Rich Rod calls NCAA violations while at UM "...a bunch of BS"
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2013/10/rich_rodriguez_vents_about_vio.html#incart_river
"I get mad when I think about that, to me -- and I don't mind saying it -- I thought it was a bunch of BS," Rodriguez said. "We got in trouble for, in the offseason, a strength coach putting a rubber ball on a stick for a get-off thing when (players) did their running. A rubber ball on a stick.
"Now think about that, I could have put a hat on a stick -- that was something I got in trouble for."
Let's just focus on the NCAA violations for this discussion. The rest of the past is history. I was thinking about this the other day as it seems the NCAA is not going to make a big stink about Alabama and other SEC schools committing very similar violations to what got USC in a heap of trouble.
It angers me that players receiving illegal benefits in the south is probably going to get a slap on a wrist compared to what Michigan got for a Freep jihad over a rubber ball on a stick.
October 10th, 2013 at 10:29 PM ^
It was dumb when it happened, and even stupidier given what we've seen from other programs over the years. I remain steadfast in my belief that RR could have worked at UM in different circumstances, but it wasn't meant to be and it looks like all sides are moving on fairly well.
October 11th, 2013 at 12:59 AM ^
...including John U. Bacon, seems to think that Jeff Casteel, RR's DC at WVU and now at Arizona, is some great panacea, and that if RR had brought him along, RR would still be coaching here. Casteel fielded good defenses after RR left and his boy--Tony Gibson, Destroyer of Secondaries--left with him.
As I write this, USC, who had trouble scoring on Washington State, is lighting up Casteel's D (and Gibson's secondary) for about 10 yds per play and 27 yds per completion.
It is my opinion that a major reason that prevented Rodriguez from being one of the all-time greats in college football coaching is a fierce loyalty to his DB coach. (The other major reason being he's too sensitive for a head coach.) I'm all for loyalty, but, dang, make him your film guy or something.
October 11th, 2013 at 7:33 AM ^
I agree with most of this, but Tony Gibson is no longer at Arizona (he's back at WVU). However, your point still stands. Last year, when Gibson did coach at Arizona, they ranked 117 out of 120 teams in pass defense.
October 11th, 2013 at 10:09 AM ^
The problem went way beyond Gbson's own performance. When the story of the pre-Purdue everyone-but-Shafer meeting with the defensive staff got out it sent a loud and clear message to anyone that might possibly have been interested in the DC job: you'll be coordinator in name only You'll have no control, you'll run RR's scheme with RR's staff and if/when it goes badly you'll be the only one to suffer any consequences.
That left Greg Robinson the only plausible candidate. His career was over and he didn't have to care about the consequences--he was just happy to still get to be around the game.
The chain of command demands respect and it demands it in both directions, upward and downward. In a lot of lines of work, scapegoating a subordinate to protect your personal friends that report to him would be a career-ender.
October 11th, 2013 at 1:11 AM ^
It was a much bigger punishment for such a minor infraction. Now SEC schools and OK ST have major infractions and will only receive a slap on the wrist! Sickening!
October 11th, 2013 at 12:15 PM ^
...do you even know what the punishment was?
October 11th, 2013 at 8:14 AM ^
Ain't no thread like an RR thread coz an RR thread don't stop!
October 11th, 2013 at 9:03 AM ^
I think literally everyone except Mike Rosenburg agrees with RR. It was bullshit.
October 11th, 2013 at 9:35 AM ^
Is Michigan still on probation over the entire incident, or have we moved past that already?
October 11th, 2013 at 10:35 AM ^
I'm still not convinced uncle Lloyd wasn't involed in this with the Freep. And Brandon still parades that clown around the football program.
October 11th, 2013 at 11:07 AM ^
October 11th, 2013 at 11:37 AM ^
October 11th, 2013 at 11:48 AM ^
I have not made any hard allegations against Carr. And I won't start now.
But no matter whether you like Carr or not, or whether someone is a pro- or anti-Rodriguez fanatic, what is beyond dispute is that Carr has failed to comment. Carr could have and should have spoken out against the Free Press in 2009. The fact that he never did is almost inexplicable.
Lloyd Carr is a smart, careful, literate man. I still fully expect him to write a memoir, and I shall look forward to reading it and posing questions about it. But in any event, it is within Lloyd Carr's power to take a stand and make his position clear. He doesn't have to, of course. He doesn't have to do anything. But really; Dave Brandon, who occupies a current position of official authority for the University, has spoken aout forcefully against Rosenberg and the Free Press. Can anybody say why Carr never did?
October 11th, 2013 at 11:51 AM ^
as the assistant athletic director that year. He didn't really have any responsibilities at that time; just a cushy desk job that Bo held for a long time after he stopped coaching. The fact that he could not speak out on behalf of the program during the Freep witchhunt is inexcusable, especially since his predecessor in that role would have.
Even "But Carr doesn't like the media, blah blah blah" doesn't change the above.
October 11th, 2013 at 12:04 PM ^
October 11th, 2013 at 12:28 PM ^
It was the one and only NCAA allegation that the University went out of its way, at considerable cost, to defend and refute. Allegations 1 and 2 went against the University's athletic administration. Allegation 3 went against a graduate assistant who admitted to untruths in a statement regarding the matter and who consequently resigned.
Allegation 4 is the only one that went against Rodriguez. He cooperated fully with the NCAA investigators, and also denied the allegation. The University supported Rodriguez's denial, while the University admitted the other three Allegations.
And in the end, the NCAA agreed to dismiss Allegation 4.
If Lloyd Carr somehow knew that Rodriguez was guilty of something and didn't speak out, then Carr should be banned forever from Michigan Athletics. But that seems clearly not to be the case. You have raised a preposterous theory.
I haven't asserted any crazy conspiracy theories against Carr. I'm not speculating about anything. But for Carr to have said nothing; to have taken no position, not even the University's official position, or the position advanced publicly (more or less) by the Athletic Director, is hard to understand. By any reckoning, Carr's actions were as unlike his friend and mentor Bo Schembechler as one could imagine. Carr didn't really have to stand up for Rodriguez, if there was any personal animus there. But how can Carr explain not standing up for the Michgan football program?
October 11th, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^