Monthly Archives: August 2021

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2010 novel by Jonathan Franzen

Freedom is a 2010 novel by American author Jonathan Franzen. It was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Freedom received general acclaim from book critics, was ranked one of the best books of 2010 by several publications,[1][2] and called by some critics the "Great American Novel."[3]

The novel follows the lives of the Berglund family, particularly the parents Patty and Walter, as their lives develop and then their happiness falls apart. Important to their story is a college friend of Walter's and successful rock musician, Richard Katz, who has a love affair with Patty. Walter and Patty's son, Joey, also goes through his own coming of age challenges.

Franzen began working on the novel in 2001, following his successful novel The Corrections. The title of the novel was an artifact of his book proposal, where he wanted to write a novel that freed him from the constraints of his previous work. The cover of many editions of the novel includes a cerulean warbler, a songbird, for which Walter works to create an environmental preserve.

The novel opens with a brief look at the Berglund family during their time living in St. Paul, Minnesota, from the perspective of their nosy neighbors. The Berglunds are portrayed as an ideal liberal and middle-class family, and they are among the first families to move into urban St. Paul after years of white flight to the suburbs. Patty Berglund is a charming and youthful homemaker with a self-deprecating sense of humor; her husband Walter is a mild-mannered but principled lawyer with environmentalist advocacies. They have one daughter, Jessica, and one son, Joey, the latter exhibiting a precocious independence and talent for making money. Joey becomes sexually involved with a neighborhood teen named Connie Monaghan and begins to rebel against his mother, going so far as to move in with Connie and her family, making Patty and Walter increasingly unstable. After many unhappy years, and after both Joey and Jessica have gone off to college, Patty and Walter relocate to Washington, D.C., abandoning the neighborhood and house they have worked so hard to improve.

The second section of the novel is a story-within-a-story, presented as an autobiography written by Patty at her therapist's suggestion. She recalls her youth as a star basketball player, her alienation from her busy Democrat parents and artistically-inclined siblings, and her being date-raped. Instead of attending an East Coast elite college like her siblings, she obtains a varsity scholarship to the University of Minnesota, where she continues her successful basketball career. Through her best friend at the time, a possessive and disturbed girl named Eliza, she meets an attractive indie rock musician named Richard Katz, and his nerdy but kind roommate, Walter Berglund.

Shortly after finally detaching herself from Eliza, Patty suffers a career-ending knee injury, and attempts to woo Richard on a road trip to New York. Failing to do so, she settles down with Walter, who has been patiently courting her for more than a year. Despite being happy with Walter and raising a family with him, Patty is unable to forget her physical attraction to Richard. As a result, nearly twenty years after college, she betrays Walter in a brief affair with Richard during a stay at the Berglunds' vacation house, located on an unnamed lake in Minnesota. She learns that Richard denied her advances decades earlier out of respect for his best friend Walter.

The third section of the novel jumps to the early 2000s, and alternates in viewpoint among Richard, Joey, and Walter.

By 2004, a middle-aged Richard has finally found success as a minor indie rock star, with his breakthrough album Nameless Lake having been secretly inspired by his affair. Uncomfortable with commercial success, he burns through his new-found money. Walter, who has been working in Washington, D.C. for an unorthodox environmental organization called the Cerulean Mountain Trust, calls him to enlist his help for a personal project. Richard learns that the Trust is funded by a coal mining magnate who wants to strip mine a section of West Virginia territory before turning it into a preserve for the cerulean warbler, a songbird. Walter hopes to use some of the Trust's funding for his pet project, a campaign against human overpopulation. Believing that Richard's rock star reputation could greatly help the campaign, Walter meets up with him, and introduces him to Walter's beautiful young assistant, Lalitha. Richard notices that Lalitha appears to be deeply in love with Walter, and also learns from Walter that his marriage with Patty, who has been suffering from depression, is deteriorating.

After navigating many difficulties in relocating obstinate West Virginian families living on the proposed preserve territory, including convincing a body-armor manufacturer for the Iraq War, which Walter greatly opposes, to employ the displaced families, Walter and Lalitha complete the deals required to set up the future warbler preserve. After drinking for the first time in his life, Walter inadvertently declares his love for Lalitha, and they kiss, but stop short of having sex. Now able to use funding for the anti-overpopulation campaign, which they name Free Space, Walter invites Richard back to Washington D.C.. While attempting to show interest in the initiative, Richard reaches out to Patty, and tries to convince her to leave Walter and let him be happy. Patty refuses, and shows Richard the autobiography she wrote as therapy (Mistakes Were Made), trying to convince him that she still loves Walter. After reading it, Richard deliberately leaves the manuscript on Walter's desk for him to see. Hurt and enraged, Walter throws Patty out despite her claims that her affair with Richard is done and that she loves him. Lonely and directionless, Patty goes to Jersey City to live with Richard.

