Michigan Friday: Public Notice

Big House Blog readers I have a public announcement, the college football regular season is over.  This Saturday sneaks up on me every year because it feels like a regular college football Saturday.  There is a college Gameday but only one game, the traditional Army - Navy Game.  No need to check the schedule to see what games you should watch in the Noon, 3:30, and Primetime windows.  No need to set up your meals and snack schedule around the Michigan game.  No need to pick your be your flip over games in every window, so you don't have to watch commercials.  

This is one of the saddest days of the calendar, sure everyone loves Army - Navy but it's a sure sign that the season is complete.  I have a solution for future years!

Start the Non-Power Conference Playoffs this Saturday.  Yes, we need to work on the name.  America would tune in and it would also keep college football rolling.   Give me JAX State vs EMU, Costal Carolina vs. UNLV, and so on.   It would be MACtion at an extreme level. 

• John U Bacon says that a 5 year, $55M contract is in front of Jimmy right now and all he needs to do is sign it.  This makes a ton of sense for a number of reasons.  1 - the NFL season is winding down and Jimmy will be a candidate in every opening in media reports, even if he isn't.  2- Michigan is currently #1 in the nation, with 3 Big Ten Championships in a row, and 3 wins over Ohio State.  3- Locking up Jimmy will really help recruiting with a signing day in two weeks.  4- Nobody wants to work for David Tepper.   Put pen to paper Jim! 

• Manny Diaz has taken the Duke head coaching job.  He was Penn State's DC and the former head coach of Miami.  Manny is back in the ACC.  It's amazing to me that there wasn't really any big name coaching hires this off season.   

• Michigan will open the 2027 season against Buffalo

Monday Madness: Cher's Son/Daughter becomes Charlie Weis

As we all know, this probably is not the best week in the life of Charlie Weis. His fate at ND, will most likely become public in the next couple of days. With the reports he has stopped recruiting and maybe has cleaned out his office, it seems the writing is on the wall. Or if you watched ESPN in the last week, the writing is being reported 24/7.

With that said, I found this story interesting. Sunny and Cher's daughter Chaz Bono has decided she is more comfortable being a Man and has gone through a process to make that change. What is disturbing to Notre Dame fans is that she has decided to become Charlie Weis. Your not sure? Check out the pictures below and make the call! Who is Who?

If ND decides to keep Charlie, just think of the recruiting possibilities! He could be in Florida and California at the same time! No word if Chaz will have a "schematic advantage" with her change.

Update: Charlie has been fired. Surprise! Charlie has told friends that he has been contacted by 6 NFL teams about being their offensive coordinator next year. Hello Lions!

Best Golf Courses in Northern Michigan

I'm going off topic today to bring you the much anticipated yearly post on the best golf courses in Northern Michigan that we all can play. So that leaves out top rated courses like Crystal Downs and other private clubs.

The only other caveat to making the list is, I must have played the course. Which leaves out at least two contenders for sure; Black Lake and Tullymore.

1. Arcadia Bluffs: (pictured above) Is frankly a no brainer. This course is the Pebble Beach of the Midwest and has everything you want from a golf course; beauty, challenging design, wind, fog, short pins, and fast greens. This is a must play for the avid golfer. Just go and play it.


2. Bay Harbor: The reason I picked Bay Harbor #2 is just the beauty of the place. I'm not a big fan of the Boyne Resort courses but this one is a step above. The views from this course is only rivaled by Arcadia Bluffs. A great design on a great plot of land. Stay at Boyne get a package and upgrade it to play this course. The rooms with the hot tubs are worth the extra cash!


3. Forest Dunes: Has the fastest greens in Northern Michigan. They are US Open fast. It's a hidden gem but sort of freaky driving back into the course with all the tree's gone on the drive in. This course is in the middle of nowhere, so make sure you have enough gas and you don't book your second 18 of the day too close to the time you should finish. If your staying in Gaylord, this needs to be on your lineup. Bug Spray is a must!


