The Battle of Master Blog: July 2011

Thursday, July 28, 2011

"LEW ALCINDOR," 2010, Jonas Wood

Big Ten Media Day Recap

Yesterday was the kickoff to the Big Ten Media Days. Here are a couple highlights (and lowlights):

BRADY HOKE

Tim at MGo and The Freep have a more detailed recap of Hoke's presser, but here are a couple of my favorites:

* Hoke doesn't believe in rebuilding: “I don’t think we’re rebuilding, period. I mean, we’re Michigan.”

* Hoke on his recruiting success: “This might sound arrogant, and if it is, it is. We’re Michigan. We have a global education. We’re the winningest program in the history of college football.

* Angelique Chengelis of the Detroit News asked Hoke if he will practice something everyday for Ohio State: "Maybe ... (smiles) .... it's important."

APPARENTLY THE NUT DOESN'T FALL FAR FROM THE BUCKEYE TREE

And this is his happy face

The most bizarro comment came from MSU coach and Jim Tressel protege Mark Dantonio who had this to say about the disgraced Tosu* coach: "Every person he's (Tressel's) come in contact with as a player and a coach, he's made a positive impact on their lives. To me, it's tragic. He becomes a tragic hero in my respect, in my view."

There are a lot of things you can call Jim Tressel (liar and cheater spring to mind) but "hero" is not on the list. As Michigan radio color analyst and former player Jim Brandstatter tweeted:

When is lying to your boss, to the NCAA heroic. Is it heroic to teach young men that wrong isn't wrong unless you get caught? Gimme a break

Even MSU blog The Only Colors found that one a little, uh, strange:

And uh...yeah. I understand why Mark Dantonio would make such a comment, he's known Tressel since 1983 and obviously sees the now deposed coach as a mentor. However, what happened to Tressel was not tragic unless you consider hubris to be a particularly sad way to leave a job. Tressel lied to the NCAA about players committing violations. He could've suspended said players, suffer a couple 7-5/8-4 seasons, then continue on with ten-win campaigns in near perpetuity. However, for whatever reason, Tressel chose the path of deception, and the result is months of free time. If I'm measuring tragic coach firings on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being how Mike Leach was done at Texas Tech, Jim Tressel is the one.

Then again, you are talking about a coach who thought it was professional to call a college player, Mike Hart, names a couple years ago. Hart may be small in size, but Dantonio keeps proving to be small in stature.

LUKE FICKELL SWEATS OUT HIS FIRST MEDIA DAY

As even The OZone said, the face of Not-Interim-But-Really-Interim Tosu* coach Luke "The Waterboy" Fickell "glistened" as he addressed the press during his ~~last~~ first Big 10 Media Day. Glistened? I thought it was Michael Phelps up there after winning Olympic gold in the 200m Butterfly.

Was he nervous? Well, you be the judge. Below is an exclusive MZone clip of Fickell's presser.