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Posted on Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 10:35 a.m.

Commenting changes made to Wolverine sports on AnnArbor.com

By AnnArbor.com Staff

Expectations for the 2012 University of Michigan football and basketball seasons are higher than ever and we want to make sure you don't miss a single headline of everything related to the Maize and Blue. To improve we're combining our coverage with MLive.com.

What does this mean for you as a reader of AnnArbor.com? You'll continue to see the same UM sports headlines everyday here on the site and in-print including photos, interviews, polls, and more. For more information on how this will enhance our Wolverine sports coverage click here.

Here is some important information we'd like you to be aware of regarding this update:

-Commenting on UM sports stories will now be powered by Mlive.com. Want to weigh in on the conversation? Click the button below each article to go directly to the story within the Wolverines section of MLive.com and post your comment. To submit your comment on MLive.com you'll need to set up an account on the site.

-AnnArbor.com and MLive.com user accounts are not connected, and if you don't have a MLive.com account already, you can sign up here for free.

-No changes have been made to commenting on non-UM football and basketball stories, and your AnnArbor.com account and comment history will stay the same.

-Future changes that will restore commenting directly on Wolverine sports articles and improve comment history are in development and coming soon on AnnArbor.com

Have questions regarding this transition? Please let us know in the comments below.

Comments

Ash

Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 10:18 p.m.

I just get an error message when I click to see the comments on some of these articles. I'm not that interested in commenting, but would at least like to read them. I probably won't register to comment on M Live. It's an ok news website but hard to follow and figure out what's local and what's not. Also, not that interested in what goes on in Grand Rapids or other places like that.

Lou Perry

Tue, Aug 13, 2013 : 12:33 p.m.

Guess alternative jersey's didn't sell.

JRW

Mon, Aug 12, 2013 : 8:08 p.m.

"-Future changes that will restore commenting directly on Wolverine sports articles and improve comment history are in development and coming soon on AnnArbor.com" This was written Aug 24, 2012. It's been a year and still we cannot comment on football articles on aa dot com. Can a staff member respond and explain what the delay is, and when it will be possible to comment on football from aa dot com?

PineyWoodsGuy

Sat, Aug 10, 2013 : 5:30 a.m.

I say Good Riddance to the Opinionated Tea Party Dinosaur Buffoon. It Proves that Dave Brandon is doing something Right! RIP Frankie!!! Totter off and golf yer butt off!!!

allergictobs

Wed, May 15, 2013 : 6:39 p.m.

Hoke is nuts for giving ND a full summer of reading these comments on it's bulletin board and Brandon's nose must be getting longer by the minute. Check out this article from a few years back where Bill Martin called ND as asked out of the games in 2018/2019. http://irish.nbcsports.com/2013/05/14/friendly-rem...

jns131

Tue, May 7, 2013 : 2:19 a.m.

I guess I will read about sports but will not comment on them. Unless my child is in it somewhere. Boy would I love to be a referee. Get in the faces of those young hot football players. Wow.

PineyWoodsGuy

Thu, Apr 18, 2013 : 1:43 a.m.

Timothy. I post this as wisdom from an old man. "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge." — 1 Timothy 6:20. I have watched your Univ Mich performance. It is Obvious that you are Not Yet Ready for Prime Time! The million dollars dangled at you will result in a "scrub" position in a third tier NBL team. You can Reschind your "commitment." Improve yourself as a Michigan Man next year, then go and grab the Gold. I tell you this as a Friend. If not, then go ahead and become an NBL "scrub."

PineyWoodsGuy

Mon, Apr 15, 2013 : 1:15 a.m.

Don't let this go to your head Drake. Don't know the level of the High School league you played in; but I gotta say: From the video, you are the Best HS teenboy WR I have Ever seen!!! And yer QB has a great arm! Accurate! Hope that Coach Brady will recruit him when he is a Senior. Drake, I gotta tell ya the comparison btw Mich vs State just dint compare! Not knocking State, but if you dint make the NFL, you will want to have a Univ Mich degree. It opens doors. Univ Mich has the biggest Alumni Assn on the planet and we take care of our grads; esp football stars, of which I am certain you will be! Take this from an old grad who has seen it all . . .

Local Yocal

Wed, Mar 20, 2013 : 11:28 p.m.

Four years of college is a good start. If he continues to play for a fifth year, has a injury, and is unable to play, he may not get this opportunity again. He can always return to continue his education and will certainly be able to pay for it.

