Sweet 16!

Sweet 16!  Its been TOO LONG!

I wasn't sure I wanted to post just because a famous coach once said, "Act like you've been here before."  Which, Michigan has, but its been awhile....

The opening round South Dakota State game was a lot less "Epic" than the prognositcators would have everyone believe and the VCU Rams looked downright laughable as The Wolverines ran them up, down and literally off the court.  Shaka Smart didn't look very much his namesake as he continued to try and press Michigan's guards and then decided that getting into a running challenge against Michigan's speed and ball handling was a game he could win.  I'm not letting any cats out of any bags as to what the secret is to beating Mihichigan:  Slow down the tempo and play perimeter defense and you've got a shot.  Get into a run and gun contest and you're gonna'  take your lumps....

Best plays!

Spike Albrecht's pass is friggin' awesome!



I you have ever coached basketball....All I can say is Coaches absolutely LOVE a good pick! And a pick that puts somebody on the floor is better than an alley oop!




Michigan Hockey Loses in CCHA Final

Unfortunately, at the same time OSU was beating Iowa State on Sunday, the Michigan Men's Hockey team was unfortunately losing their final game of the season to the clowns from that small school in South Bend, Indiana....JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!

However, in case you were unaware, it's the 17th anniversary of "The Michigan" move made famous by Mike Legg!  I love this play and never get tired of watching it...((HT:  Greg at MVictors)

It's HERE! That Spring Rite of Passage.....

That we all know and love....Not Pitchers and Catchers reporting...That was weeks ago, and for those of you reading in Michigan, it was still the dead of winter.

Kind of STILL IS the dead of winter around here right now....But the March Madness has begun and it's Bracket Time!  Meaning that Spring and the Masters are right around the corner. 

Bracket Busters?  Got Em....

Bracket Sleepers?  Predicting them here!

Bold Predictions?  You Bet!

Prognosticating is one of the MMQ's Favorite things to do!  And of course, what fun is prognosticating unless you put a little scratch on it!

So, without further ado, here's the MMQ's Big 10 Special Bracket that I can explain a lot easier than my Smart Bracket.  The Smart Bracket looks dumber every time I look at it and this Bracket makes more sense every time I peruse it.  But I think that's the Michigan Man and Big 10 Guy coming out....

Hopefully, everyone can see this.  The rationale for each region is below:

MIDWEST:  When Tom Izzo has better than a 4 seed, you must respect the Izzo.  That's basically all you need to know.  Why not Duke?  Well, in the last 5 brackets where the Dukies were a two seed?  They didn't get out of the first weekend.  I have to say that the hardest pick here was NOT taking Cincinnati over Duke in that 2nd round game......Louisville?  They only have one guy that really scores...Is that any way to win a tournament?  Besides the Big East, I mean?  And look out for the ducks in the First Round....Underseeded against an over-seeded Okie State team that runs hot and cold on offense...Izzo and company find a chair at the Final 4 Feast!

WEST:  Thad Matta - See Izzo above.  I've finally given up on figuring out when OSU will get upset in the Big Dance, so I'm just going with it this year and hoping my bracket sheet isn't garbage before the end of the 1st weekend.  Yes, Gonzaga is that fun name school that was a cinder-fella 15 years ago...and they are good, but they need to finally prove it by getting to a Final 4.  I just don't think its happening this year as OSU is way too good and won't let it happen - their guards are too good....  Of course, this could be the year that OSU chokes...who knows?  Taking Iowa State over the Domers?  No Brainer.....12-5 UPSET ALERT:  Ole Miss over Wiscy is my only Big 10 blemish....Because I HATE WISCONSIN!.  I also think Ole Miss and their flamboyant point Guard Henderson will be a problem for Wiscy.....OSU comes out of the West for a spot at the Final 4 Table!