Meanwhile, the Berglunds' estranged son, Joey, now studies at the University of Virginia. He initially finds his new life unsatisfactory compared to his younger years in Minnesota; he blames the September 11 attacks and its effects on the people around him. His attempts to break away from his childhood sweetheart Connie fail when he finds himself seeking their intimacy. However, after a Thanksgiving at his roommate Jonathan's family in the D.C. suburbs, Joey meets Jonathan's exceptionally beautiful but mischievous sister Jenna, and is exposed to their father's Zionist politics, which along with increased involvement with neo-conservatives, further alienate Joey from his father. Through Jonathan's father's connections, Joey meets Kenny Bartles, an entrepreneur determined to profit from the ongoing Iraq War. Kenny is subcontracted by LBI for a highly lucrative Department of Defense project, to procure supply trucks to serve in the frontlines. Kenny convinces Joey to invest a large amount up-front, only for Joey to discover that Kenny has dubiously chosen an obsolete truck model for the deal.

At home in Minnesota, Connie suffers from depression, which is worsened by Joey's distant treatment of her. Joey impulsively marries her after she gives him her savings to invest in the subcontract, although he keeps the marriage secret from everyone, especially his parents. However, Joey continues to flirt with Jenna, and during a trip to South America is given a chance to sleep with her; during the act, he unexpectedly suffers impotence, and realizes his true love for Connie. His ensuing exploits in finding truck parts in South America are disastrous, and he is pressured to ship defective parts to fulfill his contract, causing him extreme guilt, which leads him to call his father for advice. Walter is proud of Joey's show of conscience, and Joey decides not to blow the whistle, instead donating much of the proceeds from his subcontract. He also eventually tells both parents about having married Connie, who now happily lives with him.

With Patty gone, Walter and Lalitha become lovers. However, increasingly depressive after his separation from Patty, Walter loses his temper on live TV at the inauguration of the new West Virginian body-armor factory, expressing his contempt for the displaced families and the Trust's corporate backers. He and Lalitha get fired as a result, and are forced to continue the Free Space initiative without the Trust's help, though Walter's speech leads him to become an icon for radicals across the country. They plan a large concert to raise awareness, but without Richard and the Trust the event becomes an echo chamber for already-radicalized youth. While on a road trip with Walter to visit campgrounds across the nation before the concert, Lalitha leaves early to manage the increasing destructiveness of concert attendees, and is killed in a car crash.

The penultimate section of the novel is a follow-up chapter to Patty's autobiography, written specifically for Walter. Patty reveals that she has not talked to Walter for six years. She lasted only several months living with Richard, aware of their long-term incompatibility.

For several months after her split with Richard, Patty stays with her college basketball friends, until her father was suddenly diagnosed with cancer. After traveling home to see him again in his final days, Patty visits each of her siblings to negotiate a compromise in the family's heated squabbles over the estate, and gradually redeems her relationship with her family, little though any of them agree with one another. Patty then lives alone in Brooklyn and works at a private school, where she found a passion for teaching and coaching young children. She relates that Joey has been successful in a new sustainable coffee business, while Jessica has focused on a career in publishing, and that Patty's separation from Walter has caused the siblings to become closer to each other despite their differences. Six years after she left Walter, Patty runs into Richard, who is now comfortable with his success. Richard convinces Patty to get in touch with Walter, saying she's good at telling stories, and this motivates her to write a concluding chapter to her autobiography.

After Lalitha's death, Walter retreats to his family's lakeside house in Minnesota, where the previously unnamed lake has been renamed Canterbridge Estates Lake after a new residential development built across the water from Walter's house. His new neighbors see him as a cranky recluse, obsessed with preventing their house cats from killing birds nesting on his property. One day, Walter, who did not read the manuscript Patty sent him, finds her on the steps of the lakeside house. Despite his rage and confusion, he eventually takes her back, and they rekindle their relationship slowly, spending all of their time together. Patty quickly earns the admiration of Walter's neighbors, but after less than a year, she and Walter move out, returning to her job in New York, where most of her family and their friends also live. According to Walter's wishes, the old lakeside house is turned into a fenced, cat-proof bird sanctuary, named in memory of Lalitha.

After the critical acclaim and popular success of his third novel The Corrections in 2001, Franzen began work on his fourth full-length novel. When asked during an October 30, 2002 interview on Charlie Rose how far he was into writing the new novel, Franzen replied:

I'm about a year of frustration and confusion into it...Y'know, I'm kind of down at the bottom of the submerged iceberg peering up for the surface of the water...I don't have doubt about my ability to write a good book, but I have lots of doubt about what it's going to look like.[4]

Franzen went on to suggest that a basic story outline was in place, and that his writing of the new novel was like a "guerrilla war" approaching different aspects of the novel (alluding to characters, dialogue, plot development, etc.).[4] Franzen also agreed that he would avoid public appearances, saying that "...getting some work done is the vacation" from the promotional work surrounding The Corrections and How To Be Alone.[4]

An excerpt entitled "Good Neighbors" appeared in the June 8 and June 15, 2009 issues of The New Yorker.[5] The magazine published a second extract entitled "Agreeable" in the May 31, 2010 edition.[6]

On October 16, 2009, Franzen made an appearance alongside David Bezmozgis at the New Yorker Festival held in the Cedar Lake Theatre to read a portion of his forthcoming novel.[7][8] Sam Allard, writing for North By Northwestern website covering the event, said that the "...material from his new (reportedly massive) novel "was as buoyant and compelling as ever" and "marked by his familiar undercurrent of tragedy."[8] Franzen read "an extended clip from the second chapter."[8]

