While they haven't added the latest edition yet, I will update this post with the Maize and Brew's links to the greatest finishes of Michigan and Notre Dame in History...
Yes, these are the ones where MICHIGAN WINS....
Click here to go to Maize and Brew and check out the clips.
And THIS, SPORTS FANS, has to be one of the better cut and paste with respect to Rich Rod, Lloyd, the Wuzzles, and most of all
MONTY PYTHON
Many Thanks to EDSBS....
Enjoy....
MMQ
The MMQ
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Worth a 2nd Look
Everyone who knows me knows that I usually allow a celebration on the Monday after a big game and then it’s on to the next opponent. However, with the win on Saturday, so much happened that to go through it in its entirety would have taken a lot of space and maybe not everyone wants to read the gory details, especially our Domer (JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!) brethren. But for those that simply can’t get enough of this memorable victory over the much hated rivals of South Bend, here’s some more by the numbers:
1. Michigan is still the best damn program on top of College Football in all the land. With a winning percentage of 0.73982, followed by the much hated Domers with 0.73639 and Texas with 0.71785. And that includes Domer wins over schools that no longer exist and “High Schools” from around Chicago. The NCAA has reviewed and reviewed this and has let the victories stand, but statisticians around the country have removed some of those wins and Texas is a whole lot closer or even ahead of the Domers in winning percentage when you take those out.
2. Total Wins and Games Played….To say that I am extremely pleased that the Wolverines move the Domers down a notch on this list is an understatement:
Rank Team Won Lost Tied Played
1 Michigan 872 295 36 1203
2 Texas 832 317 33 1182
3 Domers 831 284 42 1157
So the Domers lose out by a game to Texas for Games Won. I am sure that the faithful are looking at that and the 30-22 record for Wuzzles (that’s .580 in percentage terms) and the hate is growing…but I could be wrong.
3. Michigan Defense – While I knocked them pretty hard for Saturday’s performance, I wasn’t aware that Cissoko was as banged up as he was. In addition, when you look at the front O-line of the Domers, we were outweighed by nearly 35 lbs. on average. Yes, they gave up 490 yards, but I think the Domer offense has improved in the last year since we played them. Time will tell, but the Domers might surprise some people, including the Rubbers. They will need that win big time to Save the Wuzzles – if that’s the plan.
4. Brandon Minor. I’m glad he’s back. He quietly rushed for 109 yards and could have rushed for more as I saw holes in the Domer’s front line that we weren’t exploiting nearly as much as we should have. But I digress from the true hero….
5. Tate Forcier. I really don’t know what to say about this wunderkind that hasn’t already been said. Who does he remind me of? Doug Flutie comes to mind. But in Michigan’s lineage, I don’t know that we ever had a wiry, scrambling, passing attack like the one we have right now. Leach? Harbaugh? Henson doesn’t qualify as he didn’t play long enough…Demetrius Brown and Michael Taylor – but not like this… And he’s doing it as a Freshman. I am more impressed with the game presence (Poise is so over-used) then I am with the actual ability...And if he’s this good this early, where does he go from here? Don’t sweat the INT late in the 4th – upon review that was a Matthews misread on the defense. And the Savoy drop was the only incompletion in that last drive. Living with the last minute finishes is going to be a little easier with Forcier in there...and he knew that the 4th down field goal would tie the game and take it to OT, so he was playing with somewhat of a cushion. Except that we didn’t have a proven kicker that could make the clutch kick, so I was glad it turned out the way it did.
6. The Tuna (Wuzzles) has a losing record against the arch Rivals – Michigan, USC, and MSU. Go away Purdue and Navy. Granted, those are rivals and bad losses, but you are measured by Michigan, USC and MSU. And right now, Wuzzles sucks. Should the Sparties pull off the upset, well, I can’t imagine that Wuzzles makes the Presser on Monday. If he does, than it all comes down to October 17th when USC visits South Bend. So Circle October 18th as a possible “Announcement Day” when the “Tuna gets Canned”. Of course, all bets are off if MSU, Purdue or Washington pull off upsets or a combination of those teams manage to squeak a victory away from the Domers – then it could all get accelerated.
7. The game stats are still surprising. Notre Dame, similar to what Michigan did last year, beat the Wolverines in practically every category except Yards rushing fumbles lost and kick-off return yards. And of course the final score….
8. Hee-hee……MMQ’s brother just sent an e-mail asking if it was bad to take satisfaction in the fact that either Sparty or the Domers will be 1-2 on Saturday night…I said, yes, because then you are stooping to their level.
9. But in this particular case, it’s okay.
10. I can’t stop laughing and smiling to myself– is that a bad thing?
11. JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!
So, to give the Domers a little something to chew on in this post, let’s can the Tuna right now. Sorry, Charlie. Your yesterday’s news. The AD obviously isn’t running the show or it may have already happened. But the real question here is:
Who will they get? And what, MMQ, are the odds on those individuals?
25-1 Peterson – Boise State. Has to be the number one guy on several search lists and Notre Dame might be one school he seriously looks at, but he has turned down numerous other offers.
30-1 Wittingham – Utah. This guy is young and keeps making the BCS with good teams out of the MWAC. But he might be eyeing a PAC 10 job when the right one comes along – I know he was rumored for the UCLA gig but politely declined.
30-1 Kelly – Cincinnatti. I don’t know what is with this guy, but the schools that have hired in the last couple of years have really taken a hands off approach. Maybe he’s told them that he wants an out in the contract for Notre Dame? With a name like Kelly, he has to be interested…But are they interested in him?
35-1 Skip Holtz – East Carolina. An obvious legacy and another candidate for top schools – but no offers. Is he holding out for the Notre Dame job?
