Ready for some Football?

/

So I just found out that the NFL network is showing every single NFL preseason game. Also found out that preseason games are not very much fun to watch but it nevertheless got me in the football season mood. Of course the NFL network has many kinks to work out, not least of being only two commercials that contiually loop and make you really want to shoot yourself, but it is a great idea to show all the games. I used the games to reflect and research some of our former standouts from the greatest University to be founded in 1817. Let me start with one of our all time favorites, Mr. John Navarre. This probably was the highlight of my weekend as I realized we still don't have to watch him on Saturday's. Although a not bad 11 for 15 throwing day, 2 of the 4 "non-completions" were actually completed to rookie Anthony Smith of the Steelers' defense. Just like old times, particularly loved the one he tossed while falling down, have never even seen a pop warner kid do such a thing, check that, i have seen Navarre do it a million times, sorry. On the bright side, the studious Larry Foote looked like an All Pro for the defending XL champs. Oh and before i forget, I have never seen a team wear a patch of their stadium on their jersery, ok, we get it its a great place and new and all that but do you really wear a patch depicting it on your jesery??? By the way it kinda looks like its an inflatable stadium doesn't it? Ps- Ernest Shazor had a pick for the Redbirds, although it was negated by a penalty, it was pretty sweet anyway.

Not much else exciting for ex-wolves, they fared much better on the defensive side of the ball, Pierre Woods had 4 tackles and a sack for the Pats. Marlin Jackson equaled his Michigan career total with 3 tackles and Markus Curry led the Chargers with 5 tackles against G.Bay who got two takedowns from Roy Manning. Todd Collins led the offesive standouts with a 6 for 13 effort plus a pick and a fumble for the Skins. Rookie Tim Massaqoui actually caught a ball for the Bucs and BJ Askew had one touch for 4 yards for the Jets. And the biggest news was David Terrell attended the Broncos game in Detroit, he had a run for 10 yards and a 24 yard punt return! Actually 1997 National Champion Brian Griese had a solid showing with a 6/7 day that included to TD's and a total of 134 in limited action for the Bears. My apologies to almost forgetting the special teamers, cuz Jay Feely knocked in a game winning field goal for the Giants.

In closing a couple of things i am elated about this upcoming season, A. That Detroit got rid of Joey Ballgame, his unrefrained joy after scoring a preseason TD was unprecedented, especially after 2 fumbles in the a Miami loss. Actually not unprecedented, he did it all the time here. Good thing there are a lot of "Lions Quarterbacks" in the Miami area for him to loath with this season. B. Thank goodness Vanderbilt comes to town sans Jay Cutler, who looked like the best quarterback ever, albiet it was against the vaunted Honolulu Blue sieve. C. That in an effort to further humilate the already ridiculed zebras, the NFL has decided to put their refs in some spandex/leather outfit that crosses the line of ridiculous. Although Joey asked to borrow one to wear out with his backless chaps.

Tonight's monday night game shouldn't be too interesting and the only UM connects include the Vikes Steve Hutchinson, who as you know is a lineman, and transfer Huggie Bear's son. So watch Tigers v. Red Sox.

 

Case of the Mundy's: 8/14/2006

/

Injury Report Remains Unchanged 

"Based on overall instinct, gut, everything, I'm playing next year regardless, whatever it takes, I'm playing. I've told everybody that... It's not worrisome to me at all," said Bass, one of six freshmen who played last year. "I put it in God's hands; whatever happens, happens. I don't believe it is (career-ending); I never will. As long as everything goes according to plans, I'll be playing next year."

Injury concerns seem to still be starting and stopping with Antonio Bass. His future remains in doubt, but apparently his passion does not.

From the internet to you, rounding out the weekend that was:In continuing website update news:
  • Added all of the front pages from 2001 Season and Off-Season

  • Added all of the pictures from 2000

So it's with great joy that I announce that the full migration from old UMTailgate.com to UMTailgate.com is complete. Still have some finishing touches to put on it, and of course I'm always up for suggestions. Leave me some feedback in the comments section on what you'd like to see on UMTailgate.com.

Also, don't miss this week's upcoming edition of Hard Hittin' Thursdays, where The Hammer will be dropping another first rate interview upon us.

 

Buckeye Get Rich or Buckeye Die Tryin'

/

Hey, you know it's gotta be good when it's Clarett...and it's gotta be better when the breaking morning college football news comes from CNN. It seems ol' Mo made an illegal U-turn on the east side of Columbus, and instead of pulling over, sped away from those that protect and serve the partially toothless. It took road spikes to get him to pull over. But wait, it gets better...

