Posted on Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 5:45 p.m.
Michigan lifts football camp blackout for BTN crew, yielding informative look into team
By Kyle Meinke
Michigan coach Brady Hoke opened up the Wolverines' practice Thursday to BTN reporters. The results were intriguing.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com
Thursday, that curtain was lifted just a bit.
The Big Ten Network was permitted to drop in on the Wolverines' practice Thursday afternoon, the first time this fall reporters have been allowed to view camp. Local media has been barred from practices.
BTN's Tom Dienhart and Dave Revsine provided several insightful updates on Twitter. A look at the highlights:
- Jeremy Jackson, Drew Dileo and Jeremy Gallon running at first team WR. Devin Gardner also with ones at times. #Wolverines #B1G
- Al Borges told me Jeremy Gallon has had best camp of WRs. #Wolverines #B1G
- True frosh DBs Terry Richardson and Jarrod Wilson getting lots of work. #Wolverines #B1G
- Roy Roundtree is moving well. He should be ready for start of the season. WR corps needs him. #Wolverines #B1G
- True frosh DBs Terry Richardson and Jarrod Wilson getting lots of work. #Wolverines #B1G
- Jeremy Jackson, Drew Dileo and Jeremy Gallon running at first team WR. Devin Gardner also with ones at times. #Wolverines #B1G
- Elliott Mealer running with first team at LG. #Wolverines #B1G
- Brady Hoke is cranking up the AC/DC "Hells Bells." This is football music! #B1G #Wolverines
- True frosh WRs Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson are big targets. OC Al Borges told me they will play. #Wolverines #B1G
- Big Will Campbell is looking good. True frosh DT Ondre Pipkins also shows nice strength in double-team drill. #Wolverines #B1G
- TE coach Dan Ferrigno has work to do. Brandon Moore is unproven 5th-year senior. True frosh A.J. Williams and Devin Funchess will play.
- #Wolverines Will count on some freshmen for DL depth - hard not to like looks of Pipkins & Henry.
- Mario Ojemudia getting a ton of reps at DE for the #Wolverines - pretty clear he will have a great chance to play
- Kalis and Braden both working with the 2's on OL for the #Wolverines
Comments
BOOM_ROASTED!
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 3:03 p.m.
This picture is from last year's camp ... what up wid dat?
Rabid Wolverine
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 4:14 p.m.
Yes, considering that Roundtree now wears 21 and not 12.
southernblu
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 2:07 p.m.
I'm glad that Hoke keeps his practices secretive. Whenever the media gets ahold of some information, the tendency is usually to give it a negative tilt. Besides if we're as thin on the defensive and offensive lines and other positions as the writers here and elsewhere keep reminding us, there is no need to divulge anything that might give our opposition an advantage. Let them wonder. Hoke is the football coach of the University of Michigan. He is not a media lap dog. Yes, it makes a Michigan sports reporter's job more difficult, but so what? Many of us have difficult jobs. Deal with it. There will be plenty to write about after the Bama game. And should we lose, you can bet all of the writers who are holding a grudge against Hoke for his stingy access will exact their revenge mightily.
1bit
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 12:39 p.m.
What is seen or heard at practice stays at practice. In a week, everyone's questions will be answered.
umgoblue47
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 2:32 a.m.
loose lips sink ships. . . or in this case lose football games! i can wait to see the finished product when the game start's!! low tide. . . GO BLUE!!!
Matt Patercsak
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 1:55 a.m.
This blog a good article that explains the takeaways from the BTN's visit today http://wolverineforce.blogspot.com/
Terry Star21
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 1:19 a.m.
Hoke is right on with his policies of closed practices, sorry to our media, because I too would like to hear - but hey, where talking about the nations best coach at the nations best college football school, he commands/demands all precedents. I too though am only concerned with the finished product and know we're in for the greatest show on earth every single game. Every university football program and coach wishes they were Hoke/Wolverines. And hey, Hoke is looking pretty buff in that picture - too good ! In a race, he beats all the other coaches (Bolt's too) hands down. He's super fast ! MgoBlueForTiM......Keeping practices real.
RWBill
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 12:58 a.m.
Let's Go Blue!
edjasbord
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:54 p.m.
Transcript of an interview today with an unnamed player that the BTN crew leaked: Q: "So you and coach Hoke got caught up today about practice?" A: "If I can't practice, I can't practice. It is as simple as that. It ain't about that at all. It's easy to sum it up if you're just talking about practice. We're sitting here... and we're talking about practice. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game last it's my last but we're talking about practice man. How silly is that? Now I know that I'm supposed to lead by example and all that but I'm not shoving that aside like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice man. We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice. When you come to the Big House, and you see me play, you've seen me play right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about practice right now."
perfectlyflwed
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 5:18 p.m.
Freakin hilarious!!! Gotta love the Iverson interviews.
heartbreakM
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 4:45 a.m.
Apparently (A)I am the only person who got the reference! Great post. We're talkin' 'bout PRACTICE
Terry Star21
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 1:10 a.m.
This guy my friend knows, whose cousin's buddy overheard a friends phone conversation to his college friend, who was talking to the pizza guy that has students deliver pizza to the back door of the BTN studio said that he was told by his supervisor that the front doorman at BTN knows an unnamed person inside that said he overheard the cleaning person tell the phone operator at BTN that story isn't true !
MRunner73
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:32 p.m.
