Wanted to preface this post by saying this is a discussion post and not being used as a click-farm or baiting anyone into thinking we have some big intel to share. There's plenty to talk about but I have to tread lightly here.
I had a friend text me this morning, he's also a member here, and I thought it was good to bring to the boards and discuss openly my thoughts/opinions and share what I know when I can.
What is your gut feeling on Underwood? I find it interesting that the sites all stopped posting about him pretty much simultaneously. Was there communication from the athletic department?
Again, I am not going to discuss what is being said elsewhere. It's none of my business and I have a million other things I am worried about in my own backyard and life to worry about others. At any rate, NO, I have NOT received communication from the athletic department to stop discussing the Bryce Underwood pursuit. In full transparency, I have NEVER heard from anyone at Michigan who has told me to stop reporting on something or to not bring anything up. That's not how journalism works.
I will, however, withhold information provided by sources who strictly tell me not to report it if it helps get me to the bottom of the story. That has happened multiple times with the Underwood situation. Some things I am told not to report, other things I use my own discretion whether I want to discuss them or not.
Believe me when I say this: I am hearing things about this situation every day. This isn't to dangle some kind of mystery carrot in front of you and come off as. "I know something you don't know." It's more being able to verify the information and report things accurately instead of being a hot stove of what-ifs and rumors that might not necessarily be fact. Abusing a topic like this might be beneficial from a membership/visibility standpoint, but that stuff quickly gets stale if I say things that don't happen or drag it out. It's just not good. Losing credibility is the most damaging thing that could happen to us here.
Take what happened last week for an example. I was told by multiple sources that Underwood was on campus last weekend, another source even going as far as saying he was spotted in the club seats. I could've reported all week he was expected on campus but if there was no digital record and no way to confirm he was on campus, I gain nothing by throwing crap at the wall.
Same thing is going for this week, I am hearing a ton of things about this weekend and what it could possibly bring. It's something we have to let play out or just let it ride. There's no sense in getting hopes up if we can't confirm anything.
All of this is to say that I never wanted this Underwood situation to be a daily update thing. Hell, even a weekly thing if we can avoid it. When we have something we need to say, we'll say and report it. I am not in the business of manufacturing crap in hopes it sticks. I do not think there's some calculated effort to silence things. The toothpaste is way out of the tube, there's no going back now.
Now, that brings me to the other part of the question. My gut feeling on what's next.
I've said multiple times, if I were to completely buy in what a rapidly rising number of voices are saying, this is a done deal. But it's not a done deal. A done deal suggests that this thing is done and, as of this writing, Underwood is still committed to LSU.
I do THINK, however, based on what I know, the facts I've gathered both out there and not, that this gets done. Can I be wrong with my guess? Of course. I've been wrong before and I'll make wrong guesses again. The momentum hasn't been built for no reason, there's legitimacy there and Sherrone Moore and Co. aren't afraid to get into the weeds with the big boys is impressive. What I've heard of support and who is working on this, not even financially, if true, is seriously impressive. Again, it's something I don't want to report on because I don't have stone-cold facts.
Anyway, I thought the text message was a good question that could've been brought to the boards, so I did.
Look forward to discussing with you all.
I had a friend text me this morning, he's also a member here, and I thought it was good to bring to the boards and discuss openly my thoughts/opinions and share what I know when I can.
What is your gut feeling on Underwood? I find it interesting that the sites all stopped posting about him pretty much simultaneously. Was there communication from the athletic department?
Again, I am not going to discuss what is being said elsewhere. It's none of my business and I have a million other things I am worried about in my own backyard and life to worry about others. At any rate, NO, I have NOT received communication from the athletic department to stop discussing the Bryce Underwood pursuit. In full transparency, I have NEVER heard from anyone at Michigan who has told me to stop reporting on something or to not bring anything up. That's not how journalism works.
I will, however, withhold information provided by sources who strictly tell me not to report it if it helps get me to the bottom of the story. That has happened multiple times with the Underwood situation. Some things I am told not to report, other things I use my own discretion whether I want to discuss them or not.
Believe me when I say this: I am hearing things about this situation every day. This isn't to dangle some kind of mystery carrot in front of you and come off as. "I know something you don't know." It's more being able to verify the information and report things accurately instead of being a hot stove of what-ifs and rumors that might not necessarily be fact. Abusing a topic like this might be beneficial from a membership/visibility standpoint, but that stuff quickly gets stale if I say things that don't happen or drag it out. It's just not good. Losing credibility is the most damaging thing that could happen to us here.
Take what happened last week for an example. I was told by multiple sources that Underwood was on campus last weekend, another source even going as far as saying he was spotted in the club seats. I could've reported all week he was expected on campus but if there was no digital record and no way to confirm he was on campus, I gain nothing by throwing crap at the wall.
Same thing is going for this week, I am hearing a ton of things about this weekend and what it could possibly bring. It's something we have to let play out or just let it ride. There's no sense in getting hopes up if we can't confirm anything.
All of this is to say that I never wanted this Underwood situation to be a daily update thing. Hell, even a weekly thing if we can avoid it. When we have something we need to say, we'll say and report it. I am not in the business of manufacturing crap in hopes it sticks. I do not think there's some calculated effort to silence things. The toothpaste is way out of the tube, there's no going back now.
Now, that brings me to the other part of the question. My gut feeling on what's next.
I've said multiple times, if I were to completely buy in what a rapidly rising number of voices are saying, this is a done deal. But it's not a done deal. A done deal suggests that this thing is done and, as of this writing, Underwood is still committed to LSU.
I do THINK, however, based on what I know, the facts I've gathered both out there and not, that this gets done. Can I be wrong with my guess? Of course. I've been wrong before and I'll make wrong guesses again. The momentum hasn't been built for no reason, there's legitimacy there and Sherrone Moore and Co. aren't afraid to get into the weeds with the big boys is impressive. What I've heard of support and who is working on this, not even financially, if true, is seriously impressive. Again, it's something I don't want to report on because I don't have stone-cold facts.
Anyway, I thought the text message was a good question that could've been brought to the boards, so I did.
Look forward to discussing with you all.
