Tuesday, August 19, 2008 by Paul
Kevin Newsome has decommitted from Michigan as per Scout (info in header). While this doesn't necessarily mean that Newsome will go elsewhere, it is obviously not a good sign. Luckily for Michigan, even if Newsome does decide to go elsewhere there are two other high caliber guys (Tate Forcier and Eugene Smith) who are still interested and available. More info later. Non-Informative Update:For those of you sad about Newsome, hopefully this helps: Via Hoover Street Rag (who vias others). Labels: big trouble, I posted, kevin newsome
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Tuesday, July 08, 2008 by Tim
 For the first time in a while, the sports media are somewhat abuzz with talk of the Michigan Wolverines. Of course, I'd prefer them to discuss anything other than the potential punishment of a player, but such is life. So why is everyone talking about how stiffly Kevin Grady is going to be punished? Because nobody knows exactly how severe the potential punishment will be. Grady is the first player to have a (public) misstep since Rodriguez took the helm in Schembechler Hall, and with such model citizens as Adam Jones and Chris Henry on his resume under the "former players" heading, there is a certain curiosity about what he will do to Grady, morbid though it may be. The proposals range from doing nothing (as Ohio State fans think will happen, for some reason), to kicking Grady off the team. Jeff Chaney, a columnist for the Grand Rapids Press, said today on the radio that he thinks the latter is the most appropriate and likely outcome. Naturally, I disagree. The logic Chaney followed was this: Grady is a third-teamer, and therefore must serve as an example to the rest of the team. Of course, this doesn't take into account that making an example is widely thought of as a terrible idea. Nor does Chaney realize the modus operandi of the Rich Rodriguez staff. Just as upperclassmen and projected starters were not cut any slack in the training room, why should Grady's status as a non-starter (which Chaney infers, rather than actually knowing) mean that he has less leeway with the coaches? In rodriguez's world, that isn't how it happens. The most likely scenario is that Grady is punished during the summer, and possibly suspended for a game or two in the fall. Labels: big trouble, football, kevin grady, rich rodriguez
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Thursday, July 03, 2008 by Tim
Worried about the new home jerseys? Fear not, for they have been revealed!  This is similar to, but not the same as, Phil Callahan's description: The home jerseys have a maize block "M" on the shoulder, the number is a little thicker and seems to be placed a little higher than on past jerseys. There's also a small (1/4 inch wide by 1-2 inch) vertical maize strip running down from the collar that has Michigan in blue. The strip on the collar (later clarified by Callahan to have a Block M, rather than the word "Michigan") is there, the shoulder "M"s are not. No word yet on the away jerseys, described thusly by Callahan: The away jerseys have a thin maize piping straight across the chest. There also have a small maize strip on the back of the collar that says Michigan in blue.
TV. The TV times for the first three weeks of the Big Ten Network schedule have been revealed as well, and Michigan isn't on The Network in this timeframe. This means that the home opener against Utah and the non-conference tilt against Miami are on the Disney networks (Notre Dame is away, and therefore on NBC). Since the BTN is guaranteed at least 3 games per team (and at least 1 conference game), this means that Michigan's contest against Toledo will likely be relegated to a station that nearly everyone gets now. Two conference games (probably against "lesser" opponents like Northwestern (sorry, LTP) and Minnesota) will also have to end up on BTN to meet the minimum. Grady. Through a friend-of-a-friend, I know one of the people he was "going out to get drunk with" (as described by the person in question's mother). He blew a .281, achieving his goal and then some. Rodriguez will handle discipline internally after meeting with Kevin. Labels: big ten network, big trouble, kevin grady, uniforms
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Wednesday, July 02, 2008 by Tim
 East Grand Rapids's own Kevin Grady was arrested last night in Wyoming, MI (which is no where near Ann Arbor (apparently they don't have such technological innovations as "Google Maps" in Ohio), though I do enjoy the smug/hopeful tone of this post, which was apparently written by a 3rd grader. I have no idea what "Grady had implications [ sic] of becoming a starting running back (sharing time with Travis Minor [ sic] amongst others) after recovering from an ACL tear last year" is supposed to mean, nor do I know who Travis Minor is). This will likely be a minor setback for Grady, who is likely to be punished internally, or suspended with reinstatement by the start of the season, for the offense. His presence in the Utah game would be very helpful, as I believe the inside run game is the Utes' biggest deficiency on defense. Labels: big trouble, football, kevin grady, personnel