Local Yocal

Wed, Mar 20, 2013 : 11:29 p.m.

Since everyone is over here anyway why bother going to M-Live?

Milton Shift

Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 11:56 a.m.

Here's why this is such a bad idea: Wolverine sports are a local, townie thing, and this site is too. MLive is not, it draws people from all over the state much more than AnnArbor.com. It's going to kill the sense of a local community this site offers.

Milton Shift

Sun, Mar 10, 2013 : 11:53 a.m.

This is a really bad idea.

JRW

Tue, Feb 19, 2013 : 3:54 a.m.

-Future changes that will restore commenting directly on Wolverine sports articles and improve comment history are in development and coming soon on AnnArbor.com WHEN IS SOON? Here it is Feb 2013 and still two separate commenting threads. Dumb idea to start with.

red9seven

Sat, Feb 9, 2013 : 9:53 p.m.

I'd consider myself reasonably computer literate, but trying to sign in on MLive is a waste of time - it simply brings me back to the 'Sign in' page. annarbor.com works fine (as well as a number of software development sites I belong to). I hope they resolve these anomalies so I can comment on sport stories!

cornelius McDougenschniefferburgenstein jr. 3 esq.

Fri, Jan 25, 2013 : 8:22 p.m.

on the purdue game comments "michigan and trumbell" has a picture of himself bottomless+moving his bowels,i think mlive,s comment guidlines might be a tad more leniant than annarbor.com,s. GO BLUE #1

Robert Granville

Sun, Jan 6, 2013 : 1:42 p.m.

Me: "@kmeinke I have no reason to expect an answer but will AA.com ever return to its old comment setup for sports stories?" Kyle: "@DJNiteFlite Nope, no plans to change. Sorry man. Hope you can tolerate the stories anyway. " Seems like the change is permanent now.

Macabre Sunset

Thu, Jan 17, 2013 : 3:42 p.m.

That's too bad. This was a terrible idea, and, five months later, remains a terrible idea.

Kyle Mattson

Mon, Jan 7, 2013 : 8:51 p.m.

Hi Robert- As noted in this post we are working on an integrated system which was why the dual commenting platform is in place and why we obviously won't be reverting to the old system.

Ed Kimball

Fri, Nov 23, 2012 : 2:02 p.m.

This "temporary" change was announced three months ago. How much longer until we can comment directly on AnnArbor.com again? In the meantime, like others who posted here, I am not bothering to comment on sports stories.

Kyle Mattson

Fri, Nov 23, 2012 : 2:07 p.m.

We're still working on it Ed. Thanks for your patience.

A2nowDenver

Sun, Oct 21, 2012 : 7:49 a.m.

Yeah - this is crap. Guess I'll just read the Freep.

Mick52

Mon, Oct 15, 2012 : 10:19 p.m.

Me too Piney. I stopped commenting on sports stories. IMHO, I think the "community" type group that developed was fun to comment with, kind of got to know by nickname quite a few regulars. I think that is the primary part of AA.com, I do not think the reporting is up to the quality we saw with the Ann Arbor News. As an example, look at how many errors are pointed out. That did not happen. All this to make it easier on the writers.

Mick52

Mon, Oct 15, 2012 : 10:21 p.m.

And there have been lots of stories I would have commented on. The expanded audience spoils the experience and even the quality of the posts is bad. I had to complain about a distasteful comment. See above.

PineyWoodsGuy

Mon, Oct 8, 2012 : 3:10 a.m.

If aa.com decides to utilize this routine, I a outta here as a sports commentator.

PineyWoodsGuy

Mon, Oct 8, 2012 : 3:09 a.m.

Duhh??? Who is the Geek "Genius" that made this change?

Mick52

Sun, Oct 7, 2012 : 4:29 p.m.

Its October 2. I have read through the comments and see that almost all are negative about this idea of making your customers sign on to MLive. In my former business we would call this "a clue." Suggestion: Read this article, "The Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service." http://marketing.about.com/od/relationshipmarketing/a/crmtopten.htm Or put up one of your polls with this issue: "Would you rather keep AnnArbor.com or go back to the Ann Arbor News?"

PineyWoodsGuy

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 2:21 a.m.

Very Confusing! I have been on the Internet for 10+ years and Your "Routine" does Not Compute. Beta. Not Ready for Prime Time!!!

15crown00

Sat, Sep 15, 2012 : 3:10 p.m.

don't like the change either but we don't get to vote on it.

15crown00

Sat, Sep 15, 2012 : 3:08 p.m.

