CC: Wow. My 13 year old gets it. "WE" don't.
[Ed-M: knocked down to board 'cause it's not informative (unless you're waiting for a 13-year-old's opinion before casting your vote* on Rodriguez/Harbaugh). That doesn't mean you shouldn't read it.
* you don't actually have a vote.]
I've tried to stay away, or disinterested, from much of the junk on here lately (post OSU thoughts, RR/DB, Dee etc). It makes me mad at "us". Now, after a conversation, with an albeit more mature than his age, 13 year old, I'm just sad for us.
He asked me, "What 'decision' are we waiting for DB to make? It's not like he has to decide whether or not to re-hire RR, he's already our coach." He gets that a coach can be fired before his contract is up, he also gets that there's been some disappointment this year, in losses to rivals, the defense, injuries, etc.
He compared "the decision" (termed more apporpriately, "the season-ending 'review'") to getting the 30,000 mile maintenance done on our car. "He's not 'expecting' to find anything majorly wrong, yet it needs done, and if something is, he'll fix it", was his analogy.
He wonders why DB would find anything wrong (at least with RR), mentioning: how everyone loves our players RR brought in; how RR doesn't seem near the jerk he was made out to be by the WVU people, and he's "definitely not Dantonio"; how we've had a better record each year; how much he loves the offense (much more Playstation "big play" condusive than 3 yards and a cloud of dust; how we have a Heisman potential Denard; how the guys RR brought made Brock walk again, etc... you know all the good stuff.
He also knows it still sucks to be outnumbered around here by OSU fans, and his die-hard PSU aunt. He can't wait until we can shut them up. He knows how bad our D was and hopes they get better. Yet he stays optimistic, and believes in us.
He also loves reading some of this blog. He follows recruiting fairly closely. He really doesn't understand how other UM fans want to lash out publicly at DB, coaches, players, or even recruits. He thinks if he was being recruited, he'd be on here pretty often keeping track of UM. He says "It all seems like such a confusing mess right now, no wonder Dee left." Granted, this blog isn't responible for that, yet the crazy and disheartening media/fan reaction likely are.
I told him when we're done with the bowl game, DB will finish his review and we'll find out if any "major" issues popped up that overrode the positives; otherwise, if there aren't any, we probably won't even heaar anything and RR will continue working daily to make us better. He's content with that, and to wait and "check back" to see what happens.
Sadly, I wish more of "us" were too.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:31 AM ^
goddamn idiot. Truly.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:34 AM ^
Yes, it did need to be rebuilt... and now that recruits have been coming in, RR has built a great offense and centered it around one of his recruits.
Yet another opinion that no one should care about: I lean towards keeping RR for another year (at least). There has been improvement each year.
Using the "We are Michigan" excuse to fire RR is also why Notre Dame has been returning to glory since '93.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:04 AM ^
You are yet another person talking about improvement.. Sorry but 7-5 isn't improving when you see who we beat. Sorry but in 3 years under RR here is what he has done (IN THE BIG TEN WHICH IS ALL THAT MATTERS):
Illinois: 1-2
Wisconsin: 1-2
Purdue: 1-2
Michigan State: 0-3 (has happened since the 60s)
Ohio State: 0-3
Penn State: 0-3 (never happened since psu joined big ten)
Minnesota: 1-0
Northwestern: 0-1
Indiana: 2-0
Iowa: 0-2
WOW.. Yes all you people out there that can see improvement, I see what you mean. Oh wait the "wins" column comes first, so in fact I have no clue what any of you are talking about! YAY we got 7 wins, guess what 3 years in a row of losing records in big ten should never happen and hasn't in, oh, 40 YEARS..
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:04 PM ^
You seem to think you are a regular old UM historian or something, but what you fail to mention is that for the last 40 years all of the haters (people like you) would complain every year that while its nice to win the big ten every year Bo, Mo, Carr sucks because we are out of the NT race before September is over. Its nice to win the B10 but what good is it when you lose every september or get blown out in your bowl game.
Seems to me that RR is just tackling the major issue that we have had for 40 years first and he will straighten out the one we are always good at second. And as long as he does it and trajectory of record indicates he will, I am good with it.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:38 PM ^
ur ok with being mediocre? that's sad. go blue knight makes way more sense with his post. You are grasping to make sense of why you like our joke of a head coach.
December 3rd, 2010 at 2:33 PM ^
No. I'm not trying to act like a UM historian. I am just trying to figure how some many people think RR has the answers. Well HE DOESN'T, so lets get rid of him and move on before he drives our program even lower into the ground.
There is no doubt that our offense has improved but the you can't win in BIG TIME college football when your quarterback has to carry the ball 20 times a game. If he had the answers he would have found a running back to go along with robinson and (last year) forcier. Who ever thinks he is this great recruiter, my girlfriend is going to be a psychologist, I can set up an appt for with her and maybe she can figure out whats wrong with you cuz I sure as hell cant.
December 3rd, 2010 at 4:38 PM ^
Is she cute?
