The NCAA has opened an investigation into No. 2 Michigan over possible rule-breaking around in-person scouting of opponents

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Personally, I like the teams that hold up the big cards with different images on them - cartoon characters, actors, musicians, logos etc.

somewhat more seriously - I would think that the wristband system would be a lot harder to steal. QB has a wristband with plays on it, and the sideline signals in a number that corresponds to the wristband. that would be almost impossible to steal unless you knew what was on the wristband.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
somewhat more seriously - I would think that the wristband system would be a lot harder to steal. QB has a wristband with plays on it, and the sideline signals in a number that corresponds to the wristband. that would be almost impossible to steal unless you knew what was on the wristband.
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Provided you change up the wristband randomly during the game. Otherwise, if I scouted you and know you run a play with a jet sweep with a TE running up the seam, once I see that number signaled to the QB, I'll remember it being for this play.
 

More depth to the story. Enough of the anonymous stuff, though. Be a man and put your name on it.




A Michigan hat tugged low, dressed all in blue and gripping a white playsheet — or is it? — the Wolverines analyst and Naval Academy graduate paces the sideline behind more prominent coaches Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

At various points, Connor Stalions would make a signal: point to his shoulder, gesture to the ground, tap his head. He was in constant communication with the full-time assistants around him, whispering to them as the opposing offense broke the huddle.

“He spearheads the operation,” one Big Ten school coach told Yahoo Sports in an interview Thursday. “I once told (Stalions), ‘We know what kind of sh** you are doing and it’s f***** up.’”

Multiple Big Ten staff members identified Stalions as Michigan’s sign-stealing guru after the school was ensnared Thursday in an NCAA investigation. ESPN reported late Thursday night that the NCAA’s investigation into Michigan’s sign stealing is focusing on Stalions, who joined the Michigan staff in spring of 2022 as a recruiting analyst.

Stalions has subsequently been suspended by Michigan with pay.

Since his name emerged, Stalions has scrubbed his social media. He deleted his Instagram and Twitter accounts, which were active Thursday afternoon.

But well before the NCAA got involved, those within the league knew of Stalions and his sign-stealing expertise.

“We were told to be careful because they had a guy who could pick plays,” says one Big Ten head coach. “It was too late in the week to change our signals, but another staff did tell us about (Stalions).”


sports.yahoo.com

Big Ten opponents were aware of 'elaborate scheme' and Michigan assistant at center of it

The NCAA investigation is focused on how Michigan and one key staffer obtained information on its opponents.
sports.yahoo.com sports.yahoo.com
 



short ornery norwegian said:
Personally, I like the teams that hold up the big cards with different images on them - cartoon characters, actors, musicians, logos etc.

somewhat more seriously - I would think that the wristband system would be a lot harder to steal. QB has a wristband with plays on it, and the sideline signals in a number that corresponds to the wristband. that would be almost impossible to steal unless you knew what was on the wristband.
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I love watching them, there's some great signals.
 


Jim is a saint and would NEVER commit any act that goes against his philosophical views
 

GophersInIowa said:
The coaches obviously knew it was happening and were in on it so it's hilarious that Stalions is the only one suspended.
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Yeah, if the opposing coaches know…

The inside coaches would have even a better idea of how bizarrely accurate they’re calling plays.
 






short ornery norwegian said:
Personally, I like the teams that hold up the big cards with different images on them - cartoon characters, actors, musicians, logos etc.

somewhat more seriously - I would think that the wristband system would be a lot harder to steal. QB has a wristband with plays on it, and the sideline signals in a number that corresponds to the wristband. that would be almost impossible to steal unless you knew what was on the wristband.
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We just need one cartoon character, and they get to go full banana, too. 20231020_233156_20231020233852033.jpg
 



Ewert86PC said:
We just need one cartoon character, and they get to go full banana, too. View attachment 27773
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historical sidebar - the image is of "The Yellow Kid."

The Yellow Kid was created by artist Richard Outcault in 1895, becoming one of the first comic strips in an American newspaper. It first appeared in the New York World as a black-and-white cartoon, but later was done in color. The feature later moved to the New York Journal.

The Kid's yellow outfit led to the birth of the phrase "yellow journalism," referring to the sensational nature of news coverage in the New York Journal, owned by William Randolph Hearst.

the dialogue printed on the front of his nightshirt was the forerunner of the dialogue balloons we see in comic strips and comic books.
 


