THIS IS NOT MICHIGAN Comment Count

Brian

9/27/2014 – Michigan 14, Minnesota 30 – 2-3, 0-1 Big Ten

Brady Hoke is too incompetent to be Michigan's coach. He's too incompetent to be responsible for 85 kids who might get badly hurt at any moment. Hell, he's too incompetent to run a Hooters. Do not eat the chicken at Brady Hoke Hooters. That's not chicken.

And that's the nice way to interpret the information presented to us. It's one thing when Michigan is sending out ten guys in their dinosaur punt formation, one thing when they have the country's worst offense relative to available hyped recruits two years running. It's one thing when Michigan is pretending to try by getting Devin Funchess's ankle mangled in the waning moments of a 31-0 game. These are all fireable offenses, but year-end fireable offenses.

It's another thing when the Yakety Sax chaos that has come to symbolize the Hoke regime puts one of Hoke's "115 sons" in danger, as it did Saturday.

Shane Morris had just taken a headshot from a defensive end. He momentarily lost the ability to use his limbs. There was no real reason for him to be in the game anyway, what with his 49 passing yards and air of being totally overwhelmed. And Hoke threw him out there, because he "didn't see" his quarterback stagger onto one of his offensive linemen.

Even if that implausible excuse is true, somebody did. The announcers did. Doug Nussmeier—who was desperately trying to get his quarterback to fall on the ground—did. There were 80,000 people still in the stadium looking at the quarterback, and

EVERY

GODDAMNED

ONE

OF

THEM

knew Shane Morris had just had a very bad thing happen to his brain. When he was left in, they booed vociferously. This is where we're at: the guys booing in the stands are doing so because they fear for the players' health.

This is a long, long way from the "they ain't got no heart" guys from the Rodriguez era. Booing is now the only agency you have when something reprehensible is going on in front of your face. It's gone from childish to necessary.

Brady Hoke had no idea, and even more damningly nobody on his sideline had the sense to overrule the guy who purports to be the head coach. Some guys started yelling at Russell Bellomy to get his helmet on when Gardner lost his a couple plays after entering; Bellomy tried about 50 because he never dreamed he'd go in a game again. Morris re-entered the game. Did he have a concussion?

"Shane's a pretty competitive, tough kid. Shane wanted to be the quarterback. Believe me, if he didn't want to be, he would've come to the sideline, or stayed down."

That is unacceptable. Brady Hoke should have been fired walking off the field.

-------------------------------------

Dave Brandon is too stupid to be Michigan's athletic director. After a day-long lambasting culminating in ABC's World News Tonight slamming the program, they released a breathtakingly tone-deaf statement that is a flat-out lie.

We generally never discuss the specifics of a student-athlete's medical care, but Shane Morris was removed from yesterday's game against Minnesota after further aggravating an injury to his leg that he sustained earlier in the contest

This is how Shane Morris aggravated his leg injury.

Who are you going to believe, Dave Brandon and his lawyers or your lying eyes?

It does not matter whether Morris was concussed or not. What matters is that Shane Morris showed obvious signs of a concussion immediately after taking a wicked head shot and was permitted to stay in the game, then re-entered some 90 seconds after departing, well before any serious concussion check could be completed. The NFL's process takes 8-12 minutes. The NHL requires players suspected to have sustained a concussion to be removed from the ice and taken to a quiet place for evaluation.

Michigan was flagrantly negligent about Shane Morris's safety. Period.

And then they lied about it. To your face. Because they think you're too fucking dumb to do anything about it.

Michigan's athletic department has been insulting the intelligence of their fans for years with offended statements about how they weren't really going to do the thing they said they were going to do and the thing you're mad about definitely is your fault, not theirs. That was bad enough for petty things like noodles; this is the athletic department lying to the nation about a matter of real import.

This opinion is universal outside a small corps of true believers who have inexplicable faith in the people who are just in charge of the Michigan athletic department.  Hoke has been condemned by the ESPN announcers, Deadspin, Business Insider, Yahoo, Andy Staples, Nick Baumgardner, Wojo, Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel, USA Today's Nicole Auerbach, CBS, CBS again, USA Today's George Schroeder and virtually every other person to offer an opinion about college football this year. Hell, a news program aimed at olds did a segment on it, just after they talked about ISIS.

The die has been cast. Until Brady Hoke and Dave Brandon are removed from this program, This Is Michigan: incompetent liars.

