Please Read...Michigan Needs Your Help

Thats right Michigan needs all the help you can give. They are in the final four of a competition at ESPN/EA Sports. The competition is a bracket type elimination that features College Football Traditions. The competition started with 16 of the richest college football traditions and the Michigan Tradition of touching the "Go Blue" banner has made the final four. They are currently up against the newcomer to the Big Ten, Nebraska's "Tunnel Walk". Lets all go vote and show Nebraska whos got the richest tradition in college football!!!! Dont let these corn-fed hucklebucks beat us go vote at www.espn.go.com/sportsnation/ . The other semi-final is Notre Dame touch the "Play Like A Champion" sign vs. Florida State's Chief Osceola and Renegade. Please go vote so we can show everybody what school has the best college football traditions. GO BLUE!!!!

A lot of you that read this blog know me. A lot of you don't have a clue about me. I am just like you. I am a DIE HARD MICHIGAN FAN! I love everything about Ann Arbor! I love the University of Michigan, the rich tradition, history, and now I am starting to be a believer in coach Hoke. Not too bad, #2 recruiting class so far. I like a lot of you, only knew of his name from the past, but as we inch closer and closer to the start of football season I am getting anxious. the class from last years 7-5 season and bowl loss are now 1 year older, with other schools seniors gone this opens up a "who knows season". What I mean by that is there are so many who knows that it could drive you nuts. I do have faith in Michigan's ability to get to a bowl game. I am going to give it a stretch and say there is a possibility that Michigan could go 10-2, but lets be serious. What are the possibilities of Michigan going 10-2? A more realistic number would be 8-4 with a bowl win. either of those would be acceptable to me considering we have a 1st year coach, and a changed offense, and new defensive coordinator. we have a promising schedule with 2 of our toughest games at the end of the season. Nebraska at home, and welcome corn huskers to the big ten, and that team down south of us who wreaks of filth and stench. You all know who I am talking about. Nebraska will put up a great fight for a big ten title. At the end of this season could be the greatest ending in a long time for the big ten if all of the teams picked to do well do what they should do. Michigan's season will be satisfactory. I hope all of the RR fans give Hoke a chance. Some say we just didn't give RR a chance, some say he had all the chances in the world. The bottom line is Michigan is and will always be Michigan. Those who stay will be champions. Those words do mean something. Denard Robinson knows this to be true. he saw RR's worst he sees the promises that Hoke is making and so far I would say Hoke is doing leaps and bounds better than I ever thought he would. Michigan will end up in the top 3-5 in recruiting when the 2012 class is done and that alone should make all the wolverines around the world giddy as a school girl. Think about this, he was able to put #1 class together in a very short time limit. Imagine what he will be able to do in the 2013 class. We keep this up and I can assure you that Michigan will be back to where it should be "Champions of the west" Now for a few predictions. Michigan's schedule is promising as I mentioned earlier with the first 5 games at Michigan looking to be positive I see a possibility of 5-0 with the possibility of 1 loss, then at Northwestern and Michigan State. I see the potential to win both of those games. Purdue for home coming I see a win. ending with Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and that team south of us. I see a possible 1 maybe 2 losses in the mix here in the last 4 game stretch. I would like to think we can win all 4 of the last 4 games, but I don't know much about Nebraska, Iowa, and no one knows whats going to happen to that team south of us. Now on to our arch rivals. That Ohio school south of us. Lets take a look at their schedule. Akron, Toledo, Miami Fl, Colorado, and Michigan state round out the first 5 games. Realistically I can see them winning the first game easily, but run into a road block with Toledo as they are returning a BOAT LOAD of people. Toledo is coming off an 8-5 season in 2010 (7-1 MAC), including an appearance in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl vs. FIU. The Rockets return 18 out of 22 starters, nine on offense and nine on defense. Among the returners are junior All-America wide receiver/kick returner Eric Page and four other players who earned All-MAC honors in 2010. Then comes Miami Fl who wants payback, do not overlook this game..I am looking forward to this game. Colorado, Hmmmm not sure what team will show up there. then you have Michigan state and Nebraska back to back......and the rest of the schedule. Needless to say Luke Fickell is gonna have his hands full with his first half of the schedule. I am so looking forward to this season. I feel Michigan is gonna look strong on defense and going to improve on offense, take us back to a top 15 team real quick! Lets all just hope and pray that everyone stays healthy

QB Austin Appleby out of the Michigan Mix

Another QB is off the board QB Austin Appleby is now out of the Michigan mix. Austin Appleby who camped at Michigan hoping for an offer has committed to Purdue.This was one of my favorite QB's. I thought he would have a chance if Michigan did not get Gunner Kiel. Austin Committed to Purdue so we can scratch him from the board. The top QB's are starting to make there commits and I can only assume Gunner will be making his soon. Michigan still has a chance with him but at the moment I don't think Michigan is his number one. Who knows at this point if the staff is really worried about getting a QB in this class with the pick up of Shane Morris they may feel they are ok. I personally would like to snag a QB prospect in 2012 just to be on the safe side.

Jarrod Wilson Narrows It Down!!!!!

Jarrod Wilson has narrowed down his college choices down to 2, UM and Penn State. Jarrod is a 6' 2" 190 lbs 4 star safety prospect in the 2012 recruiting class. According to his coach,former Michigan standout RB Ricky Powers, Jarrod will be making his announcement on Friday July 8 at 2:30pm EST. Can the Michigan recruiting train keep on rollin???? Keep checking back for further information on this and other UM sporting news.

Greg Garmon names top 5. UM in it.

Greg Garmon has put his top 5 out and Michigan is in it. If you don't know who Greg is, he is a top 100 prospect or 4 star recruit out of Pennsylvania. He is a 6'2 190lbs tailback who would join a college in 2012. In his Jr. year he rushed for 11 tds and over 1100 yards. The other schools in his top 5 are Illinois, Pittsburgh, Iowa, and North Carolina.

The U of M has drive!

The University of Michigan has a solar car team that started in 1989. It has won 6 1st place trophies in the North American Solar Car race. The 2012 North American race starts in Tulsa, Oklahoma and ends in Naperville, Illinois. The race is 1200 miles. The team has also finished 3rd place in the world solar car race in Australia 4 times; the latest was in 2009. The 2012 Australian race starts in Darwin Australia and ends in Adelaide Australia, 1800 miles from start to finish. The team is made up of all students from the University of Michigan, and they come from a variety of majors. According to their website, it takes two years to make each car, and once one if finished they immediately start on a new one.

