff, and little finger foods, and china. Also, stemware. Also, nothing called "crudite" should ever be allowed at a tailgate. Sure, I get that they're cut up veggies, but still...
When I say "make-your-own-fajita station" what that usually means for me is putting the crockpot full of venison steak, onions and peppers on the counter with tortillas, a bag of shredded cheese, a tub of sour cream and some different hot sauces out on my kitchen island.
And you now have me thinking about a make your own fajita station tonight, dammit.
I'm not so sure what's wrong with all this.
I'll tell you what's wrong. Nowhere does it mention beer or any actual watching of football. This is what happens when you mix the Martha-Stewart-esque desire to have phony perfection in everything you do, with the same attitude responsible for the creation of "woman-caves." The people who try this sort of thing with the expectation that it'll actually work are the same people who were the only ones not having having fun at their wedding (despite being the bride) because shit didn't go down exactly has planned.
I have no use for tailgaiting (not that I make it to games much). I don't like to eat before games because I'm always a little sick to my stomach during them, and I don't like being distracted by anything a good hour before kickoff (and then during the game, of course). The team needs my total focus.*
*That's crazy? No, you are crazy, and I'll thank you stop projecting your voice into my head.
All "activities" at my tailgates revolve around Jameson.
Like I said. Not ALL women are responsible for the destruction of tailgates. Some just for the destruction of livers.
Which is wholly encouraged.
Livers, dignity, furniture, clothing, etc etc etc. =)
thought that said "Future" and not furniture.
Future also.
Some say "future," some say "life as we know it." Either way, same result.
But whatevz. What happens in Ann Arbor stays in Ann Arbor. =)
I think it's a marvelous idea to decorate the tailgate table with "fall colors." Because that's what people like! I also like to "line my veggie bowls" with lettuce, because again, that's what people fucking kill for. And what a wonderful idea to serve grilled cheese quesadillas, which of course are a staple at all pre-game festivities! This is precious! I can't wait to play Baci Saturday all goddamn day before the Michigan game! I'm going to kill everyone at Baci!!! In other words, THANK YOU MARTHA!!
Guy who had his last football Saturday ruined by a group of women who complained he wasn't "participating". I had my beer and my eyes on the TV. That is how you participate in a damned tailgate! Not by doing the friggin christmas name-draw!
You win the internet today - LOL.
Martha Stewart is from Westport, CT and this article is in the Wesport Patch. I'm assuming that's the connection that the OP was making.
As for the artcile, I've been enjoying it and the comments all week since Jason Kirk tweeted about it on Monday. I went to college in the town next to Wesport and this type of party would be very typical for the residents of Connecticut's "Gold Coast". As others have noted, it doesn't sound like a bad party, just not a good tailgate. Also, in my opinion you can't have a tailgate at your house. That would be considered a BBQ. Without a car there is no tailgate.
To be fair, this is probably a bit unfair to the actual Martha Stewart -- she would do a better job than this. For one, like the OP, she'd recognize that the decor (and attire) should be about fandom -- I'm not quite sure what tasteful fandom looks like, but I'm sure she would be happy to show me. I think it might involve pennants. Second, I'd hope she'd recognize that to be a "tailgater," you'd have to hold it in your driveway, not in the backyard.
Martha would probably expect the guests not to wear the jerseys and bright colors of their teams, but rather "tea stain" white t-shirts to "celebrate the colors of autumn."
And if you want to know how I know what "tea staining" is, here's a clue: Michael's is my wife and daughter's favorite store on earth.
Poor Blazefire originally titled this thread "women destroy tailgating" and then very quickly realized that was not the most perfect title in the world and changed it to Martha Stewart.
Sometimes I feel all threads should have a 12 hour wait period before being posted...
This has nothing to do with treating women like objects. He said they destroy tailgates, which requires agency. How can you treat something like an object while simultaneously affirming its agency? Not all instances of misogyny are instances of treating women like objects.
Sorry, I missed the reference. The forthcoming downvotes are well deserved.
5 minutes of work is outrageous. I've got it made being a stay at home mom. My job improved dramatically once the third child headed off to Kindergarten. Sadly, now I have just discovered how lazy I actually am.
The 12 hour waiting period I was referring to was for poorly titled threads, not your response. I can imagine sometimes people start a thread and then ten minutes later they think,"D'oh!".
WHOA!!! I just bookmarked this thread so I can show my wife the next time she yells about how I've got it easy going to work everyday instead of staying at home with the kids. (Of course, our two are younger than kindergarten age so I assume I'll lose the argument again. Dammit.)
Two at home means she still can't go to the bathroom alone.....It's a whole different ballgame!
That is EXACTLY what she tells me. Can't go to the bathroom, can't eat, and can't shower. I guess that explains why she stinks . . . Hahaha.
could you imagine a recruiting thread being relevant after the 12 hour wait period? Hell, kid could commit and de-commit by then.
the 19th Amendment.
else. I especially did not laugh out loud when I watched that.
Was that video a response to not getting any in high school?
Edit: Now that I think about it, if he had been smarter, he would have known that making girls look stupid is no way to endear himself to dumb girls and smart girls alike. So while trying to make himself look smart by making girls look dumb, he missed the opportunity that other, nicer boys who, instead of spending time making girls look dumb, were spending time getting laid. Make sense?
No, because jerks have exponentially better chances at getting laid. A friend of mine actually turned that into an experiment. All I'll say is that the hypothesis had remarkable predictive ability and that he's dedicated the past year and a half to expanding his sample size.
He must be sampling from the girls with low self-esteem group. My experience, and the experience of my friends, proves different.
No offense, but no. You may gravitate toward nice guys, and think that therefore men should find it easier to get girls by being nice, but it doesn't work that way. Being nice has landed me, and by and large most of my friends, in second place, every single time. No girl or woman I've ever wanted to sleep with, date, marry, or otherwise be in some kind of relationship with has ever responded positively to coming on nice. They think they do, but they don't. Getting wasted and slapping on a nametag with my pornstar name on it, however? Go figure.
You know how men say they don't understand women? They're right. You're mistaking confidence and surehandedness for dickishness. I guess there are women out there who mistake those two things as well. But the female fantasy isn't to sleep with an asshole. The female fantasy is to be with a guy who isn't a metrosexual pussy but a caveman who will throw you down but then offer to do your laundry, a guy who will be genuinely kind to some homeless person on the street, one who will talk to your mother on the phone in a really endearing way even when he doesn't want to. Seriously, when you figure out that we want a good dose of testerone laced with good guy kindness, the oyster will open up for you.
I noticed you were upvoted to the max. Probably all by guys.
Edit: And I say this respectfully and with the intention of helping you (plural - all guys).
And I also agree with the premise of this thread, re: Martha Stewart. She's ruined a lot of things, but I do love the fact that she spent time in the clink.
You nailed it. Exactly.
I was going to leave this alone because honestly it's not that important, but something about this post annoys me. Not sure what it is though, it's a pretty benign post.
She's not right, at all. Women's motivations and desires are irrelevant (to this discussion, not in general). We were discussing the most successful strategy for getting women to sleep with you, not how they feel about it. In terms of pure, dispassionate numbers, the jerk wins nearly every time (all else being equal). If you want to argue that this isn't the most fulfilling path for either party, perhaps you have a point. That wasn't what we were talking about though. Being a jerk works. It just does, I'm sorry. Even if it IS just women mistaking jerk for confidence, it still works and that's what matters for the discussion.
Also, I believe her when she says she offered her "advice" respectfully. Still was super annoying though becuase in doing so she framed things as her educating the poor clueless brutes, when in reality she was arguing a straw man.
/Rant. I need to go to bed and stop posting here after drinking. This was super off topic for this blog. So, uh.. Go Blue?
I'm sorry if I sounded like I know it all. I actually come here to MGoBlog to talk football, not male female dynamics. But when they do come up, and they did even before the video was posted (which is what prompted this whole thing), there's always guys who talk about women like we're all the same. Not all guys do this, but there are always some. And that's super annoying. I see your point, in the whole idea that women like bad boys, but there's more to it. It is nuanced.
And yes, Go Blue!
It is nuanced, yes. The problem is this: Guys do not pick up on nuance very well. At all. We understand "yes" and "no." (Some don't understand "no" but we're talking about normal guys here, not rapists.) Women have the right to be annoyed that men don't "get them" and talk about women as if they're all the same. But if you're gonna do that, please allow men a little frustration with the attitude that guys don't get women, combined with the simultaneous expectation for us to pick up on all that nuance. Rather than letting it come down to which approach is best for talking to/meeting/sleeping with girls, guys really, really do appreciate it when women are clear about how they feel BEFORE it comes down to trying to decide whether to be a jerk or be nice.