I can't stand by and watch this anymore.

----------------------------

This program is broken. The coach is too dumb to be in charge of other people. The athletic director is so loathed that when the remainder of the student section started to chant something after the concussion fiasco, they went with "FIRE BRANDON." Tickets go for two cokes, and that's too expensive.

Stephen Ross is defending Brandon, and I feel helpless. The thing I love most in the world has been held hostage by unacceptable people. So I'm going to do two things.

I'M NOT GOING TO THE MARYLAND GAME. (Unless Hoke and Brandon are gone.) This is going to break a home attendance streak dating back to the 1997 opener, when I was a freshman, but it's the only thing I can do to show my disgust at the state of the program. I'm not selling my ticket—not that I could sell it for anything. I am eating it. I urge you to do the same. Yeah, it sucks for the players. I am more concerned about sending a message about the program as a whole than making anyone feel bad.

#boycottmaryland

Do it for all of us. I hate it with the fury of a thousand suns, but this is the only thing we have left.

I'M RUNNING FOR REGENT IN 2016. I don't know how or with who yet, but the  board of regents is a broken institution that privately conspires to vote unanimously in favor of everything, in violation of the law. They accepted the presence of Dave Brandon; they run the worst FOIA office in the country; they are supposed to be the check on an increasingly overpaid and unaccountable administrative class at Michigan. They are failures.

Leaders and best. I still believe that. Goddammit, I do. I started the Every Three Weekly with Amol Parulekar and Mike Chu and Paul Malewitz and Michigan allowed that to happen despite it being an obviously not-great idea for them. I learned how to code; I didn't go to my discrete math class for the entire semester and that was cool; I got my brain rearranged by Stephen Kaplan in an immensely productive way. Michigan is awesome. It is awesome in spite of the people in charge of the university's front door.

I love this place, which gave me my education, livelihood, and wife. I am going to do the thing I can to try to help it.

morris-cart

Because this is not Michigan.

[After THE JUMP: more reasons to fire Brady Hoke.]

GAME STUFF

There's not much point to going over what happened in the usual way Michigan sucks so hard that it doesn't matter anymore. Michigan was comprehensively outgained and blown out by a team that lost 30-7 to TCU. A bowl game is unlikely, to say the least.

But here's some more stuff about why Hoke should be fired.

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[Bryan Fuller]

Giving your players the best chance to win: fail. When Sam Webb said he thought Morris would start during our Thursday roundtable on WTKA, Craig, Ed, and I all involuntarily groaned at the same time. Morris had given no indication he was anywhere near ready, and that played out as Michigan's starting quarterback managed 49 yards passing while being just as turnover-prone as Devin Gardner.

By halftime Michigan had just over 100 yards of offense and it was obvious Gardner should be re-inserted; Hoke refused. Morris started hobbling around on one leg; Hoke refused to take him out even then. Morris fumbled without being touched by an opponent; Hoke still did not take him out. Without the Morris injury, Gardner would not have shown up at all.

That is a slap in the face to a guy who was a warrior last year in the face of horrendous pass protection. Michigan was prepared to lose this game to teach Devin Gardner a lesson, because "uh, Shane Morris was our quarterback." Brady Hoke was willing to throw the entire team under the bus to make a point.

Clueless tempo item of the week. Near the end of the first half, Michigan called timeout just before Minnesota spiked the ball. This was because they were trying to substitute while the opponent was in an extreme two-minute mode and got stuck with twelve guys on the field.

The reason they called timeout doesn't really matter; the mere fact that Michigan had no ability to project what would happen after a Gopher first down in that situation is yet more gross incompetence. It feels like nobody on this staff has ever watched the end of a half of football, weekly.

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[Bryan Fuller]

"I quit" of the week. Hoke once again quit when victory was still distantly possible. After Gardner drove the team to a touchdown, he kicked an extra point instead of going for two to find out whether he was 2.5 or 3 possessions down, then kicked deep. "I quit," he said. Then facing fourth and ten down 16 with 4 minutes left, he punted. "I quit," he said again.

This has been a pattern in every one of Michigan's blowout losses: offenses that huddle and run the clock down to nothing while trailing by multiple scores in the second half, coupled with starters still on the field. Brady Hoke quits when down, but he wants to keep up the appearance of trying. This is why Devin Funchess is going to spend the year nursing an ankle sprain.

