Skunkbear Signal Stealing Scandal

IRISHDODGER

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I predict this ends up being similar to the fallout that the Houston Astros got after the 2017 WS. Meatchicken will dodge the bullet and there will be two final analysis: one that scUM & their fan base cling to & one that the rest of the world clings to. There will be some sacrificial lambs where Michigan’s versions of AJ Hinch, Alex Cora & Carlos Beltran lose their jobs. Then scUM can expect to get roundly booed & jeered at wherever their team plays moving forward. The bad part is that this will occur between highly inebriated fan bases so I suspect there will be some embarrassing & sadly dangerous confrontations b/c CFB fans who are far too invested in their teams made up of 17-22 year olds who represent a school they didn’t attend.
 

zelezo vlk

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I predict this ends up being similar to the fallout that the Houston Astros got after the 2017 WS. Meatchicken will dodge the bullet and there will be two final analysis: one that scUM & their fan base cling to & one that the rest of the world clings to. There will be some sacrificial lambs where Michigan’s versions of AJ Hinch, Alex Cora & Carlos Beltran lose their jobs. Then scUM can expect to get roundly booed & jeered at wherever their team plays moving forward. The bad part is that this will occur between highly inebriated fan bases so I suspect there will be some embarrassing & sadly dangerous confrontations b/c CFB fans who are far too invested in their teams made up of 17-22 year olds who represent a school they didn’t attend.
A key difference is that the MLB needed cooperation from players to get details and therefore they offered immunity to active players. As of now, the NCAA was handed a ton of electronic evidence from a third party investigation firm that directly ties members of the Michigan football program to the scheme. Michigan's only hope is to cooperate fully and pray that actual coaches did not directly access the data. They also better hope that there's no hard evidence of them giving away the ill-gotten signals to Tennessee or another school because interfering with your own games is bad enough. Directly interfering in other games brings a ton of doubt into the integrity of the on-field product and that is absolutely bad.
 

IRISHDODGER

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A key difference is that the MLB needed cooperation from players to get details and therefore they offered immunity to active players. As of now, the NCAA was handed a ton of electronic evidence from a third party investigation firm that directly ties members of the Michigan football program to the scheme. Michigan's only hope is to cooperate fully and pray that actual coaches did not directly access the data. They also better hope that there's no hard evidence of them giving away the ill-gotten signals to Tennessee or another school because interfering with your own games is bad enough. Directly interfering in other games brings a ton of doubt into the integrity of the on-field product and that is absolutely bad.
Right. My main point is this is going to become a long running argument that never gets brought to “justice” where one fan base continually defends their team’s misdeeds calling those who disagree “haters” while the rest of the world will always refer to them as ”cheaters” and knowing how crazy scUM fans are I predict we see some violence occurring at away games when trash is being talked. Trash is always talked but this will be next level b/c fans are dumb.
 

zelezo vlk

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Right. My main point is this is going to become a long running argument that never gets brought to “justice” where one fan base continually defends their team’s misdeeds calling those who disagree “haters” while the rest of the world will always refer to them as ”cheaters” and knowing how crazy scUM fans are I predict we see some violence occurring at away games when trash is being talked. Trash is always talked but this will be next level b/c fans are dumb.
Yeah that's fair, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see quite a few incidents at the PSU and OSU games in a few weeks
 

IRISHDODGER

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Yeah that's fair, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see quite a few incidents at the PSU and OSU games in a few weeks
No doubt. You know Luckeye fans can’t resist lobbing some verbal bombs at scUM fans & they’ll take the bait. This may put B1G fans over SEC fans as most obnoxious.
 

IrishBoognish

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I don't feel like looking it up but maybe someone knows - what is the standard for knowledge in these cases? I would expect the NCAA doesn't need evidence that Harbaugh actually knew, just that he should have known.

There is a big difference because the burden gets pretty hard to carry if you need proof of actual knowledge. He was probably smart enough to maintain plausible deniability. But I really doubt that he could escape punishment if it is the latter. The budgeting for scouting alone is probably enough.


I'm 99.99 percent sure I saw someone post the precise wording in NCAA regs where it says it's incumbent upon a head coach to know about infractions in their own programs, and the onus is on them to prove there was a conspiracy to keep them in the dark. Which in this case would be pretty much an impossibility.


In short, either you knew about it or it's your fault you didn't know about it.
 

Henges24

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I'm 99.99 percent sure I saw someone post the precise wording in NCAA regs where it says it's incumbent upon a head coach to know about infractions in their own programs, and the onus is on them to prove there was a conspiracy to keep them in the dark. Which in this case would be pretty much an impossibility.
Seen the same thing.
Harbaugh could be suspended until the investigation is complete. I don’t see that being entirely out of the possibility. He has a number of investigations going on at Michigan. What’s not to say the NCAA doesn't pull the plug on him?
 

dublinirish

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I'm 99.99 percent sure I saw someone post the precise wording in NCAA regs where it says it's incumbent upon a head coach to know about infractions in their own programs, and the onus is on them to prove there was a conspiracy to keep them in the dark. Which in this case would be pretty much an impossibility.