Too much is made of practice. It's like watching sausage being made. The injury report is what is really newsworthy. This year's injury list is pretty long. I can wait until game day to see what Michigan looks like. Keep it locked up, Coach Hoke! Keep 'em guessing. Gameday should matter to us fans. Tell us after the game what your thoughts are and what you will need to do in prep for th next game.
garrisondyer
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:24 p.m.
Two things that strike me from this article and the comments already posted. 1) I'm glad the media isn't made into a huge deal every single practice. As much as I like reading articles on my football team, having a bunch of reporters and photographers milling around has got to be a serious distraction from the task at hand: getting better at football as a team. Especially for the underclassmen with stars in their eyes who don't know any better. 2) Hoke cranking the AC/DC is awesome.
MRunner73
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:33 p.m.
Amen.
rightmind250
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:18 p.m.
After all these secret practices, Hoke is going to look like an idiot if they get rolled by Bama.
Terry Star21
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 1:22 a.m.
Not a chance..roll over tide, tide rolls over.....
garrisondyer
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:31 p.m.
I don't necessarily follow the logic, but that's an interesting statement.
xmo
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 10:56 p.m.
If you have a great team you show it, if you don't you hide it!
Terry Star21
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 1:23 a.m.
Guess we won't see much from sparty........
MRunner73
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:26 p.m.
Neither great or not, we'll ALL be able to see what kind of team Michigan has on Sept 1st. Depending on the head football coach, some great teams hide their stuff while other's show it. To me practice is just that. No need to go ga-ga over somebody either doing really good or below par in practice.
garrisondyer
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:20 p.m.
... on game days, in my opinion. Otherwise, I'd agree with what you said this time, xmo!
BornInA2
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 10:46 p.m.
Lots of people complained about Carr's indifference toward the media as well, so we hired a coach who loved to talk and show off. Sadly he was all about talk and didn't actually produce (desirable) results. If it gets us to 11-2, we graduate healthy kids, and don't cheat, I couldn't care less if Hoke never says a word to the media and locks down every practice. Soon enough there will be plenty of action on which to report, and 100,000 cotton-picken Meeeechigan fans will bear live witness. Honk honk! Hail!!
Tally10
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 10:39 p.m.
Uh...son ( #12 ), let me show you what 14.3 (40) speed looks like. Hoke said that he could take DR and UBolt in the 40, just look at that form.
Terry Star21
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 1:27 a.m.
Yep, I like that about Hoke, he illustrates what he wants done. You see practice pictures of the coach up north standing around picking his nose and the coach down south standing around picking his.... - I just don't like that much.
TrueBlueinOH
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 10:27 p.m.
Is there any other major program that is this secretive? Seems like last year Kyle you guys were saying you got to see just mostly stretching.
Kyle Meinke
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:47 p.m.
TrueBlueinOH, even if we got to see just stretching last year, it was still more informative for us than getting nothing. You can see who's around, who's taped up, who's missing, who's with which position group, etc. I don't know of other programs that have been so shut down, although I'm sure they're out there.
Matt Patercsak
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 10:02 p.m.
extremely dissatisfied with these reports in comparison to what MSU received. The way that this staff handles media coverage is completely ridiculous. I can understand more about North Korea by using google maps than I can about this football team even after the BTN crew rolled in. I understand censoring aspects to your football team, but come on...
James Fe
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 2:06 p.m.
Matt: I love the fact that we have dumbed down everything for media. Rich Rod's #1 mistake by tipping the hat to other teams. We had no surprise. Do you want to win games or do you want to hear everything about the Michigan football team? I want to win games. Not to mention I want Alabama to be surprised when they play us and also other teams as well. I'm sure Michigan just only gave BTN a little glimpse and a watered down practice to make them happy. If you want to hear some of the latest and greatest on Michigan football listen to Sam Webb on WTKA in Ann Arbor or go on Twitter and find a bunch of football players and even some of these reporters and analysts like Sam Webb or Kyle Meinke. There is plenty of things every day to keep you busy and to fill your day full of Michigan football.
craigjjs
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 11:37 a.m.
Tony, I can't wait for that fake punt play. It's going to be awesome.
Dave
Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 1:40 a.m.
I'm not sure why fans feel entitled to information in the offseason. Like other fans, I also would like more access, but I don't demand it. Go out and enjoy the summer fer gawd sakes.
AAGreen
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:18 p.m.
Matt, it could be the Spartans are looking better in camp right now and the BTN crew reporting is reflecting that, and it's not as much a matter of censorship. It will be interesting to see how much Michigan improves during the year and if they have the depth to handle the invariable injuries which occur during the season. I think these two things will be the key to how Michigan finishes.
tony
Thu, Aug 23, 2012 : 11:03 p.m.
I for one absolutely love the fact that he tells us nothing. It's such a welcome relief after the ignorant hillbilly that called himself a coach we had before. Every great coach in history says absolutely nothing of significance or tells pure lies when they talk to the media. It's none of our business. We get to see what happens when they play. How they practice, who is doing what, etc., is none of our business. There is absolutely no bounds or respect when it comes to what the media will report on. If we were working a fake punt 37 times in practice today to use against Alabama, they would have tweeted "Hoke working on fake punt to use on Alabama. They practiced it 37 times today. Must be going to use it". I mean, seriously. I can almost forgive the coaches in other locales for what they tell the media, but in Michigan, the media seems to be working for the enemy more than it's home team. They always find the worst thing to report about the players, the coaches, the university, and the town. This is big time football and we have a big time game on 9/1, and we need to know absolutely nothing before kickoff.