Construction in Ann Arbor? You don't say...

On the heels of the Udoh announcement that he is leaving town for greener pastures, Michigan AD Bill Martin has announced that plans have begun to start construction on a new basketball practice facility. The BTN interviewed Martin, in which he said architects have been hired and plans were in motion to put the new facility on the East side of the stadium (this is where the bus stop is currently located at the foot of the Crisler Arena hill). No timetable has been set for the project.

While this is good news, there are still a few red flags that are raised from these comments. The biggest of these is timing. Although Martin did not specify when it was supposed to be finished by, I can't imagine it will be anytime soon. With the football stadium not supposed to be totally completed until after '10, the football practice facility still being redone, and new soccer field being built behind the Varsity Tennis Center, this puts "Basketball Practice facility" way down the "To-Do List." For a basketball program that has players jumping from it like rats on a sinking ship, this is not good news. Michigan cannot compete with the MSUs or the Illinois type programs without a practice facility to show recruits. This is something that Martin is going to need to bring some luster back to a once storied program. Although Martin has given fans a light at the end of the tunnel, no one has any idea just how long that tunnel is going to be.

Sidenote: With the aforementioned Udoh gone, Michigan boasts a front line of Shepard, Sims, and Gibson. Backing up Gibson is Puls and Cronin, and neither one of them has played in a college game. Somewhere, a season ticket holder weeps into his Jalen Rose Day t-shirt. If this doesn't motivate the Athletic Department to sell Maize Rage tickets for 25 dollars for the whole season, I don't know what would. Women's season tickets go for that much, and they are at least an NIT team!

The last red flag is Martin's refusal to be interviewed by the local press about the announcement. Free Press writer Mark Snyder's Tuesday article included Martin declining to be interviewed on the matter. Why the hell would Martin go on national television to talk about breaking ground on a new building, but not do it locally and alienate the local fan base/media even further? Now, I'm not saying Martin isn't true to his word, but this does show me that it's possible even he does not know when visual progress can be seen by fans when they drive down to Crisler Arena.

Dodd's Preseason Football Rankings

Dennis Dodd, a CBSSports.com Senior Writer, has released his preseason college football rankings. Here are some relevant highlights:

1. Ohio St: "Thirteen juniors explored the draft, only one declared -- Vernon Gholston. That should tell you that the Bucks are absolutely loaded. Mix in the roll of baby-soft Charmin known as the Big Ten schedule and this is the team to beat."

9. West Virginia: "Is there a more elusive quarterback than Patrick White? Is there a faster breakaway runner than Noel Devine? The Mountaineers remain the class of the Big East in Bill Stewart's first season."

12. Illinois: "Heart-and-soul guys J Leman and Rashard Mendenhall are gone. Few in Champaign are sweating, though. The Illini will know where they're heading by early October. By then they will have played Missouri and taken trips to Penn State and Michigan."

15. Wisconsin: "Spring ended with the quarterback situation unsettled. But who needs a rocket arm with the Badgers' running game and tight end Travis Beckum?"

16. LSU: "Perrilloux leaving will cost Les Miles the SEC West. A schedule that includes eight home games will soften the blow. The season opener against Appalachian State just became huge with an inexperienced quarterback playing against the defending I-AA champions. Don't laugh. Ask Michigan."

23. Michigan St.: "The Spartans seem to be everyone's sleeper for '08. This is a program ready to turn the corner. All six of Michigan State's losses were by a touchdown or less. Tailback Javon Ringer was held out of the spring because of shoulder surgery."

Don't read too much into this... it's Dennis Dodd's preseason rankings. But still, this hurts. Not only has Michigan dropped out of the Big Ten, but they are apparently ranked well below Illinois, as well as below Michigan St. and possibly Penn St. Again, this is according to Dennis Dodd. But the team that Rich Rod leaves is ranked in the top 10, Michigan is viewed as a team which won't finish in the top four/five (depending on where you have Penn St. ranked... I personally have Michigan ranked as the #4 team in the conference behind Ohio St., Wisconsin, and Illinois in that order), and Appalachian St. jabs are gonna keep coming.

I'm mostly just curious what everyone else thinks of these rankings... is Dodd crazy? Is Michigan St. a legitimate threat in the Big Ten? Is Michigan going to surprise everyone and ride a weak schedule to a two-loss season? Who knows? But we might as well rant and rave as if we do.

Ekpe Udoh Decides to Transfer

Ekpe Udoh is the latest basketball player to leave the team as he announced his plans to transfer today. Udoh had been contemplating leaving the program since the end of the season and while he did not name potential new schools, he did have this to say about the Michigan Program:

"This was a very difficult decision for me, I just feel I need to explore other options right now. I had a wonderful experience at Michigan and I want to thank everyone for helping me the last two years. I wish them nothing but success in the future."

Well that opens up another scholarship...wonder when they're having open tryouts?

Michigan Rowing takes 5th @ Big 10 Championships

On Sunday, the #11 ranked Michigan Women's Rowing team placed 5th at the 2008 Big 10 Rowing Championships in Belleville, Michigan. Michigan State sailed to an easy win, outscoring 2nd place Wisconsin by 36 points. Sailed...that was a boating joke...

Anyways, normally rowing would probably not earn a post on the WCBN Blog, but since I attended the tournament, I felt inclined to write about it. My friend Kyle Wolfe and I have been on this quest to see each and every Michigan varsity athletic team in action. We knew rowing would be a tough one to get to since A)they don't have many home meets and B)The home meets are in Belleville, about 15 miles east down I-94.

When we saw that Michigan would be hosting the 2008 Big 10 Championships, we knew that we better seize the opportunity and go watch especially since it's summer now and neither one of us has much to do during the days anyways. To pass the time and stay in shape we've been biking around Ann Arbor, going on trips that have been around 10 miles, just to explore and see what's around past the U of M campus area.