On March 12, 2010, details about the plot and content of Freedom were published in the Macmillan fall catalogue for 2010.[9]

In an interview with Dave Haslam on October 3, 2010 Franzen discussed why he had called the book Freedom:

The reason I slapped the word on the book proposal I sold three years ago without any clear idea of what kind of book it was going to be is that I wanted to write a book that would free me in some way. And I will say this about the abstract concept of 'freedom'; it's possible you are freer if you accept what you are and just get on with being the person you are, than if you maintain this kind of uncommitted I'm free-to-be-this, free-to-be-that, faux freedom.[10]

Franzen has stated the writing of Freedom was deeply impacted by the death of his close friend and fellow novelist David Foster Wallace.[11]

Freedom received general acclaim from book critics, particularly for its writing and characterization. Shortly before the book's release, TIME magazine featured Franzen on its cover, describing him as a "Great American Novelist," making him the first author to appear on its cover in a decade.[12]

Sam Tanenhaus of The New York Times and Benjamin Alsup of Esquire believed it measured up to Franzen's previous novel, The Corrections. Tanenhaus called it a "masterpiece of American fiction," writing that it "[told] an engrossing story" and "[illuminated], through the steady radiance of its author's profound moral intelligence, the world we thought we knew."[13] Alsup called it a great American novel.[3] In The Millions, Garth Risk Hallberg argued that readers who enjoyed The Corrections would enjoy Freedom, writing that readers are "likely to come away from this novel moved in harder-to-fathom waysand grateful for it."[14] An editor for Publishers Weekly wrote that it stood apart from most modern fiction because "Franzen tries to account for his often stridently unlikable characters and find where they (and we) went wrong, arriving atincrediblygenuine hope."[15]

Benjamin Secher of The Telegraph called Franzen one of America's best living novelists, and Freedom the first great American novel of the "post-Obama era."[16] In The Guardian, Jonathan Jones called him "a literary genius" and wrote that Freedom stood on "a different plane from other contemporary fiction."[17]

Michiko Kakutani called the book "galvanic" and wrote that it showcased Franzen's talent as a storyteller and "his ability to throw open a big, Updikean picture window on American middle-class life." Kakutani also praised the novel's characterization, going on to call it a "compelling biography of a dysfunctional family and an indelible portrait of our times."[18] The Economist stated that the novel contained "fully imagined characters in a powerful narrative" and had "all its predecessor's power and none of its faults."[19]

Not all reviews were raving. Most lukewarm reviews praised the novel's prose, but believed the author's left-wing political stance was too obvious. Sam Anderson, in a review for New York magazine, thought the characterization was strong, but perceived the politics as sometimes too heavy-handed: "Franzen the crankmighty detester of Twitter, ATVs, and housing developments" occasionally "overpower[s] Franzen the artist [...] but if crankiness is the motor that powers Franzen's art, I'm perfectly willing to sit through some speeches."[20] Ron Charles of The Washington Post remarked that it lacked the wit and "[freshness]" of The Corrections. Charles praised Franzen's prose and called him "an extraordinary stylist," but questioned how many readers would settle for good writing as "sufficient compensation for what is sometimes a misanthropic slog."[21] Ruth Franklin of The New Republic believed the novel resembled a "soap opera" more than it did an epic, and that Franzen had forgotten "the greatest novels must [...] offer [...] profundity and pleasure."[22]

Alexander Nazaryan criticized its familiarity in the New York Daily News remarking that the author "can write about a gentrifying family in St. Paul. Or maybe in St. Louis. But that's about it." Nazaryan also didn't believe Franzen was joking when he suggested "being doomed as a novelist never to do anything but stories of Midwestern families."[23] Alan Cheuse of National Public Radio found the novel "[brilliant]" but not enjoyable, suggesting that "every line, every insight, seems covered with a light film of disdain. Franzen seems never to have met a normal, decent, struggling human being whom he didn't want to make us feel ever so slightly superior to. His book just has too much brightness and not enough color."[24]

In a scathing review, Brian Reynolds Myers called the book "juvenile" and "directionless", and filled with "mediocrities".[25]

Ross Douthat of First Things praised the "stretches of Freedom that read like a master class in how to write sympathetically about the kind of characters" with an abundance of freedom. Yet, Douthat concluded the novel was overlong, feeling the "impression that Franzen's talents are being wasted on his characters."[26]

Freedom won the John Gardner Fiction Award. Additionally, it was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction. The American Library Association also named it a notable fiction of the 2010 publishing year.

Oprah Winfrey made Freedom her first book club selection of 2010, saying, "this book is a masterpiece."[27][28] US President Barack Obama called it "terrific" after reading it over the summer.[29]

Read the original:

Freedom (Franzen novel) - Wikipedia

By: Jonathan BombulieSaturday, August 21, 2021 | 6:01 AM

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Freedoms Damian Grunnagle works out during practice on Aug. 10, 2021, in Freedom.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Freedoms Damian Grunnagle works out during practice on Aug. 10, 2021, in Freedom.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Freedom head coach John Rosa talks with his team during practice on Aug. 10, 2021, in Freedom.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Freedoms Carter Slowinski works out during practice on Aug. 10, 2021, in Freedom.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Freedoms Josh Yeck works out during practice on Aug. 10, 2021, in Freedom.