Long Shot: 100-1 Urban Legend Meyer. Stop Laughing - Now. The Reasons? What else can he do at Florida – assuming they win it all again this year? And Tebow is gone after this year. Granted, he’s as much a part of that University as Spurrier ever was, but he might want to fix the school that can’t be fixed and take on the challenge. The pros simply aren’t an option for Urban….Midwest boy Saves The Domers….What a story, eh? And the Domers would pay dearly to have Urban Legend roaming the sidelines. Only Urban's Ego can keep him at Florida and away from the Domers. If he starts feeling full of himself, well, he may go to see what he can do.
Whoever it is, I have a feeling that for the Domer faithful, it can’t happen soon enough. But, to continue banging the drum – Notre Dame can’t fix the problem when it HASN’T recognized, or rather, refuses to recognize what the basic problem is: No Conference affiliation.
The fire Charlie and pro Irish websites are all of the belief that a new and “forward thinking” coach can make everything right again inside the hallowed halls of South Bend. And while that might be true for a short period of time, the absence of having a conference allegiance will eventually doom Notre Dame to 2nd tier Bowls and continued mediocrity. I have stated the reasons before and they still hold true now. But the arrogance and stubbornness of the Domer elite will eventually be its long term downfall.
1. Michigan is still the best damn program on top of College Football in all the land. With a winning percentage of 0.73982, followed by the much hated Domers with 0.73639 and Texas with 0.71785. And that includes Domer wins over schools that no longer exist and “High Schools” from around Chicago. The NCAA has reviewed and reviewed this and has let the victories stand, but statisticians around the country have removed some of those wins and Texas is a whole lot closer or even ahead of the Domers in winning percentage when you take those out.
2. Total Wins and Games Played….To say that I am extremely pleased that the Wolverines move the Domers down a notch on this list is an understatement:
Rank Team Won Lost Tied Played
1 Michigan 872 295 36 1203
2 Texas 832 317 33 1182
3 Domers 831 284 42 1157
So the Domers lose out by a game to Texas for Games Won. I am sure that the faithful are looking at that and the 30-22 record for Wuzzles (that’s .580 in percentage terms) and the hate is growing…but I could be wrong.
3. Michigan Defense – While I knocked them pretty hard for Saturday’s performance, I wasn’t aware that Cissoko was as banged up as he was. In addition, when you look at the front O-line of the Domers, we were outweighed by nearly 35 lbs. on average. Yes, they gave up 490 yards, but I think the Domer offense has improved in the last year since we played them. Time will tell, but the Domers might surprise some people, including the Rubbers. They will need that win big time to Save the Wuzzles – if that’s the plan.
4. Brandon Minor. I’m glad he’s back. He quietly rushed for 109 yards and could have rushed for more as I saw holes in the Domer’s front line that we weren’t exploiting nearly as much as we should have. But I digress from the true hero….
5. Tate Forcier. I really don’t know what to say about this wunderkind that hasn’t already been said. Who does he remind me of? Doug Flutie comes to mind. But in Michigan’s lineage, I don’t know that we ever had a wiry, scrambling, passing attack like the one we have right now. Leach? Harbaugh? Henson doesn’t qualify as he didn’t play long enough…Demetrius Brown and Michael Taylor – but not like this… And he’s doing it as a Freshman. I am more impressed with the game presence (Poise is so over-used) then I am with the actual ability...And if he’s this good this early, where does he go from here? Don’t sweat the INT late in the 4th – upon review that was a Matthews misread on the defense. And the Savoy drop was the only incompletion in that last drive. Living with the last minute finishes is going to be a little easier with Forcier in there...and he knew that the 4th down field goal would tie the game and take it to OT, so he was playing with somewhat of a cushion. Except that we didn’t have a proven kicker that could make the clutch kick, so I was glad it turned out the way it did.
6. The Tuna (Wuzzles) has a losing record against the arch Rivals – Michigan, USC, and MSU. Go away Purdue and Navy. Granted, those are rivals and bad losses, but you are measured by Michigan, USC and MSU. And right now, Wuzzles sucks. Should the Sparties pull off the upset, well, I can’t imagine that Wuzzles makes the Presser on Monday. If he does, than it all comes down to October 17th when USC visits South Bend. So Circle October 18th as a possible “Announcement Day” when the “Tuna gets Canned”. Of course, all bets are off if MSU, Purdue or Washington pull off upsets or a combination of those teams manage to squeak a victory away from the Domers – then it could all get accelerated.
7. The game stats are still surprising. Notre Dame, similar to what Michigan did last year, beat the Wolverines in practically every category except Yards rushing fumbles lost and kick-off return yards. And of course the final score….
8. Hee-hee……MMQ’s brother just sent an e-mail asking if it was bad to take satisfaction in the fact that either Sparty or the Domers will be 1-2 on Saturday night…I said, yes, because then you are stooping to their level.
9. But in this particular case, it’s okay.
10. I can’t stop laughing and smiling to myself– is that a bad thing?
11. JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!
So, to give the Domers a little something to chew on in this post, let’s can the Tuna right now. Sorry, Charlie. Your yesterday’s news. The AD obviously isn’t running the show or it may have already happened. But the real question here is:
Who will they get? And what, MMQ, are the odds on those individuals?
25-1 Peterson – Boise State. Has to be the number one guy on several search lists and Notre Dame might be one school he seriously looks at, but he has turned down numerous other offers.
30-1 Wittingham – Utah. This guy is young and keeps making the BCS with good teams out of the MWAC. But he might be eyeing a PAC 10 job when the right one comes along – I know he was rumored for the UCLA gig but politely declined.
30-1 Kelly – Cincinnatti. I don’t know what is with this guy, but the schools that have hired in the last couple of years have really taken a hands off approach. Maybe he’s told them that he wants an out in the contract for Notre Dame? With a name like Kelly, he has to be interested…But are they interested in him?
35-1 Skip Holtz – East Carolina. An obvious legacy and another candidate for top schools – but no offers. Is he holding out for the Notre Dame job?
