As mentioned here, Bruce Madej of U-M Media Relations dialed up DeFran’s show yesterday but that audio clip seems to be lost. WTKA is trying to recover it and FWIW, WTKA does a great job of late posting their podcasts). [Update 5/1: the original call is up, can be heard here.] That said, Madej dialed up the morning show today to reiterate U-M and Dave Brandon’s position here. Here’s Bruce Madej’s unsolicited call into Sam and Ira from this morning: [display_podcast] As I wrote last night, it’s not surprising that someone from media relations would refute a story like this. But it is noteworthy that Madej would bother to call the radio show to personally shoot this down (now TWICE) with the backing of Brandon. Translation: there’s no validity to this and DeFran’s sources are complete bunk. Again. Madej mentions John U. Bacon’s call from this morning, you can hear that here, jump about 11 minutes in. Key quote: “This kind of speculation is not journalism.” OK, I think I’m done talking about this unless this site is dragged back into it Here’s my previous posts from this week on DeFranpalooza: Defusing DeFran Locomotive Jeff (DeFran audio 04-29) Jeff’s Sewing Circle Discount DeFranpalooza hats, shirts and thongs to be offered up tomorrow, stay tuned. Check out all the WTKA…
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RichRod Radio
Part-time WTKA 1050AM radio host Jeff DeFran returned to the mic today. In his show yesterday he revealed sources saying the athletic department is considering a deal involving Rich Rodriguez’s head in exchange for lighter NCAA sanctions.
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A Sewing Circle
Rumors of firings and hirings.
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James Walter
Photographed by: Chuck Solomon/SI So word is out that legendary Michigan running back Jamie Morris was given his walking papers in his capacity as Major Gifts Officer within the U-M athletic department. I don’t get a bunch of inside information or scuttlebutt on the goings on down on State Street, but rumors (unsolicited, mind you) were abound the past few weeks that Jamie was on thin ice in the new administration. Contrary to some message board talk I’m certain it had nothing to do with his call to the Columbus radio station last fall, where Morris seemed to hesitate when asked about Rodriguez’s future at Michigan and suggested that Jim Harbaugh would be welcome back (should that day come). Speaking of Harbaugh, back in 2007, Morris joined the Mike Valenti and the Sports Inferno in the wake of the former QB’s comments on the academic standards at U-M. Morris fired some pretty serious shots at Harbaugh, suggesting he wouldn’t have said any of those things if Bo were alive and added that Schembechler would have “whooped Jimmy’s butt”. [As an aside, I’ll never forget Morris’s words at Bo’s memorial service in Michigan Stadium.] A few years ago Morris became co-host with John U. Bacon on WTKA 1050AM’s longstanding Sunday mainstay “Off The Field” radio show. The show is currently on…
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Biden Evokes Rich Rodriguez departure at Miners’ Memorial (audio)
(HT: mgoblog boardist cltjr) Vice President Joe Biden presided over the memorial service for the 29 miners killed in the April 5th explosion at the West Virginia Upper Big Branch Mine. A couple minutes into his seven minute speech, the VP talked about the lives of the men outside of work, here’s the audio from a couple minutes into the speech: [display_podcast] Quote: “And though this work defined them, it did not describe them. As Nick Rahall said they were fathers, grandfathers, sons, nephews, husbands and fiancés. They loved hunting, fishing, riding horses and four wheelers. They hated the way coach Rodriguez left West Virginia for Michigan [applause/cheers/whistles]..” I read some of the comments ripping on Biden on mgoblog but I think they either missed the full quote or the point here. The fact is that he was describing the passion of these men and Mountaineer football was a big part of that. Do any of you doubt that they did hate the way Rodriguez left? If Biden talked to the wives and family of these fallen men I’m guessing more than one brought it up & note the WV sticker on the helmet in the photo above. Certainly in the audience were (primarily) friends and family and you heard how they reacted to the Rodriguez comment. I don’t have…
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Fielding H. Yost’s Signature Helmet (1926)
Fielding Yost dedicated the good years of his life to University of Michigan athletics but his influence and business interests stretched beyond Ann Arbor. He wrote books, appeared in movies, spoke all over the country and even added his name to certain products.
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Tear up your Tickets
Not cool man! Not. Cool. According to AnnArbor.com, 95 of parking tickets dished out during last Saturday’s Spring game were voided after fans went berserk. There are special rules enforced on home game Saturdays each fall and cops applied this policy last weekend. Via Ryan Stanton’s piece on A2.com: Several cars parked on the side streets near Michigan Stadium were ticketed for being in areas where parking is prohibited on game days. Whether the spring game was considered a football game was up for debate, and city officials agreed after some protest that the city didn’t make clear how it would enforce parking this past Saturday, [city administrator Roger] Fraser said. The city said it’s “likely” to enforce the gameday rules next Spring game and will work to communicate the policy a little better. Based on this comment from supervisor Mike Rankin, they’ve got some work to do: …it’s important to enforce no-parking restrictions on side streets around Allmendinger Park because it’s a residential area, and problems have occurred in the past due to the size of the crowd. Also, team buses need to get through the area. Team buses for the Spring Game? Umm, maybe he means the tailgate buses?: Often the comments on the sports posts on A2.com are horrible (Rich Rod sucks! / You’re no fan!) but…
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WTKA Mott Radio-a-thon lineup 5/14
On the eve of the 2010 Griese-Hutchinson-Woodson golf outing to benefit the new Mott Children’s hospital, on May 14 WTKA 1050AM will be bringing an unbelievable line-up in studio to specifically benefit the Charles Woodson Clinical Research Fund. Feast your eyes: 7 – 9 am – Lloyd Carr and Charles Woodson 9 – 10 am – Jerry Hanlon 10 – 11 am – Steve Hutchinson 11 am – Noon – Gary Moeller Noon – 1 pm – Brian Griese 1 – 2 pm – Jake Long 2 – 3 pm – Jeff Backus 3 – 4 pm – Jerame Tuman and Aaron Shea 4 – 5 pm – Mike Hart, Ron Bellamy and Drew Henson 5 – 6 pm – David and Jan Brandon and Rich Rodriguez All contributions provided through the Radio-a-thon will benefit the Charles Woodson Clinical Research Fund. This fund aims to support and encourage ground-breaking innovations for new pediatric treatments and is critical to moving these initiatives from brilliant idea to viable therapies. Use our online form to make a donation. Mark your calendars. For those out of town, you can pick up the live stream on WTKA.com. A few more details here on the ‘Month of Mott’ campaign.
