[flamesbball84]

Several Michigan football players claim the program regularly violates NCAA rules limiting how much time they can spend on training and practice sessions, according to a published report.

Players from the 2008 and 2009 teams told the Detroit Free Press for a story published on the newspaper's Web site on Saturday that the amount of time they spend on football activities during the season and in the offseason greatly exceeds the limits. The players spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity because they feared repercussions from coaches.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4431717

They [allegedly] practiced a ton more than allowed and they still sucked that freaking bad last year? Wow that is rather pathetic...

[JK37]

Hahahahaha!!

I cannot express enough how fun it is to read this now.

He could've stayed in WV, won 9 games or so each year, and run for governor after he retired. Instead, he runs away from his HOME STATE to a place where if he isn't soon in a BCS bowl every year, they'll run him out on a rail.

[Sly Fox]

Dude, you know better than most that there was more to the story than that.

[JK37]

Dude, you know better than most that there was more to the story than that.

Indeed. But even under those circumstances, its very difficult to fathom the choice he made.

[JK37]

This is the actual article upon which the ESPN one is based. Offers a lot of detail and insight. Quite interesting.

http://www.freep.com/article/20090829/S ... us+program

My take is, RR is under far more scrutiny there than he ever was at WVU, ironic because he left due to high pressure and intense scrutiny after a shot at a national championship slipped through the program's fingers in 2007. The people at Michigan are upset about last year's 3-9 season, including a home loss to Toledo (who wouldn't be?), and the writers are really gunning for him.

As for the specific instance of these violations, he probably did the same stuff at WVU. The difference is that the players and their families that he inherited from Lloyd Carr are more aware of the rules, and willing to speak about them, than any he had at WVU. Notice that the paper started sniffing around when two FRESHMEN started discussing their workouts. The papers then relied on current SENIORS or FORMER PLAYERS for their evidence. Hmmm...

[HenryGale]

I am fairly certain that Michigan is far from the only school that is violating these rules. There are so many loopholes that coaches utilize to get around the 20 hour rule. Many things become "voluntary" such as lifting, video etc.

[RagingTireFire]

I am fairly certain that Michigan is far from the only school that is violating these rules. There are so many loopholes that coaches utilize to get around the 20 hour rule. Many things become "voluntary" such as lifting, video etc.

The NCAA rulebook is Byzantine enough that it lends itself to interpretive loopholes but, if you punish someone for not doing "voluntary" work, then it obviously isn't voluntary anymore. That's a clear-cut infraction, not a loophole. As I recall, Manny Matsakis was fired at Texas St. for exactly this sort of violation. Clearly, San Marcos, TX is a long way from Ann Arbor in every respect but there is precedent.

Also, just from a practical standpoint, punishing someone by stacking more work on top of him when he already isn't doing it is probably not going to motivate him to do what you wanted in the first place.

[JK37]

After another day pondering this:

Those in Ann Arbor do NOT like this kind of attention. RRod seems to have a split locker room that is going to the media to get back at him. The people in Ann Arbor are wine-and-cheese tailgators with there noses slightly upturned. RRod has never been a UM guy.

So, a team against him, boosters against him, and if NCAA penalties come, an administration on his case. Whatever leash RRod had has been yanked tight. This puts even more pressure on him to win NOW.

His game week press conference is tomorrow. Should be interesting...

[Sly Fox]

The incident in San Marcos went down just the way this one began. Anonymous student complaints that were leaked to local media who were willing to risk their credentials to post the facts. Although if my memory serves me correctly the offenses were even more grievous.

Incidentally that school has been very vocal to their community between Austin & San Antonio about their intents to step up to I-A status the moment the moratorium is lifted. They even have built their entire athletic department's marketing around the concept.

[JK37]

Anonymous student complaints that were leaked to local media who were willing to risk their credentials to post the facts.

As someone with experience in the business, could you speak more to that topic Sly (and Lang if you're reading this)? Some are saying the Detroit Free Press is acting with an agenda. But it seems to me it would be awfully hard to argue with the testimony of 10+ current/former players, both Carr's and Rodriguez'.

Also, what about complaints about the writers keeping these sources anonymous? How do you guys handle things like that?