EAST:  IU - IU - IU....Yes, they're good.  In fact, I think IU got a gift and has one of, if not THE easiest bracket to the Final 4 of any of the other number 1's.  Why?  When Miami is in there and the won the ACC regular season and the ACC Tournament?  Because...They won the ACC And the ACC Tournament.  Too much is expected and I don't think they have what it will take to knock off IU.  12 SEED SLEEPER ALERT:  California shocks a few people and knocks off a team they should have beat at home but lost to by one - and they are playing 25 miles from their hometown...And then they surprise a few more people and knock off a tired and leg weary Syracuse in the 2nd round....  14-3 UPSET ALERT:  Davidson and it's Team Offense and Defense approach are going to be too much for First Round out of the Big East Tournament Marquette...Marquette is not known for deep runs in the tourney and there's simply too much pressure on them to get a first round Victory this year.  Check out the Marquette's blog and you will see what I mean...IU coasts to the head of the Final 4 Table..

SOUTH:  I think this is without question the weakest bracket of all.  And that bodes well for the middle seeds to wreak havoc here.  11-6 NON UPSET ALERT:  Yes, You read that right, loyal reader.  Minnesota is actually FAVORED in this game by 3 points as an 11 SEED!  So, do what you must and thank the MMQ later...Of course, for all the people that pick without a clue, the actual upset (UCLA WINNING) will look like a favorite winning and reward absolutely no one....Everything else here is chalk until Bill Self's Jayhawks meet the Wolverines in the Sweet 16.  Nobody has Michigan going past the Sweet 16...Except slappy's like yours truly.  Why?  It's still Michigan and the low turnover record, three point shooting and charity stripe should revert to the mean in tournament time.  I like Michigan to upset a highly optimistic Kansas squad and then defeat a Gatorland team that upsets a weak East opponent in Georgetown....putting Michigan in the Final 4!

Then, it's just a redo of the Big 10 tournament with Michigan - OSU  - Indiana and Sparty squaring off....The way it should be!

Michigan winning the whole thing is Karmatic Redemption for all the crappy crap that happened to them this season....

Don't believe it?  Well, then you haven't been paying attention!

Fun websites to look at an play around with:

http://wp.bracketscience.com/

And without a doubt, my favorite:

http://projects.wsj.com/blindfold-brackets-2013/

You can spend a lot of time looking at these sites...and it will all be wasted, of course.

Because at the end of the day, who knows what's going to happen!

GO BLUE!

B1G Tournament Times and Schedules

In case you were wondering when the B1G Basketball Tournament games were going to take place, here you go!

Also re-created here for your convenience if you don't like having to link......

It's GOOD To Be The King!

It’s funny. In the off season, I need distractions from things and I’m strangely not attracted to the recruiting sagas of all the big boys. Things that intrigue me are conference re-alignment and, strangely, what I think may be the beginning of the end of the NCAA as we know it.

First, let’s look at the fun one: Conference re-alignment. It would seem that the B1G is not sitting on its hands waiting around for other chips to fall. In an effort to establish a strong foothold in the south, Mr. SEC is reporting (HT: Frank the Tank) that the B1G has made offers to Virginia and Georgia Tech. I personally would have rather seen an offer go out to Florida State, and there’s a rumor flying that that has happened as well, leaving the B1G in an “odd” number situation again (17) if everyone would accept. What does that add up to?

One of two things: Jim Delaney is probably pushing his alma mater, the University of North Carolina hard to make a decision to join the B1G. I can see the wheels in Jim’s head spinning away knowing that if the Maryland – ACC lawsuit is settled out of court for a reduced exit fee, well, other schools being offered B1G riches are going to line up and take the handout. Virgina (per Frank the Tank – FTT) makes sense as that ties up Washington DC and the surrounding market. Georgia Tech and FSU would put a FIRM foothold in the HEART of the SEC. Yep, it all makes sense.

But why UNC? Why not the Domers as the MMQ has stated all along? That’s the real “football” prize in all of this….Isn’t it? Isn’t that what this is all about? Football dominance?

Well, maybe, maybe not. I’m starting to think that there’s a method to Delaney’s madness that is pure genius. Wile E. Coyote genius…..think about it: The Big East used to have one of the largest basketball contracts in the history of televised basketball and with 16 teams, they also received more bids to the NCAA Tournament than all other conferences combined. With those bids comes NCAA credits for each team you put in the tourney. Hence, the more BASKETBALL teams you have, the more NCAA Tourney money you get. Granted, it doesn’t compare to Football money or even come close to the BCS pay-outs, but it’s nothing to sneeze at. In addition, the BTN gets MORE LIVE CONTENT. Right now, the BTN’s highest ratings are from December through March, meaning that it’s prime time basketball is being viewed by a lot of people. And networks have a funny way of figuring out the logical. IF I had more games to televise, that would be good. And if I had MORE QUALITY TEAMS and SCHOOLS playing those games (Vrigina, G-Tech, and UNC) that would be even better! Not to mention that I would be in more households up and down the East Coast.

