Incoming RB Sam McGuffie occupies the lead story on SI.com right, check it out. Mostly fluff, but it gets into the national signing day indecisiveness that scared many fans in Ann Arbor. Turns out this town’s plummeting real estate market had a hand in the decision: The coaching staff and parents at Cy-Fair threw a grand party for their college-bound athletes that Wednesday. Each player had his own cake. Lathrop’s featured a Texas A&M logo. Wesley Cobb, McGuffie’s backfield mate, had an Air Force Academy cake. McGuffie’s cake was black and white, with a blank spot reserved for either a Michigan or a Cal logo. There was only one problem. McGuffie wasn’t there. Friends’ and coaches’ calls went to voicemail. Lathrop’s mother knocked on McGuffie’s door, but no one answered. Inside, McGuffie huddled with his mother and father and tried to choose a school. Part of the deal, McGuffie said, was that his mother, father, brother and sister would move with him wherever he went to school. There was nothing keeping the family in Cypress, he said, so he wanted them to come along. McGuffie loved Cal and Tedford, but he also understood certain financial realities. According to Yahoo! Real Estate, the average home for sale in Berkeley this week costs $629,000. The average price in Ann Arbor is $228,500.
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Jalen Rose on WTKA (full audio .mp3)
It was great to hear Jalen talk a little bit about the Fab Five, their legacy and even about a certain football recruit this morning on the Michigan Insider with Sam Webb on 1050AM WTKA. He’s in Ann Arbor this weekend to be honored at Saturday’s hoops tilt against Illinois and says this is a tremendous moment for him [my thoughts on this]. Rose also talked about his thoughts on the University one day having the entire Fab 5 back on campus, the day he hopes happens before he, Ray, Jimmy, Chris and Juwan are using “canes and wheelchairs”. Here’s the full audio of the interview: [display_podcast] Jalen even gave an unsolicited plea for Terrelle Pryor to make the right decision and come to Michigan. Sweet Jesus, I thought the coaching search was a Death March! That said, it’s great to know that busy guys like Jalen are concerned enough about the school (and a sport they didn’t even play) to chime in. He clearly also follows the basketball team and likes what Beilein is doing so far. UPDATE: Check out Eric Lacy’s piece and interview on Jalen in the Detroit News. And a take from Rosenberg.
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News Investigating Athletic Department and Academics?
There’s some scuttlebutt around town that the Ann Arbor News is working on a big story related to the UM athletic program, specifically around academics. Sam Webb indicated this morning on WTKA 1050am that he’s heard such a story is in the works. Lead sports columnist Jim Carty hasn’t published anything recently and stopped blogging a while ago. It’s been so quiet that some folks in the nerdosphere suggested Carty was fired from the News. Not so according to Webb. Carty took some heat around town for asking a few questions in the wake of Jim Harbaugh’s comments last year regarding lower academic standards for athletes at Michigan. We’ll see if that’s where this is headed
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Yes Sir! Three Straight as Buckeyes Fall
Just great to see these guys starting to pull it together. What a win over the hated Buckeyes and such a great way to start wrapping up the season. The guys that stayed never seemed to waver on Beilein’s system but either way it’s great to see some of the struggle start to pay off. Coach Rodriguez addressed the fans at halftime and guaranteed that the team would be wearing Maize and Blue when they come out of the tunnel. Oh, and they’ll play real hard as well.
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Amani Toomer’s Table for One
I’ve heard Amani Toomer speak in the media and always considered him a good M man and certainly never heard of any rift between he and the program. That changed today. Check out this interview the Detroit Free Press did with former Michigan receiver. Here’s the section that threw me back a bit: Did you hear from any of your former U-M teammates or Lloyd Carr after the win? No. The last time I heard a word from Lloyd was when I was playing in a (Michigan) game; it was my last play of my senior year. I caught a touchdown from Brian Griese, and I was walking off the field and Lloyd looks at me, looks at Griese, looks at me again, and goes, “Good throw, Brian.” And that’s the last thing he ever said in my direction. Did you have a good relationship with Carr while at U-M? I thought we did, but I guess we didn’t. So I don’t know. I wasn’t too upset to see the whole regime change. So I read the answer to the first question above and I’m thinking, well that’s odd. That’s definitely not what you hear from most players. Then you read the next part about how he “thought” he and Carr had a good relationship but wasn’t too upset to…
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Rodriguez radio blitz Part II: WTKA 2/15 (full audio)
More Rodriguez, this time on WTKA today. Pretty good quote on Tiller situation. Rodriguez said he “didn’t get the memo” regarding the gentleman’s agreement not to recruit committed guys. “We had to recruit Sam McGuffie until 9 o’clock that night because my good buddy Jeff Tedford at Cal was working him pretty good…I’m not mad at Jeff about it. That’s the business.” And he again confessed there’s no wizard hat nor is there snake oil. Also, he didn’t rule out having a night game. As far as the Spring game, he wants to have it April 12th and Ford Field is not an option. He did mention EMU’s Rynearson stadium is being discussed. (take: would love to have it there) [display_podcast] And in case you missed it, check out mgoblog’s post on the stealth open football try-outs for Michigan students held at Schembechler Hall this week. Very good stuff.
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Quickly on Sampson
Watching the Kelvin Sampson crisis unfold is just a head scratcher. I can’t believe a guy at a job like IU could do this again. Recommend checking out the posts on Inside the Hall for a few takes on this. IU fans are furious. Maybe after Sampson is fired he can get a slot alongside Sir Charles on the next T-Mobile spot. He’d be a natural. UPDATE: Caught this on Michigan Sports Center; the webmaster at MSC talks about the story of how former M assistant Andy Moeller told Michigan State to take a good look at a recruit (offensive lineman Zach Hueter). Dantonio eventually offered and Hueter is headed to East Lansing next year. MSC thinks this is bunk… I think it’s cool; judge for yourself. Full story.
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Rodriguez on WDFN (full audio)
In case you missed it; full audio below. A must listen as Coach Rod talks through the transition, recruiting, the spread offense, confessed that he DOES NOT have a Wizard’s hat as speculated by Purdue Coach Joe Tiller.. on the Stoney and Wojo on 1130AM WDFN in Detroit: [display_podcast] .
