E-mails, Texts, and Tweets

So a lot of you make contact with me and I wish there was a way to start a convo board on the blog so people could more easily share with the rest of the collective.  I like hearing others opinions on stuff and the insight educates us all and makes us better sports fans….er, slappies!!!

A couple of recent E-mails:

Can you believe Bama is going to pay Nick Satan $11M ANNUALLY for the next 7 years?  Is that INSANE?  Is ANY COACH worth that much?  I mean, how much is Belechik making anyway?  This is crazy.  Do you see Michigan or ANYONE ELSE keeping up with that???

If there’s one thing the Ole MMQ has learned in life and business:  Anyone is worth whatever another person or group of people are willing to pay to have that individual around.  You can’t blame Satan.  He’s happy to take that cash, trust me.  In the case of Bama Football and their never ending desire for National Titles, the Bama collective seems to believe that Satan’s $11M annual price tag is a bargain. Even though I don’t think anyone was lining up to match that offer to lure Satan away from Bama. And I really don’t think Nick will last another 7 seasons.  He’s going to want to enjoy some of that cash and he’s perfect for TV.  So it looks like he’s getting an “Early Retirement” bonus from Bama.  And Bama just likes screwing with everyone else in the SEC to keep things interesting….

But, to put it into some sort of context:  That’s $733,333.33 per GAME assuming Bama makes the CFP Title Game (that’s 12 regular season, SEC Championship, CFP Semi and Title Game for a total of 15 games).  If Bama only plays 13 games (assuming the regular season and a bowl game) it’s $846,153.  Given that more than HALF of the D1 Football coaches out there don’t make that much in a SINGLE SEASON is more or less enough evidence that Bama is paying quite a premium to keep Nicky Satan around.  And Belechick is only making $8M annually and coaches a boatload more games.  So, yeah, Bama is paying a hefty price that I don’t think they need to pay as I can’t think of anyone else that could even begin to approach that number…with the exception of maybe the Domers if they’d actually have Satan as a coach.

Go Figure….

And no, I don’t think Michigan will increase Jimmy’s salary to keep him around.  This fan wouldn’t like that and the ticket prices are high enough as it is.  And Jimmy hasn’t won a national title yet, either.  Start bringing home some hardware, any hardware, and we’ll talk.

Another observation:  IS this the beginning of the end of the College football peak?  When you start seeing salaries like that, it’s a logical question to ask.  Things can only go up so high until they come down.  That’s a fact.  I have to believe most Universities Presidents and Board of Regents are looking at that and saying, “Enough!!  College Athletics don’t warrant those kinds of salaries.”

35 underclassmen didn’t get drafted after opting out of their final season of college.  Why doesn’t football do the same thing as hoops and let the kids back for their last year of eligibility?  And what if these kids don’t sign?  CFL time?

Good question.  And once again, the NCAA and the NFL could care less about the individual and only care about making money.  Essentially, you have to declare in January for the NFL draft, the longest “declaration period” of any of the sports.  Basketball and college Baseball can declare, not get drafted, and as long as you haven’t signed with an agent, you keep your amateur status and can go back to your team.  I actually think you can get drafted in baseball, elect not to sign with the team that drafted you, and still play college baseball.  In football, because National Signing Day is after the day you declare for the draft but before the NFL draft – the student athlete is more or less screwed.  Coaches have signed the players spot away with new recruits and they couldn’t go back even if they wanted to.

As far as kids not signing:  If they don’t sign with an NFL team, the CFL and NFL Europe are waiting.  I’ve also read about and seen debates on an NFL Development League that would start 2 or 3 weeks right after the draft.  The NFL would own all the teams and each city with an NFL franchise today gets a development team.  The Kicker is they are set up like AAU Football:  7 on 7 with no pads or helmets.  Less chance of injury as a result.  The league would pay players a minimum and pay bonuses for team victories. The league would have games right up to the middle – end of July when NFL pre-season begins.  It would be a way for teams to see some of the talent that might be available and also let talent in that couldn’t, for whatever reason, play in college. Why this isn’t happening is that the NFL is afraid they would lose money with this type of arrangement.  I’m thinking the head of NFL marketing and finance don’t have a brain between them as this would be a watchable LIVE product on the NFL Network that has too many talking heads and too many re-runs of boring NFL games. 

