Johnny Hekker (image via MassLive)
SITE NEWS: In the wake of ridding the site of the nightly dose of good looking ladies, I have some (bad?) news to report. The effect on the blog has not been great, reducing my daily site traffic by approximately 20% to 30%. Not only were those posts visited frequently on a daily basis, but deleting the backlog of those posts takes away a huge chunk of material that used to show up on Google image and content searches. Naturally, 20% fewer visits means about 20% less in ad revenue. There’s not much that can be done – 80% of what I used to make is better than the 0% I would get from AdSense if they cut me out completely – but it’s still a hit to the bottom line.
Karan Higdon talked to the media about his decision to skip the Peach Bowl (LINK). This quote stuck out to me:
“They’ve known that I have given everything that I had to this program, and put everything I had into this past season,” Higdon said. “I’ve done everything they could ask of me, plus more.
I don’t agree with that at all. They literally asked him to play in the Peach Bowl – which he acknowledges – and he didn’t do it.
Hit the jump for a few more article links.
Aaron McMann also wrote about 8 offseason storylines for Michigan football (LINK).
St. Louis Los Angeles Rams’ punter Johnny Hekker writes about what it’s like to be a punter (LINK).
The New York Times talks about the NFL’s problem with players who become/remain obese after their playing days (LINK).
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That same paragraph from higdon jumped out at me too. I’m cool with players making their business decision, but come on: own it. All three sentences were incorrect
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Sorry to hear about the site traffic numbers.
Higdon — the inconsistencies are not a good look, but for Michigan it’s mostly water under the bridge at this point. It’ll be interesting to see how well he does in the NFL. He doesn’t strike me as one who’ll light up the NFL. He’ll probably make a roster somewhere, but my guess is he’ll be out of the league in a few years.
Punter — when I in high school I fancied the idea of being a punter. It’s an interesting position in that a bad play can be catastrophic, but a good play goes mostly unremarked. Only the great punts receive attention, and by “great” I mean 65 to 80 yards net field change. Still, I’d rather have a good punter than an average punter.
Post-NFL Weight Issues — that was an interesting article, though I think the issue relates to many position groups and not just linemen. Habits formed young in life are hard to break later, and eating all one wants is one of them.
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I am confused by the Ad Nazis. The ladies are fully clothed. How does Victoria Secret or any Department store advertise swimsuits or underwear?
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They pay the models.
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I think it’s obvious that Higdon means prior to the bowl. All the other comments make clear that he is aware of the difference for post-season. Is the bowl game part of the season or is it post-season? I think it’s more than semantics – a legitimate difference in opinion on how bowls are perceived.
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Different semester. Different year. No impact on conference standings or playoff ramifications. It’s a stand-alone game with little tangible consequence beyond fan perception and bookkeeping some stats.
It means what you want it to mean. Certainly for some teammates it was probably a big deal (e.g., 5th year seniors without NFL prospects). Those players are entitled to feel let down by Higdon, especially as a captain. But they also have to understand his perspective.
Is it a final exam or a teacher survey? The culmination of the semester or an optional (but very important to some!) request for efforts. A matter of opinion, I think.
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Either that or, everyone believes they’re giving it their all – even those who haven’t. How many people admit to giving up? How many admit to letting others down? Most are more likely to point a finger; as far as they can reason, they did everything they could. Not limited to football players
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