White Room

New snow came in bunches over the last couple days. 20" came with a strong cold front and high winds followed by 17+" overnight last night to create some epic conditions. Days like this remind me of why I'm here and why the quality of life in Park City is unrivaled.
Me.

My father.


Rachel didn't fare so well...

Visitors!!!!!

Kyle and Braden made it out west skiing for the their first times ever and simply shredded. Immersion skiing, an ancient and taxing method of teaching the sport of skiing by means of challenging ones self well beyond their abilities in an attempt to improve quickly, seemed to work wonders as both Kyle and Braden were skiing some sweet shit by the end of the weekend. Shred videos and pictures document this remarkable immersion into the sport by these two individuals. (Videos forthcoming)

<------Braden (left) Kyle (below)























Kyle (below) Kyle and Braden (below right)
Braden dead-------------------------------------------->

Good Hire, and a Good Day of Skiing

Shafer is our D coordinator. This makes me a little happier given that I don't have to worry about Michigan's D running a 3-3-5 odd stack with players who haven't ever run it before. Rest easy, my friend, rest easy. Shafer seems like a smart, intense, and determined guy and the defense should continue to play well in the coming years given Michigan's talented players and overall depth in the defensive unit. Also, the 3-3-5 would've caused me to have some concern regarding depth at safety given the extra utilized DB, and now it doesn't matter either. That's all.

Some pics from a good day of skiing at Park City. (CLICK ON THEM FOR HIGH RES)
Neighbor Rob...
Neighbor Rob again...Me...gettin ready to charge that chuteFavorite line of the day...

Hello Terrelle, Goodbye Mallett

According to the New York Times, Ohio State's loss didn't appear to have an effect on QB Terelle Pryor's school decision, according to a text message from Pryor to the Times. Yeah, right, but it surely didn't help OSU's cause either. What else aids in his decision making process, is the fact that ex-super-recruit, Ryan Mallett, has chosen to transfer from UM to some other place, who really gives a shit. For all I care he'll end up buried in the USC depth chart behind all those other macho men who think they're the next Palmer/Leinart. (see Mitch Mustain, Aaron Corp, or Mark Sanchez) Good luck Ryan in your future endeavors, buh bye.

Now this leaves an extremely thin QB depth chart for Michigan. Steven Threat looks to be the starter next season with David Cone as the only other legitimate backup that won't make me rip my hair out, unless RichRod can pull down a couple uber-recruits to fill this void. Either way, we need depth at the QB position badly, regardless if a true freshman ends up starting or not. Look for RichRod to pull down a potential starter like Pryor, and possibly an additional QB (if we're lucky) to fill out the depth chart to a comfortable level.

ANTONIO BASS, COME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

While it's 60 degrees in the Midwest...

...it snows like this in Park City.Buckeyes blow it again!!!! GOOD!
I had the privilege of watching the Buckeyes blow another national championship game last night and besides the "S-E-C" chants coming from the crowd in the 4th quarter, there wasn't a moment during that game that I wasn't ecstatic about the Buckeyes getting pummelled. I was getting shit from everybody the last couple days when the subject of this game was brought up and I adamantly voiced my objections to cheering for the Buckeyes even though they are the fellow Big Ten team. Cheering for the Buckeyes as a Michigan Wolverine is a preposterous thought and if you did so last night, you should sucker punch your own self in the face. SEC this, SEC that, it shouldn't matter. Leave it to, and solely concern yourself with none other than Michigan to make a statement against the SEC, because Ohio State seems to have a lot of trouble doing just that as of late.