Long Shot: 100-1 Urban Legend Meyer. Stop Laughing - Now. The Reasons? What else can he do at Florida – assuming they win it all again this year? And Tebow is gone after this year. Granted, he’s as much a part of that University as Spurrier ever was, but he might want to fix the school that can’t be fixed and take on the challenge. The pros simply aren’t an option for Urban….Midwest boy Saves The Domers….What a story, eh? And the Domers would pay dearly to have Urban Legend roaming the sidelines. Only Urban's Ego can keep him at Florida and away from the Domers. If he starts feeling full of himself, well, he may go to see what he can do.
Whoever it is, I have a feeling that for the Domer faithful, it can’t happen soon enough. But, to continue banging the drum – Notre Dame can’t fix the problem when it HASN’T recognized, or rather, refuses to recognize what the basic problem is: No Conference affiliation.
The fire Charlie and pro Irish websites are all of the belief that a new and “forward thinking” coach can make everything right again inside the hallowed halls of South Bend. And while that might be true for a short period of time, the absence of having a conference allegiance will eventually doom Notre Dame to 2nd tier Bowls and continued mediocrity. I have stated the reasons before and they still hold true now. But the arrogance and stubbornness of the Domer elite will eventually be its long term downfall.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The Game That Cooked the Fatted Calf
Monday – Glorious, Wonderful Monday…….Overheard on the Domer (JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!) sidelines spoken by Clausen when their Defense was on the field….
“Jimmy Loves Football!”
“Jimmy’s ready to play Michigan!”
“Jimmy’s DOWN!”
“Jimmy Loses!”
(With apologies to Jerry Seinfeld episode #105)
(Click here for "The Jimmy)
With all due respect, Clausen had a surprisingly good game – and I loved the Statue of Liberty…And his stats were worthy, dare I say it, of Heisman consideration, but (hee-hee) he lost the GAME! (Hee-Hee) and the best scene of the day had to be Lou Holtz (HEE-Hee-Hee) sitting on the ESPN Game Day Final set right after the game with a tear in his eye (HA-HEEE-HEEE-HA-Ha) lamenting in spite of the fact that the Domers LOST that Clausen had Heisman like numbers (HO-HEE-HAHAHAHAHA!)
The Domers (Jeez I Hate These Guys!) and their fans have been extremely patient with Wuzzles – NOT! I love the billboard that was erected in South Bend wishing Wuzzles luck on his 5th year in his internship as a collegiate head coach.
By the way I hear the are renaming Touchdown Jesus to:
“Jimmy Loves Football!”
“Jimmy’s ready to play Michigan!”
“Jimmy’s DOWN!”
“Jimmy Loses!”
(With apologies to Jerry Seinfeld episode #105)
(Click here for "The Jimmy)
With all due respect, Clausen had a surprisingly good game – and I loved the Statue of Liberty…And his stats were worthy, dare I say it, of Heisman consideration, but (hee-hee) he lost the GAME! (Hee-Hee) and the best scene of the day had to be Lou Holtz (HEE-Hee-Hee) sitting on the ESPN Game Day Final set right after the game with a tear in his eye (HA-HEEE-HEEE-HA-Ha) lamenting in spite of the fact that the Domers LOST that Clausen had Heisman like numbers (HO-HEE-HAHAHAHAHA!)
The Domers (Jeez I Hate These Guys!) and their fans have been extremely patient with Wuzzles – NOT! I love the billboard that was erected in South Bend wishing Wuzzles luck on his 5th year in his internship as a collegiate head coach.
By the way I hear the are renaming Touchdown Jesus to:
Charlie Wuzzle's Assometer!
His Ass is THIS BIG This Season!
I am sure that the fan base will only turn the heat up the Wuzzles resign efforts. So much for the savior; The Chosen One. The NFL genius. But my guess is the finances in Domerland will require that they keep Wuzzles for his entire contract. Don’t mention the fact that his record is no better than the Scorge of Humanity (Losingham). If anything, the closeness and the competitiveness of the game may have in fact saved Wuzzles job. But when the opposing QB (Forcier) makes a comment in the presser that even HE was surprised that Charlie didn’t rush the ball in the last possession to force Michigan to burn their Time Outs and use up some of the clock, well, let’s just say that doesn’t bode well for the Fatted One. Especially with a pissed of Sparty team on the way down to South Bend….More on that in a minute.
And let’s give some credit where credit is due. Tate Forcier. Usually, that’s a guy wearing the OTHER TEAM’S uniform doing that to Michigan. Somehow, finally, that guy is wearing Maize and Blue and giving other Defensive Coordinators headaches – no – Nightmares. The Rod called a good game and made the right decision to punt late – I really thought that’s where we lost it and that was going to be the second guess today. Yes, I can’t believe Forcier’s a FRESHMAN. Can we keep this kid on the ground? Do we need or want to? He seems so cocksure of himself that only a loss will bring him down – maybe. And it will happen. But he might be the type that just shakes it off and comes out swinging the following week. Michigan’s Defense has too many holes to plug….We’re going to need all the offense we can get. The Rod’s time out in the first half to allow the review of the out of bounds step by the Domers was perfect. Oh, and Michigan lost every statistic – Time of Possession, Total Yards, Defensive Yards allowed…But won where it counted most – the Final Score. The Difference Maker – One Stonum Kick-off return for a Touch…It’s the little things, doncha’ think?
Yes, if The Force gets sacked, if Matthews drops the ball, if, if, if…I would have been writing a completely different submission this AM. But none of the bad things transpired. Oh, there was a late INT that made my stomach turn, but it was quickly replaced when we marched it down the field into scoring position.
Finally, what, if anything, will it take to convince the collective group of clueless dolts in South Bend that the power of an athletic conference is what makes great teams great? Sure, you can be down, but you won’t be out. History has proven this over time. And independents will soon go the way of the Dodo. Don’t think there’s power in conferences? Look at the WAC and the MAC. If the WAC qualifies two BCS teams – highly possible, BTW – that should be all the evidence the Domers need. But it will be ignored, of course.
