Pausing for Effect

Water is wet, the sky is blue, Tom Izzo qualifies for midget benefits in 14 U.S. states, and I don't spend enough time on this site.

Ya, well, I'm busy.

But we're getting close to things getting serious around here, so my efforts are bound to pick up.  Besides, I can sum up the whole summer in a few paragraphs...

Practicegate is a complete sham.  Whatever went wrong had nothing to do with Coach, and was perpetrated by a couple guys with an agenda.  Brad LaBadie was one of those people...he's gone.  Scott Draper will be next.  Pizza Man ain't f'n around.  Coach is going to be given every opportunity to be successful by Brandon.  He knows we are better united.  Meeting with the NCAA this past weekend did nothing except rack up frequent flyer miles for the twittering media members.  There's going to be some kind of judgement at some point, and I don't expect anything to be added to the self imposed wrist slap.  And quite frankly, I don't care at all about it.  Wins.  I only think about wins.

RB Vinnie Smith's repaired knee apparently is ready for action.  Is it just me, or doesn't 9 months seem be a little quick?  Torn ACL to starting running back in 9 months.  Despite the optimism coming out of Fort Schembechler, I'm thinking mid-season action at best.  Unfortunately his replacement Michael Shaw, the heir-apparent if you will, is an asshair away from being academically ineligible.  I think we find out more about that this week.  After that the depth chart is just another edition of "I hope that (fill in Freshman here) can make an impact."

Demar Dorsey didn't get admitted to Michigan, the first of two five-star DBs to exit the program in the last few months.  For those that were in the "we should just let the kid into Michigan" camp (that would include me), it looks like it was more than just a checkered past that needed to be ignored, as he has yet to appear on the roster of any other school.  JT Turner, redshirted last year for arriving late for weight and academic issues, showed up fat for camp again this year, and after being placed on the third string defense, likely given a solid blue wingless helmet, and probably being asked to run...alot....he decided his future was better served at another school.  He also will require the services of Goody's tattoo guy to fix the block M on his forearm.  Rainbows and whatnot.  So how thin are we at DB?  Godfather's hair thin.

Tate Forcier, who won your heart by pointing with both arms in the air as he slayed the Fighting Irish, who started every game last year, who made you buy a t-shirt...is, by expert witness accounts, not the even the second best quarterback in fall camp.  Denard or Devin?  Yes.  What does this mean?  4 different starters in 4 years.  So much for continuity.

Anyway, as it has been for the last couple years, the field is the best place for us to fix things.  It's by all accounts a pivotal year.  How many wins will it take for Coach to keep his job?  7?  8?  9?  While wins are obviously important, I think a lot of it has to do with how we play late in the season.  A strong finish could be the deciding factor.  That and beating Sparty, because I can't deal with 3 straight years of those little bitches running their mouths.  This "1000 days since" shit that they've been peddling really pisses me off.  Joining the numbers club, I say 8 with a MSU and a bowl victory and Coach gets the OK.  Less and it's iffy.

Soon we'll talk tailgate! GO BLUE!

19 days.