In addition, one of the most important recruiting battles for Michigan in recent history is underway between primarily Michigan and Ohio State for Terrelle Pryor, a player that would undoubtedly help smooth the transition into Rodriguez's offensive system. If anyone doubts the importance of this recruiting battle, you didn't watch Terrelle stomp at the Army All-American Bowl last Saturday. Not only would Michigan be stuck with a gumpy dropback passer lost in the wrong system for a few years if we miss out on Terrelle, but Ohio State would have him. That scenario has a disturbing scent of another Troy Smith-esque era of Michigan domination if this were to happen. For recruiting purposes among others, IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF MICHIGAN FOR OHIO STATE TO LOSE GAMES LIKE THIS!!!! To say that a win by Ohio State would help gain respect for the Big Ten, you are surely stating a fact, but an oh-so-meaningless one at best. Since when does Michigan need more respect as a football program? If Michigan goes undefeated, they don't need to worry about being snubbed Hawaii-style in the polls at the end of the season. Michigan doesn't need to garner the respect of the rest of the country because it already has it, and it surely doesn't need more Big Ten respect to succeed as a football program. What Michigan needs most is to win recruiting battles in the Midwest and nothing else. OHIO STATE LOSING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN "BIG TEN" RESPECT. If Michigan doesn't want to be compared negatively against the teams in the SEC, Michigan will prove themselves without the help of Ohio State victories. (see 2008 Capital One Bowl)

On another note, speaking of respect in the SEC, in the last nine meetings, Ohio State is 1-8 against SEC teams and Michigan is 7-2, with OSU's last win dating back to 1989. I think this apparent differential in skill levels between the Big Ten and SEC has been brought to light recently because of the Buckeyes' inability to show up when it counts the most at the end of the season two years in a row against SEC foes. For those who care and want facts, here are both UM and OSU's most recent 9 games against SEC opponents:

MICHIGAN 7-2
2008 Michigan 41 Florida 35
2006 Michigan 27 Vanderbilt 7
2002 Michigan 38 Florida 30
2001 Tennessee 45 Michigan 17
2000 Michigan 31 Auburn 28
1999 Michigan 35 Alabama 34
1998 Michigan 45 Arkansas 31
1996 Alabama 17 Michigan 14
1993 Michigan 35 Mississippi 3

Ohio State 1-8
2008 LSU 38 OSU 24
2007 Florida 41 OSU 14
2001 South Carolina 31 OSU 28
2000 South Carolina 24 OSU 7
1995 Tennessee 20 OSU 14
1994 Alabama 24 OSU 17
1992 Georgia 21 OSU 14
1989 Auburn 31 OSU14
1988 OSU 36 LSU 33

Army All-American Bowl - Get Learned

Robby, why the hell would I give a damn about a high school football AllStar game? Well, there are many reasons to watch the Army All-American Bowl this Saturday (tomorrow) on NBC at 1pm. One of these reasons is simply that football seasons will soon be concluded and the long football-less winter and summer will leave you yearning for a smidgen of the pigskin. Number 2, some really great high school players are showcasing their talents, including several future Wolverines. Wolverines and Wolverine prospects to watch for on Saturday are the following:

S Brandon Smith - Prospect
A stellar safety of Brandon's caliber would be a big pickup for this recruiting class given Michigan's imminent change to the odd stack 3-3-5 defense where one extra DB is utilized (usually a safety). Brandon plans on announcing his commitment on national TV during the game on Saturday and he is rumored to be leaning toward the Maize and Blue. Tune in to find out.

QB Terrelle Pryor - Prospect
The nation's #1 overall recruit has put Michigan near the top of his list with the coaching change. Pryor is a freak of an athlete who would have a chance to take over Michigan's QB duties as soon as next year if Ryan Mallett ends up transferring. He draws comparisons to Vince Young and Pat White and has a close relationship with Rich Rodriguez given the fact that RichRod informed Terrelle that he had accepted the Michigan job before ANYONE else. This obviously would be the biggest pickup for Michigan in recent history and would jump start the new offense RichRod is bringing to Ann Arbor. Terrelle will be the starting quarterback for the East team on Saturday but will not be deciding his college plans until signing day in February. Schools on his list include Duke, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida, and Penn State while many believe it will come down to Michigan and Ohio State. Go Rich Go!! Also intriguing, Terrelle will be starting for the East while Notre Dame commit, 5-star QB Dayne Crist, will be starting for the west. This situation mirrors last years starting matchups between Mallett and Clausen, and we all know how that turned out. Watch tomorrow, and you may possibly see the future of the Michigan QB position.