Theres one particular stat coach John Rosa would like to see Freedom lead the WPIAL in this season.

Touchdowns? Yards? Turnovers? Sacks? Well, yeah, sure. What coach wouldnt want that?

But what Rosa really wants his team to lead the district in is smiles.

This game is about these kids enjoying their three or four years of high school football, Rosa said. Thats what we want to do. Thats my most important goal this year. I want the kids to have fun.

Rosas focus on footballs fun factor is a direct response to the way last season went for the Bulldogs. In a season often described as strange and challenging because of covid protocols, Freedoms season was stranger and more challenging than most.

After a 24-6 loss to New Brighton in the season opener, Greg Toney resigned when the relationship between the coach and his players fell apart. Rosa, the schools athletic director, stepped in on an interim basis.

It was a miserable couple weeks leading up to what happened, Rosa said.

The misery steadily dissipated, though, as the wins started piling up. Freedom won five of its last seven games, including a quality victory over playoff-bound Laurel.

After the season ended, when the time came for the school to look for a permanent head coach, Rosa stepped forward. The team had undergone three coaching changes in the previous four years, all during the season. The last thing the Bulldogs needed was another change in leadership.

We needed to try to get some stability, and the board looked to me knowing Ive been in the district 32 years, Rosa said. I know the kids. Just trying to get that stability back to have some sense of normalcy back in the program.

Rosa will field a lineup long on talent at the skill positions but lacking in experience in the trenches.

Cole Beck, a first-team all-conference pick on offense and defense who threw for more than 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns, graduated. So did his top target, Reiker Welling. But Rosa is excited about his new quarterback: senior Carter Slowinski.

Hes probably a kid who, under most circumstances, would be a three-year or four-year starter, Rosa said. Hes a very talented young man, but he just happened to be playing behind Cole Beck the last couple years.

He waited. He paid his dues patiently. He contributed to our offensive last year as a wide receiver, and now hes going to be the guy. He can do a lot of things both with his legs and his arm. We think hes going to have an excellent season and hes going to be the catalyst for our offense.

Between four-year starter Josh Pail, three-year starter Damian Grunnagle and Josh Yeck and Tristen Clear, the Bulldogs have plenty of weapons at running back and wide receiver on offense and linebacker and defensive back on defense.

The biggest question mark is on the line. Freedom graduated all five starters.

Youve got to protect the quarterback and youve got to open up some holes for the running backs, Rosa said. Well see how that works with our offensive line. Theyre all first-year starters, but theyre good kids working hard. We hope they can develop quickly.

Freedom

Coach: John Rosa

2020 record: 5-3, 4-3 in Class 2A MAC

All-time record: 422-537-54

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.27 South Side, 7:30

9.3 Western Beaver, 7:30

9.10 at Quaker Valley, 7

9.17 Riverside*, 7:30

9.24 at Neshannock*, 7

10.1 Laurel*, 7

10.8 at Ellwood City*, 7

10.15 at Beaver Falls*, 7

10.22 Mohawk*, 7:30

10.29 at New Brighton*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Cole Beck*

100-192, 1,278 yards, 16 TDs

Receiving: Reiker Welling*

38-759, 10 TDs

Rushing: Josh Pail

51-211, 1 TD

FAST FACTS

After going 12-0 at home the previous two seasons, Freedom was undefeated on the road last year, going 4-0.

With the WPIAL taking only the top two teams in each conference due to pandemic scheduling changes, Freedom saw its streak of four consecutive playoff appearances snapped.

Freedoms defense will face two radically different offenses in the first two weeks of the season. The Bulldogs will take on the Wing-T attack of South Side in the opener followed by the spread passing game of Western Beaver in Week 1.

Rosa is in his third stint as Freedom coach. He also held the position from 1996-98 and on an interim basis in 2018.

Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review Assistant Sports Editor. You can contact Jonathan by email at jbombulie@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Tags: Freedom

See the article here:

Freedom ready to move forward, focus on fun | Trib HSSN - TribLIVE

In the video above, Alexander Stockton, a producer on the Opinion Video team, explores two of the main reasons the number of Covid cases is soaring once again in the United States: vaccine hesitancy and refusal.

Its hard to watch the pandemic drag on as Americans refuse the vaccine in the name of freedom, he says.

Seeking understanding, Mr. Stockton travels to Mountain Home, Ark., in the Ozarks, a region with galloping contagion and not unrelated abysmal vaccination rates.

He finds that a range of feelings and beliefs underpins the low rates including fear, skepticism and a libertarian strain of defiance.

This doubt even extends to the staff at a regional hospital, where about half of the medical personnel are not vaccinated even while the intensive care unit is crowded with unvaccinated Covid patients fighting for their lives.

Mountain Home like the United States as a whole is caught in a tug of war between private liberty and public health. But Mr. Stockton suggests that unless government upholds its duty to protect Americans, keeping the common good in mind, this may be a battle with no end.

Original post:

Opinion | Why Are So Many Hesitant to Get the Covid Vaccine in This Arkansas Town? - The New York Times

To the editor:

To the right-wingers and others who are decrying wearing masks and taking other precautions in light of the delta variant wreaking havoc because it impinges on their freedom, consider these laws:

License and insurance for your vehicle. Speed limits. Marriage licenses. Various permits to run a business. Having to enroll your child in school. Not driving drunk.