I mapquested the trip to Belleville and saw that it was about 17 miles each way. I figured neither one of us had anything else to do on Saturday, why not try to bike it? Kyle was up for the challenge so at 9:15 we left Ann Arbor on bicycle heading down Washtenaw. Here's the route we ended up taking:

Start: State Street & Packard
1) Packard to E. Stadium
2) E. Stadium to Washtenaw
3) Washtenaw to Carpenter
4) Carpenter to Textile Rd
5) Textile Rd to Rawsonville Rd

The ride there took about 1:45 and was fairly uneventful. We were disappointed to learn that the bulk of the trip did not have sidewalks for us, but since it was pretty early on a Saturday morning, traffic was fairly light.

Michigan hadn't done very well in the preliminaries but the way the rowing championships are formatted, there are are three levels that compete. Novice (which one of the championship personnel explained to us are the freshman who are recruited for Title IX proportionality purposes), Varsity II (JV), and Varsity I. Michigan only managed to get one of their varsity I boats in the grand final. The Varsity I eight boat (there are eight-person boats and four-person boats that compete) took second to OSU in the grand varsity eight final. Michigan's Varsity II four also advanced to the grand final, but took fourth place.

The rowing was actually pretty interesting to watch, mainly because we snuck into the "credentialed officials only" area so we could figure out what exactly was going on. There was a man doing play-by-play of all the races who was out in the water on a bat that kept pace with the rowers. He was pretty entertaining and even controversial when he drew some criticism for announcing that Ohio State's coxswain lost the race for her team with poor steering. The Indiana and Iowa State coaches that were standing next to us weren't too happy with him for saying that.

We stayed and watched for about four hours with our eyes to the sky hoping that the forcasted storms would hold off. Well, they did hold off for the rowing, but as most people climbed into the shelter of their cars, we set out on bike in a downpour. The route back included about a mile to get out of the park and back onto the street so sure enough, the dirt paths mixed with heavy rains resulted in a very muddy Stu and Kyle.

As soon as we got out to the road, the rain let up and other than some scattered drops the rest of the trip the weather wasn't a major obstacle. The wind did make some of the biking pretty difficult but the biggest problem we faced was construction on Carpenter Road that made for two very narrow lanes. As we were about halfway through the .5 mile stretch of construction, a True Green Lawn Care Truck decided to pass me and in the process clipped my elbow sending me into the raised curb. While I didn't actually fall, that was definitely the worst part of the ride.

In total, it ended up being about a 35 mile bike ride that took us roughly 3:30 roundtrip. Upon getting back home we decided to go watch Michigan Baseball as they wrapped up a doubleheader versus Ohio State. We got to Ray Fisher Stadium in time to watch the final few innings of Michigan's 3-2 loss to OSU.

It was a good day as we crossed another sport off the list. Last Saturday we took a trip to East Lansing to watch Michigan Men's Golf play in the Big Ten Championships at MSU. We watched golf for about an hour, went and called the Michigan vs Michigan State Softball game over at Old College Park. Then we went back to watch the last few holes of Bill Rankin's day as he was tied for the lead before we started watching but ended up finishing third.






Despite the sale, we didn't quite have enough cash on us to take home a puppy. Plus, how would we have carried it?

Michigan Softball Wins Share of Big 10 Title

With a 3-0 win over Penn State in State College, PA today #6 ranked Michigan improves to 48-5 and will be the co-Big 10 Champions along with Northwestern. The #11 ranked Wildcats defeated Michigan State 6-1 and because they won a coin flip last week, the Wildcats will host the Big 10 Tournament May 8-10th in Evanston, IL.

Dorian Shaw and Sam Findlay homered for Michigan as all of their runs scored in the series against Penn State were via the home run. Findlay's homer was her 21st of the season which ties her own single season record that she set her freshman year in 2005 when they won the national title. Not that I'm suggesting anything....



Michigan will be in action Tuesday at 7pm when team USA comes to town led by Jennie Finch and Cat Osterman. Be sure to head down to Alumni Field to check it out in person or listen live on the WCBN Sports Stream.

Not His Best Stuff

I'm sitting here watching ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, and I am stunned at some of the statements made by color commentator Joe Morgan. Normally Joe does a decent job in these games (he has won an Emmy for his work), but he is off his game today. Since I have nothing better to do I have decided to list them. I will probably be updating these throughout the game.

As ESPN shows Todd Wellemeyer's stats, which include 36 k in 37 IP
"He [Wellemeyer] doesn't strike out a lot of hitters"

Right after Wellemeyer throws a 94 mph fastball and before he throws a 96 mph fastball
"He's not a hard thrower"

After Jason Marquis throws an 83 mph slider
"It didn't look like his fastball"

Michigan 2 Penn State 0 (10 Innings)

Michigan played their longest game of the year last night, taking a full 10 innings to defeat Penn State in State College, PA. With the game still scoreless in the top of the 10th inning, Sophomore Angela Findlay homered to right to give the Wolverines all the runs they would need. Next up was Sam Findlay who gave Michigan some insurance as she stepped up to the plate and drove the ball deep over the left field fence giving Michigan the 2-0 lead. Jordan Taylor picked up her 26th win of the year as she came on to work the final 3.1 innings in relief of starting pitcher, Nikki Nemitz.

With Northwestern defeating Michigan State 6-3 in East Lansing to keep pace with Michigan atop the Big 10 Standings. Should both teams win (or lose) today, a coin flip becomes the tiebreaker to determine who hosts the Big 10 Tournament. The coin flip has already been conducted at the league offices with Northwestern winning.

Big 10 Softball Tiebreakers
1) Head-to-head record: Michigan and Northwestern split their two-game series last Sunday
2) Record against common opponents: Michigan and Northwestern each lost one game to Iowa
3) Coin flip: Northwestern has won this tiebreaker and will host the Big 10 Tournament should the teams remain tied at the end of the season.