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Monday, February 11, 2008 by Tim
The Blog that Yost Built (consistently excellent. If you care about hockey at all, I'd suggest visiting it regularly) has uncovered newspaper reports detailing Kevin Quick's alleged reason for getting dismissed from the Michigan hockey team. In happier hockey news, the team took 3 points from Miami over the weekend, returning them to the top of the CCHA (now with a guaranteed CCHA playoff bye), and the country. They face off against Lake State for 2 games in The Old Barn this weekend. Sadly, no more WOLV games until the CCHA playoffs. I'll keep you updated. Labels: big trouble, hockey, programming update, still not football
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Thursday, January 17, 2008 by Tim
Toledo Blade I've said it before and I'll say it again: if there was a real basis to the rumors, why would a source inside WVU's athletic department insist on remaining anonymous? Labels: big trouble, coaching
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Wednesday, January 16, 2008 by Tim
By now, the story of Rich Rodriguez s neaking into WVU's athletic offices to shred every file known to man has become well circulated. However, its veracity has yet to be proven. Aside from the fact that West Virginia apparently allowed Michigan's head coach access to all its files (of which there were no backup copies), this story seems to be sketchy. What motivations are in play here? Why is Rich Rodriguez motivated to destroy scholarship and community service information of West Virginia's football team? There is no readily apparent reason he would do this. Why would someone from West Virginia's athletic department leak the story on condition of anonymity if it were true? Speaking anonymously appears to be a smokescreen to drag Rodriguez's name through the mud without repercussion. The West Virginia motivation to do anything negative to Rodriguez has been established by this point (down to new Michigan WR coach Tony Dews having to tell the PRINCIPAL(!) of his son's school in West Virginia to stop mistreating the son). Labels: big trouble, coaching
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Friday, October 26, 2007 by Tim
You may remember this spring, when various reports indicated that Mario Manningham and Johnny Sears, Jr. were involved in a traffic stop that resulted in their being arrested for possession. With Johnny Sears dismissed from the team, his status is no longer relevant to the Wolverines, but Mario Manningham will not be charged in the incident. Now that the legal situation is cleared up, more details are available. Manningham was essentially arrested in a situation that he should not have, according to legal experts familiar with the case, and Manningham's family. Labels: (ex) personnel, big trouble, personnel
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Friday, October 05, 2007 by Tim
http://mgoblue.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=25563Not really a surprising result, but a relief nonetheless. The Big Ten title is still in reach for Michigan. The Northwestern roadtrip photo gallery will maybe be coming tonight, though there weren't that many great pictures. Labels: big trouble, football, roadtrips
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Tuesday, October 02, 2007 by Tim
The Freep reports that Mario Manningham has been suspended by the team for one game for a violation of team rules. The suspension means that freshman receivers Junior Hemingway and Toney Clemons will have a chance to gain some stats as the third or fourth option. Labels: big trouble, football
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Sunday, September 30, 2007 by Tim
On the ride back from Northwestern, one of my compatriots received an e-mail from TheWolverine.com with the cryptic message that Artis Chambers had played in games this year while he was ineligible. Knowing that this could mean very bad things, we tried for the remainder of the trip to find out what the deal was, to no avail. Upon returning, I did some research (yes, I spent my Saturday night looking for football information) and found the following: Artis Chambers played this year while he was deemed academically ineligible. Somehow, Michigan violated the rules by letting him enroll early even though he wasn't cleared to do so. Chambers played on special teams in the Penn State, Notre Dame, Oregon, and App State games, and played defense in mop-up time in the Notre Dame blowout. Apparently, however, the only game that was threatened (in terms of forfeiture) was the Penn State game. GBW is reporting that it is unlikely UM will be forced to forfeit the game. More information, as well as postgame analysis of the Northwestern victory, will be coming later. Labels: academics, big trouble, football, personnel
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007 by Tim
If you thought Brandon Graham's performance on Saturday (3 tackles, 1.5 sacks, FF, FR) had Anthony Morelli ready to file an assault charge, you'd only be taking into account what a hardened criminal the Michigan defensive end is. No, Graham is a cold, hard, ... court date non-attendee? A warrant has been issued for Graham's arrest, though the article linked states that he will likely not be arrested unless pulled over on another traffic charge. It is likely that this issue will be resolved soon, and will be no big deal to the football team. Labels: big trouble, football, personnel