All those laws and mandates are necessary to allow us to live in a civilized society. And most of all, we are not allowed to do bodily harm or murder others.

You have a right not to get vaccinated, but you do not have a right to harm or kill others. If you are an anti-vaxxer or anti-mask wearer, thats exactly what you are doing.

I know this is true because, early in the coronavirus pandemic, a co-worker of a relative of mine had contracted the virus, but did not know she had it because there were no symptoms. Both her mother and father with whom she lived caught the virus from her and died.

This is real.

Pauline Binder

Originally posted here:

Masks give a lot more freedom - The Riverdale Press

Mel Tucker is using it for a roster overhaul. Juwan Howard added key pieces to a Big Ten champion. And even Tom Izzo has dipped into the garbage can for a new point guard.

What used to be a drawn-out and complicated process is now just a click or phone call away. Jim Harbaugh was one of the early voices advocating for student-athlete empowerment and flexibility, and the NCAAs transfer portal has provided just that.

That means Michigan and Michigan States football and basketball programs are part of an ever-changing landscape in college athletics, where player movement happens daily.

And that includes within the rivalry itself.

I know my worth, said former Bay City linebacker Ben VanSumeren, who transferred from U-M to MSU. I know that I could choose some place thats going to give me the opportunity to eat on an every down basis and Im not going to sell myself short.

Ben VanSumeren, center, poses with his parents, Cindy and Jeff VanSumeren, after signing his letter of intent to play football at the University of Michigan. (Andrew Dodson | MLive.com)

VanSummeren ultimately called it a business decision, but his move from Ann Arbor to East Lansing is part of a new wave, one that is forcing coaches to change and adapt.

The Spartans have added 19 transfers, while 27 players have entered the portal since last November. Down the road, Michigan football has had just five newcomers arrive via transfer, but more than 40 have departed in less than three years.

I just want everyone to understand, says Michigan States Tucker, that were going to do what we have to do to build our team.

The basketball numbers arent as staggering Michigan has lost three players, gained four; MSU has lost four, gained two but theres certainly been an impact on both programs.

While supporters say the new freedoms are long overdue, traditionalists question whether they make it too easy for young players to jump ship at the first sign of adversity.

The transfer portal streamlines the process and gives athletes more power. They no longer need a coachs approval. In fact, athletes dont even have to notify them of their intentions.

Before it went live on Oct. 15, 2018, athletes had to seek permission to contact another school and be released from their letter of intent. Coaches also could attempt to block athletes from leaving. Now its just a message to the schools compliance office.

From there, basic information is input: name, school, sport, NCAA ID, if theyre on scholarship, if theyre a graduate student, whether they want to be contacted by other schools, along with an athletes email and phone number.

Once an athlete is entered into the portal, coaches are free to contact them. That simplification has helped everyone, according to Michigan State director of compliance/eligibility Dan Scheid.

It was just really confusing and you almost had to be in compliance and work in compliance for several years to really understand it, Scheid said. I dont think coaches ever fully grasped it for the most part.

Entering the portal doesnt mean an athlete has to transfer. However, their scholarship can be pulled the following academic semester and coaches have no obligation to let them return to the team, even if they change their mind about leaving.

Michigan State running back Connor Heyward took that chance two years ago, entering the portal in September 2019 after losing his starting job.

I was taking visits everywhere, Heyward recalled. I was going a lot of places and there was a lot of nice places that I liked.

Michigan State running back Connor Heyward (11) tries to break a tackle by Tulsa linebacker Diamon Cannon (6) during their college football game at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, on Aug. 30, 2019. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Heyward, the son of the late NFL fullback Craig Ironhead Heyward and the younger brother of Steelers All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, had every intention of leaving Michigan State. It just didnt happen.

After Mark Dantonios abrupt retirement and promises that Tucker would give players a clean slate, Heyward stuck with the Spartans. Whatever awkwardness Heyward anticipated from entering the portal midseason then returning under a new coach didnt exist, he said.

The portal, its a weird dynamic, Heyward said. Its like high school recruiting again. Its just coaches hitting you up. You really get to make a decision what you think is best for me and I believe coming back to Michigan State was best for me and Im glad that I made that decision.

The Michigan basketball program found the starting point guard for its Big Ten championship team, a player who would lead the conference in assists. Of course, Mike Smith was brought in partly because Michigan had lost a point guard via the portal.

Michigan guard Mike Smith (12) drives against Michigan State guard Rocket Watts (2) in the second half of their Big Ten basketball game at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, on March 7, 2021. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

In Howards two seasons, hes had three players transfer and gained four. The math works out for a net positive and so do the on-court results.

In the spring of 2020, following Howards first season on the job, three Wolverines left. Cole Bajema had barely played as a freshman. Sophomore Colin Castleton was in and out the rotation and flashed potential, but Michigan had another center, top-40 recruit Hunter Dickinson, coming in. Sophomore David DeJulius was often the first man off the bench for Michigan and poised to take over the starting point guard role as a junior. But instead, DeJulius left, eventually landing at Cincinnati.

