Fantasy Baseball 2011 - 70 Games Down

I doubt anyone cares, I certainly didn't, but you may have noticed that I skipped a few entries. I've spent the past few weeks questioning my will to live, well not really, just my will to go on managing my team. As far as I'm concerned Andrew and I have been eliminated as possible champs, so all we can do is squabble over finishing in the money.

Andrew has fallen farther in the standings and the gap between him and #1 is probably the biggest its been all season. The team in first, who thankfully deposed the benefactor of Trade Gate, has 65 points and Andrew sits at 6th with 48. His problem is clear; hitting. Offensively the Teabaggers aren't hitting aside from Joey Votto, Brian McCann, and Lance Berkman. If you ever talk to Andrew he will gladly give you lecture about how Dan Uggla, Shin-Soo Choo, Kasey McGehee, Billy Butler, and Jason Bay are killing his team. I actually get up on a daily basis and thank the Baseball Gods that Uggla and his .177 average isn't on my team, and it makes it even worse that he has only hit 8HR and driven in 18RBI. At least Andrew's pitching staff remains awesome, so awesome that if it were mine I would be in first.

Seriously, who knew Jason Bay would suck?

My team is currently in the middle of a catastrophic free fall, which I should have known was coming. I'm losing players left and Wright (oh, that was so clever), and my roster is such a fucking mess with regards to position eligibility. If David Wright isn't done for the season and comes off the DL I think my roster will literally burst into flames. I've got Wright, Matt Holliday, Brett Anderson (probably also done for the season), and (gleefully) Derek Jeter on the DL. Add in Mike "I just got sent down to the minors" Aviles and I'm just sick and tired of losing games/at bats.

Killing me slowly (Shown in order of how much I hate them.)

The only upside to my current situation is that I've still got the best offense in the league. I spent most of my draft capital on hitting, so I'm happy things are working out, but my fingers-crossed pitching strategy has produced the 7th best staff... not good. I managed to snag Ryan Vogelsong for Brett Anderson, and I made a deal with the roster devil to get Eric Hosmer for Aviles. So my season is now riding on two youngsters that are all potential. I'm going to go throw up now.

The (frighteningly) young faces of hope.

Current Status
Bert - Nothing is fucked?! The God damn plane has crashed into the mountain!
Andrew - Nothing is fucked?! The God damn plane has crashed into the mountain!

Michigan Tuesday: Wolverines Add Another 2012 DB

With Ohio State's program flapping in the wind, now is the time for the Wolverines to make some "hay" in recruiting in the State of Ohio and in the Midwest. 

The first Ohio prospect to jump on board the Wolverines train (after Tressel resigns) is Allen Gant the son of former Wolverine Tony Gant from outside Toledo, Ohio.  Allen is 6'2 and roughly 200 pounds and recently received a Michigan offer.   Allen didn't have an OSU offer but did have offers from WVU, Cincinnati, Stanford, Illinois, Boston College, Kentucky and MAC Schools.

Rivals list Allen as a WR but I assume Michigan is bringing him in as a DB and probably a Safety prospect.  Allen is rated 3 stars by Scouts and not rated by Rivals.  This is the second DB in the 2012 class with Trey Richardson.

I like this pick up for a couple reasons. One, he is a Michigan legacy prospect and two, he is a local prospect living outside of Toledo in Sylvania, Ohio. 

This is Michigan's 13th commitment for the 2012 class.

 

Surprise! Tressel Has Always Been Dirty

The SI rumored article is out.  I hope we now can  stop hearing all over ESPN radio and other places that Jim is a guy with high integrity and just made one bad decision to "protect" his players.  This is a man that hasn't played by the rules since he was at Youngstown State.  This man did what ever it took to win, which included taking a blind eye to everything wrong outside the program and setting up "special" deals for his players with boosters.  I just heard OSU's President/part time comedian Gordon Gee say that Jim and the Ohio State program continues to have reputation of high integrity.  Think again Carrot Top!

The article details a number of infractions over an 8 year period.  Including:

• Tressels NCAA problems at YSU - that have already been reported and are very similar to the problems currently at OSU.
• Not 6 players trading gear for Tattoo's at least 28 players
• Players driving cars they couldn't afford
• Players would hang out at 2 different tattoo parlors where they would: drink, play video games and smoke weed. 
• Some players traded signed gear for marijuana
• Tressel was setting up phony raffles as an OSU assistant so that top recruits would win
• SI informed OSU about the article on Friday, which clearly lead to his firing resignation today.

The story basically portrays a man that tricked us all by having a "senatorial" image but was clearly playing outside the rules to win football games.   Bolded below is my favorite line from the piece.  The section refers to when Jim was an assistant under Earl Bruce at OSU in the mid -80's.

One of Tressel's duties then was to organize and run the Buckeyes' summer camp. Most of the young players who attended it would never play college football, but a few were top prospects whom Ohio State was recruiting. At the end of camp, attendees bought tickets to a raffle with prizes such as cleats and a jersey. According to his fellow assistant, Tressel rigged the raffle so that the elite prospects won -- a potential violation of NCAA rules. Says the former colleague, who asked not to be identified because he still has ties to the Ohio State community, "In the morning he would read the Bible with another coach. Then, in the afternoon, he would go out and cheat kids who had probably saved up money from mowing lawns to buy those raffle tickets. That's Jim Tressel."

That's Jim Treseel, former Ohio State Football coach.  What a memorial day to remember.

Michigan Monday: Tressel is Done

Like I suggested months ago, Jim Tressel has decided to resign from Ohio State.   Many of you know the story and the crime, but do you?

Pultizer Prize winning SI writer George Dohrmann is about to release a story that is supposed to bring new allegations to light on the OSU program.   The story is expected to be released today/tonight.  The story was originally going to be released on Tuesday at 12:00.

So this firing/resignation was a clear attempt to get in front of that story. It seemed OSU was pretty intent on riding forward on the Tattoo-gate allegations with Tressel.

Is this a good day for Michigan?  I don't know.  It's clear our biggest rival hasn't been playing by the same rules.

Is Tressel's era at OSU a total fraud?  I think there can be a clear case for that.  His YSU allegations were known when OSU hired him.  OSU knew what they were getting when they hired him.  They danced with the devil and now they are in hell.

OSU has been owning the Wolverines for years and most years had the better team.  Now there will be an asterisk on all those games.  OSU and Tressel cheated and has been cheating for many years.  This isn't an isolated incident this has been going on for a number of years.

What is next for Tressel?  He is done in college football for a number of years.  He will get a "show" penalty from the NCAA and won't be able to coach in college until his NCAA suspension (TBD) is up.

Who is the next coach?  Luke Fickell will coach next year and then anything can happen after that.  A number of people are predicting Urban Meyer.   If I'm Urban why would I want to leave Florida for a school that is under a huge NCAA cloud?  I wouldn't count him out but I would be surprised if he took that job.   He has a new job at ESPN and will only work a couple of days a week.  He can work on his health and spend more time with his family with his current gig.  He turned down ND for Florida, I expect him to stay at ESPN for at least a couple of years.