Here are some highlights from last night's 2-0 win in 10 innings over Penn State:


And here are some highlights of the split versus Northwestern last Sunday as well as interviews with Sam Findlay, Allie Giampaolo, and Coach Hutchins:

John Belien extends Bob Huggins by 11 years

So one of Michigan's former West Virginia University coaches decided to pay his buyout and WVU sure didn't sit on it for long:
It was announced today that WVU has extended the contract of basketball coach, Bob Huggins for 11 more years at $1.5 million per year. I'm sure this check from Beilein helped with that financing. Beilein decided to pay the first installment of his $1.5 million buyout "under protest." Gotta love that the check is written from a Bank of Ann Arbor account...Any guesses as to who owns the Bank of Ann Arbor? If you answered U of M Athletic Director, Bill Martin then you'd be correct!

Live Game Blog: Michigan v Ohio State Baseball

Top 9th
And if you had taken the 20-1 odds that Mike Tobin offered against Putnam coming back out for the ninth, you could be fairly well off. Burgoon is ready and wam out in left field as he's just watching Putnam work. Lead off single for Zach Hurley and let's see how long Maloney stays with his starter. Big break for Michigan as Brian Delucia hits a sharp liner that Abraham fields on one hop, goes to second for one and the turn is in time for a double play! OSU down to their last out...and there it is, 4-3 ground out does it for Michigan as Zach Putnam turns in a complete game gem. Michigan a winner over Ohio State 4-1!

Bottom 8th
Cavs are about eight minutes from the second round as their lead is out to twenty. Lebron James has his triple double with 20 pts, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. It'll be Ryan LaMarre, Chris Berset, and Kevin Cislo to bat for Michigan in the eighth. Tyler Burgoon continues to warm up out in the Michigan bullpen and with Putnam at 120 pitches, it is highly unlikely that he comes back out for a ninth inning of work. Leadoff walk for LaMarre who is promptly picked off when Berset missed a sacrifice bunt attempt. Cislo is now issued a walk so Michigan has a two-out baserunner for Jason Christian. It's De-ja-vu for Michigan as now Cislo gets caught in a pickle and is tagged out as he was caught leaning towards second. Michigan 4 Ohio State 1 after 8.

Top 8th
Putnam back out there in his 8th inning of work despite topping the 100 pitch mark. Putnam gets the first two buckeyes out quickly on groundouts but here comes J.B. Shuck who is 3-3 on the day with three singles. He's been the only Buckeye to figure Putnam out as they've only managed five hits as a team. Wow, make that six hits as a team and a 4-4 day for Shuck. Shuck normally wears number four, but today his uniform has the number seven on it. Lucky number seven I guess, maybe he'll stick with this one from now on. Putnam strikes out Justin Miller on his 120th pitch of the game to end the inning as it's now 4-1 Michigan.

Bottom 7th
Cislo grounds out to 2nd for the first out of the 7th. Jason Christian stays red hot with a single through the right side. Leif Mahler reaches on a bunt single. 2 on for Michigan now with just 1 out. RBI single by Nate Recknagel, runners still on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. The lead is now 3-1 for the Wolverines. Make it 4-1 Michigan after a RBI single from Zach Putnam. Jake Hale is done... he leaves as the losing pitcher of record. RHP Alex Wimmers is the new Ohio State pitcher. Abraham strikes out looking for the 2nd out. Both runners advance on a wild pitch by Wimmers. The inning comes to a close as VanBuskirk strikes out swinging. However, Michigan gets 2 important insurance runs and now has a 3 run lead.

Top 7th
Base hit right back up the middle by Cory Rupert. Rupert gets a great jump and steals second on the first pitch to Dew. Dew grounds out Recknagel at first. Rupert now at 3rd, representing the tying run, with only 1 out. Maloney out to visit with Putnam... No action in the Michigan bullpen. Burkhart hits a flyball to VanBuskirk to left. It's too shallow too score Rupert, who has to stay put at 3rd base. Putnam retires Engle to end the inning. 7th inning stretch time at the Fish, Michigan still up 2-1.

Bottom 6th
VanBuskirk grounds out to Tyler Engle on a nice play for the 1st out of the inning. Hey, Pedro Feliz homered... Phillies now lead the Giants 4-1. Now 2 away as Oaks strikes out looking. Hale strikes out Berset for a 1-2-3 inning. This is an old-fashioned pitcher's duel, 2-1 Michigan leads.

Top 6th
J.B. Shuck with a 1 out single. Shuck now has 3 singles in the game. Shuck with a stolen base and advances to 2nd with 1 out. Excellent defensive play by both Abraham and Recknagel to retire Justin Miller for the 2nd out of the inning. Hurley grounds out to Recknagel to end the inning. 2-1 Michigan after 5 and a half.

Bottom 5th
It'll be Recknagel, Putnam, and Abraham due up for Michigan as Lebron gets T'd up as time expires in the first half. Daniel Gibson got his arms taken out on a three pointer at the end of the half and somehow nobody called a foul. Lebron was less than pleased with the no-call and let the official know it. Putnam walks to give Michigan a baserunner with one out. That didn't last long as Abraham grounds into a 1-6-3 double play. After 5, Michigan 2 Ohio State 1.

Top 5th
Lebron James is working on a triple double as he has 10 points, 7 assists, and 6 boards through one half. Putnam cruising from the mound as he sets down the Buckeyes in order. Heading to the bottom of the 5th, Michigan 2 Ohio State 1.

Bottom 4th
VanBuskirk singles through the left side of the infield for a lead-off base hit. Another base hit, this time by Oaks. Michigan seems to have figured out Jake Hale. 2 on and nobody out for the Wolverines in the 4th. Sacrifice bunt by Berset, runners advance to 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Hale losing his control as he hits Cislo. The bases are loaded for the Wolverine lead-off hitter, Christian. Christian gives Michigan the lead for the first time with a sac fly to deep left field. Mahler grounds out back to Hale to end the inning. Michigan takes the lead 2-1 after 4.

Top 4th
Putnam retires the first two batters of the inning. Cory Rupert drew a walk on 5 pitches. Dew grounds out to Mahler to end the inning. 1-1 as we make our way to the last of the 4th.

