Monday, August 31, 2009

2009 Kick-Off - 5 Days and Counting

Okay - today was going to be shorter and sweeter than usual, but Mark Snyder and Mike Rosenberg of the Freep made that impossible. For a complete link
Link
Click Here

So, some players that went 3-9 last year are complaining that they practice too much....Hmm..I initially thought the opposite was true and maybe they weren't practicing ENOUGH, but let's put things in perspective:

As a student manager with first hand experience I can tell you that what constitutes "Practice Time" is what is recorded after everyone is on the field, captains warmed up the team and the Coaches would show up and you were technically "practicing".

Once practice was over, coaches left - and there was a WHISTLE and HORN so the coaches knew when they had to end practice. HOWEVER, as a student manager, you continued to work with your unit if they stayed after to get something right. And with QB's and receivers, the term you're looking for here is "often", as in, "they often stayed after to work on the route, timing, etc." and the student managers would stay with them. Then, you might get asked by the coach, in my case, receivers coach Moeller, how they looked, etc. Not that anything I said made a lick of difference in the grand scheme of things. As a student manager, I was there from 2:30-3:00 ish until 7:00-7:30. Players were there from 3:30 to 6:00 and TT (Training Table) was 6:30. Study Table immediately followed. If you needed additional trainers time for injuries, etc, you could head back down to the facility and get treatment. But usually only after your tutor released you.

All that being said, players were also encouraged to hit the weight room and run on their own. This was not part of practice time, but was highly encouraged if you wanted to play and beat out the guy in front of you. Or you wanted to keep your starting spot, etc.

Student managers rotated a 5:30 to 7:30 A.M. weight room rotation (weekly) to set out towels and clean the room up during pre-class lift sessions - all of which are VOLUNTARY and you didn't have to attend.

Is the Rish Rod Regimen that much more difficult and different? Not by what I saw, but you can review and decide for yourself by

clicking here.

However, I am willing to let Michigan and the NCAA investigate this and see what comes of it.

OTOH (on the other hand)

Wouldn't this be a great foundation to get rid of the Rod - violation of NCAA rules - and not have to pay his contract or buy him out? What, dear readers, you ask, is going on behind the scenes?

My guess is the Rod has really pissed somebody off at this point. And he's pissed off somebody that is probably pretty hard to piss off. And that individual in turn has started to create a history of rules abuse in the event that the Rod has another sub par (bowl less) season and needs to be rememdied in the future. Wouldn't it be great if you could cite a contract violation by the Rod and kick him out - no buy out, no future payments and that in turn would give you the freedom to bring in whoever?

Oh, the tangled web of intrigue that could be at work here, my dear conspiracy theorists...In addition to that, what if we find that some of the team at some point were "missing classes", "attending social functions outside of school related activities", or "are involved in campus melees" and are otherwise unbecoming student athletes? Think that might all be fodder for the machine to can the Rod?

You betcha'.

MO (My Opinion)

Anyone that plays D-1 Football and wants to win and be a Champion at that level had better come in with the understanding that a lot is going to be expected of you as an individual in addition to what you contribute to the team. In addition, anyone that comes to an organzation like Michigan has higher aspirations then finishing their career at that level. Meaning, they want to get to Sunday. Plain and simple.

In order to achieve those goals, it's going to take a WHOLE LOT MORE than 20 hours per week. And my guess is anyone that has won a National Title or is in the NFL is going to tell you that.

Why on earth the FREEP editors - the midget (Albom) included in that comment, thinks otherwise is naive and for the most part, ignorant of what college football has become. Therefore, while I am not dismissing what they uncovered, I question why they think it's Sunday Front Page Material a week before kick-off.

So, Mark and Mike found some malcontents that were unhappy with how much time they had to put in...I would ask these two (M&M) to find out "EXACTLY" how much time other players at major division 1 schools are putting in and compare the two vs. what is reported to the NCAA. So, if you ask me what I "think" about these allegations, I "think" the FREEP is trying to sell newspapers and get some national attention. I think any other local newspapers at any other big time schools probably wouldn't have to dig to far to find some of the same allegations.
What's it all mean? My guess is this becomes a "major" non-issue or Michigan is found to be in some minor violation with respect to stregth and conditioning. Whether or not there will be sanctions, reduction in scholarships, etc, remains to be seen.
In a way, as much as I have disliked the Rod for his on field performance and seeming ignorance of Michigan Traditions, I find myself strangely in his camp 100% on this one. Discipline and hard work are what make Champions. Whether it's directed by someone else or self directed remains a question, but any individual that has won something or found it within themselves to over achieve has CERTAINLY HAD OUTSIDE HELP, meaning, a great coach along the way helping them, supporting them, but also forcing them to TEST THEIR OWN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL limits. And that is not always an easy test. It's easy for the individual to quit. It's a lot harder when the coach is standing there or the team is standing there with you.
No, I think Rod deserves our utmost support on this. No one ever said it was going to be easy.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

STADIUM UPDATE

Brian (mgoblog.com) was invited with other press people to tour the facility...