4. The Bear: You know the Bear has been one of the best courses in Northern Michigan for decades and still has the right to be on the list. If you can go shoot in the high 70's at the Bear with the wind blowing you have got game. It's a classic Nicklaus course and plays like it.


5. The Jones at TreeTops: You won't see the Jones on many of these list anymore, like the Bear it's time on the top as come to an end with the other high profile courses in the area. But the Jones is a course you need to play if you haven't had the chance. Sure the other TreeTops courses maybe ranked higher but the Jones is a Classic. Make sure you tee off from the Blacks on #3 and take your camera for photo opportunity on #6.


6. The Fazio at TreeTops: Is the perfect resort course. It has wide fairways and very well kept up. If your group is tired of playing Northern Michigan course that are as tough as nails, take the Fazio for a spin and enjoy the ride.


7. True North: Is a good course if you can find it. It's a newer design and has some nice holes. The only problem with it is, I saw a snake on #1 (and I hate snakes) and was pretty much done for the rest of the round. Also #18 is just a terrible design, it's a par 5 and you can hit two shots in the middle of the fairway and still not see the green. The circus nature of 18 makes this course barely on the list.


8. Sundance at A-Ga-Ming Resort - This is a newer course and a nice design. It has some growing to do, but it's a good layout and a pretty good value. Play Sundance but skip the sister Torch Lake course next door.


9. Three Tops at TreeTops - This course is ridiculously priced for a par 3 course, but it maybe the best par 3 course in the country. It's a great warm up round before playing another TreeTops North course. It's fun, so work out a deal and play it.


10. Black Forrest - This is a difficult course and not maintained up to the standards it should be . If your looking to challenge your game, this is the course for you. Tied for #10 is Tribute-Otsego Club: This is a solid Gaylord course with a nice design. This is a good course, but not a "special one". If your doing a stay and play in Gaylord, put this one on your list.

Memo to Golfers heading North for the 4th:

The courses in Northern Michigan are struggling, please support them or they won't make it to next year.

Take lots bug spray. The bugs are bad this year.

Buy a package deal. These resorts are basically giving away the room if you play golf.

Courses that you should take a pass on:

Lakewood Shores Gailes: Tried to make it Links style course with very little yardage markers.

The Chief: Tried to make a course as hard as possible. If you want an amusement park, go to Disney.

Pick your Boyne Courses wisely: There are decent ones and average ones at best.

Thursday's Thunderdome of Information

• William Gholston, 2010 DE recruit from the state of Michigan had this recently to say, "My biggest offers are from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois and Notre Dame." "What's important to me is how comfortable I feel on campus, what the environment is like, and how I feel about the coaches. Like if I have a really good feeling about the coaches, I want to see if they can help me and do something with me. Academics and location don't really matter to me, because I think I can find what I want to major in at basically any school, and location is just not a factor at all." I added the bold and it doesn't look to good for the Wolverines who would be close to home and offer top flight academics. William is planning to attend Junior Day on the 13th of this month.

• ESPN hints that Justin Boren might be OSU's best Offensive Lineman. Where did all those 5 star lineman go? That's right, sorry I all most forgot.

• The OSU athletic department has revenues that equal about a $100 million more a year then Toledo's AD. To help that delta, the Toledo Athletic Department is charging a $100 cover charge for the Toledo-OSU game at Cleveland Browns Stadium next year. This charge will be on top of the regular ticket price. Which in turn, will create about $5 million for Toledo and only a $1 million or so for the Buckeyes. Boy, I'm sure glad I didn't have to pay $200 more to see Threet throw that 100 yard pick 6 last year.

• Big House Hockey: It's happening and against Michigan State on Dec. 11, 2010. I can't wait to see the marching band, "take the field" on the ice. One scheduling conflict that no one is talking about is: What happens if Michigan makes the NCAA Football Playoffs that year and is hosting a home game? I know, that is one big conflict!

• Do you want to follow Michigan Baseball? Well, Varsity Blue is a great place to get your fix. Michigan is currently 7-2 through their Florida swing and take on the Mets this Sunday.

Fast Friday Michigan Update

• Top College Sports Town: Forbes.com ran an article listing the top college sports towns and Ann Arbor came up #1. Of course it is!