In addition: The NCAA Tournament is coming up for re-bid in a couple of years. There’s still the rumor and more than likely, FACT, that the NCAA is going to have to expand to 96 teams. And my guess is that when those expansion games get played (16 games on Monday and Tuesday), there ISN’T going to be one network (CBS) that will be able to carry them all on the Monday/Tuesday play in the way it’s carried now – unless CBS just decides to take all of its programming off the entire week of the NCAA tourney. So, there will be a bidding war to get those play in games by competing networks. One network in Bristol, Connecticut comes to mind…But so does the BTN network.

Why would the BTN spend good money bidding on games that more than likely WON’T have a B1G team playing on a Monday or Tuesday? Media rights. Think about it: If the BTN were to win say, 4 or 8 of the 16 play in games, there’s suddenly cable operators all over the country that are going to demand having the BTN available. And that puts even more money in Jim’s pocket than getting the ever elusive Domers….

Jim Delaney…Genius. It’s Good To Be The King….



On another not so fun note, it you haven’t been keeping abreast of the NCAA – Miami fiasco, well, it’s been something to behold. On one hand, you have Mark Emmert – Hypocrite and False Front Man that is trying to have his cake and eat it too.   Julie Roe Lach got canned on Monday after Emmert learned that she had authorized payment to NevinShapiro’s lawyer for information about what went down during the years in question. Nevin Shapiro was the master mind behind the huge real estate Ponzi scheme that netted him all the money that he was able to throw at Miami that also got him a striper pole in his VIP suite at Miami football games. When you get to the heart of it, I started wondering how this wasn’t crossing a line somehow…The whole thing seemed a little sleazy, even if you were trying to get to the truth of the matter. But still, to suggest that Julie was acting “On her own” and paying an attorney for information from the same booster that paid all the Miami kids…Didn’t something click somewhere for someone? And to suggest that Emmert didn’t have a clue about it…well, let’s just say it doesn’t pass the ole’ MMQ sniff test. Add to that the rule that all head coaches are responsible for anything their assistant coaching staff does (illegally) but somehow the same rule doesn’t apply to Emmert and the NCAA? Well, once again, it just goes to show you…It’s Good To Be The King…

On the other hand, you have the president of Miami, has more or less gone on the attack and made Miami out to be the victim in a bungled, drawn out investigation that may or may not ever get settled by the NCAA. And if the NCAA tries to hand down more severe penalties, well, she’s made it publicly known that the “allegations” of strippers, prostitutes, drugs, and parties cannot be proven by the NCAA….Even though everybody else in the WORLD has seen the evidence and knows it exists. Photos, receipts, etc…I think there’s even a couple of G-strings somewhere hidden in Shapiro’s lawyers’ desks….

In the end, Miami has given up several scholarships, paid retribution and denied themselves the opportunity to play in the ACC championship and two bowl games in 2013 and 2014. While that’s a lot, I’m not sure given the preponderance of evidence in this case that it’ll be enough for the penalty division of the NCAA…until they are found to be involved in something they shouldn’t be. But, even then, Emmert will come out smelling like a rose…Why?

Because….. It’s Good To Be The King!

WE ON!!!!!

For everyone wondering just what in the heck the Warm Up jerseys that the Michigan Men's Basketball team is wearing this year mean, well, the MMQ just heard about it on the radio.  If this is old news to you, sorry.  Everyone else, it's the motivational phrase the team came up with this year.

WE
ON

"When Everyone Operates In-Sync"

So, there you go, in case you were wondering....In addition, there is a UM fuse box in the locker room and each player has a key word that they own.  So, when each player heads out on the floor before practice and games, they flip a switch "on" to motivate and remind them of what their key motivation is....

I guess "Go Blue" just doesn't carry the same weight that it used to.....

Harbaugh Criticsm and NCAA Go Away....

