MEANDERING: Drama? You want drama? There's plenty of it to go around
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It's not like John Beilein doesn't have enough on his plate.
In addition to preparing his No. 15-ranked Michigan basketball team for a trip to Orlando and the Old Spice Classic this week, Beilein finds himself on a search committee to replace retiring athletic director Bill Martin.
Martin, meanwhile, has been keeping a busy schedule voicing his support for football coach Rich Rodriguez, who began his Thanksgiving week having to deal with one of his freshmen allegedly being involved in a sexual assault following Michigan's season-ending loss to Ohio State.
For a coach who loves to express his disdain for drama, his second straight year without an extra 15 bowl practices has more theatrics than an episode of "Jon and Kate Plus Eight."
Here's your daily rundown:
FOOTBALL
- An investigation continues into the aforementioned alleged sexual assault at a fraternity house, AnnArbor.com's Lee Higgins and Dave Birkett report.
- Brandon Graham leads a trio of Michigan players onto the All-Big Ten team, which was announced Monday.
- A former Bo Schembechler assistant coach joins Beilein on the search committee for Michigan's next athletic director.
- The namesake of Michigan's renowned business school tells Larry Lage of the Associated Press that Rodriguez's job should be safe for the time being.
- Meanwhile, The Michigan Daily's Andy Reid believes the Wolverines are a long way off from a run for the roses.
- Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen's day didn't get any better after the Irish dropped a double-overtime loss to Connecticut, the Chicago Tribune's Brian Hamilton reports.
BASKETBALL
- Michigan State and Michigan maintain their spots in the Associated Poll, but Michigan beat writer Mike Rothstein had some movement in his poll ballot.
- A study conducted by a pair of college professors shows that referees tend to lean toward the home team, specializing in make-up calls.
- Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has no plans of slowing down after he comes the Spartans' all-time winningest men's basketball coach, Eric Lacy of the Detroit News writes.
- Thanks to E'Twuaun Moore, Purdue finds paradise in holiday tournament with dramatic win over Tennessee in a battle of Top 10 teams.
HOCKEY
- Michigan coach Red Berenson says sophomore Robbie Czarnik was never happy before he quit the team on Monday.
IN OTHER NEWS
Celebrity chef Paula Deen didn't expect to be hit in the face with a frozen ham when she traveled to Atlanta to help out with a Thanksgiving food drive. But CBS News has the video proof it happened.
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The refs favoring home teams is obvious in basketball, there really wasn't a need to do a study to prove the obvious.
The Claussen story is the 2nd one where a fan has sucker punched a football player, though this one is far worse as it was his own team's fan that punched him. But this is where fans go over the line. On here to post complaints in one thing, but to go punch a player cause you're upset they lost is a whole different story. Wouldn't be surprised at all now if Clausen goes pro just to get away from the south bend psychos
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Posted Nov 24 2009
At least RR and BM don't have to put up with the aftermath of the football players at MSU who participated in an attack by a gang of 15 or 20 people on innocent students late last night. I'm sure we will find out how many football players were involved soon.
If that happened at UM, the media would be all over RR. Instead, Saint Dantonio is getting no heat in EL so far. What a great double-standard.
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Posted Nov 24 2009