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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 27, 2014 20:11:02 GMT -5
He's a hell of a coach, but so are Dantonio and Meyer. Harbaugh isn't just gonna come in and run roughshod on the conference. Michigan has been playing complete horseshit football for like a decade, so his #1 priority is to stop that nonsense. Once he teaches the team to not get punked, then he can focus on beating the rivals and gunning for CFP bids.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 27, 2014 12:56:18 GMT -5
I think an NFL team could offer him the moon at this point and it wouldn't matter. I think the contract is signed, and we're just waiting for official confirmation.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 24, 2014 21:09:04 GMT -5
It's tough to know who will make up the bullpen at this point, but I think four guys are certain:
Nathan Soria Alburquerque Hardy
If Rondon and Hanrahan are actually healthy, they'll certainly be involved, and then maybe Ian Krol as a second lefty? They also have Alex Wilson, who they got in the Porcello trade, Luke Putkonen coming off an injury, Josh Zeid, who they claimed off Waivers from the Astros, the new 40-man add Angel Nesbitt, and all they guys they added to the 40-man last year, including Drew VerHagen, Kyle Lobstein, Kyle Ryan, Buck Farmer, Chad Smith, and Jose Valdez.
I'm not inspired by that group at all, but bullpens are so damn volatile that you never know how things are gonna work out.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 24, 2014 20:58:25 GMT -5
I'm guessing Mitchell was never gonna get time anyway, and the "playing our young guys" line was just lip service to explain why they released an anchor. It sounds like the Suns are gonna release Mitchell anyway, so it doesn't seem like that big of a deal. And Tolliver is a career 35% shooter from three, so it seems SVG is still desperately trying to spread the floor.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 22, 2014 15:45:07 GMT -5
My buddy Perry put together his list of the top 10 films of the year, if you care to peruse: By Perry Seibert At year’s end I usually find myself defending the previous 12 months from people convinced that films don’t matter, they don’t make them like they used to, and TV is so much better than movies now anyway. The year 2014, however, was admittedly weak. There was one film that towered above all the others, and most everything else felt either fascinating but flawed, or small and perfect but inconsequential. With that in mind, and with hopes that 2015 will be a better crop, here are the ten best movies of 2014: 10: Under the Skin Read the full reviewJonathan Glazer’s haunting sci-fi head-trip about an alien learning about humanity would benefit from a smidge more exposition, but the stellar cinematography and haunting images cast such a distinct spell in viewers that the finale becomes a poetic, heartbreaking reminder of the cost of being human. 9: Inherent Vice Full review forthcoming Adapting Thomas Pynchon for the big screen seems like an impossible task, and while Paul Thomas Anderson’s attempt isn’t as laugh-out-loud funny as the book, he does capture Pynchon’s ability to go off on tangents that feel both utterly bizarre, and oddly in keeping with the main storyline. 8: Big Eyes Full review forthcoming Tim Burton had the best creative rebirth of any director this year, shaking himself out of a decades-long slump with the story of Margaret and Walter Keane. The whole movie seems like not so much an apology or defense, but an explanation from Burton about everything since Ed Wood, and it provides a way for him to finally evolve into something much closer to naturalism than he’s ever let himself get before. 7: Citizenfour Read the full reviewLaura Poitras was at the center of the most important international story of the year, Edward Snowden releasing sensitive material about the American spying programs. Her fly-on-the-wall movie would be just as tense if it were all made up, but because it’s true you realize how close your favorite paranoid thrillers are to how real-life whistleblowers risk their lives. 