Dialing Down the Donnybrooks, Reptile Brains & Other Media Day Nuggets

My favorite shot that came from my camera. Denard with the high percentage pass to Devin Gardner:

So a few off the beaten path factoids:

I confirmed that the players (TBD) who will don the formerly retired 47 (Oosterbaan), 87 (Kramer), 48 (POTUS Ford) and 11 (Moose, Ox, Whitey Wistert) will indeed wear it for the rest of the year, after they are announced on their respective game. Oosterbaan’s 47 is up first. My guess? WR Jeremy Jackson.
There don’t seem to be any specific plans yet to honor Tom Harmon via jersey, ceremony or otherwise. Still, the October 20 game against Michigan State has been slotted, on the game tickets at least, to honor Old 98. It’s long been rumored that the Harmon family’s relationship with 1000 S. State Street (#1000SSS) has been cool at best. To be clear, I’ve heard a few things through the years but nothing at all from #1000SSS or from the Harmon family. Ask me over a cocktail.
Speaking of honoring former players…to date there are no formal plans to honor Willis Ward in 2012 despite the U-M Regents’ indication that they would push the idea to Dave Brandon earlier this year. Stay tuned.
From Hoke, to special teams coach Dan Ferrigno to the kickers, there has definitely been some thought put into how to handle the kickoff rule changes [summary: kickoffs move up 5 yards to 35; touchbacks now go to 25; fair catches allowed on the one-hop onside kicks; players can only get a 5 yard running start on kickoffs]. Naturally they weren’t specific about Michigan’s strategy to handle these changes but they are tinkering with it. You won’t see the one hop onside kick (aka ‘The Bomb’) any longer.
Speaking of special teams, it might be coachspeak but Ferrigno said that freshman Ken Allen, who doesn’t even have a photo up on mgoblue yet, is right there in the mix for the starting punter position.
File this one under, to paraphrase Brian from mgoblog, satisfying our reptile brains. While Penn State vacated many wins, including a few against Michigan, there will be no change to the official Michigan statistical records. Who cares? Well, as the holder of the all-time winning percentage “belt”, having a few (and it’s just a few) losses removed wouldn’t hurt but it’s not recognized by #1000SSS. But lizard’s rejoice, apparently a few folks have made this adjustment. [Disclaimer: I haven’t done the math.]
Hoke talked about liking the “chippyness” during the first practices, but it sounds like it’s getting a tad tedious. One player told me Hoke asked the team to dial down the brawls a bit..because the fracases were taking away from precious practice time. #thisisbusiness