Football fans angry over bottled water ban at Michigan Stadium this fall

The entry was enough to make Don Ulisse read the letter multiple times.

Each time, it was there.

According to the letter accompanying his Michigan football season tickets, Wolverines fans will be prohibited from bringing bottled water into Michigan Stadium this fall.

“I thought it was a mistake, so I called to check,” he said. “The lady who answered the phone said it wasn’t. She said they had been getting a lot of calls on it.”

Starting with the season opener against UConn on Sept. 4, bottled water is banned, university officials confirmed. They said the policy was enacted for a variety of reasons and free water will be inside for the 100,000-plus fans attending each game.

“I understand why they are doing it,” Ulisse said. “They just spent all that money on the stadium. I’m sure they want to get some money back from the concession stands.”

That’s not the case, said athletic department spokesman Bruce Madej.

He said the ban is being implemented to speed the process of getting fans through gates and into the stadium. In years past, workers checked to make sure every bottle was sealed.

He said “many” football stadiums across the country have similar rules. Madej said the university is not looking to make money off the change.

Recent stadium renovations have added water fountains around the concourses, although the number of additions was not immediately known.

In addition, free cups of water will be available at each concession stand. Madej said the number of concession stands has also been increased. He said wider aisles will allow for faster trips to the concession stands.

Ulisse isn’t buying it.

“The lines are going to be longer. Who’s going to miss half a quarter of football just so they can get a drink of water? It’s absurd.”

He feared the university opened itself up to a lawsuit if someone passed out on a hot day and claimed they weren’t able to get water.

Ulisse isn’t the only one raising concerns. Madej said the university has received a “number of emails” and calls complaining about the change.

“I understand why they prohibit a lot of the things they do,” said season-ticket holder Mary Erickson. “But I just don’t get this. I don’t see how it could be any kind of a security concern. I think they’re just trying to get you to stand in line at the concession stand in hopes that you’ll end up buying something else.

“I think some people won’t want to go there just for a cup of water. I worry that people will get dehydrated and have issues, especially during the first couple of games when it’s always still hot.”

Madej said the university also wants to make sure its fans have a good experience at the game, and that includes having access to water.

“We want everyone to be hydrated while they are at the game. There will be lots of water available.”

-by David Jesse from AnnArbor.com

Tigers make minor trade, trade Ramirez

The Tigers' big activity at the nonwaiver trade deadline was about as minor as they could get. Detroit traded outfielder Wilkin Ramirez to Atlanta for a player to be named later or cash.

The Tigers must choose the player or the cash by Nov. 20.

You may remember that the Tigers designated Ramirez for assignment on Wednesday to make room for Jhonny Peralta on the 40-man roster. Detroit had 10 days to try to trade him, but they got it done in three.

Thus, Ramirez went from the starting lineup in the Futures Game to the waiver wire to a new organization in less than three weeks. He entered Saturday with a .230 average between Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie, homering 19 times with 56 RBIs. He also has struck out 144 times in 400 plate appearances.

For all the ups and downs of Ramirez's career over seven minor-league seasons, he's still just 24 years old. A change of scenery could do him some good.

-Reported by Jason Beck on his Blog

Lions Open Camp

Time to go to work for the Lions, no more playing games.

Great job Clinton!!

Clinton 11-12 All-Stars win state softball title



A state title is hard to come by in most any sport but Clinton’s 11-12 Little League All-Star softball team picked one up on Thursday, July 22, in front of a home crowd.

Clinton’s girls defeated Western (District 9) 2-0 in the State Finals at Tate Park.

The day before, Clinton defeated visiting Constantine 9-7 to advance to the championship final.

The team is now representing the Central Region in the Regional Finals in Missouri. Clinton’s first game is scheduled for Saturday, July 31. The team was also scheduled to play on Sunday, Aug. 1, against Kansas and Monday, Aug. 2, against Nebraska.

This article was in the Tecumseh Herald

Tigers acquire Peralta from Indians

The Tigers acquire Johnny Peralta from the Cleveland Indians today for Minor League player Giovanni Soto. Johnny will most likely play 3rd base while Brandon Inge is on the DL and switch over to shortstop when Brandon comes back. This move shows us that the Tigers think they can still make the playoffs and are finding ways to keep going while 3 of their starters are on the DL. There could be more moves to come before Saturday. This trade while help the Tigers right now and also strengthen the team when everyone is healthy.

Adam Dunn to the Tigers?

