Podcastin'

I promised a podcast a long time ago. It didn't happen. But now it has. I talked with Andrew Kahn of The Sports Journalism about Michigan's basketball trouble and very briefly about the football recruiting haul.

Topics on the slate: Manny vs. Sims, feelings toward Beilein, and the general demise of the hoops team. It's a little hard to hear me at times (we tried a few different times to get the audio to work), and I don't think I sound anything like that in real life. But then again, a complete stranger told me over the weekend that I wasn't nearly as cool as she thought I thought I was during her eaves dropping. But that's another thing altogether.

In any case, check it out here.

Unemployment reaches 24.7%

I'm the online editor of a few small magazines that you've never heard of. One of them deals pretty much exclusively with the construction industry, and as my daily tasks dictate, I end up posting a few different news items on the topic each day. I've often commented to coworkers that I hate doing the news for that particular magazine because invariably, every week I have to report on the massive layoffs and skyrocketing unemployment of the construction industry, which, in itself, is largely responsible for the unemployment numbers of the general American public. Just today I reported that the construction industry's unemployment reached 24.7% in January with little or no recourse in sight aside from stimulus-funded highway projects.

Michigan basketball is shooting 29.3% from three-point range and 41% from the field in total. They're 4-7 in the Big Ten and 11-12 overall. There is no hope in sight, especially with the departure of DeShawn Sims and at the end of the year and the possible loss of Only Other Scorer, Manny Harris.

The point being, I'm getting kind of tired of writing this, as I'm sure you're tired of reading it. The 2009-2010 season is hopelessly dragging out. The team hasn't shown any quantifiable improvement since maybe (maybe) the win against a slumping UConn team. The rest of the season has been plagued by poor shooting, poorer decisions, no defense, a lack of coaching, and various other inconsistencies.

One interesting thing I've learned about the construction industry, is that its activity can be pretty accurately charted because of its relation to the architecture field. For example, if the architecture industry is going through a down year, it may not be so for the construction industry. But the following year, when those projects are to be built, the construction industry meets the same decline the architecture industry had the previous year. The basketball team, however, has no such chartables, but the predictions of the team next year all point to dire. This is bad. The future of the basketball program, at least the immediate future (the next three years or so) looks really dangerous.

Terror level has been upgraded to Amaker-minus. We're in trouble.

Good music Friday

Because I don't want to talk about Drew Sharp or recruiting or basketball anymore, you get The Constantines live. What better way to celebrate the end of the week than with the best live band on the planet?

Drew Sharp: Terrorist

Drew Sharp, Free Press columnist and all-around baseless moralist, recently went on the radio to blast Rich Rodriguez for the signing of Florida safety prospect Demar Dorsey, a player who apparently, at the age of 16, was acquitted of several charges: "He was acquitted by a jury on a 2008 charge of robbery with a deadly weapon, and had an earlier charge of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling dismissed," according to AnnArbor.com. On the program, Sharp questions why Rodriguez would take a chance on a player who had previously shown a checkered past after the Justin Feagin issues last year--something that Sharp still doesn't understand, asserting that Feagin was a cocaine dealer in high school.

"You guys [fans] only want to hear what you wish to hear," says Sharp. "This is why I have very little respect for the fans out there. Because you guys do not want to hear what you need to hear. I feel that's my job and most of the people in the job that I have, my co-host included in this, we feel that it's incumbent upon us to tell you want we think you need to know and then you can form your own opinions."

Unfortunately, in Sharp's telling us what we need to know, he editorializes. But not in any meaningful or insightful manner. Frankly, Sharp uses terrorism--defined loosely as "the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion"--as a means to get you to agree with his way of thinking. Want to argue that Dorsey is a risk for the Michigan program? Why don't you, without knowledge or reasonable doubt, speculate that most (all) high school athletes that get into trouble only get acquitted because of their stature or that the charges Dorsey was acquitted of are the only ones that the public knows about. Sharp even shamefully goes so low as to compare a 16-year-old Dorsey to OJ Simpson: "OJ got acquitted. Most of us still think he did it."

Sharp has a sense of entitlement from working as a journalist for the Free Press. He says, "If you're a head coach, why put yourself in that spot? And that was the tone that myself and other reporters there asked Rich this afternoon. I was making sure, are you comfortable that you're basically putting your career on whether or not this young man can keep his nose clean, figuratively speaking." Sharp feels the need to not only moralize everything, but more importantly, to make everyone aware of his morals and the morals that he thinks you should have. In his eyes, the signing of an 16 year old, acquitted on all charges, is outside the bounds of this morality and thus condemnable. He boldly claims to being done with second chances. But what's worse is that this may not even be a second chance for Dorsey. Sharp seems not to acknowledge the idea that his acquittal may have been for legitimate reasons. Because in Sharp's world, the world governed and run by the upstanding morals of himself, high school student athletes are never innocent, even when they are; second chances are wasted on the privileged who ultimately throw them away on the slippery slope to hell.

I try not to spend a lot of time editorializing on the local newspaper because it doesn't much concern me. Drew Sharp should be embarrassed though. This is offensive, dismissive, and presumptuous. And frankly, I wonder when it crosses the line into slander.

