This was replayed this morning on WTKA 1050AM‘s Michigan Insider with Sam Webb and Ira Weintraub, and I thought I’d post it up here.  Here’s frequent WTKA call ‘Mark from Lansing’ dialing up the “Jack and Tom Show” from 1320AM in Lansing. Hosts Jack Ebling (longtime LSJ sports writer) and Tom Crawford (M fan, of bitterrivals.com fame)  were discussing the Demar Dorsey media circus when Crawford admitted his disapproval of Dorsey’s appearance.  This prompted the  spirited call from Mark, who had concerns about Crawdaddy’s views and along the way blasted Drew Sharp and called Terry Foster an Uncle Tom.    From the WTKA podcasts, the clip: [display_podcast] While Mark pounded away at Crawford, he didn’t say anything when Tom defiantly declared he had loads of black friends.  The “but I have black friends” defense  is pretty offensive on its own and didn’t help his explanation of the matter.

Wow nothing’s working.   So at the Camp Randall Classic Michigan struggled a bit in the first period, but seemed to dominate action in the second and for the majority of the third period.  I thought the first call on Summers that led to the Badgers’ equalizer was garbage.  The game winning shot was as gorgeous as it was devastating. I keep looking for a sign that things are changing–for any of these teams.   We saw a glimmer after the UConn win with hoops, and the January run of the hockey team made a playoff bid conceivable.   After the beautiful Lynch goal that put the Blue up 2-1 in Madison, and with the way the guys were  controlling the puck and dominating the pace, I thought that this might be it.   Gut punch. Play with the intensity exhibited in that game and they’ve got a shot to get in the playoffs via the regular season or by winning the tournament.   But it’s a long shot starting with the rare Tuesday game this week.   I’ll be up at Yost to take a look. Press Box. At the signing day media event I asked Bruce Madej if I could get a shot inside the stadium.  I was denied (for a few different reasons – safety, security, contractor policy, etc).   That said, those watching…

Via twitter thanks to @Michigan_Hockey and @JulieRobenhymer,  a few shots inside the squared circle of Camp Randall, preparing for today’s big game.  Of note, Chris Brown trying to smack a puck through the uprights and apparently no one made it, but Browny clanged one off the post: Caporusso and Rust dropping off-ice skills: Practicing: Get with the times, follow MVictors on Twitter.

A consideration for your Super Bowl pregame activities, turns out U-M legend and Saginaw native LaMarr Woodley will burn a few frames Sunday at 2pm EST on ESPN.  From the press release: NEW ORLEANS, La. (Feb. 1, 2010) – With the help of four Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour stars and a star-studded lineup of celebrities, New Orleans Hornets All-Star point guard and avid bowler Chris Paul will again highlight his “second-favorite sport” in the second annual Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational which airs Sunday at 2 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. Celebrity icons Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl wide receiver Hines Ward and linebacker LaMarr Woodley along with Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio teamed with PBA stars Pete Weber, Norm Duke, Wes Malott and Jason Belmonte in a unique doubles competition to benefit Paul’s CP3 Foundation. The folks managing the event even shot me over this beauty of a photo, feature Wood about to crush pins: Any avid bowlers out there?  Is it me, or does Woodley look like a bit of a trainwreck on the lane?   Appears he’s about to tip over, his wrist looks funny, eyes closed?   And everyone apparently chuckling in the background isn’t hurting my analysis.  (P.S. Love the Heisman-esque bowling trophy). Check him out Sunday at 2pm.  More here:

Audio split out from the press conference yesterday of Rodriguez addressing questions from Dave Birkett of AnnArbor.com and Drew Sharp regarding the recruitment of Demar Dorsey: [display_podcast] Related: * Signing Day Rundown

A few thoughts on the press conference and media activities down at the Junge Center outside the Big House tonight: RR getting a bit thin up front, might need to go tight like the Webmaster To start things off a frog throated Rich Rod, suffering from both the recruiting and flu seasons, gushed about the 27 commitments to the class and identified those responsible in the recruiting process.  Speaking of his voice, ironically an illin’ RichRod sounds very much like a healthy, wolf-strangling Mike Barwis. Then came the general media Q&A and things got interesting, and you’ll have much more tonight/tomorrow from the writers.  Dave Birkett of AnnArbor.com and Drew Sharp hit Rodriguez hard on recruiting Demar Dorsey, who was acquitted of some serious legal issues, as summarized by AnnArbor.com: Dorsey, ranked the No. 2 safety and No. 12 player in the country by ESPN.com, was charged with two felonies while in high school, according to court records in Broward County, Fla. He was acquitted by a jury on a 2008 charge of robbery with a deadly weapon, and had an earlier charge of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling dismissed. Dave Ablauf had to step in and request the media move on, Rich Rod suggested people didn’t have the entire picture and then urged people to be positive.  Sharp wasn’t…

Today is a good chance to recall a piece from a favorite interview of mine, Michigan legend Mark Messner. I pick it up, Messner just had the time of his life on a recruiting trip at UCLA, and he already told then-coach Terry Donahue that he was a Bruin.  Then this happened: But Coach Moeller and Coach Bo knew UCLA was my last visit.  So when my parents and I pulled up the house on the way back from the airport, there was this Delta 88 by the side of the driveway.  It was like 9 o’clock at night and getting dark.  It’s January or December.  Both doors open up and out stepped Moeller and Bo. Bo walks over, just hands me a tape and says [Messner in perfect Bo voice]: “You’re a Michigan man and you belong at Michigan.”  And got back in the car. That was it.  He didn’t come in the house, they just took off.  I couldn’t believe he came back up there. Mark Messner interview: Part I:  Posted on these pages, Messner talks about his recruiting process, Bo and more. Part II:  Mark Messner Interview (extended version)

Continuing my interview with Sam Webb, managing editor of GoBlueWolverine, Detroit News Columnist and WTKA 1050AM morning show host.   This time we take a look at Sam’s take on the morning show, what works and what doesn’t.  We then talk about Sam’s perspective of the rivalry between Webb’s GoBlueWolverine and The Wolverine, their competition. You can also check out Part I, Part II, and Part III here. MVictors: How are the ratings for the morning show on WTKA?Sam Webb: I haven’t seen a [ratings] book since Andy left. They changed the way they do ratings, it used to be with Arbitron and I haven’t seen anything since all that changed. The last book I saw, it might have been a few months before Andy left, we were actually the top morning show in this building. MVictors: So are Cumulus and folks in this building happy with you and [WTKA morning co-host] Ira [Weintraub]?Sam Webb: You know and if they aren’t, I haven’t heard about it yet [laughs].  When I first started the morning show one of the major things I was interested in, because I was not a radio guy by trade, was getting the best opportunity to be good.  Just give me an opportunity for it to work.     I think when we first started, with my first…