A caveat before we begin: this has nothing to do with Michigan.  Not that there isn't anything going on to write about, like how the stripey stitching uniforms put us a stone's throw from maize uniforms, or how Michigan great Juwan Howard's championship dreams probably died as Dirk hit another improbably ugly shot.  It's just that this is really the only outlet for my increasingly infrequent writing, so I get to post it. 

Grantland, a Bill Simmons joint founded with the backing of ESPN.com, has been live now for just about a week (if it's not a week, it will be shortly).  The site promises to be a blend of pop-culture and sports, written by some of the most respected writers, erm, writing today.  The addition of Klosterman to the masthead alone speaks to the site's ambition, and the fact that the ESPN editors have allowed Simmons et. al. some leeway in terms of content (Simmons drops an F-bomb in his "welcome" piece) might just allow it to succeed.  This alone is somewhat exciting.  Bill Simmons was the mastermind behind the universally applauded 30-for-30 series of documentaries, and has been itching for years to have ESPN give him more reign.  This appears to be that opportunity.  Simmons has, for the majority of his career as what I'm calling a "producer of content," be it podcast, columns, diaries, or documentaries, tried to push the envelope in terms of what that medium can handle.  Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.  Some might say that he defined the very medium you're reading right now: the sports blog.

I'm going to switch gears here, but I promise there's a tie-in.  Remember when The Office debuted, first in Great Britain with Ricky Gervais, then on NBC with Steve Carell?  Part of what made that series funny in the first place was the fact that the "faux documentary" style in which it was filmed allowed the actors (and writers) more leeway in what could be made into a joke.  Traditional sitcoms had always relied on actors abilities to show when something was awkward.  This required the writers to really hammer home, through dialogue mostly, the situation in which these characters were placed, and why/how that situation was funny - be it a mistaken identity, slapstick, satire, etc.  The characters were largely static across sitcoms; a protagonist, antagonist, love interest, and buffoon.  One of the reasons Seinfeld was so successful and refreshing was the fact that they always switched who played which role.  George was often portrayed as protagonist, antagonist, and buffoon - sometimes in the same episode.  I'm getting off track.  The bottom line is that traditional sitcoms had to show you what you were laughing at.  They had defined characters who acted a certain way, and when that way was "disrupted" by the situation, boom - laughter.

The Office changed that.  Instead of the writers having to show you what was funny, they could just tell you what was funny by having the actors "break the 4th wall" via the faux-documentary style.  The audience no longer had to rely on their knowledge of character and situation, and the writers didn't necessarily have to set up their jokes via dialogue between characters.  The actor could basically set up a joke by telling the audience what the plan was (interview), then execute that plan "live" with the other characters (live action), then give you reactions by those characters (interview).  Jim's antics with Dwight in the intro "throwaway joke" that precedes the credits perhaps illustrates this best.   Some could call this cheating (Community did a parody episode wherein they call out The Office on it), but it's led to a new genre of sitcom defined by The Office and mimicked by Parks and Rec, Modern Family, and others.  It's funny.  It works.*

This brings us back to Grantland and an interesting stylistic choice that seems to be intentional.  Simmon's welcome piece linked above had footnotes.  He took these footnotes as an opportunity to let the reader in on the site's creation, the increased leeway he was getting from ESPN (he explains the F-bomb in one of them), etc.  At first I thought it was just something he wanted to do in explaining the genesis of the site.  Then I read Klosterman's next piece, and it had footnotes.  Now every article on that site has footnotes, and I realized that Simmons is basically doing to print what the faux documentary style has done to television.  He's allowing a designated space to be used for the author to explain things directly to the audience.  I'm not sure this has been done before, at least as extensively as Grantland apparently is going to use it.  In the footnoted space, Simmons and Klosterman have further explained different topics, made jokes, set up future topics, and gone meta.  It's allowing them to pull back the curtain and allow the reader, if interested, to dig deeper.  It's also allowing them to not necessarily have to show everything.  In many cases, they can just tell the reader what to look for.