The car team is broken down to 4 different areas; Engineering Division, Business Division, Strategy Division, and Operations Division. The engineering division builds the car and has aerodynamics and body, mechanical, electrical, and micro-electrical sub divisions. The business division does the advertisement and procures the parts that are needed to build these cars. The cars cost over 1.2 million dollars. The strategy division takes care of the performance of the car, weather issues and monitoring, and they custom design the computer programs that help harness and utilize the solar energy. The operations division does the shipping and takes care of the set up and operations of the base camp while in Australia.

If you’re a student at The University of Michigan, you can always try to join and help out the solar team. You just might have to take a semester off if you are picked to go to Australia (but who would turn that down), and since October is spring in the land down under, maybe you could count it as Spring Break.

I will be trying to follow the Solar team and the car Quantum on its journeys this year. #Go Blue.

http://solarcar.engin.umich.edu/about-us/
this is the website for the UM Solar team

http://www.facebook.com/umsolar#!/umsolar
The facebook page

@UMSolarCarTeam
This is the twitter account.

Michigan's 2012 Recruiting Class Ranked #2 by CBS Sports

In the first "official" rankings of the 2012 football recruiting class, Michigan has been ranked #2, even beating Florida, Florida St, and Miami (which have traditionally been considered to be recruiting powerhouses). Texas was #1

Though there is still a long time until signing day and a vast potential of new commitments and de-commitments, this is a great step in the right direction for Michigan. Obviously, Hoke and Mattison's recruiting blitz and stability in the coaching position appears to have lifted the team's ability to recruit, as Michigan was ranked #21 by Rivals for its 2011 recruiting class.

Being ranked #2 is never a guarantee for success, but I think #21 to #2 is a pretty significant step. When all is said and done Michigan may not be #1, but we are pretty likely to remain in the top 5 or top 10, which is great.

If you'd like to see the full rankings, follow this link:

CBS Sports

It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine and follow me on Twitter here:

Tom

How Will Darius Morris Fit in With The Lakers?

Last Thursday, Everything Michigan and More reported that Darius Morris was selected as the 41st pick in the NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Though most people have been excited about Darius' return to his hometown, a lot of the basketball fans have been wondering about Darius' role on his new team. He obviously had great success at Michigan, specifically last season where he was named to the All Big Ten Third Team by both the coaches and media and led the Wolverines one shot away from overtime with a #1 seeded Duke team in the 3rd round of the NCAA Tournament, but his NBA status is still unproven.

Though the Lakers' selection of Morris seems to imply the team's faith and hope for him in the future, he was selected in the 2nd round, where there are no contract guarantees. There is still a slight chance that the Lakers could bail on Morris, but this seems highly unlikely. In fact, I'd like to explain why I think Morris could do big things in this situation.

The Lakers do have a veteran point guard in Derek Fisher, but have little depth at the position outside of him. The Lakers' other point guards are Shannon Brown and Steve Blake. Three experienced point guards make the team seem to have considerable depth, but most speculation argues that Shannon Brown will test free agency, meaning that at least one spot would open up before next season for Morris.

So assuming that Brown will leave Los Angeles, which seems quite likely, especially with a new coach and a potential starting lineup shake-up for the team, that leaves Fisher and Blake "ahead" of Morris as of now. However, another fact about these players that is often overlooked is their age. Both have been fairly consistent over the past few seasons, but with both players in their 30s, there are no guarantees they won't hit the age "wall" in one of the next few years. With this in mind, it only makes sense for the Lakers to pull in a young point guard before they start losing too much depth at the position.

To me, Morris offers the Lakers a solid back-up for an aging position with a ton of potential. There were rumors that the Lakers themselves thought Morris was going to go higher in the draft, which shows that the team believes he can be a great player. So bottom line, the Lakers have shown considerable interest in Morris and their team will likely have the space required to effectively bring out some of Morris' potential; veteran leadership, some depth at the position, and the willingness to invest in the player.

Regardless, let's wish Darius the best of luck.

It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine and follow me on Twitter here:

Tom

A Big Thank You to Dymonte Thomas

The staff here at Everything Michigan and More would like to say a big "Thank You" to Class of 2013 RB Dymonte Thomas for taking 30 minutes away from his family to do an interview with us on our live radio show. He was a very good interview and we look forward to him hopefully choosing the Maize and Blue. Thank You Dymonte!!!!!!!!!

If you would like to listen to the interview you can click play on the radio at the upper right hand corner of our blog or click here: http://blogtalkradio.com/scottgromnicki

Happy Birthday James Ross

From everyone at Everything Michigan and More we would like to wish James Ross a Happy Birthday! Have a great and happy Birthday James!





GO BLUE!

Commit #18 Blake Bars commits to Michigan

Michigan's commitment train continues to roll down the tracks. On Sunday the Wolverines added a commitment from a four-star offensive lineman who had recently been on campus. The 6'5 280-pound offensive linemen from Nashville (TN) Montgomery HS.  Blake Bars commits to Michigan today. Son of former Notre Dame linebacker Joe Bars, Blake also had an uncle play for the Irish and a grandfather who played for Michigan State. Older brother is Penn State defensive end Brad Bars. He is our 18th commit if you consider the Clark greyshirt commit. What a great pick up !!!Michigan could have the best offensive line recruiting class in the nation this year if Kalis and Diamond drop for us. Hoke is a recruiting machine and his side kick Greg Mattison is just the icing on the cake. Congratulations Blake on a great decision.

Everything Michigan and More Goes Live Today!!!

I am writing this post for everyone that may want to listen to our Live show today but may not know how. There is two ways you can listen!
The first way is to click this link http://www.blogtalkradio.com/scottgromnicki

The second way is to click the play button on the radio at the top right hand corner of our blog it looks like the picture to the left..


Today we will have special guest Dymonte Thomas on our show at 6:30pm If you would like to call in and ask him a question there will be a phone number provided once the show starts. You can also listen to our archived shows below the radio. Just click on them.. Hope this helps.

Thank you for all your support and I hope you enjoy the show! GO BLUE!