6: The Imitation Game Full review forthcoming A perfect script, anchored by yet another award-worthy performance from Benedict Cumberbatch, this biopic of Alan Turing is an efficient wartime thriller, and a penetrating profile of a man whose inability to connect with other people both allowed him his greatest achievement, and led to his early death. 5: Feast Shown before Big Hero 6 Sure, everybody loved Big Hero 6 and with good reason, but Feast, the short that played in front of it in theaters, is a tiny work of utter perfection. Sweet, sad, funny, and wise, the tale of a slacker growing up as seen through the eyes of his dog captures everything about Disney animation at its best. 4: Into the Woods Full review forthcoming Stephen Sondheim finally gets the big screen treatment he deserves with this adaptation of one of his most accessible shows. Funny, unapologetically theatrical, and a total delight, director Rob Marshall doesn’t leave behind the darker elements of the play, but he also never magnifies them so that they obscure this loving ode to the power of storytelling and myth. It’s a grandly entertaining movie. 3: The Drop Read the full reviewTom Hardy is rightfully getting some year-end love for his one-man show in Locke, but his turn as the decent blue-collar bartender in Michael R. Roskam’s old-fashioned B movie throwback The Drop, scripted by Dennis Lehane, was just as good and the movie is even better. Setting expectations, and then promptly turning them upside down with a confident and unhurried pace, The Drop lets Hardy, James Gandolfini, and Noomi Rapace shine. 2: Calvary Read the full reviewJohn Michael McDonagh’s sophomore feature was read by many as a black comedy, and while there is certainly gallows humor scattered throughout this tale of a priest who expects to be murdered in seven days, Calvary is a deadly serious movie about faith, the Catholic church, and the strength required to lead an upstanding life that gives Brendan Gleeson the kind of rich, complicated role he was born to play. shine. 1: Boyhood Read the full reviewIt took twelve years of filming, but Richard Linklater did the seemingly impossible, he made-up a fictional human life in such a realistic way that his nearly-three hour, modestly intimate epic never feels falsely dramatic or impressed with itself. Boyhood is a one-of-a-kind experience that will probably never be duplicated, not just because of its now famous production schedule, but because arguably no other film in history has captured so completely the rhythm, poignancy, boredom, and all-around mostly manageable messiness of growing up. Linklater made the best film of the last decade, Before Sunset, and Boyhood is the best this decade has seen so far.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 22, 2014 15:39:59 GMT -5
Any of you UM slaps consider the possibility that Brandon knew long ago that Harbaugh was on the outs with San Fran, but that it would be another year before he would be broomed (due to his contract)? Thus he kept Joke on for another season despite "most fans" wanting him fired last winter? I think that's giving Brandon far too much credit. Based on Brandon's dickish personality, and Harbaugh's psycho tendencies, I don't think there was ever a chance of those two working together. And I think the majority of the fanbase wanted Hoke to win. I know I did (hence my bonkers 10-2 prediction).
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 22, 2014 15:32:57 GMT -5
Everything I read suggested that teams were willing to trade for Smith, but only if the Pistons also included a first-round pick. They're obviously trying to rebuild, so I'm guessing the draft pick means a lot more to them than the cap space.
Smith is such a damn enigma...nothing seems to be able to keep him from playing basketball like a idiot. He's 6'9, 230, with plenty of skills, and he's still an above-average athlete, even by NBA standards. And yet he's shooting .391/.243/.468 on the year. Those are the ugliest percentages I've ever seen for a guy who leads his team in usage.
I'm just curious who ends up getting more PT after this, because I'm 99% sure it isn't to get Tony Mitchell on the floor. Is it to get more time for Jerebko and Singler, because that's no fun. Maybe they figure out a way to get Dinwiddie in the rotation?
