The Shane Morris Incident
For posterity I've clipped the video of the helmet to helmet hit and Michigan's actions after, plus the decision to insert him into the game after Gardner's helmet popped off.
The booing you hear in the background is fans demanding that Morris be removed, as it was even more obvious Morris was not right if you were looking at him for those 20 seconds uninterrupted. The only guy in the stadium who didn't know was Hoke.
Bluntly, anyone arguing that we shouldn't jump down Hoke's throat because of the slight possibility Morris was not concussed is an idiot.
September 28th, 2014 at 10:15 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 10:34 PM ^
September 29th, 2014 at 12:10 AM ^
Oh hai! On the bandwagon, now, eh? Doling out any cocksure barbs this week about how to admit when you're wrong? lolololol
September 29th, 2014 at 1:38 AM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 9:44 PM ^
It's just another example, in a long line of them, of general buffoonery and incompetence in the football program where every staff member is taking their cue from Hoke.
He is either incompetent or complicit .... either way he, and this entire staff, has to go.
September 28th, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^
With the resources we have on the sideline not to mention the guys in the booth someone should have stepped in. The HC has his set of eyes plus perhaps 20 other sets in which to utilize in ANY situation involving on-field play. To not catch this just seems far fetched. They're all to blame, especially w/ the traumatic head injury education we've all had lately involving football players. I still can't comprehend how this was 'missed' by everyone. I am ashamed for the first time after a game, now I've been embarassed before, but this one is different than losing or giving up 500 yards on defense. Maybe a HEADSET would of come in handy at this particular moment.
September 28th, 2014 at 3:54 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
Maybe a HEADSET would of come in handy at this particular moment.
How would it come in handy, did people on the other side of those headsets have the necessary information? If they did, why didn't they pass the information on to those that did have headsets, like Mattison and Nussmeier? If they did receive the information, why do you suppose they refused to pass the information on to Brady Hoke?
September 28th, 2014 at 10:50 PM ^
The guys in the booth have access to replay and aren't surrounded by 85 players plus staff. I can't imagine that had he had a set on that there would have been at least one clear voice of concern that stood out above the sideline mayhem. I don't know that Mattison has his set on when the D is off the field and I'm still not sure why Nuss did nothing. I'm not now nor have I ever been a guy that cared whether he wears a set or not, I'm simply saying that in this instance it would have more than likely been advantageous. If you read the rest you'd realize I said everyone is to blame. It's just another resource that should have been on top of things no matter who had a set on or not. Especially when they subbed him back in for Gardner, someone in your ear that has a better perspective on previous plays could have stopped that from happening. Maybe could have stopped that from happening anyway.
September 28th, 2014 at 3:44 PM ^
Brandon won't do it and we'll all hate Hoke even more next week after Rutgers beats Michigan. Sad but true.
September 28th, 2014 at 3:44 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^
It's a matter of negligence, not intent I'm sure. But how in the world can Michigan stand for a negligent coach when it comes to player safety?
The whole thing is a shambles, yet no action on the part of the administration seems to be forthcoming. And that's even worse negligence than what happened yesterday.
September 28th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^
Blogs and media are all over this event. Certainly it will be all over ESPN, PTI etc. tomorrow.
https://news.google.com/news?ncl=dJW-FyJUQaa5cmMUcSNx0f3gdQaoM&q=brady+…
Coming on the heels of Cokegate, this Shanegate incident may end up being the "Charlie Bauman" of Hoke's career and cause an immediate change in the HC status at Michigan. Hopefully so.
September 28th, 2014 at 6:07 PM ^
Not that it matters particularly, but it's even made it to a lefty political blog that I visit. Ugh.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/28/1332975/-Michgan-coach-Brady-H…
September 28th, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
As a player your advocates as it pertains to your health and wee-being are the coaches and training staff. An entire coaching staff and training staff failed Shane Morris.
It's indefensible. Period.
September 28th, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
"Bluntly, anyone arguing that we shouldn't jump down Hoke's throat because of the slight possibility Morris was not concussed is an idiot."
And yet we still have a few people willingly lining up to do just that.
September 28th, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
I really like Brian's take on most things, but I think the argument being put forth is that Hoke might not have been immediately aware of the severity of Morris's injury and, frankly, made a bad decision but probably without any malice or bad intent. It's easy for people to sit on the sidelines and question a guy when they've got some bile in them, but in real-time it was a weird situation that probably get borked more times than we know but most fans (a) don't hear about it, and (b) don't have it become a page-leading story. I'm not defending the guy, but this situation wasn't nearly as black-and-white and the mob here on the internet wants it to be.
September 28th, 2014 at 5:13 PM ^
It was apparent immediately after the hit that Morris should've come out of the game to be checked for a concussion. Had he popped right back up it would, possibly, be a different story. He did not. The only "weird" part of this situation is everything the staff did wrong from the moment of the hit, until Morris was finally taken out for good. Hoke's own words after the game damn him. Virtually nobody is saying that there was malice in what happened, just ignorance and incompetence. Which is in no way better.