I will not comment on Michigan rising into the Top 25, accept to say that any poll before October 1 is worthless. Let’s see where everyone is after 5 games.
The Rest of the Mess
Sending out an SOS----SOS----SOS----SOS----SOS----SOS-----SOS
Oh, how I would love to bring the MMQ Hammer down on Sparty.
SCENE: Saturday A.M. I happened to be at Meijer’s wearing the colors and a group of about eight Sparty’s - male and female - were prepping for a big tailgate. You know, Natty Light, Milwaukee’s Best, Five Star Vodka – the Volume vs. Quality thing. I made a comment and wished them luck and they made comments back that I am only partially paraphrasing, “Thanks, but you’re going to need it more than us.” And, “Yeah, we’ll take care of Notre Dame for you next week.” Hmmmmmmmm…..Who’s the arrogant team now?
Same Ole Sparty. It wasn’t the fact that you lost, but how you lost that continues to baffle. You had not one, or two, or three, but four separate opportunities to win that game late. And you blew all of them in Sparty fashion. Again, I would love to come down on you harder, but let’s see what happens this week in South Bend. My guess is you, like all your fans, were peaking ahead and checking the schedule and knew that the Domer game was coming and this was just another tune up. Let’s see who bounces back the best. And of course, we’ll settle it all on October 3rd in East Lansing.
And will it be possible for Michigan to come into East Lansing undefeated? Could happen.
CHIPPEWAS: CONGRATS! That was a great victory and you earned it! Sparty wasn’t going to lay down for you and you marched in there and took what was rightfully yours!
THE SUCKEYES of THE Ohio State University vs. Rubbers: I have been in error on reporting on THE Suckeyes and I have now corrected this terrible error. They will now always be THE Suckeyes.
Wow. What a game. And what a GAG by the Vest. He let a Navy 4th down result impact his decision to go for it early at home when the Rubbers offense was still tying it’s shoes. I know he took a lot of heat for that 4th down call against Navy, but man, when you have the Rubbers by the short hairs, punch it down their throats and rely on your crowd and your Defense to rattle the crap out of them. So many positives could have come out of that. Scoring a TD. Turning it over and holding them for future field position. Blocking the punt for a score when the Rubbers were deep in their own end zone. Etc. The Vest was extremely outcoached. He should have a play drawn up for a situation like that and let Pryor gain the confidence he needs. That single call, in my opinion, did more to crush the spirits of the Suckeyes than anything that happened in the 2nd half.
And with Toledo coming in on a roll….Well, look out for the MAC.
BRUINS – CREMESICLES: Kiffin discovered big time college football on Saturday. Cremesicles were good, but not good enough. And the Bruins might be trying to establish early that there is a Pac 10 rivalry that is alive and well in LA.
GATORLAND: Beat another no-name school that didn’t deserve to be on the field with them…We’ll talk more when you play a real team.
HOAKIES: Bounce back in convincing Fashion…
CORNSUCKERS: Looking tough early. But Big 12 is starting to look a little suspect…
SHORT HORNS: Needed an entire game to put away Wyoming.
AGGIES: Byes are nice…Even if they’re early….
LMU: Don’t fret – Les has them playing Football again.
IDLE THOUGHTS FROM SATURDAY
1. Is there anyone as overweight in collegiate athletics as Wuzzles? Anyone? I am opening this up beyond football. Rollie Massimino comes to mind…Mangino, but they are both smaller than Wuzzles. We’re talking more than portly or husky, here. This is down right BIG.
2. I think Michigan Stadium sounds louder on the tube. Just thinking….
3. Why did the Domers choose Blue and Gold? Anyone? Could it be that it’s as close as they could get to the colors of their rivals…Could Be!
4. I wonder if the NBC announcers watch the Notre Dame Michigan game on ABC to see how “unbiased” reporting and game calling is handled…
5. I wonder if the FREEP guys read other newspapers to see how investigative journalism should be reported.
6. Do Domer fans make a noise if you leave them in the woods with a 1-1 record wondering “Where to from here?”
7. Do Domer fans wonder what makes it so hard to play MSU after Michigan?
8. If I had a dollar for every up-down emotion I had on Saturday – well, I’d have a lot of dollars....
9. You're passing!!????!!! Really???? After tearing off runs all day?
10. Thanks Wuzzles!
11. Pete Carroll is a Good Coach....Dammit....
HOT SEAT
Allright - I might have "Screwed Up" a little with Last week's mascot. I received the e-mails enlightening me to the fact that Tila is bisexual and her whole MTV show was about some lucky fan -male or female - getting a "little shot of Tequila"....Bad research on my part.
HOWEVER! I believe I make up for it with this week’s hot seat mascot: The University of Michigan Cheerleaders! Posing with a loyal MMQ reader TC from the Lakeland Football Team. Way to go TC! Did you get any phone numbers? Or does everyone just text now? Names? Anything? Regardless of what you got, Great Job! (But what's with the Attire? Can't your Old Man spring for a Michigan Shirt?)
BTW - You, too, can see the Cheerleaders, Band and Team go buy the Greatest Tailgate in Ann Arbor at the Southwest Corner of Hoover and Greene! Just show up on Game Day! (Home Games, Of Course!)
HOT SEAT
1. Wuzzles – Stick the Apple in the Pig’s Mouth…Ah, seriously, he will make it this year, but if he loses to USC again, it’s over.
2. Al Groh – he has to be next – losing to a D-II school with a fan base that wanted you gone last year has to be the breaking straw
3. Zookie – C’mon – He simply isn’t that good of a coach.
4. Shiano – From being heavily recruited to go anywhere to yesterday’s news
5. Bobby – I know they are going to let him stay as long as Joe-Pa, but the Seminole Fans have to be getting tired of the Urban Legend thing.