Also, to stay more on topic, please stop appropriating guy things and putting doilies on them kthxbai. The reason this thread exists is because guys honestly can't fathom the workings of a brain that wants to do this. We don't say to each other, "you know what would be awesome? a baby shower, but with beer!"
Also also Go Blue.
I don't get the doily thing, either. And as far as saying men don't get us, I'm only responding to this thread, which is essentially...."why do women have to be like this?" I agree that men and women are really different. I'm a former advertising copywriter and I used to write McDonald's commercials. I once wrote a spot where a guy is at McDonald's and calls his girlfriend to see if she wants anything. She tells him, "You know what I like." And he freaks because all he thinks about is baseball statistics. He has no idea what she likes (or thinks, or feels). It was totally based on my huband and it was done tongue in cheek (and in the spot, he ends up ordering the entire Dollar Menu and offering each item up to her to see which one she grabs). So yeah, I get that men are simpler. I get frustrated with women, too.
I see both points. In HS and in early college the jerks won out. But, like you suggest, you learn to not really focus on being a jerk, but you learn to play the game like you've got "nothing to lose" so to speak. Not to say you don't "care" about the girl, but you just be confident, funny, and don't give her your undivided attention (aka don't sweat her), and things typically work out.
At least that's my approach.
Rationale: "Nice Guy Syndrome" asserted as universal fact. Belittles womens' judgment {see: "They think they do, but they don't."}
Suggestion: Refrain from projecting personal experiences on people as a whole.
Congratulations, four posts in and you're already my least favorite poster on the site.
Suggestion: lighten up. Or go away.
Rationale: Pseudoscience {see term: "exponentially better chances at getting laid"} driven by anecdotal experience with stereotypical Pick-Up Arist {PUA} mentality {see "expanding his sample size."}
Suggestion: Do not state as fact that which is opinion, and degrading to women on the assertion that they are as a whole more likely to sleep with a "jerk." It is best to treat people as the individuals that they are, rather than predictable as a result of one defining characteristic such as gender.
The language reflected a poor attempt at humor/ expanding on a metaphor rather than a genuine Pick-Up Artist mentality. Your point is received though, and it is a legitimate one. My language was... regrettable. Come on though, people are predictable for a whole host of reasons. And I disagree that the observation that women are more likely to sleep with jerks is degrading to women because I didn't go on to speculate why I thought that was. Actually, I DO agree that it's because it's sometimes easy to mistake for confidence, and I think that people of all genders are generally pretty bad at making decisions that will make them most happy in life.
If you plan a wedding for a late summer/early fall Saturday I will I will hunt you down. I will find you. And I will kill you.
Most likely I will just see you at the wedding complain and punch you in the balls a few times.
in October, but it was an away game with a noon start and the wedding was at 4:30. And it was Indiana. So no harm done.
Good on you, but I would still show up drunk. There is a 90% chance i would show up drunk regardless though. Saturdays are for day drinking. I don't have a drinking problem, I have a shitty life solution.
So what happens when its anniversary time and it's Michigan versus Sparty? Fall weddings are FAIL.
I love my team. We go to see the game. No questions asked.
is a Notre Dame fan and he got married on the day of UTL. I went to the game, then gave him a bunch of shit about it later.
to give him shit about too.
unofficially, of course.
EDIT: she does kinda lose sight of where the "tailgate" in tailgate comes from, but I forgive her. Anyone who wants to enliven your football festivities rather than tell you you are exposing your eight-year-old daughter to violence (aherm) is headed in the right direction.
Food.. A canopy is nice if its raining. If i feel like getting fancy, I'll make pitchers of beer margaritas or bloody Marys.
Someone needs to find a scan of the brochure Don Canham sent out all over the state in 1969 pitching Michigan season tickets, because if memory serves, it features pictures that are essentially that era's version of Martha Stewart Living. Canham wanted the women to buy in, and in order to do that, he needed to pitch the fancy tailgate and family fun angle so the husband could go to his football game.
Yes, you read that correctly. What you know and love as the Michigan football 100k every game, tailgating extravaganza was built on a pitch to women and a full slate of domestic activities (including a football game) on a Saturday afternoon.
we need a "Don Canham destroys the past" tag on this blog then is what you're saying?
My first tailgate in college (New England, Ivy) consisted of hors d'oeuvres, hamburgers, cloth napkins, sparkling wine, and thermoses of hot buttered rum. I highly recommend it if you can talk some rich alumni's household staff into catering the tailgate.
Canham popularized tailgating and started selling out the Stadium by appealing to women, not men. There wouldn't be "manly Michigan Tailgates" if not for that.
Unless Martha Stewart has a large truck in her backyard, a tailgate is simply impossible. And therefore, discredits her entire "tailgating" strategy.
pretty sure it's bocce, but either way, drunk croquet is an AWESOME tailgating idea (until you try to send somebody's ball flying and hit your ankle cuz youre too drunk)
I'm afraid you guys might be overlooking the very best part of this article - the comments section. here's how The South views an 'authentic' tailgate:
"Start talking about the tailgate party the week before. Argue over beers on TU, WED and TH, especially during the ESPN TH game of the week.
Saturday arrives.
8 AM - first of the 50 people who will be at the party arrive. With Cigars.
810 am - first beer and /or mimosa or bourbon
900 AM - bourbon and cokes accompany the grilled breakfast items, including large slabs of extra thick bacon, lots of coffee, eggs, sausage and someone's leftover deer meat from hunting the week prior
1000AM- someone sets up not one but THREE TVs to watch gameday.
1000 - start the smoker for the 2 boston butts you will grill - each weighs 10 pounds.
Noon - wife and GFs arrive. clean up breakfast, start preparing for lunch
1230 - put slabs of ribs on the grill
100 PM- the uppity guy from the good southern fraternity puts pork loin on the grill. 7 pounder.
100-300- arguments ensue over ACC quality. GF argues that Duke's WR's could 'torch' WVA's dbacks. Since she went to Alabama she will of course know their names andhometowns.
100-330 - Games commence - beer pong, lots of solo cups, bean bag toss.
330 CBS game of the week- since it's a SOUTHERN TAILGATE - it will be an SEC game ..with the auxiliary TVs showing Big 12 game and maybe a reigonal SEC tilt.
330-7PM - lots of eating, sides including mac and cheese, home made southern beans, a fried side or three, shots of Crown Royal. Little kids get sent inside since the REAL SOUTHERN TAILGATE HAS STARTED.
500-700PM - beer run at halftime, more bourbon, someone you trust has arrived with tequila.
7PM /dark - You are in CT so we here in the south appreciate that it's dark there by 515 pm ... bring out the fire ring, put wood on.
730 PM game- the SEC game is usually at 730 or 8 AND there is a game on a 9 pm ... watch them ALL.
730 - Someone refires up the grill since a guy from Texas A and M has arrived with 5 packs of bratwursts.
9 PM- police arrive, you lower the sound, end the beer pong game.
10 PM- the front yard looks like a tornado hit it. Time to grill dessert- arguments ensue, you start planning the next week.
1130 PM - the last of the lightweights has left.
12 midnight- College Football Final is now on, ESPN. Pizzas arrive. Wives leave the inside of the house (the ones from the PAC 12 schools who married SEC grads), and come outside to sit by the fire and eat pizza with left over boston pork butt thrown on slices.
1230-130 - Someone finds an old DVD of (1)a classic rivalry game (2)a spring game (3)It's not the DVD, it's the damn replay of the game we saw at noon!
So you drink some more. ONE person suggests making a quesadilla, so he gets pants'd. Last of the 10 bratwursts are cut up and put on a paper plate, served caviar style to the remaining stalwarts.
130-200 - lights out. Bring TVs in, leave the rest as is til the morning, It can wait, your team has won.
there you have it TRUE SOUTHERN TAILGATE.
where it says "your team has won"...does this mean Auburn fans don't wait till morning to bring the rest of the stuff in?
just yikes...
Who let Martha out of jail in the first place?
needs a cell
All I know is that the quality, quantity and variety of food we serve at our tailgate improved 10 fold once my current wife started attending. My practice wife hated football and hated the tailgate and never went, much less make anything thereby resulting in boring food choices. The avatar, on the other hand, LOVES to cook and spends most of Friday making stuff for us to bring.
Rationale: Objectification. {see terms "practice wife," "The avatar"}
Suggestions: A wife is a person, and as such should not be described as "practice," nor as "the avatar," which is a representation of an object. Better terms would include: "former wife," and "the woman pictured in my avatar, who also happens to be my current wife," or simply, "my current wife."
your just above treading h2o here. Back slowly out of the room and do not return until December 2nd. Shhhhhhhh.
This pretty much already is how they tailgate in the South... generic music and all
you didn't see her fishing shanty issue.
A bit extreme, but there are tons of different ways to put on a tailgate. To each their own.
What the heck is "moosh moosh"(sp?)


