Rain man reference was hilarious. Also, i actually get your point about the video of the coaches on the sideline and I think that's where I'm not forming a firm opinion until more comes out. The optimistic side of me hopes the coaches all thought Stallions was doing similar work like what OSU and Rutgers prepared for Purdue and he was just "rain man" compared to everyone else, yet the pessimistic side of me considers that all the coaches knew and they collectively decided it was a stupid and dated rule and they said let's roll the dice. Somewhere in the middle and anything any distance from the forward is bad.
I see the continuum there. Worst case to best case:
- "All coaches knew and they collectively decided it was a stupid and dated rule and they said let's roll the dice."
- Stallions told a few others, maybe coordinators or possibly HC.
- Stallions told them that they didn't want to know.
- The other coaches all thought Stallions was doing similar work like what OSU and RU allegedly prepared for PU and he was just "rain man" compared to everyone else.
It is kindof inherent that if you go to a tOSU fanboard, everyone is going to assume #1 and if you go to a M fanboard, everyone is going to assume #4.
Honestly it probably isn't #1 and even if it was it seems unlikely that we'll find proof of that.
OTOH, I see #4 as not all that likely as well.
Even if it actually was #4 I can construct a strong argument (and the NCAA will construct such an argument) that it was the staff and HC's job to know.
Frankly, I think it was most likely something between #3 and #4. I think there was enough evidence that the rest of the Michigan staff either knew or should have known that Stallions couldn't possibly produce the results he was producing (figuring out tOSU's signals in the first drive) without doing something that was, at best, shady. At that point, IMHO, it was incumbent upon the HC to find out. He either did (#1 above) or didn't and neither of those is a good answer for Michigan.
Lastly, this last paragraph i quoted above is what makes me wonder the most. I completely agree with that take of the responsibility of Ono and the position the University should take if there's at least reasonably solid proof of what went on.. OR they're stupid.. So it makes me wonder is Harbaugh and staff just trying to cover what they can to save their jobs and Ono is making a bad judgment call or stupid.. OR after sitting through meetings with Big10/NCAA do they know far more than the media and "sources" and there's more to the story or the picture isn't being painted correctly.
Listen, I think anyone that puts a vested interest in a team, university, company, etc hopes for the latter. No one with integrity wants to root for cheaters, dirtbags or people so clueless they don't know right from wrong.. so I'm hoping it's the latter although the forward could also be very possible and I'll be pissed that they brought shame to the University.
The Ono thing feels weird to me. It honestly has me holding back a little bit. Let me explain:
If Ono had stayed completely out of it I'd be more convinced than I already am that this was REALLY bad for Michigan. So his sticking his head in is either evidence that maybe it isn't quite as bad as we've been led to believe or else Ono is just colossally stupid*. Even if the evidence is only what we've pretty much been told, that Stallions purchased LOTS of tickets to games involving future M opponents Ono's involvement is nothing but bad for him and potentially the University.
*Stupid:
Ono is apparently a genius researcher (I would expect that from a University President) but that doesn't eliminate the possibility that he is also kinda dense wrt football and politics (not partisan politics but NCAA Politics in this case).
The thing is that Ono's involvement, I think, risks making this MUCH worse for Michigan than it already is. If the NCAA's perception is that the institution simply doesn't take this rule-breaking seriously well, do the letters LOIC mean anything to you?
Upthread
@Mdot21 posted his "flipping the bird" response to the NCAA. That is fine for an anonymous keyboard warrior/fan but if the the NCAA feels that the University of Michigan as an institution is "flipping them the bird" they might decide that said institution needs to be taught that the rules are not for losers and that cheating will not be tolerated. It is insanely stupid on the part of the institution because the NCAA holds literally all the cards.
Another thing:
Apparently the attorney who crafted Michigan's response is also a rabid Michigan fan and and message board poster. That might not be such a good idea. One of the jobs of an attorney is to tell their client, as Kenny Rodgers would say, when to fold. The best legal advice I've ever gotten was NOT to pursue a case. You don't want your attorney to be of the "fight everybody" mindset unless you HAVE to fight. Part of an attorney's job is to help you pick your battles. Your attorney needs to be the rational one who steps in and says "I know you are really mad and you think you've been wronged, but you need to get out of this case, it is a loser."