Two UM Hockey Players Chosen in 2011 NHL draft

Goaltender John Gibson and Defenseman Brennan Serville were chosen this morning in the 2011 NHL Draft. Gibson was chosen in the 2nd round by the Anahein Ducks with the 39th overall selection. Serville was chosen in the 3rd round by the Winnipeg Jets with the 78th overall selection. These teams now hold their draft rights for 3 years.



Last season was the second season that Gibson (6' 3" 205) played for the under 18 US National Developmental Team.. Last season he recorded a record of 9-4-3 with a 2.38 gaa .926 save percentage that included 1 shutout.



Brennan Serville (6' 3" 180) has played the last 2 seasons for the Stouffville Spirit of the Ontario Junior Hockey League with career stats of 99 gp 6g 39a 45pts 54pim. During the 2010-11 season he appeared in 19 playoff games recording 2g 10a 12wpts and 54pim




I'm am looking forward to seeing both these players in action the winter wearing the Maize and Blue.

First 1,000 view day!

2013 commitment Austin Hatch and his family were involved in a tragic plane crash Friday

Well I never like to report bad news and this is the worst kind. 2013 Michigan commitment Austin Hatch and his family were involved in a tragic plane crash Friday. Austin Hatch, a junior at Canterbury School in Fort Wayne, remains hospitalized in Traverse City as a result of his injuries, authorities said. The crash killed Steve and Kim Hatch, his father and stepmother. We wish the best for Austin and hope he recovers soon our sympathy goes out to the family.

Happy Birthday Michigan prospect Bri'onte Dunn

From everyone at Everything Michigan and More!!!!!




 



We would like to wish Michigan prospect Bri'onte Dunn a Happy and safe birthday!!!

How does the OSU scandal affect the UM recruiting?

We, the Maize and Blue, have seen some interest from players who have previously been potential OSU recruits. Many of those are afraid to commit to a team that has a very real possibility to not have post season play for several years. As much as OSU has tried to spin things to make it look like they didn’t break laws, the legality of their actions are not in question at the moment, we are only discussing the NCAA rules. High school recruits know this, and now they are looking other places. UM has picked up interest from people who have said OSU was the top choice (prior to the scandals). Brady Hoke, who is in his first year of coaching our beloved Wolverines, has had much success with talking to the high school kids. The reason for this are; Michigan’s high academics, Michigan’s winning tradition, and having Mattison ( ex NFL coach) come aboard doesn’t hurt either. Hoke does not have to bash OSU or any other program as some have claimed, all he has to do is stick to facts. The facts are UM has a great recruiting class, he has worked on our weakness (defense), and he doesn’t bash. Hoke really does care about kids. How do I know, simple logic. Erik Magnuson followed him from California.

I have heard rumblings that Hoke is bashing OSU. I would like to hear this supposedly negative stuff Hoke is saying? Sports Illustrated is doing a lot to attack the Buckeyes, but where is the Hoke saying negative stuff coming from? The only people I hear saying anything are bitter OSU fans who haven't been able to take the reality that OSU has been breaking NCAA rules from 2002. The SI article, and the many that have followed, have never mentioned anything bad being said by any UM coach. Many fans of many universities have said things about OSU, including Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, and as far away as Arkansas. So to say that UM is negatively recruiting is both wrong and a cop out. Was Wisconsin negatively recruiting when OL Kyle Dodson committed to them, or Nebraska when they took DE Greg McMullen?

Why when a school gets caught doing something bad, they are in denial? Why can’t your team mess up? The fact is that OSU did something so bad, that a high school student can tell that it’s a major issue. Why do OSU fans not get what a high school student knows? I don’t know how to make people in denial face reality. I wish I could. Couldn’t the kids be turned off by the cover up, the lies, and the fact that they are looking for leadership? If you feel you can’t get it, wouldn’t you look someplace else? The kids are choosing to leave on the actions and words of OSU and its people in charge.

http://www.lostlettermen.com/6-23-2011-brady-hoke-negative-recruiting/
My post is in response to this post.

Go Blue

Jeremy Clark Commited to Michigan

Michigan has accepted a grey-shirt commitment from KY S Jeremy Clark. Jeremy has a 2* rating on scout. He's a consensus 6-4 (ESPN says 6-2), with two votes for 205 pounds and two votes for 185 pounds. Jeremy did very well at the Michigan camp so the staff gave him the greyshirt offer. The thing about this is Jeremy will have to pay for his first semester that being said I would say he loves Michigan. Clark has a full ride offer from Illinois but chooses to come and pay to earn a spot at Michigan!  OH S Jarrod Wilson spot may become open if he commits elsewhere. If that happens the greyshirt status may be lifted. Also because Jeremy is greyshirt status this does not effect Michigan's 2012  commit numbers. We are still at 16 commits for 2012. 

Grey-shirting:
While most people are familiar with the phrase "red-shirt" most people have no idea what a grey-shirt is.  In fact, the NCAA does not even acknowledge the term.
Here is how grey-shirting works:

1. A player commits to a team that is over-signed.
2. That player either doesn't go to school in the fall, or enrolls part-time and pays their own way.  They are not officially on the team.
3. In January of the following year, that player enrolls full-time and officially joins the team.  They are technically part of the recruiting class for the following year. 

Grey-shirting is a way for schools to skate around the recruiting rules.  It allows schools to over-sign, regardless of how many prospects they signed the previous year.
Every player has a five year window to play four seasons.  That window starts the second a player is enrolled in college full-time or are on scholarship.  Since the player is not enrolled full time and is not on scholarship, their "NCAA clock" has not started.
Once they join a team, they still have the full five year window and the ability to red-shirt if they so choose.
While grey-shirting, players are not on the team.
They can not practice or condition with the team.  They can not be given any advantage not extended to the normal student body.  Grey-shirts are not allowed at team meetings or functions either.  For all intents they are essentially, regular students.

 

Biggest New Impact Players of 2011

Well, I promised this article a few days back and I'm finally going to deliver. Instead of getting overwhelmed in the excitement of 2012 and some 2013 recruiting, I've decided to focus on the 2011 football season. Obviously, there are a lot of question marks going into next season on both sides of the ball and accurately predicting each player and unit's output is quite difficult this early, but I do think there are a few people on the roster that will likely change the team's dynamic from last season.

