“Fans will be fans” only works for so long. There is nothing wrong with a fan having complete devotion to their school. But there are occasional circumstances that should bring common sense into the equation. That circumstance happened at Michigan and yet the commonsense portion of the deal has yet to surface.
By now everyone knows about the latest penalty that the NCAA levied on the Wolverines. And long story short, it was a slap on the wrist. A $30M fine is pocket change for the program, while a one game suspension for Sherrone Moore and some coaching show causes is nothing more than an annoyance. But in the big picture, nothing has changed.
Michigan still won the National Championship two seasons ago; they still went 40-3 during head coach Jim Harbaugh’s final three seasons and they have still won four straight against their heated rival Ohio State. However, many Michigan fans have taken the stance that the Wolverines are innocent of their accusations.
While the NCAA is toothless, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone in 2025, they did uncover a multitude of evidence regarding the Connor Stalions scandal. Such as that he coordinated with other staff members to scout 13 different teams, 56 times across 52 games. He referred to this mob as the “KGB”. They stole signs and were very good at it. If this was the 1980’s the NCAA would’ve ransacked Michigan Stadium in riot gear and German Shepherds before throwing a litany of program crushing penalties. None of that happened.
Instead of throwing parties this weekend, Michigan fans continue to believe that this has become a witch hunt. The reality is that it is possible to be a devout fan and yet acknowledge when your favorite team is in the wrong. It doesn’t make you less of a fan. It just makes you a person with common sense.
And if you want some proof of this, think about how Michigan fans would be dealing with this situation if it was Ohio State that had Connor Stalions on their staff. They’d want to burn Columbus to the ground.
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Now that this finally seems to be over (thankfully), everyone can move on. And just like most things, it will quickly be forgotten and gradually fade into the rearview mirror.
Except for some Michigan fans, who will likely complain about this “injustice” for years to come.