With the Tigers only 2 games out of first place are they buyers or sellers? Do you think Adam Dunn is the would be a good addition to the Tigers? These are the questions fans and the Tiger front office are asking at this point. I think Adam Dunn would be a great addition to the Tigers to get us through the injury hump. With the recent injury to Magglio Adam could play right field until Maggs returns and then he could fill the role of a DH which he cannot do with the nationals. If the Tigers can stay in the hunt like they usually do it will be a very interesting September for the Tigers once the injured players are back.

Should Denard Robinson stay at quarterback?

Denard Robinson has a good chance of winning Michigan’s starting quarterback job this fall. He may even be the favorite.

But a 6-foot, 188-pound sprinter with questionable accuracy and imperfect mechanics, most think Robinson’s NFL future is at a different position like receiver, return specialist or defensive back.

Robinson has said time and again he wants to remain a quarterback, and he chose Michigan because coach Rich Rodriguez gave him the opportunity to play that position.

“Rich and his staff promised my kid something,” Art Taylor, Robinson’s former coach at Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High, said this week. “I have total respect because they allowed him to do it. It would have been very easy to move him, it really would. But in Rich’s offense it makes sense to have Denard there anyway.”

Robinson’s unique talents fit perfectly in Rodriguez’s spread offense. He’s explosive, has a powerful arm, and like Pat White, who Rodriguez won big with at West Virginia, is a nightmare to tackle in the open field.

But if Robinson, or anyone, is a position switch away from a potentially big payday, what responsibility does a college coach have to see to it that happens?

“I think your responsibility as a coach is to make sure a player does all he can within your program to have success as a college student-athlete,” Rodriguez said earlier this spring. “To graduate with a degree, to have success individually and for a team. Is it your job to get him to the NFL? It’s your job to help get him there, prepared for it. But he’s got to be good enough individually and you got to do a good enough job teaching him to get there.”

Asked specifically about Robinson, Rodriguez said: “You got to do what’s best for your program. Our first obligation is to win as many games and have as much success at the University of Michigan as you can. And when we recruit guys, we say we’re going to help you achieve your goals and dreams and all that, but you’re playing for the University of Michigan and what are you going to do for our program. This is what we’re going to do for you individually as an athlete and a person, and then hopefully you’ll do this for us.”

ESPN analyst Todd McShay said during a pre-draft conference call in January that he subscribed to a similar philosophy.

When critics panned Florida coach Urban Meyer for not properly preparing Tim Tebow for the NFL, McShay defended Meyer.

“It’s not Urban Meyer’s job,” McShay said. “It really isn’t. I keep going back to that because Urban Meyer’s job is to win games and the job of his staff is to win games at Florida, and they won a lot of games during (Tebow’s) four years there. They got him to win a Heisman Trophy and they put him in position to make a run at a career in the NFL. And everything that’s come around with it, with all the fame that he has, I think he’s in position to do a lot of things off the field that maybe he wouldn’t be able to do if he didn’t play at Florida.

“Unless Urban Meyer sat in (Tebow’s) living room one day and said in four years I’m going to do this, this, this and this, and one of those promises was to develop you as best I can for the NFL, I don’t have a problem with it. I’m assuming that he didn’t because at no point in time has Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer’s relationship ever waned, it seems.”

Despite some suggestions he’d move to tight end or H-back in the NFL, Tebow was drafted in the first round as a quarterback by the Denver Broncos, No. 25 overall.

Taylor said Robinson believes he can reach the NFL as a quarterback, too, and Robinson showed remarkable improvement this spring. As a true freshman backup last year, he completed just 14-of-31 passes with four interceptions.

“Here’s the thing, Denard knows and we’ve told (him) as high-school coaches, ‘Denard, in the long run, you might be in the NFL a great defensive back, a great wide receiver,’” Taylor said. “In Denard’s mind - and this is what you want - Denard thinks he can play quarterback in the NFL, and you know what, who knows?

“I don’t know how much the NFL will change in the next two years. But I do know one thing, I do know Denard can play in the NFL at the receiver position or at the defensive-back position. I know that for sure. The kid’s just too explosive.”

Robinson and Tate Forcier, who started all 12 games last year, are expected to battle for the No. 1 quarterback job into fall camp.

Rodriguez has said Robinson will be on the field somewhere if he’s not the starter, but there are no plans for Robinson to change positions, now or in the foreseeable future.

Taylor said that’s the right approach, no matter how it impacts Robinson’s NFL prospects.

“Can Denard play receiver? Can he play defensive back? Hell, yeah he can,” Taylor said. “But that’s not Rich’s job. His job is to win. If you don’t win, like all of us, we get fired.

“Denard can play at that next level, and I think the NFL has always done that. The NFL will take people and move them to different positions, just like colleges do. But Rich promised him a chance to play quarterback and I think it’s the right position right now, especially for that offense.”

By Dave Birkett from AnnArbor.com