Bottom 3rd
The Wizards are leading the Cavs early in the second quarter as Lebron has found himself on his back a few times already. Deshawn Stevenson threw up a running three-pointer that barely found glass. Who's overrated? Michigan goes 1-2-3, 1-1 after 3.

Top 3rd
Went to get food. Long line. Don't know what happened, but we're still tied 1-1.

Bottom 2nd
Still 1-0 Ohio State as VanBuskirk bats to lead off the 2nd. Vanbuskirk flies out to Dew in right, 1 away. Full count to Alan Oaks. The next pitches misses down low and Oaks draws a 1 out walk. Hale's throw to first is wild and Oaks advances to second. RBI single by Chris Berset into right field. Oaks just beats the throw from the Buckeye right fielder, now tied 1-1. Cislo hits into a fielder's choice and now is at 1st base with 2 outs. Christian works the count and draws a 6 pitch walk. Michigan now with runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs for Mahler. Leif fouls out to the shortstop to end the inning. 1-1 after 2.

Top 2nd
Putnam retires Ryan Dew on a nice play by second baseman Leif Mahler. Another ground out for Putnam. This time to Abraham, now 2 outs in the inning. A ground ball to shortstop makes it a 1-2-3 inning.

Bottom 1st
Who needs statracker when you've got us? Leadoff walk for Jason Christian is followed by a beautiful sac bunt that Leif Mahler almost beat out for a hit. Christian scampers over to third on a wild pitch. Nate Recknagel is battling at the plate and has worked his way to a 3-2 count with plenty of foul balls along the way. Recknagel strikes out, so now two down for Putnam to try to help his own cause. Putnam is plunked! Runners on the corners now for Adam Abraham who grounds out to end the inning

Top 1st
With one out, Putnam hit Cory Kovanda and then allowed a single to J.B. Shuck. The next batter Justin Miller drilled a single back up the middle to load the bases. After he gave up that second hit, his girlfriend (who is the only fan in attendance wearing a T-Shirt with "Putnam's Girl" written across the back along with a big #3) got up and moved from her seat in the front row to another about halfway up the stands behind home plate. Zach Hurley gets the lone Buckeye run home as he grounds out to Recknagel at first.

Pre-Game
This game is on the Big 10 Network meaning a crowded press box. Thanks to Gene for finding us a phone line at the last minute to get us on the air. We have that on the TV here in the booth, but will be switching over to the Cavs/Wizards game 6 and when that happens this blog may well be the first ever NBA playoff basketball/Big 10 baseball live-game blog

Today we come from the newly renovated Ray Fisher Stadium at the Wilpon Baseball and Softball Complex. Michigan looks to extend its lead in the Big Ten and hand the Ohio State Buckeyes a loss. Zach Putnam, Michigan's All-American takes the mound for the wolverines in game one of this Big Ten series. The weather may be a bit gloomy, but the crowd is filling in and the alumni band is out in force. you can listen live to the game on the WCBN Sports Stream. Stu Zaas, Rob Salaman, and Mike Tobin will be alternating blogging/announcing duties.

Ryan Mallet Denied Waiver by NCAA

The NCAA today rejected Ryan Mallet's request that he be allowed to play this season after transferring to Arkansas from Michigan. Mallet had tried to claim that because new head coach, Rich Rodriguez's spread-style offense did not fit his abilities, he had no choice but to transfer and therefore should not have to sit out a season. Mallet will still have three years of eligibility left after he sits out this season.

Sixers-Pistons Game 6 2ND HALF

A fresh blog for the 2nd half. Here's a picture of Dwayne and Star. Nice looking couple. Dwayne said they were "good friends, that's all." Chuck with the best line of the half, saying there was now a new meaning to 'Big Brown' (Kentucky Derby favorite and Star). Ok, back to basketball.

9:29- Matt: "If the Phillies win the Series this year, can we get you to sport the Dalembert 'hawk, and have "RS" on one/both sides of the head?" Yes, I'm in. I'll tell you what, if the Sixers come back and win this series I'll get the mohawk Sunday.

9:31- Evans starting. Flip at the half with tough words "we are going back to Detroit and they are not invited." Wow.

9:34- Uninspiring start to the 2nd half. Largest lead of the game at 23.

9:35- Good news: Ryan Howard homered, 3-2 Phils in the 8th.

9:38- Why does Iguodala only start to take over a game when his team is down 21? Missed another free throw... I think Memphis would win a free throw shooting contest.

9:43- 64-43 Pistons. Looks like I can get ready for the Draft.

9:45- Kentucky Derby predictions: Win-Pyro, Place-Big Brown, Show-Smooth Air

9:47- McDyess forgot his mask on the bench. Not the brightest guy.

9:49- Phillies win. Thank god.

9:50- Wesley Snipes, mohawk and Samuel Dalembert references. Harlan and Collins running out of things to talk about. 4th quarter should be fun.

9:53- McDyess continuing to struggle with his mask. It falls off and he throws it to the bench. Pistons up 24.

9:55- Check out the video of Mike Golic eating wings this morning. He actually put up a good fight.

9:58- Doug Collins drafted Theo Ratliff. That's why he is now calling games.

10:00- Head for the parking lot. 79-51 Pistons lead after 3.

***************************************************

10:05- Ok, I've gone to get heavenly help.

10:07- 31 point lead.

10:10- Harlan thinks Cavs-Wizards are Game 7 bound. I disagree.

10:11- Harlan: "Kevin Ollie is the model of perseverance."

10:15- Collins reminiscing about coming to the Sixers after a 9-73 season. I guess it could be worse.

10:17- Over/under 30 point win. It's at 32 now. I'm taking the over.

10:19- Harlan: "You've got to be a die hard to be in here now."

10:20- 94-65 Pistons, less than 6 minutes.

10:23- NBA predictions: Cavs, Jazz, and Celtics win in 6. Hopefully, the second round is better. Cavs-Celtics, Pistons-Magic, Lakers-Jazz, and Spurs-Hornets.

10:27- Kevin Ollie scored. Down 25.

