Daily Brews: Desmond Howard apologizes for on-air joke

We had a nice little appetizer over the weekend for the start of college football, but no we’re really into it now with Michigan Football’s first game week underway. Let’s take a look at what we missed from the weekend.

Desmond Howard apologizes for Chappelle’s Show reference

Former Wolverine and current ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard tends to stir up the country with his pro-Michigan stance on many topics, but there was a new level of “outrage” that he would apologize for over the weekend.

ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis asked Howard if this was the year that Michigan would finally make a big enough splash to beat the rival Ohio State Buckeyes, to which Howard dropped a Chappelle’s Show reference from a Wayne Brady guest apperance (NSFW) and replied:

“Rece Davis, is Desmond Howard gonna have to choke a bitch?”

“I have my barber-shop response, and I have my PC response,” Howard continued. “At this point, you have to wait and see. On paper, they should beat Ohio State, you would think especially with a new coach with Ryan Day, a new quarterback with Justin Fields. But obviously it’s Ohio State, it’s the rivalry. This time, even if he wins, if he wins that game, they’re going to say, ‘Well you didn’t beat Urban Meyer.’ On paper it seems like this should be the year they’re going to beat Ohio State, but now I think we’re at a point where we’re like, wait and see.”

Howard quickly apologized for the joke.

“I’m a big Wayne Brady fan and I made a comment that was supposed to be taken as a joke,” Howard said, per Yahoo. “If I offended anybody, I apologize.”

David Pollack is not buying the Michigan hype

One of Howard’s coworkers chimed in about Michigan and is not quite as confident in the Wolverines, saying he does not believe they are a top-10 team this year.

All of us are buying Michigan to be a really good team this year?” Pollack said. “(Shea Patterson) I legitimately have concerns about him. They lost a ton of talent. I think they’ll be an OK team. I don’t think they’re going to be a top-10 team at the end of the season.”

Pollack and Howard’s thoughts are the opposite ends of the spectrum that we have heard all offseason long, though Pollack, a notorious skeptic of the Wolverines, did not elaborate all that much. Regardless, do not expect him to be in Michigan’s corner a whole lot this year.

Jake Butt speaks on return from ACL tear

Former Wolverine Jake Butt tore his ACL in the Citrus Bowl in 2016 leading into the 2017 NFL Draft process, which put a big-time dent into his pro stock and set him back in a big way. He tore his ACL again last season and made his preseason debut for the Denver Broncos over the weekend, telling the team he feel’s like he has turned the corner.

“This has been the toughest ACL recovery, for sure,” Butt said. “I was thinking the other day — I wasn’t really sold on ACL being a hard thing. I was like, ‘Eh, it’s not that big of a deal.’ You have a couple tough weeks, and then you’re over it. This one put reality into check.”

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“Not being able to practice at the beginning of camp, going through some setbacks — it definitely tested me mentally,” Butt said. “I don’t mind the physical pain, but mentally, it’s been the hardest one. I think I’ve turned the corner and I’m feeling good and want to put together a good season — a good, healthy season — and put some good things on tape and continue to build on them.”

Here’s to hoping he can find his footing and have a prosperous pro career from here. This is one of the cases usually cited in why players skip bowl games and his ACL tear in his last game cost him millions. Fingers crossed he can recoup that.

Caris LeVert secures the bag

Once upon a time, Caris LeVert was an overlooked recruit that John Beilein brought in that developed into an All-Big Ten talent and a first round NBA Draft pick. His arrow has continued to point up and now he has been rewarded handsomely for the start to his career, signing a three-year, $52.5 million extension with the Brooklyn Nets.

The deal was reported on Saturday night, which happened to fall on LeVert’s 25th birthday. These are exciting times for the former Wolverine, who’s team may be a factor in the Eastern Conference for years to come with Kyrie Irving and potentially a healthy Kevin Durant in time for next season.

The new money will not kick in until the 2020-21 season and he will make $2.9 million this year, but it is well-deserved regardless. He averaged 13.7 points per game last year and came on late in the season after dealing with a foot injury for much of the year.

National Brews

• Florida’s band director was allegedly attacked after Saturday night’s game in Orlando by Miami fans. When he went to stop an altercation caused by fans of The U who had barged into a band area, two men put him in a chokehold and and slammed his head into the concrete.
• Speaking of Saturday night’s game, the showdown between the Gators and the Hurricanes pulled in the highest overnight rating on a college football game for ESPN since November of 2016. Go ahead and use your imagination on what that game was.
• A pair of arrests went down in the SEC East over the weekend, as Tennessee DB Bryce Thompson was arrested on a domestic assault charge, while Georgia DL Bill Norton was arrested on on charges of DUI, failure to maintain lane, and minor in possession of alcohol

That’s it for Monday. Happy Game Week, and we’ll be back tomorrow.