It's MSU for Moe's....Plus, A Look at Some Designs

So, through an e-mail voting poll where I asked the Crew to send me their preference for Iowa or MSU, in what can only be called a unanimous decision (it was about 21-2), SPARTY is this year's "Big Game!" winner and hopefully our Moe's Tailgate Event!

Some design ideas have trickled in and MT submitted a version of this design that the MMQ has taken and modified slightly. If there are more ideas out there, get them in and we can have a vote. However, I must admit, I feel a certain connection to this one....

Don't know why....Just seems like it fits....

But let's see some other ideas!

Moe's Sports Shop Pick's "The Tailgate" as a Finalist!

In case you haven't heard:

Moe's Sport Shop selected The Tailgate as a finalist in the Tailgate Competition! We will get to pick a game for our tailgate, get free T-Shirts for the Tail gate, and hang a Moe's Banner at our spot!

Here's the note from Dusting DeSnyder at Moes:

Just wanted to let you know that I loved your website and tailgate stories! I have chosen your tailgate for one of our tailgates of the week however I wanted to give you a bigger game than the UMASS or BG game so you can either choose between MSU or Iowa (homecoming) games.

In addition to the shirts we are offering discounts to use at Moe's. The number of discounts you receive and the percentage off of these discounts will depend on how many of your tailgate members, friends, and family members "LIKE" us on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/MoeSportShop.

So spread the word and recommend our page to those people!Congrats!
Dustin DeSnyder Moe Sport Shops

Get on Facebook and hit "Like" when you visit Moe's.....

So, instead of reporting other news...Our tailgate is the news!

The Season's Over....The Season Anew...

Okay.

After having puked up breakfast, lunch and dinner yesterday I have finally gotten past what can only be still lingering in the mind of Troy Woolfolk. "Why did this happen?" Why a freak accident in his senior season that looked to be extremely promising has taken him out? Who knows....

Which got me to thinking about what I would do if I were the head coach in that locker room. Everyone knows you're going to be bad in the secondary. Now they know that not only are you going to be bad, but you don't even have decent personnel to be bad with. And I started thinking some more.

Is this a great motivation tool or what?

Whenever you are faced with insurmountable odds or the biggest pile of stink that you've ever encountered and "EVERYONE IS EXPECTING YOU OR THE SITUATION TO RESULT IN UTTER FAILURE!", any success that you manage to pull out of it is going to be looked at as, "Impossible! He (or they) defied all the odds and succeeded!"

That's kind of my credo in the working world. Find a big problem that's destined for failure and get associated with it. Throw in your best knowledge and effort. You might be surprised that big problems really aren't that big at all and if you address them as a series of little problems, maybe, just maybe, you'll experience a little success. Than a little more. And before you know it, the big "Oh Shit!" has turned into a working solution and people are looking around wondering who was on the team that made that work. Granted, the secondary is a monumental problem, but Maize and Brew addresses the issue and offers hope. So, forget the message boards, the offers of hemlock and cyanide tablets and look at the positive. We still have to play the games, folks and its better to be optimistic than otherwise. Besides, it's too damn early to start feeling lousy....

On to other news: I don't know whether to add this here or not, but mgoblog.com has posted a twitter from sideline hottie and Penns State Communication Grad Melanie Collins on the Big 10 network that claims Tate Forcier has requested a transfer.

Strangely, my golf partner and I discusses this a mere three weeks ago and he suggested that Tate would follow in the footsteps of his brother Jason and bolt out of Ann Arbor faster than shit through a goose if he started to get the sense that he wasn't going to be the starter. It would seem that the likelihood of this is at least somewhat real. Tate and I'm sure Tate's father who, if you don't know this, is somewhat involved in his kids careers probably is telling Tate to make the decision and move on if he believes he's not going to start. I don't know what the rules of eligibility are, but there's probably timing involved.

So much for a quiet pre-season..... By the way, if you're on the ledge, welcome to the club. I haven't jumped yet and my pre-season prediction remains....But I really, desperately want to change it. I'm just still extremely hopeful that all isn't lost. And that the Rod is a good coach and can manage this....

Season Over???? - Woolfolk's Is......

If you haven't heard, and this was my heart crashing when I learned the news, Troy Woolfolk's season is most likely over:

Troy Woolfolk breaks leg in practice.

I'm literally sick to my stomach right now. I know that he's not the entire team, but he was going to be a major part of the defense. A blow like this could either devestate the entire season or create something to rally around.

I guess we'll see what kind of Coach the Rod is now....Can he keep them together?

Turner would certainly be nice to have around right about now....

The Michigan OSU Poll, Wingless Helmets Confirmed, and a RR Poll

Well, you've spoken. And while our voter base is but a small slice of the Michigan publice (there were 8 of you that found the time to click the button to the right) 6 of you stated that you'd be happy as clams to play OSU twice in one season and the other 2 were not able to stomach the thought of possibly losing to them twice in one season.

So, there you have it. Play them twice. Let the chips fall where they may.

Also, in case you haven't been following along, RR confirmed that the all blue helmets are on players that have "NOT earned their wings!" I like it. I really do. I am starting to believe more and more that Rich Rod gets it. It's taken longer than anyone would have liked, but I do believe that Rich Rod is slowly becoming a Michigan Man. Is it too little, too late is the question.