10:29- Fun two and a half hours. Good season guys.

10:30- Pistons advance 4-2. Final score 100-77.

10:30- Enjoyed the blogging. Programming reminder: listen to our coverage of the Michigan-Ohio State baseball game at 6:30 tomorrow night on the WCBN sports stream. Talk to you then.

Sixers-Pistons Game 6 LIVE BLOG

I don't really have anything to do tonight and I always wanted to live-blog a game, so I'll give it a shot. Coverage will begin around 8pm. LETS GO SIXERS!!!

8:02- I'll be watching TNT's coverage of the game. No offense to Blaha, but I prefer Harlan
and Collins. EJ, Kenny, Chuck, and special guest Dwayne Wade on right now. Wade doesn't deny his relationship with Star Jones.
8:06- Everyone in the studio picks the Pistons. Off to the Wachovia Center. It looks like a late arriving crowd. My white "Run with Us" T-shirt is on. Let's go.
8:09- Well, that was quick. Turnover... Rip Hamilton and 1, 3-0. Another Sixers turnover. Make it 5-0.
8:11- 7-0 Pistons, just 2 and a half minutes in. Timeout. Let's look at Sammy's hair.
8:15- At least the Sixers scored...14-2. Another TO.
8:16- It would be a shame if Kenny Smith becomes GM of the Knicks. I'm not sure the TNT studio would be the same.
8:19- Sixers still have not made a field goal.
8:20- Maybe Philly is trying to score less than Michigan and Iowa in the Big 10 tourney game, 16-3.
8:23- Iggy made a shot, finally. Reggie into the game... good move Mo.
8:25- 20-5 Pistons... this is going to be a long night.
8:28- About as bad of a start as I could have imagined. Check that, this is actually worse. Timeout inside of 3 minutes 1st quarter, 24-9 Pistons.
8:29- I have tickets to Game 7, so much for that. Hopefully, they refund me.
8:33- Iggy to the foul line. Come on, make 1 for double digits.
8:34- 1 of 2, 10 pts...yes!!!
8:35- I know the starters aren't playing well. But why is Kevin Ollie playing?
8:35- And shooting?
8:36- Let's try to forget that ever happened. After 1, Rip Hamilton 13-Sixers 12.
*******************************************************************
8:39- Just was texted "Sorry Rob, we finally woke up." Couldn't they have waited until after Game 4?
8:40- Flip interview. I'm sure Rasheed listens to him.
8:43- Here we come, 4 pts in a row. Only down 16.
8:47- Nice pic I found of Rasheed and Chris Bosh.
8:49- Make it an 8-0 run. Nice play Lou Williams.
8:50- Harlan to Collins: "I'd like to see you in a mohawk." Now, that would be interesting.
8:51- Stuckey gets away with 8 steps. Hits a 3. Pistons back up by 19.
8:55- IM'ed by my dad, "we have 'em right where want 'em". Not sure I agree.
8:58- Collins said his son went to Seton Hall at the same time as Dalembert. I wonder who the big man on campus was. Holding at 19.
9:00- Man, how good is Thaddeus Young going to be.
9:04- Collins: "The Pistons are a very long team."
9:05- Harlan: "Dalambert signed a gigantic contract." That's for sure. I'll never let Billy King get away with that one.
9:06- 100 seconds left in the half. Miller can't make anything... still at 16.
9:08- Iguadola misses so many free throws. He is not a max contract player.
9:09- Billups makes a 30 footer, lead to 18... make it 16 after a Willie "how am I starting" Green basket.
9:10- Collins getting emotional over Mo Cheeks helping out the girl in Portland with the national anthem.
9:10- Billups makes a buzzer beater. Why not? 51-33 at the half.
9:11- Enjoy more Dwayne Wade/Star Jones talk at halftime. Be back in 15 for the second half comeback.

HBO’s Costas Now: Sports Media Thoughts (CONTINUED)

***This is the second part of a recap of last night’s HBO show looking at how Americans consume their sports in our present media landscape.

Segment #3: Sports and TV, panelists- Joe Buck, Mike Tirico, Dan Patrick
Sports on television have changed greatly over the years, starting with the presence of Wide World of Sports on ABC to SportsCenter on ESPN. We have seen the adoption of color television, high-definition, and the movement from sports being carried on the three major networks (CBS, ABC & NBC) to multiple cable outlets (ESPN, TNT & VS.). The breadth of sports programming has seen TV ratings for sports plummet, with more playoff games being aired on cable, such as the NBA and NHL conference finals and one of the two LCS’s in baseball. “Costas Now” had a fascinating discussion on the ‘ESPN-ization’ of TV. With more highlights and homeruns being shown, the romanticism of sports is fading away. For instance, the appetite today is just for the highlight, not to appreciate the entire 3 hour baseball game. Costas mentioned how the famous Carlton Fisk homerun in the World Series seemed as if the TV viewer was eavesdropping on something that would happen even if they weren’t there. Yet, today, athletes acknowledge the presence of cameras by posing for the highlight after hitting a homerun or slamming home a dunk. While ESPN may be problematic (Kirk Herbstreit anyone?), it should be noted that it is the most profitable network in the history of entertainment. Some shows on TV are purposely confrontational, such as PTI, to help bridge the gap between sports and entertainment. Al Michaels described the participants on these shows as “gasbags on parade.” For instance, Monday Night Football has hired analysts, like Howard Cosell, Dennis Miller, and Tony Kornheiser, trying to draw younger and non-sports fans to the game, acknowledging that core fans will watch no matter what. Mike Tirico, an ESPN employee, put it best, calling the incredible amount of games and information on TV “excess” and “just too much.”