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 19, 2014 20:10:16 GMT -5
What's really gonna suck is when Les Miles is hired, people will be all pissed off, even though he's one of like 5 head coaches who has a national championship. I don't like him, but it's not like he's another Brady Hoke.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 17, 2014 17:11:50 GMT -5
There are a handful of "insiders" on the Rivals board who are extremely optimistic right now. Saying things like recruits are being told Harbaugh is coming.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 17, 2014 15:27:09 GMT -5
And he doesn't block. Ever.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 17, 2014 14:11:17 GMT -5
I've been saying that we won't know for another two weeks, but I'm really starting to think that we may find out all we need to know by the end of this week. The offer from Michigan is clearly there, and there isn't anything to keep Harbaugh with San Francisco right now. He could be the Michigan coach tomorrow if he wanted...so the longer this plays out, the less likely it is that he comes here, in my opinion. Do you think he'd walk out on the 49ers, with 1-2 games left? What would be the legal/contract obligations of doing so? There's one year left on his contract, so I can't imagine quitting with 18 games left is much worse that quitting with 16 games left. It may be that he's just too proud and wants to finish the season, but man...why wait to get fired or traded if you truly want the UM job? I'm very skeptical.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 17, 2014 13:41:56 GMT -5
I've been saying that we won't know for another two weeks, but I'm really starting to think that we may find out all we need to know by the end of this week. The offer from Michigan is clearly there, and there isn't anything to keep Harbaugh with San Francisco right now. He could be the Michigan coach tomorrow if he wanted...so the longer this plays out, the less likely it is that he comes here, in my opinion.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 17, 2014 13:35:51 GMT -5
McShay's first mock has Funchess going 15th to the 49ers. Makes sense. He has the tools to be a monster at the next level. He'll never be a great blocker, but he can be a Jimmy Graham type who's a terrible match-up for any DB. Also I don't see Gardner making it in the NFL.It's a long shot, for sure, but I can see a team taking a chance on him in the 6th or 7th round. He's tall, probably runs a 4.6, and has some experience as a WR. He'd be a project/practice squad type, but you never know.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 17, 2014 10:25:14 GMT -5
McShay's first mock has Funchess going 15th to the 49ers.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 17, 2014 9:56:27 GMT -5
What numbers will he put up other than height and jump? I don't think his 40 will look good in the wide receiver group. I bet he runs in the 4.5 range, and puts up something close to a 40-inch vert. He's still a monster athlete, despite what we saw during this garbage year. His issues are mostly concentration and effort. Most of his highlights are of him going up for a jump ball, or being wide open and slowing down for an underthrown pass to get to him, but you get a glimpse of his athleticism with that hurdle against Ohio State, and you can see some speed when he takes a short pass to the house against Akron.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 17, 2014 9:34:43 GMT -5
It'll be funny if Gardner ends up a better NFL wide receiver than Funchess. I do think Funchess is gonna put up some big numbers at the combine, though.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 16, 2014 12:50:20 GMT -5
I think 2 or 3 people know what's going on and they don't tell anyone anything. It's like some people think that Hackett sends out a daily email update to all former football players, large donors, etc. I think there are a lot more people who know what's going on with the job search, but I still don't think anyone knows what Harbaugh wants to do, including Harbaugh. The rumored deal from Michigan is pretty nice, but in two weeks he could be offered any number of NFL jobs with full control. Two more weeks of waiting.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 16, 2014 11:11:06 GMT -5
no way do they trade Drummond. He's 21 and has massive star potential. You know, I never saw the star potential that some talk about. He can be good but I see his ceiling as a DeAndre Jordan. Not bad but he won't thrive until he gets a really a good PG who can get him easy shots he will not truly thrive. He isn't nearly the shot blocker that Jordan is either which also hurts his potential IMO. I've always thought Tyson Chandler was a good comparison, but it's becoming apparent that Drummond doesn't particularly care about playing defense, which is a shame. I think the Jordan comp is pretty apt now.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 16, 2014 9:32:16 GMT -5
I still think LeVert goes in the first round. He's probably not a lottery pick though, because it's become more obvious that he can't put the team on his back every night and score at will. It's a different world in the NBA, where he would be surrounded by proven talent instead of volatile freshmen and sophomores. He's still a 6'7 shooting guard with crazy long arms, athleticism, a nice shot, and solid passing ability. Someone will pick him in the 16-24 range and be happy, I think.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 16, 2014 5:24:21 GMT -5
If Harbaugh doesn't come, remember this moment as the peak of optimism, when a few overly excitable folks whipped themselves into a frenzy by repeating rumors to one another. If he does come? Sweet.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 15, 2014 18:16:37 GMT -5
Michigan fans generally don't, and shouldn't care about recruiting right now, but I figure we will as soon as a new coach joins. Maybe I'll do individual posts for each new commit at that point, but for now I'll just make these tables: Name | From | Height/Weight | Position | Rivals | Scout | 24/7 | ESPN | Brian Cole | Saginaw, MI | 6'2, 190 | ATH | 4* (#91) | 4* (#70) | 4* (#39) | 4* (#143) | Tyree Kinnel
| Huber Heights, OH
| 5'11, 200
| DB
| 4* (#211)
| 4* (#140)
| 4*
| 4* (#192)
| Alex Malzone
| Bloomfield Hills, MI
| 6'2, 205
| QB
| 4*
| 4* (#184)
| 3*
| 4*
| Grant Newsome
| Lawrenceville, NJ
| 6'7, 280
| OL
| 4*
| 4* (#218)
| 4* (#213)
| 4* (#245)
| Jon Runyan Jr.