I get why he quits—I also want the games to be over as fast as possible. It's still embarrassing to the program.

Shoe-throwin' quote of the week not related to Shane Morris. Oy.

I think field position was a part of the game. We've got to do a better job. A couple of punt returns went for way too much yardage.

You don't say. Michigan was lucky to only be down three points at halftime; their first two punts should have been brought back 20+ yards but for the incompetence of the Gopher returner, who let one of the punts drop and fumbled the other.

On the severity of the Morris incident. This is the only place on the internet other than the Pravda-like Wolverine where you will find people defending Michigan's actions in the aftermath of the helmet-to-helmet hit on Morris, some even going so far as to assert that the problem might have been with his leg even before the athletic department asserted so.

I cannot fathom why a certain subset of posters insists on reminding us that Brady Hoke didn't intentionally put Shane Morris in harm's way, as if that matters. A major argument they bring is that "X isn't stupid/incompetent," which… why would you be certain about that at this point? They seem to want a standard of evidence that is beyond a reasonable doubt and extend the benefit of the doubt to people who have long since lost that privilege. I tell you what, guys: it's just 99 bucks a year for a Rivals subscription.

There is always a faction that wants to downplay everything that people get mad at; the Aggressively Reasonable people spend their entire posting lives clucking at other people that they shouldn't be mad about the thing they're mad about. That combined with a desire to see Brady Hoke as a good guy causes people to say this isn't as big of a deal as everyone here is making it out to be.

Bullshit. The Michigan brand now: send your child to play for a guy who can't tell you've just been hit in the head really hard. Whether it was malice or stunning incompetence doesn't matter: either is grounds for immediate termination.

Toxic. ESPN is clowning Hoke now.

So there's that. 

Toxic Part II. I heard only "Fire Brandon" from the students, and multiple reports that have filtered back to me from the student section say that they were all "Fire Brandon" chants, not "Fire Brady," except for scattered dudes who didn't get the idea. Someone even sent me some video:

There's your future season ticket base. Keeping this guy is impossible even if he wasn't running a confederacy of dunces.

WELL TROLLED, SIR. Is Special K joining the resistance? He played "Numb" by Linkin Park before the game, which is way not on message, and then as I'm exiting I hear "this is it, the apocalypse" from that Imagine Dragons song. Either Special K is a clueless dillweed or he's just as pissed as everyone else.

HERE

Inside The Box Score:

I'm left scratching my head wondering what Brady Hoke was trying to do in this game. In Schembechler's account of his first game against Minnesota, he admits this:

Let me tell you the God's honest truth: Even if we got beat up there in Minnesota, I would still have felt better about taking the squad I took than I would have if we'd won that game with a bunch of guys who hadn't practiced all week, guys who let their teammates down, guys who didn't take my word seriously.

So it's obvious Schembechler had a larger goal in mind; it was a "lose the battle but win the war" mentality. Oh to be a fly on the wall in Schembechler Hall so that I might understand what Brady Hoke was trying to prove with this stunt. He sat a 5th year quarterback with significant playing experience, a player so distinguished, with so much ability, talent, and skills that he was given the honor of wearing the Tom Harmon Legends jersey, for a 2nd year quarterback with one start under his belt in college. I thought maybe, just maybe, Gardner was injured. That's the only way this makes sense to me, if the objective was to win the football game. However, when Russell Bellomy couldn't find his helmet to sub in for a play, the truth was revealed. Gardner was not injured, for if he was, Bellomy would have practiced all week and would have the slightest clue where his helmet was. No, Gardner was sat to teach some sort of lesson.

Best And Worst:

I know last week I described the death of my optimism about this season, so this might sound a bit hypocritical to then attack others for voicing their own displeasure, but I am profoundly, mind-numbingly tired of people questioning the desire of college players and the people who have dedicated their lives to making them better.  Now, I'm not defending the results so far on the scoreboard, nor am I saying that I believe guys like Hoke, Funk, Ferrigno, etc. are the best choices for the jobs the currently inhabit.  I still believe that Hoke should be gone, as the number of boneheaded decisions (the punting formation fiasco and the lack of anything resembling tempo or urgency on offense being prime examples) has only increased since he's been at the helm.  But I absolutely believe that he cares about Michigan football and is trying his best to make it a winner, just like everyone else involved with the program; to question the effort and desire put forth by the players and coaches is asinine.