Segment #4: Media and Athletes, panelists- Selena Roberts (SI), Tiki Barber, John McEnroe
This was the least entertaining 15 minutes of the show. Frankly, it kind of dragged and I was flipping back and forth between this and the Mo Cheeks postgame press conference. The main point brought up was the growing disconnect that has emerged between the player and reporter. This “climate of confrontation” is mostly due to the increased salaries for athletes. Some reporters feel jealous and resentful that they are making a small percentage of what athletes receive financially, despite going to college and grad school. In the past, a generally friendship relationship existed between reporters and the athletes. Journalists were cheerleaders and had an intimate relationship with the team. For example, despite traveling on the train with Babe Ruth in the 1920s, little to nothing was written about the off-field escapades of the Great Bambino. When did the change in the relationship between reporter and athlete occur? Who knows? There is nothing more for me to say here. As I first said, if you only have 75 minutes, these would be the 15 minutes to skip.

Segment #5: Sports and Race, panelists- Michael Wilbon, Jason Whitlock, Cris Carter
The final topic of race was described rightly in the pre-taped video as “one of the most provocative topics in sports and beyond.” The subject of race in sports is often a rather uncomfortable conversation. Frequent examples of controversial racial issues being brought to the forefront include the likes of Don Imus, Kelly Tilghman, and Lebron’s appearance on the cover of Vogue. In 1988, CBS NFL Today analyst Jimmy ‘the Greek’ was fired for racially insensitive comments, centering around “slave owners breed[ing] his black…” Donovan McNabb got in trouble a few years back for stating that black quarterbacks are held to a higher standard in the NFL than whites. While this statement is likely true, McNabb got in trouble for simply discussing the subject. Presently, McNabb no longer comments on racial issues publicly. In addition, Carter said that “people don’t want to talk about race.” The HBO piece found that most people in a newsroom are white. In addition, the belief arose that reporters cannot win when discussing race. On the one hand, they will be ripped if they write a racial article. Yet, the reporter will be dissected if he or she does not write the article, with the belief that the topic is too uneasy of a topic to talk about. This could get me in trouble, but who is reading this anyway. I do not understand the general statement regarding NBA prospects that white players tend to be not athletic compared with African Americans draft prospects. For the sake of this discussion, let’s imagine that Michael Beasley is white and Tyler Hansbrough is black. Would Beasley still be the guaranteed #1 or #2 pick in the NBA draft? Wouldn’t Hansbrough have left early by now, knowing that he would be taken somewhere in the top 5? How is the hard-working 6’10” Hansbrough that can dunk not athletic? Some have made the argument that the last great white American player was Chris Mullin, twenty years ago. Yet, then nationality comes into the equation, as there have been many great white Europeans, like Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol. So, what matters more, nationality or race? I could keep going… but Cindy McCain is on Leno (must-watch).

***In the end, the show was probably more interesting to people in the media than the public as a whole. After all, it was simply the media talking about, well, the media. Nevertheless, I thought it was a fascinating discussion that kept my attention for nearly the full 90 minutes. In my opinion, despite the negativity surrounding sports increasing recently, sports is healthier now than it has ever been before. People cannot get enough of ESPN specialty channels, whether that is ESPN Classic or ESPNEWS. Revenues in sports are rising and attendance records are being shattered. While the methods through which we consume sports now and in the future are and will be different, sports as an entity has never been better off than it is today.

HBO’s Costas Now: Sports Media Thoughts

Last night at 10pm on HBO, Bob Costas hosted a 90 minute live show in front of a town hall audience, centering on sports and the media. If you missed the show, it will re-air frequently, including tomorrow (Thursday). It’s certainly worth watching (the best show on TV in a while). The show was split into five segments, featuring a 5 minute pre-taped video and a 10 minute discussion with 3 panelists for each topic. Let’s recap.

Segment #1: Sports Radio, panelists- Chris “Mad Dog” Russo (WFAN), Mitch Albom, Michael Strahan
The first topic looked at the negativity that has recently arisen with the growing media outlet of sports talk radio. Recently, sports talk hosts have become more known for shouting for coaches to be fired and players to be traded than anything else. The HBO piece discussed how sports talk radio can “beat a dead horse” and often says controversial things simply to drive up ratings. I thought that a good point was made in the pre-taped video on this topic, stating that in New York, the Super Bowl victory by the Giants are a 9 on a 10 point scale. Yet, the collapse by the Mets last September scored a 10. People that listen to sports radio have become angrier, with criticism and analysis happening on every game, every inning, and every play. I thought that the highlight of this segment was the argument between Russo and Strahan. The Giants defensive end lambasted Russo for discussions that took place on his show, namely Russo questioning the validity of Strahan’s record-breaking sack on Brett Favre and his recent decision to holdout from training camp. Strahan responded rapidly, telling Russo that “the last time you had a uniform on was when your mom took you trick or treating.” The primary debate centered on the lack of journalistic standards or qualifications frequently seen in sports radio. For instance, contests for fans to appear on air occur often. Moreover, if you are on the air and don’t have an opinion or take on every single issue, the assumption made is that you are afraid or scared to talk about the subject. Is that fair?

Segment #2: Internet/Blogging, panelists- Will Leitch (Deadspin.com), Buzz Bissinger, Braylon Edwards
Online blogs and websites can be an information overload, providing instant scores and constant updates. In addition, anyone can post anything on blogs, somewhat blurring the lines between commentary and insult. On the HBO show, the most talked about segment of the show will be the Bissinger-Leitch argument. Let’s just say that Bissinger, the author of “Friday Night Lights” is not the biggest fan of blogs. Bissinger called Leitch “full of sh--” and “dedicated to cruelty and dishonesty.” Bissinger also stated that blogs “piss the sh--out of me” and aid in the “dumbing down of our own society.” Well, that’s one opinion. By the way, Braylon Edwards added nothing to this segment. Shouldn’t he be at Browns mini-camp or something? Anyway, while I agree with the sentiment of Costas that the tone, mean spiritedness, and poor quality of some blogs is a problem, blogs are a different voice that need to be somewhat serious to gain increased readership. In addition, blogs add a sense of humor to negative sports stories, along with speed that makes reading the newspaper the next morning useless and act as a distraction from the duties of a day of work. Also, aren’t blogs just somebody’s opinion? Why do the words of someone on TV or radio have more meaning than someone else’s, like a blogger living in their mom’s basement? While opinion may be cheap, when compared with research, I have as a good of a chance, if not better, of picking the winner of the Sixers-Pistons Game 6 (Sixers!) on this blog than Skip Bayless does on ESPN’s Cold Pizza… I mean 2nd take, no First Take.