A few of you out there (you know who you are!) were kind enough to e-mail me and suggest that I take the "Michigan Road" and shun or banish Jim Harbaugh from the Michigan Family due to his outburst and degrading comments on Michigan's admission requirements while he was coaching at Stanford.  That I should NOT be rooting for Jim's success in The Super Bowl.  These types of e-mails make me scratch my head and go, "Hmmmmmm...."

Folks, the MMQ is here to say this:  IF there was ONE thing I learned at Michigan it's this - YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO CHALLENGE and QUESTION authority!  I'm sure Jim picked up on that in a class somewhere.  To say or suggest that the QB that single handedly beat the Suckeyes two years running and guaranteed it the 2nd time is somehow NOW disloyal and should be banished as a result of what was more or less a true comment (while he was coaching Stanford) is not only ricidulous, its a complete misunderstanding of what makes Michigan special.

Look - I'm a MICHIGAN fan.  That not only allows me to question the University, the Athletic Department, coaching, etc....It DEMANDS that I question it!  If we were all yes men and agreed with everything that went on...Well....we'd be either OSU or Sparty.  Or the Domers.   We can stand on our own individual beliefs and those might differ, but in the end, we're ALL MICHIGAN. 

I hope that makes some sense to those of you that wanted me to ignore what Harbaugh accomplished here and later in the NFL and yes, even coaching at Stanford.   I'm proud of that Michigan Member and I'm hoping for his success.  Regardless of whatever comments he made while in the heat of the moment....

If you can't see that or don't agree with it, that's fine.  You, as a Michigan Fan, are entitled to that opinion.  But remember that in the end, you can't take away what he accomplished while he was here and least of all - who he LEARNED it from while he was here.....

NCAA – Please….Just Stop….Stop….It’ll be FAIR For Everyone


In case you haven’t heard, the NCAA has officially “botched” the Miami Scandal Investigation. How did they manage that? In 25 words or less, they apparently were going to base the punishment on some information that was obtained “illegally” and now that information is inadmissible.   The NCAA has to go back and “redo” everything it has by ignoring the information that they know….because there weren't and aren't supposed to know it.....

If that makes any sense to you, please respond and explain it to me….

I guess where this is going is that the NCAA can’t even be trusted at this point to collect information from viable sources in the manner they are supposed to obtain it. Yet, somehow, they can “justify” coming down on a University that was open and honest in their communication and that was rectifying that situation via the criminal courts (PSU). But other Universities that chose to clam up and not say nuttin’ get less severely punished than would otherwise be expected (USC And OSU).

Where does that leave any of this? Be a good guy and you get crushed. In fact, be a good guy and the long arm of the NCAA simply circumvents their investigative process (which, btw, must be the biggest bunch of BS that anyone has ever seen) and crushes you to within an inch of your NCAA football life…..Be a bad guy and don’t say nuttin’ and you’re still able to recruit, go to bowls…etc. That’s FAIR. Sure…It’s FAIR….Just like Title IX is fair to male athletes. I get tired of hearing that word in our everyday barrage of news and media. It has to be FAIR.  In what world is any of what the NCAA does FAIR??????

And seeing as how the NCAA doesn’t even bother with “rule benders” any more (see Bama, MSU, Arkansas and others) when it comes to oversigning….Well, What EXACTLY is the point of the NCAA anymore and trying to keep things FAIR? They certainly aren’t try to create a level or FAIR playing field even with the rules they HAVE!

Dan Wetzel as usual, hits the nail on the head. Amateurism isn’t dead, it simply never was. Amateurism was one of those things, per Wetzel, that was designed by rich people in order to create an unfair advantage….A perfect example is the “amateur” tag that has long since been removed from Olympic athletes…Certainly hasn’t hurt that event or the sports in that event, summer or winter.

Why would removing the amateur tag from collegiate sports be any different? A normal student who is an engineer, pre-med, pre-law, or whatever can got get a summer internship in that field and get paid. College athletes ARE NOT ALLOWED BY NCAA RULES TO EVEN WORK PART TIME IN WHAT MIGHT BE DEFINED AS THEIR FUTURE PROFESSION!

How, the MMQ asks…IS that Fair????