Take the aforementioned f-bomb.  Simmons drops it in paragraph 5 of his welcome piece, saying:

Eight and a half years have passed. I can't remember how Jimmy answered, just what his face looked like. You wouldn't call it nervous, you wouldn't call it overwhelmed, you wouldn't call it anything … he didn't fucking know.

Later in the piece, in footnote 12 to be exact, Simmons explains:

For instance, I dropped an F-bomb earlier and it felt pretty organic, you have to admit. If I dropped a second F-bomb to celebrate dropping the first F-bomb? Probably a little gratuitous. Then again, fuck it.

He uses this to go meta, then makes a joke.  Under traditional writing conventions , he could have either dropped this note into a separate paragraph within the piece, or he could have just shown us that he wasn't going to swear just for the sake of swearing by only utilizing that language when it came about "organically."  This would have either added length to his piece and felt a little out of place, or it would have come about naturally over however many years Grantland is around.  Instead he could write the column he wanted to and just tell the curious reader what was going on in a footnote.

There is probably a larger point to be made about how information is available today and reader's dwindling attention span.  Simmons has essentially created a sub-column within each piece in which a writer can do whatever he/she deems necessary to increasing reader engagement.  With the options available to today's Internet dwelling "content consumer," it might prove to be a good idea.  Or it might be incredibly distracting.  I think I'd like to see a footnote on whether the footnoting is going to stick around.  One thing is for sure though - Simmons is actively trying to push the conventions of how columns are written in digital format, and taking his cue from The Office he might have found something that allows him and his writers to make the jokes and the inside stories they want while still maintaining flow and rhythm to the main column.

*I can do it too! No really, The Office probably wasn't the first show to do this but it did popularize the style.  And of course you can go back to stage shows where actor's "asides" would bring the audience up to speed.  Heck, at the end of A Midsummer's Night Dream Puck spends an entire paragraph just straight up talking to the audience.  So right, The Office didn't invent it, but it did make it popular.  That is all.

I seem to have contracted one of the biblical plauges over the last couple of days, and today is easily the worst of it. The boils and river of blood I don't mind so much. It's what to do with all these damn frogs. Anyway, I'm taking today (and yesterday) to recover. And probably tomorrow too. My regular programing will resume monday, and we'll have some fun pre-bowl game type substances up for you. Also, more mocking of the new Big Ten logo. In the meantime the guys should have something up at somepoint to keep you entertained. It just ain't going to be me.

Until then, I'm going to put my face in a bowl of soup and go to sleep until this goes away.

Maize n Brew gives you your daily (or semi-daily) rundown of all the Michigan Football, Michigan Basketball, College Football, and College Basketball news you need to get through the tedium of your boring desk job. For good measure we'll throw in a little irreverent information, comedy and commentary to help you salt away the time until the clock strikes 5pm. If you want Maize n Brew in 140 characters or less, follow us on Twitter! Or you can friend us on Facebook and become a fan of Maize n Brew on Facebook for more links. Here's what's ON TAP:

Stuff You Should Read Right Now

Rutgers DT Eric Legrand Suffers Paralyzing Hit - In a truly scary story coming out of New Jersey, the Rutgers DT suffers a severe neck injury and is currently paralyzed below the waist.  The MnB family and this author send our sincerest best wishes to Legrand and his family on a speedy recovery.  Football's a scary sport, and it's easy to get caught up as fans and forget some of the human aspects of the game.

Deja Vu NOOOO - Please, no.  Use the bye week and pull it together.  Via DetNews dot com.

Pulitzer.  Please.  - TTU RB Baron Batch writes a weekly column for the newspaper that's just too excellent to put into words.  I encourage you to find the Seven Pounds reference as well in older posts.