Uni M has no business playing Uni. Mass..

Macabre Sunset

Sun, Sep 9, 2012 : 12:04 a.m.

Still nothing, huh? That's too bad.

Macabre Sunset

Sun, Sep 9, 2012 : 4:19 a.m.

Just hoping we get commenting back on sports stories. I'm not all that interested in signing up for MLive. Mick52's example above is one major reason and the other is that it's fairly tedious, given security requirements, to set up permissions to sign up for something and get a commenting system working.

Kyle Mattson

Sun, Sep 9, 2012 : 1:02 a.m.

Mac- Do you have a specific question?

JRW

Wed, Sep 5, 2012 : 12:31 a.m.

WHY merge with MLive at all? Leave things as they are. I have not read a good explanation of why the merger is happening, other than "enhancement." Not a good reason. AA dot com will lose many good sports posters.

Mick52

Sun, Sep 2, 2012 : 7:01 p.m.

I do not like having to go to Mlive.com and have to put up with commentators other then those I am now familiar with who commonly post on Michigan football on AA.com before this dumb change. I do understand why I can post on AA.com for news but not for sports. To top is all off, today I see this, posted by Halloween Jack for the story on Michigan football. The title of the story is: "Grades: Michigan's use of Denard Robinson among lowlights in ugly loss " The comment: "Those who dislike Michigan are going to pound their chests and make loud grunting sounds while they proclaim their dicks are bigger than everyone else's." So this is the type of commenting you want us to participate in? Thanks a lot.

Jen Eyer

Wed, Sep 5, 2012 : 8:46 p.m.

Mick52: Thanks for bringing that comment to my attention. I have removed it. In the future, you can simply hit the "flag" button when you see an inappropriate comment, and it will be reviewed by a moderator within minutes.

Joe Kidd

Sun, Sep 2, 2012 : 7:54 p.m.

I expect my comment to be deleted from here because of Halloween Jacks comment.

leaguebus

Sun, Sep 2, 2012 : 3:40 p.m.

If its easy, I will talk, it's not easy, I will walk.

JRW

Wed, Sep 5, 2012 : 12:32 a.m.

It's not easy, unless you like pop up ads and having to read the article again and set up another ID and username.

Elaine F. Owsley

Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 9:26 p.m.

Thank you coach Hoke. Young men who are put on pedestals for their sport abilities need to remember that when they step off that level, they lose the regard and privileges that come with it. This is as true in life as it is in this case. Let's hope they learn from it.

Stephen Landes

Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 8:37 p.m.

I don't need another account somewhere. Not worth the effort.

Tru2Blu76

Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 8:13 p.m.

Pro: Mlive brings a greater range of articles from around Michigan. And - I may be mistaken but it appears clear to me that the quality of writing has improved - including that done by "locals" on the U of M beat. (i.e., there's one of the putative advantages of "greater competition"). Con: Many of AnnArbor dot com readers SWITCHED to this news website to ESCAPE the knuckleheads residing with MLive dot com. Consequent result: those who switched never dreamed they'd need their MLive ID again in their lifetime. Maybe the latter "con" would have been avoided if those switching from MLive to here simply re-entered their MLive ID info HERE when setting up their account. And - what applies to the journalists who now write and get the larger exposure @ MLive might well be a plus for reader / commenters here as well. Maybe instead of distancing ourselves from MLive, we should be joining in to improve the MLive comments forums (fora) instead. And getting wider exposure for our opinions can't be all that bad. Also: I often see complaints about AnnArbor dot com's posting policies (and happen to agree with some). By going over to MLive, one could get the plus side of escaping policies we think are wrong, misguided or just plain onerous HERE. On balance - it seems possible that it may be worth the trouble of creating an account on MLive after all. I know I'll certainly miss some of those who won't be coming over to MLive.

Kyle Mattson

Wed, Sep 5, 2012 : 5:52 p.m.

Thanks to the post Tru- There were a number of pros/cons to consider such as those you mentioned, and although we would have loved the solution to be as straightforward as the one you suggested it was not possible due to technical reasons. We realize that there are a number of readers will miss the smaller sports commenting environment here on AnnArbor.com, but at the same time there were a number of Wolverine sports readers that were locked out of participating due to that very reason. Mlive and AnnArbor.com posting policies mirror each other, so please let us know regarding any specific feedback you may have regarding those.

shrewdrealist

Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 5:58 p.m.

