A Harsh Message
Yesterday's second half was the worst blow to a Revolution since:
A. The Winter of Valley Forge
B. The Seige of Vicksburgh
C. The Alamo
Well, it cant be the Alamo because thats what last week's game was. So that makes it either Valley Forge or Vicksburgh. And, really, right now, on the first day of November in Year 2 of the Rodriguez Revolution, it's hard to determine which is the more apt historical marker in light of yesterday's outcome and ensuing aftermath. It could be either one right now. A clear cut TBD.
If it's Valley Forge, its a cold harsh reminder of how long the struggle will be, yet a fact of life towards the eventual birth of a super power. If its Vicksburgh, its the beginning of an end, one that could be as drawn out with an ensuing upheaval and Reconstruction period that ultimately would set the program back farther back than any of us can possibly imagine.
Clearly, I hope its the former. Sadly, I can no longer expect that. I remain convinced Rodriguez can get it done in a big way here at Michigan. I am now, however, dubious that he can survive the noise that will envelop the program in the wake of the Illinois loss. The critics had been put away, but they seize on losses like this with the reactionary temper of a hyperbolic spastic hopped up on an eight ball. Those critics must be RIGHT becasue their OUTRAGE is LOUD and ANGRY and this is UNACCEPTABLE and they WONT TAKE THIS ANYMORE because this is not MICHIGAN FOOTBALL.
Well, I have two words for those hyperbolic reactionaries today.
Shut Up.
Oh, and another sentence.
Go cheer for another team for awhile.
You should have left years ago. Let me clue you in on a dirty little secret: Your precious Michigan program has been fooling people for an entire decade. Any reference to It as contemporary elite program is rubbish. I hate to throw out the real F word, but they have been frauds for a long time now.
Do you want to know why your bowl streak didnt die sooner? The difference between some of the teams earlier this decade and 2008 is some got to sit next hot rollers while one sat next to an all-star cooler.
The 2004 team was the luckiest team in program history. 2005 might have been the second luckiest, despite its Infinite Pain lore. The 2005 team 's 7-5 record was much closer to the program's true identity, record wise, than the seasons immediately before and after it. The famed 2006 team almost lost to Ball State. In the tenth game of the season. A MAC team. With a losing record. Hokalicious!
Come on, we're talking about the same program that lost to Appalachian State in 2007. Even with an all-time group of upperclassmen, the program lost that game, were woodshedded by an Oregon team, and scored just three points against OSU. Not once that whole regular season did they play like a club worthy of even begin ranked. Those uppclassmen had been holding the program together by the skin of their teeth for years.
In the wake of their mass departure after the bowl win over Florida, the program was left with a stark reality nobody bothered to notice: The program had no depth. Ann Arbor claimed to be a place for the leaders and the best. But, instead, it had become a place where recruits went to get get slower and weaker. Folks, that was Michigan's reputation. And it was earned. Michigan was a fraud. That was the perspective from the outside looking in. But, it's easy to be blinded by reality when genuflecting at the church of Hart, Henne and Long.
A team with some all-program caliber players sprinkled throughout the roster almost lost to a woeful MAC team and did lose to a FCS school in embarassing fashion during their final two seasons in Ann Arbor. So, we're melting down in shock, horror and ALL CAPS because the team meshed virtually entirely of freshmen, sophomores and mid-level upperclassmen recruits left in their wake actually did lose to a bad MAC team and a terrible Big 10 team during their first two years? Really, you're surprised by this development? Folks, this is not 'what out of left field' looks like.
This stretch of poor seasons was a long time coming. It took an incredible amount of luck that it didnt happen sooner. And if you cant like Michigan in the bad times, then why do you like Michigan even at all? If you're not up for the long climb to the top, then I dont know what to tell you. If you're not aware of the mediocrity every other past elite program had to wallow through while it reinvented itself before it could become elite again, then crack open some college history books.
This 2009 team is basically where we all thought it would be back in the summer. We all, myself as much as anyone, let our minds get filled with big things this season after that September start. Maybe something like a nine win season could be in the offing. I am discouraged by the outcome yesterday, but certainly not disillusioned with where we are as a program today. Eight days ago, I was stoned enough on Maize and Blue bud and the Power of the Forcier to think the we were about to turn a corner. Today, I have been reminded just how long and hard it will be to take a fraudelent program and turn it into a super power in the current world of college football. And, make no mistake, that is indeed the charge of Rodriguez and he--or anyone else for that matter--aint doing it overnight.