Seeking an experienced point guard, Howard snagged Columbias Smith, who would be immediately eligible as a graduate transfer. Michigan also brought in Chaundee Brown, whod spent the previous three seasons as a starter for Wake Forest.

Smith ran Michigans offense brilliantly, averaging a Big Ten-best 5.4 assists per game. Brown accepted a new role as sixth man and thrived, averaging nine points while shooting 42 percent from 3, just like Smith. They blended seamlessly into Michigans locker room and helped the Wolverines win the regular-season title, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and reach the Elite Eight.

Michigan coach Juwan Howard celebrates winning a basketball game against Purdue at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

You cant just bring anyone into the locker room, Howard said this past April. You have a certain comfort level and the guys develop that brotherhood (over two or three years). And heres one guy coming in and from the other program that he was playing for he may have been that marquee, that No. 1 option. Hes thinking, OK, Im walking into this new school, and its all about me, me, me, I, I, I, and my stats.

You have to make sure you choose the right ones, because it will affect your locker room and become a toxic environment (if you dont). And thats something I wanted to avoid. I felt it would be unfair to the other guys, our juniors and seniors who had already been there.

Can Howard catch lightning in a bottle a second year in a row? Well find out. DeVante Jones, a Coastal Carolina transfer, is likely to be Michigans starting point guard.

More than three dozen Michigan football players have entered their name into the NCAA transfer portal since it launched. The list includes players from every position group, on both sides of the ball, and from every Michigan recruiting class since 2015.

High-profile names such as Brandon Peters, Aubrey Solomon, Tarik Black and Zach Charbonnet, all four-star recruits, are among the departures.

And while just one player from the 2015 class (Rueben Jones) took advantage of the portal, things have picked up steadily since then. Seven players from Michigans 2016 recruiting class left via the portal, while 16 players from the 2017 class some high-profile walk-ons who earned playing time in Ann Arbor departed. In fact, the first four players from Michigan to utilize the NCAA transfer portal were 2017 recruits.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh walks the field during their college football game against Rutgers at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Since then, the Wolverines have experienced a series of defections from players in the 2018, 19 and 20 classes. Some because they lost playing time, others because they wanted a fresh start with a new coaching staff.

Since Jan. 1, Michigan has had 14 players enter the portal, with all finding new homes. While playing time was a factor, the Wolverines also were coming off an unsatisfactory 2-4 season marred by injuries, opt-outs and struggles on defense. The problems triggered head coach Jim Harbaugh to make wide-scale changes to his staff, choosing to dismiss defensive coordinator Don Brown and replace five other assistant coaches.

Some big-name players on the offensive side turned heads this year when they opted to leave, including quarterback Joe Milton, receiver Giles Jackson and running back Zach Charbonnet. They were guys who at one time started, and produced, for the Wolverines.

I think its fair Ive always thought it was, Harbaugh, asked about one-time transfer legislation, told MLive this summer. Whats not going to change (is) its still a meritocracy. By your talent and by your effort, youre known. I think (for) guys with above-average talent and above-average work ethic, things are going to work out really good for them.

Of the more than 40 players from Michigan who entered the transfer portal since October 2018, 27 of them ended up at another Power Five school. Meanwhile, Michigan has gained a far fewer number of players from the portal than it watched enter.

Just five have transferred to Michigan in the portal era, with one (long snapper Trey Harper) walking on and one (Willie Allen) departing before ever playing a snap. Two others, quarterback Alan Bowman and defensive lineman Jordan Whittley, announced plans to transfer to Michigan for the 2021 season.

The only portal success story for Michigan thus far has been Mike Danna, a graduate transfer from Central Michigan who contributed along the defensive line in 2019 and was a fifth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2020 NFL Draft.

In the Football Bowl Subdivision, the percentage of all transfers increased from 12.7 percent in 2016 to 14.7 in 2019 while in mens basketball it moved from 27.4 percent in 2017 to 29.9 in 2019. Basketball has the highest transfer rate among mens sports.

The most recent NCAA data is only for the 2018-19 school year and doesnt reflect the surge in portal entries due to the one-time transfer waiver approved in April for the five sports that didnt previously allow it: football, baseball, mens and womens basketball and mens hockey. There were 2,510 FBS players in the portal as of late June, according to 247Sports.

Opponents of the transfer portal wonder if the ease of access just encourages athletes to leave at the first sign of trouble. If a player is no longer in favor with the coaching staff, or has lost playing time, they have an opportunity to depart, no questions asked.

That doesnt sit well with guys like Michigan States Izzo, who thinks many players hamper their development by switching programs instead of fighting through adversity.

Brown, Michigan footballs former defensive coordinator, echoed that sentiment in a 2019 interview.

Im not sure its good for anybody, Brown, then 63 years old, said. Face adversity. Adversity introduces a man to himself. So Don Brown has a problem with a player? Im out. Is that teaching a young a man anything? Is he learning anything from it?

The effects of the transfer portal were slow to appear within Michigan State basketball.

The coaching staff relied almost entirely on high school prospects and the roster remained stable, with Spartans going nearly five full years -- an eternity in modern college basketball without a scholarship player exiting the program. And since the portals inception until 2021, Marquettes Joey Hauser was the only incoming transfer.

