Lynn Henning

is here:  http://www.detnews.com/article/20101126/OPINION03/11260389/1131/sports0201/Enough-is-enough--Michigan-should-make-the-change

And to avoid the necessity to click this, here's what he said (sorry I didn't put this up the first time):

A couple of radio interviews early this week in which I said something that had been written a few times before — a personal opinion that Rich Rodriguez will be fired as Michigan's head coach and replaced by Jim Harbaugh — led to alarmed Tweets and a late-night phone call from the Michigan Daily.

Supposedly, I was "reporting" that Rodriguez would be gone by Monday. That's eminently different from thoughts and expectations that Dave Brandon, Michigan's new athletic director, will have seen enough to justify making a change in Michigan's football program — which, in fact, is what I believe will happen after three seasons of substandard football in Ann Arbor.

There was never any "reporting" that this would be done. It was made clear on those radio interviews — in response to direct questions — that this was an opinion and that I could be dead wrong.

I guess his article is supposed to be an apology for reporting an announcement on Monday when it was, ohsoobvioustonanyone, that it was simply his opinion that RR would be fired Monday. . . . .  Lynn Henning, You Sir, are a jackass. 

I don't even disagree with your statements about Harbaugh.  I think Harbaugh would be good coach here.  He could have been considered 3 years ago but wasn't.  But, that 's not the point.  Lynn Henning, You Sir, are a horses' ass.

The point here is that Rodriguez did look like a good hire.  He has transformed the offense.  If Michigan could play defense and get more consistency from the offense, they look very very good in the next couple of years.  Those are big "ifs".  But the one year that it will take to complete the evaluation, could reap huge dividends.  Our offense is looking more and more like Oregon's.  How are they doing this year, Lynn?  You'll complain about the defense, correclty so, and I will be  the first to say we need a change in strategy, older and more quality players.  If those changes are made, what is the reason to fire RR?

Oh that's right, you're merely trying to cover your ass after Brandon called you out for  your ridiculous statements made as though you had inside information from Dave Brandon.  Lynn Henning, You Sir, are simply an Ass.

Sunday Lynn Henning, of the Detroit News, like much of the MSM, published a column critical of RR where among other charges, he asserted that the POV saying the cupboard was bare was "baloney." His column is here:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20091107/OPINION03/911070389/1131/sports/...

I then fired off an email to him, which was complimentary in general but also pointed out that his assertion was flatly wrong, particularly regarding the defense. I sent him a couple of charts in the email from the misopogon series on the "decimated defense" and linked to the rest. He responded to me this afternoon with the following:

Brian,
Thanks for your note and words. Am sorry for this season. I do believe RR has been paying an unfair price for some departed personnel (I've seen the blog analysis), and I believe I acknowledged that somewhat Sunday -- and, frankly, wish I had gone deeper into that sub-topic -- but it's what has gone on with the existing personnel that has been so troubling. That wasn't a 3-9 team a year ago. And it's difficult to justify what happened the last two Saturdays, to cite two examples from 2009. But I agree that this is more complex than I got into Sunday. I'll make amends there. Thanks again for your note. Much appreciated. Lynn Henning

So, while I continue to disagree, even with his point in his reply, I think Lynn was very fair in his response, and it's good to see that he dug into the information from this blog. I hope he follows through on his word to make amends.