***Later tonight, I will post a recap of the final 3 segments of the show, focusing on sports and TV, the relationship between the media and athletes, and the always controversial topic of sports and the issue of race.

Baseball and Softball Snag Midweek Wins, Homerun Chase Continues

Both the #22 Baseball and #6 Softball picked up midweek non-conference victories this week. Baseball knocked off in-state foe Western Michigan and softball swept a doubleheader against Florida State.


Baseball used a strong offensive performance from Nate Recknagel to move past Western Michigan on Tuesday night. Recknagel went 3-4 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs to pace the Wolverines. He also doubled and hit his 18th home run of the year, good for 2nd place in the country. That shot also tied Samantha Findlay for the top total among all University of Michigan teams. The win moved the Wolverines to 31-10, and improved their MAC conference record to 5-1, which would be good enough to lead the MAC East division.

Softball used a strong pitching performance by freshman Jordan Taylor in game 1 and a powerful offensive performance by Samantha Findlay in game 2 to sweep Florida State on Wednesday night. Michigan won game 1 by a score of 6-2. Taylor picked up the win to move to 25-2 on the season. Alessandro Giampaolo also chipped in 3 RBIs to pace the Wolverines offensively. In the nightcap Michigan leaned on the bat of senior Samantha Findlay, who went 3-4 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs. Findlay also hit her 19th home run of the season, which ties her for 3rd place nationally. In addition she reclaimed the Michigan lead, breaking a tie with Recknagel. The win moved the Wolverines to 46-5 overall.

Michigan softball will finish out their regular season this weekend with two games at Penn State. Michigan remains tied with Northwestern atop the Big Ten standings, and if both teams finish this weekend with identical records, the Big Ten title (and home-field advantage for the conference tournament) will come down to a coin flip. Softball will also host Team USA in an exhibition game next Tuesday in a final tune-up before the Big Ten Tournament.

Baseball returns to action this weekend with a four game series against rival Ohio State as they look to extend their one game Big Ten lead over Purdue. Friday night's game will be the dedication of the newly renovated Ray Fisher Stadium, with Fred Wilpon on hand to throw out the first pitch.

All four baseball games against Ohio State, as well as the May 7th game against Ball State can be heard on the WCBN Sports Stream. In addition the softball game against Team USA will be broadcast on the Stream.

Here's the softball highlights: Michigan sweeps FSU

Quarterback Position Secured for 2009...At Least for Now

In addition to signing four-star stud at QB, Kevin Newsome, last week, Michigan picked up another four-star QB today in Shavodrick Beaver from Texas. Beaver is 6'2" 177 and is a dual threat just like Newsome. These are the Rodriguez type quarterbacks of Michigan's future and since Justin Feagin is the only quarterback in this classification that will be on campus this fall, this was the single most pressing issue for Michigan recruiting in the class of 2009. Before their senior seasons even start, Michigan has their commitments meaning Michigan fans can rest easy, at least for now. Both of these guys are taller than Feagin and are more highly regarded.

Beaver definitely has faced tough competition playing in Texas and is a pretty good passer over his running ability. In his junior season last year, Beaver completed 61% of his passes for 2,629 yards, 31 TDs and just 10 INTs. He also averaged 6.1 YPC for 462 yards on the ground and 5 TDs. Now what really stands out with Beaver is his production in the passing game. Those are huge numbers for a quarterback coming out as a pocket passer. Yet Beaver runs a 4.55 and tends to pass first and only run when he has to. His offense also seemed very similar to what I saw at Michigan's spring scrimmage. They ran a lot of quick screens to the outside where the offensive line would flood out to one side to block for the receiver. At the same time Beaver could throw the ball down field at times and look really quick and elusive when he needed to run. HOWEVA, Beaver's delivery is extremely questionable and looked forced. He has a side armed delivery and what I mean by "forced" is that it seems like he has to throw his entire body into the throw. This was common in every throw I watched of him on tape. That could be a major concern, but with his production through the air, its obviously working. He is only 177 poounds so perhaps if he puts on some muscle, he won't have to use his entire body in every throw and that would really help out his delivery.

Newsome, on the other hand, has a better delivery, but has not had quite the production of Beaver through the air. Newsome threw for around 1,600 yards and 12 TDs while rushing for 500 and 11 TDs. He also runs around a 4.55, but seems a little slower than Beaver on tape. But, Newsome is much bigger at 210 pounds and was very hard for defenders to bring down. At times it seemed as though Newsome had no where to go, but would barrel through defenders and break out for a big run. This escapability of Newsome is probably why he was Michigan's first target. While his passing numbers pale in comparison to Beaver's he has a much more fundamentally sound delivery, throwing over the top. He keeps his eyes down the field when he scrambled and is able to throw on the run. Newsome is the homerun for the Rich Rodriguez system.

While Newsome will most likely see the field before Beaver, if Beaver is able to put on some muscle and tweak his delivery at least slightly, he should compete as well. Having both of these guys ensures that Michigan will have an extremely reliable dual threat QB starting in 2009. 2008 is Steven Threet's year. He better make the most of it because a year later, there will be two guys with the inside track on taking his job. Again that is if they stay committed. Yes other coaches, even so called gentlemen like Jim Tressel (stealing an Illinois commit this week) can put on the ole wizard hat with their snake oil.

The Unknown for Udoh

Michigan F/C Ekpe Udoh still has not made an announcement on his future at the University of Michigan. Udoh, who has been rumored to be looking at possible alternate schools, was thought to make an announcement by Tuesday but has yet to do so. Questions about Udoh sticking with the Maize and Blue originally surfaced when Coach Beilein was hired, as Udoh did not seem to be a good fit for the new system. A fraying relationship with the University (and head coach) also seems to have played a factor in Udoh's search. He averaged 6 points, 5 boards per game and had 92 total blocks on the year to lead the Big Ten.