Let it stop….Make the NCAA go away. Let Student Athletes make money however and whenever they want to make money. That includes boosters throwing them a couple of bucks. And if there’s someone like De-Rob that can pull in $100G’s while he’s a student athlete, awesome. I have often wondered what would happen if somehow the golden calf of College Football were to somehow get taken away or diluted by regional semi-pro teams or what would happen if the NFL got its act together and started “Farm” systems similar to Major League Baseball. Sign kids out of high school for $250K a year that weren’t eligible to make it into a college because of grades. Arrange for special training for these kids in another field so it seemed like a noble thing to do if they didn’t pan out in football.  Something like a "glorified" ITT tech institute or something.... Sell tickets (in the current stadiums that the NFL cities and owners own) for $25 general admission. They could have all games be Monday Night Games. Or Tuesday. Pick a night and own it. OR it could be like the USFL and the season could begin in the NFL off-season. Six weeks after the Super Bowl. 12 game every other week schedule starting in March and wrapping up at the end of August. Get a couple of big name coaches to coach these regional city farm clubs that would be feeders to the NFL and once the players were old enough, they would simply enter the NFL draft next to their collegiate counterparts…

HOW FAST do you think the NCAA and the SEC, B1G and others would come around to the idea of athletic compensation?

The answer is: Pretty damn quick.

Harbaugh Super and "The Lyin' Hawaiian"

Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh in the Super Bowl!

I have to say that I was hoping for a Michigan QB vs. a Michigan QB, but seeing as how I can’t have that, I think this is the next best thing! I’m of course pulling for Jimmy, but either way, it should be a fun game.

Unfortunately, without Touchdown Tommy in the Super Bowl, Michigan will not be very well represented…Oh well….At least Jim Harbuagh gets his shot at winning one as a coach.

Another issue that I wasn’t going to touch has been all over the media and I was waiting until Manti came out and was interviewed before commenting. Now that he has commented, something isn’t sitting quite right with the Ole MMQ. And when something doesn’t feel right to me, well, let’s just say that I trust my intuition more and more these days and I trust people and what they say less and less….

Manti Teo’ –  The Case of “The Lyin’ Hawaiian”

I can’t take credit for Manti’s new nickname as it was texted to me by a loyal reader. You people are AWESOME when it comes to keeping me updated with all the latest. And for the days in which this story was breaking, I was chained to a supplier booth down in Cobo Hall at the Auto Show Supplier Preview Days, unable to stay abreast of the avalanche of media coverage in the Manti Teo’ case. Manti Teo’…. otherwise and forever more to be known here as “The Lyin’ Hawaiian”.

So, what exactly ARE the facts in this case? Here’s what (I think) we know at this point:

1. The Lyin’ Hawaiian had an internet relationship with “someone”.
2. That someone’s name is Lennay Kakua….Even though this person HAS NEVER EXISTED.
3. She was NEVER EVER, registered as a Student of Stanford
4. He NEVER met this woman after the Stanford game as he originally claimed
5. He never talked to her on the phone for 8 hours every evening, “listening to her breath on the other end of the line as she fell asleep.” 
6. She DIDN’T die of Lukemia the same day as his grandmother (who did die)
7. He did talk to “Someone” that wasn’t Lennay, but was trying to pass herself off as this individual.
8. The Lyin’ Hawaiian’s Father (Brian) embellished the story with his own lies - After the Lyin' Hawaiian admittedly lied to his dad...
9. The Head Lyin’ Domer $warbuck$ himself believes that the Lyin’ Hawaiian is the victim here and has NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER in the propagation of the hoax.
10. “The Lyin’ Hawaiian” does a 2 ½ hour interview with Schapp from ESPN. But no video allowed. Claims he was duped from the get go.

So, that’s more or less what we know.

As you can PROBABLY IMAGINE, the ole MMQ has a hard time buying ANY of this….And it reeks of being a huge cover up for what might, MIGHT, have have started out as an innocent relationship on line and it has turned into a story that is bigger than anything we’ve seen in a while and everyone who has touched or come into contact with it shares in the responsibility of perpetuating a hoax that could have been uncovered with a little bit of good, investigative journalism.