I'm willing to bet Les Miles is trying to figure out at way to turn this situation into a raise or contract extension.  :)

How will this effect recruiting for the Wolverines in Ohio?  It won't hurt!  Expect the Wolverines to continue to do well in Ohio this year. 

Did he get fired or resign? Did Gary Moeller resign?  Clearly both were fired.  If Tressel was paid a "package" he was fired.  If OSU doesn't own him a dime he resigned.  OSU clearly wouldn't have to pay a severance package since Jim lied to the NCAA.

What makes me the most sick is Tressel came off as this high integrity, clean cut coach, who always did the right thing and clearly that was as far from the truth as possible.   

I will repeat my earlier statement:  OSU danced with the devil to beat Michigan and now they find themselves in HELL.

Last point to ponder:  Did Terrelle Pryor get two coaches fired?  Thank you for picking OSU TP, Thank you!

Michigan Friday: Desmond Picks the Wrong Example

I have a ton of respect for Desmond Howard.  He has been successful on the field and off of it.  He has a Heisman Trophy and a Superbowl MVP in his trophy case.   He is a smart man and one I would hope young Wolverines would inspire to be like.  

On Thursday, Desmond (IMO) made a mistake on the example he used in proving his point.  He was speaking at the Black Coaches and Administrators Convention and said this: 

"I was told by a giant, Bo Schembechler, that no one man is bigger than the program. Not even (Schembechler). He was larger than life. For me to sit there and this guy tells me nobody's bigger than Michigan, that's all he had to say."



Howard said the prominent coverage of recruiting has young players in the spotlight before they've accomplished anything significant in college. He said if Bobby Bowden can be forced out as coach at Florida State, why should any player feel irreplaceable?


"I'll give you a perfect example: Michigan fires coach Rich Rodriguez," said Howard, who starred at Michigan from 1989-91. "All the noise in Ann Arbor is, 'Is Denard Robinson going to stay or leave?' I'm like, 'Hey, if the kid wants to go, don't let the door hit you on the way out. You looked fantastic for five games against nobody. That's what you did.' I'm not going to deny his talents, but, 'You ain't won nothing in Ann Arbor, son! Not so much we need to worry about if you're going to be here next year or not.' "

The premise of Desmond's remarks are valid.  There shouldn't be any entitlement to playing at Michigan or any other program.  The mistake he made was using Denard as a possible example.  Denard is one of the finest student athletes at Michigan or any program nationally.   He works hard everyday and has zero sense of entitlement.   If he left Ann Arbor, it would have been for a better fit for his skills.  Just as if Desmond left ESPN for CBS or Fox.   Use Justin Boren or Tate Foricer as an example, not Denard.

I am disappointed in the example Desmond used and my hope he apologizes to Denard, because Denard deserves it.

 

• Wayne Morgan has moved his announcement out a day and now will announce on June 2nd.

• TomVH catches up with Offensive line prospect Joshua Garnett from the State of Washington.

• I'm now officially worried about Tate and his mental state.  He was seen hanging out a window in Grand Rapids at an apartment building where his girl friend lives.  Again, many more questions then answers regarding Tate.

• RJS has been added to the Army All American Game Roster.

Michigan Thursday: Big House Briefs

• Ray Small former OSU Buckeye says: "They have a lot (of dirt) on everybody," Small said, "cause everybody was doing it." Regarding selling rings and getting good deals on cars.  "It was definitely the deals on the cars. I don't see why it's a big deal," said Small, who identified Jack Maxton Chevrolet as the players' main resource.  Tic Toc Coach Tressel, Tic Toc.   The NCAA isn't going to reduce USC's penalties, which is another sign that OSU will not get off easy.  This isn't going away like the Clarett situation did.

• Michigan Offensive Line recruit Jordan Diamond, canceled his trip to Auburn.   Let's hope that is good news for Wolverines!

• Ohio DE Tom Trobel's Ann Arbor visit reaction: I'm starting to narrow schools down now. Michigan's in the top with schools like Ohio State, Stanford, and Notre Dame. Academics are big for me.

• Jalen Rose, pleads guilty to DD in Detroit.

• Purdue Game is Homecoming and set for 12:00 kick.  Expect ESPN to cover it on TV.

• Michigan Basketball signs a home/home with Iowa State. 

Wolverine Wednesday: Forcier is Confused Again

I bet you guys are getting tired of Tate Foricer news as much as I am.   Here is his latest statement:  "I just didn't feel comfortable and wanted to be closer to home," Forcier said. "Miami is completely on the other side of the country. It would have been fun playing there. But I just wanted to be closer so my parents can afford to come to the games."

Then he says:  "I'm looking into Auburn," Forcier said. "I'm definitely interested in USC, San Diego State, Montana, Kansas State and University of San Diego. I have to lay everything out and figure out my visits."

So Miami is too far but Auburn isn't?  I am willing to bet there is a grade or eligibility issue here.  Can we re-name player transfers from one program to another a Forcier? I wonder how many uniforms that family has in their closet?

• With DJ Williamson out, Michigan now really needs a highly ranked WR in this class.   With Shane Morris in the next class and coming off really good performances in the Elite 11 and Nike Camp earning the QB MVP last weekend along with serious interest from Gunner Kiel, that task shouldn't be too hard.  

• There are a number of rumors that SI is about to blow the roof off the OSU football program.  I believe it when I see it.  Stay tuned. 

• Wayne Morgan is now a 4 star DB on both Rivals and Scouts.

• Cincinnati teammates and Rivals top 100 prospects in the country WR Dwayne Stanford and DE Adolphus Washington are planning a visit to Ann Arbor this weekend.  Both are/were considered big OSU leans but getting them on campus is a great first step for the Wolverines.  It seems Michigan is recruiting both very hard as a package deal.  Stanford could be the WR that is needed in this class and Washington is Ohio's best player and borderline 5 star player.    Go North Gentlemen!

Michigan Tuesday: Updates Wolverines Comings and Goings

Coming

• Varsity Lacrosse is coming to U of M.  They have had a very good club team and now it seems they are officially going to be a varsity sport.  Announcement expected on Wednesday.

• Michigan Football's new APR Score is 946.  Which means no penalty.

• 4 Star CB/S Wayne Morgan is announcing his college decision on 6/1.  He was reportedly down to Michigan and Rutgers and his coach said he isn't staying close to home.  Wayne lives in New York.

 

• 5 Star DT Aziz Shittu is considering taking an official to Michigan this season.  He is a Stanford commit right now.

Going

• DJ Williamson's rumored transfer became official today.  He was a 3 star recruit two years ago and really doesn't fit Michigan's new offense.  Not a surprise and I wish DJ luck at his new school.

Michigan Monday: Wolverines Have Another Silent Commit

The word on the street is Michigan has another silent commit on the defensive side of the ball for the 2012 class.   Your first thought might be: why would a player commit silently to the Wolverines and not make it public?  Here are my thoughts:

• Players want to tell family and coaches first before it hits the Internet
• Some players want to visit other schools so they can travel to different states (this would be considered a soft commit)
• Players want to announce on the radio or during a press conference which would need to be scheduled
• Some players want to announce on special date like a birthday
• The most important point is that Michigan's 2012 class is filling up fast and if you want to reserve your spot, you better let the coaches know quickly. 