@GopherTheJugular if it's as basic and simple as you describe -- then it's nothing more than the defensive playcaller adjusting the defensive play call, and only sometimes.

That's barely any advantage at all.

I highly doubt they (Michigan, as a program) go through the effort and expense of this campaign for such a small benefit.
 

@MNVCGUY

As for sending someone to games to scout live. It is an antiquated rule but it is a rule and if they did it, they knew it was against the rules and should be punished for it.


Very minor, and a silly rule at that.

If that truly is the only infraction, then this thing got blown way out of proportion and the penalty would be minor, as it should be.


They would be able to get game film of that game, and be able to study it as many weeks in advance as they wanted. The film is often easier to see things (on the field) than in person.
 



MplsGopher said:
@MNVCGUY

As for sending someone to games to scout live. It is an antiquated rule but it is a rule and if they did it, they knew it was against the rules and should be punished for it.


Very minor, and a silly rule at that.

If that truly is the only infraction, then this thing got blown way out of proportion and the penalty would be minor, as it should be.


They would be able to get game film of that game, and be able to study it as many weeks in advance as they wanted. The film is often easier to see things (on the field) than in person.
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Quit apologizing for Harbaugh and Michigan, and their disregard of rules, regulations and sense of fairness. The rules(s) may indeed be silly, antiquated, at al, as you say, but they are still the rules, and are there to guarantee an even playing field. I submit, Michigan received more than a minor benefit. It is a significant benefit to know consistently whether a run or pass was called, and have in place a way to shift defenses accordingly. they cheated, got caught, and now are denying knowledge of the actions of the analyst that helped Michigan's defense seem so imposing.
 

All this has reminded me of when Mike Leach was the OC at Oklahoma. In warmups for the Red River Rivalry, he had a player “accidentally” drop a dummy play script near the Texas sideline, Texas staffer picks it up, takes it to their DC. Leach and Oklahoma jump out to 17-0 first quarter lead calling plays to take advantage of what Texas thought was coming.
 

Some Day...Maybe said:
Wrong
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Ya, no. ALL the other programs follow ALL the rules. Nothing to see anywhere else. Only Michigan bends the guidelines.

If you have ever been part of a winning dominating enterprise you'd realize the volume of attacks on the organization increases exponentially with more success.

Tell me you don't think scrutiny is far greater for Michigan this season than any other program.

Are they dirty? Probably...could I find several others if I really looked? Probably
Not necessarily for the same offense, however.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
historical sidebar - the image is of "The Yellow Kid."

The Yellow Kid was created by artist Richard Outcault in 1895, becoming one of the first comic strips in an American newspaper. It first appeared in the New York World as a black-and-white cartoon, but later was done in color. The feature later moved to the New York Journal.

The Kid's yellow outfit led to the birth of the phrase "yellow journalism," referring to the sensational nature of news coverage in the New York Journal, owned by William Randolph Hearst.

the dialogue printed on the front of his nightshirt was the forerunner of the dialogue balloons we see in comic strips and comic books.
Click to expand...
+10000
 



Bill Belichick had a guy do this to one team and it cost the Patriots a first round pick, Belichick was fined $500K personally, and the Pats got a solid year or two of mockery in one of the great sports scandals of all time. Congress even got involved.

Michigan does this for (at least) 3 years to all the teams (except for 2 they didn't bother with) and the guy who was already supposed to be suspended for 1/3 of the season for other shenanigans just gets off scot free?

Games need to be forfeited and jobs need to be lost over this kind of organized nefariousness. This garbage sounds on the level of banging trash cans in the outfield.
 



SMPLSGopher said:
I thought it was a bit strange seeing PJ do a blow by handshake at the end like he was mad at Harbaugh, even Harbaugh seemed caught off guard. I wonder if PJ suspected something. If it happened, it makes sense why our only TD was out of a timeout when no signs were being exchanged. Not that we would’ve won anyway, but it certainly doesn’t help when the other team knows your plays.
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It was on the other end zone from me but started off with two pass plays and seemed like there were more defenders than receivers in the area and knew the route or something. I’m actually surprise we came back with a pass on 2nd down.
 


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