Defense

Overall, the entire defense is probably going to go through the most improvement of any unit over the off-season, but the unit that will probably improve the most is the secondary. The return of Troy Woolfolk alone is going to add a lot of depth and experience to a beaten up secondary from 2010. Troy was no Charles Woodson, but his 46 tackles in 2009 would have surely improved what many believe was the worst unit on the football team (though the kicking was pretty horrendous). Woolfolk missed all of last season due to an injury in the pre-season and his experience is going to have a huge impact on the defense.

Another player I expect great things from next season is Craig Roh. Mattison has already moved him to the defensive line instead of in a "hybrid" linebacker position and the Detroit Free Press reported that he is eating up to 5000 calories a day to bulk up for his new position. With Mattison's 4-3 defensive scheme, the defensive line should have much more of an impact next season and I think Craig Roh has the most to gain from these changes.

Though it may seem surprising that the best new impact on the defense next season could potentially be a returning player, I think this illustrates many of the problems with Rich Rodriguez's defenses at Michigan; plagued with injuries and coaching mismanagement. The constant changing of schemes and lack of depth (caused by a multitude of factors) made it almost impossible for defensive players to prosper. Mattison's new schemes should help players like Roh have a significant impact every play.

Special Teams

I think the obvious improvement from 2010 could be the pick-up of the kicking recruit from San Diego, Matt Wile. With the horror of the kicking game last season, or lack thereof, even the slight existence of a field goal threat will be an improvement. If this guy turns out to be the real deal and can make some decent kicks, the team is going to experience a significant gain. Instead of being forced to go for a ton of 4th down situations, the team can put some points on the board which could really help them stay close and win games.

Hagerup will probably also become a little more consistent in his punting and tone down his off-field antics, but Wile is probably going to be the biggest improvement from 2010, unless of course the rumors are true and Hagerup attempts to become the kicker as well, then Hagerup could realistically dominate all the kicking on special teams.

On a side-note, Stonum's loss is going to be a big setback for special teams as he was the first returner to have more than 1000 yards in Michigan football history. Granted, he did much less returning in 2010 and yielded fewer yards, his loss will impact special teams.

Offense

Obviously, the biggest question mark for the offense is Denard Robinson. Though I think the negative speculation is overblown and unlikely to come to fruition, Denard's prominence in a pro-style system is still unproven, so this will likely determine the success of the entire offensive unit.

Hoping that Denard can at least run the system with some effectiveness, I think Martavious Odoms is lined up for a improved season. With the new offensive scheme, there should be an increase in the total passing yards in comparison to rushing and with Darryl Stonum likely out for an extended period next year, someone is going to be needed to fill his the gap at wide receiver. Odoms may not pass other players stat-wise, he was actually behind Roundtree, Stonum, Hemingway, and Grady for receptions, but he did have the second-highest yards per reception on the team (excluding Terrance Robinson who only had one reception). To me this signals that he can be a big-time player, especially since he missed a huge portion of a season with a injury. Odoms was ranked as a 3 star recruit by Rivals in 2008, but he will surely have a better season stat-wise if he can finish the year without injury and with Stonum out.

The final player that I think is going to make a big new impact next season is Justice Hayes. He's a running back recruit out of Grand Blanc, Michigan and has some epic highlights. According to Rivals, he's a 4 star recruit and really only lacks in terms of size and strength. To me, if you are forced to have a downside, I'd rather be undersized than missing the speed and other skills. If he's able to bulk up a little over the summer and fall, he could be doing a lot of damage late in the season. The current running backs aren't bad, but none of them have made that leap from average or above-average to great. Until one of them steps up, I think Hayes will able to make a direct impact, unless of course he is talked into red-shirting, which I don't think is likely with the running back situation right now.

So there you have it, not very scientific, but hopefully done with at least a good bit of logic. I think there is going to be improvement almost across the board, but in review, here are my picks for best new impact players in 2011:

Defense:

Troy Woolfolk - S

Craig Roh - DE

Special Teams:

Matt Wile - K

Offense:

Martavious Odoms - WR

Justice Hayes - RB

Look for my next article where I'm going to follow-up on the recent post by Everything Michigan and more regarding the NBA Draft and the Laker's selection of Darius Morris. Most people know LA is Morris' hometown, but I'm sure people are wondering how much they will see Morris play next season (assuming there is a NBA season). As always,

It's Great to Be a Michigan Wolverine and follow me on Twitter here:

Tom

*Credit Jake Fromm and Michigan Daily for Troy Woolfolk picture

Darius Morris Drafted by Lakers

Darius Morris was just drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2nd round as the 41st pick in the NBA Draft. He was projected to be a late 1st round or early 2nd round pick so this is no surprise.

This should be a nice fit as Darius is originally from Los Angeles and will now be playing for his hometown team.

Best of luck and we'll enjoy watching!

Hail, Hail to Michigan!

In the following weeks all of you viewers have the opportunity to get involved with our Blog. We will be recording our sessions and uploading them to Youtube. We will also be hosting a LIVE radio show with Blog talk Radio. You will get the opportunity to ask us questions, you will hear us interview FUTURE Michigan athletes and many others. If you have certain questions that you would like asked during the interview please don't hesitate to send me an email at no1repoman@bex.net. As you all have seen our first interview will be with 2013 star Junior RB Dymonte Thomas. I am attempting to set up interviews with Gunner Kiel, Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson, and a few others. EverythingMichiganandMore.blogspot.com has hit a mile marker earlier than we expected. We have surpassed 10k views in less than 1 month. We are expecting our numbers to get higher the closer we get to the start of the football season. We will be headed up to the Big House sometime in the near future to do an episode at the BIG HOUSE. We will also be letting everyone know where we will be going to do some other Live shows. For the time being we will be doing all of our broadcasts from the Wolverine Lair here in good old Ottawa Lake, Mi.

Going Live with 2013 star RB Dymonte Thomas

I am Happy to announce that this weekend Sunday June 26th at 6:30pm. Everything Michigan and More will be going Live. We are working with Blog Talk Radio to bring you the latest in Michigan sports. This will be a 1/2 show. You can listen to it live here on our site. We will also take a couple phone calls from the Michigan nation! A live phone number will be posted along with the time and day!!