text:
NORTON SHORES, Mich. (AP) -- Some Michigan lawmakers are considering whether surveillance cameras or other security measures should be required at certain businesses following the disappearance of a 25-year-old mother and gas station night clerk.
Police said there was no surveillance video at the Exxon Mobil gas station in Norton Shores where Jessica Heeringa was working when she disappeared Friday.
Democratic state Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright of Muskegon, Republican state Sen. Goeff Hansen of Hart and Democratic state Rep. Collene Lamonte of Montague tell The Muskegon Chronicle that they'll explore ways to get a law in place to protect convenience store employees.
Hansen says Heeringa's disappearance brought the issue to light.
Police have released portions of two surveillance videos from other area businesses showing a silver or gray Chrysler minivan, but they offer little detail.

subset: commoncrawl


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South Dakota Ag Officials Advise Tests for Aflatoxin Levels
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota agriculture officials are advising farmers and ranchers to test for aflatoxin levels in their corn, distiller's grains and silage piles due to this year's drought.
SDSU Extension educators say feed refusal, reduced growth rate and decreased feed efficiency are the predominant signs of chronic aflatoxin poisoning in livestock. High levels of aflatoxin fed to dairy cows can lead to contamination of the milk that is produced.
The National Corn Growers Association says aflatoxin is most prevalent in corn, cotton, peanuts and tree nuts. Aflatoxin is most commonly related to drought-stressed corn, followed by periods of high humidity.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


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WCSU to offer welcome events for incoming freshmen
DANBURY, CONN. — Anyone who has ever prepared to send a child off to college knows how stressful and hectic those weeks between high school graduation and the first day of college can be. There are forms to fill out, classes to register for, I.D. cards to acquire, tuition payments to make — not to mention searching out the best deals on linens, dorm-room storage and studying supplies. To help ease some of the stress and provide an opportunity for incoming students to ask questions of those who have "been there, done that," Western Connecticut State University will offer a series of "send-off" events this summer.
The events will provide new students and their parents a relaxed, casual environment in which to meet WCSU alumni, faculty, staff and current students and President James W. Schmotter to ask their need-to-know questions before heading off to campus in the fall. The events will take place as follows:
Sunday, July 21 – NEW MILFORD AREA NEW STUDENT- ALUMNI BBQ: 1 to 3 p.m. at Harrybrooke Park, 64 Lanesville Road in New Milford.
Sunday, July 28 – NORWALK AREA NEW STUDENT- ALUMNI CLAMBAKE: 2 to 4 p.m. at Cranbury Park, Grumman Avenue in Norwalk.
Saturday, Aug. 10 – CHESHIRE AREA NEW STUDENT- ALUMNI BBQ: 2 to 4 p.m. at Cheshire Park, 20 Highland Ave. in Cheshire.
For more information or to RSVP for any of these events, call the Alumni Office at (203) 837-8298 or send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England's best small private universities.


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The Ogeechee Riverkeeper has once again been met with frustration in its ongoing legal battles with King America Finishing Company. The latest came last week, when attorneys for Environmental Protection Division, the state's top environmental regulator, requested the petition be heard about 200 miles away in Spalding County, where EPD Director Judson Turner resides.
The Riverkeeper had expected to make its case that the judge should shut down discharge from King America Finishing Company because the textile processor is operating without a permit on Jan. 9 in Screven County, where it was scheduled.
The change of venue order was filed Jan. 7 in Screven.
The case, which stems from a May 2011 incident in which 38,000 fish died in the black water river, some as far south as Bryan County, was originally filed in November. It has frustrated the Riverkeeper from the start. It took a month, four failed attempts and a court order to get a summons and complaint served on the EPD director.
During the investigation following the 2011 incident, the EPD discovered King America had been discharging from its fire retardant line for five years without a permit.
That line was immediately shut down but was allowed to reopen the next month with new guidelines - but still no permit - from the EPD. A draft permit was issued in August 2012 but revoked in October to allow the state to perform water quality analysis required by the federal Clean Water Act.
The draft permit has not been re-issued. EPD assistant director Jim Ussery said the analysis needed to do so is in progress and is expected to be completed by mid-February. Issuance of the draft permit is followed by a 30-day public comment period. Once a permit is issued, the petition before Spalding County Judge John Turner will be moot.
Ussery said the division acted within its rights in allowing the discharge to continue under prescriptions it set out in a letter while a permit is being drawn up.
"We think that's within the director's discretion," he said. "Ultimately a judge will rule on that."
A new draft consent order was released in October. The EPD expects to announce the date of a public hearing on the order in the next few weeks, Ussery said.
Judge John Turner, who will hear the case, had previously ruled in favor of the Riverkeeper. In July, he invalidated the state's $1 million consent order with King America, which the Riverkeeper opposed as insufficient and lacking in public input.
While Riverkeeper Emily Markesteyn didn't argue the transfer to Spalding, she wasn't happy about the latest delay.
"It's pretty apparent they don't want it heard in any court," she said.
Ussery said there has been no attempt to delay the current case.
"I know for a fact Jud (Turner) was not trying to duck them," he said about the process servers. "He told them when he was going to be here."
The change of venue was necessary as a matter of law, Ussery said. The suit names Jud Turner personally in his capacity as EPD director, and it had to be filed in his county of residence.


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LEXINGTON, Ky. - State Agriculture Commissioner James Comer says a bill to allow the growth of industrial hemp will soon be filed in the Kentucky General Assembly.
Commissioner Comer is working with Republican Sen. Paul Hornback on the legislation, which is expected to be filed next week. Hornback is also the newly appointed chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
"It's always good when the chairman of the committee sponsors the bill that will begin in that committee," says Comer.
Representative Terry Mills has already pre-filed an industrial hemp measure in the state House, but Comer says the new bill will more clearly define the regulatory role of the Department of Agriculture.
"This is an industry that will begin from scratch so we want to make sure that all of our I's are dotted and all of our T's are crossed."
Hemp is currently classified as a Schedule I drug because of its similarities to marijuana, but the amount of THC in hemp is too low to cause the "high" that marijuana can.
Comer has spent the past several months voicing support for industrial hemp, including Thursday at a meeting of the Lexington Forum. He's trying to get law enforcement officials on his side, but Comer says the hemp decision ultimately rests with General Assembly.
"Whether they support it or not, the legislators are the lawmakers. They're the ones that make the laws and the state police will abide by the law. So I wish everybody was on board, but at the end of the day my job as Ag Commissioner is to help farmers and to create jobs in rural communities. And this bill will do that and hopefully we can get it passed."
An economic impact study conducted by the University of Kentucky on the crop's market potential is expected to be ready in early February.
If the measure passes the Kentucky legislature, Comer says he will next focus on getting industrial hemp reclassified at the federal level.


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At least one in eight Australian soldiers who served in Afghanistan suffered a non-combat related injury or physical or mental illness between 2005 and October 2012.
A senior soldier welfare advocate said a 12.5 per cent casualty rate would not be tolerated in any other workplace or workforce.
"The employer would be held to account," the national president of the Defence Force Welfare Association, David Jamison, told Fairfax Media.
"There would be a royal commission or a judicial inquiry."
According to the figures released by the Australian Defence Force, 18,206 soldiers have served in that time.
The number peaked in 2009 with 851 defence force members - almost one in five - reporting non-combat related illnesses or injuries.
The spike was blamed on "confusion", which led to under-reporting prior to 2009.
According to ADF, of the 3,841 workplace health and safety incidents in Afghanistan, 2,276 had resulted in injury or illness.
Many of the reported injuries and illnesses were minor, including cuts, colds and gastroenteritis.


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Please keep all discussion about tonight's show in this thread only until midnight eastern time.
This thread is marked as a spoiler thread purely as a warning to our friends on the west coast who see the show three hours later.
Please do not use this thread to discuss future spoilers.
The other threads will be opened once the show has aired on the west coast, so we kindly request that you wait until then to discuss future spoilers.
Thank you for your co-operation in ensuring the show is not ruined for those who wish to remain spoiler-free.
Enjoy the show


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|Salem battles for a while, loses steam late
|Written by George Browning
|Tuesday, 21 August 2012 00:00
It was not the season opener Lions fans wanted to see on Friday night, August 17, when Salem took on Paoli High School at Paul A. Graves Stadium.
In fact, their 35-0 loss only brought back bitter reminders of last year's blowout when the Rams beat Salem 67-0.
Paoli scored their first touchdown and field goal early in the first quarter.
It looked like Salem's luck might have been changing after the Rams took a couple more trips to the goal line that were plagued with incomplete passes and a throw over the foul line. The half ended without anyone else scoring.
Whenever they had the ball, Salem was able to move it down the field without too much trouble, but Paoli's defensive line was determined to stop them right in front of the goal posts. Both teams struggled with interceptions throughout the night. Paoli scored two more touchdowns during the third quarter, making the score 21-0. The Lions gained the ball toward the end of the quarter, but with less than two minutes to go, it proved too late for Salem to score.
The fourth quarter featured some of the Lion's finest moments of the evening, including an excellent fake-out run by Quarterback Klayton Doughtery and an interception by Tyson Thomas. However, it was not enough to stop the Rams from scoring another pair of touchdowns and a field goal that brought the game to a disappointing 35-0 end.
Salem will no doubt be looking to redeem themselves when they play Silver Creek this Friday, August 24, again on their home turf.


