What up, Fam?
- The Michigan softball team beat Oklahoma 1-0 today behind more ridiculously awesome pitching from Jennie Ritter. UM needs to pick up the run support, though, if it wants to defend its title. I can only imagine that the coverage of the WCWS will pick up throughout the SportsBlog Nation as the tournament moves on. Nestor?
Also, here's the bracket: Clickity
- Let the football-related freaking out
begincontinue: Michigan has announced the game times for four football games in the fall. Michigan--more specifically, Lloyd Carr and the athletics administration--will be forced to confront its noctiphobia on the road in primetime against Minnesota (at 8 PM EDT on one of the Disney-owned networks) and Penn State (8 PM EDT on ABC). It will also host Michigan State at a TV-friendly 4:30 PM, and--thank good for this one--be in its comfort zone, a noon kickoff, for homecoming against big, bad Northwestern.For as long as I can remember, Lloyd Carr and Bill Martin have opposed playing night games. Why? They trot out the usual assortment of reasons that range from understandable-but-weak to totally lame: starting games later gives fans more time to drink (you know, because know one is drunk by noon on a football Saturday); fans who drive long distances to games shouldn't be asked to drive home in the dark (this is a safety thing, but man is this weak--the cars have lights, right? No one is forcing these people to come ever week, right?); little kids can't stay up that late (see before--couldn't they just be brought to the game for every other game that isn't at night?); etc. I think that Carr doesn't like night games for the same reason that he doesn't like the media, protein powder, and trying to score a lot of points so that teams get put away: he's a relic. One home night game a year--just one fucking game!--would be an event that would create a fantastic atmosphere in Ann Arbor. I know that Michigan is committed to never doing anything progressive until it has to (and then, of course, it is no longer progressive), but why can't UM try this? Whatever...
- Michigan landed its sixth football commitment for the class of 2007 when it received a verbal commitment from Indiana safety Jerimy Finch. Finch is widely considered to be an elite safety prospect, and is a likely top-100 player. He is Michigan's second safety commitment (and second safety from Indiana, following Artis Chambers), and is likely going to be one of seven defensive backs taken (three safeties, four cornerbacks) in this class.
Two notes about Finch: 1) He is going to take official visits elsewhere to see what's what, but the proverbial message-board insiders are "feeling good about Finch ultimately being Blue"; 2) Finch could likely become an outside linebacker as he adds weight.
- Epke Udoh, a power forward/center, has joined the 2006 Michigan basketball recruiting class. Now, we just need a fucking point guard...
- Peep Michigan game: The Realests