When faced with the reality of yesterday you have to go back and remind yourself where you thought the team was in the summer. I hoped they could find seven wins on the schedule. I also said during one of our WLA Lives in August that I didnt like our chances to win any of the four road games this season. Part of my initial excitement about the Notre Dame win is that it opened the door for a bowl season that didnt include a win in any of these road games. I thought having QBs with the right skill set would enable a big improvement. But, I figured getting all your snaps from true freshmen QBs with this team would probably be enough to really limit the improvements as measured in the black and white world of wins and losses. The defense scared the crap out of me, especially if we had to do any lineup shuffling past our original first string. Can we kick a field goal? Or field a kick?
If you had told me back in the summer that Brandon Minor would be on pace for less carries, yards and scores than last year; and that our freshmen QBs would account for twice as many turnovers as TDs in Big 10 play; and that the defense, more youthful that last season, would be every bit as big play vulnerable and seive like as last years; and that walk ons would emerge as starters with lineup shuffles in the secondary virtually every week; and that after close to half a season of a return game that was impeccable, it would return to last year's lost fumble per game form......well, if you told me all that, I think I would have promptly scheduled and left for a three month Sabbatical to Australia or something.
But, if you had told me all that, and promised a winning record after nine games, I would have made that deal. And, here we are, with a winning record in November. Take it, or leave it.
Now, I had some issues with how Rodriguez handled the game yesterday. He coached poorly. The team has had no offensive identity the last couple of weeks, and its the burden of the coaches to cultivate that. I am surprised we're this confused about how are rushing carries are being distributed. And, I blame him for not being able to rally the kids yesterday in the second half. That goal line stand should not have been the knockout punch it so obviously was. They were unable to coach the kids up and Rodriguez personally seemed as stunned as the players after the touchdown was overturned.
Hearing him in the postgame presser talk about how he felt it was a TD reminded me of Mike Davis bucking for a 17-win Indiana team to make the tournament after a 25-point opening round loss to Minnesota in the Big 10 Tournament by pleading 'we were the fourth place team.' Yeah, they dont even have a color for fourth place ribbons, Chief. And, in case you needed to be told, when I get flashes of Mike Davis based on something you did, it is most definetly not good. No question.
So, Rodriguez has a big chore ahead of him and a lot that he has to achieve between now and the end of the season. He needs to get these kids back playing with confidence and an identity on offense. He cant let November spin out of control the way the second half spiraled last weekend. He has to recharge Forcier and get him back to early season form. He needs to establish some momentum of what a good-looking Rodriguez team will look like in the future. We'll see.
But, I'm not going to let one step back with what is still the youngest team in the Big 10, freak me out to the point, where I will back off on the sentiment that Rodriguez can get it done here. I remain certain of it. Maybe we ought to let him have a season with a legit returning QB before we even begin to dole out grades on his tenure? kthxbai.
I want to end with just a glimpse of what a more TL;DR answer would be to the question I see spread by some persistently loud posters around here dismayed at Rodriguez and wondering where the accomplishments are. Sink on these numbers, with all rankings per Rivals.
In 2005-07, Michigan brought in 23 five/four star players. Only 13 remain with the program. Eleven of those recruits came from the 2005 class, so that's just 12 five/four star recruits in our jr/sr classes right now.
In 2008-2009, the two seasons where Rodriguez had to get them to sign on the dotted line, Michigan brought in 31 five/four star recruits, with 26 still on the roster that are either sophomore, redshirt freshmen, freshmen or redshirting.
Rodriguez is stockpiling talent. Replinishing the lifeblood of a program that had received guru approvals in the past thanks in large part to brand name alone. It might not be a very savvy or seasoned team right now. I would even grant that it's not a very well coached team right now, either. But, the program has at least twice as much talent in the underclassmen ranks as it does in the upperclassmen ranks. These kids intend on being here for awhile. I hope the coach that brought him here gets the same chance.
Let It Grow. It will pay off. We'll come get you when we're in full bloom. I promise.
122-40, an NC, and five ten-win seasons. That's an average of about 9-3, and a bowl game every year, and five Big Ten championshis, two outright.
And all anyone wants to do is point to 3 or 4 games that might have made some huge difference in...what?