6. Dare I even put him on here? Okay – THE VEST. THE Suckeyes’ arrogance will start whining and complaining to bring someone in that can win the Big One.
7. The Ole Ball Coach - Dropping that Game to Georgia had to hurt...
GETTING COOLER:
Rich Rod – what a difference a winning record makes…
WHERE’D HE GO?
Tommy Two-Tone – Is he done with coaching?
Tommy Bowden – ditto – Clemson was a tough job….
NEXT WEEK:
Domers – Sparty: This one will be good
Wramblin’ Wreck – Crooks of Florida: Thursday Night Lights!
CREMESICLES AT GATORLAND: Time for Kiffin to Put up or Shut Up!
CORNSUCKERS AT HOAKIES: Same thing for the Men of Corn!
Upset Alert:
Washington over USC
Friday, September 11, 2009
Tate Forcier's BTN Post Western Interview
If you haven't seen it and want to get a "feel" for Tate and his grasp of football in general, this is a great clip.
Confirms my game day observations that the guy was reading defenses on the field before the snap, during the play, and didn't force the ball if the opportunity wasn't there. Makes you more confident that this guy is a whole lot more than an athletic find - he has the mental capacity and instincts to play QuarterBack.
Click here for the interview.
MMQ
Confirms my game day observations that the guy was reading defenses on the field before the snap, during the play, and didn't force the ball if the opportunity wasn't there. Makes you more confident that this guy is a whole lot more than an athletic find - he has the mental capacity and instincts to play QuarterBack.
Click here for the interview.
MMQ
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tommy Hates Michigan Football
Kudos to loyal reader and brother of the MMQ, Greg for catching this article.
I have to admit, it brought a tear to the MMQ's eye. There's hope for every Domer out there and it's possible to bring even the most loyal of them over to the Good Side of the Force once they see the True Blue Light and understand what it means to be a Michigan Wolverine. I believe we could convert Rudy if he was to approach the rich Michigan tradition with open eyes and an open mind that wasn't tainted by the Evil Empire of Doom. Click on the link below for this heartwarming story of how the University of Michigan saved a lost soul....
Conversion - It's possible and we will do it one alumni, student, and family at a time.
All you Domers out there - Repeat after me:
"IT'S GREAT - TO BE - A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!"
"IT'S GREAT - TO BE - A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!"
"IT'S GREAT - TO BE - A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!"
MMQ
I have to admit, it brought a tear to the MMQ's eye. There's hope for every Domer out there and it's possible to bring even the most loyal of them over to the Good Side of the Force once they see the True Blue Light and understand what it means to be a Michigan Wolverine. I believe we could convert Rudy if he was to approach the rich Michigan tradition with open eyes and an open mind that wasn't tainted by the Evil Empire of Doom. Click on the link below for this heartwarming story of how the University of Michigan saved a lost soul....
Conversion - It's possible and we will do it one alumni, student, and family at a time.
All you Domers out there - Repeat after me:
"IT'S GREAT - TO BE - A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!"
"IT'S GREAT - TO BE - A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!"
"IT'S GREAT - TO BE - A MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!"
MMQ
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
1st Win of 2009 - Bronco Beating
Wow. I have seen fast teams on the field in the Magnifecent House that Yost built and Martin has improved, but they were always usually wearing some other colors besides Maize and Blue. What I saw on Saturday made me sit up in my chair and take notice.
Speed in college football is the one discriminating factor that separates teams, or so the pundits say. I have always believed (and seen) that a well coached offense and relentless, pursuing defense can win games, too. But I saw a Michigan team that was crazy quick off the ball in the first half on Saturday. I don't know how much of that can be attributed to emotion, but the Bucking Broncos at times looked like they were standing still. And the Western's QB that is supposed to be a 2nd round pick looked like a Lions 3rd stringer in the making...
So while we didn't get Western's A-Game, we looked pretty impressive in the process of dismantling what they did bring - which in the end, wasn't much. The 2nd half produced a long TD for the Ponies where they managed to find a way past our defense, but too little, too late, or so the saying goes.
Due to the fact that I said we would eke out a win over a good Bronco team, this was very surprising. But does that change my opinion of the season? See Below. Let's see what Saturday brings against the Domers (JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!) for a true measure of improvment.
However, I noticed some things that will make a difference this year:
QB play: I am sure EVERYONE could tell when Sheridan took the field. Play was dramatically different. Not so explosive. Almost painfully slow play development. And of course, the INT right before half. Forcier looks extremely promising, but there will be pains. And Denard Robinson is everything that we've heard - Crazy fast and able to accelerate with the "extra gear" that exceptional speed seems to have.
O-Line Play: Forcier had TIME. Last year, time was precious. This year, it looks like a common commodity. But again, the caliber of the opponent is somewhat suspect.
D-line: Quick off the ball and Graham looks smaller and quicker than we have ever seen. This was easy to see on the Tube but maybe not as much in the stands. And the secondary is always going to look better when the QB is under pressure.
Am I willing to change my prediction from 5-7 at this point? Maybe - but a lot of that is based on what I saw in the rest of the Big 10 - They really stunk. And if we beat the Domers, well, that'll be one I wasn't counting on.
The Rest of the Mess
Domers (JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!): Beat Nevada. A lesser opponent than Western, but that means absolutely nothing. You can feel them out there getting nervous. Michigan is prepared to give them a game, and they know it. We will see what comes to be in the Big House, but one coach's Hot Seat rank will jump to number one on Saturday at 7:00 P.M.
Now, I need to clear the air and don my MMQ "JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!" Hat for a minute. Holtz senior has become even more senile in the last 9 months and from his ESPN Game Day Final seat is lobbying for Jimmy Clausen's inclusion in the Heismann race....Sorry about the pause, but I just up-chucked in my waste basket. This has to be one of the most abused positions at ESPN for a former coach to pimp, er pump his former school and promote them shamelessly without regard to reason or logic. Mark May did a great job of pointing out that Clausen's last two games were against pass defense's that ranked in the three digit area code for 2008. So, let's not put the cart before the horse.
