Check out this excerpt from Pete Fiutak’s Ask CFN (from collegefootballnews.com). For my variation of a question you probably get 20 times a day: How does Michigan finally turn the corner? I know you’ll want to quote stats showing how the maize and blue faithful shouldn’t be disappointed, but, come on, it’s pretty much national consensus that this team is consistently underachieving. – Matt A: (Heavy sigh) “Consistently underachieving?!” Turn what corner? Your Wolverines went 11-0, played the number one team in the nation almost dead-even on its turf, and would’ve gotten a rematch had Arkansas won the SEC title or if Florida looked lousy in the win over the Hogs. Forgetting how things turned out after the Rose Bowl, Michigan was this close to playing for the national title, and it underachieved? 116 teams, USC and LSU included, would’ve killed to have been in that spot. With that said, you are right in a way and I’ll quote stats to prove it. Since winning the 1997 national title, Michigan has gone 3-6 against Ohio State. Quick, name the three biggest wins over a non-Buckeye team since the national title? I’ll help you out: 1) The 35-34 2000 classic Orange Bowl win over Alabama, 2) the 2005 27-25 last-second win over a Penn State team that finished 11-1 with an…
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Carr and Beilein’s journey from WVU
Check out this article on Lloyd Carr and his brief stint in Morgantown before Bo asked him to rejoin the Wolverines.
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M Football Returns: Spring Game 2007
The gates of the Big House opened in 2007 for this year’s version of the Spring Football game. This is the first of three pre-season events leading up to the football season, the other two being the ‘Fan Day’ typically in August and of course the Appalachian State dress rehearsal on September 1. Many know that the format in year’s past was more of an organized practice with a few snaps of live action. They actually introduced more team play this year with the Blue (offense) taking on the White (defense) in real snaps just a few minutes after warming up. They created some type of scoring system for the defense as well but they failed to explain to the 10,000 on hand how the white team scoring actually worked. Anyway, I liked the format and it allowed for a lot of action as opposed to a bunch of practice drills.
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The (True) Detroit Lions Fight Song: Another One Bites The Dust
As spun and performed by James ‘Spiderman’ Allen with his version of Another One Bites the Dust:
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Beilein Making the Media Rounds
Coach Beilein has been pretty busy the past couple days with his press conference introducing the him to the media and public, to meeting the existing players, to conducting a short practice, to chasing down recruits Grady, Harris and Legion. I also heard him this morning on 1050 WTKA and this afternoon on 1130 WDFN and he was very impressive on both shows. He talked a little hockey on the 1050 show to the delight of former M and NHL skater Dave Shand, and he mixed it up with Stoney and Wojo on the Detroit drive time show on DFN. It’s hard to describe but the guy just comes off as so genuine and real, and focused on doing things right. It’s a big departure from a 35 year old (Amaker) who in his first week was probably a little scared and a little confused. Beilein has a plan. One of my favorite lines from the news conference that introduced him was the new’s coach asking “You have a track, right?” several times, implying that’s where guys go if they a) want to be ready to play in his system, and b) don’t follow his rules. Good stuff.
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Coach John Beilein ? Looks like it…
Well, many sources this evening are confirming that Michigan is going to hire John Beilein to take over the hoops program. Good enough for someone to update Beilein’s Wikipedia entry (sheesh). I don’t know much about the guy short of the pieces posted on him in the Ann Arbor News, particulary by Jim Carty. He sounds like a great coach which you could argue Michigan has had since Frieder, maybe since Orr. I wonder if Bill Martin will need to have a chat with Coach Carr and talk about how the basketball coach makes more (and not a little more, a lot more) than the football coach. Wow. BTW – Kudos to Carty. Although he’s a latte-sucking, NPR-listening pinko, JC has done a really nice job covering this. He was sharply critical of Amaker which can’t make life easy for a sports writer in Ann Arbor to knock one of the major coaches. And he used some of his East coast ties to talk to coaches in the Big East about Beilein. Finally, he really pushed for the guy in the News and looks like he’s getting his wish.
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Open Season!
Why’s everybody picking on the Blue? Have you noticed all the Michigan sports bashing in recent weeks? Here are few examples that I’ve seen, some of which I’ve already discussed: – ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd’s rant, ripping Lloyd Carr and the Michigan program in general. In sum, Cowherd trashes Michigan over the past 5 years and in particular, Michigan’s development of players. He points to recent NFL drafts and the lack of big time draftees. – ESPN.com’s Pat Forde, declaring Florida’s starting five as the true “Fab Five“. He starts out saying that the Florida crew is “Better. Cleaner (one would hope). Tighter…And much more accomplished.” (This despite that these guys aren’t freshman or sophomores, or even from the same recruiting class). There are also references to Thad Motta’s recruiting class as the ‘Thad Five’. One thing is for sure, 15 years after these guys took the court their place in college basketball lore is solid, despite the NCAA violations. – Collegefootballnews.com taking big shots at the Michigan football team, going as far as to reach back into time and challenge the 1997 national championship based upon recent bowl performances. – How about Tom Izzo knocking the overall athletic department and its handling of basketball program? – Then add in Jay Bilas telling anyone who would listen that Michigan isn’t…
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Spring Practice Update: Butler Booted!!
Make the pain go away! Coach Carr kicked three players off the squad for showing up in the A2 police blotter including the sure-handed, athletic TE Carson Butler. This hurts. Butler did a great job filling in for Tyler Ecker in 2006 and made some really nice plays. He’ll be missed. On top of this, Carr didn’t go as far as booting WR Adrian Arrington off the team, but he’s not allowed to participate this spring and it isn’t clear whether he’ll be back in the fall. What else? Well, Mike Hart isn’t playing and is walking around in an arm sling to rest some type of shoulder procedure.