Our special Guest will include Dymonte Thomas. Dymonte is one of Ohio's best junior running backs a standout on both sides of the ball, the 6-1, 185-pounder amassed 1,488 yards and 18 touchdowns from his tailback post while splitting carries. Meanwhile, as a defensive back, he racked up 116 tackles, six sacks and two interceptions.We will be happy to have him on the show to talk about his interest in coming to Michigan.

You can read more about Dymonte in a recent article at:
: http://www.detnews.com/article/20110623/OPINION03/106230457/Ohio-athlete-Dymonte-Thomas-likes-MSU--but-U-M-is-No.-1-now

                     Sunday June 26th at 6:30pm

Happy Birthday Jack Miller

Everything Michigan and More would like to wish 2011 commit

Jack Miller A Happy Birthday

GO BLUE!!!!!

My top 10 Prospects to finish 2012 class

Ok there has been alot of talk about how many prospects Michigan will allow to commit. Hoke apparently has been telling recruits that he expects the class to get to 26. With that in mind we have 10 spots left. Based on the way we've been recruiting and giving out offers lately. This is how I think things will boil down for the rest of the class of 2012. At the QB spot I think we will get one and that is only if  Gunner Keil or Austin Appleby want to commit. RB I would take two here Dunn is the obvious choice and Garmon. At the FB position I would say none this year. Remember still a good chance we get both Dunn and Garmon and I am sure one could convert if necessary. OL is our next position and I would take three here and they would be Jordan Diamond, Kyle Kalis and Andrus Peat. WR is up next and I would take one and that would be Dwayne Stanford. DE we have alot already but I still would take two more and they would be Chris Wormley, Adolphus Washington. DT here is where I have a problem I like two but that would put me over. So Ondre Pipkins is my choice and Danny Obrien second. If we do not get the QB we want Namely Gunner Keil I say grab Obien and call it a day. I think we are set on the safety position so I would take none there.



QB - Gunner Kiel
RB - Brionte Dunn, Greg Garmon
FB - None
OT - Jordan Diamond, Kyle Kalis, Andrus Peat
WR - Dwayne Stanford
DE - Chris Wormley, Adolphus Washington
DT: Ondre Pipkins     *Danny Obrien (only if we do not get Gunner or Austin Appleby)
S - None
 

Everything Michigan and More broke 10,000 views

 AT 4:45 pm on 6/22/11 We hit our Goal!!!


Just over 3 weeks our brand new Blog Everything Michigan and More  has broke 10,000 views. This is amazing and I would like to thank all our Michigan fans for there support. And also all the the Ohio State fans that troll on my blog :)!!!! Yes all your prospects are coming to our side. "It's Hokeamania running wild Brother" GO BLUE FOREVER!!!

Michigan offers OHIO RB Alden Hill

Ohio running back Alden Hill (6'2", 220 lbs) was offered a scholarship after a great performance at the recent camp.

Notes: 2010: All-Ohio Associated Press Division III Offensive Player of the Year ... All-Ohio Associated Press Division III First-team ... All-Northeast Inland District Offensive Player of the Year ... All-Northeast Inland District First-team ... Repository All-Stark County Player of the Year ... Repository All-Stark County Player of the Year Division III-IV-V-VI ... Repository All-Stark County First-team ... NBC Player of the Year ... All-NBC First-team ... Already Marlington’s career (3,336), season (2,081) and single-game (279) rushing record holder. Has accounted for 33 TDs this season. Averages 8.7 yards a carry. Division I college recruit.

2009: First Team All-Stark County ... NBC first-teamer... All-Northeast Inland District first-teamer ... NBC's second-leading rusher with 1,130 yards and 14 total TDs ... Had 10 catches for 134 yards and 1 touchdown, 154 rushes for 1196 yards and 16 touchdowns ... 5 tackles



Alden Has his top 5 schools listed as Michigan,Illinois, Boston College, Vanderbilt, and Iowa now.

Another set back to THE Ohio State University

Sources are telling me that early this morning Kyle Kalis has informed the Ohio State University coaches that he is decomitting from the program. I'm still working on  the reports so please keep checking back for further information. I don't know about you but I find the timing of this announcement interesting considering that he has a visit scheduled this weekend in Ann Arbor with his friend Chris Wormley. Is this coincidence or is there some more info coming this weekend...only time will tell !!!!!!! Michigan is now listed as "High" interest while everyone else has a "Medium"

You can read more on this story at

http://ohiostate.scout.com/a.z?s=145&p=8&c=1&nid=5020577

Mr. Denard Robinson who took home "Breakout Performer of the Year" & "Most Dominating Performance"

CHICAGO, Ill. -- University of Michigan football claimed top honors in three categories during the fourth annual Big Ten Network Awards Show on Monday night (June 20)

DENARD ROBINSON, BREAKOUT PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

DENARD ROBINSON, MOST DOMINATING PERFORMANCE

MICHIGAN FOOTBALL VS. ILLINOIS, NOV. 6, 2010, GAME OF THE YEAR

It was a great night for Michigan football and the fans!

Congratulations to Denard and the Michigan football team for there performances in 2010!!

You can read more on this story at

http://bit.ly/BTNAwards

    

Chris Wormley and Kyle Kalis set to visit Michigan

Chris wormley

The recruiting boards are hot right now!! The word is Toledo Whitmer DE Chris Wormley and OSU commit Kyle Kalis are set to visit Michigan this weekend. Wow what a huge surprise! It was reported once all the turmoil at Ohio State occurred Kyle Kalis wanted to decommit but Luke Fickell talked him out of it. Kyle says he wants to check on different options. One being the University of Michigan. We might want to thank Tom Strobel for this visit since he was the one telling Kyle how great Michigan was. And as it turns out Kyle is not only friends with Tom but Chris Wormley too. I 'm thinking all three of these guys would love to play together. If Michigan could some how get these two great players to commit I would have to say it's an early Christmas present for me. I will be watching how this unfolds very carefully and keep everyone updated as soon as new info becomes available.

Kyle Kalis

If you would like to read more please check out Tom VanHaaren's post

http://t.co/PaITqSr 
















********UPDATE************



Report: Kalis says Wormley might have already settled on a college. Kyle Kalis thinks Chris Wormley is headed to Michigan. Everything is falling into place Michigan fans!! And can I say this I think Kyle is Following Chris there! GO BLUE!!!!