However (Wait - there's more coming up - okay, yesterday's burger is now history), in all fairness, let's say J. Clausen is in the Heismann discussion. What's he really accomplished? He beat Michigan in a year where everyone beat Michigan. He hasn't beaten USC - hasn't even COME CLOSE. HE LOST TO NAVY. IS this really what Heismann guys are made of? Granted, it's a single season performance award, but is this just more of the same Mighty Quinn, Ron Paw-less, and a myriad of other forgettable QB's that have since gone on to primarily back up pro-careers?
Next Saturday is gonna' be fun to see, isn't it?
SUCKEYES: Can someone explain to me how a bunch of guys that are going to spend 6 years of their lives serving their country after their football careers are over without so much as a whiff of a pro contract were able to make this a game with 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter against the 6th ranked team in the country??? Everyone was saying how they were "keeping it simple" to not show USC too much....I am here to tell you, USC saw everything they needed to see - an offensive line that played horribly. A defense that played like, well, Michigan's D last year....And special teams that were atrocious. I usually expect big Suckeye routs in these early pre-season games. So either Navy is really good and heading to a bowl, or the Suckeyes are in for a massacre when the Rubbers come to the Shoe Saturday Night.
SPARTY: MSU beat MSU. Eh. Whatever. But the QB situation at MSU looks promising. And they were one of the better Bog 10 offering's on Saturday. I was flipping, but what I saw will make an interesting season for Sparty and they may be a dark horse surprise....
HAWKEYES: Nearly blew it to Div II Northern Iowa. From the "what the hell were they thinking?" files of how not to block and recover a blocked kick. I thought Ferentz was going to have them ready to play, but they looked bad....I may want to notch this as a win if Iowa continues to play like this.
FUMBLING ILLINI: Juice Williams looks dried out and Mizzou looked impressive. If they play with that kind of inspiration all season, this is another team we can beat....
Big 10 Summary: They looked bad...Cheeseheads didn't play well in their victory. Kitty Kats looked okay, but Akron ain't much. Gophers beat the 'Cuse in OT, which was nice.
GATORLAND: Yes, they beat their cupcake and The Divine One had a great day. And the Heismann field thinned a little when...
LATERS: QB Bradford went down with a shoulder injury. He won't be the same and while I beleived Oklahoma would get beat this year, I didn't think it would be the first game of the season and I didn't think they would lose their star, similar to what happened when Adrian Peterson went down and the Laters ended up going 7-5...However, it's kismet, karma, retribution, call it what you will that you lost to the Short Horns and still went on to play in the National Title Game. It's simply the Later's turn to pay the price.
SHORTHORNS: McCoy had a great day, they looked impressive.
CREMESICLES: Lane Kiffin has arrived....Pasting WKU with 63 points is a take no prisoners attitude.
SATAN'S WARRIORS vs. the HOAKIES: Former looked impressive, latter - not so much. Beamer and the ACC needs to get a lot better earlier and beat these teams.....
FSU vs. Miami: Game had it all, just with the wrong guy winning...Wait a minute, either way, I was happy to see one of these teams lose, so it was all good.
Cincinnatti - Rutgers: Which Moron(s) scheduled a RIVALRY GAME 1st game of the season? If this was to improve recruiting, Schiano just pooched it, bad. In fact, he may be at Rutgers forever at this point.
Thoughts From Saturday (In no particular order):
1. Maybe Michigan is going to be better than I expected.....
2. If anyone says one more thing about the "controversy" created by the FREEP article, I am either going to thank him or kill him.
3. Speaking of the FREEP, they are now reporting ON THE ARTICLE ITSELF and dedicated three pages of Sunday's paper to the reports on the first report. This included editors trying to defend the original article, columnists commenting on other columnists comments and more dribble than I can go into here. The FREEP has truly lost it journalistic integrity and should just call itself what its become: A supermarket tabloid with some facts thrown in. The faster they go broke, the better off we'll all be.
4. Jeez, we're fast. Or Western's slow.....
5. Denard will tie his shoes at some point this season - I think.
6. Charlie Wuzzles has NOT taken the Nutri-system challenge.
7. For having a stroke in the off season, Corso still has it - thankfully.
8. Did Herbstreit suffer from a stroke in the off season, also?
9. Fowler, as always, the stable anchor...
10. GOD I LOVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!
THE HOT SEAT
I know, a lot of you skip to right here to see what's going on. Well, we need to start off with a bang, so here goes -
Because I heard her name in the NEWS repeatedly this weekend - and frankly, I didn't know who she was - and since she was in the Hot SEAT, who better than Internet Sensation Tila TEQUILA for this weeks HOT SEAT MASCOT!
Speed in college football is the one discriminating factor that separates teams, or so the pundits say. I have always believed (and seen) that a well coached offense and relentless, pursuing defense can win games, too. But I saw a Michigan team that was crazy quick off the ball in the first half on Saturday. I don't know how much of that can be attributed to emotion, but the Bucking Broncos at times looked like they were standing still. And the Western's QB that is supposed to be a 2nd round pick looked like a Lions 3rd stringer in the making...
So while we didn't get Western's A-Game, we looked pretty impressive in the process of dismantling what they did bring - which in the end, wasn't much. The 2nd half produced a long TD for the Ponies where they managed to find a way past our defense, but too little, too late, or so the saying goes.
Due to the fact that I said we would eke out a win over a good Bronco team, this was very surprising. But does that change my opinion of the season? See Below. Let's see what Saturday brings against the Domers (JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!) for a true measure of improvment.
However, I noticed some things that will make a difference this year:
QB play: I am sure EVERYONE could tell when Sheridan took the field. Play was dramatically different. Not so explosive. Almost painfully slow play development. And of course, the INT right before half. Forcier looks extremely promising, but there will be pains. And Denard Robinson is everything that we've heard - Crazy fast and able to accelerate with the "extra gear" that exceptional speed seems to have.