I think this is a good move on Udoh's part. I think he has the potential to develop his game but won't do it at Michigan. For as much zone as Beilein likes to play, it will hurt his development as a interior defender. As for his offensive game, in a system that lives and dies by the three, there is no place for Udoh here either. This is not his game. He could be a great low post guy if he hits the weight room and improves his technique...neither of which he can accomplish in Ann Arbor.

And to make matters worse, niether Beilein or Michigan has been able to produce players that can make the jump to the NBA (And NO! Courtney Sims does not count. He is STILL trying to figure out how to pass out of the double team as we speak). The last pros to come from Ann Arbor and play significant minutes were Bernard Robinson Jr. (and if you think he's a bootleg choice, then its Jamal Crawford... and he was only there for a season!). I'll give Beilein credit for recruiting Joe Alexander, a kid who showed potential this past March to be a first round pick of the future... but even he didn't flourish until he was coached by Bob Huggins (a guy known for putting kids into the League).

Udoh has a lot to work on as far as his game is concerned... but he might be better served going elsewhere to do it.

NBA Playoffs 2008: The Power of Coaches

The 2008 playoffs in the NBA has shown us once again, that no matter how talented a team you have, in the end, coaching is always going to be a huge reason for teams winning the NBA Championship. The Celtics and Lakers were each picked to easily sweep their series as the #1 seed over the #8 seed opponent. The team led by Phil Jackson did just that, while the team led by Doc Rivers is struggling with an upstart Hawks team and is tied 2-2 after 4 games. Seriously, how can anyone think to claim that Boston and Detroit are the favorites to win the championship this year when the coaches for those two teams are Doc Rivers and Flip Saunders? Both coaches have proven once again that it takes coaching to win in the NBA, as we see both the Celtics and Pistons having trouble with much-less-talented teams in the Hawks and Sixers, respectively. If you don't believe in the power of the head coach, just look at the head coaches of the teams who won the last 20 championships:

• Phil Jackson
• Gregg Popovich
• Pat Riley
• Larry Brown
• Rudy Tomjanovich
• Chuck Daly

That's a list of 6 coaches who all are or will be in the Basketball Hall of Fame. This isn't a list such as Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks, where a solid quarterback who doesn't make mistakes can end up leading a team to a championship. In the NBA, head coaching makes the difference more times than not. Take for example the Detroit Pistons; here is a team that won the championship in 2004 with Larry Brown, has many of the same players, has arguably more depth, yet has had only one finals appearance since and is in trouble of not making it to the finals again this year.

So, as the NBA playoffs continue, remember that while the power is in the Western Conference for player talent, it's also there for coaching talent as well. The best teams in the Eastern Conference are led by Doc Rivers, Flip Saunders, Stan Van Gundy, and Mike Brown. In the Western Conference, the coaching ranks are loaded with Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, Byron Scott, Jerry Sloan, Rick Adelman, Mike D'Antoni, George Karl, and Avery Johnson. The worst of those coaches are the ones going home after the first round, yet most of those coaches would be leading one of the top teams if they were coaching in the East (as we've seen with Byron Scott, who led the Nets to the NBA Finals).

The Celtics and Pistons still have the talent player-wise to win the NBA Championship, and very well could, but if it came down to putting my money on the Celtics and Pistons or Spurs and Lakers, I would put it on the teams led by the better coaches, not the team with the better players as all of the teams mentioned have the talent to win the championship, it's the coach that puts them over the top, just look at the past 20 years.

(Side note: One of the youngest teams in the NBA just hired Larry Brown as its coach today. Now I'm not saying that the Charlotte Bobcats are the team to beat in the East, but if Larry Brown is given a few years in Charlotte, this is a team to fear in the Eastern Conference)

Edit (comment response): Charlotte is a very good team, I view them the same way I viewed New Orleans before they got Chris Paul. They are one great player away from being a top team, and with the addition of a great coach, they will be able to make the next step from lotto team to playoff team in the East, now this upcoming draft could give them the player that makes them that much better. Imagine this roster if Charlotte gets a little lotto luck: Felton at PG, J-Rich at SG, Gerald Wallace at SF, Okafor at PF or C, Beasley at PF or Lopez at C, with Jared Dudley, Earl Boykins, Matt Carroll, and Nazr Mohammad coming off the bench. Are you telling me this team couldn't make the playoffs in the East next year? Are you telling me that in a few years, after some playoff experience this team couldn't take the leap forward?

My Personal Quest

For those of you who aren't aware, I am on a personal quest to attend every single Michigan sporting event before I graduate (got one year left). Here's my list:

Completed (in order of completion):
1) Football
2) Men's Basketball
3) Wrestling
4) Baseball
5) Softball
6) Ice Hockey
7) Men's Track and Field
8) Women's Track and Field
9) Women's Basketball
10) Men's Swimming and Diving
11) Men's Tennis
12) Water Polo
13) Women's Tennis
14) Men's Golf

Still to come:
1) Rowing
2) Men's Soccer
3) Women's Soccer
4) Men's Cross Country
5) Women's Cross Country
6) Men's Gymnastics
7) Women's Gymnastics
8) Field Hockey
9) Women's Golf
10) Volleyball
11) Women's Swimming and Diving

Tomorrow i'll give you a little summary of each sport and the pros/cons of going to watch them

Michigan Softball Splits with Northwestern

After a pair of games between the two teams tied atop the Big 10 standings, nothing has changed. Each team won a game today at Alumni Field in Ann Arbor. Northwestern took the opener 2-1 as Maggie Viefhaus struck out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning to end the game. Michigan came from behind, scoring three in the seventh to win it 3-2. Sam Findlay was the hero in game two with the walk-off two-run single. I have to go to the Tigers game so full recap will come later. For now, enjoy the highlights:

Michigan vs Northwestern Doubleheader Highlights