From The Student Section:

…toward the end of the game two things happened on the sidelines near the student section:

  1. A dramatic increase in police and event staff presence.
  2. A rope being held along the sideline and end zone, presumably to prevent a field rush (??).

Did either of these things directly impact my, or really any other students’ lives? Not really. Nevertheless, the symbolism remains. One needs look little further than this to get a good grasp on why the students are so upset with the athletic department. Is the department so distrustful of the students that they want to keep them in line by show of force? Are they so delusional to think that the students would rush the field after a loss? After even a win over Minnesota? over Utah? over literally any home game this season? They’ve taken our water bottles so that they can sell water for $5; they’ve prohibited numerous innocuous items from entering the stadium; three separate event staff members tried to tell me I wouldn’t be allowed to bring a cowbell into the stadium; you can’t bring bags; you can’t bring food. And yet after all of this, they expect us to keep paying such exorbitant prices for tickets? To keep showing up? Don’t get me wrong, I love Michigan Football, I love the Michigan Stadium experience; it’s just that, under Dave Brandon I have yet to really experience either at the Big House.

ELSEWHERE

Bombs away in the Michigan blogosphere. MZone:

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 Maize Pages:

In Michigan’s 67-65, 3-OT thriller over Illinois in 2010, Rodriguez pulled Robinson after a hard hit during the 3rd quarter. “He was dizzy and had a headache,” explained Rodriguez, extra cautious his star player might have a concussion. The context is even more important. Rodriguez entered that game 5-3 after 3 consecutive losses to #17 Michigan State, #15 Iowa and at Penn State. Under fire by the media before the season and intense scrutiny by Brandon during the season, Rodriguez pulled the most electric player in college football for his safety in a must-win game. He recruited Robinson, developed him, and above all protected him over his job. If only he was a Michigan Man too.

Genuinely Sarcastic:

I now call on all Michigan fans to stomach the unthinkable: boycott this obscenity until it collapses in on itself. If you have tickets, don't use them. Don't sell them to someone who will. Don't give them away to someone who will. Do not buy tickets, no matter how cheap they become, or how many Cokes you get with them. If someone offers you tickets for free, politely decline. I understand how reprehensible that will sound to some. Many will say that it is still a fan's obligation to support these players. I implore you to reconsider. I beg of you to support these players by putting pressure on those who are destroying them. These players are having their careers derailed by people who are in painfully over their heads, and one of them was put at grave physical risk by the man he trusted with his future today. Shane Morris didn't even walk off the field after the game today; he had to be carted off because he couldn't put weight on his ankle; that's not even considering the concussion he took and then continued to play with.

Maize N Brew:

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For starters, Morris never should have been in this huddle. But look at the play clock in the graphic above. THERE ARE A FULL 25 SECONDS ON THE PLAY CLOCK. That is plenty of time for Hoke to either: (1) call Morris back to the sideline and sub in Bellomy, who now has a helmet; (2) call a timeout, which still remains an option every second until the ball is snapped; or (3) PUT IN ANY PLAYER -- WILTON SPEIGHT, BRIAN CLEARY, ALEX SWIECA, LINEBACKER JAKE RYAN, DEFENSIVE TACKLE WILLIE HENRY, ETC. -- THAT IS NOT CONCUSSED.

Even the umpire looks over to Michigan's sideline and asks Hoke if he wants to take a timeout, to which Hoke declines, before starting the play clock.

Maize And Blue Nation:

Then Michigan's coaches failed Shane Morris. It's the coach's job to know whats going on at all times with the players on the field. Hoke admitted to not seeing Shane Morris visibly wobbling back to the huddle after that hit. How you miss that it beyond me. He could barely stand up. How could Doug Nussmeier, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach not pull his guy immediately after seeing that. Shane probably shouldn't have been in the game at that point anyway. He was limping very badly.

I don't even know what to say abut this series of events other than its easily the most concerning thing that happened on a day when there was a lot to be concerned about. But this goes beyond football and x's and o's. This is a blatant disregard for player safety, plain and simple.

Aw man play 60 kid this is a major burn

but you're just the major burn of all major burns so ok.

And this was just a random post on the Scout message board from A1Portable but it's too good to let die with two responses:

We Are Michigan! ...


