Thursday, May 19, 2011

Trending now...

I use Yahoo as my default home page on one of my browsers.  In the upper right hand corner is a feature called "trending now," which tells you the top ten searches for whatever period of time they are using.  Here is what I see as "trending now" in Michigan sports.

Michigan is killing little brother in recruiting.

In basketball, the relationship between Michigan and MSU is more obvious, because it is sometimes possible to win a National Championship with solely instate recruits.  Basically, in basketball recruiting, what is good for Michigan is bad for MSU and vice-versa.  In football, though, it's a little more complicated.

Michigan has a great name and Michigan can recruit nationally.  They are strong in Florida now, and have traditionally gotten a few great players out of Texas.  Ohio has also treated Michigan very well over the years.  For Michigan State, though, instate recruiting is their bread and butter.  If they don't recruit the state of Michigan extremely well, they are terrible.  Sometimes, they are terrible anyway. 

Basically, Michigan is in a position where every kid they get from Michigan is not only an asset, but a player who doesn't go to MSU.  When Michigan gets the best instate recruits, it sucks the lifeblood from the MSU program.  As of right now, Michigan is ahead of MSU 6-0 for instate recruits who recieved offers from both schools.  That's right: Michigan is pitching a shutout agaisnt MSU.

Predictably, MSU message boards are melting down over Michigan's trouncing of MSU in recruiting.  They are making every excuse in the book, from "scum is using firesale tactics to get kids to sign," to "the 20th best player in Ohio is better than the 4/5th best in Michigan this year." 

 I have a feeling the meltdowns on RCMB have just begun...


Where's Waldo?

At the Big Ten meetings, Gordon Gee, Gene Smith, and Jim Tressel have been hiding from the media.  Commissioner Jim Delaney is beginning to disassociate himself from them, and his latest comments are a subtle form of "throwing them under the bus."  It is obvious that Delaney no longer supports any of them, and will be full of his typical pompous, self-righteous statements when Tressel is finally fired and TSIO is finally punished.  I can't wait.

You Stay Classy, Now...

The WTKA "Mott takeover" day collected the most money for Mott Children's Hospital that they ever have.  It was a banner day, and one that should have been reserved solely for celebration.  However, a few former Michigan players and coaches decided that they had to badmouth the previous coaching staff.  This is NOT what being a "Michigan Man" is all about. 

No matter what their personal feelings, the ex-players and coaches need to realize that they can be supportive of the current staff without dumping on the previous one.  My feelings about the entire "process" are on record, and I won't reprise them here.  Really, though, no matter what your feelings, anyone who is representing the University of Michigan should be intelligent enough and have enough class to take the high road.

When former Michigan players make the kind of comments that many made last Friday, it reminds me of a bizarre Hostess Twinkie: Maize and Blue on the outside, but Spartan Green on the inside.

Shame on anyone who made deragatory comments about the previous staff when they should have been celebrating what is good about the University of Michigan.  If Bo was still alive, he would remind them that they are better than that.  Sadly, he isn't, and the moral compass of the program is temporarily MIA.  I hope someone fills the void soon, or Michigan will be just another college football program, but with more wins.

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