| Philadelphia, PA
| 6'4, 275
| OL
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| Andrew David
| Massillon, OH
| 5'8, 170
| K
| 2*
| 3*
| 2*
| 3*
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And now, for fun, here's a table of all the players from this class who were once committed to UM, but aren't anymore: Name | From
| Height/Weight
| Position
| Rivals
| Scout
| 24/7
| ESPN
| Where Now
| Damien Harris
| Berea, KY
| 5'11, 205
| RB
| 5* (#11)
| 4* (#53)
| 4* (#57)
| 4* (#31)
| Undecided
| George Campbell
| Tarpon Springs, FL
| 6'3, 185
| WR
| 4* (#35)
| 4* (#55)
| 4* (#63)
| 5* (#10)
| Florida State
| Darian Roseboro
| Lincolnton, NC
| 6'4, 265
| DT
| 4* (#39)
| 4* (#147)
| 4* (#154)
| 4* (#166)
| NC State
| Shaun Crawford
| Lakewood, OH
| 5'9, 165
| DB
| 4* (#63)
| 4* (#159)
| 4* (#163)
| 4* (#163)
| Notre Dame
| Chris Clark
| Avon, CT
| 6'5, 255
| TE
| 4* (#67)
| 5* (#23)
| 4* (#208)
| 4* (#111)
| Undecided
| Mike Weber
| Detroit, MI
| 5'10, 205
| RB
| 4* (#71)
| 4* (#69)
| 4* (#150)
| 4* (#170)
| Ohio State
| Garrett Taylor
| Richmond, VA
| 6'1, 190
| DB
| 4* (#86)
| 4* (#273)
| 4* (#81)
| 4* (#130)
| Penn State
| Darrin Kirkland Jr.