You can read more on this at
http://detnews.com/article/20110622/SPORTS0201/10622041

The Doldrums of Summer

As Michigan fans and students, many of us look forward to the annual spring game with a bitter sweet feeling. Bitter because we realize that it's the last time we'll see any of the big three sports programs in action until September, but sweet because we are able to dedicate an entire day to our Michigan football team. No outsiders, no trash talking, no opposing teams or bands to worry about. In actuality, the spring game should hold a special place in every fan's heart. It is one of the few times that a fan can view the school and a major athletic event through "maize and blue" glasses without stressing about the result. Everyone can set high hopes, but know that little actually depends on the outcome.

In the same sense, it signals the end of the school year for students. Sure, the horror of final exams proceed and follow the game, but it is the last event that the entire student body has to enjoy together before splitting up for the summer, and in the case of seniors, for life.

Last year, I remember several of my graduating friends commenting on the fact that this is the last game they would see in the Big House as an undergraduate student. Though they would return in a few weeks for the graduation ceremony, entering for a game and a graduation ceremony is an entirely different experience, and I'd imagine the difference is even more substantial for a graduate.

Now, to get a little back on topic, it has been over two months since we last saw the football team in action. I know I am not alone in saying that it has seemed far longer than simply two months. It seems as if everyday I search the Internet in a vain attempt to receive some detail that will hint at the football season to come, but instead receive little, if any, information pertaining to next season.

Sure, we have the recruiting updates and commitments, but for the most part, it seems as if this is the plague of college football. Fans are absolutely overwhelmed for a five month period, then left to the doldrums for the remainder of the year.

I think what I'm trying to say is don't be frustrated with this time, embrace it because in a few months we'll either be trying to study and go to football games or attempting to switch shifts for work so we can make it home to watch the game. Then of course we have basketball, hockey and the spring game to look forward to as well.

But in an effort to curb the "doldrum effect" of the summer, I'm going to try to break down what I think could be the biggest differences of the 2011 football team in comparison to the 2010. Sure, we all obviously know that Brady Hoke brings a lot of changes to the table, but what players are going to improve the most? Which new recruits will be able to make an impact out of the gate, and finally, what injured players could have changed and will change the team's dynamic. Look for it in the coming days,

It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine,

Tom

NCAA Enforcement (or lack thereof

When you think of the NCAA, does enforcement, integrity, fair play, or accountability come to mind? Those attributes are in the opening statement on the NCAA webpage on enforcement. How can the NCAA say they endorse fair play when they allow Ohio State University players to play after breaking the rules? How can they claim integrity when Cam Newton was permitted to play in a championship bowl while they were still deciding what to do to USC for a similar incident involving Reggie Bush? How can you say the NCAA demands accountability when they hold different schools to different standards? The NCAA is not doing its job, resulting in a feeling of entitlement that is running rampant through NCAA sports.

If the NCAA wants integrity, they have something set up with the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, WNBA and other major sports programs stating that if a NCAA student broke the rules a penalty would follow person to the professional level, thus possibly not allowing them to play! The NCAA only cares about one thing, and it right now doesn’t seem like it’s the “student athlete”, it seems like it’s the NCAA’s bottom line.

When the parent is part of the problem, then how do you fix the problems? The answer isn’t easy, nor is it likely going to happen. As long as the NCAA is making billions off of 17-25 year olds who most don’t have another place to showcase their talents, the NCAA holds all the cards.

Now we know that the NCAA has compliance officers who are supposed to oversee their assigned schools. How has this worked out? The compliance officer is paid for by the university, many of which get perks from the university (like free cars). Doug Archie, who is the OSU Compliance person for the NCAA, has had free cars (maybe from the same dealership as Pryor). How can the NCAA do its job when its reliant on the colleges to self regulate? Shouldn’t the NCAA have people on it’s payroll at each of it’s colleges? Even one supervisor that each college paid representative would have to report to would be a step in the right direction. The NCAA is as much to blame for the rampant cheating going on in college sports as the colleges and the athletes.

Ohio State University has had major violations for eight years, yet the OSU President Gordon Gee has stated from the outset that they have followed the rules, and that the OSU compliance department was doing a good job. How can you be doing a good job when you are being paid by the people telling you to cover it up? OSU claimed it did no wrongdoing, but the reality is they have committed one of the worse grievances in NCAA history, covered it up, denied it, then pretended it was an isolated incident. Even after the SI article, they maintained a level of innocence. Where was the NCAA’s compliance officer?

In 2006 the OSU basketball program was put on probation for three years. According to the NCAA if you get a second major penalty in any sport within 5 years, you are able to be hit with the Death Penalty.

“The repeat-violator legislation (“death penalty”) is applicable to an institution if, within a five-year period, the following conditions exist: Following the announcement of a major case, a major violation occurs and

• The second violation occurred within five years of the starting date of the penalty assessed in the first case. The second major case does not have to be in the same sport as the previous case to affect the second sport.
This is directly taken from the NCAA site. http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Enforcement/Process/Penalties

With OSU losing 2 NCAA Basketball scholarships for low Grades in 2009. With all of these factors if the NCAA had its own paid compliance officer, they would have most likely found all of these problems right away. I am using OSU as an example for many reasons, the first being they are part of the Big Ten, the second is that this is a perfect example of lack of NCAA control, and lastly its one of the most winning programs in football. If the NCAA can’t follow a program that has had major problems after major problems then how can you expect the schools themselves to do what the NCAA lets go on? The NCAA supposedly investigated OSU after the 2006 incident, and the 2010 one. They supposedly found nothing, yet SI finds evidence of things much worse. Did the NCAA really do any looking? NCAA needs to be looked into now, don't you think?

the photo is taken from the NCAA site.

Tate Forcier very proud of Elizabeth Wertenberger newly crowned Miss Michigan

With everything going on in Tate's life this is one bright spot.  Elizabeth Wertenberger Tate Forcier's ex girlfriend and still friends was was crowned Miss Michigan Saturday night in Muskegon. Wertenberger won $10,000 in scholarship money and she will be able to compete for the Miss America title in Las Vegas later this year.Congratulations Elizabeth and good luck at the Miss America pageant!