September 28th, 2014 at 6:57 PM ^
I agree. I don't want a jerk or an idiot running this team.
Morris shouldn't have been out there because he clearly had a bad ankle; I'm surprised people weren't more pissed about that. When Morris got up, he looked like he could barely stand because (my guess) is that his ankle was killing him and he had just been lit up and may have had a concussion; at best, he was in no shape to take any more snaps that day. But Morris was taken out one play later; they obviously noticed something was wrong and got him out of there.
Having him go back in to take a snap was idiotic and is rightfully villified, though I'm surprised a medical staffer hadn't come over and started checking Morris for injuries, or maytbe someone did and deemed him healthy enough to keep playing, which is insane to me.
September 28th, 2014 at 5:27 PM ^
My hunch is that this is the case, that because of where he was standing he didn't see the hit in real time, and thought that any wobbliness on Shane's part was due to his leg boo-boo.
While I think that relying on headset-wearing staff to verbally relay information to a head coach is just asking for trouble in the heat of the battle, given the less-than-direct nature of the communication, I've never given a shit that Hoke doesn't wear a headset throughout the game per se. It didn't seem to be a problem in 2011. It's the way he wants to do things.
However, since he chooses not to, it's incumbent on him to set up a communication system that ensures he gets critical information relayed to him as quickly as possible. It stretches belief to suppose that the staff up in the booth didn't see the hit on Morris, but if they didn't, they're not paying attention. If they did see the hit and the immediate aftermath but didn't relay the info down to the sideline, it's a big problem. If they did relay the information down to the sideline but it didn't get to Hoke or Nuss, it's a problem. If the info did get to Nuss but he didn't inform Hoke, it's a problem. If he did inform Hoke but Hoke did nothing, it's a real big problem.
Regardless, in-game communication is ultimately Hoke's responsibility, however he does it. The fact that it might have been a clusterfuck of bad decisions doesn't absolve him of responsibility. I'm not convinced this one incident is a fireable offense, assuming that there's no evidence that Hoke consciously took a reckless chance with Shane's health.
However, taken in the context of the overall management of the program in game situations, it's part of a discouraging picture of a staff that doesn't seem to have a handle on things, from S&C to strategic planning to in-game management and everything else in between.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:01 PM ^
This I absolutely agree with. I suspect the information was delayed getting to Hoke; from his vantage point it probably just looked like Morris was favoring his ankle and getting up from the hit. Personally, I had no idea why he was still out there at that point; Morris could barely move on that leg, and at that point in the game he was not remotely the best option at QB. That's Hoke being an idiot.
The fact Morris was taken out on the next play makes me believe the delay in communication/coaches recognizing what happened is in play. I agree that lack of communication is on Hoke, and that lack of order and control, more than anything, is why he needs to go. This team might run through brick walls for him, but I'm not sure Hoke has any idea which walls he needs them to go through.
September 28th, 2014 at 3:54 PM ^
I had the same sickening feeling watching this game that I did watching Apollo Creed get pummeled round after round.
September 28th, 2014 at 4:05 PM ^
By Drago right? Rocky shoulda threw that towel in earlier...
September 28th, 2014 at 5:18 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 3:59 PM ^
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September 28th, 2014 at 4:08 PM ^
lack of player development and discipline has.
September 28th, 2014 at 4:16 PM ^
Lack of development and discipline are definitely factors, I agree. However, to say that scheme is not a factor is simply incorrect. Start with the most obvious example: http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/how-stop-denard-put-him-under-center-says-rr. More recently, we have stuff like tackle over and 12(?) OL blocking schemes under Borges. Even more recently, we have the refusal to convert to the spread punt. I was only using scheme as an example. I wasn't trying to imply that it is wholly responsible.
September 28th, 2014 at 4:23 PM ^
Do you mean discipline from an execution standpoint? If so I agree. If you are talking about players running wild and violating rules, I'm not seeing it.
September 28th, 2014 at 4:01 PM ^
At least RR's NCAA sanctions were eventually shown to be the nothing that most everyone thought they were.
This national embarassment there isn't much of anything explaining away here.
September 28th, 2014 at 4:04 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
Looked like a helmet-to-chin hit to me, and WTF?! there was a ref looking right at the guy launching himself like a missile and hitting with his helmet, and he didn't eject him.
Impossible to tell without a wider view, but since it happened on the opposite side of the field, is it possible Hoke was screened and really didn't see that hit?
I feel that Nuss should have called a timeout, as he saw Morris wobble, then refuse to go down for injury (showing toughness, like Hoke wants, but in the wrong situation). And Hoke should have paid attention to his QB at some point and seen how badly he was limping, if not being held up by his lineman. Certainly, Hoke should have called a timeout when Gardner's helmet came off, rather than let Morris go back in. If you're still huddling up, WTF is a timeout going to do, anyway?