I know many of you are wondering who it might be and I don't know.  My best guess would be a DT from Missouri or a CB/Safety from NY. 

Michigan Players and Prospects due well at the Columbus Nike Camp this weekend

• From CBS Sports:  Another underclassman who caught just about everyone's eye was Warren (Mich.) quarterback Shane Morris. While it probably had something to do with the way he was spinning the ball during the competition, he made sure everybody knew who he was by wearing a bright yellow Michigan shirt and cap. The recent commit to the school has good size and has an accurate arm. He plans on doing a bit of recruiting for the maize-and-blue at Saturday's Nike Camp.
  
  
  The country's top-ranked quarterback and number two overall player Gunner Kiel showed up and did not disappoint. He had to leave as soon as the camp was over but he was impressive from the first snap to the last. He's got a cannon for an arm and throws a really tight spiral. Kiel was the best looking quarterback at any of the Elite 11 stops and was extremely accurate in all phases.
• Adolphus Washington gives us his top 5 at the camp and will visit A2 this weekend with his teammate Dwayne Stanford:  “I actually have a top five: Ohio State, Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan and Miami in Florida,” Washington said. “I'm not really crossing anybody out but that's my top five that I like right now.”
  
  
  “Me and Dwayne (Stanford) are going to Michigan next week,” Washington said. “We're looking forward to looking at their roster, seeing how the social environment is, graduation rates, how do African-American students do at their school and things like that.”
  
  
  “I'm looking into academics first,” he said. “Do they have the major I'm trying to get my degree in? What's the social life there and see how the team works together and stuff like that.”

• More Good News for Wolverine Fans:  While plenty of parents were wearing Ohio State gear on the sidelines of the camp, there wasn't any being worn on the field. Ironically it was archival Michigan's maize and blue that littered the field. Quarterback Shane Morris, linebacker James Ross and cornerback Terry Richardson were among the top performers and represented their future school well on enemy territory. Richardson was the most recent to commit to going to Ann Arbor for college and discussed his verbal pledge last week.
  
  “I committed to Michigan because I felt comfortable with them,” he said. “I did like Alabama and all the other schools but I felt the best at Michigan and that's why I picked them. I have a lot of friends going there and we'll make it happen up there.”
  
  Richardson injured his hamstring at a track meet the night before running the 200 meters but still managed to lock down opposing receivers. He was one of several players whispering in a few recruits' ears about how good it was to be a Michigan man.
  
  
  Morris took home quarterback MVP. Kansas City (Mo.) Ondre Pipkins was a terror during one-on-ones and was defensive line MVP.
  
  
  Others that impressed along the defensive line were Michigan commit Mario Ojemudia, who should be a very good outside linebacker at the next level, Se'Von Pittman, class of 2013 defensive end Jason Hatcher, tackle Sheldon Day, Pipkins, Alex Pace and Dayrl Goldsmith.
  
  The Michigan coaches are building a top 10 2012 class right now.

RIP Randy "Macho Man" Savage

Going off the board this afternoon as I let our readers take a trip back to the late 80's as we celebrate the loss of Randy "Macho Man" Savage.


Randy died this morning in car accident near Tampa, FL at the age of 58. He was driving with his wife and apparently had a heart attack, lost control of the car and ran into a tree. He wife had minor injuries.

My favorite line back in the day from the Macho Man was when he was scheduled to wrestle WWF Guy A and clearly McMahon wanted him to Wrestle WWF Guy B for the Championship belt and Randy said, "It's a Champion's prerogative to change his mind, OOOYA!"

Here is a recent photo with his wife

RIP Macho Man

Michigan Friday: Hopes They Look Better at Night

Michigan has some "Night" News

Michigan will play Northwestern at 7:00 CDT on the BTN in October.  The game is at Northwestern.

The older news is that Michigan and ND will wear "throw backs" jerseys for the first night game at the Big House.  Per the Freep, here are possible mock ups. 

I'm not so sure about these.  Maybe they will look better on Roy Roundtree at night?  Right now, I think these shirts should be worn at night but as pajamas. :)

• David Molk is on the Rimington Award Watch List.
• RIP Tractor a story on how emotional his service was. 
• The Michigan Regents approve the schematic designs of the new Crisler Arena.  Check out the photos here, it looks really cool!
• Seems 2012 CB Armani Reeves has a top 2 of Michigan and Penn State.   

Michigan Thursday: Michigan Lands The BIG 3 as Terry Richardson Gives his Pledge

This morning Terry Richardson gave his pledge to join Michigan's 2012 recruiting class.  Michigan's Big 3 is what I consider the top instate recruits in the 2012 class which include; LB Royce Jenkins-Stone, LB James 'Biggs" Ross and CB Terry Richardson.  All are highly rated 4 star prospects and this trio happens to be close friends.  This makes 12 verbals for the 2012 class and all 12 are from Michigan or Ohio.  MSU has received 0 commits from players that has Michigan and MSU offers. 

Terry is rated 4 stars by Rivals, Scouts and 24x7 Sports.  He is 5'9 160 pounds and has an offer list from the top programs like Alabama, ND, USC, Oklahoma, MSU, UCLA, LSU, Penn State and many others.   24x7 sports has Terry as the #1 player in the State of Michigan , #3 CB in the country and #31 player ranking in the nation.  Scouts has him ranked the 10th CB in the country.

Terry plays at Michigan feeder school Detroit Cass Tech who has sent a number of players to Michigan the past few years including 5 star prospects Big Will Campbell and Boubacar Cissoko.   As you have seen over the years, Michigan has been targeting taller CB's who can match up with taller Big Ten WR's but Terry's talent was too hard to pass up for Michigan and the other big time programs that had offered him.

My hope for Terry is that he can redshirt and learn from Michigan's coaching staff.  His height doesn't concern me if it doesn't concern guys like Mattison, Saban and Stoops. I just hope he isn't rushed on the field unless he is so talented that it's warranted. 

I expect Michigan to still take at least one more DB and probably two.  Most likely are guys that can play both corner and safety.  I would consider Armani Reeves and Wayne Morgan the top candidates.  Allen Gant might want to "accept" his Michigan offer pretty quickly.

This is Michigan's 12th verbal commit in this class and there are roughly 20-22 opening next year.  Outside DB's, priorities still remain at defensive tackle, offensive line, 1 QB, and 1 RB.

• The #2 rated DT in the country is planning a visit to Ann Arbor.  Jarron Jones a 6-foot-5, 300 pounds DT is a "soft" commit to Penn State but wants to take some visits and U of M looks to be one of them next month.

•  From the Detroit News: According to Tom Lemming of Prep Football Report, the players Michigan has landed instate has put Michigan State in a hole.
  
  "I've never seen anything like this," Lemming said. "These kids are committing to U-M without seeing other schools. U-M is everywhere.
  
  
  "Michigan State ran into a Michigan buzz saw. They have to spend more time in Ohio and the Chicago area to get the players they need. They do a great job of developing players, sort of like Wisconsin and Iowa. They can't beat Michigan head-to-head in recruiting. They have to beat them on the field."
  
  "There is such a thing as momentum in recruiting," said Josh Helmholdt of Rivals. "Getting Ross to commit early was big. It's an exciting time to be around Michigan. These guys are just kicking butt. They're out-working everyone. They're creating excitement and they have openings (for starting positions).
  
