Why Tom Izzo is Cooler Than John Beilein

Nothing against John Beilein (nice win over Ohio State yesterday, Coach), but here's an example of why Michigan State will dominate the state's hoops scene as long as Tom Izzo is their head coach:



I'm glad a journalist finally asked Coach Izzo what he thought of Jay-Z's "H to the Izzo." I've been wondering about that for years. How come Jay Bilas never tackled that subject?

Can you see Beilein being that kind of a sport? (No way Tommy Amaker would've been.)

Rich Rodriguez, on the other hand, would probably be game for a sit-down with Ron Burgundy (though an interview with Lloyd Carr would've been a hell of a lot funnier).

(via Awful Announcing)

Happy Hour 04/05: Non Sequitur Shots!

♦ I'm not a Washington Wizards fan, but I was looking forward to seeing what Gilbert Arenas could do in this year's playoffs. Watching him and LeBron-Bron go at it last year was some of the most fun I had watching basketball last year. And now that Agent Zero is out for the rest of the season, the Eastern Conference playoffs just won't be as exciting. I should be more scared of Miami and Chicago as a Pistons fan, but Arenas is the guy I didn't want to face in the earlier rounds.

♦ Here's more on the current misery afflicting Wizards fans from Bullets Forever and DC Sports Bog.

♦ Another thing that might scare me as a Pistons fan is if Rip Hamilton decides to lose his damn mind again, as he did last night against Chicago's Tyrus Thomas. What the hell was that? Maybe Rip just wanted an early shower since the Pistons were getting their butts kicked at home (106-88) by the Bulls.

♦ Here's more from Detroit Bad Boys, including the news that the NBA won't suspend Hamilton for his behavior.

♦ By the way, for all the talk about how many technical fouls Rasheed Wallace draws and how he'll draw suspensions because of them, how surprising is it to read that Hamilton is one tech away from sitting out for a game? I had no idea it was like that.

♦ Following John Beilein's official introduction as Michigan men's basketball coach yesterday, I found this Yahoo! Sports column by Adrian Wojnarowski on a message board that should get Wolverines fans really excited.

The article is from January, long before "Michigan" and "John Beilein" would be in the same sentence, and wonders how Beilein's offensive schemes would work in the NBA, not at another school. In Wojnarowski's eyes, that should've been the next jump for Beilein. Somebody show this column to Manny Harris.

♦ And wouldn't it be some cold shit painful irony if Manny Harris ended up going to Tennessee, which was a rumor making the rounds last night? And after all of the down-on-my-knees pleading I did (in private, anyway) for my homeboy Bruce Pearl to come to Ann Arbor. Apparently, that's what Coach meant when he said he could recruit the state of Michigan.

♦ By the way, I know Beilein's doing this now largely because he just got the job, but it's been nice to hear him make the rounds on local radio over the past couple of days. I hope that's something he keeps doing as he settles into the job, and I was glad to see financial provisions attached to doing radio and TV shows, because after Tommy Amaker's media blackout, Michigan's basketball coach has to be out there so much that you almost get sick of him. And so far, it looks like Beilein is up to that task.

♦ From here on out, I think virtually everything I write about baseball will be at Bless You Boys (and it's been going well over there so far), but I thought I'd link to my 2007 Detroit Tigers, AL Central, and MLB season previews.

There's a distinct aroma of homer to my predictions, but it's not like the Tigers aren't actually good enough to follow through on such expectations. For a quick recap, here's how I see the AL Central:

1. Detroit
2. Cleveland
3. Minnesota
4. Chicago
5. Kansas City

Joining the Tigers as AL division winners will be the Yankees and Angels, with the Red Sox as the Wild Card. In the NL, the Braves, Brewers and Dodgers will win their division, and the Mets will take the Wild Card. The Tigers will make it back to the World Series and beat the Dodgers.

Your Most Valuable Players will be Cleveland's Grady Sizemore and the Mets' Jose Reyes. Cy Young Awards will go to Minnesota's Johan Santana and the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano. And the Rookies of the Year will be Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka (even though he probably shouldn't be eligible for the award) and Arizona's Chris Young.

♦ Finally, is ESPN really devoting two hours of programming tonight to the NFL schedule? C'mon, man - show a frickin' baseball game. The season just started.

The Last Word on Tommy? Part 1

I've probably embarrased myself by declaring so much love for Tony Kornheiser's show on Washington Post Radio before, but he had two interviews last week that I think could be of interest to Michigan basketball fans. So during this lull, before John Beilein is officially introduced as the Wolverines' next coach (and in the meantime, Maize n Brew has given him a checklist to go over), I figured this could be a good way to pass the time.

Last Thursday, Kornheiser talked to his old buddy John Feinstein about the Final Four, and more specifically, Kentucky's interest in Billy Donovan. Toward the end of the interview, however, Mr. Tony snuck in a question about Tommy Amaker, whom he still holds a curiosity for because he's a "local kid" from northern Virginia, and - as Michigan fans might hurt to remember - he was considered something of a future coaching star when he arrived in Ann Arbor.

I've transcribed the conversation about Amaker for you to read (which I hope I'm allowed to do), but if you'd prefer to listen to it yourself, the show is available via podcast. (You can also download the show directly here.) If you're pressed for time, the Amaker stuff is from the 51:27 to 53:33 mark.

Tony Kornheiser: What's the deal with Tommy Amaker?

John Feinstein: I wish I knew the answer to that. To me, Tommy has everything that should make him a successful college coach. He's a bright guy, he came out of a great program, he learned from a great coach, he's someone people like when they meet him. He's gotta be great in the homes. You know, any mother has gotta look at Tommy Amaker and say, "I want my kid to be with him for four years." He recruited some very highly rated high school players when he was at Michigan, and they never, ever lived up to their alleged potential.

TK: Mm-hmm.

JF: And this year, they were seniors. He had four seniors on the team this year. You know what's interesting about a situation like this? They're playing Ohio State the last Saturday of the regular season, they're up six with three and a half to go... and they don't score again, they lose the game. If they win that game, they're in the tournament, and Tommy is still the coach.

TK: Right.

JF: It's that slender a margin sometimes. You know, that's the business. And Tommy understands that. Every coach in the business understands that, that there can be one play - literally - that decides a coach's future one way or the other. And in this case, they didn't get it done in a couple of games in the last two or three years. They're about three wins away from being in the NCAA the last three years, and he's probably got a contract extension, but they didn't win --

TK: Will he get another Division I, high profile job, for his next job, or will he have to do sort of what Matt Doherty did, and go way down?

