Pausing for Effect

Water is wet, the sky is blue, Tom Izzo qualifies for midget benefits in 14 U.S. states, and I don't spend enough time on this site.

Ya, well, I'm busy.

But we're getting close to things getting serious around here, so my efforts are bound to pick up.  Besides, I can sum up the whole summer in a few paragraphs...

Practicegate is a complete sham.  Whatever went wrong had nothing to do with Coach, and was perpetrated by a couple guys with an agenda.  Brad LaBadie was one of those people...he's gone.  Scott Draper will be next.  Pizza Man ain't f'n around.  Coach is going to be given every opportunity to be successful by Brandon.  He knows we are better united.  Meeting with the NCAA this past weekend did nothing except rack up frequent flyer miles for the twittering media members.  There's going to be some kind of judgement at some point, and I don't expect anything to be added to the self imposed wrist slap.  And quite frankly, I don't care at all about it.  Wins.  I only think about wins.

RB Vinnie Smith's repaired knee apparently is ready for action.  Is it just me, or doesn't 9 months seem be a little quick?  Torn ACL to starting running back in 9 months.  Despite the optimism coming out of Fort Schembechler, I'm thinking mid-season action at best.  Unfortunately his replacement Michael Shaw, the heir-apparent if you will, is an asshair away from being academically ineligible.  I think we find out more about that this week.  After that the depth chart is just another edition of "I hope that (fill in Freshman here) can make an impact."

Demar Dorsey didn't get admitted to Michigan, the first of two five-star DBs to exit the program in the last few months.  For those that were in the "we should just let the kid into Michigan" camp (that would include me), it looks like it was more than just a checkered past that needed to be ignored, as he has yet to appear on the roster of any other school.  JT Turner, redshirted last year for arriving late for weight and academic issues, showed up fat for camp again this year, and after being placed on the third string defense, likely given a solid blue wingless helmet, and probably being asked to run...alot....he decided his future was better served at another school.  He also will require the services of Goody's tattoo guy to fix the block M on his forearm.  Rainbows and whatnot.  So how thin are we at DB?  Godfather's hair thin.

Tate Forcier, who won your heart by pointing with both arms in the air as he slayed the Fighting Irish, who started every game last year, who made you buy a t-shirt...is, by expert witness accounts, not the even the second best quarterback in fall camp.  Denard or Devin?  Yes.  What does this mean?  4 different starters in 4 years.  So much for continuity.

Anyway, as it has been for the last couple years, the field is the best place for us to fix things.  It's by all accounts a pivotal year.  How many wins will it take for Coach to keep his job?  7?  8?  9?  While wins are obviously important, I think a lot of it has to do with how we play late in the season.  A strong finish could be the deciding factor.  That and beating Sparty, because I can't deal with 3 straight years of those little bitches running their mouths.  This "1000 days since" shit that they've been peddling really pisses me off.  Joining the numbers club, I say 8 with a MSU and a bowl victory and Coach gets the OK.  Less and it's iffy.

Soon we'll talk tailgate! GO BLUE!

19 days.

Agenda?

From AnnArbor.com yesterday...

Instead, compliance office administrators spent more than a year-and-a-half cajoling football administrators to turn in the Countable Athletically Related Activities forms, but never copied Rodriguez on the e-mails.

With the university and Rodriguez headed to Seattle for meetings Friday and Saturday to defend themselves against allegations they broke five NCAA major rules, there are still no answers about exactly why the compliance office never told Rodriguez about the missing forms.

He'll Walk

Rich Rodriguez has a strict policy that he will only talk about players that play for Michigan.  He never commented on Terrell Pryor.  He didn't discuss Mallet's departure.

The exception to this rule is Brock Mealer.

Brother of Elliott Mealer, he was paralyzed from the waist down in a car crash.  That crash resulted in the tragic death of Elliott's and Brock's father and Elliot's girlfriend.

I've personally talked about this several times, but it is definitely a story that has flown under the radar locally despite it's appearance nationally on E:60 a while back.  Today, the Angel updates the inspiring story in the Detroit News.  This kid from Columbus is going to lead the 2010 edition of the Wolverines on to the field on September 4th...because of Rich Rodriguez and his staff.

"He'll walk," Barwis said firmly as a statement of fact, not as a hope or dream.

There was no agenda here.  This happened right when he got hired.  This isn't snake oil or a publicity stunt.  This is a good guy folks.

Go Forth and Prognosticate

There are many signs that alert you to the dwindling time before first kickoff.  Freshman arrival, first practice, first AP/coaches poll...and the arrival of the famed football helmet schedule.  It is no longer the technological marvel it once was, as any schmuck with excel can do this these days, but it is beautiful in its simplicity, great for a quick glance, and the Big Ten sheet looks nice hanging on the wall of your cubical.  Thanks to Purdue Josh for sending it my way.

You can download it here.

Jordan Walsh Knows More Than You

Maybe it takes a teenager to tell you about your coach...albeit a 6'4'', 270lb teenager, but regardless...

"We talked a lot about (different) stuff, and not always about football. He told me about the new additions to the Big House, the town, and everything. I like him. I guess you could say he's different from how he is portrayed. He's a really cool, laid-back person. He's always smiling, and the way he talks about things, you kind of just feel good talking to him."

Exactly.  Kind of a cool story too, with his parents being Fab 5 fans and Jordan "verbally declaring" to Michigan when he was still in diapers.