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:45 AM ^
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:52 AM ^
Yes, definitely better in 07 with Henne, Long, Hart, Manningham and a usable defense, but RR didn't have all of that when he took over.
I don't agree with the statement of zero talent but there was a drop.
Keep in mind that group also suffered the "horror"
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:23 AM ^
This stuff needs repeating for guys like this who make idiotic assumptions and create/tear down straw-men arguments. I can actually +2 you!
[Edit: Well dammit, now that you've deleted the double post I look stupid. You still get to keep the points, though. Merry Christmas!]
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:18 AM ^
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:19 AM ^
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:33 AM ^
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:18 AM ^
Our recoord over the last 3 years is a disgrace and RR needs to be held responsible.
I've never heard of this stat before. What has been our recoord the last 3 seasons? Does it have something to do with recruiting? Turnovers? Taste in music at banquets? Someone please advise, because it may be a very important thing to talk about in the next 1000 threads about RR/JH/DB/HBO/WTF/IDK/NTTAWWT/NSFMF/HOWEVA.
Also, somebody please make the voices stop.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:25 AM ^
Man, FUCK. YOU. Who in the fuck do you think you are disrespecting someone's kid. IMO getting at someone's kid or wife is grounds for getting your face caved in, and you can try to spin it all you want to, you dissed a 13 yr old kid. Hope you feel better about yourself douchebag. Neg on sight status is way too good for your troll ass, and yes you are a troll. I can tell by your cheesy assed, I'm trying way to hard to fit in user name, and your attention whoring posts. Luckily for you, you hide behind the anonymity of the internet because I really think the OP would have no with problem putting you through a wall.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:52 PM ^
In Rod We Lose! good slogan it is much more realistic! Sorry you want us all to be mediocre like you. Arent u hiding behind the internet you creeper. No one said anything about the kid just his parents. Learn to read like gladiator boy
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:15 AM ^
Is your son available to file my taxes this year?
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:04 AM ^
Granted, this blog isn't responible for that, yet the crazy and disheartening media/fan reaction likely are.I don't know, man. Where do you think people go to gain insight on "fan reaction"? MLive? This blog has become pretty well-known and respected, and I can't think of anywhere else a person would go to take the pulse of the Michigan fanbase. I love reading this blog and being an occasional participant. But frankly, outside of TomVH's informative updates and Tim's "Friday Night Lights" series, I think message board banter about recruits should be banned. And in fact, until the coaching issue is resolved, I would have no problem with Brian shutting the message board down completely. (Yeah, I know... go start my own blog, right?)
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:15 AM ^
Great story, I was going to share one as well but didn't want to be put off by the Jack asses on the board, but you have shown me the way (and I am far enough down the thread it won't get much reaction).
I was traveling back to Michigan from the OSU game last week (in my rented car with Ohio plates so that it was left alone) when my phone rings. It is my 6 yr old son (7 next week) and he is just checking to see that I am OK. He tells me that we have everyone back and we will "get them" next year.
As I hung up the phone I was struck by the innocence of his UM fandom, no sense of entitlement, no overvaluing of being consistently good, no ego run amok. Here was a 6 yr old who cries his eyes out when we lose and he is still more worried about me than the loss. More hopeful than hateful. He knows, because I have taught him, that UM is the greatest football team ever and yet he doesn't act like a spoiled kid when we come up short. I was listening to the complaints of my car full of UM grads and decided right there, I had had enough. My kid is a better fan than 90% of the UM fans I come across and that is sad. He is a better fan than me.. He wants a Denard Robinson jersey for xmas and I have had second thoughts because I don't know if Denard will win his Heisman playing for UM... my son could give a rip
I couldn't be any more proud as a father, and any more sad for the state of a fanbase.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:23 AM ^
I feel like I just traveled back in time to last summer after reading the comments on this thread. Don't worry OP, this isn't your fault.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:35 AM ^
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:04 PM ^
..trying to tell a 3 year old how to act and it is quite apropos.
The 'UNACCEPTABLE!!!' segment of the fan base that plugs their ears and goes 'nah, nah, nah, I'm not listening,' when any factor not blaming RR is considered as cause for the current state of the program, or the constant refrain of something like, 'I want my WINS and I want them NOW,' repeated incessantly while rolling on the floor and kicking their legs and pounding their little fists. They pretty closely resemble the behavior of a 3 year old, so your son is dead-on right.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:11 PM ^
Do you mean that he wins when MSU plays UM? too soon?
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:16 PM ^
I have a 13yo son too. He still dreams of playing LB at Michigan.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:16 PM ^
Field Goals? He is 13 so start training him now so he can get a scholarship to this great university and score us tons of points. Sounds like a very intelligent boy, thanks for the post
December 3rd, 2010 at 3:34 PM ^
Maybe it's over simplification of issues, but it can often offer clarification.
December 3rd, 2010 at 4:47 PM ^
Except that, in the words of own athletic director, "Rich Rodriguez is our football coach for this season."
Brandon has never said anything about our coach for next season.