JF: I don't know about how far down he'll have to go. But he'll have to take a step down. He's not getting a Big East job. He's not getting an ACC job, you know? And again, knowing Tommy, he might, at this point in his life, be saying, "maybe that's more the route I wanna go. Maybe it'd be more fun for me to coach at that next level now. I made a lot of money." His wife's a psychiatrist. It's not, like, you know, they're gonna be hungry. Maybe he might enjoy that next level down more. I don't know. I'm purely speculating on that.

On Friday, Kornheiser also asked Jay Bilas about Amaker, and... you can probably imagine how that went. But I've transcribed that in a second post, which you can read below.

The Last Word on Tommy? Part 2

On his Friday Washington Post Radio show, Tony Kornheiser had ESPN analyst Jay Bilas on as a guest, presumably to talk about the Final Four. However, Kornheiser brought up Tommy Amaker (as he did with John Feinstein the day before) at the beginning of the interview, and it ended up dominating almost the entire segment.

As you might have guessed, Bilas had quite a bit to say on the subject as he stuck up for his good friend and former teammate. If you've been following this story for a while, some of this stuff will probably be familiar to you, as Bilas said many of the same things immediately after Amaker was fired by Michigan. He also made the comparison to Gary Williams, which Rob Parker also tried in Amaker's defense.

Again, I've transcribed the dialogue, which is a bit longer than the conversation with John Feinstein. But if you'd prefer to listen to it yourself, the show is available via podcast. (You can also download the show directly here.) If you're pressed for time, the Amaker stuff is from the 33:00 to 43:00 mark.

Tony Kornheiser: This is interesting - and if you don't want to talk about this, you can actually say on the air, "I don't want to talk about this" - but your teammate for years at Duke, the point guard at Duke, was Tommy Amaker. I think I'm correct on that, right?

Jay Bilas: Yes. Oh yeah. We played for three years together. We coached for three years together.

TK: I'm quite certain he's a dear friend of yours.

JB: Yes.

TK: And he did not succeed - at Seton Hall, the jury was out, but at least he made the tournament - and he did not make it at all in Michigan. He's personable, and he's smart, and he's accomplished - and he would seem to be a perfect candidate to be a big-time basketball coach. And I wonder why it's not working?

JB: Well, I think it did work at Seton Hall. You know, he took over a program that was in bad shape, and he turned it into a winner, and he recruited a bunch of great players, including Eddie Griffin, who wound up being a top pick in the NBA draft. And they did get to the Sweet 16, and then he left for Michigan.

And when he took over at Michigan, I'm not sure... Listen, I'm not in the business of making excuses for friends or otherwise, but --

TK: Right, right.

JB: -- but what I think happened is, when he took over Michigan, that place was in a hole like I can't imagine. He was there for six years; five of the six years, they were on probation. They were forbidden from going to the NCAA Tournament one of the years that they were qualified to go, and I think would've gone his second year there.

And Tony, when you look - just for example - if you looked at Gary Williams, and when he took over at Maryland, and the hole that place was in --

TK: Terrible.

JB: -- it was very similar to what Michigan was going through. Michigan fired Steve Fisher, they hired a guy named Brian Ellerbe that actually coached at Loyola-Maryland, and lost there, and wound up the head coach because they fired Fisher at Michigan. So it was similar to what Maryland had gone through - without the horrible tragedy, the Bias death - but hiring Bob Wade, and then [Williams] taking it over.

Amaker's record at Michigan, in his first six years, was better than Gary Williams' first six years at Maryland. But Michigan didn't have the patience to see this thing through. And I'll tell you one thing that most people don't know. He had a point guard there named Daniel Horton; graduated not this year, but last year. I think it was three years ago.

Horton had gotten in an altercation with his girlfriend, and the school decided to suspend Horton - through the basketball program - for the entire season. Now, Amaker didn't agree with that. I certainly agree with it when I heard about it. But Amaker remained silent about it; he did what the school wanted. But the truth was, Horton was being suspended for what Steve Fisher did, not for what he did. And I thought it was wrong, because you should treat each kid the same, and handle each of these things the same.

The football program didn't have to worry about that, because the basketball program had been through a horrible scene where they cheated, and they had to pull all their banners down --

TK: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

JB: -- they had to vacate five years of games. Five or six years of games. Including two Final Four appearances. And that's what they were punishing the Horton kid for. And that's one of the reasons they didn't make the tournament that year. So it's those kinds of things that we can look at it from afar and say, "Six years, no tournament - he's gotta go."

But while Michigan's sitting there, talking about "everybody wants this job"... If so many people really wanted that job, and it was so great - and it is better now than it was when Amaker took it over - why didn't Tubby Smith go there? He went to Minnesota!

TK: Yeah...

JB: The truth is, it's not that great of a job. It's a good job, it's a Big Ten job. But they're going to wind up with... you know, they're gonna get a good coach. They're gonna wind up hiring either a mid-major coach like Chris Lowery or someone like him. Or Kevin Stallings from Vanderbilt, or something like that. And that's what Michigan is dealing with right now, because their facilities are awful.

Amaker and his staff had to drive from their office to practice. They couldn't, like, walk downstairs or walk in the same building. They had to get in their cars and drive to practice - which is ludicrous.

TK: What happens to a guy like Tommy Amaker now? Is it sort of like with Matt Doherty, where you have to take a couple of steps down? Do you get out of coaching altogether? How does it work?

JB: Well, he's so versatile, he could do a number of different things. But he's going to stay in coaching. And he'll, I'm sure, be interviewed for things. But Tommy, he keeps things very close to the vest and very quiet. He's a very dignified person, and handles things, in my judgment, the right way.

TK: Yeah, he's a local for us. I mean, he's from northern Virginia, so it's why I bring it up.

JB: Listen, I don't want to sit and wax poetic about Tommy all day...

TK: You can.

JB: But there's no player I played with that I admire more than Tommy. None. He was the best teammate I've ever had, and remains one of my best friends. Not because of any other reason than he's an unbelievably good guy, a good person. I'd hire him today, if I had a job - whatever it was. I think he's a big-time basketball coach. And I think he will be, again, in the eyes of sort of the casual observers. But what does a guy do in his position? He probably won't get the big-time job now, like a Big Ten job or something like that. He probably will have to take what some people would think is a step down.

But he's a really good coach, and a really good guy. This is something that happens in basketball, which is why it's important that you always take into account the circumstances of any job you take. There are some jobs that you're better off not taking, even though they may be great later on, because the circumstances aren't going to be in your favor during that time period. And if you don't turn it right away - and Tommy did turn it; he went to postseason and he won 20-plus games three times while he was there - he just didn't get over that NCAA Tournament hump.

