Sounds like a freshman end on the Hawkeyes gave the Iowa police all they can handle on Saturday: Defensive end Riley Reiff, an incoming freshman from South Dakota, was arrested after allegedly leading at least eight Iowa City police officers on a 20-minute foot chase, multiple media outlets reported. The 19-year-old pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of public intoxication and interference with official acts. A few takes: * Eight cops? How many officers are on duty in Iowa City on a given summer night? * This story was posted Sunday. So let me get this straight- all this happened on Saturday night/early Sunday morning??: a) got drunk and did something wrong b) was chased and caught by 8 cops c) was arrested, booked and charged d) pleaded guilty and that’s that? Swift Iowa justice I guess. Jeez, I wish the issues in Ann Arbor were settled this tightly. You avoid the double public sting from the arrest itself, and then with the follow-up court date(s). I read elsewhere that all this will cost him $562. Umm, if I went on such a rampage I’m guess I’d be cleaning the Big House after games for the next decade. Jokes aside, he’s a young kid, glad he may get a break on this one. Elsewhere: According to a blurb in the Miami…
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Dave Brown 34th Wolverine Enshrined into College Football Hall of Fame
Congratulations to the late Dave Brown who joined 19 other coaches and players into the College Football Hall of Fame today. The two-time (’73-’74) All-American defensive back was inducted alongside JoPa and Doug Flutie. But you wouldn’t know about it because there is minimal local coverage [Freep] including no mention on mgoblue.com? What’s the deal? It’s not like the athletic department isn’t on top of things: there’s a mention of Dan Deirdorf winning an award for broadcasting. Brown is the 34th individual with Michigan ties to be inducted. I don’t have any memories of Brown since I was a wee lad when he took the field, but it’s clear he had some skills in the defensive backfield (9 career interceptions) and was a fine punt returner (11.1 career average). He co-captained the great 1974 squad that finished 10-1 and 3rd in the final AP poll. The lone loss that season was the 12-10 defeat at the hand of the Buckeyes. Here’s his full bio on his new college football hall of fame page: Dave Brown was the leader of one of the most successful and yet frustrating periods in Michigan football history. The Wolverines posted a 30-2-1 record, tied for three Big Ten conference titles and never went to a bowl game. The defensive units on which Brown played were…
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Michigan Fan Day? Probably
Update: It’s going to be 8/17, more info here. At the 2008 Michigan spring game, Rich Rodriguez was asked by an M blogger whether there’d be an opportunity to meet the players this year a la’ the Fan Day events during the past few seasons. Coach Rod said there would be something in August, in conjunction with the team picture day. He also mentioned the possibility of something else during the summer but that ain’t going to happen. Here’s the short audio clip from the spring game presser: [display_podcast] There hasn’t been an announcement yet but that’s not unusual. Scrolling through the press releases from last year it looks like the Fan Day was announced a couple weeks before it was held on August 25, 2007. I lobbed a call in media relations and asked about if this was going to happen. In Fort Schembechler form, the short answer I received was ‘maybe, no announcement yet’. I asked about where it would be held if it were a go, again, really nothing except for they’d have to see what facilities are available. My sense is that this is a go (it’d be foolish not to, especially after closing the spring game), it’s just a matter of making it official. Update: After posting this I got a note from Bruce Madej…
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Phil Steele on 97.1, Webb talks Newsome rumors (audio)
The audio of college football guru Phil Steele on Valenti and Foster. A lot of stuff you already know but a couple items of note: * Projects Michigan in the Alamo Bowl vs. Nebraska. * Sees Utah as a major test [agreed] and Steele picks the Utes to take the Mountain West conference. * Says Michigan is currently a 3 point favorite over Notre Dame in Vegas, but thinks the Irish will be better than folks think. [display_podcast] Elsewhere: Each morning at 7:40am Sam Webb provides his recruiting round-up and started off again with Kevin Newsome. Click here for the clip. Webb is holding firm that there’s no info that leads him to think Newsome isn’t sticking to his commitment. Webb spoke to his parents as recently as yesterday. Newsome’s brother did attended the Va Tech summer camp and Webb advised that coach Frank Beamer did ask his brother about Kevin. [Sidenote: Someone needs to tell Webb what the phrase ‘in lieu of’ means – he says it all the time as if it equates to ‘in light of’]. Sklars do Jungle: Don’t miss Michigan grads the Sklar Brothers on Jim Rome’s radio show Friday 7/18. Here’s a clip from last time where they interviewed Coach Rodriguez.