  "All this has happened in two months."

ESPN Magazine Cover:

Wolverine Wednesday: Can't Keep Track of Press Conferences

Terry Richardson is a 4 star prospect at cornerback and part of the Michigan trio of 2012 recruits that I call the Michigan 3.  The other two players (Royce Jenkins-Stone and James "Biggs" Ross) are already verbally committed to Michigan.   All 3 players are 4 star recruits and all 3 are pretty close friends.  Terry was with James when he made his commitment to U of M on the radio a couple of weeks ago.  

Terry was set to announce on Tuesday but his family couldn't make the press conference, so he changed the date to Thursday.  Well, there are conflicts now on Thursday as well.   So Terry is going to Tweet and FaceBook his college choice on Thursday Morning at 8:00AM.   Will he join his friends at Michigan? We will find out soon.

Terry's offer list is a very impressive one which includes: USC, ND, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Ohio State, MSU, Penn State, UCLA and many others.

• Allen Gant was surprised by his offer from Michigan before camp in June:  "I expected to go to camp, I think it was June 19th, perform there, and then I was thinking get an offer after that," Gant said. "But this offer really did shock me."Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges made the call to Gant, explaining that he had spoken with head coach Brady Hoke and to everybody else on the Michigan staff."I've been real excited seeing what the colleges are looking for," Gant said. "For me to be able to get this scholarship at the University of Michigan was an honor."

• David Brandon wants a 9 game Big Ten Conferenceschedule sooner rather then later.  I wonder if he is really considering how the MAC teams would feel about losing that pay day?

• Dhani Jones interview on being a Renaissance man
   

Michigan Tuesday: Wants a Competitive Advantage

Whether it comes down to Tressel's creative recruiting techniques/players special benefits or Michigan's lengthy stretching before practice.  The NCAA is all about keeping an even playing field and if a program gets a competitive advantage from breaking or tweaking the rules, they will get a penalty.   OSU is and will be getting theirs, Michigan already has their penalty.

Michigan is working on their practice reduction and David Brandon gave us an update yesterday:   "We haven't been releasing it about hour-by-hour," Brandon said. "But we've been recording it hour-by-hour. We're about two-thirds of the way through that. We've accelerated the process of where we need to be at this point."

"We're well ahead, and we will have given back all of those hours well before [2012]," Brandon said.

"Our football team has practiced less than our competitors, and practice is one of the things you rely on to get better," he said. "So to a certain extent, we're at a competitive disadvantage. We had real, tangible penalties to deal with, and we are still dealing with them."

David is correct in saying  Michigan is at a competitive disadvantage.  When you are trying to rebuild the greatest program in college football history you need all the practice you can get.  With that said, it seems Michigan now has a coaching staff that will get the most out of the players in the actual time that they have.

• Is Michigan gunning for Kiel?  The top QB in the nation is reportedly down to a final 4 of Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan and Missouri.  Gunner keeps his recruiting close to his vest so any of the 4 could be his leader.

• Michigan is in the final 3 for highly regarding Offensive Line prospect Erik Magnuson. "I haven't come out with the top three yet. I'm waiting a little bit to make it public, but I will say that Michigan is one of them," he said. "I'm only taking official visits to schools that I'm really serious about and I will be out to Michigan this fall for an official."  Erik is the 34th rated prospect in the nation by Rivals, not offensive lineman but overall players.

• 4 Star Instate CB prospect Terry Richardson has changed his Press Conference to Thursday at 11:45.

• Michigan Basketball News:  Glen Robinson III is now ranked as a 4 star prospect and rated #50 in Rivals new rankings.  Nick Stauskas is ranked #89.  That is 2 players in Michigan's 2012 recruiting class that are in the top 100. 

• Michigan legacy 2012 CB prospect Allan Gant got a Michigan offer on Monday.  Allan is 6'2 185 pounds and has offers from Cincy, BC, Stanford, WVU and some MAC Schools.

Michigan Monday: No Commits this Weekend but Is there Good News Coming?

Michigan got two verbals commits last week with 2013 QB Shane Morris and 2012 DT/DE Matt Godin.  With the early and midweek activity the Michigan coaches didn't get any verbal commits over the weekend, but they were busy with in school visits and continue to recruiting for both classes.   Michigan has 11 verbals for the 2012 class and might have 9-12 spots left in the class.  I estimate around 20 total spots which leave only a few spots for guys that want to be Wolverines. 

• Chris Wormley who was rumored to maybe the top player in Ohio (he did not make the Rivals 4 star list - which was a bit of a surprise since he has offers from the likes of Mich, OSU, ND, and MSU) is participating in track this Spring and talked to the Toledo Blade this weekend:  “Everything I do [in the three sports] helps all around,” said Wormley, whose top two colleges choices right now are Michigan first and Ohio State second, followed by Michigan State and Notre Dame. “It keeps me conditioned throughout the season. [Track] ties into everything.” Throughout Friday’s action, Wormley, who was ultimately named the meet’s outstanding male field events athlete, had his mind on an accident during warm-ups.  One of his practice efforts with the 12-pound shot put struck the forehead of Waite thrower Fred Schimmel, who sustained a significant head injury.  Schimmel reportedly maintained consciousness after the blow and was treated at the track before being transported to a local hospital by an emergency crew.  I hope that young man is ok.    The other news from that article is that Michigan is his leader and there are rumors he is getting closer to making a decision.  Probably after track season is over. 

• Coach Funk was in Texas to visit Offensive Lineman Trey Keenan last week.  Trey father is from Michigan and his grandmother still lives in metro Detroit.  Trey and his family are planning a visit to U of M this summer.

• There is more "buzz" around instate CB Terry Richardson making his announcement this week.  Many expect Terry is down to Michigan and MSU.  Terry's two close friends RJS and James Ross are both verbally committed to the Wolverines.  Terry and James visited Ann Arbor again this weekend.  Update: Terry's press conference is at 11:45 AM on Tuesay. He listed a top five of USC, Michigan, LSU, ND, and Alabama.  Go Blue TR!

• Michigan is expected to be getting a visit soon from highly rated teammates from Cincinnati, DE Adolphus Washington and WR Dwayne Stanford.

• TomVH reports there is another rumor floating around that the #1 QB in the nation Gunner Kiel might be making another visit to Ann Arbor.  Gunner doesn't really talk to recruiting services so there are a lot of rumors and speculation around his recruitment.  Gunner was in Ann Arbor for a quick visit a few weeks ago.

• We also would like to congratulate Coach Lloyd Carr on his acceptance to the College Football Hall of Fame!

Fantasy Baseball 2011 - 40 Games Down

Oh the mighty Baseball Gods have not been kind these past few weeks. They shower us with gifts and then kick us in the teeth, but it hurts so good. There hasn't been too much change in the overall standings as I float between first and second, and Andrew remains mired in fifth. Unfortunately the benefactor of the dubious trade has climbed into third, and I couldn't be more upset.