I am not a big fan of Lloyd--but the program was pretty damn solid overall.
And now Rodriguez is given a free pass, is still believed to be some sort of savior, and everything wrong with UM is somehow the fault of Lloyd Carr?
This is bullshit. It's blind, stupid faith. Every other Big Timer has made the wrong hire a time or two---face it: this might be UM's turn.
That being said, it is what it is.
I do bot feel Rich Rod is the problem, but rather the assistants need to be evaluated and changes made.
Go Blue!
It's probably a good thing I couldn't post the past few days. Unlike those who turned to their favorite fermented beverages or worse, I suffered in agony over the loss. It made no sense though. I recall the same Illini team totally destroying M in A2 last year. Plus, Illinois sould be 6-2 and not 2-6. Their fans must be the ones dying right now over what might have been.
I think this team has a chance to win all 3 remaining games IF (and this is a big IF), they hustle and if they stop the turnovers. Everyone makes such a big deal about getting stuffed 4 times inside the 1 (and yes that was huge), but I don't understand why no one has talked about Roundtree getting caught from behind. It seemed to me that Roundtree shifted down a gear while on the way to the end zone. Had he hustled -- no plays would have been run inside the 1. I'm sure the kid from Il is fast, but to close 10 yards?
This team needs to get a sense of urgency -- no panic mind you -- but urgency to get the job done...
Also, with exception of the fumbles, I thought Tate played much better this week. The redzone failures were awful. M should have scored in the 30's easily against that defense.
some questions though?
1. Why not let Kevin Grady run the ball in short yardage situations? he's a senior and seems to want to step up.
2. why did we run up the middle 4 times in a row on first and goal at the 1? Did we ever hear of a QB sneak?
Also, every one is so down on the Michigan defense. Personally, I don't think Michigan's D has been that great in a long time. A good offense can really mask a mediocre defense. Unfortunately, our offense has been sorely lacking the past two years. Get the offense in gear and The defense will be better (not great) because they won't be on the field...
I'm just hopeful we get a win over Purdue this weekend. I think a win will do wonders for the confidence of the team. Of course, I was thinking a 35-27 win over Illinois would do the same thing.
I live on the west side of Columbus and hear all the OSU whining about their offense (which I think is pretty bad). so that's winnable game, especially with it being in A2.
Let's just hope win all 4 games -- last 3 plus the bowl game.
I agree with the overall sentiment, but I saw a few things that jumped out at me. If I say anything stupid, forgive me - I'm still new at this.
Even with an all-time group of upperclassmen, the program lost that game, were woodshedded by an Oregon team...
I don't think you're giving Oregon enough credit. It was an ugly game, and given that we only scored one touchdown I won't argue "embarrassing" either...but Oregon beat ranked USC, Arizona State, and Florida State teams that year, and slipped into the AP and Coach's polls by year's end. We absolutely should have played better, but Oregon wasn't exactly a creampuff opponent that year.
He has to recharge Forcier and get him back to early season form.
If Forcier is playing injured, as the consensus seems to be, I don't think Rodriguez has any hope of accomplishing this.
Maybe we ought to let him have a season with a legit returning QB before we even begin to dole out grades on his tenure? kthxbai.
How about a season with a legitimate defense, or some consistency in the coaching staff? Offense isn't our biggest problem right now.
Good points. We shouldn't be mad because the pollsters got the rankings reversed. That Oregon team was on it's way to play in the National Championship game and have the Heisman winner before the punky QB got injured, badly. And it was a close game to start, till OUR QB went out hurt, and we had to throw in the Freshman for the first time. Not to mention Hart was still dinged up and we had a week of "You lost to App St?" to get over emotionally. It was a bad loss, to be sure. But for as good of reasons as we're losing this year.
...I have shown him...a man without hope...is a man without fear...
As I have said numerous times....when RR loses with talent such as Tom Brady, Braylon Edwards, Leon Hall, Alan Branch, Lamarr Woodley, Steve Breaston, Jake Long, Marlin Jackson, etc, etc, etc then the fans should be concerned. Losing with freshmen and walkons does not signify coaching failure.
BILG
Yet another example of what we should be seeing on the front page of this blog.