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007 by Tim
 Johnny Sears removed from the eligibility chart, as he has been removed from the team, per Lloyd's Monday press conference. In all honesty, Sears was a pretty bad corner anyway, so if this affects the team, it will be in a positive way, by giving Donovan Warren more playing time. Sears had all the physical tools, but couldn't put the game together mentally, likely because he killed half of his brain cells doing drugs. This video was made in honor of his shitty performance in the App. State game, but now I think it applies in even more contexts. The number of scholarships for the 2008 recruiting class grows larger once more in this, the year of infinite attrition. Labels: (ex) personnel, big trouble, personnel, THE scholarship count
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Sunday, September 16, 2007 by Tim
Hate to spread rumors if they're unfounded, but the word on the street is that Johnny Sears has been removed from the Michigan football team. Sears, a (really bad) redshirt sophomore corner, did not play against Notre Dame. Labels: (ex) personnel, big trouble, football
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Thursday, August 16, 2007 by Tim
... and the Offseason of Infinite Pain continues. I heard about this at the time, but didn't post about it because my only tip was one of my friends (who was there) saying "Quentin Patilla and another football player beat the hell out of some guy at Touchdown's." She didn't know who the other guy was, and I didn't find any confirmation anywhere, so I held off on it. Neither player was listed on the fall roster. Thornbladh was a walkon, and his removal from the team means next to nothing. Patilla famously switched positions about 300 times this offseason (eventually finding himself buried at the FB position), before being (maybe) removed from the team, so losing him wouldn't hurt the team much at all, except in terms of reputation. Michigan is uncharacteristically kicking ass in the Fulmer Cup this year. Labels: big trouble, football, personnel
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Friday, August 10, 2007 by Tim
If you thought off-field incidents for Carson Butler, Chris Richards, Eugene Germany, Adrian Arrington, and rumored incidents for Mario Manningham and Johnny Sears weren't enough for the Wolverines, you're in luck! The Ann Arbor News reports that two Michigan players have been spending their time doing something other than bowling. Redshirt freshman linebacker Obi Ezeh has been charged (and pleaded not guilty) to a charge of driving under the influence. This is the first ever trouble for Ezeh that has gotten to the public in his time as a Wolverine, and he will likely be suspended. Ezeh is the backup to Shawn Crable at the Sam position, as well as a player in the mix to gain some playing time in the middle. If suspended, his loss will be noticed, but (barring injury) not severe. Redshirt sophomore wideout LaTerryal Savoy has been charged with indecent exposure, also (to my knowledge) his first strike. Depending on circumstances, that charge can be grounds for removal from the team, as it can imply some mental instability with the player. Regardless, Savoy was buried on the depth chart, no higher than the fourth wide receiver, and likely to be passed up by some freshmen as well. If he is suspended, it will probably not be noticed unless there is a slew of injuries. Labels: big trouble, boring offseason, personnel
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Sunday, August 05, 2007 by Tim
... per the Free Press. Utah is a mid-major team that is probably better than a lot of low-level BCS teams, so this is a welcome addition, especially since it doesn't require the promise of a return trip (as Bill Martin demands). That would mean the '08 schedule is completed as follows: Sept. 6 MIAMI (OHIO) Sept. 13 at Notre Dame Sept. 20 UTAH Sept. 27 WISCONSIN* Oct. 4 ILLINOIS* (HC) Oct. 11 TOLEDO Oct. 18 at Penn State* Oct. 25 MICHIGAN STATE* Nov. 1 at Purdue* Nov. 8 at Minnesota* Nov. 15 NORTHWESTERN* Nov. 22 at Ohio State* The article also gives confirmation that Carson Butler will rejoin the team, though it's unclear whether that is based on more than just Lloyd's vague Big Ten media day(s) statements, with fake sourcing to sound official (yes, real press do that all the time). Labels: big trouble, football, personnel, scheduling
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Wednesday, July 11, 2007 by Tim
Carson Butler and Chris Richards, dismissed from the football team for being monumentally stupid, have completed their trials in the St. Patrick's Day assault case. Butler was found not guilty, whereas Richards was guilty of aggravated assault and assault and battery.  Though found not guilty in the court of law, Butler was still deemed a troublemaker by the Michigan football program, so don't get your hopes up about a return to the Wolverines. Coming Soon: My thoughts on the Nike/Adidas situation, though it's nothing more than my opinion, and even that isn't anything particularly original. Labels: (ex) personnel, big trouble, football