You know, Tony - one other thing: Look at Stan Heath. He went to two tournaments in a row and Frank Broyles fired him.

TK: Yeah, at Arkansas.

JB: So there's no rhyme or reason to it.

Again, consider the source. Bilas obviously can't be objective about this, though he raises a good point about how much Michigan continued to punish itself for the sins of the Steve Fisher era.

After Bilas got off the phone with Kornheiser, however, Mr. Tony pointed out the folly of the Gary Williams comparison to his co-host. Even if Amaker and Williams initially found themselves in similar situations, Williams had Maryland at the top of the ACC in six years. Amaker, as we're painfully familiar with, couldn't even get Michigan into the NCAA Tournament within that same period. And now, all parties are moving on.

All That's Left is the Official Presser

It looks like it's as official as official gets: Your next Michigan men's basketball coach will be John Beilein.

From the Ann Arbor News:

West Virginia's John Beilein has agreed to be Michigan's men's basketball coach, four independent sources told The News Monday night.

Reached via phone, Michigan athletic director Bill Martin declined to confirm or deny the story.

Earlier Monday, a source confirmed Michigan had offered Beilein a contract, but said there was no timetable for a decision.

MGoBlog, Michigan Sports Center, and Maize n Brew have each confirmed the report through various sources.

Once the initial explosion of speculation occurred after Amaker's firing cleared out, this apparently became a rather narrow coaching search pretty quickly. But Michigan may not have had much choice once several other jobs opened up around the country. I'm guessing we'll never quite know the truth on that, though perhaps the introductory press conference will be enlightening. Hey, you never know.

By the way, it's not yet clear if Beilein will be introduced tomorrow. The first thing on the coach's agenda for Tuesday is to meet with his West Virginia squad and give them the news first-hand.

Here's some biographical info on Beilein, courtesy of the Ann Arbor News' Nathan Fenno.

From the Take It or Leave It Bureau, the Detroit News' Terry Foster says he hears that Beilein isn't interested in recruiting Detroit or Flint. Yet he doesn't pass along where he's heard such things, either. (Foster also said he heard Beilein may have soured on the Michigan job, which is obviously untrue one day later.)

▪▪ Meanwhile, it's also now being reported that Iowa has hired Butler's Todd Lickliter for their head coaching vacancy. And he will be introduced on Tuesday. (Here's the official announcement from the University of Iowa.) Does that affect how you feel about Michigan's choice, by any chance? Just curious.

Here's more on that from Steve Alford's Hair Gel.

John Beilein? Can't We Enjoy Some More Gossip First?

So if you were watching the NIT championship last night (and save your jokes about how we're used to watching it in Ann Arbor - I've already beat that quip to death), did it kind of sound to you as if Michigan has already found its new men's basketball coach?

Maybe it was just the announcers savoring a juicy story. Or maybe I was just trying to read into virtually every comment or gesture made during and after the game. I know there was talk around halftime that Michigan "will reach out" to John Beilein during the Final Four this weekend. But when Bill Raftery made a crack about Beilein drawing up a great play "for the Maize n' Blue!", to which Fran Fraschilla clarified, "the Maize n' Blue of West Virginia," I was beginning to think those guys knew something that the rest of us hadn't been told yet.

Obviously, Beilein had no comment after the game. How could you expect him to? He just won a tournament with his team. To talk about another job would be disrespectful to the kids who just worked their asses off for him. Pushing the issue any further might have resulted in a Roy Williams-Bonnie Bernstein moment. Of course, Williams had just lost a national championship game, so that's probably not a good comparison. But it would've been kind of amusing for Beilein to tell Fraschilla, "I don't give a $#!+ about Michigan right now."

There's been a highly entertaining debate going on between MGoBlog and Maize n Brew the past couple of days over whether or not Beilein should be Michigan's #1 guy to replace Tommy Amaker. Choosing a side in the argument probably depends on how realistic you think Michigan should be in their expectations and desires for a new head coach. Is Beilein the best guy available, the best fit for the type of program Bill Martin wants? Or should Michigan try to shoot for the moon, given the currently precarious state of basketball in the hearts and minds of Wolverines fans?

I suppose I lean more toward the shoot for the moon philosophy, though I can certainly understand why Michigan might prefer to be more efficient with their time and money. I can also see why you might want to avoid the potential embarrassment of being turned down by a top candidate only to then shuffle onto the next guy who now knows he was at least the second choice, as North Carolina did in the pre-Roy Williams days when they ended up settling on Matt Doherty after seemingly everyone else had declined the position.

From everything I've read about the guy over the past two weeks, Beilein would be a fine coach for Michigan - and not just because he appears to be the anti-Amaker. I don't think there's much question that we'd see a better product on the floor (though perhaps more in terms of philosophy and scheme than pure talent) next season with him running the show.

However, it's beginning to sound like Beilein isn't just Michigan's top choice - he might be their only choice. And that's where I start to make a face. Reports say otherwise, so maybe I'm reading into something that's not really happening. Or maybe Michigan's practicing some "I don't need no stinkin' permission" espionage, and that's why things have been so quiet up until this point.

But we've seen this enough times in the metro Detroit area to know when there's not really much of a search going on. When the Pistons fired Larry Brown, Flip Saunders was their guy. Not much of a search there. When the Tigers canned Alan Trammell, Jim Leyland was already driving to Detroit from Pittsburgh. Not much of a search (unless you count the token minority interviews). And Ken Holland already had Mike Babcock in mind for the Red Wings' job when he dismissed Dave Lewis. No search process.

You realize what this means? Matt Millen is the only one in this area who appears to have performed due diligence for a head coaching search over the past three years. And that only happened because Millen #@$%ed up his previous two searches when he jumped far too quickly on Marty Mornhinweg and Steve Mariucci.

Of course, I'm looking at this much more as a fan than an administrator. I want the sizzle that comes with reading that Michigan is talking to head coaching stars like my homeboy Bruce Pearl, regardless of whether or not that's a realistic expectation. Give me a few rising stars that other schools might also be after. (Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery is apparently on Michigan's list, so there's that. And despite signing a contract extension, Washington State's Tony Bennett might be, as well.) Even if this is serious, big boy stuff, it's just more fun with some juicy gossip, isn't it? This is why we're all here, man.