... and Brady Hoke is a MICHIGAN MAN!

That is all you need to know ... except perhaps ...

...  that Michigan's Athletic Director is a former CEO of a big company that sells pizzas.  Yes, that's right, Michigan's Athletic Director is a former CEO of a big company that sells pizzas! 

So naturally, he is qualified to be Michigan's Athletic Director.  In fact, he is more qualified than any other kind of athletic director, especially the kind who have experience running college athletic departments and hiring coaches.  That is not the kind of experience that prepares a man to be a master of public relations flim-flam, which is what a Michigan Athletic Director must be a master at!

Do you know how hard it is to persuade 100,000 folks to spend more than $1,000 to buy season tickets to college football games when they could have picked up some tickets at 7-11 just by buying a couple liters of Coca-Cola?  I'm telling you, that is not easy, nosiree!  Don't think that any old ordinary athletic director is capable of doing stuff like that.  No, it takes an athletic director who is a genuine former CEO of a big company that sells pizzas to pull off something like that.  Do not try that at home!  

What's that?  You don't understand?  That is because you are just ignorant peons who are incapable of understanding the depths of  the twisted genius of the Michigan Athletic Director.

Do not question the Michigan Athletic Director!  To question the Michigan Athletic Director is to admit, ipso facto, that you are not qualified, or worthy, to question the Michigan Athletic Director!  You know enough about the Michigan Athletic Director not to question the Michigan Athletic Director, but you question the Michigan Athletic Director.  Therefore, you do not know enough about the Michigan Athletic Director not to question the Michigan Athletic Director.

If you are an ignorant peon and continue to question the Michigan Athletic Director, you will be ignored, and then a way will be found for the experience of going to a football game to become so unpleasant that you will "voluntarily" give up your season tickets, which you could have gotten at 7-11 for buying a couple liters of Coca-Cola.

... and one more thing, WE ARE MICHIGAN!  Seriously, we are.

orsonwellesclap.gif

The Penn State game is going to be epic.

Comments

kdrake

September 29th, 2014 at 10:44 AM ^

1.  After Morris almost collapsed, Nussmeier was 10 yards on the field yelling at Morris to go down.  Morris didn't because he obviously wants to keep playing, not his fault at all.  Nussmeier then left Morris in the game.  Did anyone see what Nussmeier did next?  Did he go and tell Hoke to get Morris out or call a timeout so he could be evaluated?  If Nussmeier did nothing after obviously seeing the whole thing, he is just as liable as Hoke and should also be fired.  

2.  If Hoke didn't see it as he says he didn't, someone on the sidelines should have told him to get Morris out or call a timeout.  If no one did this or if someone did and Hoke did nothing, it shows the dictatorship that Hoke is running.  What he says goes, period.  No matter what else someone tells him.  That is not a remotely healthy way to run a program.

3.  There is one way Hoke should not be fired and that is if in the next press conference he says he made a mistake and apologizes for it.  Anything else, and he should be fired.

4.  Brandon should already be fired due to the athletic departments offical press release which was a straight up lie.

Johnny10er

September 29th, 2014 at 8:18 PM ^

I'm surprised I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but after the hit, when Shane was looking to the sidelines for a play call, he could barely keep his eyes open. He is looking at the coaches, WHO ARE LOOKING BACK AT HIM, and his eyes are shut 50% of the time.

You were looking at him.

You saw it.

7jacks

September 29th, 2014 at 10:45 AM ^

If Hoke did in fact put Morris back in with a concussion (why wait for facts), then the staff has finally reached the same embarrassment as the fans. 

bacon1431

September 29th, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^

What would be amazing is if the student section and significant portion of season ticket holders organized a walk out at the next home game in protest of the athletic department. Everyone gets to their seats and at a certain point in the game, everybody walks out en masse. How mortifying would it be for Brandon to see 20,000+ all walk out at the same time?

Not gonna happen, but maybe it should. The only drawback I see is that it'd be disheartening for the players to witness that. 

Erik_in_Dayton

September 29th, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^

It's a relief to see him advocate for action rather than just indulge in the complaining we tend to do on the board (I include myself in that "we").    You can't just sit around and hope the powers that be will eventually tend to whatever needs fixing. 