O-Line Play: Forcier had TIME. Last year, time was precious. This year, it looks like a common commodity. But again, the caliber of the opponent is somewhat suspect.
D-line: Quick off the ball and Graham looks smaller and quicker than we have ever seen. This was easy to see on the Tube but maybe not as much in the stands. And the secondary is always going to look better when the QB is under pressure.
Am I willing to change my prediction from 5-7 at this point? Maybe - but a lot of that is based on what I saw in the rest of the Big 10 - They really stunk. And if we beat the Domers, well, that'll be one I wasn't counting on.
The Rest of the Mess
Domers (JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!): Beat Nevada. A lesser opponent than Western, but that means absolutely nothing. You can feel them out there getting nervous. Michigan is prepared to give them a game, and they know it. We will see what comes to be in the Big House, but one coach's Hot Seat rank will jump to number one on Saturday at 7:00 P.M.
Now, I need to clear the air and don my MMQ "JEEZ I HATE THESE GUYS!" Hat for a minute. Holtz senior has become even more senile in the last 9 months and from his ESPN Game Day Final seat is lobbying for Jimmy Clausen's inclusion in the Heismann race....Sorry about the pause, but I just up-chucked in my waste basket. This has to be one of the most abused positions at ESPN for a former coach to pimp, er pump his former school and promote them shamelessly without regard to reason or logic. Mark May did a great job of pointing out that Clausen's last two games were against pass defense's that ranked in the three digit area code for 2008. So, let's not put the cart before the horse.
However (Wait - there's more coming up - okay, yesterday's burger is now history), in all fairness, let's say J. Clausen is in the Heismann discussion. What's he really accomplished? He beat Michigan in a year where everyone beat Michigan. He hasn't beaten USC - hasn't even COME CLOSE. HE LOST TO NAVY. IS this really what Heismann guys are made of? Granted, it's a single season performance award, but is this just more of the same Mighty Quinn, Ron Paw-less, and a myriad of other forgettable QB's that have since gone on to primarily back up pro-careers?
Next Saturday is gonna' be fun to see, isn't it?
SUCKEYES: Can someone explain to me how a bunch of guys that are going to spend 6 years of their lives serving their country after their football careers are over without so much as a whiff of a pro contract were able to make this a game with 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter against the 6th ranked team in the country??? Everyone was saying how they were "keeping it simple" to not show USC too much....I am here to tell you, USC saw everything they needed to see - an offensive line that played horribly. A defense that played like, well, Michigan's D last year....And special teams that were atrocious. I usually expect big Suckeye routs in these early pre-season games. So either Navy is really good and heading to a bowl, or the Suckeyes are in for a massacre when the Rubbers come to the Shoe Saturday Night.
SPARTY: MSU beat MSU. Eh. Whatever. But the QB situation at MSU looks promising. And they were one of the better Bog 10 offering's on Saturday. I was flipping, but what I saw will make an interesting season for Sparty and they may be a dark horse surprise....
HAWKEYES: Nearly blew it to Div II Northern Iowa. From the "what the hell were they thinking?" files of how not to block and recover a blocked kick. I thought Ferentz was going to have them ready to play, but they looked bad....I may want to notch this as a win if Iowa continues to play like this.
FUMBLING ILLINI: Juice Williams looks dried out and Mizzou looked impressive. If they play with that kind of inspiration all season, this is another team we can beat....
Big 10 Summary: They looked bad...Cheeseheads didn't play well in their victory. Kitty Kats looked okay, but Akron ain't much. Gophers beat the 'Cuse in OT, which was nice.
GATORLAND: Yes, they beat their cupcake and The Divine One had a great day. And the Heismann field thinned a little when...
LATERS: QB Bradford went down with a shoulder injury. He won't be the same and while I beleived Oklahoma would get beat this year, I didn't think it would be the first game of the season and I didn't think they would lose their star, similar to what happened when Adrian Peterson went down and the Laters ended up going 7-5...However, it's kismet, karma, retribution, call it what you will that you lost to the Short Horns and still went on to play in the National Title Game. It's simply the Later's turn to pay the price.
SHORTHORNS: McCoy had a great day, they looked impressive.
CREMESICLES: Lane Kiffin has arrived....Pasting WKU with 63 points is a take no prisoners attitude.
SATAN'S WARRIORS vs. the HOAKIES: Former looked impressive, latter - not so much. Beamer and the ACC needs to get a lot better earlier and beat these teams.....
FSU vs. Miami: Game had it all, just with the wrong guy winning...Wait a minute, either way, I was happy to see one of these teams lose, so it was all good.
Cincinnatti - Rutgers: Which Moron(s) scheduled a RIVALRY GAME 1st game of the season? If this was to improve recruiting, Schiano just pooched it, bad. In fact, he may be at Rutgers forever at this point.
Thoughts From Saturday (In no particular order):
1. Maybe Michigan is going to be better than I expected.....
2. If anyone says one more thing about the "controversy" created by the FREEP article, I am either going to thank him or kill him.
3. Speaking of the FREEP, they are now reporting ON THE ARTICLE ITSELF and dedicated three pages of Sunday's paper to the reports on the first report. This included editors trying to defend the original article, columnists commenting on other columnists comments and more dribble than I can go into here. The FREEP has truly lost it journalistic integrity and should just call itself what its become: A supermarket tabloid with some facts thrown in. The faster they go broke, the better off we'll all be.