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Geeky Girl Christmas Special: Evergreen Eyes
More Slideshows
Hey, guys. Guys. GUYS!
It's Christmas time.
I am so excited I can't even handle it. Makeup should never be taken too seriously, but with the pine-scented air, the chestnuts roasting, and the sugarplum fairies dancing in our heads, there are even more reasons to be festive with our faces. It is face paint after all. Face paint on which I'm wont to spend obscene amounts of money. Ponder that one!
So, my little Christmas elves, it's time for some Yuletide makeup. Behold, Evergreen Eyes!


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Hi All,
Google's Webspam Algorithm Gets Official Name - Penguin
It will affect 3 % queries. Say no to keyword stuffing and bad link schemes.
Source - http://searchengineland.com/the-penguin-update-googles-webspam-algorithm-gets-official-name-119623
So they name it as penguin. What's the next Animal to be featured? The next letter P Animal? Hmm??
(Image from SearchEngineWatch(dot)com)
Do you have something to share about this update? I'm in a big confused about this today. But I like the fact that it promotes natural linking. Of course it will teach us to learn more of new things and get away in our bad doings.I'm Looking Forward for Less Spam Environment as we go through the next days with Penguin Update.
With this Penguin update, most of the websites have dropped its ranking. Might be that few websites withstood in this update battle.. It would be good to have the websites with a unique content, no spamming at any means..
When Penguin came out, the first thing that I thought was that Google made Panda a new best friend. If you're going to look at things that way, Panda = quality; Penguin = anti-spam. Add them together, and you have a good place with good content, free of spam. Oh, and I wouldn't say "most" websites, because it only affected 3% of the queries. Well, you could say that "most" got hit because the ones we know have been hit. I'm feeling that this cycle, as shown in mackyanderson's image, will go on for a long time until Google finds away to completely eliminate spamming.
Logically, that's unlikely. There are still ten places on page 1, there's still a #1 answer for every search, so it's unlikely that "most" websites have fallen in the rankings.
As Google has said that this update only affects about 3% of queries, it clearly is not going to have any impact on "most" websites.
As Google has said that this update only affects about 3% of queries, it clearly is not going to have any impact on "most" websites.
That's not true - I have almost given up using Google to search for anything since the Panda update because all the top spots that used to contain useful sites have mostly been replaced with spam. Perhaps the Penguin update will revese that mistake on the part of the Panda update and get rid of the spam and put the useful sites back.
Penguin mainly targeted $$ keywords. Penalizing for crappy links is a bad idea. You have to be pretty naive to think that competitors won't go low as to negatively SEO their competition, because its pretty much a given they will. Taking out those blog networks is a good idea but not penalizing sites that they link to as that would make it too easy to take out a competitor using dirty tactics.
I think Google should just make the value of links zero instead of going penalty happy. One of my sites did get #1 for a keyword that gets 150,000 local(US) search per month though. Another one also went up significantly so its been good for me.
Hmm... I see your point there. I really do hope that at least what I said about Penguin being Panda's best friend would hold true.


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The picture in the book shows a square, with corners named A, B, C, and D (going counter-clockwise from the lower left). If you think of putting one tip of a compass at A, the other at B, and then drawing the quarter-circle through the inside of the square, that would be one of the arcs. Now do the same thing at the other three corners, and then shade the curvy-sided "square" in the middle.
I have to find the area of that middle part. I can find the area when there are two arcs making sort of a "canoe" shape, but what do I do with four arcs? Thanks.


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Jtube: The Larry Sanders Show
Should Jews ever hide their Jewishness in the workplace?
Featured at Aish.com:
Give Tzedakah! Help Aish.com create inspiring
articles, videos and blogs featuring timeless Jewish wisdom.
Visitor Comments: 16
(16) Eitan, March 4, 2014 7:40 PM
(15) Silkthorn, December 27, 2009 8:15 PM
(14) pinchas, December 4, 2009 9:00 AM
Bringing back memories
I would watch the Larry Sanders show every week back in 1996 when it was airing. It was true satire in the most biting and hysterical fashion. Very few shows would make me laught like it. Little did I know, that I also was to become one of those annoying rebellious Jews and started to wear my kippah on the street only a couple of years later! But at the workplace, I wasn't brave enough.
(13) Pleasant, December 4, 2009 3:24 AM
It's very funny, but in a melancholy way for me:
(12) Gloria, December 2, 2009 5:36 AM
I loved it!
Could it ever really happen that a comedian was to wear his yarmulka on TV? Why not? It doesn't impede his (or her) ability to be humorous. It is an outward express of one's belief in G-d. I see stars "dripping" with gold and/or diamond encrusted crucifixes performing on stage. They are either comedians or singers...often rock stars. I don't see the entire world reeling in hatred or disgust. Punk hair is okay, facial & body piercings are okay, but for some reason we frown on any outward expression of "the G-d of Avraham". What are we afraid of?.........


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Explain to me how the Patriots are better on offense now that they can no longer tape defensive signals.
Explain to me how the Patriots have been to 4 AFCCGs and 2 SBs in the years that follow Spygate.
Then I'll believe that Spygate is more important than the fact that the Patriots won when they had a great defense and now they don't. Which is the real reason they're struggling.


