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. We're on a Facebook and Twitter drive, so be our friend or follow us! If you don't know what that means, you're old. 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
The NCAA just blew your mind - Eamonn Brennan gives you the full explanation of what is going down with the expanded NCAA tournament. Our buddies at Team Speed Kills lay of the basics of the new arrangement:
The number of 16-seed play-in games is increasing, but it's only going up to two, not four. Instead, there will be another pair of them for the last four at-large teams in the tournament. That means that, until two days before the 64-team bracket kicks in, we won't know for sure the full composition of the 11- and/or 12-seed line. These new sets of play-in games are going to be called the "First Four."
Former Michigan hockey defenseman Jack Johnson keeps his word, continues to pursue degree - Jack Johnson remains the very definition of a Michigan man. Despite leaving early to become an NHL superstar and Olympic Silver medal winner, Johnson returns to Ann Arbor every summer to take classes and continue on his path to a Michigan degree. I can only hope that all Michigan athletes who take his path to the pros also follow his path to a Michigan degree.
Michigan Stadium public open house is Wednesday - There will be a public open house for the renovated Michigan Stadium on Wednesday, July 14 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Someone, pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease, go there and take lots of pictures so that we can post them here. Email me if you can! Here is the Official announcement: Michigan Stadium to be Open to Public on July 14.
Interview: John Pollack of ‘Save the Big House’ - Greg at MVictors sits down with John Pollack, whom you may not affectionately remember as the guy behind Save the Big House, a group opposed to the renovations at Michigan Stadium. Greg asks some great pointed questions but does forget the most important one, "So, John, why are you such a gigantic tool?" My favorite part of the whole interview was Pollack saying this in response to assertions by Michigan Historians that Yost would have supported the renovations:
"Putting words or ideas in the name of someone who’s been gone for sixty years takes a lot of balls."
Correct me if I'm wrong, John, but that's what you were trying to do to us. As usual, Brian takes Pollack down with extreme prejudice and saves me from having to draft 1,500 words doing the same. Whenever this bozo comes out of the woodwork to slam the University he claims to support, I'm reminded of the scene from The Blues Brothers where the Chicago Police dispatch says "The use of unnecessary force in the apprehension of the Blues Brothers has been approved."
Legendary Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Dies After Suffering Heart Attack - Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has passed away at age 80 after suffering a heart attack Tuesday morning in Tampa. RIP George.
So much more after the jump...................
Michigan Football
Wood-Be Gentleman - Beyond awesome fluff on LaMarr Woodley. You cannot believe the amount of charity work this guy does. He's not a role model because he plays football. He's a role model because he does things for the less fortunate because he knows he has the means to, and he also knows that it's incumbant upon him as a man with means to make this world a better place. Man, we're lucky to call him a Michigan Man.
Eagles rookie Graham says he'll work hard once he gets to camp - Bradon Graham is such a badass.
Today, Brandon Graham will address 50 high school freshmen. He will hope to inspire them. He will point to himself, how he emerged from the streets of Detroit to earn a scholarship to Michigan; how, encouraged by men such as he has become, he eventually thrived; how, even now, as the Eagles' first-round pick and projected starter at left defensive end, his size 6-1, 268 pounds and his abilities are questioned.
And tomorrow, how he will break a quarterback in half and eat his still beating heart in front of the cheering masses.
U-M will have its hands full in season opener against UConn - Both teams are somewhat defense challenged so expect a shootout on September 4th. You may recall that Markus previewed this game a while back and came to the same conclusion.
Michigan-Michigan State heats up in 2010 - Rittenberg chooses the Michigan Michigan State game as one of the top games of the Big Ten season. I can't disagree with on this. In fact...
Michigan's Biggest Game in 2010 Michigan v. Michigan State - I totally agree with Brad on this one. In terms of confidence and conference play, the MSU game is the biggest game of the season (up until that point). It's a measuring stick. Sadly, the teams are even talented now, and the only way that starts to change in our favor is if Michigan gets back to dominating this series. Two in a row isn't that big a deal in the grand scheme of things, but three losses would be. It's time to get back on the right side of the ledger here.
That's why MSU has stepped up to become the game of the year. Not only because we feel that we should beat them, but that we need to beat them. And because we haven't, this matchup has become the focal point for whether or not Rodriguez is truly able to win with this team and guide this program back to dominance.
Top 10 grudge matches for 2010 - For some reason Purdue and Michigan is a top 10 grudge match. Good Lord... have we really fallen that far in two years? Don't answer that.....
Ohio State is U-M's toughest game; UMass easiest - Behind a paywall. File under "duh". Also file under "the offseason is long and frustrating and forces all of us to come up with content." I feel for you man.
Michigan football gets creative with its ticket packaging - Want tickets? Great! Now just buy this UMass game too. What you don't want that? NO SOUP FOR YOU!
Michigan Stadium's $226 million renovation nearly complete - It's sooooooo beautiful....
Big Ten Football
Where I Come From: Expectations for 2010 - BHGP drops their expectations for the 2010 Iowa Hawkeyes and the various anvils waiting to fall on any Hawkeye fan's overconfident noggin. Their short summary? Look 2005 and be worried.
Where I Come From: My Expectations For 2010 - BSD's Expectations for Penn State in 2010. Surprisingly reasonable. However, unless Newsome or one of his cohorts drastically improves, the basement for this team is around seven wins. Everyone at BSD seems to believe their QBs will
Big Ten status earns upgrade, but critics persist - "Big Ten bashing, the highly popular activity that seemingly has occupied much of the country the last few football seasons, took a bit of a breather after the most recent bowl run." That may be so, but if any of the Big Ten teams stumble out of the gate that little wisper is going to turn into a scream in a hurry.
College Football
DEAR AP VOTERS AND ASSORTED POLLSTERS - It is impossible to support this contention more than I do.
ESPN’s College GameDay expands to three hours - Look. I'm in favor of having an extra hour of Game Day. I really am. But as much as I enjoy Ms. Andrews sideline reporting and her talents as a broadcaster, I really, really, really don't want to see her mug every Saturday morning when I'm getting ready for a football game. Just my two cents. Andrews will host the first hour of College Game Day which will be broadcast on ESPNU starting at 9am EST. I congratulate Erin on the new gig, she's just not my favorite CFB personality.
'GameDay' tabs Erin Andrews to get you out of bed an hour earlier - The good doctor also points out the Chris Fowler has been promoted high enough to get away from his thursday night play calling duties. Apparently Rece Davis will take over, but we all know that just means more Pam Ward. /cocks gun, points at own head/
Michigan Basketball
Kentucky Hoopfest: Wrap-Up - Dylan wraps up another critical recruiting opportunity for the men's basketball team. The Kentucky Hoopfest was jam packed with prospects and Dylan gives us the lowdown.
Recruiting Quick Hitters (7-12-10) - Dylan catches us up on a slew of 2011 UM Hoops targets.
Michigan Hockey
Q & A WITH PROSPECT CHRIS SUMMERS - Prospect Chris Summers spoke exclusively with phoenixcoyotes.com after Saturday morning’s on-ice session at Polar Ice.
Michigan Baseball
Six former Wolverines get first taste of pro baseball - I love it. Michigan's turnign back into the baseball factory it once was. Six members of Michigan's 2010 baseball team -- including five who were selected in June's major league draft -- are in full swing in their minor league seasons.