Happy Hour 03/27: Waiting For Bill

I understand that perception doesn't always equal reality, but right now, doesn't it seem like everyone except the Michigan athletic department is interested in hiring a men's basketball coach?

I'm distinguishing between the men's and women's positions because Michigan has reportedly contacted Vanderbilt and Bowling Green for permission to interview their coaches for the women's basketball job. Meanwhile, it appears that none of the schools that currently employ any of the rumored candidates for the men's coaching gig have received requests for interviews.

Am I being a bit hasty in asking just what the hell is going on here? There has been almost zero noise surrounding the men's basketball coaching search over the past week. The only chatter that is coming out is from coaches acknowledging that the position is open (or just casually mentioning Michigan as a state in which they've recruited before). And considering most every candidate that's been rumored is now available to be interviewed (or has received a contract extension from their respective employers), that's a bit surprising.

It's borderline shocking when you see that Iowa isn't showing Michigan the common courtesy of waiting until the Wolverines have decided to make their move before requesting permission to interview prospective coaches. I mean, the Hawkeyes have already contacted Tennessee so they can talk to Bruce Pearl. How rude! What the hell happened to all the kindness and politeness I encountered from people during my two years in Iowa City? See what a having a head coach opening can do to your manners?

So seriously - what's happening? Is Michigan gathering its reserves to make a really big move, one that might test the resolve of anyone claiming loyalty to their current position? Is the administration waiting until the coach of a certain NIT semi-finalist (who's been heartily endorsed by local columnists) is available to formally chat? Or are they still trying to figure out just what the hell they're going to do?

Okay, the waiting is the hardest part. I know that. But why is there any waiting at all?

Happy Hour 03/22: What the Hell is Going On Here?

♦ In the span of about two hours, the game of coaching musical chairs got crazy in the Big Ten. First, it looked like Xavier's Sean Miller was going to be the next University of Minnesota head coach. Shortly thereafter (very shortly), the Gophers raised the stakes significantly, hiring Tubby Smith away from Kentucky to run the show at Williams Arena next season. (ESPN.com confirmed the story soon after that.)

As Maize n Brew Dave just said to me via IM, "What the hell just happened?" Even the Minnesota press was knocked off their chairs on this one.

The dominoes aren't just falling in order now; they may have been scattered off the table. One of the elite jobs in college basketball just opened up in Lexington, and can expect to attract some of the biggest names available (or not available until approximately two hours ago). And whichever school loses their coach to Kentucky might create an opening that jumps ahead of Michigan in the greeting line.

♦ I'm sure you've all read this already, but just in case you haven't had a chance to see what it looks like when a coach sells his soul, here's a link to the NY Times article on the O.J. Mayo/Tim Floyd courtship at USC.

The main reason I'm linking to it today is The Big Lead raised an interesting point earlier today: What are the chances Mayo plays a minute for the Trojans once the NCAA looks into his relationship with Ronald Guillory?

I'll repeat what I said in the comments section over there: If Jamal Crawford was suspended while at Michigan because of his living arrangements with what the NCAA termed a “sponsor,” then what the hell will they have to say about an “event promoter” making overtures to a college coach?

♦ A swap of first-round picks (#8 to #10) and two second-round picks for Matt Schaub? Last night, my initial thought was that the Texans gave up too much for a back-up - and still rather unproven - quarterback. Then Richard Justice said he loved the trade on his Houston Chronicle blog. And if you weren't sure such a deal expressed the Texans' intentions to make Schaub their starting QB, they followed up with a six-year, $48 million contract that effectively sends David Carr looking for free agent handouts.

But enough about those other teams. Let's bring it back home to Detroit. Atlanta now has the #8 pick in the first round, and the 7th and 12th selections in the second round. Is that what Matt Millen might be looking for in exchange for the #2 pick? Here's how ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli sees it:

Most teams use a chart, principally developed by former Dallas and Miami coach Jimmy Johnson, that assigns a points value to every choice in the draft. The corresponding points for the eighth pick in the first round is 1,400. The two second-round choices owned by the Falcons are worth 510 points (the seventh choice in the round) and 460 points (the 12th).

The total points value for the Falcons' three choices in the first two rounds is 2,370 points. On the points chart, the second overall choice in the entire draft, owned by Detroit -- which is rumored to be interested in trading back -- is worth 2,600 points. Atlanta would fall a little shy of that, but not by much, with its 2,370 points for the three choices in the first and second rounds.

If the Falcons have their eyes on Calvin Johnson, and the Lions want to move down, there might just be enough to dance with here.

Big Ten Basketball Jobs Are the New Thing This Spring

So if Michigan and Minnesota were eyeballing each other, looking at several of the same candidates to run their men's basketball programs, what happens now that Steve Alford is looking to bolt Iowa for the head coaching gig at New Mexico?

According to ESPN.com's Andy Katz, this is close to a done deal, and unless negotiations hit a snag, Alford will be announced as the Lobos' new coach on Friday.

Now we're looking at three head coach openings in the Big Ten? (Well, maybe it's two, if the Gophers job belongs to Flip Saunders.) The competition for coaching talent is suddenly getting pretty fierce.

On the bright side for the Iowa athletic department, at least they no longer have to worry about not being able to buy the FireSteveAlford.com domain now.

Meanwhile, here's a conversation topic you can discuss amongst yourselves: Is Iowa a better job than Michigan?

I'm sure I can guess what Wolverines fans would say, but I'd argue that they're remarkably similar, especially in terms of fan support. Iowa might have better facilities, but Michigan has a deeper pool of talent to recruit. But up until last season, I'd say Alford was under just as much pressure (if not more, due to the Pierre Pierce scandal) and scrutiny as Tommy Amaker.

UPDATE (3/22 - 2:30 a.m.): The Daily Iowan, the University of Iowa student newspaper, is reporting that Alford will inform his players of the move this morning at a team meeting.

Happy Hour 03/19: So Who's the New Guy?

Right now, the Michigan blogosphere and media runneth over with lists, candidates, and opinions regarding who should be the next men's coach at Crisler Arena. I really have nothing to add, especially since I'd just come up with the same names, and honestly, I don't know a whole lot about 60% of these guys.

My initial reflex was to jump up and down while fluttering my hands at the mention of former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery. At first glance, he would seem to be exactly what Bill Martin should be looking for. He's coached at a school with extremely tough academic standards, put together a consistent Pac-10 powerhouse, while notching some won-loss records any coach would be proud of. Plus he's got a little of that NBA experience, which is nice, too.

However, I also think he might be a bit too old to undertake a project like this, and seems to be more of a West Coast guy. I'm betting Michigan wants someone younger (although you could argue they've already gone that particular route) with strong Midwestern ties and connections.

