very disconcerting...

To go from a close to dominant position to getting blown out in s very short amount of time is very disconcerting.
Why is Roundtree so slow? He looked like he was pulling a wagon. Technically I think he was down well in side the 1 yard line. If they get a better mark, Brown (given the same run) scores on first down. Those inside runs just aren't Browns specialty. They needed minor in before 4th down. The plays they ran seemed to have too much lateral running and not enough North-South. On 2nd down I thought he could just run right upfield for 6, but he kept running right. Getting no points was very disappointing.
Of course that is no excuse for the defense forgetting how to stop the read option. 378 yards rushing? Mike Williams seemed out of place or making the wrong read on every score. How can there be no better safeties on the roster than Williams and a walk-on?
Next week is another "Biggest Game in RRs career at Michigan". I can't see M having much of a chance @ Wisconsin or against the Buckeyes. As sad as it is to say 6-6 and bid to the Pizza Pizza Bowl is much different than 5-7.
I'm sure they'll be tickets available, want me to pick you up one?

Should RR Be Fired

When last season started, M played worse than everyone expected. By the end of the season, M was not playing any better than at the beginning of the season.

When this season started, M appeared to be playing better than everyone expected. Now, however, they are playing much worse than early in the season.

It is very concerning that RR's teams don't improve. I thought having a roster with a lot of young players, which he has had both last year and this, meant improvement throughout the year. We haven't seen that. I am laying that squarely on RR.

Besides that, though, I am not sure what to blame directly on RR and what to blame on other things. I don't think Forcier is completely healthy, for instance. And I don't think the talent base was very high when he got here, etc. etc. etc. I just don't know.

I guess the way I look at it is that I am not confident in RR doing anything much different next year than he has done last year and this year. The talent level really doesn't appear to be improving much (best two players on D leaving next year, the WRs just aren't getting better, etc.) and I don't see anything in the innovation area that gives M the advantage that you would think M should have. So, looking at it like that, I guess I would say just dump him and get somebody better.

Which brings me to the problem with that. Is there anyone better? Is there anyone out there that would take the job that would actually be better than RR? And did RR become a bad coach all of a sudden after being successful in every other place he's coached? I just don't know if I believe there is anyone out there that IS better, and I don't don't know if I believe RR is a bad coach.

But, the past 21 games have been the worst 21 game span since a span starting toward the end of the season in 1961 and ending the last game of 1963 (7-12-2). That is 46 years. RR was born between the 62 and 63 seasons. Is RR just not the right coach for Michigan? Is there any coach that is the right coach for Michigan?

So, now what? Really. With no hope for the rest of this season, and little expectation of major improvement next season, I don't know what should be done. I almost hope they find something in the NCAA investigation so the decision to fire him is easy.

Not really.

IL Prediction

M 28
IL 25

Stimpy

The best dog in the world is making her final trip to the vet today. Please try to put her in your thoughts later this afternoon.


Many people who aren't "dog people" have told us they'd get a dog if they knew she'd be like Stimpy. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for us, this humane society special was one-of-a-kind.

When I met Stimpy she was still young enough to play and chase. She loved "Stimpy Runs the Bases Night" after our crappy softball games when she would chase me around the bases to help me shake off the funk of another double-header loss.


She wasn't sure what to think of Hobbes at first. I think she begrudgingly realized he was part of the family. They had their share of territorial battles of each others food dishes, but I think they ultimately got along pretty well. When Hobbes passed and we added Wendell to the family, she once again realized her status as the #1 child was being cut. Wendell is always looking for a bit of warmth and occasionally Stimpy was patient (or tired) enough to put up with him as the picture shows.


I don't know that we'll add another dog into our family. How could they live up to Stimpy, the perfect dog?

I'll miss you Stimpy!

M vs. Illinois Prediction

Although I still think there is a chance that Illinois figures out some of their problems this week. I think M plays it as a MUST win.

I'll go with M 31, Illinois 17

Other guesses:

Tate takes >85% of the snaps
M rushes for close to 200 yards with at least one back breaking 100.
M wins the turnover battle

Ryan Ermanni on WDFN

As I have stated before, a sports radio host using "verse" when they mean "versus" is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine. Today WDFN mid-day host Ryan Ermanni was the culprit.

I sent him the following e-mail:

From: Mike Altese
To: ryane@clearchannel.com
Sent: Wed, October 28, 2009 10:53:19 AM
Subject: versus is not the plural of verse


C'mon Ryan, you work in sports for a living. When two teams play each other, please say "versus" not "verse". It is a real pet peeve of mine. I can't believe how many sports radio personalities make this mistake.

He read my e-mail on the air and said something along the lines of "Get a life, I'll say a lot worse things this is no big deal."

So I replied with:

From: Mike Altese
To: ryane@clearchannel.com
Sent: Wed, October 28, 2009 11:08:35 AM
Subject: Re: versus is not the plural of verse


thanks, you're right - radio off, now. Life gotten...

So I guess I'll either be listening to podcasts, Colin Blowhard or trying to listen to the ticket on the internet.
Edit - just got a response from my first e-mail - maybe I'll give him another chance...

sorry mike, when your talking for two straight hours there are a lot of mistakes that i make... if that's the worst one i had a good day


Ryan Ermanni
Host: Ermanni Middays
27675 Halsted
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
ryanermanni@clearchannel.com

Since I'm talking about sports radio, Stoney will be guest hosting for Sam Webb on WTKA the next two mornings, I wonder what that will be like without Wojo to offset some of his Stoneyisms...

ESPN Bowl Predictions Vol 9

M has a new bowl option, for the first time they've been picked for the Insight Bowl against Kansas. Feldman still has M facing off with Clemson in the Champs. With the way M looked on Saturday, I think they'd be happy to accept either bowl right now.

Week	Schlabach	Feldman
Pre	Champs	PapaJohns.com
1	Alamo	Alamo
2	Outback	Outback
3	Cap One	Outback
4	Outback	Outback
5	Champs	Champs
6	Alamo	Champs
7	Champs	Champs
8	Insight	Champs

Not too much changed in the overall Big1T1en predictions. just a couple changes at the bottom of the conference. Schlabach did drop PSU from the BCS bowl ranks - apparently beating M 35-10 on the road wasn't as impressive as TCU's win in his opinion.

Place	Schlabach	Change	Feldman	Change
1	Iowa	0	Iowa	0
2	PSU	0	PSU	0
3	OSU	0	OSU	0
4	MSU	+1	Wisconsin	0
5	Wisconsin	-1	MSU	0
6	Michigan	0	Michigan	0
7	Northwestern	+1	Minnesota	0
8			Northwestern	+1
9			Indiana	-1

Both have Texas in the BCS Championship game Schlabach has them facing Bama, Feldman has Florida.