I agree with you about Jake Butt being an example of not playing in the bowl, especially if it doesn’t mean anything.  Look at Peppers.  Didn’t play and went in the 1^st Round!  Do you think more coaches will sit their starters in meaningless bowl games as a way to show future recruits that they care about their NFL futures?

That’s actually an interesting observation.  In meaningless bowls, where a coach would probably like to get a read on their underclassmen anyway, it could make a lot of sense for coaches to bench their High-Potential Early Round Draft players in favor of playing younger players.  And future recruits would take notice and think, “Hey, this dude doesn’t care about his bowl record or his bowl bonus as much as he cares about the players he’s coached for 4 years.  That’s a statement!”  But the question remains:  Is it fair to your team mates to sit out of a game they’d like to win?  If I was on the team with a high potential playing in a meaningless game, I wouldn’t have a problem with the High-Pot sitting.  Just saying.  I, personally, would feel a lot worse for Jake Butt losing all that dough and losing the game, too.

CBS Sports Top 25 - Thoughts on Harbaugh @ #5?  Why isn’t fleck on here?!?!

Here’s the link to the article….

http://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ranking-the-top-25-power-five-college-football-coaches-entering-the-2017-season/

CBS ranked all 65 Power 5 Football coaches and I’ve listed them here through 35 (to answer the PJ Fleck Question): 

1.     Nick Saban

2.    Urban Mayer

3.    Dabo Swinnney

4.    Jimbo Fisher

5.    Jim Harbaugh

6.    Bob Stoops

7.    Chris Petersen

8.    David Shaw

9.    Bill Snyder

10.  Gary Patterson

11. Mark Dantonio

12. Mike Gundy

13. Bobby Petrino

14.  Kyle Wittingham

15. Mark Richt

16. Pat Fitzgerald

17. David Cutcliffe

18.  James Franklin

19.  Gus Malzhan

20.  Kirk Ferentz

21. Dan Mullen

22. Brian Kelly

23. Jim McElwain

24. Paul Johnson

25. Mike Leach

26. Larry Fedora

27. Brett Bielema

28. Tom Herman

29. Paul Chryst

30. Mike MacIntyre

31. Wille Taggart

32. Bronco Mendenhall

33. Hugh Freeze

34. Justin Fuente

35.  PJ Fleck

My thoughts on Harbaugh at #5 are that he’s ranked right about where he should be ranked, for now.  Let’s face reality:  Harbaugh hasn’t won anything yet.  That’s a fact that comes up in every discussion.  In fact, 3^rd place East is about the best Michigan has done under Jimmy.  Granted, he’s only in his 3^rd season and some claim there was a lot of re-building to be done, but I feel he had the necessary tools in his hands last season (and even 2015) to at least win the B1G.  And I think some noise could have been made last year in the CFP, also.  The Agonizing Facts:  Michigan was 5 lousy points (and two 1^st Downs) away from an undefeated season (assuming they win the B1G Title in Indy) and a CFP berth.  That’s gotta’ be worth something.

With respect to other names on the list, Why don’t we have the MMQ Rank them as HE sees it and then perhaps a short discussion as to why I move anyone up or down.  I’ll state now that my criteria will be

1.  Success. 

2.  Potential for success. 

3.  Longevity  

4.  POTENTIAL for Longevity. 

5.  Anything else I make up as I go along…

The MMQ’s Top 35 Football Coaches in Power 5 Conferences:

1.    Saban - Urban Mayer  (tie)

2.    Dabo Swinnney

3.    Jim Harbaugh (5)

4.    Jimbo Fisher

5.    Chris Petersen

6.    David Shaw

7.    Gary Patterson

8.    Mike Gundy

9.    Bobby Petrino

10. Bob Stoops (6) – I’d rather have anyone below Stoops at 6 to this point right here

11. Jim McElwain (23) – I’d much rather have him over everyone up to Stoops

12.  Kyle Wittingham

13. James Franklin (18)

14. PJ Fleck (35) – This is how highly I regard PJ Fleck.  But he could drop from here.

15. Tom Herman (28) - Ditto

16. Mark Richt (15)

17. Pat Fitzgerald (16)

18. Paul Chryst (29) – Considered moving him up a little higher as I think Wiscy is going to be back…

19. Kirk Ferentz

20. Justin Fuente (35)

21. Mark Dantonio (10)

22. Dan Mullen

23. Wille Taggart (31)

24. David Cutcliffe (17)

25. Hugh Freeze (33)

26. Bill Snyder (9)

27. Brian Kelly (22)

28. Paul Johnson

29. Mike Leach

30. Larry Fedora

31. Brett Bielema

32. Gus Malzhan (19)

33. Mike MacIntyre

34. Bronco Mendenhall

So, there’s my ranking for 2017.  Again, this could change after a couple of seasons.  Quick observations:  It should be clear, if I was an AD for any team besides Michigan,  that I’d take a healthy Urban Mayer or Satan if you put a gun to my head – I wouldn’t like it very much, mind you, but yes, I guess I’d have to take them.  Dabo I left in the next spot as he’s been doing it for a couple of seasons and won a NC, so yeah, I might look long and hard at taking Dabo, but ONLY KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW!  I hope that makes sense.  At the same point in their careers, I would take Harbaugh over Swinney.  Harbaugh can easily surpass Swinney if he’d just win…well, anything.  Division, Conference, NC.  Whatever.  And it would appear that I hate old guys (Bill Snyder being highest ranked old guy that dropped from 9 on the CBS list to 26 on my list) and I hate primarily run-oriented coaches.  Surprise, surprise.  I’d much rather have a youthful ability and a future to look forward to rather than have a guy around for a few more years knowing that I’m going to be looking for a head coach soon.  My highest move was PJ Fleck, who moved up from 35 to 14.  And for good reason.  I think he’s the real deal.  Time of course will tell, but again, I’d rather have Fleck over everyone BELOW HIM.  One of the larger drop downs, for good reason, was Dantonio.  Questionable team and player character coupled with a disaster 3-9 season will, I think, become more of the norm in East Lansing at this point with the true Power Schools in the B1G East getting measurably better Head Coaches (Harbaugh, Mayer, Franklin, Durkin).  Dantonio will keep sliding down this list for awhile. Ditto for Malzhan.  I have Gus on the Hot Seat in Auburn and with Les Miles waiting in the wings with his knowledge of the SEC, well, that’s going to be a fun story to watch unfold.   I wanted to drop B. Kelly further, but when I got to the Johnson – Leach – Fedora trio, I found it difficult.  I wanted to move Fedora up, but I literally got as far as the Pirate (Leach) and figure I’d rather have him than Fedora.  Harbaugh disciple Taggart is a logical move up and will probably continue to climb up on the list.  I will review from time to time for relative ranking. 

Biggest surprise not in the Top 35?  Kirby Smart….Gotta be.  That’s kind of a shocker, but after what he’s done in Georgia (nothing) I’m starting to think there’s just clones of Satan running around doing everyone’s job…

Some Texts

The Bears are idiots…

Totally agree.  Trading up to the two spot had to be the dumbest move in the NFL draft this season.  There’s been worse blunders, but that one takes the cake.  Drafting a QB that played a total of 1 season in college and thinking you’re going to turn him into a starter in the NFL has to be some form of insanity.  I’m not sure what happens in those draft war rooms and what kind of group think begins…but clearly it happens.

Didn’t see Taco going that high (in the draft)!!!

I kind of did, but didn’t.  What I thought was that Charlton was probably a GREAT 2^nd or 3^rd round value pick and I was really hoping the Lions would have a shot at him with their 2^nd round pick.   Regardless, Dallas was smart grabbing him in the 1^st.  Upside potential all the way with Taco….

Lot’s of Michigan guys going high in the draft.  I didn’t think that would happen…

Then you haven’t been paying attention.  The NFL knows that both Satan and Harbaugh have been to the Show and know what it takes to develop a kid and get them ready for that level.  There’s value in having an NFL coach back at the collegiate level working with guys for 4 years.  I truly believe that plays into it.  Not to mention that there’s probably some background communication happening on some of these guys….

Tweets and Social Media

This is one more reason why you shouldn’t drink:

That’s a Michigan Man and loyal reader wearing the WRONG COLORS.  Booze will do strange things to people….Maybe stop with the two fisted drinking?