I say rally round the Muppets, Henri, and Brian, lads and ladies, and head now into the breach!  We cannot led Michigan rot from the inside.

turd ferguson

September 29th, 2014 at 11:06 AM ^

I care so little about recruiting right now.  We need to put a whole lot of fires out - and try to rebuild something in their aftermath - before I'm getting the least bit excited about a 4-star from Missouri who names Michigan as one of the 37 schools that he's considering for an official visit.

The Claw

September 29th, 2014 at 12:27 PM ^

My point, which wasn't very well made was a with all our issues, no one want to come here period.  I'm certainly not worried about reeling in the last couple of recruits.  But football is about 4 things.

1. Teaching these young men how to become men, first and foremost. 2. Coaching up the players to become better. 3. Protecting these young men. 4.  Recruiting the next great Michigan men.

As it stands, points 2 and 3 are done. 4, it seems we're good but because 2 and 3, it could also be done.  I have to think 1 is where this regime is doing their best.  Graduation rates are higher.  And not a ton of off field incidents.

The way the program is heading, I see a mass exodus of current players and no viable recruits will be left.  How can they turn anything around without players?  That's my point.

Bill in Birmingham

September 29th, 2014 at 11:34 AM ^

I used to worry about that. We may lose 90% of the recruits and 50% of the roster. I'm afraid we just have to accept what happens. This cannot be allowed to continue. Our program has become a total laughingstock. We are going to have to accept some short term pain in order to change that. Change that does not involve another Brandon Process.

ILL_Legel

September 29th, 2014 at 10:49 AM ^

I have attended, watched, one listened to every game 30+ years. I made a decision this past weekend to not watch. I even woke up at 3:30 am (game time in Shanghai) which is normal for me now that I've lived in China for almost three years, but I said fuck it went back to sleep. I am so glad I did.

I will not watch any games, allow anyone to use my season tickets, or buy any Michigan apparel or branded items until Brandon and Hoke are fired. If for some reason the fools are still there, then no season tix for the first time in 21 years.

Brian, Seth, Ace, etc for Regent. Take that shit over. I'll donate the cost of my tickets to their campaign.

umumum

September 29th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^

(that he didn't appreciate the seriousness of the hit on Morris and sent him back out on the field), then Hoke should stand up and fire the fucker whose fault it was.

SWBlue

September 29th, 2014 at 10:52 AM ^

Hoke is a joke and this whole thing is a colossal clusterfuck but let's face it, everyone is asking for dismisal because the product on the field sucks. 

Fuzzy Dunlop

September 29th, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^

You're missing a bit of nuance.  It was already a near certainty that Hoke would be fired at the end of the season because of the product on the field, and most fans were content to wait for that.  The new insistence that he be fired RIGHT FUCKING NOW is because the Shane Morris Incident (TM pending) revealed that he is not just incompetent, but dangerously so.

remdog

September 29th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^

We should put away the pitchforks and stop calling Hoke names and calling for his head.  We should take some time for all the facts to come in.  We should put things in perspective.

Hoke was clearly oblivious to the possible head injury.  Is that a fireable offense?  I don't know.  Morris didn't appear to have any loss of consciousness.  He apparently didn't have obvious signs or symptoms of a concussion when medical personnel evaluated him for the apparent leg injury.  Ironically, Hoke probably doesn't have the same vantage point as fans in the crowd or at home and likely didn't see the hit on Morris clearly or his wobbliness at one point.

We need to review the procedures in place for any possible on field injury including a possible head injury/concussion.  Why didn't anybody on the sideline call an injury TO?  Why isn't anybody (refs, players, assistant coaches, trainers/medical personnel) empowered to call some type of injury TO in a case like this?

Regardless of the Morris possible concussion incident, I think the overall evidence indicates we need a new head coach.  We have a declining record.  Hoke isn't managing players well - even before the possible head injury, Morris had not been ready to start and then had a limp.  And there are many other issues we've discussed.

But I think some of the vitriole here is overheated and would not be as overheated if Hoke's on the field results were better.  And while I don't think Hoke is a genius, I don't think he's "stupid" and he's proved capable as a head coach with two "conference coach of the year" honors before he came to Michigan.

