denard on why he stayed
another rittenberg bit from his time in ann arbor:
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/25410/denard-robinson-on-why-h…
I'm not an expert, but I remember the story coming out like this:
- Dorsey says (or someone on his behalf says) he would make the NCAA Clearinghouse qualifications.
- Dorsey is denied admission at UM.
- Dorsey declares he's going to Louisville.
- Louisville denies admission.
Basically, something went on that wasn't public. I'm not sure its ever come out what the situation was, but you're right that he was taking online classes for straight A's after really struggling the previous three years.
And now he goes to Grand Rapids Community College.
IIRC, Dorsey didn't have a rap sheet. The records were sealed. So, officially, he doesn't have a rap sheet. Anyone who criticizes RR for offering Dorsey is really looking hard for a reason to criticize.
RR gave kids a chance and got rid of the ones who abused their chance. That is what anyone deserves, athlete or non-athlete.
April 13th, 2011 at 10:48 PM ^
Kudos for giving kids chances. Such as a Dorsey. Still the recruitment showed the larger problem during the Rodriguez era of a coach who simply wasn't in tune with the school he was working for. I mean a coach with a better understanding of basic things like admissions would have never wasted all that time in the first place.
His problems had less to do with him being an outsider and had more to do with him choosing to behave like an outsider when he took over the program. He put his foot in it over and over again. The media did pile on, but he also did lose the fan base for the most part(especially the ones with money who hate losing). Worse, he was totally lost on how to get them back. That's a head coaches' job too. Controlling the message, fitting in, immersing yourself in the culture, engendering team wide loyalty. All that counts.
It seems like you're supporting the notion that the job of head coach is more political than substantive. I hope that's as far from reality as I think it is.
Also, I think it's lost on the vast population of this board that in the professional coaching circles, Rich Rodriguez is still considered one of the best. There is a reason why the coaches in his coaching tree were immediately hired after the staff departed
These types of posts are, once again, imaginary and revisionist versions of the past. Look at the recent NCAA fiasco: the problem was not with RIch Rodriguez (and his falsely-alleged misunderstanding of the institution), but with the long-established athletic department bureaucracy. It was an institutional breakdown. Even Lloyd Carr was incensed at the allegations.
Not letting me reply to the right post.
April 13th, 2011 at 11:03 PM ^
Your argument is embarrassing. You're praising a kid for avoiding felonious behavior for two whole years. As it happens, DD had repeated violations, including one with a deadly weapon. And his academic record was a a shambles -to the point that he couldn't get in anywhere. He was nowhere near a match for michigan. He didn't even fill out an application to Michigan. RR did not
<br>properly vet the kid. This is well established. Don't be such an apologist. It's embarrassing.
if it was Brian or some other user who remarked in a post how this team is one of the more likeable ones in recent memory. I agree wholeheartedly.
That was Brian and I believe it was inspired by the Countdown to Kickoff videos from last year with Lewan and Roh clowning around together and Roundtree doing his Donald Duck impression.
but that's always been one of the things that irked me the most. RR seemed to bring out the best in his kids in terms of character and I wanted that to turn into wins for him. maybe that's just my bias. probably shouldn't even bring it up, but i can't help myself.
If it wasn't for Slocum, I wouldn't know what a f**k lion was.
He was da realest bitch alive.
I don't think Michigan's "legacies and traditions" had a single thing to do with Denard stayng, yet he stated that Denard's decision "showed how important" they are.
You obviously don't realize the politics involved in being a major D1 coach. Hoke has to say things like that to appease the fanbase.
Hoke says it EVERYWHERE. Even for subjects like this, where they are completely irrelevant. Look, to be clear, I think Hoke is smart to preach that everywhere he goes, because the old guard is fired up (even though I completely dislike some of their reasons why they were not the last three years). But that doesn't mean he has to pull that out in every single instance.
April 13th, 2011 at 10:37 PM ^
Reasons like getting destroyed by our rivals in an embarrassing fashion?
April 13th, 2011 at 10:59 PM ^
No, reasons like being members of "Lloyd Carr's Michigan Wolverines" instead of just the "Michigan Wolverines," like the rest of us people who care more about the University than any coach.
saying "after three years I can now root for M again with pride." They are assholes who I wish were not fans
Any successful organization has a rallying cry. That's how cultures and teams are built, that's how Obama inspired the previously uninspired to contribute and vote. And I disagree when you say it had nothing to do with Denard's decision. When he talks about his teammates isn't it the same as the accountability Hoke also incessantly refers to?
obviously. Also tends to corroborate that some players were d*cks when Rich came along. Oh, well. We've got a good one in Denard.
This will all work out well for Denard--Richrod gave him a chance to prove he was a quarterback, which he has proved. Now, Hoke will give him a chance to show that he can be a quarterback at the next level.
April 14th, 2011 at 10:21 AM ^
Lets be realistic, a bunch of players that were here when RR arrived didnt suddenly become assholes, they had reasons. Some legit, some imagined but irregardless its a 2 way street. If I was an upperclassmen O-lineman and was suddently told "you've got to lose 25 lbs to play in this system" I might be saying F.U., especially since the previous staff & the NFL like me at this weight. I mean how can you say that the kid is really wrong in that situation?
I still say there was a chasm of difference when RR arrived between how different people percieved his credibility or his "gravitas" coming to Michigan. Some saw him as having impeccable qualifications & gave him carte blanc to completely make it over as he saw fit. Others, perhaps the older or more experienced fans, did not percieve him as being "all that" when he was hired. After all, while there is no agrueing that RR had been having great success and was a "hot prospect" in coaching circles with an innovative offensive scheme that he invented(for the most part) and was being imitated all over college football, he also it could be legitimately argued, was coming from a very weak conference, had no national title rings etc. Who's opinion is wrong between those?? I'd say both are accurate and the reality lies somewhere in the middle.
What hurt was that we all knew he was the 3rd choice. Its not like B. Kelly at ND, he was the clear cut 1st choice when Charlie was canned, had a more pronounced winning record at every level(without requiring much "build time") and was coming into a situation that 90% of everyone at ND saw as a dumpster fire. He could walk in with a competely different attitude than the guy replacing Carr at Michigan. Problem is RR didnt see that. I think he believed that he was being brought in with all the "gravitas" he needed to tread as he saw fit, rather than being properly advised to "ease in" and bring people to your side.
My grampa used to say, you can slip a seed into somebody's ear and water it until something grows, however you can never jam a full grown tree in there and not expect them to resist. Not saying RR tried to jam a tree in the ear of the traditional Michigan fans, but it was not a seed & water situation either. Somewhere in the middle(perhaps a shrub?)