Marcus Ray interview on ‘The Player and the Fan’ offers provocative, insightful, and entertaining podcast
The Player & The Fan is consistently a quality podcast with enjoyable banter between the hosts with fresh, unique perspectives about Michigan football. However, the latest installment from yesterday brought on the ever opinionated Marcus Ray and things rose to a different level.
Marcus tells the stories of his recruitment and his early days on campus. Then there is the revelation of the details of how Marcus‘s girlfriend cheated on him with Chris Howard, and the two were then in a group of warring factions which tore apart the team in the mid 90s. They then talk about how the team overcame this and other forms of adversity to put the team ahead of the individual on their way to the 1997 national championship.
After this, Marcus provides a raw and harsh take about the realities of the current state of Michigan football program. As he has been known to do, he holds no punches, and he says exactly what he is thinking and feeling. His knowledge and logic are hard to refute in many instances. His cockiness is brash, but his convictions are sincere and thought-provoking.
This is one of the most compelling individual podcast that I have heard a long time.
https://m.soundcloud.com/chris-howard-799448430
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:06 AM ^
I don’t recall this defense beating Ohio state? I must’ve missed that one. Ohhhh your speaking of Moral victories, like stats. (Waves tiny flag). whooopee we did better than Ohio state on defense :|. Still lost, just saying.
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
You know, if you have nothing to come back with as a discussion, keeping your mouth shut is an option.
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
Your defense can play well and still lose the game, dumbass.
October 3rd, 2018 at 3:16 PM ^
The defense didn't play well in 2015 or last year against OSU. How is giving up 42 and 34 stopping OSU?
October 3rd, 2018 at 12:13 PM ^
Responded to the wrong person
October 3rd, 2018 at 12:21 PM ^
I think you are over-reacting.
There are a wide range of opinions on these boards, and even those who strive for a measure of balance in their assessment can be highly critical of coaches, players, and even each other. In fact some of the comments on individuals are not only harsh but mean-spirited.
Inevitably there is room for improvement, but in their comments players and coaches acknowledge this and insist they are working hard to get better. I believe them, and there is evidence on the field of play, for example, improvements in the much-maligned OL. They deserve our support for their progress, as individuals as well as a team.
Their success will be judged over the next few games when they face stronger teams, but there are reasons for optimism. The only loss so far this season is against ND, who are already being touted as a contender for the national championship. The trajectory is promising. Let us see how they perform before launching into rants which generate more heat than light.
And let us remember that our opponents deserve some of the credit when we struggle. We may not achieve all our goals this year, but I doubt whether any of our opponents will take us lightly.
Go Blue!
October 3rd, 2018 at 11:58 AM ^
Marcus - decent player (he’s no Woodson) but seems to be pretty butt hurt about something. I don’t want to be too negative in case his actions are due to a concussion or multiple concussions.
October 3rd, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
About halfway through the podcast. Marcus does not sound particularly angry thus far, more reflective. He's probably rewriting history a little bit in the process of mending fences and moving forward. I got no issue with that. (I'd be less understanding of rewriting history in order to further grind axes).
40s are an age when a lot of people do get reflective about the past and what their life has been.
There's no question about his complete authority of football knowledge, and in particular, of the team he was part of. I wish just once he'd admit that changes in the sport have taken place in two decades and maybe have a little faith in those doing the job today, on behalf of the team he says he loves.
October 3rd, 2018 at 12:55 PM ^
Marcus is correct; until this team comes out every single game with bad intentions and a bully attitude, the rollercoaster will continue.
Thing is, I thought Jim Harbaugh knew how to motivate his team so that they come out every game intent on kicking ass.
Not.
October 3rd, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^
His teams that came out with a bad attitude were:
8-4
9-4
8-4
12-0
10-3.
Using the standards by which he judges the team today, 4-5 of those seasons were failures.
October 3rd, 2018 at 4:25 PM ^
Yeah, the fact he thought his "leadership" had anything to do with 12-0 is insane to me. Also, apparently he was suspended 6 games for doing something with an agent in 1998, and the 3 games he did play in were unremarkable.
He was a fine cornerback when surrounded by other good to great players. I'm sure he knows a decent amount about X's and O's. But I've heard his rambling enough to know that whatever knowledge he has is shrouded by a healthy self-indulgence that robs his points of much strength.
October 3rd, 2018 at 1:03 PM ^
Intentions are not enough, maybe it was back in the day. Many more teams now have talent and badass intentions and accomplished coaching staff.
EDIT: And yeah, the anger returns in the latter portion of the podcast and he does take up that axe again.
October 3rd, 2018 at 3:30 PM ^
Clearly, Michigan came out against Nebraska intent on being the more physical team; intent on putting it on Nebraska. Intent on delivering an ass-kicking. It is probably safe to assume that this focused, persistent effort was in response to Scott Frost's previous comments about 'outhitting' Michigan when we played his UCF squad.
The way that they came out against Nebraska SHOULD be the way they approach EVERY game.
Football is physical battle. If you step into the ring without proper focus and aggression, you risk getting knocked out by a more aggressive fighter. The only way to slow someone throwing all they have at you, is to return fire.
Or better yet, blitzkrieg their asses from the start.