The proliferation of video game highlights and simulations is getting pretty annoying, especially, I imagine, for people that don’t play these games. YouTube has been flooded recently with special vid clips and even complete games. Each Saturday morning last season the Ann Arbor News made us suffer through a recap of the “game” against that day’s opponent played out on someone’s XBox. “Manningham had a big day…blah, blah,..M had trouble converting inside the red zone..blah, blah”. Great story. Compelling and rich. This is more my speed. Vying for a spot in the coveted Floral Bowl, the Wolverines squared off against the Tennessee Vols upon the rectangle-circle that is electric football. To the sounds of Bad Company and laid down in still photography (a la pay-per-view boxing highlights) check out this masterpiece: Is that some sort of wall of fame in the North end zone? Is the Floral Bowl trophy filled with chocolate? I love the fun size-down and distance markers. Is one guy dedicated to manning the chains? Are there measurements? I’d like to see Jim Carty and John Heuser of the News play each game out on this surface and then report back the results. Might be hard finding Appalachian State electric football guys.
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AP Vote Review
A quick scan of the AP votes in the initial poll yielded one notion: the 2007 Wolverines little love from the national guys. I really don’t care at this point and it all comes out in the wash but…of the Gameday set, Herbstreit has Michigan #10, Fowler #7. Craig James of ABC has the Blue slotted #7 as well, and SI.com “guru” Stewart Mandel slots M sixth. The Ann Arbor News’ John Heuser started the Wolverines at #4 while David Birkett of the Oakland Press thinks all is good in Ann Arbor with a #2 vote. Speaking of Herbstreit, I heard Mike Hart speaking on Herby’s show on 1640 1460AM in Columbus on today, taped during the Big Ten kick-off. Hart likened Michigan’s defense in 2007 to the Buckeyes’ D last year, and as expected pumped up his defensive brethren. Michigan Mike also acknowledged that the individual goals do matter to him, but not before winning.
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Bloggers done good
Big props to the team of writers & bloggers that pulled together “Hail to Victors 2007”, a preview of this year’s M football season. As editor Brian Cook of mgoblog argues in the opener, content from the blogosphere can reach highs that “far outstrip those produced by a newspaper industry reports and forgets in a day.” I think they hit the mark with this one. Overview Some might say it’d be hard for a guide titled “HAIL TO THE VICTORS” with a section on M opponents section titled “THE ENEMY” to be unbiased. Yes, the content slants towards maize side of the house, but they authors solicited the help of those inside enemy camps to offer analysis. The Notre Dame preview is dropped by Brian Stouffer of The House Rock Built, and the rest of the opponents overviews were submitted by Matt Hinton of Sunday Morning Quarterback. Cook’s review of the offense and defense provides an assessment of what each player has (and hasn’t) brought to the field to date along with what needs to happen in 2007 to make it work. He touches on points that you and the dude sitting next to you in the stadium are thinking (after your whiskey buzz from the tailgate starts to wear off). A few examples: On Tight ends “Tight end…is a…
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T-Shirt Jesus, ND Fan Piles On
Leave to the Notre Dame fans to stick it in the open wound. Here’s the latest beauty served up by The House That Rock Built, thanks for nothing: Message to Rock blogger, Who are you tryin’ to get crazy with, ese? Don’t you know I’m loco? If you need an antedote, try this on for size.
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Radar Ranks MSU Worst in Big Ten
Radar.com, the New York-based mockumagazine turned its sights to the Big Ten in search of the worst school. Its extensive research ended up with the bullseye on Michigan State, citing the unruly, drunken behavior of the student body as a key factor. The Onion rip-off site didn’t stop at ridiculing the student body or the quality of education, it also reminded everyone that MSU hasn’t been to the Rose Bowl since 1988 (I know, I was there). Isn’t the haha couch-burning stuff getting kind of old?
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Capn’ Crable?
That’s nothin’. Wait until you see Detroit’s third string Congrats to Shawn Crable who came from someone who was presented transfer papers by Lloyd Carr to captain of the 2007 Wolverines. mgoblue.com just announced this year’s crew. Hopefully this season will end as good as it has started from Crable as he will be needed! He joins Mike Hart and Jake Long to round out the three-member leadership team. On the offensive side of the ball, Hart was a lock, and I suppose I figured the other guy would be Long (a repeat captain, first since Steve Hutchinson) or Chad Henne. Other than his trouble finding the right mindset to achieve at Carr’s level, Crable is best known for lighting up 2006 Heisman winner Troy Smith in last year’s big game. This of course extended the Buckeye’s drive and effectively ended the game for Michigan. “Ahh! We’re missing the Florida International game!” I heard Coach Carr talking on the Huge Show on WTKA about the captaincy at Michigan. Huge aka Bill Simonson (by the way, the coaches didn’t refer to the host as “Huge” thank goodness) was pressing Carr if a national championship would be one of the teams goals. Carr said that’s up to the captains and the team to decide, but added “if they’re playing a game somewhere…
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Comrie the Socialite
Comrie needs to tell Perez about the schoolyard truism ‘he who smelt it’ Former M star and current NHL’er Mike Comrie has been seen around town lately with teeny sensation Hilary Duff. Good for Comrie, right? Well, maybe. Gossip queen Perez Hilton refers to MC as Duff’s “hockey player boy toy”, and Perez used his deadly white pen to indicate that our M Man passed some gas inside the car. That’s the price of fame, dude. Duff was also featured in a spread in this month’s Maxim magazine, on newsstands now. Props to Comrie for letting us know that vests are back in style (good news for Tressel, bad news for Carr). Perez didn’t indicate who is chilling in the back seat, but I can confirm that #16 was in Ann Arbor on Saturday. MC isn’t the first (or last) Michigan Man to be seen and inked up inside the Perez Hilton site. David Beckham and Derek Jeter recently appeared together, and of course, Tom Brady appears on occasion due to his model exploits.
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News Flash: Jake Long won’t win Heisman
At least according to the Free Press. You mean they’re not ready to crown an offensive tackle with the Heisman? I refuse to believe this. Here’s the latest Heisman odds from bodog.com: • Brian Brohm 3/1 – That’s weird. • Darren McFadden 3/1 – • Steve Slaton 9/2 – Can’t see it happening. • John David Booty 5/1 – Obviously choice if SC runs table. • Colt Brennan 7/1 – Possible, if he puts up the type of numbers you can’t ignore. • Ray Rice 8/1. • Mike Hart 10/1 – Stays healthy and Michigan makes it to New Orleans? Possible. • Tim Tebow 12/1 – We’ll need to see how he passes the ball. • Pat White 15/1 • C.J. Spiller 15/1 • Chad Henne 15/1 – Again, would need Michigan to run the table. He’d have to outshine Hart or spilt votes and lose. • Colt McCoy 18/1