As our buddy Doug Hill said over the weekend, Michigan really needs a coach who can sell this program, and I definitely agree with that. Amaker certainly had his failings as a game coach, but I think his primary flaw was his seeming refusal to promote Michigan basketball.

How can a coach in this era of college basketball not even have a radio or TV show? And last year (I believe), there were rumblings that Fox Sports Net wanted to follow Amaker and his team during the end of the season, as it fought to make the NCAA Tournament. What an opportunity to show yourself to fans, alumni, and potential recruits, right? Except Amaker refused. You know who didn't, and took FSN up on its offer right away? Tom Izzo.

So my current impulse is to bring in a guy who will work like hell to encourage interest in his program, and I think mid-major coaches are used to that sort of demand. They're not presuming people will watch simply because of notoriety and reputation. They're not banking solely on the name of their school to attract attention. They're out there working like hell to embrace the community at large because they can't afford not to. And Michigan needs that kind of mentality right now.

But here's what people who actually know about this stuff are saying right now:

♦ Maize n Brew has done an incredibly thorough job of outlining the candidates (after reading his list, I knew there was no sense in me even trying) and assessing their chances of being your new Michigan men's basketball coach. Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery is the most likely, in his opinion, followed by Washington State's Tony Bennett and UNLV's Lon Kruger.

♦ Michigan Sports Center details the most important qualities that the next coach will need (teaching fundamentals, recruiting Detroit), and posts its own meticulous list, with a couple of additional candidates to consider.

♦ MGoBlog has zoomed the microscope in even further, breaking down the talent pool into two categories: Name Guys and Mid-Majors. (Oh, and just in case you weren't sure, Brian really, really doesn't care for Terry Foster.)

♦ Former coaches and TV analysts disagree! The Ann Arbor News' Nathan Fenno covers the differences in opinion over just how good a job Michigan is right now. (Fenno also wrote this insightful profile of Tommy Amaker almost a year ago).

♦ The Detroit News' Eric Lacy says Amaker's biggest problem may have been that he thought coaching basketball was the only thing he had to do at Michigan.

♦ Oregon's Ernie Kent says if Michigan talks, he'll listen. I'm sure his bosses are thrilled that he made these comments while his team is preparing for its next NCAA Tournament game against Kruger's Runnin' Rebels. (That just didn't sound right, did it?) (via the Detroit News)

♦ According to Ann Arbor News columnist Jim Carty, Michigan could've done much more to support Tommy Amaker, and will have to prove it's serious about winning to attract a better successor. (Maybe they can take a walk by Fisher Stadium to check out the renovations when the subject of a practice facility and investing in the basketball program comes up.)

Ding Dong, Tommy's Gone

WDFN is reporting that University of Michigan men's basketball coach Tommy Amaker has been fired. Eric Lacy of the Detroit News has reported the same (via Michigan Sports Center), as are Mark Snyder and Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press.

A press conference to announce the firing is scheduled for 3 p.m. this afternoon.

My initial reaction, despite joining the pitchfork-and-torch mob that wanted to see this happen, is a bit of shock. More after the presser, hopefully.

UPDATE (3:30 p.m.): The Wolverine is reporting (once again via Michigan Sports Center) that the presser has been pushed back to 4:30 p.m. However, the Detroit News' Terry Foster says there won't be a press conference today, and Michigan will issue a statement. Saturday's kind of a weird day for such a thing anyway, so maybe they're holding off on addressing the media until Monday.

UPDATE (4:30 p.m.): The Diag has more details, including Bill Martin's comments to the Associated Press.

"Letting Tommy go was the toughest decision I've had to make in seven years as athletic director.

"He took over a program that needed help, and he helped it in a lot of ways. But at Michigan, we have a tradition of winning Big Ten and national championships and we haven't been close to doing either in a lot of ways."

Amaker (who will receive a $900,000 buyout for the dismissal) also spoke briefly with the Detroit News. (via The Diag)

"It was tough. But with the way things went this year, we knew anything could happen.

"We tried to get this program to the next level. It didn't happen."

And on his Detroit News blog, Terry Foster said Martin gave Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman an ultimatum: Either let me fire him, or I quit.

Do the Right Thing, Bill Martin

So is our long national regional nightmare now over? The Michigan basketball team had their season mercifully laid to rest last night in Tallahassee, 87-66. At least that's what I'm reading. Michigan Sports Center confirms this result, and there were highlights on ESPN this morning to corroborate this information. That's good enough for me.

I've already said my piece on Tommy Amaker - several times. My arms are tired from swinging, and my throat is sore from screaming. What needs to happen for the Michigan basketball program is now beyond obvious.

This thing has fallen apart on most every level. Amaker can (inexplicably) make his case, and maybe it will convince the right people in the athletic department. If so, they can all watch fan and alumni support erode even further. Just don't publicly shrug your shoulders, hold out your hands, and plead ignorance. No one's buying this $#!+ anymore.

EDIT (4 p.m.): Yes, I originally typed "Ed Martin" in the headline, instead of "Bill." Oops. Thanks to those who pointed out my mistake.

Not Interested, Tommy

But really, so what?

I hate that I feel that way about Michigan basketball. I actually strongly considered going to last night's NIT game vs. Utah State. The tickets were cheap, and I could've had almost any seat in the house. But ultimately, it just came down to the feeling that I can't support this stuff.

The majority of fans obviously shared the same sentiment. 3,114 fans attended the game. That's the lowest Crisler Arena crowd for a men's basketball game in 23 years. 1,000 fewer fans showed up for this game than last year's NIT first-round match-up with Texas-El Paso.

On TV, the crowd looked like what you typically see for a women's basketball or gymnastics contest in Ann Arbor. Credit the Maize Rage section for making it as loud as they could, but judging from the large sections of empty seats and bleachers, that was essentially a scrimmage.

We could argue about how many Michigan fans care about basketball, in general, (and I don't think it's very many) but if apathy hadn't already set in, a significant dose of it has rushed in over the past few weeks. Go ahead and question the reasonability or expectations of the Michigan fanbase, but don't question their intelligence. This was not a case of Michigan almost being good enough to get a bid to the NCAA tournament, but things didn't go their way, so they should just try to make the best of an NIT bid and show people they may have deserved better. Not this year. Not when schools like Syracuse, Drexel, Kansas State, West Virginia, Clemson, Washington, and Air Force didn't get in, either.