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Battlefield 3 Beta: Caspian Border Performance and Screenshots
Subject: Graphics Cards | September 30, 2011 - 08:28 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: caspian, bf3, battlefield 3
Battlefield 3 is all the rage (but when RAGE comes out, maybe it will be) for PC gamers right now as you can tell from our various articles on the subject. They have been very well received but as is usually the case, our readers wanted more. We are still working on our planned system guide but we needed some more data (currently being gathered) and I wanted to pass on some results from the Caspian Border map of the beta.
If you are looking for it today, don't bother - EA removed it. And even when it was online since the 27th it has been password locked. Luckily for us we were able to "find" the password online and jump in to do some quick benchmarking though not as much as we wanted thanks to the removal of the map. All I was able to grab was performance on the ASUS MARS II dual GTX 580 card and the GeForce GTX 580 reference card.
What is interesting is that because that map was for 64 players (rather than the 32 players of the Operation Metro map) and that it included a MUCH larger open space, we were worried that it would require a lot more GPU horsepower or memory than the map everyone is playing on today. While we can't say for 100% certainty because we haven't tested as many cards, it looks like there is only a minimal impact on performance for the client:
So you can see from those results that the Caspian Border map didn't vary much from the performance on the Operation Metro map with those two graphics cards. I am still curious if cards with 1GB of memory might see some more noticeable changes but until the map goes live again, I won't be able to check.
Finally, just because the map was seen by so few and is no longer available, I have included a host of screenshots from the map below, all you have to do is click to open up the full news post to access them. Enjoy!
Here is a video of us playing on the Caspian Border map during our PCPer Live! sessions this week!
Wow I'm running this on high because I don't think I can change it but I don't think i can do better on a gtx 460 1gb. It looks like the jump from high to ultra seems to be quite significant or maybe it's just me.
I haven't even gotten to run the game yet, I'm having issues with Battle Log thinking Origin is not running, even though it is.
I got a AMD 6870 1GB With a cori7 960 and 12GB RAM. Can I run the game on ultra?
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carlton brundidge
Basketball Season Review: Guards
Photo by Eric Upchurch/MGoBlog
Now that the disappointment stemming from an early NCAA tournament exit has largely melted away—replaced instead by a crippling fear that Trey Burke will go pro in similarly too-soon fashion—it's time to take a look back on the 2011-12 basketball season. Heading into the season, expectations weren't particularly high after the early departure of Darius Morris, and the burden was largely placed on Burke to get Michigan back to the tournament. From my season preview:
This year's team appears poised for a potential top-25 season and another tournament run, but much of those expectations rely on a smooth transition from a star in Morris to a true freshman in Burke while other players—most notably Hardaway and Smotrycz—pick up the scoring slack and keep the offense running smoothly. With a difficult non-conference slate that includes a brutal draw in the Maui Invitational, plus playing in a Big Ten conference ranked by KenPom as the nation's toughest, this looks to me like a team that will spend much of the season squarely on the tournament bubble.
Exceeding those expectations means that we either see vast improvement from key role players, a huge breakout from Tim Hardaway, or a fantastic freshman year out of Burke—none of those are out of the question, but none are certainties, either. If Michigan suddenly finds that they can't create inside scoring chances without Morris's penetration, or Hardaway spends the season trying to carry the offense by chucking up less-than-ideal shots, Michigan could fall short of their goals as the fanbase begins to look ahead to the arrival of Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III, and Nick Stauskas in 2012-13.
Michigan spent most of the season not on the tournament bubble, but firmly in the top 25, thanks to a fantastic freshman campaign from Burke. A late-season push, coupled with a little help from Ohio State, brought the team a share of its first Big Ten title in my lifetime. The team stumbled in the postseason, getting demolished by the Buckeyes in the conference tourney before bowing out to OHIO in the NCAAs, but there's no arguing that the season was a rousing success.
Today's review covers the guards—before you ask, Zack Novak gets lumped in with the forwards—and looks at their highlights, lowlights, and expectations for next year:
Trey Burke
Preseason Expectations: Burke headed into the season as the big question mark on the team. We knew the freshman was talented, likely beyond what his recruiting profile would suggest, but would he pick up the offense quickly enough to carry the burden of being the team's lone true point guard?
Postseason Reality: Burke not only grasped John Beilein's complicated offense quickly, but proved to be a dymanic scorer with an on-court maturity well beyond that of the average freshman. He scored in double figures in all but four games and played 30+ minutes in every game after the season opener, including three 45-minute efforts. Burke's quickness and finishing ability made him tough to handle on the pick-and-roll, which became the staple of Michigan's offense, and he was also adept leading the fast break. He also held up well defensively, posting the lowest foul rate on the team despite playing in a conference chock-full of talented point guards. Burke had his freshman moments, struggling a bit against larger guards and aggressive hedging, but he was the clear-cut best player on the team. The only question now is if Burke was a little too good, at least when it comes to the prospects of next year's squad.
Highlight: For a single play, Burke's improbable floater off the high glass to seal the Ohio State victory stands out above the rest, doubly so because he made the shot over childhood friend and future lottery pick Jared Sullinger. For a game, however, I'm going with his 30-point outburst against Minnesota in the first round of the BTT, as the freshman carried the offense in what was otherwise an ugly slog—Burke shot 11-14 from the field, the rest of his teammates a combined 13-35. Burke played every minute of the game, and Michigan needed all of his production in a three-point overtime victory.
Lowlight: The next day wasn't as kind, as Burke—gassed from playing 45 minutes the night before and matched up against B1G DPOY Aaron Craft—was just 1-11 from the field with eight turnovers in a 22-point loss to Ohio State. The larger Buckeyes exploited Michigan's lack of size across the board, giving Burke little room to operate, and the game got out of hand in a hurry.
Key Numbers: 28.7% assist rate, 49.0 2pt%, 34.8 3pt%, 1.7 fouls committed/40 minutes.
Next Year: PLEASE COME BACK. If Burke returns, he'll once again carry the load at the point, as Michigan is hoping to land either a grad-year transfer or true freshman to provide some backup help. Most of Burke's improvement should come from a full year in a college strength program and a greater understanding of Beilein's offense—remember the second-year leap of Morris—which should help him learn how to deal with big, aggressive defenses. There are little things, like leaving his feet on the baseline without knowing where he's going with the ball, that Burke needs to work on. That's picking nits, however, and if he returns he should contend for All-America honors.
Stu Douglass
Preseason Expectations: Knock down some threes, play the usual solid perimeter defense, spell Burke at the point on occasion, and provide critical senior leadership.
Postseason Reality: The numbers don't jump off the page, but that was never the expectation from a willing role player. Douglass not only was the team's top perimeter defender and an outside shooting threat—he developed into a reliable second ball-handler and had a knack for getting to the rim, an aspect of his game that was entirely nonexistent until this season. Douglass knew how to avoid mistakes on both ends of the floor, posting a very solid 14.4% turnover rate and committing just 2.2 fouls per 40 minutes. Though he never developed into a lights-out shooter, Douglass helped the team in so many ways—especially on defense—that the numbers probably don't do his contribution justice. He stepped into the starting lineup when Evan Smotrycz struggled in Big Ten play, gave Burke the space to run the team, and matched up against the opposing team's best scorer on most nights—nobody will ever accuse Stu of not being a team player.
Highlight: Douglass's best game came on the road at Northwestern, as he helped push the team to an overtime victory with 12 points (4-7 from three) and five assists while shutting down a red-hot Drew Crawford in the second half and OT.
Lowlight: Douglass struggled down the stretch, shooting a combined 6-18 and dishing out just four assists over the team's last three games.
Key Numbers: 15.0% assist rate, 14.4% TO rate, 83.9 FT%
Next Year: Farewell, Stu. Douglass has graduated and will likely pursue a pro career overseas.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Preseason Expectations: After an outstanding freshman season, Hardaway was expected—perhaps unfairly, given his greater first-year production—to make a Morris-like leap to superstardom as a sophomore. Leading the team in scoring was a given, even if it meant a slight dropoff in efficiency, as was contention for postseason honors.
Postseason Reality: While Hardaway's per-game numbers weren't bad at all—14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists—his long-range shooting was inconsistent at best. THJ finished the season shooting 53.5% from two on 235 attempts, a solid improvement over his first season, but just 28.3% from three on 187 attempts, a big dropoff. Tasked with creating his own shot more often, Hardaway struggled with his shot selection, often launching unnecessary long twos or contested threes early in the shot clock. Though he showed flashes of All-American potential, getting hot from the outside or finally using his superior athleticism to get to the basket, he never appeared fully comfortable with his shot, even battling a late-season swoon at the free-throw line. Issues with ballhandling—despite posting a low 14.4% turnover rate—and defensive effort also appeared at times during the season. It wasn't all bad—Hardaway finished the season strong and had several great games throughout—it just wasn't the year everyone, including Hardaway, was expecting.
Highlight: Michigan traveled to Illinois for a critical late-season contest in the midst of Hardaway's funk, and he snapped out of it to the tune of 25 points on 6-7 shooting (9-10 from the line) and 11 rebounds. THJ also scored 20 on 8-13 shooting and dished out four assists in the win over UCLA and poured in a season-high 26 against Penn State.
Lowlight: The dream of sweeping Michigan State twice in as many years met a rude reality in the Breslin Center, as Hardaway managed a season-low 4 points while connecting on just 1-10 shots from the field.
Key Numbers: 4.7 fouls drawn/40 minutes, 53.5 2pt%, 28.3 3pt%