• Michigan Basketball: Remember the must win that didn't happen on Tuesday, well Michigan plays Northwestern this Sunday and of course it's a must (fill in the blank). Tip is at 3:00 BTN



• 2010 Slot WR Recruit: From Pahokee, Florida, De'Joshua Johnson, doesn't have Michigan in his top 5. He is listing WVU, Miami, Florida State, South Florida, and Alabama.



• Kirk Ferentz signed a new 7 year deal.



• Steve Stripling: Don't be fooled by hair replacement guy with the tag line "I'm not just the President, I'm a client". This is the former U of M Defensive Line coach under Lloyd Carr. Steve has taken a job with RR's close friend Butch Davis at Central Michigan as their associate head coach-defense and Defensive Back coach. Here is a picture of Steve, maybe he should call the "other" Steve. Never mind.

• Dugan's Brother: Dan Fife is the head basketball coach at IPFW and is only 29. You might remember Dan when he played at Indiana.

• The State of Michigan is loaded with Dual Threat QB's in the class of 2010. The headliner has been Devin Gardner but Robert Bolden might have something to say about that. Robert is also 6"4 200lbs. Here is what an analyst from Scouts had to say about Robert: "He's very smooth and polished," said Scout.com Midwest analyst Allen Trieu. "You watch him on his drops and his release, and it's very effortless. He probably has the best mechanics of any quarterback in the state. He's a good athlete that can run, but I like that he prefers to be in the pocket." "Bolden is more polished than Gardner or Boisture," Trieu continued, "but he has a different style from both of them. Gardner is more of a true dual-threat and Boisture is more of a gunner." Robert does hold an offer from The University of Michigan.

• Per Mgoblog and Varsity Blue: Here are the numbers for the already enrolled freshman: "Big Will" Campbell #73, Vlad Emilien #5, Tate Forcier #5, Mike Jones #27, Brandin Hawthorne #7, and Anthony LaLota #90. (you can have duplicate numbers, they just can't be on the field at the same time)

Thursday's Pot Luck of Michigan Information

• Do you remember QB Lee Mondol? I guess he was a Wolverine at one point and then transferred to Ventura College and now is joining South Dakota State. Good for him, I guess. I don't remember this kid at all.

• Is Michigan still looking to add to the 2009 class? The answer is yes and maybe this kid could be a candidate: Larry Raper, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound three-star wide receiver/running back from Shelby, NC. He says he’d like to sign with either Michigan or East Carolina, but neither have offered. “I know that Michigan has been talking to my coach a lot recently,” Raper said. “We sent them some tape and they are checking that out. I’m not sure how many offers they have left but they are recruiting me so they must be interested. If they offered me I’d sign right away.” Scout.com’s No. 61 wide receiver in the country says the Wolverines are recruiting him as a cornerback/athlete.

• U of M Baseball will retire Jim Abbott's #31 on April 18 before a game against Michigan State. "It is truly an amazing feeling," Abbott said in a statement released by the university. "When coach (Rich) Maloney called to tell me, I was speechless. I never could have imagined this happening. For me, going to Michigan was such a proud accomplishment. Being able to wear that jersey and represent the university was so fulfilling for me. I had such a great experience at Michigan and to have them do this for me is beyond words."

Buick and Tiger Woods End Their Relationship

After 9 years of Buick and General Motors sponsoring Tiger Woods, GM announced today they are ending the contract between the Automotive Giant and the Sports World Giant.

GM said in a statement today that it is looking to reduce costs, and that the star golfer also wants more personal time as he expects his second child. GM’s vice president for North American sales, Mark LaNeve, says the separation is the result of discussions earlier in the year and is not related to the company’s campaign for $25 billion in loans from the federal government.

Two things to consider here:

1) If Tiger Woods cant' help you sell more cars, who can?

2) It's not related to the $25 billion buy out loan? It freaking better be! If you are asking the US government for $25 Billion you better re-think the millions of dollars you are giving golf's superstar to put your logo on his bag.