Based on some of our conversations I'm not sure if Andrew will live past the end of May. I've been trying to tell him the season is just 1/4th over, but his standards of play are so high it might as well be October. Andrew just got Victor Martinez off and Zach Greinke off the DL, so he should have some hitting and pitching help on the way. I don't think it matters since he hit the lottery with the free agent additions of Michael Pineda (5-2, 52K, 2.45ERA, 1.01WHIP) and the streaking Anibal Sanchez, but Andrew lost Dallas Braden for the season. His deep pitching staff is struggling, headed by his beloved Chris Carpenter (1-4, 4.88ERA), and the now-mortal Jered Weaver and Dan Haren. His hitting has slowed as well, but with a number of studs having bad starts (Dan Uggla, Shin-Soo Choo, Billy Butler) he should be in for an upswing. If it weren't for Jose Bautista's monstrous start he would have the best player in baseball, Joey Votto, so he shouldn't be in 5th for too long.

Maybe next year.

I can't complain all that much since I've stayed in the Top 3 all year, but I actually have a serious problem brewing. David Wright's season is over, well, they haven't said that yet but I'm assuming it is. Wright has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back, which I read as "broken back" followed by cursing at the Baseball Gods. This is just like last season when I lost Kevin Youkilis, a four stat stud, but this time its a five stat stud. This all comes off the merry-go-round I have at 2B/SS, which is causing me heartburn. I (finally) dropped Sean Rodriguez, simply because he wasn't starting, and added Mike Aviles only to see him drop into the role of a spot starter. I assumed Aviles would be a starter, since he is listed as one on the Royals depth chart, but he seems to start every other game.

I was too lazy to photoshop in Rodriguez and Aviles, but you get the idea.

At least I can pat myself on the back a little over the Roy Oswalt DL situation. I knew Oswalt would only be out a week, so I managed to avoid the temptation of adding Alexi Ogando or Zach Britton. Ogando and Britton would only start once that week, also because of our waiver rules when Oswalt came back I would make those two available to the rest of the league, so I went for Jhoulys Chacin of the Rockies. Chacin is currently leading the Rockies in Wins, Ks, and ERA, plus he had two starts that week away from Coors Field. In both starts (Padres and Mets) he faced toothless teams in pitchers parks and went 1-0 with 11K, 4ER, and 8BB in 12IP, not bad. In that same week Ogando (1-0, 5K, ER, BB) and Britton (5K CG Shutout) both pitched well, so at least I didn't serve them up for everyone else. Not the league-winning stroke of managerial genius I had hoped for, but at least I made the right choice.

Its pronounced "Yo-lease"

Current Status
Bert - There's no ransom if you don't have a fucking hostage. That's what ransom is. Those are the fucking rules.
Andrew - Nothing is fucked?! The God damn plane has crashed into the mountain!

Michigan Friday: Tate Continues To Have More Questions Then Answers

Editors note: The BHB hoster has been down for awhile, so that is why some older posts were up.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  


Tate Forcier is a confused young man and I feel bad about his situation, not for the decisions he has made.

He was groomed early on to be a QB. He liked the recruiting process but wanted to be a Michigan QB and got an offer, enrolled early, lite up the Spring Game and caused the starter from the year before to transfer. Home School to High School Football to Michigan’s starting QB in a couple of months.

He starts the season and has a nice comeback win against ND and overnight had become a media sweetheart. This is where it all fell apart with Tate on the field and off. He became a superstar and as Michigan’s season turned bad, it seems his life off the field didn’t. After the season, there was rumors he hadn’t worked out with his teammates at all. Troy Woolfolk threw him under the bus at the Big Ten Media Days and Tate didn’t even have “Wings” on his helmet as he started fall practice.

To his credit he worked hard to get back in his teammates and coaches good graces but during the first games of the season Devin Gardner seemed to be the #2 QB not Tate. By mid-season Tate was clearly the #2 and even led Michigan to a win over Illinois which made Michigan eligible for a bowl game.

Rumors swirled he was having issues in the classroom and that he might not make it to Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl. He does a story with the Free Press saying things were good in the classroom and he was attending class. He was sent home two days later and didn’t play in the game.

The next day, RR at the Gator Bowl Press Conference basically said, he didn’t know what Tate’s status was at U of M as student. The rumor was he wasn’t going to class at all, which of course could not be confirmed.

Brady Hoke is hired and within days Tate is not welcomed back to the team after he goes to the media saying he wanted to stay at Michigan and that Michigan didn’t want him. After a couple of visits, Tate picks University of Miami as his next school.

Today we learn that Tate is not expected to transfer to Miami due to personal issues and that he hasn’t been on campus since his recruiting visit. This is another sad example of a talented kid with the wrong priorities. Seems ironic that Tate and Denard were in the same recruiting class and are complete opposites.

• Michigan – ND Night Game will be televised on ESPN 8:00PM kickoff.

Michigan Thursday: Today is Going to be a Godin Day!

Lifelong Michigan fan Matt Godin today made his commitment public to the Wolverines 2012 recruiting class.  He had been a silent commit since the Michigan Spring Game. 

Matt is a 6'5 253 pound defensive line player and the position he will play at U of M is still a bit of a mystery.  He could play DE or DT.  My vote would be for DT but I will intrust Greg Mattison with that important decision. 

Matt plays for Michigan HS football power Detroit Catholic Central out of Novi and happens to be close friends with Flint's 2012 defensive lineman Danny O'Brien.  Matt is rated 3 stars by Scouts and 4 stars by 24/7 and had offers from Wisconsin, BC, MSU, Cincy, Duke, Vandy, Missouri and others. 

Why he chose Michigan: "Because they are in my blood. I used to cry over games and I'm never going to get a better opportunity to come in early and contribute."

Love it! 

I would expect Matt to redshirt year 1 while he works on his strength and technique.   The recruiting sites that have seen him play think he is very athletic for a big man and has a great frame. 

I really like this pick up for a number reasons that include; he is an instate kid, he loves Michigan and plays a position of need for the Wolverines.

The wish list for the rest of class includes: couple offensive lineman, a QB (less of a need with one in 2013), a highly rated RB, 1 WR, couple DT's, 1 DE (named Chris Wormley) and a some guys to play in the defensive backfield (CB and Safety).

Michigan Thursday: Today is a Godin Day (Repost)

Repost Due to problems with hosting site

Lifelong Michigan fan Matt Godin today made his commitment public to the Wolverines' 2012 recruiting class. He had been a silent commit since the Michigan spring game.


Matt is a 6'5", 253-pound defensive line player, and the position he will play at U of M is still a bit of a mystery. He could play DE or DT. My vote would be for DT, but I will entrust Greg Mattison with that important decision.

Matt plays for Michigan HS football power Detroit Catholic Central out of Novi and happens to be close friends with Flint's 2012 defensive lineman Danny O'Brien. Matt is rated a 3-star prospect by Scouts and 4-star by 24/7 and had offers from Wisconsin, BC, MSU, Cincy, Duke, Vandy, Missouri and others.

Why he chose Michigan: "Because they are in my blood. I used to cry over games and I'm never going to get a better opportunity to come in early and contribute."

Love it!

I would expect Matt to redshirt year one while he works on his strength and technique. The recruiting sites that have seen him play think he is very athletic for a big man and has a great frame.

I really like this pickup for a number of reasons, including that he is an in-state kid, he loves Michigan and he plays a position of need for the Wolverines.