Next Year: It's all but assured that Hardaway will return next season, and with Michigan losing Evan Smotrycz, Stu Douglass, and Zack Novak, he'll have to improve his shot selection from beyond the arc and bring that 3pt% at least close to where it was his freshman year (37%). Whether Burke stays or goes, Hardaway should also work on his handle, as too many times he simply lost the ball while driving into the paint. Mainly, however, Hardaway's 2012-'13 outlook depends on his mental approach; if he's willing to take the ball to the basket more often and play within the offense, his numbers will improve and so should the team. If that happens, we'll see the Hardaway many were afraid would be making the leap to the NBA by now.
Matt Vogrich
Preseason Expectations: A few quality minutes off the bench while displaying the shooting prowess that made him one of the country's top long-range gunners in high school.
Postseason Reality: Vogrich didn't get a lot of burn, playing 26.5% of available minutes, in large part because his 30.2 3pt% mark fell short of expectations. However, Vogrich showed improvement on defense as well as a Novakian ability to come away with a surprising number of offensive rebounds. He also finished better at the rim this season, hitting 13 of his 23 two-point attempts. The long-range shooting, however, is what he's here for, and the significant dropoff from his freshman and sophomore years was worrisome.
Highlight: As Michigan once again needed overtime to put away Northwestern in Evanston, Vogrich hit 3-6 from deep and even chipped in two assists and a block. His nine points were a season high outside of his 11 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Lowlight: A 4-16 slump over a 10-game span in December and January really hampered Vogrich's overall numbers, and unfortunately also coincided with shooting woes from Hardaway and Smotrycz.
Key Numbers: 3.6 OR%, 56.5 2pt%, 30.2 3pt%
Next Year: Vogrich will have a role, but how large of one will depend on his shot with two-guard Nik Stauskas coming to campus as a highly-regarded shooter. If Vogrich can continue to hit the boards, he should get minutes in a thin backcourt, but in the end it all comes down to whether or not he connects from three. I'm guessing he bounces back, as he shot much better in his first two seasons than he did this year.
Eso Akunne
Preseason Expectations: Provide emergency minutes if Trey Burke needs oxygen.
Postseason Reality: Akunne played just 48 minutes all year, and only 10 in Big Ten play, mostly at the point. He did hit 4-5 of his three-point attempts, but also had four turnovers to a lone assist while looking a bit uncomfortable as a primary ballhandler when faced with pressure.
Highlight: Played 12 minutes against Iowa State and was 2-2 from the field (1-1 from three) for a career-high 5 points.
Lowlight: Coughed the ball up twice in two minutes against Oakland.
Next Year: With so little depth at the point, Akunne might be called upon to play a few minutes. Making sure he's comfortable taking the ball upcourt against a press or trap would be helpful.
Carlton Brundidge
Preseason Expectations: Brundidge, despite the four-star recruiting profile, wasn't expected to have the impact of Burke. The big question was how the 6'1" slasher's game would translate to the college level.
Postseason Reality: Brundidge played four fewer minutes than Akunne and shot a combined 1-8 from the field. He never played more than four minutes in a conference game, had a scary midseason bout with asthma, and never looked like he'd settled into Beilein's offense or the pace of the college game in general.
Highlight: The freshman's lone made field goal came against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, when he played a season-high 12 minutes.
Lowlight: His post-season transfer.
Next Year: Brundidge was one of three players to transfer after the season, so here's hoping he lands on his feet and carves out a role for himself at another program.
Smotrycz, Brundidge, Christian All Exit
I had these tweets up from Sam Webb that hinted at some attrition from the basketball team but that's all irrelevant now:
University of Michigan men's basketball head coach John Beilein announced today (Wednesday, March 21) that sophomore forward Evan Smotrycz (Reading, Mass./New Hampton Prep [N.H.]),sophomore forward Colton Christian (Bellevue, Wash./Hargrave Military Academy) and freshman guard Carlton Brundidge (Southfield, Mich./Southfield HS) each decided to leave the Wolverine basketball program and transfer to another school.
Smotrycz is the headliner here. He started the first half of the year before Michigan went to Stu Douglass in the starting lineup; playing out of position the rest of the year at the five he still saw 20 minutes a game and was Michigan's best three-point shooter over the course of the season. He was projected to start at the four next year. His loss is both inexplicable and harmful. Unless Smotrycz was flat out told that McGary and Robinson were going to eat his minutes I don't understand that departure.
Brundidge only saw a few minutes spotting Trey Burke; Christian was also an end of the bench type.
Michigan's scholarship crunch just got blown away: Michigan could bring in two additional guys in the 2012 class and still have room for their three guys in 2013 without any further attrition. They only have one active target, 6'5" Findlay Prep PG/SG Amedeo Della Valle. He's got a top five Michigan is a part of along with Texas A&M, Ohio State, Arizona, and Gonzaga. They could also get in on the Trey Ziegler transfer sweepstakes now.
Michigan Basketball Season Preview
L to R: Greatest photo evar(!), Trey Burke, Evan Smotrycz
Brian has decided to activate the "ninja" half of my job description and deploy me as MGoBlog's go-to basketball guy this season, a role which will only increase as football season comes to a close. Michigan's basketball season officially
kicks tips off tonight against D-II opponent Ferris State in a game that would be far more interesting if it took place at Yost instead of Crisler, but that's non-conference basketball scheduling for you. That means I should probably post a season preview.
Last year saw an extremely youthful Michigan squad overcome the losses of Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims and a six-game midseason losing streak to make a shocking run to the NCAA tournament—highlighted by a season sweep of Michigan State—where they bombarded Tennessee in the first round before falling just short against top-seeded Duke. The Wolverines were poised to bring back every major (and minor, really) contributor from the 2010-11 squad until Darius Morris—the team's leading scorer and only true point guard—decided to leave for the NBA, turning Michigan from a potential Big Ten dark horse into, well, a darker horse, if that makes any sense whatsoever.
Still, the Wolverines return everybody except Morris, add a pair of high-profile freshmen in point guard Trey Burke and combo guard Carlton Brundidge (as well as forward Max Bielfeldt), and have an obvious go-to guy in place in sophomore Tim Hardaway Jr., who is poised to take over the reigns from Morris as the focal point of the offense. This is enough to earn them a preseason #22 rating from Ken Pomeroy, good for fourth in the B1G behind Ohio State (#2), Wisconsin (#10), and Purdue (#19), and just ahead of the Spartans (#24). How will the team fare? Let's start by breaking it down by somewhat-vague position groups:
The Rotation
Point Guard
Yes, point guard gets a section to itself, and this will be the most scrutinized spot on the floor for the Wolverines. As expected, John Beilein has named freshman Trey Burke, a four-star recruit and last year's Mr. Basketball in Ohio, as the starter, and he's under an extraordinary amount of pressure to come in and adequately replace Darius Morris. Their styles couldn't be much more different—Morris is a 6'4", physical creator who used his size to create interior shots (both for himself and others) but struggled with his outside shot, while the 5'11" Burke relies on his quickness and shooting ability to create his own offense. Burke actually fits better into Beilein's offense, but the looming question is whether or not Burke will be able to set up his teammates like Morris (6.7 assists per game last year) while not making too many freshman mistakes with the basketball.
It's likely that Stu Douglass will reprise his role as sixth man and primary backup at both guard positions. Douglass isn't an ideal creator at point guard—last year, he had a higher turnover rate (17.0%) than assist rate (10.9%)—but he's a streak shooter who can occasionally catch fire from deep and as a senior he's well-versed in the offense. Now that he's got a year of experience at point guard—a position he had never played until last season—under his belt, he should be an adequate backup for Burke. Douglass is the team's best perimeter defender, as well, but he must develop more consistency in his shot (48.9% from two, 35.8% from three LY) to become a real threat on offense.
Michigan's only other scholarship senior is the King of the Gritty White Guy Platitudes himself, Zack Novak, a 6'4" shooter/rebounder/unlikely-dunk-contest-winner/sideline-freakout-artist who has spent much of his Wolverine career playing wildly out of position at power forward. Now that Michigan finally has some depth up front, Novak can play the two or the three, and this should help open up his offense—other than seldom-used Matt Vogrich, Novak had the best three-point percentage on the team last year at 38.5%, but he often seemed to get gassed and disappear offensively due to having to guard players half-a-foot taller than him. Unfortunately, he's not a threat inside the arc, posting a paltry 38.0% shooting mark on two-pointers, but his remarkable ability to get rebounds amidst the trees makes him a valuable player on both ends of the floor. I expect Novak will average double-digits in scoring while grabbing 5-7 rebounds per game and providing valuable defense.
Your other starter on the wing is Tim Hardaway Jr., who greatly exceeded expectations as a freshman—averaging nearly 14 points and four rebounds per game—and will now become the team's go-to scorer. Hardaway spent much of last season as a spot-up shooter, and connected on a decent 36.7% of his threes, but this year he'll be asked to do much more creating with the ball in his hands. This was an area he improved upon as the season wore on last year, but he'll still have to get much better now that Morris isn't there to take away a lot of the defensive pressure. Still, Hardaway is the clear best player on the team—he's on both the Naismith and Wooden award preseason watch lists—and he should average at least 15 points a game. The big question here will be his shot selection, as he displayed a propensity for "what was that?"-type jumpers at times last year and could feel more pressure to jack up ill-advised shots as the team's main scorer.
Douglass, again, should be the primary backup at guard, but don't be surprised if 6'4" junior Matt Vogrich sees a greatly increased role this season. Vogrich was a dead-eye shooter from distance last season, hitting 38.7% of his threes, and was much-improved defensively after looking lost as a freshman two years ago. He's still limited in terms of his skill set, but in Beilein's system his sharp shooting will be a big asset off the bench.
The wild card here is four-star freshman Carlton Brundidge, who stands at only 6'1" but is a strong slasher who is at his best when attacking the basket, something you can't say about anyone else on the roster. Brundidge barely played in Michigan's exhibition game against Wayne State last week, but I think his role will increase as the season moves forward—he's one of the more talented players on the roster and could see a lot of time next to Douglass when the senior shifts over to the point, as their respective size and skill-sets make for a solid backcourt pairing.