In short, either you knew about it or it's your fault you didn't know about it.
its also up to UM's inhouse compliance team to hold Harbaugh accountable.
 

mango4

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I sure hope this is true



If true, Michigan doesn’t have to worry about the Big 10 or NCAA anymore because now the Feds will be involved.

giphy.gif
 

zelezo vlk

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I sure hope this is true


I saw this over at 11Warriors, as somebody in a reddit thread mentioned there being a rumor about the Weiss investigation being a tie-in. The gist is that during the investigation of Weiss, file-sharing was noticed (not of the stuff that is gonna get him in trouble) with Mr. Stalion himself and Jay Harbaugh. And that this is what tipped off the investigation into the signal-stealing.
 

ab2cmiller

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We read everything that's happening with the Michigan news and we are filled with nothing but glee.

pOSU fans read the news updates and they are filled some glee that Michigan is on the ropes, but they are also filled with anger, frustration and hopefully a bit of nausea.

Michigan football, the gift that keeps giving.
 

NDpendent

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We read everything that's happening with the Michigan news and we are filled with nothing but glee.

pOSU fans read the news updates and they are filled some glee that Michigan is on the ropes, but they are also filled with anger, frustration and hopefully a bit of nausea.

Michigan football, the gift that keeps giving.
I have a couple OSU friends and this week is the most we have texted each other, ever. Only thing that can bring and OSU and ND fans together in complete joy is this.
 

Luckylucci

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I saw this over at 11Warriors, as somebody in a reddit thread mentioned there being a rumor about the Weiss investigation being a tie-in. The gist is that during the investigation of Weiss, file-sharing was noticed (not of the stuff that is gonna get him in trouble) with Mr. Stalion himself and Jay Harbaugh. And that this is what tipped off the investigation into the signal-stealing.
See, the way I interpreted, whichever article it was, saying that the two issues are not related is they are not legally related. But, it seems pretty obvious that this is how the information was obtained. Or at least some of it.

They investigated Weiss for computer crimes. While investigating they found this other stuff and here we go.

Edit: I would think the Weiss investigation of computer crimes has something to do with the hacking of OSU's practice film. I don't know this for certain. Maybe someone else does.
 
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Ndaccountant

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See, the way I interpreted, whichever article it was, saying that the two issues are not related is they are not legally related. But, it seems pretty obvious that this is how the information was obtained. Or at least some of it.

They investigated Weiss for computer crimes. He hacked OSU's practice film. While investigating they found this other stuff and here we go.
I am sorry if that was public knowledge, but is that really what Weiss did? I have so many questions if that is the case.
 

zelezo vlk

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And now Michigan's on3 site is saying that the staff feels very confident that they won't receive a punishment this season. I sure hope the Buckeyes are correct and not Michigan
 

Luckylucci

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I am sorry if that was public knowledge, but is that really what Weiss did? I have so many questions if that is the case.
I'll edit my post. I don't know. I would actually think it might be more detailed than that. But, putting it altogether it sounds like it's a part of this somehow.
 

Pops Freshenmeyer

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If true, Michigan doesn’t have to worry about the Big 10 or NCAA anymore because now the Feds will be involved.

giphy.gif
The Cardinals employee who guessed the log-in for the Houston Astros scouting system ended up getting jail time.
 

Pops Freshenmeyer

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Wasn't the rumor that he hacked some school e-mail accounts?
When he was dismissed the reporting was "inappropriately accessed computer accounts." People just assumed it was email.

An investigation by the University of Michigan alleges fired assistant football coach Matt Weiss inappropriately accessed computer accounts of others at the school, acts that drew police attention and later resulted in his dismissal, according to records obtained by The Ann Arbor News/ MLive.
 

Katzenboyer

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Seen the same thing.
Harbaugh could be suspended until the investigation is complete. I don’t see that being entirely out of the possibility. He has a number of investigations going on at Michigan. What’s not to say the NCAA doesn't pull the plug on him?

This is correct. The NCAA rules are that the coach is presumed to know what's happening in his program. It's a rebuttable presumption, but it's one in which Harbaugh will have to show that he definitively did not know what was happening.
 

IA4irish

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Just a reminder regarding the Michigan on3 site, EJ works there and they are pretty big sunshine pumpers
What have Michigan beat writers been saying about all of this? How do you spin this in a non-negative manner?
 

stlnd01

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And now Michigan's on3 site is saying that the staff feels very confident that they won't receive a punishment this season. I sure hope the Buckeyes are correct and not Michigan
That's just spin. I would assume the only sources Michigan's on3 reporters have on something like this are people who work for Michigan.
 

Irish#1

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Not a lawyer, but if evidence shows UM cheated and outcomes of games swayed because of it, I'd imagine sports books could file a civil suit for damages against the university, right?
Good question. Since they are separate entities that don't contract with or commerce with each other that may be hard to win? Would mean anyone placing friendly bets with each other could also file suit?
 
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