@the-gipper said:

Who else has done this...and where did they go?

Basketball programs do this all of the time...

Oh look, here's OSU doing it

http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/082201aaj.html

And basketball programs actually practice and play games when they do. Making it less of an educational trip. 

@bigalow80 said:

This is an NCAA issue not Michigan. Technically, it's legal. Schools do stuff like this all the time. There is no way a school as big, influential, and powerful as Michigan does something that blatantly if it is against NCAA guidelines. No major program is that stupid.

Some schools have been pretty blatant and the NCAA has done nothing.

More action was taken to stop Harbaugh from doing satellite camps then prevent SEC schools from paying players.

@browns149 said:

They have the Browns winning 7 games???? 

These people need to be drug tested. 

If Hue coaches the entire year. The Browns will pick first again for the 3rd year

I don't know about 1st but they might not have the pick of the draft, maybe 3rd or 4th? And barring miracle trades no two top 4 picks.

@mld-woody said:

Donors for last year's Rome trip and this year's France trip were revealed. Alumni Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, and Don Graham, founder of The Graham Group. 

*But it's no different than buying Pryor a new 350z. Totally

* Pryor? Are you still stuck on that? Bad booster behavior?  Time to turn the calendar there Woody.

@bigalow80 said:

This is an NCAA issue not Michigan. Technically, it's legal. Schools do stuff like this all the time. There is no way a school as big, influential, and powerful as Michigan does something that blatantly if it is against NCAA guidelines. No major program is that stupid.

Who else has done this...and where did they go?

@mld-woody said:

Donors for last year's Rome trip and this year's France trip were revealed. Alumni Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, and Don Graham, founder of The Graham Group. 

But it's no different than buying Pryor a new 350z. Totally

That is right.  It isn't.   On Wheel of Fortune you can win a car or a trip. 

I don't have a problem if the NCAA says:   Spring break trips paid for by boosters are OK for every school.  Then I am great with having them all go on trips.   

My question is:  what if they didn't schedule the trip to somewhere where there is not the history/art/culture that Paris has?   What if they scheduled it for them to all go to Aruba or the Cayman Islands, paid for by boosters.  Would that be OK?   To me, it should...if you are going to allow Paris.

@bigalow80 said:

This is an NCAA issue not Michigan. Technically, it's legal. Schools do stuff like this all the time. There is no way a school as big, influential, and powerful as Michigan does something that blatantly if it is against NCAA guidelines. No major program is that stupid.

Europe is steeped in history, art and culture far different from the US. I have no real problem with this at all. Others take their basketball teams to play overseas and spend a couple of weeks in those areas as well. No big deal IMO.

@mld-woody said:

But it's no different than buying Pryor a new 350z. Totally

Bus fairs were too high. It was a cost efficiency move.

But it's no different than buying Pryor a new 350z. Totally

@mld-woody said:

Yes yes yes. Everything about Michigan is weird, bad and wrong. I think we got it. 

I mean, if you don't know about a similar school schedule, they must not exist. Case closed.

I get why'd you want to equate this to buying players cars.... 

And they did visit Normandy. And the Lourve 

Your Michigan education apparently disallows you from reading and comprehending accurately.

I didn't say it was wrong at all.    I said it was a smooth move.....and that other schools should consider doing the same thing. (an SEC school would just give the kid cash and tell him to go to Paris on his own).

But a Trip to Paris,  even if the the Louvre and Normandy  are included  (certainly my pleasure trip there would include these things)  is still tantamount to giving these kids all sorts of extra benefits that would otherwise be disallowed.

The issue is more with the NCAA rules and interpretations thereof....not with Michigan's taking advantage of them.

But...I understand....your mind is incapable of discerning such nuances. 

I mean, if you don't know about a similar school schedule, they must not exist. Case closed.

I get why'd you want to equate this to buying players cars.... 

And they did visit Normandy. And the Lourve 

@mld-woody said:

It was a lot more than the Tunsil thing. That was part of it, but Ole Miss had been clearly cheating for a while.