[RubberMallet]

Those in Ann Arbor do NOT like this kind of attention. RRod seems to have a split locker room that is going to the media to get back at him. The people in Ann Arbor are wine-and-cheese tailgators with there noses slightly upturned. RRod has never been a UM guy.

this is dead on...the problem is they are retards....schem was never a UM guy either....his mentor? WOODY FRIKKIN HAYES.... morons.

EVERY team runs extra "non mandatory" practices....if you opt out, you get screwed...its been that way quite some time....we got a guy that goes to our church that played at auburn in 00. he said it was the same thing there...

the real story is that he's pretty much came in and changed EVERYTHING....the offense is entirely different...mallet left, players fled the system and the ones that didn't have a choice bitched about it. mcguffie was told that he could be redshirted his freshman year because of some issues but apparently richrod reneged and made him play...it ticked him off and he left to go play at frikking rice....i think he's ticked because no texas team picked him up because he's in constant concussed mode...

[PastorZack]

Hey Sly, who do you think the former player was? ESPN was reporting it was a transfer player that was a starter last year. I'm using deduction here, but I think it might be Sam McGuffie. Just wondering about maybe giving you some scoop down in Houston.

[Sly Fox]

I haven't seen Sam but he was hanging around these parts all summer. There is a general assumption that he was one of those players who has spoken out anonymously.

Journalists have to take these anonymous accusations with a grain of salt. Its not hard in just about in locker room to find players with an axe to grind. But if enough players who have a track record of being honest to you keep telling you the same story then you have to give them some credence.

Do media outlets sometimes have an agenda? Absolutely.

Do SIDs strong arm the media to push their own agendas? Of course.

My experience covering major BCS programs for most of my nearly 20-year career saw a much heavier influence of the latter than the former.

[RubberMallet]

i wouldnt' doubt it was mcguffie, he has already talked about sueing richrod and the school

[prototype]

Who cares!!! The players are just lazy. If a coach wants to and is willing to work with me and make me better - I'm good with that. They suck and need all the practice they can. Take running at LU - cross country/distance runners run 75-100 miles a week, not including speed training and plyometrics. We also traveled pretty much every weekend and still did fine at school and had plenty of time to socialize...

Give the guy a break - UM needs twice as much practice - their team is horrible and it is good for college football to have them be good.

[Sly Fox]

There are rules in place that everybody is supposed to abide by in order to leave time for actually being a student.

[prototype]

Yeah, but can't penalize UM for something that every school is doing. If they want to start enforcing it - then let every school know that they are going to buckle down and then penalize. I like rules and like that the NCAA tries to protect the student athletes and keep the playing field even, but some times you can have too many rules. If a team wants to practice 24 hours a day - then so what? The players will know the coaches history and if they don't want to work that hard, then don't go there. And after all, there are things in place that obligate the teams to have good grades, so coaches have to let them study. As far as a social life - The better you are the better chance you have to get paid to play - maybe some college athletes need to do less socializing.

[RubberMallet]

go blue

[TDDance234]

Seems like the extra practice helped.

[RubberMallet]

while it was only western michigan, michigan was flat out dominating on both sides of the ball. and they gel'd alot more like a team...

forcier/robinson are going to be a dangerous duo. having brown and minor in the backfield help ALOT.....

the defense is younger and the 3 starting line backers i think are the only sr's in the starting rotation.

a senior o-line helps as well.

i look for them to go 7-5, 8-4. but we'll see when tehy play nd this week.

[blwall1416]

I hope they thrash ND.

[Maximus]

I hope they thrash ND.

I hope not. I like touchdown Jesus.

[matshark]

Anonymous student complaints that were leaked to local media who were willing to risk their credentials to post the facts.

As someone with experience in the business, could you speak more to that topic Sly (and Lang if you're reading this)? Some are saying the Detroit Free Press is acting with an agenda. But it seems to me it would be awfully hard to argue with the testimony of 10+ current/former players, both Carr's and Rodriguez'.

Also, what about complaints about the writers keeping these sources anonymous? How do you guys handle things like that?

Anonymous means anonymous unless there's a subpoena - and then the judge gets to see it. And facts come from sources with names that remain anonymous if you ever want another job in the news business - should you get fired for the story once you write it. Integrity is the only thing a journalist has to back them up. So you get things on tape from named sources, but quote them as anonymous until a Judge tells you that you have to tell him who said what. (it's up to him to make it public info)

[RubberMallet]

go blue