Rich Rod National Signing Day presser

 RichRod

- Staff did outstanding job developing relationships and signing guys that will be a great fit for the program
- Reluctant to rank recruiting class. Sounds like coachspeak but you need to wait a couple of years and rank how good the class is.
- If we signed them, we think they’re great fits for the program.
- If we get someone on campus, we think we have a great chance of getting him.
- People on campus are friendly (everywhere) and that helps. A great community to feel comfortable with. Fans in general.
- On Gardner: Devin got in a few days late. Only doing academics. Starting workouts today or tomorrow. Eager to learn and very competitive. Why bring another QB? We want guys that like competition. Have quality of guys at every position competing, you get better.
- On Hopkins: Big back out of Texas. Like to have one big back in the game when they have two backs in the game on many occasions.
- On Jeremy Jackson: Easiest commit they got. Stands on his own merits. Good player and hard worker. Need big strong receivers and guys that will go get the ball. Jeremy fits that bill. Helped recruit other players.
- On Ricardo Miller: Big strong physical guy. Great personality. Always has a smile on his face.
- On Christian Pace: Have a need at center and at guard. Played in great HS program (Avon Lake). Play center but will also learn guard.
- On Gerald Robinson: Big strong physical guy that can probably play safety as well.
- On Austin White: Comes from a great family. Liked his ability but thing that stood out was that he wanted to take every rep. Very excited about him. Has the skillset.
- Want to meet needs first. Don’t want to turn down anyone good, but have to fit needs. Defensive numbers way down. Won’t get balanced this year but will within another year. Had to meet needs on defense: Front line, linebacker, secondary.
- On Richard Ash: Big DT from Pahokee. Still had to battle with him up through this morning. Athletic enough to play DE, big enough to play DT.
- On Courtney Avery: DB out of Ohio. Played QB on offense and CB on defense. 1,000 point scorer in basketball. Noticed him about a year ago. Jumped in the fold early. Try him at corner first but he’s a good enough athlete to help at several positions.
- On Jibreel Black: One of top guys on the board for D-line. Could play DE or DT.
- On Cullen Christian: Goes by nickname “Buck”. Long arms, good athlete. Very coachable. Tracking him for a couple of years. Very excited about Cullen. [ed. Talked about starting players and that they don’t promise anything but let them compete.] Cullen will have that opportunity.
- On Drew Dileo: Great senior year. Good to see guys committed and have a good senior year. Return punts and kicks as well as slot.
- On Demar Dorsey: Cousins with Denard Robinson. If McGee was lead recruiter, Denard was second lead. He’s 100% on guys he hosts during visits. Very fast and athletic. May run track as well. Can play corner at safety. Will probably start at corner and then will teach him safety.
- On Josh Furman: Look to play on defense. Probably play safety/OLB (spinner).
- On Will Hagerup: Big need for punter. Hagerup will fit that need. Best they saw on film. Works on craft every day.
- On Carvin Johnson: HS coach called RichRod and said he had a guy that was a sleeper. Suddenly, other teams started recruiting him once he was committed. Fills big need at safety.
- On Conelius Jones: Nickname “Trail”. QB/athlete. “As we learned a few years ago, you can’t have too many QBs.” [ed. Yikes!]
- On Antonio Kinard: Tall linebacker. Call him “TK”. Has work to do academically. If he doesn’t get there, will place him in JUCO and try to get him back.
- On Jordan Paskorz: Big DE. Close to 245 lbs now. Didn’t get older brother when coaching at WVU. Replacing one of best players in the country in Brandon Graham.
- On Marvin Robinson: Safety been committed for a while. Is friends with Ricardo Miller. Miller was one of best recruiters from this class.
- On Davion Rogers: Tall linebacker. Trying to get bigger and more athletic defensively.
- On Jake Ryan: Great program (St. Ignatious, Ohio). Had a great senior year. Like to save spots for great senior years. Grew 2-3 inches, gained 20 pounds. Became MLB.
- On Terrence (DT or DE) and Terry Talbott (CB): Sold on them after watching film and seeing them in camp.
[ed. The feed cut out here and I missed a few players—Ray Vinopal, D.J. Williamson, and Ken Wilkins]
- Defensive need was at every position. Can never have too many defensive linemen. Need linebackers and guys that can play in space. [ed. Again, yikes]
- Don’t put too much on these players too soon. Immediately, the competition has risen on the defensive side of the football.
- Didn't see much negativity in recruiting.
- Dorsey had arrests in background? Everyone they sign they do background checks on themselves. Dangerous and unfair to pass judgment on something you read on the Internet without all the facts. [ed. Definitely had arrests, judging by RR's answer.]
- Ask players whether or not someone will be a good teammate. Can't speak highly enough on his current players in recuiting process.
- RichRod annoyed with questions on Dorsey's criminal records. "Don't judge on something until you get all the facts."
- Guy might be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Need to look into why. He did that as a juvenile. Have to look at the whole story before you pass judgment. I think that's dangerous to do.
- "Let's be positive. Can we be positive? We've got a great recruiting class and a great group."
- Not as many recruits going to the wire as they used to. Battles are more publicized now that they're on TV, etc.
- Less decommits this year: "Just the way it fell." Normally not totally surprised. If a guy is committed to you and still visiting other schools, he's not committed. He's just interested.
- Difficult to be swayed by the star system? It's not all bad. You have to prove yourself again. Some kids get sense of entitement. Don't feel that way about the players Michigan signed.
- For the most part, recruiting services do a really good job getting film and kids' names out there. Not doing a coaches job but helping coaches do their job.
- Demar was one of three or four guys they were unsure of this morning.
- Any chance you'll offer anyone else unsigned? Pretty much filled. May have spot for one more. But never say never.
- "Have one in particular, we think may not qualify." [ed. probably Antonio Kinard]
- Happy with amount of local recruits? Yeah. Would like to have more but need the right fit for the program.
- Next year's class will have a bigger need in O-linemen