Barwis Buy Out and Wednesday's Pot Luck of Information

Barwis Buyout? Ok, it's one thing to ask for a large buyout when your head coach leaves for Michigan, but now you want money from your former Strength and Conditioning coach? WVU is asking Mike Barwis for $50,000 for a buyout of his contract that he broke at West Virgina when he left for Michigan. They are also asking questions around a missing highlighter and two pencils that were mysteriously lost sometime around December 07. I know a way to settle this? How about a cage match instead, Winner takes all? Stay Classy West Virgina, Stay Classy.

• Cash Money: Michigan graduate and Billionaire Stephen Ross now owns the Miami Dolphins (and Bill Parcells).



• Bowling in Hawaii: Speaking of the Dolphins, Jake Long is heading to the Pro Bowl. Congrats Jake!



• Can I get a DC around here? Between the Wolverines and the Detroit Lions, Detroit Metro Football teams combined for 3 wins last Fall. They also both hired Defensive Coordinators a day apart. The Lions hired Gunther Cunningham as their DC today. I wonder if "Richie and the Fonz" will be moving to Detroit as well.



• RIP Stoney and Wojo: For those of you in the Detroit Metro Area, I am sorry to hear that WDFAN will now only air national radio shows. I very much enjoyed Stoney and Wojo. I guess this is another example of our down economy and the lack of advertising radio and news papers are seeing.



• Does anyone do house calls anymore? Yes, they do and Travante Stallworth is getting one from Coach Rod today. Meaning, they really want Travante to become a Wolverine.



• Coach, where should I go? Denard Robinson coach says Michigan is in his top two but he is not sure he has a leader at this point. The other school in the top two is rumored to be Kansas State. Florida and Georiga are also still being considered.



• He does have game! Courtney Sims, former Wolverine center (who has been tearing up the development league) signed a 10 day contract with the Phoenix Suns. Who knew?



• Surprise Signing Day Commit? Titusville, Fla., four-star receiver Willie Haulstead (6-3, 210) says Michigan is still in the hunt and he could very well sign with them on 2/4. He might be this years Roy Roundtree. Willie is currently committed to FSU.

Breaking News: Jake Long goes #1 in the Draft

Jake Long and the Miami Dolphins have agreed to a contract and will announce his signing today at 3:00 press conference. The Rams are now on the clock.

Jake is the first Wolverine to go #1 in the NFL draft since Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon in 1941. Congratulations to a guy who stayed in school and that commitment paid off. Jake you have done the Wolverines proud!

• Peter King thinks that Chad Henne could be the first QB taken.

The hot name as we enter the final five pre draft days? Michigan quarterback Chad Henne. Two scouts I trust told me over the weekend they like him better than they like Ryan. There's a team somewhere between 8 and 17 -- and I can't figure out which one -- interested in trading down a few slots and drafting Henne with a first-round pick.

The American Dragon: #1 in the NFL Draft?

Sources are saying that the Dolphins and Jake Long are in negotiations to become the number one draft pick in the NFL Draft. Usually the top spot in the draft is associated with a QB, RB, WR, or a once in a lifetime Defensive Player, not an All American tackle.

Is this a good pick for the Dolphins? They need play makers on offense to support a pretty good defense. Parcells is no dummy and he knows that Jake might be anchoring his line for the next 10 years. Bill also knows that Jake is considered the highest probability lock to be a solid NFL'er in the entire draft. We all know there are many first round "play makers" that have been huge NFL busts. See the Detroit lions for any references needed.

So yes, I think it's a good pick, it's also a safe pick. When your sending millions of dollars, I think safe makes allot of sense.

Quick trivia question. Can you name the last Chicago Bear "drafted" offensive player that made the pro bowl? The answer is in the post description.

Cell Block News and Notes: Slow Edition

• Jake Long did well this weekend but Mario and Mike ran slow 40's time. Both guys couldn't get under 4.6. I know a fast 40 is a way to climb spots in the draft, but I'm pretty sure Barry Sanders and Emmit Smith didn't have great 40's. Ever heard of Michael Irvin or Jerry Rice? Neither one of them ran a 4.3 in the 40.
  

  Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan: Manningham was considered a vertical receiver at Michigan but that notion has been put to rest. He struggled to get below 4.6 seconds in the forty. Mike Hart, RB, Michigan: Hart looked good during the practice session, yet teams will not be able to overlook his poor forty times. Hart ran 4.65 seconds then 4.75 seconds after weighing in at 206 pounds. Jake Long, OT, Michigan: Long looked every bit the part of a top-five pick. He led all offensive linemen completing 37 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press, then ran his 40's in the 5.15 second range. Long went on to display outstanding footwork during the position drills and was head and shoulders above everyone else.



• Big Shocker Here. TP was at an OSU basketball game over the weekend. He's a buckeye, book it.


• Brandon Moore, soon to be Michigan Freshman is up for the Watkins Award, presented each year to an African-American high school athlete who exhibits extraordinary prowess in the classroom and on the field.
• The Falcons like Jake Long. Who doesn't?

The Last word on TP

Well it seems Michigan's long odds off getting Terrelle Pryor to Ann Arbor has become even longer. Enclosed is a rivals article with the following statement:

Pryor admits he was set to sign with Ohio State the day before Feb. 6, but a conversation with his father, Craig, made him think twice. His father wanted him to take another look at Penn State and take an official visit.

It would seem at this point, Michigan is running 4th in a 4 horse race. I think TP is headed to Ohio State or Penn State. Let's hope he goes to Happy Valley where all good High School QB's with dreams of the NFL die.

Jake Long gets prepared for the NFL Combine this week. Jake will be a top 10 ten pick for sure.

Big Ten Network gives up the green but still not enough viewers.

