Thursday, May 24, 2018

Thursday Round-Up, Mailbag & More


Michigan Football Heading for South Africa

Announcing another Big Trip, Harbaugh named next year’s location:  South Africa.




I know these trips bug the crap out of the other “Big” universities out there and there has to be a some positive affect regarding recruiting with respect to this.  I mean, imagine if you were a freshman 3 years ago?  You’ve seen Rome, France and now you’re gonna’ get to see a place that most people wouldn’t dream of going to, much less be able to afford it.  That’s gotta’ be worth something!  I’ve never been to South Africa (or anywhere on the African Continent) and this one actually sounds kind of interesting.   Always sort of wanted to see both of the Capes (Good Hope and Horn).  MMQ Mom AMH took the trip and saw the penguins on the beach.


Maybe Michigan will practice (and play some REAL FOOTBALL) in the Cape Town Arena that was constructed in 2010 for the FIFA World Cup???

Who Knows? 



Chip Patterson Has Michigan As B1G Title Contender


I read Chip every now and then and his entry on Michigan was interesting and I think he’s thinking what everyone else is thinking.  Can Michigan actually get decent QB play this season?

7. Michigan can win the Big Ten with good, but not great, QB play: If you are picking Michigan to win the Big Ten, it should be because of the rest of the roster, which was very good but still one year away during the Wolverines' 2017 campaign. But the discussion around the Wolverines will continue to focus almost exclusively on Shea Patterson and the quarterback position. That's because Jim Harbaugh and quarterback play are linked, and this is a very big season for Harbaugh. But Michigan could be really good this year because of the other 21 positions, and I want to make sure that doesn't get missed. 

Chip also has Patterson as a potential Heisman candidate, but I’m not even 100% sure that Shea will be the starter.  Peters may still be a candidate for starter at the end of the day. 

Mailbag, Texts and Tweets

I was going to respond privately to this individual, but then I got on a roll…Here’s what I think about someone thinking I’m taking things too far when it comes to LNU.  I don’t mean that in a “mean spirited” way towards anyone, and I want to make that perfectly clear. In fact, I wasn’t trying to be mean last Friday.  But why aren’t more people pissed off and demanding some answers regarding LNU?

Russ – Friendly advice:  I think you’re taking this LNU thing a little too far.  MSU fans hate the fact that this is happening (or happened) to their university.  We are sickened by it, probably a lot like PSU fans, and we just want to move on.  I know I DIDN’T have anything to do with the Nassar issue, but moving forward, every time I’m at a party or in a discussion at work with someone new and the question comes up, “Where did you go to school?”  I’m now going to be forever embarrassed that this happened at my alma mater.  And Remember:  It could happen anywhere – even Michigan.

Dear Loyal Reader:  I understand and empathize with you.  However, I’m still a little Short On Sympathy for your university. I know how you’re feeling.  I get that it’ll never be the same for anyone associated with Sparty.   However, that being said, I can’t help but wonder if something like that could really happen somewhere else?  I mean, we all know something similar happened at PSU.   

But what happened in East Lansing, well, don’t you think that maybe there’s a modicum of truth to the fact that too many people turned their back on what was going on?  Larry Nassar was supposed to be a trustworthy member of this university!  Instead, for a whopping 20 years, this guy had enablers EVERY STEP OF THE WAY all the way up to the tippy-top!!! 

Right up to LKS who is getting a full pension, football game day suite, basketball floor seats and other perks with her “Resignation”!!!  It’s not like she even resigned, she just got to quit working and is still getting paid her full salary!!!  If I was a fan (or even attending a game as a non-fan) I believe I would have to boo her every appearance from this point forward. 

330+ victims... 

I guess what I’m saying is, while PSU officials (AD and the President) who were part of the Grand Scheme that more or less defined the “Lack of Institutional Control”, per the NCAA, wait for their days in court, Nassar is the ONLY GUY from LNU THAT’S IN THE KLINK.  It’s disgraceful.  It’s a sham.  And the fact that LNU is only getting stuck for $500M when PSU was into the Sandusky affair for over $1 Billion??  Sickening.  So, somehow, there’s less outrage and less monetary penalty for a guy fingering 12-20 year old girls/ young women vs. a guy having sex with pre-teen and teenage boys?

I guess that’s where my head is right now. 

330+ VICTIMS that were assaulted in the “safe confines” of a college campus!!!

And one guy in jail…That’s it.  OK – they arrested Strempel, who appears to be another pile of crap.  And I know there’s been other coaches and assistants that have left or resigned. 

That’s not enough. 