I won't undertake a full-blown defense of the Carr era, because that really was not the point of your post, but the notion that his later teams were a "fraud" is counter-factual. Carr's teams did very well in Big Ten competition his last four years, going 7-1, 5-3, 7-1, and 6-2, respectively. Signature wins included Iowa in 2004, Penn State in 2005, Notre Dame in 2006, and Florida in 2007. He dominated all Big Ten teams but Ohio State and Wisconsin, including Penn State, which was a rejuvenated program.
Interesting also that you say 2004 was the "luckiest" Michigan team. That is right in some respects, I think. The Purdue win where their QB fumbled late. The injury to Sparty's QB that allowed the Braylon Comeback. Close games against Minnesota and San Diego State. Before reading your post, I just remembered all the bad luck from that year. In no particular order: injury to Gutierrez to start the season, the blocked field goal that went through on the last play of the Rose Bowl, Braylon drops in the fourth quarter against Ohio State and in the Rose Bowl, Troy Smith deciding to emerge at exactly the same time as the big game.
Come to think of it, luck really turned on Carr his last four years. (Chronically injured Henne & Hart, e.g.)
All-caps venting is as understandable as it is foolish, however. Twenty-five point losses were rare in the Late Carr Era. Even in 2005--often cited as the beginning of the end for Carr--the biggest loss was by 7 to Notre Dame. They did not lose those five games by a *combined* twenty five points, and any "luck" they had in 2004 abandoned them that year. (In no particular order: Alamo Bowl referees, injuries, fluke defensive breakdown against Minne-haha when they were just trying to run out the clock and get to OT, close goal-line calls against Notre Dame, fumble late in the Wisconsin game, did I mention Alamo Bowl referees?). In fact, there was exactly one twenty-five point loss in the Late Carr Era. To Oregon, when Henne and Hart were hurt. There have been five in the Rodriguez Era already, including two to Illinois (both will likely be losing teams). Nobody expected such a big drop.
Frankly, as a fanbase, we are lucky to have had forty years of Pax Schembechlera. The winning tradition now must be rebuilt, and I think Rodriguez has the offensive scheme to do it. The question is, does he have all of the other things (including, yes, luck) needed to make this happen?
Missing Ann Arbor
I put that in quotes deliberately, since jamiemac referred to it specifically. I, myself, used it in an earlier comment.
Squint your eyes a little bit, and you'll realize that the statement is nevertheless true. Whether Jamie is correct in the rest of his thesis or not, (I believe he is) calling out those who have used the phrase, (for the record, I did not use all-caps) is not a fair basis for argument.
To whit, I think we can all agree that "Michigan Football" is, among other things, sound fundamentals: blocking, tackling, taking the correct pursuit angles, being in the correct position on the field, controlling the line of scrimmage, making the other QB run for his life, hanging onto the damned ball, not getting man-handled by inferior squads and personnel.
In those terms, its hard to see how the 2008 and 2009 editions can be properly called "Michigan Football".
You may well be right: we may have been playing at the edge of a cliff for a very long while and been lucky not to have fallen over the side. This may have been a long time coming. But, no matter how we got here, or who is responsible for it, what we are seeing is "Michigan Football" in name only.
I'm not stupid enough to believe or say that we won't get better. Of course we will. Not so long ago, Alabama went through its time in the wilderness. So did Florida, and Miami, and every other team of any caliber. I have the right perspective, in other words. But, saying that what I'm seeing on the field makes me want to puke doesn't make me less of a fan. It simply makes me a passionate one.
Go Blue!
The other teams could make trouble for us if they win.
"To whit, I think we can all agree that "Michigan Football" is, among other things, sound fundamentals: blocking, tackling, taking the correct pursuit angles, being in the correct position on the field, controlling the line of scrimmage, making the other QB run for his life, hanging onto the damned ball, not getting man-handled by inferior squads and personnel."
Have you seen our safeties over the years? Our poor tackling over the years, the poor pursuit angles? QBs running for their life? I remember QBs running RAMPANT all over our defense. Our defense making scrub QBs that had some movement look like a Heisman Vince Young.
If you mean "Michigan Football" as 3 yards and a cloud of dust then YES emphatically this is not Michigan football (a coach finally drug us out of the dark ages of football and into the modern era).
There is so much wrong with that paragraph I don't even know where to begin... I don't know what kind of a program that you think that RR wants to start but I assure you that he values (among other things): Solid line play, Proper tackling, Proper pursuit angles, and yes HANGING ONTO THE DAMN BALL. To think that he doesn't... well... it throws his intelligence under the proverbial bus.