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As Donovan, Buddle, Dempsey and Altidore raced down the right-center of the field every muscle in my body seemed to involuntarily clench. It was an odd sensation. But after 90 plus minutes of watching the US squander opportunity after opportunity against Algeria, I suppose it was a natural reaction. Even so, the fact that I has allowed myself to become so emotionally invested in this team, and this game, surprised me.

Soccer in the United States remains somewhat of an afterthought to the majority of the sports viewing and ticket purchasing public. Despite being the home sport of the largest growing minority populations in this country, populations that will soon become the majority of the populous according to our most recent census, you cannot find soccer (or as it is properly called throughout the globe "Futbol") on any of the major networks. Sure there is the occasional MLS game on ESPN and the MLS finals on ABC, but there is no Soccer Night in America or Sunday afternoon game that will be broadcast with any regularity.

Yet, there we were. Glued to the tube as the U.S. frantically pushed for the deciding goal that put them through to the knock-out round of the World Cup. All this despite the National Team's disastrous showing four years earlier in Germany. Despite rules and referees that seemed predetermined to screw the National Team out of advancing. And despite the fact that so few of us really understand what was going on before us.

But that number is growing, as is fubol in America. According to a 2006 report on youth athletics, approximately 17.5 million U.S children played soccer at some level. And after years of development and commitment, the U.S. National team is finally beginning to reap the rewards of what it has sown.

As Donovan fed the ball toward the space above the right side of the box and Altidore charged through his man, all breathing ceased. Running stride for stride with Altidore, Clint Dempseysprinted directly at the keeper with a defender draped all over him as if he was wearing a cape. In a fluid movement, Altidore collected the ball mid-sprint and delivered an arcing feed toward the charging Dempsey, who had deftly beaten his man and gained the precious inside position he needed to take the shot. The ball found Dempsey.

But not to be beaten was Algerian keeper Raïs M'Bohli, who played the pass and shot with a desperate yet brilliantly timed dive. Dempsey's shot did not find twine, but found M'Bohli's outstretched hands and body. Unfortunately for M'Bohli, he could not cover the ball. The rebound from Dempsey's shot and his sprawling effort sent the ball rolling directly out into Landon Donovan's path. M'Bohli gathered himself faster than any human being should have been able to and dived once more into as much of Donovan's view as he could muster. But it wasn't enough. With a calm right foot, Donovan eased the U.S. National team into the the knockout round of the World Cup as his drive reached the back of the net.

Then, mercifully, I allowed air to re-enter my lungs.

This is not the first time the U.S. has advanced to the round of 16. In 1994 National team reached the round of 16 and in 2002 they advanced to the final eight. Each time pundits and supporters of the "beautiful game" predicted that thiswas the time that soccer, ney futbol, would finally take hold and become an American passion. Both times those predictions were wrong. But only slightly so.

While the U.S. may not have a professional league that rivals Serie A, the Bundesliga, or the Premiership, it does have a thriving and growing professional league. More people, older people, in the US are being exposed to futbol than ever before. It's no longer a sport for the young before they take up other endeavors, it's a sport that has grown not just in popularity but in appreciation among the American sportsfan. And finally, it is a sport that is ready to be embraced by this country.

And that final push by the US encapsulates why so many love this sport. Speed. Beauty. Skill. Determination. Brute force. Chaos. All the things in sport that Americans love and desire. Altidore's speed. Dempsey's brute strength, and Donovan's skill and determination. All were on display, waiting for the viewing public to embrace. Judging from the reaction, they have.

We all know this feeling can be fleeting. You need look no further than the U.S. Olympic Hockey team's performance in Vancover, or the U.S.'s prior Would Cup appearances. Fascination can quickly turn into apathy if the fires are not properly stoked.

But there was something different about today. A different feeling. In that moment, as Donovan's drive crossed by the fingers of the keeper and crossed the goal line, everything seemed as it should. The U.S. Soccer team wasn't just lucky to advance, they deserved it. They fought against every conceivable card, foul, and call, and came away with a result they outright deserved. This was not, is not, a group of scrappy overachievers. It is a highly skilled, dangerous futbol team that belongs among the world's elite.