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Back of the Line
mgoblog announced the adds/drops to the BlogPoll including a note: NOTE: With the departure of three Michigan blogs I can now lower the cap on voters per team to four, and have done so. Bollocks.
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Las Vegas sets Michigan’s Over/Under
ESPN radio’s Colin Cowherd revealed today that the Vegas Sports Consultants released their lines for the projected win totals of every college football team. Thanks to a caller to Cowherd’s show we learned that Michigan is set at 8. I would have thought it’d be set a tad lower (was thinking somewhere between 6.5-7.5 before I heard it). Keep in mind this only covers the regular season (no bowls, no conference championships). Here’s the complete list of over/unders (scroll down past the odds of winning the national championship, M still 40-1 fyi). Here’s an audio clip with Ken White of the Vegas Sports Consultants where he talks about a few of teams including the Buckeyes: [display_podcast] Like Cowherd mentions in the clip, I also like to watch that Vegas poll. And I love that they are waiting for AP poll to drop before they release theirs. Expect Michigan somewhere in there given the 8 Over/Under and the recent odds released to win the national championship. I also love that White reveals that chumps like you and me tend to bet overs, therefore the lines are padded that way. Guest columnist Schlimmy slipped this along, the odds were also released to win the Big Ten championship, of note: Michigan 11-2, Ohio 2-3, Illinois 4-1, Wisconsin 3-1, Penn State 5-1, MSU 12-1.…
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Fritz Crisler didn’t sign all three of these
Great observation by MVictors guest columnist Lew. He suspected some funny business in comparing the signatures on the two letters I wrote on in the last eBay Watch. Lew’s comment: Great stuff, as usual, MVictors. I’m no handwriting expert, but what’s up with the “Fritz” signature on the Biggie Munn letter? Lew’s instincts are correct in that there’s something goofy, but after a little digging, I think he’s actually got it backward. In looking back on some older posts, it looks to me as if the Biggie Munn letter of recommendation signature was delivered by Crisler himself, it’s the signature on the letter congratulating Ohio State that ol’ Fritz left to his secretary! Here’s the evidence: The signature from the 1954 Football Bust has got to be authentic and while I’m also not a handwriting expert, it certainly shares many characteristics with the Munn letter of rec, and it’s nowhere in the neighborhood of the OSU letter. Also, how and/or why would someone falsify Crisler’s signature at a football bust? Case closed. You’ve got to chuckle a bit that Crisler didn’t bother to sign the OSU letter, although I’m sure it wasn’t meant as a slight to his colleague in Columbus.
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Celebrity Columnist Wanted
Those of you in the Ann Arbor area may recall that last season the News ran a regular pre-game piece where they asked Verne “Mini-Me” Troyer a few questions along with a prediction on the upcoming game. Needless to say “And Mini Me Makes Three” was unbelievably lame, but whatever, it was fun I guess. Well, with the release of the tiny M fan’s X-rated tape, it’s safe to say Troyer won’t be back next season. Thanks to my buddy Rosey who sent me this shot of Mini-me donning his favorite gear with his “co-star”, 22 year-old Ranae Shrider a waitress aspiring model/actress: Finding a replacement won’t be easy especially given where Mini set the bar last year. Rumored candidates include ‘the rock’ at the corner of Hill and Washtenaw and a Mr. Spots cheesesteak.