In sum: I think that RR knows about the importance of fundamentals more than you.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand"
I have been supportive of Rod since he came here and watched every game the last two years (I was a fan before and have been a fan for years, so I am speaking directly to the Richrod era). I do agree that people shouldn't blow things out of proportion, but I simply cannot excuse what I've seen on the field.
Rodriguez may well get the program back on track, but making excuses for the lack of adjustments as well as the stubborn nature of the system is as crazy as the people looking to get Rod fired.
I understand that the team is young and I was expecting a tough transition period. My frustration stems from the fact that it seems like the team isn't improving and that we are making the same mistakes week to week with our schemes as well as the execution problems. To me, that's coaching.
If it makes some people feel better to tell other fans to root for other teams, so be it. I hope Richrod rights the ship more than anything else, but at the same time some of the team's problems are obviously in the coaching department.
I realize that there are extremes at both ends of the fanatic spectrum, but before all the eternal optimists negbang me to mgohell, realize that through all the crap the past two years I still woke up every Saturday and put on my Michigan gear with pride. As upset as I get at times with Richrod, there's no way he shouldn't continue to be coach if he progresses year to year.
Just because that's where I stand doesn't mean I'm not extremely disappointed.
Hail to the Victors!
I like both Lloyd and RR. However, I think this season and last season should give us all an appreciation of how difficult it was for Lloyd to bring that UM team back from despair in 2007. It would have been very easy to write that season off, but he didn't, convincing those kids to play hard all the way through to the end despite facing numerous obstacles and injuries and eventually playing to their potential against Florida.
RR will turn this around, but I don't like it when people lift him up at the expense of Lloyd. That man did nothing but good things for this program and continued a tradition of consistently winning. Lloyd gave us 4 big ten championships, 5 rose bowl appearences, a winning record against all of our rivals besides Ohio State (he was 6-7, not exactly Cooper-esque), a heisman trophy winner and a national championship from 1997-2007. That is pretty damn good by anyone's standards and I think bashing him is just classless and idiotic.
Maintaining a program at an elite level is a difficult task and Lloyd did it with dignity and class. RR is attempting to do the same and I think anyone with 1/2 a brain realizes we will eventually win with him, but to summarily state he is superior to Carr is a bit premature.
I agree. And, thats not what I am trying to do.
I see a few comments in this thread hinting that what I wrote is typical Pro-RR people tearing down Lloyd's legacy. I will let my 3-4 years of defending Lloyd here, going all the way back to the Haloscan days when loudmouths like BILG demanded that I stop posting on account of being a Lloyd apologist, stand on its own merits.
Frankly, when the 2007 season ended, only one guy could have kept UM on its steady course of always avoiding the disaster season in the ensuing years, and thats the man Lloyd himself.
The point of this Diary was to show that nobody currently involved in the program has actively killed our tradition or took an elite program and turned it into a loser.
The point was to show just how close we were to having disatrous seasons even with our All-Program, RBUAS-approved stars, and that the record of this team really isnt that far off from what the program accomplished in 2 of their seasons.
As far as calling the program a fraud. Hyperbole? Maybe. But the sentiment I outlined nails spot on the national perception of our program for most of this decade. Oregon didnt hope to beat us, for example, they expected to because from top to bottom, they had better players. And, they knew it. We didnt
The Winter Olympics at www.justcoverblog.com
God Bless Your Cotton Pickin' Maize & Blue Hearts
I agree with most of what you're saying here and admitting that calling arguably the Big Ten's top program (or at least top 2) from 1997-2007 a fraud might be hyperbole lends your argument a great deal more credibility. You are right that we seemed to be slipping against elite competition towards the end of Lloyd's tenure. I also agree wholeheartedly that Rich Rodriguez isnt "killing" our progam and to say that he is certainly constitutes a massive oversimplification of a very complex problem. Still, we were consistently good under Lloyd, sometimes great and while that might not seem like enough, my point is just that I think we're all realizing now how hard that was to maintain.
I wish this had been at the end of your diary....makes it seem more reasonable.
...I have shown him...a man without hope...is a man without fear...
