ND going after Texas recruits

I wonder how Coach Mack Brown of the Texas Longhorns feels about ND playing home games in his home state? Why would the NCAA allow this sort of thing...another traditional football power playing in another's backyard.

If I'm Texas and Texas A&M for that matter I'm asking questions. I'm also asking when I can play Michigan at Soldier's Field in Chicago on a regular basis. I think you get my point here.


Notre Dame, Arizona State to play in Texas in 2013
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Notre Dame and Arizona State will play in the new $1 billion home of the Dallas Cowboys in 2013.
The Fighting Irish and Sun Devils announced Thursday they'll meet Oct. 5, 2013, at the facility in Arlington, Texas.

Other events already scheduled for the building: The Super Bowl after the 2010 season, the Cotton Bowl after the 2009 season, the Big 12 championship game in 2009 and 2010 and a series between Texas A&M and Arkansas.

"Bringing the storied tradition of Notre Dame football to the new stadium in Arlington to take on a national power like Arizona State makes this an exciting day for all of North Texas," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a news release.

The complex with a retractable roof is scheduled to open for the 2009 season.

Notre Dame will be the home team for the game, which will give NBC the television rights.

Michigan should pay the 4 Million and move on

Think about this...we offered two coaches both of whom said "no" to the position of head coach. Then we go after a coach who as a substantial buy out clause but we won't help pay it off? I can understand this thinking for basketball but for football it should be a "no brainer." If you consider the amount of money the football program generates for U-M the payment of 4 million should be nothing. I just don't get why Bill is still letting this go on.


Fred Girard / The Detroit News
If Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez loses his $4 million court fight with his former employer, West Virginia University, his accountant has a firm idea of who should pay the money: Michigan.
The school should, "as an inducement to netting (Rodriguez) as a coach, make him whole on the transaction," including any taxes involved, his CPA, David A. Hammack, of Maumee, Ohio, said in a memo.
"This would mean not only fronting the $4 million payment to WVU, but also grossing it up for Rich, since the $4 million would be part of his first-year compensation," Hammack wrote to Rodriguez's financial adviser, Mike Wilcox, on Dec. 13.

QB-Keith Nichol won't play for Michigan

The "Huge Show" reported today that QB-Keith Nichol is transferring from Oklahoma to another school. The Huge Show today had Keith on this show to discuss why he left Oklahoma. His reason...he can't beat out Sam Bradford for the starting job so he's leaving to find a program more suited for his skills.

If you remember he was a MSU recruit but decided to leave for Oklahoma. He decided to play for Coach Stoops because he believed there was a good chance he could start. This all changed when Sam Bradford showed up.

It is highly unlikely that Keith Nichol will play for Michigan based on the two QB's who recently verbally committed to play in Ann Arbor. If he thought there was competition in Norman, OK he hasn't seen anything yet.

The reports I'm hearing place him at Cincy, Wisc, Purdue and or Western Michigan. I'm also hearing his younger brother is a pretty good athlete out of Lowell, MI and there's a good chance they could both end up playing at the same college.

Weis slams Michigan!

Coach Weis,

Are you serious? Please engage brain before mouth! Not a very good thing to say when you've been CRUSHED in back-to-back seasons by this Michigan Football team.

"I've always been one never to make excuses and not blow hot air and [believe] you back your words by your performance on the field," the Notre Dame head coach said at what appeared to be an alumni reception before or after the April 19 Notre Dame Blue – Gold game. "I think that's the message our team is going to [follow] on September 6 with San Diego State. I think the first opportunity we'll have to make a statement is that day.

"Then we'll listen to Michigan have all their excuses as they come running in saying how they have a new coaching staff and those changes. To hell with Michigan."

Whether that was a disparaging remark toward the U-M program or a plea for divine intervention after 47-21 and 38-0 beatings the last two years isn't entirely clear.

Michigan's new head coach not very popular with the current players yet

I recently ran into a person who has direct contact with a few Michigan football players. These players are now home for a few months before they need to return and get ready for the season. After getting past the usual questions my friend asked the players how they liked Coach Rod? Their response was one of utter disdain. These players who will of course remain nameless went on in detail how bad most...not all of the players on Michigan's football team are hating Coach Rod and mainly his personality.

Should we worry about this? I mean the guy is proving to us that he's very good in a recruits home in front of the parents right. Well I know he didn't get Pryor but Tressel had huge head start and more cash to offer.

I think the same thing happened in 1969 when Bo Schembechler arrived in Ann Arbor. The usual routines that most of the current players were used to weren't going to cut in any longer. It was obvious that Bo made changes for the better and also made decisions to show he was now the new general.

The disdain that the current players have will change when they see the results of their hard work. I'm not going to worry about whether or not the players like Coach Rod because these current soft players will be ready to play come this August.

#1 to a DB?

Hold your horses Braylon. If this J.T. Floyd plays on offense then we're OK? Right? My complaint here is we didn't use the #1 jersey the way it traditionally had been intended since Anthony Carter. It was meant to be used a recruiting tool and anyone who was offered the jersey was considered a highly sought after recruit...Mr Floyd was a four star recruit who wouldn't garner this distinction. We have to remember that Coach Rod has "been there and done that"...we must trust his judgement...we have no choice.


