Adventures in Link-Begging, Volume 1

In an effort to look more respectable to such internet luminaries as Google and Technorati, I've been going down the list of blogs I've liked and have linked and, when an email address is clearly listed, begging for a reciprocal link. I've gotten through all the Big Ten blogs and will be going down the blogs in the right margin there. So far I've gotten a few neat responses, mostly from Michigan fans. Is this because the men of Michigan are just that much more gentlemanly than the other bloggers, or is it because there are like fifty billion Wolverine blogs out there? No matter.

• First and foremost, thank-yous go out to non-Michigan fan, non-male CuteSports, the fine folks at group blog the M Zone, and His Eminence over at mgoblog for main-page linkage and general well-wishes.
• Special recognition goes to Michigan Against the World, which boasts
  a hilarious photojournal highlighting the author's trip to Madison for the UW-UM game last season.

Actual insight comes to us courtesy of Vijay at iBlog for Cookies who notes the following about the commitment of Michigan QB James Stallons to UW:

[R]egarding the QB from Michigan, not sure if you know this but Michigan State picked up a VERY early commitment (months and months ago) from a very highly regarded QB named Keith Nichol. He's a top 100 rated, Elite 11 QB. I'm not sure that they would have been interested in another QB this year. I don't follow MSU recruiting, so I can't say, but I have to imagine that landing Nichol so early changed their thought process some.

Good to know. Like I said, Stallons is smart; the only worse fate for a capable quarterback than attending Michigan State is being a capable quarterback and warming the bench at Michigan State.

In other (actual?) news, the Big Ten has a cyclopean situation on its hands: a ref has been fired for only having one eye. Zounds! I'd be interested in seeing which games this guy officiated.

CFN continues its worst-to-first ranking of all 119 D-IA football teams, and whaddya know: more Badger opponents have appeared. Bowling Green is #99 under the amazingly euphemistic headline "Probably Rebuilding." The SDSU Aztecs check in at #71 as a "Dangerous Sleeper," where they're described as "hardly a complete enough team to win the Mountain West title." Inspiring! And just to note how hilarious the "Dangerous Sleeper" designation is: the Fighting Illini are in there at #77.

For those who are hurting for actual Wisconsin sports news, I'll close with this article about the World Championship Cheese Curd Throwing Contest that took place in Colby last weekend. Thanks to Jib for this post at the Badger Blog Alliance.