But starting with this offseason, winds of change swept through East Lansing.

A subpar 2020-21 season in which the Spartans nearly missed the NCAA Tournament, plus the advent of immediate eligibility, has brought on significant roster turnover. Four players left via the portal: Rocket Watts, Foster Loyer and Thomas Kithier and walk-on Jack Hoiberg. That equals the total number of departures of the previous six seasons combined.

Michigan State mens basketball coach Tom Izzo looks on during a game. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Michigan State addressed its biggest roster issue for the upcoming season, point guard, by going to the portal and bringing in Northeasterns Tyson Walker. In Izzos quarter century-plus as head coach, hes never relied on a transfer to start and run the teams offense.

Izzo has been vocal about his opposition to the portal, the rising number of transfers in the sport and the one-time transfer rule. That means his program likely will never be one that relies heavily on transfers. But in this new environment, ignoring the portal completely isnt an option, either.

After Dantonio retired following 13 seasons leading the program, Tucker was hired in Feb. 2020. The typical attrition that occurs under a new staff was delayed because of the pandemic, which wiped out spring practice as part of a fractured offseason.

But following back-to-back lopsided losses in November, Tucker made it clear roster changes were expected. Twenty-seven players have entered the portal since, including 10 after spring practice ended in April.

During the year-plus in which the portal was live and Dantonio was leading the Spartans, there was only one scholarship addition from it in Western Michigan receiver Jayden Reed.

That approach has changed drastically under a new staff.

Following a 2-5 debut season, Tuckers goal of reshaping the roster heavily involves the portal. Michigan State added 19 transfers 15 scholarship players and four walk-ons including six midyear additions in January who participated in spring practice. That group includes five scholarship cornerbacks and three scholarship linebackers critical positions of need after both were heavily depleted by portal departures. Those are among several transfers on both sides of the ball that likely will be asked to take over key roles in the fall.

Michigan State coach Mel Tucker tries to pump up players before their Big Ten football game against Rutgers at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, on Oct. 24, 2020. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Among Michigan States portal departures and gains since Tuckers first season, the background and experience vary from walk-ons to top-60 recruits, from starters with four seasons under their belt to those who havent played a snap in college. Also of note, of the 27 Spartans who have left via the portal since November, six transferred to Power Five programs.

Of the 19 portal additions for Michigan State, 14 came from Power Five schools. That includes Khary Crump, a 2020 cornerback who started his college career with Arizona.

Following his freshman year with the Wildcats and changes within the coaching staff, the California native entered the transfer portal. Crump did so without appearing in a single game for Arizona and knowing the recruiting process would be different than the first time around.

Its not the same as high school because its nerve-wracking, especially when youre a freshman because all I was able to present was practice film because obviously I left before I could produce any game film, Crump said. Just real nerve wracking just hoping what I have is good enough.

Some players enter the portal already knowing their next school or have options to choose from. Others are confronted with the reality of a crowded transfer market.

Crump fielded interest from Pac-12 and Mountain West schools, then talked to Michigan State secondary coach Harlon Barnett. That resulted in an offer and Crump, who knew there could be limited opportunities, didnt hesitate.

Thats why I had to commit right on the spot, he said.

Crump, who has family in Michigan, committed to the Spartans on Feb. 27 and officially joined the program in May as part of a unique position group. The Spartans lost four cornerbacks to the portal since November and Crump is one of five scholarship transfer additions.

I know what Im here for, Crump said. Its to work.

Tucker believes coaches should get used to the portal.

Its something that is here to stay, said Tucker. Im comfortable with it. Theres opportunities for us to improve our team and thats what recruiting is all about, so we embrace it.

The NCAA promoted the portal as a way of streamlining, bringing transparency to the process and giving athletes more power. However, there also are complications.

Athletes were granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA due to COVID-19, so coaches are facing a roster crunch. At the FBS level, football seniors who return in 2021 arent counted against the 85-man scholarship limit. But no relief has been provided for future seasons and that will affect recruiting classes as well as those already on the team.

Meanwhile, football coaches barring a few loopholes like backdating midyear enrollees are also still limited to 25 initial counters (new scholarship players) each cycle from both recruits and transfers.

I think the past model was all about development, Todd Berry, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, said. I think the new model, which the coaches are having to obviously relegate themselves to, is the idea that basically Im just trying to assimilate a team for this next year. What Im hearing back from our coaches across at all levels, especially those ones that are paying attention to this, is that next year theyre going to save their scholarships back for the transfer portal.

While theres a stress on coaches to manage an ever-changing roster, the scholarship crunch and overall stress of the transfer portal is being felt by players and recruits.

Daylen Baldwin was holed up in a hotel room by himself in early June, having just entered the transfer portal after deciding to leave Jackson State. The uncertainty was too much for the Southfield, Michigan, native and he turned off his phone.

I just needed time to relax and understand, and think to myself, Baldwin said. Understand what I was doing and the situation I was leaving. It was definitely kind of scary, but I didnt have to wait (too long).

The next day, Baldwin says, he turned on his phone to messages and calls from about 25 to 30 coaches. He already had transferred once, from Morgan State to Jackson State in 2018.