Who's No. 1 at Michigan? Not Braylon's choice
Angelique S. Chengelis / The Detroit News

The No. 1 jersey at Michigan has been associated with wide receivers since 1979.

So imagine the surprise of Braylon Edwards, the last Wolverine to wear the number and who has since endowed a $500,000 scholarship for the player who wears No. 1, when he learned an incoming freshman defensive back would have that jersey this fall.

Edwards, during an interview Tuesday on ESPN Radio's "Mike Tirico Show," was asked about the scene at Michigan under new coach Rich Rodriguez. He quickly stated his beef regarding the jersey.

"I'm glad you gave me a 'Go Blue' question, because Rich Rod gave the No. 1 jersey to an incoming freshman DB," Edwards said, sounding somewhat annoyed. "The No. 1 jersey has never been worn by anybody outside of a wide receiver -- it dates back to Anthony Carter, so I'm going to have a talk with (Rodriguez) about that next time I see him. But outside of that, he's been doing a great job."

Edwards did not return a call.

Sources indicated freshman defensive back J.T. Floyd of Greenville, S.C., had been given the No. 1 jersey. Edwards and Carter, however, based on a stipulation of the scholarship endowment, are to be consulted regarding the player who gets the No. 1 jersey.

Michigan officials said Tuesday they are just starting the process of issuing numbers to freshmen, and nothing has been finalized.

As for Edwards, he said Rodriguez should be expecting his phone call.

"He's getting that call soon, very soon," Edwards said during the radio interview. "We have a jersey scholarship fund for this whole deal. What is he thinking?"

No Pain, No Gain

Hey Barwis,

Let's not give away all of your secrets...You crave the spotlight to much. Do your job and keep quiet. Read below from Detnews.com



Ask Barwis what it is he's teaching, and you'd better set aside an hour just to listen to his detailed, breathless account. His speech pattern is rapid-fire as he launches into a mesmerizing dissertation of what he calls a multi-dimensional holistic approach to strength and conditioning.

Barwis and his staff stress:

• Olympic movements -- clean-and-jerk and the snatch weight lifting (lifting a barbell from the floor to locked arms overhead in a smooth movement). These moves help develop power, speed and strength and require accelerating a weight from a point below the hips to above. A strong core is critical.

• Plyometrics -- This type of training involves toughening tissues and training nerve cells to make muscles contract as long as possible in the shortest amount of time. It's all about quick, explosive movement. Plyometrics are used to increase the speed of muscular contractions, with the intention of increasing vertical jump or speed of a punch or throw.

• Speed training -- This involves a considerable amount of sprinting and changing direction, both of which are required in football. It helps develop a strong core, which stabilizes the body and helps with powerful leg and arm action. All he preaches is based on bioenergetics, a field of biochemistry.

"Everything we do is applied from sciences," he said. "If it's not scientifically sound, I won't use it."
Price must be paid

The training is intense. Tuesdays and Thursdays are nothing but speed and agility training. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are lifting, and the team conditions on Mondays and Fridays. The Wolverines run four days a week. While lifting only three days weekly might seem light, Barwis believes all the other work develops each player's control of the explosive ability of his body.

"It's a large variety of training," said Barwis, who has a degree in exercise physiology from West Virginia, where he ran the entire athletic department strength-and-conditioning program. "It's rigorous, I'm not going to lie."

The reward for Barwis, he said, is seeing the athletes understand the benefits of his approach.

"We hated it at first, thought we were going to die, but we're getting in shape, and our bodies are changing," senior cornerback Morgan Trent said.

When asked if he found the Michigan players "soft" when he arrived, Barwis was careful not to disparage Mike Gittleson, the previous strength-and-conditioning coach whom Barwis calls a pioneer in the field and one of the reasons why he has a job today.

"At the same time, he had a very different approach than I did," Barwis said. "They were more machine-based, more repetition. We do more dimensions of training. The kids physically had never been through these kinds of things before. They hadn't done much core work, plyometrics, balance, speed work, agility. But honestly, I'd say 95 percent of the places in the country don't do all that. It's a unique system."

Barwis is a firm believer in pushing the body beyond what the mind thinks it can do. He also wants nothing to do with individuals who feel a sense of entitlement.

"When we look at what we're trying to achieve, it's not about needing something or wanting something -- you have to work to get it; that's the bottom line," he said. "If you want something, you have to pay the price to be there. If you're physically and mentally pushing yourself to your limitations every day, when you get in that position in a football game, it's a comfortable place for you because you've been there every day. Whereas the opponent gets to that position where they feel fatigued, they're breaking down. They're uncomfortable. They want out of that spot. That's good. That's where we want to put them.

"We never try to weed anybody out, but some people don't want to pay the price to be where they have to be. Some people assume that in life they'd rather be the person who just wants something rather than the person who goes and gets something. Working as hard as you can possibly work to achieve a goal is not for every person and that's OK if that's the decision they make. I can't control that. We have to have the right kids, with the right attitude, who want to work. You're going to see kids fall out of there because they don't want to pay that price. The kids that do will be successful. Bo (Schembechler) coined a phrase, 'Those who stay will be champions.' It's probably the most accurate phrase you can have."