Why was Clarett avoiding being pulled over? Well, he's currently awaiting trial on two counts of aggravated robbery...and because he had four loaded guns and a bullet proof vest on. Not joking. No sir. You know, when Clarett got busted back in January, I just thought that it was some kind of drug induced hijinx. But now, you have got to deduce that the pride of the Buckeyes is into some serious shit. Is he a hitman?

Here's the link from CNN.

There's only one thing I'm certain of, he's no liar. Do you think this will this effect his status with the imaginary football league?

Just some great early morning Buckeye fun.

Case of the Mundys: 8/7/2006

/

Still just one player of note on the injury report, Antonio Bass, who was one of the main topics at the Big Ten Meetings. Carr alluded to some tests that were going to happen that, unfortunately, would be determining if Antonio Bass could continue his football career....meaning EVER. 

Fortunately, Antonio Bass's father reports that those tests have already been completed, and the results were positive. Great. But dad and Lloyd need to get on the same page. Let me tell you pops, and you can ask Braylon, you need to be on the same page as Lloyd.

In continuing website update news, the message board is now up and running, avatars and all. Just to remind everyone new to this format, you can post comments at the end of ANY front page story OR in the message board.

Just added:


  • 2002 Football Season Front Pages, pictures already available here

  • 2002 Off-Season Front Pages, pictures already available here

  • 2001 Football Season Albums

  • 2001 Off-Season Albums

 

SURPRISE! The Polls Are Out

/

Wolverines Are #15, 'Nuts Are #1. I'm shocked, not at the lowest pre-season ranking (#15) for the Wolverines since the pre-season unranked 1985 Wolverines, but at the fact that the USA Today Coaches' Poll is already out. Does it always come out this early? Before players report to practice? As has been discussed ad-nauseum, there is obviously little rhyme or reason behind these polls before games are played, and "grain of salt" does not adequately describe how much weight you should lend to them when making your bowl travel plans. Simply put, about 25% of the roster of every college football team disappears every year and is replaced with 17-18 year-olds that the voters have only seen in pre-pubescent video clips taken by their dads from the stands.

That being said, I love the polls once the season starts. It is a source for debate, and debate must be the thing that keeps us going back. There are 119 teams, we can't all play each other, so we only have the polls to show us where we stand. Sure, the system sucks. No other sport has a set of voted-upon subjective standings that go unresolved nearly every year. It's amazing. Applying it to baseball, imagine your anger when the coaches voted to send the White Sox from the AL instead of your Detroit Tigers to play the Mets in the World Series, just on reputation...or as a going away present if their manager was retiring.

Polls=More Fun: The numbers create interest for the casual fan that is channel surfing and runs into Mississippi State vs. Fresno St on ESPN2. And the polls createmanufacture upsets. For example, Michigan at Michigan State 2006 featured a Wolverine team favored in Vegas by 3-points. Michigan wins 34-31 in overtime, the bettors push, no upset. But add in the polls and you have the unranked Michigan Wolverines knocking off the #11 Michigan State Spartans dramatically in overtime. And that is way more fun to say.

I even enjoy the illegitimacy of the numbers, and how they always seem to magically move up the week before a previously scheduled nationally televised event. Tell me you don't notice how (fill in your Big Ten middle-of-the-pack-er here) always seems to just creep into that top 25 the week of their game with Michigan... it's like clockwork.

Anyway, if we had playoffs, I'd love the playoffs. In fact, I'd be going ape shit every December-January. But we don't, so I like the polls. Probably because I'm inept at the X's and O's of the game itself and I'm a horrible evaluator of talent. I need someone else's opinion so I can make it my own. And probably because there's not much else to talk about.

The Wolverines come in at #15. Everyone is going to be talking about how well Michigan does when they are ranked low to start the season (see 1997 National Championship), how they come to play when their backs are against a wall, and how this team has the obligatory "something to prove". Great. But it's not what I'm looking for. Vandy and Central are a waste of my time and yours, and it should take more preparation than motivation to knock off the grossly overrated Irish, who despite being Catholic are the biggest media whores since Darva. It's after that game in South Bend, when we've "upset" the #3 team in the country, when the world's eyes turn to Ann Arbor, and everybody starts breaking their arms patting us on the back. It's then that we must show up. Because this season will not be won in South Bend or Columbus. It's in between Notre Dame and Ohio State: the Badgers, the Hawkeyes, the Wilcats, the Spartans...that will determine our BCS destiny.