This is exactly what the Michigan basketball program deserved. I'm not talking about the players; it would've been nice for that senior class to participate in at least one NCAA tournament. I feel bad that they had to play in front of 3,000 people last night. At least they went out and won this game. (It's too bad no one will be able to see their second-round contest with Florida State. If a game is shown on ESPNU, and virtually no one can see it, will it really have happened?)

But this is about something much bigger right now. Basketball is undergoing a slow death at Michigan, and if the athletic department won't (or can't) take steps to prevent that and bring in someone who can at least achieve the bare minimum for a Big Ten program, who has at least a shred of interest in promoting his team and embracing the community at-large, then they can't possibly expect people to support the team. This charade has been carried as far as it can go. There is no better time to make a change.

Who Wears the Pants in the Amaker Household?

Okay, I missed the Michigan-Ohio State basketball game yesterday, opting to see Zodiac instead. Some might argue that my sports fan card should be suspended for that. I'd point to the Big Ten men's basketball standings in my defense, which would've supported a case for a blowout that I had no obligation to watch.

(Sitting through almost three hours of Zodiac wasn't necessarily more fun. It's not that I didn't like the movie, yet I'm not saying I liked it either, so there's your less-than-enthusiastic endorsement. Drink some coffee beforehand, or get a Pepsi from concessions; there's a lot of sitting and talking. But I digress...)

So I didn't get to see Michigan get their hopes crushed by the Buckeyes yet again. (To even make such a comparison between football and basketball is silly, of course.) But it looked like a close one, at least according to the score I saw on my cell phone after the movie. The mantra from the home locker room at Crisler Arena, however, was "Coming close doesn't mean anything."

Tommy Amaker argued that his team deserved more, but I don't think he knows what he's really saying. As the Ann Arbor News' Jim Carty points out, if those seniors deserved anything, it was to have a better team built around them, and a coach who could teach them how to develop into better players. And Amaker never managed to do that in their four years at Michigan.

Yet probably the worst kept secret in Ann Arbor is that there will be no coaching change in the men's basketball department. Maybe Amaker did enough to save his job this week by beating Michigan State and fighting the #1 team in the country to a four-point margin. Some have said that the decision has already been made to keep Amaker, regardless of how his team finished the season. How is that possible? Well, such a decision might not have anything to do with basketball. Check out this nugget from Drew Sharp's column in today's Detroit Free Press:

"... fueling the coach's job security most is that he's the second-most-popular Amaker on campus. His wife, Dr. Stephanie Pinder-Amaker, is an associate dean of students who co-chaired a large university fund-raising initiative. She's a rising star in the academic community, something that's not lost on university president Mary Sue Coleman, who remains an advocate of diversity despite recent legal challenges.

Do you think she'll risk losing a highly qualified African-American female educator because her basketball-coaching husband hasn't fulfilled expectations?"

Of course, you could write that off as speculation (and many would dismiss it because of the byline "By Drew Sharp"). However, it might also explain a few things. Bill Martin is getting a lot of negative feedback for the state of the men's basketball program, and maybe he's to the point where he might want to make a change, too. But what if it's not ultimately his call? If you're a Michigan fan (I'm not going to say "Michigan basketball fan" because that applies to a smaller readership), how infuriating is that?

And if you're Tommy Amaker, how big should your budget be for Valentine's Day, birthdays, and Sweetest Day? Maybe throw in something for Mother's Day too, just for the hell of it.

Arriving Late to the Michigan-Michigan State Blog Party

Various errands kept me from the computer all day, so I'm blogging long after people have said their piece on current events and I hate that. It's also possible that I was hung over from having Erin Andrews less than two miles from my house last night. I can tell when she's nearby; I get all light-headed. At Iowa, I had to miss classes the next day whenever she worked a game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Just... too... close.

Let's get to the reason Ms. Andrews was in Ann Arbor: Michigan-Michigan State. Unfortunately, my dear friend Mis Hooz decided to call during the game. Usually, I wouldn't take such a call, but since I kind of figured Michigan would lose and we hadn't talked in a couple of weeks, I was okay with blabbing on the phone. But I kept peeking at that corner score graphic. Hey, wait a minute - Michigan's winning. Then Brent Petway dunked that half-court lob pass from Jerret Smith, and I knew I had to get off the damn phone.

That was obviously unexpected and definitely impressive. Dion Harris was outstanding, and even Courtney Sims showed that he may actually have a pair. And suddenly, you have to wonder if those NCAA Tournament hopes are rising from the dead.

But maybe I'm just too far gone on Tommy Amaker, because my first thought after the game was, "Why the hell haven't they played that way all season?" Tom Izzo said Michigan played like a team that needed a win. The problem is that the Wolverines needed to play with that kind of desperation and urgency at least a month ago. Now it might be too late, in terms of NCAA tournament chances. And I still think that falls at Amaker's feet. I know - I shouldn't dump on the guy after his team's biggest victory of the season.

I also can't help but think a healthy Drew Neitzel would've made up that 11-point margin, even though Izzo would tell me not to. But as my sister pointed out to me via e-mail this morning, "He wasn't. Michigan won. Be happy." To which I responded, "Get back to me in a couple of weeks. Then I'll decide whether or not to be happy." Bah.

This might not be helping Tommy Amaker

It can't be a very good sign when Rob Parker is defending you, can it? After all, this is the same guy who's brought us such sportswriting gold as calling the Tigers' Dave Dombrowski the worst general manager in Detroit last season.

(Much more, of course, can be found at the "Wobb Parker, Sooper Geenus" database at The Wayne Fontes Experience. On more of a personal note, I'd like to say to Big Al, "Good luck. We're all counting on you.")

So in today's Detroit News - which has several pieces on not only Michigan basketball's currently precarious situation, but on the Big Ten's NCAA tournament hopes, as well - Parker says Amaker shouldn't be fired.

In the process, Parker lists several reasons why Amaker should keep his job - first and foremost being that two top-notch recruits are coming in next season, and a coaching change could cause some alienation. And that could very well be the reason that Amaker won't be fired.

From there on, however, Parker goes into full excuse-making mode, using the same stuff he would surely use to call for a coach's firing. Unfortunately for Michigan fans, we've heard these rationalizations already. The clean-up job in lieu of the Ed Martin scandal. The successful NIT runs. The team's overall won-loss record this season. And perhaps lamest of all, injuries are used as an excuse.

There isn't a single person who watched Wednesday night's loss to Iowa and thought to him or herself, "Boy, Michigan would've won that game if not for injuries." Michigan did, however, lose that game in large part because of Amaker's continued failure to install any sort of consistent offensive or defensive schemes that can lead to a good shot or key stop. When his players needed to be sharpest, they looked lost.