But I think part of the problem was that Carr had let the team fall to the level at which such highwire acts were far too common. At some point, 7-5 and 8-4 becomes 4-8 or 3-9 because your best RB gets hurt or the offensive line breaks down a bit, and then where do you go from there? I will always respect what Carr did here, but I'm not sure his ability to not get rocked but instead slow-drip mediocrity is a positive attribute.
course and let RR get his program implemented. My biggest fear is not RR getting fired, but him leaving and going somewhere else on his own accord. I think that would be disasterous for the program. I just hope the Freep BS and other pressures don't cause him to say "Screw this" and move on to a different school.
He might like to, but I wonder whether he can. Part of the cache of Rich Rodriguez is his reputation. There can be no question that the last two seasons have taken off some of the shine it had acquired through his years at WVU.
At any rate, even if he did leave, he'd be starting over ... again. Maybe not from the ground up, but he would see another transition period of some length at a new school.
Frankly, I am much more concerned about Tate leaving after this year. His confidence has been clearly shaken in the last few weeks. The lingering injury and the concussion can't be doing much for him, either. Transferring would guarantee a year on the bench for his shoulder to heal, some muscle mass, and possibly a team with more depth.
Now, before I get all MGoNegBanged, I don't mean to suggest that he WILL transfer, but its not like it hasn't happened before. San Diego is a long way, (metaphorically, climatologically and geographically) from Ann Arbor. After a year like this, it must surely beckon.
The other teams could make trouble for us if they win.
I have to ask. What is tl;dr?
too long; didn't read.
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Thanks. I never would have figured that out.
Well said.
I think the type and order of wins/losses this year is what is troubling people. If UM had lost to ND and beaten Illinois, they would have the exact same record but the narrative would have been completely different - UM would be a mediocre team destined from some early bowl game. But by beating ND and playing some exciting games against IU, MSU, and Iowa, the story became that this team was a 9-win club and the subsequent string of losses is a sign of a failing program/RR's incompetence/a waste of the season. This probably sounds like a broken record, but UM is starting two freshmen QBs, a bunch of freshman/first-year starters on defense (and a couple of walk-ons seeing major time), and has been plagued by injuries to some of its best players (Molk, Minor). If at the end of next year, the offense is still struggling and the defense has not made some strides (and I know the loss of Graham, Brown, and probably Warren won't help), then people can start questioning RR.
But this isn't Zook in Florida or Willingham/Davies at ND, where the guys had little to no head coaching experience and were clearly overmatched. This is a coach who has fielded winners wherever he goes, and I fully expect him to have UM back in the Big 10 and nationally in the coming years.
"Let me clue you in on a dirty little secret: Your precious Michigan program has been fooling people for an entire decade. Any reference to It as contemporary elite program is rubbish. I hate to throw out the real F word, but they have been frauds for a long time now."
Horseshit. I quit reading your rant after that.
I'm behind Coach Rod completely, and Robinson, and Barwis and the entire staff, but bashing previous teams is unnecessary and accomplishes nothing.
This "revolution" shit is a joke and a slap in the face of a lot of players who've sweat more blood and tears for the maize and blue than you ever have.
You have the balls to come on hear and rant that Henne, Hart, Long, Edwards, Harris, Woodley et all were "frauds" because the current team embarrassed itself against a 1 win Illinois team?
And "fans" here support that kind of crap? Man.
"It's the real deal, Roc. Evil men, dead men."
Look up!
There's the point.
wolverineliberationarmy.com/blog
He wasn't calling Hart, Henne et al frauds he was calling the program a fraud. The amazing play of a few completely nullified the deteriation of the program that was Michigan Football. Michigan being pre-season ranked in the Top 15 ever year was why the Michigan program was a fraud.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand"
And it's what I've been saying about Ohio State the past couple of seasons. They're always in the pre-season top 10, and they tend to stay there too long even when their games look unconvincing. I felt that way about our team in Lloyd's last couple of years (not that I didn't love them and stand by them). It was just that I never felt completely confident watching those games. In my gut, I always felt like it was going to slip through their fingers. I think that's the point being made here.
WK
I don't think that monkey in your avatar should be smoking.
Give it to Wheatley!
So, casinos actually employ (or used to employ?) a person who was believed to have such bad luck that his job was to sit at tables where the house was losing too much money and cool it off. That is awesome in a WTF way.
Other than that, it is interesting to see jamie mac, the respectable, smooth talker, peace maker, ambassador of feel good, member of the hive of vilany and scum (WLA) BRINGING THE PAIN.