Excellent photo collection at this link:

Michigan Stadium Renovation Photos


Starting to get excited about the venue...Sure wish we had a team to put in it.

MMQ

Monday, August 24, 2009

Monday, August 24 - 12 Days and Counting

I would like to be able to say that I have read great things and that the inspiration I have from reading all the wonderful things has made me a more ardent believer in this year's Michigan Team. However, I have also been reading about the Lions and all the great things that they have done in their revamping of the team, picking up Larry Foote from Pittsburgh to improve the D, etc.

And they got crushed by Cleveland on Saturday night by a team that hadn't scored an offensive TD since November 17th. Let that sink in for a minute. The Brownies had gone 7 games without a TD. And they had two in the first quarted against the Lions.

What does that have to do with Michigan?

Well, it seems that the parallels of the Lions and Wolverines are a lot closer now than they were many, many years ago. Okay, two years ago. But still, I didn't like that the Lions were 0-16 and Michigan was 3-9 and seemed to have the same problems - no D, NO SECONDARY, and weak Quarterbacking, not to mention a lot of other issues on offense...Or offensive issues.

So, when I was reading the parallels of the new coaching and systems under the Schwartz, it was reading a lot like the "New Defense" under the Syracuse Head Coach Greg Robinson and his great new 4-3 with the "Death Backer" and it gets you all jazzed up, but I am afraid it will just be the same hapless, clueless crew that was running around and missing tackles last year. They will just start out standing in different spots when the ball is snapped...

I only hope that's not the case and that the anomally is only the 2008 season. Because if we have to endure anything similar to what was witnessed last year, it might have to be the end of the MMQ. It's no fun picking on everyone else when you suck.....

Gatorland Update: Tebow made cover of SI. Hmmmm...Wondering if SI should just stop doing that? What's it going to take? Someone suing them after they are on the cover for the slump that inevitably happens? Of course, the Gators look unbeatable, but that's usually the time that someone shows up and clips your wings.

Ar - Kansas: Mallet is going to be the starter...God forbid he successfully runs some form of the Spread and runs it well. There will be hell to pay for the Rod. Otherwise, if he fails miserably, the Rod will get some light praise for letting the kid go. But all of it undeserved. Mallet was a head case and we probably didn't want him. But it will look bad if he turns out good. And even worse if Petrino and Arkansas post a winning record...

Short and Sweet until something real happens.....

MMQ

Monday, August 17, 2009

August 17th - 19 days and Counting

Well, it's crunch time in Ann Arbor and across the country as college and high school teams start two a days and the news starts to filter out of practice...via Brian and Tim from mgoblog.com

Michigan's secondary sucks. So many quotes, so little space...

QB position looks "better" - Terms thrown around were "solid" and "much improved". However, I will use better and keep it real.

Minor is healthy for now - whatever that's worth.

O-Line is experienced and acting more like a unit. Big deal. They acted like a unit last year that was lost and confused...So they will be an experienced lost and confused unit?

D-Line is improving. They better. Michigan gave up more rush yards last year than any time in history...

Special Teams - (WARNING - Reading this might make you ill.) As observed in Practice: "Michigan's punt returners are having problems catching (or judging) the ball. During the morning punt period, with no oncoming cover team, return men Carlos Brown, Terrence Robinson and Martavious Odoms dropped three consecutive catchable balls."

Zoltan Mesko looked AWESOME! Probably this year's most MVP....

So, as predicted, this is starting to look like the beginning of a mediocre season with little to expect besides the wins we projected. I wish I could be more encouraging, but I am only calling it like I see it.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Want to Re-Live a Great Memory During Your Lunch Hour?

Thanks to mgoblog and whoever put this together on You Tube....If you can find 20 minutes I hope you can view at work during lunch, or maybe at the staff meeting or during some other time when real productivity is not required.

Michigan vs. OSU 1997 1st Half

Michigan vs. OSU 1997 2nd Half


If those links don't work, go right here to mgoblog and watch it from that link....I have to tell you, it WILL GET YOU FIRED UP...So you may want to wait until closer to kick-off.

And for those of you that EVER have to venture to Tennessee, drive through on the way to Florida with a Michigan Plate on your vehicle, or God Forbid, Live there (Tim McD), this link says it all...

The Ghost of Charles Woodson

I run into college football fans in Smyrna at the Nissan plant that will simply never, ever forget this...

Ce la vis.


MMQ

Monday, August 10, 2009

More on Feagin.....

As usual, the Free Press lives up to it's name.....But I can't blame the paper for doing it's job. I blame the Rod for not doing his.

It seems that Michigan is the new "Miami of Florida" of the North....Can a National Title be far behind???

http://www.freep.com/article/20090809/SPORTS06/90809032/Cocaine-deal-led-to-Justin-Feagin-s-fall-at-U-M

Let's hope this wakes up the Rod or gets him canned...One or the other would be fine with the MMQ.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Sad - Check the link and the pics......

From mgoblog.com who got from UMGoBlog.com.....

I would have coughed up the $2,500 and found a barn somewhere....Gotta believe the value in 50 years would have at least doubled, tripled, or more....


http://mgoblog.com/content/which-your-local-blogger-fails