And while we're on the subject of looking lost out on the floor, one of the major factors in Michigan's recent lack of success is cited by Eric Lacy elsewhere in the Detroit News: Terrible point guard play. Is it unfair to criticize a coach for an inability to properly tutor the position he played in college? Because I'm thinking a former point guard could be criticized for an inability to develop any point guards.

But back to Parker and his case for Amaker. What's funny is that the whole thing falls apart at the end because of two points brought up to support his argument.

Don't forget that in his second season, Amaker's squad went 10-6 in the Big Ten, tied for third.

Well, that would mean the team's actually getting worse, not better. Right? Or am I missing something?

Maryland gave coach Gary Williams time to fix its troubled program. Williams took over in 1989. Five years later, the program's first season off probation, the Terrapins received their first NCAA bid since 1988. Williams led Maryland to a national championship in 2002. Hence, it wound up taking Williams 13 years to accomplish his ultimate goal.

Amaker's had six years. I was an English major in college (as anyone who's asked me to calculate a tip can tell you), but that's one more than five, isn't it? And in his sixth season, Michigan likely won't make the NCAA tournament. Williams' Maryland team went 26-8, tied for first in the ACC, and scored a #3 seed in the West Region. Thus, he earned the seven subsequent years it took him to win a national championship.

I'm not sure you're doing Coach Amaker any favors, Rob. Or maybe you should keep writing columns in support of Amaker. After all, looked how your anti-Dombrowski column worked out for the Tigers. It's like the Seinfeld opposite theory: “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.”

Tommy Amaker should begin looking for boxes

I don't think I've performed the stomp-up-and-down/coach-gots-to-go dance too many times in the year-and-a-half life span of this sports blog. Maybe a search through the SME archives will eventually prove me wrong, but the only coach I can recall saying should absolutely be fired was Steve Mariucci.

Bringing out the pitchforks and torches for a coach's head often seems too easy. (Although one guy I can think of has made something of a career out of it.) Team's not playing well? Fire the coach! It's quick and no hassle - the sports equivalent of heating up a frozen entree in the microwave.

And it's not just that it's a relatively easy solution to propose, but it's become such a lame cliché for the mainstream media - especially TV announcers - to lean on when talking about a coach under fire. Talk about those bloggers, talk show callers, and message board hounds, and then chuckle dismissively, like they're some weird cult that heads out to Area 51 every year waiting for a UFO. (No offense if you actually do that, of course. We all have our hobbies and passions.)

But after Michigan's likely NIT-clinching loss to Iowa last night, I think the time has come to head into the garage or stop at your local hardware store for supplies. (Remember - just about anything with a handle makes a good torch with the right amount of lighter fluid.) The mob is beginning to grow, and I think it has a pretty damn solid case to back up its outrage now.

♦ Maize n Brew puts it rather succinctly. Brevity is the soul of wit, as Shakespeare once wrote.

♦ Michigan Sports Center is giving up and just doesn't care anymore.

♦ The Detroit News' Eric Lacy used the phrase "Detroit Lionsesque" in describing the current state of the team. So you know that can't be good.

♦ The Freep's Michael Rosenberg thinks Amaker's team is a reflection of his personality.

♦ The Ann Arbor News' Jim Carty says Amaker is a dead coach walking.

Michigan's performance up until this point, along with its remaining schedule, had placed this game squarely in the "must-win" category. They were playing at home against a team that hadn't won a road game all season. How do you become a good team, one that can make it to the NCAA Tournament? Well, beating the teams you're supposed to beat is a good start. So if Michigan can't even do that, what does that say about the coach?

What else does it say when your team blows a 14-point first-half lead and gets mowed over by a 20-1 run from the visiting club? Who does it reflect upon the most when one of your players says the team "let up"? And this is from a guy whose college career is largely defined by its overall lack of development. Hell, even he showed up last night, with 29 points and 11 rebounds.

Sure, you can point to the puny stat line (one point on 0-for-11 shooting) from a teammate who's arguably the team's best player. But bad games happen. Sometimes that ball just won't go in that hoop. That's basketball. So what then? Doesn't the coach need to come up with something to compensate? Steve Alford did.

What's so disheartening about this is that the Michigan basketball team suffered a near-identical collapse last year. It just feels like I've written this before. "Five years is five years...", "this senior class should've progressed...", "his players haven't gotten in four years under his tutelage..." We're almost at the end of Amaker's sixth season, and nothing appears to have changed. If last season's failure to win an NCAA Tournament bid was considered a disappointment, the expectation for the following year - especially when most of the players from that squad return - is obvious. So where does that leave us?

I'd pretty much bought into the argument that a school couldn't realistically expect to have top-notch football and basketball programs these days. You're either a football school or a basketball school. And I'd begun to accept that Tom Izzo cornered the basketball market in East Lansing, while football was king in Ann Arbor. But after looking at what Bruce Pearl's done at Tennessee - where men's basketball stood behind not only football but women's basketball in the pecking order - such resignations have blown up. He's changed the culture in Knoxville, he's fired up the fanbase, and most importantly, he's winning games in an elite conference. It absolutely is possible.

Michigan can do better than Tommy Amaker, and for the sake of its basketball program, it should start looking into an upgrade. And if you work in the shipping-and-receiving department of any businesses in Ann Arbor, keep some empty boxes on hand. An out-of-work head coach might come asking for them in a couple of months.

I'm disappointed too, Tommy

No more worries about nothing firing up my sports blogging synapses today. I just read something that almost had me spitting tuna salad on my computer monitor.

In today's Detroit News, Michigan men's basketball coach Tommy Amaker is crying "¡Que lastima!" about the crap he and his team have been taking for their phony 16-6 record.

"I think everybody needs wins," he said. "I'm a little disappointed that we're the only team people talk about that needs wins. We're 16-6, which is almost a 73 percent winning percentage; we're 4-3 in the conference, tied for fourth...

"I think everybody, to be honest, needs wins, and I think every game down the stretch is important. It seems like we have that arrow pointing at us in that regard."

Coach, I'm disappointed too. I'm disappointed that your team has lost to every good team it's played this season. And none of those games were even close.

North Carolina State? Loss. UCLA? Loss. Georgetown? Loss. Purdue? Loss. Wisconsin? Loss. Indiana? Loss.