Tiger had no comment on being relieved not to have to drive a Buick any longer.

Michigan Football 2008 Whose to Blame?

Welcome to the Big House Court Room. I'm Judge BigHouse Bob, I will hear arguments today on whose to blame for the Michigan season of record 2008. Will each defendant please identfy yourself and quickly state your case?

Good Morning your honor, I'm former head coach Lloyd Carr: I recruited Sam McGuffie and a number of this years freshman. I also left a team full of talent that really hadn't seen any playing time. I ran a Pro Style offense and had a coaching philosophy to not lose games, which constantly got Michigan 8-9 wins a year. We would have struggled this year if I had stayed on as head coach with a trip to the Music City Bowl. I'm clearly innocent of this crime against the Michigan Program.

Hello your honor, I'm current head coach Rich Rodriguez: I have only been here 11 months and just recently found the best route to get to the stadium from my house. When I took over this team, we didn't have a QB and a bunch of guys suited for another system. I have won at every school I have been at but always had a terrible record in year 1. I do have to be honest, I did make some mistakes in play calling and with the current talent level but we will have that fixed next year for sure. I have had two really good recruiting classes and the future is bright. I'm for sure not guilty of this crime against the Michigan fan base.

What up your honor! I'm Ryan Mallett: Oops I just dropped the good book (sorry). I transferred in January because Mike Barwis really scared me. The only thing that I lift is beers with my buddies. I prefer a system that throws the ball 80% of the time and considers a good work out a trip to the whirlpool. How can I be guilty, I wasn't even on the team?

Sorry, I'm late your honor, I wasn't aware which side of the room I was supposed to sit on. I'm defensive coordinator, Scott Shafer: I took this job last winter and was really excited to have a chance to lead a defensive group with an experienced defensive line, young linebackers, and talented defensive backs. I expected this unit to dominate this year and we really haven't, due to some formation changes and some personnel mental lapses. We were just on the field too much. Of course, It's not my fault the offense didn't score enough points.

Judge BHB: Calvin Magee, Stevie Brown, Nick Sheridan, anyone who turned the ball over on specials teams, Stephen Threet, and The offensive line. You all are excused from this hearing and free to go due to the lack of experience and evidence (I guess there was some type of shredder incident?).

Judge BHB: Now on to my final verdict: After reviewing all 11 games so far, it's easy to say this team at times has looked lost on both sides of the ball. The offense is somewhat understandable but there is no excuse for the defense. Michigan at one point or another was winning every game (except against Notre Dame) but couldn't hold a lead or score when they needed to. There is also no excuse for losses against Toledo and Purdue.

So this leads me to my final verdict on whose to blame for the worst year in the history of Michigan Football. The above defendants all played a role in this ridiculous win loss record of 2008. But at the end of the day there has to be one person holding the bag for everything that went wrong this season. That person is head coach Rich Rodriguez, as I'm sure you have implemented a lot of good things this year, I feel you have mis-managed your talent and your team has underachieved.

This court understands that the above defendants and conditions did not equal a championship team or even a top 25 team, but it is expected that Michigan will be in a bowl game every year. Losing records are not permitted in these parts and a bowl game in 2009 is not only expected but required.

This court is requiring you to recruit your backside off from today until signing today, use snake oil if you have to. You also need to reflect on this past season and learn from your mistakes, make sure your defense is in position to make plays and not give games away as you slowly implement another new Freshman QB. Make sure Scott Shafer is the man for the job, his unit was supposed to be the strength of the team and it clearly wasn't. There is no excuse for 3-9 ever in Ann Arbor, this is not West Virgina, or Tulane, it's the win-est program in the history of college football. You sir are now in the Michigan family where winning is the only option.

This case is adjured. Now start your off season.

On a side note, I will clear this judgement if there is some way you can make magic happen on Saturday. If not, you will be required to stay at Hotel 6 and Red Roof Inn's on every recruiting trip. They will keep the light on for you.