I sometimes like to read the comments because sometimes there is good discussion. But for UM articles it has turned into UM vs. Sparty hate sessions.

Mick52

Mon, Sep 3, 2012 : 4:23 p.m.

That is the Mlive readers Shrew. They are polluting our commentary.

Kyle Mattson

Fri, Aug 31, 2012 : 7:17 p.m.

Thanks for the feedback Shrew. As nearly any sports fan can attest, team loyalty is often held closer than political viewpoints which makes it understandable why such back and forth debates emerge. Jen and her team will be keeping an eye on Wolverine commenting along with Nick and Kyle who will be interacting more frequently with readers. If you ever see a post which is outside of our guidelines please flag it and we will look into the matter accordingly. Enjoy the season!

Macabre Sunset

Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 7:01 p.m.

I enjoy commenting on UM football articles because I spend so much of my time watching football, and I grew up with Michigan football. Plus, Meinke doesn't really get football, so the comments are important. But MLive? No thanks. It's not so much that it's unmoderated - you guys could use a little less moderating yourselves. It's just a different pool and a younger pool. Too much like trying to wade through the idiocy at Sportsline or CNN.

Mick52

Tue, Aug 28, 2012 : 5:30 p.m.

This is silly. I have no interest in an expanded number of commentators other than who I have been reading and parrying with. It is not worth signing on again. I think AA.com really needed to put up an excellent product with the demise of the Ann Arbor News. I am not seeing it and this is a big step backward.

Kyle Mattson

Wed, Sep 5, 2012 : 6:30 p.m.

Mick- Wolverine sports are actually quite different than much of the other local news featured on AnnArbor.com. While most of our daily reporting is focused on keeping Washtenaw County residents informed about the current news and events going on around the region, UM sports has a much more diverse geographic appeal. Current students, alumni, and the overall Wolverine fan bas is not centrally located in Ann Arbor and we want to ensure that they are not left out on the conversation and by transitioning to this platform allowed us to do just that. In regard to Kyle and Nick's interaction, the single stream and realtime commenting system will allow them to jump in the conversation more frequently as well as host regular live chats right from the comment thread. Previously all Mlive readers were directed to AnnArbor.com to comment and we wanted to simplify that user experience, but hosting articles on both sites would have created two different comment streams. Also, if you ever see an inappropriate comment on Mlive.com or AnnArbor.com please be sure to flag it and it will be looked at accordingly.

Mick52

Mon, Sep 3, 2012 : 4:26 p.m.

And as I posted below we (and children) have to read crap like what I posted about yesterday that would have been deleted on AA.com? Do we have to put up with inappropriate comments now too?

Mick52

Mon, Sep 3, 2012 : 4:22 p.m.

Would you please explain: " As Jen pointed out above, this will enable Kyle, Nick, and the rest of our college sports staff to interact with readers on a more frequent basis." How does this allow more frequent interaction? What the heck does that mean? If you are referring to Jen's comment from 12/27 at 12:23, she says nothing about frequency. She does say this: "Logistically, we realized we can't ask them to keep track of two separate conversations on every story they write. " I have no idea what that means. Are your stories appearing both on AA.com and MLive and that is what she means? If so, why are you making all of us sign on to two medias so that you do not have to? If you have a good reason that makes sense, lets hear it. So far I still cannot figure out why sports is different from all the other news. I am thinking you are making it difficult on your readers so it is easier for you.

Blu n Tpa

Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 2:43 p.m.

Mr. Mattson, how is that working out for you? I consider the week before Michigan kicks off the season vs 'Bama as part of the season but I guess I could be wrong. (Not the first time here but it does appear to be the last.) Given the number of articles over the last couple of weeks I thought aa.com might agree with me. The coverage sure seems like it's at the "in-season" level but that's just my opinion. I hope that I don't have to point it out but the quality of the posters leaving: M-52, hailmary, BorninA2, and others, will lead to a severe dropoff of the pool IQ average of posters remaining. The dumbing down of America continues. Good Luck and Go Blue!

Kyle Mattson

Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 12:29 p.m.

Blu- Valid question, we wanted to have the change made for sports before the first game kicks off so there wouldn't be any disturbance to readers during the season.

Blu n Tpa

Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 12:22 p.m.

Like a lot of times in the past I agree with M-52. I have read the "why" for making this change but it's the "how" it's being handled that led me to not activate my MLive account. Why would you start a new method for posting comments the week before the start of football season? Just doesn't feel right. I'll wait and see if there is an improved system with AA.com. Hopefully there will be but if not I trust Kyle and Nick can muddle by without my oversight. Enjoyed it and see you at a Michigan game this fall. TiM Go Blue!