(I'm throwing the nominal power forwards in here too, just in case there's some confusion when I call, say, the 6'6" Colton Christian a backup big.)
The starter at the four is 6'9" sophomore Evan Smotrycz, a very solid outside shooter (38.1% from three) who many have tabbed as the X-factor for this year's team. Smotrycz reportedly gained 30 much-needed pounds in the offseason, which should help his post defense greatly, but there are still major questions about his athleticism and ability to create shots on offense. Smotrycz doesn't have much in the way of a post game and hasn't displayed the quickness to face up and drive past a player with regularity, and we'll have to see if he's improved in those areas over the offseason. While I still don't think he'll be a major threat in the post, his size and shooting ability are very intriguing, and I think Smotrycz could emerge as the team's second option on offense. Defensively, he should be fine as long as he's not asked to take on quick small forwards or hulking centers, and Beilein now has enough flexibility with his lineups where that shouldn't be a huge issue.
At center, it's a battle between redshirt sophomore Jordan Morgan and true sophomore Jon Horford (brother of Al) for the starting spot. Morgan was the man there last year, and was extremely efficient shooting the basketball (62.7%), but most of his opportunities were either created by the now-departed Morris or the result of offensive rebounds. While he was decent in his on-ball defense, Morgan was extremely foul-prone and did not provide much of a shot-blocking threat. If tabbed as the eventual starter, Morgan should be solid, but he's got his limitations and could really feel the absence of Morris more than anyone else on the roster.
Though it came as a bit of a surprise, it was Horford who started against Wayne State, and he'll take the opening tip once again against Ferris State tonight. An extremely raw prospect out of high school, Horford showed occasional flashes of rebounding and shot-blocking brilliance last year, but often looked awkward with the ball in his hands and frequently settled for outside shots, which he rarely made. Like Morgan, he was very foul-prone, so we'll likely see both big men get major minutes this season, but Horford seems to have the higher upside—he's more athletic than Morgan and has a better shooting touch while providing a much-needed shot-blocking presence on the interior of the defense.
There are two bench players who should see occasional minutes this year: 6'6" sophomore power forward Colton Christian and 6'10" center Blake McLimans. Christian doesn't provide any real threat offensively, but he's a capable rebounder and defender who could turn into an interesting role player if he shows the ability—and willingness—to hit any sort of shot. McLimans is big, which is always nice, but he was supposed to possess a good outside shot and ended up going 1-for-19 for three last year. Since he only shot the ball 41 times total (making 13), this is a bit of an issue, and defensively he's not as strong as either Morgan or Horford. We'll see if Beilein trusts him enough to put him in the rotation, or if he decides to go small and occasionally move Smotrycz to the five, something we saw a fair amount last year.
I hate to kind of punt on this one, but man, who knows? The 2008-09 team was supposed to be mediocre at best, then made a surprise run to the tournament and even knocked off Clemson once they got there. The 2009-10 team brought back pretty much everyone, had a lot of preseason hype, and fell flat to the tune of a 15-17 record. With Harris and Sims gone last season and pretty much the entire team either freshman or sophomores, the 2010-11 squad looked to be terrible, so of course they reeled off 21 wins and once again advanced to the second round of the NCAAs.
This year's team appears poised for a potential top-25 season and another tournament run, but much of those expectations rely on a smooth transition from a star in Morris to a true freshman in Burke while other players—most notably Hardaway and Smotrycz—pick up the scoring slack and keep the offense running smoothly. With a difficult non-conference slate that includes a brutal draw in the Maui Invitational, plus playing in a Big Ten conference ranked by KenPom as the nation's toughest, this looks to me like a team that will spend much of the season squarely on the tournament bubble.
Exceeding those expectations means that we either see vast improvement from key role players, a huge breakout from Tim Hardaway, or a fantastic freshman year out of Burke—none of those are out of the question, but none are certainties, either. If Michigan suddenly finds that they can't create inside scoring chances without Morris's penetration, or Hardaway spends the season trying to carry the offense by chucking up less-than-ideal shots, Michigan could fall short of their goals as the fanbase begins to look ahead to the arrival of Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III, and Nick Stauskas in 2012-13.
All I can say for certain is this will be an interesting year, and lucky for us, this is a group that is extremely likable and fun to support. The future is very bright, almost regardless of what happens this year, but we'll just have to see if the Wolverines continue to make a push towards the top of the Big Ten or stay in a holding pattern until blue-chip reinforcements arrive.
Unverified Voracity Declared War Without Causus Belli
Live streaming goes just far enough. There is a live stream of IL PF Max Bielfeldt's announcement, which is going to happen in about ten minutes here. Michigan and Illinois are the contenders with most signs pointing to Michigan despite Bielfeldt's last name being on more than one building in Champaign. Bielfeldt compares himself to Luke Harangody and put up monster numbers as a senior, but recruiting sites say he's an "average at best" athlete. Think Graham Brown, I guess, except apparently he's got a decent shooting stroke that extends to the three point line.
If Bielfeldt goes blue there will undoubtedly be all the info you could want on UMHoops shortly after. Meanwhile, I've got a hockey game to panic about. [UPDATE: Bielfeldt has committed.]
I hope this is one game. Trey Burke highlight reel ahoy:
Probably one game, right? I bet they cut out a couple misses but probably one game.
Even in the unlikely event this is a season's worth of highlights, that's still pretty encouraging. Burke shows a three-point stroke, crossovers, spin moves, a nice pull-up jumper, and a floater in the lane. The diversity of his offensive game is impressive, and if these stats are right…
Burke is averaging 23.6 points, 6.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals. He is shooting 58.7 percent from the field, 46.6 percent from three-point range (54 of 116) and 73.3 percent at the free-throw line (88 of 120).
…dang, we may have just ganked* the next Talor Battle away from Penn State. (I only doubt because a separate article has even more ludicrous shooting percentages, FWIW. I believe the very slightly more pessimistic version but there's some wobble that makes me think they may have overlooked some attempts.)
48% from three plus that highlight video plus winning Mr. Basketball over a bunch of other D-I commits including a guy headed to Michigan State equals one extremely underrated recruit—Burke is a three star on Rivals. ESPN does have him a bit higher as a four star ranked #85, and boy were they right about Tim Hardaway Jr. Let's hope their streak continues.
In other basketball recruiting news, Carlton Brundidge just saw his high school career end in painful fashion. He tied Southfield's state semifinal against Kalamazoo Central with a 17-foot pull up, missed a backdoor layup on the ensuing possession, made both halves of a 1-and-1 to re-tie the game, then saw Central get a putback off an airball for the win. Burke plays his semifinal tonight at 8:30.
*["Ganked" should have made the transition from thing you say in sixth grade to critical part of the language by now.]
Frank Beckmann thinks this is racist
The tipping point. I've read Ramzy Nasrallah's stuff on and off for a very long time now and while some of his opinions make me roll my eyes I'm sure that's mutual. It's a natural consequence of being on opposite sides of the rivalry. That said, he's always been worth reading even when we disagree, and when he posts something titled The Case For Regicide that signals a huge shift in the portion of the Ohio State fanbase that doesn't have neckbeards. That shift is from "this shall pass" to "this seems too dumb to tolerate; we're screwed, at least insofar as a football program with OSU's natural advantages can be, which isn't that much."
I've been pretty strident in my opinion that Tressel should be fired and now it seems fairly likely he will. He's already been tried, compared to Nixon, and executed in the media. In that event the big questions lie in the eventual results of what seems like it will be a labyrinthine NCAA investigation and whether or not Tressel will axe Gordon Gee on his way out. I'm guessing "disappointing" and "yes."
More pads. More pads:
At the 35 second mark Denard runs a zone read for many yards, and then a power play gets destroyed. I'm just sayin'…
Seriously though, seeing a zone read makes me happy even if they hardly ran it last year. Tough talk and an open-minded offensive coordinator are where it's at.
Fort? No fort. Last year Michigan had an open practice in Michigan Stadium that you could buy your way into by shelling out for the big baller seats or donating to Mott at the Spring Game. Rodriguez hated it and I had to wait until the rest of the internet had responded to round up third-party impressions because I'd been asked not to relate anything I saw myself. So that was a one-off, right? Hoke's back and so is The Fort and that'll never happen again:
Fans attending the game will be asked to make any donation the hospital. Donations at the following levels will come with a correlating gift:
• $5: A 5"x7" Fathead Trading Card of either Charles Woodson or Desmond Howard.
• $20: A Fathead Teammate Block M (roughly 12"x7").
• $100: A Fathead Junior Big House Mural (17"x30").
• $250: Four passes to a pre-season scrimmage
• $500: Two pre-game sideline passes (does not include game tickets) to one of the following four games: Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, San Diego State or Minnesota.
• $750: Two pre-game sideline passes (does not include game tickets) to the Nebraska game.
Except apparently it will. Never underestimate the power of club seating. I went last year with Greg of MVictors and FOB Craig Ross. It was rainy and strange but I thought it was worth it because I'm insane.
Etc.: Holdin' The Rope on the basketball season. Yes, that is now kind of an awkward blog name. Bacon on the Fab Five. He has a different memory of Jalen Rose. AA.com profiles the receivers.
Unverified Voracity Has Field Goal Pox
A horribly enlightening graph. FEI and I were getting along just great until Mr. Fremeau had to go and put our kicker situation in a neat graph. Sit down and get a bucket, as this is a graph of Michigan's attempts against those of FEI #1 kicker Alex Henery of Nebraska:
This is nothing you didn't already know, but Michigan threw away 16 points on field goal attempts this year and was forced into some uncomfortable situations on fourth down because of those big red dots. I'm not sure if those were actual negatives because sometimes this happened:
Romer disciples would say being forced to go for it in that down and distance is probably a net benefit since anyone attempting a 50-yard field goal is going to have difficulties. There were certain situations less friendly, however, and Michigan still had to go because asking for anything more than an extra point was doom.
Michigan might need a kicker in this class.
A minor debunk. One of the rumors wandering around message boards was that Calvin Magee went down to Gainesville a couple weeks ago, supposedly to interview for a job. Given what we know about the Florida coaching situation (Meyer was days away from retiring) that doesn't make any sense and can probably be dismissed, and I can confirm from an excellent source that Magee never met with anyone at Florida. File that in the dustbin of history next to All Of Iowa Is Suspended.
It's a tragedy when you don't get along with your groin. The injury that held Bryan Hogan out of the Big Chill will sideline him for "at least a month," according to AnnArbor.com. That sidelines him for the GLI—a tournament Michigan should win even without him—and an early January series against the State team Michigan just beat 5-0 and is languishing near the bottom of the league standings. It sucks for Hogan to miss out just as he was establishing himself the starter but if he's got to be out a month this is the one to miss.
It is again the groin, but a different bit of the groin:
"But he made one move and he could just feel it."
Berenson said Hogan partially tore a tendon or muscle in his groin, but that it has nothing to do with the injury Hogan suffered last year.
A midseason review of the hockey team on AA.com points out that however frustrating the first half of the season has been Michigan's come out of it in decent shape. A quick glance at College Hockey Stats shows that Michigan's scoring margin is amongst the national leaders:
|Boston College
|Minnesota Duluth
|New Hampshire
|Robert Morris
|North Dakota
|Notre Dame
[Michigan opponents in italics.]
They're 12th, and that's with a few minor schools and ECAC pushovers in front of them. They're 11th in KRACH, which seems about right—a solid tournament team but not a top seed. (My usual complaint about KRACH is it overrates nonconference games and piles WCHA teams atop the rankings, and this is again true.) I'm still concerned that any mildly competent defensive team can reduce Michigan to pinging shots from the point and hoping something wacky happens. This will have to be true…
"I think we expected to be a little further ahead - but not a lot," Berenson said Tuesday. "You can't say, 'Oh, we're going to expect to lose four games in the first half.' I mean, which games are you expecting to lose? I wasn't expecting us to have four ties. … Our best hockey is still ahead of us.
"I think we've seen some glimpses, some good signs, and I think the second half will be our best half. But we're right there. We're knocking on the door. We're not bad."
…if Michigan is going to go into the tournament expecting something good.
Tearing it up. Michigan's current* 2011 signees continue to raise their stock of late. It was Trey Burke making a late-summer push at AAU events across Ohio, but as they enter their senior years its Brundidge making waves:
Brundidge opened the season up with 41 points in a blow out win over Mount Clemens but the competition began to heat up this week as Southfield traveled to Romulus, a consensus top 5 team in the state of Michigan. The burly guard answered the challenge as he poured in 29 points, 8 rebounds, and eight assists in a 78-70 victory. Unofficially, Brundidge was 6 of 12 from the field (2-6 3pt) and 11 of 13 from the free throw stripe.
Vince Baldwin took to the twitters to rave about Brundidge's passing in the aftermath.
As for Burke, he's shooting 79(!!!) percent in two games so far. Adding that guard tandem to Morris, and Douglass and you're verging on… loaded? Can we possibly say that about Michigan basketball? I'm confused.
*(There's still the possibility of a third if Michigan finds a guy—probably a Euro—they want.)
Meanwhile on Kenpom. Michigan poked its hypothetical head above .500 after the Utah game and is now sitting at 17-14 with seven conference wins. Every time I check it it seems they've moved up a spot or two thanks to other teams falling back; they're up to 59th now, twenty spots higher than they were about a week ago. Saturday's game against Oakland is a big one—the Grizzlies just beat Tennessee and played Michigan State to the wire. Win that and it's time to start eyeing an NIT bid.
In other tempo-free stat news, Big Ten Geeks points out that while North Carolina Central is bad, they have never been quite as bad as they were against Michigan—their 0.78 points per trip was a season worst. This is a Beilein team built on… defense? As long as the team is bricking wide-open threes by the bunch, apparently. On WTKA today Beilein said a couple items of note:
- They'd gone straight man to man the whole year because the team is very young and they'd rather do one thing well than a few things poorly.
- "This is Division I basketball" and when you have a wide open shot you have to take it. It doesn't sound like he's displeased with anything from the first half except the fact the ball didn't go in the basket. You could chalk it up to it being just one of those things… if this wasn't the third straight year Michigan hefted a ton of threes (16th nationally) and didn't make any of them (255th).
One step ahead of you. AA.com suggests a fix for the Big Ten logo fiasco:
The Big Ten can backtrack with a press release that says something to the effect of "we are sure honored to have such passionate fans, and we've heard their voices."
Then hold a contest. Fans submit their best ideas for new division names and new logo - there are plenty of good ones floating around the Internet in recent days, ideas that exceed the cartoonish one delivered by the conference.
Hmmm. The M Zone tweaked the popular Tscherne entry by fanning the team logos out underneath the shield:
Now you can remember who's in what division. These are ordered alphabetically but maybe they could put the division champs on top every year? Or they could just go with the horrible periwinkle.
Etc.: The 85k number cited by Guinness is provisional "with the numbers continuing to increase." Dear Lynn Henning: I would have rewritten your column like so: "Yes." Further adventures in scouting Mississippi State continue with a breakdown of Dan Mullen's TE shovel pass, AKA "binky," which he's still running to good effect.
Unverified Voracity, Globetrotting
Bust happening one. There was one piece of a news-type thing that transpired at last night's football bust. It was Dave Brandon saying this:
LIVONIA - When emcee Frank Beckmann made an off-hand quip about the Michigan football team headed west for its upcoming bowl game, athletic director Dave Brandon corrected him.
"I think we're going in a different direction," Brandon said Thursday at the podium during the team's annual football banquet at the Laurel Manor.
That direction would be south to Florida, whereupon Michigan would play an SEC team of some variety. An eagle-eyed reader with a strange method of surfing Michigan's ticket website stumbled across two "hidden" items and sent them along. They are tickets for the Insight and Gator bowls. If Michigan isn't going west and isn't preparing to sell Outback tickets, this means Michigan would play Florida in the Gator. The Gator Bowl has just publicly declared it doesn't give two dangs about anything but "heads in beds, fannies in seats and big TV ratings," so that sounds like they're going for Dread Ferrari sex appeal over the Americanzi*.
This avoids the ten-win-opponent gauntlet on either side and sets up a fascinating matchup between Florida's offense and Michigan's defense, except it probably won't be that fascinating because as soon as they step on the field against Michigan, Florida will look like MC 900 Foot Tebow is at the helm again. If form holds they'll still lose because Michigan puts up 40.
*(Note to self: try very hard not to misspell this by transposing the final A and N.)
Bust happening two. The other thing the newspapers are reporting today is an "emotional" or "emotional" Rich Rodriguez making a case for his job, which probably shouldn't affect anyone's decision but will make everyone feel worse if the plug gets pulled:
"My name is Rich Rodriguez," he said. "I'm honored to be the football coach at Michigan. I hope you realize I want to be a Michigan man."
Guh. That Michigan's head coach would have to say something like that in year three is a depressing summary of the state of things.
Apparently something by someone named Josh Groban was referenced, horrifying the Michigan twittersphere and thrilling those of rivals. I don't know who that is, and where I'd normally set about fixing my old-manness in this department it sounds like ignorance is bliss here. I will take the opportunity to remind you that Special K is the center of all evil in this universe and his power is only growing. INCREDIBLY DORKY AND OVERWROUGHT ANALOGY HO: Michigan Stadium feels like one of the Elven havens after the destruction of the one ring, its ancient power slowly leaching from it, permitting intruders like men and Saliva to breach its hallowed ground.
In other verklemptness. Denard accepting his MVP:
Lon Hordowel/Ann Arbor.com
Bust bit of information that is not really a happening but is interesting. Michigan's share of the pie for their game in Jerryworld is a whopping 4.7 million dollars. The News says this is "roughly" what Michigan gets for a home game, so Michigan gets to play a real opponent in one-off without sacrificing any dollars. Insert usual complaint about how the Big Ten's excessive revenue sharing encourages big games played thousands of miles from campus over home-and-home series that are more convenient and authentic than preseason bowl games in generic corporate stadia. I would much rather go to a game in Tuscaloosa than Dallas.
Football of the other variety. This weekend Michigan will attempt to do one better than its best-ever finish in soccer by beating #2 seed Maryland and advancing to the College Cup in Santa Barbara, whereupon their games will actually be on television. Getting past the Terps will be a tall order. They're 19-2-1, have won 15 straight, and are seeded higher than the Akron team that crushed Michigan 7-1 a month and a half ago.
There's no TV but I am pretty sure this will be a web stream of the game, which is Sunday at 1.
As a side note, I think it would help soccer's attendance considerably if they started having more consistent scheduling. Football's something you should probably avoid, but why not play on Sunday at a consistent time as often as possible? Michigan's home games were on Saturday(3), Wednesday(6), and Friday(2), with just one on Sunday. I get that you're going to have a lot of Wednesday night games because of scheduling issues but it seems like they should make an effort to get a consistent date and time going for weekend games.
It's all about the pants. ESPN Rise has a slightly hyperbolic profile of Carlton Brundidge, who "combines drive of a beast, dad's instilled military discipline." Biographical tidbit: Brundige's older sister was a Michigan swimmer named Clinique, which is a brand name for makeup and reminds me of Idiocracy.
But the real reason I'm bringing this to your attention is awesome pants:
We need warmups like that so hard.
(HT: UMHoops.)
Etc.: The Big Chill rink is extant and "perfect" according to Berenson. AA.com has a video interview. Tom Brady in ugg boots. Justice Hayes is staying local even if Rodriguez leaves because Fred Jackson is a permanent fixture. Mets Maize on Rodriguez the person.