Unverified Voracity Preps

Ok ok ok ok. That chick from South Carolina...



...is going to Appalachian State. As someone who's going to be on actual TV (Sunday! 11:30! Channel 4!), I can't possibly make fun of her, though. Projected first MGoAppearance:

So I think, um, Wolverine Michiganders will like football, and... um... such as South Africa is everywhere such as and the 2010 World Cup in the Africa maps. Football.

And I won't look nearly as good doing it, although I do have a snappy block-M tie.

Fluff!!! Usually this gets shunted into mgo.licio.us, but not when it's about Mike Hart. Run, you tiny wonderful bastard.

Meh. Rosenberg's latest is on the Big Ten Network and I have to take issue with some stuff. He's right that neither side is Crusading For The Children, but is that really relevant? Viz:

So whose side are you on in this Big Ten Network-Comcast showdown?

Are you with the guys trying to make money?

Or are you with the guys trying to make money?

I am with the guys trying to make money who are the Big Ten, and I imagine every other Michigan and State fan in the state is. If they aren't they should be: getting the BTN on basic cable provides both schools better exposure and more money without raising ticket prices.

This PR war is pretty odd to me, since I don't care about who I should be angry at about this, I just want the games and will put myself in a position to get them when the time comes. (Since I'm going to every game this year except maybe Wisconsin, "the time" is basketball season for me.) The debate about who is "right" and who is "wrong" is completely irrelevant; media guys would be using their time better to dig up sports business media inside baseball like this:

A report issued by Pali Research, though, suggested that cable operators would be wise to include the Big Ten Network on expanded basic by basketball season or risk losing stock value. It also charged that Time Warner and Comcast occupy contradictory positions because both operate sports networks on expanded basic cable, such as Comcast’s Versus network.

The only media reporting on the a la carte implications and the business aspects here is the communications trade press, and that's ultimately more important to the consumer. Not "who's at fault" but "what is likely to happen." Finger pointing is pointless, especially when it's directed at both entities.

Woo Cronin. The center commit cracks ESPN's top 150 at #130, and boy are they enthused($):

The only word to describe Cronin is "space-eater". He is quite unathletic at this point and he runs the floor like he's mad at the ground (heavy-footed). Right now his footwork needs improvement and he must stop bringing the ball down so low.

The only question: is he a one-and-done?

Entirely awesome. Two outstanding Buckeye-related newsbits in recent days:

• Former president Karen Holbrook denounced the "culture of rioting" at Ohio State, accused people of having "drunken orgies," and a university spokesman's response: "hey, they KILL people in Italy!"
• Jim Tressel loves Celine Dion. Loves her to death. Knows all the words.

Finally something to taunt. Do you know how hard it's been to say anything about Ohio State for the last eight months?

THEY DON'T LEARN. Last year's Blue-Gray Sky prediction post proved to be increasingly hilarious as the year progressed and this one promises to be even better. Highlights:

• 6 of 9 pick Notre Dame over Michigan.
• The average record predicted: 9.2-2.8.
• The nuttiest BGSer, Dylan, goes for 11-1. Dylan, if ND goes 11-1 this year in the regular season, you can run MGoBlog for a week. This I vow.

He's not alone, either: Rakes predicts 9-3. So this is the baseline according to ND fans: 9-3, even given the Willingham recruiting. If Weis fails to reach this marker, he's obviously a bad coach.

Etc.: The MZone presents Great Moments in Jim Delany Negotiations.