Which Maize and Brew attempted to answer with a poll of their own. Out of the 1,000 votes cast to the question: Should Rich Rod be fired as the head coach? 85% believe that YES! He should get canned.

15% of us believe that Rich Rod is doing what he can with what he has.

And while I'm not ready to fire him yet, there's apparently a very large, vocal contingent that are ready to get the torches and pitchforks out and send this guy packing....

It's time to win, Rich. No Excuses.

HEART: GS Analyzes the In State Recruiting War

Genuinely Sarcastic (see the side bar blog links) is doing a multiple part series on the in state recruiting war between Michigan and Sparty. What's interesting, to this reader anyway, is that anyone actually believes a true recruiting war exists in the first place. I have always been a Michigan fan. And if Michigan wanted a guy, they got him. Based on the fact that the school was just better, period. And if they didn't get some quality recruit, it wasn't because they didn't try. It was probably because they saw something that made them think that he wouldn't be a good Michigan Man.

I follow recruiting, but at the same time, you don't know what you're getting until you see the product on the field, regardless of how highly regarded or how many stars are slapped next to their name in some magazine or on some website. Yes, I know that the schools that recruit and land the best talent are often in the top 10 in the final rankings. Save me the education.
Finally, in Part III, he gets to a point that I believe makes all the difference in recruiting:

Heart.

There are some kids that are playing for universities out there that simply took what they thought was "The Best Deal" they could get, whatever that means. If they're looking to make it to the pros and this school needed their position this particular year, well, that's where they're going, whether or not they believed in the school, the coach, the system, whatever. Then there are guys that somewhere, early in their childhood, decided that there was only one place they would play. And they never lost sight of that goal.

When I was a student manager you saw it all the time. Guys that wouldn't give up in practice or "touch out" when Bo would be pushing the offense on the 35th straight snap of the same stupid play that they would "run till you get it right!" And the guys who hung tough, puked up lunch, refused to come out, were the ones everyone else looked at and wondered what was keeping them up...What was making them do this snap after snap?

Jamie Morris was a perfect example of Heart in action. If there was a guy that ever wanted to be a Michigan Man more than Morrise with every fiber of being in his body, I don't know who it is. Jamie would punish himself. Jamie's favorite end of practice drill? 3 on 1. Two linebackers and a safety. The field was 10 yards wide and 10 yards long. Get past them, go for 10 yards and score. Jamie thrived on that drill. I watched as time and time again he'd get stood up, smacked and tackled about 4 yards into it. There were multiple practices where he never scored. But then he would make that move - that one little stutter step and juke that split the linebackers clean. And the safety, well, let's just say that Jamie one on one was more than a lot of guys could handle. Low to the ground and once he had a head of steam....Score!

But it was a silly drill. Against your own guys. And I used to stand there, rooting those running backs on, hoping somehow they beat the triple team. I don't know why. I just got into it.

It was Heart. Pushing beyond what makes sense. Finding a way when the odds are impossibly stacked against you.

Find a way to measure that and give me a team of middle talent and I'll go up against your 5 star recruits every time. Will I always win? Nope. But I know I will have given it 110% and not question the results.

So Much For a Non-Reporting Monday - NCAA, Wingless Helmet, Estate Auction

First - NCAA


There has been little if any real "news" coming out of Seattle and the NCAA hearings. Suffice it to say, no news is good news and I believe that in light of "USC Gate" and other agent--player related issues at Florida, Alabama and North Carolina, the NCAA wants to put the issue of practice gate behind them and focus on real cheating for a change.


My guess is that not much in addition to what Michigan has already self imposed is going to come out of this. If anything, based on earlier statements by David Brandon, maybe the NCAA re-writes the practice times rules to make them simpler and easier to understand. If they go the opposite way and try to "re-regulate", meaning, they write more rules and force a higher level of compliance, you may see Univeristies start to push back and tell them to go to hell....Just my thoughts...


Second - The Wingless Helmet


mgoblog.com is reporting via the Big 10 Network football analysts that were invited to practice that Tate Forcier isn't wearing a winged helmet. There are several players that are not wearing winged helmets and no explanation was given. However, Brian points out that it could have something to do with the Rich Rod statement, and I'm paraphrasing, that "anyone not in condition and out of shape will not wear the winged helmet out of the tunnel for the first game against UConn." So, is Tate being penalized? It would appear yes. Also, these guys had nothing but praise for Robinson and Gardener, but Tate wasn't mentioned a whole lot. Take it for what it's worth. But don't be surprised if you're starting QB on Labor Day is Robinson.


Third - An Interesting Auction


Another loyal reader forwarded this on. I am surprised that the estate and heirs would be willing to let this stuff go. I can only imagine that there is some pretty good swag in a collection like this. Granted, it might not go cheap and an auction will always up the price on some otherwise benign, but might be considered "cool" to own stuff. So, if you're collection needs a little sprucing up, you may want to check this out.


It's this Wednesday night, August 18th, from 6-8 PM. Two hours only. Click here for the link to www.americanaestatesales.com. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the slide show to come up, if it exists. But this does look really cool.




Is it September yet????