Well regardless of what some on here might think, Michigan is a top choice for pro style QB's. We run more of a pro, NFL style offense, Harbaugh is a former NFL QB, and he has a track record of developing QBs. Plus Patterson is from Toledo and had Michigan as one of his top schools during his initial recruitment. 

For the trip to Rome last year, 1 anonymous donor paid for the entire trip. I believe the same thing happened this year for our trip to France. Michigan has  a lot of very successful and wealthy alumni.

If you're seriously trying to compare an educational trip to Europe, with cars and hookers, I don't think I can help you. Yes, there is a good bit of difference between donating for the teams study abroad session compared to paying for Terrell Pryor's  new Nissan 350z. Hell, enough coaches complained about Harbaugh being smart and holding practices off campus that the NCAA made a rule saying Power 5 schools can no longer do that. So the team can't practice in France. Even through D1 basketball schools do stuff like that all of the time. Just a bunch of current coaches afraid of having to work more and a changing status quo.

Yes, everything has been approved by the NCAA. We obviously wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't.

The Spring Semester is over. There are no classes. I believe finals are even done. I imagine some football players needed to take their finals early before heading to France. Not 100% sure. 

What the hell is the damn difference between taking a vacation to Paris and purchasing a car for a college athlete? 

Not a damn thing.  And your use of the term "study abroad" is laughable.  There is no studying going on really, on these trips.  Not that kind that come with a study abroad program.

I mean....going to the Louvre, or out to Normandy....yes, can be educational.  

So...does that mean that every trip I take I can write off as part of my Continuing Education?  These are 99.9% pleasure trips....used as a recruiting tool. 

I don't begrudge them doing it....but let's not be hypocritical about what these are. 

I mean...they are Wheel of Fortune...where you can win a car or win a trip.

And...if FMU is already done with classes...and exams....their schedule has got to be the weirdest of any college in the nation.  I know that no school I ever went to...or that my kids ever went to, got out that early.  The earliest I have seen is in like mid May.

@mld-woody said:

It was a lot more than the Tunsil thing. That was part of it, but Ole Miss had been clearly cheating for a while.

Well regardless of what some on here might think, Michigan is a top choice for pro style QB's. We run more of a pro, NFL style offense, Harbaugh is a former NFL QB, and he has a track record of developing QBs. Plus Patterson is from Toledo and had Michigan as one of his top schools during his initial recruitment. 

For the trip to Rome last year, 1 anonymous donor paid for the entire trip. I believe the same thing happened this year for our trip to France. Michigan has  a lot of very successful and wealthy alumni.

If you're seriously trying to compare an educational trip to Europe, with cars and hookers, I don't think I can help you. Yes, there is a good bit of difference between donating for the teams study abroad session compared to paying for Terrell Pryor's  new Nissan 350z. Hell, enough coaches complained about Harbaugh being smart and holding practices off campus that the NCAA made a rule saying Power 5 schools can no longer do that. So the team can't practice in France. Even through D1 basketball schools do stuff like that all of the time. Just a bunch of current coaches afraid of having to work more and a changing status quo.

Yes, everything has been approved by the NCAA. We obviously wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't.

The Spring Semester is over. There are no classes. I believe finals are even done. I imagine some football players needed to take their finals early before heading to France. Not 100% sure. 

Greg Little had been committed for nearly a year to A&M if memory serves when he suddenly switched to Ole Miss. Very fishy smell coming out of that place for some time now.

@the-gipper said:

So....the whole Laremy Tunsil thing?  

But why FMU?   Just so he could get that trip to Paris?  

Which is a smooth move on Harbaugh's part...so I am not criticizing it per se.

I just wonder where the money came from to send the entire team?  I don't know if it is allowed to come out of the athletic budget....and certainly it can't come out of Harbaugh's multi-million dollar pockets.   If boosters or alumni paid for it.....how is that any different than them paying for cars and hookers? 

I assume the resources to pay for it have been vetted and approved by the NCAA.  (for what good they are).  So, maybe you can fill us in. 

Also...don't these kids still have classes?  Or is this their spring break week?  Seems way late for that.  and they can't be done with classes for the spring, can they?

It was a lot more than the Tunsil thing. That was part of it, but Ole Miss had been clearly cheating for a while.