You can read more on this story at  • Related: Ex-Michigan QB celebrates with Miss Michigan

Michigan prospect Se'von Pittman commits to Michigan State

Se'von Pittman is a 6-5, 235-pound Weak-Side Defensive End from Canton (Ohio) McKinley. He is ranked No. 196 in the country by 247Sports. Pittman is the No. 10 recruit in Ohio and is the No. 16 Weak-Side Defensive End in the nation. Pittman has a 247Sports rating of 93, making him a 4-star prospect. Information from Bill Greene's Twitter

BillBankGreene Bill Greene

Se'Von Pittman to Michigan State. Big get for Dantonio.

 

A couple weeks ago It was rumored that Pittman tried to commit to the maize and blue but grades seemed to be an issue. Well today Se'von Pittman committed to Michigan State. Pittman would have been a great pick up for us but I think the Michigan staff is more likely to wait on Chris Wormley or Washington. Good Luck to Se'von I know you will be a great fit for that team.

Michigan basketball player Tim Hardaway Jr. makes the cut

USA Basketball announced today that Tim Hardaway Jr. made the cut for 2011 USA U19 World Championship team. That means that Hardaway will spend the next three weeks training in Colorado and traveling to Europe to participate in the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships. Congratulations to Tim this is a big event in the young players career. Tim has been working very hard to make the team. Now that he knows he has made the cut he can concentrate on winning a World Championship before getting back to business in Ann Arbor.
Team USA U19 Roster [link]

• Keith Appling – Michigan State
• James Bell – Villanova
• Anthony Brown – Stanford
• Jahii Carson – Arizona State
• Tim Hardaway Jr. – Michigan
• Joe Jackson – Memphis
• Jeremy Lamb – Connecticut
• Meyers Leonard – Illinois
• Khyle Marshall – Butler
• Javon McCrea – Buffalo
• Doug McDermott – Creighton
• Tony Mitchell – North Texas
• Patric Young – Florida

For more on this story you can read it at
http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-basketball/tim-hardaway-jr-makes-usa-basketball-u-19-roster/

To mascot or not to mascot….that is the question!

Once again someone thinks the University of Michigan needs a “live” mascot. This time it is our athletic director, Dave Brandon. I have seen Brandon portrayed as simply money hungry, yet in a Detroit Free Press article he speaks of instanced where Michigan fan youth are lined up to get their photos taken with the mascot from the opposing team. I personally don’t think I want a photo of my child in U of M attire with Sparty (actually I might, since my child was brainwashed by others, so seeing him in Maize and Blue in almost any situation would be preferable to scarlet and grey). If the parents are fans, the child may very well become a fan. A mascot may assist in that. Also, if the kids are fans the parents may spend to make their children look like fans. This is a heated issue, so what do I believe are some of the pros and cons?

The Pros:

Wolvie (my name for the potential live mascot) would be a great PR tool. Wolvie could attend athletic games, do great mascot stunts, and pose for photos with kids, young and old. He (I am also making the mascot a male) could also be hired out for corporate events. He could go to professional sporting events as a special guest. Story books, coloring books….the marketing (and income) potential is staggering. The more exposure Wolvie gets, the more exposure the school gets.

Wolvie would give select students an opportunity to become a mascot. It is a highly competitive professional field, so another opening would give a few more students a shot.

Wolvie could be the energy boost a crowd needs to reenergize their team.

Wolvie would be the face of the athletic department.

Kids love mascots. Kids are the future of the school. Get a kid to love the mascot; chances are the child will love the school. Maybe they will attend, but if not they will still spend their money on licensed (hopefully) items.

The Cons:

We don’t need it. The University of Michigan has a stellar reputation as an academic destination, and has a renowned athletic program.

We have a mascot already, sort of. We have the Wolverine. Although live animals were used for one year, we don’t need them. Photos and drawings have served us well. The tenacity and ferociousness of the wolverine are widely known. Great attributes for a collegiate athletic program and for the students study habits.

I really don’t know where I stand on this one. You could use the adage “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” The University would be no worse off without a live mascot. We have done pretty well so far. The university’s athletic department has stated it would be “unnecessary and undignified and would not properly reflect the spirit and values of Michigan athletics.” (1) The other side of the coin is I don’t think it would hurt anything. Tradition? Not really. U of M hasn’t had a live mascot BUT that really isn’t a tradition at all. It is just something the athletic department hasn’t wanted to do. Other schools have a mascot and do wonderful things with them. The Milwaukee Bucks mascot makes impossible dunks, and that hasn’t hampered the school. Brutus the Buckeye attends various events and it hasn’t hurt the image of OSU (other things have….yet I digress). It could generate income, which could provide more scholarships or more upgrades to the athletic programs, which could provide more recruits. I know, Michigan isn’t “other schools”…no we are not. We are an academic power house with an amazing athletic program, and so much more. But would having Wolvie really hurt the integrity of the school?

Brandon won’t be the first, nor will he be the last to propose a mascot. I’m sure the school will maintain it’s stance that they do not want, nor need, a live mascot. But are they right? I came up with more pros than cons, but I’m sure I’ve missed many on both sides of the coin.

1 http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/umosu/mascot.htm/


Guest blog by Dee.

Why Michigan?

Everyone knows that the University of Michigan is a storied football college, what many may not know is the high standard of academics that UM has. In the world rankings, UM is tied for the 15th best institution in the world. It has the 13th best reputation. The standards used are 30% Teaching, 30% Research, 32.5 Citation, 2.5% Industry Income, 5% International Mix. (1)

If you are an athlete why would you pick Michigan? The football team has 11 national championships, and is considered the Quarterback University. Our 9 time national championship hockey program just finished 2nd in the frozen four. The first team east of the Mississippi to win the softball national championship is UM.

Michigan has produced a US President who won 2 national championships in football, Rhodes Scholars, Marshall Scholars, a Field Scholar, Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Foundation award winners.


Michigan alumni have gone on to do some great things. Bestselling author Brad Meltzer graduated from Michigan. The famous actor, and voice of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones is an Alumni. President Gerald Ford was a Michigan Man, as is Ryan Drummond, the voice of Sonic The Hedgehog. Ann Coulter attended UM Law School. The entire crews of the Gemini 4 and Apollo 15 were alumni. The astronauts of Apollo even started the very first chapter of an alumni association on the moon, and they left a charter plaque to prove it. Our alum reach for the stars!