The wish list for the rest of class includes a couple of offensive linemen, a QB (less of a need with one in 2013), a highly rated RB, one WR, a couple DTs, one DE (named Chris Wormley) and some guys to play in the defensive backfield (CB and safety).

Breaking News: Robert Tractor Traylor is Found Dead

Robert "Tractor" Traylor, the former Michigan basketball star, has been found dead at age 34, according to a Facebook posting by the team for which he played in Puerto Rico. (freep link)

It seems his death is due to an apparent heart attack.

This is terrible news.  My favorite memory is watching him live shatter a backboard at Crisler Arena or him and the Wolverines beating Duke at Cameron Indoor.

RIP Big Man.  RIP.

Wolverine Wednesday: QuarterBack To The Future

One of the positives about Coach Hoke when he got hired was his reputation of being a very good recruiter.  Then he goes and hires Greg Mattison from the Ravens, who Urban Meyer called "the best recruiter in the country".    You would think that is a good match, right?  The answer is YES, a very good match. 

Michigan has seemly gone for 0 to 10 commitments in the 2012 class in just a couple of weeks.  With all the commitments coming from Ohio or Michigan.  Poor MSU is wondering what happened down there in Ann Arbor?

Now comes the news, Michigan has received it's first 2013 commitment from mega instate QB Shane Morris.  Yes, a kid that hasn't even started his junior year of high school and is expected to be the best player in the State in the 2013 class, has said, "Coach, I want to be a Wolverine!".  Unbelievable!  

Shane is a 6'3 around 185 pounds and plays for De La Salle in Warren, Michigan.   He doesn't have any Star Ranking yet due to him being a 2013 prospect.   He does have about 7 Midwest D1 scholarship offers.  

Here is what ESPN has to say about this young man:  QB Shane Morris (Warren, Mich./De La Salle) was in a class of his own. The 6-1, 174-pounder has a sensational arm, great vision, moves his feet well and carries himself like a pro. Talent wise, he is far beyond his age group and already has top-notch abilities.

He seems to be a regular at summer camps/combines which means he will get some great advice on improving his QB skills. 

Michigan Tuesday: Prefers to Test Drive Cars Then Buy Them

I wrote a couple times over the last couple years that if you let the Press and NCAA inside your football program they will find something wrong with your program.  We saw that example in play when the Free Press made some fairly "wild" accusations on the Michigan football program that led to an NCAA investigation.  Most of the Free Press accusations were found to be false but the NCAA did find the Wolverines to have practiced too long a few times and some football staff were acting like coaches.   Michigan lost some practice time and got put on probation. 

Ohio State now has a ton of problems of their own.  First comes Tattoo Gate and the Tressel cover up.   Now old wounds get re-opened from the Clarrett days regarding the cars that the Buckeye players have been driving.   If you don't want to read the entire article, the Red Flags are:

• OSU players have bought a ton of cars from one guy at two different dealerships in Columbus.   
• He got player passes for home games and bowl games.
• He also sold cars to players family members who didn't even live in Ohio.
• He gave Pryor multiple day test drives so he could go home.
• Public records show that in 2009, a 2-year-old Chrysler 300 with less than 20,000 miles was titled to then-sophomore linebacker Thaddeus Gibson. Documents show the purchase price as $0.

Like the Tressel situation it seems OSU is seeing no evil or hearing no evil.   "We'll take a step back, we'll take a look at the transactions and the values, and we'll make some determinations in consultation with the (Big Ten) conference office and go from there," said Doug Archie, associate athletic director and head of compliance at OSU.  "I have nothing to believe a violation has occurred," he said.

It's not an NCAA violation to do business at one place.  It is a violation if the players can get deals that are not available to any consumer.   There is a lot of smoke here with these deals with one salesman who even sold cars to players family.  Would you drive say 8 hours to buy a car in a different state to get the same deal you could get in your home town?  It seems this was the worst kept secret in Columbus.   This guy is also in trouble with the IRS and his expensive home is in foreclosure.  He no longer sales cars in Ohio and Doug Archie believes no violations have occurred.   Good take Doug.

• Speaking of poor decisions with a vehicle:  Darryl Stonum is expected to be arraigned on a charge of operating while intoxicated-second offense at 8 a.m. Friday in 15th District Court in Ann Arbor.

• There continues to be strong rumors that instate CB Terry Richardson will make his announcement this week.

• RJS is #87 on the Top Rivals 100.

Michigan Monday: Wonders What's On Tap for Recruiting This Week

Michigan is on fire right now the recruiting trail.  I wonder how Sparty is feeling at this point?  Michigan has beat them every time this year in a head to head battle for recruits.  Michigan currently has 10 verbals and each recruit is either from Ohio or the Great Lakes State.   This is where Sparty makes hay and right now they are hay-less.   The Spartans have 4 verbals for the 2012 class and none of them had Michigan offers.  7 out of 10 Michigan commits had MSU offers.


So what could be next for the Wolverines?

• Instate DT/DE Matt Godin announces on Thursday.   Many expect him to be Blue. 

• 4 Star CB Terry Richardson  (who is friends with Ross and RJS) has been making noise about making a decision this week or next.   He was in Ann Arbor for a visit this weekend. 

• Instate 4 Star WR Aaron Burbridge (who is teammates with Ojemudia and Funchess) was in Ann Arbor this weekend as well for a visit.  Does he want to join this teammates at Michigan?

• TE Ron Thompson is now getting recruited by a number of other big time schools and may continue to wait.  If I were Ron and Michigan still wants me, I wouldn't wait too long with how fast this class is filling up.

• 5 Star OSU verbal running back Bri'onte Dunn enjoyed his visit to Ann Arbor this weekend.  He is playing it pretty close to the vest right now (no pun intended) as OSU's troubles seem to continue to grow.

• Anthony Standifer is a new name for us here at BHB.  He is a  6'1", 178 lbs CB from Crete, Illinois.  He just got offered and is very excited about it:  I have very very strong interest in Michigan. Me and my mom and dad are going to sit down and figure everything out, but I'll be visiting on Thursday [May 12th]. I was just excited and at a loss for words when they offered. I feel very thankful and appreciative for the offer. Michigan is at the top of my list.  Anthony has mostly MAC offers and from lower tier Big Ten and Big East teams.  I'm betting Michigan likes his size at CB.  I would consider him on commitment watch on Thursday during his visit to Ann Arbor.

Fantasy Baseball 2011 - 30 Games Down

What the Baseball Gods giveth, the Baseball Gods taketh away. Thus is the tale of the past week, and luckily they took a little bit more away from Andrew than they did from me. I have to admit that is a short term view of the situation, but I'm feeling a little better about the long term.

From the ashes of my riskiest selections rise two pitching performances to put me at ease for a few days. First Max Scherzer showed why people have been so high on him by tossing a gem (8IP, 4H, BB, 9K and the W), and then Yovani Gallardo tried to prove to me that he isn't shit by just barely missing a no-no (8IP, H, 4BB, 6K and a much needed W) and extending his stay on my team. Also, it makes me a little sick to say it, but... Derek Jeter finally had a great day. I feel dirty. He went 4/6 with 2HR, raising his season total to 2 and making me hate him just a little bit less.