Credit812

September 29th, 2014 at 11:00 AM ^

that Brian has written since "Eleven Swans".  Both posts almost perfectly described what many of us were feeling:  Eleven Swans the sorrow at Bo's passing, this post the rage at the way the Shane Morris concussion was / is being handled.  This isn't about losing football games (that sucks, but happens), it's about putting forth the extra effort to make sure your "sons" are safe.  Educating your self about the signs of concussions, being aware and organized enough on the sidelines to be able to put in place what you've learned, and having the persepctive that saving a timeout just doesn't matter when it comes to the health of 19 year old boys whose parents have entrusted you to care for them.  It's about not being so full of yourself that you can't admit that you, or the coach you hired, made a mistake.  It's about respecting the fans, players, and players' families enough to not lie to them or think that they can't see what everyone over the age of 5 can see.

I'll vote for Brian for regent.  In fact, I already have.  I make it a point every election, if i don't know enough about the candidates for lower offices to write-in someone who I do know.  For each of the last two elections, I've written Brian in as a candidate for regent.  Happy to do it again.

SECcashnassadvantage

September 29th, 2014 at 11:06 AM ^

He isn't a Michigan man. You earn that shit. Rich Rod is more of a Michigan Man. Great post Brian, and sad but true.

Logan88

September 29th, 2014 at 11:08 AM ^

I did not see this hit on Morris live (only saw part of the first half), so I have two questions:

1) Was the Minnesota player ejected? This was an obvious case of targeting.

2) Did Kalis, who appeared to be looking right at the play, do anything in retaliation to the Minnesota player who cheap-shoted Morris? I'm surprised this play did not elicit a brawl between the two teams.

Vote_Crisler_1937

September 29th, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^

My fiancé is a Michigan educated practicing neurologist. Even among physicians she is especially qualified to diagnose concussions. I showed her the film of Morris and her comments were (paraphrased) "loss of consciousness is the number one thing to look for and Morris did not lose consciousness. However, his wobble after getting up could signify a concussion or other type of head/spine injury and requires an immediate concussion test, and if passed, other tests to further rule out other head/neck/spine injuries (ex. a dissection of an artery in his neck). None of which were conducted. Obviously.



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skurnie

September 29th, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^

While I support the Maryland boycott...why not make it against Indiana? The MD game will be our senior's last home game and Indiana is Homecoming. If alumni want to make a stand, why not do it against Indiana?

michgoblue

September 29th, 2014 at 11:16 AM ^

Brian, while I love this blog more than any other site on the web, I often disagree with your views on Michigan football. I am not a spread zealot, but a manball proponent. I am not as focused on tempo. I didn't like RR and his undersized but fast recruiting focus. I love the Michigan Man thing and everything associated with it and most of all, I love Lloyd Carr more than any sports figure from my lifetime.



That is all backdrop for me to say that I agree with every single word that you wrote. This is a travesty and a mockery f what Michigan is about. Like you, I am sad for the state of our once proud program. I am sad for Devin Gardner who likely would have had a shot at the NFL had his development been properly managed. I am sad for this generation of students as they will likely not develop the intense passion that my generation of students did. I am sad that I will not be allowing my 7-year old to watch the Rutgers game as i don't want that image of michigan football to stay with him. And most of all, I am sad that there is no real end to this spiral in sight.



Thanks for continuing to be the voice of Michigan fans.

Yinka Double Dare

September 29th, 2014 at 11:17 AM ^

Count me as one who thinks that a big boycott on Homecoming followed by everyone coming back for Senior Day drives home the point that the boycott is for how things are being run. Skip the day associated with the school, then everyone come back to cheer for Jake Ryan & company on their last home game.

steve sharik

September 29th, 2014 at 11:38 AM ^

Where is the Snyder and Rosenberg desire to protect the players now?  This one's actually worth it, boys.  If you do nothing short of a full-on piece, it just further confirms that 2009 was personal.

BloomingtonBlue

September 29th, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^

This is awesome! Great thread, Brian. Fuck Hoke, the guy is an absolute incompetent idiot. It really sucks not being stick up for and fight for this university anymore.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Lordfoul

September 29th, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^

...to buy up all of the cheap tickets they can just to burn them.  I dropped $400 on four tickets before the season for the Maryland game and am prepared to support this boycott.  An empty Big House would send a powerful message.  #boycottmaryland

samdrussBLUE

September 29th, 2014 at 11:50 AM ^

Agree with a lot of things here.  However, Hoke did not quit when he went for the PAT to make it 14-30.  PAT are almost guaranteed, as such, that was the correct decision.  Keep it a two possession game. If you go there and miss, you now need 3 more scores.  I can see where people might say, lets know if we would need 3 now, but I will never agree with that.