Kyle Mattson

Tue, Aug 28, 2012 : 8:24 p.m.

Thanks for the feedback Mick. As Jen pointed out above, this will enable Kyle, Nick, and the rest of our college sports staff to interact with readers on a more frequent basis. We understand there may be a slight change in the dynamics of the conversation within U-M sports commenting compared when they were isolated here on AnnArbor.com but our hope is that you'll find the conversation worth following along.

SEC Fan

Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 7:10 p.m.

ugh...to be honest, I didn't know what to expect from Mlive; most of the comments here are pretty negative about the site. I assumed (incorrectly) because it would have more than the typical "I love UM" comments. Well, I apologize for my assumption. I did my duty and signed up for an MLive account (FYI...someone else has my SECFan name...I am OriginalSECFan on MLive) and was quite dismayed by what I saw there. I would like to add my name to the list of those requesting AA.com revisit their decision to transfer commenting to MLive.

Jen Eyer

Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 7:41 p.m.

SEC Fan: I'm happy to discuss any concerns you have about the commenting on MLive. Feel free to email me at jeyer@mlive.com.

Oscar Lavista

Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 7:07 p.m.

Like any change, this will take some getting used to - even if it's for the better.

Jen Eyer

Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 4:23 p.m.

Hey all, Just wanted to add my perspective as director of community engagement at MLive. One of our top priorities, in addition to providing the best Wolverines coverage we can, is to have our beat writers engaging with readers through the comments. Logistically, we realized we can't ask them to keep track of two separate conversations on every story they write. As talented as these guys are, the result of such a setup would likely be suboptimal for users. So this was the best of all possible options at this time. As Kyle has noted, we do hope to make this more seamless not to far down the road. We hope you'll join the commenting community on MLive.com, which by the way has been much improved in terms of tone and moderation in recent months. -Jen Eyer State community engagement director MLive.com

Blu n Tpa

Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 2:13 p.m.

Sure. I like to engage in a discussion that has some thought behind it. The level of shrill is higher than I like and there appears to be no interest in a meaningful exchange of opinions. At times it's like listening to a couple of 4th graders argue. I underestand that that's the trend. Since I already had an account at aa.com that didn't require any effort but starting over just isn't worth it given the level and quality of discourse. What I want from MLive is all my personal information I filled out to be deleted and not used or shared. Since I did not "activate" my account, any agreement, implied or otherwise, was not completed per the user's agreement. I don't see how you can "deactivate" my account since I never activated it. I don't have any "comments" on MLive since I never logged on there so same thing there. Thank you for your assistance and understanding.

Jen Eyer

Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 1:17 p.m.

Blu: Could you elaborate a little more on what prompted this decision? Please feel free to email me directly at jeyer@mlive.com if you'd prefer. Also, we can deactivate your account, but we do not delete user comments unless they violate guidelines.

Blu n Tpa

Wed, Aug 29, 2012 : 11:52 a.m.

Ms Eyer, Although I was going to go along with the new setup I've decided to not activate the MLive account. Please remove/delete all my information ASAP from that site and confirm via return email. Thank you for your assistance with this matter. Blu n Tpa

Jen Eyer

Tue, Aug 28, 2012 : 3:30 p.m.

JGS: You like ESPN's commenting system? Great! We have the same platform; we switched to it in May. Check it out! BornInA2: Thanks for alerting me to that thread. There was one person causing trouble, and his comments have been removed. In the future, you can flag such comments for review. We want all members of our commenting community to feel empowered to help keep discussions constructive.

JGS

Tue, Aug 28, 2012 : 1:32 p.m.

Sorry Jen - MLive has the worst commenting system next to the worst ever forums. I think the same 8 year old who designed the TCF bank online banking did the forums @MLive. Invest some money and get your systems up to at least the year 2000. You can take examples from ESPN, CNN, etc... It's not difficult, just requires time and money.

BornInA2

Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 11:41 p.m.

Go read the comments here and then come back and tell us how great the moderation is at MLive, Jen. This is just stupid, juvenile name-calling. http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2012/08/michigan_receiver_roy_roundtre_8.html

Hailmary

Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 12:16 p.m.

Well, I guess this means my time has come to hang it up. This is not an improvement for me if it works for you so be it. I have enjoyed the interaction with most of you and had some great times passing time debating the hot Wolverine issues. To all of you I say, "Happy Trails" and, Go Blue.

