Legends of Hoops, The Fight Song, Signing Day...Etc.

I know, I know…It’s been awhile.  I’VE BEEN BUSY.  Work related stuff gets in the way sometimes and my productivity for stuff like this starts to fall off…but there’s been so much in the news lately that I figured I’d better post on some of it!

Basketball Legends

Dean Smith passed away over the weekend and that was indeed sad.  But basketball lost one of its most outspoken and loveable characters when Jerry Tarkanian passed away on Wednesday.

I think if you were into college hoops in the ‘80s and ‘90s, you couldn’t help but know who the bald-headed, towel biting, sideline ranting coach was.  And he actually had a much better handle on the hypocrisy of the NCAA long before anyone else even began acknowledging it.  I have to give Wetzel credit, but some of the greatest Tarkanian quotes ever uttered:

1.     “I love taking Pac 10 transfers.  Their cars have already been paid for.”

2.    “9 out of 10 schools are cheating.  The other one is in last place.”

3.    “The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky that they’re going to give Cleveland State two more years of probation.”

Yep!!!!  As much as everyone loved and respected Dean Smith, Jerry was the guy I’ll miss the most.

Question to the Masses:  Is there a Runnin’ Rebels or Tarkanian “30 for 30” out there?  Please advise…..

Who Is This Obvious Plant that is NOT A True Michigan Student/Fan?

In case you hadn’t heard, there’s a student (if he’s still alive) that brought a proposal/petition to the CSG (Student Government) to write an “enhanced” fight song for the Michigan Wolverines that would be played after “The Victors” before all athletic engagements.

Ahem.

I don’t want to blast this guy too bad, but jeez, dude(s) (Adam Weiss and Mike Weinberg)….what are you thinking?  

Which got me to thinking:  Who could ever even begin to conceive of an idea like this that is a Michigan Student/Fan????  Whether this is one of the best publicity stunts of all time, or whether the kid is serious, I only have one thing to say – Didn’t you learn ANYTHING from the BranDictator debacle? 

Double check – Are you SURE you’re not enrolled in East Lansing or Columbus?

What, exactly are/were you thinking? 

It’s not a joke.  Here’s the Daily Article. 

Yeah, if you read the entire Daily article, he wants to get the “Big Names” of Michigan History somehow incorporated into the song….Believe me, if you ask them for permission (or their families) I’m sure you’ll get the same answer:  Thanks, but no thanks.

“The Victors” is not only just FINE the way it is, but it’s the only Fight Song that the University of Michigan will ever need.

Where do people get these insane ideas from?

Signing Day

Signing Day (Otherwise known as the “Other National Championship!”) has come and gone and everyone feels “good” about their team and who they got and what they were able to accomplish.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Urban Meyer without some sort of controversy and Urban’s recruitment of Mike Weber (running back – Cass Tech.  Coached by former running back Thomas Wilcher).  It seems the day after NLI, the running backs coach at OSU bolted for the Chicago Bears.  And of course, this came as a huge surprise to everyone…even Urban, supposedly.

Weber went off….Wilcher went off….And at the end of the day, what happened?  Weber signed a letter, locking him into the school for 1 year and he can’t transfer unless he’s released.  Urban got the prize and the kid is stuck. 

Surprise, surprise….As everyone is now starting to say, sign a Financial Aid Letter and you are more or less doing the same thing, but without the strings and fingers of the NCAA getting in the way if you decide to change your mind.

My opinion of Signing Day?  It’s important. National Championships seem to follow the schools that do the best recruiting.  But, (and I think everyone gets this) it’s not the end….it’s not even something you should claim as victory.  Everybody recruits different players for different needs. 

Successful recruiting is perhaps the beginning of the beginning.  I understand that as a coach, and a successful coach, you need to land good recruits.  Hoke hadn’t landed any recruits from Texas or Florida in his three recruiting classes.  Harbaugh changed all that and landed two from Texas and one from Florida in a very small class.  So, there’s that….

But what I think is more important is what you do with those recruits after you get them on campus.  That’s way more important and I think we’re about to see that change at Michigan.  How bad do you want it and are you willing to out-work, hustle and beat the other guy every day in practice and off the field? 

Motivation.

MMPG Update

This could be part of why I haven’t posted and is responsible for my down mood….Michigan has had a blowout victory, two heartbreaking OT losses to Wiscy and Sparty, and a last second opportunity to tie down in Indiana (that resulted in a loss)  since I last posted.  Granted, I semi-predicted the losses, but the games were all right there for the taking and Michigan’s youth was exposed in the pressure/clutch situations.  I’d like to say that will help them down the line, but they now need to win some games.  Period.

It’s get on a roll and then finish in the final game of the B1G Tourney if you want to even have a whiff of the NCAA’s….In fact, the NIT is looking difficult right now….

Michigan on the road tomorrow against a relatively hot Illini team….They need this one bad…

Spike called a players only meeting after Indiana, so we’ll see.  But there’s only so much you can do with the talent that’s out there right now.  Some guys simply have to step up.