I did not photoshop his eyes. He actually has two different color eyes.

These things were nice, but I have my share of pain on the way. After dicking around with Carlos Ruiz for a week the Phillies finally put him on the DL, so I'll finally get a warm body in at Catcher. I'm also facing another week, and possibly more, without Roy Oswalt. Oswalt took off a week to attend to his family in Mississippi, which is fine, but now he is headed for the DL with back problems. I'm not looking forward to playing the DL game, but as long as its not my best players I'm ok.

Andrew has not had a good week. Jered Weaver proved to be mortal in a loss to Boston, and then followed that up with a loss to Cleveland. Weaver allowed 7 runs in two games after only allowing 5 in his first six (all wins), not to mention only six strikeouts (0 against Cleveland). Weaver's ERA has exploded, going from .99 to a humiliating 1.87, and his spot in the Angels rotation is at risk. If he allows any more runs he could get sent down to AAA before the end of May. In actuality that is the worst thing to happen aside from falling to 5th in the standings, which is the equivalent of death to him. Lance Berkman continues to destroy the league, he added the studly Michael Pineda and Brandon Beachy (DL add for Dallas Braden) who are pitching like Aces, Dan Haren is back to being Dan Haren, and Joey Votto continues his campaign to knock off Albert Pujols as baseball's top player.

Current Status
Bert - Well they can fucking unpost it!
Andrew - Nothing is fucked?! The God damn plane has crashed into the mountain!

Wolverine Weekend Update: Michigan Double's Down on Two DE Commits

Michigan seems to recruiting 2 by 2 this year.  I wish some of this news would break on Monday Night or Tuesday Morning, so I could use the headline Two for Tuesday. 

So remember this week, when I mentioned that Michigan's DE recruiting would break in a similar way to Michigan's LB commitments?  Well that title wave started on Saturday late afternoon. 

First DE Commitment come from Instate DE prospect Mario Ojemudia who is a teammate of 2012 TE commit Devin Funchess.  They have one more teammate that Michigan is interested in WR Aaron Burbridge but they have yet to offer and there is rumored to be some academic issues.

Mario is a 6'2 215 pound DT in high school but his size and speed is more suited for DE at the next level.  Here is what Scout's Allen Trieu says about him:"Mario Ojemudia is quick off the ball, aggressive, and disruptive. The main knock on him is that he's about 215 pounds and has been playing out of position as a tackle. I think he will be fine at end, though, because he's so athletic.

Mario was rumored to be a strong Spartan lean early on in his recruitment but warmed to Michigan with every visit he took to Ann Arbor.  He visited MSU last weekend and decided that East Lansing was no match to Ann Arbor and made up his mind to be a Wolverine.

Mario is rated 4 stars by Scouts and 3 stars by 24/7.  Rivals still doesn't have their stars out yet.
Mario's offer list includes MSU, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Stanford and Syracuse.   




DE Commit #2 is Ohio's DE Pharaoh Brown who will come to Ann Arbor as 6'6 230 pound DE prospect.  Yes, Six Foot Six!   (some have him at 6'7).  This kid is very athletic and plays QB and DE in high school.  There was some news out of Ohio that he prefers TE over DE at the next level but many agree after some weight and some extra time in the weight room that he best projects at DE. 

Pharaoh has a 3 star grade from Scouts and 4 stars from 24/7.   He has a ton of offers which include: NC, NC State, BC, Colorado, UConn, Cincy, Louisville, ASU, MSU, Nebraska, WVU, Pitt, Purdue, Illinois and many more.

Watch this video, this kid is a freak!  You can do a ton of things with an athlete like this.   How about on punt blocks or field goal blocks?  Emergency QB?    Love this kids upside!




What now at DE?  There is still one prospect that the Wolverines would like to have at DE in this class and his name is Chris Wormley from Toledo who could be Ohio's best player.  Chris grew up a Michigan fan but is considering the Wolverines and Buckeyes. 

Needs Now?   QB, DT, Offensive Line and WR seem to be the biggest needs for the 2012 class at this point.   Michigan could get some good news on 5/12 when Matt Godin, DT announces his choice.    


Bad News: Darryl Stonum received his second DUI on Friday night and has been suspended from the team.  Since this is his second offense (he also broke probation) his long term status with the team is now highly in doubt.

Michigan Friday: Big House Briefs

• Thanks to reader Richard:   Mike Barwis has opened a new training facality in Michigan.  Here is a link to his new blog.

• Gus Johnson seems to be leaving CBS and maybe headed to Fox/Big Ten Network.  That would be a huge win for the Big Ten.  Gus has made it known he is a Michigan fan and I would love to hear him do some Michigan Football games.

• TomVH reports that Michigan has offered 2012 Illinois DT Jaleel Johnson.

• Michigan's incoming freshman Trey Burke went from the future point guard to potenital starting point guard and he hasn't even tried on his Michigan jersey yet.   

• Mallet's dad said that Lloyd Carr told Ryan and family to look at other options once RR got the job at Michigan.  I find that hard to believe.   

• Threet is still suffering from his concussions he suffered last year.  He is helping the team as a student assistant for ASU. 

• 5 star RB and soft verbal to OSU Bri'onte Dunn is expected to be in Ann Arbor today for a vist. 

Denard Being Denard

Memo to other football programs:
Keep your 5 star QB's and high maintenance Pryor types.  The guy below is my QB and the definition of what a Michigan Man is.  

More players should be like Denard. 


From Mgoblog:
Brian -- my friend works for a Charter school in NYC. the students were all assigned to write to someone they consider a leader. not all of the leaders responded to the kids, but #16 did.

check out the attached: a nice break from our passing game concerns ... and also, at long last, a story about Leaders that doesn't involve Legends

Go Blue,
Matt


(Name removed),

Thank you for your letter and for asking me about how to be a leader. First of all, you need to believe in yourself and never just follow people. Always do what you think is right no matter what anyone else does or thinks.


Don’t forget to ask people for help and thank those who help you. Don’t be afraid to work hard, follow directions, and follow your dreams!


Good Luck and Go Blue!
Denard

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BHB: If your son or daughter doesn't have a #16 jersey.  Make sure they get one.

Michigan Thursday: Predicts the 2012 Recruiting Class

This is the type of year when I like to predict how the Wolverines might finish with it's recruiting class.   After a slow start the Wolverines coaching staff has caught up quickly had has 8 commits in the fold right now.  Those recruits include:

LB:
Royce Jenkins-Stone
Kaleb Ringer
James "Biggs" Ross
Joe Bolden

TE:
Devin Funchess
AJ Williams

OL:
Ben Braden
Caleb Stacey

The needs continue to be on the defensive line (DT and DE), QB, Safety, CB, FB, and maybe 1 WR.

I would estimate class size at 20 players right now which leaves 12 open spots. 

Here is who I think could join the above 8 at Michigan next summer:


OL
Jordan Diamond from Chicago has been to Ann Arbor a number of times and is a teammate of incoming freshman Chris Bryant.

CB
Terry Richardson, part of the Michigan Big 3.  His friends have signed up to play at Michigan, what is holding Terry back? 