Kyle Mattson

Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 3:49 p.m.

Thanks for the reply Hailmary. We enjoyed your commentary over the past year and hope you'll consider joining Kyle and Nick once again when we have completed the transition. Enjoy the 2012 season and hopefully Denard won't be throwing many of your namesake passes this year!

BornInA2

Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 3:07 a.m.

This move is on-par with the hiring of RR. I stopped reading MLive articles a year ago in large part because of the spray-fest pubescent commenting that went with them. Definitely a step in the wrong direction.

Teemac

Sun, Aug 26, 2012 : 3:47 p.m.

I must admit this makes no sense whatsoever! If u are gonna change, why not use Facebook ! For the record I loved the old system!

Kyle Mattson

Sun, Aug 26, 2012 : 11:03 p.m.

Thanks for the feedback Teemac, Facebook commenting is one solution among many out there, but we have no plans to utilize it in the near future due to the reasons mentioned above regarding anonymous commenting.

Blue Marker

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 7:50 p.m.

It was fun, I'm outta here! I'll have nothing to do with MLive. Goodbye.

Wally the Spartan

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 7:12 p.m.

You ann arbor folk are such a silly bunch. You spend so much time with thinking you above everyone else, media controversy, deleting you all faithful comments and such. Wonder why you supporters outsiders not respect you and criticize you ?

Wally the Spartan

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 6:08 p.m.

With all respect, why does Ann Arbor and everyone or anything involved always feel like they have to set a precedent ? You feel like your better than everyone else in the world, and wonder why people hate you and you football team ! This appears to be just another example. I've read most of your football articles and although not always agreed, I have marveled at your comment supporters belief in your team. Now it appears from reading above, you're losing some of your best supporters for good; I am refering to such as heartbreak, mrunner73, edjasbord, a2michguy, jrw and that infamous terrystar21, and other commenters of note. "Where's the Threat", well it appears to be in the annarbor.com control room.

edjasbord

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 3:54 p.m.

Like others, I am having a difficult time seeing how this is an improvement. There is no way I am joining the lowest-common-denominator discussions over at MLive. Another reader bites the dust.

Billy Bob Schwartz

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 2:37 p.m.

Oh, and tell Amara Darboh to hang on to the ball! Carrying a ball like he is doing in the picture will not work in the B1G.

Billy Bob Schwartz

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 2:35 p.m.

Guys....Is this really an improvement for the readers/posters, or is it just an improvement for you guys (bigger following, more pay, etc.), or is it one of those crummy decisions made by ownership without regard to anyone but them and money? Or what? I hate it. Hope AA starts another cellar parking structure, or decides to make Division into a two-way street, with one lane each direction, two bike lanes with parking on both sides, or something else interesting. I will miss the comments on M football.

Kyle Mattson

Sun, Aug 26, 2012 : 11:21 p.m.

Sorry to lose you before the season Billy Bob, I'm sure Kyle and Nick will be glad to welcome you back when the ful implementation is complete.

ChelseaBob

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 11:09 a.m.

Please explain how this is an improvement. I won't bother with Mlive.

Kyle Mattson

Sun, Aug 26, 2012 : 11:20 p.m.

Chelsea- Nothing is changing regarding our U-M sports coverage, you can read more about the transition from the sports perspective here: http://bit.ly/aadc-mlsportsc http://bit.ly/aadc-mlsportsc

PineyWoodsGuy

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 5:07 a.m.

No Doubt Adoubt it! If Denard delivers this season, then he be the Man for Jersey #1! Go Denard! Beat 'Bama! Yer Fan Base are rooting fer ya!!!

leaguebus

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 3:08 a.m.

I thought some of the sports comments were great. I am gone, too.

OldBittyBates

Tue, Aug 28, 2012 : 10:46 p.m.

I am opposed to the Internet site switch because I prefer convenience over change. As to the actual game is concerned, Brady should penalize Fitz by playing the kid from Flint, MI first. If Rawls is hot, keep him in for a while. If Rawls can't beat Bama's D - put Fitz in regardless of his criminal act. Why hurt Michigan in the Big game? Toussaint will be facing serious jail time soon enough.

Kyle Mattson

Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 3:01 p.m.

Hi Leaguebus- You'll still be able to read the comments here on AnnArbor.com, the actual process of posting a comment is what is temporarily changing. This system will also allow our reporters to respond and interact with readers in the thread more easily as well as offer a number of new components such as live chats, comment sorting, etc.