Instead of being embarrassed, why aren’t you just a little bit pissed off by all of this?  I know I would be if it was my Alma Mater.  I’d still be demanding answers and want people’s heads on a platter – starting with the former president of the University.  AND I would want ALL THE REGENTS’ HEADS WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN OVERSEEING ALL OF THIS!

Each and every PSU regent has been replaced since 2012.
Clean Sweep.
Gone…

PSU “got it” and atoned for their sins. 

So far, you’ve got a former president living high on the hog that’s not doing shit for your university.  And not one regent has even offered to step down due to their lack of oversight. 

Just sayin’…

Yet when I talk to people associated with LNU, most of the fans or grads just shrug and are like, “Well, at least the monsters in jail.”  Well, OK, but how many more monsters are out there and what are they getting away with?  And there’s a problem with all of LNU if you think by just throwing one guy in the can fixes all of these problems. 

Don’t be embarrassed.  Get mad and demand answers.

More Ex-LNU Players in the Sexual Assault News


In a way, I feel a little bad for Mumphery here.  I remember when this was being investigated and the Sherriff’s department didn’t think there was enough evidence to warrant charges.  (the encounter appeared to be consensual) But LNU still booted him off campus under Title IX violations.  I don’t think it’s fair to start having a consensual tryst only to have it thrown back in your face as assault. 

Moral of the Story:   Keep your you know what in your pocket. 

Judge Presiding Over LNU Case Thinks Engler Should Step Down
She makes some valid points.   Naming Engler in the beginning may not have been the greatest idea…
Larry Nassar University Is Already Costing You More Money
And if you’re thinking this DOESN’T in any way affect you, you couldn’t be more wrong.  Michigan Health Insurance premiums will be impacted, Medical Mal-practice insurance will go up in Michigan as a result and the overall trickle down affect is going to happen.  Another reason to remain PISSED OFF about LNU…I guess I'd like to know how any of these laws would have impacted the people associated with the crimes at LNU?  would LSK be screwed here?  Hollis?  
And Michigan Wins Again!
Michigan had a total of 8 Varisty teams finish the year with Perfect APR scores.  LNU only had 3 teams that achieved perfection.  So, there’s that….
ETC
Ding-Dong – The Witch Is DEAD!!!
Corporate Mascots (Flo, Mayhem, The Gecko, etc) all get old after a while.  I mean, they’re funny for a while and then I don’t want to see them anymore.   


Howeva’!!!  THIS F@#$CKER WAS ON MY NERVES THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM!!!
Dr. Pepper is “retiring” Larry Culpepper from their ads and I have to say, I’m truly overjoyed!  I’m a channel flipper anyway, but there are times when you’re stuck watching commercials.  There has to be a better marketing guy to run Dr. Pepper’s marketing department.  I don’t like little sweet, either… 
I Remember When This Happened…
And why we ALL need to remember that they’re just games, folks.  Yes, the other guys are asshats but we need to keep our anger and our feelings in check.

Can An Expansion Team Win The Stanley Cup?


If you’ve been reading me for a while, you know that regarding the professional “Big 4” sports, I’m an NFL Fan, Baseball Fan, NBA Fan and when the Wings are decent, a Red Wings (but not NHL) fan.  In That Order.  I’ve never connected to the professional hockey league, and I have lots of reasons.  Hockey doesn’t have a “day” (College and the NFL) and a “Time” (noon Saturday and 1:00PM on Sunday) and isn’t something where you can watch your team every night (Tigers).  There’s more but that’s not the point of this entry…

This Las Vegas Golden Knights thing is intriguing to this fan.  Every GM took the opportunity to dump huge contracts and players that were problem children but could play and created an all-star team of sorts. 


How can you even be a fan without going through the trials and tribulations of losing, swearing off your team, and then come crawling back the following season?  Drinking the kool-aid of the draft, off-season trades and articles about how great the team is looking in pre-season practice or the actual pre-season?  If you were a fan new to hockey, I guess this isn’t a terrible way to start out….

A quick google search tells us that no expansion team in the last 25 years (or ever, for that matter) has ever won the title in their first season. 


If the Knights pull this off, it’ll be a first.  You should probably start watching if you haven’t already. 

It’ll be fun!

And We’ll See How This Works Out…

NFL is going to fine clubs if any of their players kneel during the National Anthem and players have the option of staying in the locker room until after the Anthem is played if they choose not to listen to it. 

My take:  Black balling Kapernick and other players started to “ebb” the desire of players to demonstrate.  I think the league could have left this alone and it would have died out due to the blackballing, alone.  And the problem is, fans that “left” the NFL and found other things to do may not come rushing back as the things they found to do might be better.


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