UM is a member of ORAU – Oak Ridge Associated Universities (full member). It’s a collaboration of universities that promote a better education, better healthcare, safer and cleaner environment, and advances in science (2). UM is part of Public Ivy which is a term coined by Richard Moll. Public Ivy is 8 public schools that lived up to Ivy League standards. (3)

The University of Michigan is a founding member of the Association of American Universities. They are 1 of 47 Biosphere Reserves in the USA. The University of Michigan worked with IBM to create the virtual memory architectural model back in the 1960’s. The University of Michigan, Michigan State, and Wayne State University founded the Merit Network, an intercollegiate networking system for sharing information on education, government, health care, and non- profit origination. The University of Michigan is also a member of the CIC (Committee on Institutional Cooperation). This is the members of the Big 10, and University of Chicago (who was a member of the Big 10 in the past).

UM has the 4th ranked undergraduate business program, the 7th ranked undergraduate engineering program, the 8th ranked undergraduate teaching, and is ranked the 4th public school over all. (4)

The schools grad rankings are: 14th best business school, the 9th best education, 9th best engineering, 7th best law school, 20th best medical school (primary care), 10th best medical school (research), 20th best biological sciences, 16th best chemistry, 25th best clinical psychology, 13th best computer science, 9th best earth science, 12th best economics, 13th best English, 37th best fine arts, the number 1 school in Healthcare Management, 7th best in history, 5th best in library and information studies, 5th best in math, 6th best nursing, 10th best nursing-midwifery, 5th best pharmacy, 11th best physics, 4th best in political science, 3rd best in psychology, 7th best in public affairs, 4th best in public health, 2nd best in social work, 3rd best in sociology, 12th best in statistics. (4)

If you are looking for a university with high honors, then Michigan should be among your top choices. No matter what your choice is, UM has a top academic ranking.
As a potential college student, why Michigan? The University of Michigan has a top notch sports programs and is an academic powerhouse. Ann Arbor is consistently top rated city. UM has a very large and influential alumni association. Being a UM grad opens many future possibilities and we have the best helmets in sports…

(1) http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-2011/top-200.html#score_CI|sort_rank|reverse_false
The World University Rankings.
(2) http://www.orau.org/what-we-do/default.aspx
ORAU
(3) http://www.ivy-league-online.com/public-ivy-league/richard-moll-public-ivy-2/ Public Ivy’s
(4) http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools
US News.

Stanford Not Coming This Weekend

Here is the update I have It looks like Stanford will not be coming to Michigan this weekend. This may be good news for everyone. As you may know usually Ohio WR Dwayne Stanford and his teammate Adolphus Washington usually take visits together. It was reported earlier this week that Washington could not make it to Michigan this weekend and Stanford was coming alone. Well now Josh Hemholdt is reporting that Stanford isn't coming to Ann Arbor this weekend. Standford is saying he will still try to make it this month. If that happens there may be a good chance Washington will to. For more on this story you can read at http://michigan.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=338&mid=145207826&sid=883&tid=145207826&style=1

 This story is behind a pay wall and you will need a membership!

Michigan v OSU hockey outdoors?

If you enjoyed the Big Chill at the Big House, you might enjoy this upcoming news. The University of Michigan and Ohio State University are working on a deal to play outdoors in Cleveland. Progressive Field only holds 43,000 people which is much smaller then the Big House, so its pretty much a lock for a sell out. How would this compare to watching a outdoor game in the Big House? I am sure it wouldn’t have the same feel, but playing OSU would more then make up for it. The Big Chill at the Big House is on record for the highest attended hockey game. Michigan has played in 3 of the top 10 hockey games in attendance (The Cold War 2001 at Sparty Stadium(3rd), 2010 Camp Randall Hockey Classic at Wisconsin Badgers Stadium (7th), and of course The Big Chill at the Big House in Michigan Stadium (1st)). I as a fan would love for a 3rd straight year if an outdoor game for the Wolverines. Outdoor games are fun to watch, fun for the players, and even good to watch on TV.

Huge weekend in Ann Arbor as prospects set to visit!

The following is a list of prospects visiting this weekend..This could be a very good week Michigan fans. I have a feeling we may get a few more commitments.

• Illinois OL Jordan Diamond
  
• Texas OL Trey Keenan
  
• Tennessee OL Blake Bars
  
• Arizona OL Andrus Peat
  
• Pennsylvania OL Chris Muller
  
• Ohio WR Dwayne Stanford  

  I will try to keep up the status best I can of how the visit went for each player. So keep checking back with us! GO BLUE FOREVER

The Ohio State news just keeps Coming!!!

I am a Die Hard Michigan fan but I live in Ohio. To be honest I get more news here about OSU then in the rest of the country. It is amazing to me how the media around here is willing to take down there own University. But, ok then I will roll with it. I love the sharks circling. The news is always fresh here and never gets old to me! I just sit back and smile. And think to myself ......WOW!!!  What fools! Your taking down your own team!!! And much more! Gotta love it!!! If you are a Michigan fan.
I will start today with some more turmoil involving Ohio State University. First I read several of Ohio State's athletic administrators workers are driving  courtesy cars that are provided by local car dealers, including the director of NCAA compliance. Ok I will just hit on this story for a second. I am sure other Universities allow this as well but I feel that this is not a very good practice if you want your players to follow the rules. "Practice what you preach Ohio State". This does not look good at all for Ohio State because more problems  may stem from this investigation. Talks of game tickets for cars are also spreading around the net. If this is true. The staff is no better then the players and I'm sure the truth will come out if that is the case. Bad...Bad...Bad... You can read more on this story at http://www.10tv.com/live/content/teninvestigates/stories/2011/06/16/stor...


 The next story that caught my eye was that Ohio State seems to be losing a lot of coaches lately. The latest to get out of Dodge is one of there Basketball staff. Hmmm What is really going on in Columbus?

 Brandon Miller, who has been an assistant to coach Thad Matta for six of Matta's seven seasons at Ohio State, resigned yesterday.You can read more on this story at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2011/06/16/0616-ohio..

On This story I will ask you one thing  What usually happens after a coach resigns? We will have to wait and see what this brings. But my guess is more news for me to write about! GO BLUE FOREVER!!