JRW

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 12:23 a.m.

This is bad. I just went to the Bama article. I clicked on the commenting link, was taken to a new page, had to scroll through the same article for the second time on Mlive, and then I clicked on the comment box on Mlive, and got a huge popup ad!! What??? Not good at all. I'm out.

Robert Granville

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 12:21 a.m.

Why would anyone want to invite the ilk from mlive here by way of joining the commenting systems. See ya after the troll fest guys!

JRW

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 12:19 a.m.

"To improve we're combining our coverage with MLive.com." How is it an improvement if posters have to maintain 2 different accounts and switch back and forth? The improvement must be for AA dot com, please explain.

Kyle Mattson

Sun, Aug 26, 2012 : 11 p.m.

As noted our plan is for this to be a temporary transition; however it does give us the ability to pool reporting resources and therefore enhance the overall amount of college sports coverage we can provide relating to UM, MSU, etc.

Unusual Suspect

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 4:35 p.m.

You figured it out correctly. It's an improvement for them, not for us.

a2miguy

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 8:37 p.m.

Sorry, but I won't be joining the legion of 12-year-olds on Mlive.

M-Wolverine

Mon, Aug 27, 2012 : 1:12 p.m.

No offense Kyle, but surely you're joking. You have SEC trolling the comments regularly, and just today in the great "Family" article you have someone calling the coaches fat. There's no moderation whatsoever on AA.com unless you're politically incorrect, or call someone guilty of something, and MLive is a cesspool. I'm sure it makes your work easier, but don't try and justify it as anything good for the reader. It basically makes the comments unreadable.

Kyle Mattson

Sun, Aug 26, 2012 : 11:15 p.m.

M-Wolverine- We will have a staff monitoring the sports commenting. If there is ever an issue regarding sports moderation please post it here http://bit.ly/mlivemod and we will look into the matter for you.

M-Wolverine

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 7:03 p.m.

I'm with you. I don't even comment as much as read the comments, but it was bad enough here with no moderation for all the trolling. Now I won't even bother to read them because at MLive the Michigan fans are as stupid as the opposing fans. And since all the "news" is old anyway, it's probably not even worth the click. Goodbye page-views!

semperveritas

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 7:51 p.m.

until legitimate names are required in comments this will continue to be a food fight among rival schools. for me that isn't any fun.

Wally the Spartan

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 6:23 p.m.

Kyle's right. They allow and encourage outsiders to harass you michigan supporters and stay anonymous. Too cool !

Terry Redding

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 10:13 p.m.

Kyle, on that "larger issue", all I can say is that if you would be embarassed to have your mother know what you are saying, or your neighbors, then perhaps you ought not say it. Go Blue!

Kyle Mattson

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 9:28 p.m.

Semper- Obviously commenting anonymity is a much larger discussion, but I can give you a quick explanation. Sports is a different world when it comes to how readers interact and discuss compared to topics such as local politics, but it is necessary to keep them under the same system of commenting. As an organization we feel providing readers the ability to remain anonymous encourages them to share their voice without fear. Our studies have also found that requiring legitimate names do not change the tone for the better as one may expect. We do welcome and encourage reader to use their real names and photos in their profiles if they do desire but we do not plan on making that a mandatory requirement anytime in the foreseeable future.

garrisondyer

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.

Is this basically a reversal of how it has been, where you guys wrote for and on (emphasis on the 'on') AnnArbor.com and mlive would link to your stories? And now AnnArbor.com will just link to stories you guys write 'on' mlive.com, even thought you write/work for AnnArbor.com? I've had my same username on mlive for ages, but have pretty much stopped using their website for the last year or so, or whenever they changed their homepage. I loved how they used to have that old homepage where you could see all types of headlines as well as sports scores all on one easy page... Times change, I guess, but not always for the best. Hopefully this change is for the best. What was the impetus for the change?

Kyle Mattson

Sun, Aug 26, 2012 : 11:10 p.m.

Hi Garrison- Garrison, essentially the reversal explanation is correct for our UM coverage. Also, we wanted to be sure the Wolverine sports component was able to make the change as soon as possible before the first game kicked off to avoid any possible distance to fans in the middle of the season.

Terry Star21

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 7:15 p.m.

Good luck Kyle and Nick, I did enjoy it while it lasted......

Tom

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 2:22 p.m.

Into the Valley of Death rode the 400....

Terry Star21

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 7:02 p.m.