And today was the day America took notice of that.

(HT: Spencer Hall)

Well, we're four plus years into this, so it's probably a good time to write an Official Greeting to all the new visitors Maize n Brew is getting these days. So for those of you visiting the site for the first time or checking in for the hundredth: Welcome! Officially.

So What is Maize n Brew Exactly?

Maize n Brew is, at its heart, a Michigan Football blog. We can't help it. If you're like us, you've been a Michigan fan since you first saw that Winged Helmet or the first time you set foot on campus. There's just something about Michigan, Michigan Football, and Ann Arbor that engenders a special (read: irrational) dedication and mania unique to Wolverine fans. It drives us to so many extremes. From happiness to despair, to starting a blog in your free time so you can share your happiness or despair with others. Over the years I've tried to explain to people why I went to Michigan and why, nearly 15 years later, it still consumes so much of my free time. I've never been able to sum it up succinctly, so I started a blog and for some reason people keep reading it.

The primary thing you need to know about us and about Maize n Brew is that we're fans. Huge, partisan, sarcastic Michigan fans. We will try to be objective from time to time, but for the most part, you're going to get everything from the cynical Maize n Blue colored glasses from which we view the world. Second, we're not journalist. We are the exact opposite. We're fans with an outlet and a voice. Sometimes we'll write things that border on journalism, sometimes we'll interview a player or go to a Big Ten/Michigan media event (for some reason they actually let us in), sometimes we'll carefully dissect a situation and offer all kinds of well reasoned, thoughtful insight.

But most of the time we're going to be blindly optimistic, naive, having fun at everyone else expense, making fart jokes, and finding new ways to talk about Michigan Football, Michigan Basketball, Michigan Hockey, and the rest of the College Football and College Sports world in all it's absurdity.

We also like Beer. A lot. So there will be intermittent discussions of hoppy, malty beverages on this site. But fear not, they will relate back to football, tailgating, and the American Way.

So here are some guidelines on how we roll, and how we hope people will roll with us:

• Have a Sense of Humor. This is Required. If you're going to be on this site, you'd better be able to laugh at yourself. We try our absolute hardest not to take ourselves too seriously, and lord knows when we do our readers call us on it. And they'll call you on it too. So have fun, have a laugh, and keep your sense of humor handy.
• Decorum. Discussion is good. Disagreement is good. Trolling, flaming, and personal attacks are . . . not so good. Pretend you're in the room with whoever you're talking to or about. If you'd hesitate to say it in person, don't say it here. And let's leave the mean-spirited jokes about our players and coaches to our rivals, shall we?
• If You See Something You Like Comment on it or Recommend it. We've got a lot of tools to play with here on the site, but the two most powerful tools for us are the comment button and recommend button at the bottom of every full post. By clicking the *Rec button at the bottom of the post, you're letting us know we did something you liked. If you post a comment on a post, we did your direct feed back and hopefully spark some debate. If you like it enough to comment and recommend, well, aren't you just flattering us to the point of blushing.

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Maize n Brew gives you your daily (or semi-daily) rundown of all the Michigan Football, Michigan Basketball, College Football, and College Basketball news you need to get through the tedium of your boring desk job. For good measure we'll throw in a little irreverent information, comedy and commentary to help you salt away the time until the clock strikes 5pm.  Want it in 140 characters or less, follow us on Twitter! Or you can find us on Facebook!

I wish I could say today's news started better: 

Rest in Peace, Rajaan Bennett

Vanderbilt Commodores recruit Rajaan Bennett shot to death in apparent murder-suicide - This is hands down the worst thing I've heard this offseason and for the last several offseasons. Rajaan Bennett, one of Vanderbilt's top-rated signees for the 2010 class, was killed Thursday in an apparent murder-suicide involving one of his mother's ex-boyfriends. Bennett was shot to death before the shooter took his own life. All of our thoughts and prayers are with this young man's family and with the Vanderbilt football team. Bennett was a young man with a bright future, an All-State selection as a running back and a 3.8/4.0 student who chose Vanderbilt because of its academics. Like so many, we're stuggling to make sense of this horrible news.  Again, all our thoughts and prayers go out to Rajaan Bennett and his family. TSK has more on the tragedy. Rest in peace, young man.