Sims top recruit in State of Michigan to play basketball

This hurts because Dion was a Michigan lean but maybe we'll still get him for our hoops team? As we get closer to football season Dion could change his mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Balas
TheWolverine.com Senior Editor

Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary's two-sport standout Dion Sims is one of the more coveted football players in the country, rated as the No. 123 overall prospect by Rivals.com, but there are plenty of basketball coaches who would love to see him in their uniforms too. Though not ready to offer a commitment to a school just yet, Sims did reach one conclusion about his future Friday night, and it was somewhat of a surprise.

The four-star wide receiver prospect told TheWolverine.com he's a basketball guy first, and ready to act like one.
"I have a lot of schools interested in me, but I'm pretty sure I want to play basketball (in college)," said Sims after his R.E.A.C.H. Legends team dropped a three-point decision to Mean Streets – a Chicago team coached by former U-M receiver Tai Streets – at the Spiece Run-N-Slam All-Star Classic Saturday morning. "I'm trying to focus more on that. I'll still play football in my senior year, but I think I'm going to lean a little bit more toward basketball."

Weeding out the football offers from the genuine basketball offers will be the task now. Dozens of schools throughout the country have inquired about football, but those interested in him as a basketball player first will move to the top of the list.

"I like Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, UCLA, Florida, Miami, Tennessee, Georgia and others," said the soft-spoken Sims, noting he'd talked to both Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez and head basketball coach John Beilein recently. "I'll probably take visits some time this summer, as soon as possible. It will probably happen after camps and stuff."

It took some soul searching, along with some input from R.E.A.C.H. coach Marcus Webster, to turn his back – at least temporarily – on the football interest, but Sims played like he wanted it Saturday morning.

"He showed a little more fire," said Webster. "We took away the jump shot … he didn't take too many jump shots. He's in love with the perimeter shot, so I challenged him to take the ball to the basket, and he did. He punished some guys with his size and strength. He took the ball to the basket, hit a couple mid-rangers and played with a little more fire, which I need him to do … that and be a little more vocal. I need my kids to talk more. They are still relying on me to do too much of the talking.

"He's kind of making a commitment to giving a real push to basketball, so that's what he's concentrating on. Everybody's been asking if he's going to do football or basketball; he's going to do basketball, if the offer is right. We had a long talk about this last night. I said, 'If you want people to consider you a basketball player, let's concentrate on playing basketball. Let's not be a football player playing basketball.'"

Sims realizes there is money to be made if he pursues a football career, Webster noted, but the challenge to secure the basketball offers he covets is just as enticing at this point.

"I just told him the football offers are easy to come by," Webster said. "Basketball offers are harder to come by because basketball scholarships, schools may have two or three, maybe one in a year depending on the situation. Football you can have anywhere from 15 to 25.

"Everybody's interested in him for football. He's 6-5, 6—6 and runs a 4.5 or 4.6 40. But he can do a lot more on the basketball court, so he's trying to concentrate on that right now and put his heart into that, see at the end of summer where everything is. If he has his choice, he'll play basketball."

Meet the Beaver

Posted by John Heuser | The Ann Arbor News

Caught up with Wichita Falls (Texas) Rider High School football coach Scott Ponder on the phone to chat about quarterback Shavodrick Beaver. The quarterback committed to Michigan's recruiting class of 2009 earlier this week.

Beaver led Rider – a school with about 1,800 students – to a 12-2 record and a state quarterfinal berth last fall. A starter on the school's varsity basketball team since his freshman season, the 6-foot-3, 177-pound Beaver is the second prep quarterback in a week to pick the Wolverines. He's ranked as the No. 176 player overall by Rivals.com, and judging by the enthusiasm of his coach, he's something special on and off the field:

Q:What's Shavodrick like as a quarterback?
SP: He's an exceptional quarterback, and he's done a great job for us throwing the ball down the field and running our spread offense since he was a sophomore. He's a talented runner, he's tall and rangy and can really move around in the pocket.

Q: When did Michigan start recruiting him?
SP: Oh, it was about the last month.

Q: Which coaches from Michigan visited?
SP: (Quarterbacks coach) Rod Smith was here and the linebackers coach (Jay Hopson) the week before that.

Q: What did you think of what they had to say?
SP: I thought it sounded great. Shavodrick's a kid that can really fit their system, judging by what they did when they were at West Virginia. He's not just a running quarterback, he can throw the ball down the field. He threw for more than 2,600 yards for us last year.

Q: What's he like as a person?
SP: He's got a lot of charisma, he's the leader of the team. He was elected a team captain last year as a junior, and has a lot of great leadership qualities. Kids kind of gravitate around him. He's definitely the trigger man for our offense.

SP: Which other schools were interested in Shavodrick?
SP: He was high on TCU. He was also offered by Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Arizona, Utah. There were a lot of them.