Good timing. Our group of 68 is leaving tomorrow morning for Dallas, and I am NOT taking my computer - I want to enjoy myself without electronics/messages/headaches etc. In addition to the bama smack down we're going to see, I want to visit Southfork Ranch of course and see as much of the Ewing paraphernalia I can get. We always have such a great time going early to the away games and meet new Michigan faithful from all over the world each time. Good luck to A2.com, Kyle, Nick and all the faithful here that expressed faith, hope and spirit for Michigan Football, still and always will be the greatest college football team ever. MgoBlueForTiM.............MgoBlueForTiM

SEC Fan

Sun, Aug 26, 2012 : 8:20 p.m.

"I want to visit Southfork Ranch of course and see as much of the Ewing paraphernalia I can get." pretty much sums it up...

Wally the Spartan

Sun, Aug 26, 2012 : 12:07 a.m.

So much hatred, anger....very unattractive !

Tom

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 11:26 p.m.

Are there any Wolverines left in Michigan to worry about? I hope that Terry has a GREAT TIME at Southfork....LOL! He's most certainly not going to enjoy the inevitable beat down that Saban and his team will lay on Hokie and his Jokies! Where's the threat?

Wally the Spartan

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 6:14 p.m.

Tom, seriously ? I wonder why so many wolverines hate the Spartans ?

Tom

Sat, Aug 25, 2012 : 2:22 p.m.

A one week pre-game for a 4 TD loss? Epic. Terry - You BS isn't going to help the hapless win their game in Dallas. You should visit the JFK Memorial in Dealy Plaza. It will get you prepared emotionally for what is to come on Saturday night. One short of 69? Bama could score that many if Saban is heartless. Where's the threat?

MRunner73

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 6:31 p.m.

Misread the instructions. Not going to open an M ive account. It may not really matter but my preference is to keep it local.

Kyle Mattson

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 7:17 p.m.

Understandable MRunner73, we realize the conversation on AnnArbor.com has been mostly local fans to date, but at the same time the size of the Michigan fan base goes far beyond the lines of Ann Arbor. Therefore we wanted to make it easier for everyone to share their thoughts by making this transition. This new system will also allow for real time commenting and a number of other feature which we were unable to previously offer. Looking forward to hearing your voice again in the future when we are able to roll out further updates.

a2cents

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 3:56 p.m.

Suggestion: eliminate the sports fluff from the news cover page. Yes, there's not much left but at least you'll see how deficient news coverage is.

MRunner73

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 3:28 p.m.

Sounds good. Sound folks may be using a couple different names on this site.

StopCrying

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 2:53 p.m.

This appears to be a stupid idea, so now if I want to comment on sports I need to sign into a different name and then if I want to comment about parking garages, I again have to change my name? Who comes up with this stuff.

music to my ear

Tue, Sep 25, 2012 : 11:05 p.m.

ditto stopcrying it irratates me to.i feel your pain

Rabid Wolverine

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 8:08 p.m.

I guess I will just wait until the final system is actually rolled out so I don't have to create another screen name and password that I'll use until the bandaid is fixed....

Commoncents

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 4:23 p.m.

As long as Kyle still writes entire articles based on Fred Jackson quotes and keeps standing right behind players when they're being interviewed so we get to see him a lot in pictures - I'm ok with this commenting change. Figured everyone was wondering my opinion so thought I'd weigh in.

StopCrying

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 3:41 p.m.

As long as you guys are working towards a seamless site I will allow it. Go Blue!

Kyle Meinke

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 3:20 p.m.

Yep, what Nick said. Our stuff will be around. If you want to interact with us, it'll have to be over at mlive.com/wolverines, but you can still read everything right here.

DBH

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 3:14 p.m.

Hey, Kyle and Nick, I think both of you left out the customary "And thanks for reading!"

Nick Baumgardner

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 3:08 p.m.

Also, Kyle Meinke and I aren't going anywhere. You'll still be able to find Wolverines coverage both on AnnArbor.com and MLive.com.

Kyle Mattson

Fri, Aug 24, 2012 : 3 p.m.

We understand the confusion, and it is a temporary solution while we work toward a more seamless site wide improvement to our commenting system as noted in the last point. To clarify, your AnnArbor.com account will stay the same and you'll be able to comment on all stories here on the site except for Wolverine sports which will take place on MLive.com. We've added a button below each article to take you directly to the given article within the Wolverines section of MLive.com. Let us know if you have any other questions.