He did quit when we punted the next series though.

MGoNukeE

September 29th, 2014 at 1:42 PM ^

It's only two possessions if they goes for and make two 2-point conversions; if they miss one, it's a three-possession game anyway. So Brian argues it's important to learn this information as early as possible to make planning the rest of the game easier. Hence, going for 2 right away is the better choice.

timot

September 29th, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^

I wasn't planning on attending the Maryland game, but I will now. The people who work hard as players, student staff, coaches and adminsitration deserve support.  I know several of these people, so I do not speak from the view of a fan without any personal connections to the individuals involved. They are by and large good people doing their best for the university. This is not professional football. I am disappointed, but not surprised at the MGoBlog reaction. I hope others will continue to support those working hard despite their lack of success on the field and lapses in judgement in real time. 

bighouse22

September 29th, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^

This is a one game message directed squarely at the administration.  If the Administration cares about the students athletes, student staff, etc. they will take the necessary action prior to the game.  It is on them, not us the fans!  Collectively we keep allowing the Athletic Department and Coaching Staff continue to distract us from who is responsible with the narrative that we need to support the players.  This same narrative is being used as cover, not some noble gesture.   

I do support the player, staff, etc. and I believe Brian does to.  That is why he is taking the only action that he can to send a message to the otherwise tone deaf administration and donors!

This behavior is unacceptable and needs to reside with those responsible within the Athletic Department.  

I was not sure how I felt about it and am struggling with this notion, but each person has to make their own decision on how they want to protest.  At least Brian is trying to have an impact!

I have grown weary of the apologist for Hoke and Brandon!

 

timot

September 29th, 2014 at 12:57 PM ^

I would suggest Brian has many options regarding what he can do, a boycott being only one. In fact, if he is serious about running for Regent, he is doing that as well. I would point out that whatever you mean by "necessary action prior to the game" may well not be what many of the people you profess to support want or will benefit from.  In fact I think the whole notion of a boycott is terribly disrespectful of many of the folks involved in the program. A boycott does not just affect Hoke and Brandon and Ross, but many other folks. At the bottom line this is about a lack of success on the field, not any more noble effort. The damage a boycott will do to the University and the football program and the hard working people involved - if successful - is hard to calculate, but make no mistake it will be damaging. 

Sledgehammer

September 29th, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^

"Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons

 

Whoa, oh, oh (x3)

Whoa



I'm waking up to ash and dust

I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust

I'm breathing in the chemicals



I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus

This is it, the apocalypse

Whoa



I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones

Enough to make my systems blow

Welcome to the new age, to the new age (x2)

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh (x2)

I'm radioactive, radioactive

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, (x2)

I'm radioactive, radioactive



I raise my flags, don my clothes

It's a revolution, I suppose

We'll paint it red to fit right in

Whoa



I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus

This is it, the apocalypse

Whoa



I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones

Enough to make my systems blow

Welcome to the new age, to the new age (x2)

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh (x2)

I'm radioactive, radioactive

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh (x2)

I'm radioactive, radioactive



All systems go, the sun hasn't died

Deep in my bones, straight from inside



I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones

Enough to make my systems blow

Welcome to the new age, to the new age (x2)
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh (x2)

I'm radioactive, radioactive

Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh (x2)

I'm radioactive, radioactive

BlueHills

September 29th, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^

Running for Regent makes a wonderful statement, but it will merely amount to a protest and an asterisk down the road unless you are willing to get very heavily involved in one of the maintream political parties, or make a very, very big deal out of it as an independent. 

I will support you in any case.

I think the boycott is a great idea, and virtually the only sure-fire way to not simply let the issues drop, and to have an impact. In fact, it should be publicized to be meaningful, especially to students in Ann Arbor, who might be more receptive to it than the general public. But I think the dreaded Freep and News should also get wind of the fact that there's a "movement" afoot and that people are going to do something about this. They'll certainly report it if they know it's happening. MaizeNBrew should also promote it.

In fact, with enough forward movement, it's possible that the television media might do a story on a grassroots movement to impact Michigan athletics.

Finally, I find Dave Brandon, his minions, and his shenanigans such an embarrassment to the community of Michigan alums and students that I believe the entire point of the protest should be to have him removed, and not simply to have Hoke fired.