BOOM JAMIE MAC'D.
Give it to Wheatley!
I don't understand the need for every game to be a huge victory. People complain about the 2006 game against Ball State, but last I checked, the point in football is to have more points at the end of the game than the other team. Mission accomplished.
Three seasons ago, we were within 4 points of going to the national championship game. FOUR POINTS. If that counts as being in the midst of the downfall of our program, then we must have been seriously awesome before 2006...
There are natural ebbs and flows in the game of football. Deal with it.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-recruiting-grades-defens...
At Valley Forge there was literally tons of food available for the troops, but Washington refused to PAY for it. Valley Forge is located in a very fertile farming area. Washington did not starve, only his troops. Washington ate like a KING.
So, maybe this analogy is not a good one to use, JM. I'm just sayin.
People do need to chill. 2010 is NOT going to be much better than 2009. 2011 should show some improvement.
Infinity can only happen once. Think about that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwGXMryTbwE
Read Washington's Secret War by Thomas Fleming and you get a better sense of what it was.
You're right, there should have been food available to the troops at Valley Forge, but the Continental Congress was so screwed up, playing politics, factionalized, seeing some in the Congress want Gates to be promoted to Commander in Chief over Washington after his victory at Saratoga (which leads to the Conway Cabal), and the simple fact that the quartermaster department was so screwed up that they could not get the food to the troops, food they had paid for, that it's not as simple as Washington screwed up and let his soldiers die while he ate like a king. Like most of American history, it's complicated, ugly, and frustrating.
(Sorry, the perils of being a history teacher.)
As for the larger point, I think Jamiemac has it right, a run of bad luck does not a team or program destroy, it just means that you're regressing to the mean, and just a little bit. Not to self-promoted, but I did research on this last year and you'll be amazed to see how EVERY (sorry about the all caps) program since 1969 has had down years. It happens, the question is, how does it get better. If you're patient enough to wait it out, you might be surprised, or even rewarded.
Craig Barker || The Hoover Street Rag || Twitter
"The Michigan fanbase: a cynical, Eeyorish bunch even in the best of times."--Doug Gillett
There's nothing like a beautiful theory that gets gang-raped by a marauding group of facts.
Nicely done.
The other teams could make trouble for us if they win.
But that 2006 team was a great team. A great team.
They did not almost lose to Ball State, they beat them unconvincingly but never trailed. Also, they were a week or two away from playing the most important issue of The Game ever. Ever. So there was that.
VF is definitely a more apt comparison that Vickburg, fwiw.
The 2006 team was *really* fun to watch. And it was an exciting season. And we almost pulled it out against OSU. But just like OSU exposed our weaknesses, so did Southern Cal. Once those weaknesses were identified, they were easy for top-tier teams to exploit. That's not the mark of a great team.
It was a great season, played by players with heart and love for the game and the university, but it proves EXACTLY the original point jamiemac makes: They were good; they almost accidentally won a national championship. But they didn't do it because they were the best coached, most talented team. They did it because they were "good enough" and had a schedule that played to their strengths.
I don't in any way want to diminish how much I loved watching that team, or how impressed I was with their accomplishments. But I'm more impressed that they did all they did *DESPITE* not being a "great" team.
I guess that means OSU was exposed too that year. And I guess it means not only does Rich have to do better than Lloyd, but better than Tressel too! Man, are the expectations getting high for him.
USC exposes everyone not named "Texas with Vince Young" when they are good. Flip flop that game from Columbus to Ann Arbor that year, who knows what's happening. And we'd have done better against Florida than OSU did. Not saying we would have won. But then, if USC doesn't lay an egg, they might be the ones in there making OSU look bad. I think I'd have taken them against U-F too.
...I have shown him...a man without hope...is a man without fear...
Isn't that kind of the sign of a good coach? One who can take a team that isn't amazing and still get good results?
Your scenario is one that often has a ineffective coach replaced by a competent one who is able to get what should of been a good team on track. Our situation differs a little, the most pertinent reasons stated by Jamiemac above.
Actually, I think you're missing his point. Not that Rich is doing a crap job because he didn't come in and do more with the players left, but that if they keep winning all these "lucky" games, and should have been worse before, isn't that a credit to coaching?
...I have shown him...a man without hope...is a man without fear...