Get Ready For Some Rule Changes This Fall

Every year we get a couple new rule changes in college football. This year is no exception. These new rules will mimic the NFL rules changes and will have an outcome on the way your favorite team celebrates, make tackles, and manage the clock. Here are some of the rule changes and my takes:

• Sportsmanship and Show Boating will now carry a 15 yard penalty. I understand this rule but it does take some creative fun out of the game. A college kid shouldn't go Chad Johnson, but he should be able to have a little fun. So I am afraid this penalty is going to be called way too often.
• Contact initiated by a defender with the crown of his helmet. This is a good penalty and is keeping safety in mind for both the offense and defense, my hope is they don't call a penalty on every big hit. This should only be called when the defender leads with his helmet.
• The Belichick Rule: No video taping the other team personnel. Good rule.
• All Face Mask penalties are 15 yards. No more 5 yarder. I like the 5 yard penalty and thought all face mask shouldn't be personal foul. Guess how many 3rd down stops are going to result in a 1st down? A lot!
• New Replay Rules: Certain field-goal attempts can now be reviewed, instances where a player is ruled down and a loose ball is immediately recovered, instances where a player is ruled out of bounds when he immediately carries the ball across the goal line.
• Head coaches now will retain a challenge if their initial challenge was successful.
• The Clock is one of the biggest changes for this season. The old system was the 25 second clock was started when the ball was ready for play. The new rule is a 40 second clock that will start as soon as the play is called dead. The clock will start automatically and you have 40 seconds for the ref to spot the ball and get the play off.
• With Two Minutes left in the half or the game, the play clock will start at the snap of the ball. Hopefully, this will let more teams get off more plays in under two minutes.

Should be interesting to see how these rules change the game. The clock change should have a big impact.

Inside - Out: A closer look at Michigan's new Jerseys

Here are some photos that show the inside "traditional" items that Adidas put into their new Michigan uniforms. The shoulder pad photo (which is a little hard to read) are the Big Ten Champions years.

Should Terrelle Pryor Red Shirt at OSU?

Yes, media days have come and gone and we are still a week away from camp opening when we can officially start rumors about who is looking really good at WR or this guy got hurt and maybe out for the year.

With that said, us Bloggers of the world have to look for posts anywhere we can find them. Well, one of the stories coming out of Media day was that Ohio State is looking forward to seeing what Terrelle Pryor can do on the field. I will attempt (yes, a Michigan Blog) below to make my case why TP should sit back a learn this year, let's see if you agree.

Case for TP Red Shirting:

• He can quickly learn his school is actually the Ohio State University and not UOS.


• He can learn behind a two year starter who lead his team to the National Championship game and may end up in the Arena league next year. (Columbus even has a team!)
  
• He would have 4 years to match up against Michigan's 5 Star QB Kevin Newsome.


• He will be one year farther away from the below picture (TP, try putting just one sock in your pants - you don't need four or five pairs - also 2 guys shouldn't be that close to your junk). Dude, I know your a freshmen and all, but come on your the #1 recruit in the country! (same goes for you Keith Wells - pictured to the right)

Case for TP playing:

• Boeckman and Pryor could go Leak and Tebow. Pryor could learn that great jump pass.


• If TP is really that good, he will only be in Columbus for 3 years anyway.


• With Youngstown State, Ohio, Troy, Minnesota, and Northwestern on the schedule, TP could get allot of exposure on the Big Ten Network.


• If Boekman continues his throwing troubles from last year, TP may end up the starter by the USC game.
• Boekman was a gray shirt and look how things turned out for him! (shouldn't gray shirt be renamed Grey Vest at UOS?)
  

What does the Vest have to say about all of this: "We always say, regardless of the position or what year someone is, you get as your work deserves," he said. "If Terrelle deserves to rotate in at quarterback (he will). The only little difference is at quarterback, there's a rhythmic thing to work out."

With both cases made, I think TP should sit out this year. For one, it is really going to be hard to play football with shorts like that. Second, Boekman has had the off season to learn and has stated he is going to hand off the football to "Beanie" as much as possible.

Future OSU Recruits: Please be aware of the above photo. At Michigan all you have to fear is Mike Barwis.