Instead, everyone, and I do MEAN EVERYONE (all internet news outlets, Television, ESPN, Today, GMA, and news and media outlets everywhere) just RAN with this story.

I have several questions to no one in particular, but if anyone can answer, I’m listening.

First: Why does a kid who is supposedly SMART ENOUGH to get into the Domer program and graduate in 3 and a half years fall victim to something like this? And then, why does he lie about talking to her every night (which he didn’t) and then MEETING HER at Stanford (which NEVER HAPPENED!) in addition to sending flowers to a funeral (his dad) that never occurred? All he did was text? There were no photos exchanged? He never sent her a Jersey? What gives?

Second: Why didn’t the press conduct a simple search for this woman back in September once her name was known and figure out who the surviving family members and friends were? I remember thinking at the time that I was going to have to suffer through at least a week of the morning TV barrage of friends and family of the Lyin’ Hawaiian’s girlfriend all wearing his jersey and gushing about what a wonderful inspiration The Lyin’ Hawaiian was to Lennay and how his relationship with her continued to inspire her to her last day…blah, blah, blah….Yet, that never happened. And I was frankly a little surprised then, but never really made the connection that MAYBE she didn’t exist. I was thankful nobody associated with her in any way wanted their 15 seconds of interview fame, but still surprised none the less.

Third: Why is the University of Notre Dame (And I used that term only because it may actually be the LAST TIME I EVER TYPE IT!) standing behind someone who has CLEARLY LIED AND EMBELLISHED a story for his own egotistical desires and possibly as a pre-meditated play to gain sympathy for the Heisman vote? Why does the collective DOMER BRAIN TRUST believe that there is no culpability what so ever on the part of “The Lyin’ Hawaiian”? How can it be that a University, founded under the belief in GOD and that doing the right thing from a religious and moral standpoint can be SO HYPOCRITICAL as to believe that The Lyin’ Hawaiian NEVER lied about ANY OF THIS? Could it be because it’s the same HRPOCRITICAL university that let Three Beer Floydd and Kung Fu Reese back on Campus and also on the Domer Football teams?

Fourth: Why hasn’t the Lyin’ Hawaiian come out and agreed to do a live interview? Why did he only agree to a no camera interview? Is he suddenly afraid of the limelight? Only someone with something to hide would take that road, and for the MMQ, well, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back with respect to who is guilty in all of this…..The Lyin' Hawaiian is hiding more than he is letting on and he wants everyone to believe that he was duped.  IF that's the case...well.....It's sad, really. 

I will be frank right now: I hate the Domers. I hate them for more reasons than I can count. And I take a LOT of grief from DOMER FANS over that sentiment. That’s a fact. But never, ever has the University of Michigan embarrassed itself and sunk to the level that the Domers have now sunk to at this point in time. Right when it appeared that the tide was turning, the wheels have come off. Right when people who weren’t Domer fans started to see and believe in the “Domer Mystique” and started coming back into the fold, you have something as bizarre and sleazy as this.

Even some Michigan Fans have questioned why there is such a poison in my system that hates the Domers more than the Suckeyes or Sparty. Well, now it should be clear. The Domers are all about looking at their own situation as being “unique” or “Special”. If the Sandusky scandal would have happened at Domer Land you can bet that the Domer’s would have somehow spun it and explained that they were giving Sandusky a reasonable doubt of innocence.

There’s a pathological liar that formerly wore the Blue and Gold that is either too naïve to understand what he was doing (and I’m not buying that) or he was so wrapped up in the lie that he started to believe it. Dan Wetzel more than echoes my comments in his editorial.  Manti started "believing" the lie which led to more and more lies....It reminds of Castanza on Seinfeld when Jerry was trying to beat the lie detector test.

Castanza’s advice: “Jerry - It’s not a lie if YOU believe it!”

So here’s to “The Lyin’ Hawaiian” and the lies he tells. And here’s to a university that lies to itself in order to maintain a status quo of being better than everyone else.

When in reality, they are the biggest hypocrites of all.

This just in:  The Lyin' Hawaiian has tweeted that he has a new girlfriend....Fawn Lebowitz.

Oh, wait - UPDATE:  His new girlfriend is from Canada and he actually had sex with her....But just once....

I could go on....But what's the point....