What the Settlement Means to You

​By now you've heard all about Rich Rod settling up with West Virginia.  WVU will get its $4 million.  No interest, no legal fees for them.  Michigan will reportedly pony up $2.5 million of it plus pay Rich Rod's legal fees.  What does this mean to you, the average fan?  Not a damn thing.

Seriously.  This is none of your business.

Ticket prices will not rise because of this settlement.  Construction on the new boxes will continue at Stadium and Main.  And your gameday experience will be exactly as it would be if a court ruled that WVU wasn't going to get a penny.

We have a football team that has a following every bit as big as an NFL franchise, with crowds bigger than an NFL franchise, and an individual licensing agreement with an athletic apparel company...  and the players play for free.  That's what I call low overhead.  $2.5 million is a typical take for a player agent from a high end rookie contract's SIGNING BONUS.  Trust me, there's more than $2.5 million in loose cash in the leather sofa in Bill Martin's office.  But he won't need it because this $2.5 million was always going to be paid by a few donors.  A few Carr hating donors ready to push the change.

So don't complain, don't worry, and stay out of it.  Someone else is taking care of this.  Trust in the behind the scenes deal that was orchestrated long before Rich Rod signed on to lead the Maize and Blue.

Holiday Roundup, Happy Birthday America Edition: July 7, 2008

​Not sure about you, but my weekend was great.  Fireworks, food, the Fourth of July, and unplugged from the internet for three full days.  Here's what we missed:

• RichRod pressed palms with the boys from Alro and hit the links with Al Glick.  Looks like he's got the donation hunting portion of his job down pat.  [Michigan Football Coach Plays in Jackson Event - MLive]


• There are five sleeper teams, and we play three of them.  Great...  but MSU has about as much of a chance of winning a championship as you do of winning the big prize on a scratch-off lottery ticket in Virginia. [Looking for a Sleeper Team Outside the Top 25 - Rivals.com]


• Illinois has sold 40,000 season tickets, there largest amount since 1986, and about 10,000 fewer than half the number of season tickets that Michigan doles out each season.  Ha.  [Illinois Season Football Tickets - Illini Loyalty]


• On the heels of Eugene Clifford throwing his fists around at a bar, the BBC reminds us that OSU is very stern when it comes to disciplining its players...oh, and that Maurice Clarett wasn't a Buckeye when he borrowed money from the Jewish mafia and brandished an AKA on a street in COLUMBUS.  He was only a Buckeye when he forced and recovered that fumble against Miami in the National Championship Game.  We are all certain things were on the up and up with Maurice during that 2002 campaign.  Ironically, this all came out just three days after the ultimate glass house threw stones.  [Get Outta My Locker Room - BBC]


• Here's why you want to travel when Michigan plays at Wisconsin...  [Unique study ranks state No. 1 for alcohol's impact on lives - Wausau Daily Herald]


• Godfather is going to have to find another place to buy his yellow football jerseys.  [Steve and Barry's loses University License - Michigan Daily]


• A collective yet quiet cheer just rang out in all the assisted living facilities in Michigan as they feel their geriatric voices will soon be heard when they utter "down in front."  [Fans are asked to treat Chiefs games like bowling matches - YahooSports]

The Grady Details

​The Grand Rapids Press has printed the details of the Kevin Grady DUI over on MLive.  My initial reaction was that this was a minor misstep.  But then I saw the numbers:

According to the ticket issued to Grady, he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.281. Michigan's legal definition of drunk is 0.08

That, my tailgating friends, is what is known in most circles as WASTED.  In the end, KG is lucky he didn't kill someone...or himself.  This very well may be more than just a slap on the wrist in the form of Grady-can't-play-until-the-second-offensive-drive.  This will definitely be a measuring stick for the disciplinary policies of RichRod.

It's all very disappointing.  Not really from a depth chart perspective, where Minor and Brown return, and McGuffie and Cox are coming in, but from a good guy makes a comeback perspective.  Fifteen months ago, we felt bad for him.  A medical redshirt later, we had hope for him.  Three months ago, we anointed him as the change-of-pace back for the season, and even after Brandon Graham flattened him, as a guy that was about to reach the potential we saw when he was in high school...and be a team leader at 22 years old.

STRONGEST AREA: There is a nice collection of running backs with Minor, Kevin Grady and Carlos Brown. Grady is a bull who missed last season with a knee injury. Brown is a go-the-distance guy, while Minor is effective inside and outside. Incoming freshman Sam McGuffie also could play immediately. Rodriguez may use two tailbacks at the same time, so there should be plenty of work for these guys.

Now...not so much.

District Judge Pablo Cortes found Grady was "unable to render an intelligent or knowing acknowledgment of the charges" and ordered Grady to appear for arraignment July 9. Grady remains free on bond.

In other words, he couldn't answer "Do you understand the charges that have been brought up against you?"  with anything more than drool.

The Boys of Summer Reunion

​There's no bigger homer on the planet than our own Godfather.  He's a Wolverines fan on Saturday...a Bears fan on Sunday.  He's into hockey...once the Wolverines make the frozen four, or the Wings are in the finals.  He's a Cubs fan by day, and a Tigers fan under the lights.  So gas prices be damned, G-Daddy made his way across the state to see his favorite Tiger, Miguel Cabrera, don the old English 'D.'  Some of the family made the trip as well, and after a quick hiccup at the casino, we made our way to the ballpark for a pizza picnic in section 137 and to see (Justin's Tiger) Todd Jones blow his first save.  But as if he knew his biggest fan was in town, Cabrera came through in the bottom of the ninth with a walk off double.  Tigers win 6-5.  Nice...and...*ahem*..."fun."

Better late than never...here are the pics from the days events.

Our Wolverines

Ex-Wolverines have been in the news recently and for some very good reasons. Michael Phelps, former swimmer, broke his own record in the 400m individual medley on Sunday night. The Baltimore Sun asks if Michael can become the next Tiger Woods...The title was enough for me not to read the article.

Two former Wolverine baseball players have made the prestigious Futures Game during the All-Star festivities at Yankee Stadium. One name is probably more familiar to you than you think...Clayton Richard, former Michigan quarterback who left the team to focus on baseball appears to have made the right decision. He's been tearing it up for the White Sox triple-A farm club along with fellow teammate Chris Getz who is down in Charlotte.

Three former women rowers have been selected to represent their countries as well. Heather Mandoli and Janine Hanson from Canada and Ellen Tomek from the USA. Congrats to our Alumni! Check out mgoblue.com for complete coverage of all our potential Olympians!