September 28th, 2014 at 4:17 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 5:14 PM ^
I don't trust Brandon to fire Hoke any earlier than the end of the season, if at all. Brandon himself looks pretty well entrenched: the Athletic Department has made money and influential donors are behind him (at least at first glance).
September 28th, 2014 at 8:07 PM ^
The University must either fire Hoke outright or defend him. They have to come down on one side of the issue or the other. My gut tells me they will make some minimal attempt at investigating the incident, find that no harm was intended nor rule broken, give Hoke a pat on the head, and trot him back out there until the end of the season.
September 28th, 2014 at 4:19 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 4:25 PM ^
anyone arguing that we shouldn't jump down Hoke's throat because of the slight possibility Morris was not concussed is an idiot.
So, let me get this straight. This author is, in advance, voicing a personal attack on anyone disagreeing with him.
I thought personal attacks were against the board rules. I mean, I have always followed what I thought were the rules.
There have been times I have read stuff written by this author that, to me, was so unimaginably ludicrous that I could not believe a sober person could have written it. There are times I read his stuff, I read it again, and then I give up since I cannot, for the life of me, understand what he is saying.
Do I point any of this out in the comments? No. This is his board and I'm just a guest here. Besides, doing so - bluntly - would amount to a personal attack. And I don't do that - rules or no rules.
I do not believe for one second that the coach endangered any of his players. People saying so are just ranting because they hate the losing (which I also hate). So, I am an idiot. I come to this board, I read some brilliant stuff by Bisb, I read a bunch of so-so stuff by all the rest. Sometimes I skim the comments to learn a little about football from the Space Coyote. I am an idiot.
So be it.
September 28th, 2014 at 4:40 PM ^
"If you dont like it, if you have a problem...turn off your station."
September 28th, 2014 at 4:44 PM ^
What I am troubled by is that Morris was kept in the game even-though injured and beaten up and most troubled by placing him back in the game after the hit. Further, what I saw was that Bellamy never could find his helmet (not that he was ready to enter the game with helmet on). Why didn't the staff have Bellamy ready to go?
So, you are not an idiot. Those who wish to quell free speech is one.
Sadly, if the tide does not turn and Hoke loses the locker room, he will not get another year.
Regardless, Go Blue. I will always support the University.
September 28th, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^
I do not believe he intentionally endangered his player, I don't see how you can view that video and not think he did, nonetheless, actually endanger his player.
September 28th, 2014 at 5:15 PM ^
Agreed.
September 28th, 2014 at 5:18 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 5:22 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^
I agree with everyone else's disdain for Brady Hoke putting Shane Morris back into action after Devin Gardner lost his helmet during the play. With regard to NCAA regulations, the NCAA does support any responsibility for coaches to protect student athletes from traumatic brain injury such as concussions. They merely say that each university must have a concussion policy. See this link: http://www.ncaa.org/health-and-safety/concussion-guidelines
As far as the University of Michigan Medical Center, here is their Neurosport Protocol:
http://www.med.umich.edu/neurosport/highschool/data/downloads/brain%20p…
which mainly discusses the steps of how an athlete returns to action in practice.
As a physician, one is sometimes left in frustration, when a coach's desire to win supercedes his duty to protect the athlete's well-being. Hoke's feeling that injured players are just soft walks a dangerous line between winning at all costs and negligence.
I don't look for any help from the NCAA in this matter, even though one should think there should be. Perhaps President Schlissel, who is a physician, might be more interested in intervening. Dave Brandon and Brady Hoke both report to the President of the University. Time will tell whether Shane Morris will get medical evaluation for a possible concussion through the trainers and medical staff. I don't expect Brady Hoke to say anything about injuries given his recent behavior.
Sigh!
September 28th, 2014 at 4:40 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^
as to why they started Morris, and then stayed with him even when it was obvious he wasn't the best option to help them win?
September 28th, 2014 at 7:48 PM ^
My guess (and it's just a guess) is that Nuss doesn't believe Gardner has it in him to pass the ball as needed, so Nuss is pushing for Morris to play and play now.
Perhaps Hoke isn't of that opinion but gave into Nuss with Gardner struggling. Perhaps that's why he didn't go to Gardner early in the third when it was obvious Shane wasn't going to win the game.
And, perhaps that's the source of the rumored (emphasis on rumored) riff between Nuss and Hoke after the game.
This is all a guess and wild spectulation, I admit. However, it's the best answer I have for while the better quarterback was sitting on the bench in a game Hoke HAD to win until Morris got so hurt they had no choice.
September 28th, 2014 at 7:49 PM ^
September 28th, 2014 at 10:31 PM ^
I am disappointed in your reply. The context of my statement should be quite clear. We are fans here not lawyers.
September 29th, 2014 at 1:29 AM ^
Skipped the logic course in high school, eh?
That is not what the writer said; moreover, it is not really the point of the present discussion.
What Hoke intends cannot be rationally deduced, and he is not exactly candid either afterwards or before regarding much of anything. The best guess is that he is simply not competent to handle to decision-making processes that are required by his job description.
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