An emotional Bobby Johnson reacts to the news of Bennett's murder - video courtesy of Dr. Saturday.

If you are interested in contributing to the memorial fund, send checks made out to the McEachern Endowment Fund with "Rajaan Bennett Memorial." Full details at Dawg Sports.

God speed, young man. May you find the peace you deserve. Photo via Johnny Crawford, ajc.com  

Updates on Michigan Football, Basketball and the rest of the College Sports world after the jump.

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Maize n Brew gives you your daily (or semi-daily) rundown of all the Michigan Football, Michigan Basketball, College Football, and College Basketball news you need to get through the tedium of your boring desk job. For good measure we'll throw in a little irreverent information, comedy and commentary to help you salt away the time until the clock strikes 5pm.  Want it in 140 characters or less, follow us on Twitter! Or you can find us on Facebook! Here's what's ON TAP:

Stuff You Should Read Right Now:

The 2009 Moral Victory National Championship - Roll 'Bama Roll produces some of the greatest smack talkof all time. "We know who took home the Coaches Trophy but who really deserves to be called 'The People's Champion?'"

Doctor Saturday takes a look at the the college football season's sharpest turning points and tries to answer the question on everyone's mind: What the hell does USC see in Lane Kiffin, anyway?

Black Shoe Diaries is somewhat, well, amused? The words "donkey kick" and "women's track" are involved. Penn State track and field has never, ever been so interesting.

Big Ten Propoganda - Lake the Posts goes out of its way to hype the Big Ten's successful post-season along with announcing the Big Ten Media Days, which are set to begin on August 2nd in Chicago. We'll be there. And this time, we may even rport something!

Michigan Basketball

The Detroit News says the Wolverines need Key Victories this Week - No. They needed key victories during the out of conference season. Michigan's NCAA hopes aren't on life support. They'e dead and buried. Only a Frankenstein style exhumation, a la winning the Big Ten Tournament, is going to get them in. Ask Penn State how much good a great conference season does when your OOC resume is putrid.

Look, I'm pulling for Beilein and his boys as much as any Michigan fan, but the helter skelter nature of this team and its performance so far are not indicative of anything remotely resembling an invite to the Big Dance. The sooner we accept that, the better. Of course there is the argument that if Michigan beats UConn and all of a sudden that changes.

I don't think so. The problems on this team run pretty deep. No one other than Sims or Harris is averaging in double figures. Michigan's turning the ball over substantially more than last year. There is no leadership to speak of on the floor or in the locker (as far as we can tell). There is no one that can help Sims down low. Even if Michigan, through what I would only be able to classify as a fluke, beats UConn, there is no indication that Michigan won't drop another game they lead by 17. The lack of consistency has cost the Wolverines. In fact, it cost them an NCAA bid and will turn making the NIT (after an awful start) something to shoot for.

Michigan Basketball Tops Indiana, 69-45 - AnnArbor.com's wrap up of the game.

Indiana at Michigan Game - UM Hoops dot Com wraps up Michigan's 25 point win over Indiana.

Michigan wakes up, cruises past Indiana - Cruises? No. Not after that first half. They just stopped playing horribly. 25 point win or not, Indiana (7-9) is not a very good team.

Michigan's defense aces its first rematch test of the year - Rothstein at Ann Arbor dot Com is a little more positive on the game than I was. C- for the offense is generous. Take out Sims and Harris and this team would struggle to score 30 a game right now.

Defenses made both Michigan and Indiana's offenses look 'sloppy' - Look? Ha. Are sloppy.

(more after the jump....)

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We now resume your regularly scheduled work wasting.