Michigan football blogs

Being an obsessive Michigan sports fan, I am always clamoring for news or discussion on various subjects having to do with Michigan sports. Thanks to the internet age, blogs facilitate my ability to connect with other such woefully addicted individuals as myself. There are many Michigan sports blogs and news sites on the internet, and each offers something unique for the casual and committed Wolverine sports fan alike. This list is by no means the be-all and end-all, rather it is just my opinion having scoured the blogosphere for the most complete, frequently updated and quality content.

MGoBlog:

The bread and butter of any Michigan football fan is Brian Cook's site MGoBlog. For rampant speculation, quality daily updates and analysis by a very tech-savvy sports fan/nerd (a favorite combination of mine), MGoBlog is a daily and, with the recent addition of message boards and diaries, even hourly stop. Cook, an engineering graduate from U of M, is proficient in blog-etiquette and design. As far as content goes, anything that has to do with Michigan football (and, to a lesser extent, hockey), from recruiting to analysis to uniform updates is on the blog. Also included are commentary on topical issues with NCAA sports, as well as occasional news on other Michigan sports of note.

The extreme popularity of MGoBlog, however, is also its greatest detriment. MGoBlog has such a wide viewership that its quality of discussion is very watered down. All too often the commentary in MGoBoard and Diaries is full of rampant, crazed, ignorant and unsupported speculation and "this guy is going to be the greatest QB ever!"-type posts. There is far more niggling and fact-checking than actual constructive, salient football discussion that goes on that has really turned me, as a serious sports fan, off. The meaty content and updates on these message boards are sparse, but if one is willing to sift through them, a nugget of great analysis or discussion or news can be found.

Regardless of these shortcomings, MGoBlog is still stop #1 for me and should be for any Michigan sports fan.

Varsity Blue

Varsity Blue is an excellent site that mianly focuses on Michigan football. This blog's main perk is it's collection of the best recruiting news that can be found outside of a premium site such as rivals or scout. News articles, prospect boards and overall player summary make this site an excellent resource.

Go Blue Michigan Wolverine

As a serious sports fan with a good knowledge of the game, I find that a resource with other such football-nut discussion is hard to come by. Then there's Go Blue Michigan Wolverine. The very average and amateur design of the site only enhances the emphasis on good, gritty content. Run mainly by Eroc, CoachBT and Maizeman, a collection of coaches (and at least some, I believe, are commentators for a the premium Scout site) these guys have inside access to the program, and have for quite some time. Possessing a good knowledge of the game and the program, as well as having the "inside scoop" by being at practices and news conferences, these guys do not hesitate to offer their full opinion of what's going on with the program, though their views are often met with about as much harsh criticism as it contains. GBMW also encourages questions by email, to which they post detailed answers. These guys are the football experts, and, though frequently negative, they know what they're talking about. If you like good discussion of terminology, gameplay, strategy and player development, then this is the place for you.

UM Hoops

For those Michigan Basketball fans out there, UM Hoops is the most detailed, up to date Michigan Basketball site out there. With full previews, post game analysis by Dylan (a current Business School student) and live chats during the games, as well as recruiting news and links, this is the most complete site there is.

Honorable Mention: Those Who Stay

Those Who Stay is a new blog that is not well known, but has contributed top notch analysis and posts in its nascent stages. Every post I read on the site is interesting and informative. Once it is updated more frequently, I'm sure I'll be by there all the time.

For an exhaustive list of other Michigan sports blogs, check check the links at MGoBlog. Thanks.