4. Jeez, we're fast. Or Western's slow.....
5. Denard will tie his shoes at some point this season - I think.
6. Charlie Wuzzles has NOT taken the Nutri-system challenge.
7. For having a stroke in the off season, Corso still has it - thankfully.
8. Did Herbstreit suffer from a stroke in the off season, also?
9. Fowler, as always, the stable anchor...
10. GOD I LOVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!
THE HOT SEAT
I know, a lot of you skip to right here to see what's going on. Well, we need to start off with a bang, so here goes -
Because I heard her name in the NEWS repeatedly this weekend - and frankly, I didn't know who she was - and since she was in the Hot SEAT, who better than Internet Sensation Tila TEQUILA for this weeks HOT SEAT MASCOT!
(BTW - How old is this girl, anyway? And is the MMQ liable for republishing these kind of images of girls that aren't old enough to vote? OR am I just getting old?)
1. Rich Rod - Honorary First Seat Position. Even though there's zero chance of his getting canned before another head coach gets the ax this season, I figure he earned it with everyting else that's going on.
2.Wuzzles - If he loses to Michigan with this year's team, well, its going to be evaluation time. And I think the Domer faithfull may have had enough of the jolly good fellow.
3.Zookie - How do the Illini come out that flat against a border rival? Didn't and doesn't make sense with a senior QB....Of course, Michigan lost to APP STATE with Henne at the helm.
4. Groh - Virginia lost to D-II school and Groh has been on thin ice for two years. He could be the first to go....
5. Schiano - How can you get pasted by a rival like that in the opening game?
6. Bobby - Come on - haven't we seen enough of him? But I still like the FSU Cheerleaders....
THIS WEEK:
SUCKEYES vs. TROJANS: I have a feeling the outcome will be similar to last year. They're just playing the game in the Shoe this year....
MICHIGAN vs. the DOMERS: My early prediction was that the DOMERS would win in a squeaker...I may be feeling a little Maize and Blue this morning, but I am liking Michigan's chances.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Day 3 of the Michigan Free-Press Expose
I thought I grilled the FREEP pretty bad, but here are other maintstream and not so mainstream news media and bloggers that had a whole lot more to say.
I think they are all worth a read, but the Genuinely Sarcastic goes on a little long.
John Chait - click here. - This one is by far the best and gives a real news person's first hand account of what the FREEP did and why it was so wrong to let Rosenberg write the article. I think he hits the nail right on the head and the FREEP should respond as to the ethics and policies used when judging the newsworthiness of a story, it's source, and whether or not a columnist should actually report an investigative study.
Adam Rittenberg at ESPN - Doesn't come right out and say that the FREEP article was groundless, but certainly alludes to the fact that there aren't many facts and the information is hearsay from disgruntled players.
Genuinely Sarcastic is long, but he makes a great point near the end and I will paste it here to give him full credit:
"One man could make this better. One man who I hope realizes that while this is a direct attack on Rodriguez, any damage done to him damages Michigan. If that is as sacred as it is made out to be, then it's time to speak out. Unless it turns out that this is not about "Michigan", and another agenda comes to light. I choose to reject that, because I view him as the rest of you do: a man of honor, of integrity. So I ask, with my hands outstretched, and I plead: when Michigan Football needs you, where are you, Coach Carr? As Bump Elliott once aided his successor, your great friend, will you rise and help your successor when he needs it?" - GS
Bo had the support of Bump. What's with Carr? Is he really staying out of this because he's the leak that GS referenced? Are the former players going to him and is he telling Rosenberg where to go to get the stories? IF that is true....Wow. My opinion of Carr was once so high, but the picture GS puts together is compelling and thought provoking- and makes we want to reassess Carr at this point - especially if he doesn't speak up. You have to read the entire GS link to understand the position, but, like I say, it is compelling thought.
I honestly believe that after a couple of weeks, this is going to amount to much ado about nothing and actually give Michigan some much needed recognition for being above board and managing a big time program in accordance with NCAA rules. The NCAA may be chastised for the rules reading the way they do, but I don't think we're going to see any serious infractions or penalties result. But I could be wrong and if I am, well, there's a long laundry list of schools that I would like to see Snyder and Rosenberg go write for and leave town.
C' ya.
I think they are all worth a read, but the Genuinely Sarcastic goes on a little long.
John Chait - click here. - This one is by far the best and gives a real news person's first hand account of what the FREEP did and why it was so wrong to let Rosenberg write the article. I think he hits the nail right on the head and the FREEP should respond as to the ethics and policies used when judging the newsworthiness of a story, it's source, and whether or not a columnist should actually report an investigative study.
Adam Rittenberg at ESPN - Doesn't come right out and say that the FREEP article was groundless, but certainly alludes to the fact that there aren't many facts and the information is hearsay from disgruntled players.
Genuinely Sarcastic is long, but he makes a great point near the end and I will paste it here to give him full credit:
"One man could make this better. One man who I hope realizes that while this is a direct attack on Rodriguez, any damage done to him damages Michigan. If that is as sacred as it is made out to be, then it's time to speak out. Unless it turns out that this is not about "Michigan", and another agenda comes to light. I choose to reject that, because I view him as the rest of you do: a man of honor, of integrity. So I ask, with my hands outstretched, and I plead: when Michigan Football needs you, where are you, Coach Carr? As Bump Elliott once aided his successor, your great friend, will you rise and help your successor when he needs it?" - GS
Bo had the support of Bump. What's with Carr? Is he really staying out of this because he's the leak that GS referenced? Are the former players going to him and is he telling Rosenberg where to go to get the stories? IF that is true....Wow. My opinion of Carr was once so high, but the picture GS puts together is compelling and thought provoking- and makes we want to reassess Carr at this point - especially if he doesn't speak up. You have to read the entire GS link to understand the position, but, like I say, it is compelling thought.
I honestly believe that after a couple of weeks, this is going to amount to much ado about nothing and actually give Michigan some much needed recognition for being above board and managing a big time program in accordance with NCAA rules. The NCAA may be chastised for the rules reading the way they do, but I don't think we're going to see any serious infractions or penalties result. But I could be wrong and if I am, well, there's a long laundry list of schools that I would like to see Snyder and Rosenberg go write for and leave town.
C' ya.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)