Is Hoke Dierdorfing the DL?
I know this is a little overreactive since we haven't seen a game yet, but the news on the DL is getting frustrating. All we heard about for 8 months is how we have 97 DL coaches on staff and every coach has coached DL for at least 25 years a piece. These coaches were going to turn the potential of the DL into the 75 Steelers.
So far this camp we've heard an undersized walk on has earned a starting job, our 1 defensive star has no technique and needs to show more effort and nothing of note from our other 5-7 scholarship guys that have shown great potential or we've heard great things from previous years practice reports.
Since I thought this dline was going to terrorize qb's all year I'm getting worried. I've had little hope for BWC since the day I saw him at the AA game, but RVB, Roh, Martin , Black were supposed to be killling fools this year.
I was getting mad when something dawned on me. Maybe Hoke is pulling a Bo and intentionally riding the DL like Bo rode Dierdorf in 69. This is the anchor of our d and they must play well for us to win the Big Ten. If you're starting to get worried let's all tell ourselves Hoke is pulling a Bo and this DL is going to look like the Lions when they get unveiled in 10 days.
Seems a little weird for our dline leaders to be taking a dump, I think Hoke is pulling a fast one.....I hope.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:53 PM ^
I coach youth soccer.
I'm the hardest on my daughter.
Why do you think that is?
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:55 PM ^
because she's no good? /s
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:00 PM ^
need to block computer screen from my emotionally fragile, almost 8 year old daughter.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:13 PM ^
It WAS you who decided to use her as a comedic prop in the first place.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
Babby jg2112 NOT ONLY need discipline BUT ALSO sleep early if work hards at practice..
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:56 PM ^
What is a babby?
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:59 PM ^
Forgot to do her chores?
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:03 PM ^
You don't "hear" soccer when she plays?
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:05 PM ^
Because you really wanted a son.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:53 PM ^
He just want a better daughter
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:59 PM ^
I like this version so much better than the "Tate Forcier" version.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:16 PM ^
because she's your daughter?
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:42 PM ^
You feel like a man trapped in a woman's body?
August 24th, 2011 at 12:32 AM ^
Because she has two X chromosomes and you don't?
August 24th, 2011 at 12:42 AM ^
I would like to be the hardest on your daughter.
/went there
August 24th, 2011 at 1:43 AM ^
...because you don't love her?
August 24th, 2011 at 6:02 AM ^
Because Hoke hasn't pointed at her yet?
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
... and I'm just throwing this out there... but just MAYBE we should wait until we see some live action before we declare the D-Line to be an unmitigated disaster.
Coachspeak exists for a reason. To hear Lou Holtz well it, his teams always SUCKED.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:01 PM ^
Because now according to him all of his former teams will win the MNC.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:06 PM ^
To hear Lou Holtz well it, his teams always SUCKED.
I think you meant "Thucked,"
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:40 PM ^
nah! that'd be no fun!
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:59 PM ^
Where's the "fun" in that?
P.S. You new tag line is hilarious. I hope the move went smoothly.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:00 PM ^
Since I thought this dline was going to terrorize qb's all year I'm getting worried.I'm not sure that was a realistic expectation in the first place.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:07 PM ^
CANT HEAR YOU
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:54 PM ^
glad to see someone has confidence in the Lions! Suh springs eternal.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
I don't coach youth soccer. Thank God.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:02 PM ^
Most enjoyable hour of my day, give it a try.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:02 PM ^
Deep breaths...
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:03 PM ^
It is nice to know you have seen Brink enough to know he is not worthy of a starting job.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:03 PM ^
i'd say this is more than a little overreactive. hoke and the staff are defensive minded coaches who seek perfection on the d. perfection will not be reached so don't ever expect the praise to be overly effusive for the d-line. if this d somehow morphed into the 97 d the praise wouldn't be high. it's just his coaching style and i'm sure the players aren't too upset that they're not being talked up in pressers.
August 24th, 2011 at 8:30 AM ^
because on a thread the other day some people were talking about how horrible it was that they used to get yelled at by the previous staff. These guys may be huge football players, but they are very fragile people emotionally..../s
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:03 PM ^
No sense waiting till we actually...I dunno...play an actual game or something before tossing in the proverbial towel on the D Line....
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:05 PM ^
You could be the greatest teacher/ coach in the world - but if the students/players don't respond or put forth effort, it doesn't matter. Not saying that the guys aren't playing hard, but just b/c Hoke and Mattison are former DL coaches and we have Montgomery as well - doesn't mean we're going to be a brick wall at the LOS this year. They may be pulling a Bo w/ Dierdorf, or maybe not. Who knows.
Let's just wait and see how they perform in games. Then we can make some real evaluations.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:05 PM ^
Speculation!
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:13 PM ^
no technique?
August 24th, 2011 at 8:33 AM ^
the coaches have mentioned that Marint needs to work on his technique more than a few times. I have to say that it caught me by surprise the first time I saw it as well. In the past he must have just been relying on his brute stregth or something, because he always looked good to me.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
I think Hoke knows this, but why settle by showering them with praise? I think he knows they can be better. There is always room for improvement.
If my expertise was d-line, I would do the same.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:26 PM ^
I am calling bullshit on the whole Brink starts thing. This is a motivational ploy, I hope.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
You lean on them, and you lean/push them hard.
You don't praise them till after the season is over.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:42 PM ^
but it seems like the staff would lean on the O-line. They keep talking about building confidence on defense.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:50 PM ^
I expect them to be hard on those guys.
And I expect them to demand more from those guys.
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:43 PM ^
It absolutely doesn't matter. If he's good enough to play...he should play. Walk-on or not, we need the best guys on the field.
On a different note, didn't they commit to bringing the pro style player substitution? That being the case, all of these guys are going to be in there. The guys with the mast stamina will play the most. Am I missing something?
August 23rd, 2011 at 10:56 PM ^
You couldn't find a better word than Dierdorfing? Like, you know, somebody in Michigan history that actually played defensive line?
August 24th, 2011 at 7:39 AM ^
I think the OPs example is perfect. I understood what it meant when I clicked on the link. Yes Dan Dierdorf was an offensive lineman, but the story goes Bo rode him mercelessly in '69, and never gave him any praise, so Dan asked Bo why, and Bo told him because he was the best player on the team and he expected more out of him (or something to that effect).
Most of our best players on the defense are on that line (Martin, RVB, Roh). The parallel is clear to me. Roh either must have an extended illness, or they must really be pushing him, because I haven't heard his name from the staff unless prompted in weeks.
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:00 PM ^
August 23rd, 2011 at 11:05 PM ^