A few weeks later, Baldwin was invited to work out in front of coaches at Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan. The Buckeyes and Wolverines later offered him a scholarship and even though Baldwin grew up an Ohio State fan, he ultimately chose Michigan.

Baldwin believes he has the opportunity for more playing time and to make a greater impact with the Wolverines, who welcomed him to campus in July. That fresh start and immediate opportunity is thanks to the transfer portal, something that didnt exist just a few years ago.

I aint going to lie to you. I was telling my dad and my homeboys back at home who were telling me I was going to get bigger offers, Ill probably get something in the MAC, Baldwin said. I ended up working out for some of those (Big Ten) guys, they offered me and it was definitely a surprise to me.

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Freedom and chaos: How the transfer portal is changing the sports landscape at Michigan and Michigan State - MLive.com

Its hard to watch the pandemic drag on as Americans refuse the vaccine in the name of freedom. Youre talking about an unproven, untested vaccine that doesnt even seem to really protect people, because people whove gotten the vaccine are getting sick. I went to one of the places with the worst vaccination rate. I dont want a poison forced into me. Im tired of you all trying to control us. One of the best things we have is our own God-given natural antibodies. It also has one of the worst Covid case rates in the country. The Ozarks. I dont take the flu shot. I dont take the pneumonia shot. I dont take any of them. I wanted to find out why residents here arent getting vaccinated. Youre trying to mask these kids up. Its detrimental to their health. And what, if anything, could convince them otherwise. Hey, Mr. Green, its Dr. Martin here. How are you? I heard you had kind of a rough night last night. Christopher Green is 53 years old and fighting for his life. Like 90 percent of the patients in this packed hospital, hes unvaccinated. Hes just walking a very thin tightrope right now. And to be honest, I dont expect him to get out of this without being on a ventilator. And if he has to be on a ventilator, I dont expect him to survive. I immediately asked Christopher, why hadnt he gotten the vaccine? It was eerie to hear Christopher insist on his individual freedoms, even as he struggled to breathe. Do you think other people should get it? Christopher represents a genuine challenge. Do the American values of individual choice have to take priority over public health? By the time theyre here, what can you do, you know? And when somebody is in a room really, really sick and cant breathe and suffering I mean, its just not a good time for a lecture. But the result in a place like Mountain Home is a 36 percent vaccination rate. And people are dying. Let everyone live their own life. I heard this over and over. Freedom. Choice. Dont do it because somebodys pressuring you to do it. Everyone has the right to choose. Almost everyone I met in Mountain Home told me they knew someone who died from Covid. Most people are undoubtedly concerned about the pandemic here. It didnt feel to me like a QAnon convention. Misinformation certainly exists here. But a powerful force behind the hesitancy is this fundamental idea of personal freedom. But in a community where individual rights are taking precedence over everything else, you get endless individual reasons not to get vaccinated, like believing the vaccine doesnt work. A preference for hearsay. He had heard that the people that were spreading the virus were people that had already had the vaccine and that they were carriers. Straight-up fear. How just people having reactions. Even among those who overcame their hesitancy, theres a lack of urgency. I dont really have any reasons to be out in circulation with the rest of the public. I just enjoy my dogs and work out on the farm and raise my koi fish. With all these reasons not to get vaccinated floating around, it makes it hard for those who actually do want it. I have a parent who does not necessarily support vaccinations. It was hard because she asked me where I was going. I was like, Oh, Im going to get vaccinated. And she was not very happy with that. What struck me was that Mary Beth had the courage to go against the grain. People should be more concerned about the well-being of those around them, because I feel like not enough people are thinking about other people when they make the decision not to get the vaccine. Theres an irony in someone rebelling against a culture of individualism for the good of their community. But voices like Mary Beths are drowned out by leaders who are contradicting public health officials. No. The state is not going to be requiring and mandating vaccinations. And I dont believe anyone should be forced to take the vaccine. It should be your personal choice. These vaccines are always voluntary and never forced. We dont have to accept the mandates, lockdowns and harmful policies and the petty tyrants and bureaucrats. We can either have a free society or we can have a biomedical security state. Theres no better place to see the impact of this political rhetoric than in the hospital. Only about 50 percent of the staff are vaccinated. None of the unvaccinated staffers were willing to talk. There are just a lot of people that you cannot convince to get vaccinated patients, employees. Its very frustrating. Its sad. Its I dont know its disappointing. Just a few months ago, the staff was planning a cookout to celebrate the end of Covid. But instead of barbecuing, theyre now battling another surge. Its exhausting. Were all exhausted. We dont have staff. We dont have beds. One obvious way out is to mandate the vaccine. But in April, the governor signed a law banning government mask mandates and vaccine passports. That shifts the responsibility mostly to private entities. Vaccine requirements as part of employment, attending school or participating in sports are reluctantly motivating some to overcome their hesitancy. It seems to me that the only other thing that actually sways people here is being in the hospital. And I really am upset at myself because I did not get vaccinated. I just Ive never hurt like Ive hurt. Its made a believer out of me. This is what freedom looks like in America today. Its always been complicated. But political leaders should remember that this country was also founded on the idea that government should protect us. After all, in a pandemic, one persons freedom can be another persons death. Christopher Green died nine days after this interview. He was 53 years old.

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