| Indianapolis, IN
| 6'1, 235
| LB
| 4* (#174)
| 4* (#122)
| 4* (#216)
| 4* (#271)
| Tennessee
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 15, 2014 18:07:34 GMT -5
It's extremely late in the recruiting process, so I'm not gonna do a separate post for each MSU commit. I may in the future, but I'm not an MSU fan, so I don't tend to pay much attention to their recruiting, or their roster as a whole. But here's Michigan State's current class, and it looks pretty solid: Name
| From
| Height/Weight
| Position | Rivals | Scout | 24/7 | ESPN | Larry Scott
| Hubbard, OH
| 6'1, 215
| RB | 4* (#59)
| 4* (#66)
| 4* (#90)
| 4* (#110)
| Josh Butler | Mesquite, TX | 5'10, 160
| DB
| 4* (#237)
| 4* (#243)
| 3*
| 3*
| Brian Lewerke | Phoenix, AZ
| 6'2, 195
| QB | 4*
| 3*
| 3*
| 4* (#262)
| Kyonta Stallworth
| Detroit, MI
| 6'4, 270
| OL
| 4*
| 4* (#150)
| 4* (#194)
| 4* (#190)
| Felton Davis
| Highland Springs, VA
| 6'4, 170
| WR
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| Kaleel Gaines
| Frostproof, FL
| 6', 170
| ATH
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| Tyler Higby
| Houston, TX
| 6'5, 285
| OL
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| Noah Listermann
| Cincinnati, OH
| 6'7, 290
| OL
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| Grayson Miller
| Georgetown, KY
| 6'3, 195
| DB
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| Darrell Stewart
| Houston, TX
| 6'2, 195
| WR
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| Tyriq Thompson
| Detroit, MI
| 6'1, 215
| LB
| 3*
| 4* (#186)
| 3*
| 3*
| Khari Willis
| Jackson, MI
| 6', 190
| ATH
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| Justice Alexander
| Macedonia, OH
| 6'4, 230
| DE
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| 3*
| Tyson Smith
| Orchard Lake, MI
| 5'10, 175
| DB
| 3*
| 4* (#171)
| 3*
| 3*
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 15, 2014 15:17:54 GMT -5
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 13, 2014 13:23:30 GMT -5
I don't think there's any need to get all worked up about the coaching search. The fact that other schools are filling their job vacancies tells us for sure that Michigan is waiting for a definitive answer from Harbaugh. If they weren't, they'd almost certainly have a coach right now. If you want to be an optimist, you can dream that they already know Harbaugh is going to be the coach. But even if he doesn't want the job, it's obvious that they've identified him as the #1 target and are prepared to do what it takes to get him. If they don't land him, that's fine, because at least I know they tried...and none of the other coaches who have been hired seem like they were legit candidates for the job. Just wait a few more weeks.
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Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 11, 2014 20:48:46 GMT -5
Come on CB, max is back for sure, mikei loves him and boras. What did you think of my widely irresponsible comparison of Cespedes to bobbo I sort of understand where you're coming from there, but they don't have a ton in common other than being outfielders. Higginson had a 6-year stretch where he was really a very good offensive player, while Cespedes has only had one really good offensive season, and it was his rookie year. Cespedes is a better defender, but I think people tend to overrate his defense a bit because he has a howitzer of an arm. Cespedes is really very similar to Nelson Cruz, but he swaps out solid defense for Cruz's superior in-game power. You kill a man and rape a lady and suddenly you are a bad guy? LOL. So, I'm fine with the Cespedes for Porcello deal. They should essentially get equal value there...I don't expect Porcello to suddenly bust out and be a 4 WAR player, and while there's a chance Cespedes could do something like that, I don't see it as particularly likely. The Tigers also got a potentially useful 6th/7th-inning reliever in Alex Wilson, and an interesting, potential backend starter prospect in Gabe Speier. The deal made perfect sense to me. Like most people, I was less enthused about the Alfredo Simon deal. I simply don't think he's a terribly good starting pitcher, and I think there's a real chance he could completely flame out this year. That said, he does have a very nice arm, and it's always possible the Tigers can tweak a few things and get a solid year out of him. I'm expecting more of a Brad Penny in 2011 sort of performance though. The cost is the key issue here, though, in terms of money and players. Subtracting Scherzer and Porcello from the rotation and replacing them with Greene and Simon obviously makes the staff much worse...but it also costs about $25 million less, which opened up the opportunity to add players elsewhere. Giving up Suarez and Crawford for Simon seems very short-sighted, but if we're being honest, Suarez wasn't going to have much of a role on this team this season and probably projects better as a utility infielder than a full-time SS or 2B. And while Crawford was their top overall pick in 2013, and he still has an outside shot at being a mid-rotation starter, he had already been passed over in the organizational depth chart by a few guys selected lower in the same draft. The key is, the Tigers gave up a fair amount of value, but it wasn't going to be particularly useful to them this year. My biggest complaint, I suppose, is that they drafted Crawford in the first place. All the issues he had last season were well known when he was drafted.
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