Michigan Friday: Stops Traffic

I am all for improving the fan and athlete experience at Michigan Stadium and Crisler Arena Center.   Both have needed upgrades for awhile now.  Michigan Stadium looks great and Crisler will be very sharp when it's finished.   Michigan's new indoor field house and basketball PDC have been great upgrades for the athletes and both will help with recruiting.

Yesterday, the Regents approved a new sign and upgrades to Schembechler Hall.   Like the Big House and Crisler, Schembechler Hall is also due for a face lift.    The regents approved a 9 Million dollar face lift, which seems like a lot but I think the coaches, athletes and recruits are worth it.  So is the memory of our great coach and the building that is named after him.  Here is a what it might look like after it's completed from the outside:



What is strange to me is the "other" thing that the Regents approved on Wednesday.   A 27' high by 48' wide electronic billboard which they are calling a marquee.


  
This seems way over the top to me and not the traditional Big House experience that I'm used to. I was for the Big Scoreboards in the Big House because it gives the fans a good experience with replays and other information.   This billboard seems too large and will have audio as well.   I'm all for marketing the brand but this seems more like being in an Airport then attending one of the best venues in College Football.   I think there is a much better way to use nearly 3 million dollars. 

• Shane continues to do well at the Elite 11 QB Camp.   He won the Golden Gun Accuracy Challenge on day 2 and passed Dilfer's QB test.   I guess he also threw the ball 75 yards. 

• I am all for protecting players on the field but this rule change is going to be a huge mess when a team is down a touchdown with less then a minute left in the game. How in the world are you going to be able to fair catch an onside kick?   After a kickoff hits the ground — specifically on a one-hop onside kick — the receiving team gets an opportunity to fair catch that ball. "A lot of our coaches," Shaw said, "have said that will almost take that one-hop (onside) kick out of the game."   I could see this rule change getting reversed in a year or so.   Are there they many injuries on onside kicks?  I think this rule is more intended for those short pop up kickoffs targeted at a linebacker expecting to block.