I wanted to talk about a point that is being missed with the new developments.
UM has turned over proof that coaches and staffers from three schools collaborated to create a spreadsheet of stolen signals from UM. You are undoubtedly seeing posts that say, "So what? That's not against the rules." My response to that is "exactly, that's the damn point."
Let me explain a bit. Let's pretend that all the signals gathered by these teams were obtained perfectly within the rules. The signals were decoded by using game film, TV broadcast recordings, all-22 video, etc. That means that using ONLY the permissible forms of scouting, these teams were able to decode what amounts to the entire UM playbook. They were able to do it without sending some loser to sit in the stands and record with a damn cellphone.
How were they possibly able to do this? We've been told over and over by talking heads and rival coaches that we gained a massive advantage with the video from the stands. Really? Because from what I see, these teams decoded an entire playbook using legal means. So the advantage gained by recording in person is . . . what, exactly? It's almost as if the multiple prior statements of the NCAA that video from the stands provides a negligible advantage was accurate.
And one last point. To those who tell you what these teams did is within the rules, that's not at all accurate. What these teams did might not violate NCAA rules. But the Big Ten rules were certainly broken. The Big Ten doesn't have any rules about sign stealing at all. They just have a vague concept of sportsmanlike/unsportsmanlike conduct. Can any reasonable person say that three teams collaborating to create a spreadsheet collecting one team's plays in a bid to beat that team is sportsmanlike?
Having said all of that, remember this: you violate the concept of sportsmanship at the discretion of the commissioner. Basically, the commissioner is the sole authority in deciding what is or isn't sportsmanlike. He can say what Conor Stalions did was unsportsmanlike and then turn around and say that every team in the conference sharing signals to make sure UM loses is completely sportsmanlike. It would be ludicrous, but he can 100% do that.
UM has turned over proof that coaches and staffers from three schools collaborated to create a spreadsheet of stolen signals from UM. You are undoubtedly seeing posts that say, "So what? That's not against the rules." My response to that is "exactly, that's the damn point."
Let me explain a bit. Let's pretend that all the signals gathered by these teams were obtained perfectly within the rules. The signals were decoded by using game film, TV broadcast recordings, all-22 video, etc. That means that using ONLY the permissible forms of scouting, these teams were able to decode what amounts to the entire UM playbook. They were able to do it without sending some loser to sit in the stands and record with a damn cellphone.
How were they possibly able to do this? We've been told over and over by talking heads and rival coaches that we gained a massive advantage with the video from the stands. Really? Because from what I see, these teams decoded an entire playbook using legal means. So the advantage gained by recording in person is . . . what, exactly? It's almost as if the multiple prior statements of the NCAA that video from the stands provides a negligible advantage was accurate.
And one last point. To those who tell you what these teams did is within the rules, that's not at all accurate. What these teams did might not violate NCAA rules. But the Big Ten rules were certainly broken. The Big Ten doesn't have any rules about sign stealing at all. They just have a vague concept of sportsmanlike/unsportsmanlike conduct. Can any reasonable person say that three teams collaborating to create a spreadsheet collecting one team's plays in a bid to beat that team is sportsmanlike?
Having said all of that, remember this: you violate the concept of sportsmanship at the discretion of the commissioner. Basically, the commissioner is the sole authority in deciding what is or isn't sportsmanlike. He can say what Conor Stalions did was unsportsmanlike and then turn around and say that every team in the conference sharing signals to make sure UM loses is completely sportsmanlike. It would be ludicrous, but he can 100% do that.
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