I'll just add to the chorus of agreeance (made up word) with this diary.
The Michigan base has been feeling this for ten years, that is why the call for Carr's head would begin right around that inevitable first loss of the season. Even the loss to OSU and subsequent shellacking by USC in '06.
Fraud in this post, in my opinion, refers to the mirage that Michigan was among the top elite programs. I think that this has mostly been due to tradition and an ability to get 9 wins a season and an occasional big win against a top opponent. That keeps the winning percentage up and to some extent perceptions. But then you get the USC assessment, they knew exactly what was coming.
That is what is meant by fraud. It's time to put Michigan back among the elite of the elite, where they are making and winning BCS bowls year in and year out. Here's to 2010.
MGoAgreeance
The other teams could make trouble for us if they win.
The fact that you're looking to next year with 3 or 4 games left this season doesn't instill me with confidence that you think we're on the right track...
...I have shown him...a man without hope...is a man without fear...
Thanks for saying everything that I feel and then some. This is a needed post. In a time of importance its probably one of the best posts I have ever read in the 3 almost 4 years since I started reading this blog. Thanks again bro.
Well said, jamiemac.
These types of ridiculous, irrational fans we're referencing do exist.
I saw many of them posting extremely negative things on Tate's FB wall today, sadly.
"Columbus: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."
I would love for someone to out whoever's doing that so we could return the favor.
"It's the real deal, Roc. Evil men, dead men."
Seriously.
I'm not going to post crap on their page and set off some ridiculous posting war....but if they happen to play Mafia Wars, I will beat their character down for a week solid.
That is utterly pathetic. Tate was in front of me in line at Target on Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. yesterday. My wife and contemplated telling Tate we will always have him, Rich's and the team's back yesterday, but we just let Tate be. It just felt awkward. Tate is under some serious stress and he doesn't deserve the irrational ad hominem bashing he is receiving on his facebook wall. To those fans who feel it is within their duty as a "Michigan Fan" to bash a 18 year old freshman QB, fuck off.
JamieMac, thank you. I had to turn off WTKA this morning due to the high concentration of tin foil hat wearers calling into the morning show. It is amazing these fans have zero perspective and long term vision.
I really, really, can't even put into words how utterly pathetic that is.
Incidentally, that's why true blue (ha!) fans need to stand behind the team and the coach, and make it known that we do.
a reoccurring theme in posts around here. I also think that anyone who thinks we should fire RR is stupid, but I have only seen very few people actually defend that position. Maybe this is simply a result of the posting restrictions, but it seems to me that people are freaking out over some imaginary zombie Michigan fanbase. We've got 100 posts on here telling these zombies need to fuck off and like 3 zombies. I suspect people who are all pissed about the team eating a dick yesterday are redirecting their anger at idiot fans, imagined or otherwise.
I also suspect that most people who are upset with RR have criticism along the same lines as yours, but are no longer "certain" that RR will succeed. In fact they probably think that the balance of evidence best supports a conclusion that RR succeeding here is doubtful. I think that is an overstatement, but I don't think it's an unreasonable position and I don't understand the need to demonize those who reached that conclusion.
You hit it. There's hardly any credible FIRE RICH ROD NOW stuff going on. Sure, there's some "out there" with every loss by every coach. But suddenly, there's a little doubt in their minds, and it hurts them to even complain about anything. Don't know how "boy, did a shitty job if you lost to that lame Illni team" means "fire him today". Or how those that don't want us to lose to crappy crappy teams don't want the best for the program. And I think that's the majority of it is that. Not fire a coach and ruin our program and not even give a coach 3 or 4 years (at Michigan? Like that won't happen). But a lot of whistling by the graveyard going on.
...I have shown him...a man without hope...is a man without fear...
This was not meant as a message to just mgobloggers, but the entire Michigan fan base.
I questioned Rodriguez a lot in the Diary, so I am not villifying critics.
What's really the difference between the 7-5 2005 outfit and a 6-6 2009 year? Not much. Thats my whole point. In fact, the safety play, failure to stop the big play and the inability to overcome a single injury on the offensive line seem about the same.
The difference is that team had all-timers at key spots. We dont this year.
Why people are surprised this program is struggling is beyond me. Sometimes I wish we had gone 0-3 in OT games that season, not the other way around, then people would not crap as much on our current players for killing the "tradition" of the program.
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