Well regardless of what some on here might think, Michigan is a top choice for pro style QB's. We run more of a pro, NFL style offense, Harbaugh is a former NFL QB, and he has a track record of developing QBs. Plus Patterson is from Toledo and had Michigan as one of his top schools during his initial recruitment. 

For the trip to Rome last year, 1 anonymous donor paid for the entire trip. I believe the same thing happened this year for our trip to France. Michigan has  a lot of very successful and wealthy alumni.

If you're seriously trying to compare an educational trip to Europe, with cars and hookers, I don't think I can help you. Yes, there is a good bit of difference between donating for the teams study abroad session compared to paying for Terrell Pryor's  new Nissan 350z. Hell, enough coaches complained about Harbaugh being smart and holding practices off campus that the NCAA made a rule saying Power 5 schools can no longer do that. So the team can't practice in France. Even through D1 basketball schools do stuff like that all of the time. Just a bunch of current coaches afraid of having to work more and a changing status quo.

Yes, everything has been approved by the NCAA. We obviously wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't.

The Spring Semester is over. There are no classes. I believe finals are even done. I imagine some football players needed to take their finals early before heading to France. Not 100% sure. 

@mld-woody said:

Because Ole Miss lied to recruits about their upcoming sanctions. So a handful of players transfered out to schools without sanctions and were granted immediate eligibility

So....the whole Laremy Tunsil thing?  

But why FMU?   Just so he could get that trip to Paris?  

Which is a smooth move on Harbaugh's part...so I am not criticizing it per se.

I just wonder where the money came from to send the entire team?  I don't know if it is allowed to come out of the athletic budget....and certainly it can't come out of Harbaugh's multi-million dollar pockets.   If boosters or alumni paid for it.....how is that any different than them paying for cars and hookers? 

I assume the resources to pay for it have been vetted and approved by the NCAA.  (for what good they are).  So, maybe you can fill us in. 

Also...don't these kids still have classes?  Or is this their spring break week?  Seems way late for that.  and they can't be done with classes for the spring, can they?

@the-gipper said:

Why did he leave?  

Because Ole Miss lied to recruits about their upcoming sanctions. So a handful of players transfered out to schools without sanctions and were granted immediate eligibility

@mld-woody said:

Former Ole Miss QB, yes

Why did he leave?  

Nice prospect...

@the-gipper said:

You mean the Ole Miss QB?

Former Ole Miss QB, yes

@mld-woody said:

I sure hope Patterson ends up going that high

You mean the Ole Miss QB?

@westside-steve said:

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/04/30/baker-mayfield-cleveland-browns-draft-mmqb-peter-king

Just exactly what I tried to explain to Ghoolie and his Zumba Instructor take on Garrett, if you don't give him the time he's not getting the QB. Williams wanted Ward over Chubb for these two reasons from the article Steve provided:

Williams: “Ward. The reason is our need for a press cover cornerback. Denzel probably plays that position as well as anyone I’ve seen in college football in some time. We probably play the most press of any team in the league. There’s another reason. I’ve got a video of 28 snaps of Myles Garrett pass-rushes last year where he gets within two steps or less of the quarterback when the ball comes out. Basically, we aren’t covering long enough to let him get to the quarterback. Myles and others—especially [defensive end] Emmanuel Ogbah—will get more chances because of Denzel.” Ogbah, Williams said, was a major reason why the Browns went Ward over Chubb. “Ogbah’s a rising star in this league,” Williams said. “He’s got a chance to be Chubb.” High praise.

EDIT: That is the good news I was looking for on Ogbah. He must be recovered from his injury enough to take Ward and pass on Chubb. Now we have a real shot for our "twins" to get to the QB.

Next year tho... oh man, next year. Not everyone on here may follow CFB closely, but it has the potential to be the greatest DL class of all time. I believe Dorsey recognized this, and we'll pick up another stud then. The combine workouts for DLmen next year are going to be insane. 

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/2019-nfl-draft-defensive-line-class-ed-oliver-dexter-lawrence-nick-bosa-rashan-gary/1s1bvmlxk9i3c17qnke3oz9ilp