LB Nick Perry - Prospect
Local Detroit product, DE/LB Nick Perry, has Michigan on a list of several. Michigan would likely use him as a rushing linebacker given his size and the new 3-3-5 stack defense. Michigan has got a good shot with this kid given our proximity to his home. It's coming down to Michigan, Michigan State, and USC for his services with a couple other schools mixed in. His announcement may not be coming tomorrow but we'll surely get a chance to see him in action tomorrow.

RB Sam McGuffie - Committed
If you are a Michigan football fan and haven't heard of this kid, you should die. McGuffie may be one of the fastest white kids on Earth, seriously. I don't know why you wouldn't have, but if you haven't seen his YouTube session, here it is. I don't need to get into his strengths because you can just see it for yourself on the video. This kid is something special and has reaffirmed his commitment even after the coaching change mainly due to his strong relationship with current running backs coach, Fred Jackson, who remains on Michigan's staff.

CB Boubacar Cissoko - Committed
Perhaps the most highly touted defensive commitment of the 2008 class, Boubacar Cissoko is expected to make a run at a starting role early in his career. Despite his small 5'8" frame, Boubacar's physicalness in bump and run and his shutdown abilities overshadow his small stature. Look for a potential Warren/Cissoko combination following Trent's graduation. Tomorrow, Boubacar has got the starting nod as he has been the overall most impressive defensive player during practices throughout this week. Boubacar, as well as S Brandon Smith, have made the Rivals Hot 11 list because of their dominant performances during the All American Bowl practices.

There ya have it. Now you have an excuse to continue to be worthless for one more Saturday even though football season is over.

Pond Hockey.

New Year's Day's outdoor matchup between Pittsburgh and Buffalo is what the NHL needs. Intriguing matchups, national coverage, superstar players, record setting crowds, and hockey being played out where it began, exposed to the wrath of mother nature. I get the chills looking at pictures from this most recent Ralph Wilson classic because of the magnitude of what this means to the game. It takes me back to seeing the spectacles of the Cold War at Spartan Stadium, a game that I would've surely attended had I been a student at UM a little earlier. I still think a reciprocal game should be held at Michigan Stadium when the luxury box construction finishes up, ultimately, shattering the hockey attendance record once and for all. Bringing hockey back to its outdoor roots in the great outdoors is a truly special occurrence that has only happened a select few times, but is likely to increase in occurrence in the near future.

I am genuinely confused at the timing of this game. Scheduled for the most busy sports watching day of the year, and at the same time as three other major bowl games, the NHL is just asking to take a hit in television ratings. These outdoor games are a great tool for catching the eye of the universal sports fans, those who appreciate sporting at its finest, whether they are hockey watchers or not. National coverage gave everyone in this country an opportunity to see one of hockey's most electrifying players, Sid the Kid; an opportunity that only comes a couple times a year for those who don't live in the local Pittsburgh television regions. This was a perfect opportunity to spark the interest of casual sports fans who have long forgotten the excitement of the NHL. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, the traditions of new Year's Day college football overshadowed this monumental event in American hockey. Two weeks after the Superbowl would've been a much better time to market an event of this magnitude after the lures of postseason college and professional football are long gone. A step in the right direction, but it falls short on timing.

Oh Sweet Sweet Victory

What a perfect way to send a great coach into retirement. 4 turnovers aside, this was the fastest, smartest, and most physical Michigan performance in quite some time. Michigan came in and dominated a game where nobody had given them a chance. SEC speed my ass. The Big Ten now has a winning record over SEC teams in bowl games in the BCS era. Coaches made adjustments and concocted game plans that were unlike anything Michigan has run all season. I do not know if it was the extended period preparation or what, but this Michigan coaching staff pulled out all the shots against this great Florida team. Even though seen on television, I will never forgot the looks on Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer's faces when their demise was imminent. What a great day to be a Michigan Wolverine. These kind of victories make the pains and trauma of September a distant memory.

Also, this offense may be a snapshot into what we will see next season under RichRod.

Lastly, Taylor, Trent, Manningham and Arrington, LISTEN TO YOUR COACH!!!