Okay, five of those six games were on the road. But for a team that "needs wins," shouldn't scoring one away from Crisler Arena be something of a priority? And it's not like each of those losses has been to a powerhouse. NC State is 1-5 in the ACC. Purdue is 3-4 in the Big Ten.

I'm disappointed that the majority of Michigan's wins this season have been achieved against such schools as Central Connecticut State, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Wofford, and Delaware State.

I'm disappointed that Michigan no longer plays compelling non-conference games against the likes of Duke, Syracuse, Boston College, or Arizona. And then the athletic department wonders why no one - student or otherwise - treks out to Crisler Arena to watch the basketball team play.

Amaker argues that such criticisms are unfair, that every other school in the Big Ten and beyond does the same thing. That may be the case, Coach, but those other schools don't have as much to prove right now, either. Did those programs have as big a clean-up project as yours did? No. But they haven't had a six-year span to work with, either.

You know, I don't think it's going to take too long for Gary Walters to explain why his selection committee left Michigan out of the NCAA Tournament field on Selection Sunday. One or two sentences, tops.

With recruits like Alex Legion and Manny Harris coming in next season, Amaker may well have earned himself another year tacked onto Bill Martin's grace period. At the Detroit News' Big Ten Blog, Eric Lacy thinks Michigan's coach should officially be on notice if his team loses to Iowa at home tomorrow night. I'm inclined to agree, because the schedule sure as hell isn't getting any easier after that.

(Meanwhile, Maize n Brew has taken the time to draw up a list of potential replacements.)

You'd still have to find Michigan basketball fans

Today's Detroit News has an interesting article by Fred Girard about the progress of renovation plans for the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena. Last month, the cost for the project was estimated as high as $75 million.

Athletic director Bill Martin, however, says such plans aren't at the stage for a set price tag yet. For one thing, much more updated information is needed. The last infrastructure study on Crisler was done 10 years ago.

Plus, there are several more building projects on the docket, many of which hold a higher priority for the U-M athletic department. Included among these are the newly opened Ross Academic Center, updates to Alumni Field (softball) and Fisher Stadium (baseball), and the much-anticipated renovations and additions to Michigan Stadium, set to cost $226 million.

But even if improvements to Crisler Arena weren't far down the to-do list for Michigan, I'd wonder just how much support such plans would have in the first place. From both the inside and outside, the facility seems perfectly suitable. Nothing appears to be falling apart or in crying need of repair.

What Crisler seems to be most in need of is an atmosphere transfusion. The place is dimly lit. (Maybe to hide all of the empty seats?) You want to fall asleep as soon as you sit down. It's almost as dark as a concert hall while a symphony is performing.

The Maize Rage has done an impressive job over the past few years of boosting up the noise and spirit close to the court, but any and all fervor seems to be restricted to that section. It's certainly a good start, but hardly the Izzone at Michigan State, for example.

Unfortunately, my frame of reference for other Big Ten arenas is restricted to the state of Michigan. So I can only compare Crisler to the Breslin Center. But it's not too difficult to see what MSU gets right as soon as you walk in. The place is bright and exciting, almost like a miniature version of The Palace of Auburn Hills. It makes you sit up and take notice.

But the big question for the Michigan athletic department is whether or not they'd see any return on such an investment. I'm not saying anything a Michigan fan already doesn't know, but basketball just doesn't draw the same kind of support football does here. Fan interest isn't attached solely to performance, either. I don't have any hard data to back this up, but I don't remember Crisler being consistently filled during the "Fab Five" era. And that was arguably the program's most successful run. (It was certainly its most notorious.)

So would Michigan shelling out $75 million for an improved basketball arena be the athletic department equivalent of buying a Bowflex for yourself in January? This year you're going to start working out! And then by February, you've spent $1,500 on a dust-gathering coat rack/DVD shelf. Would the same thing happen in Ann Arbor after the one-year novelty of a newly spruced-up Crisler Arena wears off?

Happy Hour 01/16: The Webber Presser

♦ Chris Webber's face went from smiling and youthful to aged and tortured in about five seconds. He had to expect some questions from the media about what happened at Michigan, and how he might deal with that upon his return to Detroit. But to ask for an apology - or expect one - is probably hoping for too much.

Did he dodge the question by saying today was about the Pistons? Did he sound like Mark McGwire when he said he didn't want to get into what happened 15 years ago? I certainly think so. Webber can't possibly be naive enough to think that people have forgotten about this. He could smooth over everything with a simple one-sentence mea culpa.

But such hard feelings might be limited to Ann Arbor, and not representative of the Detroit sports fan base as a whole. And ultimately, as Terry Foster pointed out in his blog today, Webber is a Detroiter, not necessarily a Michigan Wolverine. That's what he's coming home to.

♦ Having said all that, I wonder if Michigan basketball coach Tommy Amaker might be misreading the situation by saying he'd welcome Webber back to Crisler Arena. After all, quite a few banners had to come down because of the money that he and his contemporaries accepted. And of course, there's also that infamous time-out he called in the 1993 national championship game.

Sure, I understand why Amaker would want Webber stopping by practice, appearing at games, and maybe sitting behind the U-M bench. Young players who either remember C-Webb from his "Fab Five" days or know him from the NBA would take notice. That's a hell of a recruiting tool for a program in sore need of a draw.

And maybe Amaker looks at a half-empty Crisler Arena most nights, with a city and campus that doesn't seem to care much about his program, and questions whether or not it's worth placating some hard feelings in the area. In his eyes, maybe he doesn't believe people could even be bothered to express outrage at this point. So what is there to lose?

♦ If you're wondering why Webber made the bizarre choice of 84 for his uniform number (we know he wasn't getting #4), he explained during the presser that his six-year-old nephew saw him wearing #84 in a dream. And at the end of that dream, the Pistons won the game. So that's what's going on the back of his jersey.

And here I thought it might be a tribute to the '84 Tigers or former Lions receiver Herman Moore. Oh well.

(Thanks to Kevin Antcliff for the link. More on KA tomorrow, by the way.)

♦ Sports Illustrated's Marty Burns isn't a fan of the Pistons signing Webber, largely because of his defensive shortcomings. Among the people he quotes in this article are a Western Conference scout who says "he's awful" and "can't play anymore," an anonymous Chicago Bull who thinks Detroit would be "crazy" to trade Antonio McDyess to make room for Webber, and various San Antonio Spurs who don't seem to care about the move.

♦ And finally, while looking up some stuff to possibly make a Thomas Wolfe (You Can't Go Home Again) reference, I was reminded that the main character in Wolfe's novel is named George Webber. Think about that when you close your eyes and try to fall asleep tonight.