Hail to Lloyd!

I love it when I'm wrong, wrong about which Michigan team would show up on New Years Day. In a day of last times, Michigan showed that they were the team we were looking for all year. They showed up as a double digit dog against the 12th ranked Gators in a game nobody gave them a chance to win (even me).

The Wolverines played aggressive on both sides of the ball. The offense ran a "throwing" spread formation and the line protected Henne like Fort Knox. In turn Henne, ripped apart the Florida Defense like Japanese Chef with a Ginsu knife, throwing for a career high 373 yards. Even Coach Myer was surprised; “I am very disappointed in the pass coverage. We have to do a lot better and we have to get some things corrected. This was a defense last year that held Ohio State to 82 yards."

Adrian Arrington looked like a first round draft pick by catching everything thrown his way. Even an unbelievable catch for a 36 yard first down on Michigan's last touchdown drive with just over 4 minutes left. That catch by the way made ESPN's best play of the Capital One Bowl Week.

The Defense pressured Heisman Tim all day and gave up some long running plays, but in the end they stayed aggressive for their head coach and departing Defensive Coordinator Ron English.

See today was the last time for a lot of things including:

• Mike Hart's non-fumbling streak


• Michigan laying down for better coaches and better teams in bowl games


• Jake Long in a Michigan jersey


• Chad Henne in a Michigan Jersey


• Mike Hart in a Michigan Jersey


• Shawn Crable in a Michigan Jersey


• Lloyd Carr on the sideline leading the Maize and Blue.


• Michigan's bowl losing streak

In a year of up and downs, of retirements, coaching searches, sailboats, lost expectations, the Michigan Seniors, the Michigan Head Coach, and the departing Michigan Assistants all left as winners. Team you made your Alumi, Fans, and the Big Ten proud. Well Done! and Go Blue!

Cheers:

• The play calling on offense. Debord you have been thrown under the bus all year (as you should have been). You called a heck of game today.


• The Spirit - This team was ready to play and play hard for their retiring head coach.


• Chad Henne - played like robo quarterback. With a healthy shoulder he played his best game in a Michigan uniform. Congratulations on the game's MVP.


• The Michigan WR's- Both played a great game. Adrian and Mario, I know the NFL is calling but we would love to see you stay one more year.


• The Michigan Offensive Line - You protected Chad and gave him time to throw the ball.


• Michigan's speed was equal or better then Florida's.

Jeers:

• Mike's lost fumbles cost us 14 points and the difference between a close game and a blow out. Doesn't matter. A win is a win.


• The Defense did give up a ton of long runs.

In a day where Wisconsin lost to Tennessee, The Juice and Zook got embarrassed by USC, the Michigan Fan Base was able to smile and hold it's head high, as they won a game they were supposed to lose. New Years Day was a good day.

Capital One Bowl Preview

As a Michigan fan, I can' t remember caring less for a Michigan New Years Day Bowl game. There was always something speical about a New Years Day with a Michigan Bowl Game. Was it the anticipation of a Rose Bowl, or the overtime thriller against Alabama in the Sugar, or maybe the last time Drew Henson threw a TD pass to David Terrell in the Orange Bowl? There are some great games in there and many losses to USC. Tomorrow will be different though.

This years Capital One/Citrus Bowl is the end of the Lloyd Carr era and the end of the Michigan run for Chad Henne, Jake Long, and Mike Hart. Lloyd wanted to retire after last years Rose Bowl but "Sailboat" Bill talked him out of it. Lloyd in turn mailed in this season from day one. This team of seniors leave with out a bowl win and with out a win against OSU. Not to say they didn't accomplish anything, this group of seniors never lost to the Spartans or Penn State. But the year that was so full of expectations, came crashing down as early at September 1st at 3:30.

Now Lloyd is out and everyone is excited about Rich Rodriguez and the excitement he will bring back to the Big House. I'm sorry to say even though it will be great to see #20 run one more time in the Maize and Blue and #7 throw a bomb to Mario, nobody caries about this game. It's an after thought for what is to come.

See Michigan should be playing Tennessee or Boston College. Either one of those teams would be a great match-up against the Wolverines. In the great "mail in" year, Michigan's good luck continued as they get the worst possible Bowl opponent possible, Florida. Heisman Tim will be running and throwing the ball around the yard. The stadium sold out in record time as the Florida Fans can't get enough of this Florida team and what is to come next year. Did I mention the game is in Orlando?

Michigan will be lucky to even stay in this game as memories of Oregon run through every Michigan's fan head. We will watch this game as tradition predicts but this year, we really don't care. We will root for Chad to throw bombs, Jake to Pancake, and Mike to run for a 100 yards as we wish them well in the NFL. But this New Years Day we won't care what happens on the score board, because like Florida we have bigger and better things to come.

The Rich Rodriguez Era begins at 4:15 on Tuesday.

Open the Bar and start drinking if:

• This game actually kicks off



• Heisman Tim runs for 150 and passes for 300 yards +



• The speed of Florida makes us look like Ohio State in the National Championship game last year



• The Michigan coaches are surprised Florida runs the spread offense



• Michigan can't move the ball and gets a ton of 3 and outs



• The score is embarrassing at half time

Sing Hail to the Victors:

• For Coach Carr, Mike Hart, Chad Henne, and Jake Long one more time



• If Mike Hart goes for 100+ yards and gains a few spots in the draft



• Chad's shoulder is healed and he has time to find A2 and Mario deep



• If we don't get embarrassed and keep the game within two touchdowns



• Because this is the last time we have to watch a team that is not prepared to play against a top opponent/coach in a Bowl game



• Because January 2nd is a new day and a fresh start
  
  

Florida 42 Michigan 21