@erikmagnuson78 and Kyle Kalis Abercrombie and Fitch models http://t.co/pdPFqeQ0Zm—
Kyle Bosch (@Kyle_Bosch65) May 11, 2013
Eternal thanks to mgoblog for alerting the internet to the existence of this photo of Wolverines offensive linemen Kyle Kalis and Erik Magnuson. You have provided a valuable public service.
Denard Robinson was picked as the cover athlete thanks largely to this run vs. Iowa. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
By Zac Ellis
EA Sports announced last month that former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson would grace the cover of NCAA Football 14, the latest installment in the developers’ long line of college football video games. Robinson was selected as the cover athlete via a fan vote, which began in December and garnered nearly six million votes for representatives of 126 schools.
EA Sports finally unveiled the cover on Tuesday, making Robinson the third Michigan player to be featured on the front of the game; Charles Woodson (1999) and Desmond Howard (2006) were the others. Perhaps Robinson is lucky the voting concluded before he showed off his baseball skills.
Michigan led the nation last season by averaging 112,252 fans per home game. (Scott W. Grau/Icon SMI)
By Zac Ellis
Michigan’s home-field advantage was the best in college football in 2012, according to at least one list of rankings. Michigan Stadium, also known as “The Big House,” topped StadiumJourney.com’s rundown of the best college stadiums from last season. The Wolverines led the nation in average attendance with an astounding 112,252 fans per game while finishing 6-0 and outscoring visiting opponents 231-96 at home.
The outlet determined its rankings based on several factors, including a team’s win/loss record, average attendance, attendance as a percentage of capacity and points scored/allowed at home. Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium finished second, while Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium, Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium and South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium rounded out the top five.
You can find the complete rankings here, but here is the rest of the top 10:
The sum total of our knowledge of baseball comes from baseball blooper .gifs, but we are told by unimpeachable sources that this Denard Robinson baseballing effort surpasses his previous outing:
Not bad for a wide receiver. RT @umichfootball: STRIKE. Denard Robinson redeems himself at @umichbaseball: bit.ly/17EFJDX—
Chris Burke (@ChrisBurke_SI) April 16, 2013
From this angle, you can’t even tell that Denard Robinson’s pitch was terrible. (Rick Osentoski-USA Today Sports)
By Zac Ellis
Surely no one has forgotten about former Michigan star Denard Robinson’s first pitch at Tuesday’s Tigers-Blue Jays game, which you can relive in all its glory right here. Now, it seems the good fellas over at elevenwarriors.com have decided to take their review of the pitch to the next level, as they caught up with an anonymous NFL scout to break down Robinson’s effort on the mound. How will his pitching performance affect his draft stock? That’s clearly the question on everyone’s mind, and there’s some pretty detailed analysis in here. Among the highlights:
11W: So what was your reaction when Robinson tossed it?
Scout: Honestly, it was fear.
By Zac Ellis
College football fans remember what a freakish athlete Denard Robinson was during his career at Michigan. If his latest outing on the pitcher’s mound is any indication, he certainly should stick to the gridiron. Robinson threw out the first pitch before Tuesday’s game between the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays, and, well, it could have gone better. The video is above, and check out the GIF courtesy of CBSSports.com’s Tom Fornelli.
Meanwhile, this seems like as good a time as any to take another look at Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel’s attempt at throwing out a first pitch. At least Johnny Football avoided the dirt, but it’s still just a tad high and outside. View the clip after the jump:
Most followed CFB Teams on #Twitter: 1. Michigan 132,074; 2. LSU 98,739; 3. Alabama 76,193; 4. Tennessee 63,824; 5. Auburn 58,864—
Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) April 01, 2013
Some thoughts:
• That’s a lot of keys to imagine jangling in the general direction of a lot of computer screens.
• Alabama is not the national champion at something, and we find this deeply unsettling.
• No, we don’t know why that many people want to know about Tennessee or Auburn football either.
Broncos fans, you know you want some of this.
Many, many scheduling moves announced today, including our favorite type of football, Road Trip To Louisiana Football:
• UConn vs. Boise State. Continuing their efforts to shake off the terrifying ghosts of western trips past, the Huskies have scheduled a home-and-home with the Broncos to be played in Connecticut in 2014 and on the blue turf in 2018.
• Cincinnati at Michigan. In addition to a just-announced basketball series, the football Bearcats will travel to Ann Arbor for a Sept. 9, 2017 game, marking the first meeting between the two programs.
• Louisiana vs. Boise State. The Ragin’ Cajuns will host the Broncos in 2014 and make a return trip to Boise for the 2016 season opener. (Attention, people of Boise: Go to this game.)
Come back soon, Goldilocks From Hell. (AP)
In our second Viking-headed news bit of the day, ill tidings out of Ann Arbor: linebacker Jake Ryan, Michigan’s leader in sacks and tackles for loss, tore his ACL in practice on Tuesday. Brady Hoke released the following statement through the athletic department on the development:
You always hate when anyone gets injured and unfortunately we’ve dealt with our share of injuries in the last 12 months,” said Michigan coach Brady Hoke. “We will support Jake to make sure he has everything he needs to get through this. I know he will attack his rehabilitation just like he does everything else and will be back when he’s ready.”
It’s a setback you hate to see for any athlete, but the absence of somebody as fun to watch as Ryan will be keenly felt. Our very best wishes to the guy we’ll always remember one MGoBlog denizen calling “Goldilocks from hell.”
Drake Harris, a 2014 prospect, is expected to focus on football in college after decommitting from Michigan State. (AP)
Class of 2014 prospect Drake Harris, a two-sport star at Grand Rapids Christian, has withdrawn his verbal commitment to Michigan State and has been visiting Michigan, per the Detroit Free Press. Rated as a four-star recruit in both football and basketball, Harris has received football offers from such programs as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame and Oregon. As told to the Freep:
“Since I’m just playing football now,” Harris told reporters after his regional basketball game Monday in Grand Rapids, “I want to play at a bigger school, win a national championship.”
One of the most effective offseason conditioning methods out there is message-board rage sprints. To help you along, here’s a guide to everyone who could conceivably be offended by Harris’ statement:
• Michigan State: For Harris reopening his recruitment and slighting of the Spartans’ football program.
• Michigan: For the implied slight of the Michigan basketball program.
• Everybody else in the Big Ten not located in Columbus, Ohio (probably). Lest we forget, Ohio State also went after Harris, so look forward to whatever bon mots Urban Meyer has to dispense about Harris’ chances of winning a national title with the Wolverines.
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