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Saturday, June 09, 2007 by Tim
Though I never really believed he was in serious danger of being kicked off the team (save further misbehavior), Adrian Arrington has participated in his first activity as a football player since being indefinitely suspended. This indicates that he is either out of the doghouse, or as close to it as possible (i.e. no longer near the brink of elimination). Labels: big trouble, personnel
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Monday, March 26, 2007 by Paul
Professional incoming recruit (he's been on his way in for the past two years) Marques 'Grand Marques' Slocum responded to some criticisms leveled against certain players by "Michigan fans" on Facebook.com*. He posted this on the "wall" of a group called Michigan Football Recruiting HQ: Wow... its crazy how thats all yall do is talk and post bullshit and yall dont know nothin... yall dont know our situations and its crazy how this is MICHIGAN FOOTBALL RECRUITING HQ'S and yall have no comments about recruiting or anything good about Michigan football(at least what I've read)...but i have some questions for yall... Did any of u get in trouble? or how bout did any of u get in trouble beause some asshole is a asshole? or how bout being a U. of Michigan football player and feeling like everybody in Ann Arbor is out 2 get u...we try 2 go out and have a good time but we cant do that because everytime we go out its another problem because of these average people... Now u respond 2 that! I was not one of the posters in that group, but I'll take on the challenge to respond "2 that." To note, I'm going to avoid any (more) cheap jokes about grammar, spelling, etc., since this was a Facebook.com wall post and not an English125 assignment. First of all, the assertion that we all know nothing and don't know the athlete's situation. Besides being a bit of an overstatement, there is a kernel of truth to this. No one outside of those involved, coaches and administrators knows what exactly happened. We can make educated guesses based on context and the limited statements that have been made. Also, it's not easy to try to put yourself in a Michigan Football player's shoes. They may not take the hardest classes, and they may have a dedicated academic assistance team, but it still has to be a tough row to hoe going to classes full time and being a college athlete. Next, the last piece of good news from the Michigan Football team was Boubacar Cissko committing (I guess O'Neill too, but his name isn't as awesome). The past few weeks we have been inundated by rumors of drug use, assault and transfers. I'll take any good news I can get. For the record, I have never been charged with an MIP, DUI, possesion of a controlled substance, assault, public indecency or even a speeding ticket. And it's not as though I spend all my time studying (junior year and I'm on a 2 year streak with no library visits!), or don't do anything (12 keg St. Patty's Day party), I just know how to manage myself and my environment so I don't get in trouble. Now the age old question: What to do when an asshole is being an asshole? There is a little Irish guy in my house that when he gets drunk, turns into what can only be described as an asshole. He has some sort of complex and goes after the biggest guy he can find. Well, my freshman year, my buddy was drunk and looking for the biggest guy and Alan Branch was there (for those of you who don't know Alan Branch > Any man. Ever.). My friend was an asshole being an asshole, and what did Branch do? Alan could have easily picked him and thrown him onto the roof or something, but he just laughed it off while we told our friend how bad of an idea it would be to continue. That's one way to respond. Or you could just beat the hell out of some kid looking for an iron. As far as people in Ann Arbor being out to get football players, I can see that happening. Someone gets drunk and tries to big the big man, but football player HAVE to know they could kick pretty much everyone's ass, so why show it? It sucks, it's not right that you have to put up with it, but it's there. I guess you could think of it as tuition. Slocum has some decent point, and I will never say that being a student athlete is easy in any way, shape or form. BUT, they should realize that there will be those challenges when they come to a team like Michigan. I bet the coaches are fairly honest with them and let them know it won't be easy, but it will be their best chance to make themselves better people. The football players who were dismissed from the team most likely deserved it. And Michigan needs to keep up it's reputation as both a winning football team as well as being the leaders and the best. Everyone screws up, but when that someone represents a university with a reputation like Michigan in such a visible way, his margin for error is much smaller. Labels: big trouble, football
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