QB
Michigan seems to be in the running for some big prospects like Gunner Kiel but they do have back up plans as well.   If Michigan doesn't land a 4 or 5 star guy look for them to hold out and take a guy late in the recruiting cycle.

WR
Michigan has over 18 offers on the street for WR in the 2012 class and I really can't predict any of them becoming Blue at this point.  It's not a huge need for the Wolverines but I think they would like to take one for sure.   I believe instate 4 star WR Aaron Burbridge will end up in East Lansing. 

DT
Matt Godin
Sheldon Day
Ondre Pipkins

Each guy I think has a great chance to be blue.  Matt announces his decision a week from today and Sheldon has been to Ann Arbor twice.  Ondre is the subject of this weeks Sam Webb article from the Detroit News.  I think Flint's Danny O'Brien will end up at Tennessee.

DE 
Ohio has an unbelievable deep class at DE.  I'm surprised that DE hasn't taken off like LB has for the Wolverines.  Once they get the first commit look for a number of guys to jump on board quickly.   These are the guys I think Michigan has a great shot with:

Mario Ojemudia - who is rumored to be making a decision soon.

Chris Wormley - maybe a borderline 5 star guy and Ohio's best player.   He lives in Toledo and it's between Michigan and OSU.

Pharaoh Brown - 3 star guy from Ohio.

Safety
Wayne Morgan from NY seems to be best candidate at this point.  There are rumblings that Wayne might want to stay close to home at Rutgers, UConn or Syracuse.  So distance could be a factor for him.

Michigan only has offered 14 or so players at CB and Safety. Which is a sign they don't believe it's an urgent need. 

TE
Ron Thompson has seemed to be on the verge of committing to the Wolverines for weeks now.  While he waited, Michigan picked up 2.   I'm guessing if Ron wants to be Blue, he better do it quickly. 

I like what Michigan is doing with this class.  They are taking care of their backyard by recruiting Michigan and Ohio hard.  They are going after some highly rated guys at QB, WR, and RB knowing they can pick up guys late if they don't have any luck with the Big Time players.   For example they have only offered two fullbacks in this class, clearly they aren't worried about that position.

Wolverine Wednesday: Wishes Darius Good Luck

Reports on many sites are saying that Darius is planning to stay in the draft and not return to Michigan.  Which is really bad news for John Beilein's club.   Darius was one of the most improved players in the country this year from his Freshman to Sophomore year and he feels he is ready for the NBA.  
Initial reports are that Darius is still outside of the first round (or maybe a late first rounder) so this information is still a head scratcher for me.   The NBA is looking at a lock out and many top players are deciding to stay in school rather then risk months of not playing ball.   Don't forget, this isn't the NFL draft and if your not a lottery pick you could struggle to make a team.  I think playing at Michigan would be a much better option then the possibility of the D league.


With that said, I hope Darius makes a team and has a long NBA career.   It's just too bad with the upside the Wolverines would have had with him in the fold next year.  Good luck D Morris!

• If your interested in the NCAA Compliance Letter that Tressel signed which will probably cost him his job, here it is from Sportsby Brooks.

• Michigan continues to be in Armani Reeves top group.  Armani is a 4 star CB out of Mass.
• TomVH has a interview up with 2012 Athlete DJ Foster.

• If your wondering, Justin Boren was not drafted and will be looking for a free agent offer when the lock out is lifted. 

Michigan Tuesday: Fun or Foolish?

I bleed maize and blue, I think many of you that read this blog do as well.  I also respect how a Michigan fan (usually) handles themselves in a big win or even in a big loss.   When you have the most victories and arguably the most tradition, youhave  the right to hold your head high as a Michigan fan.  

Michigan fans have had a difficult 3 years with the direction of our beloved program.  We have seen losses against MAC teams and struggling to beat the Indiana's of the world, while being dominated by Ohio and other major programs.  We have been down but Brady Hoke has brought hope back to the Wolverine Nation through strong recruiting and respecting Michigan's tradition.   Former players are back and Wolverines fans feel the comfort of something familiar out of Schembechler Hall.  Even our top rival OSU is in major trouble with the NCAA.   Seems the worm is starting to turn in Ann Arbor, which is good news for Wolverines fans everywhere.

With that said, we can't lose our cool or go to far.   We made fun of MSU the last couple of years when Dantonio installed count down clocks in his locker room for the Michigan game.  Sparty has 3 wins in a row over the Wolverines.  Now similar countdown clocks are in Michigan's locker room for MSU and OSU.  

Now comes a billboard on 94 that says, "Liar Liar Vest on Fire".   Funny, but does it go too far?

Billboards have become a regular occurrences for programs or fans, lately.  They buy billboards when they win a big game or have a Heisman Trophy contender, etc.    Not something I'm a big fan of, I prefer acting like you have been there before.  The Michigan Football Program has been there before.   Charles Woodson didn't need a Billboard for us to know he was the best college football player in 1997.

So where do we draw the line on these things?  OSU is in major trouble and they haven't been playing by the rules for probably many years.  The reason they turned "to the dark side" was due to "the team from up North" dominating them.   Now, I'm not saying we are going to break rules to get an un-fair advantage, I just prefer the Wolverines do their talking on the field and not on a billboard.

There is a Columbus on-line newspaper that has a regular area on their site that lists the number of days since OSU lost to Michigan.  It's a big number but is also low class.  Act like you have been there before!

Stay Classy Wolverine Billboard Guy! (if your looking to spend your money in support of the Wolverines, how about to Charles Woodson's Foundation that helps Mott's Children's hospital).

Michigan Monday: Wolverines Adds 1 More Big LB - Total Now 4!

Wow, I guess Greg Mattison and Brady Hoke wanted to recruit a few Linebackers this year.  This morning the Wolverines got another LB to add to the 3 they already had verballed from in the 2012 class. 

It all started a couple of weeks ago when Ohio 4 Star LB Kaleb Ringer committed to the Wolverines.  As soon as that happened the flood gates opened for the LB and the Wolverines.  Soon after the Spring Game, Instate  4 star LB Royce Jenkins-Stone gave his word to the Wolverines.   Then on Friday, Cincinnati 4 Star LB Joe Bolden jumped on board.   

So with 3 four star LB's, the Wolverines are done right? Nope. 

This morning, James "Biggs" Ross became the 4th LB commit to the Wolverines and 8th player to join the 2012 class.  James is part of the Michigan Big 3 recruits which includes Jenkins-Stone and Terry Richardson.  The Wolverines now have 2 of the 3 in the fold for the 2012 class.

James is a 4 star recruit to Scouts and 24/7.  He is ranked as the #2 MLB in the nation by both Scouts and 24/7.  He is on the top 150 watch list for ESPN and 250 watch list for Rivals.  His offer list as you might expect is a strong one; Penn State, Ohio State, MSU, Nebraska, USC, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Mizzu, and many others.

So Michigan is done now at LB recruiting, right?  Yes, they have to be.  I don't recall this strong if a LB class for the Wolverines, maybe ever.  I know the class with LaMarr Woodley was a pretty good and might be the only class in memory that comes close. 

The priority of the class now is DT, Safety, CB, 1 QB, and Offensive line.

God Bless Amercia!

USA, USA, USA!